Bruce's Picks (1 Live)
Bruce's Past Picks
Yes the Yankees are a bit of a tough sell at the moment after losing seven of eight, and in each of those losses being held to three runs or fewer. Yet also note the recent excellence of starter Clarke Schmidt, who hasn't been getting rewarded enough because the offense is providing such limited run support, but he hasn't allowed a run in three of his last four starts. This looks a spot where the Yanks might bust out Saturday afternoon vs. Birds starter Zack Eflin, who was crushed in his last outing on Monday, allowing 7 runs and 12 hits in just 5 Innings of work in a loss to the Rays. Play Yankees on Run Line
These days a pause for hot Tampa Bay consists of splitting a four-game series, as vs. the Orioles earlier this week.The Rays were back with a vengeance last night, pounding out 14 runs and 16 hits to chase Jack Flaherty and abuse the Tigers bullpen. That's now wins in 21 of 29 for Tampa Bay, and Detroit's relievers are going to get another long day of work this afternoon because rookie starter Sawyer Gipson-Long is a long reliever by trade and likely to fill the role of an extended opener on Saturday. Expect some run support for Rays starter Ryan Pepiot, who hasn't needed all that much help lately (2.43 ERA in nine starts since beginning of May). Play Rays on Run Line
We go hard contrarian here with the Nats, whose long flight to LAX last night must have seemed just a bit nicer after finally breaking that 11-game skid on Thursday afternoon vs. the Rocks. Getting out of D.C. might be the best thing at the moment for Davey Martinez and his team, and the Nats do enter Chavez Ravine with the knowledge they won 2 of 3 vs. the Dodgers back in April. MacKenzie Gore (1.45 ERA last five starts) on the mound gives Washington a chance, and even improved efforts lately by LA's Clayton Kershaw don't suggest that fightin' Dave Roberts (did you see the 9th inning vs. SD last night?) won't be using his sometimes-shaky bullpen tonight. Play Nats on Run Line
When the streaky Angels end a win streak, they tend to do the same in their next game--lose--so Thursday's 7-3 setback in the Bronix sets an awkward frame for tonight at the Big A vs. Houston. Halos starter Yusei Kikuchi faces his old employer (at least the second half of last season) and has shown signs of wobbling, such as last Sunday in Baltimore when strafed by the Birds, allowing five runs and seven hits across 5 2/3 IP of an eventual 11-2 loss. Meanwhile, the Astros, cooled briefly last night by the A's, are always worth a look behind Hunter Brown, in whose last four starts Houston has won, while he's posted a 1.47 ERA thus far in June. Play Astros on Run Line
Can't win 'em all, but not yet ready to abandon the Rays (20-8 their last 28) after splitting four vs. the O's. Shane Baz takes the mound tonight off perhaps his best effort of the season when firing 6 2/3 innings of three-hit, shutout ball at the Mets on Sunday in a 9-0 TB romp, the fifth straight Rays win in games started by Baz. Meanwhile the visiting Tigers have flattened a bit the past week, losing three of their last five, and Jack Flaherty is off one of his worst starts this campaign when hammered by the Reds last Saturday (seven runs, including three homers, in just 4 2/3 IP of an 11-1 loss). Play Rays on Money Line
Big scorelines are back in Sacramento as Sutter Health Park is again living up to its reputation as a hitter's park in the first two games of this series. Lots of runs--31, to be exact--have been scored the past two nights with Houston providing most of the fireworks, scoring 24 of those runs. That's nothing new, as the Astros have been scoring runs in bunches in this current 7-1 surge, four times hitting for ten runs or more in this stretch. It might be asking a lot of A's starter Jacob Lopez to keep the Houston bats at bay, and goodness knows the A's bullpen hasn't helped much the past two nights. Play Astros-A's Over
Last Friday, Charlie Morton's assortment of off-speed offerings and constant change-of-pace flustered the free-swinging Angels at Camden Yards, with Morton striking out 10 in just 5 IP in an eventual 2-0 Baltimore win. It's also the same Morton with a 6.02 ERA this season, and not sure how much help he wants to count on from his bullpen after the Rays rallied from an 8-0 deficit to win 12-8 last night, the fifth time in six games that TB's offense has scored seven or more runs. That makes it 20 wins in 27 for the Rays, and Tampa Bay has also won in the last six starts by Drew Rasmussen, who's on the mound again tonight. Play Rays on Run Line
