Category: Baseball

The Minnesota Twins mustered just 3 hits last night in their 3-1 setback to the Chicago White Sox, but don’t expect a repeat of that tonight when they open a 4-game set at home with the 56-97 Kansas City Royals. Kyle Gibson is having the best season of his career and he will be tapping the rubber tonight for Minnesota. Gibson is 13-7 on the season and the Twins are 5-0 in his last 5 turns at Target Field against the Royals. KC is expected to counter with the lefty, Mike Montgomery. The Twins should feast on this guy. Montgomery is 0-4 in his last 4 turns and just 1-5 in his last 6 road starts with a bloated ERA of 7.85. That’s not good. Minnesota gets it done.
TONIGHT’S PICK: MINNESOTA TWINS

With last night’s victory over the Chicago White Sox, the Minnesota Twins have now won 5 straight against the Boys from the South Side. Chicago is no push over. This a really young talented team and keep an eye on them over the next few years. Tonight however, they will have to face Minnesota’s ace, Jake Odorizzi. He is 14-6, with a 3.60 ERA, a 1.23 WHIP, and the Twins are 17-5 in his last 22 starts at Target Field. Ivan Nova is the probable starter for the White Sox but that could change. Nova is 10-12 on the season, with a 4.85 ERA, and a 1.45 WHIP. Whoever is on the hill for the White Sox, it won’t matter with the way the Twins smack the ball.
TONIGHT’S PICK: MINNESOTA TWINS

The Tampa Bay Rays will be at Chavez Ravine tonight for a quick 2-game set with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Last year’s AL Cy Young winner, Blake Snell, is expected to get the nod for the Rays. Snell has been sidelined since July 21st with an elbow injury but has nasty stuff. Last year he was 21-5 with an ERA of only 1.89 but he will be on a short leash tonight, probably going no more than 3 innings. The Dodgers are expected to counter with Ross Stripling who has been mediocre, at 4-4, with a 3.40 ERA. Tampa won the last meeting with LA back in May at the Trop, 8-1, and they are 5-1 in their last 6 interleague games. Tampa is hot, winning 13 of their last 17 games, and are worth considering tonight.
TONIGHT’S PICK: TAMPA BAY RAYS

Two of the best hurlers in the game will oppose each other tonight when the Saint Louis Cardinals host the Washington Nationals. Stephen Strasburg will be tapping the rubber for the Nats and Dakota Hudson for the Cards. Strasburg has been lights out, with a record of 17-6, a 3.49 ERA, and a 1.05 WHIP. Hudson has been just as lethal. He is 15-7, with a 3.38 ERA, a 1.41 WHIP, and the Cardinals are 5-0 in his last 5 starts at Busch Stadium. Saint Louis will be a home dog in this one and they have won 5 of the last 6 meetings with Washington.
TONIGHT’S PICK: ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

The New York Yankees took it on the chin yesterday, falling to the Toronto Blue Jays, 6-5. Today they will have a chance to even the score when the Jays and Yanks play a matinée at Rogers Centre. New York will send the flame throwing southpaw, James Paxton, to the hill. Paxton has been delivering. He is 13-6 on the season, with a 3.96 ERA, a 1.31 WHIP, and has won his last 8 starts, posting an ERA of only 2.57. Toronto’s probable starter will be Jacob Waguespack and he has been getting roughed up. Waguespack is 4-4 on the season, with a 4.55 ERA, and a 1.33 WHIP. Over his last 3 turns, he is winless and his ERA has jumped to 8.74. That doesn’t bode well for Toronto, the way the Yanks crush the ball. Consider the Bombers.
TODAY’S PICK: NEW YORK YANKEES

The Tampa Bay Rays have lost two in a row and are in the midst of the congested AL Wild Card race, so they had better get back on track soon. Tonight they will have that opportunity when they head to Anaheim to open a 3-game set with the struggling Los Angeles Angels. Los Angeles will be without DH Shohei Ohtani, who is done for the season with a knee issue, but could see the return of Mike Trout however that has yet to be confirmed. The Halos have lost 4 straight and 8 of their last 10. They will turn to the lefty, Andrew Heaney, to throw strikes. Heaney has average numbers, at 4-4, with a 4.30 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP. The Rays counter with their ace, Charlie Morton. Morton is having one of his best seasons ever, with a record of 14-6, a 3.11 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP. The Rays are 12-4 in their last 16 meetings with the Angels and 5-2 in their last 7 road games against a left-handed starter. Tampa needs to take care of business in Anaheim and they will.
TONIGHT’S PICK: TAMPA BAY RAYS

The Detroit Tigers and the New York Yankees were rained out yesterday, forcing a doubleheader today at Comerica Park. Game 1 probable starters are two lefties, J.A. Happ for the Yanks and Mathew Boyd for the Tigers. Boyd is 2-1 over his last 3 starts but his ERA is high, at 7.36, with a 1.42 WHIP, and Detroit is just 2-7 in his last 9 home starts. Happ has been sharp over his last 3 turns. He is 2-0, with a nasty ERA of 1.56, and a WHIP of only 0.75. New York is 14-4 in Happ’s last 18 road starts and they are 11-1 in doubleheaders this season. The Bombers crush lefties, going 23-7 in their last 30, and come out on top in Game 1.
TODAY’S PICK: NEW YORK YANKEES -GAME 1