Trout aims to keep Angels close vs. Cubs
John Lackey hadn’t been happy about the bulk of his results this summer. The prickly veteran was forced to crack a smile, though, after holding arguably the sport’s best player hitless.
Chicago’s righty experienced no trouble with perennial All-Star Mike Trout last night, leading Joe Maddon’s squad to a 5-1 triumph over the Angels. The two clubs conclude their two-game set in a matter of hours. Online sports book Bovada.lv gives the Cubs odds of -200 to prevail, whereas Los Angeles represents a +180 underdog.
Jason Hammel will take the mound for the North Siders in search of his 12th victory. Most recently, the South Carolina product limited the Marlins to four hits across six frames. He owns a 1-3 record with a 6.59 ERA in six career clashes with the Halos.
Mike Scioscia counters with Ricky Nolasco, who gets his second nod since arriving in an Aug. 1 trade with the Twins. A week ago, Nolasco permitted five earned runs on six base knocks in a six-inning appearance vs. the A’s. He’ll need to focus on neutralizing Jason Heyward, who boasts a lifetime .348 batting average off the California native.
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Trout, of course, could swing the balance in the Angels’ favor. The 2014 American League MVP is 4-for-13 with a homer and two RBIs against Hammel. Yet we’re pretty sure that Chicago’s hurler has enough savvy to tempt anyone but No. 27 to perform the heavy lifting. Expect the Cubbies to cruise.
WEDNESDAY MLB FREE PICK: CUBS -1.5