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Tag: MLB

  • Angels’ Shohei Ohtani hits longest home run of 2023 MLB season

    Angels’ Shohei Ohtani hits longest home run of 2023 MLB season

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  • Fantasy MLB DFS Picks Breakdown (Friday, Jun. 30): Shane McClanahan Headlines Weak Pitching Slate

    Fantasy MLB DFS Picks Breakdown (Friday, Jun. 30): Shane McClanahan Headlines Weak Pitching Slate

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    The MLB Breakdown offers data-driven analysis using the FantasyLabs Tools and predictive metrics to highlight notable players within our MLB Player Models.

    Friday features a 12-game main slate starting at 7:05 p.m. ET.

    MLB DFS Pitcher Picks

    MLB DFS Stud Pick

    Shane McClanahan is the best pitcher on Friday’s slate by a mile. Only one other pitcher is priced in the same ballpark – James Paxton – and he’s taking on a tough Blue Jays’ lineup. Toronto is implied for 4.9 runs vs. Paxton, so that pretty much takes him out of consideration.

    Fortunately, McClanahan is one of the best pitchers in baseball. He’s pitched to a 2.23 ERA through his first 16 starts, and he’s averaged a Plus/Minus of +3.23 on DraftKings. He’s failed to return value in just four of his outings, giving him a nice combination of consistency and upside.

    McClanahan hasn’t been quite as dominant as his traditional metrics suggest, but that shouldn’t matter too much vs. the Mariners. Their offense has been subpar against left-handed pitchers this season, ranking 22nd in wRC+. More importantly, they’ve whiffed in 26.9% of their at-bats in that split, good for the third-highest strikeout rate in the league. That doesn’t bode well against McClanahan, who has averaged 10.23 strikeouts per nine innings for his career.

    Vegas is also showing McClanahan plenty of love in this matchup. The Brewers are implied for a slate-low 3.6 runs, making McClanahan the only pitcher with a mark below 4.0. He’s only a -135 favorite, but that has more to do with the Rays matchup against Bryce Miller than anything else.

    Overall, McClanahan leads the slate in K Prediction and opponent implied team total, which is a potent combination. He’s pricy, but he leads all pitchers in median, ceiling, and projected Plus/Minus per THE BAT.

    MLB DFS Value Pick

    The Mets continue to spiral, posting a record of just 7-18 in June. They lost three of four games at home vs. the Brewers to start the week, and now they head to San Francisco to start a series with the surging Giants. The Giants have gone 17-8 in June, so this is matchup of two teams heading in opposite directions.

    That said, Carlos Carrasco has some appeal as an SP2 in tournaments. The Giants have been a boom-or-bust matchup for right-handed pitchers this season. They rank ninth in wRC+ in that split, but they also have the sixth-highest strikeout rate.

    Carrasco is not nearly the same pitcher that he was in his prime, struggling to a 6.19 ERA and a 6.22 xERA in 2023. However, he still brings a smidge of strikeout upside to the table. He’s racked up nine strikeouts over his past seven innings, and he still has two swing-and-miss pitches with his changeup and slider. If he can get through five innings vs. the Giants, there’s a chance he can rack up five or more strikeouts.

    Carrasco is unsurprisingly projected for just five percent ownership on this slate, but his ceiling projection puts him in the top half of pitchers in THE BAT. He also ranks first in projected Plus/Minus at just $6,000, so he’s a solid option for differentiating your lineups.

    MLB DFS GPP Picks

    The A’s pitching staff has been nothing short of a disaster this season. Their starters all range from bad to awful, and their bullpen has the worst ERA in the league by a mile. They’ll send Luis Medina to the mound on Friday, and he owns a 6.84 ERA through 48.2 innings. That said, he does get a very friendly matchup vs. the White Sox. They rank just 27th in wRC+ vs. right-handers, so this is a rare spot where targeting an A’s pitcher has some appeal. Medina has also averaged 8.32 strikeouts per nine innings this season, so he has some strikeout upside as well. At just $5,800, he leads all starters in projected Plus/Minus in the FantasyLabs projection set.

