The Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants dance at Oracle Park for three more days. The Cubs are coming off an impressive showing behind the strong arm of Marcus Stroman. Stroman needed to work out of jams all night, but he made it work with 8 hits and no earned runs allowed through 6 innings.
.@STR0 in the month of July
🔥 20.1 IP
🔥 2 ER
🔥 0.89 ERA pic.twitter.com/xoikCCBLC4— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) July 30, 2022
Stroman probably didn’t deserve to get out of that one with no earned runs allowed, but fighting out of jams is part of being a quality pitcher. With the win, the Cubs don’t put much of a dent into their record, though. They are 41-58 and 14.5 games behind the Brewers for the lead.
Conversely, the Giants are slipping and sliding downward in the wildcard race. They’re not catching the Dodgers to defend their NL West title. However, the Giants were looking at reaching the postseason as a wildcard.
They are going into tonight at 49-51 and aren’t playing like a team interested in playing October baseball. That said, the Giants have to keep things in perspective.
While they’ve been on a major slide, the Giants are within striking distance of the final wildcard in the National League. They are four games behind the Cardinals and Phillies for the last slot.
There is still two months left in the regular season, so four games isn’t much with a lot of baseball to play. However, the Giants aren’t acting like a team that wants it enough. Jakob Junis gets the starting nod for the Giants against Drew Smyly of the Cubs
Head below for our free Cubs vs. Giants prediction on July 30, 2022.
Chicago Cubs vs. San Francisco Giants Live Betting Odds:
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Cubs | +1.5 (-175) | +108 | Over 8 (-115) |
| San Francisco Giants | -1.5 (+150) | -130 | Under 8 (-105) |
| Team Data | Chicago Cubs | San Francisco Giants |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Record | 41-58 | 49-51 |
| Away/Home Record | 21-26 | 27-23 |
| Batting Average | .242 | .232 |
| Batting Average Away/Home | .233 | .239 |
| Runs Per 9 | 4.37 | 4.76 |
| Team ERA | 4.28 | 4.70 |
| Team ERA Away/Home | 4.19 | 4.95 |
Cubs vs. Giants Prediction:
The Cubs will look for another strong performance on the hill tonight. Drew Smyly is responsible for the starting duties at Oracle Park in this one.
Smyly is going into tonight with an ERA of 3.93 and a 1.27 WHIP. At this point in Smyly’s career, that’s a big win for him. After an 8.42 ERA in 2018 with the Rangers, it was hard to see him pitching effectively three years later.
There isn’t anything wrong with what Smyly is accomplishing in 2022. It isn’t anything flashy or special, but he’s pitching well enough to have a job in a major league rotation.
This looks like a decent spot for the Giants to wake up at the dish and get the offense going in the right direction, but it’s likely going to come down to Jakob Junis on the mound.
He’s been consistently solid for the Giants and is reaching his full potential in the Bay Area. Junis never lived up to expectations with the Royals, but a change of scenery has helped him out well.
Chicago Cubs vs. San Francisco Giants Betting Trends:
Cubs
- Record (Last 10): 7-3
- 7-1 overall in their previous eight games
- 2-8 overall in their previous ten games versus a team with a losing record
- 8-23 overall in their previous 31 games versus the NL West
- 1-4 overall in their previous five games versus the Giants
- 4-10 overall in their previous 14 games at San Francisco
Giants
- Record (Last 10): 2-8
- 10-1 overall in their previous 11 games versus a left-handed starter
- 4-1 overall in their previous five games versus the NL Central
- 4-1 overall in their previous five games at home
- 5-2 overall in their previous seven games on a Saturday
- 4-1 overall in their previous five games versus the Cubs
The Giants have been better against lefties this season, with a .240 batting average rather than .229 vs right-handed pitching. In their last five games, they’ve hit .271 against left-handed pitching.
At Oracle Park, the offense has typically come to play. The Giants are scoring 4.95 runs per 9 innings at home in 2022. They haven’t been in their best form as of late, but Smyly shouldn’t offer the stiffest test.
Marcus Stroman was fortunate to escape from jams last night. The Giants couldn’t finish with runners on base. Look for the Giants to find just enough offense to support Junis in a winning performance at home tonight.
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