Category: Baseball

The Washington Nationals got hot just at the right time, winning 8 straight, and will have a pumped up crowd behind them tonight when they host the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Wild Card game. Max Scherzer, who has been battling back issues, says he is 100% and ready to deliver. Despite an injury plagued year, the 3 time Cy Young winner was still dominant, with a record of 11-7, a 2.92 ERA, and a 1.03 WHIP. Brandon Woodruff will get the nod for the Brewers. Woodruff has been on the money, with a record of 11-3, a 3.62 ERA, and a 1.14 WHIP, but he missed two months with an oblique injury and will be on a short leash. Ryan Braun and Lorenzo Cain are both nicked up and the Brewers will be without superstar Christian Yelich. The Nationals are 12-3 in Scherzer’s last 15 starts and when he is healthy, there is no one better.
TONIGHT’S PICK: WASHINGTON NATIONALS

The St. Louis Cardinals took a beating at home last night by the Chicago Cubs, 8-2, but still have a one game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central with just two games left. The Cardinals will be hosting a Chicago Cubs team tonight that is going to play a lot of bench players and don’t expect to see Anthony Rizzo or Kris Bryant in the lineup. Chicago has the lefty, Cole Hamels, slated as tonight’s starter, however, Hamels has been dealing with a shoulder issue and that is evident as he is just 1-4 in his last 9 starts with a 6.39 ERA. Saint Louis will counter with the veteran, Adam Wainwright, and he has been delivering. Wainwright is 5-0 in September, with an ERA of only 1.69, and he is 9-3 at Busch Stadium this year with a 2.08 ERA. The Cardinals have won 8 of the last 11 meetings at home against the Cubs and are 7-2 in their last 9 games against a left-handed starter. Saint Louis is the play here.
TONIGHT’S PICK: ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

The Oakland Athletics have lost two straight and are feeling the heat for the top spot in the AL Wild Card race, sitting just 1/2 game up on Tampa and 1 up on Cleveland. Tonight they have to get back on track, and they will, when they wrap up a 2-game set with the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Oakland is expected to send Frankie Montas to the hill and Los Angeles is expected to counter with the lefty, Andrew Heaney. Montas will be making his first start since his 80-game suspension and was lights out prior to being sidelined. He was 9-2, with a 2.70 ERA, a 1.12 WHIP, and the Athletics are 4-0 in his last 4 starts. Heaney has just 4 wins on the season with 6 losses, a 5.10 ERA, a 1.28 WHIP, and over his last 3 turns, he has a bloated ERA of 10.05. Heaney had better have his best stuff tonight because Oakland crushes lefties. The A’s are 37-14 in their last 51 games against southpaw starters and are 6-1 in their last 7 meetings with the Halos. Oakland gets it done.
TONIGHT’S PICK: OAKLAND ATHLETICS

The Minnesota Twins need three more wins to clinch the AL Central and they have a good chance of accomplishing that when they open a 3-game set with the Detroit Tigers tonight at Comerica Park. Tonight’s probables will be Jake Odorizzi for the Twins and Spencer Turnbull for the Tigers. Odorizzi has been on his game, with a record of 14-7, a 3.59 ERA, a 1.24 WHIP, and he is a perfect 2-0 against Detroit this year, with an ERA of only 2.00. The Tigers are having one of their worst seasons ever with 109 losses and Turnbull has not won a game since late May. On the season, he is a pathetic 3-15, with a 4.66 ERA, a 1.47 WHIP, and he is 0-1 this year against the Twins, with an ERA of 6.97. Cruz and company should have a field day with this guy.
TONIGHT’S PICK: MINNESOTA TWINS

The Philadelphia Phillies are 6 games back in the NL Wild Card race with only 8 games left and tonight they open a 5-game set with the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. GOOD LUCK. Washington is tied with the Milwaukee Brewers for the top Wild Card spot and will have southpaw Patrick Corbin on the hill. Corbin is 13-7, with a 3.10 ERA, a 1.16 WHIP, and the Nats are 9-1 in his last 10 home starts. The desperate Phillies will counter with Zach Eflin. He is 9-12, with a 4.00 ERA, a 1.33 WHIP, and the Phils are just 3-8 in his last 11 turns. Philadelphia has not fared well against Washington. They are 1-5 in the last 6 meetings overall and 0-4 in their last 4 trips to Nationals Park. Washington gets it done.
TONIGHT’S PICK: WASHINGTON NATIONALS

The New York Mets playoff chances are slim, trailing Milwaukee by 4.5 games for the second NL Wild Card spot, but they are still alive! With only 8 games remaining in the regular season, New York cannot afford a loss today when they conclude their 3-game set with the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Two hurlers, who switched teams at the trade deadline, are expected to oppose each other, with Marcus Stroman getting the nod for the Mets and Trevor Bauer for the Reds. Since joining New York from Toronto, Stroman has pitched well, going 3-2, with a 3.86 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP. Bauer, on the other hand, has been shaky since being acquired by Cincinnati from Cleveland, going 2-4, with an elevated ERA of 6.39 and a 1.42 WHIP. The Mets have had success against the Reds, winning 24 of the last 33 meetings overall and 14 of the last 20 in Cincinnati. New York needs to win this game and they know it.
TODAY’S PICK: NEW YORK METS

The Milwaukee Brewers are hot, winning 12 of their last 14 games, and they have the good fortune of hosting the Pittsburgh Pirates tonight at Miller Park. Milwaukee has owned the Bucs this year, winning 12 of the 16 meetings. Chase Anderson is expected on the hill for the Brewers and the southpaw, Steven Brault, for the Pirates. Anderson has been steady at 6-4, with a 4.50 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP. Brault has been getting lit up. Over his last 3 starts, he is 1-2 with a 10.67 ERA and the Brewers can hit lefties. They are 4-0 in their last 4 against a left-handed starter and 6-1 in their last 7 home games. The Brewers continue their dominance over the Pirates.
TONIGHT’S PICK: MILWAUKEE BREWERS