The Miami Marlins are facing the Chicago Cubs in the MLB Wild Card Series. Game 2 was initially scheduled for Thursday, but the weather forecast caused it to be postponed.
Now, they will play on Friday at 2:00 PM Eastern at Wrigley Field.
Game 1 was a dominant performance from the Marlins. Miami topped the Cubs by a score of 5-1, mostly due to the three-run home run hit by Corey Dickerson in the seventh inning.
The home run was hit off of Kyle Hendricks, who pitched a great game until that point. The Marlins weren’t predicted to make it to the playoffs, especially after losing over 100 games last season.
“We don’t care about who’s the hero,” Dickerson said. “We want to pass the bat to the next guy. … We don’t care. We want to cheer for one another, play for one another. That’s what makes this game fun.”
Cubs Avoiding Early End
If the Cubs can’t get the win on Friday afternoon, it will be an early end of the season for Chicago. Yu Darvish will be on the mound for the Cubs.
In February of 2018, Darvish signed a big contract with the Cubs, and this season, he has proven he was worth it. He has eight wins to go along with only three losses this year, holding a 2.01 ERA.
He is just the guy that the Cubs need to save their season on the mound, but the Cubs have to hit the ball better than they did in Game 1. Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant were among the Cubs to not record a hit in the first game.
Marlins Playing Underdog
This team likely won’t be a favorite in any game this series, or the next, if they make it. Opposing the veteran Darvish will be just the opposite of a large contract veteran.
The rookie, Sixto Sanchez, will get the start for the Marlins. He is 3-2 this season with a 3.46 ERA.
The Marlins are hoping that their star center fielder will be good to go in this one. Starling Marte had a fastball hit his left hand in Game 1, and he was removed right after.
Prediction
The Cubs will be the heavy favorite on Friday, as they were in Game 1. Darvish is a much more proven arm than the rookie Sanchez, but he hasn’t exactly proven himself in the postseason.
The Marlins have a moneyline of +140 while the Cubs sit at -165. The Cubs have the advantage on the mound, and I don’t believe they will get sent home this easily. They will bounce back and win Game 2.
The over/under is set at eight runs, and I’m taking the over. After limited runs for the Cubs in Game 1, they will have more success off the rookie. The Cubs won’t keep the Marlins completely silent, but enough to get this total over 8.