Author: Roger

The New York Yankees lost the first game of a 3-game set last night at Kauffman Stadium against the Kansas City Royals but they should even the score today when Luis Severino takes the hill for the Bombers. Severino is probably the most underrated pitcher in the Majors but this guy is 6-1, with a 2.14 ERA, and a stingy 0.90 WHIP. The Royals will counter with southpaw Danny Duffy. Duffy has been struggling at 1-5, with an elevated 6.51 ERA, a 1.66 WHIP and you know what the Bombers do with lefties? They clobber them.
TONIGHT’S PICK: NEW YORK YANKEES

Atlanta is expected to go with Matt Wisler, instead of Sean Newcomb. Wisler is 1-0, with a 3.75 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP. The pick stays the same.
ATLANTA BRAVES

Two National League East teams will face each other tonight when the first place Atlanta Braves play host to the last place Miami Marlins. “Donny Baseball” will send the right-hander to the hill, Dan Straily. Straily, who missed the first 4 weeks of the 2018 campaign due to a right forearm injury, will be making his 4th start of the season. He is 1-0, with a 5.54 ERA, a 1.77 WHIP, and his lone win came against the team he will face tonight, the Atlanta Braves. Atlanta has to be the surprise team of the year and will send southpaw Sean Newcomb to the hill. Newcomb has been outstanding. He is 4-1, with a 2.51 ERA, a 1.16 WHIP, and he has been lethal in his last 3 turns, going 3-0 with an ERA of 0.00 (no typo there), and a WHIP of just 0.68. Now that is total dominance. The Marlins are just 2-7 in their last 9 games in Atlanta and 2-8 in their last 10 road games against lefties. Miami’s backs are against the wall in this one.
TONIGHT’S PICK: ATLANTA BRAVES

The San Diego Padres will take their pathetic 6-9 road record into PNC Park tonight to open a 4-game set against the red hot Pittsburgh Pirates. Southpaw Eric Lauer will get the call for the Friars and he has been awful. Lauer is 1-2, with a bloated ERA of 8.27, a soaring 2.14 WHIP, and in his last turn he allowed 6 runs and 4 homers in just 2-1/3 innings of work. The Pirates are tough at home, with a record of 14-6, and have won 7 of their last 8 games. Tonight they send Chad Kuhl to the hill. Kuhl has pitched well at 4-2, with a slightly elevated ERA of 4.17, and a 1.35 WHIP. The Bucs are 4-1 in his last 5 overall and 5-1 in his last 6 at PNC. It could be a long night for the Padres. They are 2-7 in their last 9 games in Pittsburgh and the Pirates are 4-1 in their last 5 home games against lefties.
TONIGHT’S PICK: PITTSBURGH PIRATES

The Boston Red Sox are on the verge of being swept at home by the Oakland Athletics and have now fallen one game behind the New York Yankees for first place in the American League East. The Red Sox have been stranding base runners in scoring position and if you want to win games in this league, you can’t do that. Tonight they will have a chance to change that pattern when the A’s send Trevor Cahill to the rubber. The journeyman has pitched well thus far, with a record of 1-1, a 2.25 ERA, and a 0.96 WHIP. However, he does have an issue with his elbow and has struggled against Boston. In 5 career starts against the Red Sox, he has an ERA of 6.35 and has been throttled at Fenway, allowing 20 runs in 21-1/3 innings. That’s not good. Boston’s ace, hard throwing southpaw Chris Sale, will get the nod tonight. Sale has been dominant as usual, with a record of 3-1, a 2.17 ERA, a 0.90 WHIP, and has fanned 27 batters in his last 2 outings. That’s scary. John Tumpane will be behind home plate tonight and he has been kind to Boston. The Red Sox are 7-1 in their last 8 games when he calls the shots.
TONIGHT’S PICK: BOSTON RED SOX

The Los Angeles Dodgers are in a tailspin after being swept by the lowly Cincinnati Reds and will open a 3-game set tonight in Miami against the Marlins. The good news for the Dodgers is third baseman Justin Turner and second baseman Logan Forsythe are expected to return from the DL for tonight’s match-up. Two southpaws will oppose each other, with Alex Wood taking the hill for Los Angeles and Wei-Yin Chen for Miami. Chen has been getting lit up, with an ERA of a whopping 10.27 and a 1.95 WHIP. Wood might be 0-3 but has not pitched bad at all. He has a 3.60 ERA, a 1.00 WHIP, and 5 no-decisions. The Dodgers can hit lefties, going 18-8 in their last 26 road games, and they are 4-1 in their last 5 trips to South Florida. Consider the Dodgers.
TONIGHT’S PICK: LOS ANGELES DODGERS

Two division leaders will meet in the desert tonight when the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Milwaukee Brewers play the first leg of a 3-game set. Arizona has been in a funk, losing 5 in a row, and will turn to their flame throwing lefty, Patrick Corbin, to get them back on track. Corbin has yet to lose a game at 4-0 and has an ERA of just 2.12 with a 0.82 WHIP. Milwaukee will send Junior Guerra to the rubber. Guerra sits at 2-3 and is 0-3 in his last 3 turns, with a 5.62 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP during that span. The Brewers are 2-6 in their last 8 trips to Chase Field and when Corbin is on the hill at home the Diamondbacks are 16-5 in his last 21 starts.
TONIGHT’S PICK: ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS