When Shohei Ohtani came to the plate in the eighth inning on Thursday night, he had a chance to do something that no one else has ever done in MLB history: start a game at pitcher and also hit for the cycle. He had an infield single in the first inning, a double to left in the third, and a triple off the right-field wall in the sixth. A home run would finish that cycle. He crushed the first pitch to dead center, but Oakland center fielder Esteury Ruiz caught the ball at a dead sprint before running into the wall, 389 feet from home plate. This came on a night when Ohtani didn’t have his best stuff but completed six innings anyway, qualifying for the decision in an 8-7 Angels win. This weekend, we are looking at a rematch from last year’s World Series and two key National League rivalries in our MLB betting picks.
MLB Top Betting Games in Week 4 at the Weekend | MLB Lines
Philadelphia Phillies at Houston Astros
When: Friday, April 28 at 8:10 pm ET
Where: Minute Maid Park, Houston, TX
TV / Streaming: Apple TV+
Pitching Matchup: Aaron Nola (1-2, 5.40 ERA) (PHI) vs Framber Valdez (2-2, 2.25 ERA) (HOU)
The Phillies are still waiting for Aaron Nola to show his dominant pitching form. He has increased his durability, finishing seven innings for the first time last Friday in a 4-3 win over Colorado. Nola permitted three runs on four hits, including a home run, while striking out three and walking three. Nola is doing enough to earn quality starts, but he’s not quite at shutdown form yet.
Framber Valdez is another pitcher who is pitching fairly well in recent weeks. Texas shelled him for five runs (just one earned) over six innings on just four hits on April 16, but he bounced back with seven innings of eight-hit, three-run ball while striking out nine. Two of those hits were home runs, but the Astros’ offense helped him out. Astros to win.
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St. Louis Cardinals at L.A. Dodgers
When: Saturday, April 29 at 9:10 pm ET
Where: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA
TV / Streaming: FS1
Pitching Matchup: Jordan Montgomery (2-3, 3.81 ERA) (STL) vs Clayton Kershaw (4-1, 2.32 ERA) (LA)
Four of Jordan Montgomery’s first five starts of 2023 have been strong, even though he has taken three losses. One of the losses was on him, as he permitted seven runs on ten hits over just four innings against Arizona, but against Pittsburgh and San Francisco, he threw 12 ⅓ combined innings, allowing just three runs (two earned) while striking out 11 and walking three, but the Cards did not score a single run in either game.
Clayton Kershaw’s numbers have been even better at Dodger Stadium this year, as he has a 2-0 record with an 0.69 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 13 combined innings. He has only allowed more than two earned runs once this season, and he has finished at least six innings in all five of his starts. Given the inconsistent start that the Cardinals’ bats have shown, this should be another game where Kershaw feasts. Dodgers to win.
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Atlanta Braves at N.Y. Mets
When: Sunday, April 30 at 1:40 pm ET
Where: Citi Field, Queens, NY
TV / Streaming: MLB.tv
Pitching Matchup: Charlie Morton (3-2, 2.76 ERA) (ATL) vs Jose Butto (0-1, 2.79 ERA) (NY)
Charlie Morton’s numbers have improved with each start, as he allowed three earned runs in his first start but has allowed no more than two earned runs since – and just one earned run in each of his last two starts. In those starts, against San Diego and Miami, he has thrown 13 combined innings, allowing two earned runs on eight hits – the two runs coming on a pair of solo shots – while striking out 14 and walking just five.
Jose Butto will make just his third start of the season for the Mets on Sunday. He has only allowed three earned runs in those two starts, but he has only thrown 9 ⅔ combined innings. He doesn’t strike out a lot of batters (three total), and his control has been an issue, as he has issued 10 walks. If the Braves can be patient, they should be able to get on base and push into the Mets’ bullpen. Braves to win.
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