Xam’s Daily Gems 7-26

Xam’s Daily Gems 7-26

Xam’s Daily Gems 7-26 1600 900 The Ultimate Lineup

Xam’s Daily Gems:

Phillies -1 -124 DraftKings 3 Units

Two heavyweights are set to go at it at Citizens Bank Park this weekend! The Phillies have been the best team in baseball for a large portion of the season, and they’re undoubtedly the best HOME team this year. They have 37-16 record at Citizens Bank Park this year, and they have been mashing at home, averaging 5.36 runs per game at home. Overall, they have the 3rd most runs scored in the National League and 5th most in baseball. Tonight, southpaw Cristopher Sanchez takes the hill. Like seemingly everyone else in a Phillies uniform, he’s been SOLID this year but GREAT at home! He has a 2.97 ERA but in 10 home starts, that ERA is down to a sparkling 1.50! Ben Lively goes for the Guardians. He has been fine this year, but his era on the road and through July leaves a lot to be desired. The Phillies also have a rest advantage in this one, as they were off while the Guardians wrapped up their series with the Tigers. The Phillies are FULLY rested in the bullpen and should be READY to contain a good Guardians lineup!

Twins -1 -137 DraftKings 3 Units

Pablo Lopez just hasn’t been very good this year for the Twins. His 4.86 ERA leaves A LOT to be desired and is actually worse at home! His ERA jumps to an unsightly 6.71 ERA at night. However, this just might be the game for him to correct himself. Two of his 3 career outings vs the Tigers were quality starts, and the Tigers can be hit or miss offensively. Lopez has also been better RECENTLY, as his 3.83 ERA throughout his last 7 starts would suggest. Keider Montero goes for the Tigers, and he’s had an even WORSE time than Lopez has. In his first 6 appearances, (5 starts) he has a woeful 5.97 ERA and has given up 10 earned runs in his last 2 starts, spanning JUST 10.1 innings pitched! The Twins are the better team AND have the rest edge, as they didn’t play yesterday while the Tigers finished their series with the Guardians. The Twins will have a FULLY rested bullpen and the lineup SHOULD be ready against a weak starting pitcher.

Rays Money Line -108 FanDuel 3 Units

The Rays traded superstar outfielder Randy Arozarena to the Mariners in the dead of night, leaving Rays fans and the baseball world stunned. However, they STILL have enough talent and moxie to win this game tonight! Shane Baz makes his 4th start of the year for the Rays. He got a very late start to his season after recovering from Tommy John Surgery in 2022 and then hurting his oblique back in March. However, he’s pitched okay given the circumstances. He only last 3.1 innings in his last start, but he held the Yankees scoreless in Yankee Stadium. Nick Lodolo has also had a fine season for the Reds, but his ERA has spiked to 3.99 over his last 7 starts. The Rays still have competent hitters and a fully rested bullpen. Despite trading Arozarena, they’re only 4 games back of the last Wild Card spot, so every game before the Trade Deadline is CRITICAL. Look for manager Kevin Cash to FULLY UTILIZE his rested bullpen and get this weekend series started off right.

Orioles -1 -154 DraftKings 3 Units

Grayson Rodriguez is putting together a stellar season for the Orioles. 4 of his last outings have resulted in quality starts, and at Camden Yards he’s been even better, pitching to the tune of a 3.14 ERA. The Orioles have been one of the best teams in baseball all year and have scored the third most runs in the sport to prove it! Needless to say, this will be a TOUGH matchup for Padres righty Adam Mazur. His 7.84 ERA leaves A LOT to be desired. He has gone 3 straight starts giving up 4 runs or more, giving up a total of 13 runs in just 13.2 innings pitched. The Orioles did need to use a lot of bullpen arms yesterday while the Padres bullpen got the day off watching Dylan Cease’s no hitter, but this is an Orioles team that feels like they’re on a MISSION. If the Orioles can put some runs on the board, Grayson Rodriguez and the Orioles bullpen SHOULD care for the rest!

Royals -1 -107 DraftKings 3 Units

The Royals welcome the Cubs in for a 3-game set and have Brady Singer going tonight. Seth Lugo may get all the attention in the Royals starting rotation, but Singer has shown to be an effective Robin to his Batman. He has a 3.00 ERA on the year which dips to 2.43 at Kauffman Stadium AND he’s given up 1 run or less in 5 of his last 6 starts! That’s bad news for a Cubs team that just DOES NOT HIT! They’re BARELY scoring 4 runs per game this season and are averaging JUST 2.9 runs per game in their last 10 games. Kyle Hendricks has just been DREADFUL for the Cubs this year. He has a 6.69 ERA which shoots up to 7.08 on the road! These teams are just trending in opposite directions. The Cubs are in last place in the NL Central and one of the worst teams in the National League. They’ll likely be trading off pieces in the coming days. The Royals, meanwhile, would be in the playoffs if the season ended today. Go with the team that has the better starting pitcher AND more to play for.

