We are now in the stretch run of the MLB season. The dregs of the league have been eliminated from postseason contention, and the Atlanta Braves became the first team to lock down a playoff spot earlier this week. The Los Angeles Dodgers look to clinch their division soon as well, but the AL East, AL West, and NL Central are still up for grabs.

Unlike the other three major American sports, there really isn’t tanking in baseball, so that’s important to keep in mind. The Oakland Athletics will likely end up with the worst record in the league this season with well over 100 losses, but they have won six of their last 10 games to pay off in a big way when it comes to the MLB betting odds.

That being said, it is also important to keep in mind a team’s motivations at this point. Not all non-playoff contenders have the same goals, as you can see with the St. Louis Cardinals. St. Louis is in dead last in the NL Central and has had a very disappointing season. The Cards are set to finish with a losing record for the first time since 2007, and they will probably end up with their worst record in almost 25 years. With little to play for at this point, the Cards keep starting a clearly past his prime Adam Wainwright in the hopes that he will get to 200 wins with the team (he’s currently stuck at 198). The 42-year-old has been a lynchpin in St. Louis’ rotation for 17 years, but he is clearly running on fumes. Wainwright is 3-11 with a 1.98 WHIP and an 8.19 ERA.

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Colorado Rockies vs. Chicago Cubs

Ty Blach vs. Jameson Taillon

After two solid seasons with the New York Yankees, the Chicago Cubs were counting on Jameson Taillon to be a major part of their rotation in 2023. Unfortunately for the lovable losers, Taillon is having the worst season of his career with a -0.8 WAR. He has managed to stay relatively healthy with over 130 innings pitched, but he is carrying a 1.30 WHIP and a 5.27 ERA.

The big issue with Taillon this season has been his propensity to give up the long ball. He is coming off his best start of the season in a 1-0 loss to Arizona last Friday, but he surrendered five home runs in his two previous outings. Tallon had allowed a home run in at least seven straight games prior to the strong showing against the Diamondbacks, and it’s pretty likely that he gives up one or two dingers in Coors Field on Wednesday afternoon.

Colorado is somewhat of a launching pad once again. The Rockies staff have allowed 850 runs so far this season, and that’s over 100 runs more than any other team in the National League. Ty Blach gave up three home runs to San Francisco in his last start, so this game has a very good chance of going over per the baseball betting line. Colorado can pick up the win too, so go ahead and roll with the Rockies and the Over.

MLB SAME GAME PARLAY: OVER THE RUN TOTAL + COLORADO ROCKIES MONEYLINE

 Toronto Blue Jays vs. Texas Rangers

Yusei Kikuchi vs. Jordan Montgomery

The Texas Rangers are trying to salvage a playoff spot after a rough showing over the last month. Texas lost eight straight games at one point, and that has the Rangers fighting for a Wild Card spot despite having a run differential of +148. They are in a struggle though as they will be on the road for 13 of their last 19 games, and Texas is just 34-34 away from home this season.

Toronto has heated up after a slow start and is currently in position to grab one of the Wild Card spots. It’s never easy to play the Blue Jays in Canada, and Yusei Kikuchi has been one of their more reliable starters all season. Kikuchi has struck out at least six batters in each of his last six starts, and he is carrying a 1.24 WHIP and a 3.57 ERA into this game.

MLB SAME GAME PARLAY: TORONTO BLUE JAYS MONEYLINE + YUSEI KIKUCHI OVER STRIKEOUTS