Mets vs Orioles Picks and Odds – Sep. 2
By Paul Attfield in MLB Baseball
Published:
- Pair of fourth-place teams send underachieving pitchers to the mound on Wednesday
- Orioles have won five of their last six meetings, although Mets won nine in a row prior to that
- Read on for all the odds, analysis and a best best for this matchup
At five games and counting following Tuesday night’s 9-5 loss to the Baltimore Orioles in the series opener, the New York Mets are currently the proud owners of the longest losing streak in the majors.
And the portents are definitely mixed when it comes to their chances of ending it in Wednesday afternoon’s mini-series finale against the O’s at 4:10 pm ET. While the Mets send Michael Wacha to the mound for the second time since his return from the injured list, the Orioles counter with 2019 All-Star John Means. However, neither is having a stellar 2020 season, with just one win between them and ERAs of 7.41 and 8.59 respectively.
As a result, the Mets are the favorite in the Mets vs Orioles odds.
Mets vs Orioles Odds
| Team | Runline | Moneyline | Total Runs at DraftKings |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York Mets | -1.5 (+114) | -139 | O 10 (-112) |
| Baltimore Orioles | +1.5 (-134) | +120 | U 10 (-108) |
Odds taken Sept. 2
Wacha Whacked Around
It’s been a while since the Mets right-hander has shown glimpses of the burgeoning ace who pitched the St. Louis Cardinals into the World Series as a rookie back in 2013.
Michael Wacha, 90mph Cutter and 89mph Changeup, Overlay. pic.twitter.com/x7uHq56wlG
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 28, 2020
After a 6-7 year in 2019 with a 4.76 ERA, Wacha became a free agent and signed with the Mets. The Big Apple experience hasn’t gone well for the 2015 All-Star so far. In four starts he is 1-2 with a 7.41 ERA and a WHIP of 1.765.
#Mets Michael Wacha
Pitch Quality Decline
2018 (5.08 QOPA)(3.20 ERA)
2019 (4.91 QOPA)(4.76 ERA)
2020 (4.66 QOPA)(7.41 ERA)👀Vertical Break
2018 (Top 7% MLB)
2019 (Top 9%)
2020 (Top 31%)👀Late Break
2018 (Top 44%)
2019 (Top 48%)
2020 (Bottom 31%)👀@Mets @Metsmerized pic.twitter.com/7TugYbztCF— MLB Quality of Pitch (@qopbaseball) August 28, 2020
In his last three starts – sandwiched around a trip to the IL with shoulder inflammation – he has a 9.75 ERA.
In addition, Wacha will be making his first career start against the Orioles. If there’s any advantage to be had there, it is that only one batter on the Baltimore roster has ever faced Wacha before, giving him a slight element of surprise.
Orioles Career Stats vs Wacha
| Player | AB | HR | RBI | AVG. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jose Iglesias | 7 | 0 | 0 | .286 |
Means Needs to Get Groove Back
After a 12-11 All-Star season with a 3.60 ERA in 2019, the Baltimore left-hander entered his second full MLB season confident of pushing his star higher.
John Means business year round.
We're proud of our 2019 Rookie of the Year runner-up 👏 pic.twitter.com/WQzj11DclB
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) November 13, 2019
It hasn’t happened so far. In five starts, Means has yet to make it out of the fifth inning as he has had to overcome both the tragic loss of his father to cancer as well as dealing with bouts of arm fatigue at times.
As a result, he is 0-2 with an 8.59 ERA heading into his first career appearance against the Mets. And he has been even worse at Camden Yards, where Wednesday’s game is taking place, making four of his five starts there but with a 10.13 ERA in that 10.2 innings he’s pitched there.
HIGHLIGHT: John Means fans Randal Grichuk
John Means gets Randal Grichuk to swing and miss on a changeup to finish off the 3rd inning
— Blue Jays PBP (@BlueJaysPBP) August 29, 2020
If there’s anything like a silver lining to be found here, it’s that his last appearance, against the Toronto Blue Jays on August 28, saw Means throw a season-high 74 pitches before being pulled in a 5-4 loss. He started that game strong, too, retiring the first eight batters he saw.
Recent History Sides With Baltimore
The other thing going in the Orioles’ favor is the recent head-to-head matchup between the teams. Baltimore has won five of the last six meetings, although three of those wins were of the one-run variety.
The Mets’ lone victory was in blowout fashion – by a 16-5 scoreline in August 2018 – but the team did win nine in a row before the Orioles’ recent run of success, taking every game from 2010 through to their last meeting in 2015.
Pick: O 10 (-112)
Sports Writer
For the last 20 years, Paul Attfield has worked in sports media. Starting out in his native Britain with the likes of The Independent, he eventually switched continents, with his work appearing in the likes of the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post and Yahoo Sports since.
