Welcome to Thursday night which brings us an 8 game slate featuring white hot Brady Singer in Yankee Stadium, Jose Urena against the Dodgers and everyone’s favorite Asians, Shohei Ohtani and Yusei Kikuchi.
Wait, Yusei Kukuchi is back? Well, I’ll be damned.
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WEATHER
I would expect all 8 games to play tonight but there is one game which is worth noting for some potential rain in and around the game.
Dodgers at Rockies – Yes, the Dodgers are in Coors and facing Jose Urena.
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ZACK WHEELER
The Pirates aren’t hitting much of late which is the least shocking thing in the world when you remove Jack and Vogelbach from your roster morons. Take the Wheeler free square and move on.
ALEX WOOD
Wood only got through 4 IP in his last start but was very good about getting some whiffs in that game. He should be able to continue that with the Cubs coming in and potentially Willson Contreras being off the team or not in the lineup. San Francisco is reeling as a team and desperately needs to win tonight to get right — which they should against the … *sigh* … Happ-less Cubs? Get it? So what if Happ is playing, it still fits.
———— BIG GAP ————
SPENCER HOWARD
Me touting Howard twice in a row is something that I never envisioned but I am doubling down on my feeling that he’s going to pitch well down the stretch and if that is going to happen it HAS to happen vs the Angels, it just has too.
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Blue Jays
Bichette, Hernandez, Chapman
If you are a LHP who cannot get strikeouts vs the Jays you are going to struggle.
Phillies
I really like the Phillies tonight and this is one of those ‘Pirates found a way to allow 7+ ER’ and now Josh Van Meter is coming in to mop things up in the 9th. Thompson got blown up last start, but his overall issue is too many walks and the 3 core RHB for the Phillies should hit him well. Look for lots of men on base with lots of rbi doubles.
Unfortunately Realmuto is out, but Bohm moves up and is a consideration off my Chairman call.
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Secondary Teams
Royals vs Yanks: Melendez/Pasquantino, Torres/Rizzo
Singer is pitching great but getting deep into the game should be a challenge today which also brings in the Royals mediocre bullpen. I would not be shocked if he beaned Rizzo (on accident), Benintendi (on purpose) and thus his K% vs LHB here drops off and Gleyber Torres takes him deep.
Kansas City will have 1 or 2 solo HR here too.
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CATCHER
- MJ Melendez
- Will Smith
- Garrett Stubbs
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FIRST BASE
- Rhys Hoskins/Darick Hall
- Vinnie Pasquantino
- Anthony RIzzo
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SECOND BASE
- Brendan Rodgers – Should have a good second half
- Gleyber Torres
- Thairo Estrada
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THIRD BASE
- Matt Chapman
- Alec Bohm
- Eugenio Suarez
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SHORTSTOP
- Javyier Baez – Gets a LHP throwing heat and Kikuchi is of course Mr HR allowed.
- Bo Bichette
- Corey Seager – Love a little leverage here vs Ohtani
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OUTFIELD – Mt. Rushmore
- Teoscar Hernandez
- Franmil Reyes
- Mookie Betts
- Kyle Schwarber
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OUTFIELD – Value
- Nick Castellanos
- Kole Calhoun
- Lourdes Gurriel
- Kyle Lewis
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- Matt Chapman – 3B – Blue Jays – Chairman of The Dongers Club
- Javier Baez – SS – Tigers
- MJ Melendez – C – Royals
- Gleyber Torres – 2B – Yankees
- Kyle Schwarber – OF – Phillies
- Mookie Betts – OF – Dodgers
- Darick Hall – 1B – Phillies
- Kole Calhoun – OF – Rangers
- BONUS …………………….. Franmil Reyes – OF – Guardians
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CORE PLAYS
Wheeler
Baez
Chapman
Reyes
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BETTING PLAYS
Phillies -1.5
Mariners/Astros no runs first inning
Rangers/Angels no runs first inning
Giants + Jays ML Parlay