Chicago Cubs (40-57) vs. San Francisco Giants (48-50)
Thursday sees the hottest team in the National League, the Chicago Cubs, travel to California to take on the San Francisco Giants. Chicago enters this contest on a six-game winning streak after knocking off the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday, 4-2. That has kept Chicago unblemished since the All-Star break as they have outscored opponents 32-11.
The San Francisco Giants are struggling, 3-7 in their last 10 entering the series and are in danger of falling out of the wildcard chase. They dropped their seventh game in a row when they lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday, 5-3. The Giants have yet to win since the All-Star break.
San Francisco enters as the favorite at -135 with the odds set for the Cubs a t +115. San Francisco has one of the last three meetings between these teams and is 6-4 in the last 10.
It may be too late for the Chicago Cubs to get back in the playoff chase, but they are certainly making a second-half run early on, winners of six straight. It has been a spectacular offense leading the way, as Chicago has scored 32 runs in the five games since the All-Star break, hitting .297 with 10 home runs.
Six straight wins!
Thompson: 7 IP, 0 ER, 7 K
Suzuki: 2-for-4, HR, 2 R
Happ: 2B, 2 RBI
Hoerner: 2-for-4, .306 AVG@Vegas pic.twitter.com/sUly82lQob— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) July 26, 2022
The question for this team will be whether they have enough to be able to sustain and get back in the race. The Cubs began the month 5-11 before the All-Star break, and are 10.5 games out of the wildcard chase, which begs the question if they are too late? However, games here in San Francisco give this team a shot, and the 1.37 ERA that this club has posted over the last five games should buoy this teams confidence that they can make a serious run.
The Cubs send left-hander Justin Steele to the hill on Thursday. Steele is 4-6 with a 4.02 ERA in 18 starts. However, he was spectacular in his first start following the break, allowing one run in 5.0 innings to Philadelphia on July 22. He has now allowed one run in three of his last four starts and has allowed six total runs in his last 22.2 innings pitched.