The last time Cole Hamels was a National League pitcher, he no-hit the Cubs. Now, he makes his Cubs debut Wednesday night in Pittsburgh. The Cubbies landed Hamels from the Texas Rangers last week and are favored behind the southpaw according to the MLB spread for Wednesday Night.
Starling Marte hit.358 with seven home runs and seven stolen bases in the month of July. In the Live-ball Era (since 1920) only two other Pirates hit five or more home runs and swiped five or more bags in July while maintaining an average above .350. (Max Carey, 1922 and Barry Bonds, 1991).
It’s Nick Kingham (5-5, 4.80) on the mound here. Kingham didn’t have much in his last start Thursday vs. the Mets, falling behind in the count then getting hit hard as he allowed six runs on seven hits in three-plus innings. He’s given up five runs over 12 innings in two starts vs. the Cubs in ’18.
In their last 20 games, the Pirates pitching staff has posted a 2.75 ERA (177.0ip/54) and a 15-5 record. In that time, Pittsburgh’s 2.75 ERA ranks first among all Major League teams. Overall this season, the Pirates have posted a 35-19 record when the starting pitcher tosses 6.0 innings or more.
Cubs vs Pirates Game Info, MLB Spread & Pick
The #Cubs today acquired RHP Brandon Kintzler from the Nationals for minor league RHP Jhon Romero.
To make room for Kintzler on the 40-man roster, RHP Justin Hancock has been transferred to the 60-day DL. pic.twitter.com/tb9pB0iO6F — Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) 31 de julio de 2018
- When: Wednesday, 7:05 PM ET
- Where: PNC Park, Pittsburgh
- Probable pitchers (away/home): Cole Hamels/Nick Kingham
- TV: MLB Network
- Stream: MLB.tv
- Radio: TuneIn
- MLB Spread: Cubs -116, Pirates +106 (8)
Indians at Twins Preview & MLB Odds – August 1st
Why Bet on Chicago Cubs?
The Cubs bolstered their bullpen on Tuesday by landing former All-Star Twins closer Brandon Kintzler from Washington – the Nationals had acquired him at last year’s trade deadline. Kintzler, 33, has appeared in 45 games with a 3.59 ERA, giving up 17 runs over 42 2/3 innings while striking out 31. Kinztler is primarily a ground-ball pitcher who doesn’t give up many walks, which should be a good fit in Wrigley. Opponents have hit .253 against him this season, including a .208 average by NL Central teams. Kintzler has a 2.03 ERA over 13 games in July. Cubs relievers rank second in the National League with a 3.21 ERA and are sixth in innings pitched (392 2/3 innings). The bullpen has 25 wins, the most in the NL. The Cubs previously had acquired another veteran reliever in Jesse Chavez. As for Hamels, he was a Cubs fan growing up in Southern California, as he would “come home from school” and watch them on Superstation WGN. In 2015, he threw a no-hitter at Wrigley Field as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies. This season has been a far cry from those glory days in the National League. Hamels had given up 23 home runs in Texas for one of the worst staffs in baseball. His WHIP against lefties is 1.83. Hamels will be pitching on eight days of rest after facing Oakland on July 23 during his final start with Texas. In order to make room for Hamels in the rotation, Tyler Chatwood was moved to the bullpen. Across 20 starts this year, Hamels has posted a 4.72 ERA and 1.37 WHIP with a 9.0 K/9. He’s 3-3 against the Pirates in 10 career starts and 1-1 with a 1.22 ERA in five career starts at PNC Park. Hamels has done better on the road this season, posting a 4-2 record and 2.93 ERA. Javier Baez is one of the seven Cubs age 26 or younger who have contributed 30 or more RBI this season. This is the most such players with 30-plus RBI through July on a single team in the Live-Ball Era. The Cubs have won five of seven series (including one tied series) with the Pirates in Pittsburgh since 2016. That .786 win percentage is tied for the second-best road series record against any divisional opponent in the National League over that time.Why Bet on Pittsburgh?
Surging Pittsburgh landed Rays ace Chris Archer in a surprise trade on Tuesday as well as Rangers closer Keone Kela. Kela allowed two walks and a run on Sunday against the Astros, but he was still able to pick up a save. Kela was not at his best, throwing just 11-of-23 pitches for strikes and allowing an RBI single off the bat of Tony Kemp. Still, give Kela credit for bearing down to get the final three outs, and he’s now 24-for-25 in save chances with a 44/14 K/BB ratio over 36 2/3 innings. Kela will move into a setup role ahead of Felipe Vazquez for Pittsburgh. It’s not clear when Archer will debut, probably this weekend. Though he has posted a 3-5 record and 4.31 ERA this season, his strikeout (9.6 K/9) and walk-rates (2.9 BB/9) are roughly in line with his career marks, and seven of his 11 starts since the beginning of May have been quality starts. Archer has finished in the American League’s top three in strikeouts in each of the last three seasons and has amassed 1,146 strikeouts since he debuted in 2012. The package going to the Rays includes outfielder Austin Meadows, right-hander Tyler Glasnow, and a player to be named later.
Starling Marte hit.358 with seven home runs and seven stolen bases in the month of July. In the Live-ball Era (since 1920) only two other Pirates hit five or more home runs and swiped five or more bags in July while maintaining an average above .350. (Max Carey, 1922 and Barry Bonds, 1991).
It’s Nick Kingham (5-5, 4.80) on the mound here. Kingham didn’t have much in his last start Thursday vs. the Mets, falling behind in the count then getting hit hard as he allowed six runs on seven hits in three-plus innings. He’s given up five runs over 12 innings in two starts vs. the Cubs in ’18.
In their last 20 games, the Pirates pitching staff has posted a 2.75 ERA (177.0ip/54) and a 15-5 record. In that time, Pittsburgh’s 2.75 ERA ranks first among all Major League teams. Overall this season, the Pirates have posted a 35-19 record when the starting pitcher tosses 6.0 innings or more.
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