Category: Baseball

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

It's been a solid 5-1 SU run this week, and my MLB player props are once again trying to smash this short-slate Thursday.

These are my favorite pitcher and strikeout props for Thursday, Aug. 20.

Best MLB strikeout props and starting pitcher picks today

Player	Pick	Odds
Gerrit Cole	Under 6.5 strikeouts	+102
Kyle Bradish	Under 5.5 strikeouts	+117
Robert Gasser	Under 17.5 outs	-110

Strikeout prop: Gerrit Cole Under 6.5 strikeouts (+102)

Gerrit Cole has pitched more than six innings just twice over his 15 starts, as the Yankees are still a little cautious with him and will likely pull him after 18 outs even if he’s sitting under 90 pitches. He’s also more of a K-per-inning pitcher, and is 2-6 O/U on this total on the road this year.

Getting six or fewer Ks on 18 outs at plus money was my first pitcher bet of the day.

THE BAT is projecting 6.0 strikeouts on 88 pitches, which still leaves plenty of room if he does get to 95 pitches, something he’s done in just 40% of his last 10 starts. The fair price on this prop with those projections is -150, making this one of the best +EV pitcher props on the board today.

There’s also some rain risk, which can only help the Under.

• Time: 6:35 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: MASN, YES

Strikeout prop: Kyle Bradish Under 5.5 strikeouts (+117)

The last time Kyle Bradish topped this number was June 22. Since then, he's gone eight straight starts with five or fewer Ks, totaling just 30 punchouts over 44 innings.

He is not a K-per-inning pitcher this year and had failed to reach 40 innings in back-to-back seasons heading into 2026 because of injuries. He returned from Tommy John surgery in 2025 and has already thrown 133 innings this year, so the workload is getting heavy and could be scaled back.

Bradish hasn’t gone beyond six innings in five straight starts, and the possible rain in Baltimore isn’t going to help. He had a rain-shortened start earlier this month in which he threw just three innings and didn’t come back out.

The Yankees are a good K matchup, but that’s already priced in. I want this plus-money Under on a pitcher who hasn’t touched this total in eight straight starts and could be seeing his workload scaled back.

I’d play this to even money and have this at better than a coin-flip.

• Time: 6:35 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: MASN, YES

Pitcher out prop: Robert Gasser Under 17.5 outs (-110)

Robert Gasser is coming off a career-high 102 pitches last game, where he went beyond 18 outs for just the second time in 14 games. He’s already at 100 innings this year after throwing just 80 combined innings over the previous two seasons.

The leash could be shorter and the efficiency could be down — a perfect setup for an Under 17.5 outs at a great price.

In his five games before that 102-pitch outing five days ago, Gasser threw 94, 76, 77, 86, and 58 pitches. The Brewers burned some arms last night, but they still have their top four high-leverage arms available, and their top three big arms haven’t been used since Sunday.

Gasser is 4-10 O/U on this total this season and struggles against right-handed bats, with a handful of them in the Seattle lineup capable of making a difference today.

The projection is 84 pitches and 15.56 outs, making this a five-star prop at this total.

• Time: 2:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Brewers.TV, Mariners.TV

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

In the history of any franchise, you can pick out a handful of keystone signings that help usher in a new chapter in the annals of the team. A decade of mismanagement under CBS ownership left the Yankees in the wilderness, contributing to a 14-year World Series drought, the longest in the franchise’s history since the nascent years as the Highlanders.

With George Steinbrenner’s purchase of the team and promise to return the once-proud franchise to their glory years, changes were on the horizon. Fading into the review mirror were the days of Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris, meaning a new slate of stars had to be assembled in the Bronx. Catfish Hunter, Reggie Jackson, Goose Gossage, Willie Randolph, Sparky Lyle, Ron Guidry, Lou Piniella, Chris Chambliss, Mickey Rivers, Ed Figueroa, and Bucky Dent all arrived in the first half of the 1970s via the Draft, trade, or free agency to form the core of the eventual back-to-back World Series winning Bronx Zoo. However, it was the 1973 trade for Graig Nettles that truly signaled the sea change in the franchise’s fortunes.

Graig Nettles
Born: August 20, 1944 (San Diego, CA)
Yankees Tenure: 1973-83

Graig Nettles was born on August 20, 1944, in San Diego, CA, the second of three sons to Wayne — a former police officer and high school teacher — and Florence Nettles. He was a star dual athlete for San Diego High School, earning a scholarship to play college basketball before switching to baseball as an upperclassman. He was drafted by the Twins in the fourth round of the inaugural 1965 amateur draft after starring over the summers for the semi-professional Alaska Goldpanners in Fairbanks.

Under the tutelage of his future manager with the Yankees, Billy Martin, then managing in the Twins minor league system, Nettles rose quickly though the levels. He was handed a pair of September cups of coffee in 1967 and 1968 before Martin’s promotion as the big league manager in 1969 earned Nettles a permanent role in the majors. Blocked at third by Harmon Killebrew, Nettles was dealt to Cleveland the following season, for whom he would play two seasons before being granted a trade by GM Gabe Paul — later his GM in New York — to the Yankees alongside Jerry Moses for Charlie Spikes, John Ellis, Jerry Kenney, and Rusty Torres following the conclusion of the 1972 season.

