MLB Playoff Odds, Picks | Same Game Parlay for Guardians vs Yankees Game 1

Guardians vs. Yankees Game 1 Odds

The Cleveland Guardians swept the Tampa Bay Rays 2-0 in the AL Wild Card Round. Outfielder Oscar Gonzalez sent the Guardians to the ALDS with a walk-off home run in the 15th inning. Cleveland moves on to face the New York Yankees, who won the AL East and earned the No. 2 seed in the American League.

It will be the sixth time the teams have met in the postseason with Yankees taking three of the previous five series. Cal Quantrill will get the ball for Cleveland in Game 1 while the Yankees will counter with their ace in Gerrit Cole.

Here is a same-game parlay for Game 1.

The Parlay (odds): +542

• First Inning Result – Tie (-140)
• Josh Donaldson to Record a Hit (-185)
• Jose Ramirez to Record a Hit (-190)
• Gerrit Cole to Record 6+ Strikeouts (-172)

Same-Game Parlay – Guardians vs. Yankees Game 1

First Inning Result – Tie

If you were smart enough to parlay the first nine innings in Game 2 of Guardians-Rays, you probably enjoyed a very nice weekend. In fact, of the 23 innings that Cleveland came to bat against the Rays, it scored in just two of those innings.

Cole can be prone to a blow-up inning every now and then. He gave up 10 home runs in the first inning, which caused his first inning ERA to swell to 4.91 this season. However, the Guardians were 29th in home runs during the regular season.

Cole pitched a scoreless first inning in 26 of his 33 starts this season. Cole also had a 1.42 ERA in two starts against the Guardians this season. He also has a 3.15 ERA in his career against the Guardians and 2.93 ERA in the playoffs.

On the other side, Quantrill posted a career year, going 15-5 with a 3.28 ERA. He had a 1.69 ERA in the first inning and held the opponent scoreless in 27 of his 32 starts.  He allowed just one home run in the inning in 32 starts.

The long ball is the Yankees' most likely route to score, particularly with Aaron Judge batting in the first inning. However, the Yankees are typically a slow-starting team and it will also be their first game in six days. I expect a little rust from the Yankees starting and that will lead to a scoreless first inning.

Jose Ramirez To Record a Hit

When the Guardians need offense, typically it comes from third baseman Jose Ramirez. He went 0-for-6 in Game 2, however, he went 2-for-4 in Game 1, including the decisive home run in the sixth inning off Shane McClanahan. Ramirez had a six-game hitting streak (dating back to the regular season) snapped in Game 2. During that stretch, he hit 11-for-25 (.440) with two home runs and nine RBI.

Ramirez also enters Game 1 with good numbers against Cole. He is 6-for-22 (.273) with two home runs and four RBI in his career against Cole. It is very rare that one of the best hitters in the league goes hitless in six at-bats. In a good matchup and likely four to five ABs in Game 1, I expect Ramirez to bounce back and record a hit.

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Josh Donaldson To Record a Hit

Josh Donaldson has delivered some memorable moments in his postseason career, most notably with the Blue Jays. He has five home runs in 150 postseason at-bats. In the process, he is hitting .260 with a .769 OPS in his postseason career.

I am targeting Donaldson here because of his success against Quantrill. He is 7-for-17 with two home runs in his career against Quantrill. A home run would be great, but just one hit will work for this parlay.

Gerrit Cole to Record 6+ Strikeouts

As mentioned, Gerrit Cole has had good success against Cleveland both this season and in his career. The Guardians are not the easiest team to strike out and have just a 18% strikeout rate over the last 30 days. However, Cole had 15 strikeouts in 12 2/3 innings in two starts against the Guardians this season.

Cole lead the major leagues with 257 strikeouts in just 200 2/3 innings this season. He recorded six strikeouts in 26 of his 33 starts this season, including both against the Guardians. He has 111 strikeouts in 86 1/3 postseason innings in his career.

The Yankees need length from their ace in Game 1 of this series. If Cole pitches six innings, it is very likely that he has at least six strikeouts.