Pitching matchups for Wednesday’s MLB games

We’ve got a loaded slate of games with a 10-gamer during the afternoon window, you know, since it’s the first Wednesday of the 2021 MLB season. So we’ve made it around most rotations at least once, giving us a few second starts for some of the top aces in the League. Among those aces are Hyun Jin Ryu and Shane Bieber. If you want to count Trevor Bauer on the Los Angeles Dodgers, that works too.

The Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals played the first game of their series on Tuesday, with the Nationals winning in the 9th. They’ve got a double-header set for Wednesday, so be sure to stay on the lookout for who will go for the Nats, who have a ton of players on IL due to Covid-19.

Best Matchup: Max Fried vs. Stephen Strasburg

This matchup will be the second leg of a doubleheader. Fried is an up-and-coming ace who’s coming off an impressive campaign. He went a perfect 7-0 in the shortened 2020 season and is off to a strong start in 2021. He struck out eight batters in five innings agains the Phillies on August 1. The pickoff artist is looking to get his first win of the year against one of the best arms in baseball.

Strasburg wasn’t able to follow up his 2019 World Series MVP with a strong year, as he only made two starts last season because of injuries. All eyes will be on the three-time All-Star in his 2021 debut. Can he shake off the rust after leading the National League in wins just two seasons ago, or will his rust show?

Sleeper Matchup: Trevor Bauer vs. Jesus Luzardo

The Los Angeles Dodgers’ Bauer is among the favorites to win the National League’s Cy Young Award. The 2020 NL ERA leader is looking to defend to repeat after winning his first Cy Young Award last season and is one of the headliners for the Dodgers’ ridiculous talent at pitcher.

Luzardo is a sleeper in the American League Cy Young Award race. The 23-year-old got crushed by the Astros in his 2021 debut and gave up five earned runs, but struck out eight batters in five innings. He’ll be put to the test against another elite batting order on Wednesday, but maybe he’ll respond to adversity a little better this time.

Here’s a look at the pitching matchups for Wednesday’s 15-game MLB slate on Wednesday, April 7th.

Braves vs. Nationals (Game 1): Huascar Ynoa vs. Erick Fedde
Pirates vs. Reds: Chad Kuhl vs. Luis Castillo
Royals vs. Indians: Jakob Junis vs. Shane Bieber
Twins vs. Tigers: Kenta Maeda vs. Matthew Boyd
Rays vs. Red Sox: Ryan Yarbrough vs. Nathan Eovaldi
Blue Jays vs. Rangers: Hyun Jin Ryu vs. Kyle Gibson
Brewers vs. Cubs: Brandon Woodruff vs. Kyle Hendricks
Braves vs. Nationals (Game 2): Max Fried vs. Stephen Strasburg
Dodgers vs. Athletics: Trevor Bauer vs. Jesus Luzardo
Mets vs. Phillies: David Peterson vs. Aaron Nola
White Sox vs. Mariners: Dallas Keuchel vs. Justin Dunn
Giants vs. Padres: Kevin Gausman vs. Blake Snell
Cardinals vs. Marlins: Jack Flaherty vs. Pablo Lopez
Orioles vs. Yankees: John Means vs. Jameson Taillon
Diamondbacks vs. Rockies: Madison Bumgarner vs. Antonio Senzatela