Our free MLB Picks are out for Thursday, September 23rd, 2021! We have hand-picked today’s five best games, so make sure you check our MLB Picks before the action kicks off.
Look below to find our free MLB Picks for today!
St Louis Cardinals @ Milwaukee Brewers – 2.10PM ET
The St Louis Cardinals added another win to their streak and did so in convincing fashion, beating the Milwaukee Brewers 10-2. They are now up to 11 straight wins while the Brewers have lost four in a row, adding intrigue to the series finale of this NL Central showdown.
Tim Newton
Given the Cardinals are currently dominating this series, outscoring the Brewers 17-5 through three games, it is hard to see them losing this afternoon. Especially when they are bringing out one of their best starting pitchers, Adam Wainwright. Although he has been impressive all season with a 16-7 record and 2.89 ERA from his 30 games, when looking at just his last seven, Wainwright is 5-1 with an incredible 1.70 ERA.
His recent form coincides with the Cardinals’ recent form and considering he has only given up 10 runs over his last eight games, where he has pitched 56.2 innings. That is absolutely incredible and given how poor the Milwaukee batting lineup has been this series, he should be able to swing the game in St Louis’ favor.
Tim’s MLB Pick: St Louis Cardinals (+108)
Katherine Mouradian
The Cardinals mammoth winning streak rolls on, and it has certainly attracted the attention of many. So, how long can they keep winning for? The Cardinals are now four and a half games in the clear for the final Wild Card spot in the NL. Is that enough? So many questions! The Brewers have now lost four games in a row, but they do have a confirmed spot in the postseason. They would certainly want to go into the postseason with some confidence, so they will need to pick up a few more wins between now and then.
Final. pic.twitter.com/bUJNRUhneM
— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) September 23, 2021
The Cardinals have won two of their previous nine when it comes to the fourth game of a series, but they have won 16 of their previous 21 games on the road. The Brewers have won 41 of their previous 59 when versus a team with a right handed starter, and they have won 36 of their previous 52 when playing a team in the NL Central. The stats are good on both sides, but like I’ve said before, I just can’t knock the form of the Cardinals and I’ll be on them to get 12 wins in a row. Should be a great watch with Houser and Wainwright the starting pitchers, with a Cardinals win at the end of the day.
Katherine’s MLB Pick: St Louis Cardinals (+108)
Mike Su
After a shocking 11th win in a row by the Cardinals, they are now 4.5 games ahead of the Reds and Phillies for the final Wild Card spot in the National League. Despite facing the 91-win Brewers with a questionable starting pitcher in Miles Mikolas, the Cardinals powered their way to a blowout 10-2 win. Now the Cardinals face the Brewers once again for the 4th time in 4 days. In every game the Cardinals have been playing solid defense and have held the brewers to 2 or fewer runs in the past 3 games.
With a win here the Cardinals would have a comfortable cushion with just 11 games remaining in the season. In order to try and get their 12th win in a row the Cardinals are employing Adam Wainwright. Wainwright has been phenomenal this year with a 2.89 ERA and 1.03 WHIP. He sits comfortably in the upper echelon of MLB pitchers this season and will likely make a Brewers team weep. In 3 games against the Brewers, Wainwright has allowed just 5 runs and had 14 strikeouts in 17 innings. This strong pitcher should continue, as should the Cardinals’ win streak.
Mike’s MLB Pick: St Louis Cardinals (+108)
Los Angeles Dodgers @ Colorado Rockies – 3.10PM ET
The Colorado Rockies showed that despite being just 0.470 on the season, they are one of the best teams at home across the country. Hosting a Los Angeles Dodgers side that is gunning for the top of the NL West, Colorado smacked them, winning 10-5 and levelling the series with the rubber to be played this afternoon.
Tim Newton
I was not expecting that result to happen but I am certain LA will come out with a point to prove in this one. While the Dodgers had a massive advantage in the pitching department yesterday, it may be even bigger for this clash. Max Scherzer is starting for LA and that typically results in a win, considering he is 7-0 in nine games for the Dodgers. He has only given up six runs in those nine games, which includes just one in his four games in September. That sort of performance is unheard of, and his 0.57 ERA over his last six games is justified.
