Month: June 2019

The Texas Rangers will go for the series win today over the Baltimore Orioles when they conclude a 3-game set in Arlington. David Hess is expected to get the nod for the O’s and how this guy is still in the Bigs is beyond me. Hess is 1-7, with a 7.36 ERA and a 1.51 WHIP. In his last 3 starts, Hess is 0-2, with a 12.27 ERA, and the Orioles are 2-14 in his last 16 road starts – not good. Texas is expected to turn to Ariel Jurado to throw strikes. Jurado is 2-2, with a 2.43 ERA, and a 1.21 WHIP. You can’t complain with numbers like that. The Rangers are 8-2 in their last 10 home games and have won 12 of the last 17 against Baltimore at Globe Life. There is no hesitation on this pick.
TONIGHT’S PICK: TEXAS RANGERS

The New York Yankees are on a rare 2-game skid, falling to the Blue Jays last night, 4-3, at Rogers Centre but I expect them to get back on track when they resume play tonight north of the border. The lefty, James Paxton, will get the call for New York and he is living up to the Yankees expectations. He is 3-2, with a 2.81 ERA, a 1.13 WHIP, and has fond memories of Rogers Centre where he tossed a no-hitter with Seattle last year, becoming only the second Canadian in MLB history to do so. It could be a long night for the Jays when they send Trent Thornton to the rubber. Thornton is 1-4, with a 4.53 ERA, a 1.34 WHIP, and is 0-3 with a bloated 6.23 ERA in 6 starts at home. The Yanks have dominated the Jays, winning 10 of the last 14 meetings. Toronto has struggled against left-handed pitching, going 5-11 in their last 16 at home, and that is not good with a guy like Paxton on the hill. Consider the Bombers.
TONIGHT’S PICK: NEW YORK YANKEES

The San Francisco Giants will visit Citi Field tonight to open a 3-game set against the struggling New York Mets. The Mets have lost 2 in a row and 4 of their last 5. They will turn to Noah Syndergaard to throw strikes. Syndergaard has not been his normal lights out. He is 3-4, with a 4.90 ERA, and a 1.27 WHIP. Over his last 3 turns, Syndergaard is 0-1 and his ERA has grown to 5.40. The Giants will counter with Madison Bumgarner. Mad Bum, who sits at 3-5 with a 4.01 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP, is starting to find his groove. Over his last 3, he is 1-1 and has lowered his ERA to 3.93. Bumgarner has been a Met killer in his career. He is a perfect 6-0 with a 1.69 ERA and at Citi Field he is 5-0 with a ridiculous ERA of just 0.73. Mad Bum keeps it perfect.
TONIGHT’S PICK: SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS

The San Diego Padres will be a home dog tonight when they host the struggling Philadelphia Phillies to open a 3-game set at Petco Park. Philadelphia will try to get back on track by sending their ace to the hill, Aaron Nola. Nola is a perfect 6-0 and over his last 3, he has lowered his ERA to 2.45 and his WHIP to 1.31. The southpaw, Eric Lauer, will be tapping the rubber on his 24th birthday for the Padres and he has been delivering. Over his last 3 turns, he is 2-0 with a nasty ERA of only 1.50 and a 0.83 WHIP. The Phillies have lost 4 straight. They are 1-4 in their last 5 road games against lefties and 1-5 in their last 6 trips to Petco. Happy Birthday, Eric.
TONIGHT’S PICK: SAN DIEGO PADRES

The Chicago White Sox will go for a series win over the Cleveland Indians when they wrap up a 4-game set in a matinée today at Guaranteed Rate Field. The White Sox will send Lucas Giolito to the rubber and he has been nothing but lethal. This guy has not lost a game since early April and owns a record of 7-1 with a 2.85 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP. Chicago is 6-0 in Giolito’s last 6 starts and 5-1 in their last 6 home games. The Indians will send Zach Plesac to the hill and he will be making his second Big League start. Despite looking impressive in his debut against Boston, where he yielded just one run, he still has just 5-1/3 innings under his belt in the Bigs and he’ll need all the help he can get because the Indians are just 4-9 in their last 13 overall. Consider the boys from the south side.
TODAY’S PICK: CHICAGO WHITE SOX

Two of the best flame throwers in the league will oppose each other tonight at Chase Field with Zack Greinke taking the hill for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Jacob DeGrom for the New York Mets. Arizona is on a 5-game skid and have not been getting any breaks. Four of their 5 losses have been by one run only. I like the Diamondbacks chances to get back on track tonight. Greinke is 6-2 on the season, with a 2.78 ERA, a 0.88 WHIP, and when he takes the hill at home, good things happen. The Diamondbacks are 5-1 in Greinke’s last 6 starts at Chase and he has dominated the Mets in his career, going 5-1 with a 3.08 ERA. The 2018 National League Cy Young winner, DeGrom, sits at 3-5 on the season with a 3.71 ERA and a 1.71 WHIP. The Mets are 0-4 in his last 4 road starts and 1-5 in his last 6 starts against the NL West. The Snakes get it done.
TONIGHT’S PICK: ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS