MLB Picks Today: Wednesday, May 8th
There is a lot of early baseball on Wednesday, led off by the Angels and the Pirates that kick things off at 11:35 ET followed by a matchup beteen the Blue Jays and Phillies. The final game of the day is a NL West matchup between the Giants and Rockies. There are a couple of other must-watch games today, as the Astros are on the road to take on the Yankees, and Boston is in Atlanta in a matchup vs. the Braves.
Moneyline Plays
Chicago White Sox vs. Tampa Bay Rays
White Sox (+193) – Rays (-236) | O/U 8.5
The White Sox will be looking to avoid getting swept by the Rays. Heading into the game, the White Sox are 8-28 overall, while the Rays are 19-18. The White Sox are 15 games out of the AL Central lead and are just 2-18 against divisional opponents. The Rays are 4th in the AL East, trailing the Orioles by five games. The White Sox are 3-16 as the underdog and 2-8-1 in series this year.
Chicago’s offense has been a major issue this season, as they are last in the league in home runs and team batting average. As a team, they only score 2.9 runs per game, which is the worst mark in the league. The White Sox’s team OPS of .588 and on-base percentage of .268 are also last in the league.
Chris Flexen is starting for the White Sox and comes into the game with a 1-3 record and an ERA of 4.85. So far, he has made five starts and has a WHIP of 1.31. Flexen is coming off a no-decision in his last outing, where he gave up two earned runs in five innings. Flexen has given up at least one homer in three straight outings.
For the Rays, Aaron Civale is 2-2 with an ERA of 6.14. Civale is averaging 9.57 strikeouts per nine innings and is coming off a no-decision on May 3rd, where he went 4 2/3 innings and gave up seven hits, seven earned runs, and one homer. Over his last four outings, Civale has finished with a no-decision in three of them. Opponents are hitting .260 off him this year.
Isaac Paredes has been a bright spot for the Rays this season, as he is hitting .299 with eight homers and 19 RBIs. Paredes is 8/21 over his last six games. Harold Ramirez is 9/20 in his last six games for the Rays, while Jonny DeLuca is 7/18 in his last five games, including one homer and 10 RBIs.
Chicago White Sox ML +193
Boston Red Sox vs. Atlanta Braves
Red Sox (+164) – Braves (-197) | O/U 9.0
The Red Sox and Braves are set for 7:20 PM from Truist Park in Atlanta. The Braves are sending Chris Sale to the mound up against Nick Pivetta for the Red Sox. Coming into the game, the Braves have a record of 21-12, while the Red Sox are 19-17.
As for the odds, the over/under line is at 9 runs, and the Braves are the favorite at -197 on the moneyline. If you’re looking to watch this game on TV, it is being carried by NESN.
One of the biggest surprises for the Red Sox this season has been the play of Tyler O’Neill, who is 3rd in the league with 9 home runs and is batting .292. O’Neill is also on a three-game hitting streak. Ceddanne Rafaela is just batting .211 for the season, but he has gone 8/29 over his last eight games and has one home run in this stretch. Rafaela also leads the Red Sox with 20 RBIs.
Over their last eight games, Jarren Duran has gone 10/31, and Rafael Devers has also been swinging a hot bat, going 10/28. However, Devers has just one home run in this stretch. As a team, the Red Sox are averaging 4.6 runs per game and have the 8th ranked home run total in the league.
Marcell Ozuna has been one of the league’s top power hitters this season, as his 10 home runs are 2nd in the league and the best mark on the Braves. Ozuna is also leading the Braves in RBIs, with his 34 runs batted in also being the best mark in the league. However, he has just a .194 batting average over his last nine games. Travis d’Arnaud is also hitting for a good average this season, coming in at .262.
Over the team’s last nine games, Austin Riley is hitting .270 with one home run and five RBIs. Ronald Acuna Jr. has also gone deep once in this stretch, but he is batting just .256. As a team, the Braves are 4th in scoring at 5.1 runs per game and have been one of the league’s best home run-hitting clubs.
Nick Pivetta and the Red Sox are on the road to take on the Braves. Pivetta has started two games this season, picking up a win in his last outing after taking a loss in his first start. He struck out 10 in his last start, but did give up a homer.
