Jim Feist

Soroka’s a pretty decent hurler for Washington to go with, as his 3-6 record and 5.40 ERA are not as bad as you might think for a guy who’s been pretty effective at times when his command is on. The WHIP also indicates he’s not going to walk a bunch of guys, so if he’s ahead in counts and can pitch to contact he can contain the Cardinals’ offense. Their bullpen has had issues all year, but has been more reliable recently and can hold a lead if starters get a reasonable start.

Mikolas is more than capable of blowing his chances, as he’s in similar shape (4-6 with a 5.26 ERA) and just pitched a start where he was trashed by the opposition. He’s been a bit up and down all year and, though he did well against Washington in a start a few months ago, I have to think his recent track record means this is a game the Cardinals can lose. That said, they have a far deeper lineup that can beat you in several different ways, but they can also be quiet at the plate against guys they don’t see much, which applies to Soroka here.

If the latter happens, and Soroka can pitch five/six clean innings for Washington, and the offense takes advantage of Mikolas’ mistakes early, it’s not crazy to think the Nationals have a shot at a road win. As an underdog, they’re a pretty interesting bet in what should be a much closer matchup than you’d guess from the odds.

Jim's Play: 953. Nationals

The Cleveland Guardians and the Chicago White Sox will take the field for another MLB contest on Thursday. For Cleveland, the ball goes to left-handed pitcher Logan Allen (5-7 4.07). Allen is at his best when he can work efficiently and get ahead in the count, because he can miss bats and keep teams from making much contact. He has 65 strikeouts in 84 2/3 innings pitched this season. It’s all about efficiency for Allen, because if he allows early base runners, he can get in trouble.

Pitching for Chicago, the White Sox turn to Jonathan Cannon (3-7 4.50). Cannon is a right-hander who struggles when he falls behind in the count, as he is more prone to hard contact. On the flip side, Cannon has decent control and has pitched a few scoreless innings in a row at times. He’s just not able to string those together in back-to-back outings very often. In 72 innings, Cannon has 60 strikeouts. 

The Guardians’ offense is the significant advantage over Chicago’s lineup, especially for a team with a different approach at the plate. Cleveland’s lineup is patient and powerful when it comes to creating offense. Chicago’s offense has lacked consistent production and there’s a reason they continue to struggle against left-handers. When Chicago has some life at the plate, the offense tends to go cold at the most inopportune times.

The difference-makers between the two teams are Allen’s ability to get into a rhythm, Cleveland’s offensive consistency and the Guardians’ ability to punish mistakes on the other side of the ball. In this matchup, I like Cleveland to come out on top by the end.

Jim's Play: 961. Guardians (AL Central Game of the Week)

Righty Taj Bradley (5–6, 4.79 ERA in 18 GS) will take the hill for Tampa Bay Rays. Bradley has had quite a mixed season in terms of starts; some were good to great in terms of command and K/BB ratio, others lacked in command and efficiency. Nevertheless, Bradley usually gets him through five-six innings and keeps the Rays in games on most of occasions.

Boston will be throwing Walker Buehler (6.25 ERA in 15 GS). Buehler has been around the Mendoza line for a big part of the season; being homer-prone and losing control on some occasions. He is able to have a good outing, of course, but is yet to string them together on a consistent basis this season. On paper, the skill is certainly there, and in his prime he was one of the best in the league, but the real Buehler has faltered quite often during this season. Rays have a lineup that does not have big sluggers but can beat you by keeping their bats in play and making you work. A down Buehler is certainly susceptible to their style, and with Bradly being a good enough strikeout pitcher Tampa Bay have an edge in the game.

Runs have been a relatively equal category between both sides this season, however, the Rays had a little more from different places in the batting order than the Red Sox. Tampa Bay will be a favorite in this one, as they have a good pitching matchup on their side, and a batting order with enough talent to take advantage of any mistakes.

Jim's Play: 959. Rays -

Bryan Woo (8-4, 2.60 ERA) has been one of the best and most dependable starters in Seattle’s rotation this season. He’s now won eight games and lost four in 17 starts, posting a 2.60 ERA while averaging over six innings per start, limiting base runners and generating strikeouts at a high rate. Woo also shut out the Yankees over more than six innings back in early April, and he has the stuff to keep this lineup in check in a tough ballpark.

Marcus Stroman (1-2, 7.20 ERA) has struggled to find his stride in limited action this year, getting chewed up early in short outings. Stroman has an ERA of more than 7.00 in three starts this season, not lasting long into games and usually being relieved before the sixth inning. The veteran starter has ground-ball skills and knows how to pitch, but his command and effectiveness have not been there consistently this season, which could leave the Yankees in trouble early.

New York has been getting nothing going offensively of late, dropping two straight and losing 11 of their last 18 games. The lineup has not been producing consistently and it shows when they go cold and get shut out like we saw against Tampa last weekend and in one of these games on Monday. Seattle has been red-hot, riding their starting pitching and timely hitting. Their rotation has been among the best in the game lately, and the momentum clearly favors the visitors.

I like the Mariners to set the tone early behind Woo and continue their winning ways with another strong road showing.

Jim's Play: 957. Mariners

Aces A’ja Wilson was lost in the early part of the week with a wrist injury and is questionable to play in this contest. The MVP candidate is one of the best two-way players in the game, capable of winning games on both ends of the floor with elite scoring, rebounding, and rim protection. If she can’t go or plays limited minutes, Jewell Loyd and the cast around her will have to be more aggressive and her absence would take away some of their paint dominance.

Washington is only a game below .500 and is finally finding its stride. The Mystics have been composed in close games and made a statement with their blowout win against Chicago on Sunday. Their big three of Shakira Austin, Kiki Iriafen, and Sonia Citron have stepped up at the perfect time and team defense from Washington has improved with time. They are particularly good at defending the perimeter and should look to be more physical inside against a team that is not 100%.

Las Vegas is an incredibly dangerous team with the ability to explode for points at any time. But the Aces have been all over the place in the last few games, particularly on the defensive end, which can derail their chances if Wilson isn’t 100%. The Mystics have looked really good at home of late, especially since Christy Applegate came back. They have more balance offensively and won’t shy away from the paint. If the team can control the glass and outmuscle Las Vegas in the second half, then they are the team to play tonight. 

Jim's Play: 612. Was Mystics

The Mets and Orioles return to Baltimore following yesterday’s rainout to play a doubleheader. This is a classic starting pitching matchup with New York’s David Peterson (6–4, 3.18 ERA) going up against Baltimore’s Charlie Morton (5–7, 5.47 ERA).

Peterson has been a reliable starter for the Mets all season. He’s produced quality starts in 10 of his 17 outings while averaging six innings per start. He also has the defense behind him on the mound as the Mets rank fourth in MLB ERA at 3.36. Morton, on the other hand, has a high strikeout rate (84 punch-outs in 77 innings) but that hasn’t translated into good results as evidenced by his ERA. The southpaw has been up and down recently with a few good starts followed by some bad starts. Morton also doesn’t fare particularly well against the Mets as he owns a career ERA of 5.87.

In terms of offense, the Mets edge the Orioles. The New York team is batting .246 on the season with a .420 slugging percentage while the Baltimore squad is at .239 average and .400 slugging . This also included an extra-inning rally on Tuesday when the Mets snapped a two-game skid in Baltimore so they’re going to be confident coming into this game.

Orioles do have home field here today and with a close matchup I will take the dog in this one.

Jim's Play: 966. Orioles (Game 1)