Category: Arizona Diamondbacks

Rounding the Bases: MLB Straight Up Picks for Every Game Today (Bet Dodgers as Road Underdogs)
8 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Rounding the Bases: MLB Straight Up Picks for Every Game Today (Bet Dodgers as Road Underdogs)

Saturday's MLB slate is headlined by the battle between the two favorites to win the World Series, the Dodgers against the Yankees in the Bronx.

The World Series preview in June takes center stage as all of Major League Baseball is in action on Saturday. Lucky for you, we have commentary on how to bet every game!

Keep reading to find out how we view each game on the Saturday slate.

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Pick: Mets (+150)

There’s some variance baked into this game with it being played in London as part of MLB’s London Series. 

With a short center field fence and the wind projected to be blowing out at London Stadium, this can be a short outing for the likes of Ranger Suarez, who is driving most of the opening odds in this game. 

Pick: Twins (-120)

Simeon Woods Richardson continues to thrive for the Twins in his first full season with the club, posting a 3.04 ERA while showcasing excellent control, posting a walk rate of only six percent. The Minnesota starter will match up against Pirates opener Carmen Mlodzinski, who will put a ton of pressure on the Pittsburgh below average bullpen. 

With the pitching edge, including a better pen, I’ll take the Twins as short road favorites. 

Pick: Nationals (+120)

MacKenzie Gore has been outstanding this season, striking out a career best 27.3% of batters with a career low 3.57 ERA. 

The former Padres prized prospect is starting to see perform like it and now draws a Braves team that is struggling without Ronald Acuna Jr, who tore his ACL and is out for the year. Atlanta is hitting only .211 in June. 

Pick: Athletics (+135)

The Blue Jays remain a non starter for me as a road favorite, even against the lowly A’s. 

Kevin Gausman has been overvalued all season, and Toronto is only 6-6 in his 12 starts. The right hander has an ERA of 4.60 while his xERA is far worse at 5.26, per MLBStatcast. He is striking out only 22% of batters, the lowest rate since 2018, and remains a worthy fade. 

Pick: Brewers (-165)

Freddy Peralta has been outstanding this season, striking out nearly a third of the batters he has faced while keeping his walk rate below eight percent, about the big league average. 

It’ll be tough sledding for the Tigers lineup that is bottom third in Major League Baseball in OPS while the Brewers are far better at generating run support for its pitching staff, fourth in the same metric. 

Pick: Royals (+115)

The Royals rallied to win 10-9 on Friday, and the team remains a great bet at home, 23-10 at Kauffman Stadium this season. 

Kansas City will have a stiff test against Luis Castillo, but the Royals ability to generate power is notable considering Castillo has allowed a barrel percentage in the 28th percentile this season, per MLBStatcast, and allows a high fly ball rate of over 60%. 

Pick: Rays (+115)

Both starters have missed time this season, with different results, but I’m betting on it going in a different direction on Saturday. 

Kyle Bradish of the Orioles has made six starts and has been pitching the best baseball of his career. He is striking out 32% of batters, way above his career average, while allowing a hard-hit percentage of only 25%, 99th percentile in the big leagues. 

While it’s a fantastic start for a league average pitcher, regression will come for him soon. 

I’ll try here, on the road against a Rays team that has pop in the lineup and a pitcher who has a high ceiling in Taj Bradley. The hard throwing right hander hasn’t had good results this season, his xERA is hovering around 7.00, but i believe he can outperform expectations given the Orioles have the third fewest walks on the year. 

Pick: Reds (-120)

The Cubs’ skid has continued while the Reds have won six straight, so I’ll side with the hot home team. 

It also helps that Chicago is bottom 10 in OPS against left handers this season as the team faces Reds’ starter Andrew Abbott. 

Pick:Red Sox (-205)

Chicago snapped a 13 game skid on Friday, but I’m not counting on two wins in a row. 

Pick: Rockies (+160)

Can Kyle Gibson justify this price tag? The veteran pitcher has a 3.69 ERA that is supported by a 4.99 xERA with a walk rate hovering around 10%. 

For what it’s worth, Ryan Feltner pitches better on the road than at the hitter friendly Coors Field, so I can get behind him outperforming expectations. 

Pick: Dodgers (+105)

The two best teams in baseball continue its weekend series, and I’ll side with the road underdog given the Yankees’ overall fitness with Juan Soto’s status in doubt for the foreseeable future. 

If New York’s lineup isn’t at its best, it’ll be tough to keep up with the Dodgers, who have the highest OPS against left handed pitching this season. 

