MLB Betting Info. 4/18

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Re: MLB Betting Info. 4/18

Preview: Nationals at Marlins
GAME: Washington Nationals (9-2) at Miami Marlins (3-7)
DATE/TIME: Monday, April 18 – 7:10 PM EST
WHERE: Marlins Park, Miami, Florida
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A
The Miami Marlins have yet to win at home this season and turn to ace Jose Fernandez to try and stop the trend Monday as they host the first-place Washington Nationals in the opener of a four-game series. The Marlins were swept by the Atlanta Braves over the weekend after a 6-5 loss in 10 innings Sunday, and fell to 0-5 at Marlins Park.
Miami has won three of five on the road, including a two-game split at Washington, but has allowed 33 runs in five contests at home. Fernandez is 17-1 with a 1.61 ERA in his career at home and will go head to head against reigning National League MVP Bryce Harper, who has homered in a career-high four consecutive games and recorded 10 RBIs in that span. Harper’s solo blast put Washington up in the 10th inning Sunday before Jonathan Papelbon blew the save in a 3-2 loss to Philadelphia that ended a seven-game winning streak and dropped the Nationals to 5-1 on the road. Harper is batting .325 with 17 homers in 67 career games against the Marlins.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, MASN (Washington), FSN Florida (Miami)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Tanner Roark (1-1, 2.45 ERA) vs. Marlins RH Jose Fernandez (0-1, 5.06)
Roark rebounded from a rough outing in his season debut to pitch seven scoreless innings, allowing four hits, against Atlanta to earn the win last Wednesday. The 29-year-old struggled on the road (2-6) and against the Marlins (0-3, 5.79 ERA) last season when he made 12 starts and 28 relief appearances. Martin Prado is 6-for-12 with a homer versus Roark, who is 2-5 overall in his career against Miami.
Fernandez registered a better performance last time out, but three walks pushed his pitch count up and he was only able to complete five innings while permitting one run on three hits. The 23-year-old Cuban lost for the first time at Marlins Park in his season opener against Detroit. Harper is 3-for-10 with four walks against Fernandez, who went 2-0 with a 1.62 ERA in three starts versus the Nationals last year.
WALK-OFFS
1. Washington 2B Daniel Murphy is 14-for-30 during a nine-game hitting streak and has 107 hits in 101 career games versus Miami.
2. Miami RF Giancarlo Stanton is 2-for-18 with eight strikeouts in the last five games, but went 3-for-9 with an RBI in the series at Washington.
3. The Nationals lead the majors in ERA (2.06) and the four starters scheduled to pitch in the series are a combined 7-1.
PREDICTION: Marlins 6, Nationals 1

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Re: MLB Betting Info. 4/18

Preview: Cubs at Cardinals
GAME: Chicago Cubs (9-3) at St. Louis Cardinals (7-5)
DATE/TIME: Monday, April 18 – 8:09 PM EST
WHERE: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A
Emotions always run high in St. Louis when the Chicago Cubs come to town, but they might be cranked up another notch when John Lackey and Jason Heyward return to face their former team Monday. Lackey gets the start on the mound and Heyward likely will be in the lineup for the Cubs when they open a three-game series against the arch-rival Cardinals.
Chicago is coming off its first series loss of the season after dropping two of three to visiting Colorado over the weekend, and the Cubs’ potent lineup sputtered in the two losses. The Cubs are among the highest-scoring teams in the majors, but they were held to three hits in a 2-0 defeat in Sunday’s series finale after losing the series opener 6-1. The Cardinals boast the highest-scoring lineup in the majors and have hit double digits in runs four times already this season, but they did just enough with the bats in a 4-3 win in the rubber match of a three-game set with Cincinnati on Sunday. Eight different players hit homers for St. Louis in the series, and the Cardinals have belted 12 homers in the past four games.
TV: 8:09 p.m. ET, ESPN, WPWR (Chicago), FSN Midwest (St. Louis)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs RH John Lackey (2-0, 5.68 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Mike Leake (0-1, 6.97)
Lackey posted the best ERA of his career in a Cardinals uniform last season before bolting to Chicago in free agency. Lackey has won his first two starts for the Cubs, and after being hit hard in a 14-6 win in his debut, he held the Reds to two runs over 6 2/3 innings with seven strikeouts last time out. Lackey has never faced the Cardinals, but he was 11-4 with a 2.03 ERA at Busch Stadium over the past two seasons.
Leake has not impressed in his first two outings for the Cardinals, allowing four runs in each. He didn’t make it out of the fifth inning in his St. Louis debut but was more effective Wednesday against Milwaukee, striking out six over six innings. The longtime Reds pitcher has fared well in 19 starts against the Cubs, going 9-2 with a 3.15 ERA and winning his last five decisions against Chicago dating back to 2012.
WALK-OFFS
1. Heyward snapped an 0-for-11 skid with a double in the ninth inning Sunday and is hitting .205.
2. St. Louis C Eric Fryer is 6-for-6 to begin his tenure with the Cardinals.
3. The Cardinals have made 14 errors, tied with Cincinnati for the most in the majors.
PREDICTION: Cardinals 5, Cubs 4