Chris Sale gets the start for the Braves today and has been pitching well lately. He is coming off a game in which he only gave up one earned run and got the win. In that outing vs. the Mariners, he went 5 innings and had 9 strikeouts. Sale has made six starts this year and has a record of 4-1 with a 3.44 ERA. Opponents are batting .201 off Sale this year. So far, he has made three starts at home and is 3-0 with a 2.84 ERA. Per nine innings, Sale is averaging 10.31 strikeouts compared to just 1.72 walks.
Boston Red Sox ML +164
San Francisco Giants vs. Colorado Rockies
Giants (-171) – Rockies (+143) | O/U 10.0
Wednesday’s matchup between the Giants and Rockies is set for 8:40 PM from Coors Field. San Francisco is the favorite on the moneyline, and the over/under line is at 10 runs. On the mound, Jordan Hicks gets the start for the Giants, and he is 2-1 with a 1.90 ERA this season. Peter Lambert will be looking to bounce back from a rough outing vs. the Marlins as he gets the start for the Rockies.
San Francisco is 16-21 overall and 8.5 games behind the Dodgers in the NL West. Colorado is just 8-27 overall and 15.5 games behind the Dodgers. The Rockies are 5-11 at home, and the Giants are 7-14 on the road.
Offensively, the Giants are 24th in runs scored, and they are hitting .238 as a team. The Rockies are 27th in runs scored and are hitting .232 as a team. Ryan McMahon is hitting .302 for the Rockies and has five homers. Thairo Estrada and Jorge Soler are tied for the team lead with five homers for the Giants.
Colorado Rockies ML +143
New York Mets vs. St. Louis Cardinals
Mets (+140) – Cardinals (-167) | O/U 7.5
On Wednesday, the Mets are looking to improve to 19-18 and are currently on a two-game winning streak. They trail the Nationals by a half-game for 3rd place in the NL East and are 7.5 games behind the Phillies for the division lead. The Cardinals are 15-21 and are 6.5 games behind the Brewers in the NL Central. St. Louis is also 0-3 in divisional games this year.
St. Louis is the favorite on the moneyline at -167, and the over/under line is sitting at 7.5 runs. The Mets are 18-18 overall and 9-8 on the road. The Cardinals are 5-9 at home when favored and 9-10 overall on the road. New York is 8-9 as the underdog this year.
Brandon Nimmo has been on a tear for the Mets over his last eight games, hitting .310 with two homers and seven RBIs. Overall, he is hitting .310 for the season with 25 RBIs. Pete Alonso has nine homers for the Mets, which is 3rd in the league. Overall, the Mets are 15th in scoring and are 8th in homers.
Jose Quintana is 1-3 with a 5.20 ERA and faces off against Sonny Gray for the Cardinals. Gray has picked up wins in his first two starts and went 6 innings in his last outing, giving up four runs. Quintana has an ERA of 10.66 on the road compared to 2.26 at home.
New York Mets ML +140
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Philadelphia Phillies
Blue Jays (+134) – Phillies (-162) | O/U 8.5
Wednesday’s interleague matchup between the Blue Jays and Phillies is set for 1:05 from Citizen Bank Park in Philadelphia. The Phillies are the heavy favorite on the moneyline at -162, and the over/under line is sitting at 8.5 runs. Chris Bassitt is starting for the Blue Jays, and he is facing off against Aaron Nola for Philadelphia.
Philadelphia is hosting the Blue Jays today with an overall record of 26-11, which has them leading the NL East by three games over the Braves. The Phillies have won seven straight games, and they are 9-1 over their last 10 games overall.
At home, the Phillies have gone 15-6 this season and are 11-5 on the road. So far, they have been really good as the favorite, putting up a mark of 22-8. As the underdog, the Phillies are 4-3 this year. Looking at their series record, the Phillies are 7-2-2 this year and have won three straight series overall.
Right-hander Aaron Nola gets the start for the Phillies today as he faces the Blue Jays at home. He has made seven starts this year and has a record of 4-1 with an ERA of 3.32. Nola’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.15. Looking at his overall numbers, Nola has turned in four quality starts and is averaging 8.31 strikeouts per nine innings. In his last outing, he finished with a no-decision, giving up two earned runs in four innings of work. Before that, he had won three straight starts.
