Grayson Rodriguez

Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.We are coming off a 1-0 night to begin the week. With the Dodgers game rained out, two of three plays were delayed a day but can be found here.We backed the Phillies to generate over 3.5 hits against Blake Snell for the lone play standing and managed five in four innings before the veteran lefty was chased.Let's take a look at a few plays that pop off the page for Tuesday's full slate of games.Cardinals (+110) @ Reds (-130)The Reds haven't lived up to expectations this season but are suddenly red-hot. They've won four consecutive games by multiple runs and appear nicely positioned to make it five against the Cardinals.Dynamic lefty Andrew Abbott is set to take the mound for the Reds, giving them a hefty pitching advantage over Kyle Gibson and the Cardinals.Abbott owns a 2.68 ERA through 10 starts and has conceded two or fewer runs in nine. He owns the lowest xwOBA during May of the day's projected starters, and his numbers are sparkling across the board.The Cardinals, meanwhile, are struggling mightily against lefties this month. They are hitting just .214 versus southpaws and only rank ahead of the Nationals in xwOBA.Simply put, they're not getting on base and not making good contact, and Abbott is one of the last lefties you want to see when struggling the way the Cardinals are struggling.Conversely, a matchup against Gibson is a good spot for the Reds to generate offense. As a pitch-to-contact starter who throws a lot of balls and lacks overpowering stuff to punch batters out, he is unlikely to exploit the Reds' struggles to avoid strikeouts.The Reds should be able to put a lot of balls in play against Gibson and have the talent to make it count.Look for a pitching advantage to prove decisive as the Reds try to extend their winning streak to five games.Bet: Reds (-130)Grayson Rodriguez: Under 2.5 earned runsRodriguez is doing an excellent job of limiting opposing offenses this season. He's only allowed three-plus runs once through eight starts and conceded just two over his past three games.Rodriguez is at his best when playing on home soil. Despite facing a difficult list of opponents, including the Yankees, Mariners, and Twins, he has given up three total runs spanning four home games.The Red Sox are a good offensive team, but they're hitting only .220 versus righties on the road in May. It's also worth noting Rodriguez possesses noticeably better numbers against left-handed bats, and the Red Sox project to have five of them.There's value in backing Rodriguez to build on his early-season success and limit the runs once again.Odds: -140 (playable to -160)Simeon Woods Richardson: Under 2.5 earned runsWoods Richardson is pitching remarkably well this season. He's allowing just 1.4 runs per start, and the Blue Jays are the only team (go figure) that has found a way to plate three runs or more against him this season.He doesn't have an overpowering pitch arsenal, but he's doing a great job of pitching methodically. He throws a lot of strikes and limits the amount of power he gives up. As a result, he's averaging one homer allowed per 72 plate appearances, which equates to less than one every three starts.Woods Richardson averages exactly five innings pitched per start. Considering he doesn't give up much power, or concede runs in chunks, it's difficult for offenses to score three or more before he exits the game.The Royals are struggling to do damage early in games. Nine of the past 12 righties they faced gave up two runs or fewer before exiting the game. Two of the three exceptions were Casey Mize and Ross Stripling, pitchers who aren't on the same level as Woods Richardson.Odds: -110 (playable to -140)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Welcome to the fifth edition of theScore's MLB Power Rankings for the 2024 regular season. The last edition was published May 13. 1. Philadelphia Phillies Record Last 10 RD Previous rank 38-16 7-3 +93 2 (+1) The Phillies secured a franchise-best start through 50 games and have shown no signs of slowing down. Bryce Harper's continued his torrid May, but the team's most surprising contributor's been shortstop Edmundo Sosa. He's hitting .364/.417/.758 with seven extra-base hits over his last 11 games filling in for Trea Turner.2. New York Yankees Record Last 10 RD Previous rank 37-18 7-3 +92 4 (+2) Aaron Judge is a man on a mission. The 2022 AL MVP registered 11 home runs, 12 doubles, and a 1.443 OPS in May. The Yankees have hit an MLB-leading 42 homers this month - nine more than the next-highest team - and lead the majors in OPS on the season.3. Baltimore Orioles Record Last 10 RD Previous rank 33-18 6-4 +61 3 (-) The Orioles haven't looked as dominant of late, but the starting rotation is rounding into form with the returns of Grayson Rodriguez (3.20 ERA) and Kyle Bradish (1.75). Losing John Means to