Xam’s Daily Gems:
Pirates Money Line -155 DraftKings 5 Units
The most electrifying pitcher in baseball takes the mound as the Pirates go for the series win against the Diamondbacks. Paul Skenes has taken the league by STORM and has become a symbol of hope for the Pirates as they look towards the future AND try and stay in contention for a Wild Card spot. He’s given up a whopping 3 earned in his last 4 starts overall! It’s been a different story for Diamondbacks starter Ryne Nelson. While he was good in his last start, he has a 4.53 ERA on the year and was 4.98 before the All-Star Break. The Pirates have been scoring plenty of runs recently and despite having their elite bullpen arms go yesterday, they SHOULD all be available today. They’re off tomorrow so they can afford to push their guys in a series they REALLY need to win! If the Pirates can put some runs on the board, they shouldn’t have ANY ISSUES pitching their way to a series win!
Yankees -1 -191 DraftKings 5 Units
The Yankees are going for their 3rd consecutive series win and are sending their ace to the mound. When he’s healthy and on his game, there’s no pitcher better in baseball than Gerrit Cole. He’s really struggled since returning and had his start pushed back due to his body being “tired.”. However, this is a good matchup for him today. The Blue Jays have struggled offensively ALL SEASON LONG and especially so on the road. They’re averaging just 4.19 runs per game on the road. Cole ALSO has a long career dominating the Blue Jays. In 17 starts against the Blue Jays in his career, he’s 9-2 with a 2.73 ERA. As a Yankee, since 2020, he’s given up 2 earned runs or less in 12 of his 15 starts! The Yankees SHOULD be able to hit Blue Jays starter Yariel Rodriguez, who couldn’t even finish the 1st inning in his last start. He’s been TERRIBLE on the road this year, pitching to a 5.85 ERA and 1.60 WHIP. Against this Yankees lineup, that’s not going to work. The Yankees will have all of their best bullpen arms available AND need this series! Look for them to take advantage of a weakened division rival and keep their share of the AL East.
Orioles Money Line -125 DraftKings 5 Units
In his first season in Baltimore, Corbin Burnes has been nothing short of FANTASTIC! He’s going to end up getting votes for the AL Cy Young award and may end up winning it! He has an electric 2.47 ERA and 1.04 WHIP. He will be tested today, however, as the Orioles go for the series win against another premiere AL team. Gavin Williams goes for the Guardians and it’s been an entirely different story for him, at least at home. He as an unsightly 7.24 ERA in front of the home fans, and this is a BRUTAL matchup for him. The Orioles have scored the SECOND MOST runs in the American League, and truly have the lineup capable of bashing any pitcher. The Orioles also need this game more than the Guardians. They’re in an absolute DOGFIGHT with the Yankees for the AL East title. Look for manager Brandon Hyde to manage with a sense of urgency and fully use his premium bullpen guys, as the Orioles are off tomorrow anyways. The Guardians have the better starting pitcher, better lineup, and simply NEED this game more!
Astros Money Line -162 DraftKings 5 Units
Will the Astros lose a series at home to the lowly Tampa Bay Rays? Spencer Arrighetti will do everything he can to put the Astros in a position to win this series. With a 5.58 ERA and 1.54 WHIP, he’s left a lot to be desired on the mound this year. However, it should be noted he has a 4.46 ERA in his last 7 starts and each of his last 3 home starts at home have resulted in quality starts. Today will be a bullpen game for the Astros. Hunter Bigge will get the “start” but will likely only go 1 inning. While it’s hard to determine who will follow out of the bullpen, it’s possible southpaw Tyler Alexander pitches multiple innings in this one. Regardless, this is a tough spot for the Rays. The Astros find themselves 1 game back in the AL West and 4 games back of the last Wild Card spot. At home, they simply have NO EXCUSES to lose this game. Manager Joe Espada knows this and will UNDOUBTEDLY have his best bullpen arms ready to go to lock down this game. The Rays have lost A LOT of offensive firepower and Arrighetti SHOULD be able to contain them! Look for the veteran led Astros to get it done in a game they really need.
