Month: August 2018

The Atlanta Braves are hot and they own the Miami Marlins. They have won 9 of the last 10 meetings against Miami and will have Mike Foltynewicz on the hill. The Braves are 8-1 in his last 9 starts against the Marlins. Enough said.
TONIGHT’S PICK: ATLANTA BRAVES

Boston got back on track yesterday with a 10-4 beating of the Cleveland Indians and will play them again in an early one at Fenway to round out the 4-game set. Southpaw David Price starts for the Red Sox and he has been delivering. Price is 4-0 with a 1.80 ERA in his last 6 starts and has been a Cleveland killer in his career, with a record of 10-2 and a 2.24 ERA. The Indians are expected to send the rookie, Adam Plutko, to the hill. Plutko is 4-3, with a 4.62 ERA, and the way the Indians are hitting lefties, going 1-4 in their last 5, it won’t be enough against Price and Boston’s potent offense. Consider laying the juice and taking the home team.
TODAY’S PICK: BOSTON RED SOX

The Chicago Cubs have lost three in a row and had better get on track soon if they want to hold on to their NL Central lead. The Cubs lost yesterday, 2-1, to the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park and they will meet again tonight for the final game of a quick 2-game set. Chicago will send lefty Jon Lester to the hill to try to even the score. Lester is 13-5, with a 3.72 ERA, a 1.32 WHIP, and the Cubs are 7-1 in his last 8 road starts. Detroit will counter with another southpaw, Francisco Liriano. He is 3-8, with a 4.72 ERA, a 1.51 WHIP, and the Tigers are just 2-9 in his last 11 starts. The Cubs can hit lefties, going 13-5 in their last 18, and they are 21-8 in their last 29 Interleague games. Chicago acquired one of the best left-handed hitters in the game, Daniel Murphy, and he could make his debut tonight, which will help their struggling offense. Cubs get back on track.
TONIGHT’S PICK: CHICAGO CUBS

The Milwaukee Brewers are very much alive to win the NL Central, sitting just 3 games back of the Division leading Chicago Cubs. Tonight they will go for their third straight win when they host the Cincinnati Reds in the second leg of a 3-game set. Tonight’s pitching matchup will have Sal Romano tapping the rubber for the Reds and Junior Guerra for the Brewers. Both pitchers have struggled of late. Guerra is 6-8, with a 3.73 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP. Over his last 3 turns, Guerra is 0-1 with a 5.60 ERA but the Brewers are 5-1 in his last 6 starts at Miller Park. Romano is 7-10, with a 5.31 ERA and a WHIP of 1.45. In his last 3 turns, Romano is 1-2 with a 7.62 ERA. In his last outing, Romano was lit up by Cleveland, surrendering 6 runs in just 1-2/3 innings of work. The Reds are 0-5 in Romano’s last 5 starts against the Brewers, they are 2-8 in the last 10 meetings overall, and 1-4 in their last 5 trips to Miller Park. Guerra needs to go deep into this game because Milwaukee’s bullpen has issues.
TONIGHT’S PICK: MILWAUKEE BREWERS

The surging Oakland Athletics sit just one game back of the AL West leading Houston Astros and will look to gain some ground on them tonight when they host the Texas Rangers. Bartolo Colón was due to start yesterday for the Rangers but was scratched do to back stiffness and as of now, he is scheduled to get the nod tonight but that could change. The veteran is 7-10, with a 5.19 ERA, a 1.26 WHIP, and Texas was on the losing end in his last turn against Oakland, by a score of 7-6. The newly acquired Mike Fiers will start for the Athletics. Fiers is 8-6, with a 3.38 ERA, a 1.20 WHIP, and he was 2-0 against Texas this year as a Tiger. Oakland swept a 4-game set from Texas in Arlington back in July and they have won 10 of the last 12 meetings against them at home. Consider the A’s tonight.
TONIGHT’S PICK: OAKLAND ATHLETICS

The Arizona Diamondbacks’ Zack Greinke has been a San Diego Padre killer and that is who he will face today at Petco Park. In his career, Greinke is 11-2 against the Friars, with a 2.10 ERA, and is 12-8 on the season, with a 3.00 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP. Brett Kennedy will be making his third Big League start for San Diego and in his first two turns he has not looked good. Kennedy is 0-2, with an ERA of 11.00, and a 2.33 WHIP. Arizona is 6-1 in their last 7 games in San Diego and should notch another one today.
TODAY’S PICK: ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

The San Francisco Giants fell to the Cincinnati Reds in extra innings last night, 2-1, and will turn to their ace, Madison Bumgarner, tonight to get them back on track when the two teams meet again at Great American Ball Park. Bumgarner is 4-4, with a 2.71 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP. The Reds will send Matt Harvey to the rubber and he isn’t the flamethrower he used to be. Harvey is 5-7, with an elevated ERA of 5.19 and a 1.32 WHIP. The last place Reds will be without their superstar first baseman, Joey Votto, due to a bruised leg. Consider the Giants in this one.
TONIGHT’S PICK: SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS