San Francisco (25-27) at Chicago (26-22)
When: Sunday, May 27th 2018
Where: Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
Time: 8:05 ET | TV: ESPN2
Opening Odds: Chicago -200/9.5
With the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies slumping a bit in the NL West, the San Francisco Giants are slowly inching closer to them in the standings, but will need to do a better job of winning games on the road. They have their first chance to win a series at Wrigley Field for the first time in four years when they play the rubber match against the Chicago Cubs on Sunday Night Baseball. The telecast will be shifted to ESPN2 so that ESPN can carry Game 7 between the Cavaliers and Celtics. San Francisco is just 11-17 away from home, but are only two games behind the Rockies in the division and got within two games of the .500 mark with Saturday’s 5-4 victory in Chicago thanks to the red hot Brandon Crawford. The Giants’ shortstop went 2-for-3 with a double and a homer, and is batting .446 with four HRs and 20 RBIs in 23 games this month. The Cubs have lost five of their last six home games and will move up Tyler Chatwood one day to make the start in place of Yu Darvish, who was placed on the 10-day disabled list with triceps tendinitis. Chicago recalled relief pitcher Randy Rosario from Triple-A Iowa to take Darvish’s spot on the roster but are expected to make another move to fill a spot in the rotation on Tuesday. Cubs 1B Anthony Rizzo is 9-for-32 during his eight-game hitting streak.
Pitchers: Giants – Ty Blach (3-4, 4.37 ERA) | Cubs – Tyler Chatwood (3-4, 3.74)
Ty Blach will look to get his season back on track after failing to get through the fifth inning in each of his last three starts. Blach surrendered four runs and eight hits in 4.1 innings of a no-decision against Colorado last time out. He has been better on the road this season (3.54 ERA) than at home (5.16) and is 2-0 with a 3.21 ERA in two career starts against the Cubs, both of which occurred last season.
Chatwood is having all sorts of trouble finding the strike zone this season and issued six free passes to Cleveland last time out while giving up four runs in just 2.2 innings of a loss. Chatwood has 40 walks in 45.2 innings this season, but has served up just two home runs. He is 7-4 with a 2.84 ERA in 17 career games (16 starts) against the Giants.
The Giants offense started out slowly on this current road trip, but they faced some pretty stiff pitching in Houston to start. Chatwood is not in that category and the Giants’ hitters will be patient against the struggling righty and will get some timely hits en route to a series winning victory tonight.
Pick: Giants +160
BETTING TRENDS:
- Giants are 5-0 in their last 5 Sunday games.
- Giants are 4-0 in their last 4 games vs. a starter with a WHIP greater than 1.30.
- Giants are 7-2 in their last 9 after scoring 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Giants are 5-2 in their last 7 during game 3 of a series.
- Giants are 19-40 in their last 59 road games.
- Giants are 22-51 in their last 73 road games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Giants are 16-38 in their last 54 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Giants are 33-81 in their last 114 road games vs. a team with a winning record.
- Giants are 4-11 in their last 15 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Giants are 1-5 in their last 6 games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Giants are 4-0 in Blach’s last 4 starts when their opponent allows 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Giants are 4-0 in Blach’s last 4 starts after scoring 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Giants are 5-1 in Blach’s last 6 starts.
- Giants are 5-1 in Blach’s last 6 starts on grass.
- Giants are 2-5 in Blach’s last 7 starts vs. a team with a winning record.
- Giants are 2-5 in Blach’s last 7 Sunday starts.
- Giants are 2-8 in Blach’s last 10 road starts.
- Giants are 1-5 in Blach’s last 6 starts during game 3 of a series.
- Giants are 1-7 in Blach’s last 8 road starts vs. a team with a winning record.
- Cubs are 5-1 in their last 6 games vs. a left-handed starter.
- Cubs are 5-1 in their last 6 when their opponent scores 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Cubs are 37-14 in their last 51 home games vs. a left-handed starter.
- Cubs are 37-14 in their last 51 home games vs. a team with a losing record.
- Cubs are 9-4 in their last 13 vs. a team with a losing record.
- Cubs are 46-21 in their last 67 games following a loss.
- Cubs are 1-5 in their last 6 home games.
- Over is 4-0-1 in Giants last 5 after scoring 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Over is 5-0-1 in Giants last 6 games following a win.
- Over is 4-1-1 in Giants last 6 when their opponent allows 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Under is 4-1 in Giants last 5 road games vs. a team with a winning record.
- Under is 4-1 in Giants last 5 road games.
- Under is 4-1 in Giants last 5 Sunday games.
- Under is 4-1 in Giants last 5 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Over is 6-2 in Giants last 8 during game 3 of a series.
- Over is 1-0-3 in Blach’s last 4 starts vs. National League Central.
- Under is 5-1-1 in Blach’s last 7 Sunday starts.
- Under is 4-1-1 in Blach’s last 6 starts during game 3 of a series.
- Under is 4-1 in Blach’s last 5 road starts.
- Under is 6-2-1 in Blach’s last 9 starts on grass.
- Under is 6-2-1 in Blach’s last 9 starts overall.
- Under is 4-1 in Cubs last 5 overall.
- Under is 4-1 in Cubs last 5 on grass.
- Under is 3-1-1 in Cubs last 5 games following a loss.
- Under is 17-6-3 in Cubs last 26 Sunday games.
- Over is 15-6-2 in Cubs last 23 home games vs. a left-handed starter.
- Under is 11-5 in Cubs last 16 during game 3 of a series.
- Under is 32-15-4 in Cubs last 51 vs. National League West.
- Under is 8-1-2 in the last 11 meetings in Chicago.
- Under is 4-1-1 in the last 6 meetings.
- Giants are 3-13 in the last 16 meetings in Chicago.
