Thursday 4-19-18 Free Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Etc

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Houston Astros vs. Seattle Mariners Preview and Predictions 04-19-2018

19th April 2018 by Gracenote
the houston astros appear to be removed from a brief slumber and look for their third consecutive victory when they visit the seattle mariners on thursday afternoon for the finale of their four-game series. houston dropped five of six contests before suddenly reversing course by outscoring the mariners 11-2 in back-to-back wins.

marwin gonzalez delivered a tiebreaking two-run single and george springer added a two-run double during a six-run seventh inning in wednesday's 7-1 triumph as the astros defeated seattle for the eighth time in nine meetings. carlos correa is 5-for-11 in the series, but the star shortstop is mired in a 12-game homerless drought. seattle has scored just four runs in the series, and five over its last four games after registering 29 over its previous four contests. slugger nelson cruz is just 1-for-14 over the last four games - the hit being a homer - while kyle seager has struck out six times in 10 hitless at-bats against the astros.
tv: 3:40 p.m. et, at&t sportsnet-southwest (houston), root northwest (seattle)
pitching matchup: astros rh charlie morton (2-0, 1.00 era) vs. mariners lh marco gonzales (1-1, 8.25)

morton matched his career high of 12 strikeouts in his last turn, when he allowed two runs and six hits in six innings of a no-decision against texas. the 34-year-old gave up just an unearned run and seven hits over 12 frames while winning his first two outings of the season. morton went 1-2 with a 3.80 era in four starts against the mariners last year and has enjoyed solid success against seager (1-for-10) and mitch haniger (1-for-8).
gonzales pitched a total of 5 2/3 innings in his last two turns - giving up four runs each time - while struggling to hit his spots. the 26-year-old is allowing opponents to bat .358 and could be pitching to retain his spot in the rotation with erasmo ramirez close to being activated from the disabled list. gonzales has yet to record a decision in five appearances (three starts) at safeco field since being acquired from st. louis in july.
walk-offs

1. the astros have won seven of their last eight games at safeco field.

2. seattle lf ben gamel (oblique) went 0-for-2 with a walk on wednesday after being activated from the 10-day disabled list, as the club optioned lhp ariel miranda to triple-a tacoma to open the roster spot.

3. houston 2b jose altuve has collected just four rbis in 75 at-bats this season after driving in a total of 177 runs over the previous two campaigns.

prediction: astros 5, mariners 0

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Toronto Blue Jays vs. New York Yankees Preview and Predictions 04-19-2018

18th April 2018 by Gracenote
giancarlo stanton made a spectacular new york yankees debut by swatting two homers and driving in four runs in a season-opening win at toronto. stanton's fortunes have taken a downhill spiral since his splashy introduction to his new team and there is talk of dropping him in the batting order when the yankees host the blue jays on thursday in the opener of a four-game set.

stanton was hitless in four at-bats in tuesday's 9-1 loss to visiting miami, dipping his batting average at yankee stadium to a woeful .086 (3-for-35) with 20 strikeouts. "he's one at-bat away from getting it locked back in, and then the last thing you want is him down in the order getting pitched around," new york manager aaron boone told reporters. "he's too premier of a player, and an at-bat away, in my eyes, from locking it in." toronto was locked in wednesday, completing a three-game sweep of the kansas city royals with a 15-5 romp to extend its winning streak to four games. teoscar hernández went 4-for-6 with a homer, triple and four rbis and curtis granderson capped the rout with a grand slam as the blue jays outscored kansas city 31-12.
tv: 6:35 p.m. et, mlb network, sportsnet one (toronto), wpix (new york)
pitching matchup: blue jays rh aaron sanchez (1-1, 3.66 era) vs. yankees lh cc sabathia (0-0, 4.00)

sanchez has been solid since dropping his season debut against the yankees, when he gave up four runs on eight hits over 5 2/3 innings. he rebounded with consecutive quality starts, permitting three runs on six hits over six innings in a no-decision versus the chicago white sox before beating baltimore with eight innings of one-run ball. didi gregorius is 5-for-13 against sanchez, who has limited brett gardner to 2-for-16.'
sabathia (hip) was scheduled to come off the disabled list tuesday but new york held him back two more days to start against the blue jays. he pitched five innings in a no-decision at toronto on march 31, yielding two runs (one earned) on five hits over five innings and escaped with another no-decision despite giving up three homers in four innings at baltimore. justin smoak is 10-for-29 with two home runs against sabathia.
walk-offs

1. toronto has won 12 of 15 since dropping the first two games of the season to the yankees.