“If I could have picked the spot I wanted to go, it would have been the Yankees. I always wanted to play for New York and for Ralph Houk. I hope I’ll satisfy the team and be here for ten years or so.”

In his debut season in the Bronx, Nettles batted .234/.334/.386 with 22 home runs and 81 RBI in 160 games. Notably, he crushed the team that traded him away, with four home runs and seven RBIs during a doubleheader in Cleveland on April 14th and his first six home runs of the year coming against his former employers as part of an eleven homer spree in his first 22 games. His production looked pretty similar in 1974, slashing .246/.316/.403 with another 22 homers and 75 RBIs. The Yankees would miss out on the playoffs by two games, and Nettles was ejected from a game on September 7th after six superballs bounced out of a broken bat he maintained he received from a fan in Chicago.

1975 saw Nettles slash .267/.322/.430 with 21 home runs and 91 RBIs to earn the first of his six All-Star appearances. It also was the birth of the free agent era, and Jackson, Hunter, Gossage, Randolph, Rivers, Figueroa, and Dent all signed to join Nettles, Thurman Munson, Guidry, Lyle, and Nettles’ fellow trade acquisitions Piniella and Chambliss. In the span of just a couple years, the Yankees had transformed from a rudderless franchise just starting to find its direction to a veritable juggernaut truly ready to compete for titles.

The following season, Nettles led the AL with 32 bombs, slashing .254/.327/.475 with a career-high 136 wRC+. His 8.1 fWAR remained the high water mark for a Yankees third baseman until Alex Rodriguez put up 9.1 in 2005. The season culminated in the Yankees’ first World Series appearance since 1964 — a humbling sweep at the hands of the Reds.

The fruits of this franchise renaissance finally arrived in 1977, Nettles setting career highs in home runs (37) and RBIs (107) while earning his second All-Star nod, first Gold Glove, and finishing fifth in the AL MVP race. Though he would bat just .171 with no home runs and three RBIs in 43 plate appearances that postseason, the Yankees would squeeze past the Royals in a finely poised ALCS three games to two before securing their first title in 15 years, winning in six games over the Dodgers thanks to Jackson’s Mr. October heroics.

However, Nettles would take center stage the following October. After another strong regular season in which he slashed .276/.343/.460 with 27 home runs and 93 RBI to earn consecutive All-Star and Gold Glove nods and a sixth-place AL MVP finish, Nettles caught the popup from Carl Yastrzemski to end Game 163 between the Yankees and Red Sox, and went yard in another ALCS vanquishing of the Royals. Trailing the Dodgers two games to none in the Fall Classic, Nettles’ defense almost singlehandedly won them the game in Game 3. Nettles made a diving stop in the third and erased a pair of bases-loaded jams in the fifth and sixth with some quick-twitch glove work.

The Yankees would go on to win the next three games to secure back-to-back crowns, Dodgers outfielder Reggie Smith saying of Nettles’ defensive heroics in Game 3, “It’s Dodgers 2, Nettles 1. If we hadn’t been losing, I may have applauded myself.”

Over these years, Nettles gained a reputation for his acerbic wit, earning the nickname “Puff” for his habit of disappearing after a practical joke. He also stood out as one of the Yankees’ most combative players, getting involved in several brawls. On May 20, 1976, Nettles tackled Bill “Spaceman” Lee and broke the pitcher’s collarbone during a brawl against the Red Sox.

In Game 5 of the 1977 ALCS against the Royals, Nettles ignited perhaps the most famous brawl in postseason history. After a hard slide at third by George Brett, Nettles kicked his fellow third baseman in the face and sparked a melee that somehow didn’t result in any ejections.

With the tragic passing of Thurman Munson in a plane crash in 1979, Nettles was never the same player. He also missed significant time to a hepatitis diagnosis in 1980 and the strike in 1981, the latter season representing Nettles’ final hurrah in pinstripes. He was named the ALCS MVP after batting .500 with nine RBIs in a sweep of the A’s. However, he broke his thumb on a diving attempt in Game 2 of the World Series against the Dodgers and missed the next three games, going 2-for-3 with a double in his final postseason game for the Yankees as they fell to LA in six.

Nettles always had a contentious relationship with Steinbrenner, and things really soured in his final two years thanks to stalled contract talks and a diminished platoon role at third. Things reached a head upon the publishing of Nettles’ infamous book Balls, and like Sparky Lyle after the release of The Bronx Zoo, Nettles found himself shipped out of town on the next train, sent to the Padres for Dennis Rasmussen and a PTBNL.

“I was happy to get away from New York. The owner said things about me being a destructive force on the club, so why play for a guy who keeps sniping at you? I finally had enough of him. I’ll always be a Yankee. I love those guys. I love the team, and I’ll always root for them.”

