MLB Best Bets Today: Expert Picks for Saturday's 9-Game Slate

The Rays have established themselves as a gritty, battling team that won't go quietly into the final month, still fighting to avoid a losing season.

Ryan Pepiot has been solid for Tampa Bay with the team winning three of his last five starts and 14 quality starts in 27 outings.

Washington is headed for their sixth straight losing season with 80 losses already and likely facing organizational changes in the offseason.

Jake Irvin has been getting lit up recently, allowing 160 hits in 148.1 innings and surrendering 29 home runs with a 5.40 ERA.

The Nationals have lost five straight games and four of Irvin's last five starts, showing clear momentum issues.

The Mets just swept the Phillies in three games and remain in playoff contention, holding the final wildcard spot with a four-game cushion.

David Peterson takes the mound with a strong 3.18 ERA and 135-55 strikeout-to-walk ratio, leading the team in innings pitched this season.

Miami's playoff hopes are fading fast as they trail by nine games for second place and are only fighting to stay ahead of Atlanta for third.

The Mets' first game loss came from mental mistakes including three errors that led to five unearned runs, issues unlikely to repeat.

Peterson has been dominant recently, giving up only three total runs over his last 14 innings of work.

Boston is surging with a season-high 15 games over .500 and firmly entrenched in a wildcard spot after dominating recent road trips.

The Red Sox took all four games from Baltimore this week and three of four from the Yankees, showing they can beat quality opposition.

Dustin May has pitched significantly better at home this season with a 3.24 ERA in 12 home starts compared to his overall 4.79 mark.

Pittsburgh is set to finish last in the NL Central with 76 losses, and Johan Oviedo is still working back from injury in limited starts.

May will have a much stronger bullpen behind him than Oviedo, giving Boston a clear late-game advantage in this matchup.

Nick Pivetta brings excellent form to the mound with a stellar 2.82 ERA and 0.94 WHIP, ranking among the NL's best starters.

The Padres bullpen has been lights out since July, featuring one of MLB's lowest ERAs and giving San Diego a massive late-game edge.

Taj Bradley struggled mightily in his last start, allowing seven runs in five innings against the White Sox and needs to prove himself.

San Diego remains in solid playoff contention at 75-60, trailing only the Dodgers in the division race with championship aspirations.

Minnesota is playing out the string after multiple trade deadline moves, having already endured 73 losses with little to play for.

Detroit holds a commanding 8.5-game lead in the AL Central and needs to respond after dropping four straight games to inferior competition.

Jack Flaherty has historically dominated Kansas City with a 4-1 record and 3.00 ERA in five career starts against them.

At Kauffman Stadium specifically, Flaherty is 3-0 with a microscopic 0.90 ERA and 0.60 WHIP in three career starts.

Stephen Kolek is making his first start with the Royals after struggling badly in Triple-A Omaha with a 6.63 ERA since the trade deadline.

This represents a gut-check moment for the Tigers to show they can handle pressure as division leaders against a desperate opponent.