Betting news, trends, odds and predictions from various handicappers and websites for Thursday 9/6/18
Padres (55-86) @ Reds (59-81)
Lauer is 0-2, 8.44 in his last four starts under is 6-3-2 in his last 11. Team in his starts: 6-13, 2-7 away
5-inning record: 8-9-2 Allowed run in 1st inning: 6-19
Castillo is 2-2, 5.24 in his last four starts (over 3-1). Team in his starts: 14-13, 8-4 home
5-inning record: 12-14-1 Allowed run in 1st inning: 7-27
Padres lost three of their last four games; they’re 10-13 in road series openers. Under is 5-1 in their last six games. Cincinnati lost six of its last eight games; they’re 11-11 in home series openers. Over is 3-1 in their last four home games.
Cubs (82-57) @ Nationals (69-71)
Hendricks is 3-1, 2.42 in his last four starts; under is 7-1 in his last eight. Team in his starts: 14-14, 5-8 away
5-inning record: 11-11-6 Allowed run in 1st inning: 14-28
Strasburg is 1-0, 3.00 in his last two starts; over is 4-1 in his last five. Team in his starts: 9-8, 4-6 home
5-inning record: 8-6-3 Allowed run in 1st inning: 4-17
Cubs split their last eight games; they’re 14-9 in road series openers. Over is 3-1 in their last four games. Washington lost five of its last seven games; they’re 6-1 in last seven home series openers. Over is 9-3 in its last 12 home games.
Braves (76-63) @ Diamondbacks (75-64)
Sanchez is 0-2, 4.02 in his last five starts; under is 4-1-1 in his last six. Team in his starts: 10-9, 6-4 away
5-inning record: 7-9-3 Allowed run in 1st inning: 5-19
Greinke is 1-1, 2.57 in his last two starts; under is 10-2 in his last 12. Team in his starts: 16-12, 8-6 home
5-inning record: 17-7-4 Allowed run in 1st inning: 9-28
Braves lost six of their last eight games; they’re 8-2 in last ten road series openers. Their last seven road games stayed under. Arizona lost four of its last five games; they’re 2-8 in last ten home series openers. Arizona’s last 11 games stayed under the total.
American League
Indians (79-60) @ Blue Jays (63-76)
Bieber is 2-0, 4.50 in his last five starts; under is 5-1-1 in his last seven. Team in his starts: 10-5, 5-2 away
5-inning record: 9-5-1 Allowed run in 1st inning: 6-15
Estrada is 0-2, 15.64 in his last two starts; over is 6-3 in his last nine. Team in his starts: 11-13, 5-7 home
5-inning record: 9-11-4 Allowed run in 1st inning: 8-24
Indians split their last eight games; they’re 9-5 in last 14 road series openers. Under is 5-2-1 in their last eight games. Toronto lost seven of its last ten games; they’re 13-10 in home series openers. Three of their last four games stayed under.
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San Diego Padres vs. Cincinnati Reds Preview and Predictions 09-06-2018 in MLB
MLB Previews 5th September 2018 by Gracenote
Top prospect Francisco Mejia is expected to make his first start for San Diego on Thursday when the Padres open a four-game series against the host Cincinnati Reds. Mejia, who is rated as the No. 1 catching prospect by MLB pipeline, was acquired from the Cleveland Indians in July for two-time All-Star left-hander Brad Hand and right-hander Adam Cimber.
Mejia struck out as a pinch hitter in Tuesday's 6-0 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks in his first at-bat with San Diego, and is expected to get a long look down the stretch. "He's hit everywhere he's been his entire life," Padres manager Andy Green told reporters. "He's got unique bat-to-ball skills and an ability to put all sorts of pitches in play." The Reds lost 3-2 to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday as they suffered a three-game sweep, and have dropped 11 of their past 14 contests. Scooter Gennett, who leads the National League with a .320 batting average, went 1-for-5 on Wednesday after stringing together five straight multi-hit outings and seven in his past eight contests.
TV: 6:40 p.m. ET, FS San Diego, FS Ohio (Cincinnati)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Padres LH Eric Lauer (5-7, 5.01 ERA) vs. Reds RH Luis Castillo (8-11, 4.83)
Lauer missed a month with a forearm strain before returning to face the Colorado Rockies on Aug. 30 when he gave up one unearned run and no hits over five innings. The 23-year-old has struggled on the road with a 2-3 record, 5.48 ERA, 1.83 WHIP and .317 batting average against. Lauer defeated the Reds on June 2 when he gave up one run and five hits over five innings.
