There will be nine MLB games on Monday, and it’ll be a little harder than usual to find quality pitching matchups. While some exciting arms will take the mound, none of the games’ superstars are among them. We’ve identified a couple of fun matchup worth keeping an eye on ahead of the action.
Best Matchup: Marco Gonzales vs. Jose Berrios
The Seattle Mariners’ Gonzales got off to a slow start in 2021 by giving up three home runs in six innings during his first start of the year and will get a shot at redemption against one of MLB’s hottest arms. The Minnesota Twins’ Berrios struck out 12 batters in six innings against the Milwaukee Brewers in his 2021 debut, and everyone wants to see if he can out on a show again.
Sleeper Matchup: Brad Keller vs. Lance Lynn
The Kansas City Royals and Chicago White Sox are set to battle it out in an American League Central matchup in hopes of catching the Minnesota Twins. Both teams have three wins so far in 2021 and these two starters are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Keller got drilled by the Texas Rangers in his first game this year and forked up six earned runs in less than two innings of work. Lynn, on the other hand, held the Los Angeles Angels to zero earned runs through 4.2 innings and tallied six strikeouts. Keller has been better in the past and could make this matchup interesting with a bounce-back performance.
Here’s a look at the pitching matchups for Thursday’s nine-game MLB slate on April 8th.
Marlins vs. Mets: TBD vs. Taijuan Walker
Cubs vs. Pirates: Jake Arrieta vs. Tyler Anderson
Red Sox vs. Orioles: Edwardo Rodríguez vs. Matt Harvey
Diamondbacks vs. Rockies: Merrill Kelly vs. Jon Gray
Royals vs. White Sox: Brad Keller vs. Lance Lynn
Mariners vs. Twins: Marco Gonzales vs. Jose Berrios
Brewers vs. Cardinals: Corbin Burnes vs. Adam Wainwright
Angels vs. Blue Jays: Griffin Canning vs. Ross Stripling
Athletics vs. Astros: Cole Irvin vs. Christian Javier