There’s just one trade deadline this year in Major League Baseball, and many think because there are no longer two (there used to be a non-waiver deadline at the end of August but that’s gone now) that we will see bigger trades earlier. One semi-significant deal happened over the weekend when the Philadelphia Phillies acquired outfielder Jay Bruce from the Seattle Mariners. Bruce adds some left-handed pop to the Philly lineup. Plus, center fielder Odúbel Herrera is currently on administrative leave after being charged with domestic violence. Here’s a look at two intriguing MLB matchups this week. Check back for MLB odds.
Top MLB Betting Picks of the Week – June 3rd Edition
LA Dodgers at Arizona Diamondbacks
- When: Tuesday, 9:40 PM ET (MLB Extra Innings)
Your NL Cy Young Award winner right now? Probably Dodgers lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu (8-1, 1.48). Ryu picked up the win last Thursday, blanking the Mets for 7.2 innings and giving up only four hits and one walk while striking out seven.
After seeing his streak of consecutive scoreless innings end at 32 in his last start, Ryu was dominant again in holding the Mets scoreless through 7.2 innings. Ryu has now won five consecutive starts and has given up only two earned runs in 37.2 innings during that stretch. As has been the case all season, the lefty displayed pinpoint control Thursday, throwing 70 of his 106 pitches for strikes and walking only one batter. He also struck out seven to push his season K:BB to a crazy 69:5. The South Korean hurler leads in ERA and is second with a WHIP of 0.81. He posted a 0.59 ERA across six May starts and has yet to allow more than two runs in a start this season.
Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner missed a fourth straight game Sunday with a hamstring injury but is expected in there for this one.
Arizona goes with Taylor Clarke. He didn’t factor into the decision against the Rockies last Thursday, giving up five earned runs on four hits over two innings, striking out three and walking two as the Diamondbacks eventually fell 11-10. Clarke had performed well in his other two big-league starts this season, but he couldn’t keep it going at Coors Field as the Rockies tagged him for five earned before chasing him after just two innings and 55 pitches. The outing jumped the right-hander’s ERA up to 5.19 and his WHIP to 1.33 to go along with an 11:5 K:BB over 17.1 innings. This will be his fifth big league appearance and fourth start.
The Snakes are without left fielder David Peralta and first baseman Jake Lamb, both on the injured list. It’s possible that Peralta could be activated, though. He has been on the shelf for the last couple weeks with AC joint inflammation in his right shoulder.
Chicago White Sox at Washington Nationals
- When: Wednesday, 1:05 PM ET (MLB Network)
The first game of the day Wednesday and the White Sox will lose the designated hitter in the National League park. Monitor the status of third baseman Yoan Moncada this week as he’s dealing with a leg injury. He’s having a nice breakout season.
The White Sox are 22-0 when leading after seven innings, 22-0 when leading after eight, 26-6 when scoring four-plus runs and 19-1 when holding the opposition to three runs or less. The Sox have lost six of the last seven vs. the Nationals, and are 5-7 since the franchise moved to Washington D.C. The Nationals won two of three in the last meeting from 6/7-9/16.
Many think the Nats will be sellers ahead of the trade deadline and that closer Sean Doolittle will be the first to go. Doolittle had a perfect ninth inning to earn his 12th save of the season in Sunday’s win over the Reds. He required just 13 pitches (10 strikes) to secure the save. The southpaw is 12-of-14 in save opportunities with a 3.24 ERA and 30/7 K/BB ratio across 25 innings. Prior to getting ripped for four runs by the Mets on May 22, Doolittle held a 1.71 ERA.It’s Dylan Covey for Chicago. Covey (1-4) picked up the win after allowing one run on eight hits and one walk while striking out five over six innings Friday night against the Indians. Covey gave up a solo home run in the first inning, but he settled down and hurled five scoreless frames to close out his night. The 27-year-old right-hander finally managed to pick up his first win of the 2019 season in his sixth start, and he now owns a 4.73 ERA and 1.42 WHIP with an 18:19 K:BB over 32.1 innings.
Washington’s Anibal Sanchez (1-6) picked up the win in last Wednesday’s 14-4 rout of Atlanta, giving up only one hit and one walk over six scoreless innings while striking out seven. Activated off the injured list earlier in the day, the 35-year-old put together what was easily his best performance of the year, taking a perfect game into the sixth inning before Ozzie Albies broke it up with a single. Sanchez still has only two quality starts in 10 outings. He has a 4.47 ERA and 48:26 K:BB through 48.1 innings.
Expert MLB Betting Predictions
Bet Dodgers and Nationals.