Philadelphia comes into the game as one of the league’s top offenses, averaging 5.1 runs per game, which is 3rd in the majors. They have been even better at home, putting up 5.5 runs per contest. As a team, the Phillies are batting .258, which is the 3rd best mark in the league. They also have the league’s 3rd best OPS and have the 2nd most home runs in the league.
Right-hander Chris Bassitt gets the start for the Blue Jays today as he faces the Phillies on the road. He has made seven starts this year and has a record of 2-5 with an ERA of 5.45. Bassitt’s WHIP for the season is 1.68, and opponents are batting .289 off him this year. In his last outing, he gave up three earned runs in six innings of work, taking the loss. Before that, he had given up at least two homers in three straight starts. Bassitt has a 7.72 ERA at home compared to 6.29 on the road.
Toronto Blue Jays ML +134
Houston Astros vs. New York Yankees
Astros (+119) – Yankees (-142) | O/U 8.5
Wednesday night’s matchup between the Astros and Yankees is set for 7:05 PM ET from Yankee Stadium in New York. The Astros are sending Spencer Arrighetti to the mound up against Carlos Rodon for the Yankees. New York comes in with a record of 24-13, while the Astros are just 12-23.
As for the moneyline odds, the Yankees are at -142, and the over/under line is at 8.5 runs. New York is looking for its fourth straight win, while the Astros are the underdog at +119.
With a record of 24-13, the Yankees are in 2nd place in the AL East, tied with the Orioles for the division lead. New York has won four straight games, and they are 7-3 over their last 10. In the AL East, the Yankees have gone 6-7 in divisional games this year.
Heading into today’s game, the Astros are averaging 4.4 runs per game, which is 16th in the league. They have been a better home team, averaging 4.8 runs per game. As a team, they are batting .255, which is the 5th best mark in the league. Houston’s offense has been tough to strike out, as they have the fewest strikeouts in the league. The Astros are also near the top of the league in home runs.
So far this season, the Yankees offense is averaging 4.8 runs per game, which is 10th in the league. They have been even better on the road, averaging 5.2 runs per contest. As a team, they are batting .249, which is 8th in the league, and are also 3rd in home runs. New York also has the 2nd best on-base percentage in the league.
Spencer Arrighetti is on the mound for the Astros in their road matchup with the Yankees. Arrighetti has had a rough start to the season, as he has taken the loss in each of his first two starts. In his most recent outing, he went 5 2/3 innings and gave up 2 earned runs, but he did have 6 strikeouts. He was roughed up in his first start of the year, giving up 4 earned runs in just 3 2/3 innings.
Carlos Rodón is coming off a rough outing vs. the Orioles, where he gave up six earned runs in just four innings of work. He took the loss in that game. Before that start, he had a streak of three straight quality starts. Rodón’s ERA for the season is 3.68, along with a record of 2-2. Looking at his home/away splits, he is 1-2 with a 5.44 ERA on the road compared to 1-0 with a 1.5 ERA at home. So far, he has allowed six home runs. Per nine innings, Rodón is averaging 3.44 walks compared to 8.84 strikeouts.
Houston Astros ML +119
Milwaukee Brewers vs. Kansas City Royals
Brewers (+110) – Royals (-131) | O/U 8.5
Wednesday’s interleague matchup between the Brewers and Royals is set for 2:10 from Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City. The forecast calls for clear skies and temperatures in the mid to upper 60s. Milwaukee comes in with a record of 21-14, while the Royals are 21-16.
Joe Ross gets the start for the Brewers, and he is facing off against Brady Singer for the Royals. Kansas City is the favorite on the moneyline at -131. The over/under line is at 8.5 runs.
Milwaukee is currently 21-14 overall and leads the NL Central by a half-game over the Cubs. The Brewers are 8-5 in divisional matchups this year. The Brewers have gone just 4-6 over their last ten games and are 7-7 at home compared to 14-7 on the road.
As the road underdog, the Brewers have gone 10-4 this year, and they are 12-8 overall as the underdog. Milwaukee’s series record is 6-3-2 this year.
Kansas City is 21-16 overall and 2.5 games behind the Guardians for the AL Central lead. The Royals are 8-5 against other AL Central teams this year. So far, they have split their series 5-6.
