The Toronto Blue Jays will go for a series win over the Houston Astros when they play the middle game of their 3-game set today at Minute Maid Park. The AL East leading Jays have won 3 straight and are expected to send their young flamethrower, Alek Manoah, to the hill. When Toronto drafted Manoah 11th overall in 2019, they got what they expected and then some. Since debuting in 2021, he has shown he is special. In 22 career starts for Toronto, the Jays are 18-4 and he is showing no signs of slowing down. Manoah is off to a 2-0 start this year with a stingy 1.50 ERA, a .092 WHIP, and he goes deep into games. Houston has lost 3 straight and will turn to José Urquidy to right the ship. Urquidy was lit up in his last turn in a 7-2 loss to Seattle, surrendering 6 runs on 8 hits in 4 innings of work. On the season, he is 1-1 with a 7.00 ERA, a 1.44 WHIP, and was 1-1 last year against Toronto with an ERA of 6.35. The Blue Jays are the most talented team in the American League and they are young. Keep an eye on them.
TODAY’S PICK: TORONTO BLUE JAYS
Month: April 2022
Friday MLB Pick
After a 7-game road trip against two of the best in the West, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres, the Atlanta Braves will return home tonight to open a 3-game set with the Miami Marlins. Atlanta’s bats have been quiet but should find a spark tonight against Miami’s expected starter, southie Trevor Rogers. His season has gotten off on the wrong foot. Rogers is 0-2 with a bloated ERA of 12.15, a 2.25 WHIP, and in his career against the Braves he is 0-2 with an ERA of 6.92. Not good. The Braves are expected to counter with Kyle Wright and he has been on his mark. Wright comes in at 1-0, with a 1.64 ERA and a WHIP of only 0.73, and that could spell trouble for a Marlins team that has also been struggling at the plate. The Champs have won 5 of the last 6 against Donnie Baseball’s team and are worth considering tonight.
TONIGHT’S PICK: ATLANTA BRAVES
Thursday MLB Pick
The Oakland Athletics will go for a series win over the Baltimore Orioles today when the two clubs wrap up their 4-game set at the Coliseum. Runs have been hard to come by in the first three games so we will give the edge to the A’s in this one. The expected starter for Oakland is Paul Blackburn and he has been delivering. Blackburn is 1-0 with an ERA of only 1.80 and a nasty WHIP of 0.90 in 10 innings of work. On the flip side, Tyler Wells is expected to take the hill for Baltimore. Wells comes in at 0-1 with an elevated 6.35 ERA and a 1.76 WHIP in 5.2 innings of work. The A’s are 4-0 in their last 4 following a loss and should be able to get to Wells today.
TODAY’S PICK: OAKLAND ATHLETICS
Wednesday NHL Pick
After Monday’s loss at home to the inept New Jersey Devils, the Vegas Golden Knights head coach, Peter DeBoer, said they will have to win their remaining 5-games to even have a chance for the post-season, and he is right. The only problem is the best road team in hockey visits T-Mobile Arena tonight, the Washington Capitals. However, there is a positive note for Vegas. The Golden Knights have won the last two meetings with the Caps, and the home team is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings. Desperation is always a motivator.
TONIGHT’S PICK: VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS
Tuesday NHL Pick
The Winnipeg Jets are 10 points behind Nashville for the second Wild Card spot in the West. With 6 games remaining, it would take a miracle for them to get in and they know that. Tonight their playoff chances get even bleaker when they head to Manhattan for a matchup with the New York Rangers. The Rangers stingy defense is coming off back-to-back shutouts and are allowing an average of just 2.5 goals per game. New York has clinched a playoff spot but are 2 points behind Carolina for the top spot in the Metropolitan, so there will be no let up for the Rangers tonight. The Rangers are 25-8-4 at MSG, have won 2 straight, 5 of their last 6, and beat the Jets, 4-1, in the last meeting on March 6th.
TONIGHT’S PICK: NEW YORK RANGERS
No Blog Today
The next blog will be posted on Tuesday. Good luck with your picks.
Saturday MLB Pick
The New York Yankees have been unable to score runs but it’s just a matter of time before they erupt and tonight may be that night. The Yankees will look to even up their 3-game set with the Baltimore Orioles tonight at Camden Yards after losing to the Birds last night, 2-1. Jameson Taillon is expected to be on the bump for New York. Taillon did his job in his last outing against Toronto, yielding 2 runs over 5 innings, but once again the Yanks could not score runs and the Jays went on to a 3-0 win. Baltimore is expected to send Tyler Wells to the hill and he was drilled in his last outing, giving up 4 runs in just 1-2/3 innings against Tampa, and that doesn’t bode well when you are facing the Bombers. New York is 41-15 in their last 56 against Baltimore and 24-8 in their last 32 at Camden Yards.
TONIGHT’S PICK: NEW YORK YANKEES