After a fun All-Star break in the MLB, the regular season resumed yesterday with 28 of 30 teams in action. The Cardinals and Braves got 1 extra day off after their game was postponed due to weather, and will play a double-header today in Atlanta. That being said, we have a loaded 16-game slate on the schedule for Saturday, beginning in New York and ending in Seattle.
Saturday's mega parlay features a pair of favorites on the run line and a play on the under in a game that previews to be low scoring. Below I'll provide an in-depth analysis of each game and the reasoning for my picks.' For more action, be sure to check out our MLB predictions page which takes a look at some of the games not covered in this article. With that said, let's take a look at Saturday's MLB mega parlay which pays out at +860 odds on Fanduel Sportsbook.'
Philadelphia Phillies -1.5 over Pittsburgh Pirates' (+100)
The Philadelphia Phillies may have the best record in baseball, but July has been a tad shaky since their series with the Braves in Atlanta. The Phillies dropped 2 out of 3 games in that series, returned home to capture a 3-game sweep over the Dodgers, but then lost 2 of 3 to the A's, before dropping the first game of a 3-game set with the Pirates yesterday. One thing that sticks out in those losses is their inability to limit runs. In those 5 losses, opposing teams have scored at least 5 runs, and their rotation has not been quite as strong.
On the other hand, the Pirates have been in a groove of late, winning 7 of their last 8 games. Despite the trajectory of these teams at the current moment, I have to side with the Phillies to even the series. Cristopher Sanchez will be taking the ball for Philadelphia and he has been superb in his 4th season. Sanchez owns a 2.96 ERA across 18 starts, giving up 4 earned runs or more on just 3 occasions. The consistency from Sanchez allows the Phillies to stick around in nearly every outing he toes the rubber, and his 59.9% ground-ball rate is one of the best marks in the league. Countering for the Pirates is Luis L. Ortiz, who has split time as a reliever and starter this season. Ortiz has appeared in 25 games for the Pirates with a 2.84 ERA compared to a 3.67 xERA. The Phillies should be able to do some damage against Ortiz as he ranks below league average in chase rate, whiff rate, and barrel rate. I'll back Philadelphia to even the series and win this game by multiple runs.'