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Daily Expert MLB Picks: Tuesday, April 10, 2018, Opening Line Report


by - 4/9/2018

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Blake Snell

It's a good thing the Angels won the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes this offseason. The rookie has been truly amazing, both on the mound and at the plate. It's as a pitcher the Angels really are fortunate because the team already has lost three other starters to injury. The latest was JC Ramirez, who left Saturday's start with a right elbow strain - that's often an ominous sign. Especially considering Ramirez did not pitch after Aug. 19 last year after undergoing stem-cell therapy to treat a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. He joins Andrew Heaney (left elbow inflammation) and Matt Shoemaker (right forearm strain) on the sidelines. Heaney might be back soon, though.

Rays at White Sox ( +115, 8 )

Lone matinee on the schedule with a 2:10 p.m. ET first pitch. Rays lefty Blake Snell (0-1, 5.00) was very good in his season debut at home vs. the Red Sox with 5.2 scoreless innings but was roughed up for five runs over 3.1 innings last time out at the Yankees. He was already at 90 pitches when pulled. Snell hasn't allowed an earned run in 9 1/3 career innings vs. the White Sox, including a 3-1 win last September. Tim Anderson is the only White Sox batter with an extra-base hit off him, a double in four at-bats. Chicago's Carson Fulmer allowed three runs in five innings at Toronto in his season debut. Tuesday will be his first career start (but second appearance) vs. the Rays.

Key trends: The Sox are 8-20 in their past 28 vs. a lefty. The "over/under" has gone under in five of Snell's past six vs. teams with a losing record. The under is 4-0-1 in Fulmer's past five overall.

Early lean: Rays and under.

Yankees at Red Sox (-127, 7.5)

ESPN game, because of course it is being Yankees-Red Sox. Do you think Giancarlo Stanton is pressing a bit now that he's playing on the big stage of the Big Apple? In Sunday's loss to the Orioles, he was 0-for-7 with five strikeouts and has whiffed a whopping 20 times in 10 games with a .167 average. The Red Sox might be without shortstop Xander Bogaerts for a while. He left Sunday's game after sliding into the protective railing in front of the Rays dugout while trying to make a catch. He was off to nice start, batting .368 with two homers and nine RBIs. Good pitching matchup of All-Stars. It's Luis Severino (2-0, 1.38) for the Bombers. He beat the Rays last time out, allowing two runs and striking out seven over 7.1 innings. In two starts at Fenway last year, he allowed one run and seven hits over 14 innings. Boston lefty Chris Sale (0-0, 0.82) was to start Sunday, but the team pushed him back to here simply for a few more days of rest. Sale has surrendered just six hits over 11 innings thus far. He is 4-4 with a 1.81 ERA in 12 career starts vs. the Yankees. Stanton hasn't faced him in a regular-season game. Aaron Judge is 0-for-12 with 10 Ks vs. Sale.

Key trends: The Sox are 1-4 in Sale's past five vs. New York. The under is 4-1 in those. It's 5-2 in Severino's previous seven vs. Boston.

Early lean: Red Sox and under.

Reds at Phillies (-190, 8)

Tough loss for the Reds as third baseman Eugenio Suarez suffered a fractured right thumb when he was hit by a Jameson Taillon pitch in the fourth inning of Sunday's game vs. Pittsburgh. He leads the team in average (.296), homers (two) and RBIs (seven). The Reds signed him to a $66 million, seven-year contract in March. Manager Bryan Price said the Reds will turn to Cliff Pennington or Phil Gosselin to fill in while Suarez recovers on the disabled list. It's Homer Bailey (0-2, 4.22) on the mound for Cincy. He was knocked around for five runs over 5.2 innings last time out in Pittsburgh. Bailey hasn't faced the Phillies since 2014. Carlos Santana is 2-for-10 off him with five strikeouts. Philadelphia's Aaron Nola (0-0, 2.61) took a no-decision last time out at the Mets. This is his 2018 home debut. The Reds' Adam Duvall is 3-for-6 off him with a homer. Joey Votto is 0-for-8.

Key trends: The Reds are 0-6 in Bailey's past six vs. the NL East. The under is 6-1-1 in Nola's past seven vs. teams with a losing record.

Early lean: Phillies and over.

A's at Dodgers (-139, 8)

MLB Network game. Oakland loses the designated hitter, who usually is Khris Davis. He is capable of playing the outfield. The A's recently picked up former Dodgers outfielder Trayce Thompson off waivers, and he's expected to start against his former club in this one against a lefty and with Chad Pinder (knee) and Boog Powell (knee) both hitting the 10-day disabled list on Saturday. It's Hyun-Jin Ryu for L.A. He wasn't sharp in his 2018 debut in Arizona, allowing three runs and walking five over 3.2 innings. Only a couple of A's have seen him. Stephen Piscotty is 1-for-4 with a double. Oakland lefty Sean Manaea (1-1, 1.15) has allowed just one earned run in each of his two starts, both at home. Only a couple of Dodgers have seen him. Logan Forsythe is 0-for-4 with two Ks.

Key trends: The Dodgers are 0-6 in Ryu's past six starts. The under is 4-1 in Manaea's past five on the road.

Early lean: A's and under.

Diamondbacks at Giants (-122, 7.5)

It's lefty Patrick Corbin (2-0, 1.38) on the bump for Arizona, and he has been the club's best starter in the early going. He comes off a gem vs. the Dodgers, shutting them out on one hit over 7.1 innings with 12 strikeouts. Corbin leads the NL in strikeouts. Last year, Corbin was 1-2 with a 2.65 ERA in three starts vs. the Giants. He fanned 19 in 17 innings. Hunter Pence hits him well, going 15-for-33 with four homers and 11 RBIs. San Francisco's Johnny Cueto (1-0, 0.69) has also been outstanding thus far, allowing just one run and nine hits over 13 innings. He leads the NL in ERA. Cueto did tweak his ankle in his last start vs. the Mariners but is expected to be good to go. He's 11-3 with a 3.38 ERA in 15 career starts vs. Arizona. Paul Goldschmidt is 7-for-27 off him with two homers.

Key trends: The Diamondbacks are 2-5 in Corbin's past seven vs. the Giants. The over is 5-0 in his past five against them.

Early lean: Diamondbacks and under.

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