another injury hurts, but those two, along with Corbin Burnes (2.60), should provide enough pitching to win a lot of games.4. Los Angeles Dodgers Record Last 10 RD Previous rank 33-22 4-6 +69 1 (-3) After beginning the month with seven straight wins, the Dodgers are in a funk. Los Angeles dropped consecutive series to teams with losing records and is in the midst of a five-game winless streak. Tyler Glasnow's last two starts have been messy (10 IP, 7 ER), and Andy Pages hit a rookie wall, going 6-for-50 (.120) with 20 strikeouts over his last 13 games.5. Cleveland Guardians Record Last 10 RD Previous rank 36-17 9-1 +73 10 (+5) Jos Ram rez continues to get it done year after year. He's been one of the catalysts in Cleveland's resurgence after a disappointing 2023. Ram rez has 10 home runs and an 1.009 OPS in May after hitting four homers with a .736 OPS in April. The three-time MVP finalist looks primed to be firmly in that conversation once again.6. Atlanta Braves Record Last 10 RD Previous rank 30-20 4-6 +47 5 (-1) The Braves have already dealt with a number of injuries, and the news got even worse Sunday when it was revealed Ronald Acu a Jr. suffered a torn ACL in his left knee. It's the second time in four seasons he's undergone season-ending knee surgery. Atlanta already lost ace Spencer Strider to a torn UCL last month. Few clubs are as deep as the Braves, but these are devastating injuries for a team trying to win a World Series.7. Kansas City Royals Record Last 10 RD Previous rank 34-20 8-2 +79 8 (+1) Cole Ragans has dominated following a rare blow-up start against the Angels on May 12. The left-hander's thrown 13 shutout innings, allowing just three hits with 19 strikeouts over his last two starts. Ragans ranks third in the AL with 76 strikeouts.8. Milwaukee Brewers Record Last 10 RD Previous rank 30-22 5-5 +45 6 (-2) William Contreras is carrying the Brewers and continues to make an early case for NL MVP. He sits third in the NL in fWAR behind Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts while ranking first among major-league catchers in runs, RBIs, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging, and OPS.9. San Diego Padres Record Last 10 RD Previous rank 28-28 6-4 +8 13 (+4) Xander Bogaerts is out indefinitely with a fractured shoulder after hitting just .219 with a .581 OPS in 187 at-bats, and Manny Machado owns a .653 OPS. Still, the Padres are staying afloat thanks to contributions from some of their depth players. Jurickson Profar, who signed a one-year, $1-million deal in mid-February, is hitting .344/.432/.510 with four home runs and 14 RBIs over the last month.10. Minnesota Twins Record Last 10 RD Previous rank 28-24 4-6 +4 7 (-3) The Twins' feast-or-famine offense dried up considerably over the team's seven-game losing streak in which it was outscored 45-12 by the Yankees, Guardians, and Nationals. Edouard Julien is among the biggest culprits, as he's posted a .338 OPS with one extra-base hit over his last 12 games.11. Seattle Mariners Record Last 10 RD Previous rank 28-26 4-6 -7 12 (+1) The Mariners are clinging onto top spot in an underperforming AL West. Seattle's dropped four of five and is the only division leader with a losing record on the road. The pitching hasn't looked as strong in May. The Mariners' 4.59 ERA ranks 27th in the majors, while their 166 strikeouts sits 26th. Bryce Miller's been particularly shaky, going 0-3 with a 5.79 ERA and six home runs allowed this month.12. Chicago Cubs Record Last 10 RD Previous rank 27-26 3-7 -3 11 (-1) Seiya Suzuki's and Cody Bellinger's returns from the IL have done little to spark the club. Suzuki's hitting .185/.237/.259 over his last 13 games, while Bellinger's .211/.274/.281 slash line over 14 games isn't much better. Kyle Hendricks' demotion to the bullpen isn't ideal. He owns a 10.47 ERA on the season despite being the team's second-highest paid pitcher.13. Boston Red Sox Record Last 10 RD Previous rank 27-26 5-5 +32 14 (+1) Boston's dominant starting pitching staff is showing signs of regression. After posting an MLB-best 2.00 ERA in April, the Red Sox rotation owns a 4.16 ERA in May. Home runs have become an issue, with the club posting the fourth-worst HR/9 (1.44) in the majors this month. Kutter Crawford's allowed four homers over his last 29 innings after not allowing one over 33 1/3 innings in April.14. San Francisco Giants Record Last 10 RD Previous rank 27-27 8-2 -19 23 (+9) The Giants became the second team since 1900 to erase three straight four-run deficits on the road after they shocked the Mets on Friday. Matt Chapman sealed Friday's win with an exceptional defensive play and slugged three home runs over his last six to rebound from a slow start. San Francisco's won five of its last six series. 15. Arizona Diamondbacks Record Last 10 RD Previous rank 25-28 5-5 +3 15 (-) The D-Backs' offense was supposed to be a strength, but it's really struggled of late. Arizona ranks 26th in OPS and runs this month. Ketel Marte (.740) is the only qualified player with an OPS over .700 in May, while Corbin Carroll, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., and Eugenio Su rez have combined for three homers in their last 242 at-bats.16. Texas Rangers Record Last 10 RD Previous rank 25-29 3-7 -6 9 (-7) The Rangers' World Series hangover is starting to feel Texas-sized as the losses and injuries continue to pile up. However, better days should be ahead with Corey Seager rediscovering his power stroke. He's slugged six home runs in his last six games, raising his season-long OPS to .796 after a disappointing April.17. St. Louis Cardinals Record Last 10 RD Previous rank 25-26 8-2 -41 27 (+10) Paul Goldschmidt might finally be snapping out of it. He's hitting .308/.357/.596 with four home runs over his last 12 games after hitting .190/.277/.254 with two home runs over his previous 37. The Cardinals still aren't getting great starting pitching, but they've won four straight series against the Angels, Red Sox, Orioles, and Cubs.18. Detroit Tigers Record Last 10 RD Previous rank 26-27 5-5 0 18 (-) Reese Olson's been a tremendous surprise. The right-hander owns the seventh-best ERA (1.92) in the majors and has given up just one home run in 56 1/3 innings. As bad as Javier B ez has been this season (.506 OPS), he's at least delivered in the clutch. He's hitting .405 with a .985 OPS with runners in scoring position and ranks tied for second on the team with 23 RBIs.19. Houston Astros Record Last 10 RD Previous rank 24-29 6-4 -4 25 (+6) Josh Hader is finally looking like the player who earned five All-Star appearances. The 30-year-old owns a 0.96 ERA with 14 strikeouts across his last seven outings. His return to form's coincided with the Astros going on a run up the standings after a dreadful start to the season. They're within striking distance of top spot in the AL West.20. Tampa Bay Rays Record Last 10 RD Previous rank 26-28 4-6 -47 17 (-3) The Rays appeared to be putting things together before losing six in a row. With the team struggling to find consistency at the plate, Josh Lowe being sidelined with another injury won't help, nor will Randy Arozarena hitting .156/.253./.313 on the season.21. Pittsburgh Pirates Record Last 10 RD Previous rank 25-29 6-4 -29 21 (-) Paul Skenes has made a huge difference, with the Pirates playing winning baseball since his arrival. Andrew McCutchen's posted a .900 OPS in his last 13 games, while Bryan Reynolds and Nick Gonzales have been difference-makers, combining for five homers and 23 RBIs over the past two weeks.22. Toronto Blue Jays Record Last 10 RD Previous rank 23-29 4-6 -38 19 (-3) Not even the home run jacket's been able to turn this team around. The Blue Jays rank 16th in runs and 23rd in homers this month - and that's actually an improvement over April. George Springer's been dropped in the order, and his .537 OPS ranks third-worst in MLB among 156 qualified players. Justin Turner, the club's biggest offensive offseason addition, is 6-for-59 (.102) in May.23. Cincinnati Reds Record Last 10 RD Previous rank 23-30 5-5 -3 20 (-3) Cincinnati entered Sunday with 10 regulars on the IL, two of whom suffered hand or wrist fractures after being hit by pitches. Manager David Bell recently lost his cool, tossing a chair around his team s dugout after Jake Fraley was pegged in the hand by a pitch. The fiery moment may have injected some life into the Reds, who swept the juggernaut Dodgers at home this past weekend.24. New York Mets Record Last 10 RD Previous rank 22-30 3-7 -24 16 (-8) The Mets were finally on the right side of a late-game comeback in Sunday's win over the Giants. Unfortunately, not much else has gone right in Queens of late. Star closer Edwin D az's been a shell of himself after missing the 2023 season, having blown four save opportunities this month. Sound the alarms, not the trumpets.25. Washington Nationals Record Last 10 RD Previous rank 23-28 3-7 -18 22 (-3) The Nationals entered May playing close to .500 but have been inconsistent. Washington has just two series wins this month and has gotten little production outside of Eddie Rosario and Ildemaro Vargas. Joey Gallo might not keep a roster spot for much longer thanks to a career-worst .305 slugging percentage, with four homers and 55 strikeouts in 32 games.26. Los Angeles Angels Record Last 10 RD Previous rank 20-33 5-5 -36 26 (-) The Angels may have stumbled onto a potential building block in the rotation: Jos Soriano. The right-hander owns an impressive sinker that can touch 100 mph with a lot of movement. Soriano has a 2.73 ERA with 28 strikeouts and a .200 opponent's batting average across his last five starts. If Soriano can iron out some issues with his command, he could develop into a frontline starter.27. Miami Marlins Record Last 10 