Pick: Guardians (-160)

Cleveland is the far more talented side here and should have little issue snagging a road win. 

Ben Lively’s strikeout rate is at a career high of 23% and the Guardians have the clear offensive edge, 11th in OPS against the Marlins, who check in 29th. 

Pick: Diamondbacks (+125)

I’ll take Arizona to stay hot in June, winners of five of six, at an underdog price. 

Ryne Nelson isn’t a strikeout-focused pitcher, only 14.9%, but he has limited his walks to only six percent, which is impactful against a Padres team that is reliant on drawing walks to get runners on base. Nelson’s ERA is also due to come down from his mark of 5.44, with an xERA of 4.77. 

Pick: Astros (-165)

Angels starter Tyler Anderson has been among the best pitchers in baseball, but I expect a tough summer for the veteran left hander. 

He has an ERA of 2.37, which is staggering to see given some of his other numbers, including a 16% strikeout rate and 10% walk rate. Meanwhile, his xERA is 4.49, making him ripe for a few blow ups as the season continues. 

I’ll count on Saturday against a Houston lineup that is top five in OPS against southpaws. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

Arizona Diamondbacks, atlanta braves, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Guardians, Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, MLB best bets, MLB Betting Preview, MLB Picks, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays
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Every MLB Team's World Series Odds Through First Two Months of 2024 Season
7 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Every MLB Team’s World Series Odds Through First Two Months of 2024 Season

We're officially more than two months into the 2024 Major League Baseball season so it's time to take a step back and take a look at the futures markets.

What teams have underperformed? What teams are a surprising contender? Are there any teams we should bet on now or are there a few we should stay away from?

In this article, we're going to take a look at the latest World Series odds for all 32 teams. Let's dive into it. All odds listed in this article are via FanDuel Sportsbook.

The Dodgers, despite underperforming by their standards, are still set as the World Series favorites at +260, which is an implied probability of 27.78%. There's no denying the talent this roster has and they're still playing well enough to have a hefty lead on the NL West.

The New York Yankees have been the best team in baseball through the first two months. Their pitching has been sharp and their offense, specifically the play of Juan Soto and Aaron Judge, has been unbelievable. If I were to pick one team to win it all at this point of the season, I'd pick the Yankees.

The Phillies have the best record in the National League at 44-19. They have a great chance to yet again go on a deep playoff run.

The injury bug has bitten the Braves, most notably Ronald Acuna Jr., who will miss the rest of the 2024 season. There's still plenty of time for them to rally and there's a reason they're still fourth on the odds list to win it all.

The Orioles are still well behind the Yankees in the AL East, but at 39-22, they'll be back in the playoffs once again.

The Seattle Mariners lead the AL West, but their offense needs to wake up if they want to be true World Series contenders in 2024.

The AL Central was supposed to be the worst division in baseball, but as of writing this article, four of the five teams are at .500 or above, including the Minnesota Twins at 33-29.

The Houston Astros don't look like the same contender they once were. Their metrics are still respectable and their offense has woken up in recent weeks. If there's one team that has got off to a slow start that I could see getting hot in the second half of the season, it's the Astros.

The Cleveland Guardians are eye-popping 40-21 as of writing this article. While that's impressive, I wouldn't be surprised if he saw some regression from this team in the second half of the season.

The Milwaukee Brewers lead the NL Central and have had one of the better offenses through the first two months of the season. They are a team to watch in the National League.

It's been a bad start to the season for the defending World Series champions. Their offense has been middling and their bullpen continues to cost them games. They need to find a way to turn the ship around or they're going to fail to make the playoffs.

The Kansas City Royals might be the single most surprising team in the Majors this season at 37-26. Not only has their record been good, but they have the metrics to back it up. Between strong offensive statistics and more than one Cy Young candidate in their rotation, the Royals could be a Cinderella story in 2024.

The Blue Jays may be the most disappointing team in the Majors. Despite looking like a talented squad on paper, their offense has been without teeth and their bullpen has been abysmal. On top of that, their rotation hasn't been nearly as good as it was last year. Time is running out for Toronto.