While the Rockies are a much better team at home, being 46-28 on the season, their power comes from their offense and they won’t have that luxury against Scherzer. He takes away Colorado’s biggest strength and it should result in a comfortable LA win.
Tim’s MLB Pick: Los Angeles Dodgers -1.5 (-150)
Katherine Mouradian
Just when the Dodgers were closing in on top spot in the NL West, they go and slip up and lose to the Rockies, pretty comfortably as well, 5-10, and after just winning in the first game, in the 10th innings, the Dodgers are looking far from comfortable to pip the Giants right at the end of the season. The Rockies have been realistically out of playoff contention for a while, but that hasn’t stopped them from giving their fans hope for next season, if they can continue playing like they did last time out!
The Dodgers have won 16 of their previous 22 games on the road and they have won 38 of their previous 52 games in total. The Rockies have won one of their previous six games at home, and they have won 14 of their previous 20 when it comes to the third game of the series. It was the Dodgers defense that was all over the shop last time out, but now we will have the beast that is Scherzer back on the mound. So, I’m expecting good things from the Dodgers in this game.
Katherine’s MLB Pick: Los Angeles Dodgers -1.5 (-150)
Mike Su
The Dodgers now sit 2 games behind the Giants in NL West division and must be reeling after an embarrassing 10-5 loss to the Rockies. The Dodgers’ defense looked out of sorts and not like the top 5 units they are in the statistics. Walker Buehler also looked bad against a bad batting unit with 5 allowed runs in 3 innings.
The Dodgers will be looking to bounce back in this game to ensure they are still in the running for the NL West division and consequently the 1st seed in the National League. In order to do so they are leaning on their best pitcher and the best pitcher in the league, Max Scherzer. Scherzer is a freak with a 2.08 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and 226 strikeouts in 169 innings. Scherzer also has a great 15-4 record. The Dodgers won’t repeat their mistake from last game and should win this comfortably.
Mike’s MLB Pick: Los Angeles Dodgers -1.5 (-150)
Seattle Mariners @ Oakland Athletics – 3.37PM ET
The Seattle Mariners have done it again, getting the best of the Oakland Athletics. That is three straight in this series and eight straight overall that Seattle have taken from Oakland, and they now meet again in O.co Coliseum for the fourth and final game of this series.
Tim Newton
Well Seattle certainly has the A’s number, don’t they! Regardless of who starts or who is in the lineup, the Mariners just keep beating Oakland. However, I am picking the A’s to flip the script in this clash. This may be a crazy pick considering Oakland are 2-10 against their AL West rivals this season, but their season is slipping away and I’m expecting a response.
Chris Bassitt starting at pitcher is a great start, considering he is 12-4 from 25 games this season. His 3.22 ERA is impressive without being incredible but it improves to 2.70 when looking at his recent form, over the last seven games. Comparing that to Yusei Kikuchi’s numbers, that are 7-9 with a 4.32 ERA from his 28 starts, it is hard to go against Bassitt and the A’s. Their batting lineup will need to show up to support their starting pitcher, but I like the A’s to win this one.
Tim’s MLB Pick: Oakland Athletics (-166)
Katherine Mouradian
The Athletics keep slipping and now they have lost three in a row to the Mariners. Both teams are still in contention for the final Wild Card spot in the AL, as they are both three games behind the Yankees who are currently occupying the final spot, but time is rapidly running out, and they will need a lot of things to go their way. So you’re saying there’s a chance?! The Mariners have won 11 of their previous 16 games played on a Thursday, and they have won 10 of their previous 11 when it comes to the fourth game of the series.
