Will it be a home run hump-day? Or a wild pitch Wednesday? Check out our free MLB moneyline picks to see who we like to win the best five games on today’s busy baseball schedule.
Look below to find our free MLB Picks for the five best games on today’s schedule!
San Diego Padres @ Chicago Cubs – 2.20PM ET
The Padres and Cubs will wrap up their three game series at Wrigley Field on Wednesday afternoon.
As a result of Tuesday’s 4-3 victory, Chicago clinched a series victory over the National League leaders at home. The Cubs won Monday’s series opener 7-2 before wrapping up the series on Tuesday with a 4-3 win.
Patrick Wisdom’s two run homer gave the Cubs a 2-0 lead at the bottom of the second and after the Padres scored three runs at the top of the fifth, Wilson Contreras clubbed a two run homer of his own to give Chicago a 4-3 lead at the bottom of the fifth.
Patrick Wisdom is 9-for-18 with 4 homers since rejoining the Cubs. #CubTogether pic.twitter.com/6eLYXdT9R1
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) June 2, 2021
Dinelson Lamet will take the mound in the final game of the series on Wednesday, when he makes his fifth start (seventh appearance) of the year for San Diego. Lamet is 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA from just 14 innings this year. The right hander hasn’t been asked to throw more than three innings in any of his six appearances this season. Lamet has thrown just eight innings in his last three starts, allowing three earned runs on nine hits in that time.
Chicago will counter with the more experienced Albert Alzolay. Alzolay has a 3-4 record from his nine starts this year, to go along with a 3.81 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 51 strikeouts from his 49.2 innings with the ball. The right hander has thrown 17.2 innings across his last three starts, allowing just five earned runs on 15 hits in that time.
It is worth noting that the Padres will be supporting Lamet with the No. 1 ranked pitching staff in baseball, as San Diego boasts a league leading 2.77 team ERA. However, Chicago’s relief pitchers have also been performing well recently, owning a league leading 1.59 ERA in the month of may. Given both sides form at the mound, we are going to take the Cubs at home in this matchup. Chicago have now won 12 of their last 15 games at home and we think their offense and pitching rotation will lead them to a series sweep on Wednesday.
MLB Pick – Chicago Cubs (-102)
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New York Mets @ Arizona Diamondbacks – 3.40PM ET
The Mets and Diamondbacks are set to conclude their three game series in Arizona on Wednesday afternoon.
As a result of their 10th inning 6-5 victory, Arizona have tied this series up at 1-1. Although New York led the game 4-0 at the middle of the sixth, the scores were tied 4-4 at the end of the ninth.
New York looked as if they’d done enough to win the game and clinch the series in the extra innings, after James’s McCann hit a go-ahead double. However with two batters on base, Josh Reddick hit a walk-off double at the bottom of the 10th to complete the Diamondbacks comeback.
Madison Bumgarner will be given the responsibility of closing out this homer series with a win, when he makes his 12th start for Arizona this year. After being hit for 13 earned runs on 15 hits across 14 innings in his last three starts, Bumgarner has dropped to a 4-5 record, 5.15 ERA and 1.16 WHIP from 57.2 innings of action this year.
New York will give David Peterson the ball for his 10th start of the season. Peterson is 1-4 with a 4.91 ERA and 1.27 WHIP from 44 innings of work this year. The southpaw has been a consistent performer in New York’s star studded bullpen, allowing three runs or fewer in all but one start this season.
Given that 16 of New York’s 40 man roster entered this week on the IL, the Mets have been very reliant on their pitching performances in 2021. New York is only averaging 3.55 runs per game, however their 3.07 team ERA is the second best in the majors.
With a 4.35 runs per game average, Arizona are scoring more frequently than New York in 2021. However, the Diamondbacks pitching staff is giving up 4.95 earned runs per game, ranking them second last in MLB.
Although they have been the more productive lineup this season, Arizona has not fared well against left handers this year, which will give New York an advantage at the mound as David Peterson is a southpaw. The Diamondbacks have a .667 OPS against left-handed starters compared to .708 against right-handers. As well as that, Arizona recently lost 13 consecutive games, including six losses from their past eight games at home. New York are the second best pitching team in baseball and given that their lineup has recently scored 28 runs from their past four outings, the Mets should have no trouble putting up a winnable score against the struggling Madison Bumgarner on Wednesday. Bumgarner has given up 14 runs (11 earned) in his last two starts.
MLB Pick – New York Mets (-104)
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Tampa Bay Rays @ New York Yankees – 7.05PM ET
A pair of AL East rivals will continue their four game series on Wednesday night when the Yankees and the Rays face off for their third game of the week at Yankee Stadium.