Not good for the Yanks, on the verge of getting swept four by the Halos in the Bronx, which would stretch the current skid to seven games. It could happen after the offense recently had a 33-inning streak without scoring a run, but if the Yankees are to snap out of it, they have the right guy on the mound this afternoon in Carlos Rodon, who fired seven shutout innings at the Angels the last time he faced them on May 27. The Angels, while winning the last three, aren't scoring many runs this week (just ten runs the past four games), and Tyler Anderson has labored in his last three starts, with a sky-high 9.00 ERA. Play Yankees on Run Line
Last night was a reminder to still be a bit wary of the Rangers' offense, which despite some recent signs of a breakout has been inconsistent at best the first three months of the season. Still, one more chance for Texas tonight after Seth Lugo and the Royals bullpen cooled the Rangers bats last night. KC's Kris Bubic might be capable of the same except in his last start he endured his worst outing of the campaign when tagged for five runs and six hits across just 4 1/3 IP of a 6-3 loss to the Yankees. As for Bruce Bochy's Texas side, Patrick Corbin has been consistent if not spectacular all season, reflected in his serviceable 3.66 ERA. Play Rangers on the Money Line.
Well, the Rays have to lose once in a while, so nights like Tuesday and a 5-1 loss to the O's can happen even if winning 19 of the previous 25. For tonight, note Taj Bradley's ERA has been inflated by a couple of poor efforts, yet for the most part he's pitched effectively in the Tampa Bay rotation. He didn't allow a run in his last start vs. the Mets on Friday, though he went only 4 innings. Meanwhile, not sold yet on Birds starter Trevor Rogers, who had a 7.11 ERA in limited work with Miami last season before posting 6 1/3 shutout innings vs. the Bosox on May 24 in his only start yet this campaign. Play Rays on the Money Line.
Miami is showing some signs of life with wins in four of five. They snapped the Phils' five-game win streak last night even if the locals were more preoccupied with the Panthers winning another Stanley Cup. Tonight the Marlins have to deal with Ranger Suarez, who is posting Steve Carlton-like numbers, allowing only 2 runs across 46 2/3 IP in his last seven starts, which equates to an 0.39 ERA (yes...0.39 ERA!!). Meanwhile, it's the first start of the season for Miami's Adam Mazur, who when last seen at the MLB level for the Padres a year ago was struggling with a 7.11 ERA in eight appearances. Play Phillies on the Run Line.
The Royals are playing like it's 2023 all over again, dropping six straight and eight of nine to fall from contention in the AL Central. KC has also lost the last four starts made by Seth Lugo, who deserved a better fate after pitching 5 2/3 shutout innings vs. the Yankees in his last start, but Lugo is also one of those potentially distracting contact situations which could see him put on the block at the trade deadline. Meanwhile, the Rangers are moving in the opposite direction with wins in four straight and seven of eight to get back to .500, while Vandy man Jack Leiter has at least been getting to the middle innings in recent starts. Play Rangers on the Money Line.
Are the Rays being undervalued? Now 19-6 across their last 25 games, and having scored seven or more in the current four-game uptick that includes a sweep of the Mets at Citi Field. Tampa Bay seems to be getting scant respect from the oddsmakers based upon this rather short price tonight (better value -1.5 runs) at Steinbrenner Field against the Birds. Especially since Baltimore starter Dean Kremer has been in-and-out all season and off of two less-than-stellar efforts, with a 6.57 ERA in two June starts. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay has won in eight of the last nine starts made by Zack Littell, who's pitched into the seventh inning in seven of the last eight. Play Rays on the Run Line.
Take away one particularly poor showing two weeks ago vs. the Brewers, and Cincy's Andrew Abbott has been pitching like he's Don Drysdale circle 1968. Tossing away that start vs. Milwaukee on June 4 and Abbott's other seven starts since the start of May, he has posted an 0.43 ERA. The Reds have won eight of his eleven starts. Cincy has also climbed into NL wild card contention with wins in seven of nine, while the Twins have dropped 8 of 10 to lose touch with the Tigers in the AL Central. Tuesday's starter David Festa has a 9.11 ERA in two June starts. Play Reds on the Money Line.