Our free MLB Picks are out for Sunday, September 12th, 2021! Make sure you check our MLB Picks before the action kicks off.
Look below to find our free MLB Picks for the five best games on today’s schedule!
Toronto Blue Jays @ Baltimore Orioles – 1.05PM ET
This Sunday afternoon clash between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Baltimore Orioles will be the fourth and final game of this series. The two teams played a double header on Saturday, with the Blue Jays winning both, the first 11-10, and the second 11-2.
Tim Newton
I’m taking the Blue Jays to pick up the win here. I was very surprised to see them give up 16 runs through the first two games of this series but keeping Baltimore to just two last night has reinstalled my confidence in them moving forward. Toronto are now tied with the Yankees for the final Wild Card slot in the American League and games against the lowly Orioles simply need to be wins.
They have Steven Matz starting with the ball and his 11-7 record plus 3.70 ERA is impressive enough that they should have the edge in the early portion of this clash. Especially when Baltimore has Zac Lowther starting on the other side who has a massive ERA of 6.91 and has given up eight runs in his two starts this season. Toronto is the better team across the board and the starting pitching decisions give them even more of an edge this afternoon.
Tim’s MLB Pick: Toronto Blue Jays -1.5 (-137)
Katherine Mouradian
After going down in the first game of this series, the Blue Jays have bounced back and won both games in the double header on Saturday. The Orioles are having a season to forget, and probably looking forward to rebuilding this offseason to come back stronger next season. The Blue Jays are still right in this for a Wild Card spot, so the pressure is on them to keep winning.
5′ 8″ power-hitter. pic.twitter.com/XDKX36bGzb
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) September 12, 2021
The Blue Jays have won six of their previous seven games on the road, and have won five out of their previous six games against a team in the AL East. Looking at the Orioles now, they have won just two of their previous nine games at home when playing a left handed starter, and they have won only 12 of their previous 51 games when playing a team in the AL East. With so much on the line for the Blue Jays, and the confidence from winning the two games yesterday in high scoring affairs, I think they have this one in the bag.
Katherine’s MLB Pick: Toronto Blue Jays (-230)
Mike Su
In the 4th game of this inter-division matchup, the Blue Jays try to catch up to the Red Sox in the AL East standings. The Blue Jays are just one win behind the 2nd seed in the AL East. In their last game the Blue Jays did pull out a win against their lowly division rival, but only barely. The 11-10 match was a tight contest but that shouldn’t happen again in this game. The Blue Jays will be starting Steven Matz, who sports a good 3.7 ERA and 1.33 WHIP in 129 innings.
Although those numbers aren’t the best, he will be going up against Zac Lowther. Lowther has not been good with a 6.91 ERA and 1.53 WHIP in 14 innings. The limited game time is especially worrying as he now faces a top 5 batting unit led by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The Orioles just aren’t good enough on either side to score another win. The Blue Jays should win this in a blowout.
Mike’s MLB Pick: Toronto Blue Jays -1.5 (-134)
Boston Red Sox @ Chicago White Sox – 2.10PM ET
This Sunday afternoon clash between the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago White Sox will be the third and final game in this series. The first game was won by the White Sox, 4-3, then the Red Sox bounced back in the second game, winning 9-8, in the 10th innings.
Tim Newton
Given how close this series has been through the first two games, I’m looking to the starting pitchers to see who has the edge. Boston is handing Nick Pivetta the ball and while he has a 9-7 record, his 4.67 ERA leaves a lot to be desired. Especially when you compare this to Chicago’s starter, Lance Lynn. While he gave up seven runs last time out, Lynn has been given a two week break heading into this clash and it should allow him to return to the form that saw him be one of the best starters throughout the season.
From 24 starts Lynn has a 10-4 record with a 2.59 ERA and has only given up 39 runs compared to 152 strikeouts in his 135.2 innings. While Boston is one of the better and more explosive batting units in the league, Lynn’s play should be able to restrict them and allow the White Sox to get on top of the Red Sox to win the series.
Tim’s MLB Pick: Chicago White Sox (-162)
Katherine Mouradian
The first two games were as close as you can get, this is something to be expected from two high quality teams. The Red Sox are certainly in with a good shot of getting a Wild Card spot, and the White Sox are leading the AL Central, in front of the Indians by 11.5 games. Over to some of the key stats for this game now. The Red Sox have won five of their previous seven games against a team in the AL Central, and they have won just one of their previous five against a team with a starter that has a WHIP less than 1.15.
Looking at the White Sox now, they have won just one of their previous five when it comes to the third game of a series, but they have won five of their previous six when Lynn is their starter and they are playing on grass. There is a massive fight going on for the Red Sox, who need to keep winning to claim a Wild Card spot, but the White Sox are sitting pretty, without any pressure on them. With the COVID-19 issues currently plaguing the Red Sox, I’m going to stick with the White Sox, who could play a great game without any pressure, and the White Sox are proving pretty hard to beat at home this season as well.
