(3 Picks)
8:03PM EST: ARI/TEX Under 8.5 (3 Units)
ARI SP Zac Gallen really hasn't been all that. He has a 5.24 ERA across 4 post-season starts but started off well allowing just 2 ER in each of his first 2 starts. Philly blasted him for 5 runs his first start in Philly and the 4 Runs in the next start in Arizona. Bit of tough luck his last time out. The 1st inning started with an infield single by Schwarber off the very end of the bat. Bryson Stott drove him in with 2 outs and then Bryce Harper was credited with stealing home after that. Both earned runs. He went on to shutout Philly until the top of the 6th when he faced the lineup for the 3rd time. Schwarber and Harper hit a pair of Solo homeruns that inning. Gallen did face Texas twice this year, allowing 4 ER over 11IP.
Gallen's one of the toughest pitchers to hit when he's on and he's just past due for that vintage performance. This is a guy who throws up plenty of shutouts and 1 run outings. Just twice in his career has he gone more than 4 consecutive starts without allowing 1ER or Less and that's across 115 starts. This Texas offense is as good as any but they've had some time to cool off. They haven't played since Monday and the top seeds from the last two MLB post-seasons (since the new format) can tell you all about why they don't like extended rest. It's just 3 days off but the MLB All-Star Break only gives some teams 4 days off and that's long enough to throw a complete wrench into their flow.
Texas starts Nathan Eovaldi and he's been lights out the whole way. 2.42 ERA across 4 post-season starts without allowing more than 3 ER in any. He's also completed at least 6 innings in every start. Eovaldi also hasn't pitched against Arizona since 2016 and no, not a single one of those players is on Arizona's roster anymore. Never easy facing a pitcher for the first time, especially one of Eovaldi's caliber.
Both bullpens have performed rather well throughout this post-season. Arizona's is certainly deeper and more trustworthy than Texas's at this time but they've both delivered when needed. TEX Closer Jose LeClerc has been pretty lights out outside of that 1 blown save to Houston. He recorded 1 out in the 8th and then there was that huge brawl debacle when Garcia was hit by a pitch. He was sitting on ice for quite a while before coming back out for the 9th. Either way Eovaldi should pass the torch off late and the time off has freshened up each bullpen.
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