Wednesday 8-30-17 Free Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Etc

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Chase Diamond
Aug 30 '17, 4:05 PM
MLB | Marlins vs Nationals
Play on: Marlins +205 at 5dimes

This game features the 66-65 Marlins and the 8-51 Nationals. The Marlins are making a late run at the last wild card spot and are just 5.5 games back. The Nationals are 14 games up on the Marlins and are not gonna risk injury to anyone and that includes starter Stephen Srasburg who has looked good since coming back from injury but I don't see him going more then 5 innings today. Adam Conley is a pitcher you never know what you are gonna get he's either really on or really off. I can't pass on the hot hitting Marlins who are fighting hard for a spot in the Playoffs and love them here at +200 a big time value. 15* Marlins.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Jack Jones
Aug 30 '17, 9:10 PM
MLB | Giants vs Padres
Play on: Padres -130 at Bovada

Jack's Free Pick Wednesday: San Diego Padres -130

The San Diego Padres are 34-31 at home this season while profiting backers 6.8 units. The San Francisco Giants are 22-46 on the road while losing backers 23 units. I think it's worth laying a little juice to back the Padres at home here Wednesday night.

Travis Wood comes in pitching well, going 1-0 with a 3.71 ERA in his last three starts. Wood has posted a 3.82 ERA in six career starts against San Francisco. He is no ace, but I trust him here to have a great start against this weak Giants lineup.

Ty Blach is having a decent season overall at 8-10 with a 4.67 ERA in 22 starts. But he is 3-5 with a 5.50 ERA and 1.473 WHIP in nine road starts this season, and 0-3 with an 8.82 ERA and 1.837 WHIP in his last three starts. The Giants are 0-3 in Blach's three career starts against San Diego.

Wood is 9-1 (+9.1 Units) against the money line in home games vs. teams whose hitters strike out 7 or more times/game over the last three seasons. The Giants are 1-5 in Blach's last six road starts. San Diego is 6-2 in the last eight meetings. Bet the Padres Wednesday.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Brandon Lee
Aug 30 '17, 3:10 PM
MLB | Tigers vs Rockies
Play on: Rockies -107 at 5Dimes

10* FREE MLB PICK (Rockies -107)

Colorado is worth a look here as a short home favorite against the Tigers on Wednesday. Detroit is getting way to much respect here due to the fact that they are sending out Justin Verlander. The Tigers have been atrocious on the road this season and with little to nothing to play for figure to continue to struggle away from home down the stretch. Verlander is coming off a couple of strong starts, but is a mere 3-6 with a 5.02 ERA and 1.435 WHIP in 14 road starts (3-11 team record). On the flip side of this, Colorado will give the ball to Chad Bettis, who has a respectable 3.79 ERA in 3 starts since joining the rotation earlier this month. Two of those starts have come at home and he was excellent in both of those outings, giving up a combined 3 runs on 14 hits in 14 innings (1.93 ERA). Give me the Rockies -107!

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Jimmy Boyd
Aug 30 '17, 3:05 PM
MLB | Mariners vs Orioles
Play on: Orioles -133 at betonline

Free Pick on Baltimore Orioles -

Baltimore has won 6 straight to move within 1.5 games of the final Wild Card spot in the AL and I look for them to continue their winning ways Wednesday afternoon against the Mariners. While the Orioles are playing some of their best baseball of the season, Seattle has gone into a funk here of late and lost 4 straight. Not a big surprise given the circumstances, as this is now their 12th straight game on a grueling 12-game road trip.

I know the numbers aren't great for Orioles starter Ubaldo Jimenez, but the same can be said for Seattle's starter Ariel Miranda. This comes down to rolling with the hot team at the plate. Baltimore is coring 6.9 runs/game and hitting .313 with a .350 OBP over their last 7 games. The Mariners on the other hand are scoring 3.0 runs/game and hitting a mere .203 with a .264 OBP in their last 7.

