Media by Associated Press – Atlanta Braves’s Ronald Acuna Jr. celebrates after scoring on an RBI single by Michael Harris II during the 11th inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Laurence Kesterson)
Monday is a very light day in Major League Baseball, with only four games on the docket. Three of the four games have playoff implications as the season is down to the final ten regular season games for most teams.
With apologies to the Cincinnati Reds at Pittsburgh Pirates game, let’s take a look at the best bets from the other three games.
Atlanta Braves at Washington Nationals
The defending champion Atlanta Braves have won two games in a row and have already clinched a playoff spot. With a 7-3 record in their last ten games, they are still putting pressure on the New York Mets in the NL East as well. Atlanta enters their series in Washington with 95 wins, 1.5 games behind the Mets in the division race.
The Braves will have RHP Bryce Elder (1-3, 3.38) on the mound against Nationals RHP Cory Abbott (0-3, 4.85). Elder allowed just one run against the Nationals last week as he struck out six and walked two over 5 2.3 innings. His last three starts have been good, with two runs allowed over 18 ⅔ innings while striking out 22.
Meanwhile, Abbott was knocked around by the Braves last Monday. He allowed four runs on six hits over four innings, and he’s allowed at least three runs in three of his last six starts.
The Braves are 12-4 against Washington this season, and the smart bet is that they start this series with a win and close the gap on the Mets.
Toronto Blue Jays v. New York Yankees
The Toronto Blue Jays are closing in on a playoff spot in the American League, and this week they start a home series with the first-place New York Yankees. Aaron Judge takes his home run chase north of the border for the series as well, giving extra intrigue to a series between the top two teams in the division.
The Yankees can clinch the division with a win on Monday, while the Blue Jays still need to grab a couple of wins to secure a playoff spot. New York has won seven games in a row and eight of the last 10. The pitchers aren’t set for this game yet.
The Yankees lead the season series 8-7 with a 4-2 mark in Toronto. The big advantage to the Blue Jays for Monday comes with the Yankees having played a long, rain-delayed game at home on Sunday night against the Red Sox.
Toronto won in Tampa Bay on Sunday as George Springer hit a pair of home runs. Look for them to keep the offense going and get the win over the Yankees on Monday.
Baltimore Orioles at Boston Red Sox
Baltimore is still alive in the playoff race. They start the series in Boston with 79 wins and sit four games behind Seattle for the final Wild Card spot. The Orioles’ elimination number is seven, and they will play both the Yankees and Blue Jays after the Boston series.
Baltimore is 8-7 against the Red Sox this season, 3-3 at Fenway. The Red Sox are 72-80 overall, 37-37 at home, and just 20-46 in the AL East.
Baltimore will have Jordan Lyles (11-11, 4.50) on the mound on Monday. He lost to Boston earlier this month and took no decisions against the Red Sox in August and May. Overall he has allowed 15 runs over 12 innings against Boston this season.
Boston will have Connor Seabold (0-3, 10.47) on the mound. He has allowed seven runs in two of his last five starts and has a home ERA of 23.59. Look for the Orioles to take advantage of the right-hander and post a win on Monday.
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