With five more homers in a 12-7 victory last night, the Phillies now have 57 homers in the month of August, tying the Major League record.
With today being their last game of the month, it's their last chance to break the record. Bryce Harper may just be the one to break it with a milestone home run of his own.
The Twins have created some separation from the Guardians in the AL Central, but the Guardians did take last night's matchup 4-2 to even the series. The Twins will go for the series win again today, and Royce Lewis may provide the offense.
Yesterday was a tough day for the Blue Jays as they lost 5-4 to the Nationals and also put All-Star shortstop Bo Bichette back on the IL with a right quadriceps strain. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has gotten hot of late, but the Blue Jays will need others to step up to replace Bichette's production. Rookie Davis Schneider appears to be up to the task.
MLB Player Props For Wednesday, August 30
Bryce Harper Over 1.5 Total Bases +125 (DraftKings)
Last night we backed Trea Turner against Tyler Anderson, and after a slow start, he hit a triple and a home run in his final two at-bats to finish with seven total bases. Turner also has had success against Reid Detmers, but today I am going back to one of his teammates. Despite being left-handed himself, Detmers is allowing a .305 batting average and .935 OPS to left-handed batters. Right-handers are hitting .236 with a .711 OPS against him.
Bryce Harper has a hot left-handed bat for the Phillies, and like Turner, Harper also homered last night (his 14th of the season and 299th home run of his career). He has now homered in five of his past eight games, but over the last 15 days, Harper also has recorded three doubles, one triple, seven home runs, 15 runs batted in and a slash line of .438/.550/1.529.
Harper has hit for more power in night games, but he is hitting .322 in day games. He is also hitting .299 against left-handed pitchers, which is why I like him today against Detmers. He is also hitting .344 with a 1.017 OPS at Citizens Bank Park.
Harper has hit this line in seven of his past eight games, with six multi-hit games in that span. Expect Harper to go over this line with an extra-base hit or two hits today. However, if he goes over this line with a home run, it will be the 300th of his career.
Royce Lewis Over 1.5 Hits + Runs + Runs Batted In -105 (DraftKings)
Since returning to the big leagues on Memorial Day, Royce Lewis has flashed the talent that made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 MLB Entry Draft. This season, Lewis is hitting .315 with nine home runs, 29 runs batted in and a .897 OPS.
Like Harper, Lewis has five home runs in his past eight games and has a hit in seven of those games as well. Three of his home runs have come against the Guardians. Lewis will get a tough assignment today against fellow rookie Tanner Bibee. However, Bibee's ERA nearly doubles on the road at 3.94 compared to 2.02 at Progressive Field.
Bibee has been tougher on left-handed batters, but righties have 13 doubles, 11 home runs and are hitting .263 with a .765 OPS against him. Lewis is hitting .306 with eight of his nine home runs against right-handed pitchers.
Lewis enters this game with momentum as he has homered in each of his last three games. That streak may end today, but he has hit this line in six of his past eight games. He is averaging 3.75 hits + runs + runs batted in that span, but tonight we just need two from him to clear this line.
Pick: Royce Lewis Over 1.5 Hits + Runs + Runs Batted In
Davis Schneider Over 1.5 Total Bases +105 (DraftKings)
It is hard to begin a career much better than Davis Schneider has. Against Boston, Schneider went 9-for-13 with two home runs and five runs batted in during the three-game series.
Then he went hitless in four of his next five games, including 0-for-9 in a series at Cleveland. Boston doesn't have the greatest pitching staff in the world, so some wondered if Schneider was a flash in the pan.
He returned to the lineup when the Guardians came to Toronto. Since then, he has two hits in three of his past four games and also has homered in four of his past five games. Overall, he is hitting .422 with six home runs, 14 runs batted in and a 1.421 OPS in the 13 games since he was called up.
I was planning on backing Schneider today because he has a hot bat and a favorable matchup against Nationals starting pitcher Patrick Corbin. Right-handers have 25 doubles, 24 home runs, a .298 average and a .839 OPS against Corbin, who has allowed six home runs in his last four starts. Schneider also has five of his home runs against left-handed pitchers.
Schneider has recorded two total bases in four of his last five games and eight of 13 games this season. Yesterday, he moved into the two-hole, which is typically Bichette's spot in the Blue Jays lineup. That may give him the opportunity to get five plate appearances and increase his chances of getting two hits.
