MLB Picks and Predictions for Friday
Our team of writers and handicappers hand out their MLB picks and predictions for Friday, May 22.
Cleveland Indians at Cincinnati Reds, 7:10PM ET
A long trip away from home has helped the Cleveland Indians' hitters, who have led their team to consecutive comeback victories.
To earn a season-high third straight win, the Indians could use better hitting in their home state and against their interleague rivals.
Cleveland concludes its trek with the opener of a three-game series versus the struggling Cincinnati Reds on Friday night.
Coming into their 10-game trip, the Indians (16-26) were batting .266 overall and .249 with runners in scoring position, but have hit .314 and .352, respectively, in those categories during stops in Tampa Bay and Kansas City.
MLB Free Pick: Cincinnati | Best Line: -120 SPORTSBETTING
Pittsburgh Pirates at Chicago White Sox, 8:11PM ET
In a matter of hours, the Chicago White Sox went from a resurgent team on the brink of bolstering their rotation to a club that was embarrassed at home and missed out on getting a new ace.
The White Sox will try to regroup Friday night when they begin their interleague schedule against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the opener of a three-game series.
Chicago (17-23) hit .208 during a 1-7 road trip before starting a six-game homestand by beating Minnesota 6-2 on Tuesday and 7-4 the following night. The White Sox totaled four homers in those wins, including a grand slam by Jermaine Dye on Tuesday, after managing just six in the previous 10 games.
MLB Free Pick: Pittsburgh | Best Line: +105 SPORTSBETTING
Toronto Blue Jays at Atlanta Braves, 7:35PM ET
Roy Halladay certainly has a knack for picking up wins. It took him less than four innings of relief work to earn one in his only appearance against the Atlanta Braves.
Halladay, the major league's leader in wins, makes his first career start against the Braves as the Toronto Blue Jays open a three-game interleague series Friday night.
With wins in each of his last five starts, Halladay (8-1, 2.78 ERA) leads Kansas City right-hander Zack Greinke by one for the major league lead in that category.
Though he has a major league-best 121 wins in 215 starts since the start of the 2002 season, the veteran right-hander will be making just his second appearance against the Braves (20-20). Halladay faced Atlanta in relief July 20, 1999, yielding one run and two hits in 3 2-3 innings to earn a win in an 11-6 Blue Jays victory.
MLB Free Pick: Toronto | Best Line: -155 SPORTSBETTING
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