Toronto Blue Jays hurler Alek Manoah has some work to do to get himself back into major-league form.
In 2022, Manoah was a finalist for the AL Cy Young Award, and he made the All-Star team. On June 6, though, the Blue Jays had to send him down after he couldn’t finish the first inning against Houston. He made his first outing this week, throwing for the FCL Blue Jays against the Yankees down in Florida. He permitted 10 hits, including a pair of home runs, and a couple of walks, against batters who were generally 17 to 19 years old. He did show decent velocity, tempo and strike rate, but he also permitted a three-run home run that made it over the 30-foot batter’s eye in center field.
I wouldn’t expect to see him with the big club before Labor Day at this point.
As you consider your midweek MLB betting, here are some games to consider.
MLB Top Bets for June 28 and 29
Tampa Bay Rays at Arizona Diamondbacks
Zach Eflin (9-3, 3.35 ERA) (TB) vs Zach Davies (1-4, 7.82 ERA) (ARI)
Wednesday, June 28 | 8:40 pm ET
Zach Eflin has been reliable in mowing down innings, and his 2-2 record in June is more a result of a lack of offensive support than poor pitching on his part. In the team’s losses to Oakland San Diego on June 12 and June 17, respectively, he only allowed six combined runs over 10 ⅔ innings, but the team only scored three runs against the A’s, losing 4-3, and they didn’t score at all against the Padres in a 2-0 setback. The bats roared back on Friday in an 11-3 laugher over Kansas City, as he allowed three runs on seven hits, including a pair of long balls, striking out seven and walking two.
Zach Davies has seen his ERA climb from 5.40 to 7.82 during the month of June, and his last two starts have been particularly worrisome. Against Cleveland and San Francisco, he has allowed 15 runs (14 earned) on 15 hits, striking out four and walking five over just 7 ⅔ combined innings. The team has lost his last three starts by a combined score of 35-11, which is not the sort of trend that the Diamondbacks can afford to continue if they plan to contend in the National League West. Rays to win.
Milwaukee Brewers at N.Y. Mets
Adrian Houser (2-2, 4.02 ERA) (MIL) vs Max Scherzer (7-2, 3.95 ERA) (NY)
Thursday, June 29 | 7:10 pm ET
Adrian Houser took advantage of an off day to slide into the bullpen instead of taking his turn as the fifth starter, and he threw an inning of scoreless, two-hit ball in a 7-1 win in Cleveland on Friday. His last two starts only lasted four innings each; on June 9, the A’s got to him for five runs on six hits in a 5-2 loss. On June 19, he allowed two runs (one earned) over three innings in a 9-1 loss to the Diamondbacks. He has only finished six innings twice this season, so the bullpen will play a powerful role in this outcome.
Max Scherzer has not lost a decision since May 3, but the offense bailed him out twice in early June, when he allowed 11 combined runs in games against the Braves and the Yankees. In his last two starts, Scherzer has been back at his best, allowing three runs on 11 hits over 14 combined innings against the Astros and the Phillies. He struck out eight and walked one in each of those games, pushing his record to 7-2. Mets to win.
Houston Astros at St. Louis Cardinals
J.P. France (2-3, 3.54 ERA) (HOU) vs Adam Wainwright (3-2, 6.56 ERA) (STL)
Thursday, June 29 | 7:15 pm ET
J.P. France has lost his last two starts, but they’ve both been tough losses for him to take. He has thrown 12 ⅔ combined innings in games against the Reds and the Dodgers, but the offense has only scored a combined three runs in those games (3-2 and 2-1 losses, respectively). He hasn’t been completely dominant, but he’s been controlling the action enough to get wins, if the offense can show up.
Adam Wainwright has struggled in June, posting a 7.08 ERA for the month. Most of the damage came on Saturday, when he got lit up for seven runs on 11 hits over just three innings in a 9-1 spanking at the hands of the Cubs. He has allowed two home runs in each of his last two starts, and he has only finished six innings once since the start of the season. Astros to win.
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