Nettles helped lead the Padres to their first World Series appearance in his first season, and would later play for the Braves and Expos before retiring in 1988 at the age of 43. He remains one of the most notable Hall of Fame snubs in the live ball era, his 67.9 rWAR the highest mark for a third baseman not enshrined in Cooperstown. His 390 home runs trailed only Mike Schmidt, Eddie Mathews, and Darrell Evans among regular third basemen at the time of retirement. He was removed from the BBWAA ballot in 1996 after falling below the requisite five percent threshold and never garnered enough support from multiple Veterans Committees.

He is one of just 11 Yankees to hit at least 250 homers with the team and is top-15 all time in WAR in franchise history, yet somehow has still not been honored in Monument Park. Nonetheless, his immaculate glove work at the hot corner, power bat, and fiery competitiveness cemented Nettles as a favorite among fans from the Bronx Zoo era, his appearances at Old-Timers’ Day—including as recently as 2025—always acknowledged with a thunderous reception.

We wish Puff a happy, healthy, and hearty 81st birthday!

See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.

There isn’t much for news this morning. They are telling us that Brett Bateman’s injury isn’t serious, he likely won’t go on the IL. I feel like ‘not serious’ tends to mean ‘season ending’ but I’m not going to jump to that.

The problem with having a guy on the active roster who can’t play is that the size of bullpens teams use these days, you don’t have many options on the bench. Yesterday it was Clement who couldn’t play, so it made pinch hitting tougher, and when a player might have to come out of the game, I started thinking about which pitcher they should put in the outfield. Insert your own Sanchez joke here.

The old man in me can’t believe you need 8 guys in the bullpen. And they are all overworked. When I was young, there was 5 guys in the bullpen. The closer, a setup man, a third decent reliever and two guys who were really starters and were there just in case that day’s start gets ejected early in the game. The fifth guy would pitch in 10-15 games a year. He was really there so they could still play cards when one of the others had to warm up.

But the game has changed. And I get it. Pitchers throw at 100% every pitch. They didn’t in the old days.

Anyway, today’s lineup. No Sanchez:

Yesterday’s umpire was pretty good:

The Jays starts at 1:00 Eastern, which makes it 11:00 my time, which really works well with my laziness. I can’t go workout, because I have to get a post up, and get the game thread ready. All I can do is sit and watch comedy clips all morning.

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

The New York Yankees go for the sweep at Camden Yards tonight as a -118 moneyline favorite, with the total sitting at 8.

Gerrit Cole brings a 1.93 ERA across three August starts, while Kyle Bradish counters with a 3.65 ERA and 58 walks over 133 innings.

My Yankees vs. Orioles predictions target Bradish's strike-throwing problem and a total both offenses are built to stay Under.

Read on for my MLB picks for Thursday, Aug. 20.

Who will win Yankees vs Orioles today: Yankees moneyline (-127)

I'd play the New York Yankees to -135 tonight.

The Bronx Bombers walk at a 9.8% clip, fourth-best in MLB. For me, this is one of the most undervalued stats in baseball, but it matters more here because of the current form Baltimore Orioles armKyle Bradish.

He grades in the 25th percentile in walk rate at 10.3%, and the underlying numbers are worse: a 43.8% zone rate and a 55.3% first-strike rate, both career lows. A patient lineup does not need to hit him to score. 

Gerrit Cole is the other half of the equation. He's looking closer to vintage form with a 1.93 ERA across three August starts and a 2.15 mark since the All-Star break.

COVERS INTEL:Kyle Bradish's four-seamer has become a giveaway pitch. He throws it 17.4% of the time, and hitters are batting .330 with a .481 xSLG against it.

Yankees vs Orioles Over/Under pick: Under 7.5 (-108)

Both offenses score in bursts or not at all.

New York sits at a .273 BABIP, the lowest in MLB, and Baltimore is fourth-worst in contact rate at 72.3%. That is a profile built for two three-run innings rather than sustained ones. The multi-run homer is likely what beats me, but it's reduced with both pitchers having an approximate 5% barrel rate reduction over the last week.

Bradish grades in the 79th percentile in ground-ball rate at 48.5% against a Yankees club that hits 40.9% fly balls, a mismatch of intent that turns damage swings into outs on the ground. Cole sits in the 77th percentile in xERA at 3.37 and has allowed just five earned runs across 18 2/3 August innings.

I made this total 7.1 and would play it to -120.

Yankees vs Orioles home run prediction: Jazz Chisholm (+562)

Bradish's chief skill is keeping the ball on the ground. Beating him means getting lift on breaking stuff.

Jazz  Chisholm is the Yankee who does it best, posting a .413 average and .609 slugging with a .504 xSLG against sinkers this season, a plus-5 run value and the best mark on the roster. Chisholm also pulls 53.9% of his contact, the highest rate in the lineup, into a right field porch that rewards it.

Play to +350.

Yankees vs Orioles weather

Yankees vs Orioles odds

• Moneyline: Yankees -118 | Orioles +108
• Run line: Yankees -1.5 | Orioles +1.5
• Over/Under: Over 8 | Under 8

Yankees vs Orioles trend

Yankees are 6-1 in their last seven games as a favorite. Find more MLB betting trends for Yankees vs. Orioles.

