It’s Saturday and baseball is on our minds yet again. Wade Miley, of all pitchers, has joined the no-hitter club for 2021. This just speaks to how inept most offenses have been over the first month and a bit of action. A combination of the ball being altered in how it travels and the fact that teams are still committed to maximizing launch angles and going for the home run and we have a recipe for pitchers having an overall edge. Nonetheless, it’s great that the beautiful game is here for a full schedule of games. This brings us to why we’re here. Breaking down the action and picking winners. Let’s get to it and make some Diamond Picks.
Betting Odds provided by Jazz Sportsbook. Please gamble responsibly.
Season Record: 15-4
Kansas City Royals at Chicago White Sox (7:10 EDT)
Whenever you see a lefty on the mound versus the White Sox it’s automatic. You have to side with Chicago. They love hitting lefties over the past few seasons. The beat goes on for 2021. They are hitting .317, leading the league with a .512 SLG and a 157 wRC+.
Mike Minor, who hasn’t been very good this year (5.75 ERA in seven games), will be the man on the bump to try to buck the trend against the Sox. He has faced Chicago twice this year with the teams trading victories. Minor allowed six earned runs over nine innings. Recently he is trending in the wrong direction. Over his last three starts, he carries an 0-1 record with a nasty 7.36 ERA.
Carlos Rodon will go for the Chi-Sox. His numbers have been eye-popping and he is arguably the team’s best hurler presently. He will carry a perfect 5-0 record and an 0.58 ERA into the contest. The Royals own a middling offense that ranks 15th in runs per game at 4.28. As of this writing, they grabbed a rare victory in game one of this series. Previously they somehow lost 11 consecutive ball games. You may have to get creative with a parlay or a White Sox team over total to get a better return, either way, stay committed to Tony La Russa‘s crew to get the job done.
Diamond Pick: Chicago White Sox money line -200
Atlanta Braves at Milwaukee Brewers (7:10 EDT)
Really wanted to back the Braves in this matchup but my confidence is slightly higher in the game total. The Brew Crew are extremely underwhelming offensively. They will be matched up against solid right-hander Ian Anderson. Anderson will look to rebound from his last two showings where he allowed seven earned runs over 10 innings in games featuring the Phillies and Jays.
Milwaukee will not pose as much of a challenge for Anderson as his last matchups. They have averaged a miserable 2.6 runs per game while hitting a buck-ninety-nine over the last 10 games. Anderson has pitched in seven games this year and owns a 3.46 ERA overall.
It will be another Anderson opposing Atlanta. Crafty lefty Brett Anderson gets the nod. He has been good this year, 2-2 with a 3.54 ERA in five starts. The Braves have not come close to meeting expectations offensively. They have been brutal especially when facing lefthanders hitting just .188. Their 62 wRC+ ranks second-to-last in all of baseball. Ronald Acuna, who hits no matter who is on the bump, is currently considered day-to-day with an injured ankle.
We keep expecting the Atlanta Braves to go on a run, but each time they string together consecutive wins they tend to match them with multiple losses. No sense of forcing our hand, the numbers suggest lower scoring is on the horizon for these struggling offenses. Take the under.
Diamond Pick: Under 7.5 +100
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