The Atlanta Braves gave up 12 runs in their doubleheader in Detroit on Wednesday, but they ended up winning both games, taking the opener, 10-7, and the nightcap, 6-5. Both of their starting pitchers, Spencer Strider and Dylan Dodd, struggled to get outs, but the offense came through. The sweep may have come at a high cost, though, as reliever Jesse Chavez took a batted ball off his leg and went down. The hurler was slow to stand up and needed help to get off the field, as his injured leg would not bear any weight. Over 30 appearances and 29 innings, he had already put up an 0.8 fWAR figure, one of the best of his 16-year career. Preliminary testing showed no fracture, which could mean the injury is just a bone bruise. Read on for our MLB betting previews for each game of this weekend’s four-game set between the Braves and the visiting Colorado Rockies.
MLB Betting News: Pitchers to Avoid after Week 10 | MLB Lines
Max Scherzer (Washington Nationals)
We’ve had Max Scherzer on this list before this season, but he seemed to have righted the ship and was back to ace-level pitching. However, he has had two tough starts in a row now, including a loss on Tuesday to the Yankees in which he didn’t finish the fourth inning. One problem is that his slider isn’t getting enough hitters to swing and miss. In 2022, batters hate a 46% whiff rate and a .183 average against his slider, with no home runs. So far in 2023, that whiff rate is down to 30%, and hitters are now averaging .319 against it, with five long balls. In those last two starts, he has allowed 11 earned runs on 18 hits, including three home runs, in nine combined innings. At least he struck out 10 two starts ago against the Braves, but he only had two Ks against the Yankees on Tuesday.
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Luis Severino (N.Y. Yankees)
Luis Severino has a 6.48 ERA through five starts in 2023. He came off the injured list and fared well in Cincinnati, giving up a run on four hits over 4 ⅔ innings while on a pitch count. He also looked good against San Diego in his second start, allowing two runs (one earned) on just one hit (a solo shot) over 6 ⅔ innings. Since then, though, things have fallen apart. In three starts against the Dodgers, White Sox and Mets, he has permitted 17 runs (16 earned) on 22 hits, including seven home runs, over 13 ⅔ innings combined. He’s completed five innings just once during that stretch. It’s clear that, while Severino has ace stuff, he’s leaving way too much of it over the plate.
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Tony Gonsolin (L.A. Dodgers)
You might look at Gonsolin’s numbers (4-1, 1.93 ERA) and wonder why he’s on this list. Yes, he threw a terrific six innings of shutout ball on Tuesday, scattering two hits and two walks while striking out six. However, his number of fly balls permitted is growing, as are his home runs. His velocity is slowing down a bit, which is making him easier to catch up with. The numbers aren’t trending badly yet, but keep an eye on that ERA over the next few weeks.
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Martin Perez (Texas Rangers)
Perez has a nifty 6-2 record, but that perhaps shows how much help the Texas offense has been giving him. He had a 2.47 ERA through the month of April, but his May ERA (6.91) and June ERA (6.10) have been unsightly. He allowed six runs on seven hits against Detroit three starts ago, giving up two long balls, and while he bounced back with seven innings of three-hit, one-run (unearned) ball, the Rays got to him for seven runs on ten hits in just 3 ⅓ innings on Sunday, raising his season ERA to 4.67, its highest so far this year.
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