MLB on Sling TV: Dodgers at Cubs on ESPN; Regional Action on Fox Sports Networks
Los Angeles Dodgers (Kazmir 4-3, 4.84) at Chicago Cubs (Arrieta 9-0, 1.72), 8pm ET on ESPN
Scott Kazmir’s strikeout rate of 9.4 is the highest it’s been since 2008 (though SO rates have risen all across baseball in that time), but his walk rate has climbed this year, as have his home runs. But he spun a gem in his last outing, against the Reds, striking out 12 over 6 innings, giving up just 1 run on 4 hits and 2 walks.
Jake Arrieta is tied for the Major League lead in wins and winning percentage, as he’s one of the last three starters to be undefeated. Dating back to July 30, 2015, the Cubs are 22-0 when Arrieta takes the ball, with Arrieta himself going 19-0, and an average start looking like this: 7 ⅓ IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 W, 7 SO. Arrieta narrowly avoided his first loss in his last start, as the Cardinals got to him for 4 runs on 7 hits and a walk in 5 innings, while striking out just 4 times, but the Cubs’ bats had staked him to 6 runs in the second inning of a 9-8 win.
The Cubs' bullpen, led by Travis Wood, was the hero of last night’s game, as they pitched 7 perfect innings of relief after starter Jason Hammel was forced to exit with hamstring cramps, to help secure a 2-0 win over the Dodgers. The Cubs remain atop the NL Central at 35-14, while the Dodgers sit 4 and a half back of the Giants, in second place in the West.
And here’s the action from the FOX Sports regional networks across the land…
Houston Astros (McCullers 1-1, 4.60) at Arizona Diamondbacks (Corbin 2-4, 4.21), 3:40pm ET on FOX Sports Arizona
San Diego Padres (Shields 2-6, 3.06) at Seattle Mariners (Iwakuma 3-4, 4.33), 3:40pm ET on FOX Sports San Diego
Texas Rangers (Lewis 4-0, 3.38) at Cleveland Indians (Kluber 4-5, 3.78), 6:10pm ET on FOX Sports Southwest & SportsTime Ohio
Pittsburgh Pirates (Cole 5-3, 2.53) at Miami Marlins (Fernandez 7-2, 2.82), 7pm ET on FOX Sports Florida
New York Yankees (Sabathia 3-3, 2.83) at Toronto Blue Jays (Happ 6-2, 3.20), 7:07pm ET on YES
San Francisco Giants (Peavy 1-5, 7.26) at Atlanta Braves (Wisler 2-4, 3.08), 7:10pm ET on FOX Sports Southeast
St. Louis Cardinals (Leake 3-4, 3.90) at Milwaukee Brewers (Peralta 1-0, 4.50), 8:10pm ET on FOX Sports Midwest & FOX Sports Wisconsin
Tampa Bay Rays (Smyly 3.92) at Kansas City Royals (Gee 1-2, 3.86), 8:15pm ET on FOX Sports Kansas City & Fox Sports Sun
Cincinnati Reds (Moscot 0-2, 4.02) at Colorado Rockies (Gray 3-5, 6.19), 8:40pm ET on FOX Sports Cincinnati
Detroit Tigers (Sanchez 3-6, 6.04) at Los Angeles Angels (Santiago 3-3, 4.58), 10:05pm ET on FOX Sports Detroit & FOX Sports West
Minnesota Twins (Duffey 2-3, 3.93) at Oakland Athletics (Surkamp 0-3, 6.55), 10:05pm ET on FOX Sports North
All stats courtesy of ESPN and Baseball Reference