Around the Horn of the League

Today offers some intriguing matchups, even if they are not on national TV. You’ll find a couple of other games on Apple TV+ and MLB Network, and if you’re like me, MLB.tv is clutch for days like today. We get a welcome look at a few teams we haven’t seen much in recent contests—Pirates, Marlins, Diamondbacks, and Cubs. It’s a great chance to get a broader purview of the league as we head toward the All-Star break. ⭐️⚾

📺 Today's TV Games

  • ⚾No games from today’s contests are on national TV

    (But you can still catch select matchups on Apple TV+ and MLB Network)

🎯 Pick’em 10 (6:40pm ET/3:40pm PT)

⚾ NY Mets @ Pittsburgh

Wins and losses aren’t always the best measure of a pitcher’s talent—but sometimes, the pattern matters. David Peterson consistently wins and carries a strong ERA under 3.00, even if his strikeout rate isn’t elite. On the other hand, Mitch Keller has solid strikeout and walk numbers but leads the league in losses, likely due to a weak defense and a Pirates lineup that struggles to score. If Juan Soto can keep exploiting this matchup and Pete Alonso can finally break through against Keller, the Mets are in a great position.

  1. David Peterson – Over/Under 3.5 hits allowed
  2. Juan Soto – Over/Under 0.5 runs
  3. Pete Alonso – Over/Under 1.5 hits+runs+RBIs
  4. Mitch Keller – Over/Under 4.5 strikeouts
  5. Oneil Cruz – Over/Under 1.5 hits+runs+RBIs

⚾ Miami @ Arizona

The Marlins arrive in Phoenix hot off a three-game sweep of the Giants, putting up 4, 8, and 12 runs in those contests. However, they hand the ball to Eury Pérez, who has struggled early this season with a 6.17 ERA through three starts. He’s shown strikeout potential (6 Ks in 4.2 innings last outing) but also gives up runs. Merrill Kelly counters for the D-Backs, posting a 3.39 ERA and increased K efficiency in recent games. Arizona is still without Corbin Carroll, but Ketel Marte is keeping the offense afloat with a .313 average and 1.012 OPS.

  1. Eury Pérez – Over/Under 4.5 strikeouts
  2. Xavier Edwards – Over/Under 1.5 hits+runs+RBIs
  3. Merrill Kelly – Over/Under 5.5 hits allowed
  4. Ketel Marte – Over/Under 0.5 runs
  5. Josh Naylor – Over/Under 0.5 strikeout

🏆 Pick’em 5 Margin (8:10pm ET/5:10pm PT)

⚾ Chicago Cubs @ Houston

The Cubs have been hovering around .500 over their last 20 games, while the surging Astros are 15–5 over that span and now sit atop the division. Brandon Walter recently returned to the rotation after a long layoff and has impressed with a 3.80 ERA and 9.5 strikeouts per nine innings. Cade Horton, the Cubs’ rookie, has potential but has struggled to go deep into games—only once pitching into the 6th in his last five starts, leaving his last game after 4.2 innings and only 2 Ks.

  1. Cade Horton – Strikeouts
  2. Kyle Tucker – Hits+Runs+RBIs
  3. Dansby Swanson – Hits+Runs+RBIs
  4. Brandon Walter – Strikeouts
  5. Jose Altuve – Hits+Runs+RBIs