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Friday brings a full schedule of games in Major League Baseball and Monkey Knife Fight has contests for all, giving you loads of chances to play and win!
There are some vulnerable pitchers on the mound Friday so while there will be strikeouts, there also may be some opportunities to find some offensive production.
- Among pitchers to throw at least 20 innings this season, the pitchers with the five highest ERAs are all in action Friday.
- Zach Davies (8.22), Patrick Corbin (8.10), Brad Keller (8.06), Matt Shoemaker (7.83), and Trevor Cahill (7.40).
- Rich Hill (6.39), Griffin Canning (6.20), and Austin Gomber (5.90) have taken some lumps early in the 2021 season, too.
Here are some options to consider when playing Friday’s MLB Star Shootout action on Monkey Knife Fight.
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STAR SHOOTOUT - MAIN GAMES
MORE OR LESS
Trevor Rogers LESS THAN 7.5 STRIKEOUTS
The Marlins lefty has been great this season, striking out 44 in 33 innings, but it’s asking a lot for him to record at least eight strikeouts, a threshold that he has reached twice in six starts. Rogers faces a Milwaukee Brewers lineup that has the second highest road strikeout rate (28.4%) and fifth highest strikeout rate against left-handed pitchers (29.2%). He struck out seven Brewers a couple of weeks ago.
Carlos Rodon MORE THAN 6.5 STRIKEOUTS
The Kansas City Royals tend to make contact. They have the third lowest home strikeout rate (20.6%) in MLB but Rodon has been a superstar so far this season. In four starts, he has 36 strikeouts, including 12 in his last start and at least seven each of his four starts.
Jack Flaherty LESS THAN 6.5 STRIKEOUTS
The Cardinals ace struck out nine Pittsburgh Pirates in his last start and it was the only time in six starts that he has finished with at least seven strikeouts. He faces a Colorado Rockies lineup that has a higher-than-average road strikeout rate (26.1%) but it’s not enough to expect seven or more strikeouts from Flaherty.
Zac Gallen MORE THAN 6.5 STRIKEOUTS
Arizona’s ace has recorded 8, 6, 6, and 7 strikeouts in his four starts this season, so he figures to be close to this number. He goes up against a New York Mets lineup that has the eighth highest home strikeout rate (25.7%) so maybe that helps to nudge expectations to the higher side.
STAR SHOOTOUT - LATE GAMES
MORE OR LESS
Yordan Alvarez MORE THAN 1.5 TOTAL BASES
The Astros DH is slugging .537 at home, which is not as strong as he is on the road (.667) but is still plenty to expect him to accumulate a couple of bases going against the Toronto Blue Jays, who have right-hander Ross Stripling on the mound, in part because Alvarez is slugging .723 against right-handed pitchers.
Nate Lowe LESS THAN 1.5 HITS + WALKS
Although the Rangers first baseman does have a .421 on-base percentage against right-handed pitching, and is up against the Seattle Mariners, who have Chris Flexen on the bump, Lowe also has a .313 on-base percentage at home this season which starts to level out the expectations. He has reached base multiple times in six of 16 home games.
Sean Manaea LESS THAN 6.5 STRIKEOUTS
This is a pretty big number for Manaea, the A’s lefty who has 33 strikeouts in six starts. The Rays have a road strikeout rate (25.2%) that is higher than average but only by a little. Not enough to presume that Manaea will mow down at least seven of them.
Julio Urias 6.5 STRIKEOUTS
Urias has been really effective for the Dodgers this season and has double-digit strikeouts in two of his past three starts. He also has more than six strikeouts in two of six starts. He faces a L.A. Angels lineup that has a slightly higher than average home strikeout rate (23.7%).
STAR SHOOTOUT - NIGHT GAMES
MORE OR LESS
Fernando Tatis Jr. LESS THAN 1.5 TOTAL BASES
San Diego’s star shortstop is slugging .515 against right-handed pitching and a ridiculous 1.077 on the road this season. Going against Anthony DeSclafani in San Francisco, a pitcher-friendly park, might not be the venue to keep slugging like that so maybe some regression is coming.
Yandy Diaz MORE THAN 1.5 HITS + WALKS
The Rays third baseman may not be a big name but the dude gets on base. He faces Sean Manaea and the Oakland A’s and Diaz has a .457 on-base percentage against lefties and .391 on the road. That should get him on base a couple of times.
Blake Snell MORE THAN 6.5 STRIKEOUTS
The San Francisco Giants have an average home strikeout rate (23.3%) and Snell has been mowing down hitters, although not going very deep into games. So far, he has not pitched more than 5 1/3 innings but does have at least seven strikeouts in four of his six starts.
Mookie Betts MORE THAN 1.5 TOTAL BASES
While the Dodgers star outfielder has not been terrible, it has been a bit of a tough start to the season for him. He does have favorable enough splits, though, going against Griffin Canning and the L.A. Angels. Betts is slugging .457 against right-handed pitchers and .446 on the road this season.
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