Thursday's MLB slate was extremely small with just five games having been played. Despite that being the case, we saw some movement in the standings, specifically the Seattle Mariners.
The Mariners came back in dramatic fashion, scoring four runs combined in the 8th and 9th inning to beat the Kansas City Royals by a score of 6-4 on Thursday afternoon.
Julio Rodriguez was the star of the game, producing five RBI's on five hits, including the three-run home run to put the Mariners ahead for good.
With this win on Thursday afternoon, the Mariners have now won three games in a row. They are now 66-55 and are making a major push for the playoffs.
Not so much in the American League West division as they trail the Texas Rangers by six games for the divisional lead. However, they are in the thick of the American League Wild-Card race, trailing the final Wild-Card team (currently the Toronto Blue Jays) by only 0.5 games.
During the Mariners three-game winning streak, they are averaging 7.33 runs per game, while allowing 5.67 runs per game. All of the wins during this stretch have come against Kansas City, which is important because these are the type of teams they must beat to stay in the playoff race.
Considering the Mariners are running hot right now, you can bet them to win the World Series at odds of +1800, win the American League at odds of +900, win the American League West division at odds of +1400, and make the playoffs at odds of +175.
Arizona still fighting
Like Seattle, the Arizona Diamondbacks are in a fight to make the playoffs as we head towards the end of the season.
The Diamondbacks picked up a 3-1 win over the San Diego Padres on Thursday night to make it three wins in a row.
They still trail the Los Angeles Dodgers by 12.5 games in the National League West division, but are closing back in on the National League Wild-Card race, trailing a trio of teams by just 1.0 games for the final National League Wild-Card spot.
During their three-game winning streak, the Diamondbacks are averaging 6.67 runs per game, while allowing 4.33 runs per game. Their pitching will likely need to improve further down the stretch, but with their offense being consistent as of recently, they should continue to win games at a high level and keep themselves in the playoff race.
With the Diamondbacks starting to make a move for the Wild-Card, you can bet them to win the World Series at odds of +6600, win the National League at odds of +3300, win the National League West division at odds of +12500, and make the playoffs at odds of +290.
Dodgers continue to dominate
Unlike Arizona and Seattle, the Los Angeles Dodgers are in a great position to win the National League West division.
They lead the division by 10.5 games over the San Francisco Giants. In addition to the huge lead they have built in the division, the Dodgers are the hottest team in baseball right now.
Los Angeles has won 11 games in a row, most recently a 1-0 win against the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday night. This win was sparked by an Austin Barnes home run in the bottom of the 8th inning.
During their 11-game win streak, the Dodgers are averaging 5.64 runs per game. On the other hand, their pitching has been dominant during this stretch, allowing an average of just 2.0 runs per game.
If the Dodgers' pitching staff continues to play the way they are, the Dodgers should be a legitimate threat to win the World Series for the second time in the last four years.
With the Dodgers running away with their division and being the hottest team in the entire league, they are +300 to win the World Series +125 to win the National League.
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