Pitching matchups for Sunday’s MLB games

Sunday’s MLB slate won’t start as early as usual. Fifteen games are set to begin between 1:05 p.m. ET and 7:00 p.m. ET. There aren’t really any stellar pitching matchups to get excited about, but two of the best arms in baseball will get starts to wrap up the weekend. Here are the battles to watch.

Best matchup: Riley Smith vs. Jacob deGrom

We couldn't possibly pass on MLB’s best arm. The New York Mets ace is well on his way to a fourth straight season with a WHIP under 1.00 and his ERA is an outlandish 0.51. While deGrom is just 2-2 on the year, his LOB percentage is 87.2% and he’s averaging more than 15 Ks per nine innings. Smith has been below average this season with a 4.91 ERA and just 11 Ks in 22 IP over 6 appearances. Still, deGrom is enough to carry this matchup.

Sleeper matchup: Trevor Bauer vs. Jose Quintana

Bauer ranks sixth in strikeouts with 58 this year and is one K behind deGrom so far in his first season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Bauer’s .169 BABIP, 93.3% LOB percentage, and 0.79 WHIP are elite and have helped him post a 3-1 record. Seeing him go up against Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels should be fun.

Here’s a look at the pitching matchups for Sunday’s 15-game MLB slate on May 9th.

Red Sox vs. Orioles: Nick Pivetta vs. Dean Kremer
Nationals vs. Yankees: Joe Ross vs. Domingo German
Diamondbacks vs. Mets: Riley Smith vs. TBD
Reds vs. Indians: Tyler Mahle vs. Sam Hentges
Brewers vs. Marlins: Eric Lauer vs. Sandy Alcantara
Twins vs. Tigers: Kenta Maeda vs. Matthew Boyd
White Sox vs. Royals: Lucas Giolito vs. Mike Minor
Blue Jays vs. Astros: TBD vs. Zack Greinke
Rockies vs. Cardinals: German Marquez vs. Adam Wainwright
Pirates vs. Cubs: Tyler Anderson vs. Kyle Hendricks
Mariners vs. Rangers: Justus Sheffield vs. Kyle Gibson
Padres vs. Giants: TBD vs. Johnny Cueto
Dodgers vs. Angels: Clayton Kershaw vs. Jose Quintana
Rays vs. Athletics: Shane McClanahan vs. Cole Irvin
Phillies vs. Braves: Aaron Nola vs. Huascar Ynoa