    Bobby Miller has arguably the best Vegas data on the slate. He’s the biggest favorite of the day at -220, while his 4.0 opponent implied run total is tied for second. Historically, pitchers with comparable marks in both categories have averaged a Plus/Minus of +2.97 on FanDuel (per the Trends tool). Miller has posted an excellent 3.49 xERA through his first six MLB starts, and the Royals are one of the best possible matchups. They rank dead last in wRC+ vs. right-handed pitchers, so this is a great spot for Miller to bounce back from two straight subpar outings.

    Freddy Peralta is another pitcher with a great matchup on Friday. He’s taking on the Pirates, who have come crashing back to reality after a great start to the year. They’ve fallen all the way to 23rd in wRC+ vs. right-handed pitchers, and they’re another squad implied for just 4.0 runs. They don’t stand out as an elite matchup for strikeout purposes, but Peralta’s 6.36 K Prediction still ranks second on the slate. Peralta stands out as an awesome target on FanDuel, where his $9,200 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 92%.

    MLB DFS Hitter Picks

    Notable Stack

    With the Lineup Builder, it’s easy to incorporate stacks into DFS rosters.

    Also, don’t forget that for large-field tournaments, you can utilize our Lineup Optimizer to effortlessly create up to 300 lineups.

    The top DraftKings stack in our MLB Models when generated by projected points using THE BAT belongs to the Los Angeles Dodgers:

    The Dodgers’ offense may not have the same star-power as it has in years past, but it’s still really effective. They rank sixth in the league in wRC+ vs. right-handed pitchers, and their fourth in runs per game.

    The Dodgers are coming off a series in Coors Field where they averaged nine runs per game, and they’ll stay on the road for a series vs. the Royals. They obviously won’t benefit from Coors Field in this series, but they draw an interesting matchup vs. Alec Marsh. He’ll be making his first career start at 25 years old, and he’s not considered a very promising prospect. MLB.com ranks him as the No. 14 prospect in the Royals’ organization, and most of the major projection systems expect an ERA in the high fours in the major leagues.

    A matchup vs. the Dodgers doesn’t seem like the best way to start your career, and Vegas has the Dodgers implied for 5.8 runs in this matchup. That’s good for the second-highest mark on the slate, trailing only the Braves at 6.0.

    The top of the Dodgers’ lineup has also posted some elite Statcast metrics vs. right-handers over the past 30 days (via PlateIQ):

    Max Muncy rejoined the Dodgers’ lineup in Colorado after a stint on the IL, and his importance cannot be understated. He’s struggled to find base hits this season, but he’s clubbed 18 homers in just 63 games. That gives him an outside shot at a 40-homer season, and most of his damage has unsurprisingly come against traditional pitchers. He’s in a great spot to get back on the board on Friday.

    Other MLB DFS Hitter Picks

    One of the great features of being a FantasyLabs Pro member is the option to purchase additional items in the FantasyLabs Marketplace.

    A new addition to our MLB projections is THE BAT X from Derek Carty of RotoGrinders. With this purchase, you can use his projections alone or create aggregate projections within our Player Models.

    For this example, we created a 50/50 blend with THE BAT X and the FantasyLabs projections to pinpoint some hitters that stand out.

    Spencer Torkelson 1B ($4,000 DraftKings, $3,100 FanDuel) Detroit Tigers at Colorado Rockies (Austin Gomber)

    The Tigers are not typically an offense to target in DFS, but they have two things working in their favor on Friday. The biggest is that they’re heading to Coors Field to take on the Rockies. Coors Field is easily the best offensive venue in baseball, and all batters have a perfect 100 Park Factor. Additionally, they’re taking on a left-hander in Gomber, and the Tigers have been much more productive in that split than they have vs. right-handers. Torkelson is expected to bat second in their projected lineup, and he’s started to show flashes of why he was once considered the top prospect in baseball. Specifically, he’s posted a 134 wRC+ against southpaws. Ultimately, the Tigers entire lineup seems underpriced in this spot, and Torkelson is one of their strongest options.

