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Cubs face red-hot Mets on Tuesday
By: Staff Writer - StatFox
Published: 6/13/2017  at  11:51:00 AM
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CHICAGO CUBS (31-32)

at NEW YORK METS (29-33)

First pitch: Tuesday, 7:10 p.m. ET
Line: Chicago -130, New York +120, Total: 8.5

The Cubs will be looking to get right back to the .500 mark with a win over the Mets on Tuesday.

The Mets will be going for their fifth straight win when they host the Cubs on Tuesday. They defeated this Chicago team 6-1 on Monday night, and they have Jacob deGrom to thank for that one. The righty was brilliant in that game, and they’ll be hoping that RHP Zack Wheeler (3-3, 3.45 ERA, 56 K) can turn in a similar performance on Tuesday night. Wheeler will, however, be tasked with outdueling LHP Jon Lester (3-4, 4.13 ERA, 76 K) in this one. That is no easy task for Wheeler, but this would be the easiest time for him to do just that. Lester has severely underperformed this season, and he has not looked like the ace he was a year ago. Chicago needs that to change in order to turn things around and put themselves back in the World Series contender conversation. One trend that favors the Cubs in this game is that the Mets are a lousy 11-16 against the money line at home when the total is 7 to 8.5 this season. The Mets are, however, lucky enough to be facing a Cubs team that is 1-8 against the money line in road games after a five-game span with an OBP of .285 or worse on the year.

The Cubs are trying to find themselves right now, and they can use a victory over the Mets on Tuesday. A good performance from Lester is crucial in order for that to happen, but the lefty can’t possibly be feeling great right now. Lester has allowed three or more earned runs in each of his past three starts, and he actually allowed four in just five innings of work last game. Lester is no longer working deep enough into his appearances, and the Cubs need that to change. One major issue for him has been walks, as he has put three or more batters on in three of his starts. He’ll need to be better with his control on Tuesday. Offensively, Chicago desperately needs some bats to wake up. That starts with OF Kyle Schwarber (.170 BA, 11 HR, 26 RBI), who has been absolutely dreadful this season. Schwarber is supposed to be one of the Cubs’ best hitters, but he has been a liability at the plate this year. If he doesn’t turn it around then it’s possible Chicago will struggle to turn things around. The Cubs also need more from 3B Kris Bryant (.268 BA, 14 HR, 27 RBI). Bryant is on pace to have just 69 RBI this season, and that is unacceptable for the NL MVP from last season. He had 102 RBI a year ago, and he also hit .292. The Cubs need him to creep back towards those numbers.

The Mets are rolling right now, but they still have a ton of work to do in order to climb back into the playoff picture. A victory against Chicago on Tuesday would, however, help this team’s confidence a ton. The Mets will have a good shot to earn this win, as Zack Wheeler has been pitching great recently. The righty has allowed three or fewer earned runs in each of his past seven starts, and he has given the Mets at least six innings of work in three straight contests. Wheeler seems to finally be living up to his potential, and that is huge news for New York. Offensively, look for both 2B Neil Walker (.271 BA, 8 HR, 32 RBI) and OF Jay Bruce (.267 BA, 17 HR, 45 RBI) to contribute in this one. Both guys have been swinging hot bats for the Mets, and they’ll need to keep it up moving forward.


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