The New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs meet up in Major League Baseball action tonight. The game is scheduled for an 8:05 p.m. start time and it will be televised nationally on MLB.tv and locally in both markets. The Major League Baseball Odds for the game have the Yankees favored on the road.
It should come as no surprise with the Yankees being favored here. Both the Cubs and Yankees have massive followings across the country and both are very publicly bet teams. But in tonight's game we have a difference maker in Yankee starter Masahiro Tanaka, who has been dominating in starts so far this season. Both teams were considered to be possible suitors for Tanaka when he was a free agent, but the Yankees won out with a lucrative deal.
So far this season Tanaka has been worth the price of admission, sporting a 6-0 record with a 2.17 ERA. He'll be making his second career start against the Chicago Cubs in this game tonight, the first team he is pitching against twice since joining the Major Leagues. The first time he pitched against the Cubs Tanaka dominated for eight innings, striking out 10 and allowing just two hits. Dating back to his time in Japan, Tanaka is 34-0 in his last 42 starts.
The Cubs are one of the worst teams in baseball yet again. They've stumbled to a 15-27 record to this point in the season and were swept in a pair of games in New York back in April. Chicago didn't get a run across the plate in that game and haven't been shut out in three straight games by a team since 1992 by the Atlanta Braves. New York hasn't shut out the same opponent three straight games since the 1972 season by the California Angels.
New York has won four in a row and seven of eight versus Chicago. Including the 1932 and '38 World Series, the Yankees are 7-3 at Wrigley Field, where they haven't played since 2011.
Jason Hammel has pitched well for the Cubs this year, not allowing more than three runs in any of his first seven starts. His eighth start, a loss to the St. Louis Cardinals, saw him give up five runs. Hammel's only other loss this season came against the Yankees when Tanaka pitched a gem. Overall he's 2-1 with a 2.73 ERA his last five regular season matchups against the Yankees.
Chicago has struggled in home games this season, sporting a 9-12 record. Tonight we expect Hammel to throw well again, but Tanaka is too good right now. The Yankees will win this game at Wrigley Field.
Free Pick: Yankees 4, Cubs 2
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