MLB Picks and Predictions for Tuesday
Our team of writers and handicappers hand out their MLB picks and predictions for Tuesday, May 5.
Minnesota Twins at Detroit Tigers, 7:05PM ET
Michael Cuddyer and the Minnesota Twins are producing at the plate. The Detroit Tigers aren't.
The Twins look to continue their hot hitting Tuesday night when they go for a sweep of a two-game road set with the slumping Tigers.
Cuddyer has been torrid of late, going 9-for-18 with two triples, a homer and seven RBIs over the last six games. The right fielder has raised his average 59 points to .267 during that stretch while driving in seven runs to give him 13 RBIs on the season.
The Twins (13-13) are batting .308 and have scored 38 runs in those six games, going 4-2. They're coming off a 7-2 victory over the Tigers on Monday night as Cuddyer went 2-for-3 with three RBIs and recorded his third consecutive two-hit game.
Cuddyer is 10-for-28 (.357) with one homer and seven RBIs in his previous nine games at Detroit, where Minnesota has won five of its last six.
MLB Free Pick: Detroit | Best Line: -120 SPORTSBETTING
New York Mets at Atlanta Braves, 7:10PM ET
Carlos Beltran is in the midst of one of the best stretches of his career, but maybe now he's really getting hot.
Coming off his 26th multihomer game, Beltran looks to notch his longest hitting streak in the majors Tuesday night and lift the visiting New York Mets to a two-game sweep of the Atlanta Braves.
Beltran has tied a career high with a hit in 15 consecutive games, but had only one hit in five straight before getting two Saturday at Philadelphia. After a day off due to a rainout, Beltran ended an eight-game home run drought with a pair of two-run shots Monday in a 6-4 win over Atlanta.
He doubled his home run total for the season - he's had 101 in the previous three years combined - and got his first RBI in seven games.
It was a continuation of his success at Turner Field, where he's hit .345 with 12 homers and 32 RBIs in 37 games. He helped New York (11-13) win its first game there this season after going 1-8 at Atlanta last year.
MLB Free Pick: NY Mets | Best Line: +110 SPORTSBETTING
Cincinnati Reds at Florida Marlins, 7:10PM ET
Last year, Edinson Volquez developed into the Cincinnati Reds' ace. It took him five starts in 2009 to prove he's still capable of filling that role.
Coming off one of the best outings of his career, Volquez will try to help the Reds salvage a split of their two-game road set with the NL East-leading Florida Marlins.
Volquez (3-2, 4.45 ERA) went 17-6 with a 3.21 ERA in his first full season in the majors in 2008, leading the Reds (13-12) in wins while posting the lowest ERA of any member of the rotation. The right-hander's 206 strikeouts tied him with Arizona's Dan Haren and Johan Santana of New York for second in the NL.
Volquez finally showed he's capable of replicating that stellar season on Wednesday, with a double in the first being the only hit he would allow in a career-best eight innings in a 3-0 win over Houston. He struck out six, walked one and induced 12 groundouts with one popup, as 19 batters failed to get the ball out of the infield.
MLB Free Pick: Cincinnati | Best Line: +110 SPORTSBETTING
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