Pick Result: "Desert Doubler" Two-Team Parlay - WIN
It's a 3-0 Dodgers lead and Roki Sasaki is pitching a fine game into the sixth:
-- 5.0IP 1H 0ER 5K 1BB on 76 pitches.
Sasaki is definitely in the game in the sixth for Dave Roberts' ball club. Orioles' second baseman, Jackson Holliday, slaps a lead-off single.
Sasaki gets Jeremiah Jackson to fly out to center and strikes out Taylor Ward on three pitches. Ward whiffed on a 97mph heater and took a seat on the bench. Two down and Sasaki is an out away from potentially pitching the seventh with a 3-0 lead.
Interesting spot in this game. Sasaki has only thrown 85 pitches and has only allowed two hits all night. The Dodgers have a three-run lead, a homer doesn't tie the game. Sasaki is right lefty on the Orioles' slugger, Gunnar Henderson. Roberts' sticks with his starter.
Sasaki misses with an 88mph splitter right in Henderson's wheelhouse and he demolishes the ball. It's a souvenir for the right field bleachers. 3-2 Dodgers.
The "Polar Bear" Pete Alonso is up with nobody on base. Roberts' lets Sasaki work to Alonso. Let's see how he responds. 99mph fastball is low. A 90mph splitter is in there for a called strike, it's a 1-1 count. Sasaki delivers a 98mph heater on the inside on the plate and Alonso cranks it for a solo homer, 3-3 tie ball game.
Jack Dreyer relieves Sasaki and strikes out Samuel Basallo to end the inning.
Tough inning in the sixth for Sasaki but he pitched a good game. Two tough hitters in Henderson and Alonso. You have to keep the ball out of their wheelhouse. Have to hit your spots on the outside, especially to Henderson. The big advantage a right-handed pitcher has against a lefty slugger is the lane on the outside of the plate. The curveball is the best pitch here and Sasaki doesn't have one. He should have been fastball, fastball, fastball, slider on the outside the entire time. Missing with a splitter on the inside of the plate is a bad pitch.
If you walk Henderson, the tying run is at the plate in Alonso and Roberts should call to the pen in that situation for his best right-handed reliever. You have to work around Henderson in that spot. A walk is better than a base hit and definitely better than a home run ball.
Dodgers' relievers Jack Dreyer and Will Klein combine for two earned runs in the seventh. The bases were loaded with one out for nine-hole hitter Jeremiah Jackson. He collected a pair of RBIs and it's 5-3 Orioles' with two on, one out and the top of the line up at bat. Taylor Ward had a big opportunity to blow the top off this game. He grounds into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning. It's a nice break for the Dodgers in the seventh.
Enter the bottom of the ninth, score is 5-3 Orioles. Baltimore closer Ryan Helsley enters the game to face the heart of the Dodgers' lineup. It's a save opportunity for Helsley.
He gets Freddie Freeman to ground out and the tough work is seemingly done but Mookie makes him pay on 2-2, taking an 87mph slider out of the ballpark. It's 5-4 Dodgers.
Helsley walks Max Muncy. Alex Call runs for Muncy. Tommy Edman at the plate. Edman gets his pitch and pops out. Two down.
Rookie Ryan Ward at the plate. Ward is no slouch, he is a prolific slugger in the Pacific Coast League. Helsley misses on four straight pitches and walks Ward. The walk puts a runner in scoring position for Dodger's catcher, Dalton Rushing. Switch-hitter Alex Freeland on-deck.
This is a tough spot. Two outs. Helsley is your closer but he is right lefty on Rushing. Sure, it's your closer, but do you go lefty lefty on Rushing here?
Baltimore manager,. , sticks with Helsley and Rushing slaps a base-hit into right field. Tyler O'Neill fields the ball cleanly and there is a play at the plate! Alex Call has good speed, why is he throwing home?! It's a bad throw, it's an error, Ward comes around to score, Dodgers win 6-5 in the bottom of the ninth. What a game!
This is the problem with platoons and irregular playing time. Is O'Neill the best option if RF defensively heading into the ninth? I'm uncertain, but Helsley is on the hook for the loss and O'Neill doesn't get a pass for the error.
I'm happy with the outcome, I had a bet on the Dodgers and with the Diamondbacks cruising to a 9-5 victory over the Twins in the desert, our Parlay bet hits. The Pickstreak blogs gets a win last night.
Sometimes the late inning heroics are in your favor. It sure is nice to get a win.
--------------MLB Pickstreak Pick Results-------------------
Pick Result: Two-Team Parlay (+131) - WIN
-- AZD (-170) ML vs. MIN - WIN
-- LAD (-220) ML vs. BAL - WIN
Amount Wagered: 1.00 units
Ticket Pays: 2.31 units
Current Streak: 1W
Season Record (STR): 2-5
Season Record (PAR): 4-11
Season Record (ML) 22-20*
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--------------------MLB Pickstreak Profit / Loss-----------------
Beginning Account Balance: 50.00 units
Current Account Balance: 33.00 units
Sportsbook Account: 2.31 units
Buy-In: 0.00 units
Units Banked: 0.00 units
Units in Play: 2.31 units
Current Account Balance: 33.00 units
Bank Balance: 7.00 units
ROI Open Equity: -15.4%
ROI Closed Equity: -20.0%
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*all picks are moneyline (ML) bets, we have selected a total of 42 games. Seven games were bet outright as straight (STR) wagers. 35 games compose our parlay (PAR) bets. We have placed 12 Two-Team Parlays, 2 Three-Team Parlays and 1 Four-Team Parlay. That's 42 individual game selections total, 22-20 on the season.