Paul Blackburn

Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.We're coming off another profitable night on the diamond, posting a 2-1 record with our best bets.Let's look at three plays that pop off the page for a busy Wednesday in MLB.Paul Blackburn: Over 17.5 outsNote: first pitch is scheduled for 3:37 p.m. ET.The Cardinals are a pitcher's dream right now. Nine of the past 10 right-handed starters they've faced have completed six innings or more. The lone exception was Ross Stripling, who pitched 5.2 innings and came just one out shy of extending the streak to 10.Although the Cardinals have faced some excellent starters during this stretch, it can't be pinned on the quality of competition. Ryne Nelson, Spencer Turnbull, and Max Meyer pitched six quality innings versus the Cardinals without allowing more than a run.That bodes well for Blackburn. He's pitched 19 innings of shutout ball and finished at least six innings in all three starts this season. He's not giving up many barrels, posting a rate less than half the MLB average. He's also sporting a rock-solid xwOBA of .268 and induces grounders more than 50% of the time.I expect that strong play to continue while pitching in a ballpark that isn't friendly to hitters against an offense struggling to chase starters.Odds: -130 (playable to -150)Reid Detmers: Under 17.5 outs Detmers is off to an excellent start to the campaign, but we may be seeing a little smoke and mirrors. The two games he pitched over five innings came against a Red Sox team sporting a .228 batting average and a 30% strikeout rate against left-handed arms.His "stuff rating" is respectable but sits below 90, according to JonPGH's MLB dashboard. The Rays are hitting .267 and own an xwOBA of .339 against lefties with stuff ratings below 90. They've performed well against arms of Detmer's archetype.They've also done a good job getting left-handed starters out of the game relatively early. Six of the seven they've faced this season failed to record more than 15 outs.I don't expect Detmers to get shelled by any means, but the Rays are a team that grinds out tough at-bats versus lefties. They should be able to prevent Detmers from going six innings, which he did only 11 times over 28 appearances a season ago.Odds: +110 (playable to -120)Tanner Houck: Under 1.5 walksHouck has displayed excellent control over his first three starts. He's walked only two batters through 17.2 innings of work while sporting a walk rate of just 2.6%.He's fared especially well against left-handed batters. Houck hasn't walked a single lefty and has thrown balls only 28% of the time, which is an extremely low clip.The Guardians feature five lefties in their projected lineup, as well as a couple of switch hitters. They're very lefty-heavy, playing into the hands of Houck.Walks also come few and far between for the Guardians. Only the Cardinals and Orioles own a lower BB% versus right-handed pitching than the Guardians.They're a contact team that tries to put as many balls in play as possible. That should bode well for Houck, who generates a ton of grounders and wastes very few pitches.Odds: -115 (playable to -135)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Welcome to the second edition of our MLB Power Rankings for the 2024 regular season. There's been a lot of movement since the first edition was published Opening Day. 1. Los Angeles Dodgers Record Last 10 RD Previous Rank 11-7 5-5 +12 1 (-) Shohei Ohtani's handled himself well despite off-field distractions involving his former interpreter. The Japanese star owns a 1.048 OPS, has eight multi-hit games, and ranks first in MLB in total bases. Pair his early work with impressive starts from Mookie Betts and Teoscar Hern ndez and it's clear why the Dodgers remain No. 1.2. Atlanta Braves Record Last 10 RD Previous Rank 9-5 6-4 +19 2 (-) Atlanta survived some early adversity to sit atop the NL East, and it's all thanks to the bats. Despite Ronald Acu a Jr.'s slow start and Sean Murphy hitting the IL, six qualified Braves hitters own an OPS above .800, and their 130 wRC+ is tops in MLB. Of greater concern is pitching: Max Fried's early struggles loom even larger now that Spencer Strider's season is over.3. New York Yankees Record Last 10 RD Previous Rank 12-4 7-3 +21 8 (+5) The Yankees relied on Aaron Judge to carry the offense heavily in recent years, so their racking up wins despite his slow start is encouraging. Anthony Volpe looks excellent, hitting .382/.477/.564 through 15 games, while Oswaldo Cabrera owns three homers and an .880 OPS in 12 games after posting a .574 OPS across 115 games last year.4. Milwaukee Brewers Record Last 10 RD Previous Rank 10-4 6-4 +31 19 (+15) The Brewers are off to an excellent start thanks to a fun offense. Milwaukee sits second in the majors with an .838 OPS, trailing only Atlanta. The team's been at its best in the clutch, hitting .362/.413/.589 with