Month: April 2018

Derek Jeter will travel with his Miami Marlins today when they open a 2-game Interleague set against the New York Yankees. The Yankee great insists he will keep an eye on the game but will not be in attendance. It’s got to be a tough situation for number 2. New York will have their ace, Luis Severino, on the hill. Severino was not at his best in his last turn but is still 2-1 on the season, with a 3.50 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP. Miami will give the nod to lefty Caleb Smith. Smith is winless on the season and owns a 4.72 ERA with a 1.58 WHIP. The Bombers feast on southies, going 4-1 in their last 5 games against them. They are 6-0 in their last 6 Interleague games and have won the last 4 out of 5 match-ups against the Marlins. Boston has already been postponed so if this game gets played, look for Stanton to have a big day against his old team.
TONIGHT’S PICK: NEW YORK YANKEES

The Boston Red Sox are the best in the East and will have their ace southpaw, Chris Sale, on the hill today when they host the Baltimore Orioles. Sale has been lights out as usual, with a record of 1-0, a 1.06 ERA, and a 1.00 WHIP. Boston has won the last 5 meetings with Baltimore and the Red Sox are 8-3 in Sale’s last 11 home starts. The Orioles will counter with the best they have, Dylan Bundy. This guy can deliver. Bundy has an ERA of 1.35, with a WHIP of 0.95, but the bats don’t support him. The Orioles are 1-5 in his last 6 starts. Gary Cederstrom will be pulling the strings today. Home teams are 9-1 in his last 10 Sunday games when he is behind the dish. Consider the Red Sox in this one.
TODAY’S PICK: BOSTON RED SOX

The Washington Nationals will turn to Max Scherzer today to pull them out of their funk when they play an early one against the Colorado Rockies at Nationals Park. Scherzer has been dominant as usual, posting a record of 2-1, with a scary ERA of 0.90 and a 0.80 WHIP. The Rockies will counter with Jon Gray. Gray is 1-2 on the season, with a 5.62 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP. With Max on the hill, the Nationals are 8-2 in their last 10 home games. Side with Harper and company in this one.
TODAY’S PICK: WASHINGTON NATIONALS

It might be early but if the New York Yankees want to contend in the brutally tough American League East, they had better get on track, and I see that happening today when they travel to Comerica Park to open a 3-game set against the Detroit Tigers. Detroit is obviously in a rebuilding mode and the Triple Crown winner, Miguel Cabrera, is starting to show his age. It’s just a matter of time before Murderer’s Row starts delivering. The Yankees are 4-1 in their last 5 trips to Detroit and will send their young southpaw, Jordan Montgomery, to the hill. The Tigers have had issues against flame-throwing lefties, going 1-4 in their last 5 against them, and they are 1-4 in their last 5 overall. This could be a good spot for the Bombers to make a statement.
TONIGHT’S PICK: NEW YORK YANKEES

The Chicago White Sox and the Minnesota Twins will open a 4-game set tonight at Target Field. Minnesota is coming off a big win yesterday over the World Champion Houston Astros. They will try to carry that momentum into tonight’s game when they send José Berríos to the hill. Berríos is 1-1 on the young season, with a 3.29 ERA, a 0.73 WHIP, and the Twins are 8-1 in his last 9 home starts. Chicago will counter with Lucas Giolito. Giolito has struggled with his command, posting a record of 0-1, with a 6.17 ERA, and a 1.29 WHIP. The White Sox are 1-5 in their last 6 overall, 2-5 in their last 7 meetings with the Twins, and 1-5 in their last 6 trips to Target Field.
TONIGHT’S PICK: MINNESOTA TWINS

The Los Angeles Dodgers were slow out of the gate but it appears they are now on track. They will go for their third straight win tonight when they host the Oakland Athletics in the final game of a quick 2-game set at Chavez Ravine. The Dodgers took the first game last night, launching 3 homers in a 4-0 shutout. Tonight Los Angeles is expected to send the southpaw Alex Wood to the rubber. Wood has yet to post a win, at 0-1, but has pitched superbly. He has an ERA of 1.93, a 0.50 WHIP, with 10 strikeouts, no walks and no home runs. Daniel Mengden is expected to get the nod for Oakland. Mengden has struggled thus far, at 0-2, with a 6.55 ERA, and a 1.27 WHIP. Oakland has not had success against lefties, going 0-4 in their last 4, and they are 1-4 in their last 5 games overall. Consider the Dodgers in this one.
TONIGHT’S PICK: LOS ANGELES DODGERS

The Boston Red Sox are on a roll, winning 8 in a row, but will have their hands full tonight when the Bronx Bombers come to town. New York will have their ace, Luis Severino, on the hill. Severino is off and running, with a record of 2-0, an ERA of 1.38, and a WHIP of 0.77. The Yankees win when he takes the mound, going 17-4 in his last 21 starts, and he was electric at Fenway last year, posting a ridiculous ERA of just 0.64 in 2 outings. Of course, Boston will counter with their ace, Chris Sale. The lefty has yet to record a win but has had his usual nasty stuff, with an ERA of 0.82, and a WHIP to match at 0.82. However, Boston is 1-4 in Sale’s last 5 starts against the Yanks and will be without SS Xander Bogaerts due to an ankle injury. I like New York in this spot.
TONIGHT’S PICK: NEW YORK YANKEES