Month: April 2019

The Boston Red Sox will send Chris Sale to the hill today for their home opener against the Toronto Blue Jays. Just like his team, Sale is off to a rocky start but that won’t last. The flame-throwing lefty is the best in the business. The Red Sox are 7-2 in Sale’s last 9 home starts and 6-1 in his last 7 starts against the American League East. The Blue Jays are 5-22 in their last 27 road games against lefties and with a guy like Sale on the hill, good luck.
TODAY’S PICK: BOSTON RED SOX

Are the Boston Red Sox going to be swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks today? I say not.
TODAY’S PICK: BOSTON RED SOX

The Boston Red Sox may be 2-7 to start the season but don’t forget, they are are the World Champions and for a reason, they are really good. This early temporary setback will not last long. You can count on that. Tonight they will try to even the score with the Arizona Diamondbacks when the two clubs play the second game of a 3-game set at Chase Field. David Price is expected to get the nod for Boston and he was not sharp in his season debut against Oakland, yielding 4 runs, including 3 homers in 6 innings of work, but chalk that up to rust. Last year the veteran southpaw won 16 games including 3 in the post-season. Price has fared well against Arizona, going 2-0, with a 2.81 ERA, and the Red Sox are 7-0 in his last 7 starts in inter-league play. Luke Weaver is expected to take the bump for Arizona. Weaver’s season debut is one I’m sure he would like to forget. He gave up 5 runs on 6 hits over 4-1/3 frames in a losing cause to the Dodgers. Despite last night’s loss, the Sox have won 10 of the last 12 meetings with the Snakes and Arizona is just 2-6 in their last 8 games against left-handed starters. I like Boston’s chances in this one.
TONIGHT’S PICK: BOSTON RED SOX

The Miami Marlins have lost 3 straight, allowing 19 runs during their skid and that won’t bode well when they travel to SunTrust Park tonight to open a 3-game set against the red hot Atlanta Braves. Atlanta is coming off a 3-game sweep of a very talented Chicago Cubs team, outscoring them 23-8. The ex-Oriole, Kevin Gausman, is expected to make his season debut tonight for the Braves. Since being acquired from the Orioles last year, Gausman was a solid 5-3 with an ERA of 2.87 and was lights out in the month of August, going 4-1 with an ERA of only 1.69. The Marlins are expected to give the nod to the young right hander, Pablo López. He was 2-4 last year, with an ERA of 4.14, and was winless against Atlanta, going 0-2 with an ERA of 4.91. The Braves have owned the Marlins in recent history, winning 8 of the last 10, 15 of the last 18 at home, and with the way Nick Markakis is hitting, a consideration on Atlanta is warranted.
TONIGHT’S PICK: ATLANTA BRAVES

The Los Angeles Angels’ season has not started the way they would have liked, going 1-5 on the road and mustering just 13 runs over that span. Tonight they will try to right the ship when they host the Texas Rangers in their home opener. If there was a bright spot in their first 6 games, it was hurler Matt Harvey. Harvey was solid in his first outing as an Angel, yielding just 2 runs on 4 hits in 6 innings of work, resulting in a 6-2 victory over the Oakland A’s. If Matt Harvey’s stuff is working, he is as good as anyone in the Majors. Texas is expected to counter with Edinson Vólquez, who was shaky at best in his first turn against the Cubs. He gave up 4 runs on 6 hits with 4 walks in only 4 innings of work. Vólquez has not pitched well against the Angels in his career. He is 1-4 with a bloated ERA of 10.71 and the Rangers are 1-7 in his last 8 road starts. Los Angeles has won 7 of the last 10 meetings against Texas, including the last 5 at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. It’s just a matter of time before the Angels’ bats wake up and tonight should be that night.
TONIGHT’S PICK: LOS ANGELES ANGELS

The Cleveland Indians will go for a 2-game sweep over the Chicago White Sox when they play an early one today at Progressive Field. The Indians’ bats finally came alive late in Monday’s contest and hitting is contagious. The Tribe are expected to send the two time American League Cy Young winner to the hill, Corey Kluber. Kluber has dominated the White Sox in his career, going 13-4 with an ERA of 2.80, and last year he was 4-0 against Chicago with a nasty ERA of only 0.96. The White Sox are expected to give the nod to Carlos Rodón. Rodón was 0-2 last year against Cleveland and the White Sox are 1-4 in his last 5 starts at Progressive Field. The Indians have won 38 of the last 55 meetings and will notch another one today.
TODAY’S PICK: CLEVELAND INDIANS