TOM STRYKER’S FREE BASEBALL SELECTION THURSDAY, JUNE 2ND
#953 SAN FRANCISCO with Wood (+125) over Miami with Alcantara at 6:40 PM EST
After blowing a 5-2 lead and falling to the Phillies by the final of 6-5 yesterday, the Giants will travel to South Beach and beat up on the Marlins. Miami dropped a barnburner to Colorado in Denver on Thursday (13-12 in 10 innings) and manager Don Mattingly’s kids will be out of gas in this spot.
Veteran southpaw Alex Wood will toe the rubber for the Gints. With nine starts in the bank this season, No. 57 has been tapped for 23 earned runs and 50 hits in 43.0 innings of work. Wood has struck out 45 and walked 13 on his way to a 3-4 record with a 4.81 ERA. Last year, Alex faced the Fish twice and he tossed a pair of gems allowing only one earned run and four hits in 12.0 frames. Wood whiffed 11 and issued only one free pass on his way to a 2-0 record with an elite 0.75 ERA.
Ace righty Sandy Alcantara will grab the pearl for the Marlins. In his last three outings against the Braves (twice) and Nationals, No. 22 has been in a zone allowing just two earned runs and 13 hits in 25.0 innings. Alcantara fanned 26 and walked three on his way to a 3-0 tally with an outstanding 0.72 ERA. However, in his last three against Frisco, Sandy has struggled a touch allowing eight earned runs and 13 hits (three of which left the park) in 16.1 frames. After the math, that adds up to a 1-2 mark with a 4.41 ERA.
A handful of reliable team trends back this National League wager too. San Francisco has tasted victory in 45 of its last 65 in the first game of a series, 39 of its last 56 on foreign soil, and 38 of its last 52 as a guest facing a foe that holds a team won/loss percentage less than .500. On the other side of the park, Miami has dropped 13 of its last 17 when facing a foe that owns a team won/loss percentage greater than .500, 19 of its last 26 against NL West foes, and 43 of its last 58 in the first game of a series.
At this price and catching the Marlins off that exhausting performance in altitude, the Giants will get the job done in opener. Take San Francisco with Wood. Thanks and best of luck, Tom.
TOM’S 39-19 ATS NBA PLAYOFFS TOP SHELF WAGER
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