Month: June 2018

The New York Yankees’ bats were silent yesterday in their 2-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field but that won’t last very long. The Yankees will get a chance to even the score today when the two teams meet again in a matinee in St. Petersburg. The Yankees will send Sonny Gray to the rubber and it is obvious he is starting to feel comfortable in pinstripes. Gray started the season with a 6.67 ERA in April, which dropped to 5.16 in May, then 2.63 in June, and he has just 7 earned runs in his last 24 innings of work. The Rays are still experimenting with starting relief pitchers and are expected to send Wilmer Font to the rubber. Font has been bouncing around the League and Tampa will be his third stop in 2018. He is 0-3 on the season, with an inflated ERA of 7.56. The Yankees could light this guy up early. New York has a team batting average of .252, an OBP of .331, and a staggering 122 homers. The Bombers are 8-3 in their last 11 meetings overall with the Rays and it’s always like a home game for them when they play in St. Pete.
TODAY’S PICK: NEW YORK YANKEES

The Cincinnati Reds and the Chicago Cubs will play the second game of a 4-game set tonight at Great American Ball Park. The Reds won the first game last night, 6-2, and are red hot winning 4 in a row but that streak could end tonight when the Reds send Luis Castillo to the rubber. Castillo has not been getting it done, with a record of 4-8, a 5.77 ERA, a 1.44 WHIP, and has lost his last 4 starts with an ERA of 6.97. The Cubs will send lefty José Quintana to the hill. Quintana comes into tonight’s game with a record of 6-5, a 4.06 ERA, and a 1.33 WHIP. Quintana has been stingy in the run department in his last 4 turns, allowing 2 runs or fewer. When Quintana is on the hill, the Cubs are 16-7 in his last 23 starts and 5-2 in his last 7 road starts. This doesn’t bode well for the Reds since they are 8-21 in their last 29 home games against southies and 9-20 in their last 29 home games against Chicago.
TONIGHT’S PICK: CHICAGO CUBS

The Angels have scratched Tyler Skaggs for tonight’s game due to hamstring tightness and will start the lefty John Lamb in his place.

The best player in baseball, Mike Trout, will be playing in his 1,000th game tonight when the Los Angeles Angels open a 4-game set at home against the Toronto Blue Jays. The Angels will give the nod to the southpaw, Tyler Skaggs, and he has been on his game. Skaggs is 6-4, with an 2.81 ERA, a 1.22 WHIP, and in his last 3 turns, he has been lethal. During that span, he is 3-0, with a nasty ERA of 0.45, and a 1.05 WHIP. The Jays will send Aaron Sanchez to the hill. The Barstow California native is 3-5, with a 4.35 ERA, and a 1.49 WHIP. Toronto had to travel across the country yesterday after their game with Atlanta and that is always difficult. The Jays have lost 8 of their last 9 road games and are 0-7 in their last 7 on the road against lefties. The Angels Mike Trout has been on fire. He is riding an 8-game hitting streak where he has gone an amazing 16 for 23 with 4 home runs. The Jays dropped 2 of 3 to the Angels in May at Rogers Centre and are 2-5 in the last 7 meetings. I like the Angels in this situation.
TONIGHT’S PICK: LOS ANGELES ANGELS

The Boston Red Sox will go for their 50th win of the season when they face the Minnesota Twins tonight at Target Field. Southpaw David Price will get the nod for Boston. Price has been on his mark, with a record of 8-4, a 3.76 ERA, and a 1.20 WHIP. Boston is 7-0 in Price’s last 7 starts and 4-0 in his last 4 turns on the road. Minnesota will call on Lance Lynn to deliver and he has been mediocre at best. Lynn is 4-5, with a 4.98 ERA, and a 1.60 WHIP. The Twins have struggled against the American League East, going 5-16 in their last 21 and they are just 2-6 in their last 8 games against lefties. Consider the Red Sox in this one.
TONIGHT’S PICK: BOSTON RED SOX

The Washington Nationals offense has gone dormant but that could change tonight because the Baltimore Orioles will be in town. Jefry Rodríguez will be making his first Big League start for the Nationals but did have one relief appearance against the Atlanta Braves and was impressive, throwing 4-2/3 innings of scoreless ball. The Orioles have one of the worst pitching staffs in all of baseball, with a combined ERA of 4.87, and tonight they will have David Hess on the hill. Hess is 2-3, with a 4.13 ERA, and was lit up in his last turn, surrendering 5 runs on 5 hits with 4 walks in just 3-1/3 innings against Boston. Baltimore is 0-5 in their last 5 meetings with Washington. It’s just a matter of time for the struggling Bryce Harper to get hot and tonight could be that night.
TONIGHT’S PICK: WASHINGTON NATIONALS

The St. Louis Cardinals finally got back on track yesterday by blanking the Chicago Cubs, 5-0. Tonight they will head to Citizens Bank Park for the first game of a 3-game series with the Philadelphia Phillies. The Cardinals will have Miles Mikolas tapping the rubber and he has been delivering. Mikolas is 7-2, with a 2.43 ERA, a 0.96 WHIP, and St. Louis is 5-1 in his last 6 road starts. The Phillies will turn to Nick Pivetta to throw strikes and he hasn’t been doing that. He is 4-6, with a 4.25 ERA, a 1.24 WHIP, and Philadelphia is 0-4 in his last 4 starts. The Cardinals have dominated the Phillies, winning 17 of the last 23 meetings.
TONIGHT’S PICK: ST. LOUIS CARDINALS