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April 22st MLB Odds and Picks – Cleveland’s Civale Look to Stay Unbeaten Against Yankees

John Perrotto

by John Perrotto in MLB Baseball

Updated Apr 22, 2021 · 9:15 AM PDT

Domingo German mid-pitch
New York Yankees' pitcher Domingo German delivers during the first inning of a spring training exhibition baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies in Tampa, Fla., Monday, March 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
  • There are just eight games on the MLB schedule for Thursday, April 22nd
  • Season record: 25-32: -$1,015 (based on $100 wagered per unit)
  • Wagering advice for Thursday’s games can be found below

It is a light schedule Thursday in MLB with just eight games on tap but there is an intriguing rematch in the National League West.

The San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers open a four-game series at 10:10 pm ET at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers took two of three games last weekend in San Diego in a series that featured plenty of drama and emotion.

The Padres are hopeful of ending the Dodgers’ eight-year run as division champions following a winter in which they made three major trades for starting pitching. Rookie Ryan Weathers (1-0, 0.93 ERA) takes the mound for San Diego in the opener against Walker Buehler (1-0, 2.00).

At -182, the Dodgers are the biggest favorites in baseball Thursday.

April 22 MLB Picks

Matchup Pick and Odds Units Risked
Yankees vs Cleveland Cleveland (-110) 1 unit
Mets vs Cubs Cubs (+114) 1 unit
Marlins vs Giants Marlins (+125) 1 unit

Odds as of April 22nd at DraftKings.

Pick 1: Indians (-110)

If the Progressive Field grounds crew can put their snow shovels away, the visiting New York Yankees and Cleveland will begin a four-game series at 6:10 p.m. Cleveland’s scheduled home game Thursday with the Chicago White Sox was postponed because of a snowstorm.

This is what it can look like on the shores of Lake Erie in April.

Domingo German (0-2, 9.00 ERA) will be recalled from the alternate training site to start for the Yankees, facing unbeaten Aaron Civale (3-0, 2.18).

The Yankees sent German out after he allowed four runs and eight hits in four innings in a loss to the Tampa Bay Rays in his previous outings. That came after German was one of the biggest storylines in New York’s spring training camp, looking sharp after sitting out all last season while suspended for violating MLB’s domestic violence policy.

Civale has been of the best pitchers in baseball during the season’s early going. He limited the hard-hitting White Sox to one run and four hits in six innings to win his last start.

With much of the spotlight shining on Cleveland ace Shane Bieber, it is easy to overlook the fact Civale has compiled a 3.49 ERA in 25 career starts. At 25, Civale seemingly still has upside, too.

The Yankees wanted German to work on his fastball command at the alternate site. However, his first two starts did not inspire much confidence.

Civale is attractive at these odds against a Yankees lineup that is 27th in the major leagues with an average of 3.47 runs scored a game.

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Pick 2: Cubs (+114)

The Chicago Cubs look to sweep a three-game series against the visiting New York Mets at 7:40 pm at Wrigley Field. Trevor Williams (2-1, 5.02) will pitch for the Cubs against left-hander Joey Lucchesi (0-1, 5.40).

Signed as a free agent after being released by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the offseason, Williams had the best of his three starts this season last Saturday. He held the Atlanta Braves to one run and four hits in five-plus innings and got the win.

Williams has had success against the Mets, going 3-1 with a 2.08 ERA in four career starts. And the Cubs are coming off a 16-4 rout of New York on Wednesday night in which Javier Baez hit a grand slam and the Mets made four errors.

Lucchesi makes his second start for the Mets. He was acquired from the Padres in a three-team trade in January that send Joe Musgrove from Pittsburgh to San Diego.

Lucchesi lasted just three innings in his first start of 2021, on the road against the Colorado Rockies, as he gave up three runs in a loss. He threw just 55 pitches.

At one time, Lucchesi looked like part of the Padres’ future. He made 56 starts combined in 2018 and 2019 with an ERA around league average at 4.14. However, Lucchesi was passed by other young pitchers on the depth chart, started just twice last season, and is now trying to get his career back on track in New York.

At 27, Lucchesi is trending downward. He looks like a good fade candidate here, especially as the favorite.

Pick 3: Marlins (+125)

The Miami Marlins will send rookie left-hander Daniel Castano (0-0, 1.80) to the mound against the Giants’ Aaron Sanchez (0-1, 2.45) at 9:45 pm in the opener of a four-game series at Oracle Park in San Francisco.

Left-hander Trevor Rogers and right-handers Sandy Alcantara and Sixto Sanchez have generated much of the headlines among the Marlins’ stable of impressive young arms. However, Castano is worth keeping an eye on.

Castano faced the Giants last Friday in his first start of the season and held them to one run in five innings in a no-decision. He made six starts and one relief appearance last season and compiled a 3.03 ERA.

The Marlins got Castano, Alcantara and Zac Gallen – now the Arizona Diamondbacks’ best starting pitcher – from the St. Louis Cardinals in a trade for Marcell Ozuna during the 2017-18 offseason.

Aaron Sanchez is authoring a nice comeback story in San Francisco after sitting out last season while recovering from shoulder surgery. Signed to a one-year, $4-million contract as a free agent early in spring training, he has allowed two runs or fewer in each of his three starts.

However, it might be wise to hop on the Castano bus before the oddsmakers catch up to him.

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