Cincinnati Reds at Philadelphia Phillies
It’s a pitching rematch from June 28 when the Reds’ Johnny Cueto outdueled the Phillies’ Kyle Kendrick, but a repeat performance is not necessarily in order.
In a statistical oddity, Cueto has allowed only one earned run over his last three starts, giving him a 0.45 ERA during that span.
But he has given up 20 hits in his last 20 innings and managed to work out of some serious jams. In his last start, the Cubs stranded 17 baserunners to help salvage a no-decision for Cueto.
“(Cueto) was struggling, big time,” Reds manager Dusty Baker said. “He had trouble getting strike one. That was the problem. He threw a lot of near-strikes.”
The Phillies have finally found their offensive rhythm and Cueto can’t keep dodging bullets forever.
Pick: Phillies
Minnesota Twins at Toronto Blue Jays
They say good things come in threes, so let’s ride this one like a charm.
All three previous meeting this season between these teams went over the total, yielding double-digit total runs of 13, 13 and 11 respectively.
Both teams are coming off three consecutive overs, with the Twins’ games tallying 14, 11 and 13 runs during the span to the Blue Jays’ totals of 14, 13 and 13.
To add to the expected hit parade, both teams are sending struggling pitchers to the mound - Twins’ righty Scott Baker and Jays’ lefty Brett Cecil.
Both pitchers sport ERAs that are above six over their last three outings, further setting the stage for a high-scoring game.
Pick: Over