2. yankees rf aaron judge was 3-for-15 in the opening series at toronto but hit in every game since until going 0-for-2 on tuesday.

3. blue jays dh kendrys morales (hamstring) is expected to come off the disabled list friday but 3b josh donaldson will not return saturday.

prediction: yankees 4, blue jays 3

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Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Philadelphia Phillies Preview and Predictions 04-19-2018

18th April 2018 by Gracenote
the pittsburgh pirates' high-powered offense has them atop the national league in runs scored with 99, while their 7-2 road record has elevated the club to the penthouse in the central division. fresh off a 10-run uprising, the pirates will travel east across the keystone state on thursday to open a four-game series against the philadelphia phillies.

josh bell recorded a three-rbi performance for the second time in four contests on wednesday as pittsburgh posted a 10-2 romp over colorado to salvage the finale of a three-game series. the 25-year-old also has gotten in his licks versus thursday starter jake arrieta, against whom he is 7-for-14 with four extra-base hits (two homers) and two rbis in his career. like the pirates, the phillies have enjoyed early-season success, winning eight of nine before dropping two of three in atlanta following wednesday's 7-3 setback. rhys hoskins has recorded four rbis and scored five runs during his five-game hitting streak for philadelphia, which opens a 10-game homestand on thursday.
tv: 7:05 p.m. et, mlb network, at&t sportsnet-pittsburgh, nbcs philadelphia plus
pitching matchup: pirates rh jameson taillon (2-0, 0.89 era) vs. phillies rh jake arrieta (1-0, 3.38)

taillon recorded his second straight dominant outing, as he followed a one-hit shutout versus cincinnati on april 8 by scattering four hits over six scoreless innings in a no-decision at miami six days later. the 26-year-old also pitched well in his last trip to the mound against philadelphia, allowing four hits while striking out nine in five frames of a 3-0 triumph on july 4. odubel herrera is 3-for-5 with a homer versus taillon, but the rest of the phillies have gone just 3-for-13 against him.
signed to a three-year, $75 million deal last month, arrieta collected his first win after permitting three runs and seven hits over 6 2/3 innings of saturday's 9-4 victory at tampa bay. the 2015 cy young award winner recorded 19 of his 25 outs via the ground ball before exiting after 88 pitches. arrieta has gotten the better of pittsburgh in his career, posting a 10-6 record while limiting the club to a .204 batting average.
walk-offs

1. pittsburgh, which won five of seven versus philadelphia last season, is the lone team in the majors to have its starting pitchers complete five innings in every game this year.

2. herrera, who has hit safely in 11 of his last 13 contests, batted .308 versus the pirates in 2017.

3. pittsburgh rhp joe musgrove (shoulder) is expected to throw 25-30 pitches during a bullpen session on thursday.

prediction: pirates 5, phillies 2

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New York Mets vs. Atlanta Braves Preview and Predictions 04-19-2018

19th April 2018 by Gracenote
after following the best start in franchise history by dropping three of four games, the new york mets recorded a much-needed comeback victory and hope to carry a surge of momentum into the opener of their four-game series against the host atlanta braves on thursday. new york climbed back from a two-run, eighth-inning deficit on wednesday against washington behind two-run hits by todd frazier and juan lagares to post an 11-5 win and improve to 9-2 against national league east rivals.

one of the biggest reasons why the mets are 13-4 is the play of asdrubal cabrera, who finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored on wednesday to raise his average to .343 and give him hits in 13 of his 17 games this season. the braves beat philadelphia 7-3 on wednesday, earning a series win for the fourth time in six attempts this year and winning their first three home sets since 2000. ender inciarte, who began the week with a .179 average, went 6-for-13 in the series to improve to .232 and robbed philadelphia's scott kingery of a home run with a brilliant leaping catch at the wall in center field. atlanta received a big scare when freddie freeman - who missed 44 games last year after being hit by a pitch on his left wrist - was hit in the same spot in the eighth inning and immediately left the game.
tv: 7:35 p.m. et, sny (new york), fs southeast (atlanta)
pitching matchup: mets rh matt harvey (0-1, 4.80 era) vs. tbd

harvey suffered his first defeat of the season on saturday against milwaukee but registered six strikeouts - his highest total in a start since may. harvey also recorded his 600th career strikeout versus the brewers while giving up four runs and eight hits in five innings. the 29-year-old, who was limited to 18 starts last season, is 3-6 with a 4.38 era in 11 career turns against the braves.
atlanta will need a change of plans as anibal sanchez, thursday's originally scheduled starter, suffered a right hamstring strain while running in the outfield during batting practice on wednesday. the braves could turn to right-hander lucas sims (3-6, 5.62 era in 2017), who pitched four scoreless innings at triple-a gwinnett on april 9 and was promoted to the bullpen on monday. atlanta also could promote matt wisler (0-1, 8.35 in 2017), who is scheduled to start for gwinnett on friday and would be on regular rest if brought up.
walk-offs

1. atlanta signed veteran of jose bautista to a minor-league contract on wednesday and stated the former toronto slugger will work at third base in his attempt to return to the majors.

