We have a nine-game slate Wednesday night. Let's waste no time getting to a few of the plays that popped off the page.
Seth Lugo: Under 2.5 earned runs
Lugo doesn't give up many runs. He's allowing 1.4 per start this season and went under this line in nine of 11 appearances. The run marks some of the best baseball of his career, but he's been doing a good job of keeping runs off the board for quite some time.
Lugo allowed three runs or more in only eight of 30 starts dating back to last season. That means he went under an impressive 73% of the time.
Lugo should stay in strong form against the Twins, who have been putrid offensively of late and are hitting only .190 against right-handed pitchers over the past two weeks.
The Twins plated two runs or fewer against eight of 10 right-handed starters faced in that span. The exceptions came against Alec Marsh and José Ureña - not exactly the stiffest of competition.
Look for Lugo to continue piling it on against the struggling Twins.
Odds: -135 (playable to -150)
Tyler Anderson: Under 4.5 strikeouts
Anderson's coming down to earth following an unsustainably strong start to the campaign. He allowed at least five hits in four of the past five games after holding teams under that number in each of his first five starts. His strikeouts are on the decline as well, as he's recorded exactly four punchouts in three straight games.
A big problem for Anderson is his inability to hit the zone. He's throwing strikes at a below-average rate this month, which is not ideal heading into a game against the Yankees.
They mash left-handed pitchers and own a .358 xwOBA (second place) and 15.8% barrel rate (first by a mile) versus lefties in May.
The Yankees also play with great discipline at the plate and make pitchers come to them. Their swing rate against lefties this month (45.9%) is among the lowest in the majors. They will sit on their hands and make Anderson throw strikes, which he's struggling to do right now.
I expect plenty of lengthy, high-pitch at-bats, and the Yankees should do plenty of damage in the process.
Odds: -140 (playable to -160)
Justin Verlander: Under 2.5 earned runs
Verlander hasn't been dominant this season, but he's still pitching well. He allowed two runs or less in five of seven starts, with the blow-ups coming against the Yankees and Brewers.
It just so happens the Yankees and Brewers rank first and second, respectively, in OBP against righties this season. Both of those offenses are elite, so there's no shame in struggling against them.
The Mariners, on the other hand, are a good team but are much better at pitching than hitting. They sit 26th in xwOBA versus right-handed pitchers this season, last in strikeouts, and 27th in terms of contact rate.
The Mariners scored two runs or fewer against each of the last nine right-handed starters faced. Look for that streak to reach 10 on Wednesday night.
Odds: -135 (playable to -150)
Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.
