Last nights games went smoothly as predicted although I expected more out of the Twins against the Royals. White Sox beat the Yankees, making it two straight wins in a row with Sabathia taking the loss last night. Dodgers made the bounce back effect I expected ever since the back to back losses in Angels stadium.
Yankees @ White Sox (Green vs Lopez)
The Yankees have been downright disrespected in the past two games against the White Sox and looks to make the bounce back effect in this game. Green’s stats on the mound aren’t spectacular but looks to lower his ERA of 8.27. The Yankees batters will come out very pissed off about the results of the last two games and crush them in this game 3 in the series, making for an intriguing series finale tomorrow.
Gleyber Torres has been a spark for the Yankees when superstars like Stanton and Judge are on the IL.
Red Sox @ Orioles (Sale vs Bundy)
Its usually difficult to predict what will happen when there hasn’t been a pitcher announced for the matchup but after the last game it has been clear that the Red Sox are finally getting back to World Series from. Wether its too late to catch up to the Yankees, that is too early to be seen. Orioles will continue to struggle until all the players can get on the same page of offense. Mancini is proving to be a key piece of this team, it will be interesting if the Orioles will want to move him around the trade deadline for pitching.
BOS: Betts, Holt, Chavis, Bradley Jr
BAL: Mancini, Davis
Dylan Bundy’s performance will be summed up by this picture.
Phillies @ Braves (Nola vs Newcomb)
No one could have predicted this performance in the past week from the Braves, after sweeping the Pirates in a 4 game series and now a walk off win last night against the Phillies. I believe the luck runs out here against Nola and the Phillies. Braves hitters will still put up numbers but the Phillies will have the lucky clutch RBI hits. Bruce has been a huge pickup for the Phillies since McCutchen has had a season ending injury.
PHI: Harper, Bruce, Realmuto, Segura
ATL: Swanson, Acuna, Donaldson, Riley
PHILADELPHIA, PA – MARCH 31: Bryce Harper #3 of the Philadelphia Phillies rounds the bases in front of Josh Donaldson #20 of the Atlanta Braves after hitting a home run in the seventh inning at Citizens Bank Park on March 31, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images)
Last night featured a really interesting game between the Dodgers and Cubs as I predicted. Lester threw a great game and the Cubs were up early but the Dodgers managed to rally through and had continuous hits in the 4th inning to drive in runs. I was completely wrong on the Yankees and White Sox game in which the Sox pitching staff extinguished the top four batters in the Yankees line up with 8 combined strikeouts. We also saw the first MLB game played in Omaha last night which featured two struggling MLB teams to compete for mediocracy on a test stage for what could be a new MLB market. Enough of yesterdays news, let’s get into todays news, trends, and picks.
Indians @ Tigers (Plutko vs Carpenter)
Carpenter had a rough last outing time against the Minnesota Twins but the good news for him is that the Indians aren’t the Twins. Carpenter should be able to hold his own ground against an Indian team suffering from an identity crisis as of late. On the other side of the mound, Pluko was responsible for a decent win against the Yankees. He will look to keep things rolling. Ultimately the hot bats of the Indians will win this matchup, although I don’t believe the team is “out of the woods” yet in regards of trying to be the dominate team they once were earlier this season, this will be a start.
CLE: Bauers, Kipnis, Lindor, Santana, Naquin
DET: Castellanos, Cabrera, Jones, Beckham
Blue Jays @ Astros (Sanchez vs Cole)
The Blue Jays are flying south to Texas to take on the steady Astros. Even without the Astros top two batters, they have remained as one of the few teams in the MLB to beat. The feat will get much harder for the Blue Jays to do as they face Gerrit Cole on the mound who has a 3.72 ERA and a whopping 130 strikeouts which 14 came from his last outing against Baltimore. Cole is going to make the Blue Jays swing the bat with deceiving pitches inside the strike zone. The question for the boys up north is “can they guess where the pitch will ultimately land?”
