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The Chicago Cubs surged in the final two innings on Sunday to get a big win for their playoff hopes and will look to carry the momentum back home as they host the San Francisco Giants on Monday.
San Francisco Giants vs. Chicago Cubs (-125)
The Cubs turn to starting pitcher Justin Steele to continue what has been a remarkable stretch with the team 12-1 in his last 13 starts with Steele registering a 2.72 ERA and three earned runs or fewer allowed in every start in this span, which is on par with what he has done all season.
Steele has a 2.69 ERA and 3.09 fielding independent this season with his 0.7 home runs per nine innings allowed being the best mark of any qualified pitcher in the National League with 8.8 strikeouts to 1.9 walks per nine innings to go with it.
Helping Steele even more is how much the Giants lineup has struggled since the All-Star Break, averaging a National League-worst 3.66 runs per game since the break entering Sunday while hitting for league-worst .218 batting average and 0.8 home runs per game in that span.
The Giants turn to Logan Webb on the mound, who has pitched much better than the 9-11 record would indicate, posting a 3.49 ERA and 3.27 fielding independent with 1.3 walks per nine innings allowed, which is the best mark among qualifying National League starters.
Webb’s biggest issue throughout his career has been pitching on the road, owning a career 2.86 ERA at home and a 4.14 ERA on the road and the split is even larger this season with a 2.51 ERA with 0.7 home runs per nine innings allowed at home compared to a 4.63 ERA on the road with 1.2 home runs per nine innings allowed.
Since the All-Star Break, the Cubs are second in the National League in runs per game with 5.7 runs per game and all nine players in Sunday’s starting lineup had an on-base percentage of .325 or better.
The Cubs have also had the better bullpen since July began, ranking eighth in bullpen ERA in that span with a 3.70 ERA while the Giants is 3.95, which ranks 11th in this span.
With the Cubs dominance with Steele on the mound coupled with the Giants slumping offense, the Cubs will win Monday’s series opener in a series with lots of playoff implications.
The Play: Cubs -125