Miami Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton is on a power streak not seen around baseball since the steroid era. His MLB picks and trade value will never be higher, but could the Marlins trade him by the Aug. 31 waiver deadline for a haul of prospects? Any team looking to acquire Stanton would want the Marlins to chip in money on his $285 million contract. It likely won’t happen by Aug. 31, but it could happen this offseason. Regardless of what’s coming, there still some weeks left before we enter the postseason, so lets review some of the Friday games that offer the best value for MLB betting fans.
Baltimore counters with Jeremy Hellickson (7-7, 4.70), who was acquired ahead of the trade deadline from Philadelphia. Hellickson lost Sunday after allowing six runs on five hits (one homer) and two walks with four strikeouts in five innings against Oakland. Hellickson had pitched well in his first two outings as an Oriole, but he struggled his third time out. Prior to that, he faced the Angels and lost after giving up three runs on six hits and one walk with nine strikeouts over six innings. Striking out a season-high nine batters with his 95 pitches, Hellickson was locked in for nearly all of his six frames. He would allow four hitters to reach in the seventh before exiting.
Analyzing the MLB Picks and Winning Favorites Friday August 18th
NY Yankees at Boston Red Sox
When: 7:10 PM ET Where: Fenway Park TV: MLB Network Stream: MLB.tv GAMETIME WEATHER Chance of a Thunderstorm 22°C/72°F Humidity 91% Precipitation % 50% Cloud Cover 97% Wind 14 mph S Stadium Type Open These AL East rivals just played last weekend in the Bronx and Boston took two of three. The Yanks might not have struggling closer Aroldis Chapman on Friday. Chapman is being put through some tests after complaining of a tight hamstring on Tuesday night. Despite his recent struggles, manager Joe Girardi said the Yankees have no plans to remove Chapman from the ninth inning. It’s rookie lefty Jordan Montgomery for New York. Montgomery (7-6, 3.94). He didn’t factor in the decision Sunday after giving up one run on two hits and three walks with four strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings against Boston. Montgomery made the start one day after being hit in the head by a fly ball during batting practice. He pitched effectively, as both hits allowed were singles, but only managed 84 pitches before getting pulled in the sixth inning. Boston goes with lefty Drew Pomeranz (12-4, 3.39). Pomeranz allowed three runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out five over 6.2 innings en route to a win over the Yankees on Saturday. Pomeranz has now won six straight decisions and nine of 10. He gave up a two-run homer to Gary Sanchez in the first inning and ran into a bit of trouble in the fourth, but he still easily outdueled Luis Severino. Since walking nine batters over two starts near the end of July, Pomeranz has issued a total of four free passes in his last three starts, spanning 19.2 innings.LA Angels at Baltimore Orioles
When: 7:05 PM ET Where: Camden Yards, Baltimore TV: MLB Extra Innings Stream: MLB.tv GAMETIME WEATHER Mostly Cloudy 28°C/82°F Humidity 79% Precipitation % 10% Cloud Cover 69% Wind 4 mph SW Stadium Type Open The Halos continue to push for a wild-card spot and get back Andrew Heaney from Tommy John surgery on Friday. Heaney, 26, posted a 3.49 ERA in 18 starts in 2015, and earned the No. 2 spot in the rotation the following season. His elbow problems cropped up during that first start, eventually resulting in major surgery. Heaney, who hasn’t pitched in the majors since April 2016, rejoined the club on Tuesday and threw a bullpen session. Heaney threw 94 pitches in seven innings in his last outing at Triple-A, which was his sixth minor league start. He had a combined 2.60 ERA, including 3.12 in three Triple-A games. The Angels don’t need to create a rotation spot for Heaney. Ever since they sent Jesse Chavez to the bullpen and optioned Troy Scribner, they have had only four starters on the active roster.
Baltimore counters with Jeremy Hellickson (7-7, 4.70), who was acquired ahead of the trade deadline from Philadelphia. Hellickson lost Sunday after allowing six runs on five hits (one homer) and two walks with four strikeouts in five innings against Oakland. Hellickson had pitched well in his first two outings as an Oriole, but he struggled his third time out. Prior to that, he faced the Angels and lost after giving up three runs on six hits and one walk with nine strikeouts over six innings. Striking out a season-high nine batters with his 95 pitches, Hellickson was locked in for nearly all of his six frames. He would allow four hitters to reach in the seventh before exiting.
