Month: April 2021

It was just a matter of time before the Bronx Bombers bats came alive and that is what happened last night in their 6-3 win over the Cleveland Indians. The Yankees offense erupted for 11 hits, the most they have tallied since April 7th. Hitting is contagious and New York should be able to get to Cleveland’s expected starter, Logan Allen, when they play the second game of a 4-game set at Progressive Field. Allen is 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA, a 1.25 WHIP, and lasted just 2 innings in his last turn against Cincinnati, where he gave up 5 runs on 3 hits resulting in a 10-3 loss. New York is 8-0 in their last 8 against the American League Central, 5-1 in their last 6 against Cleveland, and 4-0 in their last 4 trips to Progressive.
TONIGHT’S PICK: NEW YORK YANKEES

The Boston Red Sox and the Oakland Athletics are tied for the best record in the American League at 12-7, but you know who is lurking right behind them at 11-7 – the Seattle Mariners. Boston and Seattle will open a 4-game set tonight at Fenway. Seattle is coming off an impressive 2-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers, where they went toe to toe with the Champs, coming away with a split. The Mariners have won 8 of their last 11, are 5-2 on the road, and are expected to send Justin Dunn to the rubber. Dunn has been delivering, with a record of 1-0, a 3.72 ERA, a 1.34 WHIP, and was sharp in his last outing against the Orioles, where he yielded just 1 run over 5 innings in a 2-1 Mariners win. Boston has been getting it done on the road, at 6-1, but are a mediocre 6-6 at Fenway. The Red Sox are expected to give the nod to ex-Philly Nick Pivetta. Pivetta is 2-0 with a 3.68 ERA and a 1.64 WHIP but has walked 11 batters on the season, which is tied for the most in the AL. On one day’s rest, the Mariners are 4-1 in their last 5 and 4-1 in their last 5 as a road dog. Keep an eye on Seattle. This team is good.
TODAY’S PICK: SEATTLE MARINERS

The Washington Nationals will go for two in a row and a series win over the St. Louis Cardinals when they wrap up their 3-game set in an early one at Nationals Park. The Nationals are expected to turn to their ace, Max Scherzer, to throw strikes and that’s just what he has been doing. Scherzer has yet to get his first win, at 0-1, but he has been mowing them down as usual. Scherzer has a 2.37 ERA, a 0.68 WHIP, and over his last two turns, he has allowed just 1 run with 15 Ks in 13 innings of work. That’s dominance. The Nationals should be able to get to the Cardinals expected starter, Carlos Martínez. Martínez is winless, at 0-3, with a bloated 7.80 ERA, a 1.40 WHIP, and was lit up in his last turn against the Phillies, allowing 6 runs on 5 hits resulting in a 9-2 Philadelphia win. Washington is 7-2 in their last 9 meetings with St. Louis, 4-1 in their last 5 against them at home, and they have Mad Max on the hill.
TODAY’S PICK: WASHINGTON NATIONALS

If the New York Yankees’ skipper, Aaron Boone, isn’t shaking in his cleats, he had better be. The Yankees have not only lost 5 in a row, they are dead last in the American League with a pathetic 5-10 record and that doesn’t cut it in the Bronx. Tonight they will try to stop the bleeding when they open a quick 2-game set against the Atlanta Braves at the Stadium. The Braves could be without Ronald Acuña Jr., which will be a good thing for the Yankees expected starter Jameson Taillon, who is 0-1 with a bloated 7.56 ERA. Acuña is batting .419 with an OPS of 1.373. Wow. Atlanta is expected to give the nod to Charlie Morton. Morton is a mediocre 1-1 with a 4.76 ERA and was tagged for 5 runs over 6 innings in his last turn against the Marlins. The Braves have lost 4 in a row in the Bronx and are just 5-13 in their last 18 overall against the Bombers. The Yankees offense has been silent but with all those weapons it’s just a matter of time before it erupts.
TONIGHT’S PICK: NEW YORK YANKEES

The Milwaukee Brewers will have their work cut out for them tonight when they open a 3-game set at Petco Park against the San Diego Padres. The Brewers lost a tough won yesterday in extras to the Pirates, then had to pack up and travel across the country, which is never easy. They will also be without three of their key players (Christian Yelich, Kolten Wong, and Lorenzo Cain) who are all out with injuries. San Diego will have confidence going into tonight’s game after knocking off their hated rival, the Los Angeles Dodgers, yesterday, 5-2, and will have Joe Musgrove on the hill. The San Diego native, who is 2-1 with an ERA of just 0.47 and a WHIP to match at 0.47, will be making his first home start since throwing his no-hitter against Texas on April 9th, so even with limited fans, Petco will be electric. The Brewers will counter with Brandon Woodruff and he can deliver. Woodruff, who has yet to notch a win, has a 2.12 ERA and a WHIP of just 0.76, but is winless in his career against the Friars with a 4.50 ERA and Milwaukee is 0-5 in their last 5 against the NL West. Next up for the Padres is a 4-game series with the Dodgers starting on Thursday, so they know they have to take care of business and win two, if not three, against a battered Milwaukee team and head to Chavez Ravine on a winning note.
TONIGHT’S PICK: SAN DIEGO PADRES

The Colorado Rockies will wrap up their 3-game set with the New York Mets today after splitting a double header yesterday at Coors Feld. Colorado hopes that expected starter Antonio Senzatela can find his mark after a slow start to the 2021 campaign. Senzatela is 1-2 with an elevated ERA of 7.07, a 1.64 WHIP, and in his two losses, both to the Dodgers, he was lit up like a candle, allowing 12 runs on 14 hits. On the other hand, Marcus Stroman, the expected started for the Mets, is everything they hoped he would be when they acquired him in 2019 from the Jays. Stroman has been almost untouchable. He is 2-0 with a nasty ERA of 0.75, a 0.81 WHIP, and owns a career ERA of 1.97 at Coors Field. Moreover, the Mets are 6-0 in Stroman’s last 6 starts, 4-1 in their last 5 overall, 4-1 in their last 5 as a favorite, and 5-2 in their last 7 meetings with the Rockies.
TODAY’S PICK: NEW YORK METS

When the Cincinnati Reds take the field at Great American Ball Park, they don’t just win, they crush whoever opposes them. They did it again last night, trouncing a really good Cleveland Indians team, 10-3. Today the Reds will continue their homestand against the Indians and will send Sonny Gray to the hill. Gray has had success against Cleveland in his career. He is 5-3 with a 3.15 ERA and was 1-0 last year against the Tribe, yielding just 1 run with 8 Ks in a 3-2 Reds win. The Indians are expected to send Triston McKenzie to the rubber. The young right-hander is 0-0 with a 4.70 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP, and that doesn’t bode well for Cleveland. Cincinnati’s numbers at Great American Ballpark are scary. They are averaging 9.6 runs per game, batting .321 with 16 homers, and have outscored their opponents, 67-29.
TODAY’S PICK: CINCINNATI REDS