MLB picks: Mariners vs. White Sox, Diamondbacks vs. Padres

We’ll try to get the weekend started on the right foot with these Friday night baseball picks and plays!

Leading off is our preview of the matchup between the Seattle Mariners and the Chicago White Sox. Then we’ll discuss a late-night NL West battle between Arizona Diamondbacks and the San Diego Padres.

Seattle Mariners (39-37) at Chicago White Sox (44-30), 8:10 p.m. ET

Two solid pitching staffs should help Under bettors cash at Guaranteed Rate Field on Friday night as the Mariners visit the White Sox

Yusei Kikuchi starts for Seattle, and he’s allowed just one earned run over his last 14 innings of work. He actually has a better ERA on the road (3.07) than at home (3.86) in 2021. Kikuchi will face a Chicago offense that’s plated a mere 15 runs over its last six games (1-5 record).

Backing him up is a Seattle bullpen that’s fourth in the AL by ERA over the last two weeks (3.19).

Carlos Rodon counters for the South Siders, and he’s produced a 1.42 ERA and 0.895 WHIP through three starts in June. The southpaw blanked the M’s through five innings on April 5 of this year, and Seattle is 27th in OPS against lefties in 2021 (.659).

The White Sox bullpen – sixth in the AL by ERA over the last two weeks (3.86) – shouldn’t allow things to get out of hand late.

MLB pick: Under

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Arizona Diamondbacks (21-55) at San Diego Padres (45-32), 10:10 p.m. ET

The Padres should grab their eighth straight win with ease at they host the division-rival Diamondbacks at Petco Park on Friday night.

Arizona will trot out Corbin Martin once again, despite him giving little reason for optimism in his first four outings of the campaign. He sports a disastrous 8.62 ERA and 2.04 WHIP through 15 2/3 innings of work.

Martin has yet to face any Padres player in his MLB career, but it may not matter to the red-hot Jake Cronenworth and Manny Machado, who have combined for seven homers and 18 RBI during San Diego’s extended winning streak. Once Martin has been chased, the Friars can get to work on a subpar D-backs bullpen that owns a 5.17 ERA on the year (27th).

Chris Paddack responds for the Padres, and he owns a solid 3.00 ERA and 1.095 WHIP over his last four home starts. Behind him is a San Diego bullpen that’s produced the second-best ERA in the majors this year (2.80).

MLB pick: Padres -1.5 runs (-137)