Tuesday's Top MLB Betting Picks & Predictions - August 8th Edition

Tuesday’s Top MLB Betting Picks & Predictions – August 8th Edition

Written by on August 7, 2017

Potentially significant injury news regarding the Seattle Mariners as reliever David Phelps left with right elbow discomfort after throwing seven pitches in the seventh inning of the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader against the Kansas City Royals. Phelps is flying back to Seattle to meet with team doctors on Monday. The Mariners acquired Phelps from the Miami Marlins before the trade deadline in exchange for four minor league players, including highly regarded outfielder Brayan Hernandez. Phelps had pitched very well since the deal but now could be finished. Here are three games on Tuesday’s MLB betting picks and my recommendations.

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Tuesday’s Top MLB Betting Picks & Predictions – August 8th Edition

NY Yankees at Toronto Blue Jays

When: 7:07 PM ET Where: Rogers Centre, Toronto TV: YES (NY) / SNET (Toronto) Stream: MLB.tv Radio: 101.9 FM (NY) / SN590 (Toronto) Opening MLB Betting Lines: TBA It’s an AL East series opener between these two. The Yankees are second in the division but currently holding down one of the AL’s wild-card spots, while the Blue Jays are last in the East and really more looking toward 2018. New York starts big left CC Sabathia (9-4, 3.81). He took the loss his last time out, serving up a pair of homers over six innings in a 4-3 loss to the Tigers on Aug. 1. John Hicks’s three-run home run off Sabathia in the second inning gave the Tigers a lead they would not relinquish. The last Tigers rookie to produce a game-winning RBI on a home run in the Bronx was Travis Fryman, who connected against Chuck Cary on Oct. 1, 1990. Sabathia will be facing the Blue Jays for the fourth time this year. He is 1-1 with a 7.62 ERA in those efforts.

Who Will Pitch for Toronto on Tuesday?

Toronto lefty JA Happ (4-8, 3.92) allowed only one run on six hits and a walk while striking out 10 over seven innings in Wednesday’s 5-1 win over the White Sox. After escaping a bases-loaded, one-out situation in the first inning, the lefty allowed just one baserunner over the next four innings before Chicago finally pushing their lone run across in the sixth. Happ’s 10 Ks were a season high, while the outing snapped a string of six straight starts in which he’d walked multiple batters. The Yankees are 5-5 vs. the Blue Jays in 2017. They will play the 11th of 19 games in 2017 on Tuesday (9G in the Bronx, 10G at Toronto). The Yanks have won 10 of their last 20 matchups since 8/15/16, including a three-game sweep from 9/5-7/16. New York has gone 22-35 in their last 57 meetings with Toronto (since 7/26/14). It has lost 14 of their last 19 series to Toronto since 6/23/14

Expert MLB Betting Prediction

Take Happ at home, where his numbers are much better.

Boston Red Sox at Tampa Bay Rays

When: 7:10 PM ET Where: Tropicana Field TV: NESN (Boston) / Fox Sports Sun (Tampa Bay) Stream: MLB.tv Radio: 103.7 FM (Boston) / 95.3 FM (Tampa Bay) Opening MLB Betting Lines: TBA The Rays have the misfortune of facing the AL Cy Young betting favorite in Red Sox left-hander Chris Sale in this series opener. Sale (13-4, 2.70) did prove he was mortal last time out as he was slammed for seven runs on eight hits — including two home runs — and a walk over five innings but escaped with a no-decision in Tuesday’s 12-10 win over Cleveland. He struck out five. An anticipated pitcher’;s duel with Carlos Carrasco instead turned into a classic Fenway Park shootout that saw 10 runners cross the plate in the first two innings and five more score in the ninth. Sale’s 20.2-inning scoreless streak was snapped in brutal fashion in his worst start of the year. The rough outing aside, the southpaw’s 2.08 FIP still leads all qualified starters — as does his 12.68 K/9. Are the Red Sox a safe MLB betting picks against the Rays?

Who Will Take the Mound for Tampa Bay?

The Rays counter with Austin Pruitt (6-2, 5.65). Pruitt won after yielding five hits and a walk with three strikeouts across 6 1/3 shutout innings Wednesday against the Astros. The rookie righty turned in the best start of his young career, slicing his ERA from 6.63 to 5.65 in the process. He is now 1-1 with a 3.14 ERA and an 8.2 K/9 rate in three starts (14 1/3 innings) and 5-1 with a 6.91 ERA and a 7.5 K/9 rate in 17 relief appearances (28 2/3 innings). The 27-year- old has posted a 3.92 FIP in 43 innings overall, and he registered a 2.55 ERA (2.10 FIP) in 24 2/3 innings at Triple-A.

Expert MLB Betting Prediction

Sale has yet to have back-to- back lousy starts and won’t here.

Colorado Rockies at Cleveland Indians

When: 7:10 PM ET Where: Progressive Field TV: ATT SportsNet-RM (Colorado) / SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland) Stream: MLB.tv Radio: 94.1 FM (Colorado) / WMMS 100.7 (Cleveland) Opening MLB Betting Lines: TBA It’s a possible World Series preview and the Rockies will add the DH for this interleague matchup. The Tribe just activated 2B Jason Kipnis from the 10-day disabled list. Kipnis missed nearly a month of action with a right hamstring strain. He’s sporting a disappointing .232/.292/.402 batting line with eight home runs and five stolen bases for the Tribe this season. On the mound, Colorado starts rookie German Marquez (9-4, 4.11). Marquez took the no-decision after giving up three runs on six hits (one homer) and three walks with five strikeouts over six innings Thursday against the Mets. Turning in his fifth straight quality start, Marquez continued his strong rookie season despite seeing his winning streak snapped at four games. Marquez has posted a 3.52 ERA with a 9.0 K/9 rate over his past 15 starts, and he’s been able to weather storm at Coors Field this year (4.31 home ERA). He’s been even better in the strikeout department lately, fanning 33 batters in his past 26 2/3 innings.

Who Will Start Off for the Indians on Tuesday?

It’s Cleveland ace and Cy Young candidate Corey Kluber (9-3, 2.77). Kluber was masterful in Thursday’s complete game win over the Yankees, allowing just one run on three hits with one walk and 11 strikeouts. Kluber spoiled Sonny Gray’s New York debut by going a full nine innings for the third time this season while racking up double-digit strikeouts for the ninth time in his last 10 starts. His numbers in that stretch have been Cy Young worthy, as the 2014 winner of the award has posted a 1.70 ERA and 113:12 K:BB over 74.1 innings. Kluber’s only blemish in this one was a seventh-inning homer by Gary Sanchez. He has struck out at least eight batters in 12 straight starts, and 10 or more in 10 of those outings.