We’re down to the last two weeks of regular season baseball. Below are five games that are the best baseball games to bet on today.
With only three wins in 12 games thus far this month, it’s understandable to lose your faith on the Atlanta Braves. But with Ervin Santana starting at home tonight, perhaps you should consider taking a pause from condemning the Braves, as they have been lights-out at Turner Field when he’s on the mound. But then again, they’re up against the Washington Nationals, who are dead-set in claiming the throne in the National League East division. Find out more about this matchup along with four other games in our latest list of today’s best baseball games to bet on.
MLB Picks and Predictions for Monday, September 15, 2014
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Baltimore Orioles (7:05 PM ET)
Line: Toronto Blue Jays (+115) at Baltimore Orioles (-125); total: 7.5 – see all MLB lines
[sc:MLB240banner ]Comfortably ahead of the Blue Jays by 11.5 games for the American League East title, the Orioles can reduce their magic number to one when they start Wei-Yin Chen (15-4, 3.59 ERA) in the first game of this season’s penultimate series between Baltimore and Toronto.
The Orioles are 4-0 in Chen’s last four home starts. The Blue Jays, on the other hand, will go with Marcus Stroman (10-5, 3.61 ERA). Stroman is 3-0 and has an ERA mark of 1.59 over his last three starts. Stroman was rock solid in his last outing, throwing a complete-game three-hitter in the Blue Jays’ 8-0 victory against the Chicago Cubs on September 8.
Writer’s prediction: Toronto wins.
Washington Nationals vs. Atlanta Braves (7:10 PM ET)
Line: Washington Nationals (-118) Atlanta Braves (+108); total: 6.5– see all MLB lines
Although the Braves are 1-6 in their last seven games, a loss at home with Ervin Santana (14-8, 3.76 ERA) on the mound remains an alien concept to the team’s fans. The Braves are 8-0 in Santana’s last eight starts at Turner Field and over that stretch, the Dominican pitcher went 7-0 with a 2.91 ERA. Santana will be matched up tonight against the Nationals’ fireballer, Stephen Strasburg (11-11, 3.46 ERA). Strasburg has a 2-0 record and a 0.61 ERA in his last two road starts.
Line: New York Yankees (+120) at Tampa Bay Rays (-130); total: 8.0 – see all MLB lines
The Rays, who are 4-1 in their last five games against a lefty starter, would probably be happy to see the Yankees’ Chris Capuano on the mound later. Tampa Bay massacred Capuano in their meeting last week, tagging the left-hander with four runs in the first inning, albeit in an 8-5 loss.
Despite the disastrous outing by Capuano, the Yankees are undefeated in the pitcher’s last four starts overall. Facing the Yankees is Alex Colome (1-0, 2.79 ERA), who will make his fifth career start tonight. Colome’s only win thus far this season came in the Rays’ 5-2 win over Baltimore on June 27, when he gave up just an earned run in 5.2 innings of duty.
Collin McHugh (9-9, 2.79 ERA) has been unstoppable in his recent starts, and his presence on the mound tonight for the Astros is not a pretty sight for Cleveland, which is in dire need of wins for a last push for a postseason spot. The Astros are 6-1 in McHugh’s last seven starts, wherein he did not allow more than two earned runs in any of those games. The Indians, however, have dominated Houston since last season. They are 8-2 in their last 10 games against the Astros.
Writer’s prediction: Cleveland wins.
Seattle Mariners vs. Los Angeles Angels (10:05 PM ET)
Line: Seattle Mariners (+114) at Los Angeles Angels (-124); total: 7.5– see all MLB lines
Los Angeles could lock in a postseason spot with a win tonight against the visiting Mariners. After losing 6-1 to the lowly Astros yesterday, the Angels will send to the mound Matt Shoemaker (15-4, 3.16 ERA), who is 6-0 with a 1.32 ERA over his last seven outings. He’ll be in for a duel with Seattle’s Hisashi Iwakuma (14-7, 3.11), who’ll bring a 5-0 record with a 1.75 ERA in seven career starts against the Angels. The Mariners are 10-2 record in Iwakuma’s last 12 road starts.
