JutPicks
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Pickswise was nice enough to give me the opportunity to write up my plays for you all. For those of you who don’t know me, they refer to me as JutPicks on Twitter. I post all my plays with brief writeups every day. Now I get to write even more with no character limit!
I pride myself on being as transparent as they come. My MLB record from last season and this season is listed in my bio. On the year, I’ve recorded 177 wins and 133 losses for a gain of +26 units. Without further ado, let’s dive into my favorite plays for Wednesday.
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Triston McKenzie (CLE) under 5.5 hits allowed (-130)
Line available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing.
Triston McKenzie has been sensational for the Cleveland Guardians this season. He has a 3.17 ERA and ranks in the top 10 in WHIP for qualified pitchers. In his last start, he allowed 2 hits against the first 3 batters he faced and then dialed it right back. After the first inning, he allowed only 2 more baserunners in 6 innings. Tonight, the Guardians and McKenzie will host the Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles are currently 3 games back from the final wildcard spot, so this is almost a must-win game for them if they want to stay in the hunt.
McKenzie has been a top pitcher over the past 2 months. In July, he had an ERA of 1.94 and recorded a record of 3 wins and 1 loss. He’s seen his play dip a tad in August but he’s still only allowing his opponents to hit .188 against him.
The Orioles were scorching hot in the first 2 weeks of August. They were hitting .282 versus right-handed pitching and won 10 of their first 14 games. Since then, their batting average has dipped to .206, which is 4th-worst in the majors during that span.
McKenzie faced off against this Orioles squad in June and allowed 3 hits over 7 innings. I expect another gem out of the righty. He’s under this line in 17 of 24 starts and 6 of 9 at home.
Be sure to check out our Baltimore Orioles vs Cleveland Guardians predictions
Freddy Peralta (MIL) under 4.5 hits allowed (-107)
Line available at Caesars Sportsbook at time of publishing.
Freddy Peralta has returned to the Milwaukee Brewers lineup with vengeance. In 5 starts in August, he’s allowed 12 hits in 24.2 innings pitched. His pitch count should work in our favor today. In his last start against the Chicago Cubs, he threw 82 pitches in 6 shutout innings without allowing a hit. Peralta and the Brewers will host the woeful Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Pirates’ offense is one not many pitchers fear. They’re hitting .221 against right-handed pitching this season with a wRC of 82; 2nd-worst in all of baseball. Surprisingly, they got to NL CY Young candidate and teammate Corbin Burnes two nights ago for 8 hits and 5 runs. But, yesterday fellow righty Jason Alexander allowed 3 hits over 5 innings. I expect similar results with Peralta on the mound who has faced off against the Pirates twice this season.
His first start after a 2-month absence was against the Pirates. He allowed 4 hits in 3.2 innings pitched. He has been much more comfortable since that start. He’s held the Tampa Bay Rays, Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs twice under this 4.5 number. Look for Peralta to carry over his success from his last start and to finish August with a bang.
Be sure to check out our Pittsburgh Pirates vs Milwaukee Brewers predictions
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