    Andrew Benintendi OF ($3,000 DraftKings, $2,700 FanDuel) Chicago White Sox at Oakland Athletics (Luis Medina)

    While Medina has some appeal against the White Sox, their offense also has some appeal against Medina. Benintendi is expected to be at the top of the lineup on Friday, and he’s had a quiet but solid season. He’s only managed one homer in 78 games, but he’s posted a .284 batting average with nine steals. That gives him a pretty solid floor, considering his price tag and lineup spot.

    Gleyber Torres 2B ($5,000 DraftKings, $2,800 FanDuel) New York Yankees at St. Louis Cardinals (Matthew Liberatore)

    Torres stands out as a massive value on FanDuel, where his $2,800 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 97%. Like most of the Yankees’ lineup, Torres has been mired in a bit of a slump recently. That said, he did post two hits in the Yankees’ last contest, and their offense has scored double-digit runs in back-to-back games. Perhaps they’ve started to turn the corner, and a matchup vs. Liberatore certainly won’t hurt. He’s pitched to a 5.60 ERA and a 7.24 xERA this season, and right-handed batters have managed a .388 wOBA against him. Torres has historically done his best work against left-handed pitchers, posting a 127 wRC+ in that split for his career. This is a solid buy-low spot, and stacking the Yankees could be a strong contrarian option on FanDuel.

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  • Brothers David, Dominic Fletcher meet for first time in MLB as Angels face Diamondbacks – Orange County Register

    Brothers David, Dominic Fletcher meet for first time in MLB as Angels face Diamondbacks – Orange County Register

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    Angels infielder David Fletcher, left, and Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Dominic Fletcher, right, were set to face each other on the same major league field for the first time on Friday at Angel Stadium. The brothers starred at Cypress High and attended Angels games growing up. (Photos by The Associated Press)

    ANAHEIM — David and Dominic Fletcher had dreamed about the moment they would share a major league field together.

    When it finally arrived on Friday, it was bittersweet.

    Their father, Tim, had died suddenly less than three weeks earlier. He was 60.

    “This would have been one of his proudest moments,” said Dominic, an Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder. “Every night he turned on the TV and had both of our games going on simultaneously. To be able to be here and watch would have been one of his favorite things.”

    The Fletcher brothers grew up in Orange County and attended Cypress High School. They went to Angels games with their dad as kids, sitting “up there at the top,” Dominic said, motioning to the upper deck. They attended the parade after the Angels won the 2002 World Series.

    David, 29, and Dominic, 25, played together for one year in high school. David went to Loyola Marymount and was drafted by the Angels in 2015. Dominic went to Arkansas and was drafted by Diamondbacks in 2019.

    During one wild June in 2018, Tim saw David make his major league debut in Seattle and Dominic play in the College World Series in Omaha.

    The two finally got a chance to play together for Italy in the World Baseball Classic, which was a nod to their mother’s birthplace.

    Since then, the two of them split the season playing at Triple-A and in the majors. They had played against each other in Triple-A, but the chances of them meeting in the big leagues shrunk as each was still in the minors a week before this series.

    David was called up to the Angels last Saturday, and Dominic got the call from the Diamondbacks on Friday, just in time to report to Anaheim.

    David was starting at shortstop and batting ninth on Friday; Dominic was in left field, batting sixth.

    “It’s awesome,” David said. “It’s something that we kind of thought would happen one day and could be a special series.”

    Angels manager Phil Nevin, who has two sons playing professional baseball right now, said he had a special appreciation for how the family was feeling this weekend.

    “As a parent, I couldn’t imagine being in the stands watching your boys play against each other, which is happening tonight,” Nevin said. “It’s got to be really a special moment for their family and what’s going on with them over the last couple of weeks. It’s a tragedy in the family, but then for them to get together like this, it was like it was meant to be.

    “Heck, I’ll probably have some emotions with it tonight as well. I know both of them already have. I’ve talked to David yesterday. He mentioned after the game that his brother might be coming. You could hear it in his voice when he said it, how excited he was.”

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  • Expert MLB Picks and Props for Friday, June 30

    Expert MLB Picks and Props for Friday, June 30

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    This article is part of our MLB Picks series.

