Kyle Hendricks is lined up for his first start of the season as the Chicago Cubs (22-26) match up against the New York Mets (25-25) at Wrigley Field on Thursday with the home team looking for a sweep of the three-game series.
The Cubs lead the series 2-0 after winning 4-2 on Wednesday, their sixth straight head-to-head victory. Marcus Stroman went eight innings to get the win, giving up two runs on four hits, and Mark Leiter Jr. earned his second save with a scoreless ninth.
Nico Hoerner went 1 for 4 with a home run and two runs in the win. Francisco Alvarez was 2 for 3 with a home run and two RBIs for the Mets.
ON THE MOUND
Carlos Carrasco (0-2, 8.68 ERA) is in line to take the mound for New York. The right-hander allowed five runs over five innings in his last start, a 10-9 road win over the Guardians on Friday.
He yielded five hits while striking out three and walking two in the no-decision. Carrasco is making his first appearance against the Cubs this season.
Carrasco made one start against the Cubs in 2022, an 8-0 road victory on July 14. He allowed five hits over six scoreless innings, striking out six and walking two.
For Chicago, righty Hendricks gets the ball, his season debut. He was 4-6 over 16 starts last season with an ERA of 4.80. He struck out 66 and walked 24 over 84.1 innings.
AT THE PLATE
Over the last five games, New York has averaged 4.2 runs a game, equal to their season average. Against right-handed pitchers like Hendricks this season, the Mets have a .710 OPS. Pete Alonso is the team’s most potent producer against right-handers with a .828 OPS in 128 at-bats.
Chicago is averaging 5.0 runs per game in the last five, up slightly from 4.8 for the season. The Cubs have a .751 OPS against right-handers in 2023. With a .958 OPS over 128 at-bats, Ian Happ has been their best hitter against right-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
New York is on a three-game losing streak on the road, bringing their record to 13-16 in 2023. The Mets have scored 4.1 runs per game away from home, while allowing 4.6 runs.
Chicago has won three in a row at Wrigley Field. The Cubs are 13-11 at home this season, averaging 4.9 runs per game while surrendering 3.9. Chicago is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings at Wrigley Field with an average scoreline of 4.6-3.1.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Mets are second in the NL East, five games behind the division-leading Braves. The Cubs are third in the NL Central, four games behind the Brewers.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
NY Mets (-105)
Want up to a $1K risk free bet for this pick?
Claim with 
today!
If you need more news, information and predictions, head over to our MLB hub page for all your baseball needs!
*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