Katherine’s MLB Pick: Chicago White Sox (-162)
Mike Su
In the third game of this in-season series, the Red Sox look to win another game to separate themselves from the Blue Jays and Yankees in the AL East. After a 10th innings win in their last match, the Red Sox look to win again. They will face tough competition as the White Sox are starting one of the league’s best in Lance Lynn. Lynn has been phenomenal this year with a 2.59 ERA and 1.08 WHIP.
He also has 152 strikeouts in 135 innings, leading to a 10-4 record. This will give the Red Sox a tough time. The Red Sox will be starting Nick Pivetta who is significantly worse than Lynn with a 4.67 ERA and 1.34 WHIP. However, due to the fact the White Sox have nothing to play for and the Red Sox fighting for the 2nd seed in the tough AL East. I have to go with the Red Sox to win this game in a close one.
Mike’s MLB Pick: Boston Red Sox (+136)
San Francisco Giants @ Chicago Cubs – 2.20PM ET
This Sunday afternoon clash between the San Francisco Giants and the Chicago Cubs will be the third and final game of the series. The Giants have been all over the Cubs this series, winning the first two games, 6-1 and 15-4.
Tim Newton
How many runs can the Giants win by this time? They have now won six straight games by a combined margin of 35 runs and it is hard to see the Cubs putting up a decent enough effort to get within striking distance of the team with the best record in baseball. Chicago has Justin Steele starting on the mound and he has started in just five games this season and given up 12 runs in those starts.
While that isn’t a massive amount of runs, his record in those games is just 1-2, meaning that their offense isn’t good enough to keep up and the rest of the bullpen isn’t up to scratch. That will be an issue against San Francisco, given they have a top five batting unit, evidenced in their 15 run outburst last night, and also have named Logan Webb as their starter. Webb has rock solid figures of a 9-3 record with 2.64 ERA this season and when you look closer at his recent form, his last seven games have returned a 4-0 record with a 1.55 ERA. This is another mismatch and another blow out is on the cards.
Tim’s MLB Pick: San Francisco Giants -2.5 (+128)
Katherine Mouradian
It was certainly a great display of batting in the previous game by the Giants, and they are starting to creep a little bit further in front of the Dodgers in the NL West, they are now three games ahead. The Cubs, on the other hand, are out of everything, they won’t even be getting a Wild Card spot this postseason, so it is back to the drawing board, to hopefully do better next season. Looking at the stats for this clash now.
Six in a row#ResilientSF | @BlueShieldCA pic.twitter.com/cfF3KwruVt
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) September 11, 2021
The Giants have won all five of their previous games when Webb is the starter and they are playing a team that has a losing record, they have also won eight of their previous 10 games overall. Over to the Cubs now, they have won none of their previous five home games and when playing a road team with a winning percentage of higher than .600, but they have managed to win seven of their previous 10 games overall. While the Cubs have been playing well as of late, the Giants are on another level, and I’m expecting to see more of what we saw in the first two games again on Sunday afternoon. Back the Giants for a convincing win here.
Katherine’s MLB Pick: San Francisco Giants -1.5 (-118)
Mike Su
In the 3rd game of this lopsided matchup, the Giants look to finish off the Cubs. The Giants look to maintain their lead over the Dodgers in the NL West division, and lock in that number 1 seed. The Giants should have no problem after a 15-4 obliteration of the Cubs in their last game. In this matchup the Giants are looking to repeat this effort by starting Logan Webb.
Webb has been phenomenal this year and is one of the top pitchers in the league. This season, Webb has averaged a 2.6 ERA, 1.1 WHIP and 127 strikeouts in 119 innings, leading to a 9-3 record. The Cubs should struggle against Webb as they have against the rest of the Giants’ talented bullpen. The Cubs should also struggle containing the Giants’ batting unit with their bottom 10 defense. The Giants should win this game and all but end the Dodgers’ chances at winning the NL West.
Mike’s MLB Pick: San Francisco Giants (-215)
San Diego Padres @ Los Angeles Dodgers – 4.10PM ET
This Sunday afternoon clash between the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers will be the third and final game of this series. The Dodgers have won the first two games so far, so the Padres are looking to get a win to avoid being swept. The Dodgers won the first game, 3-0 and then went on to win the second game, 5-4.
Tim Newton
The Dodgers have bounced back to form and I like them to continue that going this afternoon. Despite back to back wins, they still sit 2.5 games back from the Giants for top spot of the NL West and need to keep winning to keep within striking distance. That is exactly what I think will happen in this one given LA are up 8-4 on combined scores through the first two games and are starting Max Scherzer for the clash.
Through 43 innings pitched in seven games for the Dodgers, Scherzer has given up just six runs and recorded 63 strikeouts, posting a 5-0 record in those games. San Diego’s batting lineup is just middle-of-the-road this season, even with Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado leading the way, and they should be no match for Scherzer and the Dodgers, yet again.
