Yesterday was a clean sweep, as Logan Webb dominated the Reds and Alex Faedo did just enough to cash his strikeout prop.
For today's slate, we're banking on the men on the mound being in total control once again, but our angles of attack are very different.
Our Action Labs Props Tool grades each prop on a scale from 1-10, and I'll be sure to include the grade for each of my betting recommendations in my discussions below.
Shane McClanahan to Record a Win Yes/No (+105/-140)
| Pirates @ Rays | |
| First Pitch | 1:40 p.m. ET |
| Best Line: Rays -245 | DraftKings |
Shane McClanahan has emerged as a Cy Young contender in the American League.
The Tampa Bay lefty has been lethal this season, as he enters this outing with a 7-3 record and a 1.81 ERA. In addition, his stuff has been nearly unhittable this year, as he ranks in the top three percent of all qualified pitchers in strikeout and whiff rates.
Today he gets to face the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates, who have been one of the worst lineups against left-handed pitching this year. They have the fourth-lowest batting average and the third-highest strikeout rate against lefties in the majors.
As a result, they haven't produced many runs either, as Pittsburgh is four worst in wRC+.
With McClanahan pitching on another level this season, the Rays are heavily favored in this matchup. Tampa Bay's lineup has been hot and cold of late, but with its ace on the mound, it may only need one run.
Back McClanahan to have another dominant outing and add another win to his Cy Young campaign.
Pick: Win +105
Action Labs Grade: No Grade
Jason Heyward Over/Under 0.5 Hits (-160/+120)
| Cubs @ Cardinals | |
| First Pitch | 2:15 p.m. ET |
| Best Line: Cubs + 145 | DraftKings |
Jason Heyward was once a top talent for the Atlanta Braves, as his five tools made him a unique presence when he debuted in 2010. However, those days are long gone, and now he's become a shell of himself at the plate.
The 32-year-old Heyward has appeared in just 48 games for the Cubs this season and is hitting .204 with one homer and 10 RBI.
He gets to face St. Louis ace Jack Flaherty this afternoon. Flaherty will be making just his third start of the season — he's working back from a shoulder injury — but he has a great history against Heyward.
The two have squared off 22 times, and Heyward has managed just two hits and four walks against Flaherty. While one of the two hits was a homer, overall, Heyward has not squared Flaherty up, as he has an average exit velocity of just 82.9 mph.
Flaherty has only gone three innings in each of his first two outings, as he's still building back up. However, we should expect him only to perform better as time goes on.
An improving arm against a declining bat is a bad recipe for Heyward today. He should have a very quiet afternoon.
Pick: Under 0.5 hits +120
Action Labs Grade: 10/10
