We’re trying to dig our way out of this hole, and we’re getting it started with two MLB plays today for a great Friday slate. For our first play, we’re going back to Kyle Schwarber, who came through for us a few weeks ago, of the Philadelphia Phillies against the Pittsburgh Pirates. For our second play, we’re heading South to find Jeremy Pena of the Houston Astros in their series opener against the Cleveland Guardians.
Well, we slipped back down our last time out with the reverse sweep going against us. In the Austin Riley world, the Atlanta Braves scored just one run, and Riley couldn’t come through for us late in the game when he went to the plate with bases loaded but struck out. In the Jonathan Aranda world, he went to the plate four times, but he went 1-for-2 after getting walked once and hit by a pitch another time.
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MLB Best Bets Today
- Kyle Schwarber O0.5 RBIs (+145) - .75 Units Bet365
- Jeremy Pena O1.5 Bases (+100) - 1 Unit DraftKings
Kyle Schwarber O0.5 RBIs (+145) Bet365
We targeted Schwarber for this same market a month ago at nearly this same price. Now, we have a great spot to do it again. This season, Schwarber is batting .286 with a .690 slugging percentage against LHP. Meanwhile, those numbers drop to .245 and .483 against righties. Additionally, he’s hit 10 of his 19 home runs against lefties despite having 68 fewer plate appearances against them. When he gets a matchup with a left-handed pitcher, he’s taken advantage.
The Pirates are sending Bailey Falter to the mound to start this weekend's series. Through 12 starts, Falter is playing some of the best baseball of his career with a 3.14 ERA while carrying a career average of 4.38. However, despite this recent strong string of play, he’s been getting hit hard by lefties. LHB are batting .316 with a .474 slugging percentage against him this year while those numbers drop to .180 and .297 for righties. Schwarber is 2-for-3 against Falter in his career, and he has the power to drive himself in if necessary.
Jeremy Pena O1.5 Bases (+100) DraftKings
While Schwarber isn’t ever the most consistent hitter, we’re switching gears to Pena, who has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball over the last week. During that stretch, he’s batting .478, and five of his 11 hits have gone for extra bases. This season, while he’s had limited opportunities, he’s hit lefties well to the tune of a .333 average with a .533 slugging percentage. Now, he gets a matchup that he has feasted upon in the past.
The Guardians are sending Logan Allen to the bump for today’s contest. For his career, righties are batting .283 against them while carrying an OPS of .827. They’ve also hit 34 of the 42 home runs that he has allowed. In six plate appearances against Allen, Pena is 5-for-6 with two of those hits going for extra bases. We’re riding the historical success and recent hot streak for Pena in this one.
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