MLB best bets, strikeout props for Wednesday 8/9: Easy matchup for Yu Darvish

Two losses by the hook gave us a 1-2 record in strikeout props Tuesday, which brings our record to a middling 3-3 to start the week. Let's get back to the green with my three favorite K props for Wednesday's MLB slate.

Michael Lorenzen under 4.5 Ks (-158 FanDuel)

Michael Lorenzen has been on fire lately with just five earned runs over his last five starts, but he hasn't been much of a swing-and-miss pitcher this season. The right-hander is averaging just 7.0 strikeouts per nine innings, and he's gone under 4.5 Ks in 10 of his 19 starts. This is a tough matchup against a Washington Nationals lineup that's recorded the second-fewest strikeouts per game in the league (7.1). Take the under.

Nick Pivetta under 5.5 Ks (-120 DraftKings)

Nick Pivetta has recorded double-digit strikeouts in two of his last four starts, but those performances came against two of the most strikeout-prone lineups in the league in the Oakland Athletics and the Seattle Mariners. It won't be that easy Wednesday night against the Kansas City Royals, who have the fewest Ks (82) and the second-highest batting average (.296) in MLB over the last two weeks. 

Yu Darvish over 6.5 Ks (-112 FD)

Yu Darvish has long been a boom-or-bust starting pitcher, and I think he has a great chance to boom Wednesday night. The Seattle Mariners have averaged 10.75 strikeouts per game over the last two weeks, which is the second-highest mark in MLB over that span. Darvish has also gone over this number in three of his last five starts, and this is the easiest matchup he'll face in that span.