Trea Turner, you are now, officially, my postseason headliner. Talk about a no-sweat cash. I had Turner over 1.5 hits plus runs plus RBI (a best bets favorite) Monday for the NLDS Game 2 and he singled and scored in the first inning. Music to my ears, money in our pockets. The Braves also came from behind to score five runs in their final three at-bats to cash our other play from that game.
Those wins run us to 11-7 these playoffs.
Let’s keep the good times rolling.
Astros (+114) at Twins (-134), 4:07 p.m. ET
Starting pitchers: RHP Cristian Javier (10-5, 4.56) vs. RHP Sonny Gray (8-8, 2.79)
It’s 1-1 heading to Game 3, where Twins ace Sonny Gray gets the ball. The Astros hit far better on the road this season, though, and were one of the best road teams in baseball at 51-30. Javier struggled on the road most of the season, though he spun six scoreless innings in Arizona in his last start. Also, his last playoff start was when he threw the first six innings of a combined no-hitter in Game 4 of the World Series.
The play: Jose Altuve over 1.5 H+R+RBI (-105)
In 90 regular-season games, Altuve had 112 hits, 76 runs and 51 RBI, an average of 2.66 H+R+RBI per game. After battling injury, he was amazing down the stretch, too, hitting .339/.409/.551 with 80 hits, 51 runs and 33 RBI in his last 57 games. Through two playoff games, he is 3 for 8 with a run and RBI.
On the road this season, Altuve hit .349/.405/.630 with 50 runs and 32 RBI in 44 games. In his career in Target Field, he has hit .348 with 21 runs and 17 RBI in 27 games.
Sounding good enough yet? How about this one: He’s a career .343 hitter (17 for 35) against Sonny Gray.
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Orioles (+119) at Rangers (-139), 8:03 p.m. ET
Starting pitchers: RHP Dean Kremer (13-5, 4.12) vs. RHP Nathan Eovaldi (12-5, 3.63)
The Rangers come home after going 4-0 in Tampa Bay and Baltimore. They won a pitchers’ duel in Game 1 of the ALDS and then a slugfest (which was partially a walk-fest on the Rangers’ offensive side) in Game 2. During the regular season, they were 50-31 at home, though the Orioles were 52-29 on the road. The Orioles also haven’t been swept since May of 2022. Would they really do it here?
The play: Rangers over 4.5 runs (-125)
During the regular season, the Rangers were 22 points of batting average and 107 OPS points better at home than on the road. Get this: They hit 90 road home runs and 143 longballs at home. They are coming home for the first time since they scored nine runs against the Mariners on Sept. 24. Globe Life Field is going to be a sight for sore eyes and Kremer as a marginal starting pitcher isn’t good enough to hold them down for long before giving way to what is a thin bullpen at this point.
I’m not sure enough the Rangers will be able to pull off the incredibly difficult sweep against this feisty Orioles bunch to wager on a winner here, but I do feel like the Orioles’ bats better be ready to put a big number on the board if they wish to stay alive.
