Sunday MLB Baseball Picks: Cubs vs Red Sox
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Sunday Night Baseball Betting – Cubs vs Red Sox Preview & Pick
Date: Sunday, May 22, 2011
Venue: Fenway Park, Boston, MA
Broadcast: ESPN
Chicago Cubs at Boston Red Sox Betting Lines from BetOnline.com
Money Line: Boston -140
Over/Under: 9 (-115)
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Chicago Cubs (19-23 through May 19)
Matt Garza (2-4, 3.72)
The Chicago Cubs are struggling to say in the National League Central race this season and pitching is clearly to blame. The Cubbies are 28th in baseball with a 4.50 team ERA and their 14 quality starts through 42 games is the majors’ worst mark.
They have a tall order on Sunday night against a Boston team that enters this series 76-28 over its last 104 interleague games. However, they might be sending the right guy to the hill for the nationally televised affair in Matt Garza.
I would call Garza a big-game pitcher. He’s 7-4 with a 3.83 ERA against mighty Boston in his career during the regular season; he also dominated Boston with two victories in the 2008 playoffs as a Tampa Bay Ray, allowing two runs over 13 innings. He seems to pitch best when the stakes are high and the ESPN Sunday-nighter could give him that feeling.
Boston Red Sox (23-20)
Tim Wakefield (0-1, 5.40)
After their disastrous start, it’s hard to believe Boston is just half a game back of the Yankees and a game and a half behind first-place Tampa in the jam-packed American League East. Through Thursday’s action, the BoSox had won six straight games.
Despite the hot streak, the Red Sox are still looking for some more reliable pitching at the back end of their rotation. Jon Lester and Josh Beckett have sparkled and Clay Buchholz is coming around but John Lackey and Daisuke Matsuzaka hit the DL this week. That means the BoSox will turn to trusty Tim Wakefield on Sunday night. The 44-year-old knuckleballer has a 3-1 record in five career starts against the Cubs.
MLB Trends:
CHC are 7-19 in their last 26 Sun. games.
Over is 16-6 in CHC last 22 Sun. games.
BOS are 10-1 in their last 11 games on grass.
BOS are 7-1 in their last 8 overall.
BOS are 7-1 in their last 8 home games.
The pick:
Boston has been hot but the conditions don’t quite seem right for a win on Sunday night. We’ve already established that Garza loves to step up his play for big games, especially against Boston.
Also, aging Wakefield has been brutal at home this season, posting a 6.35 ERA. One Cub who has repeatedly smashed the soft-tossin’ Wakefield in his career: Alfonso Soriano, who has four homers and seven RBI in 36 at-bats against him.
Soriano has his power stroke back this season and could lead Chicago to victory on Sunday night.
Cubs vs Red Sox prediction: Cubs 6, Red Sox 3
Money Line: OFF
Over/Under: OFF