Seattle is 10-22 in their last 32 road games against a team that's won more than 60% of their home games, while the Orioles are 6-1 in their last 7 at home against a left-handed starter, 61-26 in their last 87 home games against a team with a losing record and 30-10 in Jimenez's last 40 home starts. Take Baltimore!

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Info Plays
Aug 30 '17, 9:10 PM
MLB | Giants vs Padres
Play on: Padres -130 at Bovada

1* Free Play on Padres -130

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Mike Williams
Aug 30 '17, 8:10 PM
MLB | White Sox vs Twins
Play on: Twins -220 at betonline

1* on Twins -220

[Can'tPickAWinner]

John Martin
Aug 30 '17, 7:05 PM
MLB | Red Sox vs Blue Jays
Play on: Red Sox +112 at 5Dimes

1 Unit FREE PLAY on Boston Red Sox +112

I don't agree that the Toronto Blue Jays should be favored here. They have gone 2-9 in their last 11 games to fall to 61-71 on the season. They are starting to realize they have nothing to play for now, and it's showing up in their performances. The Red Sox are trying to lock down the AL East. They have enjoyed the Rogers Centre in Toronto, going 6-0 in their last six trips there. Rick Porcello has been at his best on the road this season with a 3.96 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in 11 road starts. J.A. Happ is 0-2 with an 8.18 ERA in his last two starts. He has given up 10 earned runs and 20 base runners in 11 innings during this stretch. The Red Sox are 8-2 in their last 10 meetings.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Hunter Price
Aug 30 '17, 2:10 PM
MLB | Cardinals vs Brewers
Play on: Brewers +110 at betonline

1* Free Pick on Brewers +110

[New York Knight]

GAME: St. Louis Cardinals (66-65) at Milwaukee Brewers (68-64)
DATE/TIME: Wednesday, August 30 - 2:10 PM EST
WHERE: Miller Park, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A

Preview: Cardinals at Brewers
Gracenote
Aug 30, 2017

Matt Carpenter has pledged to donate $10,000 to the relief fund for the flood-ravaged region of Houston with every homer he hits for the remainder of the season. The Texas native gladly dipped into his wallet after belting a two-run shot in the opener and looks add to that total in the finale of the abbreviated two-game series versus the host Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday afternoon.

Carpenter is batting a robust .320 with four homers and 12 runs scored this season against Milwaukee, but is just 3-for-13 in his career versus Wednesday starter Chase Anderson. Paul DeJong drove in three runs in Tuesday's 10-2 romp while extending his hitting streak to six games for St. Louis, which posted its third win in nine outings to reside five games in back of the Chicago Cubs in the National League Central. Domingo Santana has multi-hit performances in back-to-back outings and in three of his last five for Milwaukee, which has dropped three of five to sit 3 1/2 games behind the Cubs. The 25-year-old Dominican is batting .286 versus Wednesday starter and fellow countryman Carlos Martinez.

TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, FSN Midwest (St. Louis), FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals RH Carlos Martinez (10-9, 3.48 ERA) vs. Brewers RH Chase Anderson (7-3, 2.87)

Martinez held his opponents to three runs or fewer in his fifth consecutive start on Thursday, but a costly error on an attempted double-play ball forced him to settle for a no-decision after seven strong innings versus San Diego. The 25-year-old had won four of his previous five decisions, however the setback in that stretch came at the hands of Milwaukee on Aug. 1. Martinez owns a 1-2 mark versus the Brewers this season after allowing nine runs on 15 hits in 17 12/3 innings.

Anderson sustained his first loss since June 11 on Friday despite yielding two runs in five innings of a 3-1 setback at the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 29-year-old has allowed two runs or fewer in eight of his last nine starts overall and recorded a pair of no-decisions versus St. Louis earlier this season. Anderson permitted one run in six innings against the Cardinals on April 22 before allowing four in 4 2/3 innings on May 4.

WALK-OFFS

1. Milwaukee LF Eric Thames went deep in the series opener and has five homers versus St. Louis this season.

2. Cardinals OF Randal Grichuk is 2-for-22 with seven strikeouts in his last seven games.

3. Brewers OF Ryan Braun is riding an 11-game hitting streak at home.

PREDICTION: Brewers 5, Cardinals 3

[New York Knight]

GAME: Seattle Mariners (66-67) at Baltimore Orioles (67-65)
DATE/TIME: Wednesday, August 30 - 3:05 PM EST
WHERE: Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore, Maryland
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A

Preview: Mariners at Orioles
Gracenote
Aug 30, 2017

Manny Machado is giving the Seattle Mariners fits while keeping the Baltimore Orioles in the mix for the American League's second wild-card berth. The 25-year-old Machado looks to send the Orioles to their seventh straight win and a three-game sweep of the visiting Mariners on Wednesday afternoon when the clubs wrap up their set at Camden Yards.

Machado followed up his three-hit performance in the opener with a pair of solo homers in Tuesday's 4-0 triumph, improving to 9-for-22 with seven RBIs versus Seattle this season. Welington Castillo added a solo shot Tuesday and is 4-for-7 with three RBIs in the series for Baltimore, which has outscored the opposition 44-17 during its winning streak and resides 1 1/2 games in back of Minnesota for the final wild-card slot. The Mariners find themselves three games behind the Twins after being outscored 27-10 during their four-game losing skid. Kyle Seager mustered the lone hit off Dylan Bundy with a bunt single on Tuesday and has two hits in the series heading into Wednesday's tilt versus starter Ubaldo Jimenez, against whom he is 2-for-11 in his career.

TV: 3:05 p.m. ET, ROOT Northwest (Seattle), MASN (Baltimore)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners LH Ariel Miranda (8-6, 4.62 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Ubaldo Jimenez (5-9, 6.57)

Miranda will get his first look at the team that shuffled him to Seattle at last year's trade deadline. The 28-year-old Cuban pitched well in his last outing on Friday, as he scattered two hits over 4 2/3 scoreless innings before exiting after 99 pitches with a no-decision. The outing was a positive one for Miranda, who owned a 1-2 mark with 35 runs allowed in his previous eight outings.

Jimenez has dropped back-to-back outings in horrific fashion, as he yielded six runs on eight hits in 4 1/3 innings on Aug. 16 in a 7-6 setback at Seattle before surrendering three homers in five frames six days later in a 6-4 loss versus Oakland. "You'd like to say take the first inning away, but you can't take those away," manager Buck Showalter said of the 33-year-old Dominican permitting two homers in the first against the Athletics. Jimenez has kept Nelson Cruz (2-for-19) under wraps, although Robinson Cano (10-for-20, two homers) has had his number.

WALK-OFFS

1. Baltimore 2B Jonathan Schoop, who launched a solo shot on Tuesday, boasts three homers in his last eight games and has hit safely in nine of his last 10.

2. Cano is 0-for-7 in the series and 1-for-12 in his last five contests overall.

3. Orioles CF Adam Jones has five runs scored during his six-game hitting streak.

PREDICTION: Orioles 5, Mariners 1

[New York Knight]

GAME: Detroit Tigers (57-74) at Colorado Rockies (72-60)
DATE/TIME: Wednesday, August 30 - 3:10 PM EST
WHERE: Coors Field, Denver, Colorado
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A

Preview: Tigers at Rockies
Gracenote
Aug 30, 2017

Justin Verlander has thrived in interleague play and looks to improve his record to 31-5 when the Detroit Tigers conclude their three-game series against the host Colorado Rockies on Wednesday afternoon. Verlander's .857 winning percentage leads all active pitchers with 15 or more decisions, and his next win will tie him with Bartolo Colon for most interleague victories among active pitchers.

The 34-year-old Verlander is making his second career start at Coors Field, and the first went well as he gave up one run and four hits en route to a complete-game victory in 2011. Detroit will be without slugger Miguel Cabrera (back) for the second straight game and the club has an off-day Thursday to give him more time to recover. Rockies All-Star Nolan Arenado clubbed a three-run homer in Tuesday's 7-3 victory to reach 30 blasts for the third consecutive season. Jonathan Lucroy is 5-for-8 with a homer in the series for Colorado, which has won four of its last six contests to open a four-game lead over Milwaukee for the National League's second wild-card berth.