TOR: Gurriel Jr, Grichuk, Galvis, Smoak
HOU: Kemp, Brantley, Reddick, Marisnick, Gurriel
Theres a lot to celebrate for Astros mascot Orbit as they are currently 9.5 games ahead of the second place rival Rangers in the AL West. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Royals @ Twins (Keller vs Gibson)
Gibson is looking to prove his last outing was a fluke. Gibson allowed a pair of homers early and later allowed 3 more earned runs all while not even striking out 8 batters. Gibson doesn’t have great numbers against the Royals but looks to improve on his struggles in this matchup. Keller is coming off almost pitching a complete game in a 5 hit and 2 earned run game. He’s going to have to do much better against the Twins swinging white hot bats. Keller will give up 3 homers while the Royals struggle to come back to in the later innings.
KCR: Duda, Maldonado, Merrifield
MIN: Cron, Cruz, Buxton, Rosario, Sano
Neon sign at Target Field that symbolize the “twin” cities of Minnesota and St. Paul.
Brewers @ Giants (Davies vs Pomeranz)
The Giants are coming off a two game series sweep against the Padres and seem to have confidence heading into the game with the Brewers. The Brewers are still white hot while Yelich is in the lineup. He is already considered the HR league leader right now but a long shot and looks to add a few more into the iconic “splash zone” at the San Francisco Bay Area. Giants will not go down without a fight in this matchup as some of their position players are starting to wake the bats up.
Welcome back for this Thursdays MLB hit picks. Majority of the teams are playing in a new series. Lets get right to it on this successful Thursday afternoon.
Angels @ Rays (Skaggs vs Yarbrough)
Of recent the Angels have been looking really decent ever since Ohtani has come off the IL. Whats been disappointing has been the much needed pitching the Angels still lack as a potential threaten for the Wild Card. The Rays are starting to look like a complete team with pitching depth and a well rounded lineup full of hitters. This game will be high scoring with “big fly’s” al over the place.
LAA: Ohtani, Pujos, Goodwin
TBR: Pham, Kiermaier, Diaz, Adames, Meadows
Yankees @ White Sox (Happ vs Nova)
The supposed “injured” line up of the Yankees have been looking like their ideal lineup, even without their stars. Yankees, behind Happ’s 5 straight win decisions is on a tough streak to break. White Sox have looked better at times throughout the season and looks to put up a fight against the Yankees. If they were to somehow make it a close game they will need offensive power.
NYY: Maybin, LeMahieu, Torres, Voit, Gardner
CWS: Abreu, Anderson, Alonso
Cubs @ Dodgers (Lester vs Kershaw)
In what looks like a pitchers duel might end up being a rout for the Dodgers. After getting beat by the Angels on an away trip, they look ready to get back on track at home. The bounce back effect is in play here and will look to avenge the couple losses they’ve had last week against the surging Cubs who are always a threat in towards the offseason.
Happy Wednesday, its officially hump day of the week. There are 4 “early” games and 8 evening games. Most teams are still playing inter-league play within conference rivals in this part of the schedule. Of notables around the league, the Angels surging over the Dodgers, “subway series” was split, and the Indians are making a comeback from their minor slump. With those headlines let’s get right into our four games and with the picks.
Blue Jays @ Orioles (Law vs Hess)
Two teams that are not likely going to make the playoffs are in primetime at Camden Yards. Of note, David Hess of the Orioles, has had his best start against the Blue Jays earlier this year pitching 6.1 innings without a hit. For the Blue Jays it seems that they have throw in the towel with a scratch of Edwin Jackson and subbing in Law. Maybe the Blue Jays see something in Law that could benefit them during this meeting. This matchup should be a close one as Orioles have usually hung around their opponent up until the 5th of 6th inning and the Blue Jays have been known to get streaky at times, especially with Vladimir Guerrero Jr in the lineup. This is one of the most underrated matchups today.
TOR: Guerrero Jr, Smoak, Galvis, Biggio
BAL: Villar, Mancini, Nunez, Alberto
Look out below! Vladimir Guerrero Jr is one of the most interesting rookies this year, known exclusively for his power.
