Dan Kaiser

The Philadelphia Phillies will send Cristopher Sanchez to the mound. He is 5-2 this season with a 3.05 ERA. The Marlins will send out Edward Cabrera to face the Phillies. He is 2-2, with a  4.10 ERA. They have split the first two games of the series. The Phillies have won four of their last five games. The Phillies have allowed just 2.6 runs per game over their last five. The Marlins snapped a three-game losing streak with a win in game 1. They have averaged just 4.2 runs over their last five games. They rank 23rd in MLB in runs scored per game and 28th in home runs. The Phillies are 16-13 as away favorites, with an average margin of victory of 1.0 runs. The Phillies are a little more consistent on the offensive side and they are a little better on the mound.

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The Pacers need to play their best game of the season and it won’t be easy with their best player being a game time decision. In saying that, I expect him to play, how good and for how long is the question. Haliburton got injured in the first quarter and was ineffective for the rest of the game. This Pacers squad has a lot of depth and different offensive weapons but without Hali they will be at a severe disadvantage. With Haliburton, not 100%, the Pacers will struggle offensively, even though they will be on their home court. The Thunder are the better team and if they get out to an early lead, this game could be over before it really begins. I said whoever wins game four wins the series and OKC closes it out tonight.

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Skubal has been this season, especially at Tiger Stadium. He has an ERA of just 1.72 at home this season. Skubal has also allowed just four earned runs in his last five games. He has gone under the number in four of his last five starts. Heaney has a 3.33 ERA this season and a respectable 3.72 ERA on the road. The Pirates have gone under in four of Heaney's last five starts. The Tigers are 12th in baseball with a .740 team OPS with runners in scoring position while the Pirates are 24th with a .668 team OPS with runners in scoring position. 

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The Twins have lost the first two games of their series with the Reds after dropping a rain shortened game two. Minnesota has now lost six in a row and 10 of their last 12. The Twins will look to turn things around by sending Chris Paddack to the mound. He is 2-6 with a 4.30 ERA, and a 1.235 WHIP,  in 75.1 innings. Last time out, he allowed 9 runs in 4.1 innings. Cincinnati won four in a row and nine of their last 11. Nick Martinez will go for the sweep as he takes the mound for the Reds. He is 4-7 with a 3.92 ERA, and a 1.22 WHIP, in 80.1 innings. He gave up four runs in five innings last time out against the Tigers. In his last three starts, He is 1-2 with a 5.74 ERA, a 1.787 WHIP. Paddack has struggled lately, going 0-3 in his last five starts. Martinez has been inconsistent as well. The Reds are 20-16 at home on the year, while the Twins are only 16-25 on the road. Cincinnati is the better team right now and neither team has an advantage on the mound. I will take the team that is playing better and at home. 

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Freddy Peralta will take the mound for the Milwaukee Brewers. He is 6-4 with a 2.60 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP in 83.0 innings. Peralta faced the Cubs once this season, going six shutout innings and allowed four hits with one walk and seven strikeouts in picking up the win. Jameson Taillon will be on the mound for the Cubs. He is 7-3 with a 3.48 ERA with a 0.98 WHIP. He has won five in a row. Chicago is 14-3 in home games going back to May 12. The Brewers are 16-20 on the road and 10-16 in games where they were an away underdog. The Cubs bullpen has a 0.98 ERA over 46 innings in the month of June. I am going to take the better offense in what looks like an even matchup on the mound. 

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The Pittsburgh Pirates will be taking on the Detroit Tigers in the second game of a three-game interleague series. Detroit took the first game of the series. Andrew Heaney gets the start for the Pirates. He is 3-5, with a 3.33 ERA this season, The Tigers will counter with Tarik Skubal on the mound. He is 7-2, with a 1.99 ERA. The Pirates are putting up 3.18 runs per game. The Tigers are putting up 4.81 runs per game. Andrew Heaney is 1-3 with a 3.72 ERA and a .206 batting average against in seven road starts.Tarik Skubal is 5-0 with a 1.72 ERA and a 0.77 WHIP in seven home starts. Pittsburgh is 18th with a 3.99 reliever ERA while Detroit is 14th with a 3.76 bullpen ERA. Detroit has won four of Skubal's last five starts, and Skubal has allowed just four runs over those games. The Pirates have also lost three of Heaney's last five starts. Skubal should be able to dominate this Pirates lineup. Take the Tigers to win their second in a row over Pittsburgh. 

Play on Detroit minus 1.5 runs. This is a 4% play.