TV: 3:10 p.m. ET, FSN Detroit

PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers RH Justin Verlander (9-8, 3.90 ERA) vs. Rockies RH Chad Bettis (0-1, 3.79)

Verlander has won four of his last five decisions and allowed fewer than three runs in five of his last six outings. His interleague reputation has held up this season as he has gone 3-0 with a 1.64 ERA in three such turns. Verlander is 2-0 with a 1.99 ERA in three career starts against Colorado but has had mixed results against Mark Reynolds (6-for-21, one homer, 10 strikeouts).

Bettis is making his fourth start of the season since returning from his courageous battle with testicular cancer. The 28-year-old lost to Atlanta in his last turn as he served up two homers while giving up five runs and six hits in five innings. Bettis has posted a 1.93 ERA in two starts at Coors Field this season and is 12-6 with a 4.58 ERA in 30 career home outings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Rockies RF Carlos Gonzalez (ankle) missed consecutive starts but contributed a sacrifice fly as a pinch-hitter on Tuesday.

2. Detroit SS Jose Iglesias is hitless in six at-bats in the series and 0-for-9 over his last three games.

3. Colorado SS Trevor Story recorded two hits on Tuesday and is 7-for-18 during his five-game hitting streak.

PREDICTION: Tigers 5, Rockies 3

[New York Knight]

GAME: Atlanta Braves (57-72) at Philadelphia Phillies (49-81)
DATE/TIME: Wednesday, August 30 - 3:35 PM EST
WHERE: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A

Preview: Braves at Phillies (Game 2)
Gracenote
Aug 29, 2017

The Philadelphia Phillies get an extra opportunity Wednesday to continue beating up on the Atlanta Braves as they host a doubleheader after Tuesday’s scheduled contest was postponed due to rain. The rainout provided the Braves a one-day reprieve to try and figure out some way to beat their National League East rivals, who have defeated Atlanta in all eight meetings at Citizens Bank Park this season and 12 of their 14 overall matchups.

Philadelphia rookie Rhys Hoskins saw his home-run streak snapped at five games in Monday’s series-opening 6-1 victory but provided a go-ahead RBI double. The top of the Phillies’ lineup has feasted on Atlanta pitching this year, as leadoff hitter Cesar Hernandez is batting .333 while Freddy Galvis owns a .321 average. Atlanta is a major league-worst 12-27 since reaching .500 on July 17, thanks to a pitching staff that has allowed 55 home runs and 152 walks while posting a 5.18 ERA in that stretch. Brandon Phillips enters the doubleheader one hit shy of 2,000 for his career and looks to extend his hitting streak to 14 games.

TV: 3:35 p.m. ET, FSN Southeast (Atlanta), CSN Philadelphia

PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves RH Julio Teheran (8-11, 4.90 ERA) vs. Phillies RH Mark Leiter Jr. (2-3, 3.86)

Once considered the ace of Atlanta’s rotation, Teheran seeks a strong finish to the most inconsistent season of his career. Two of his last three starts – both against Colorado – have provided glimmers of hope as the 26-year-old allowed only two runs and nine hits over 14 1/3 innings, but he surrendered four and eight versus the Reds in between those two outings. Teheran has struggled in two starts against the Phillies this season, losing both while allowing 13 runs and 14 hits in 9 2/3 frames.

Leiter carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning in his last start and exited with five strikeouts and one hit allowed in seven scoreless innings Sunday against Miami. He struggled in his previous outing eight days earlier, allowing eight runs - four earned - and seven hits across five frames in a loss at San Diego. The 26-year-old Leiter has bounced between the rotation and the bullpen, posting a 3.18 ERA in five starts compared to a 4.50 ERA in 16 relief appearances.

WALK-OFFS


1. Braves CF Ender Inciarte has hit safely in 25 of his last 30 games, and his 164 hits this season ranked third in the majors entering Tuesday’s action.

