Three MLB Bets Worth Targeting on Thursday June 25 Slate

The New York Yankees have controlled their rivalry with the Boston Red Sox this season but things could change when the teams open a four-game series at Fenway Park on Thursday night. New York is 4-1 against its most-hated foe this season.

Boston has scored just nine runs in the five games and five of them came in its lone victory. The Yankees are still without Aaron Judge so that counts as a bit of an equalizer for their American League East counterparts.

Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Nolan Arenado badly wanted out of St. Louis and now completes a four-game series against the visiting Cardinals. We will also check in on the National League East battle between the Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals.

NEW YORK YANKEES AT BOSTON RED SOX

Judge has missed the past three-plus weeks with a fractured rib and isn’t expected back until August. The three-time AL MVP has hit 15 homers in 57 career games at Fenway Park so his absence will be felt. Ben Rice (22 homers, 53 RBIs) is thriving and had two hits in Wednesday’s 4-2 win over the Detroit Tigers after going hitless in three of the previous four games.

Paul Goldschmidt smacked two solo homers off Tigers ace Tarik Skubal and is looking like a younger version of himself. The 38-year-old is batting .346 with eight homers and 20 RBIs in June. Red Sox left-hander Connelly Early (6-5, 3.64 ERA) gave up three runs and five hits over 5 1/3 innings of a 4-0 loss to New York on April 21.

Yankees right-hander Cam Schlittler (8-3, 1.71) is headed to the All-Star Game and he is 1-0 with a 1.32 ERA in two starts against Boston this season. Guys like Jarren Duran (1-for-11), Wilyer Abreu (1-for-8) and Willson Contreras (1-for-6) are due for success against Schlittler.

Red Sox money line, +143 (DraftKings)

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS AT ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

Next month’s three-game set in St. Louis is when the 35-year-old Arenado can expect the boo-birds but he’s not exactly having a successful June. He is 3-for-13 in the first three games of this series and batting just .173 with one homer for the month. That homer came on June 1.

Arenado hit 30 or more homers in the first two of his five seasons in St. Louis before the totals dropped to 26, 16 and 12. Cardinals right-hander Michael McGreevy (3-6, 3.35) has never previously faced the Diamondbacks, who won the past two games after losing the series opener.

Speaking of players who were once good, Arizona right-hander Zac Gallen (3-6, 6.10) has been regularly pounded this season and was torched for nine runs and 12 innings in four-plus innings against the Minnesota Twins in his last outing. Yes, the Arizona fans loudly booed him.

Teams combine for over nine runs, -102 (DraftKings)

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES AT WASHINGTON NATIONALS

Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sanchez (9-3, 1.80) was the runner-up for the NL Cy Young Award last season and he’s definitely in the mix again due to his strong first half. Sanchez has struck out 121 and walked just 20 and he’s a superb 7-1 with a 1.11 ERA over his last nine turns.

Sanchez fanned seven Nationals in a no-decision on April 1 when he gave up one run, four hits and a season-worst four walks in 5 1/3 innings. Washington won the first game of the series but gave up 19 total runs in back-to-back losses the past two days. The Nationals were one strike away from winning Wednesday before Philadelphia’s Derek Hill hit a two-run homer in the top of the ninth in a 5-4 victory.

Brandon Marsh is lighting up Washington by going 7-for-13 with two homers in the series. Marsh is 2-for-9 against Washington right-hander Cade Cavalli (4-4, 4.07), who has regularly handled Bryce Harper (1-for-9, three strikeouts).

Cristopher Sanchez to strike out seven or more batters, +111 (DraftKings)