Zito and Giants Take Crack at Chicago Cubs
The Cubs and Giants broke out of their scoring slumps on Tuesday night in Chicago's 8-6 victory. Barry Zito will now look to get San Francisco back into the win column.
Seeing the Chicago Cubs score eight runs in a single game is noteworthy by itself. That they did so against a pitcher such as Tim Lincecum makes it all the more remarkable.
Their series now even a game apiece, the Cubs and San Francisco Giants gather again at AT&T Park on Wednesday to continue their four-game set. Chicago, long out of the NL Central race, is simply playing out the string. The Giants, on the other hand, are still very much in the postseason hunt. San Francisco trails the Padres by 2.5 games in the NL West and finds itself locked in a three-team race for the National League wild card with Cincinnati and St. Louis.
Oddsmakers opened the baseball betting lines for Wednesday's game in the 160-165 chalk range for San Francisco. The scoreboard total for these two clubs is seven at many shops. TheGreek.com opened the total at 7½, pricing the 'under' and minus 130.
Pat Burrell's 11th-inning sac fly ended Monday's series opener by a 4-3 score in favor of the Giants who went off at minus 165 in the contest. The Giants were again the big favorites on Tuesday with Lincecum carrying 200 chalk and higher into the game.
But the Cubs jumped on the two-time Cy Young winner with four runs in the top of the first and chased him with two more in the fourth on their way to an 8-6 victory. Before last night's scoring barrage, the 'under' had gone 0-4-1 the last five games played between the two clubs at AT&T Park.
Game 3 will pit a pair of southpaws on the mound with Tom Gorzelanny (6-10, 3.51) pitching for the Cubs against the Giants' Barry Zito (14-9, 3.35).
Zito has been fantastic at AT&T Park in 2010, starting 12 of his 23 games at home with the Giants 8-4 in those contests. The Las Vegas native has held opposing batters to a .214 average with a 2.53 ERA in 81 2/3 home innings.
Gorzelanny, meanwhile, has done pretty well pitching on the road this campaign whether he started or relieved. He's been the victim of a punchless Chicago attack in his seven road starts with the Cubs 3-4 in those games despite Gorzelanny's decent 3.51 ERA in those assignments.
The pitching matchup is a repeat of a Gorzelanny, Zito meeting here in San Francisco last Sept. 26. The Giants were small 120 MLB betting favorites, and the Cubs cashed a 6-2 winner. Gorzelanny worked five and allowed a single run while Zito was charged with four of Chicago's runs in four innings with five walks his undoing.
The umpire rotation calls for Ted Barrett to man the plate. Now in his 17th MLB season, Barrett's most interesting state coming into this one is Wednesday's game will mark the 26th-straight time this season the home team was favored when he called balls and strikes.
Home squads are 15-10 in the previous 25, with the 'over' 13-9-3. Both of those season trends come with a caveat or two, as most stats do. Home favorites going off with the opening MLB odds as this one are just 7-5, and Barrett's totals for games lined at eight or below are a level 4-4-1.
Cooler than normal temps for this time of year are still hanging over the San Francisco area. Current forecasts have Wednesday's range from 51ºF to 57ºF with partly cloudy skies. Westerly winds should be fairly light for the game (out to center).
The series concludes Thursday afternoon with a 12:45 p.m. local start. Chicago's Randy Wells (9-14, 4.37) is expected to face San Fran's Matt Cain (11-12, 3.06). The Cubs move on from here to St. Louis for a weekend series with the Cards while the Giants remain at home for a big battle with the Padres.
NOTE: W-L records displayed for starting pitchers are team records in games the pitchers start.
The Cubs and Giants broke out of their scoring slumps on Tuesday night in Chicago's 8-6 victory. Barry Zito will now look to get San Francisco back into the win column.
Seeing the Chicago Cubs score eight runs in a single game is noteworthy by itself. That they did so against a pitcher such as Tim Lincecum makes it all the more remarkable.
Their series now even a game apiece, the Cubs and San Francisco Giants gather again at AT&T Park on Wednesday to continue their four-game set. Chicago, long out of the NL Central race, is simply playing out the string. The Giants, on the other hand, are still very much in the postseason hunt. San Francisco trails the Padres by 2.5 games in the NL West and finds itself locked in a three-team race for the National League wild card with Cincinnati and St. Louis.
Oddsmakers opened the baseball betting lines for Wednesday's game in the 160-165 chalk range for San Francisco. The scoreboard total for these two clubs is seven at many shops. TheGreek.com opened the total at 7½, pricing the 'under' and minus 130.
Pat Burrell's 11th-inning sac fly ended Monday's series opener by a 4-3 score in favor of the Giants who went off at minus 165 in the contest. The Giants were again the big favorites on Tuesday with Lincecum carrying 200 chalk and higher into the game.
But the Cubs jumped on the two-time Cy Young winner with four runs in the top of the first and chased him with two more in the fourth on their way to an 8-6 victory. Before last night's scoring barrage, the 'under' had gone 0-4-1 the last five games played between the two clubs at AT&T Park.
Game 3 will pit a pair of southpaws on the mound with Tom Gorzelanny (6-10, 3.51) pitching for the Cubs against the Giants' Barry Zito (14-9, 3.35).
Zito has been fantastic at AT&T Park in 2010, starting 12 of his 23 games at home with the Giants 8-4 in those contests. The Las Vegas native has held opposing batters to a .214 average with a 2.53 ERA in 81 2/3 home innings.
Gorzelanny, meanwhile, has done pretty well pitching on the road this campaign whether he started or relieved. He's been the victim of a punchless Chicago attack in his seven road starts with the Cubs 3-4 in those games despite Gorzelanny's decent 3.51 ERA in those assignments.
The pitching matchup is a repeat of a Gorzelanny, Zito meeting here in San Francisco last Sept. 26. The Giants were small 120 MLB betting favorites, and the Cubs cashed a 6-2 winner. Gorzelanny worked five and allowed a single run while Zito was charged with four of Chicago's runs in four innings with five walks his undoing.
The umpire rotation calls for Ted Barrett to man the plate. Now in his 17th MLB season, Barrett's most interesting state coming into this one is Wednesday's game will mark the 26th-straight time this season the home team was favored when he called balls and strikes.
Home squads are 15-10 in the previous 25, with the 'over' 13-9-3. Both of those season trends come with a caveat or two, as most stats do. Home favorites going off with the opening MLB odds as this one are just 7-5, and Barrett's totals for games lined at eight or below are a level 4-4-1.
Cooler than normal temps for this time of year are still hanging over the San Francisco area. Current forecasts have Wednesday's range from 51ºF to 57ºF with partly cloudy skies. Westerly winds should be fairly light for the game (out to center).
The series concludes Thursday afternoon with a 12:45 p.m. local start. Chicago's Randy Wells (9-14, 4.37) is expected to face San Fran's Matt Cain (11-12, 3.06). The Cubs move on from here to St. Louis for a weekend series with the Cards while the Giants remain at home for a big battle with the Padres.
NOTE: W-L records displayed for starting pitchers are team records in games the pitchers start.
