Month: October 2018

The Los Angeles Dodgers are playing at the top of their game and will go for a sweep of the Atlanta Braves tonight at SunTrust Park. Their pitching has been exceptional, shutting out Atlanta in Game 1 of the NLDS, 6-0, and Game 2, 3-0. Walker Buehler is expected to get the nod tonight for Los Angeles and the young upstart has been dueling, with a record of 8-5, a 2.62 ERA, and a 0.96 WHIP. Atlanta is expected to go with Sean Newcomb and he has had a productive season. Newcomb is 12-9, with a 3.90 ERA, and a 1.32 WHIP, but Atlanta is 0-4 in his last 4 home starts. The Dodgers are 5-2 in Buehler’s last 7 starts and they are 4-1 in their last 5 trips to Atlanta.
TONIGHT’S PICK: LOS ANGELES DODGERS

The New York Yankees fell to the Boston Red Sox in Game 1 of the ALDS yesterday, 5-4, but will have an opportunity to even things up today when they meet again at Fenway. Masahiro Tanaka is expected to tap the rubber for the Bombers and he is 12-6, with a 3.75 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP. Tanaka’s post-season numbers are good, at 2-2 with a 1.44 ERA. The Red Sox are expected to counter with southpaw David Price. He has delivered this year, with a record of 16-7, a 3.58 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP but has struggled in his career in post-season play. In eight career starts in the playoffs, Price is 0-8 with an elevated ERA of 5.84 and has struggled against New York this year, going 0-3 with a bloated ERA of 10.54. We know the Bombers can hit lefties and collectively their batting average is .318 against Price. The Yanks even the score.
TODAY’S PICK: NEW YORK YANKEES

Two of the best flamethrowers in the business will oppose each other today at Munute Maid Park when the Houston Astros send Justin Verlander to the rubber and the Cleveland Indians start Corey Kluber. Kluber is 20-7, with a 2.89 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP. Verlander is 16-9, with a 2.52 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP. Verlander knows how to get it done in the post-season with a record of 11-6 and a 3.07 ERA. Consider the World Champs.
TODAY’S PICK: HOUSTON ASTROS

The Los Angeles Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves will square off tonight at Dodger Stadium in Game 1 of the NLDS. Lefty Hyun-jin Ryu will get the nod for Los Angeles. Ryu has been delivering, with a mark of 7-3, a 1.97 ERA, a 1.01 WHIP, and he in 3-0 in his last 3 turns, with an ERA of only 0.47 and a 0.74 WHIP. Mike Foltynewicz will start for Atlanta and he has pitched well. Foltynewicz is 13-10, with a 2.85 ERA, a 1.08 WHIP, and he is 2-1 in his last 3 starts but his ERA climbed to 4.76. The Braves are 1-4 in their last 5 trips to Dodger Stadium and they have struggled against lefties, going 3-9 in their last 12.
TONIGHT’S PICK: LOS ANGELES DODGERS

The New York Yankees and the Oakland Athletics will meet in the Bronx tonight to decide the AL Wild Card game. The Yanks will have their ace tapping the rubber, Luis Severino. He is 19-8 on the season, with a 3.39 ERA, a 1.14 WHIP, and New York is 22-4 in his last 26 turns at the Stadium. The A’s are going to use relievers as starters and will send the Australian, Liam Hendriks, to start. In 24 innings of work, Hendriks is 0-1 with a 4.12 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP. The Athletics have had success against the the Yankees in Oakland but not in the Bronx, where they are 1-4 in their last 5.
TONIGHT’S PICK: NEW YORK YANKEES

The Chicago Cubs and the Colorado Rockies will meet at Wrigley tonight to see who goes to the next level. Two southpaws will oppose each other and both have been delivering. Jon Lester gets the nod for the Cubs and Kyle Freeland will go for the Rockies. Lester is 18-6, with a 3.32 ERA, a 1.31 WHIP, and he has not allowed an earned run in his last two starts. Freeland has been on his mark. He is 17-7, with a 2.85 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP but he will be working on just three days’ rest. The Cubs are 51-31 at home and 5-1 in Lester’s last 6 starts against the NL West.
TONIGHT’S PICK: CHICAGO CUBS