Month: July 2017

The Chicago White Sox have literally sold the farm and tonight they will host the Toronto Blue Jays in the first game of a 3-game series. Both hurlers today are mediocre at best, with Marco Estrada going for the Jays and James Shields for the White Sox. Estrada is 4-7, with an ERA of 5.43, and a WHIP of 1.49. Shields is 2-3, with an ERA of 5.86, and a WHIP of 1.66. The Blue Jays are by far the more talented team and with Chicago’s record of 1-9 in their last 10 home games, the Jays are the play here.

Tonight’s Pick:

Toronto Blue Jays

The Pittsburgh Pirates will try to avoid being swept by the San Diego Padres when they play a matinee today at Petco Park. Gerrit Cole will take the rubber for the Pirates. Over his last 3 outings, Cole is 1-0, with a 2.37 ERA, a 1.05 WHIP and the Bucs are 5-0 in his last 5 road starts. Clayton Richards will take the hill for the Padres today and he’s been getting roughed up. Over his last 3 starts, Richards is 0-3, with a 9.87 ERA, a 2.42 WHIP, and has allowed 20 runs and 37 hits in his last 17-1/3 innings of work. The Padres are 0-4 in Richards last 4 home starts. Pirates get this one.

Today’s pick:

Pittsburgh Pirates

The San Diego Padres are a young, scrappy team and moving in the right direction, winners of their last 3 games, but I see that streak ending today when they play the second game of a 3-game set against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Petco Park. The Bucs will send Ivan Nova to the bump today. Nova is 10-7, with a 3.62 ERA, a 1.16 WHIP and the Pirates are 5-0 in Nova’s last 5 starts when he’s had 5 days’ rest. Nova has faced the Padres twice in his career when he was a New York Yankee and was 1-0, with an ERA of 0.73 in 12-1/3 innings. Andy Green will send Dinelson Lamet to the hill. Lamet is 4-4, with a 5.92 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP. The Pirates have lost 3 in a row and they better start getting in the win column if they want to stay in the playoff hunt.

Today’s Pick:

Pittsburgh Pirates

The Los Angeles Angels are a good underdog play tonight when they open a 3-game set against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre, and this is why. Mike Scioscia will hand the ball to Parker Bridwell. Bridwell has been sharp, going 2-0 over his last 3 starts, with an ERA of 1.86, and a WHIP of 1.03. The Angels are 6-1 in his last 7 starts and 4-0 in his last 4 starts against the American League East. John Gibbons will counter with J. A. Happ. Happ has been struggling, over his last 3 outings the left-hander is 0-2, with an ERA of 6.00, and a WHIP of 1.93. Happ has had issues against Los Angeles. In 6 career starts he is 1-5, with an ERA of 6.25, and Toronto is 1-5 in his last 6 starts overall. The Angels are 11-4 in their last 15 trips north of the border and Mike Trout has 5 homers and 14 RBI’s in 19 games at Rogers Centre. I like the road dog in this one.

Tonight’s Pick:

Los Angeles Angels

The Toronto Blue Jays will try for a 4-game sweep of the visiting Oakland Athletics today in an early one at Rogers Centre. The Blue Jays should be pumped up after last night’s dramatic come from behind ninth inning victory. Toronto’s Marcus Stroman (9-5, 2.98 ERA) will square off with Oakland’s Sean Manaea (8-5, 3.82 ERA). In Stroman’s last 2 starts he has been lethal, posting an ERA of 0.63 and opponents are batting just .196 against him over that span. The Athletics are 16-34 on the road, 3-7 in their last 10 games and 1-11 in their last 12 trips north of the border.

Today’s Pick:

Toronto Blue Jays

The San Diego Padres will be a home underdog tonight when they play the third game of a 4-game set against the New York Mets. The pitching edge will favor the Friars when they send Jhoulys Chacín to the rubber. Chacín has gone 2-0 over his last 3 starts, with an ERA of 2.95, and a 1.09 WHIP. The Padres are 4-0 in Chacín’s last 4 starts and 4-1 in his last 5 starts at Petco Park. Terry Collins will take his chances with the southpaw Steven Matz. Matz has been off his mark over his last 3 outings, going 0-2, with an ERA of 13.06 (and that is not a typo), and a 2.61 WHIP. The Mets are 2-5 in his last 7 starts and 1-4 in his last 5 against the National League West. There’s a reason for a little concern tonight as Chacín was scheduled to go yesterday but was held back a day with some lower back tightness. I’m banking on a healthy Jhoulys Chacín and taking the home dog here.

Tonight’s Pick:

San Diego Padres

St. Louis Cardinals’ Lance Lynn has been delivering and he will take the hill tonight at Busch Stadium to face Jon Gray and the Colorado Rockies. Lynn is 2-0 over his last 3 starts, with a stingy ERA of 0.47, a 0.83 WHIP, and has allowed just 1 run in his last 19-1/3 innings of work. Gray is 2-1 in his last 3 starts but has an inflated ERA of 9.22, and a WHIP of 2.20. The Rockies’ are 3-14 in their last 17 road games and 6-20 in their last 26 trips to St. Louis.

Tonight’s Pick:

St. Louis Cardinals