MLB Baseball Betting for September 30, 2016
The final weekend of the MLB baseball season is upon us and there’s still plenty to be settled. All six divisions have been secured but a mad battle for two wild card spots per league will be the main storyline for the weekend:
MLB BASEBALL BETTING FOR SEPTEMBER 30, 2016:
NEW YORK METS AT PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES:
Important game for the New York Mets as they try to wrap up the top wild card spot in the National League. The Mets also have another fun storyline going on–the budding baseball career of Tim Tebow. No doubt there are haters out there ready to pile on but so far so good for the former University of Florida quarterback. Tebow jacked a ball into the seats on his first pitch in the instructional league and went 2 for 4 with two runs scored in his second game. It’s a long road to the Big Leagues but good for Tebow.
Here’s the Mets’ situation–they’re 1.5 games up on the second wild card team, the San Francisco Giants pending the outcome of Thursday’s action. The St. Louis Cardinals are 1/2 game behind the Giants. The Mets control their own destiny and they’ve even got a margin for error. If New York can win two of three from the Philadelphia Phillies over the weekend they’ll clinch the top spot and home field advantage in the NL Wildcard game. Assuming that San Francisco holds on to their 5-2 lead over the Colorado Rockies late Thursday night the best they’ll be able to do is to tie the Mets. The Mets would win the tie breaker and still get the top seed.
New York hit a roadblock in their three game sweep by the Atlanta Braves on September 19-21 but they’ve won 5 of 7 since. The Phillies may have packed it in for the year as they were swept by the Atlanta Braves (who are decidedly *not* phoning it in down the stretch having won 9 of 10). As of earlier this evening, Robert Gsellman was still penciled in as Friday’s starter but there’s some speculation that manager Terry Collins might rearrange the rotation for the final series. The game is still ‘on the board’ and it would seem that should there be a serious chance that Gsellman would be scratched that wouldn’t be the case.
Philadelphia will start right hander Alec Asher who has been very sharp in his four starts with Philadelphia. The Phillies have split his four starts including losses in both of his home starts but Asher has put up a 1.66 ERA with a 0.970 WHIP. He looked good in a 9/24 win over the Mets though his teammates did everything they could to throw it away–Asher went 5 innings allowing 5 hits and 0 ER but Philadelphia had to outlast the Mets 10-8. The problem is that the Phillies have lost 6 of 7 and might not have much resolve left after being swept by the lowly Braves.
BET NEW YORK METS -155 OVER PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
BALTIMORE ORIOLES AT NEW YORK YANKEES:
The Baltimore Orioles are one of four teams battling for two American League wild card spots and they’ve got a tough draw for the final weekend of the season. The Yankees have been eliminated from postseason play but have continued to play hard and will enter this series having won 4 straight. The Orioles took two of three from the Toronto Blue Jays which clinched the AL East for the Boston Red Sox and kept them alive for the top wild card spot.
Here’s the status pending the outcome of Seattle’s game against Oakland: Toronto and Baltimore are tied for the two wildcard spots. Toronto is playing at Boston this weekend. The Detroit Tigers are 1.5 games back with the Seattle Mariners 2.5 games back. Seattle is engaging in some positive thinking as they’ve put playoff tickets on sale (they’ll be refunded if the Mariners don’t advance). Assuming that Seattle holds on to their 2-1 8th inning lead over Oakland they need to hope that the Yankees win at least two of three over Baltimore. Any combination of two Seattle losses and two Baltimore wins will eliminate the Mariners. Any combination of three Detroit losses and Baltimore wins will take care of Detroit.
Scenarios aside, all any team can do to improve their chances is to keep winning. The Yankees have won 5 of 7 from Baltimore at Yankee Stadium and Michael Pineda has looked very sharp in his recent starts (3 earned runs in 15 innings over his last three). Don’t expect to see the Yankees quit this weekend.
BET NEW YORK YANKEES -135 OVER BALTIMORE ORIOLES