Media by Associated Press – Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Andre Jackson throws to a Colorado Rockies batter during the seventh inning of a baseball game Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
As MLB enters the final week of the regular season, there’s not much left to play for.
The series that begin on Monday are the ones that were postponed from March when the labor dispute was ongoing. With three games left for every team, 11 of the 12 playoff spots and five of the six divisions are clinched.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the three top teams to bet on for Monday.
New York Mets
The New York Mets have fallen out of first place after being swept in Atlanta. Now they return home to play the 55-104 Washington Nationals with a slim chance of winning the division. The Mets are going to have to win out and get help from the Marlins to finish in the No. 2 slot in the NL instead of the No. 4 spot.
To start the series, the Mets have RHP Carlos Carrasco (15-7, 3.95) on the mound against Nationals RHP Cory Abbott (0-4, 5.11). The Mets are 11-5 against the Nats this season, and Carrasco is 2-1 in four starts against Washington. He is 2-1 in his last four starts overall, with 23 strikeouts in 19 innings of work.
Abbott is 0-2 with a 6.68 ERA on the road this season, and all four of his losses have come as a starter. He has pitched well in three outings, one start, against the Mets this season but hasn’t gone more than five innings since August 17. The Nats bullpen behind him is atrocious, and Washington is 3-7 in their last ten games.
The Mets are in the must-win territory to grab the NL East. Look for them to start the series with a victory over the last-place Nationals.
Milwaukee Brewers
The series didn’t go well for the Milwaukee Brewers against the Miami Marlins. Now they host the Arizona Diamondbacks in must-win games. The Brewers are two games behind Philadelphia for the final playoff spot with three games to play.
They have the starting pitching advantage on Monday with Brandon Woodruff (13-4, 3.05) on the mound against Tommy Henry (3-4, 5.08). But starting pitching hasn’t been the problem for Milwaukee; the bullpen has. Milwaukee lost three of four games against Miami in the eighth inning or later, meaning they have to likely sweep Arizona this week.
Woodruff will give the Brewers a chance. He is 4-1 with a 2.01 ERA in his last seven starts and 3-0 in his last three.
Henry, meanwhile, has a 5.80 ERA in his last seven starts, and he hasn’t gone five innings since August 26. The Brewers are desperate and look for them to come out swinging on Monday.
Los Angeles Dodgers
After becoming the first NL team in 100 years to win 110 games in a season, the Dodgers don’t have much to play for this week. However, they host the 66-93 Colorado Rockies and are likely to keep winning. The Dodgers are 10-6 against the Rockies this season and 30-14 in the last three seasons.
Tony Gonsolin (16-1, 2.10) gets the ball for his final start of the regular season and his first since August 23. Before landing on the IL, he allowed one run or less in four straight starts and didn’t allow a home run in any of those starts. Gonsolin is 1-0 in two starts against the Rockies this season, and he was 1-0 last season.
Look for the Dodgers to ease Gonsolin back into the rotation in preparation for the playoffs. However, the offense is averaging over five runs per game against Colorado this season, and the bullpen is among the best in the Majors. Look for the Dodgers to keep winning as they prepare for the NLDS.
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