Category: Baseball

The Chicago White Sox did something last night they rarely do and that is lose to the Detroit Tigers. Chicago will look to get back on track against lowly Detroit tonight and I expect they will do just that. The White Sox will send lefty Carlos Rodón to the rubber. Rodón not only has a no-no this year, he is 3-0 with a .047 ERA, a 0.68 WHIP, and will be facing the league’s worst offense, who are averaging just 3.08 runs per game. Unlike Detroit, Chicago scores runs, averaging 5.00 per game, and they will be facing Casey Mize, who has struggled. Mize is 1-2 with a 5.23 ERA, a 1.45 WHIP, and in his last two starts he yielded 11 runs in 9-2/3 innings of work. The Tigers are 3-13 in their last 16 at Guaranteed Rate Field and 0-6 in their last 6 against a left-handed starter. Good luck, Detroit.
TONIGHT’S PICK: CHICAGO WHITE SOX

After last night’s pounding of the Colorado Rockies, 12-0, the San Francisco Giants find themselves in the top spot in the National League West. The Giants and Rockies will meet again tonight at Oracle Park, a place where Colorado has had trouble winning games. The Rockies have lost 4 straight in San Francisco and are winless on the road at 0-7. San Francisco has won 7 of their last 10 and are an impressive 9-2 this year at Oracle Park. The Giants will turn to Aaron Sanchez to continue their dominance over the Rockies and he has been delivering. Sanchez is 1-1, with a 1.83 ERA, a 1.02 WHIP, and in his last outing he pitched 5 scoreless innings against the Miami Marlins, resulting in a 3-0 Giants victory. Chi Chi González is the expected starter for the Rockies. González has pitched well, with a record of 1-0, an ERA of 3.00 and a 1.47 WHIP, but in his 15 innings of work he has walked 7 batters with just 8 Ks and has an OBP of .349.
TONIGHT’S PICK: SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS

The Seattle Mariners will take their 7-4 road record into Minute Maid Park tonight to open a 4-game set with the Houston Astros. The expected starters will be José Urquidy for Houston and Justus Sheffield for Seattle. Urquidy has struggled in the early going, with a record of 0-2, a 5.14 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP. Sheffield’s numbers are not much better, at 1-1, with a 4.86 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP, but he is a southpaw and Houston is just 1-5 in their last 6 games against a left-handed starter. Seattle fell to Boston yesterday, 5-3, but following a loss they are 11-1 in their last 12 and 6-2 in their last 8 as a road dog. The Mariners have taken 2 out of 3 from the Astros this year, and Houston is just 4-6 on the season at Minute Maid Park.
TONIGHT’S PICK: SEATTLE MARINERS

The Colorado Rockies will send Jon Gray to the rubber today when they go for a series win against the Philadelphia Phillies at Coors Field. Gray has been on his mark thus far. He is 2-1 with a 2.42 ERA, a 1.12 WHIP, and has been a Philly killer in his career at Coors Field, where he is a perfect 3-0 with a nasty ERA of just 1.37. Despite last night’s 7-5 victory, Philadelphia is still just 2-8 in their last 10 in Colorado and their expected starter, Chase Anderson, has not been getting it done. He is 0-2 with a 4.15 ERA, a 1.15 WHIP, and Philly has had trouble posting back-to-back wins, going 0-6 in their last 6 following a win.
TODAY’S PICK: COLORADO ROCKIES

When Jacob deGrom and Marcus Stroman take the hill for the New York Mets the result is usually the same, they win. DeGrom pitched a gem last night, blanking the Washington Nationals at Citi Field, 6-0, to snap their 3-game skid and take Game 1 of the 3-game set. Today it will be Stroman’s turn to deliver and I expect him to do just that. Stroman has been throwing flames, with a record of 3-0, a nasty 0.89 ERA, and a WHIP of only 0.69. Joe Ross is expected to get the nod for the Nationals. Ross is 1-1, with an elevated ERA of 5.87, a 1.30 WHIP, and his last turn is one he would like to forget. Ross was scorched by St. Louis, allowing 10 runs in 4-1/3 innings of work, resulting in a 12-5 trouncing by the Cardinals. The Mets have won 4 straight in Queens, are 7-0 in Stroman’s last 7 starts, and have won 9 of the last 12 meetings with the Nationals at Citi.
TODAY’S PICK: NEW YORK METS

It was just a matter of time before the Bronx Bombers bats came alive and that is what happened last night in their 6-3 win over the Cleveland Indians. The Yankees offense erupted for 11 hits, the most they have tallied since April 7th. Hitting is contagious and New York should be able to get to Cleveland’s expected starter, Logan Allen, when they play the second game of a 4-game set at Progressive Field. Allen is 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA, a 1.25 WHIP, and lasted just 2 innings in his last turn against Cincinnati, where he gave up 5 runs on 3 hits resulting in a 10-3 loss. New York is 8-0 in their last 8 against the American League Central, 5-1 in their last 6 against Cleveland, and 4-0 in their last 4 trips to Progressive.
TONIGHT’S PICK: NEW YORK YANKEES

The Boston Red Sox and the Oakland Athletics are tied for the best record in the American League at 12-7, but you know who is lurking right behind them at 11-7 – the Seattle Mariners. Boston and Seattle will open a 4-game set tonight at Fenway. Seattle is coming off an impressive 2-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers, where they went toe to toe with the Champs, coming away with a split. The Mariners have won 8 of their last 11, are 5-2 on the road, and are expected to send Justin Dunn to the rubber. Dunn has been delivering, with a record of 1-0, a 3.72 ERA, a 1.34 WHIP, and was sharp in his last outing against the Orioles, where he yielded just 1 run over 5 innings in a 2-1 Mariners win. Boston has been getting it done on the road, at 6-1, but are a mediocre 6-6 at Fenway. The Red Sox are expected to give the nod to ex-Philly Nick Pivetta. Pivetta is 2-0 with a 3.68 ERA and a 1.64 WHIP but has walked 11 batters on the season, which is tied for the most in the AL. On one day’s rest, the Mariners are 4-1 in their last 5 and 4-1 in their last 5 as a road dog. Keep an eye on Seattle. This team is good.
TODAY’S PICK: SEATTLE MARINERS