How to watch Yankees vs Orioles and game info

Yankees vs Orioles latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

Toronto owns the pitching matchup today as it looks to win its seventh straight series, so I'm riding with them as part of my Blue Jays vs. Rays predictions.

The Toronto Blue Jays walk into their final game at Tropicana Field as +145 underdogs at BET99, and have a strong chance to cash against Ian Seymour.

Let’s dive into my MLB picks for Thursday, Aug. 20, and cash another same-game parlay, shall we?

Blue Jays vs Rays predictions

Blue Jays vs Rays best bet: Blue Jays moneyline (+145)

This is a good spot to take a shot.

The Toronto Blue Jays have all the momentum after coming just a run short of completing a seemingly insurmountable comeback following a couple of mind-numbing errors from Jesus Sanchez in left field. This type of resiliency should carry over against Tampa Bay Rays SP Ian Seymour, whom the Jays own a .325 average and .439 xSLG against across 40 at-bats.

On the other side is Shane Bieber, who's rocking a much more respectable 3.63 ERA in August after two strong starts against the New York Yankees and Houston Astros.

With the Rays owning just a .290 xwOBA over 52 plate appearances against the right-hander, I'm riding the Jays to win their seventh straight series.

I'd play this up to +120 at BET99.

COVERS INTEL:George Springer will need a big game if the Jays are going to take two of three at the Trop. He's 5-for-9 vs. Seymour with a .447 xBA and .669 xSLG, while owning an average exit velocity of 95.2 mph. That'll play.

Blue Jays vs Rays same-game parlay (SGP)

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Blue Jays +1.5 has cashed for us in five straight games. I expect much of the same today.

Elsewhere, the offense has quietly come on, scoring 21 runs over its last three games while cashing this team total Over in five straight as well.

Springer has been a big part of that injection of offense — let's see him have another big game against Seymour.

Blue Jays vs Rays SGP

• Blue Jays +1.5
• Blue Jays team total Over 2.5
• George Springer 2+ total bases

Blue Jays vs Rays home run pick: Alejandro Kirk (+575)

If we're looking into homers, we might as well rock with the hottest hitter in the Blue Jays lineup.

Yes, Alejandro Kirk has 14 hits and three bombs across his eight-game hit streak, and he owns a home run alongside a .857 SLG against Seymour in his career. Let's ride with the big man one more time.

Blue Jays vs Rays odds

• Moneyline: Toronto (+145) | Tampa Bay (-170)
• Run line: Toronto +1.5 (-145) | Tampa Bay -1.5 (+125)
• Over/Under: Over 7 (-120) | Under 7 (+100)

Blue Jays vs Rays trend

The Over is 7-0 in the Blue Jays' last seven games as a road underdog. Find more MLB betting trends for Blue Jays vs. Rays.

How to watch Blue Jays vs Rays and game info

Blue Jays vs Rays latest injuries

Blue Jays vs Rays weather

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Good morning, folks…

I’m apparently doing the links again this morning…

The Texas Rangers fell to the Washington Nationals yesterday by a score of 6-0.

Evan Grant’s game story highlights the difference in the Rangers’ record when they score first.

Jeff Wilson writes that if the Rangers want to make the playoffs, they’ll need to take advantage of a remaining schedule that is heavy on home games.

The good news is that Jacob deGrom is feeling good and slated to start for the Rangers tonight.

Evan praises the work of Cal Quantrill, calling him the Rangers’ most reliable starting pitcher of late.

Jake Burger has a daughter with Down’s Syndrome, which has inspired he and his wife, Ashlyn, to start the Burger Family Foundation.

Josh Jung announced his engagement to Kaylee Brown.

Cade Cunningham, who has an ownership stake in the Rangers, offered up some advice for the team yesterday.

Sometimes we get so focused on our own bubble we don’t pay attention to the outside world.

That can cause us to lose perspective and not see the forest for the trees. So, for a moment, let’s zoom out. While the Phillies have had a dizzying 2026 season thus far, they are not the only National League team to go through its own series of ups and downs.

The Atlanta Braves, for example, are suddenly struggling once again. After beating the Mets last Wednesday, August 12, they were up 9 1/2 games in the NL East. This week, they lost a series against the Diamondbacks and were swept by the Twins in Minnesota.

Out of the blue, the Braves’ lead over the Phils is just 4 1/2 games. While it’s unlikely the Phillies will catch them and win the division, the fact it’s suddenly a horse race once again is staggering. But Atlanta has not been immune to slumping, as evidenced by their 9-14 record in June. They are only 9-8 in August.

But the biggest surprise in baseball right now are the struggles of the Dodgers, MLB’s Evil Empire, the unstoppable behemoth whose financial dominance undoubtedly means they will never not win a World Series ever again.

While it’s fair to continue calling them the favorites to win it all, things are not going at all well in Los Angeles. They are 8-10 in August, thanks mainly to a three-game sweep of the Rockies in Colorado. Prior to that, the Dodgers had lost 10 of their last 15.

As it is, L.A. has been just a .500 ballclub since July 1 (21-21). During that time, they are just 17th in runs scored, 18th in OPS, and 20th in OBP. Their starting rotation’s 4.02 ERA is 14th over that stretch, while the bullpen’s 4.60 ERA is 23rd.