As a result of their 5-3 victory on Tuesday, New York tied their three game series against Tampa Bay at 1-1 heading into game three on Wednesday. With the game tied at 3-3 at the bottom of the 11th, Clint Frazier hit a walk-off two run homer to give the Yankees a two run victory.
The loss was just the Rays second in their past 18 games.
🔥 @RaysBaseball finishes May with a 22-6 record, which currently gives them the best record in MLB!#RaysUp pic.twitter.com/A9lj2MkFXd
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) May 31, 2021
New York will send Jordan Montgomery to the mound on Wednesday. From 10 starts this season, Montgomery has a 2-1 record, 4.22 ERA and 1.11 WHIP. The southpaw has made two starts against the Rays this year, allowing five earned runs (three homers) on seven hits in 11 innings with the ball.
Shane McClanahan will make seventh start of the year for the Rays. McClanahan has a 2-0 record, 3.29 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 32 strikeouts over 27.1 innings of work this year. McClanahan is also a southpaw and he allowed zero runs on just three hits in five innings in his last start.
Tampa Bay has dominated the Yankees so far this year and given that they boast a top five offense in baseball and will have an advantage at the mound in McClanahan, we like Tampa Bay to win game three of this series on the road. Although they won Tuesday’s match in the 11th inning, the Yankees are a bottom 10 offense in the league and we can’t see their lineup turning their form around against the hottest team in baseball.
MLB Pick – Tampa Bay Rays (+116)
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Miami Marlins @ Toronto Blue Jays – 7.07PM ET
The Marlins and Blue Jays will wrap up their two game set on Wednesday, with Toronto on the hunt for a short sweep and Miami looking to tie things up at one game a piece.
Toronto took the win in game one on Tuesday, winning the matchup 5-1. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was the standout performer with the bat, recording one run from four hits with three RBIs in the four run win. Robbie Ray took the W with the ball, allowing one earned run on six hits in six innings with the ball to go along with nine strikeouts.
Miami’s lineup only recorded one hit in the loss, as they have now been beaten in five of their past six games.
Pablo Lopez will look to tie this series up when he makes his 12th start of the year for Miami. Although he has a poor 1-3 record, Lopez boasts a 2.71 ERA and 1.13 WHIP to go along with 59 strikeouts from his 63 innings with the ball. The right hander has thrown 19 innings in his last three starts and given up just four earned runs on 15 hits in that time.
Toronto’s Alex Manoah will make just his second career start on Wednesday night. In his one MLB appearance, Manoah was outstanding, as the No. 5 prospect in the organization threw six shutout innings and allowed just two hits on debut against the Yankees.
As Miami’s offense has scored two runs or fewer in five of their past six games, we haven’t seen enough from the Marlins lineup to suggest that they are capable of hitting a winnable score on the road against a talented Alex Manoah on Wednesday. Especially when considering that the Blue Jays are a top five team in the league when looking at batting average (.258) and runs per game (5.02) and they have a 5-0 record from their last five games against teams with losing records.
MLB Pick – Toronto Blue Jays (-154)
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Boston Red Sox @ Houston Astros – 8.10PM ET
The Boston Red Sox will continue their set against the Astros in Houston on Wednesday night, for what will be the third match of their four game series.
Houston took a 2-0 lead over Boston in their four game series thanks to a 5-1 victory on Tuesday. Jose Altuve set the tone with the bat, hitting a lead off home run to give Houston an early lead. The Astros have now outscored the Red Sox 16-3 heading into game three on Wednesday night.
Jose Altuve has homered in every at-bat this month. 🤯#ForTheH pic.twitter.com/UVZI87w82s
— Houston Astros (@astros) June 2, 2021
Nick Pivetta will take the ball for Boston on Wednesday for what will be his 11th start of the season. Pivetta has a 6-0 record, 3.86 ERA, 1.267 WHIP and 59 strikeouts through 53.2 innings of work this year. In his last start, Pivetta threw six innings and allowed four runs on seven hits to go along with nine strikeouts in a game the Red Sox won 9-5.
The Astros will counter by giving Framber Valdez the ball for his second start of the season. After a lengthy stint on the IL, Valdez made his first start of the year against San Diego last week, throwing four innings and allowing one run on two hits.
Seeing as Valdez will likely be on a pitch count restriction when making his second start after an injury, Houston will be heavily reliant on their rotation on Wednesday. Given that Boston has a top five lineup when looking at runs scored and runs per game, we like the Red Sox to win Wednesday night’s game three. Boston will be coming up against Framber Valdez on a pitching count as well as a Houston pitching staff that has allowed the fifth most home runs in baseball this season.
MLB Pick – Boston Red Sox (+130)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
