It looks like New York Mets hurler Max Scherzer has settled into a groove in Gotham. He has thrown three straight quality starts after a seven-inning outing on Thursday in which he permitted just one run on five hits and a walk, striking out nine. His ERA has dropped to 3.21, and he has a 5-2 record in nine starts, with a 1.09 WHIP. His stats were a lot less solid in April, but since his controversial one-start ban for having a sticky substance on his fingers (that he said came from a combination of rosin and sweat, a claim backed up by David Cone in a televised experiment), he has pitched well. He’s still not happy about tight enforcement of the pitch clock; in Thursday’s game, he got into a heated discussion with the plate umpire after his catcher, Francisco Alvarez, was delayed getting to the mound after getting the last out in the previous half-inning. The umpire did not allow Scherzer to finish his warmup pitches since more than two minutes elapsed between half-innings. We will see if MLB relaxes this rule in instances where the catcher is delayed. Meanwhile, don’t miss our MLB betting preview of this weekend’s series between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox.
MLB Series Spotlight: Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox (June 2-4) | MLB Lines
Tyler Glasnow (0-0, 6.23 ERA) (TB) vs Garrett Whitlock (2-2, 5.14 ERA) (BOS)
When: Friday, June 2, 7:10 pm ET
Where: Fenway Park
Live Stream: MLB.tv
Tyler Glasnow will make his second start of 2023 on Friday night, as rehabbing an oblique injury that struck last season took longer than expected. Things were bumpy as he made his season debut against the Dodgers, lasting 4 ⅓ innings and allowing three runs on five hits, including a home run. His strikeout-to-walk ratio (8:1) was impressive; he just found a bit more of the plate than he would have liked. The offense battled back, but the bullpen could not shut down the Dodger offense in a 6-5 loss.
Garrett Whitlock returned on Saturday from a monthlong absence due to ulnar neuritis in his pitching arm, and he looked solid, holding the Diamondbacks to one run on three hits, including a solo shot. He struck out four batters without issuing a walk. That gave Sox fans hope after seeing him permit five runs each in two different starts in April. He was able to throw 92 pitches in his return start. Red Sox to win.
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Josh Fleming (1-0, 4.62 ERA) (TB) vs Tanner Houck (3-4, 5.30 ERA) (BOS)
When: Saturday, June 3, 1:10 pm ET
Where: Fenway Park
Live Stream: ESPN+
Josh Fleming has gone back and forth between the starting rotation and long relief in 2023, as injuries have plagued the Rays’ pitching staff. The only reason Fleming’s ERA is so high is those three outings in which he permitted five or more earned runs this season. His most recent start, on Sunday, was a disaster, as the Dodgers torched him for ten runs (eight earned) on a dozen hits, including five home runs in an 11-10 win. In his three outings before that, though, he had permitted a combined three earned runs over 15 innings. Which Fleming will show up on Saturday afternoon?
Tanner Houck has only held a team below three earned runs in an outing once since April 14. That start, on May 22 against the Angels, was a six-inning gem in which he allowed just one run on three hits, striking out and walking two, ending in a hard-luck 2-1 loss. His most recent start, on Sunday, was a bit of a regression, as the Diamondbacks touched him up for two home runs among six hits, scoring four runs and chasing him after four innings. Red Sox to win, take the over.
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Taj Bradley (3-2, 3.60 ERA) (TB) vs Brayan Bello (3-3, 3.89 ERA) (BOS)
When: Sunday, June 4, 1:35 pm ET
Where: Fenway Park
Live Stream: MLB.tv
Taj Bradley made three impressive starts for Tampa Bay in April, posting a 3-0 record before the team sent him down to Triple-A. It didn’t take long for injuries with the big club to lead to his return, but since then he has taken a pair of losses despite permitting the same number of earned runs combined in these last three starts. The offense has scored a grand total of two runs in the three games he’s started since May 18, and Monday’s 1-0 loss to the Cubs, when he allowed an unearned run on three hits, striking out eight while walking just one, was particularly unlucky for him.
Brayan Bello’s ERA started out at an unsightly 16.88 after a 2 ⅔ disaster against the Angels in his first start of the season. Since April 23, Bello has not allowed more than two earned runs in a game. He only lasted four innings against Cincinnati on Tuesday as his pitch count hit 97 despite the fact that he had only allowed one run on five hits, striking out four and walking two. Avoiding high counts will help him work longer into games. But can he outduel Bradley? Rays to win.
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