Wednesday brings us a nice card of MLB action all day. After Tuesday’s 0-5, I must say that there isn’t too much buyer’s remorse from those plays. The only truly regrettable wager was the one behind Dakota Hudson. I had reservations about backing him but liked the way the Cardinals have played at home. So much for that plan.
Other than the Cardinals letdown, the Yankees dicked around most of the game and made a big comeback in the 9th but did not cover the run line. In all honesty, the run line has been the biggest drag on my results this season after some promising utilization in the 2018 campaign. I’m putting this on a short leash and may even consider pulling the plug on it if it continues to drastically underperform.
Senzatela went deep into too many counts on the hot Giants hitters and paid the price. The Rangers’ struggles against lefties were very apparent last night despite a late-inning attempt to get the underdog win. And finally, you had “Mr. 50-50” Mike Fiers toss a no-hitter against the Reds. This is the guy who gave up 11 runs in 2 starts at home and 0 runs in the other 2 starts. I chose black and the roulette wheel dialed up red.
After moving off of a 2 play per day diet yesterday and paying the price, I’m reluctantly on 4 games today. That’s probably a bit harsh since I would have stated that differently if yesterday wasn’t 0-5. So with that being said, let’s roll…
Washington Nationals @ Milwaukee Brewers
Anthony Rendon is back for the Nationals. That’s the highlight. Jeremy Hellickson, who had a decent outing last time in Philly, takes on a Brewers offense that has been down lately though their power numbers are still there. Hellickson should give Milwaukee some opportunities to get things rolling with his .396 BABIP and 40% ground ball rate. When he’s hit, he’s hit hard. Hellickson is realistically only good for 5 innings so exposure to their terrible bullpen will be considerable this afternoon.
Brandon Woodruff has had some letdowns this season but fared well against a struggling Mets team in his last 2 starts. We’ll see if those outings have given him some added confidence or if it was more of a reflection of the competition. The Brewers have won 5 in a row and are 7-2 in their last 9 at home.
Final Test for the Run Line?: Brewers RL -115
LA Angels @ Detroit Tigers
Tyler Skaggs comes into Detroit with an Angels club that is 7-3 in their last 10 games, including 3-1 on the road. He has put LA in some good positions this season, working around 3 walks in each of his last 2 starts for only 2 runs. The Angels offense has been hitting with power lately, which is a big part of their current run.
Matt Boyd plays the role of stopper for the Tigers, as he has been a steady 7-inning / 2-run guy. He’s had 9 strikeouts in each of his last 2 outings and has given up only 2 home runs all season. Both clubs have sound defenses but I give a slight edge to the Tigers bullpen since they have done a good job of limiting baserunners despite giving up the occasional big inning.
Not Pretty: Tigers -101
Cincinnati Reds @ Oakland A’s
Mike Fiers’ no-hitter last night was pretty damn stone cold. Gotta tip the cap to that guy for getting the A’s a 2-0 win. Brett Anderson gets the call tonight against the Reds and Sonny Gray, who is no stranger to the poorly-aging Coliseum. Sonny’s most successful years came in Oakland, which were arguably a product of his skills matching well with the stadium. Regardless, he’ll need to limit his walks in order to be successful tonight. The Reds have been hitting more consistently of late (notwithstanding last night) and the A’s have generally struggled with a 2-8 record in their last 10 games. Oakland has fared well at home, posting an 11-8 record there in 2019. Push will come to shove, and I’m willing to back the dog again.
Litmus Test: Reds +110
Texas Rangers @ Pittsburgh Pirates
No need to rehash yesterday’s team breakdowns for this matchup. Both bullpens can be wild cards and can undo any work that the offenses or starters have done in the early innings. That being said, we have another odd pitching matchup today between Shelby Miller (not good) and Nick Kingham, who is coming out of the bullpen. Pittsburgh’s offense has shown some bright spots lately but I am still high on this Rangers lineup, especially when they are fully loaded against righties.