2. new york lf yoenis cespedes snapped a 2-for-11 skid on wednesday with a two-hit performance that included his sixth career grand slam.

3. the braves placed rhp jose ramirez on the 10-day disabled list with right shoulder inflammation and recalled lhp jesse biddle from gwinnett.

prediction: mets 5, braves 3

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San Francisco Giants vs. Arizona Diamondbacks Preview and Predictions 04-19-2018

19th April 2018 by Gracenote
one day after ending their four-game losing streak, the san francisco giants attempt to post back-to-back victories for just the third time this season when they visit the arizona diamondbacks for the finale of their three-game series. san francisco squandered a late two-run lead on wednesday and nearly blew another one in the 10th inning before holding on for a 4-3 win.

evan longoria belted a two-run homer in the sixth and brandon belt launched another in the 10th as the giants improved to 2-4 on their 10-game road trip. david peralta continued his offensive surge for the diamondbacks, going 3-for-5 with an rbi to extend his hitting streak to seven games. it was the fourth multi-hit performance of the stretch for the 30-year-old outfielder, who is 12-for-29 during the streak. arizona dropped to 6-2 at home with wednesday's setback, which also snapped its four-game winning streak at chase field.
tv: 9:40 p.m. et, nbcs bay area plus (san francisco), fs arizona

pitching matchup: giants lh ty blach (1-2, 4.43 era) vs. diamondbacks rh zack greinke (1-1, 5.29)
blach is coming off a sub-par effort at san diego on friday, when he yielded four runs - three earned - and seven hits over five innings of a loss. however, the 27-year-old native of denver walked just one batter after issuing eight free passes over his first three turns of the season and has yet to serve up a homer in 2018. blach has worked a total of seven innings in one start and three relief appearances against arizona in his career, surrendering seven runs while losing his lone decision.
after a strong season debut against colorado at home, greinke has struggled in back-to-back road starts, giving up nine runs and 14 hits over 11 1/3 innings. the 34-year-old floridian managed to pick up his first victory of the year friday against the dodgers in los angeles despite yielding four runs and five hits over 6 1/3 frames. greinke has been superb versus san francisco during his career, going 11-2 with a 2.37 era in 17 starts.
walk-offs

1. longoria was back in the lineup wednesday after missing the series opener with an ankle injury and went 3-for-4, finishing a triple shy of the cycle while recording his fourth multi-hit effort in five games.

2. the diamondbacks announced rhp taijuan walker will need tommy john surgery to repair a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow.

3. arizona seeks its second series win over the giants already this season after taking two of three in san francisco last week.

prediction: diamondbacks 5, giants 2

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Boston Red Sox vs. Los Angeles Angels Preview and Predictions 04-19-2018

19th April 2018 by Gracenote
the boston red sox aim to continue their franchise-best start when they visit the los angeles angels on thursday for the finale of their three-game set. boston won the first two games of the series by a cumulative 19-1 score to extend its winning streak to six games and improve its major league-best record to 15-2.

rafael devers has homered in both games of the series, belting his first career grand slam on wednesday as the red sox rolled to a 9-0 victory. mitch moreland contributed a homer and four rbis while j.d. martinez went 4-for-5 with a blast to improve to 10-for-20 with two shots over his last five games. despite the consecutive setbacks, los angeles has a 13-5 record that matches the best 18-game start (1982 and 1993) in franchise history. angels star mike trout recorded two hits on wednesday and is 8-for-19 with two homers during his five-game hitting streak.
tv: 10:07 p.m. et, nesn (boston), fs west (los angeles)

pitching matchup: red sox rh eduardo rodriguez (1-0, 3.72 era) vs. angels rh nick tropeano (1-0, 0.00)
rodriguez defeated baltimore in his last turn as he gave up one run and five hits with eight strikeouts in six innings. the 25-year-old has fanned 15 while issuing four walks in 9 1/3 frames after striking out a career-best 150 last season. rodriguez had a terrible time in his lone career outing against the angels as he allowed seven runs and six hits - including homers by kole calhoun and albert pujols - in just 1 2/3 innings of a loss at angel stadium on july 20, 2015.
tropeano settled for a no-decision in his season debut last thursday despite allowing six hits in 6 2/3 scoreless innings at kansas city. the 27-year-old missed all of last season while recovering from the tommy john surgery he underwent in august 2016. tropeano, who will be facing the red sox for the first time in his career, is 3-3 with a 4.71 era in 11 starts at angel stadium.

walk-offs

1. the red sox have scored 84 runs over their last 10 games.

