MLB’s 12-game slate for Thursday will begin at 12:20 p.m. ET with a Washington Nationals-Atlanta Braves game and end with a 10:00 p.m. ET matchup between the New York Mets and San Diego Padres. Several star pitchers will be featured in the matchup, and we’ve broken down some of the best battles to watch.
Best matchup: Gerrit Cole vs. Ryan Yarbrough
The New York Yankees are looking to climb the American League East and will get a chance to gain ground on the division-leading Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday. Cole ranks third in Ks with 97. He also boasts career highs in WHIP (.83) and ERA (1.78) through 11 starts. The Rays have a top-three scoring offense but have also struck out more than any team in MLB. Something has to give here.
Sleeper matchup: Taijuan Walker vs. Yu Darvish
MLB’s two best scoring defenses are set to face off again. Walker is far from being the New York Mets’ star, but he’s 4-1 with a .93 WHIP and 1.84 ERA through nine starts. He’s only given up 10 runs in 49 innings and boasts a .218 BABIP. The San Diego Padres’ Darvish hasn’t been as good as usual in his last two starts but ranks 14th in Ks with 79 and has a .93 ERA. He’s 5-1 on the year and could thrive in his first matchup against MLB’s worst scoring offense.
Here’s a look at the pitching matchups for Thursday’s 12-game MLB slate on June 3rd.
Nationals vs. Braves: Patrick Corbin vs. Tucker Davidson
Rays vs. Yankees: Ryan Yarbrough vs. Gerrit Cole
Red Sox vs. Astros: Martin Perez vs. Jake Odorizzi
Rangers vs. Rockies: Mike Foltynewicz vs. Austin Gomber
Marlins vs. Pirates: Elieser Hernandez vs. Tyler Anderson
Diamondbacks vs. Brewers: Jon Duplantier vs. Brett Anderson
Tigers vs. White Sox: Casey Mize vs. Lance Lynn
Twins vs. Royals: J.A. Happ vs. Kris Bubic
Reds vs. Cardinals: Vladimir Gutierrez vs. Adam Wainwright
Mariners vs. Angels: Justus Sheffield vs. Griffin Canning
Cubs vs. Giants: Zach Davies vs. Anthony DeSclafani
Mets vs. Padres: Taijuan Walker vs. Yu Darvish