At home, the Royals are 14-8 compared to 7-8 on the road. As the favorite, the Royals are 8-5 this year, and they are 6-3 as the favorite at home. Kansas City has an overall record of 13-11 as the underdog. Looking at their overall play, the Royals have gone just 4-6 over their last ten games.
Milwaukee comes into the game as one of the league’s top-scoring offenses, averaging 4.9 runs per game. They have been even better on the road, averaging 5.2 runs per contest. The Brewers are also one of the league’s top power-hitting teams, as they are 4th in home runs and have a collective batting average of .253 (7th).
William Contreras has been one of the Brewers’ top hitters so far this season, batting .331 with five homers and 27 RBIs. Christian Yelich is also swinging a hot bat, as he is batting .333 with five homers. However, he has only driven in 11 runs so far this season. Willy Adames has seven homers but has gone just 6/31 over his last eight games.
Salvador Perez has been the Royals’ top power threat so far this season, as his eight home runs are 4th in the league and lead the team. Perez also comes into the game with a strong batting average of .326. However, he has gone just 3/19 in his last five games. Bobby Witt Jr. has also been a key run producer for the Royals, as his 19 RBIs are 15th in the league, and he is batting .319.
Michael Massey has been hot for the Royals, going 8/18 in his last five games with a home run. This has helped him extend his hitting streak to 10 games. Overall, Massey is batting just .222 for the season. Kansas City’s lineup has been one of the best in the league at avoiding strikeouts, but they are just 17th in walks.
Joe Ross gets the start for the Brewers today as he faces the Royals on the road. So far this season, he has made six starts and has a record of 1-3 with an ERA of 4.64. Looking at his overall numbers, Ross has a WHIP of 1.55 and opponents are batting .277 this season. Ross has made two quality starts this year and is averaging 7.84 strikeouts per nine innings. In his last outing, Ross finished with a no-decision, going six innings and giving up one earned run on six hits. Before that, he had lost three straight starts.
Brady Singer gets the start for the Royals today as he faces the Brewers at home. He has made seven starts this season and has a record of 2-1 with an ERA of 2.46. Singer’s WHIP for the season is currently .97. Looking back at his last outing, Singer finished with a no-decision against the Rangers, going six innings and giving up one earned run on four hits. He pitched well in that outing, finishing with eight strikeouts. Singer has made three quality starts this season. Per nine innings, he is averaging 9.37 strikeouts and 2.9 walks.
Milwaukee Brewers ML +110
Seattle Mariners vs. Minnesota Twins
Mariners (-118) – Twins (-103) | O/U 7.5
Seattle’s offense is 22nd in the league, averaging 3.8 runs per game. They are hitting just .222 as a team and are the league’s worst team in terms of striking out. The Mariners are 20-16 overall and are 2nd in the AL West, a half-game behind the Rangers. The Mariners have gone 11-8 at home and 9-8 on the road. Seattle is on a six-game winning streak and have gone 6-4-1 in series this year.
The Twins are 20-15 this season and are 2.5 games behind the Guardians for the AL Central lead. They are 12-7 against division opponents and have gone 9-8 at home and 11-7 on the road. Minnesota has won four straight series and are 5-4-2 overall in series this year. Minnesota’s offense is 12th in scoring, putting up 4.6 runs per game, and they are hitting .238 as a team.
Max Kepler is on a nine-game hitting streak for the Twins and is 10/24 with a homer over his last seven games. Ryan Jeffers has two homers in his last six games. Seattle’s George Kirby is 3-2 with a 3.76 ERA and has a WHIP of 1.04. He is averaging 9.63 strikeouts per nine innings. Kirby has made four quality starts this year.
Chris Paddack is 3-1 with a 4.78 ERA this year for the Twins. He has a WHIP of 1.47 and is averaging 7.59 strikeouts per nine innings. Paddack is coming off a six-inning scoreless outing and has won three straight starts. He is 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA at home compared to 1-1 with an 8.96 ERA on the road.
