Atlanta Braves vs Seattle Mariners

Seattle showed a lot of grit on Monday night as it didn't get a hit until the eighth inning and then Mitch Garver hit a two-run walk-off homer in the ninth and the Mariners won 2-1 and stayed atop of the AL West. Seattle has won six of eight and will start Luis Castillo in tonight's game and the Mariners have won his past two starts, including 4-3 over Texas on Thursday when he allowed two runs on four hits in six innings. Castillo is 2-2 with a 2.16 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP in his career against Atlanta. Seattle's bullpen leads the American League with a 2.42 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP. Atlanta has lost two of three while scoring a total of only seven runs and it managed only three hits in Monday's loss. Seattle hitters are 9-for-39 with three homers against Reynaldo Lopez. Take the Mariners as a Max Play.

The Atlanta Braves are 19-7 and have the look of a team that can win it all. This is a tough spot however, as Atlanta is coming off a nine game homestand, and despite playing yesterday, they had to make the long trip to the West Coast. I could easily see them fatigued and not playing their optimal game against a Seattle team that got off to a slow start has caught fire. The Mariners are 9-3 in their last 12 games. The Seattle pitching has been better than anyone over their last 16 games as they are allowing just two runs per contest, and just one of 16 games has seen them allow more than four runs. They are in the right place, catching the Braves on no rest and now on the West Coast. Make the play on Seattle.

The Atlanta Braves and the NY Mets were supposed to battle it out for the NL East. The Mets have not been able to get on track, while the Braves have been great at 28-16 on the season. That includes a 6-2 win over Seattle at home in their opener of a 3-game weekend set. The Mariners have now fallen to 21-23 on the season. Seattle has not pitched well as the Mariner staff has allowed 27 runs in their last 3 games, or 9 a contest which has led to a 3-game losing streak. The Mariners will hand the ball off to Logan Gilbert, but over his last 5 starts the Mariners are 1-4. Seems like a small price tag here for the Braves. Make the play on Atlanta.