MLB Baseball Betting for July 21, 2016
Short card in Thursday’s Major League Baseball action:
LOS ANGELES DODGERS AT WASHINGTON NATIONALS:
The Washington Nationals’ grip on first place in the National League East has become very tenuous. Pending the outcome of Wednesday’s action the Nationals lead the second place Miami Marlins by 4.5 games and the third place New York Mets by 6. They’ve been ‘treading water’ of late while the Marlins have been the hottest team in the National League winning 6 of their last 8. The Los Angeles Dodgers have also split their last ten games but they’ve managed to close the gap between themselves and the first place San Francisco Giants. More appropriately, they’re having the gap closed for them–the Giants have lost 4 straight leaving the Dodgers just 4 games back of the NL West leader.
Washington needs a win and they’ve got a good chance to get one tonight with Stephen Strasburg on the mound. Strasburg has been a monster this year. Among other things, he’s the first pitcher to start a season 13-0 in over one hundred years. Not that this has anything to do with this game, but yesterday was Strasburg’s birthday. Strasburg’s ERA is good but not mind blowing–he’s got a 2.51 ERA overall with a 2.86 ERA at home. The Nationals have won 16 of his 17 starts and are a perfect 10-0 at home. Since he came off the disabled list after a weight room injury that injured his back and ribs he’s been almost unhittable. In three games Strasburgh has pitched 25 2/3 innings allowing 2 earned runs and just 5 hits. He carried a no hitter into the 7th inning in his first game back but was pulled for precautionary reasons. His ERA in this stretch is a minuscule 0.83.
Los Angeles will start Julio Urias and he’s a very interesting prospect. He’s already got major league velocity but is just learning the rest of what it takes to be a big league pitcher. That’s OK since he’s only 19 years old. He’s getting another chance to start due to the Dodgers spate of injuries in their pitching rotation. The Dodgers are being careful with Urias who has great potential for the future by keeping him on a strict pitch count.
There’s a lot to like about Los Angeles in this game but I have no interest in getting in front of the Strasburg freight train.
BET WASHINGTON NATIONALS -200 OVER LOS ANGELES DODGERS
MIAMI MARLINS AT PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES:
Also have no interest getting in front of the red hot Miami Marlins. They’ve won 8 of 10 pending the outcome of Wednesday action and complete a four game series against the Philadelphia Phillies here. Things are really getting nerve racking for the first place Washington Nationals. Their lead atop the NL East is down to 4-5 games. Miami is also gaining a little bit of separation with the second place New York Mets, now leading them by 1.5 games. The Phillies still have an outside chance to make some noise but it would take a huge reversal not only in their form but that of the rest of the division. Stranger things have happened, but it’s unlikely. Philadelphia has lost 3 straight and 6 of 10 and are 13.5 games back of the Nationals and 7.5 games back of the third place Mets. They don’t need to worry about finishing in last place as was the case when they struggled earlier in the season–the Atlanta Braves have a lock on that dubious honor 10 games behind.
Tom Koehler gets the call for Miami here and he’s not been very good this year at all. Miami has lost 12 of his 19 starts including 7 of 11 on the road. Koehler has a 4.68 ERA and a 1.600 WHIP with a road line of 5.02 ERA and a 1.727 WHIP. He may be on the verge of losing his spot–Miami is reportedly interested in Philadelphia Phillies’ starter Jeremy Hellickson. Koehler will be opposed by Jarad Eickhoff who has been solid though not spectacular this year. Philadelphia has won 9 of his 19 starts including 6 of 10 at home. He’s got a 3.76 ERA overall and a 1.243 WHIP. At home, he’s got a 2.45 ERA and a 1.045 WHIP. He’s been hit fairly hard in his last two starts but the Phillies managed to bail him out in two of them.
Koehler is no treasure but he catches a break against the weak hitting Phillies. Philadelphia is #29 in runs scored leading only the Atlanta Braves. They’re #27 in team batting average. The Phillies are a very beatable team and the Marlins need wins. You’re getting the better team in better form at a nice price.
BET MIAMI MARLINS -105 OVER PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES