Author: Roger

The red hot Atlanta Braves will take their 5-game winning streak into D.C. tonight to open a 4-game set with the Washington Nationals. It appears no one can slow down the Braves. They are coming off a 3-game sweep of the Philadelphia Philles in Philly and have won 9 of their last 11. Bryce Elder is expected to be on the hill for Atlanta and he has been almost unhittable. Elder has the second lowest ERA in the Majors at 0.77, a 1.03 WHIP, and is 2-1 on the season. In his last turn against Miami, Elder was once again lights out, pitching 5-2/3 scoreless innings, resulting in a 6-3 Braves win. The Nationals have struggled at home with a record of 2-7. Their expected starter for tonight, Jake Irvin, could have issues with the Braves’ potent offense. Irvin is 1-2 with a 6.16 ERA, a 1.47 WHIP, and that is not what you want when you face Atlanta. The Braves are 7-3 on the road, own the lowest team ERA in the Majors, average over 5 runs per game, are hot, and if that doesn’t warrant a consideration then what does?
TONIGHT’S PICK: ATLANTA BRAVES

The Athletics and the Chicago White Sox will play the rubber game of their 3-game set this afternoon in Sacramento. Two southpaws are expected to oppose each other, Jeffrey Springs for the A’s and Noah Schultz for the White Sox, and that is where the similarities end. Schultz is 0-1 with a bloated 6.23 ERA and a 1.62 WHIP over just 4.1 innings of work. The Athletics will send him packing early. Over 24.2 innings of work, the A’s ace Springs comes in at 3-0 with an ERA of only 1.46, a 0.77 WHIP, and the Athletics are 5-1 in his last 6 starts. They will also have momentum on their side after rallying to beat the South Siders yesterday, 7-6, in extra innings.
TODAY’S PICK: ATHLETICS

The Minnesota Twins lost Game 1 of their 3-game set to the visiting Cincinnati Reds last night, 2-1, but bounce back today in a matinée at Target Field. The Reds are dead last in the league in scoring, averaging just 3.3 runs per game, and the Twins’ expected starter Taj Bradley will have no problem shutting them down. Bradley has been throwing flames. He is a perfect 3-0 with an ERA of just 1.25, a WHIP to match at 1.25, and the Twins are 4-0 in his last 4 starts. The Reds are expected to send Andrew Abbott to the hill. He is a solid pitcher but off to a rocky start. Abbott is winless at 0-2 with an elevated 5.85 ERA, a 1.70 WHIP, and the Twins who are averaging 5.20 runs per game should have success against the left-handed hurler.
TODAY’S PICK: MINNESOTA TWINS

The Athletics are no longer one of the bottom feeders in the AL West. They have done a complete 180^o from last year and are in first place in the AL West. This team should not be taken lightly. The A’s are 10-9 on the season, have won 7 of their last 9 with series wins over the New York Yankees and a sweep of the New York Mets, and that was on the road. Tonight they will welcome in the lowly Chicago White Sox to their temporary home in West Sacramento at Sutter Health Park. At 6-13, the White Sox own the worst record in baseball. They were just swept by the Tampa Bay Rays in a 3-game set on the south side and have just 1 win in their last 6 tries. One bright spot for Chicago is their expected starter for tonight, Davis Martin, who comes in at 2-1 with an excellent ERA of 2.50 and a 1.11 WHIP. The Athletics are expected to give the nod to Aaron Civale and he has been on his game. Civale is 2-0 with an ERA of only 1.72 and a 0.96 WHIP. The Athletics have won 5 of the last 6 meetings with the White Sox. They have the edge in runs scored, run differential, batting average, homers, and the list goes on.
TONIGHT’S PICK: ATHLETICS

The first place 10-7 Tampa Bay Rays are clicking on every cylinder. They have won 5 straight and are on the verge of another sweep when they conclude their 3-game set this afternoon with the 6-12 Chicago White Sox on the south side. The Rays swept the Yankees at the Trop in a 3-game set and have dominated the White Sox over the first 2 games, outscoring then 16-8. Today’s expected starters are southpaw Steven Matz for Tampa and Jordan Leasure for Chicago. Matz is a perfect 3-0 with a 3.94 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP over 16 innings of work. Leasure comes in at 1-0 with a 4.00 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP over 9 innings of work. Tampa’s offense is on fire. The Rays are averaging over 5 runs per game and simply put are the better team on the diamond this afternoon. The Rays are hot; ride them ’til they are not.
TODAY’S PICK: TAMPA BAY RAYS

The Atlanta Braves and the Miami Marlins will play the rubber game of their 3-game set tonight at Truist Park. The Braves evened the score last night with a come-from-behind 6-5 victory. Tonight the Marlins are expected to send Chris Paddack to the hill and the Braves’ potent offense is licking their chops. Paddack is winless at 0-2 with a 6.14 ERA, a 1.57 WHIP, and that is not good. The Braves are expected to hand the ball to Bryce Elder, who has been in the zone. Elder is 1-1 with a 1.02 ERA and a WHIP to match at 1.02. This Atlanta team is really good. They have the lowest team ERA in the majors at 2.92. They are fourth in the league in runs scored, second in run differential, second in batting average, and third in hits. That is a recipe for winning.
TONIGHT’S PICK: ATLANTA BRAVES