The Daily Sweat: Mariners play their biggest game of the season vs. Astros
The Seattle Mariners needed to win Tuesday. They probably need to win Wednesday, too.
The Mariners came into a three-game series against the Houston Astros a half-game behind Houston in the race for the final AL wild-card spot. They had just seven games to go, so you can see what losing the series would do for their playoff chances. Then Seattle dropped the first game to Houston.
Seattle needed to win the final two games of the series or hope for a mini miracle over the weekend. The Mariners got a huge 6-2 win Tuesday and now face the biggest game of their season Wednesday. Houston is a -125 favorite at BetMGM.
Win Wednesday, and the Mariners will take a half-game lead over the Astros for the AL wild-card spot. Lose Wednesday, and they'll trail by 1.5 games with a four-game series against the division-leading Texas Rangers to finish the season. The Astros finish at the Arizona Diamondbacks, who aren't a pushover, especially with Arizona still battling to clinch a wild-card spot. Either way, Seattle is in much better shape if it wins Wednesday. The Mariners have the head-to-head playoff tiebreaker against the Astros already clinched.
Of course, it's a massive game for the Astros, too. The reigning World Series champs are in real danger of missing the playoffs, and the danger gets worse if they lose Wednesday. They'll send Framber Valdez to the mound against the Mariners' Bryce Miller. Miller has been up and down the past few weeks, so the Astros have the edge in the pitching matchup.
It will feel like a playoff game in Seattle on Wednesday. Whoever wins won't feel comfortable in the wild-race, but it will be better than taking a loss.
Here's the first look at the sports betting slate for Wednesday:
Rest of the MLB slate
With the Milwaukee Brewers clinching the NL Central on Wednesday, four of the six divisions have been decided. Three other teams have clinched playoff spots, leaving two division titles and four other playoff spots up for grabs in the final days of the regular season.
The New York Yankees were eliminated long ago, but they still play in a big game Wednesday. Gerrit Cole, the AL Cy Young favorite, makes what is likely his final start of the season against the Toronto Blue Jays, who have a 1.5-game lead in the AL wild-card race. The Blue Jays finish with a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays, so their path to the playoffs isn't easy. The Yankees and Jays are both -110 on Wednesday.
The Chicago Cubs had a rough loss Tuesday but need to rebound fast. They lead the race for the final NL wild-card spot by a half-game over the Miami Marlins. The Cubs face the Atlanta Braves, who are -160 favorites. The Marlins have a right to be upset after their game Tuesday against the New York Mets was postponed due to poor field conditions. The teams will play a doubleheader Wednesday.
What's the best bet?
It's hard to bet baseball at this time of year. Many teams aren't playing for a playoff spot anymore, having either clinched or been eliminated. A time-honored angle is going against the team that clinched a day earlier, and therefore, I'll take the St. Louis Cardinals at +145 against the Brewers in their hangover game. Milwaukee has locked up the No. 3 seed in the NL and will play out the string the rest of the week.
