Category: Baseball

The homer happy Minnesota Twins should light up the scoreboard today when they take on the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Jordan Zimmerman is expected to tap the rubber for Detroit and his numbers are not good. He is a dismal 1-9 on the season,with a bloated ERA of 6.24, and a 1.42 WHIP. Minnesota is expected to counter with Jake Odorizzi, who is 14-6, with a 3.55 ERA, and a 1.24 WHIP. Odorizzi is 5-1 lifetime against the Tigers and a perfect 3-0 at Comerica Park with a nasty ERA of just 1.93.
TODAY’S PICK: MINNESOTA TWINS

The Tampa Bay Rays will look to continue their dominance over the Cleveland Indians and a series sweep when they wrap up a 3-game set in a matinee today at the Trop. Charlie Morton will tap the rubber for the Rays and he’s been delivering, at 13-6, with a 3.11 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP. The Indians will counter with Adam Plutko, who is 6-3 on the season, with a 4.34 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP. The last time Plutko faced the Rays, Tampa lit him up. He yielded 7 runs on 12 hits and 4 homers in a 7-2 loss. I like the Rays in this situation.
TODAY’S PICK: TAMPA BAY RAYS

The New York Yankees took it on the chin once again by the Oakland Athletics, getting drilled at the Stadium last night, 8-2. With last night’s loss, the Yanks are 0-4 this year against the A’s. If they are going to solve their Oakland woes, it will be today when their young flame thrower, Domingo Germán, gets the nod in Game 2 of a 3-game set. Germán is 17-3 with a 4.03 ERA. He will try to become the League’s first 18 game winner and the chances of that look good. Germán is 8-1, with an ERA of 2.24 this year in the Bronx, and has 7 wins with just 1 loss since the All-Star break. Oakland will counter with the veteran, Homer Bailey. Since being acquired from Kansas City, he is 5-2 but his ERA is high at 5.52, and the way the Yankees clobber the ball, that could be an issue. Consider the Bombers.
TODAY’S PICK: NEW YORK YANKEES

The Philadelphia Phillies will open a 3-game set tonight at Citizens Bank Park against the slumping New York Mets. It won’t get any easier for the Metropolitans tonight because the Phillies have had their number. Philadelphia has won 7 of the last 8 meetings overall and 6 straight against the Mets at home. Zack Wheeler is expected to get the nod for New York and Aaron Nola for Philadelphia. Wheeler is 9-7, with a 4.46 ERA, and a 1.27 WHIP. Phillies’ ace Nola has been delivering. He is 12-4, with a 3.53 ERA, a 1.22 WHIP, and has been a Met killer. Philadelphia is 7-1 in Nola’s last 8 starts against New York and 5-1 in his last 6 turns against them at home. Good luck New York, you’re going to need it. 
TONIGHT’S PICK:  PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

If the Oakland Athletics want to stay ahead of the Tampa Bays Rays for the second Wild Card spot in the AL, they can’t lose to bottom dwellers like the Kansas City Royals, but that’s what happened last night. Look for the A’s to rebound today from yesterday’s 6-4 setback when the two clubs wrap up a 4-game set in a matinée at Kauffman Stadium. Oakland is expected to turn to Chris Bassitt to throw strikes and that’s exactly what he has been doing. Bassitt is 9-5, with a 3.59 ERA, a 1.18 WHIP, and is a perfect 2-0 in his last 3 turns with an ERA of 2.41 and a 1.07 WHIP. Glenn Sparkman is expected to take the hill for the Royals. Sparkman is having a season he would like to forget. He is 3-9, with a 5.52 ERA, a 1.45 WHIP, and in his last 3 turns, he is winless at 0-2 with a 4.41 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP. The Royals have won just 2 of their last 11 homestands and are 3-13 in Sparkman’s last 16 starts – not good. The Athletics could be without two key players, Khris Davis and Matt Chapman, but still get it done.
TODAY’S PICK:  OAKLAND ATHLETICS

The Cincinnati Reds will turn to Sonny Gray tonight to help them snap their 3-game skid when they open a 4-game set against the Miami Marlins in South Florida. Gray has been delivering. He is 9-6, with a 2.92 ERA, a 1.12 WHIP, and over his last 3, it gets better. He is 3-0 with a nasty ERA of only 0.52 and a 1.00 WHIP. Pablo Lopez is expected to take the hill for the Marlins and he has been chugging along. Lopez is 5-5, with a 4.23 ERA, and a 1.12 WHIP. The Red Machine is 5-2 in Gray’s last 7 road starts and they get back on track tonight.
TONIGHT’S PICK:  CINCINNATI REDS

When Aaron Nola takes the hill for the Philadelphia Phillies, good things happen. They win. Nola will get the nod today for Philadelphia when they wrap up their 3-game set with the Miami Marlins in South Florida. Nola has been throwing flames. He is 12-3, with a 3.51 ERA, a 1.23 WHIP, and the Phillies are 5-1 in his last 6 road starts. The Marlins are expected to counter with Elieser Hernández and his numbers are not good. He is 2-5, with a 5.18 ERA, and a 1.29 WHIP. Enough said.
TODAY’S PICK:  PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES