MLB plays of the day: Trust Gallen, D-Backs to topple the Dodgers
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We followed up a strong Wednesday night with a clean sweep on Thursday, comfortably hitting both overs at Camden Yards.
Let's keep the winning going into the weekend.
Cleveland Indians (-130) @ Minnesota Twins (+110)
Starting pitchers: Mike Clevinger vs. Randy Dobnak
It doesn't get any easier for the Twins. After a night of being shut down by Shane Bieber, Minnesota is set to face Clevinger. The towering righty is one of MLB's best pitchers when healthy and was dominant in four starts against Minnesota last season to the tune of a 2.41 ERA and 0.88 WHIP, with outstanding 5.33 K/BB and 11.0 K/9 rates. Nelson Cruz, Max Kepler, Jorge Polanco, and Eddie Rosario were a combined 4-for-40 against him.
The Twins counter with Dobnak, and while he's somewhat of a fan favorite, he doesn't hold a candle to Clevinger. He's got a fastball that sits around 93 mph and doesn't miss many bats. He managed to limit the damage in his outings against the Indians last season despite a 1.55 WHIP, but this is a drastically better Cleveland lineup. In fact, it's right on par with the Twins, but oddmakers still aren't valuing them anywhere close, helping us get such a great price here.
Pick: Indians (-130)
San Diego Padres (-110) @ Colorado Rockies (-110)
Starting pitchers: Garrett Richards vs. Jon Gray
The Rockies have put together a strong start to the season, but this team isn't as good as their record suggests. They turn to Gray, who was strong in his season debut, but has had his struggles against the Padres. In five appearances against them last season he was tagged for 15 runs in 25 innings, posting a 1.40 WHIP. Their lineup has improved considerably as well over the offseason and is hitting everything in sight right now, leading the league in both runs and OBP.
Richards gets the start for the Padres and he was excellent in his debut with five strikeouts over five innings, allowing just one hit and no runs. He's been working his tail off to get back to his old form after having Tommy John surgery, and it shows. His fastball velocity is back up and he's got excellent spin on his curve.
However, the Padres' talented bullpen is coming off a rough series against the San Francisco Giants, so let's take them out of the equation here.
Pick: Padres first five innings (-115)
Los Angeles Dodgers (-140) @ Arizona Diamondbacks (+120)
Starting pitchers: Tony Gonsolin vs. Zac Gallen
Recalled from the team's alternate training site at USC with Clayton Kershaw and Alex Wood still on the shelf, Gonsolin makes his season debut for the Dodgers. He was reliable last season as a spot starter, but in two outings against the Diamondbacks he allowed eight runs (six earned) on nine hits and three walks across nine innings.
Gonsolin was late reporting to summer camp and was optioned so he could build his arm up, meaning it's unlikely he will pitch deep into this game. That means lots of relief work from a bullpen that's been asked to pitch 18 2/3 innings over the last three nights, with Dodgers starters going just 12 1/3 innings over that same span.
It will equate to plenty of opportunities for a slumping D-Backs lineup and good run support for Gallen. The sophomore has looked incredibly sharp in the buildup to the season and is in line for a big year after a stellar rookie campaign in which he posted a 2.81 ERA across 15 starts with a 10.8 K/9 rate. He handled this Dodgers lineup well last season and is an absolute bargain at the current price.
Pick: Diamondbacks (+120)
(Odds source: theScore Bet)
Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.