Category: Baseball

The New York Mets should coast to a victory tonight when they visit Kauffman Stadium to face the Kansas City Royals in Game 1 of a 3-game set. The Mets have been on a roll, winning 7 of their last 10, and are expected to have their ace, Noah Syndergaard, on the bump. Syndergaard has been delivering as usual, with a record of 8-5, a 3.89 ERA, and over his last 3, it gets better. He is 1-0, with an ERA of just 1.27 and a stingy 0.89 WHIP. Mike Montgomery is expected to get the nod for the Royals. There is a reason why the Cubs traded him to Kansas City back in July, because his numbers are not good. Montgomery is 2-5, with a 5.19 ER, and the Royals have mustered just 1 win in his last 5 starts. The Mets have won their last 5 interleague games and have dominated the AL Central, going 12-2 in their last 14. Alonso and company get it done.
TONIGHT’S PICK: NEW YORK METS

The Oakland Athletics will be a home dog tonight when they open a 4-game set with the Houston Astros. Mike Fiers is expected on the bump for the Athletics and he has been throwing flames. Fiers is 11-3, with a 3.30 ERA, a 1.11 WHIP, and he is unbeaten in his last 17 starts. Now that’s domination. On the flip side, the Astros are expected to send Aaron Sanchez to the rubber. Sanchez has not been getting it done. He is 5-14, with a 5.60 ERA and a 1.60 WHIP. Oakland is an impressive 37-23 at the Coliseum and 4-0 in their last 4 games against the AL West.
TONIGHT’S PICK: OAKLAND ATHLETICS

The Toronto Blue Jays will go for the series sweep of the Texas Rangers today in an early one at Rogers Centre. The Jays outscored the Rangers, 22-4, in the first two games and are 4-1 in their last 5 home stands. Two young hurlers are expected to oppose each other today, with Sean Reid-Foley getting the nod for Toronto and southpaw, Kolby Allard, for Texas. Foley has decent numbers, at 2-2 with a 2.36 ERA, and Allard is winless with an ERA of 4.15. Texas has lost 6 of their last 7 road games and are just 3-9 in their last 12 trips north of the border. The young upstart Jays get it done.
TODAY’S PICK: TORONTO BLUE JAYS

The Tampa Bay Rays own the best road record in the Majors, at 38-22, and have won 7 straight on the road. Tonight they will go for 8 when they visit Petco Park to open a 3-game set with the San Diego Padres. Joey Lucchesi is expected to get the nod for the Pads. The young lefty has been steady, at 7-6, with a 4.19 ERA, and a 1.18 WHIP, but the Padres are 0-5 in his last 5 starts. Tampa will go with relievers today and Diego Castillo is expected to start the game. Castillo is 2-6, with a 3.50 ERA, a 1.35 WHIP, and will probably go 1 or 2 innings. The Rays have been crushing lefties, going 4-1 in their last 5. Moreover, they are 5-1 in their last 6 interleague games and 7-0 in their last 7 meetings with the Friars. Tampa’s road dominance continues.
TONIGHT’S PICK: TAMPA BAY RAYS

The New York Yankees have lost two in a row to the Toronto Blue Jays but they bounce back today when the two clubs play a matinée at Rogers Centre. Masahiro Tanaka is expected on the hill for the Yanks and he has been a Blue Jay killer. Tanaka is 12-5 in his career against the Jays with an ERA of 2.88. Now that’s domination. Toronto is expected to counter with Trent Thornton and his numbers are not good, at 4-7 with a 5.55 ERA. In his career against the Yanks, Thornton has a bloated ERA of 9.72 and the boys from the Bronx are well aware of that. Take the Bombers.
TODAY’S PICK: NEW YORK YANKEES

Minnesota gets it done today at home against the Cleveland Indians. Jake Odorizzi is expected on the bump for the Twins. He is 12-5, with a 3.61 ERA, and a 1.19 WHIP. Minnesota is 8-2 in Odorizzi’s last 10 home starts and he is 1-0 this year against Cleveland, with an ERA of just 1.59. Good stuff. The Tribe is expected to counter with Adam Plutko. He is 4-2, but his ERA is high at 4.55, and on the road his ERA is 5.31. That is not good.
TODAY’S PICK: MINNESOTA TWINS

After losing 2 out of 3 to the Chicago Cubs, the Oakland Athletics will travel to the south side today to open a 3-game series with the Chicago White Sox in an early one at Guaranteed Rate Field. The A’s sit a half game back of Tampa for the second Wild Card spot in the AL, so they need to capitalize on teams like the White Sox and they know it. The red hot Mike Fiers is expected to tap the rubber for Oakland and he has been dominating. Fiers is 10-3, with a 3.46 ERA, and a 1.14 WHIP. The A’s are 9-2 in his last 11 starts and 4-1 in his last 5 turns on the road. Chicago is expected to turn to the lefty Ross Detwiler. The ex-Athletic is just 1-2 on the season, with an elevated ERA of 5.72, and a 1.48 WHIP. The White Sox are 0-4 in their last 4 home games and they are a dismal 7-20 in their last 27 against the AL West. The A’s have won 13 of the last 16 meetings with the White Sox and have been smacking southpaws on the road, going 9-3 in their last 12. Consider Oakland.
TODAY’S PICK: OAKLAND ATHLETICS