LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 20: Jon Lester #34 of the Chicago Cubs pitches in the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game five of the National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium on October 20, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
The Chicago Cubs will host the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night for the 2018 National League Wild Card Game, and here is what you need to know.
The Cubs (95-68, .583) are second in the NL Central, just one game behind leaders Milwaukee (96-67), whom they lost to 3-1 on Monday. Before that, Chicago won four of seven games.
The Rockies (91-72, .558) are also one game behind the Los Angeles Dodgers (92-71) for second in the NL West. Colorado has lost two of their last three, but before that went on an eight-game winning streak.
Tuesday’s game at Wrigley Field will start at 8 p.m. EST and will air on ESPN. It can also be live-streamed on WatchESPN.
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Jon Lester (18-6, 3.32 ERA) is set to start for the Cubs against fellow left-hander Kyle Freeland (17-7, 2.85 ERA).
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This will be Lester’s second Wild Card nod. The All-Star veteran is coming off a great regular season, having recorded 149 strikeouts in 181 2/3 innings of work. Lester may have struggled a lot in July and early August, but after that regained his groove and was especially impressive at home.
Freeland has also been quite stellar for Colorado. The 25-year-old boasts 173 strikeouts and a 1.25 WHIP. He had a rough patch in April but he’s won 15 of his 17 stats for the team since early July.
The Rockies have also posted very low numbers for hitting during away games, so this should also be considered for Tuesday’s games. Only Nolan Arenado, Charlie Blackmon and Trevor Story have delivered above-average performances on the road recently.
The American League Wild Card Game between the Yankees and Oakland Athletics will be held Wednesday night in New York.
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