    MLB Betting Picks Today: Expert MLB Picks and Props for Friday, June 30

    Season: 44-58 -32.40 units

    Prior Article: 3-1 +1.85 units 

    Sports betting launched in Massachusetts this spring and baseball fans located there can use the BetMGM Massachusetts Bonus Code at signup for a great welcome bonus. The BetMGM bonus code gets sports bettors a first-bet bonus offer worth up to $1,000 when they use code ROTOBONUS. 

    San Francisco Giants at New York Mets

    Two teams headed in opposite directions and a significant edge in starting position on the Giants side has me leaning on them for a best bet today. The Giants are 14-6 over their last 20, and 19-11 over their last 30; while the Mets are 3-7, 6-14, 10-20 over the last 10/20/30 games. 

    The Giants are also 10-2 in their last 12 on the road with a team batting average of .274 and 6.5 runs per game. The Mets are hitting .218 and averaging 3.6 runs in their last 12 home games.

    MLB Best Bets for Giants at Mets 

    • Gi ants ML for 1.24 unit (FanDuel -124)

    If you’re looking to deposit with a sportsbook via PayPal, RotoWire has an up-to-date list of all the top-rated PayPal betting sites in one place.

    Miami Marlins at Atlanta Braves

    MLB Best Bets for Marlins at Braves    

    This one is a little risky in that both teams are playing so well over a long stretch, but the Braves are at home and the Marlins are having a bullpen game. The combination of taking the Braves OVER and the run line has been profitable over the last month.  

    The Braves’ numbers over the last 23 games: .306 batting average (.314 at home), .371 on-base, .556 slugging, 17.7% strikeout rate, and 6.8 runs per game, while allowing 4.2 runs per game (+2.6 run differential). 

    •  Braves OVER 5.5 runs for 1.05 unit (DraftKings -105)
    •  Braves -1.5 for 1 unit (DraftKings +100)

    Houston Astros at Texas Rangers  

    Jon Gray has been on a nice heater over his last 8 starts: 5-2, 1.97 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 50:11 K:BB. The one exception was a start against the Blue Jays when he allowed six earned runs over 2.1 innings. The Astros are going with Ronel Blanco as the starter, and he has four career starts with a 4.70 ERA and 21:11 K:BB over 23 innings. The scary part about Blanco is the seven home runs allowed in those four starts, and now he’s going against the best offense in the American League. 

    You get some better value on the F5 side vs. the money or run lines, and I prefer to do that because I am betting on Gray vs. Blanco mostly.

    MLB Best Bets for Astros at Rangers   

    •  Rangers -0.5 F5 for 1.4 unit (DraftKings -140)

    MLB Best Bets Today Recap

    • Giants ML for 1.24 unit (FanDuel -124)
    • Braves OVER 5.5 runs for 1.05 unit (DraftKings -105)
    • Braves -1.5 for 1 unit (DraftKings +100)
    • Rangers -0.5 F5 for 1.4 unit (DraftKings -140)

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  • MLB, Nike Reveal New All Star Game Uniforms And Future Design Template – OutKick

    MLB, Nike Reveal New All Star Game Uniforms And Future Design Template – OutKick

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    Nike and Major League Baseball have unveiled the uniforms that All-Stars will be wearing during the upcoming game in Seattle.

    And they’re…kinda cool?

    Perhaps even more importantly, Nike revealed an entirely new template for on-field uniforms players will be wearing for the 2024 season.

    For this year’s All-Star Game, teams will be wearing Seattle-themed jerseys, to match the host city.

    The home team American League will have a teal jersey, with the visiting National League wearing dark blue uniforms.

    According to MLB.com, “The 2023 jerseys feature a print that blends elements of Seattle’s neighboring ocean, forests, topography and the movement of air.”

    Both have All-Star Game patches, with ASG 23 on the back collar, with “The Future is here” tags on the bottom right corner.

    The American League All-Star Uniforms, Front And Back. (Fanatics)
    national league all-star uniforms
    National League All-Star Jersey Front and Back. (Fanatics)

    Nike Reveals New Uniform Materials, Design Template

    Nike also revealed their new jersey template, which reportedly took years to develop.

    According to MLB.com, the jersey is more “breathable” with “high-performance fabric.”

