Month: July 2021

The Seattle Mariners took 2 out of 3 against the Los Angeles Angels at T-Mobile Park heading into the All-Star break and tonight the venue switches to Angels Stadium where the two clubs will open a 3-game set. Chris Flexen is the expected starter for Seattle. Flexen has been rock solid, posting a record of 8-3 with a 3.51 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP. The expected starter for LA, southpaw Andrew Heaney, has been just the opposite. Heaney is 5-6 with a 5.38 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP. The Mariners are 5-2 in their last 7 games as a road dog and 10-2 in their last 12 against a left-handed starter.
TONIGHT’S PICK: SEATTLE MARINERS

The New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox will kick off the second half of the MLB season when they meet tonight in the Bronx in Game 1 of a 4-game set. This is a critical series for the Yanks, who trail Boston by 8 games, and they know it. Boston has won all 6 meetings with New York this year but it appears the Yanks have turned things around. Going into the break, they took 2 of 3 from the Mariners and, if not for a total meltdown in the 9th against Houston, they would have swept the Astros. Boston on the other hand stumbled into the break, losing two in row and 4 of their last 5. The Red Sox are expected to send lefty Eduardo Rodríguez to the hill and he has been average at best. Rodríguez is 6-5 with an elevated ERA of 5.52, a 1.37 WHIP, and was not sharp in his last turn, surrendering 9 hits and 4 runs in 5 innings of work resulting in a 4-5 loss to the Los Angeles Angels. The Yankees have not released their starter for tonight but it will probably be southpaw Jordan Montgomery. Montgomery has not brought the house down, at 3-4, with a 4.16 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP, but is an Impressive 11-6 in his career at Yankee Stadium with an ERA of 3.36 and a 1.17 WHIP. New York is 6-2 in their last 8 against a left-handed starter and although the Red Sox have owned the Yanks of late, trends end.
TONIGHT’S PICK: NEW YORK YANKEES
UPDATE: It is confirmed that Domingo Germán, 4-5 with a 4.44 ERA and 1.22 WHIP, will get the start for the Yankees which means this could possibly be a bullpen game for the Bombers. The pick hasn’t changed.

The Colorado Rockies blanked the San Diego Padres, 3-0, yesterday at Petco Park but they are still a pathetic 8-34 away from Coors Field. Today the two teams will wrap up their series before heading into the All-Star break and expect the outcome to be different. Even with yesterday’s win, the Rockies are still just 1-9 in their last 10 at Petco and will have Jon Gray on the hill. Gray is 5-6 with a 4.05 ERA and the Rocks are 0-6 in his last 6 road starts. The Padres, who are 33-18 at home, will counter with the young upstart Ryan Weathers. Weathers, who comes from good stock, is 4-2 with a 3.02 ERA and the Padres are 4-0 in his last 4 home starts. The Friars can smack the ball and should get to Gray this afternoon.
TODAY’S PICK: SAN DIEGO PADRES

The Seattle Mariners are currently a slight dog going into tonight’s game #2 with the Los Angele Angels, despite cruising to a 7-3 victory last night at T-Mobile. The Halos are just 3-7 in their last 10 road games and 0-5 in their last 5 against the AL West. Lefty Patrick Sandoval is expected to take the hill for LA and he has decent numbers. Sandoval is 2-2 with a 3.86 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP but took the loss in his last outing against the Mariners back on June 6th. The Mariners are 28-19 at home and are expected to turn to Chris Flexen to throw strikes. Flexen is 7-3 with a 3.80 ERA. a 1.25 WHIP, and has delivered this year at home, with a record of 5-2 and a nasty ERA of 1.99. The Mariners are 7-3 in their last 10 meetings with the Angels and 9-1 in their last 10 against a left-handed starter.
TONIGHT’S PICK: SEATTLE MARINERS

The New York Mets Taijuan Walker doesn’t get the publicity that the other top hurlers get but he should, and with weather permitting, he is expected to get the nod tonight when New York hosts the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 3-game set at Citi Field. Walker has nasty stuff and is 7-3 with an ERA of just 2.44 and a 1.01 WHIP. Pittsburgh is just 13-29 on the road and expected starter J.T. Brubaker had better bring his A-game tonight against a Mets team that is 26-12 in Queens. Brubaker’s numbers are not great, with a record of 4-8, a 4.09 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP. The Mets are 6-1 in the last 7 meetings with the Pirates and 4-1 in their last 5 against them at Citi Field. If you don’t mind laying the heavy juice, New York is worth considering.
TONIGHT’S PICK: NEW YORK METS

The Detroit Tigers are hot, winning 4 of their last 5, and will travel to Minneapolis tonight to open a 4-game set with the struggling Minnesota Twins. Not only are the Tigers as a whole on a roll, so is their expected starter, the young southpaw, Tarik Skubal, who is 4-0 over his last 7 starts with a 3.40 ERA. On the other side, Minnesota is expected to turn to lefty J.A. Happ to throw strikes and he has seen better days. Happ is 4-4 with a 6.09 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP. The Twins have lost 7 of their last 9 and are just 1-5 in their last 6 home games against a left-handed starter. Tigers stay hot.
TONIGHT’S PICK: DETROIT TIGERS