PREMIUM
3-Game MLB SWEEPER PASS
(MLB) NY Yankees vs. Cincinnati,
Money Line: -130.00 NY Yankees (Away)
Result: Win
Money Line: -130.00 NY Yankees (Away)
Result: Win
The set-up: The Cincinnati Reds just completed a three-game home sweep of the struggling SF Giants and have now won five straight and seven of eight to reach 17-14. Cincy is atop the NL Central, a half-game better than the Cards and one game better than the Cubs, who finished 35 1/2 games ahead of the Reds in 2016, when Cincinnati lost 94 games. Speaking of the Cubs, they were just swept at home by the Yankees this past weekend, after New York won 5-4 last night on ESPN in 18 innings.The Yankees come to Cincinnati for a two-game IL series tonight, having also won five in a row, as well as nine of their last 11 to give them a MLB-best 20-9 record.
The pitching matchup: The Yankees will send Masahiro Tanaka (4-1 & 4.46 ERA) to the mound vs. the Reds' Rookie Davis (1-1 & 7.36 ERA). New York could use some length from Tanaka, as the bullpen went 11 innings, using six pitchers last night. Tanaka wasn't particularly sharp in his last outing (allowed four runs on eight hits over 6 1/3 innings) against Toronto but came away with an 11-5 win, his fourth straight. However, he had registered three consecutive quality starts prior to that outing, permitting a total of only four runs over 22 1/3 innings (1.61 ERA) with 14 strikeouts and four walks in that span. Tanaka has not faced the Reds but is a solid 6-4 with a 2.64 ERA in 11 interleague starts. Davis earned his first major-league victory with his most impressive performance of 2017 on Wednesday, when he held Pittsburgh to four hits and three walks over five scoreless innings. That was quite a turnaround, as he had not made it past four innings in any of his previous three outings, allowing 13 runs on 18 hits and seven walks over 9 2/3 innings (12.10 ERA). Davis will be facing an American League team for the first time in his career.
The pick: Both teams come off three-game weekend sweeps and enter on five-game winning streaks but the Yankees are the better team, at least right now. Plus, it's hard not to favor Tanaka over Davis. New York swept the Reds in three games the last time they met in 2014 (in the Bronx) and also took two of three in the last series at Cincinnati three years earlier. Make the Yankees an 8* play.
The pitching matchup: The Yankees will send Masahiro Tanaka (4-1 & 4.46 ERA) to the mound vs. the Reds' Rookie Davis (1-1 & 7.36 ERA). New York could use some length from Tanaka, as the bullpen went 11 innings, using six pitchers last night. Tanaka wasn't particularly sharp in his last outing (allowed four runs on eight hits over 6 1/3 innings) against Toronto but came away with an 11-5 win, his fourth straight. However, he had registered three consecutive quality starts prior to that outing, permitting a total of only four runs over 22 1/3 innings (1.61 ERA) with 14 strikeouts and four walks in that span. Tanaka has not faced the Reds but is a solid 6-4 with a 2.64 ERA in 11 interleague starts. Davis earned his first major-league victory with his most impressive performance of 2017 on Wednesday, when he held Pittsburgh to four hits and three walks over five scoreless innings. That was quite a turnaround, as he had not made it past four innings in any of his previous three outings, allowing 13 runs on 18 hits and seven walks over 9 2/3 innings (12.10 ERA). Davis will be facing an American League team for the first time in his career.
The pick: Both teams come off three-game weekend sweeps and enter on five-game winning streaks but the Yankees are the better team, at least right now. Plus, it's hard not to favor Tanaka over Davis. New York swept the Reds in three games the last time they met in 2014 (in the Bronx) and also took two of three in the last series at Cincinnati three years earlier. Make the Yankees an 8* play.
