I consider Tuesday to be the start of the MLB stretch run, because it marks 40 days exactly until the final day of the regular season on Sept. 27. Thus, this is the time of year I generally start really crushing playoff hopefuls against bad teams playing out the string and already looking to 2027 with young guys in the lineup, etc. I believe we have that scenario Tuesday when the Giants visit the Guardians. It’s a 6:40 ET first pitch from Progressive Field. Bet $5+ and get $150 in bonus bets instantly when you bet on baseball at DraftKings:
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San Francisco (51-73) might be the most disappointing team in the league, considering it had a preseason win total of 80.5 and is now a +145 underdog just to reach 70 — it could finish below wretched Colorado in the NL West. First-year manager Tony Vitello has looked completely overwhelmed straight out of previously coaching the University of Tennessee.
President of Baseball Operations Buster Posey was a legendary player for the team and is a shoo-in for Cooperstown at some point. Yet the fan base has started to turn on the formerly mega-popular Posey for so many bad decisions in hindsight, like the Vitello hiring or the team’s Pride Night public relations disaster this year.
Here’s an example: About a month ago, Posey appeared on his weekly “Giants Executive Show” on a team radio partner for an interview. During a subsequent segment, an unnamed producer was heard doing a mic test, then saying, “Posey sucks, man.” Place your Giants-Guardians wagers and get $1,500 in bonus bets back at BetMGM Sportsbook::
Giants-Guardians MLB same-game parlay
- Cleveland no bat bottom 9
- Alt Under 10.5
DraftKings Sportsbook SGP price: +122 (odds subject to change)
So, yeah, I’m fading the Giants plenty the rest of the way at sports betting sites, and especially tonight behind struggling lefty Carson Whisenhunt (3-3, 6.11 ERA). He was shaky in five big-league starts last year as a rookie but was named Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Year in Triple-A. The 25-year-old has regressed a little this year in six MLB starts, although he comes off best one in allowing one run over 5.2 innings vs. Houston. Somewhat unusual that Whisenhunt has gotten a decision in all six starts considering he doesn’t go very deep: 5.2 innings is a season high.
Tonight will be Whisenhunt’s first career look at the Guardians, but trade acquisition and outfielder Jo Adell has a homer in two at-bats off him. The SportsLine Projection Model has Whisenhunt at 5.2 innings, 4.3 strikeouts, 4.8 hits allowed and 2.4 earned runs. Bet on MLB at DraftKings, where new users get $150 in bonus bets after placing a $5+ first wager:
I wish I could root against Cleveland (60-65) tonight because I’m a White Sox fan and the more the Guardians lose the better it is for Chicago’s chances to win the AL Central. That’s looking quite likely now anyway, with the White Sox priced as -265 favorites. Defending division champ Cleveland has been struggling for a while and is now 5.5 games back, +800 to win it and +330 for the playoffs as it sits 1.5 games out of the final wild-card spot.
There was some bad news for the Guardians on Sunday when excellent rookie outfielder Chase DeLauter was pulled from a home loss to San Diego because of mild left hamstring tightness. The 24-year-old DeLauter has been the team’s most consistent hitter throughout the season and is second among AL rookies in RBI (57), fifth in home runs (13) and eighth in batting average (.286). So if he needs a stint on the IL, that obviously won’t help the playoff chances. Otherwise, the team is pretty healthy as it tries to make a move.
The Guardians were buyers at the trade deadline, with their biggest move landing lefty pitcher Foster Griffin (13-4, 3.25 ERA) from Washington, and he’s on the hill tonight. He has been the second-most profitable pitcher in The Show, as you would be up $1,307 if you bet $100 on the Nationals and Guardians to win each of his 24 starts (18-6 in those). Bet on MLB and more at FanDuel, where bettors can get up to $1,000 in Bet Reset Tokens:
But Griffin’s teams are 1-2 in his past three. He was not good at all in his final start for Washington and then not great in his first for Cleveland. He was better last Wednesday in Detroit in allowing one earned over five in a victory. Griffin has a lot of financial motivation the rest of the way, as he’s only on a one-year contract worth $5.5 million, so he could be looking at a massive raise this winter in free agency if he closes strong. I’m all about backing pending free agents.
The 31-year-old journeyman and first-time All-Star pitched in San Francisco on June 10 and gave up a run over six with no walks in a no-decision. The model has him at 5.7 innings, 5.5 strikeouts, 4.3 hits allowed and 1.5 earned runs today. At DK, he’s +118 to win.
I’m still irked over Monday’s MLB parlay – how do the Cardinals score two in the first at hitter-friendly Cincinnati and not get to three runs at all? I’m quite confident in Cleveland here to not have to bat bottom 9, and both have issues with southpaws so I’m going with the alt Under on the total. The Giants are 27th in OPS vs. lefties and 14-19 against them. On the flip side, the Guardians are 25-18 vs. southpaws, even if their OPS is 28th. The model has Cleveland 4.3-3.6. Check out other expert picks in the SportsLine daily newsletter.
