Daily MLB Tips – Saturday, March 29

Juan Soto @ Houston Astros  

• Soto struck out swinging to end Game 1 yesterday, so you can be damn sure he’ll be playing with a chip on his shoulder after the Mets failed to deliver at the plate. Soto owns a pair of hits against Astros starter Hunter Brown, including a double that registered close to 88 MPH off the bat.  

Christopher Morel vs Colorado Rockies 

• The Rays step out for their first game at their new temporary home, George Steinbrenner Field, a ballpark that saw 104 minor league home runs hit in 2022/23. Morel, meanwhile, has taken Rockies starter Kyle Freeland deep twice during his career, so in his first full season with Tampa Bay, he looks a nice bet to kick things off with a bang. 

Mitch Keller (PIT) vs Connor Gillispie (MIA)  

The Marlins pulled off the surprise upset on Opening Day, walking off the Pirates on a Kyle Stowers single to win 5-4 in the bottom of the ninth.  

Lucrative future trade piece Sandy Alcantara pitched into the fourth and struck out seven in his return from Tommy John, but the Marlins’ pitching falls off in a hurry with righty Connor Gillispie set to make his club debut after signing a one-year deal in January. 

The former Cleveland Guardian made only three appearances during his rookie season last year, so it’s unlikely he pitches deep into this game. 

On the flip side, Pittsburgh’s lineup doesn’t inspire much confidence either. Still, Mitch Keller has developed into a reliable third man in the Bucs’ rotation, coming off a tidy spring that saw him allow only four earned runs across 15 innings of work. 

Tylor Megill (NYM) vs Hunter Brown (HOU) 

We’ll run it back with the Mets, who lost on Opening Day 3-1 to the Astros in what was a rather uninspiring display from an offensive standpoint. 

New million-dollar man Juan Soto walked twice and recorded a hit, but outside of a double from Luis Torrens, the Mets left 10 men on base.  

Still, this is a better spot to back them with Astros righty Hunter Brown taking the mound. You can’t read too much into it, but the third-year starter was hit hard during spring training, surrendering seven earned runs on 13 hits across 12 innings of work.  

Last year, the Mets were one of the better bounce-back bets off a loss, playing to a tidy 45-33 record. With Tylor Megill looking to build on a career-best 4.04 ERA last season in his fourth year with the team, I’ll take the Mets as underdogs again. 

Reynaldo Lopez (ATL) vs Dylan Cease (SD) 

The Padres kicked off their season with a 7-4 win over the Braves on Friday, led by a monster 4 RBI day from Jackson Merrill and a vital seventh-inning homer from Gavin Sheets. 

Michael King lasted only 2.2 innings after giving up three earned runs, but Padres fans have to feel good about putting up some runs on reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale. 

Sticking with pitching, the Friars send Dylan Cease to the mound for Game 2. The veteran righty threw six scoreless innings when he last faced the Braves to go with 11 K’s and just three walks allowed.