Top MLB Betting Picks of the Week – May 29th, 2023

Great news for the struggling Chicago White Sox on Monday as All-Star reliever Liam Hendriks allowed two runs on three hits and a walk to the Los Angeles Angels on Monday, his first outing since recovering from non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. His return won’t solve all the team’s problems but some. Here’s a look at two early-week games. Check back for MLB odds.

Top MLB Betting Picks of the Week (May 29th, 2023)

We are approximately two months into the season

Here are @BenVerlander's Top 10 MLB Power Rankings pic.twitter.com/hZXjsOEIbd

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) May 29, 2023

Philadelphia Phillies vs. New York Mets

• When: Tuesday, May 30, 2023, 7:10 PM ET
• Where: Citi Field, New York City, NY
• TV: NBCSP, SNY, TBS
• Radio: WIP 94.1 FM (Phillies) // WCBS 880 AM (Mets)
• Live Stream: MLB.tv
• MLB Betting Odds: Phillies (+112) // Mets (-130)

TBS has this national telecast. Alec Bohm was held out of the Phillies’ starting lineup on Sunday night due to tightness in his hamstring but should be back in there Tuesday. Center fielder Brandon Marsh currently ranks T-6th among all ML outfielders with 4 outs above average per Statcast. Additionally per Statcast, Marsh has more than doubled his walk rate from last year (6.1 % to 14.0%) and his 7.9% spike is the largest of any player in MLB this year.

The Mets are 16-3 when scoring first this season. The team’s .842 winning percentage when scoring first is tied for the second-best mark in the majors. On the other hand, the Mets are 11-24 when their opponent scores first. Since the start of 2022, the Mets are 97-19 when scoring first. Their .836 winning percentage is the best in the majors.

New York is 24-0 when leading after eight innings this season. The last time the Mets lost a game when they were ahead after eight innings was on September 6, 2021 at Washington. The Mets were up 3-2 and lost 4-3 in the bottom of the ninth. Since then the Mets have won their last 119 games when ahead after eight, the longest active streak in MLB.

It’s lefty Ranger Suarez on the mound here for the Phillies. Suarez did not factor into the decision Wednesday, allowing five runs on five hits and a walk over five innings against the Diamondbacks. He struck out five. Suarez did retire the final seven batters faced, providing some positive momentum heading into his next outing. Still, it’s been a rough start to the year for the 27-year-old as he’s pitched to a 9.82 ERA with a 2.00 WHIP and 13:5 K:BB through his first three games (11 innings) and is still looking for his first win of the season.

Mets rookie righty Kodai Senga (4-3) took the loss against the Cubs on Wednesday, allowing three runs on six hits and five walks while striking out six batters over five innings. The relatively short outing was largely due to his troubles finding the zone — he threw 41 balls and walked a season-high five batters. Free passes have been the biggest concern for the Japanese hurler this season, as he’s issued at least three walks in all but one of his nine starts. Senga has somewhat minimized the damage from the control issues with an excellent 11.4 K/9, but he’s completed six innings only three times and sports an uninspiring 1.52 WHIP.

Senga’s “ghost fork” has accounted for 33 of his 61 strikeouts through nine starts. The pitch has a 57.3 percent whiff rate and a 27.3 percent putaway rate. Opponents have managed just six hits in 48 at-bats ending with the forkball, a .125 batting average. It’s his first-ever start vs. the Phillies.

MLB Betting Pick: Phillies

READ MORE: Angels vs. Astros MLB Odds, Preview and Prediction – June 1, 2023

New York Yankees vs. Seattle Mariners

• When: Wednesday, May 31, 2023, 9:40 PM ET
• Where: Truist Park, Atlanta, GA
• TV: YES, RSNW
• Radio: WFAN 101.9 FM (Yankees) // KIRO 710 (Mariners)
• Live Stream: MLB.tv
• MLB Betting Odds: TBA

The Yankees could be without center fielder Harrison Bader again for a while. Bader left Monday’s game against the Mariners in the top of the third inning with right hamstring tightness after legging out an infield single. He was due MRI results Tuesday. Bader, who missed the first 30 games of the season with a strained oblique, was trying to stretch out the hamstring out while standing on first base after the single, which led to Boone and a trainer paying him a visit.

“He just felt it pull on him a little bit,” manager Aaron Boone said. “We’ll see. [The training staff] doesn’t seem to think it’s too serious, but you don’t want to rule out an IL or whatever.”

Without Bader or rehabbing Giancarlo Stanton for at least a couple more days, and the recently-released Aaron Hicks obviously unavailable, it seems Greg Allen will get the lion’s share of center fielder work, and the 30-year-old will look to make an impact defensively and on the bases, with any punch from the plate being largely a bonus.

Outfielder AJ Pollock (leg) remained out of the Mariners’ lineup for Monday’s series opener against the Yankees. It’s a bit perplexing that Pollock hasn’t been placed on the injured list yet since he’s missed five consecutive contests since exiting last Wednesday’s contest with left leg cramping.

It’s Clarke Schmidt (2-5) on the mound for New York. Schmidt took the loss against Baltimore on Thursday, allowing one run on five hits and two walks while striking out four batters over five innings. Schmidt had to work hard to get through five frames, as Baltimore fouled off 26 of his offerings, resulting in the hurler tossing 97 total pitches. Aside from that, it was a pretty smooth start for the right-hander — he allowed just one extra-base hit and one run while keeping the ball in the park for his third straight start. However, the Yankees’ offense couldn’t solve Kyle Gibson, causing Schmidt to take his fifth loss.

Seattle’s George Kirby (5-4) took the loss Friday versus the Pirates, allowing seven runs on nine hits and a walk while striking out four over 4.2 innings. Kirby came into this start having allowed just three homers in his first nine outings. The Pirates then launched four long balls off him, including Andrew McCutchen’s blast on the second pitch of the game. This was Kirby’s worst start of the season, and the second time he’s given up four homers over his 35 career starts. The right-hander’s ERA rose to 3.43 with a 1.10 WHIP and 51:6 K:BB across 63 innings.

MLB Betting Pick: Mariners

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READ MORE: Top MLB Betting Picks of the Week – June 5th, 2023