    “Vapor Premier’s breathable, lightweight, high-performance fabric is made from at least 90% recycled polyester yarns. It also gives the jersey 25% more stretch and allows it to dry 28% faster, with moisture-wicking Dri-Fit ADV technology keeping players cool. Nike body-scanned more than 300 baseball players to find the ideal fit, which is more athletic and form-fitting than previous models,” the release explains.

    The newly fabricated All-Star jerseys are already available online, with all on-field sets to be changed for the 2024 season.

    This is notable mainly because it’s the first update to the on-field template in around a decade.

    Nike took over distribution of the MLB on-field uniforms several years ago, promising to change and modernize the look and feel. That took longer than expected, making Friday’s announcement a bit more exciting than the usual jersey announcement.

    At first glance it’s hard to tell how much they’ve changed, outside of the new fabrication.

    The stitching and sides seem to be the most different, although it’s hard to tell until there are more real-world photos.

    Fans will get to see the new designs and the All-Star game uniforms live at T-Mobile Field in just a few weeks on July 11th.

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  • MLB DFS: Model Picks and Value Plays for June 30

    MLB DFS: Model Picks and Value Plays for June 30

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    The FantasyLabs MLB Player Models house numerous data points to help you construct your MLB DFS rosters.

    They house our floor, median, and ceiling projections for each player, but that’s just the beginning of what you’ll find inside. You’ll also find our Trends tool, stacking tool, and more.

    Also, don’t forget that for large-field tournaments, you can utilize our Lineup Optimizer to effortlessly create up to 300 lineups, or use our Lineup Builder if you like to hand-build your teams for cash games or small-field tournaments.

    Let’s dive into some MLB plays that stand out in our Player Models for today’s main slate.

    Bargain Rating Picks

    You might be asking: what is Bargain Rating, and why should I care?

    Bargain Rating shows how much of a bargain a player is on one DFS site versus others. If a player is significantly cheaper on one site than the other, they will have a favorable Bargain Rating on the site where they’re more affordable and a poor Bargain Rating on the site where they’re more expensive. It’s a straightforward metric, but targeting players at reduced price tags is almost always a strong strategy in DFS.

    Bargain Rating strongly correlates with player value, which you can quickly see with our predictive projected Plus/Minus metric.

    Seeing how Plus/Minus helps you project how many points a player is expected to score compared to what their salary implies them to score, this is a good company for Bargain Rating.

    MLB DFS DraftKings Bargain Value

    Carlos Santana ($2,700): First Baseman, Pittsburgh Pirates

    There are two Pirates players leading the way in both our in-house and THE BAT X projections for Bargain Rating. That would be Carlos Santana and Henry Davis, who are both swinging a hot bat and projected for under 5% ownership. The nod goes to Santana, who has hit a home run in two of his last three games and is averaging 17 DraftKings points per game.

    Santana, who has a 97% Bargain Rating on DraftKings, leads the Pirates in RBIs this season with 41. He is a switch hitter, so will automatically get the platoon advantage against Brewers right-hander Freddy Peralta. Through 15 starts, Peralta has a 4.65 ERA while allowing a career-high 9.3% barrel percentage. The Pirates have an 81 Team Value Rating, which is tied for the second-highest on the slate. Projected for four runs, this is a great spot for cheap value with very low ownership tonight.

    Isiah Kiner-Falefa ($2,100): Outfielder, New York Yankees

    Isiah Kiner-Falefa has recorded double-digit DraftKings points in back-to-back games with one home run and five total RBIs. Priced at only $2,100, Kiner-Falefa is a fantastic value option as he is projected to bat seventh for the Yankees, who are implied for 4.9 runs. He has six Pro Trends, which is tied for the highest on the team, and has a 94% Bargain Rating.

    The Yankees will face Cardinals left-hander Matthew Liberatore who has allowed four or more runs in four of his last five starts. Liberatore has a 5.60 ERA and a very low 16% strikeout rate. Allowing an 11% barrel percentage and a 37.4% hard-hit rate is also promising for the Bronx Bombers. Kiner-Falefa is a cheap way to get exposure to a team who is in a great spot.

