The Guardians stole Game 1 from the Rays and will now look to take a commanding 2-0 series lead back to Cleveland. Below, I highlight what to expect from Freddy Peralta, Parker Messick and Jose Ramirez in tonight's game. Here are the best MLB player props for Game 2 of the American League Championship Series (ALCS) between the Guardians and Rays.
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Tuesday’s Best MLB Player Props & Bets
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Freddy Peralta Over 3.5 Strikeouts (-109)
Freddy Peralta only struck out three Yankees in his American League Division Series (ALDS) start, but he was incredibly effective, pitching 4.2 innings and allowing just one run. He only threw 66 pitches in that game, and I expect him to easily top that number tonight, as he has thrown at least 92 pitches in three of his last five starts.
Peralta has struck out at least four batters in seven of his 11 games since joining the Rays. He struck out 156 batters in 169 innings during the regular season, and though he didn't face the Guardians, he has solid numbers against them.
Peralta has struck out 10 of the 43 Guardians he's faced, holding the lineup to just a .183 batting average. The Guardians struck out the fifth-fewest times in the regular season, but they also struck out 10 times in Game 1.
Parker Messick Under 14.5 Outs Recorded (-108)
Parker Messick put together two great starts against the Rays this season. In his first, he struck out nine batters in 5.2 innings, allowing just one earned run. In his second start, he pitched 7.2 innings, striking out six batters and allowing one earned run. And yet, I'm backing him to get chased before the fifth inning tonight.
Messick's last start against the Rays was on July 26th. While he pitched well for most of the regular season after that start, he's pitched 4.1 innings or fewer in three consecutive appearances. He pitched twice against the White Sox and, despite striking out 11 batters, he only stayed on the mound for 6.2 innings.
Messick is a strikeout pitcher, but the Rays had the fewest strikeouts in the league during the regular season. They've also struck out the fewest times per game during the postseason. What this signals to me is that the Rays may be able to get Messick's pitch count up thanks to long at-bats. And if they don't, it will likely be because they're putting the ball in play and chasing him early, just like the White Sox did.
Jose Ramirez Over 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBIs (-102)
Jose Ramirez continued his incredible postseason with a 3-for-5 night, two runs and one RBI. He's now hit safely in four consecutive games, recording multiple hits in three of those contests. He has also recorded multiple RBIs in each of his last four games and has scored at least one run in five consecutive games.
Ramirez has nine plate appearances against Freddy Peralta. He's hit safely twice and walked three times for an on-base percentage (OBP) of .556.
Peralta has allowed four or fewer hits in three consecutive starts, and he hasn't allowed more than one earned run since August 21st. Still, I'm backing Ramirez tonight just because he's been unstoppable, and his numbers against Peralta suggest he’ll have opportunities.
Phil Wood is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Phil, check out his archive and follow him @Phil_Wood_Jr.