Days with multiple MLB games are soon to be over. However, we have two games Saturday. The Yankees are trying to take one off the Astros now that they're at home, while the Phillies and Padres square off in Game 4. First pitch is at 5:07 p.m. EDT. Here are my lineup recommendations.
Pitching
Cristian Javier, HOU at NYY ($47): No easy matchups out there at this point. Top guys seem to be the way to go. That means either Javier or Gerrit Cole, and I'm going Javier. He didn't allow a run over his last four regular season starts. Both lefties and righties hit sub-.200 against him. And while Javier was better at home, a 2.84 road ERA is pretty decent.
Top Target
This season, Kyle Tucker ($14) tallied 30 home runs and 25 stolen bases. And versus righties, the southpaw registered an .850 OPS and an .866 on the road. The thing with Cole is that even at his best, he still gives up homers. He's the modern style of ace who gets by because he doesn't allows a lot of people on base, so those home runs are often solo shots. So what we have here is a hot hitter against someone who allowed 1.48 home runs per nine innings this season, and added two more in two playoff starts.
Bargain Bat
Even in a down year by his lofty standards, Juan Soto ($13) managed an OBP over .400, something he's done every season of his career. His "issue" was that he was human against fellow lefties. Bailey Falter is set to start Game 4, but he hasn't appeared in over two weeks. Soto is likely going to catch a few plate appearances against bullpen arms. And if nothing else, he can work a walk and has slugged .526 during his career. At this salary, I'm definitely taking a shot on Soto.
Stack to Consider
Phillies vs. Padres (Mike Clevinger): Bryce Harper ($24), Rhys Hoskins ($11), Jean Segura ($10)
Clevinger is in line to start for the Padres, though we'd understand if his time on the mound was brief. He posted a 4.97 FIP this season with a 5.46 road ERA. While Clevinger is a righty, I still stacked two righties here because right handers hit .257 off him this season.
Harper has been maybe the best hitter in these playoffs, and that comes after another top-notch regular season. Taking an even bigger-picture look, he's produced a 1.026 OPS versus righties and an 1.000 at home. Hoskins hit 30 home runs this year and did decidedly better versus lefties with better home production. The first baseman also managed an .885 OPS in Philly this year. Segura hit .277 with 10 homers and 13 stolen bases in 98 games with a .749 home OPS. He's also been the Phillies' second-best hitter behind Harper this postseason, so I'm happy to have him as a righty facing Clevinger.