    MLB DFS Ceiling Projection Picks

    Pitcher

    Shane McClanahan ($11,000 DraftKings, $9,300 FanDuel) at Seattle Mariners

    Leading the way in our blended projections for pitchers is Rays left-hander Shane McClanahan. Despite being removed from his last start with back tightness, McClanahan has had a full week of rest and is expected to start tonight without any limitations. Priced at $11,000 on both sites, he has the highest ceiling against the Mariners, who are implied for only 3.6 runs.

    Through 16 starts, McClanahan has a ridiculous 11-1 record with a career-best 2.23 ERA. His 26.7% strikeout rate and 1.12 WHIP are also impressive stats that should propel him to another great start against a strikeout-heavy Mariners team. They have the league’s second-highest strikeout rate at 25.9% and are tied with the Tigers for the third-lowest batting average.

    Hitter

    Shohei Ohtani ($6,500 DraftKings, $4,600 FanDuel) vs. Arizona Diamondbacks

    Ohtani is putting up video game-like numbers this season, leading the Angels in nearly every hitting and pitcher statistic. He leads the league with 29 home runs, as he has hit 14 home runs in the month of June alone. His .357 ISO and .666 slugging percentage are career-bests, and even in a lefty-lefty matchup against Tommy Henry, the advantage always goes to Ohtani.

    In his second season in the majors, Henry has posted a 4-1 record through 12 starts with a 4.31 ERA. His hard-hit rate allowed is only 28%, but Henry also has difficulty striking out batters with an extremely low 15.4% strikeout rate. This is a fantastic spot for Ohtani, who, over the last seven games, has a .467 batting average with five home runs and eight RBIs.

    More MLB DFS Hitters and Pitchers

    One of the great features of being a FantasyLabs Pro member is the option to purchase additional items in the FantasyLabs Marketplace.

    A new addition to our MLB projections is THE BAT X from Derek Carty of RotoGrinders. With this purchase, you can use his projections alone or create aggregate projections within our Player Models.

    For this example, we created a 50/50 blend with THE BAT X and the FantasyLabs projections to pinpoint some hitters that are standing out with this blend.

    Pitcher

    Jon Gray ($9,300 DraftKings, $10,000 FanDuel) vs. Houston Astros

    When it comes to high-priced pitchers, Jon Gray is the best value on DraftKings at $9,300. Outside of last week, when Gray got shelled by the Blue Jays. he has been elite at preventing runs over the last two months. In seven of his last eight starts, he has allowed one run or less and is averaging 23 DraftKings points per game over that time, including one complete game.

    In his second year with the Rangers, Gray has a career-best 2.89 ERA and a 21.6% strikeout rate. He is only projected for 5.14 strikeouts in our models tonight against the Astros, but he is also a heavy -174 favorite. The Astros are implied for only four runs. Pitching behind the highest-scoring offense in the league is also a nice added bonus for Gray when he’s pitching.

    Hitters

    Matt Vierling ($3,500 DraftKings, $3,100 FanDuel) at Colorado Rockies

    Ranking in the top five of ownership for DraftKings and FanDuel is Tigers leadoff hitter Matt Vierling. The Tigers have a 5.7 implied run total as they will play at Coors Field against Rockies left-hander Austin Gomber who is one of the lowest-priced pitchers on the slate. Gomber has allowed a 7.01 ERA, a 1.61 WHIP, and a 2.22 HR/9 in 16 starts this year. Not great at all.

    With a park rating of 100 and a Team Value Rating of 92, the Tigers are going to be a very popular team to stack. It starts with Vierling, who in his first season with the Tigers, has a respectable .141 ISO and a 43.5% hard-hit rate. He should fair very well against Gomber tonight. Vierling over the past 30 days has been great against left-handed pitching (via PlateIQ):

    Ronald Acuna Jr. ($6,600 DraftKings, $4,500 FanDuel) vs. Miami Marlins

    If you dare fade Ohtani, Ronald Acuna Jr. is the pivot at the same price point on both DraftKings and FanDuel. Acuna Jr. has the perfect combination of power and speed. He ranks inside the top 10 in the league in home runs and ranks second in stolen bases with 36. His ISO is .254, while his strikeout rate has plummeted to 12.8%, nearly cutting in half from last season.