I feel sorry for Mets fans. It's been a disaster of a season and they're already 16.5 games back from the Phillies in the NL East.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Arizona Diamondbacks, atlanta braves, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Guardians, Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, MLB, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, Washington Nationals, World Series
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Padres Announcer Destroys Ump Over Awful Call on Game-Ending Strike Out
7 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Padres Announcer Destroys Ump Over Awful Call on Game-Ending Strike Out

Former MLB pitcher and San Diego Padres color commentator Mark Grant was absolutely livid at home-plate umpire Erich Bacchus during the Bally Sports San Diego broadcast of Thursday night's 4-3 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks at Petco Park.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, after a foul-out from Luis Arraez and a flyout from Fernando Tatis Jr., Jurickson Profar worked a walk, putting the tying run on base for Jake Cronenworth. With the hopes of a rally still alive, Cronenworth, with a 2-and-2 count, took a four-seam fastball at the letters, which Bacchus called strike three, ending the game to thunderous boos from an outraged crowd at Petco Park.

But their anger was nothing compared to Grant's, as the color commentator unloaded on Bacchus immediately after the called strike three.

"Brutal! Horrible! Took the bat right out of the kid's hands! Wasn't even close!" Grant exclaimed, as Padres manager Mike Shildt got in Bacchus's face and argued the call.

Then, Bally Sports San Diego showed a replay of the pitch, which landed up-and-away in the strike zone, prompting Grant to utter this classic line.

"You gotta be shaving me!"

Needless to say, Grant and Padres fans were less-than-thrilled with the call.

Arizona Diamondbacks, MLB, San Diego Padres
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Rounding the Bases: MLB Straight Up Picks for Every Game Today (Time to Buy Low on Pablo Lopez?)
6 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Rounding the Bases: MLB Straight Up Picks for Every Game Today (Time to Buy Low on Pablo Lopez?)

Thursday is a travel day for a handful of teams in the big leagues, but we still have baseball starting in the afternoon.

With about a third of the season finished, it's time to look for some buy-low candidates and I have my eye on Twins' starter Pablo Lopez, who is due for a big uptick in production as the calendar flips to June. The matchup is daunting against the surging Yankees, but are the Twins live for an upset?

I have betting break downs for each game on the Thursday MLB card below!

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

The Orioles are the best-hitting team in baseball against left-handed pitching, making this is a tough ask for the Blue Jays, who will start Yusei Kikuchi on Thursday afternoon. 

Yes, Kikuch has lowered his walk rate to a career-low of five percent, but he still allows hard contact at a 43% clip, ranking in the 19th percentile, per MLBStatcast, a ripe matchup for the Orioles loaded lineup. 

After a rain out on Wednesday, we get a Thursday meeting between these two, and I’m looking to fade Royal starter Brady Singer. 

Brady Singer has 2.63 ERA but is due a ton of regression with an xERA of 4.35. 

Against a Guardians lineup that can put the ball in play at an elite level, 11th in OPS, I’ll back the home favorite. 

Bryan Woo has looked the part in five starts this season, posting a 1.30 ERA as he continues to be stretched out. Woo is striking out fewer batters, down to 18% from 25% as a rookie, but is walking only two percent of hitters while limiting posting an elite blend of fastball and off-speed pitches to avoid blowup innings. 

With limited path to base runners, I struggle to see the A’s keeping up on Thursday. 

Los Angeles is the second-best hitting team against lefties this season and draws a favorable matchup against Bailey Falter of the Pirates, who has seen his strikeout rate diminish to 15% this season. 

Falter won’t be able to get around the vaunted bats of Los Angeles, and somebody is due for a big-hitting day against him with his xERA sitting far higher than his actual ERA (3.22 vs. 4.73).

I’ll take a stab at the Nationals as home underdogs on the premise of a summer drop-off from Reynaldo Lopez, the Braves starter. 

Lopez has a 1.73 ERA, but his xERA is far higher at 3.72. He has been crushed by hard contact (42nd percentile) and his offspeed pitches are ineffective (17th percentile in terms of run value), and I believe the Nationals can have success. This is worth a flier on a home underdog. 

Pablo Lopez’s numbers don’t indicate that he’s pitching at a high level, but he may be due for a big jump statistically based on his pitching. He has a 4.84 ERA despite posting a career-best walk rate. He has an xERA of 2.99 despite posting a 73rd percentile xBA, and I believe that he will turn it around soon. 

I’ll fade the red-hot Yankees with a pitcher that is ripe to outperform expectations. 

The Cubs slide in play continues, and this matchup doesn’t set up well for them as the team heads to Cincinnati to face the Reds with emerging arm Hunter Greene on the mound. 

Chicago is 29th in OPS over the last 30 days while the Reds check in eighth. Further, Cubs’ starter Javier Assad may be due for a drop in play after a strong start to the year. He has a 2.27 ERA that is supported by a 3.72 xERA.

