The Giants are set to open a series with the best team in baseball tonight so it’s tough to see them gaining back any of the ground they have lost in the NL West division race any time soon. San Francisco has been one of the worst teams in the league since the all-star break and is 13-17 in its last 30 games.
Jeff Samardzija gets the unenvious task of keeping the Cubs at bay tonight as he brings his 11-9 record and 4.00 ERA into Wrigley. The Shark has been pretty good in his last four starts and has allowed just five combined runs in games against the Braves, Mets, Pirates and Marlins. All four of these teams are in the bottom half of the MLB’s runs scored per game rankings so this stretch of solid performance could be an anomaly.
The Cubs will look to take the bite out of the Shark tonight as they send lefty Mike Montgomery to the mound. Montgomery has been decent since being promoted to the rotation, allowing four runs over 9.1 total innings.
The Giants have been tough on lefties this year and have a 25-16 record when a left-hander starts on the opposing mound.
San Francisco Giants vs Chicago Cubs Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
85-47 Chicago battles the Giants, currently with a 72-60 mark. Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and Chicago vs San Francisco injuries news.
According to MLB Power Rankings here, it's the No. 3-ranked Chicago Cubs and the No. 9-rated San Francisco Giants in this matchup.
Statistical Matchup
The game also pits Chicago Cubs No. 3-rated offense, averaging 5.09 runs per game, against a San Francisco Giants defense that ranks No. 4 at 4.02 in runs allowed per game. The Chicago Cubs have averaged 8.78 hits per game so far, less than San Francisco Giants batters have averaged on the year (8.98 hits per game).
Chicago owns the No. 1 defense, allowing 5.09 men per game to cross the plate. That contrasts with San Francisco's No. 4-rated defense.
Recent Outings Betting Recap
The Giants enjoyed a 4-2 victory at the expense of the Diamondbacks on Wednesday, with M Moore throwing 5.1 innings of 5-hit ball at AT&T Park.
Chicago rolled to a 6-5 win against Pittsburgh on Wednesday, as J Hammel and the Cubs' bats led the team to victory at Wrigley Field.
Next Betting Matchups
San Francisco at Chicago, Friday, September 2nd