Washington (60-57) at Chicago Cubs (67-49)
When: Sunday, August 12th 2018
Where: Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
Time: 8:05 ET | TV: ESPN
Opening Odds: Washington -142
Cole Hamels will make his Wrigley Field debut as a member of the home team this time around, and has had great success there pitching against the Chicago Cubs in the past. He will go up against one of the elite pitchers in the game in Max Scherzer and the Washington Nationals on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball. The Cubs edged the Nats in the series opener 3-2 on Friday, but Washington returned the favor Saturday with a 9-4 pounding of Jon Lester. Ryan Zimmerman homered twice and drove in six runs and Daniel Murphy went 3-for-4 with a two-run blast to keep Washington five games back of Philadelphia in the NL East. Nationals SS Trea Turner stole his major league-best 32nd base Saturday and leads the team with 32 multi-hit games. Hamels is 3-1 with a 1.76 ERA in six starts in his career at Wrigley, including a no-hitter in 2015 in his last game as a Phillie. The Cubs lead Milwaukee by two games in the National League Central and will host the Brewers for two games beginning Tuesday. Ben Zobrist is 7-for-19 with a double and three homers versus Scherzer since 2013, and Anthony Rizzo, who has reached base in 15 consecutive games, is 3-for-10 with a homer against the righty.
Pitchers: Nationals – Max Scherzer (15-5, 2.28 ERA) | Cubs – Cole Hamels (7-9, 4.38)
Scherzer, who already has three Cy Young Awards under his belt, hasn’t lost since July 2nd and has recorded five consecutive quality starts. In his latest outing, he allowed one run and four hits over seven innings in a no-decision against the Atlanta Braves. Scherzer is 3-1 with a 2.92 ERA in six starts against the Cubs.
Hamels’ return to the National League has been successful thus far, allowing two runs (one earned) over 11 innings in his first two starts with the Cubs – both wins. Hamels recorded nine strikeouts in his Cubs debut at Pittsburgh and held Kansas City to one run over six innings last time out. He is 16-9 with a 2.67 ERA in 35 career starts against the Nationals, but he hasn’t faced them since 2015.
Hamels has found new-life in Chicago and always pitches well in Wrigley Field. The Nationals exploded off Lester yesterday – as I predicted in our YouTube video – but Washington has scored three or fewer in five of their last nine games. The Cubs will get just enough runs off Scherzer to pull of the victory on Sunday night.
Pick: Cubs +135
BETTING TRENDS:
- Nationals are 4-1 in their last 5 games vs. a left-handed starter.
- Nationals are 3-7 in their last 10 road games vs. a left-handed starter.
- Nationals are 7-17 in their last 24 road games.
- Nationals are 4-11 in their last 15 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Nationals are 1-5 in their last 6 road games vs. a team with a winning record.
- Nationals are 1-5 in their last 6 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
- Nationals are 5-1 in Scherzer’s last 6 Sunday starts.
- Nationals are 8-2 in Scherzer’s last 10 starts vs. National League Central.
- Nationals are 10-3 in Scherzer’s last 13 starts with 4 days of rest.
- Nationals are 28-9 in Scherzer’s last 37 starts during game 3 of a series.
- Nationals are 6-2 in Scherzer’s last 8 starts vs. a team with a winning record.
- Nationals are 51-19 in Scherzer’s last 70 starts on grass.
- Nationals are 10-4 in Scherzer’s last 14 starts following a team loss in their previous game.
- Nationals are 51-21 in Scherzer’s last 72 starts.
- Nationals are 36-15 in Scherzer’s last 51 road starts.
- Nationals are 39-17 in Scherzer’s last 56 starts following a Quality Start in his last appearance.
- Cubs are 4-0 in their last 4 home games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Cubs are 6-1 in their last 7 games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Cubs are 5-1 in their last 6 during game 3 of a series.
- Cubs are 5-1 in their last 6 Sunday games.
- Cubs are 23-9 in their last 32 vs. National League East.
- Cubs are 5-2 in their last 7 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Cubs are 5-2 in their last 7 overall.
- Cubs are 5-2 in their last 7 games on grass.
- Cubs are 5-2 in their last 7 home games.
- Cubs are 1-4 in their last 5 games vs. a starter with a WHIP less than 1.15.
- Under is 4-0 in Nationals last 4 vs. National League Central.
- Over is 4-1 in Nationals last 5 games vs. a left-handed starter.
- Under is 8-2 in Nationals last 10 road games vs. a left-handed starter.
- Under is 18-7-1 in Nationals last 26 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
- Under is 5-2-1 in Nationals last 8 overall.
- Under is 5-2-1 in Nationals last 8 on grass.
- Under is 36-15 in Nationals last 51 road games.
- Under is 46-20-3 in Nationals last 69 road games vs. a team with a winning record.
- Under is 3-0-1 in Scherzer’s last 4 road starts vs. a team with a winning record.
- Over is 5-1 in Scherzers last 6 starts on grass.
- Over is 5-1 in Scherzer’s last 6 starts overall.
- Over is 4-1 in Scherzer’s last 5 starts following a Quality Start in his last appearance.
- Under is 5-2 in Scherzer’s last 7 starts following a team loss in their previous game.
- Under is 5-0 in Cubs last 5 games vs. a starter with a WHIP less than 1.15.
- Under is 4-0 in Cubs last 4 overall.
- Under is 4-0 in Cubs last 4 on grass.
- Under is 5-0 in Cubs last 5 games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Under is 4-0 in Cubs last 4 during game 3 of a series.
- Over is 6-1 in Cubs last 7 Sunday games.
- Under is 4-1 in Cubs last 5 home games vs. a team with a winning record.
- Under is 4-1 in Cubs last 5 vs. National League East.
- Over is 9-3 in Cubs last 12 home games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Under is 4-1 in Scherzer’s last 5 starts vs. Cubs.
- Under is 5-2 in the last 7 meetings in Chicago.
- Nationals are 3-7 in the last 10 meetings in Chicago.
