With exactly three weeks until the first scheduled, post-season game, the playoffs race is exactly that, a race.
The Indians will again best the Twins in the AL Central. Unless there is some Divine Intervention, the Red Sox will be the top-seed with the Yankees as the Wild Card. But the West has the Astros just three games ahead of the A’s.
The three divisions in the NL, each have three teams in the hunt. The Braves have come on strong to take a five-game lead in the East. The Central, as we all foresaw, has the Cubs barely holding on to first with the Brewers red-hot on an 8-2 run and the Cardinals standing fast just 3.5 GB.
The same goes for the West as the Rockies, Dodgers, and Diamondbacks are separated by just 3.5 games. But Colorado has the hot-hand, going 7-3 the L10. This season has been, without question, the most-exciting in years.
What else is exciting is my hot streak here in GamingToday, as I again went 1-0 last week to bring my season record up to 30-10-1 on my MLB Best Bets.
Here are this week’s top plays. All stats and trends are as of print and may change as can starting pitchers:
Wednesday
Take Houston RL over Detroit: Houston has taken three of the four meetings this season over Detroit. The Astros are in a fight with the A’s for the lead in the West, while the Tigers are done for the season. Houston puts up over 5.46 RPG on the road, while Detroit averages just, 4.10 RPG at home. RH Gerrit Cole is 13-5 with a 2.86 ERA. LH, Daniel Norris is making just his fifth start and sports a deplorable, 0-3, 5.47 record.
The Astros are 8-1 the L9 vs. LH starters, 46-18 the L64 on the road, and 21-8 in Cole’s L29 starts. The Tigers are 16-38 the L54 vs. RH starters, 14-39 the L53 at home, and 2-7 in Norris’ L9 starts. HOUSTON -1.5
Take Boston RL over Toronto: Boston is 12-4 vs. Toronto this season. The No. 1 lineup in scoring (5.40 RPG) and Team BA (.269) averages over 5.77 RPG at Fenway Park, while Toronto accounts for a mere, 4.43 RPG as a guest. Aaron Sanchez gets the start here. The RH is 4-5 with a whopping 5.17 ERA, including an 0-1 mark, in three starts vs. the Red Sox.
David Price takes the hill at home. The LH is 14-6 with a 3.57 ERA in 2018, which does include a perfect 3-0 record in three turns vs. the Blue Jays. Toronto is 1-7 the L8 in Boston, 9-24 the L33 overall vs. Boston, 6-25 the L31 vs. LH starters, and 2-8 the L10 on the road. BOSTON
Take New York Yankees RL over Minnesota: New York has dominated Minnesota, taking all five meetings this season, and nine straight, going back to last season, outscoring the Twins, 61-23 during the win streak. Team ERA and Wins Leader Luis Severino takes the mound here. The RH is 17-7 with a 3.52 ERA. RH, Jake Odorizzi gets the nod at home. He owns a 5-10, 4.57 mark on the campaign, getting plowed for 5 ER’s in just 4.2 IP, in his only turn vs. the Yankees in 2018.
New York is 42-19 the L61 in Minnesota, 56-17 the L73 overall vs. Minnesota, and 8-1 in Severino’s L9 starts vs. the AL Central. Minnesota is 0-4 the L4 vs. the AL East, 0-7 the L7 vs. teams with a winning percentage of over .600, and 1-5 in Odorizzi’s L6 starts vs. teams with a winning record. YANKS -1.5
Season record: 30-10-1
Good Luck and have a winning day.