Brewers -1 -176 DraftKings 3 Units

The Brewers are sending ace Freddy Peralta to the mound to take on one of the worst teams in baseball. Freddy Peralta is coming off 6 innings of scoreless baseball and now faces the team that’s scored the 2nd FEWEST runs in baseball! The Marlins have struggled to score all year AND they are coming off an extra inning loss yesterday while the Brewers had the day off! Southpaw Trevor Rogers goes for the Marlins tonight. Rogers is a woeful 1-9 on the year but has pitched to a 3.32 ERA in his last 7 starts. That just shows how DREADFUL the Marlins have been offensively. Peralta SHOULD be able to contain them and the Brewers should have ALL of their premium bullpen arms available. These are the games the Brewers HAVE TO win if they want to lock up the NL Central. Expect them to come out ready to go.

Mariners -1 -127 DraftKings 3 Units

In case you are unaware, we’re BIG FANS of fading the White Sox. The Mariners should be absolutely ECSTATIC to get on the field after learning they acquired for Rays superstar outfielder Randy Arozarena. Mariners starter George Kirby is putting together ANOTHER solid season, coming into tonight with a 3.20 ERA on the year, 2.08 ERA in his last 7 starts, AND 8 straight quality starts! Simply put, he’s been FANTASTIC and has been giving his team a chance to win EVERY TIME he goes out there recently. The issue for the Mariners has been their hitting, or complete lack thereof. They have scored just 390 runs on the year, but the good news for them is the White Sox have given up the MOST runs this season! Righty Drew Thorpe has pitched well for the White Sox, but the White Sox have a HORRENDOUS bullpen, coming into today with the 3rd highest ERA in the game at 4.78. If Kirby can pitch like his usual self against the team with the FEWEST runs scored in baseball, Seattle SHOULD get a win they DESPERATELY need!

Mariners/White Sox Over 7 Runs -118 DraftKings 3 Units

While George Kirby has been effective all year, he’s significantly better at home than he is on the road. He has a 2.52 ERA in the friendly confines of T-Mobile Park but a 3.86 ERA on the road. Given how terrible the pitching for Chicago has been, if they want to win this game, they’ll HAVE TO hit. For the Mariners, there’s no better team to face if you want to get your lineup back on track. The Mariners are going for it by trading for Arozarena because they are just 1 game back in the AL West and they sense an opportunity! The Mariners are coming off a dreadful sweep at home at the hands of the Angels, and that was mainly due to the lack of hitting. They WILL come into this game locked in and ready to go. Their lineup can ONLY get better! If the White Sox can contribute ANYTHING offensively, we might have an unexpected SLUGFEST in the Southside!

Diamondbacks Money Line -175 DraftKings 3 Units

The Diamondbacks come into play just 1 game back of the Padres for the last Wild Card spot, and just 1/2 a game in front of the Pirates. Needless to say, this is a VERY important series for BOTH teams! It looks like Zac Gallen is going for the Diamondbacks tonight, and the Diamondbacks need their ace to get back to his usual form. Arizona has shown they have a lineup that most of the league would be envious of. Their 509 runs scored trails only their division rival Dodgers for most in the National League. The issue has been their pitching. At 487 runs given up, they’ve allowed the 3rd most runs in the NL! Gallen has to be the guy that bucks the trend. The Diamondbacks will have a FULLY RESTED bullpen after having a day off yesterday, and given the importance of this series, manager Torey Lovullo will surely be ready to UTILIZE everyone he has to tonight in order to get this series started off right.

Giants -1 -134 DraftKings 3 Units

When in doubt, FADE the Rockies on the road! It’s a pair of southpaws named Kyle going at it in this divisional matchup. The Rockies boast the 2nd worst road record in baseball at 14-36, better only than the historically awful White Sox. Kyle Freeland has contributed to the Rockies futility in a big way. He has a 5.63 ERA this year and that skyrockets to a grotesque 9.38 on the road! Kyle Harrison, for the Giants, has been MUCH better. He has a 3.86 ERA on the year and in 3 of his last 4 starts, he’s given up 1 run or less. That includes his last start when he went 5 scoreless innings on the road against the Rockies. The Giants are hanging on by an absolute THREAD in the Wild Card chase, and they need ALL of these games against the lowly Rockies to avoid a selloff at the Trade Deadline. Given the urgency and importance of every game, don’t be surprised to see manager Bob Melvin use every premium arm he has in the bullpen to try and lockdown the first game of this series.