A smaller slate of games on Thursday still produced an entertaining day of baseball that saw some fantastic pitching performances. Detroit Tigers pitcher Reese Olson threw six shutout innings in a win over the AL Central-leading Minnesota Twins. Baltimore Orioles’ Dean Kremer also turned in a quality start after going seven innings with five strikeouts in the win over the Houston Astros. In the nightcap, former Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw threw five solid innings of one-run ball, helping the Los Angeles Dodgers win their fifth straight game.
Reese Olson Strikes Out 8 in 6 Shutout Innings! | Minnesota Twins vs Detroit Tigers | 8/10/2023 pic.twitter.com/6uV9LAcWQ3
— Baseball Is Everything (@PiratesAreBad) August 10, 2023
Another 1-2 days yesterday has us looking forward to today for some wins. The Houston Astros just missed their total by a half-run. They also had the bases loaded in the top of the ninth. Michael Harris II had a productive day going 1-4 with a run scored but did not get the extra half base. Our win on the day was thanks to Alec Bohm’s third-inning double, which cashed our over-total bases bet.
Friday features every MLB team in action, and we are highlighting some red-hot hitters to target with our MLB betting picks of the day. Best of luck!
ATLANTA BRAVES VS. NEW YORK METS: ALONSO o1.5 hits+runs+RBIs (-115)
The pressure is off New York Mets’ first baseman Pete Alonso since the trade deadline. Alonso has hits in six of his last seven games (nine total) and scored four runs with 10 RBIs. In his previous 15 games, he has homered nine times to go along with a .315 average. He faces Atlanta Braves’ Charlie Morton, who has a 5.40 ERA since the All-Star break and has given up six hits in 21 AB against Alonso.
Morton has been throwing his fastball 33.7% of the time this season, and hitters have responded by slashing .317/.401/.509 against the pitch. Alonso has an xSLG of .578 on fastballs this year, and his max EV is in the top 3% of the league this season.
A good value play is the over h+r+rbis for –115, or you could take his hits prop (o0.5) at -200.
CINCINNATI REDS VS PITTSBURGH PIRATES: HAYES o1.5 TB (-115)
Pittsburgh Pirates’ Ke’Bryan Hayes has rejuvenated his season since the All-Star break, slashing .286/.300/.607 since the rest. In the last month, he’s been even better, with a .319 batting average, along with five home runs (he had two home runs all year). Cincinnati Reds rookie pitcher Andrew Abbott has been stellar this year but has given up ten earned runs across his last two starts (9 IP). To make matters worse, Hayes has a career .309 average against the Reds.
Abbott’s go-to pitches, fastball and curveball, have been decent put-away pitches this season (21.5% and 14.8%), and his curve spin is in the 88% tile. Hayes has been feasting on the fastball (.300xBA) and curveball (.570xSLG) all season.
Hayes’ total hits prop has hit the over in the past three games (1.5, +150) and has nine RBIs in his last three games (0.5, +190). Target Hayes in this matchup tonight.
LOS ANGELES ANGELS VS HOUSTON ASTROS: ALTUVE o1.5 TB (+105)
Very few batters have been as hot as Houston Astros’ Jose Altuve over the past month. Altuve has slashed .327/.421/.584 and has been a crucial part of the Astros’ lineup. He has seen Los Angeles Angels’ pitcher Reid Detmers 10 times, tallying three hits and a home run. He’s hitting at a .396 clip since the All-Star break and has four home runs in his last 15 games.
Detmers will have his work cut out for him going against this Astros lineup that has scored at least seven runs in three of the last four games. In his previous seven games, Detmers has a 6.25 ERA (36 IP), and his career ERA at Minute Maid Park sits at 7.20.
The fastball has been Detmers threw pitch (42.2%), and hitters have hit .290 against it all season. Pitchers throw Altuve fastballs over half the time (53%), and he is slashing .370/.413/.710 for the season.
Take Altuve’s bases prop over (+105), over RBI prop (+180), or his walk total (+155) for Altuve tonight.
Main Photo Credits: John Jones-USA TODAY Sports
Players Mentioned: Reese Olson, Dean Kremer, Clayton Kershaw, Michael Harris II, Alec Bohm, Pete Alonso, Charlie Morton, Ke’Bryan Hayes, Andrew Abbott, Jose Altuve, Reid Detmers