Cardinals @ Marlins (Mikolas vs Yamamoto)
Mikolas is coming back from a short outing after being hit in the forearm last game. Yamamoto is being called up for the first time. Yamamoto was one of the personnel that was involved in the Yelich trade in which Miami wishes they could get back. Look for the Cardinals to add another easy win in their column tonight with the helps of Goldschmidt and DeJong. As for Miami, this will be a proving ground for Yamamoto as this season will be an experimental year with a bounty of options for moves either at the dead line or in the long awaited offseason that dreads them.
STL: DeJong, Goldschmidt, Ozuna, Molina, Bader
MIA: Granderson, Cooper, Castro, Holaday
Miles Mikolas, 30 years old, has sported many different styles of facial hair during his time in the MLB.
Padres @ Giants (Lucchesi vs Anderson)
Padres have been trending downwards lately with a very unsuccessful 10 game home stand that ended in the Nationals making history for 4 consecutive home runs. They hope to turn things around on this road trip in which they face a usual foe in the Giants. The Giants have been getting production from guys who usually aren’t swinging the bat as hot as they use to earlier in their careers. The combination of Posey, Longoria, and Sadoval is an interesting one if they start clicking. I don’t think it will be enough for the Padres as Lucchesi has been very stellar for the Padres in this young rotation. Look for Tatis and Hosmer to put the team on their back as the latter half of the order has been absent for the most part.
SDP: Tatis Jr, Hosmer, Kinsler, Renfroe, Reyes
SFG: Belt, Panik, Sandoval, Crawford
After a hot start to the season, Will Myers has been struggling and his batting average is now sitting at .219. He has averaged .251 in seasons 2013-2018.
Good afternoon baseball fans, welcome back to the picks for today. We had a game one of a double header earlier today between the Yankees and the Mets from the rainout yesterday. Let’s get right into the picks for today as I have a few surprises in my predictions.
Rangers @ Red Sox (Jurado vs Hernandez)
The Red Sox are playing like a different team than the start of the season. Boston is now more vitalized to play with the news that David Ortiz is back in Boston after being shot. This along with injury to Joey Gallo will be enough for the young prospect Hernandez to succeed.
TEX: Choo, Pence, Santana
BOS: Betts, Chavis, Holt, Benintendi, Martinez
Darwinzon Hernandez has been recently called up for the Red Sox and will make his first MLB start tonight.
Pirates @ Braves (Archer vs Foltynewicz)
After yesterday’s fireworks in the first inning with Josh Donaldson staring down the pitcher after he was beaned with a curveball, things got very testy. The Braves managed to avenge Donaldson and come out on top with a win including a grand slam by Acuna Jr. I have always had doubts about Acuna heating up but I think now is the time for him to break out. The Pirates are going to need to hit the Braves back hard today to stick up for their pitcher yesterday.
PIT: Marte, Polanco, Bell
ATL: Riley, Freeman, Markakis, Acuna, Albies
Josh Donaldson and Musgrove get into a scuffle after he is HBP in the first inning. They were both ejected after the benches were cleared.
Mariners @ Twins (Leake vs Perez)
The absolute red hot Minnesota Twins are comfortably at home against the Mariners who need to turn things around. After starting the season on an MLB best record, the Mariners have fallen to become one of the bottom feeders in the league. In the down turn their pitching has blown games and have given up cushion runs for other teams to take advantage of. Look for them to clash here in Minnesota as the Twins take the upper hand in this matchup.
SEA: Santana, Vogelbach, Beckham
MIN: Kepler, Rosario, Schoop, Polanco, Sano
Jorge Polanco is currently batting with an average of .333 for the Minnesota Twins.
With about a month away from the MLB 2019 All-Star game, players are trying to make a convincing plea for fans to vote for them in the final few weeks. A few new stars have emerged over the past weeks, the rookies are getting settled in, and players are stepping up in injured riddled positions. Im here to break down 4 night games for this fun filled Friday in June. Rejoice, the game of baseball is here and in full “swing” of things. To see your favorite players in the MLB All-Star game in Cleveland, Ohio follow this link for a virtual ballot!
Dodgers @ Giants (Kershaw vs Pomeranz)
Dodgers are continuing their road trip from the desert to the San Francisco bay. After losing to the Diamondbacks after winning 7 games in a row the Dodgers look to get back on track. They will bounce back hard, and with vengeance with Kershaw on the mound to take on their rivals. As for the Giants they can only hope to get out of their way as Pomeranz will be given another chance to excel against this tough outing Dodger line up. With 7 days of rest it’s tough to completely say that the Dodgers will run away from this contest, but it’s more than likely.
Picks:
LAD: Bellinger, Muncy, Turner, Seager
SFG: Pillar
With Kershaw pitching, it will always be a tough outing for the rival team batters. He is still regarded as one of the top 10 active pitchers in MLB at this time.
Braves @ Marlins (Soroka Vs Urena)
As of lately the Marlins have been surprisingly impressive with wins over the Padres (3), Brewers (2), including a 15-0 performance which no one saw coming. The Marlins are about to hit a road block in their confidence with the Braves in town, starting with their most prized pitcher Mike Soroka on the mound today. Austin Riley has been anything and everything a braves fan base needs. He only adds to the intensity and youth that this Braves lineup exudes. If Acuna can get hot like Riley then watch out for this team as they will quickly rise in the ranks of the NL East. As for the Marlins, they have some hopefuls in their squad including Prado, Castro, and Ramirez but it shouldn’t be enough to overtake their rivals, the Braves.
ATL: Freeman, Riley, Donaldson, Swanson
MIA: Prado, Riddle, Castro
Austin Riley is currently hitting .329 with 9 HR in only 79 at bats, he’s on track to become in the running for NL Rookie of the Year
Mainers @ Angels (Gonzalez vs Heaney)
This series is tough to comprehend for a multitude of reasons. The Mariners have been slumping ever since taking first place in the AL West and completely turning their ship around while the Angels are flirting with .500 for the first time in a few weeks. The main problem for the Angels have been their pitching which have been very mediocre in layman’s terms. The Mariners are experienced and have streaky hitters which seems like they are in a funk for most of the games. You can’t count out Trout, and La Stella as they are having a killer year at the plate and keep the balls in play.
SEA: Santana, Vogelbach, Moore
LAA: La Stella, Trout, Pujos, Ohtani, Lucroy, Rengifo
After being sidelined for almost a full year with Tommy John surgery, Ohtani was given the all clear to bat as DH for the Angels again. He will hopefully return to pitching early next year.
Orioles @ Astros (Ynoa vs Cole)
Balitmore’s Orioles have been one of the most disappointing teams so far this year and they are about to face a team (hopefully) contending for the World Series this year. However things will turn around for this team but not in this series as they are fighting an uphill battle. Although with two stars out in the Astros lineup (Altuve and Springer), this should open up the spotlight for some unsung heroes that want to take the stage. This game could be a close one but Houston has the upper hand in the bullpen.
BAL: Mancini, Wilkerson, Davis
HOU: Bregman, Reddick, Gurriel, Brantley
Houston Astros’ Alex Bregman reacts after hitting a solo home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the xxx inning of game one of a World Series baseball game at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2017 in Los Angeles. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Welcome back after a two day break from picks. New series, new picks for players getting hits. My personal streak has been terminated at 11. We have some intriguing matchups that you might like today.
Yankees @ Orioles (German vs Hess)
The Yankees are now the sole owner of the AL East and they look to remain that way. It should be easy slugging for the Yanks down at Camden Yards tonight with German allowing a few hits tonight. Yankees may have played catchup last night but they will take immediate command of this game and never look back.
Picks:
NYY: Voit, Maybin, LeMahieu, Torres
BAL: none
Reds @ Brewers (Gray vs Gonzalez)
The Reds have been chosen to make a sacrifice at Miller Park. Coming off a series loss in Atlanta, the Brewers are looking to come back with vengeance. Gio Gonzalez has been lights out and looks to capitalize on this lowly Reds team. The only saving grace in this series for the Reds is Dietrich, he’s currently hitless against Gonzalez but look for him to breakthrough and get a hit tonight.