RISP. Christian Yelich, Willy Adames, and William Contreras have already combined for 12 home runs and 35 RBIs.5. Baltimore Orioles Daniel Shirey / Major League Baseball / Getty Record Last 10 RD Previous Rank 9-6 6-4 +14 5 (-) Camden Yards is going to need more cowbell. With all the attention on Jackson Holliday's arrival, it's been fellow rookie Colton Cowser who's stolen the show. The 24-year-old has a team-leading three home runs, six doubles and a 1.445 OPS through 14 games. Cowser terrorized the Red Sox at Fenway Park, driving in 10 runs in three games.6. Texas Rangers Record Last 10 RD Previous Rank 8-8 4-6 +14 6 (-) Adolis Garc a's picked up where he left off last October. The 2023 ALCS MVP has powered a Rangers offense missing Josh Jung and Nathaniel Lowe, helping secure multiple wins over rival Houston and an early lead in the AL West. Texas is the only AL West club with a positive run differential, owing mostly to Garc a, their only qualified player with a .900-plus OPS and more than two home runs.7. Kansas City Royals Record Last 10 RD Previous Rank 10-6 8-2 +37 26 (+19) The Royals are the surprising owners of MLB's best run differential after being outscored by 183 last year. Bobby Witt Jr. already has four home runs, six doubles, and three stolen bases in 16 games, while Brady Singer (0.98 ERA), Seth Lugo (1.45), and Cole Ragans (1.93) have been incredible through 10 starts.8. Pittsburgh Pirates Record Last 10 RD Previous Rank 11-5 6-4 +24 24 (+16) The Pirates started 5-0 for the first time in 41 years. Mart n P rez has been great, allowing only four earned runs with one homer over 19 innings, while rookie Jared Jones looks like he'll be a rotation mainstay after recording 25 strikeouts over his first three starts. It's only a matter of time before top prospect Paul Skenes arrives in the majors, as he's posted an absurd 18.3 K/9 without allowing a run at Triple-A this season.9. Philadelphia Phillies Record Last 10 RD Previous Rank 8-8 6-4 -13 4 (-5) The Phillies have been led by some unlikely players: Brandon Marsh owns a club-leading four homers with a .958 OPS, while Spencer Turnbull, who threw a no-hitter with the Tigers in 2021 before struggling after Tommy John surgery, has a 1.80 ERA with 15 strikeouts over his first three starts.10. Cleveland Guardians Record Last 10 RD Previous Rank 10-5 7-3 +29 22 (+12) Shane Bieber's dominant start to his season was stopped cold by a torn UCL, and a thinned-out Guardians rotation has been ineffective at filling the void. Triston McKenzie's struggles are particularly concerning for a team that relies heavily on its starters. Luckily, Cleveland's bullpen owns the majors' second-lowest ERA (1.88).11. Chicago Cubs Record Last 10 RD Previous Rank 9-6 6-4 +13 14 (+3) The Cubs may have found something in Michael Busch, acquired in an offseason trade with the Dodgers. Busch leads Chicago in slugging percentage (.694) and OPS (1.087) and homered in his fourth consecutive game Sunday (adding to his team lead in that category, too). He's one round-tripper away from tying the club record for homers in consecutive games.12. Cincinnati Reds Record Last 10 RD Previous Rank 9-6 6-4 +22 17 (+5) The Elly De La Cruz show has been a roller coaster through the Reds' first 16 games, but the shortstop remains an entertaining watch. Three of his four homers have exceeded 110 mph off his bat, with his other round-tripper an inside-the-park job. He ranks second on the team in OPS (.962) and is tied for fourth in the league in steals (six).13. Arizona Diamondbacks Record Last 10 RD Previous Rank 8-8 4-6 +21 7 (-6) The reigning NL champs are off to a mediocre start after early meetings with the Yankees and Braves. They've still played .500 ball with Corbin Carroll struggling (.233 AVG, .650 OPS), Eduardo Rodriguez injured, and Jordan Montgomery yet to make a start. E-Rod's rehab was recently paused due to a setback, but Montgomery's expected to make his debut April 19.14. San Diego Padres Record Last 10 RD Previous Rank 9-9 6-4 +6 15 (+1) Early returns on Dylan Cease are great, and the Padres need the help with Joe Musgrove struggling (6.87 ERA, 1.75 WHIP). Cease struck out six or more in each of his three starts while allowing two earned runs or fewer. His 2.16 ERA and 0.84 WHIP are tops among Padres starters.15. Boston Red Sox John McCoy / Getty Images Sport / Getty Record Last 10 RD Previous Rank 9-7 5-5 +12 16 (+1) Boston's excellent 7-3 road start was quickly forgotten once it got home. The Red Sox are 2-4 at Fenway Park and a brutal 5-17 at home dating back to last September. Boston looks extremely vulnerable defensively following Trevor Story's injury, ranking last in the majors with 16 errors. Still, the club's starters own the lowest ERA (2.05) in MLB.16. Tampa Bay Rays Record Last 10 RD Previous Rank 9-7 6-4 -14 12 (-4) The Rays haven't taken advantage of a fairly light opening schedule. Splitting a four-game