Top MLB Betting Picks of the Week – April 29th, 2024

How much longer can the Miami Marlins go on this way before making a change at manager? Then again, Skip Schumaker is the same manager who led them to the 2023 playoffs. However, the Marlins are a brutal 6-23 and Schumaker might be the fall guy. Here are two intriguing early-week matchups around the majors.

Top MLB Betting Picks of the Week (April 29th, 2024)

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— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) April 29, 2024

Washington Nationals vs. Miami Marlins

• When: Monday, April 29th, 2024, 6:40 PM ET
• Where: LoanDepot Park, Miami, FL
• TV: MASN2, BSFL
• Radio: WJFK-FM 106.7 (Nationals) // 940 WINZ AM (Marlins)
• Live Stream: MLB.tv
• MLB Betting Odds: Nationals (+117) // Marlins (-133)

The Marlins look to snap a six-game losing streak and avoid the home sweep against Washington on Monday. To make matters worse for Miami, it lost outfielder Avisail Garcia to the injured list over the weekend with a left hamstring strain. Garcia, 32, is batting .240 with two home runs and two RBIs in 18 games this season. He joins starting third baseman Jake Burger on the IL. The team brought up outfielder Dane Myers and right-hander Emmanuel Ramirez from Triple-A Jacksonville and designated left-hander Kent Emanuel for assignment as part of its roster moves ahead of Sunday’s game.

Sunday’s 12-9 loss was especially brutal for the Marlins as they 7-1 after two inning thanks in large part to a first-inning grand slam from Jazz Chisholm Jr. It hasn’t helped that Miami’s pitching staff has been ravaged by injury. Jesús Luzardo is awaiting the results on his left elbow, while southpaw Braxton Garrett has resumed his rehab assignment after a setback. Right-handers Sandy Alcantara and Eury Pérez are out for the season with Tommy John surgery rehab.

“I think that there’s a lot of differences from last year to this year,” Schumaker said. “Obviously, as a staff, we’ve got to figure out how to get our current roster better. I’m not going to think about last year. Every year is different. Every roster is different. This is a different roster. The whole rotation is different, the whole bullpen is different. So I think there’s a bunch of different guys that are here, but that’s no excuse for us. This is the coaching staff. I’m obviously the manager [who] has to figure this out. The record is the record. Until we figure it out, I put a lot of the blame on me, because I haven’t figured it out, obviously.”

Defending NL batting champion is hitting .305 but hasn’t homered with just three RBIs. He had his 11th multi-hit game Sunday. Since the beginning of the 2022 season, Arraez ranks second in MLB with 115 multi-hit games, behind only the Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman (128).

The Marlins turn to lefty Trevor Rogers today to try and avoid the sweep. Rogers (0-3) took the loss last Tuesday against Atlanta, surrendering five runs (three earned) on seven hits and a walk while striking out four batters. Rogers only gave up two unearned runs through the first five innings but was promptly pulled after allowing a sac fly and a two-run homer during the sixth. The 26-year-old holds a 4.10 ERA and 1.52 WHIP through his first five starts. Rogers last faced Washington on Sept. 17, 2022 at Nationals Park and exited after 1.0 innings due to injury.

Sunday’s rally from down 7-0 to win was the Nationals’ largest comeback on the road since April 28, 2015. DH Nick Senzel went yard twice for his first two-homer game since 2019. Since April 7, the Nationals are 11-8 after starting the season 2-6.

It’s righty Jake Irvin (1-2) on the hill Monday. Irvin took the loss last Wednesday, surrendering six runs on 12 hits and a walk over 4.2 innings as the Nationals were routed 11-2 by the Dodgers. He struck out three. The 27-year-old blanked the Dodgers over six innings in his prior start, but the NL West powerhouses weren’t fooled a second time. Irvin got the hook after 103 pitches (66 strikes) in his worst outing yet this season, and he’ll carry a 4.55 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 23:7 K:BB through 27.2 innings into Monday. Irvin pitched to a 2.81 ERA (5 ER/16.0 IP) with 11 strikeouts and a .214 opponent’s average in three starts against the Marlins in 2023

MLB Betting Pick: Marlins

Atlanta Braves vs. Seattle Mariners

• When: Tuesday, April 30th, 2024, 9:40 PM ET
• Where: T-Mobile Park, Seattle, WA
• TV: BSSO, RSNW, MLBN
• Radio: 680 The Fan AM (Braves) // Seattle Sports 710 AM (Mariners)
• Live Stream: MLB.tv
• MLB Betting Odds: TBA

Not out of the question that this interleague matchup is a World Series preview. Atlanta is obviously good enough to win the National League. Seattle has the pitching to win the AL for the first time in franchise history but probably doesn’t have the offense without a trade acquisition. The M’s recently lost starting shortstop JP Crawford to a Grade 1 oblique strain that will sideline him multiple weeks.

The Mariners are expected to option outfielder Jonatan Clase to Triple-A Tacoma on Monday. The 21-year-old wound up appearing in just nine games during his brief stay with the big league club — hitting .222/.250/.259 with zero homers, three RBI, two stolen bases and a 9/1 K/BB ratio in 28 plate appearances. Sam Haggerty is expected to be recalled to take his place on the active roster. Haggerty, who missed a chunk of Spring Training then began the season on the injured list with a medical issue, has hit .333/.412/.367 (.779 OPS) in 69 plate appearances over 16 games with the Rainiers.

Seattle has one of the best setup men in the majors in righty Matt Brash but he has yet to pitch in the majors this year due to right elbow inflammation and recently had a setback. Brash has been shut down indefinitely. Brash led the majors with 78 appearances in 2023, over which he carried a 3.06 ERA. His 34.7% strikeout rate and 38.1% whiff rate — including a 48.5% whiff rate on his slider — both ranked in the 98th percentile among pitchers, while his average fastball velocity of 98.1 mph put him in the 96th.

It’s presumed ace Luis Castillo on the mound Tuesday for Seattle. Castillo (2-4) picked up the win last Thursday, allowing two runs on four hits and two walks over six innings against the Rangers. He struck out six. Castillo had issues keeping the ball inside the park, allowing solo home runs to Nathaniel Lowe and Josh Smith in the first and fourth innings, respectively. He’s now allowed a long ball in four of his six outings this season but has churned out three straight quality starts. During that stretch, Castillo owns a 1.89 ERA and a 24:3 K:BB across 19 innings.

Righty Reynaldo Lopez (2-0) has been a shock ace of the Braves and also is scheduled for Tuesday. Lopez didn’t factor into the decision last Wednesday, allowing one run on three hits and two walks across seven innings against Miami. He struck out six. Lopez delivered another quality start, exiting the contest with Atlanta ahead 3-1. However, Raisel Iglesias surrendered a pair of runs in the ninth inning to send the game to extra innings, spoiling Lopez’s chance at a third straight win.

He has been one of the more surprising stars of the 2024 campaign, owning a 0.72 ERA and 0.88 WHIP in four starts (25.0 innings). Lopez is in an unusual situation after serving as a full-time reliever for the Chicago White Sox in 2022-2023 and not pitching more than 66 innings in a season since 2019.

MLB Betting Pick: Braves

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