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We got back to the win column Wednesday. Boston led the entire game and never looked back, while Hyun-Jin Ryu and Sean Newcomb went toe-to-toe through five innings and the bullpens held it down from there. The Twins were silenced by Trevor Williams, but once he left the game the Pittsburgh bullpen gave up four themselves, but it wasn't enough to push that one over. Overall a solid day on the diamond!
- Wednesday, August 5th: 2-1 (+1.25 units)
- 2020 Season Total: 8-7-2 (+0.66 units)
We keep teetering around splitting even for the season but honestly, I'll take that in such a weird season. I feel obligated to remind you I'm not a professional and that each play is most likely going to be "bet to lose" one unit. For those of you that followed my KBO run, there is a large amount of luck involved in this but this is all supposed to be fun so please only do this if you enjoy it.
Myself, along with Tommy Bell have been busy bringing you daily analysis, recommendations, and predictions for this wild 2020 MLB season. I'm here to bring you my insight for the MLB slate on Thursday, August 6th. Feel free to hit me up on Twitter @RotoStevieJ to talk shop or just chat in general about baseball. Good luck and play smart!
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O/U: 8.5
TEX: Mike Minor, OAK: Mike Fiers
Minor got tattered by the Giants on the road his last time out, but his 2019 numbers says he far superior as a visitor. A 2.99 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and .287 wOBA in 114.1 innings on the road in 2019 is ace-like. The southpaw hasn't earned that title as he's not bullet proof, serving up 19 homers as a visitor last year. He could sure use some offensive assistance, which the lineup hasn't provided thus far. The Rangers have scored more than three runs just twice this season. The only regular starter with an average above .280 is Joey Gallo and as a team, they're hitting below the Mendoza Line against RHP.
Fiers isn't exactly a pitcher you enjoy watching or targeting, but he has honestly been a solid piece of the A's rotation. He held the Mariners to two runs on four hits over six frames on August 1, but through 10.1 innings he has just a 3/1 K/BB; very underwhelming. One plus for Fiers is his 2.90 ERA at home last season. He held opposing hitters to a .217/.279/.361 slash line in 2019. The A's have struggled against LHP in a small sample this season, but they hit .262 in this spot last year. Stephen Piscotty and Ramon Laureano have been the main catalysts in an offense that is expected to make noise ROS.
These teams combine to score around three runs through the first five innings of the season so far. Both Fiers and Minor have been great in their respective situations, while neither offense is clicking right now. Low scoring early on in the AL West matchup.
Pick: First 5 Under 4.5 (-103, Draftkings) 1 Unit
Milwaukee Brewers at Chicago White Sox (-136)
O/U: 9
MIL: Josh Lindblom, CHW: Gio Gonzalez
Lindblom has been dealing with some back problems and was actually forced to leave his first start back in MLB. He was a KBO MVP in 2019 but this is entirely different. The 33-year-old has been around the block, but facing big-league hitters compared to Korean lineups will truly tell whether Lindblom is capable of competing. Unfortunately for him, the Brewers lineup is floundering right now. They scored just one on Wednesday, and their biggest hitters are struggling on their good days. Christian Yelich and Keston Hiura are supposed to be the main catalysts here, but they're hitting a combined .160, while the team has scored just seven total runs in their last three.
The White Sox are slowly becoming a team to watch in the American League. Sure they got blanked Wednesday, but they were riding a six-game win streak with a 36-15 run differential coming into it. Gio Gonzalez will make his third start as a White Sox. He held the Royals scoreless over 3.2 innings, scattering five hits with a 6/3 K/BB his last time out. We should see him get stretched out here, granted he performs well. Wednesday seems to have been an anomaly offensively. Chicago is hitting RHP at a .278 clip with 13 homers, while their .340 wOBA is top 8 in the league. Prospect Luis Robert has lived up to expectations thus far while seven on nine regular starters are hitting over .285.
Again, many believe the White Sox have the makings of a team who can contend, especially in this weird shortened season. Gio Gonzalez gives the White Sox an ever-so-slight advantage just because of his experience, and the chances of their lineup getting blanked in back-to-back games is slim.
Pick: White Sox -1 (+108, Draftkings) 1 Unit,
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