Off the field, the future of the franchise is clouded in uncertainty. Owner Mark Walter is currently being investigated for alleged tax fraud among his insurance companies, and reports indicated he is trying to raise as much money as possible to rectify his financial issues. He’s already sold his majority stake in the Los Angeles Lakers less than a year after buying it, and is reportedly preparing to sell his stake in the Chelsea Football Club. A sale of the Dodgers could affect the team’s ability to continue funding their massive payroll long-term, but likely doesn’t have much impact this year.

Still, the distractions cannot be helpful for a team trying to do something that hasn’t been done in nearly 30 years.

As I mentioned on my latest Hittin’ Season podcast, powered by WHYY, there’s a reason no team has won three straight World Series titles since the 1998-2000 Yankees.

It’s been a nightmare season for free agent outfielder Kyle Tucker, who is hitting just .232 with 11 HRs in his first season in L.A.

Will the Dodgers recover and go on another run? It’s certainly possible.

Right now, they look human. And that opens a window of opportunity for a Phillies team that is playing as well as it has all season.

Last night Cade Cavalli twirled yet another gem. As the season has gone on, Cavalli is reaching another level. That is so encouraging to see given the fact we have had plenty of pitchers regress as the season goes along in the past. With how Cavalli has been pitching lately, he has put himself into down-ballot Cy Young consideration.

Obviously he is not going to win the award, Jacob Misiorowski and Cristopher Sanchez are fighting for that honor. However, with how he is performing, he should be in the top 10. Even former Nats play-by-play announcer Bob Carpenter remarked that Cavalli should be in consideration.

For the season, Cavalli has put together an impressive resume. In 142.2 innings, Cavalli has an 11-5 record with a 3.22 ERA and 162 strikeouts. Those strikeout numbers are highly impressive in particular. He is tied for 5th in the NL in strikeouts and tied for 9th in all of baseball. Cavalli’s swing and miss stuff is undeniable, and that is such an important part of modern pitching.

In terms of fWAR, Cavalli is tied for 8th in the NL among qualified starters. These numbers, along with a very strong ERA suggest at least a top 10 finish in Cy Young voting. For a guy in his first full MLB season, that is wildly impressive. I had high expectations for Cavalli entering the season, but he is shattering even those.

He is not going to win the Cy Young, but over his last 10 starts, Cavalli has pitched like a Cy Young. In that time he has a 2.12 ERA with 73 strikeouts to just 13 walks in 59.1 innings. The most impressive number for me is that he has 8 straight quality starts. That shows an ability to go deep into games, not just dominate for shorter spurts.

For Cavalli to go from a Cy Young outsider to someone who can truly challenge for the award next year, he will need to keep that up. In the first three months of the season, Cavalli was mostly effective, but he tended to only go about 5 innings. He also had these starts where the pitch count got out of control, and he had to leave in the third or fourth inning. Cavalli has not had one of those since the Pirates start in the beginning of July.

Lately, he has been an absolute rock at the top of the Nats rotation and dare I say an ace. That ace crown is one that many fans do not give out easily, and understandably so. The likes of Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg have worn that crown in the past. Cavalli might not be there yet, but it is time to have a conversation. In this 10 start stretch, he has undeniably been an ace.

For a guy whose career looked to be on the ropes just 18 months ago, this has been such a terrific story. It goes to show that you should never bet against elite stuff and an elite mentality. He was struggling to get on the mound at that time, and now the numbers firmly point to a top 10 Cy Young finish.

Just to put his resume in one place, Cavalli is 5th in the NL in strikeouts, 9th in ERA, tied for 8th in WAR, 8th in FIP and 9th in innings. That points to a top 10 Cy Young finish, a truly remarkable accomplishment for the 28 year old.

For a minute, I also want to dive into how Cavalli has had so much success. He has a fastball that averages around 97 MPH, but his best pitches are his breaking balls. Cavalli has exceptional power and break on his curveball and sweeper. Both pitches get whiffs at over a 30% clip and grade out as elite on stuff models.

What makes those pitches so unique is the velocity he gets on them. Both the curveball and the sweeper average 86 MPH, but have been closer to 87 the past couple months. That power, combined with how much movement he can get on the pitches makes him so devastating. He has also started featuring a cutter, which helps bridge the gap between his breaking balls and his fastball, making everything even better.

The Nats pitching coaches have not had a ton of success stories this season, but Cavalli is certainly one of them. Adding the sweeper has helped him out a ton against right handed hitters, who he really struggled against last year. In 2025, righties hit .381 against him but that number has dropped to .222 this season. The midseason addition of the cutter has also proven to be a wise move.

It makes me want to see what this staff can do with more talented arms, especially a guy like Connelly Early. Cavalli has excelled this season, and is getting better by the start. That is something all Nats fans love to see. We have not had a Nats pitcher on a Cy Young ballot in a while, but that should change this year with the rise of Cade Cavalli.

