MLB Wednesday Picks - September 4

With September here, it’s prime time for teams with playoff aspirations to play their best baseball. Each of the 30 MLB teams is on the slate today, with just a single afternoon game on the docket with the Philadelphia Phillies up north across the border to face the Toronto Blue Jays. Let’s get right into Wednesday’s MLB picks for September 4.

MLB Wednesday predictions

Lawrence Butler Over 1.5 Total Bases (+130)

Chicago White Sox vs Baltimore Orioles - Baltimore Orioles ML (-300)

Shota Imanaga Over 5.5 Strikeouts (+118)

MLB Wednesday Picks: Lawrence Butler Over 1.5 Total Bases (+130)

We’ll begin our MLB picks for Wednesday with a young hitter on fire right now in Oakland Athletics’ outfielder Lawrence Butler. Entering Tuesday, Butler’s last seven days have been terrorizing for opposing pitchers, as he has a 12-game hitting streak with an insane six home runs, three doubles, and a 1.767 OPS in his last seven games. Butler is on another level right now and has eclipsed 1.5 total bases in his previous seven games and in nine of his last 11 contests.

Even against Rangers’ hurler Nathan Eovaldi, the projected starter today, the baseballs Butler is seeing look like beach balls, so we’ve got to ride this wave while it lasts. Let’s take Lawrence Butler Over 1.5 Total Bases (+130) and continue to turn into a star before our eyes.

MLB Wednesday Picks: Chicago White Sox vs Baltimore Orioles - Baltimore Orioles ML (-300)

The next contest we’ll target for Wednesday’s MLB picks is a matchup at Camden Yards as the Baltimore Orioles host the Chicago White Sox in an evening showdown. Taking the bump for the Orioles is Albert Suarez, and for the visiting White Sox, it’s Jonathan Cannon opposing.

Suarez is pitching some of his best baseball of the season, as he’s only given up four earned runs in his last five starts with better than a 4:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Even better, Suarez is giving the Orioles length as he’s pitched well into the sixth inning in his last four starts against some solid competition in the division against the Rays and Red Sox, plus a game with the AL West-leading Astros where he went toe-to-toe with Framber Valdez to a no-decision.

Cannon has given up at least four earned runs in his last three starts and not against tough competition against the Mets, Tigers and Giants. He routinely gets himself into trouble with pitch counts, but it’s been trial by fire for the 24-year-old righty with a 6.31 ERA in August.

The Orioles should be able to take care of business in their home ballpark to keep pace with the Yankees in the AL East, so we’ll push in our chips with the Baltimore Orioles ML (-300) tonight.

MLB Wednesday Picks: Shota Imanaga Over 5.5 Strikeouts (+118)

Our final MLB best bet for Wednesday night revolves around the suddenly scorching Chicago Cubs and starting pitcher Shota Imanaga. With the Cubs in the thick of the Wild Card race now just 3.5 games behind the Braves for the final spot in the National League, every game in September is crucial. 

Imanaga had the second-worst month of his young MLB career, with “only” a 3.68 ERA. However, the only results we need are on the strikeout front, as Imanaga has over the 5.5 strikeout prop in five of his last seven starts. He’ll be facing the Pittsburgh Pirates, where last time against them at home, Imanaga gave up just four hits through seven innings with seven strikeouts.

With the Cubs in the friendly confines of Wrigley Field against the last-place Pirates, we’ll play Shota Imanaga Over 5.5 Strikeouts (+118) and hope he makes it over 5.5 strikeouts in six of his last eight starts.