Cleveland (8-7) at Seattle (13-5)
When: Monday, April 15th, 2019
Where: T-Mobile Park,
Seattle, WA
Time: 10:10 ET | TV: ROOT Northwest,
SportsTime Ohio
Opening Odds: Cleveland -122/7.5
The Seattle Mariners had the best record in all of Baseball heading into the weekend, but the Houston Astros gave them a big reality check on who is still the king of the American League West with a three-game sweep. Seattle is still hanging on to first place after a 13-2 start to the season and will look to get back on track when they host the Cleveland Indians for the first of three games on Monday night. Seattle boasts the best offense in the league through Sunday, ranking tops in runs scored (7.0), second in stolen bases (19), and an MLB-best 39 home runs – and at least one dinger in all 18 games. The offense stalled a little bit against the Astros pitching, platting only nine runs in the three losses. Domingo Santana is batting .333 with four homers and an AL-leading 23 RBIs after going 1-for-4 on Sunday for the Mariners. The Cleveland offense has been horrendous, but will be getting help Monday with the return of 2B Jason Kipnis (calf), while SS Francisco Lindor is about to begin a rehab assignment. The Indians signed free agent and three-time All-Star Carlos Gonzalez over the weekend, and he went 1-for-5 in his debut Sunday. Cleveland had won five straight before getting swept in Kansas City over the weekend, scoring nine runs in the three games – eight of them coming Sunday. This will mark the first game for Seattle’s Edwin Encarnacion against his old team, who he blasted 70 homers and knocked in 214 runs in two seasons for.
Pitchers: Indians – Trevor Bauer (1-1. 2.29 ERA) | Mariners – Yusei Kikuchi (0-0, 4.15)
Trevor Bauer will make his fourth start of the young season and looked like a Cy Young candidate in his first two, allowing just one hit in 14 innings with 17 strikeouts. His last start in Detroit didn’t go so well after he surrendered four runs and 10 hits over 5.2 innings to suffer his first loss of 2019. Bauer is 1-4 with a 4.60 ERA in eight career games against Seattle and the Indians are 1-6 when he starts against the Mariners.
Kikuchi is making this start with just four days rest after leaving his start against the Royals on Wednesday due to leg cramps after throwing 80 pitches in six innings of work and allowing three runs and five hits. The Japanese rookie has 15 punchouts and walked just three, but has surrendered four dingers in 21.2 innings. This will be his first go-around against Cleveland.
The Astros cooled-down the Mariners offense this weekend and Bauer will continue that trend on Monday. The Cleveland offense has problems, but the acquisition of Gonzalez and return of Kipnis will help. This is a very cheap price for a hurler like Bauer.
Bobby Babowski has four plays Monday on his Free MLB Picks page. He is 29-20 +523 Units on the season.
Pick: Indians -118
BETTING TRENDS:
Indians are 6-0 in their last 6 games vs. a starter with a WHIP less than 1.15.
Indians are 23-10 in their last 33 Monday games.
Indians are 3-8 in their last 11 road games.
Indians are 2-5 in their last 7 vs. American League West.
Indians are 5-13 in their last 18 games vs. a left-handed starter.
Indians are 2-6 in their last 8 road games vs. a left-handed starter.
Indians are 6-1 in Bauer’s last 7 starts following a team loss in their previous game.
Indians are 5-1 in Bauer’s last 6 Monday starts.
Indians are 6-2 in Bauer’s last 8 starts during game 1 of a series.
Indians are 8-3 in Bauer’s last 11 starts.
Indians are 8-3 in Bauer’s last 11 starts on grass.
Indians are 5-2 in Bauer’s last 7 road starts.
Indians are 15-6 in Bauer’s last 21 starts vs. American League West.
Indians are 37-15 in Bauer’s last 52 starts with 4 days of rest.
Indians are 11-5 in Bauer’s last 16 starts vs. a team with a winning record.
Mariners are 13-4 in their last 17 games vs. a right-handed starter.
Mariners are 14-5 in their last 19 games on grass.
Mariners are 16-6 in their last 22 overall.
Mariners are 23-9 in their last 32 Monday games.
Mariners are 39-17 in their last 56 vs. American League Central.
Mariners are 2-9 in their last 11 home games vs. a team with a winning record.
Mariners are 1-5 in their last 6 vs. a team with a winning record.
Under is 5-1 in Indians last 6 road games vs. a left-handed starter.
Under is 4-1 in Indians last 5 games vs. a starter with a WHIP less than 1.15.
Over is 6-2 in Indians last 8 Monday games.
Over is 6-2-2 in Indians last 10 games vs. a left-handed starter.
Over is 19-9-1 in Indians last 29 vs. American League West.
Under is 20-3-5 in Bauer’s last 28 road starts vs. a team with a winning record.
Under is 6-1 in Bauer’s last 7 starts following a team loss in their previous game.
Under is 5-1 in Bauer’s last 6 starts vs. a team with a winning record.
Under is 43-9-7 in Bauer’s last 59 road starts.
Over is 4-1 in Bauer’s last 5 starts vs. American League West.
Under is 11-5-1 in Bauer’s last 17 Monday starts.
Under is 34-16-3 in Bauer’s last 53 starts on grass.
Under is 34-16-3 in Bauer’s last 53 starts overall.
Under is 40-19-2 in Bauer’s last 61 starts with 4 days of rest.
Over is 7-0-1 in Mariners last 8 vs. American League Central.
Over is 7-2-1 in Mariners last 10 overall.
Over is 6-2-1 in Mariners last 9 games vs. a right-handed starter.
Over is 5-1 in Mariners last 6 during game 1 of a series.
Under is 7-2 in Mariners last 9 home games vs. a right-handed starter.
Over is 18-8-1 in Mariners last 27 on grass.
Over is 6-0 in the last 6 meetings.
Under is 4-1 in Bauer’s last 5 road starts vs. Mariners.
Under is 15-6-1 in the last 22 meetings in Seattle.
Under is 5-2 in Bauer’s last 7 starts vs. Mariners.
Indians are 1-4 in the last 5 meetings.
Indians are 1-4 in Bauer’s last 5 road starts vs. Mariners.
Indians are 1-6 in Bauer’s last 7 starts vs. Mariners.