Castillo allowed two hits over 6 2/3 scoreless innings and struck out a career-high 11 while beating St. Louis in his last start. The 25-year-old has given up two or fewer earned runs in six of his past eight starts and gave up five in each of the other two. Castillo is 0-1 with a 5.91 ERA in two career starts against the Padres with the loss occurring on June 3 when he gave up four runs and six hits over 4 2/3 innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Reds are 1-2 against the Padres this season and haven't won the season series since 2012, when they took six of eight meetings.
2. San Diego OF Hunter Renfroe was hitless in four at-bats on Tuesday after going 16-for-46 with five homers and 11 RBIs during an 11-game hitting streak.
3. Cincinnati 3B Eugenio Suarez, who is tied for the NL lead with 100 RBIs, was 1-for-10 with seven strikeouts in the series against the Pirates.
PREDICTION: Reds 6, Padres 4
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Chicago Cubs vs. Washington Nationals Preview and Predictions 09-06-2018 in MLB
Going into the season, this weekend's four-game series between the Washington Nationals and the visiting Chicago Cubs looked like it would be a pivotal one between pennant contenders. It turns out it's a big one for the Cubs but more of a last gasp for the Nationals, who are barely clinging to their slim postseason hopes as the series begins Thursday.
The Cubs hold the best record in the National League and have a four-game lead over Milwaukee in the NL Central after a 6-4 win over the Brewers on Wednesday. Chicago has won 11 of its last 15 overall and took two of three from Washington last month to help sink the Nationals' playoff hopes. Washington has lost five of its last seven to fall two games below .500 and 7 1/2 games behind Atlanta in the NL East. The Nationals dropped the finale of their three-game series against visiting St. Louis 7-6 despite 16 hits Wednesday.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, NBCS Chicago, MASN (Washington)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs RH Kyle Hendricks (11-10, 3.77 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Stephen Strasburg (7-7, 4.09)
Hendricks has posted three straight quality starts, allowing three runs over 20 innings during that stretch. The 28-year-old held Philadelphia to one run over six frames in a win last time out after tossing seven scoreless innings to beat Cincinnati in his previous start. Hendricks is 2-2 with a 2.72 ERA in six career starts against the Nationals.
Strasburg struggled in his return from the disabled list Aug. 22, but he has pitched better his last two times out. The 30-year-old didn't get a decision Saturday against Milwaukee, but he held a potent Brewers lineup to two runs over six innings for his second straight quality start. Strasburg is 1-1 with a 2.08 ERA in five regular-season starts against the Cubs.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cubs LF Kyle Schwarber hit his 25th home run Wednesday, joining Anthony Rizzo and Billy Williams as the club's only left-handed hitters with multiple 25-homer seasons before age 26.
2. Washington SS Trea Turner (11-for-31) and OF Adam Eaton (11-for-34) are riding seven-game hitting streaks.
3. Rizzo has recorded multiple hits in three of his past four games, going 7-for-12 over that stretch.
PREDICTION: Cubs 5, Nationals 4
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Cleveland Indians vs. Toronto Blue Jays Preview and Predictions 09-06-2018 in MLB
MLB Previews 5th September 2018 by Gracenote
The Cleveland Indians shook off a three-game funk with consecutive victories and look to post their 80th win of the season when they open a four-game set against the host Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday. The Indians are cruising to the American League Central title and their magic number to clinch stands at eight.
Cleveland third baseman Jose Ramirez will be back in the lineup after a day off and he has failed to homer in his last 17 appearances but still ranks third in the majors with 37. Edwin Encarnacion was 2-for-4 in Wednesday's 3-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals and he is one blast away from his seventh straight 30-homer campaign, and six away from his sixth 100-RBI season. Toronto racked up 16 hits on Wednesday while rolling to a 10-3 triumph over the Tampa Bay Rays. The victory was just the third in the past 10 games for the Blue Jays, who are 13 games below .500 while experiencing a subpar season.