    The Braves have a slate-high 5.9 implied run total against Marlins right-hander Bryan Hoeing who has only started in four games this season. Hoeing has started back-to-back games and pitched well, but this is a tough matchup against a loaded Braves lineup that leads the league in ISO and home runs this season. Expect Acuna Jr. to continue his MVP campaign.

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  • MLB odds, picks, best bets

    MLB odds, picks, best bets

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    The surprise of the American League heading into the MLB All-Star break has been the Texas Rangers.

    The Rangers lead the highly competitive AL West and on Friday will face the Houston Astros; the preseason favorites to win the division. 

    Texas’ starting pitching has been excellent this season and a key cog in the rotation is Nathan Eovaldi (9-3, 2.82 ERA).

    An AL Cy Young contender, Eovaldi has nine starts this season when he allowed two runs or fewer.

    Astros vs. Rangers pick

    (8:05 p.m. Eastern)

    Nevertheless, his last four starts have been a little shaky.

    Eovaldi gave up 13 runs over 25.0 innings with Texas going 1-3 in those games. 

    The Astros counter with Ronel Blanco (1-0, 4.63 ERA). Blanco is making his fifth start of the season but control has been an issue for the right-hander.

    In his prior four starts, Blanco has given up 19 hits and 11 walks in 23.0 innings.


    Nathan Eovaldi
    Getty Images

    Blanco has faced Texas twice this year as a relief pitcher but it didn’t go well.

    He allowed five hits and four runs over 3.0 innings of work. 

    Betting on Baseball?

    Eovaldi has been strong most of the year but his last five outings have averaged 11.2 runs, while Blanco’s last two starts have produced 15 and 16 runs.

    With the way the Rangers have hammered Blanco in his two appearances against them this season, I expect another high-scoring game Friday night. 

    Our pick

    Over 9.5 runs (PointsBet)

    The post MLB odds, picks, best bets appeared first on REPORT DOOR.

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  • Kumar Rocker picked No. 3 overall by Rangers in 2022 MLB Draft

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  • Astros make MLB history with pair of immaculate innings

    Astros make MLB history with pair of immaculate innings

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    Few sports are full of weird moments quite like baseball, and Wednesday was no different.

    In the game between the Astros and the Rangers, fans and players got a double dose of perfection: Astros started Luis Garcia recorded an immaculate inning in the second inning — sending down Nathaniel Lowe, Ezequiel Duran and Brad Miller on consecutive strikeouts on just nine pitches. Five innnings later, reliever Phil Maton duplicated the feat against the same trio.

    Immaculate innings are rare enough — two had never been recorded on the same day in MLB history, let alone twice in the same game by pitchers on the same team.

    Phil Maton celebrates.
    Phil Maton celebrates his immaculate inning with teammates.
    Getty Images

    “It feels so good, because it’s history,” said Garcia, who struck out nine on the day. “I’m so happy for me and for Phil. I don’t know what to say. I’m just happy.”

    For Houston, the day marked the eighth and ninth times in franchise history a pitcher recorded an immaculate inning.

    “It’s super cool,” Maton said. “It’s not something you go out here every day and obviously strive to do. Obviously, you’re trying to strike out every hitter you face. Still kind of trying to wrap my head around it. Cool experience.”

    The Houston dugout understood the magic of the moment, with catcher Martin Maldonaldo hearing calls for the ball from along the third-base line.

    “Everybody in the dugout was like, ‘I need that ball! I need that ball!’” Maldonado said. “To be a part of that … Any time you make history, that’s something as any player you’re proud of. I’m glad I was the catcher in that situation.”

    More importantly for the Astros, they won the game 9-2, and currently have the second-best record in the American League at 39-24.

    “I heard everybody screaming and hollering and I was like, ‘What are they talking about?’” manager Dusty Baker said. “None was happier than our pitching coach, [Josh] Miller. It was a good day for us.”

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  • No Run First Inning becoming increasingly popular MLB prop bet

    No Run First Inning becoming increasingly popular MLB prop bet

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