Xam’s Daily Gems:
Yankees -1 DraftKings -216 5 Units
All of a sudden, the Yankees are one of the hottest teams in the league and have won 3 straight series! Now, they face one of the WORST teams in baseball in their building! The Angels, despite winning their last series, have just been putrid this year. Superstar Mike Trout is out for the season and they sold off pieces at the Trade Deadline. They’re scoring an ANEMIC 3.92 runs per game on the road this year and are averaging the exact same amount of runs per game when Mike Trout isn’t in the lineup! Luis Gil has turned in a really impressive season for the Yankees. He has a 3.20 ERA on the year, but that has BALLOONED to 6.06 in his last 7 starts. Fortunately for him, there’s fewer matchups better than this one. Davis Daniel, meanwhile, has struggled since getting called up by the Angels. He gave up 4 earned runs in his only road start to the lowly Athletics and before his last start against the Rockies he gave up 7 earned runs to the Rangers! The Yankees are well rested and seemingly out of their midseason slumber. They have AWOKEN and have their eyes set on the AL East crown. The Angels don’t score enough and are just waiting for the season to be over at this point.
Braves Money Line -136 FanDuel 5 Units
The Braves have lost 2 straight games and now find themselves in a 3-way tie atop the Wild Card standings as teams enter play today. The Braves send Bryce Edler to the mound who has really struggled this season. His 5.67 ERA on the year leaves plenty to be desired, but that pales in comparison to his grotesque 7.15 ERA over his last 7 starts! However, his last start came on the road against Milwaukee, and it was one of his better starts of the year. 6.1 innings giving up just 1 earned run. That is the type of performance the Braves need tonight. Colin Rea goes for the Brewers tonight. While he’s been good this year, his ERA is up over his last 7 starts compared to his season average AND he’s struggled at times pitching at night this year, with a 4.30 ERA. Despite not being their typical dominant selves, the Braves are still TOUGH at home, coming into play with a 32-23 record at Truist Park. The Brewers, meanwhile, are barely above .500 on the road this year. Like most of their games this year, this one will come down to whether or not the Braves can score runs. Their pitching has been fine and their bullpen SHOULD be fully rested since they were off yesterday. If Matt Olson and Austin Riley can help put some runs on the board, the Braves SHOULD start this important series off with a win!
Cardinals Money Line -142 DraftKings 5 Units
Despite losing 2 straight games and barely being above .500, the Cardinals only find themselves 4 games back of the last Wild Card spot in the National League. If they’re serious about getting back into the heart of the race, THIS SERIES is one they HAVE TO take advantage of. Despite being sellers at the Trade Deadline, the Rays have been playing tough and have won 2 straight games. However, they just DON’T have the offensive firepower needed to win tough road games. Sonny Gray has been REALLY good in his first season in St. Louis, posting a 3.72 ERA that turns into a sparkling 2.67 ERA when pitching in front of the home crowd. He’s coming off a DOMINANT start against the rival Cubs and now seeks to keep that momentum going. The Cardinals never showed up to play against the Mets yesterday, so expect them to come out mad and ready to go with their ace on the mound. Southpaw Jeffrey Springs is making his 2nd start since coming back from Tommy John surgery. While that’s impressive, he only went 3.2 innings in his 1st start back and may go a similar distance tonight. The Cardinals are at home, with the better starting pitcher on the mound, absolutely NEEDING this game! Expect the players and manager Oliver Marmol to have a real sense of URGENCY tonight and get the job in a series they REALLY need!
Mariners -1 -158 DraftKings 5 Units
The Mariners suddenly find themselves back atop the AL West standings and now send arguably their best pitcher to the mound to try and expand that lead. Luis Castillo has been really good all year, but he has lowered his ERA by nearly a full run over his last 7 starts AND his ERA is a sterling 2.82 when pitching at T-Mobile Park this year. That’s wonderful news when facing the Detroit Tigers, who are averaging just 4.16 runs per game this season. They also have JUST 2.8 runs scored per game over their last 10. That’s bad news when Keider Montero and his UGLY 6.18 ERA is taking the mound. He’s given up 4 earned runs or more in EACH of his last 4 starts, and 5 earned runs in 3 of those starts! This is a game where the Mariners should be FULLY RESTED as they were off yesterday, so their entire bullpen should be READY TO GO! If the Mariners can put some runs on the board, which is always an issue for them, they shouldn’t have ANY ISSUES taking the 1st game of this series.
Phillies Team Total Over 3.5 Runs -140 DraftKings 5 Units
The Phillies are 2-8 in their last 10 games and just aren’t playing with any confidence right now. However, even amidst this poor stretch, it’s still mostly related to their pitching woes than their hitting woes. They’re averaging 4.3 runs in their last 10 games and 4.35 runs per game in their last 20, not even mentioning they’re tied for the 3rd most runs scored in the National League entering play today. They are facing Clayton Kershaw, who’s making his 3rd start of the year after finally coming back from offseason shoulder surgery. However, he is FAR from the Kershaw of old. In just 2 starts this year, he’s given up 5 earned runs in just 7.2 innings pitched. His velocity is down and he’s also given up 6 hits in each of his first two starts. That’s BAD NEWS when facing a lineup as deadly as the Phillies. They have superstars up and down the lineup, and the Dodgers’ bullpen hasn’t been scaring anyone, either. The Phillies are DESPERATE to get back to their winning ways and they know they need their lineup to carry the burden right now. Look for the Phillies to take advantage of an older pitcher coming off injury and put some runs on the board in LA tonight.