Chicago White Sox

Best Straight-Up MLB Bets on Mother’s Day

Written by on May 12, 2017

Don’t forget to go out and get your Mom something nice this weekend and pay her a visit if possible on Sunday, which is Mother’s Day. To pad your bankroll to do something extra special, here are three games on the Mother’s Day that promise MLB fans some great action for the weekend. Let’s give ’em a check:

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Seattle Mariners at Toronto Blue Jays

The Jays will get back 2016 All-Star and AL ERA king Aaron Sanchez for this one. Sanchez has been on the disabled list twice this season because of a problematic right middle finger and has not pitched for the Blue Jays since April 30. Sanchez’s finger issue began late in Spring Training when a blister appeared. He had dealt with the issue before and the hope was that a surgical procedure to remove a portion of his nail would solve the problem.  

Seattle Mariners vs Toronto Blue Jays

The plan initially worked, but in Sanchez’s first start off the DL, he could only last one inning because the remaining portion of his nail cracked. Sanchez has a 4.05 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 18.2 strikeout rate across 13 1/3 innings pitched this season. He’s 0-1 through three starts. But when he’s healthy, he’s nasty. It’s Cuban lefty Ariel Miranda for Seattle. Miranda has gone 3-2 with a 5.20 ERA in seven starts while filling in all season for the injured Drew Smyly. The Cuban southpaw gave up eight runs on six hits and three walks in 3 1/3 innings in his last outing, at Philadelphia. The M’s might be without star second baseman Robinson Cano. He missed Thursday’s game with a sore quad. Take Toronto at home.

San Diego Padres at Chicago White Sox

The Padres will add the designated hitter for this inter-league matchup. Looking for the worst pitcher in the National League? It may well be San Diego’s Jered Weaver, who goes here. He is 0-4 with a 6.81 ERA and the Padres have lost all seven times he has taken the mound. The former All-Star allowed two more home runs Tuesday and didn’t pitch past the third inning for the first time in nearly three years. Weaver has allowed 22 runs over his last 12 2/3 innings and has yielded seven of his NL-worst 14 homers in that stretch. “I know the nature of this business if it keeps going the way it is,” Weaver said after his last terrible outing. “I’m going to find myself on the couch here soon.” Weaver’s ERA is third-highest among qualified starting pitchers. He leads the Majors with 14 home runs allowed. It’s lefty ace Jose Quintana for the Pale Hose. Quintana has faced 25 teams during the course of his career, but Sunday’s start marks his first all-time effort against the Padres. Quintana has struggled a bit with location this season, walking 19 in 42 1/3 innings although he has struck out 41. Go Chicago.

Detroit Tigers at Los Angeles Angels

Looks to be a pitching matchup here in favor of the Tigers. It’s former Cy Young winner Justin Verlander (3-2, 4.25). Verlander gave up three runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out seven over six innings in Tuesday’s 7-3 win over the Diamondbacks. He ran into only one bad stretch, as Arizona scored three times in the third inning, but otherwise it was smooth sailing for the Detroit ace.

Justin Verlander

Even on a night when it took him a few innings to find his rhythm, Verlander still recorded 16 swings-and-misses. And when he needed extra juice, he reared back and hit 99 mph on his 100th and 101st pitches. “I was hoping for 100,” Verlander said. “It’s been a while.” Verlander has had one clunker of a start, one of the worst of his career, on April 15 at Cleveland. Putting that aside, he has a 2.58 ERA in his other six starts. It’s Alex Meyer for the Halos. Filling in for the injured Tyler Skaggs, Meyer (1-1, 7.62) went a career-high 5 1/3 innings in his last outing vs. Oakland. Meyer is looking to find his control as he has 11 strikeouts and eight walks over 9 1/3 innings in his last two starts. Easy lean to the Tigers here, even perhaps on the run-line.