Monday night in the MLB, they featured some outstanding individual performances, including historic triumphs. Houston Astros’ Jose Altuve hit for the cycle for his team’s win over the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Altuve’s cycle was the first of his career and the ninth in Astros history. Brandon Barnes was the last to accomplish that milestone back in 2013. Elsewhere, the Atlanta Braves scored 14 runs on the Colorado Rockies, including Ronaldo Acuna Jr.’s 60th steal. Elsewhere, the Baltimore Orioles’ Grayson Rodriguez (6 IP, 6 SO), Seattle Mariners’ Bryan Woo (6 IP, 5 SO), and Pittsburgh Pirates Johan Oviedo (CGSO, 5 SO) all pitched shutout performances to help their teams to victory.
First career cycle for Jose Altuve. pic.twitter.com/cZqWw3ykxZ
— Houston Astros (@astros) August 29, 2023
MLB Betting Picks of the Day 8/29
A perfect 3-0 night on Monday was the best way to start the week! The Minnesota Twins beat the Cleveland Guardians 10-6, thanks to another Royce Lewis grand slam. The Atlanta Braves put up four runs in the first five innings to hit their team total of o3.5 for the first five innings. Houston Astro Jose Altuve hit for the cycle, quickly hitting his H+R+RBI prop.
With another full slate of action on Tuesday night in the MLB, LWOS has three betting picks for tonight’s. Don’t forget to tail and BOL!
TAMPA BAY RAYS VS. MIAMI MARLINS: CIVALE K’S o4.5 (-140)
Our first pick of the night sends us to South Beach, where we got the Miami Marlins welcoming their in-state rivals, Tampa Bay Rays, with both clubs pushing for the playoffs. These teams are starting to trend in opposite directions, too. Miami is 3-7 in their last ten games and now sits 2.5 GB in the NL Wild Card. The Rays have gone 8-2 in their previous ten games, have a 5.5-game lead in the Wild Card, and are now only 2.5 GB of the Baltimore Orioles.
Aaron Civale has been dominant this season, even more impressively with Tampa Bay, and has a 2.59 ERA and a 6-3 record to boot. He has collected 14 strikeouts over his last 11 innings and has been dominant on the road with a 1.86 ERA. Meanwhile, Miami ranks the bottom third of the league in OBP and SLG vs. RHP. The Marlins have an ISO of .142 (28th in MLB) and a wRC+ of 89 (22nd), meaning they will have trouble getting on base and scoring runs.
The over-strikeout total seems low; take this prop or Civale’s outs recorded.
PITTSBURGH PIRATES VS. KANSAS CITY ROYALS: RAGANS K’S o6.5 (+105)
We got another pitching prop to target; this time, it is Kansas City Royals’ starter Cole Ragans. Ragans, part of the trade that sent Aroldis Chapman to the Texas Rangers, is 3-1 with a 2.08 ERA since the All-Star break and quietly dominates for the Royals. Ragans has been averaging nine strikeouts per nine innings at Kauffman Stadium and has a 2.25 ERA.
The Pittsburgh Pirates fare much better vs. RHP than against LHP. The Pirates are 4th in the league in strikeouts vs. LHP (356), 24th in batting average (.243), and rank in the bottom half in OBP, wOBA, SLG, and wRC+. The Pirates are 5-5 in their last ten games and are ten games below .500 on the road this season.
Take Ragans’ strikeout prop at plus money or his outs recorded (o17.5, -145) for solid plays.
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS VS. LOS ANGELES DODGERS: o8 runs (-112)
Our final pick takes us west for the Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Los Angeles Dodgers. The Diamondbacks will send out stud pitcher Merrill Kelly, while the Dodgers send out former Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw. This looks like a pitchers’ duel on the surface, but the Dodgers have gotten to Kelly in the past, and Kershaw struggled in his last outing vs. Arizona (4 earned runs, two home runs).
Kelly has a 5.03 ERA against the Dodgers and has gone 0-10 to start his career. At Dodger Stadium, he has not been much better with a 6.23 ERA and is 0-4. Mookie Betts (3 HR), Freddie Freeman (.333), Max Muncy (.406), James Outman (.429), and Will Smith (.321) have all had previous success off the right-hander.
For the Diamondbacks, Corbin Caroll (.400, 1 HR), Evan Longoria (.297), Ketel Marte (2 HR), and Christian Walker (.303, 5 HR)will all look to stay hot against Kershaw and keep the Diamondbacks right in the NL Wild Card race.
Take the over for this game at such a low number, or take the F5 total (o4.5, +100).
Main Photo Credits: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