CIN: Dietrich
MIL: Braun, Cain, Thames, Yelich, Grandal
Braves @ Giants (Tehran vs Anderson)
After an interesting game with Soroka going 8 innings, 1 run and 2 hits combined. Tehran has been slumping slightly and Anderson doesn’t have a decision yet this year. Acuna has been getting hot in the lead off position and has been contagious for many other hitters around the line up. Riley has shared the same bat as Acuna. Look for most of the old braves and new ones to get hits tonight. As for the Giants Posey and Crawford are swinging for the fences in a comeback chase for them late in the game.
ATL: Freeman, Markakis, Acuna, Riley, Albies
SF: Posey, Crawford, Belt
Twins @ Angels (Pineda vs Cahill)
The Twins have been a huge surprise for everyone that lives outside of the twin cities. They have quietly built up their roster with power and contact hitters. Their bullpen has fully developed into a contender for at least the Wild Card spot in the postseason. You still cant count out the Angels with players like Trout and Pujos. But the Angels relievers will be their downfall in this game.
My predictions for the game plans didn’t pan out exactly how I mentioned but we did end up getting 80% of the picks get hits which is a success in my book. Today I only have three games to mention.
Dodgers @ Reds (Buehler vs Mahle)
Puig struck out 3 times yesterday and I expect a bounce back game against the greatest Dodgers pitchers but that’s all I have to say about the Reds offense. Dodgers will continue on an offensive tear against a winless pitcher. Bellinger will have multiple hits, Barnes will start to get hot as well.
Picks:
LAD: Bellinger, Turner, Barnes
CIN: Puig
Cody Bellinger of the Los Angeles Dodgers, currently batting over .400
Astros @ Red Sox (Martin vs Velazquez)
After what I suspected a low scoring game yesterday, I expect the opposite today as pitchers will start to make mistakes. Springer is too hot not to pick, Bregman is due for a homer, Correra is always a great pick. Red Sox has many spotty hitters but Chavis is exempt from this as his call up has been nothing short of amazing.
HOU: Springer, Bregman, Correra
BOS: Betts, Chavis, Benintendi
FORT MYERS, FL – FEBRUARY 23: Michael Chavis #65 of the Boston Red Sox hits a three-run home run in the third inning of a Grapefruit League spring training game against the New York Yankees at JetBlue Park at Fenway South on February 23, 2019 in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
Giants @ Diamondbacks (Bumgarner vs Godley)
Bumgarner is still one of the most respected pitchers in baseball in this matchup but don’t rule out Arizona’s surprisingly good “rebuilding” year. High scoring game is to be had when both relievers are in past the 5th inning. Posey has been having a slump year but expect him to get it going tonight along with old legends like Evan Longoria. For Arizona expect the recent improvement players brought to the team like Lamb, Dyson, and especially Jones.
We have no day games today and the earliest game we have on tap is at 7:05pm EST. I have chosen 5 games in which I will shortly break down on trending topics around the league and make multiple picks of whom I believe will get hits.
Mets @ Marlins (DeGrom vs Richards)
The Marlins are off to another bad start this season and it looks like it will get a heck of a lot worse, even at home. Richards, who is winless in his last 9 starts has been absolutely rocked with an ERA of 4.46. Richards ERA will only be higher after the game is over after giving up a pair of homers to the Mets. If Pete Alonso plays look for him to excel in his home state of Florida.
Picks:
NYM: Alonso, Frazier, Nido
MIA: Castro
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 06: Pete Alonso #20 of the New York Mets doubles in the third inning against the Washington Nationals at Citi Field on April 06, 2019 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
Royals @ Angels (Keller vs Harvey)
This game might be more interesting than other people think. Both teams have been having bullpen issues with KC giving up 16 runs last game and only scoring 1. Im not too terrified of Harvey’s ERA of 6.69 and see this game as a way for him to improve those numbers. I expect the Angels to go yard at least once with some stellar hits from Ohtani and see if La Stella can continue to stay hot in the lead off role. A different story for Kansas City, while they don’t necessarily have the power they most definitely have the speed, something that Albert Pujos wishes he had. Angels get slight advantage in a combined 14 hit game.
