Month: August 2021

The Houston Astros better be sleeping with one eye open because the Oakland Athletics sit just 3 games back for the top spot in the AL West. The A’s mowed down the pathetic Texas Rangers yesterday, 12-3, and today will be no different. Oakland has won 4 straight against the Rangers and are 36-15 in their last 51 meetings overall.
TODAY’S PICK: OAKLAND ATHLETICS

The Los Angeles Dodgers are the pick today. They have too much firepower to fall to the Los Angeles Angels again tonight. Julio Urías is expected to toe the rubber for the Dodgers and when he starts, good things happen. Urías is 13-3 with a 3.40 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP.
TONIGHT’S PICK: LOS ANGELES DODGERS

After Wednesday’s tough loss to the Oakland Athletics, the San Diego Padres now find themselves 7-1/2 games back of the NL West leading San Francisco Giants. The good news for the Friars is the Arizona Diamondbacks come to town tonight, followed by another bottom dweller, the Miami Marlins. If they are going to go on a run, now is the time. San Diego had yesterday off so they are well rested and after a day off, the Padres are 5-1 in their last 6. The expected starters for tonight’s game are two southies, Caleb Smith for the Snakes and Ryan Weathers for the Padres. Smith is just 3-8 on the season with a 5.04 ERA, a 1.35 WHIP, and Arizona is 0-5 in his last 5 road starts. Weathers comes in with decent numbers at 4-3, with a 3.65 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP, but was lit up in his last outing against the Colorado Rockies so any sign of trouble and it will become a bullpen session. Arizona is a pathetic 13-41 on the road and 2-6 in their last 8 at Petco Park. The Padres should be able to light up Smith. San Diego is 11-3 in their last 14 home games against a left-handed starter.
TONIGHT’S PICK: SAN DIEGO PADRES

Anthony Rizzo is already paying dividends for the New York Yankees. Since coming over from the Chicago Cubs, the Yankees are 5-1, he is batting .400 with 3 homers, and the Bombers’ offense has exploded, scoring 23 runs in their past two victories over the Baltimore Orioles. Tonight they will host the Seattle Mariners in Game 1 of a 4-game set. New York has already taken 2 of 3 from the Mariners this year at T-Mobile and will turn to southpaw Nestor Cortes, Jr. to throw strikes. He has made just 3 starts for the Yankees this season and has yet to record a win but Cortes has excellent numbers, with an ERA of just 1.93 and a stingy 0.95 WHIP. Seattle is expected to have newly acquired lefty, Tyler Anderson, toe the rubber. Anderson is nothing to write home about. He is 5-8 with an elevated ERA of 4.39 and a 1.20 WHIP. The Yankees are 6-1 in their last 7 home games, 5-1 in their last 6 at the Stadium against a left-handed starter, and 8-1 in their last 9 meetings with the Mariners in the Bronx.
TONIGHT’S PICK: NEW YORK YANKEES

The San Francisco Giants had a rare loss to the lowly Arizona Diamondbacks yesterday but expect them to bounce back tonight when they play the third game of their 4-game set at Chase Field. The NL West leading Giants are expected to send Kevin Gausman to the hill. Gausman has not pitched well of late but he still commands a 9-5 record with a 2.35 ERA and won both his starts this year against the Snakes. Arizona is expected to have Zac Gallen toe the rubber and the Giants should be able to light this guy up. Gallen is a dismal 1-5 on the season with an elevated ERA of 4.61 and his lone win came way back in the month of April. The Giants are a resilient team. Following a loss, they are 5-1 in their last 6 and get back on track tonight.
TONIGHT’S PICK: SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS

With last night’s 6-2 victory over the bottom-dwelling Pittsburgh Pirates at American Family Field, the Milwaukee Brewers have now won 4 straight against the Bucs, 11 of the last 14 this season, and expect more of the same tonight. Milwaukee should be able to light up Pittsburgh’s expected starter, Max Kranick. He is 1-2 with a bloated ERA of 7.31 and a 1.63 WHIP. The Brewers are expected to counter with Adrian Houser and when he gets the start good things happen. Houser is 7-5 with a 3.69 ERA, a 1.36 WHIP, and Milwaukee is 13-5 in his last 18 starts. The Brewers are starting to run away with the NL Central, with a 7-1/2 game lead over the Cincinnati Reds and are hot, winning 8 of their last 10.
TONIGHT’S PICK: MILWAUKEE BREWERS

The Seattle Mariners will be a big dog tonight when they head east to open a 3-game set with the red hot Tampa Bay Rays. Tampa has won 4 straight and are coming off a 3-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox, but hold on a minute. Seattle has had the Rays number. The Mariners swept the Rays at T-Mobile Park earlier this year, outscoring them 23-13 over the 4-game series. Seattle is also 14-5 in their last 19 in St. Pete and 21-8 against Tampa in their last 29 meetings overall. The pitching matchup also favors the Mariners. The expected starters are Michael Wacha for the Rays and Chris Flexen for the Mariners. Wacha is 2-2 with a 4.79 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP. Flexen is 9-5 with a 3.81 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP. The Mariners are worth a shot.
TONIGHT’S PICK: SEATTLE MARINERS