Rangers Money Line -122 FanDuel 5 Units
Veteran Nathan Eovaldi goes for the Rangers as they look to win a series against a team ahead of them in the Wild Card standings. It’s been a WILDLY disappointing season for the reigning World Series champions, to say the least. However, Eovaldi has been a rare bright spot for the team. He has a 3.38 ERA on the year and that drops to a sterling 2.87 ERA at Globe Life Field! Nick Pivetta, for the Red Sox, has had an up and down season. He has a 4.47 ERA that’s up to 5.30 over his last 7 starts. The Rangers need every single game they can get as they currently sit 8.5 games back of the last Wild Card spot. The Rangers are just TOO GOOD to continue playing like an under .500 team and this is a game they need to build some momentum. If the Rangers can put some runs on the board, Eovaldi SHOULD be able to contain his former team as he knows that lineup well. The Rangers have the urgency and their home fans behind them in this one. With the better starter on the mound, they SHOULD be able to get the job done once again!
Mets Money Line -148 DraftKings 5 Units
The Mets blew a late lead yesterday and now need a win today to win a series against one of the WORST teams in baseball. Southpaw Jose Quintana has been excellent recently for the Mets. He has a sparkling 1.98 ERA over his last 7 starts, turning it on at a time they really need their starters to step up. The Angels have one of the WORST lineups in baseball, scoring the 3rd FEWEST runs in the American League. They’re averaging just 4 runs per game over their last 20. The Mets, meanwhile, are in the heat of the playoff race and can’t afford to lose a series like this. The Mets have been one of the best teams in baseball the last couple of months and that’s because of their excellent lineup. Griffin Canning has had a really tough time of it this year. He has a 5.25 ERA and 6.00 ERA in his last 7 starts. He’s given up 6 earned runs in 2 of his last 3 starts, and both of those games were against teams with subpar lineups in the Rockies and Athletics. The Mets have an improved bullpen and manager Carlos Mendoza will surely pull out ALL the stops to get this series win!
Dodgers Money Line -144 FanDuel 5 Units
River Ryan has been electric in his first two big league starts, giving up just 1 earned run over 11 innings pitched. Now he faces one of the WORST lineups in baseball! The Athletics are averaging just 4.10 runs per game this season. Thanks to their BLOWOUT win last night, they SHOULD have a fully rested bullpen that’s ready to go and win a series the Dodgers REALLY need to take! Osvaldo Bido goes for the Athletics, and he’s had a tough time of it this year. In 9 starts, he has a 5.00 ERA and is coming off a start where he got ABSOLUTELY DEMOLISHED by the Angels! Despite missing Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts, the Dodgers still have an ELITE lineup, as they showed yesterday. Manager Dave Roberts KNOWS they need this game and will manage accordingly. If Ryan can continue his early dominance against a WEAK lineup, the Dodgers SHOULD score enough to capture the series win!
Phillies Money Line -115 DraftKings 5 Units
The Phillies, once considered the best team in baseball, have suddenly lost 6 straight games. They blew a 5-0 lead yesterday to a team that has struggled to score runs all year! Now, they turn to their ace to stop the slide. Zack Wheeler has been phenomenal all season long, but this is the biggest start of the season for him. Aces are paid to stop losing streaks, and against a bad lineup that’s without their best hitter, Wheeler SHOULD be able to put up zeroes. He has a 4.61 ERA over his last 7 starts and gave up a whopping 7 earned runs in his last start, so expect him to be DIALED IN today. Logan Gilbert has also had a really good season but got rolled in his last start. The Phillies have the FAR superior lineup and will have a bigger sense of URGENCY to win today. Don’t be surprised to see manager Rob Thomson use all of his top bullpen arms as he looks to do whatever he can to end the losing streak.
Cubs First 5 Innings Money Line -158 FanDuel 5 Units
The Cubs choked away the series win yesterday against their division rivals, but they still have a good chance to win the series tonight on Sunday Night Baseball. There’s no one else they’d rather hand the ball to than their ace, Justin Steele. Steele has struggled a little recently, giving up 5 earned runs in 2 of his last 3 starts. However, he’s a warrior who is too good to continue struggling like that. He’s also pitched well historically against the Cardinals. Each of his last 5 starts against the Cardinals have been quality starts AND he’s given up 1 earned run in 3 of those outings. It’s been a MUCH different story for Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas. His 4.99 ERA on the year spikes up to 5.85 over his last 7 starts. He also got SMASHED by the Cubs the last time he faced them which came just a few weeks ago. The biggest issue for the Cubs is their offense. They’ve been underwhelming for a majority of the year BUT are averaging 5 runs per game in their last 10 games. If they can sustain that level of production tonight, they SHOULD be able to win the first 5 innings in a game they’ll be amped up and ready for!