MLB Wednesday best bets: Can Ohtani continue magic on mound?
You can't win 'em all, but we'd certainly like to win more than we did Tuesday when we struck out on all three of our MLB bets. Here are our top plays for Wednesday:
White Sox (-150) vs. Guardians, 2:10 p.m. ET
Editor's note: This game has been postponed due to a COVID-19 outbreak.
We thought Monday's heartbreaking loss would carry over for the White Sox and their depleted bullpen, but Chicago kept rolling in Tuesday's convincing victory over the Guardians, securing its eighth win in nine games.
White Sox veteran Vince Velasquez gets the call in the third game of this series after arguably his two best starts in a Chicago uniform. The 29-year-old righty allowed just one run on seven hits in 10 2/3 combined frames against the loaded Angels and Red Sox lineups, notching 24 swinging strikes across those starts despite low strikeout totals.
Cleveland starter Aaron Civale, meanwhile, has been one of the worst pitchers by any metric this season, ranking near the bottom in ERA (9.45), WHIP (1.70), and batting average allowed (.315). He has his work cut out for him against a surging White Sox lineup that has plated at least three runs in 10 straight games.
Phillies under 3 runs (even) @ Mariners, 3:40 p.m.
Does anyone really want to bet against Logan Gilbert right now? The second-year starter has carried the momentum from a promising rookie campaign into a dominant 2022: He leads the American League in ERA (1.36) after holding five of his first six opponents to one run or fewer in at least five innings of work.
His strikeout numbers won't wow anyone, but the crafty right-hander has generated 30 of his 33 punchouts with his fastball-slider combo, with each pitch producing a whiff rate of at least 20% and combining for a .215 average allowed on those offerings. Reigning Cy Young winner Robbie Ray used a similar mix to pitch four perfect innings Tuesday, finishing with 10 strikeouts in 5 2/3 frames in the Mariners' 5-4 win over the Phillies.
Philadelphia took Ray deep in the fifth inning to spoil his perfect bid, and the Phillies hit two more round-trippers in later innings. Don't expect such a power surge against Gilbert, who has allowed just four extra-base hits (two homers) all year. Seattle's bullpen has been one of the better units by advanced metrics, but Gilbert's work early should help this one cash.
Angels (-125) vs. Rays, 7:07 p.m.
Good things happen for the Angels when Shohei Ohtani is on the mound. Los Angeles has won each of his last three starts and 16 of 28 (57.1%) dating back to his MVP year in 2021. He turned in arguably his finest showing yet in his last start, fanning 11 Red Sox batters through seven scoreless innings while finishing 2-for-4 at the plate.
Ohtani and Mike Trout have been the catalysts for their team's offensive explosion, hitting a combined five home runs over the last two games to help the Angels score 23 total runs in a pair of blowout wins over the Rays. It's not just them, though; the likes of Jared Walsh, Taylor Ward, and Brandon Marsh have helped round out one of the AL's most dangerous orders.
Tampa Bay starter Shane McClanahan has impressed with an AL-best 47 punchouts and 13.1 K/9, but he's already allowed five home runs in six starts and is susceptible to hard contact - which is in no short supply for the Angels. Los Angeles won the first two games of this series by a combined 20 runs and should secure a clean sweep with Ohtani on the mound.
C Jackson Cowart is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on Twitter (@CJacksonCowart) or email him at cjackson.cowart@thescore.com.