TV: 7:07 p.m. ET, STO (Cleveland), Sportsnet, TVA (Toronto)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Shane Bieber (8-3, 4.66 ERA) vs. Blue Jays RH Sam Gaviglio (3-7, 5.02)
Bieber allowed four runs and nine hits over 5 1/3 innings of a loss to the Tampa Bay Rays in his last start after winning his previous three decisions. The 23-year-old hasn't walked anyone over his last three turns and issued just 15 all season (against 87 strikeouts) across 85 innings. Bieber is 4-0 with a 4.44 ERA in eight road starts.
Gaviglio allowed four runs and seven hits over 5 2/3 innings against the Baltimore Orioles in his last turn while losing for the seventh time in his past eight decisions. The 28-year-old was sharp six days earlier while beating Baltimore when he gave up two runs and six hits over seven innings. Gaviglio has pitched well at home by going 2-1 with a 2.68 ERA in 11 appearances (nine starts) this year.
WALK-OFFS
1. Blue Jays SS Aledmys Diaz went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer on Wednesday to end an 11-game stretch without going deep.
2. Cleveland 3B Josh Donaldson (calf), recently acquired from the Blue Jays, won't play in the series as he is on a minor league rehab stint and ineligible to be activated until Sept. 11.
3. Toronto RHP Marcus Stroman (blister on right middle finger) will miss his Sunday start and LHP Thomas Pannone is expected to start in his place.
PREDICTION: Indians 7, Blue Jays 4
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Atlanta Braves vs. Arizona Diamondbacks Preview and Predictions 09-06-2018 in MLB
The Arizona Diamondbacks needed to catch their breath after losing eight of 11 games, and the combination of Tuesday's victory over San Diego followed by a day off provided what they hope is a spark entering Thursday's opener of a four-game home series with the Atlanta Braves. The series could be a playoff preview considering the Braves lead the National League East and Arizona sits within striking distance in the NL West, but both teams have stumbled lately.
There are plenty of red flags around the Braves, who managed to cough up a 7-1 eighth-inning lead Wednesday to fall 9-8 to Boston, finishing an nine-game homestand 3-6. Atlanta third baseman Johan Camargo committed a critical error in the six-run eighth against the Red Sox, and the Braves allowed 11 unearned runs on the homestand after giving up the same number in their previous 41 games. The Braves would be in even more trouble were it not for 20-year-old rookie outfielder Ronald Acuna, who belted his eighth leadoff homer in 44 starts at the top of the lineup Wednesday. Arizona center fielder A.J. Pollock went 2-for-4 in Tuesday's 6-0 win over the Padres and has reached base in 18 of his past 21 home games, while first baseman Paul Goldschmidt has reached safely in 38 of his past 39 games overall while hitting .344 in that span.
TV: 9:40 p.m. ET, FS Southeast (Atlanta), FS Arizona
PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves RH Anibal Sanchez (6-5, 2.98 ERA) vs. Diamondbacks RH Zack Greinke (13-9, 2.97)
Sanchez has provided everything the Braves could have hoped for when they signed the veteran in spring training, as he concluded August with a 2.93 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP in six starts. The 34-year-old has surrendered only three runs (two earned) in his past two outings, a loss at Miami on Aug. 25 and a no-decision against Pittsburgh on Aug. 31. Sanchez got a no-decision against Arizona in Atlanta on July 13, striking out six with one run allowed in six innings.
Greinke continues authoring another outstanding season, entering Wednesday fifth in the NL in WHIP (1.05) and sixth in WAR for pitchers (4.1), while sitting seventh in strikeouts (176). The 34-year-old lost four of his six August starts despite posting a 2.97 ERA and holding opponents to a .201 batting average. Greinke, who gave up three runs on six hits over 7 1/3 innings to fall to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday, beat the Braves in Atlanta on July 14 with 7 2/3 shutout innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Braves lost two-of-three to Arizona at home in July, and since the start of 2013 are 29-64 on the road against NL West foes (4-5 on the road this season; 9-18 overall).
2. Arizona will flip LHP Robbie Ray and RHP Zack Godley in the rotation, lining up Ray to start Sunday's series finale and Godley - who has been placed on paternity leave - to start Monday against Colorado.
3. Diamondbacks OF David Peralta has eight doubles, five homers and 14 RBIs in his past 19 home games, but is 1-for-12 against Atlanta this season.
PREDICTION: Diamondbacks 7, Braves 3