Jake Arrieta returns to the stadium where he twirled a no-hitter last season as the Chicago Cubs take on the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 3 of the NLCS on Tuesday night.
With the best-of-seven league championship series square at 1-1 the Cubs are the -125 betting favorite for Game 3. The host Dodgers, who will start LHP Rich Hill, are a slight underdog at +105 at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. The total is at 6.5 runs.
The Cubs are 7-11 straight-up in their last 18 road games against the Dodgers, according to the OddsShark MLB Database.
Arrieta has regressed since being nearly unhittable in the first two months of this season, but the Cubs have won in six of his last 10 starts. Counting the no-hitter, the Cubs’ ace has made four starts against the Dodgers, with a 3.24 earned-run average and a .119 opponents’ batting average. While 25 innings is a small sample, Arrieta has a high walk rate against the Dodgers, having issued 15 bases on balls.
Arrieta (game log) has not worked since October 10, when he allowed two earned runs over six innings during Game 3 of the NLDS. In 25 career starts where he has had six or more days of rest, Arrieta has a 2.45 ERA and a .196 opponents’ average.
While the Cubs are throwing their ace, several hitters are slumping. Second baseman Ben Zobrist, CF Dexter Fowler, 3B Kris Bryant and 1B Anthony Rizzo have yet to put up offensive numbers through the first five postseason games.
Hill (game log) is working on three days’ rest for the first time in more than a decade, although he lasted fewer than three innings in his last outing in Game 5 of the Dodgers’ NLDS against the Washington Nationals.
The 36-year-old lefty has resuscitated his career by relying on his curveball and four-seam fastball, which will give the Cubs’ hitters a different look than what they faced when they were stymied by Dodgers ace LHP Clayton Kershaw in Game 2 on Sunday.
The Dodgers are 4-4 SU with Hill starting. Hill has not worked six full innings in any of his last five starts, so Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts could have a quick hook. Closer Kenley Jansen was the only reliever needed during the 1-0 Dodgers win in Game 2, prior to the travel day.
The total has gone over in seven of Arrieta’s last 10 starts on the road, with one push. However, the total has gone under in seven of Hill’s last 10 home starts, also with one push. The total has also gone under in five of Hill’s eight starts for the Dodgers.
