A walk-off wild pitch. Seemingly everyone in each lineup hit a home run, except for the one we needed to. I’ve always found him overrated anyway. Nevertheless, we move our focus to today. Here are our picks for baseball bets on July 18th.
Baseball Bets for July 18th
The Headliner: Rays @ Rangers
We could not possibly lose our bet on a walk-off wild pitch two days in a row, right? Right?! Game two of the series between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Texas Rangers will see Taj Bradley take the mound for the visiting club. In 13 starts, Bradley has a 5.43 ERA across 61 1/3 innings with 80 strikeouts and a 1.39 WHIP. Over his last seven, he carries a 7.18 ERA across 31 1/3 innings with 38 strikeouts and a 1.69 WHIP. Bradley has been better on the road, however. In seven road starts, he has a 4.96 ERA across 32 2/3 innings with 43 strikeouts and a 1.47 WHIP. Bradley has one start against the Rangers. In that start, he allowed five runs (four earned) on four hits, four walks, and struck out four. Expect more of the same from him today.
The Rangers will send Nathan Eovaldi to the mound. In 18 starts, Eovaldi has a 2.83 ERA across 117 2/3 innings with 109 strikeouts and a 1.02 WHIP. Over his last seven, he carries a 3.53 ERA across 43 1/3 innings with 39 strikeouts and a 1.06 WHIP. In seven home starts, Eovaldi has a 2.93 ERA across 46 innings with 47 strikeouts and a 0.91 WHIP. Eovaldi has done well to limit baserunners this season, especially at home. That will do him well in today’s start against the team with the best record in the American League.
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The Play: Rangers ML (-140) – 1.5U
Bonus Team Total: Rangers First Five Over 2.5 (-100) – 0.5U
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The Homefield Warrior: Brewers @ Phillies
Game one of this three-game series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Philadelphia Phillies sees two familiar foes facing off yet again. The Brewers will be sending former NL East resider Julio Teheran to the mound. In eight starts this season, Teheran sports a 3.64 ERA across 47 innings with 32 strikeouts and a 1.02 WHIP. He has struggled over his last three starts, combining to allow 13 earned runs across 16 2/3 innings. Teheran has made 25 career starts against the Phillies. In those starts, he has a 3.97 ERA across 152 innings with 129 strikeouts and a 1.17 WHIP. He has not faced the Phillies, however, since September 12th, 2019. This Phillies lineup is much more potent than those that he is used to facing.
The Phillies will counter with pending free agent Aaron Nola. In 19 starts, Nola has a 4.39 ERA across 119 innings with 120 strikeouts and a 1.11 WHIP. Over his last seven, he carries a 3.86 ERA across 44 1/3 innings with 55 strikeouts and a 1.08 WHIP. Nola has been much better at home this season. In seven starts, he carries a 3.40 ERA across 45 innings with 49 strikeouts and a 1.00 WHIP. Nola has been on a “good start, bad start” rotation for the majority of the season, with his last start being a bad one. Take that for what it is worth, but the Phillies will win this game while Nola continues to be an underrated workhorse.
The Play: Phillies ML (-210) – 1U
Bonus Player Prop: Nola Over 6.5 Ks (-175) – 0.5U
A Tale of Two Pitchers: Padres @ Blue Jays
The San Diego Padres travel north of the border to face the Toronto Blue Jays. In trying to bounce back from their weekend series loss, the Padres will send Joe Musgrove to the mound. In 14 starts, Musgrove has a 3.29 ERA across 79 1/3 innings with 79 strikeouts and a 1.15 WHIP. Over his last seven, he carries a 2.09 ERA across 43 innings with 45 strikeouts and a 0.95 WHIP. In five road starts, he carries a 3.10 ERA across 29 innings with 26 strikeouts and a 1.34 WHIP. Musgrove has been much better at limiting baserunners of late, seemingly returning to his 2022 form. That will prove beneficial for him against this Blue Jays lineup.
The Blue Jays will counter with enigma Alek Manoah. In 14 Major League starts this season, Manoah has a 5.91 ERA across 64 innings with 56 strikeouts and a 1.80 WHIP. Over his last seven Major League starts, he has a 7.48 ERA across 27.2 innings with 25 strikeouts and a 1.99 WHIP. This all comes around a trip to the minors in which he was meant to figure things out. He has made one start since returning. In that start, he allowed only one earned run on five hits, and no walks, and struck out eight batters in six innings. That start came against the lowly Detroit Tigers, however. A team with an offense much worse than the one that he will be facing today.
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The Play: Padres ML (-118) – 0.5U
Bonus Team Total: Padres First Five Over 2.5 (-110) – 0.5U
Main photo credits:
David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Players mentioned:
Taj Bradley, Nathan Eovaldi, Julio Teheran, Aaron Nola, Joe Musgrove, Alek Manoah
