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MLB - Back Harden & Cubs -140 at Brewers
Back Harden & Cubs -140 at Brewers
Game Time: Thursday, July 31, 2008 02:05 PM ET
The Brewers are in a rut having dropped the first three of this home series against their NL Central rivals from Chicago. Cash the Cubs to finish off the sweep in Milwaukee today.
It's bad enough for the Milwaukee Brewers that they have been outscored 20-7 in dropping the first three games at home in their big series against the Cubs. But what also isn't good for the Brewers is the Cubs have exposed Milwaukee's middle of the lineup vulnerability.
The Brewers are batting .239 with runners in scoring in position on the season. They are 3-for-60 during the last eight games with men in scoring position. A big part of the problem are the No. 5, 6 and 7 hitters – Corey Hart, Bill Hall and Mike Cameron. Hart is overrated, while Hall and Cameron are clutch free swingers who strike out a lot and don't do the necessary things to win games in the clutch.
These guys are OK when facing mediocre pitching. They have power. But they can be stopped cold by good pitchers. The Brewers couldn't score on Carlos Zambrano and Ryan Dempster. Now they draw Rich Harden, the best of the bunch.
Harden has allowed two runs and eight hits in three starts for the Cubs, spanning 17.1 innings. He has 10 strikeouts and a 1.04 ERA. He's difficult to back, however, unless you like to lay huge chalk, which I don't. Backing an overpriced pitcher is not the way to make money long-term.
In this matchup, though, Harden isn't being priced unfairly. This isn't too high of a price to get such a premier pitcher, especially when his mound opponent is Dave Bush and the Brewers are reeling. Bush is a No. 5 type pitcher, which he is with the Brewers. Actually he's a 5½ since Milwaukee is rotating him in the fifth spot with Seth McClung. Bush is 1-6 lifetime against the Cubs with a 4.88 ERA in nine career starts.
Bush is going to have to deal with a resurgent Alfonso Soriano, who is 9-for-17 in his last four games with seven runs scored and five RBI. The Cubs are the best team in the National League when Soriano, a streak player, is hot like he is now.
Free Pick: Cubs -140