A brand new week means brand new series to watch. Quite a few division matchups to watch, so we’ll feature three of them today. Several of these teams are on a good streak. We’ll see if the good fortune can keep going.
Baltimore Orioles vs. Toronto Blue Jays
- Leg 1: Toronto -1.5 (-142)
- Leg 2: Alex Manoh over 6.5 strikeouts (+126)
- Leg 3: Ryan Mountcastle to record a hit (-185)
The Blue Jays are starting to get back on track after a rough first couple of months. They now come into Monday winning 12 of their last 16 games, and the stagnant offense has come alive. While they may not be able to catch up to the Yankees for the AL East, a Wild Card is well within their grasp.
Toronto will start Alek Monah, and he’s been their most dependable pitcher. He comes in 7-1 with a third-best-in-the-league 1.83 ERA and ninth-best 0.96 WHIP. Although he doesn't have a long history, this Orioles lineup is batting just .167 with a 40.6% strikeout rate. It’s another tough year for the Orioles as they’re 26th in batting average (.229) and 24th in strikeout rate (23.8%). It should be a good day for Monah. The only player you can have confidence in is Ryan Mountcastle as he has three hits, including two home runs, in seven at-bats off Monah.
Kyle Bradish had a rough May with an 8.46 ERA, and although he's given up fewer runs in June he's allowed three home runs and seven walks in his last 9.1 innings. He's given up a long ball in all eight starts, and Toronto has been raking as of late.
Parlay Odds: +526 via FanDuel
Chicago White Sox vs. Detroit Tigers
- Leg 1: White Sox -1.5 (+132)
- Leg 2: White Sox first half ML (+110)
- Leg 3: Over 8.5 (-104)
It's been a rough season for the 2021 AL Central champs, and now we're hearing rumors that Tony LaRussa could be on the hot seat in the south side. The offense is on a good run as they've racked up 32 runs in their last four games, but the pitching has struggled as they've allowed 33.
That rotation will get a huge boost with the return of Lance Lynn as he makes his first start in 2022 after suffering a knee injury in spring training. Lynn has always been dependable pitching with a career ERA of 3.48 in 264 starts and a .599 winning percentage. He's getting a great opportunity to ease in against the Tigers whose offense continues to struggle. Lynn should feel good about his history against this roster as they're batting just .183 in 103 at-bats.
The Tigers will send up Rony Garcia. While the starter has some overpowering stuff, he needs to work a little more on location. The fastball has some late movement and when his curveball is working, you can't touch it, but he does tend to serve it up in the zone allowing batters to put some good wood behind it. This could be another big day for the Chicago offense.
Parlay Odds: +401 via FanDuel
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. St. Louis Cardinals
- Leg 1: Cardinals ML (-190)
- Leg 2: Under 9 (-106)
- Leg 3: Mitch Keller under 4.5 strikeouts (-150)
- Leg 4: Zack Thompson over 3.5 strikeouts (-108)
The Cardinals are in a little rough patch with losses in four of their last six, and it's due to an inconsistent lineup. The Cardinals can get hits, but it's been only Paul Goldschmidt that's provided the power as they're 29th in hit-hard rate (34.5%) and 27th exit velocity.
For the Cards, the No. 9 prospect Zack Thompson will get his first career major league start. His change of speed rate will make your eyes pop - in four innings against the Cubs, his fastball clocked in at an average of 94.8 MPH while the curveball came in at 74.7. He did a great job at keeping them waiting on the fastball which allowed him to get an off-balance swing on the hook. He should rack up some strikeouts against a team that has the seventh-most in the league.
The Pirates Mitch Keller got demoted to the bullpen for a quick minute after a rough start to the season, but since making his way back to the rotation he's done well. In his last 11 innings, he's allowed three runs, struck out 13, and his only problem has been his control with seven walks. The Cardinals rely on how disciplined they are at the plate with the sixth-fewest Ks and the 11th-most walks so they will certainly make him work.
Parlay Odds: +798 via FanDuel
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