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Series Preview: Chicago Cubs vs Mets
The Chicago Cubs had a rollercoaster series in Milwaukee over the weekend, dropping game one 11-5, then shutting out them out 8-0, before falling 9-0 in a game three defeat. The Cubs will return to Wrigley Field, where Jake Arrieta will take the hill tonight at 7:05 CT with hopes of continuing his strong 2014, kicking off a homestand with a 1940s theme.
Pitching Probables:
Tuesday, 7:05 CT on CSN: Arrieta (3.20, 2.71 FIP) vs. Zack Wheeler (4.31 ERA, 3.52 FIP)
Wednesday, 7: 05 CT on WGN: Edwin Jackson (4.81 ERA, 3.24 FIP) vs. Daisuke Matsuzaka (2.45 ERA, 3.68 FIP)
Thursday, 6:05 CT on CSN: Travis Wood (5.15 ERA, 3.84 FIP) vs. Jacob deGrom (2.42 ERA, 4.53 FIP)
The Mets are coming off a successful five game stretch in Philadelphia, where they took four out of five while outscoring Phillies 29-16. They needed something to give them some confidence to fuel a hot streak, as they have a mediocre 28-29 record, good for third place with Washington in the NL East. Lucas Duda has been hot of late, slashing .300/.462/.750 in his past seven contests, but his season line still rests at a lesser .241/.332/.438.
David Wright, or “Captain America”, has hit extremely well again this season, leading the league in hits with 72, good for a .296 average and a .345 OBP. However, Wright`s home run power hasn`t shown up yet this year, with just four long balls and a .405 slugging percentage (just a .107 ISO).
The Cubs still have not seen Starlin Castro break out of his deep slumber, who is hitting .159/.229/.250 in his last 11 ball games. Castro is not suffering from an inflated strikeout rate, with seven in his past 48 plate appearances, his struggles could be explained by a very unusually low .167 BABIP in those 11 games.
In those 11 games, Nate Schierholtz has some some progress after his abysmal start to the year, posting a .768 OPS with two homers. Not good, but much better than the time in April/May his OPS was below .500. The Cubs offense as a whole of late has been shaky, made clear by that last series in Wisconsin. The Cubs will have a semi-tough task ahead with opposing pitchers, featuring two talented youngsters and a veteran.