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The Marlins And Phillies Are Hoping To Pick Up Where They Left Off, And Brandon Crawford Is Hoping To Continue His Dominance Against Rich Hill

RECORD

11-17-2 (-4.7 units)

BASEBALL IS BACK! My heart soars with the eagle's nest! What isn't soaring is my gambling record. After having our best day ever on the Saturday before the All-Star break, our Sunday was a bloody Sunday. We went 0-3. Whenever I have a day like that, I put an ice pack on my head and reevaluate. I still don't see a need to find a system. The research is good. The data is sound. The deeper we get into this, the more I add teams to my shit list. I believe in the data. For now, we're staying the course. Let's take a look at today's picks.

Phillies ML (-105) against the Padres

It's officially panic time for San Diego. Panic time was a month ago, but the last team they want to face is the Philadelphia Phillies. The figtins' have been red hot for a month. On paper, the pitching matchup would favor the Padres. But I'll be honest, I've never trusted Yu Darvish, especially in 2023. Even though his numbers are better at home than they are on the road, he's still in the midst of the worst season of his career. His numbers against this lineup are pretty good but this isn't the same Darvish that we've seen over the last decade. Christopher Sanchez is on the mound for Philly. He'll never be a household name, but his ERA is under three in five starts so far. The Phillies are trending upwards. That continues tonight.

Brandon Crawford over 0.5 bases (-135) against the Pirates

Crawford has been bad at the plate for two years now, but this is why the data is your friend. Rich Hill is on the mound for the Pirates. He's been pitching forever, and Brandon Crawford has owned him forever. He's 11-23 with a 1.093. This might not be the greatest value in the world, but we're talking about a guy who needs to reach base once. The power numbers against Hill aren't great, but that doesn't matter. One slap single is all I need.

Marlins ML (+120) against the Orioles

I love the Orioles this year, and part of me feels bad even betting against them because they're so fun to watch. I'm a big numbers guy, but this is more of a feel pick. A lot of people are turning on Sandy Alcantara this year. He's followed up his incredible Cy Young season with a clunker of a first half. He's had trouble finding his changeup, but his underlying numbers are fine, and he's gotten BABIP'd to death a few times. He's had over a week off since his last start. I've watched this guy pitch a lot over the last few years. His stuff is filthy and capable of shutting down one of the best lineups in baseball. The Marlins have been hot since the calendar turned to June. With Sandy on the mound, I think they pick up where they left off. He's poised for a good second half.

All odds come from the Barstool Sportsbook. Follow Barstool Baseball on all platforms, including our YouTube page.