Marcus Stroman is back on the mound tonight for his second start in a Cubs uniform. The first one (against the Brewers) went well enough, with 5 innings of one-run baseball at Wrigley Field. Stroman did walk three batters in that one, something he did only three times all last season, so hopefully he finds his command a little sooner this time around.
And, hey, in his three total starts at Coors Field throughout his career, he’s been pretty darn good:
6/01/2019: 7.0 IP, 7H, 3ER, 0BB, 2Ks
9/17/2019: 7.0 IP, 4H, 0ER, 1BB, 7Ks
4/18/2021: 8.0 IP, 3H, 1ER, 1BB, 5Ks
Obviously that’s a three-year spread with different teams in different seasons, but there’s a benefit to knowing how to pitch in that park. And I think spreading 14 hits, 2 walks, and 4 earned runs over 22.o innings at Coors Field is a pretty solid foundation. Oh, and Stroman’s groundball tendencies will also serve him well (51.7 GB% at Coors, 57.4% for his career).
It’s another late one tonight (7:40 CT start time), but it’ll all be worth it if the Cubs can pull in another W. Go Cubs., 2
Game Info
Chicago Cubs (4-2) at Colorado Rockies (4-2) – Friday, April 15 at 7:40 CT on Marquee, 670 The Score
Bet of the Day:
DraftKings had a 42% profit boost on a 3-leg parlay for Jackie Robinson day, so I took advantage of that … and went big: Ian Happ homer, Cubs Moneyline (because duh), and 3+ Ks for Marcus Stroman. That’s a lot of hope, but I like to bet small amounts for big payouts. A little more sustainable that way. And then you get to look like a genius when it pays off. All told, those three picks plus the profit boost got me to +1278 … which, hey, that’s not bad. I also feel like Jonathan Villar is gonna pop one tonight. He’s got a good history against German Márquez, it’s Coors Field, and Márquez is worse against lefties.
Starting Pitchers
Rockies: German Márquez (R)
versus
Cubs: Marcus Stroman (R)
Chicago Cubs (Lineup Discussion):
1. Rafael Ortega, RF
2. Nick Madrigal, 2B
3. Willson Contreras, C
4. Ian Happ, LF
5. Frank Schwindel, DH
6. Jonathan Villar, 3B
7. Jason Heyward, CF
8. Alfonso Rivas, 1B
9. Nico Hoerner, SS
Colorado Rockies:
1. Connor Joe, 1B
2. Charlie Blackmon, RF
3. Kris Bryant, LF
4. C.J. Cron, DH
5. Ryan McMahon, 3B
6. Elias Díaz, C
7. Sam Hilliard, CF
8. Garrett Hampson, 2B
9. Alan Trejo, SS