These next few days make up the last weekend we have of spring, which means that we are just finishing the first third of the MLB season. There has been plenty of amazing baseball for fans to be excited for, and this weekend is no different. With that in mind, here are five of the best MLB games to finish off your spring in style.
minnesota twins at cleveland indians, friday, june 15 @ 7:10 pm est on fsno and sportstime ohio
Pitching matchup: Kyle Gibson (1-4, 3.45 ERA) vs Corey Kluber (10-2, 1.99 ERA)
After setting high hopes for themselves and making the postseason in 2017, the Twins haven’t quite lived up to their potential in 2018 as of yet. Minnesota ranks 24th in runs scored (well behind their 7th place finish in 2017) and 19th in ERA so far this season, making them out to be one of baseball’s weaker teams from a statistical perspective. However, they also happen to play in what appears to be the weakest division in baseball this season, as they sit 6 games back from the AL Central lead despite a poor 29-36 record. The Indians are also lagging behind their 2017 selves, but lead the AL Central nonetheless thanks to their lackluster division rivals. Their offense is still among the league’s best, but their pitching has taken a huge blow, with their team ERA currently good for 15th in the Majors despite finishing in first at the end of 2017. However, Corey Kluber remains arguably the hottest pitcher in baseball not named Justin Verlander, so he’s their big outlier when it comes to starting pitching, making him an integral part in Cleveland’ success.
Predicted winner: Indians
boston red sox at seattle mariners, friday, june 15 @ 10:10 pm est on nesn and rootnw
Pitching matchup: Rick Porcello (8-3, 3.54 ERA) vs James Paxton (6-1. 3.02 ERA)
The Mariners continue to be one of the most surprising teams in baseball this season, sitting only half a game back from first place in the AL West behind the defending champion Houston Astros after finishing with a sub-.500 record in 2017. Seattle has a 10-3 record through the month of June, making them one of the hottest teams in the Majors. However, there’s a bit of a caveat to that impressive win-loss margin: all but two of those ten victories were won by a margin of more than two runs, a trend which is unlikely to allow them to maintain such success as the season goes on. Boston, on the other hand, remains an offensive powerhouse bolstered by fantastic seasons from several players throughout their lineup, most notably JD Martinez and MVP candidate outfielder Mookie Betts. James Paxton gives Seattle the best chance of winning against Boston, but he’ll need to be on point to slow down the elite Red Sox offense.
Predicted winner: Red Sox
san francisco giants at los angeles dodgers, saturday, june 16 @ 8:15 pm EST on fox
Pitching matchup: Madison Bumgarner (0-1, 4.76 ERA) vs Alex Wood (1-5, 4.43 ERA)
One of the oldest rivalries in baseball, any game between the Giants and Dodgers is worth our attention. However, this matchup consists of a couple of really important pieces that could judge how the coming months could turn out. The Giants have relied on Madison Bumgarner as their ace pitcher for years since the downfall of Tim Lincecum and he’s been wildly successful for the most part. However, injuries have hampered him over the past couple of seasons and he hasn’t quite been himself. Bumgarner made has made two starts in 2018 since coming back from a broken pinkie he suffered during Spring Training, but didn’t show off his status as a superstar in either one. A month ago, I would’ve said that the ailing Dodgers would be a perfect bounce back matchup for him, but not so much anymore. After a dreadful start to the season, the defending NL champs are making strides to get back on track, garnering a 19-6 record since May 19. So, will Bumgarner look like himself this Saturday? Or will the Dodgers remain too hot for him to handle? It’ll be a lot of fun to find out.
Predicted winner: Giants
philadelphia phillies at milwaukee brewers, sunday, june 17 @ 2:10 pm est on nbcsp, dish455, and fswi
Pitching matchup: Aaron Nola (8-2, 2.27 ERA) vs Chase Anderson (5-5, 4.13 ERA)
Don’t look now, but the Brewers currently have the best record in the National League, sitting ahead of the Chicago Cubs (potential World Series favorites heading into the 2018 season) for the lead in the very competitive NL Central. They’ve made excellent use of their offseason additions in outfielders Christian Yelich and Lorenzo Cain, both of whom have helped Milwaukee’s offense back up their excellent pitching, which ranks fifth in the Majors in ERA thanks heavily to an elite bullpen arm in Josh Hader. However, they’ll have a rough go of things against 24-year-old pitcher Aaron Nola, who is very much in the race for the NL Cy Young alongside Max Scherzer. If anyone can quiet Milwaukee’s hot season for just one game, Nola’s high up the list.
Predicted winner: Aaron Nola
chicago cubs at st. louis cardinals, sunday, june 17 @ 8:00 pm EST on espn
Pitching matchup: Jose Quintana ( 6-4, 4.09 ERA) vs Jack Flaherty (3-2, 2.96 ERA)
The Cubs and the Cardinals are both hot on Milwaukee’s heels in the race for the NL Central, sitting 1.5 and 4 games back respectively. Chicago is seventh in the Majors in runs scored and second only to Houston in ERA, so they’re in great shape to go back and forth with the Brewers if both teams’ trends stay similar for the rest of the season. Despite a relatively slow first couple of months of the season by first baseman Anthony Rizzo (by his standards, at least), middle infielder Javier Baez and former MVP third baseman Kris Bryant have more than picked up the slack on the offensive end. The Cardinals don’t have as much offensive firepower as the Cubs, but 4 out of the 5 pitchers in their starting rotations have sub-3.00 ERAs. Flaherty is the youngest of the bunch at 22-years-old and Chicago will be the toughest offense he has faced so far this season, making this a great game with which you can end your weekend.
Predicted winner: Cubs
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