Minnesota Twins ML -103
San Diego Padres vs. Chicago Cubs
Padres (-125) – Cubs (+104) | O/U 8.5
San Diego is currently favored at -125 on the moneyline, and the over/under line is at 8.5 runs. The Cubs are 22-15 overall, and they are currently tied with the Brewers for the NL Central lead. As for the Padres, they are 19-20 overall and 6.5 games behind the Dodgers in the NL West. The Cubs are 13-5 at home this year and 6-1 as the underdog at home. Chicago is 10-5 as the favorite and 6-3-2 in series this year.
San Diego’s offense is 6th in scoring and has the 2nd best road scoring offense in the league. The Padres are also 2nd in team batting average and have one of the best on-base percentages and slugging percentages in the league. Jurickson Profar is 14/31 in his last eight games with three homers and nine RBIs. He is hitting .338 for the season and is currently on a four-game hitting streak. Jake Cronenworth has an 11-game hitting streak for the Padres.
Christopher Morel has a team-high 8 homers for the Cubs, but he is hitting just .215 overall. He is 4/15 in his last five games with three homers. Michael Busch has seven homers and 19 RBIs for the Cubs. The starting pitching matchup for today’s game features Dylan Cease for the Padres and Hayden Wesneski for the Cubs.
San Diego Padres ML -125
Texas Rangers vs. Oakland Athletics
Rangers (-128) – Athletics (+106) | O/U 7.5
Michael Lorenzen is getting the start for the Rangers today and is coming off a win over the Braves. He has gone six innings in each of his starts and has given up three earned runs in each of his last two outings. The Athletics are starting JP Sears, who is 2-2 with a 3.89 ERA this year and has gone 6 1/3 innings in his last start without giving up a run.
Currently, the Rangers are the favorite at -128, and the over/under line is at 7.5 runs. Texas is 21-16 overall and have won four straight games. They are 7-8 in AL West matchups and have a half-game lead over the Mariners for the division lead. The Athletics are 17-20 overall and trail the Rangers by four games in the division.
Adolis Garcia is 4th in the league with eight homers for the Rangers, and Marcus Semien has 27 RBIs, which is 7th in the league. Nathaniel Lowe has been hot for the Rangers, hitting .342 over his last 10 games. As a team, the Rangers are 6th in batting average and are 7th in runs scored.
The Athletics are 3rd in homers but are just 23rd in batting average. Abraham Toro is hitting .287 for the Athletics, and Brent Rooker has eight homers and 21 RBIs. Overall, the Athletics are 25th in scoring at 3.6 runs per game. The Athletics are 3rd in the AL West and have gone 2-3 in divisional games.
Texas Rangers ML -128
Los Angeles Angels vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
Angels (+111) – Pirates (-133) | O/U 8.5
Wednesday’s interleague matchup between the Angels and Pirates is set for 12:35 PM ET from PNC Park in Pittsburgh. The Pirates are sending Martín Pérez to the mound vs. José Soriano for the Angels. Coming into the game, the Pirates are 17-20 overall, while the Angels are 13-23.
At home, the Angels are just 4-11 this year, and they are only one game above .500 at 9-12 on the road. This season, the Angels have really struggled in day games, going 3-12. As the underdog, Los Angeles is 12-20 this year, compared to 1-3 when favored. Looking at their overall series record, the Angels are just 1-9-1 this year and have lost five straight series.
Taylor Ward has been a key run producer for the Angels, as his 24 RBIs are the best mark on the team and 10th best in the league. Ward is also 2nd on the team with seven homers and is batting .271.
As a team, the Pirates are averaging just 3.5 runs per game, which is the worst mark in the league. They are also the worst home scoring team in the league, averaging just 2.9 runs per game. Overall, they are batting just .221 and have the league’s worst isolated power figure at .110. The team’s collective on-base percentage of .303 is also just 17th in the league.
Kevin Pillar and Zach Neto have both been swinging the bat well for the Angels of late, as Pillar has gone 4/11 in his last four games with two homers, while Neto is 7/25 in his last seven games with two homers. Neto is also on a four-game hitting streak. Luis Rengifo is on a seven-game hitting streak for the Angels.
Pittsburgh is the favorite on the moneyline at -133, and the over/under line is at 8.5 runs. If you’re looking to watch this game on TV, it is being carried by SN PT.