2. Atlanta SS Dansby Swanson is batting .367 over his last 17 contests.

3. Hoskins drove in his 25th run of the season in his 19th career game on Monday, the second-fewest amount of contests needed to reach 25 RBIs among players making their debut since the statistic became official in 1920.

PREDICTION: Braves 6, Phillies 5

[New York Knight]

GAME: Miami Marlins (66-65) at Washington Nationals (80-51)
DATE/TIME: Wednesday, August 30 - 4:05 PM EST
WHERE: Nationals Park, Washington, District of Columbia
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A

Preview: Marlins at Nationals
Gracenote
Aug 30, 2017

Washington Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg has more wins against the Miami Marlins than any other opponent and looks to pad his numbers when the teams conclude a three-game series on Wednesday afternoon at Nationals Park. Strasburg beat the Marlins with seven innings of two-run ball on Opening Day to improve to 13-7 lifetime against them.

Washington has outscored Miami 19-5 in the first two games of the series to join the Los Angeles Dodgers as the only team in the majors to win 80 games. Third baseman Anthony Rendon had a pair of hits and drove in four runs in Tuesday's 8-3 victory to reach 85 RBIs for the season, tying his career high established last year in 156 games. Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton belted his major league-leading 51st homer overall and 18th this month, tying the record (Rudy York, 1937) for the most blasts in August, and Miami is 5 1/2 games out of the National League's second wild card. The reigning NL Player of the Week, Stanton has enjoyed plenty of success against Strasburg while batting .366 (15-for-41) with three homers, eight doubles and 11 RBIs.

TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, FSN Florida (Miami), MASN2 (Washington)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Marlins LH Adam Conley (6-5, 5.17 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Stephen Strasburg (10-4, 3.10)

Conley escaped with a no-decision last time out against San Diego despite getting knocked around for five runs on six hits over 5 1/3 innings. The 27-year-old was overpowering in his previous turn against the New York Mets, notching 11 strikeouts while yielding one run and three hits in seven innings. He was tagged for five runs and 11 hits at Washington on Aug. 9, falling to 1-3 with an 8.22 versus the Nationals.

Strasburg was in the midst of a masterful performance at Houston last time out before cramps led to his departure, but he exited after pitching six scoreless innings of three-hit ball. He has permitted two earned runs and seven hits while racking up 15 strikeouts over 12 innings since returning from the disabled list. Strasburg must be wary of Marcell Ozuna, who is 11-for-31 with two homers and seven RBIs against him.

WALK-OFFS

1. Nationals SS Trea Turner (wrist) went 1-for-4 in his first game since June 29.

2. Marlins 2B Dee Gordon is 6-for-13 with four runs scored over the past three games.

3. Nationals C Matt Wieters is 5-for-8 in the series.

PREDICTION: Nationals 7, Marlins 3

[New York Knight]

GAME: Cleveland Indians (74-56) at New York Yankees (70-60)
DATE/TIME: Wednesday, August 30 - 4:35 PM EST
WHERE: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A

Preview: Indians at Yankees (Game 2)
Gracenote
Aug 29, 2017

The Cleveland Indians have put together three winning streaks of at least five since the All-Star break, but keeping their current five-game run intact will take some doing. Because of Tuesday's rainout, the American League Central-leading Indians will wrap up their three-game set at the New York Yankees with a doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon.

Winners of 14 of 18, Cleveland is off Thursday but will head to Detroit to play yet another doubleheader on Friday, leaving manager Terry Francona with some roster decisions. "We're going to try to space out the guys a little bit," said Francona, whose team plays the next 10 on the road. "I'd rather not everybody play all four, just because I don't think that makes much sense. But we'll see how it goes." Slumping Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge was held out of Monday's 6-2 setback to the Indians and was not in the lineup Tuesday, but manager Joe Girardi told reporters the slugger will play at least one game Wednesday. Girardi also shuffled his pitching staff, opting to hold back CC Sabathia one day to start Thursday's opener of a four-game set against AL East leader Boston, which holds a four-game edge over New York.

