Heyward, Cubs eager to bounce back vs. Cards
The Cubs aren’t accustomed to facing stern tests at Wrigley Field. Leave it to archrival St. Louis to upset the norm.
Mike Matheny’s club blew into the Windy City for last night’s series opener and wasted no time in abusing John Lackey. Brandon Moss and Jhonny Peralta crushed early homers off their former teammate, and the Cardinals’ much-maligned bullpen salted away a 3-2 victory.
Ace Adam Wainwright (5-4, 4.93 ERA) gets the nod at 8:05 p.m. ET as the Cards eye their fifth consecutive road win. Still, oddsmakers at online sports book Bovada.lv lean toward the North Siders. St. Louis, meanwhile, is a +125 underdog. The over/under run figure sits at 8.5.
After an uncharacteristically spotty performance from Lackey, Joe Maddon turns to Jason Hammel (7-2, 2.26) this evening. The righty actually boasts a better ERA than fellow hurlers Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester, to the point where he probably has an inside track on making the All-Star team. Most recently, Hammel twirled seven innings of one-run ball against the NL East-leading Nationals.
Wainwright is 2-1 with a 2.50 ERA over his past six assignments, including five quality starts. The veteran would do well to pick on Jason Heyward in a few hours. Another ex-Redbird, Chicago’s current right fielder hits St. Louis pitching at a .111 clip in 2016. General manager Theo Epstein’s $184 million man simply must do more, particularly in the absence of Dexter Fowler.
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In recent seasons, Wainwright’s experienced a little trouble at the Friendly Confines. A hanging curveball or two here could swing the momentum on a dime. Expect the Cubbies to bounce back with authority.
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