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April 20th MLB Odds and Picks – Rodon Looks for Second No-Hitter vs Cleveland

John Perrotto

by John Perrotto in MLB Baseball

Updated Apr 20, 2021 · 9:20 AM PDT

Chicago White Sox pitcher Carlos Rodon celebrating with teammates after throwing a no-hitter
Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Carlos Rodon, center, celebrates his no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians in a baseball game, Wednesday, April, 14, 2021, in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)
  • There are 16 games on the MLB schedule for Tuesday, April 20th
  • Season record: 22-29: -$902 (based on $100 wagered per unit)
  • Wagering advice for Tuesday’s games can be found below

There are 16 games on the MLB schedule Tuesday, and one will feature Carlos Rodon trying to do something only one pitcher in MLB history has ever accomplished – throwing consecutive no-hitters.

The White Sox left-hander will try to make it two no-nos in a row when Chicago visits Cleveland at 6:10 pm ET at Progressive Field. Rodon (2-0, 0.00 ERA) pitched his gem against Cleveland last Wednesday in Chicago and the pitching matchup will be the same in this one as Zach Plesac (1-2, 5.27) will start for the home team.

The only man to pitch back-to-back no-hitters is Johnny Vander Meer in 1938 for the Cincinnati Reds.

The Los Angeles Angels are Tuesday’s biggest chalk at -230 as Shohei Ohtani (0-1, 1.93) faces the Texas Rangers and Jordan Lyles (1-0, 4.70) at 9:38 pm.

April 20 MLB Picks

Matchup Pick and Odds Units Risked
White Sox vs Cleveland White Sox (-121) 1 unit
Rangers vs Angels Rangers (+190) 1 unit
Dodgers vs Mariners Under 8 (-103) 1 unit

Odds as of April 20th at DraftKings.

Pick 1: White Sox (-121)

While it is highly doubtful Rodon will throw a second no-hitter, and may even have a little hangover effect in this outing, there is no denying he is off to a great start to the season.

Rodon has allowed just two hits in 14 scoreless innings in his first two starts while striking out 16. The only thing that stood between him and a perfect game last week was hitting Cleveland catcher Roberto Perez on the foot with a slider with one out in the ninth inning.

Instead, Rodon settled for the 20th no-hitter in White Sox’ history.

Not bad for a pitcher who was not tendered a contract by Chicago last winter so they could avoid a potential salary arbitration hearing. However, the two sides came to an agreement that kept Rodon in a White Sox’s uniform.

While Rodon was pitching his gem, the White Sox were knocking out Plesac in the first inning. He recorded just two outs in the shortest outing of his career and was charged with six runs.

Rodon is also 6-5 with a 2.69 ERA in 18 career games against Cleveland, while Plesac is 1-3 with a 4.59 ERA in six starts versus the White Sox.

Hangover or not, let’s stick with the hot pitcher.

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Pick 2: Rangers (+190)

While the Angels are the day’s largest favorite, it might be wise to pump the brakes on backing Ohtani.

For one, Ohtani has made only one start this season. While he threw hard, he wasn’t dominant on April 4th against the White Sox as he gave up three runs (one earned) in 4.2 innings. The seven strikeouts were impressive but offset by five walks.

Secondly, Ohtani has been unable to pitch since then because of a blister on the middle finger of his right hand. While the finger hasn’t bothered Ohtani at the plate as he is hitting .309 with four home runs in 14 games, his timing on the mound could be off after going more than two weeks between starts.

Finally, for all the hype that surrounded the two-way player’s arrival from Japan in 2018, he has made just 13 starts in the major leagues while posting a 4.19 ERA.

Lyles has been OK this season by his less-than-lofty standards. He has not pitched more than 5.1 innings in any of his three starts but also hasn’t allowed more than three runs.

Fading Ohtani at a good price feels like the right way to go here.

Pick 3: Dodgers-Mariners under 8 (-103)

Julio Urias (2-0, 3.86) pitches for the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Mariners’ Marco Gonzales (1-1, 8.22) in a meeting of left-handers at 4:10 p.m. at Safeco Field in Seattle.

While Urias has been a mixed bag in his first three starts of the season, one number that stands out is his 5.0 strikeout/walk ratio. He has 15 strikeouts in 18.2 innings to just three walks, a sign that the live-armed Urias is beginning to gain better command of his pitches at age 24.

He can be nasty in any language.

Gonzales’ ERA suggests this will be a high-scoring game. However, the Mariners’ No. 1 starter looked sharp in his last outing when he allowed two runs and three hits in five innings in a win over the Baltimore Orioles.

Both offenses have had their problems against left-handers in the early going of 2021. The Mariners are hitting .207 against southpaws and the Dodgers’ batting average is .238.

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