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Re: MLB Betting Info. 4/18

Preview: Angels at White Sox
GAME: Los Angeles Angels (5-7) at Chicago White Sox (8-4)
DATE/TIME: Monday, April 18 – 8:10 PM EST
WHERE: U.S. Cellular Field, Chicago, Illinois
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A
The Los Angeles Angels look to bounce back from a disastrous weekend in Minnesota as they continue their 10-game road trip with the opener of a four-game series against the Chicago White Sox on Monday. The Angels began their trek in fine fashion as they swept a three-game set in Oakland to extend their overall winning streak to four before having the tables turned on them by the woeful Twins, who entered the matchup with an 0-9 record.
Los Angeles dropped a 3-2 decision in 12 innings Sunday after grabbing a 2-0 lead thanks to Albert Pujols, who belted his 562nd career homer in the first inning to pull within one of Reggie Jackson for 13th place on the all-time list — he also is one double away from tying Rafael Palmeiro (586) for 18th in major league history. Chicago returns home from a six-game road trip during which it dropped the last two contests after winning the first four — including three in Minnesota. The White Sox struggled to score at Tampa Bay, pushing a total of five runs across the plate in losing two of three, and have produced fewer than four in each of their last five contests overall. Adam Eaton hasn’t driven in a run since the season opener at Oakland but has hit safely in nine of his 11 games — recording six multi-hit performances along the way.
TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, FSN West (Los Angeles), CSN Chicago
PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels LH Hector Santiago (0-0, 3.95 ERA) vs. White Sox LH Carlos Rodon (1-1, 1.38)
Santiago is coming off his second no-decision in as many starts this season, a 7 2/3-inning performance at Oakland in which he allowed four runs and seven hits. It was the longest outing as an Angel for the 28-year-old native of Newark, New Jersey, who has started 58 of his 65 games with the team since the start of 2014. Santiago, who spent the first three years of his career with Chicago, lost his only turn against his former team — a setback at U.S. Cellular Field on Aug. 11 in which he yielded three runs and four hits over 5 1/3 frames.
Rodon issued five walks at Minnesota on Wednesday but gave up only three hits in six scoreless innings to notch the victory. The 23-year-old from Miami also pitched well in his season debut, yielding just two runs over seven frames at Oakland, but was tagged with the loss as he received one run of support. Rodon was strong in two starts against the Angels as a rookie last season, going 1-1 with one complete game, a 1.20 ERA and a 0.80 WHIP while striking out 16 in 15 innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. White Sox 3B Todd Frazier struck out four times Sunday — one fewer that his total in the previous four games.
2. Los Angeles RF Kole Calhoun has recorded at least one hit in 10 of his 12 games this season.
3. Chicago 2B Brett Lawrie is riding a seven-game hitting streak (11-for-28) after going 2-for-4 on Sunday.
PREDICTION: White Sox 4, Angels 2

