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- It is a mixed bag of pitchers Thursday, including relatively inexperienced pitchers like Toronto’s Anthony Kay, Cincinnati’s Tony Santillan, Miami’s Cody Poteet, and Cleveland’s Jean-Carlos Mejia.
- There are also some pitchers that have struggled this season like Baltimore’s Dean Kremer (6.20 ERA), Detroit’s Jose Urena (5.79 ERA), Pittsburgh’s Chad Kuhl (5.66 ERA), and Tampa Bay’s Michael Wacha (5.19 ERA).
- But there are at least a couple of pitchers that have had success this season, too, including the Dodgers’ Walker Buehler (2.38 ERA) and Houston’s Luis Garcia (2.82 ERA).
- Overall, though the pitching quality seems rather lean for Thursday, so keep that in mind when seeking out matchups.
Here are some angles to consider for Thursday’s MLB schedule on Monkey Knife Fight.
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STAR SHOOTOUT - MAIN GAMES
MORE OR LESS
Luis Garcia MORE THAN 6.5 STRIKEOUTS
Turning into a star for the Astros, the 24-year-old rookie right-hander has at least seven strikeouts in six of his last nine starts and does have the benefit of going against a Detroit Tigers lineup that has the sixth highest home strikeout rate (25.9%) In MLB.
Nick Pivetta MORE THAN 6.5 STRIKEOUTS
After some early success with the Red Sox, Pivetta has been getting hit hard more recently, posting a 5.97 ERA in his past six starts. He can still miss bats, though, and does have the advantage of taking on a Tampa Bay Rays lineup that has the highest home strikeout rate (28.1%) in MLB.
Jose Berrios MORE THAN 5.5 STRIKEOUTS
The Twins ace has been solid this season and this number is achievable. Berrios has at least six strikeouts in six of his last seven starts and a matchup against the Cleveland Indians is not overly challenging.
Joe Ross MORE THAN 4.5 STRIKEOUTS
Ross has improved his performance lately and that includes at least five strikeouts three of his past four starts and he goes against a Miami Marlins lineup that has a higher-than-average home strikeout rate (25.2%).
Juan Soto MORE THAN 1.5 HITS + WALKS
Even if this has not been an ideal season for Soto, he can get on base and has favorable splits for Thursday. He has a .440 on-base percentage against right-handed pitchers and a .427 OBP on the road going into a game against Marlins rookie Cody Poteet.
Brandon Lowe MORE THAN 1.5 TOTAL BASES
Although the Rays second baseman does not hit for average, that’s not as big an issue in this category. Lowe is slugging .509 against right-handed pitching and .362 at home going into Thursday’s matchup against Nick Pivetta and the Boston Red Sox.
STAR SHOOTOUT - LATE GAMES
MORE OR LESS
Nolan Arenado MORE THAN 1.5 RUNS + RBI
Counting on multiple runs and RBI is optimistic, as Arenado has 37 runs plus RBI in 33 home games this season but going against the Pittsburgh Pirates with Chad Kuhl on the bump is worth a shot.
Nelson Cruz MORE THAN 1.5 TOTAL BASES
Although Cruz’s splits are not ideal for Thursday, he is still slugging .507 against right-handed pitching and .526 at home going into a matchup against Jean-Carlos Mejia and the Cleveland Indians.
Luis Arraez MORE THAN 1.5 HITS + WALKS
While Arraez does not have much power he can get on base, with a .374 on-base percentage against right-handers and a .355 OBP at home going into Thursday’s matchup against Cleveland.
Paul Goldschmidt LESS THAN 1.5 HITS + WALKS
This has not been an ideal season for the Cardinals first baseman and, even with a favorable matchup against Chad Kuhl and the Pittsburgh Pirates, it is difficult to count on Goldschmidt reaching base multiple times considering that he has a .301 on-base percentage at home and .311 OBP against right-handed pitchers.
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