RD Previous rank 19-35 7-3 -78 30 (+3) Jes s Luzardo returned from a three-week IL stint looking like his usual self. The left-hander hasn't allowed a run over his last two starts, striking out 11 in 14 innings with zero walks. Luzardo has two more years of team control after this season and could be the most in-demand starting pitcher on the market.28. Oakland Athletics Record Last 10 RD Previous rank 22-33 3-7 -63 24 (-4) Brent Rooker is putting together an even better season than his 30-homer breakout campaign in 2023. Rooker, who could be a solid trade target, sits ninth in MLB with a .933 OPS and has already hit 11 home runs. The 29-year-old isn't arbitration-eligible until next season.29. Colorado Rockies Record Last 10 RD Previous rank 18-34 4-6 -74 29 (-) The Rockies have been playing marginally better baseball thanks to substantially better starting pitching. Austin Gomber lowered his ERA to 2.76 after recording four straight quality starts in May, while Cal Quantrill's also been sharp (3.59 ERA). 30. Chicago White Sox Record Last 10 RD Previous rank 15-39 1-9 -116 28 (-2) The White Sox have tumbled back to the basement of the rankings after another dismal stretch. Positives are few and far between, but the in-season signing of Tommy Pham has paid dividends. The veteran outfielder is hitting .315/.361/.459 with three home runs and seven doubles in 28 games. Copyright © 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.We're coming off a bounce-back day on the diamond, as we went 2-1 with our best bets Wednesday night.We'll look to keep things moving in the right direction with a pair of plays for Thursday's card.Orioles (-240) @ White Sox (+200)This game is set up to be relatively low-scoring - at least early on.The Orioles will be sending dynamic righty Grayson Rodriguez to the mound. He s pitching well this season, as he allowed two runs or fewer and recorded at least 17 outs in six of his seven starts thus far.Rodriguez routinely flirts with six innings while keeping opposing offenses at bay. Excluding a blow-up start in late April against the Angels (go figure), he has allowed only seven runs over six outings. He's giving up next to nothing.That should be the case against the White Sox, who rank last in runs per game, 29th in hits, 30th in OBP, and 30th in homers. They don t have a quick-strike offense and have difficulty stringing together hits against anyone, let alone a talent like Rodriguez.There's a good chance Rodriguez allows one or less through five innings, which means the Orioles' offense has to start on fire to push this game over the first-half total.Although the Orioles have the talent to put up numbers in a hurry, they are hardly at the peak of their powers right now. They're hitting only .196 against right-handed pitchers in May, which ranks last in the league.With Rodriguez on the mound, the Orioles can probably score three runs in the first half and still see this game go under its total. I like the cushion here.Bet: F5 Under 4.5 (-130)Jack Flaherty: Over 17.5 outsFlaherty's a certified innings eater. He's completed six or more in eight of nine starts this season, falling short only to a Rays team that is adept at working pitch counts and chasing starters from games early.Flaherty does his best work on home soil, as he's averaging 19.3 outs per game in Detroit this season compared to 17.5 on the road.He should be in for another lengthy outing against the Blue Jays, who don't strike out very often and sit second in contact rate against righties this month.Put another way, they're putting a lot of balls in play and not letting pitch counts get overly high. That should help Flaherty last longer.Considering the Blue Jays sit 25th in runs per game and 27th in homers, I don't think we have to worry about their high in-play rate leading to real damage.Odds: -115 (playable to -130)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Seattle Mariners acquired reliever Mike Baumann and catcher Michael P rez from the Baltimore Orioles for minor-league catcher Blake Hunt, the team announced Wednesday.The Orioles designated Baumann for assignment Saturday to make room for Grayson Rodriguez upon his return from the IL.Baumann has posted a 3.44 ERA and 1.47 WHIP across 18 1/3 innings in 2024. He should help bolster the Mariners' struggling bullpen.P rez has appeared in parts of six MLB seasons but didn't play a game in the majors with Baltimore this year. The 30-year-old owns a career 52 OPS+.Hunt, 25, has posted an impressive .293/.372/.533 slash line over 23 games at Triple-A. He'll provide the Orioles with organizational catching depth behind Adley Rutschman and James McCann. Copyright © 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Rodriguez didn't factor into the decision Saturday against the Mariners, yielding just one hit and three walks over six shutout innings. He recorded seven strikeouts.