@KeepTheJuice21 MLB Picks - 5/5

Aaron Nola matches up with Taijuan Walker in Philadelphia in what should be a close game. Walker is coming off a shoulder injury but had a great start to the season prior to that. The indication is that he should be at full strength. Nola looks better than some eye tests suggest, with an excellent K rate in a fairly high sample size already with 27 innings pitched. He hasn’t gotten the run support he’s needed in his starts and we’re betting that trend continues tonight. Both bullpens are also good enough to finish the game strong.

The Tigers should be very thankful for the Cincinnati Reds, who are stealing the spotlight that comes on the worst team in the MLB. There’s a significant gap between the two teams, but the Tigers are not having the season they’d hoped for. Tarik Skubal has had some nice outings and some very poor outings so it’s difficult to predict what you’ll get out of him. But what we do know is that it’s unlikely he’ll stay in longer than 5 innings. The bullpen has luckily been one of the bright spots on the team, but Houston has a great pen to match and is lopsided with great hitters. Look for the Astros to take an early lead and hang on with a strong rotation.