Pittsburgh Pirates ML -133
Detroit Tigers vs. Cleveland Guardians
Tigers (+117) – Guardians (-140) | O/U 8.0
Reese Olson is 0-4 this year with an ERA of 2.70 and a WHIP of 1.23. He has 8.37 strikeouts per nine innings and 3.51 walks. Olson will be facing a Cleveland lineup that is led by Josh Naylor, who has three homers in his last seven games. Naylor is hitting .250 for the season and has nine homers overall, which is 3rd in the league. José Ramirez is also swinging a hot bat for the Guardians, as he is 5th in the league in homers and leads the team with 30 RBIs.
Overall, the Guardians are 9th in scoring at 4.9 runs per game, while the Tigers are 21st at 4 runs per contest. Detroit is hitting just .228 as a team, and they are 14th in homers. Riley Greene has been swinging a hot bat for the Tigers, going 12/35 with four homers over his last nine games. He is hitting .264 for the year and leads the team with 17 RBIs.
First pitch for this one is set for 1:10 PM ET, and the Guardians are the favorite at -140. The over/under line is sitting at 8 runs. If you’re looking to watch this one on TV, it is being carried by BSDET.
Cleveland Guardians ML -140
Over Under Plays
Baltimore Orioles vs. Washington Nationals
Orioles (-172) – Nationals (+144) | O/U 9.0
Wednesday’s game between the Orioles and Nationals is set for 6:45 PM from Nationals Park, and the over/under line is at 9 runs. Baltimore is the favorite on the moneyline at -172, and they are 23-12 overall, which is a half-game ahead of the Yankees in the AL East. Washington is 18-17 and trails the Phillies by seven games in the NL East.
Washington has won the first two games of their series vs. the Orioles and are 5-2 in the NL East. Looking at the starting pitching matchup, we have Kyle Bradish for the Orioles, and he is coming off a start against the Yankees where he went 4 2/3 innings and struck out 5. Mitchell Parker is making his third start for the Nationals and has yet to allow a homer this season.
Adley Rutschman has been on a tear for the Orioles, going 10/29 in his last seven games, and he is hitting .322 for the season. As a team, the Orioles are 2nd in scoring and are the top home run hitting team in the league. Washington’s offense is 18th in scoring and is hitting .232 as a team.
Gunnar Henderson is 2nd in the league with 10 homers for the Orioles, and he is hitting .266. Luis Garcia Jr. is hitting .330 for the Nationals and has gone 9/18 in his last six games with two homers. CJ Abrams has seven homers for the Nationals, and Nick Senzel has gone deep five times.
Over 9 Runs -109
Miami Marlins vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
Marlins (+227) – Dodgers (-283) | O/U 9.0
Coming into Wednesday’s game, the Dodgers are 25-13 and have won six straight games, while the Marlins are 10-28 and have lost two straight games. The Dodgers are 7-4 against other teams in the NL West and lead the Padres by 6.5 games. Miami is 16.5 games behind the Phillies for the NL East lead and have a 1-9 record vs. other teams in the division.
Wednesday’s moneyline odds have the Dodgers as the heavy favorite at -283, while the Marlins are sitting at +227. The over/under line is at 9 runs, and you can catch this one on SNLA.
So far this season, the Marlins are averaging just 3.7 runs per game, which is 23rd in the league. Miami’s team batting average is just .226, and they are also near the bottom of the league in on-base percentage, slugging, and OPS. Miami’s offense is also 16th in home runs, but their isolated power figure of .115 is just 22nd in the league.
Ryan Weathers gets the start for the Marlins today and comes in with a record of 2-3 and an ERA of 4.54. Looking back at his last outing, Weathers took the loss, giving up three earned runs in six innings of work. He has given up at least one homer in each of his last three outings. Weathers’ WHIP for the season is currently 1.37. Out of his seven starts, he has two quality starts and is averaging 7.82 strikeouts per nine innings. Weathers’ ERA at home is 7.75 compared to 2.77 on the road.
Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts have been leading the Dodgers offense this season, with Ohtani batting .365 and leading the team with 11 home runs. Betts is right behind him in terms of batting average, hitting .349, and is also 3rd on the team with six homers. Ohtani has been especially hot of late, going 10/17 in his last five games, with four homers and eight RBIs. Max Muncy has also been swinging a hot bat, going 6/15 in his last four games, with four homers.
Over 9 Runs -102