The Cardinals did not take advantage of a worn out Reds bullpen. They pretty much let their starters go as deep as starters end up going nowadays. They let their starter for hire Kent Emmanuel survive through 5 innings despite about two baserunners per inning, but that’s fine because they won anyway. I was definitely more annoyed they let Rhett Lowder get two outs in the 7th inning. The Reds bullpen exited Monday less taxed than the Cardinals somehow. They also let Andrew Abbot pitch into the 7th inning as well. Meanwhile the Reds offense did basically what I wanted the Cardinals offense to do, at least with regards to working the starters.

So I think they bungled their advantage. If they win later today, that’s okay, I will take 3 out of 5 against any team. It could have been a much better series, but while the Reds offense hasn’t been that good, they’ve been very good at making the Cardinals use every bit of their bullpen, leading to Matthew Libertore needing to stay in to allow a three-run homer, because Luis Gastelum was the only functioning right-handed arm and he threw 40 pitches in the past 3 days! Riley O’Brien, George Soriano, Ryne Stanek, and Gordon Graceffo were all required on both Monday and Tuesday. We saw how Justin Bruhl did yesterday. Peter Strzelecki threw 46 pitches on Monday, so he was still unavailable today I’m sure.

So you’re going to have to miss me with the “Oli blew it” calls. He had no choice. They had gotten to the point where they needed length from a starter and he just made a bad pitch on 1-2. Not sure why they called a fastball there, but whatever. On a day where he had 9 strikeouts and no walks. A starting pitcher throwing 6 innings with 3 ER at Great American Ballpark should still win most of those games. The offense has been a huge disappointment this entire series in my honest opinion. After a great Cubs series, they have not come through, scoring 2, 3, 4, and 5 runs which I don’t know why we are surprised that resulted in a 2-2 series tie at a huge hitter’s park. Anyway rant over.

The Schedule Ahead

It feels like a lost cause to ask for this, because it does not feel like the Cardinals ever hit well on getaway day games, but Brady Singer is a bad pitcher. He has had a huge home run problem this year, no doubt due to the park he plays in. The offense really needs to show up. 2-3 runs and letting Singer go 6 – I mean that might work because it’s not like the Reds offense is good either, but come on guys please take advantage of this ballpark at least once. This feels like an identical series that we would have if this was played at Busch Stadium more or less.

Michael McGreevy is pitching which I like. But I consider today’s game about as close to a must-win as a game can be in this time of year. It is not literally must-win, because they have enough time to make up for it, but 66-63 and 65-64 is a mighty big difference and the Reds are not a good team. Feel like you kind of have to win these series.

Past the Reds, the Cardinals have a very difficult series in Philadephia. Like if they win today and then they win the series in Philly, I’m going to become a true believer in this team. They have to face Jesus Luzardo and Christopher Sanchez. They are also facing Andrew Painter again and I actually think seeing him for a second time will help the offense. But very clear strategy in this series. Win the Painter game and find a way to win one of the others.

Then they head back to St. Louis and face the Baltimore Orioles for three games. Orioles are an underperforming, but talented team, so I don’t want to overlook them. But they are five games under .500 and have a -31 run differential, so certainly a series you need to win. Then Pittsburgh comes into town for three games. They actually have a +31 run differential, so they may actually be a good team. Let’s hope there’s some unforeseen reason they are badly underperforming there and win that series as well.

You’ll notice, as I go through these series, I’ll never say sweep. That is an unreasonable expectation. My goal is to win every series until the end of the season. I firmly believe if that happens, they make the playoffs. What a sweep allows you to do is give you wiggle room in case you lose a series, which is almost inevitable. But for a particular series, I think you’re setting yourself up for failure to expect a sweep, because they are hard and they don’t happen often. The Cardinals have swept just three teams all year and they’ve been swept twice. It might happen a fourth or fifth time, but I’m not going to predict the team.

After that, the Cardinals head to Los Angeles to face the Dodgers. Let’s hope that the Dodgers continue coasting on the fact that they know they’ll make the playoffs, because aside from winning two straight against the Rockies, they haven’t really played all that well in the 2nd half. Facing the Dodgers in September is not the worst thing honestly, especially if they just take it for granted that they’ll win their division. Still a tough series to win.

And then they head to Colorado to face the Rockies at Coors Field. Unfortunately, Coors Field is always a tough place to play so despite the Rockies being bad, it’s not a sure thing they win this series. I mean we’ve seen this in recent years. The Rockies have played pretty well against the Cardinals. They then have three games in San Francisco, which I want to pencil down as a series win, but I am forever scarred by the 2010 Giants teams and I think they might have a voodoo doll of every Cardinals player.

They then head back to St. Louis to face the surprising White Sox. I confess I don’t know much about the White Sox this year, so I’ll just trust their record and say they’re going to be a hard team. There is a part of me that views them as the anti-Blue Jays though where in the back of my mind, I’m thinking “they aren’t actually this good and some team is gonna show them.” Why not the Cardinals?

And then the Giants meet us in St. Louis. After that, the Nationals play the Cardinals for three games in St. Louis. This is quite the extended stretch of bad teams, and also the White Sox in the middle of it. Ignoring the White Sox, let’s say the two Giants series, the Rockies series, and the Nationals series. The Cardinals need to figure out a way to win three of them and sweep the fourth. So I don’t care how they do it, it would be extremely helpful to the Cardinals playoff chances if they could take advantage of this weak stretch and go 9-3 in those four series. That’s asking a lot, but they may need a lot.

