TOM STRYKER’S FREE BASEBALL SELECTION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19TH
#954 SAN DIEGO with Snell (-118) over Philadelphia with Nola at 4:35 PM EST
Off last night’s shutout home loss to the Phillies in Game 1 of the NLCS, look for the Padres to respond with a whipping of their own. Philadelphia accomplished its goal of taking over homefield advantage and manager Rob Thomson and his troops will be happy to return to the City of Brotherly Love with a split.
On the bump for the home team will be southpaw Blake Snell. With 24 starts in the bank this season, No. 4 was touched for 48 earned runs and 103 hits in 128.0 innings of work. Snell struck out 171 and walked 51 on his way to an 8-10 record with a 3.38 ERA. Blake has been at his best in his last six starts too. With 33.2 frames completed, Snell was nicked for just five earned runs and 19 hits. That’s good enough for a 3-1 tally with a powerful 1.34 ERA.
Hitting the hill for the visitors will be right-hander Aaron Nola. So far this year, No. 27 had his number called 32 times in the role of a starter and was cracked for 74 earned runs and 168 hits in 205.0 innings. Nola whiffed 235 and walked 29 on his way to an 11-13 mark with a 3.25 ERA. Aaron’s last three starts against the Friars weren’t that great either. With 19.0 frames completed, Nola was tagged for nine earned runs and 17 hits. That shakes down to an 0-2 mark with a soft 4.26 ERA.
Plenty of powerful team trends line up on this Best Bet. San Diego has won five straight when coming off a loss, four in a row after scoring two runs or less, and five of its last seven when facing a right-handed starter. On the other side of the stadium, Philadelphia has slipped in 25 of its last 41 as a guest with Nola holding the pearl and 22 of its last 32 with Aaron on the bump matched up against a foe that holds a winning record.
In this 2-3-2 NLCS format, the Padres can’t afford to go down 2-0 and then be asked to win two out of three in Philadelphia. It’s all or nothing here for the Friars. Take San Diego with Snell. Thanks and best of luck, Tom.
TOM’S 44-23 ATS NBA HIGH ROLLER BEST BET
Be sure to compliment your MLB Playoff and College Football wagers with his hardwood honey. Stryker is jumping all over a pro basketball side on Tuesday and this solid selection is supported by two lucrative trends that hold elite marks of 44-24 ATS and 27-14 ATS. Grab Tom’s NBA High Roller Best Bet for $30.