Last Updated on August 26, 2016 11:07 pm by Brad Burns
Dodgers, Cubs kick off heavyweight series
Mike Montgomery acquitted himself quite well in his first start as a Cub. Tonight, though, presents an entirely different obstacle.
The young righty is no longer dealing with fourth-place Colorado. Instead, he’ll oppose the National League West-leading Dodgers at 10:10 p.m. ET. Handicappers at online sports book BetDSI nonetheless endorse Chicago, with Dave Roberts’ bunch checking in as a +117 underdog. The over/under run total rests at eight.
Pressed into rotation duty in the absence of the injured John Lackey, Montgomery had a weekend to remember. The Southern California native took a no-hitter into the fifth inning – at Coors Field, no less. Overall, he’s 1-0 with a 0.87 ERA in his past five contests.
Los Angeles’ Bud Norris hasn’t been as fortunate. He last started Aug. 19 vs. the Reds, surrendering six runs on seven base knocks in 3 2/3 innings. The veteran hurler thus dropped to 3-3 with a 5.67 ERA since arriving at Chavez Ravine at the end of June.
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An undeniable positive for the host squad: Norris enjoys a fine track record against the Cubbies. Until we actually see Montgomery string together back-to-back quality starts, we have to roll with the Dodgers in this sort of scenario.
FRIDAY MLB FREE PICK: DODGERS +1.5