😃🤝😃 pic.twitter.com/x6Ycf9whZW
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) September 23, 2021
The Athletics have won eight of their previous nine games on a Thursday and they have won five of their previous six when it comes to the fourth game of a series. The Athletics just can’t seem to win against the Mariners, and they haven’t done so in their previous seven meetings! The Mariners are putting up Kikuchi, who hasn’t been the best starter, especially if you look at his more recent results, and the Athletics have Bassitt, who is undoubtedly the better of the two pitchers. But the Mariners are on a roll, especially against the Athletics, and for the price on offer, I just can’t pass it up. Back the Mariners.
Katherine’s MLB Pick: Seattle Mariners (+140)
Mike Su
The Mariners have moved ahead of the Athletics in the Wild Card playoff standings with their 4th win in a row. After beating the As in the last 3 games, the Mariners are now just 2.5 wins behind the Yankees for the final Wild Card spot. However, getting that 4th win in a row against the Athletics and the 5th win in their overall winning streak will be tough as they face Chris Bassitt. Bassitt is good with a 3.22 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 154 strikeouts in 151 innings, leading to a 12-4 record. However, in past games against the Mariners, Bassitt hasn’t played too well with 8 allowed runs in just 9 innings.
This doesn’t bode well for the As. For the Mariners, they will be starting Yusei Kikuchi, who has a below average 4.32 ERA and 7-9 record. However, in his 2 games against the As, Kikuchi has been insanely good. In 12 innings against the As, Kikuchi has 15 strikeouts and has only allowed 4 runs in 12 innings. This is worlds ahead of Bassitt. Therefore, I’m going with the Mariners to make it 5 in a row and for the Mariners to take a step closer to the final Wild Card spot.
Mike’s MLB Pick: Seattle Mariners (+140)
San Francisco Giants @ San Diego Padres – 4.10PM ET
While the San Diego Padres made it tough, again, the San Francisco Giants proved that they are too good in this matchup. The league-leading Giants won 8-6 and will look to complete the series sweep this afternoon.
Tim Newton
San Diego has definitely put up a fight in this series but it is hard to bet against the Giants at the moment. They have the best record in baseball and still find ways to win even when they are tested. Looking at tonight’s game, with Logan Webb starting on the mound, San Francisco should be chalking up another win. Webb is 10-3 with a 2.86 ERA from his 24 appearances this season, with 23 of those being starts. He actually hasn’t registered a loss since May but has given up 10 runs over his last three games, showing that the Padres can get a hold of him.
Their batting lineup has been keeping up with the Giants so far in this series, but it comes down to whether Yu Darvish can restrict San Francisco’s batting lineup. Darvish is 8-10 with a 4.13 ERA this season but that has ballooned out to 6.37 over his last seven games. He has given up 5+ runs in nine of his last 13 games and that is not what you want against one of the best batting lineups from this season. The Giants should win, and win well, in a high scoring affair.
Tim’s MLB Pick: San Francisco Giants -1.5 / Over 7.5 (+180)
Katherine Mouradian
Another day, another win for the Giants, and with the Dodgers losing their game last time out, that takes just a smidge of pressure off the Giants that they can maintain their top spot in the NL West. The Padres had a real chance of taking the final Wild Card spot in the NL, but after winning just two games in their previous 12, that dream is now over. The Giants have won 37 of their previous 53 games in total and they have won six of their previous seven games played on a Thursday.
The Padres have won just three of their previous 16 when it comes to the third game of the series and they have won none of their previous four games when Darvish is starting and they are playing against a team in the NL West. The dumpster fire that is the Padres right now are just no match for any team really, let alone a team like the Giants. While Darvish has had a handful of good performances, it’s not enough for me to forget about all the terrible ones. Give me the Giants everyday of the week!
Katherine’s MLB Pick: San Francisco Giants (-108)
Mike Su
The Padres take on the Giants for the third time after 2 back to back losses. The Padres are technically still in the Wild Card race but their inability to finish late has hurt them in the win column and has hurt them against the Giants. In this game, the Giants will be starting one of their best pitchers, Logan Webb. Webb has a 2.79 ERA, 1.1 WHIP and 141 strikeouts in 132 innings, leading to a 10-3 record. In his last game against the Padres, Webb played decently with 3 allowed runs in 6 innings.