TV: 4:35 p.m. ET, MLB Network, STO (Cleveland), YES (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians LH Ryan Merritt (1-0, 1.76 ERA) vs. Yankees LH Jordan Montgomery (7-6, 4.00)

Merritt was called up from Triple-A Columbus to make a spot start last week and earned his first victory of the season, tossing 6 2/3 scoreless innings and allowing seven hits to beat Kansas City. The 25-year-old Texan was sent back to the minors after that outing but will be summoned to start the nightcap. Merritt's other two starts this season were both at Minnesota and lasted a combined 7 2/3 innings.

Montgomery yielded his rotation spot to recently acquired Jaime Garcia and has not pitched beyond 5 1/3 innings since earning his last win on July 25, when he gave up one run in 6 2/3 innings against Cincinnati. He has not factored in the decision in each of his last three starts, including five innings of one-run ball at Cleveland on Aug. 5. Montgomery is 4-2 with a 3.75 ERA in 11 starts at Yankee Stadium.

WALK-OFFS

1. Indians 1B-DH Carlos Santana has homered in three straight games.

2. Judge's batting average has dipped 49 points to .280 since the All-Star break.

3. Indians RHP Josh Tomlin was set to come off the disabled list for Wednesday's start but will be held back until the weekend.

PREDICTION: Yankees 7, Indians 4

[New York Knight]

GAME: Boston Red Sox (75-57) at Toronto Blue Jays (61-71)
DATE/TIME: Wednesday, August 30 - 7:07 PM EST
WHERE: Rogers Centre, Toronto, Ontario
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A

Preview: Red Sox at Blue Jays
Gracenote
Aug 29, 2017

Rick Porcello led the major leagues in victories with 22 last season while J.A. Happ was tied for second, but their fortunes have changed dramatically this year. Porcello attempts to avoid his major league-worst 16th loss when he takes the mound for the visiting Boston Red Sox as they go for a three-game sweep versus Happ and the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday night.

After getting swept at home by Baltimore to extend their losing streak to four, the Red Sox have won two straight to open a four-game lead over the New York Yankees atop the American League East. Hanley Ramirez went deep in Tuesday's 3-0 win to reach 20 homers for the eighth season while Eduardo Nunez and Andrew Benintendi have four hits apiece in the first two games of the series. Designated hitter Kendrys Morales had two of the four hits for Toronto, which has dropped three in a row and nine of 11 to fall 10 games under .500. Happ, who was unbeaten in three starts against Boston last year en route to a 20-4 record, has lost 10 of his 19 starts this season.

TV: 7:07 p.m. ET, NESN (Boston), Sportsnet, TVA Sports (Toronto)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox RH Rick Porcello (8-15, 4.57 ERA) vs. Blue Jays LH J.A. Happ (6-10, 4.10)

Porcello's three-start winning streak came to a crash halt with a dreadful outing versus Baltimore on Friday, when he was hammered for 11 runs on 10 hits over 4 2/3 innings. He has surrendered a career-worst 31 homers, including multiple shots in eight of his last 16 turns. Jose Bautista is 16-for-42 with four homers against Porcello while Justin Smoak is 7-for-27 with three homers and nine RBIs.

Happ opened the month with a three-start winning streak, permitting one run in each, but he has been hit hard in losing each of his last two outings. He was charged with 10 runs and 17 hits over 11 innings while falling to Minnesota and the Chicago Cubs. Xander Bogaerts is 1-for-16 versus Happ, who is 5-3 with a 3.66 ERA against the Red Sox after pitching five innings of two-run ball at Boston last month.

WALK-OFFS

1. Red Sox 2B Dustin Pedroia (knee) will run the bases Wednesday and, barring a setback, could return this weekend versus the Yankees.

2. Bautista is 5-for-48 with 20 strikeouts against Boston this season.

3. Red Sox LHP David Price (elbow) will throw off a mound on Wednesday for the first time since July 22.

PREDICTION: Blue Jays 5, Red Sox 4