Sunday, April 16, 2023 Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Miami Marlins (MLB) - 1:40 PM EDT Premium Pick Pick: Money Line: -125 Miami Marlins Rating: 9* Mike's Sunday MLB Goose-Egger (WIN) In my 2nd MLB play of the season, we'll peruse through what makes RHP Sandy Alcantara tick. He was a 17-year-old Dominican signed by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2013 before getting his big break in April of 18' when he was traded to the Marlins' organization. He was called up from the PCL's now-defunct AAA affiliate New Orleans Baby Cakes & became a starter 2 months later. He's now raking in a guaranteed $56 million in his current 5-year deal. The NL Cy Young award winner is an excellent groundball-inducing pitcher (49%). Leading to his success is the mastery of 3 of his pitches. Most of his repertoire includes a devastating 98 mph sinker, a 98 mph 4-seam fastball & a 91 mph changeup (usually with 2 strikes) with major movement. We're getting up right after the Phillies pounded him for 9 ER's just 6 days ago @ Citizens Bank Park. However, that's one of the scarce teams who've solved Alcantara over the past 2 seasons. Now he gets to take on a less-powerful lineup in Arizona on his home turf of Loan Depot Park in Miami where his ERA sits @ 1.84 in day games. The surprising NL West-leading Diamondbacks are 3-7 @ the Marlins' home field & are hitting a struggling .188 on the road versus RHP this season. Alancantara has a 2.92 ERA & yields a .204 batting average in 4 career start versus Arizona. He'll probably face a 1-2-3 lineup of Ketel Marte (.218-.250 versus Sandy), the team's best Josh Rojas (.390-.167 versus Sandy) & Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (.250-.333 versus Sandy) in the 1st of which he's held in check for the majority in head-to-heads. My bottom line says value-wise, we're catch him off an embarrassing defeat & motivation will be high for Alcantara. We're rolling into LoanDepot Park to play the ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS-NO SCORE 1ST INNING as my 9 Star Sunday MLB Goose-Egger Play! Friday, April 14, 2023 New York Mets vs. Oakland Athletics (MLB) - 9:40 PM EDT Premium Pick Pick: Money Line: -215 New York Mets Rating: 9* Mike's 1st MLB Play of the Season (WIN) We're going to start it off by going west coast to look @ a great starter starting off. There's not much film or book on New York Mets RHP Kodai Senga. We'll use that to our advantage early. He's an early overall 2-0 & has pitched 11 1/3 innings spreading out just 6 hits with yielding 2 ER (1.59 ERA). The A's having seen Senga's repertoire of effective pitches including his "ghost pitch" of which we'll elaborate in upcoming plays. Don't expect NY to take this interleague too lightly. This is the 50th anniversary of the A's knocking off the Metropolitans in 7 games in the 73' World Series. Let's eagerly grab the OAKLAND ATHLETICS-NO SCORE 1st INNING for 9 Stars as my 1st MLB Play of the Season! Mike Handzelek's 2023 MLB Overall Record: 2-0 for 100%