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Re: MLB Betting Info. 4/18

Preview: Brewers at Twins
GAME: Milwaukee Brewers (5-7) at Minnesota Twins (3-9)
DATE/TIME: Monday, April 18 – 8:10 PM EST
WHERE: Target Field, Minneapolis, Minnesota
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A
The Minnesota Twins couldn’t seem to do anything right when it mattered during their worst start in over 100 years, but manager Paul Molitor likes what he sees after his club notched a trio of comeback wins over the weekend. The Twins eye a fourth straight victory since beginning the season 0-9 on Monday, when they host the Milwaukee Brewers in the opener of a four-game, home-and-home interleague series.
Minnesota totaled 14 runs and was 5-for-66 with runners in scoring position during its season-opening nine-game slide – the franchise’s first such skid since the 1904 Washington Senators opened 0-13-1 in its fourth year of existence. The Twins, who scored nine of their 14 runs during the series after the fifth inning, completed a sweep of the Los Angeles Angels with a 3-2, 12-inning victory on Sunday but lost the red-hot Trevor Plouffe to a right intercostal strain late in the game. “To endure that first stretch and respond this way is a good sign – 0-9 is a pretty big hole, so you don’t want to get too giddy,” Molitor told reporters. “But you’ll take bunching some wins here in response to that 0-9.” Milwaukee has dropped four of six to fall to 5-7, but it is 4-1 in games started by Jimmy Nelson and Chase Anderson – the latter of which will take the mound in the opener.
TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee), FSN North Plus (Minnesota)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Brewers RH Chase Anderson (1-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Twins RH Phil Hughes (0-2, 4.38)
After two mostly mediocre seasons with Arizona, Anderson has been a pleasant surprise so far for Milwaukee, as he has yet to surrender an earned run through 11 innings. The Oklahoma alum was charged with three unearned runs on four hits and a pair of walks in a no-decision at St. Louis on Wednesday, which followed five scoreless frames versus Houston five days earlier. Anderson never has faced Minnesota but is 3-1 with a 2.68 ERA in seven career interleague starts.
Hughes recorded a quality start in each of his first two outings and has yet to issue a walk but hasn’t received much help from his offense. The 29-year-old suffered his second loss in as many turns with Wednesday’s 3-0 setback against the Chicago White Sox despite allowing three runs and striking out seven in 6 1/3 innings. Hughes will draw Milwaukee for the first time in his career, eyeing his seventh straight win in as many starts against a National League opponent.
WALK-OFFS
1. With his two singles Sunday, Minnesota 1B Joe Mauer tied Hall-of-Famer Harmon Killebrew for fifth place on the franchise list with 1,173 hits.
2. Milwaukee 2B Scooter Gennett has drawn a team-high nine walks in 47 plate appearances in 2016 after recording 12 in 391 plate appearances last season.
3. Plouffe has been listed as day-to-day, but the Twins plan on letting him rest for a few days before deciding whether or not he needs a stint on the disabled list.
PREDICTION: Brewers 3, Twins 2

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Re: MLB Betting Info. 4/18

Preview: Diamondbacks at Giants
GAME: Arizona Diamondbacks (5-8) at San Francisco Giants (7-6)
DATE/TIME: Monday, April 18 – 10:15 PM EST
WHERE: AT&T Park, San Francisco, California
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A
The San Francisco Giants begin a 10-game homestand Monday against the Arizona Diamondbacks hoping to get untracked after their offense disappeared at times during the past week. The Giants will be happy to leave their 2-4 road trip to Colorado and Los Angeles in the rearview mirror, while Arizona starts the four-game series on a high note after taking two of three against San Diego.
The Diamondbacks received a power boost in Sunday’s 7-3 win over the Padres as outfielder Yasmany Tomas homered twice and drove in three runs. Tomas performed under expectations while hitting .273 with nine home runs as a rookie last season but has worked closely with batting coach Dave Magadan and went 6-for-10 in his last two games. San Francisco boasts one of the deepest lineups in the majors but saw several starters struggle during their road trip, including catcher Buster Posey, who has one hit in his last 19 at-bats. Center fielder Denard Span is batting .224 from the leadoff spot while third baseman Matt Duffy is mired in a 4-for-34 slump and hit into his fourth double play of the season during Sunday’s 3-1 loss to the Dodgers.
TV: 10:15 p.m. ET, FSN Arizona, CSN Bay Area (San Francisco)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Diamondbacks RH Archie Bradley (2015: 2-3, 5.80 ERA) vs. Giants RH Jake Peavy (0-1, 10.00)
Bradley is making his season debut in place of Rubby De La Rosa, whose start was pushed back after he threw 15 pitches in relief during Saturday’s 5-3, 14-inning loss to San Diego. The 23-year-old was 1-1 with a 4.05 ERA, nine strikeouts and five walks in his first two starts covering 6 2/3 innings with Triple-A Reno. Bradley, who was the seventh overall pick in the 2011 draft, faced the Giants in his second career start April 16, 2015, and received a no-decision after yielding two runs over 6 2/3 innings.
Peavy is seeking his first quality start after allowing a total of 10 runs over his first two games covering nine innings. The three-time All-Star allowed 10 extra-base hits and lasted just four innings Wednesday at Colorado but has a good chance to bounce back against a team that he has had success against the past few years. Chris Owings is 4-for-10 against the 34-year-old, who is 5-1 with a 3.38 ERA in his last six starts against the Diamondbacks.
WALK-OFFS
1. Arizona RHP Shelby Miller left Saturday’s game against San Diego early because of a finger injury but is expected to make his next scheduled start Thursday against the Giants.
2. The Giants have scored just four first-inning runs in their first 13 games.
3. Arizona recalled RHP Evan Marshall along with Bradley and optioned RHPs Jake Barrett and Matt Buschmann to Triple-A Reno.
PREDICTION: Giants 7, Diamondbacks 5