Picks:
LAA: Ohtani, Simmons, La Stella, Goodwin
KCR: Hamilton, Merrifield
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – MAY 15: Tommy La Stella #9 of the Los Angeles Angels celebrates a solo home run against the Minnesota Twins during the third inning of the game on May 15, 2019 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
Orioles @ Indians (Bundy vs Rodriguez)
Okay so I wouldn’t say last nights game was a complete blow out. The Orioles still hung around until the relievers gave up the game for good in the late innings. The good news here is that the Indians will continue to clobber the Orioles again tonight. It’s meaningful to note that Bundy’s velocity has dropped significantly. Indians aren’t afraid to swing away at their chances in this game. Orioles’ only saving grace is Chris Davis turning his game around and Mancini. Nunez is emerging as an unsung hero from this team as well.
Picks:
CLE: Lindor, Kipnis, Bauers, Ramirez, Luplow
BAL: Davis, Mancini, Nunez
Dodgers @ Reds (Hill vs DeSclafani)
On paper you might peg this one as an easy win for the Dodgers, right? The Reds have been sneakily winning games against great teams like the Cubs and Mets which was thought to be a rebuilding year for them. Puig has 3 hits in 3 games versus his old rival team but this time he has home field advantage. I fully expect Puig to play with a chip on his shoulder and play phenomenally this series as a way to show the Dodgers what they have been missing. Furthermore, the Dodgers will answer back with a hot roster of their own. Look for Bellinger to keep his MVP like tour going and Muncy and Turner burry balls deep in to the stands.
LAD: Bellinger, Muncy, Pedersen, Turner, Seager
CIN: Puig, Votto, Dietrich
Puig homers off Kershaw in his return to LA
Brewers @ Braves (Chacin vs Fried)
The last game I have highlighted on my schedule is the Brew-crew vs an average Braves team. This game can go either way with the way the Braves have been pitching but uncertainty is in question when Max Fried is returning from his May 7th start after being pelted by a line drive off his throwing hand. However there is one thing to be sure about and that is Yelich getting a hit this game. After yesterdays game which primarily consisted of batting practice for the Brewers, they look to continue that stride in rhythm. Brewers will win a tight game in Atlanta on a late RBI by Yelich which will pad his resume under “clutch.” Braves newcomer Austin Riley will have a great game as well as there hasn’t been much tape on his major league at bats yet. He is quickly emerging as one of the stars with Vladimir Guerrero Jr and Fernando Tatis Jr.
The hot Brewers are up against the star studded Phillies for what should be a game filled with hits. Both pitchers have a winning record. I think the Brewers will win this match up or end up in extra innings in a low scoring but high hitting game.
Picks:
Mil: Yelich, Braun, Thames
Phil: Hoskins, Herrera
Mets @ Nationals (Wheeler vs Sanchez)
Are the Mets back down to earth after hot Pete Alonso bats? Nationals look to rebound after tough games in LA. (Pete Alonso is not in the lineup today.) I have to believe the Mets will come out on top of this one but the Nationals bats will keep this game to a close one.
Picks:
NYM:Cano, Nimmo
WSH: Eaton, Soto, Suzuki
A’s @ Tigers (Bassit vs Turnbull)
Vegas favors Oakland by a lot, -142 to be exact. Although the A’s haven’t been the team we’ve expected in away games I believe they will turn the corner here and win an early game in Detroit. Khris Davis will homer this game and continue his abuse against baseballs in his national tour. Lugo for Detroit will have his first hit this year.
Picks:
OAK: Davis, Semien, Piscotty
DET: Castellanos, Lugo
Orioles @ Cleveland (Straily vs Bauer)
Unfortunately Baltimore is still one of the worst teams in baseball for multiple reasons, including pitching. Teams undoubtedly batter them so much that their bullpen is already tired out. Expect the Indians to obliterate the Orioles on the mound for a blowout victory. Indians lineup will continously bat around, expect their lead off man to get at least 5 at bats today. The Orioles will have to play catchup with the likes of Davis and Mancini’s effort at bats.
Beat The Streak With Me 