Sunday, August 30, 2026

Zack Wheeler is coming off of one of his worst starts in a long time, but he is one of the elite pitchers in the MLB, and I expect he will bounce back against a struggling Angels team.

The Tigers are fading fast in the AL wild card race. They are 10-14 this month and now nine games under .500 on the season. Framber Valdez has had a rough first season in Detroit, and he is set to face a Los Angeles lineup that ranks sixth in MLB with a .740 OPS against lefties this season.

The Brewers and Rangers are third and fourth, respectively, in the MLB in on-base percentage over the last seven days, while Milwaukee is the only team to hit .300 or better in that span. Not to mention, Texas has mashed nine homers over the last week.

I am going right back to the Cleveland well here. Parker Messick has developed into a genuine frontline starter, carrying a 2.50 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 3.08 FIP and 4.1 WAR into Sunday. Seth Lugo counters with a 4.61 ERA and 1.38 WHIP. Kansas City's bullpen backing up Lugo makes KC even easier to fade.

Shota Imanaga and Chase Burns have both had very good seasons, but both pitchers struggled mightily in their last start. Chicago is in far better offensive form than the Reds are, so I favor the Cubs at home on Sunday Night Baseball.

Read more Zack Wheeler is coming off of one of his worst starts in a long time, but he is one of the elite pitchers in the MLB, and I expect he will bounce back against a struggling Angels team.

Read more Despite his inflated 4.74 ERA, Chris Bassitt has been good in three starts since returning from the IL. He has pitched 17.2 innings and only given up six earned runs in those three starts. Jeffrey Springs has a 3-12 record with a 6.09 ERA in 118.1 innings.

The Pirates may not have the best offense, but they do have a strong edge on the mound with Ashcraft his afternoon. In his last road start against the Cardinals, he allowed just one run on four hits in seven innings. Liberatore has struggled all season and he'll have a tough time working through this Pirates lineup in this matchup.

The Angels' starting pitching has been great since firing their pitching coach. Ryan Johnson has allowed only three runs in the three starts since then. With Cristopher Sanchez on the mound for the Phillies, this game could shape up to be a sneaky under.

Andrew Alvarez has given the Nats plenty of good innings, and the Marlins struggle to hit lefties. Jason Junk has been hit hard by several of the Washington hitters, and the Nats just always seem to score a bunch. I think they find a way again on Sunday.

The Angels' starting pitching has been great since firing their pitching coach. Ryan Johnson has allowed only three runs in the three starts since then. With Cristopher Sanchez on the mound for the Phillies, this game could shape up to be a sneaky under.

With both starters carrying question marks and neither bullpen entering as a major strength, this game has the potential to turn into an offensive battle. Expect traffic on the bases throughout the afternoon and enough production from both clubs to push the total comfortably into double digits.

The Angels' starting pitching has been great since firing their pitching coach. Ryan Johnson has allowed only three runs in the three starts since then. With Cristopher Sanchez on the mound for the Phillies, this game could shape up to be a sneaky under.

With both starters carrying question marks and neither bullpen entering as a major strength, this game has the potential to turn into an offensive battle. Expect traffic on the bases throughout the afternoon and enough production from both clubs to push the total comfortably into double digits.

We probably won’t see much of Chicago’s starters in this one, which has been a theme of the preseason for Ben Johnson’s bunch. Conversely, Robert Saleh’s starters will see about 25 snaps.

After Milwaukee's offense broke out in the series opener, confidence should remain high at the plate, while Texas has enough veteran hitters to answer throughout the game. With two capable offenses, quality but not overpowering starters, and enough depth on both sides to sustain rallies, this matchup is well positioned to finish above the total.

We probably won’t see much of Chicago’s starters in this one, which has been a theme of the preseason for Ben Johnson’s bunch. Conversely, Robert Saleh’s starters will see about 25 snaps.

The Angels' starting pitching has been great since firing their pitching coach. Ryan Johnson has allowed only three runs in the three starts since then. With Cristopher Sanchez on the mound for the Phillies, this game could shape up to be a sneaky under.

With both starters carrying question marks and neither bullpen entering as a major strength, this game has the potential to turn into an offensive battle. Expect traffic on the bases throughout the afternoon and enough production from both clubs to push the total comfortably into double digits.

After Milwaukee's offense broke out in the series opener, confidence should remain high at the plate, while Texas has enough veteran hitters to answer throughout the game. With two capable offenses, quality but not overpowering starters, and enough depth on both sides to sustain rallies, this matchup is well positioned to finish above the total.