Cubs Face Kershaw to Open Four-Game Series with the Dodgers
The Chicago Cubs are making a name for themselves this season as they are currently in third place in the National League Central seven games back of first place St. Louis and just one game behind second place Pittsburgh.
The Cubs host the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday night and must face the Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw to open the series.
Early lines on the game have Los Angeles heavily favored at -170 with Chicago sitting on +160. The run total is currently sitting on 8.
Los Angeles is currently in first place in the National League West by 1 ½ games over the second place San Francisco Giants. The Dodgers entering this game are 39-31 overall and 12-18 on the road. Los Angeles is 4-6 over its past 10 games played.
Chicago enters this game at 37-30 overall and 18-13 at home. The Cubs are 6-4 in their past 10 games played.
The Cubs have been prone to strikeouts this season and Kershaw is looking to become the first pitcher for the Dodgers in the past 20 years to strikeout 10 or more batters in four consecutive starts.
The possibility appears strong, as the Cubs are the worst team in the NL in strikeouts with 637. Chicago hitters struck out 21 times during the past two games of their series with Minnesota over the weekend.
In six starts during his career against Chicago, Kershaw is 4-2 with an ERA of 2.09. He has struck out 45 Cubs in those six starts.
Chicago is coming off an 8-0 win on Sunday over the Twins. They will send Tsuyoshi Wada to the mound to face the Dodgers. Wada on the season is 1-1 with an ERA of 3.68. The southpaw arguably had the best start of his career last Wednesday defeating Cleveland 17-0 allowing just four hits in seven innings while striking out six.
Last season, Wada faced Los Angeles twice but did not get any decisions while posting an ERA of 2.53.
The Dodgers defeated San Francisco 10-2 on Sunday, but prior to that had lost five of six overall.
Los Angeles has hit .301 and scored an average of 6.6 runs during a run of winning 7 of their past 8 played at Wrigley Field.
In those seven games, outfielder Yasiel Puig has hit safely in each one with 15 hits in 28 at bats for an average of .536 while smacking 2 home runs, 3 doubles and 6 RBIs.
The Dodgers have a chance to pick up a half game on second place San Francisco which is idle today, while Chicago can gain a half game with a win as both Pittsburgh and St. Louis are idle today.
