I was finally able to break out of the mini-slump I found myself in at the beginning of May, and swept my Wednesday write-ups over here at Pickswise. It’s nice to have a good day after constantly putting in the work but not seeing desired results. It’s good for the mental aspect to back up the work with positive results. I am feeling good about today’s card again, and am looking to keep building in the win column. With so many games going on today, be sure to check out the Pickswise team’s thoughts on the side and total for all of those matchups.
Let’s start the weekend off right!
MLB⚾️5/12: 6-2 (+4.00u)
Cubs (+120)❌
Phillies (-128)✅
Angels (+120)❌
Reds -1 (-132)✅
Padres -1 (-116)✅
White Sox (-139)✅
Twins/White Sox O7.5 (-115)✅
Cardinals/Brewers U7.5 (-115)✅— Bets By Bob (@BetsByBob) May 13, 2021
New York Yankees (Corey Kluber) @ Baltimore Orioles (Dean Kremer)
Pick: Yankees -1 (-135)
*Playable to -1 (-140), or -1.5 (-115)
The New York Yankees head north to Camden Yards to take on the Baltimore Orioles and begin their three-game series. The Yankees have been playing better baseball as of late, and looking to get closer to catching Boston for the division lead. The Orioles are hanging out at the bottom of the division, much to what was expected of them this season.
Corey Kluber gets the ball for the Yankees and is off to a fine start to his season so far. He has an ERA of 3.06 and a FIP of 3.92. His ground ball rate has been up from all his previous career highs, and seems to be getting a bit craftier with his pitches. That’s the formula for most pitchers getting up there in age and losing velocity. Nonetheless, he has been pitching well this season for the Bronx Bombers, and should be able to find continued success against this Orioles lineup.
Dean Kremer will be on the mound for the O’s and will be taking on a dangerous Yankee lineup. Kremer has an ERA of 6.23 and a FIP of 5.22. The longball has been a problem for him so far this season, having already given up 6 of them in 6 starts. He has given up a hard-hit rate of 47.5% with an xwOBA of .342. That’s not a good recipe against a lineup that hits a ton of long balls as the Yankees do. This looks to be a tough day at the office for Kremer, and expect the Yankees to roll in this one.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for New York Yankees vs. Baltimore Orioles.
Oakland Athletics (Frankie Montas) @ Minnesota Twins (Matt Shoemaker)
Play: Over 8.5 (-110)
*Playable to Over 8.5 (-120) or Over 9 (+100)
© Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports
The Oakland Athletics continue their road trip and head to Target Field to take on the Minnesota Twins. The A’s have been cruising along so far this season, while the Twins have not gotten off to the start that they were hoping for. There is still plenty of baseball to be played, however, and we are just about a quarter of the way through the season.
Frankie Montas takes the ball for the A’s, and after solid 2018 and 2019 campaigns, he hasn’t been able to find that form since. He has a 5.50 ERA and a FIP of 4.60. His hard-hit percentage is way up and so is the number of longballs allowed. The Twins offense hasn’t been too hot as of late, but they collectively have an xwOBA of .450 against Montas, so they should be able to find some success today.
The Twins counter with 9-year veteran Matt Shoemaker. So far Shoemaker’s career in Minnesota isn’t off to the greatest of starts. He has an ERA of 6.43 and a FIP of 6.17. It’s also not a good sign for Shoemaker that he has those numbers given that his BABIP so far this season is only .284. Usually, when someone has numbers like that, it’s due to a high BABIP, or a ton of hard contact, but neither is the case here. However, another reason to be worried about Shoemaker today, is that his career FIP against the current A’s roster sits at 8.11. Too much is leading me to believe there will be a lot of runs scored today, so the over is the play.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Oakland Athletics vs. Minnesota Twins.
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