Baltimore Orioles' Bryan Holaday slides head first into home plate ahead of the tag of Washington Nationals catcher Yan Gomes while scoring on a triple by Orioles' Andrew Velazquez during the second inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2020, in Baltimore. Julio Cortez | Associated Press

MLB Best Bets from Eckel: A pair of HR picks, Nationals vs Braves, Mets vs Marlins, and Blue Jays vs Orioles

First pitches: Washington Nationals at Atlanta Braves, 7:10 pm, New York Mets at Miami Marlins, 7:10 pm, Blue Jays at Baltimore Orioles, 7:35 pm

It’s a new week in a new baseball season that seems intent on making it through its 60-game schedule.

There’s a near full slate of games Monday and some are to our liking.

Washington Nationals at Atlanta Braves, 7:10 p.m.

Pitchers: Anibal Sanchez vs. Touki Toussaint

Odds: Nats +135; Braves -155

New York Mets at Miami Marlins, 7:10 p.m.

Pitchers: Robert Gsellman vs. Jordan Yamomoto

Over/Under: 9 runs

Blue Jays at Baltimore Orioles, 7:35 p.m.

Pitchers: Hyun-Jin Ryu vs. Alex Cobb

Odds: Blue Jays -145; Orioles +125

The Cycle

Single: Both the Nationals and Braves are battling injury problems and limp into this key NL East series. I like Toussaint at home where his ERA is 2.53 and I don’t like Sanchez, who has a 9.69 ERA and is 5-11 lifetime against the Braves.

Double: Nobody believes in the Orioles yet. Not the oddsmakers setting the lines or the betting public. Right now they are a better team than the Blue Jays, who got bad news on star Bo Bichette, who is out indefinitely. Hyu is the Blue Jays ace, but he has a career 7.05 ERA against the O’s. Take Baltimore.

Triple: There should be some scoring in the Mets/Marlins game where Gsellman has a 4.49 ERA this season and a lifetime 5.19 ERA against Miami and Yamamoto has a 4.92 ERA. Take the over 9 runs.

Home Run: Let’s go with Atlanta’s Freddie Freeman and New York’s Pete Alonzo to homer Monday night.

MLB