Monday’s action of baseball will feature just eight games. The Dodgers will be finishing off their series with the Marlins. The Dodgers had to scratch star pitcher Tony Gonsolin from this start, so we’ll see what they will be able to bring. The Phillies will begin their series with the Diamondbacks, where they will be looking to capitalize on playing a team that’s not in the playoff race. Finally, The Giants will be returning home to take on the Padres, where they will be looking to bounce back from a tough road trip.
6:40PM EST Los Angeles Dodgers (-165) @ Miami Marlins (+140)
Starting Pitchers: Michael Grove (LAD) vs Pablo Lopez (MIA)
The Dodgers will be having to deal with a last second change in this one. Tony Gonsolin was supposed to start, but the team had to place the starting pitcher on the IL with a forearm injury. They will now have to turn to Michael Grove, who only has two appearances on the season.
This will be the final game of the Dodgers Marlins seven game season series, all of which have occurred over the last ten days. The Dodgers are 5-1 in these contests, outscoring the Marlins 38 to 13. The one game the Dodgers lost was when Cy Young favorite, Sandy Alcantara (-400), was on the mound for the Marlins. The Dodgers bats have been firing on all cylinders recently, scoring 8+ runs in four of their last five games. Freddie Freeman and Trea Turner have had multiple hits in four of the team’s last five games. Mookie Betts has also been delivering from the top of the lineup, homering four times in the last three games.
The Marlins will have the right hander Pablo Lopez on the mound. Lopez fared well in his last start vs the A’s but had been struggling since the all-star break. He will be tasked with trying to contain the best offense in the league in nearly every statistical category. Anytime you play the Dodgers it can get out of hand, and even more so when they’re riding a hot stretch. Despite the injury to Gonsolin, this one still feels like a Dodgers win.
Wicked Wagers – Dodgers ML (-165)
9:40 PM EST Philadelphia Phillies (-175) @ Arizona Diamondbacks (+150)
Starting Pitchers: Ranger Suarez (PHI) vs Madison Bumgardner (AZ)
The Phillies lost yesterday to the Pirates 5-0, but prior to that the team had won six games in a row. During this stretch of baseball, they also got their best player, Bryce Harper back.
Harper has been productive since his return, recording a hit in each of the three games. The surprise of the summer is how successful the Phillies were during the time Harper was out, climbing all the way to seventeen games above .500. The Phillies find themselves in perfect position to snap their eleven-year postseason drought. On Monday night they’ll go up against a Diamondbacks team with very little to play for. This is the time of year when playoff hungry teams are looking to capitalize off of teams that don’t have anything to play for.
The Phillies will have the right guy on the mound Monday night. Ranger Suarez has pitched well this year, especially after his return from a back spasm injury that sidelined him for two weeks in early July. Suarez has put together a 3.38 ERA and will be pitching not only to get the Phillies into the playoffs, but also to secure his spot in the playoff rotation. He’ll be going up against a guy that’s been struggling as of late. Madison Bumgardner hasn’t been the same pitcher since joining the D-Backs. This year he’s 6-13, with a 4.53 ERA. Bumgardner won’t go deep into the game, as he hasn’t made it to the seventh inning since July 24th. The Phils will be trying to get to Bumgardner early. Expect them to put up runs in this one, and for Suarez to take care of business.
Wicked Wagers- Phillies Run Line (-110)
6:45 PM EST San Diego Padres (+115) @ San Francisco Giants (-135)
Starting Pitchers: Mike Clevinger (SD) vs Carlos Rodon (SFG)
The Giants are the clear favorite in this one with Carlos Rodon on the mound. Rodon hasn’t given up more than one run in his last five starts. On the year he’s 12-6, with a 2.81 ERA. Mike Clevinger will be going for the Padres in this one. Clevinger isn’t having as good of a season, going 4-5, with a 3.59 ERA in sixteen starts.
The Giants have been struggling as of late. The team has lost four in a row and eight of their last ten. The Padres, who acquired Juan Soto at the deadline, haven’t been playing as well as they would like to be. The Padres are 9-13 in their last 22 games.
Neither of these teams is playing all that well. Carlos Rodon is the more dependable starter in this one, making the Giants a better bet. The Giants will be returning home after an eight-game road trip. Keep an eye on the run total in this one as well. It’s listed at 7.5, which makes it a good over bet. Look for the Giants to send Clevinger to the showers early, and for the Padres to get two off Rodon and one more when the Giants go to the bullpen.
Wicked Wagers- Giants ML (-135) / Total Runs o7.5 (+100)