Sonny Gray has been on a tear this season. He has a 3.00 ERA while striking out a career-best 33.5% of batters. Even when hitters are putting the ball in play, it's soft contact (66th percentile in hard-hit percentage). 

At home, the Cardinals should have little issue getting past the Rockies. 

Tanner Houck is putting up All-Star numbers for Boston this season, posting a 1.85 ERA, and now faces the worst offense in Major League Baseball in Chicago, with the lowest OPS. 

I’m not backing an upset given the lack of talent for the White Sox. 

This is a fade of Randy Vasquez of the Padres, who has a 5.41 xERA and is walking nearly 10% of batters. This is problematic against the Diamondbacks, a team that is top 10 in walks this season and eighth in on-base percentage. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Arizona Diamondbacks, atlanta braves, Baltimore, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Guardians, Colorado Rockies, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, MLB Betting Picks, MLB Betting Preview, MLB Picks, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners, Toronto Blue Jays, Washington Nationals
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2023 NL Champion Nick Ahmed Denying Ring Offered by Diamondbacks
4 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

2023 NL Champion Nick Ahmed Denying Ring Offered by Diamondbacks

The Arizona Diamondbacks recognized former infielder Nick Ahmed during Monday's game against the San Francisco Giants, honoring his contribution to their National League Championship-winning campaign.

The D-Backs were intending to honor Ahmed with an NLCS ring, but the veteran infielder reportedly told not them not to bother, declining the offer from his former team, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports.

Ahmed, 34, played the first 10 seasons of his career in Arizona, but was released last year with one month left in the season. In his absence, the team went on to make its longest postseason run since 2001, and it seems he still harbors some bitter feelings about the situation.

He signed a one-year deal with San Francisco during the offseason, officially ending his tenure with the Diamondbacks. He wasn't willing to accept their offer to extend him an NLCS ring, despite featuring in 72 games for the team last season, and 888 games throughout his career.

Ahmed, a two-time Gold Glove winner known more for his defense than his prowess at the plate, struggled offensively in 2023, registering an OPS of .560 which translated to an OPS+ of 54. Arizona made the tough decision to part ways with its longtime infielder during the stretch run of the campaign to better equip the roster to make a World Series run.

When released by the Diamondbacks in September, Ahmed was emotional when speaking to reporters for the last time. It seems that the disappointment of his exit from Arizona is still lingering to some extent, having turned down the chance to receive his own NLCS ring.

Arizona Diamondbacks, Nick Ahmed, San Francisco Giants
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Giants vs. Diamondbacks Prediction, Odds, Pick and Probable Pitchers for Monday, June 3
3 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Giants vs. Diamondbacks Prediction, Odds, Pick and Probable Pitchers for Monday, June 3

The NL West has not been nearly as good as some expected entering this season, as there are just two teams over .500 and the defending NL champion Arizona Diamondbacks are in fourth place. 

The D-Backs are just 1.5 games back of their opponent tonight – the San Francisco Giants – but neither team is over .500 on the season. Injuries have ravaged the Giants’ lineup, and they’ll likely turn to a starter who has made just one appearance on the season on Monday. 

Arizona is favored in this matchup at home as the Giants look to snap a four-game losing streak. 

Here’s everything you need to know to bet on this matchup, including a best bet.

Run Line

Moneyline

Total 

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

San Francisco Giants

Patrick Bailey: The Giants are banged up on offense right now, but catcher Patrick Bailey has thrived against Ryne Nelson in his career and could lead the team on Monday. Bailey is 2-for-6 with a double against Nelson. He also comes into this matchup with a .298/.354/.465 slash line in 36 games. 

Arizona Diamondbacks

Ketel Marte: Last year’s NLCS MVP slumped a bit in the month of May, but he got off to a strong start in June, going 3-for-3 with a pair of home runs on Sunday. Can he take advantage of Howard, who was once a top prospect, in just his second outing of 2024? 

Spencer Howard was lights out in his first outing of the season – albeit just through four innings – holding the Philadelphia Phillies scoreless and giving up just five hits.

Philly is No. 5 in Major League Baseball in OPS (and Howard’s former team), yet he was able to keep it in check. The D-Backs, on the other hand, are 12th, and they’ve taken a step back to open 2024 after a strong playoff run in 2023. 

I don’t know if I give Howard an edge in this game since he’s made just one start in 2024, but I do know that Arizona has struggled when Nelson is on the mound.

