Chicago Cubs vs. Los Angeles Dodgers 6/13/19: Starting Lineups, Matchup Preview, Betting Odds
Contents
TV & Radio Section
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Chicago Cubs, 6/13/19 10:10 PM ET Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, California, TV: Los Angeles (SportsNet LA, SNLA Spanish), Chicago (NBCSCH+) Radio: Los Angeles (AM 570 LA Sports, KTNQ 1020), Chicago (670 The Score)
Matchup Preview
Two National League threats gear up to begin their four game saga tonight at Dodger Stadium at 10:10 PM ET. The Dodgers currently sit atop the NL West with a 9.5 game lead while the Cubs are 0.5 games behind the first place Brewers in the NL Central. The Dodgers will be sending ace Clayton Kershaw to the mound while Jon Lester gets the call for the Cubs.
Kershaw is 5-1 on the season with an ERA of 3.00 with 59 Ks through a limited 10 starts due to a shoulder injury to open the season. Kershaw is 5-3 through 10 starts against the Cubs in his career allowing an ERA of 2.57 and a SO/W ratio of 5.33.
Lester is 5-2 this year with a posted ERA of 3.56 and 62 Ks. He gave up four against the Angels in the first inning of his last start, but threw 5 scoreless innings after that to pick up a win. Before that, he threw 7.0 innings allowing just 4 hits and 1 run against the Angels. In 5 starts at Dodger Stadium in his career, Lester is 2-2 allowing an ERA of 4.55.
Los Angeles Dodgers Starting Lineup
1. Chris Taylor (R) LF
2. Kike Hernandez (R) 2B
3. Justin Turner (R) 3B
4. Cody Bellinger (L) CF
5. David Freese (R) 1B
6. Corey Seager (L) SS
7. Will Smith (R) C
8. Alex Verdugo (L) RF
9. Clayton Kershaw (L) P
Dodgers Analysis
Falling two games to one in their last series, the Dodgers will be looking to take vengeance on the Cubs in this series. The Dodgers boast the better record on the season at 45-23, but matchups between these two team seem to nullify standings.
Over the last week, Seager has posted an impressive average of .550 with just 3 SOs. Justin Turner isn’t far behind hitting .444 in that same span. Muncy has 3 dingers with a .353 avg in his 5 most recent games. Bellinger has certainly cooled down a bit, as he’s hitting just .118 in the last 5, although he’s hitting .571 with a home run off Lester in his career. Chris Taylor, who we’ll likely see in the lineup tonight, is hitting .250 off the left-hander his career. In 22 ABs, Kike Hernandez has taken Lester deep twice.
Kershaw has been pitching well on the season compared to other pitchers in the league, but not necessarily by his standards. From 2015-2017, his ERA line reads 2.13, 1.69, and 2.31. Last year was a little higher at 2.73, and he’s currently at an even 3.00. He’s still boasting an incredible WHIP of 1.045 on the season, though. If any team has Kershaw’s number, it’s the Cubs. Rizzo has hit .462 off Kershaw, despite it being a lefty on lefty matchup. Even new Cub Carlos Gonzalez is hitting .294 with a home run off the south paw.
Cubs Starting Lineup
1. Kyle Schwarber (L) LF
2. Kris Bryant (R) 3B
3. Anthony Rizzo (L) 1B
4. Javier Baez (R) SS
5. Willson Contreras (R) C
6. Albert Almora Jr. (R) CF
7. Addison Russell (R) 2B
8. Jason Heyward (L) RF
9. Jon Lester (L) SP
Cubs Analysis
Coming off a big 10-1 win against the Rockies at Coors yesterday, the Cubs continue their road trip in LA. Most of the Cubs winning on the year has come in spurts, so the team will hope to continue their momentum from yesterday’s 12 hit 2 home run game. Lester is the guy to do it with, although he’s struggled a bit on the road this year. He’s 2-2 with an ERA of 4.97 in games not started at Wrigley.
Usually Kershaw is a menacing name to see on the lineup sheet, but not for the Cubs. Almora is hitting .400 off Kershaw in his career, Baez .375 with a homer. Contreras has taken Kershaw deep once in 7 ABs, and Rizzo has done it twice in 13 with a BA of .462.
After a short stint on the IL, Lester hasn’t since seemed to fully recover. The latter part of his last start against STL looked promising, though, as he pitched 5 scoreless innings after giving up 4 runs in the first. His strike out rate is up from last season (0.95 inning per inning in 2019 vs 0.82 per inning in 2018).
Dodgers vs Cubs Betting Odds
The line is currently set at Dodgers -178 Cubs +153 after opening at Cubs +165 Dodgers -190. The line has moved slightly but still strongly favors the Dodgers. I understand the Dodgers have been having an incredible season, but I think this current ML is a steal if you’re going to bet the Cubs. They’ve hit Kershaw very well in the past and they’re a good ball club. Any time a team like the Cubs has a line that favorable, I’d take it. The value is simply too good to pass up.
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