For what it’s worth, yesterday was a much better day for me.  While I am definitely not over this damned Covid yet, I am feeling better.

My wife and I both developed Covid about two weeks ago.  She got sick on Wednesday the 4^th, and I got sick on Friday the 6^th.  I was definitely the sicker of the two of us.  By Saturday night and Sunday, I really thought that I might die.  Our doctor put me on some really heavy duty meds, Paxlovid, three horse pills twice a day for 5 days and much to my surprise,  I didn’t die after all.

Of the six sides that I used on my parlay card yesterday, five won,  the Cubs 1^st 5 ML, the Dodgers full game ML, the Tigers 1^st 5 ML and the Cards 1^st 5 and full game MLs.  Just one, the Cubs full game ML lost. 

The Cubs got 3 runs in the bottom of the 5^th to pull out a 3-1 1^st 5 win, but ended up losing the full game 5-3.  The Dodgers put up 6 runs in the 1^st and rolled the Marlins 8-3. Tarik Skubal gave up a 1^st inning run, but then settled down and pitched the Tigers to a 4-2 win over the Royals, and the Cards won bother their 1t 5 and full games against the Pirates.

I finished the day +18,34 units, leaving me +182 59 for the season.

With a little over a week left in the regular season, we have a smaller slate of games today, and since I’m still not completely recovered from this damned Covid thing yet and since I still tire very easily, I will again be very brief.  Here’s my Thursday card.

Here are my brief thought on the afternoon games.  I’ll post thought on the two evening games later.

ATL @ CIN

The Braves beat the Reds 7-1 yesterday to even this series at one game apiece.  While they have no shot at catching the Phils in the NL East, they are still just 2 games behind the Diamondbacks in the race for the final NL wild card spot.  The Reds are looking to ext season.  The Braves hold all the edges in this game.  They are the better htting team and hey have the better bullpen.  They also have Chris Saloe, who is having himself a Cy Young worthy seaso.  The Reds will counter with rookie Julien Agiuar.  Through his first six big-league outings, Aguiar carries a 1.23 WHIP and 4.88 ERA with an unimpressive 15/10 K/BB ratio. 

The Braves are the better team here and Sale is a hell of a lot better than Aguiar.

Pick – ATL 1^st 5 and full game MLs in a series of parlays

MINN @ CLEV

The Guardians beat the Twins 5-4 in 10 innings last night to take a 2-2 series lead.  They now lead the AL Central by a comfortable 6 games.  The Twins are barely clinging to the final AL wild cardspot, a half a game ahead of the Tigers.  Offensively both of these teams are solid, but the Guardians have no of the berddt bullpens in baseball, which gives them a big edge late if this game is close.  However, the starting pitching matchup, would seem to favor the Twins, if only by default.  The 23-year-old Simeon Woods Rchardson has struggles over the second half of the season, posting a 5.85 ERA over his last nine starts. Woods Richardson has seen his ERA climb up to its current 4.08 through 128 innings this season.  However, as mediocre as Woods Richardson has been, Joey Cantillo has been worse.  Yes, the rookie has won his last two start, giving up just 1 earned run while posting a fantastic 16/1 K:BB ratio, but on the season, he owns a 1.17 WHIP and 4.99 ERA, with a 31/10 K/BB ratio over 30.2 innings.      

This one scare me because the Guardians are the better team.  Woods Richardson is no prize, but with the exception of his last two starts, Cantillo has been even worse.

Pick – MNN 1^st 5 ML in a side bet

LAD @ MIA

After embarrassing themselves Tuesday night, losing 11-9 to the wretched Marlins in Miami, the Dodgers did the embaraasing last night with an 8-4 win.  They still haven’t quite wrapped up the NL West yet, but they are closing in on it with a 3.5 game lead over the Padres with just 10 games left to play.  The Marlins traded all the assets that they could at the trade deadline, and are now fielding an AAA lineup.  No wonder that they’re the 2^nd worst team in baseball.  At least the Dodgers won’t be trotting out Bobby Miller tonight. Jack Flaherty hasn’t been as good as he was with the Tigers over the first half of the season.  Heis now carrying at a 1.05 WHIP and 3.04 ERA, with a 184/33 K/BB ratio over 151 innings between the Dodgers and Tigers this season.  Edward Cabrera has given up only 1 earned run over his last 18.1 innings, producing  an 18/4 K/BB ratio. Since returning from the IL in July, Cabrera has registered a 3.72 ERA, lowering his season mark to 4.55 over 89 innings.

On paper, the Dodgers hold every edge here and by wide margins.  I don’t know what in the hell happened Tuesday night, but I bet that it wouldn’t happen last night and IO am again betting that it doesn’t happen tonight either.   

Pick – LAD 1^st 5 and full game MLs in a series of parlays