So you have to like the Cardinals’ odds honestly if they manage to survive through the next few series with series wins. That’s why I’m emphasizing series wins. Philly, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and LA is not a tremendously difficult stretch, but if they can come out of it with the equivalent of four series wins – if one is a sweep and one is a series loss, I don’t care – then they are really well-set up, because it’s a bunch of weaker teams after that. And the White Sox, who again I don’t know anything about but because they won 60 games last year, I kind of find it hard to fully buy into their record. My only point is that if the White Sox is the difficult team in a stretch of 15 games, that’s a pretty easy stretch. And they’re at home against the White Sox too, though that’s bad for the offense.

They do finish the season with two difficult opponents, albeit one of them will likely have zero to play for. They face the Pirates in Pittsburgh for three games. The Pirates might be out of it at this point, but they’re a young team and they’re going want to knock the Cardinals out of the playoffs I’d think. So I am worried about this series. And then they finish the season in Milwaukee. Which I am not as worried about because there’s a very good chance Milwaukee will have absolutely nothing to play for, so they’re going to hold back their toughest starters for the playoffs. Milwaukee is of course good enough that they can still win, but the last series of the year being against a team who has already locked up a playoff spot isn’t the worst thing. Same logic as my Dodgers comments, but even more so here.

Weirdly, going over the schedule has somehow made me more optimistic about making the playoffs. Not that i expect it, but there’s a route to it for sure. The next week is going to be critical. Today is going to be critical. Their toughest opponents are arguably in the next week and a half. I say they need to win the series, but they just need to make sure they’re still in it really. Don’t get swept. Maybe some teams ahead of us help us out and we still look okay after the Dodgers. So some of it is in the Cardinals’ control and some of it isn’t. The Phillies are our direct competitor so that one is in the Cardinals control, although it won’t be easy.

But really, the main reason I’m more optimistic is because I feel like a sweep or two might actually happen? As a fan, I will not expect a sweep when the Cardinals face a bad team. But if they face 6 bad teams in a row, you have great increased the chances of one of them being a sweep. And the Cardinals are facing enough bad teams the rest of this year that it would almost be weird if they didn’t pull off one more sweep. They might bungle the playoffs in other ways and probably will, but one of the bad teams is surely going to stink it up and the Cardinals can’t let them off the hook like this series.

So win today, survive the next week and a half to get to a weaker part of the schedule, profit?

Meet the Mets

The Mets took the rubber game of their series with the Padres yesterday afternoon at Citi Field, giving them their eleventh win in their past fifteen games. Carson Benge got the Mets on the board with a two-run home run in the fourth, and a couple of insurance runs in the eighth proved to be the difference in the 4-2 win.

Choose your recap: Amazin’ Avenue, Newsday, New York Post

Before the game, the Mets placed Jorge Polanco on the injured list as he prepares for season-ending ankle surgery.

Steve Cohen spoke to the press ahead of the game and acknowledged that the Mets might have taken on too much risk with the 2026 team.

With Cohen continuing to express confidence in president of baseball operations David Stearns, Abbey Mastracco writes that Stearns has to learn from his mistakes.

Will Sammon wonders if Stearns could benefit from adding another voice or two to the front office.

David Lennon wonders when Steve Cohen’s Mets will stop needing to turn the page on their seasons.

Andy Green hasn’t yet indicated that he’d be interested in managing the Mets beyond this season, but he’d be considered for the job if he were to express interest.

Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing continue to enjoy playing their guitars off the field.

There’s a new MLB Network documentary coming out about baseball’s post-9/11 return.

Around the National League East

The Twins completed a sweep of the reeling Braves.

Aaron Nola and the Phillies beat the Marlins, leaving Philadelphia just 4.5 games back of the first-place Braves in the National League East.

The Phillies signed Nestor Cortes to a major league deal.

The Nationals blanked the Rangers, and Federal Baseball wonders what Washington should do about Dylan Crews.

Around Major League Baseball

Dodgers owner Mark Walter is the subject of a federal probe.

On the field, Los Angeles completed a sweep of the Rockies with an extra-inning win.

In a game between a pair of sub-.500 teams that are in the mix for postseason spots, the Pirates came back late to beat the Tigers.

Ahead of that win, Bucs Dugout looked at three things that would keep Pittsburgh from making the playoffs.

And last but not least on the Pirates front, the team acquired catcher Christian Bethancourt from the Yankees.

The White Sox shut out the Cubs to win their series finale.

The Diamondbacks avoided a sweep as they beat the Red Sox in extra innings.

Pete Alonso hit his 29th home run of the season and now has a 141 wRC+, but his Orioles fell to the Yankees.

Speaking of first basemen, there’s new data to compare which players at the position are the best at scooping throws.

The Giants shut out the Guardians, one of the very many American League teams that have a real shot at making the playoffs despite their losing record.

The Reds scored five runs—with a little help from the Cardinals—in a victory over St. Louis.

