Category: Baseball

The New York Yankees are surging and coming off a 3-game sweep of their hated rival, the Boston Red Sox. The Yankees have won 6 straight and are 18-5 in their last 23 overall. Tonight they open a 4-game set with the Minnesota Twins in the Bronx, a team they have literally dominated over the years and especially at Yankee Stadium, where they are 40-11 in the last 51 meetings. John Gant is expected to take the bump for Minnesota. Gant is 4-6 with a decent ERA of 3.49 and a 1.52 WHIP. New York will counter with Jameson Taillon and he has been delivering. Taillon got off to a rocky start but has turned things around dramatically. He is 7-4 on the season with a 3.89 ERA, a 1.22 WHIP, and is 6-0 in his last 11 starts with an ERA of just 2.37. The Bombers are hot, ride them ’til they’re not.
TONIGHT’S PICK: NEW YORK YANKEES

This is not the time for the AL West leading Houston Astros to go cold, with the Oakland Athletics just 2-1/2 games back of them for the top spot in the West, but they have. Houston has lost 3 straight and the first 2 of their 4-game set with the Kansas City Royals but I expect them to get back on track tonight. Houston’s ace, Zack Greinke, is expected to get the nod at Kauffman Stadium. Greinke has been throwing flames all year. He is 11-3 with a 3.51 ERA, a 1.12 WHIP, and was nearly flawless in his last outing on Friday against the Angels, pitching 7 scoreless innings, surrendering just 2 hits in a 4-1 Astros win. Brady Singer is expected to get the nod for the Royals. Things have not gone well for Singer. He is 3-8 with a 5.42 ERA, a 1.62 WHIP, and has not had a win since June 1st. Kansas City is 0-7 in Singer’s last 7 home starts against a team with a winning record and despite their recent success against the Stros, they are still just 4-11 in their last 15 meetings with Houston.
TONIGHT’S PICK: HOUSTON ASTROS

The Washington Nationals will open a quick 2-game set tonight with the Toronto Blue Jays at Nationals Park. The Nats season is over and they know it but Toronto’s isn’t. The Jays are very much in the playoff hunt. They are expected to have their young gun on the hill, Alek Manoah, and he delivers. The rookie is 5-1 with an ERA of only 2.59 and a 1.02 WHIP. The Jays are averaging over 5 runs per game and should be able to light up Washington’s expected starter, Erick Fedde. Fedde is 4-8 with an elevated ERA of 5.12 and a 1.43 WHIP. Washington has lost 7 straight, 9 of their last 10, and I don’t see the upstart Blue Jays falling to them tonight.
TONIGHT’S PICK: TORONTO BLUE JAYS

The New York Yankees will have their ace, Gerrit Cole, on the hill tonight when they host the Anaheim Angels in the Bronx. Cole has been sidelined with the Covid virus and did not look sharp in his last outing but he still commands a 10-6 record with a 3.11 ERA and is 6-1 lifetime against the Halos with an ERA of just 2.70. Anaheim will counter with Jose Suárez and he has decent numbers, at 5-5 with a 3.90 ERA, but the Yankees can hit lefties. They are 5-2 in their last 7 against a left-handed starter, 5-1 in their last 6 at the Stadium, and 7-3 in their last 10 overall.
TONIGHT’S PICK: NEW YORK YANKEES

The Oakland Athletics are starting to click on every cylinder. They are 8-1 in their last 9 and should have no problem disposing of the Texas Rangers and southpaw Kolby Allard today. Allard is just 2-10 on the season with a 4.93 ERA and 1.20 WHIP, and the Athletics can hit lefties.
TODAY’S PICK: OAKLAND ATHLETICS

The best southpaw in the business, Chris Sale, will be back on the rubber after a two year layoff due to TJ surgery when the Boston Red Sox host the Baltimore Orioles. Baltimore has lost 9 in a row and they are 8-22 in their last 30 against a left-handed starter on the road. That doesn’t bode well for the Birds. Sale is 8-2 in his career with a 2.57 ERA against Baltimore.
TODAY’S PICK: BOSTON RED SOX

The Milwaukee Brewers are hot. They lead the NL Central by 8 games and should pad that lead this weekend when they visit the 41-74 Pittsburgh Pirates. Mitch Keller is expected to toe the rubber for the Bucs and he is just simply not good. Keller is 3-9 with a 7.06 ERA, a 1.81 WHIP, and the Brewers are 6-1 in their last 7 at PNC Park.
TONIGHT’S PICK: MILWAUKEE BREWERS