Tim’s MLB Pick: Los Angeles Dodgers -1.5 (+100)
Katherine Mouradian
With this series with the Dodgers almost over, it doesn’t really get any easier for the Padres when they take on the Giants next. But the good news for the Padres is that they are still well in the hunt for the second Wild Card spot in the NL (the first spot is booked in by either the Giants or the Dodgers – whoever finished second in the NL West). The Dodgers needed these wins to try to continue to close the gap to the Giants, they certainly want to finish at the top of the NL West, and not have to claim a Wild Card spot.
The Padres have won eight of their previous 25 games played on grass and have won just two of their previous 10 games against a team in the NL West. Over to the Dodgers now, they have won 19 of their previous 26 games against a team that has a winning record, and they have won six of their previous 10 games overall. I’m liking the look of these two starting pitchers, both Snell and Scherzer have dominated and played very well this season. But I’m going to stick with the Dodgers, because offensively they have a number of key playmakers that can help get some runs on the board a lot easier than the Padres. Back the Dodgers for a convincing win here on Sunday.
Katherine’s MLB Pick: Los Angeles Dodgers -1.5 (+100)
Mike Su
The Padres and Dodgers meet in the 3rd game of this crucial in-season series. After gaining the division lead, the Dodgers have slipped recently losing this lead to the Giants. Now the Dodgers are at risk of never getting this division lead back. The Dodgers will be starting one of the league’s best with Max Scherzer starting at pitcher. Scherzer has a 2.28 ERA and 0.86 WHIP in 154 innings.
Scherzer is a beast and will hold the Padres to a low amount of runs, if he allows them to score any. The Padres will be starting Blake Snell who is respectable but nowhere near the level of Scherzer. Snell has an average 4.22 ERA and 1.33 WHIP in 128 innings. Despite their form lately, the Dodgers are one of the best teams in the MLB and should win this game in a tight one, especially with Scherzer at the helm.
Mike’s MLB Pick: Los Angeles Dodgers (-200)
New York Yankees @ New York Mets – 8.08PM ET
This Sunday evening clash between the New York Yankees and the New York Mets will be the third and final game in this series. The Mets were good enough to take out the first game, winning 10-3. The Yankees then instantly hit back next time out, winning 8-7.
Tim Newton
With the Yankees failing to register a win in seven straight games, they needed a spark. Aaron Judge, their de facto captain, stepped up to the plate and delivered when they needed him most. Judge managed to hit two home runs in their streak-halting victory last night and has breathed some life into the Yankees’ season again. The pinstripes are now tied with the Blue Jays for the final Wild Card slot in the American League and with just over three weeks to play, they need more inspiring performances last night resulting in wins.
While they are yet to name a starting pitcher, the Mets have named theirs and I like the look it gives the Yankees. Carlos Carrasco has seen just eight games this season and given up a massive 25 runs on 37 hits in just 33.2 innings of work. In his two games so far in September, Carrasco has given up seven runs on 11 hits in just 10.2 innings of work and should give the Yankees enough of a head start that they can win a second straight game, allowing them to claim this battle of New York series.
Tim’s MLB Pick: New York Yankees (+102)
Katherine Mouradian
Boy did the Yankees need that win, it helped snap a mammoth seven game losing streak, which dropped them to fourth in the AL East, 10.5 games behind the Rays. The Mets are fighting for the second spot in the Wild Card games, but they are fighting against a lot of other tough teams, like the Padres, Reds, Cardinals and Phillies. Looking at some of the important stats for this clash now!
Challenge won. @KPILLAR4 cashes in a run! #LGM pic.twitter.com/vqvODtcJgL
— New York Mets (@Mets) September 12, 2021
The Yankees have won eight of their previous nine interleague games, but they have won just two of their previous 10 games overall. Over to the Mets now, they have won just five of their previous 22 when playing a team with a winning record, but they have managed to win six of their previous 10 games overall. The Yankees have finally won a game! I think this will trigger things for the Yankees and everything will kick into gear, and it needs to happen fast if they want a Wild Card spot.
Katherine’s MLB Pick: New York Yankees (+102)
Mike Su
The ice cold Yankees meet the Mets for the third game of this New York City derby. After being just a few games behind the Rays for the lead in the AL East Division, the Yankees have slipped and been pretty bad lately with only 3 wins in their last 10 games, and barely beat the Mets in their last match. The Mets will be in a tough position to win this game after a valiant effort in game 2. The Mets will be starting Carlos Carrasco. Carrasco has been pretty bad this year with a 5.88 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 1-2 record in limited playing time.
Although the Mets have one of the league’s best defenses, with the 4th best run defense in the league, Carrasco does not give much hope for the Mets to play at this level in this game. The Yankees are the slightly better batting unit sitting at 20th in the league in runs per game, versus the Mets 27th position in the league. With such an unproven commodity for the Mets pitching, the Yankees should be able to take advantage. The Yankees should and need to win this one to close the gap between their inter-division rivals.
Mike’s MLB Pick: New York Yankees (+102)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