Houston’s bullpen shined as the Astros beat the Angels.

The Rays notched a 7-6 win over the Blue Jays.

The Royals came back to defeat the A’s.

Coming off an embarrassing 22-0 loss the night before, the Mariners beat the Brewers yesterday.

Here are eight players who’ve soared past expectations in 2026.

This Date in Mets History

Doc Gooden and Howard Johnson notched some milestone stats on this date in years past.

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

Here are my MLB moneyline predictions for tonight's slate, which include the White Sox at plus money on the road against the Braves.

Before we dive in, be sure to check out all of our MLB picks for Thursday, Aug. 20.

MLB moneyline picks for August 20

Matchup	Pick
Cardinals vs Reds	-107
Giants vs Guardians	-191
Blue Jays vs Rays	-161
Athletics vs Royals	-137
Braves vs White Sox	+105
Mariners vs Brewers	+119
Yankees vs Orioles	+105
Nationals vs Rangers	+146
Angels vs Astros	+158

Prices courtesy of Polymarket as of 8-20.

Expert MLB moneyline picks for Aug. 20

Cardinals vs Reds: Cardinals (-107)

Cardinals win probability: 52%

The Reds may be coming off a 5-4 win over the Cardinals last night, but their offense has been pretty cold over the last six, 12, and 21 games. Over their last 12, Cincinnati owns just a 50 wRC+, 27.2% strikeout rate, and .549 OPS. Brady Singer takes the rubber tonight, coming off three starts in which he has posted a 4.50 ERA and 1.50 WHIP.

The Cardinals, on the other hand, will send Michael McGreevy to the mound. He's turned things around over his last three starts, posting a 2.81 ERA and 1.38 WHIP while allowing just a 6.12% barrel rate. St. Louis' offense has also been scorching hot over its last 12 games.

At -107, the Cardinals are a great look.

Giants vs Guardians: Guardians (-191)

Guardians win probability: 66%

The way Gavin Williams has been pitching lately makes it hard not to back the Guardians against a struggling Giants offense. Landen Roupp, meanwhile, has been pretty brutal in his most recent outings, making it even easier to lean on Williams in this matchup.

Neither the Giants' nor Guardians' bats have been particularly hot lately, but at least Cleveland isn't striking out at a high rate and has continued to draw walks.

It's heavy juice, but I trust the Guardians here.

Blue Jays vs Rays: Rays (-161)

Rays win probability: 61%

Blue Jays right-hander Shane Bieber has been allowing far too much hard contact to be trusted over his last three starts. The veteran owns a 4.94 xERA during that span, allowing a 51% hard-hit rate and nearly a 13% barrel rate to opposing hitters.

Rays left-hander Ian Seymour owns a 4.50 xERA over his last three starts, but he has held things down at home this season, posting a 3.32 xERA.

On top of that, the Rays' offense continues to hum despite Toronto finally sparking some life offensively. This is a full fade on Bieber.

Athletics vs Royals: Royals (-137)

Royals win probability: 57%

The Royals have been looking strong as of late, and with Randy Dobnak on the bump this evening, he should be able to hold down the Athletics' offense.

The right-hander does have some concerning underlying metrics, but he has done a phenomenal job limiting hard contact, allowing us to overlook his 4.03 xERA over his last three starts.

Plus, the Royals own a .338 wOBA, 116 wRC+, and .759 OPS over their last six games, making them worth paying the juice for this evening.

Braves vs White Sox: White Sox (-103)

White Sox win probability: 50%

Mariners vs Brewers: Mariners (+119)

Mariners win probability: 45%

After nearly blowing a 7-0 lead last night, the Mariners still came out on top, beating the Brewers 7-5. Tonight, they find themselves as +119 underdogs against southpaw Robert Gasser, who owns a 5.29 xERA over his last three outings.

Seattle sends George Kirby to the mound, and he has been very solid over his last three despite his strikeout and walk rates looking nearly identical. Kirby has done a great job limiting hard contact, unlike Gasser, who has allowed nearly a 50% hard-hit rate and 10.2% barrel rate to opposing hitters.

Despite the near choke last night, the Mariners as an underdog are the more appealing look here.

Yankees vs Orioles: Orioles (+105)

Orioles win probability: 47%

Despite the Yankees managing to come out on top game after game with lifeless offensive numbers, the Orioles are the more attractive play as a home underdog.

Gerrit Cole takes the mound tonight for New York and has looked lights out, but there is a slight concern with how much hard contact he has been allowing. That could come back to bite him against a red-hot Orioles offense that should be able to get on top of his offerings.

Take the hungry dog!

Nationals vs Rangers: Nationals (+146)

Nationals win probability: 40%

Simple and sweet.

Both lineups are ice cold, while one team sends out a pitcher going through a rough patch at the moment. That team is the Texas Rangers. Jacob deGrom has looked pretty bad over his last five starts, posting a 6.30 ERA and 1.95 WHIP while allowing a 52.38% hard-hit rate and 9.52% barrel rate to opposing hitters.

The Nationals at nearly +150 are an enticing look.

Angels vs Astros: Angels (+158)

Angels win probability: 38%

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.