Author: Roger

Chris Sale is very familiar with Guaranteed Rate Field and that is where he will be tapping the rubber tonight when the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago White Sox play Game 2 of a 4-game set. Sale has yet to record a victory, at 0-5 with a 6.30 ERA, but that should change tonight. Sale is 43-24 in his old haunts and despite last night’s loss, the Red Sox are 9-5 in their last 14 meetings with the White Sox and 10-6 in their last 16 on the southside. The White Sox will have Reynaldo López on the hill and if Boston can’t get to this guy, they do have issues. López is 2-3 with a 6.03 ERA and a 1.69 WHIP. Boston gets it done.
TONIGHT’S PICK: BOSTON RED SOX

The Tampa Bay Rays lost both games in a double header yesterday to the Kansas City Royals but look for them to bounce back when the two teams meet again in an early one today at Kauffman Stadium. The Rays will send the flame thrower Charlie Morton to the hill, who is a perfect 3-0, with an ERA of just 2.76 and a WHIP of only 1.13. The Royals will counter with southpaw Danny Duffy and he is 0-1, with an elevated ERA of 5.40, a 1.60 WHIP, and the Royals are 1-5 in his last 6 starts. Tampa can hit lefties, going 5-0 in their 5 road games against them.
TODAY’S PICK: TAMPA BAY RAYS

The Detroit Tigers have lost 4 in a row and it won’t get any easier for them tonight when they open a 2-game set at Citizens Bank Park against Bryce Harper and the Philadelphia Phillies. The Tigers are expected to give the nod to Tyson Ross and he has not been delivering. Ross is 1-3, and has an elevated ERA of 4.03 with a 1.38 WHIP. The Phillies are expected to counter with Vince Velasquez and he has been on his mark at 1-0, with a 1.99 ERA, and a 1.01 WHIP. When Velasquez takes the hill at home, the Phillies are 6-0 in his last 6 turns and they are 6-2 in their last 8 interleague home games.
TONIGHT’S PICK: PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

The St. Louis Cardinals are hot, winning 7 of their last 8, but they will be in Washington tonight to open a 4-game set and they have to face a flame thrower named Patrick Corbin. Why the Arizona Diamondbacks got rid of this lefty is beyond me. Corbin is dominating as usual, with a record of 2-0, a 2.48 ERA and a stingy WHIP of only 0.92. Enough said.
TONIGHT’S PICK: WASHINGTON NATIONALS

Chris Sale will be tapping the rubber today for the Boston Red Sox when they host the surging Tampa Bay Rays in an early one at Fenway. The best southpaw on the planet has yet to record a win, at 0-4, but that will change today. Boston is 4-1 in his last 5 starts against the Rays. Doug Eddings is pulling the strings behind home plate and the home team is 4-1 in his last 5 when he is in charge.
TODAY’S PICK: BOSTON RED SOX

Even without their heavy hitters, the New York Yankees are getting it done, winning 7 of their last 8. New York and San Francisco opened a 3-game set last night at AT&T Park with the Yanks getting the win, 7-3. Today they will play game 2 in a matinée with two southpaws opposing each other. J.A. Happ will get the nod for New York. Happ has yet to find his groove, at 0-2 with a 5.96 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP, but he will. Derek Holland will tap the rubber for San Francisco and, like Happ, he has been slow out of the gate. Holland is 1-3, with a 4.33 ERA, a 1.22 WHIP, and he has not fared well in his career against the Yankees, with a record of 1-7 and a 6.38 ERA. The Giants are just 1-5 in his last 6 starts and 1-4 in his last 5 turns at AT&T Park. This doesn’t bode well for San Francisco with the way the Bombers crush lefties.
TODAY’S PICK: NEW YORK YANKEES