Counting on Quality: Best MLB Quality Start Picks for May 28 (Back Glasnow, Ragans, Castillo, Cortes and Wheeler)
After the season I've had with these quality start picks, you'd think I'd be happy with a 2-1 record and net positive day on Friday.
And I am, but the one loss was the Phillies inexplicably losing the game (and ultimately the series) to a horrid Rockies team. That still stings.
But, I'm nothing if not resilient, taking it game by game on my trek to the positive side of the ledger.
Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook
Los Angeles Dodgers vs New York Mets
Tyler Glasnow has seven quality starts in 11 outings on the season and takes on Tylor Megill in the first game of a doubleheader after Monday's game was postponed.
Here's something you don't hear very often: The Dodgers are looking to break a five-game losing streak.
They're in a bit of an offensive slump, having scored just twice in the last two games of a three-game sweep at the hands of the Reds.
This team is simply too good to hold down for long and I'm betting the Mets and Megill pay the price in game one of the twin bill.
PICK: Dodgers Run Line -1.5 -128
Kansas City Royals vs Minnesota Twins
Despite dropping a 6-5 game to the Twins in game one of the series on Monday, the Royals are playing excellent ball, entering this contest at 34-21 and have Cole Ragans on the mound.
Ragans holds a 3.34 ERA, but his FIP is much lower at 2.37, with his peripheral stats pretty good, except for a mediocre walk rate.
Ragans takes on the young Simeon Woods Richardson, who's been pretty good on the season but hasn't made it past 5.1 innings in any of his last three starts, while Ragans is working on a 13-inning scoreless streak over his last two starts, giving up just three hits and striking out 19.
PICK: Royals Money Line -121
Houston Astros vs Seattle Mariners
Luis Castillo has seven quality starts in 11 total outings and takes on Hunter Brown and the Houston Astros in game two of a critical series.
The Mariners took game one by a score of 3-2, dropping the Astros to 4.5 games behind Seattle and adding urgency to the Astros side.
While Brown has fared better lately, length and efficiency have been an issue all season, as he has just two quality starts.
The highest leverage bullpen arms on the Astros side got yesterday off, so that bodes well for Houston should they lead late.
Seattle got to Framber Valdez early Monday and here's betting something similar happens here, as Brown has ERAs of 15.58 in the first inning and 10.13 in the second inning.
PICK: Seattle Money Line -130
New York Yankees vs Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
I'm not sure a ton of information is needed for this one, but the Yankees are smoking the competition this season and Nestor Cortes has five quality starts in 11 outings.
Opposing Cortes is Griffin Canning who has just two quality starts in 10 starts on the season.
Canning has done decent against current Yankees (.195 batting average, .268 slugging, .254 wOBA in 46 plate appearances), but the Yankees are a juggernaut this season.
PICK: Yankees Run Line -1.5 -107
Philadelphia Phillies vs San Francisco Giants
Zack Wheeler has been a sure thing, but he's been about as close as it gets in the quality start realm, racking up eight in 11 starts.
Even with those numbers, the Phillies are only 6-5 in Wheeler's starts, with one of those being a May 6 start against the Giants, where Wheeler went 7 innings, giving up just 4 hits and 0 earned runs in a 6-1 victory.
The Giants are countering with rookie Mason Black, who gave up 8 hits and 5 runs in 4.1 innings to the Phillies in his Major League debut on May 6.
The Phillies have hit a bump, losing a series at Colorado and dropping the first game of this series.
Behind Wheeler, they'll right the ship today.
PICK: Phillies Run Line -1.5 -111
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.