With only 13 days left in the MLB regular season, playoff positioning is being settled as teams finalize their case for the postseason. Among those teams fighting for positioning are the Houston Astros and Arizona Diamondbacks. We have prop bets related to both of those teams for tonight’s 15-game MLB slate of games. Let’s dive in!
Zac Gallen (ARI) over 5.5 strikeouts (-105)
Zac Gallen has lost pace in the race for the 2023 NL Cy Young, slipping a bit in performance of late, but the Arizona Diamondbacks’ ace is in a massive spot tonight as his team looks to stay in contention for the wild card. Arizona is currently positioned in the playoffs with only 11 games left on their schedule. Gallen is undeniably their best arm, and with his team on a 3-game winning streak entering tonight’s contest the talented pitcher will look to keep their momentum going with a strong outing. His last start was not his best performance, allowing 7 runs in 5 innings, 6 of those runs being earned to his record. That start was on the road, however, and Gallen is notoriously much better when pitching at his home park. This season the righty has tossed 90.2 innings at home while posting a 2.18 ERA and holding his opponents to a .220 batting average. His strikeout rate sits at 30.5% in those innings compared to 21.7% when on the road, and he has cleared this 5.5 tota l in 11 of his 14 starts with home crowd support behind him.
Gallen’s ability to provide lengthy starts at home has been part of his success, as he has pitched 6 or more innings in 13 of those 14 starts. His last start at home lasted only 5.1 innings against the Orioles, but outside of that outing he has provided Arizona with long outings in that sample. With the tight playoff race and so few starts remaining for their ace, Arizona should give Gallen a lengthy leash, perhaps even sending him out for an extra inning. He is on 5 days of rest for this start, and the hope is that with extra rest he can work deep into this game. The matchup against San Francisco is one he has excelled in already this season, pitching 13.2 innings with 5 earned runs combined, clearing this 5.5 mark in both outings.