MLB Best Bets Today: Picks for Phillies vs. Braves, Yankees vs. Padres and Diamondbacks vs. Astros

The Philadelphia Phillies have been closing in on the Atlanta Braves in the National League East. But to really make the Braves sweat, Philadelphia needs to win the final two games of the four-game set, including Sunday’s home game.

The Phillies trail Atlanta by four games after producing a 4-2 victory on Saturday. The teams split the first two games of a series that concludes Monday and then they also get together for three games in Atlanta next weekend.

The New York Yankees take aim at winning a road series against the San Diego Padres, who trail Arizona by a half-game for the NL’s final wild-card spot. The Diamondbacks complete a three-game road series against the American League West-leading Houston Astros on Sunday.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES AT ATLANTA BRAVES

The Phillies were just six games above .500 as mid-August neared and then rattled off nine straight wins and have prevailed in 16 of 20 entering Sunday. Kyle Schwarber belted his major league-leading 41st homer in Saturday’s win while Luis Arraez had two hits for the third time in four games to lift his major league best average to .318.

The Braves also have been playing well and Saturday’s setback was just their third in the past 12 games. Former National League MVP Ronald Acuna Jr. is 8-for-14 with two homers over the past three games and Atlanta has been waiting for him to heat up.

Acuna (.350, four HRs in 60 at-bats) and Austin Riley (.348. six HRs in 66 at-bats) have regularly terrorized Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola (6-10, 4.93 ERA). Nola is 17-12 with a 3.80 ERA in 39 career starts against Atlanta but was shelled for six runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings in a 6-2 loss on April 26.

Braves to win game money line, -109 (DraftKings)

NEW YORK YANKEES AT SAN DIEGO PADRES

The Yankees are one victory away from their 34th consecutive winning season and they are also a hot squad with 13 wins in their past 19 games. Spencer Jones, who was a big Padres fan while growing up in the northern part of San Diego County, is 3-for-8 with two RBIs as New York and San Diego split the first two games of the series.

Former teammates Gerrit Cole (Yankees) and Michael King (Padres) will match up in the series finale. Cole (8-7, 3.29) has won five of his past seven starts and has allowed just one run in 13 innings while winning both his career starts at Petco Park. King (9-9, 3.11) was obtained in the trade in which Juan Soto went to the Yankees and he gave up two runs and three hits over six innings in a no-decision last season against his former teammates.

The Padres haven’t upped their play with the postseason spot up for grabs and have lost eight of their past 11 games. New York holds the AL’s top wild-card spot and is thriving with 13 wins in its past 19 games.

Teams to combine for 7 or more runs, -108 (DraftKings)

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS AT HOUSTON ASTROS

Arizona hasn’t been in stellar mode either and had lost four of five games before posting a 4-3, 10-inning victory on Saturday to even the series at one game apiece. Ketel Marte hit a tying homer in the eighth inning for his first blast since going AWOL and then hitting the injury list with knee soreness.

The Astros had won seven of nine games before Saturday’s setback and they hold a three-game division lead over the Texas Rangers. Perhaps the scary thing for Arizona is that Houston slugger Yordan Alvarez (37 HRs) has gone deep just one time in the past 20 games.

Diamondbacks left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (14-5, 2.59) has struggled against Alvarez (9-for-18) but has always kept him in the yard. The worse news is that Rodriguez has regularly been torched by Houston, going 1-7 with a 6.67 ERA in 12 career starts.

Astros to win game money line, -112 (DraftKings)