On the other side, the Padres will be starting Yu Darvish who I think is highly underrated and despite some poor showings in the past. In 3 games against the Giants Darvish has had 22 strikeouts and allowed 10 runs in 16 innings. The key thing is that 8 of those 10 runs came from one game, where the Giants blew out the Padres. I think that behind Darvish, the Padres either win in a low scoring affair or get blown out by the Giants. However, I think that 8 run embarrassment was a ocne fof and the Padres have a low scoring affair with the Giants.
Mike’s MLB Pick: Under 8 (-118)
Toronto Blue Jays @ Minnesota Twins – 7.40PM ET
The Minnesota Twins host the Toronto Blue Jays in the first of four games to close out the week. These sides met last weekend, in Toronto, with the Blue Jays winning that series 2-1 and outscoring the Twins 14-12 across the three games.
Tim Newton
Given the Blue Jays are coming off a tough series loss to the Rays, on the road, I’m expecting them to show a bit in this series opener. They may have lost the opener to the Twins in last week’s series, but I think we will see a different outcome in this one. Toronto are a top three batting unit this season and come up against a pitcher, Michael Pineda, who has a 7-8 record and 3.74 ERA. What is weird about Pineda is that both his record and ERA are worse when pitching at home this season, which gives the Blue Jays an opportunity to pounce.
Especially when they have Steven Matz starting for them, who is 4-0 with a 2.72 ERA from his last seven starts, including keeping an explosive Yankees batting lineup to just one run from six innings earlier in the month. He will get help from his offense, considering it is led by Vladimir Guerrero, who is second for OPS and first for home runs this season, with Marcus Semien close behind him. Toronto is better on both sides of the ball and I like them to get the job done in this one.
Tim’s MLB Pick: Toronto Blue Jays (-142)
Katherine Mouradian
The Blue Jays and the Twins are back at it again and this is the first game of a new series, after playing a series just a handful of days ago. This time the Twins are playing at home and are looking for retribution after losing their previous series to the Blue Jays 1-2. Since that series with the Blue Jays, the Twins have had two wins against the Cubs, so will have confidence coming into this clash. The Blue Jays had a tough series with the Rays, in which they lost 1-2.
VERY important handshake for George and Coach Schneider 😂
VAMOS! #WeAreBlueJays pic.twitter.com/53zpMEWQ0p
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) September 22, 2021
Going up against a team like the Twins could be just what the doctor ordered to get the Blue Jays back into the second Wild Card spot again, as they are now half a game behind the Yankees. The Blue Jays have won 15 of their previous 21 when they are the favorite, and they have won 10 of their previous 13 games on the road. The Twins have won two of their previous nine games at home, and they have won just one of their previous five games played on a Thursday. I’m expecting a Blue Jays win, they just have so much to play for, and they will rise to the occasion again. Also, considering the Blue Jays have won five of their previous seven clashes in Minnesota, that gives me even more confidence.
Katherine’s MLB Pick: Toronto Blue Jays (-142)
Mike Su
The Blue Jays fell half a game behind the Yankees in the race for the final Wild Card spot after a big 7-1 loss to the Rays. They now look to bounce back and reclaim the final Wild Card post by beating the Twins. They should have a relatively easy time disposing of the 67-win Twins behind the dominance of their bullpen and batting unit recently. The Blue Jays will be relying on Steven Matz to pull out a win.
Although his stats aren’t the greatest with his 3.84 ERA and 1.32 WHIP, Matz has a 13-7 record, and in this game against the Twins, Matz will be facing a team that is in the bottom half of the league in terms of batting. On the other side, the Twins are starting Michael Pineda who has similar stats with a 3.74 ERA and 1.2 WHIP but just a 7-8 record. Pineda will also be facing one of the league’s best batting units. Thus, I think the Blue Jays bounce back quickly from their big loss and continue fighting for the final Wild Card spot.
Mike’s MLB Pick: Toronto Blue Jays (-142)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
