McCutchen-Kershaw battle wraps up weekend
The wait is over, Pittsburgh fans. Andrew McCutchen has officially rediscovered his MVP form.
At least, that’s the hope in light of yesterday’s two-homer performance vs. the Dodgers. The real test of McCutchen’s (renewed) staying power probably comes tonight, though, when the two teams meet at 8:10 p.m. ET. Oddsmakers at online sports book BetDSI lean toward Clayton Kershaw and Los Angeles. The Pirates, on the other hand, are +235 underdogs.
Terrorizing Kenta Maeda is one thing. Having a banner evening against perhaps the sport’s greatest hurler would be something else entirely for McCutchen, who entered the weekend with a sub-.240 batting average and a pedestrian 38 RBIs. Yet the perennial All-Star has enjoyed some measure of success in past meetings with Kershaw, going 9 for 24 with a dinger and just three strikeouts.
The lefty, of course, seems borderline untouchable at the moment. Not only did Kershaw’s last loss occur on April 26, nine of his 16 starts have produced 10 or more strikeouts. There’s also the non-inconsequential fact that the Dallas native has allowed a mere seven walks for the entire season.
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On paper, Buccos prospect Chad Kuhl wouldn’t appear to have a prayer. Let’s just make it abundantly clear: he doesn’t. The Dodgers will manage to get back on track before jetting off to Milwaukee, with Kershaw ensuring as much.
SUNDAY MLB FREE PICK: DODGERS/PIRATES UNDER 7 RUNS
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