2. los angeles rhp-dh shohei ohtani (blister) may be available to make his next start on tuesday against houston, and also could be able to swing the bat on thursday, according to mgr mike scioscia.

3. boston rf mookie betts is 5-for-8 with three homers and two walks in the series.

prediction: red sox 6, angels 5

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Miami Marlins vs. Milwaukee Brewers Preview and Predictions 04-19-2018

18th April 2018 by Gracenote
the milwaukee brewers have not been scored upon in 19 innings and will try to extend the streak against the visiting miami marlins' lackluster offense when the teams begin a four-game series in miller park on thursday. the brewers produced back-to-back 2-0 wins to close out a series with cincinnati and have a chance for their first three-game winning streak since opening the season 3-0.

chase anderson, who has a 2.82 era through his first four starts for milwaukee, will try to maintain the mound dominance opposite marlins lefty dillon peters. miami had a rare breakout with the bats when it won 9-1 at yankee stadium on tuesday as catcher j.t. realmuto homered and drove in four runs in his season debut. "hopefully, the spark lasts a lot longer than one game," realmuto told reporters. "with these young guys, you can see they don't get their heads down. they wash it away with their shower that night and the next day they're coming in hungry ready to go try and win a ballgame." the brewers won four of six meetings last season, all of which were played in milwaukee due to a series in miami being moved north due to the aftermath of hurricane irma in florida.
tv: 8:10 p.m. et, fs florida (miami), fs wisconsin (milwaukee)
pitching matchup: marlins lh dillon peters (2-1, 6.75 era) vs. brewers rh chase anderson (1-1, 2.82)

peters limited pittsburgh to two runs and four hits with three strikeouts in six innings of a victory on friday. the outing left him 2-0 with a 1.50 era at home while his one road start at philadelphia resulted in nine runs allowed in 2 2/3 frames. the university of texas product was shelled in his lone career start at miller park on sept. 17, giving up eight runs on nine hits and three walks in 3 2/3 innings.
anderson has a 2.75 era in 29 starts since the beginning of last year and picked up his first victory of 2018 with 6 1/3 strong innings against the new york mets on saturday. he yielded a run and two hits in the road outing and has held opponents to a .192 average thus far. the 30-year-old is 2-2 with a 3.86 era in five career matchups with the marlins, but miami's current roster is a combined 13-for-32 against him.
walk-offs

1. brewers 1b eric thames homered in wednesday's win and has six home runs in his last 10 games.

2. marlins 2b starlin castro has 20 hits on the year - 18 singles and two doubles.

3. brewers lf ryan braun (calf) missed wednesday's contest and is day-to-day.

prediction: brewers 5, marlins 2

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IntPicks

FREE PICK of the DAY

Thursday, April 19, 2018

MLB
#959
1 Star
1:10 PM ET
Baltimore @ Detroit
Take Baltimore ML (-118)

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Mike Wynn

Free Play: Free NY Yankees w/Sabathia -150 Over Toronto

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Free Selection from Jim Feist

Jim Feist's Comp Pick, Thursday, April 19, 2018



4/19 10:10 AM PT / 1:10 PM ET

MLB (959) BALTIMORE ORIOLES VS (960) DETROIT TIGERS

Take: (959) BALTIMORE ORIOLES

Reason: Your free play for Thursday, April 19 2018 is in the MLB scheduled contest between the Baltimore Orioles and Detroit Tigers. Your free play is on the Orioles.

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Jeff Allen Sports

Thursday Free Selection is on the Boston Bruins

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Razor Sharp

YOUR RAZOR SHARP FREE PICK FOR THURSDAY: Take HOUSTON/SEATTLE OVER the total of 8½ runs

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John Anthony Sports

Thursday's Free Selection: Atlanta Braves

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Atlantic Sports

Thursday's Free Selection from Atlantic Sports: Columbus Blue Jackets - 115

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#1 Sports

Thursday's Free Selection: Milwaukee Brewers - 200