Arizona is just 3-6 in his nine starts, and the young righty now has a 6.02 ERA after giving up four runs in six innings against the Texas Rangers in his last start. 

San Francisco did not fare well against the New York Yankees over the weekend, but this could be a prime spot to buy low on the Giants with Arizona winning just 33 percent of its games when Nelson starts.

These teams have been fairly equal on the season, ranking 25th and 26th in ERA and 12th and 15th in OPS. I’ll fade Nelson in this one. 

Pick: Giants Moneyline (+114)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Find Peter Dewey's betting record here You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.

Arizona Diamondbacks, Ketel Marte, MLB, Patrick Bailey, Ryne Nelson, San Francisco Giants, Spencer Howard
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Keith Hernandez Flubs Simple Addition, Leaves Mets Broadcasting Booth in Hysterics
1 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Keith Hernandez Flubs Simple Addition, Leaves Mets Broadcasting Booth in Hysterics

If you take a trip over to former first baseman Keith Hernandez's Baseball Reference page, you'll find a litany of National League-leading numbers—a .344 batting average in 1979, a .408 on-base percentage in 1980, 94 walks in 1986.

Just please—for the love of God—do not ask the man himself to add or subtract them.

Hernandez's hilariously bad attempt at doing simple math Saturday left the New York Mets' broadcast booth laughing during their game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. As SNY returned from a commercial break in the bottom of the first, the network showed a man in Hernandez's No. 17 jersey and a man in Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter's No. 8 jersey.

"Carter and Hernandez, two guys who had C's on their chest," play-by-play announcer Gary Cohen noted.

"That's right. That adds up to 15, doesn't it?" Hernandez asked.

"What?" his co-announcers asked.

"17 and 8," Hernandez replied.

"That's 25," Cohen told him as all three announcers busted up laughing.

Unless you're somebody like Moe Berg, there's a reason baseball players are baseball players and mathematicians are mathematicians.

Arizona Diamondbacks, Keith Hernandez, MLB, New York Mets
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Diamondbacks Beekeeper Hero Got His Own Official Topps Trading Card
1 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Diamondbacks Beekeeper Hero Got His Own Official Topps Trading Card

A swarm of bees at Chase Field delayed the Tuesday night tilt between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks for nearly two hours before the prayers of fans were answered by none other than Matt Hilton, a local beekeeper.

Hilton arrived on the scene and was successful in his removal of the swarm, which resulted in him getting the awesome opportunity to throw out the game's ceremonial first pitch.

That's not the only way Hilton was honored, however.

On Wednesday, the trading card company Topps unveiled an epic new baseball card, a 2024 Matt Hilton Topps Now Card, No. 145. Topps put the card on sale for 24 hours, pricing it at a reasonable $8.99 as a memento for fans who wanted to celebrate the viral beekeeper's heroics.

The card features a photo from Hilton after he transported the bees off the field on Tuesday, with his arms raised in the air while still wearing his beekeeping gear.

"Bee afraid, bee very afraid: Bees swarm in Arizona" is written on the bottom of the card.

In addition to the regular print of the Hilton card, Topps has also released special autographed editions, including a gold version of which only one was printed.

Fans at the stadium were greatly appreciative of Hilton's services on Tuesday night, and now the once in a lifetime experience has been immortalized by the trading card company in unique fashion.

Arizona Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Dodgers, MLB
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Beekeeper Plays Hero in Dodgers-Diamondbacks After Lengthy Bee Delay
1 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Beekeeper Plays Hero in Dodgers-Diamondbacks After Lengthy Bee Delay

Chase Field needed a hero Tuesday night.

An NL West clash between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers was put on hold just before 7 p.m. PT due to a bee colony forming on the protective netting behind home plate.

After a lengthy delay, Diamondbacks team officials called a local professional beekeeper to properly take care of the colony. Once the beekeeper arrived, they were elevated on a lift to meet the colony, which was located at the very top of the back screen.

The beekeeper used what appeared to be a vacuum to safely transport the bees to their next location—likely far away from Chase Field.

Bonnie Tyler's "Holding Out for a Hero" song blared at the ballpark as the beekeeper worked.

Mission successful. The bees were handled with care, and the game between the Diamondbacks and Dodgers began at 8:35 p.m. PT after nearly a two-hour delay.

You really never know what you're going to see at the ballpark every night.

Arizona Diamondbacks, Chase Field, Los Angeles Dodgers, MLB
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