Top MLB Betting Picks of the Week – August 7th, 2023

Suspensions are coming this week for All-Star infielders Tim Anderson of the White Sox and Jose Ramirez of the Guardians after they engaged in a brawl during Saturday’s game, but every player appeals his suspension and they are allowed to keep playing until it is heard. Here are two intriguing early-week matchups around MLB.

Top MLB Betting Picks of the Week (August 7th, 2023)

The Los Angeles Angels did right by their fans and Shohei Ohtani by making bold moves bolstering hopes they'd snag a wild card spot.

After all that, where do the Angels stand in the #MLB power rankings now? ⤵https://t.co/85x2Q04Jvl

— USA TODAY Sports (@usatodaysports) August 7, 2023

New York Yankees vs. Chicago White Sox

• When: Monday, August 7, 2023, 8:10 PM ET
• Where: Guaranteed Rate Field, Chicago, IL
• TV: BSOH, MARQ
• Radio: WFAN 101.9 FM (Yankees) // WMVP AM 1000 (White Sox)
• Live Stream: MLB.tv
• MLB Betting Odds: Yankees (-167) // White Sox (+141)

New York Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole has had a disappointing career only in that he has yet to win a Cy Young Award despite his immense talent and salary. Well, that may change in 2023 as Cole is the -200 favorite to win the AL Cy as he takes the mound on Monday on the South Side of Chicago.

Cole is 10-2 with a 2.64 ERA (143.1IP, 42ER) and 157K in 23 starts this season. He has the lowest ERA in the American League and the second-lowest in the Majors, trailing only San Diego’s Blake Snell (2.61). Cole picked up the win last Wednesday against Tampa Bay, giving up two runs on four hits and two walks over seven innings in a 7-2 victory. He struck out eight.

An expected pitching duel with fellow Cy Young contender Shane McClanahan never materialized when the Tampa southpaw developed forearm soreness and got tagged for five runs in the third inning, while Cole was terrific after serving up a two-run homer to Wander Franco in the first. Cole has six straight quality starts, posting a 2.27 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and 44:7 K:BB through 39.2 innings over that stretch.

The Yankees are bracing for more bad news in the rotation injury-wise as big-ticket free-agent addition Carlos Rodon will undergo an MRI on his left hamstring after leaving Sunday’s 9-7 loss to the Houston Astros in the third inning. Rodon, 30, looked awkward finishing his delivery on his final two pitches to Astros batter Chas McCormick before manager Aaron Boone and the training staff came out to see him. He attempted a couple of warmup pitches but subsequently was pulled from the game in favor of reliever Jhony Brito. The injury comes on the heels of Domingo German being placed on the restricted list to undergo treatment for alcohol abuse.

The White Sox are in full-blown tank mode, essentially. Will shortstop and leadoff hitter Tim Anderson play Monday? He didn’t Sunday in a win over the Guardians. Major League Baseball has yet to announce any suspension for the shortstop, who was ejected in the sixth inning of Saturday’s 7-4 win after exchanging punches with Cleveland third baseman Jose Ramirez. Andreson will be suspended.

While New York’s Cole is the current AL Cy Young favorite, at one point last year Chicago’s Dylan Cole was in the same role. He ended up finishing second and pitches Monday. Cease (4-5) took the loss against Texas on Wednesday, allowing seven runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out one batter over 1.2 innings. It was Cease’s shortest start this year — previously, he had completed at least four innings in each of his 22 appearances — and tied a season-worst mark with the seven runs he allowed. Cease also recorded his lowest strikeout total of the season. The poor outing pushed Cease’s season ERA to 4.61, which would be his worst mark since his rookie 2019 campaign.

Cease needs 56 strikeouts to join Chris Sale (2013-16) and Ed Walsh (1910-12) as the only White Sox to record three-plus consecutive seasons with 200 or more strikeouts. Cease is 0-1 with a 9.45 ERA (14 ER/13.1 IP), .278 (15-54) opponent average, six walks and 23 strikeouts in three career starts against the Yankees. He didn’t factor in the decision in his last start against NYY on May 12, 2022, at Guaranteed Rate Field, allowing six runs on six hits (two home runs) with two walks and 11 strikeouts across 4.0 IP.

MLB Betting Pick: Yankees

Texas Rangers vs. Oakland Athletics

• When: Tuesday, August 8, 2023, 9:40 PM ET
• Where: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, CA
• TV: BSSW, NBCSCA
• Radio: 105.3 The Fan (Rangers) // WCBS 680 The Fan (Athletics)
• Live Stream: MLB.tv
• MLB Betting Odds: TBA

The Rangers already are without injured All-Star catcher Jonah Heim perhaps for the rest of the regular season due to a wrist injury, and the AL West leaders appear to have taken a big hit on Sunday with All-Star third baseman and AL Rookie of the Year candidate Josh Jung leaving with a fractured left thumb.

Jung’s injury occurred in the sixth inning of Texas’ eventual 6-0 win over the Marlins on Sunday when he attempted to snare a hard liner off the bat of Jorge Soler. Jung knocked down the liner and started a double play. Duran entered the game as shortstop. On the Year, Jung is slashing .274/.323/.489 with 22 home runs and 24 doubles.

If surgery is required, Jung is likely out 6-8 weeks, though much depends on the nature and severity of the fracture. Since the Rangers are on pace to reach the postseason and receive a first-round bye if they win the division, Jung could rejoin the team before the start of its first playoff series.

All-Star shortstop Corey Seager was held out of the Rangers’ starting lineup Sunday because of lingering effects from a right thumb injury suffered last month but is expected back for Tuesday’s game. Seager injured the thumb on July 21 diving into second base in the eighth inning against his former team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and was pulled from that game. He was placed on the 10-day injured list on July 22 and returned Wednesday. Seager is hitting .348 in 70 games with 18 homers and 64 RBIs.

“He’s battling that thing,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “It’s going to flare up a little bit at times. Could he play? Yeah, he could play. But we’re going to try to keep this thing under control. “It’s a pretty big injury, really. It’s amazing what he’s doing with his thumb. I just don’t want it to get to the point where we end up losing him for a while.”

It’s the second start in a Rangers uniform for right-hander Max Scherzer (10-4). He earned the win Thursday, allowing three runs on seven hits and two walks over six innings against the White Sox with nine Ks. In his Texas debut, Scherzer allowed back-to-back singles and two walks in the first inning, leading to three runs. He settled in after that, shutting out the White Sox over the next five innings while fanning nine batters, marking just his fourth start this season with at least nine strikeouts.

It’s lefty JP Sears for Oakland. Sears (2-8) took the loss against the Dodgers last Thursday, allowing two runs on six hits and three walks while striking out five batters over five innings. Of the six hits Sears allowed, five went for extra bases, but the Dodgers managed to score just twice while he was in the game. Sears has been better than his record indicates with a 4.07 ERA and seven quality starts across 22 outings but he gets little run support.

MLB Betting Pick: Athletics

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