{{July 3, 09:05 MLB Chicago Cubs vs Philadelphia Game Analysis and Prediction}}
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Chicago Cubs Hayden Wesneski (2 wins, 4 losses, 3.60 ERA) will attempt to secure his third win of the season. In the game against San Francisco on the 27th, Wesneski had a disappointing performance, pitching 4 innings with 2 hits and 3 runs allowed, with the conceding of two home runs being decisive. Although his pitching at home as a starter has been generally good, considering it's a night game, the expectations are around a Quality Start (QS). In Monday's game against Freddy Peralta, Nico Hoerner's lead-off home run in the top of the first inning was the only scoring play for the Cubs, who were held hitless and scoreless from the second through ninth innings, resulting in a complete defeat. The key will be whether they can bounce back at home. The bullpen, which pitched 4.1 innings without allowing a run while giving up 3 hits, seems to perform exceptionally well in losing games. Philadelphia Michael Mercado will make his debut on the mound as a starter. In his debut game on the 25th, an away game against Detroit, Mercado pitched a perfect inning. He is currently ranked 30th among Philadelphia prospects and is a right-handed pitcher who relies on an unusual combination of four-seam fastball, cutter, and curve. Given his stats this year in AAA INT, with a 1.71 ERA and a .189 opponent batting average over 47.1 innings with 12 runs allowed, he certainly has value worth noting. In Monday's game, Philadelphia's lineup, led by Alec Bohm's two-run home run, managed to score 7 runs against Miami's pitching staff, which is encouraging as it indicates they are overcoming their struggles in day games to some extent. The boost from the come-from-behind victory heading into an away game can be confidence-boosting. The bullpen, which took over for Suárez and pitched 4.1 innings without allowing a run while giving up 2 hits, deserves praise. Game Comment Wesneski should be able to last around 5 innings at home. With Philadelphia's recent inconsistent hitting and the predominance of right-handed batters, it seems it will be a tough game. Although Mercado showed impressive pitching in AAA INT, his pitching style is likely to be effective against the Cubs at home. The Chicago Cubs, with the superior starting pitcher, are closer to victory.
Recommended Betting [[Win/Loss]]: Chicago Cubs win [[Handicap]]: -1.5 Chicago Cubs win [[U/O]]: 8.5 Under ▼