The Chicago Cubs and Arizona Diamondbacks will begin a four-game series on Monday night at Wrigley Field. This is the first series between the Cubs and Diamondbacks this season. Both the Cubs and Diamondbacks are playoff contenders, and this should be a highly competitive series.
The Arizona Diamondbacks have led the National League West for most of 2018 but now trail the Los Angeles Dodgers by 1.5 games. The Chicago Cubs got off to another slow start this season, but have rebounded to take over sole possession in the National League Central. The Chicago Cubs are -121 over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday.
Cubs Breaking Away In NL Central
The Chicago Cubs have controlled the National League Central the last few seasons, and they appear to be taking control once again. The Cubs have jumped out to a 3.5 game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers, after trailing Milwaukee for much of the first half of the season. The Cubs are a season-high 18 games over .500 and have the best record in the National League.
The Cubs will send young Luke Farrell to the mound in the series opener. Farrell will be making a spot start after the Cubs had to use all five regular starters in their five-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Farrell is 3-3 with a 3.86 earned run average for the Cubs in 2018, but manager Joe Maddon will hope that Farrell can get the Cubs through 5 innings.
Corbin Takes Mound For Arizona
The Diamondbacks will send left-hander, Patrick Corbin, to the mound to face the Cubs on Monday night. Corbin has had an up and down season but brings his 6-4 record into Monday night’s contest. The 29-year-old has a 3.24 earned run average for Arizona and has recorded 149 strikeouts in just 122 innings this season.
First baseman, Paul Goldschmidt, continues to lead the offensive attack for the Diamondbacks. Goldschmidt was named a 2018 National League All-Star this season and started the game as the designated hitter for the NL. Goldschmidt has hit a team-high 21 homers this season to go along with a .381 on-base percentage. The Diamondbacks will need “Goldy” to stay hot if they are going to catch the Dodgers.
Cubs Win Series Opener
This should be a terrific series that could be a potential playoff preview in the National League. The Diamondbacks appeared to be in control of the NL West in early May, but have watched the Dodgers blow past them in the standings. Patrick Corbin will need to be sharp if he is going to shut down a steady Cubs lineup.
The Cubs just won a five-game series against their arch-rival, St. Louis Cardinals, over the weekend, and have started off the second half in the season strong. Chicago appears to be headed to the playoffs for a fourth straight season. The Cubs hope that young Luke Farrell can give them a solid outing on Monday night. Look for the Cubs offense to score plenty of runs to lead the team to victory. Take the Chicago Cubs -121 over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday.