set in Colorado - with one loss coming on a walk-off grand slam following closer Pete Fairbanks' meltdown - isn't something you expect from a team with contention hopes. Fairbanks' early struggles, and starter Zach Eflin's, could be huge causes for concern.17. New York Mets Record Last 10 RD Previous Rank 7-8 7-3 +1 18 (+1) Pete Alonso's displaying his prodigious power early in his walk year, sitting second in MLB with six homers in 15 games. The only problem: Five of those blasts came with no one one. Edwin D az is three-for-three in save opportunities in his return, striking out nine in six innings.18. Toronto Blue Jays Record Last 10 RD Previous Rank 8-8 5-5 -18 10 (-8) Toronto came into the season banking on internal improvement from a number of players, but it hasn't happened so far. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (.677 OPS), George Springer (.668), Daulton Varsho (.608), and Alejandro Kirk (.429) are struggling early. Luckily, the team signed ageless Justin Turner, and the 39-year-old's hitting .386/.481/.614 with a team-leading seven doubles and eight RBIs.19. Houston Astros Record Last 10 RD Previous Rank 6-11 4-6 -13 3 (-16) It's shocking to see how poorly Houston's pitching. The team ranks 28th in WHIP (1.52) and 29th in ERA (5.32), though injuries are at least partially to blame. Josh Hader and Ryan Pressly have already allowed 10 runs in 13 innings, and Ronel Blanco - who only made the club because of injury issues - has started in half the team's wins (while also throwing the season's first no-hitter).20. Detroit Tigers Megan Briggs / Getty Images Sport / Getty Record Last 10 RD Previous Rank 9-6 4-6 -2 21 (+1) Tarik Skubal's one of the few bright spots on a Tigers team with a solid record despite numerous mediocre early performances. The left-hander owns a 2.08 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, and 20 strikeouts in three starts. Spencer Torkelson's yet to homer in 63 at-bats, while it may be time to talk about Javier B ez's future. The shortstop's hitting .140/.152/.209 with 14 strikeouts and one extra-base hit in 13 games, and is still owed close to $100 million.21. San Francisco Giants Record Last 10 RD Previous Rank 6-10 4-6 -12 9 (-12) Signing Jordan Hicks as a starter has been an early success. The right-hander owns a 1.00 ERA and 0.83 WHIP, with hitters batting only .194 against him through 18 innings. However, some of the team's other high-profile offseason signings are off to much chillier starts: Matt Chapman's hitting .200/.257/.369 across 16 games, while Jung Hoo Lee has three extra-base hits in 62 at-bats.22. St. Louis Cardinals Record Last 10 RD Previous Rank 7-9 4-6 -9 20 (-2) The Cardinals spent much of the offseason addressing pitching, but their offense is letting them down so far. St. Louis ranks 21st in runs, 24th in OBP, and 25th in homers. Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado combined for two homers and 29 strikeouts through 16 games.23. Seattle Mariners Record Last 10 RD Previous Rank 6-10 3-7 -23 11 (-12) The Mariners' priority over the winter was remaking their offense, but a lot of the same problems remain. Seattle's struck out 167 times in 16 games, the third-worst mark in baseball. Making things worse: The team's .590 OPS ranks 28th - only the Marlins and White Sox are worse. Julio Rodr guez is off to a painfully slow start, hitting .186/.238/.203 with one extra-base hit and 21 strikeouts.24. Minnesota Twins Record Last 10 RD Previous Rank 6-8 4-6 -7 13 (-11) Injuries and an anemic offense have killed the Twins early. Minnesota ranks 27th in runs, slugging, and OPS, and 30th in average, as Carlos Correa, Royce Lewis, and Max Kepler all are on the IL. Byron Buxton - actually healthy to start the season! - is hitting .196/.240/.261 with no home runs or stolen bases and 18 strikeouts in 14 games.25. Los Angeles Angels Megan Briggs / Getty Images Sport / Getty Record Last 10 RD Previous Rank 7-8 4-6 -9 23 (-2) Mike Trout's received some help from his supporting cast early this season, but it doesn't seem like it'll be enough to make the Angels contenders. The three-time MVP already has six home runs, but five came with no one on base. Anthony Rendon has no homers and one RBI in 13 games.26. Oakland Athletics Record Last 10 RD Previous Rank 7-9 6-4 -22 29 (+3) Paul Blackburn is healthy again and off to an incredible start: the 2022 All-Star's thrown 19 1/3 scoreless innings. It's the longest scoreless streak to open a season for the franchise since it moved to Oakland in 1968.27. Washington Nationals Record Last 10 RD Previous Rank 6-9 4-6 -14 27 (-) CJ Abrams appears to have taken another step forward: the 23-year-old's gone deep three times with nine RBIs and a .944 OPS. On the pitching side, left-hander MacKenzie Gore looks sharp, with a 2.81 ERA and 23 strikeouts across 16 innings.28. Colorado Rockies Record Last 10 RD Previous Rank 4-12 3-7 -34 30 (+2) The Rockies are yet to win a series despite several hitters' hot starts. Ryan McMahon is slashing .373/.457/.559 with two homers and a team-leading 11 RBIs, while Brenton Doyle, Ezequiel Tovar, and Charlie Blackmon have an .800 OPS or better. The pitching's been dreadful: Colorado has an MLB-worst 6.29 ERA.29. Miami Marlins Record Last 10 RD Previous Rank 3-13 3-7 -35 25 (-4) The Marlins narrowly avoided becoming the seventh team in MLB history to open a season with 10 straight losses, and that's about the only positive to come out of Miami so far. While rookie starter Max Meyer's looked good, he's received little help from the majors' worst offense, which continues to lack any power.30. Chicago White Sox Record Last 10 RD Previous Rank 2-13 1-9 -51 28 (-2) Eloy Jim nez, Luis Robert Jr., and Yoan Moncada are all on the IL, which is partly why the White Sox have scored the majors' fewest runs. At least Garrett Crochet's move to the rotation has been a success. The right-hander owns a 3.57 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, and 31 strikeouts in 22 2/3 innings.Copyright © 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.We have an exciting 13-game slate on the docket to begin the week. Let's waste no time in getting to our best bets.Diamondbacks (-185) @ Rockies (+155)The Diamondbacks opened the season with a four-game set against the Rockies and beat them into the ground, winning 32-15 on aggregate.I expect this game to be rather one-sided as well, particularly early on. Led by Ketel Marte and Christian Walker, the Diamondbacks mash left-handed pitching. They're hitting .319 with a .344 xwOBA and 81.1% contact rate, ranking third or higher in each category.Now they're drawing a struggling lefty - Kyle Freeland - in the most hitter-friendly environment MLB offers: Coors Field.Freeland has thrown as many called balls as strikes. He has an astronomically high barrel rate of 16.1% and sports an xwOBA above .500. You'd be hard-pressed to find a starter with worse numbers.The Diamondbacks lit up Freeland when they played earlier this season, generating 10 runs in fewer than three innings of work.I wouldn't expect that level of offense again, but it's possible given how well the Diamondbacks are hitting lefties and considering Freeland's struggles.Arizona should be able to plate at least a few runs over the first five innings. If that happens, they have a great chance of cashing in on an early lead with Zac Gallen on the mound.Gallen is one of the best starters in baseball, and only five teams own a worse xwOBA versus righties than the Rockies. It'll be very difficult for them to keep up offensively.Expect the Diamondbacks to get to Freeland early and often and earn a lead through five innings - likely by multiple runs.Odds: -125 (playable to -140)Blake Snell: Under 6.5 strikeouts Snell was a lethal strikeout pitcher last season. He piled up 7.3 strikeouts per start while throwing just under an average of 100 pitches.He didn't make any rehab starts after signing with the Giants and has only thrown in scrimmages and simulated games. He's expected to carry a pitch count in the ballpark of 70.Seven strikeouts is an awful lot to ask for someone who averaged that number throwing 25-30 more pitches than he'll get in this game.Even if Snell isn't rusty and hits his spots, this is a difficult matchup for him to hit his ceiling.The Nationals have struck out just over 19% of the time against left-handed pitchers, one of the lowest marks in the league. They posted a 17.6 K% against lefties last season, so it's not as if their results are unsustainable.With Snell on a pitch count against a disciplined offense, it'll be difficult for him to match the efficiency he produced last season.Odds: -125 (playable to -160)Mitch Keller: Over 5.5 strikeoutsKeller averaged 6.56 strikeouts per start in 2023 and exceeded 5.5 Ks over 60% of the time.He's 0-for-2 to start the season, but both of his starts were against teams outside the top 15 in strikeout rate.Keller still managed to post some encouraging numbers beneath the hood. He generated swinging strikes on more than 14% of his pitches, good for third among all of the day's projected starters.The Tigers have done a much better job at avoiding strikeouts thus far, but that likely has a lot to do with the level of competition faced. As far as right-handed starters go, the Tigers have faced Joe Boyle, Paul Blackburn, Adrian Houser, Erick Fedde, and Michael Soroka. That batch isn't exactly known for throwing strikes.Keller is a big step up in class. I expect him to put forth his best strikeout performance of the campaign while clearing this number for the first time of many.Odds: -125 (playable to -140)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Right-handed pitcher Paul Blackburn cruised past the Detroit Tigers and earned the A's their second win of the 2024 MLB season on Saturday.