Category: Baseball

The Miami Marlins have lost 3 straight, allowing 19 runs during their skid and that won’t bode well when they travel to SunTrust Park tonight to open a 3-game set against the red hot Atlanta Braves. Atlanta is coming off a 3-game sweep of a very talented Chicago Cubs team, outscoring them 23-8. The ex-Oriole, Kevin Gausman, is expected to make his season debut tonight for the Braves. Since being acquired from the Orioles last year, Gausman was a solid 5-3 with an ERA of 2.87 and was lights out in the month of August, going 4-1 with an ERA of only 1.69. The Marlins are expected to give the nod to the young right hander, Pablo López. He was 2-4 last year, with an ERA of 4.14, and was winless against Atlanta, going 0-2 with an ERA of 4.91. The Braves have owned the Marlins in recent history, winning 8 of the last 10, 15 of the last 18 at home, and with the way Nick Markakis is hitting, a consideration on Atlanta is warranted.
TONIGHT’S PICK: ATLANTA BRAVES

The Los Angeles Angels’ season has not started the way they would have liked, going 1-5 on the road and mustering just 13 runs over that span. Tonight they will try to right the ship when they host the Texas Rangers in their home opener. If there was a bright spot in their first 6 games, it was hurler Matt Harvey. Harvey was solid in his first outing as an Angel, yielding just 2 runs on 4 hits in 6 innings of work, resulting in a 6-2 victory over the Oakland A’s. If Matt Harvey’s stuff is working, he is as good as anyone in the Majors. Texas is expected to counter with Edinson Vólquez, who was shaky at best in his first turn against the Cubs. He gave up 4 runs on 6 hits with 4 walks in only 4 innings of work. Vólquez has not pitched well against the Angels in his career. He is 1-4 with a bloated ERA of 10.71 and the Rangers are 1-7 in his last 8 road starts. Los Angeles has won 7 of the last 10 meetings against Texas, including the last 5 at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. It’s just a matter of time before the Angels’ bats wake up and tonight should be that night.
TONIGHT’S PICK: LOS ANGELES ANGELS

The Cleveland Indians will go for a 2-game sweep over the Chicago White Sox when they play an early one today at Progressive Field. The Indians’ bats finally came alive late in Monday’s contest and hitting is contagious. The Tribe are expected to send the two time American League Cy Young winner to the hill, Corey Kluber. Kluber has dominated the White Sox in his career, going 13-4 with an ERA of 2.80, and last year he was 4-0 against Chicago with a nasty ERA of only 0.96. The White Sox are expected to give the nod to Carlos Rodón. Rodón was 0-2 last year against Cleveland and the White Sox are 1-4 in his last 5 starts at Progressive Field. The Indians have won 38 of the last 55 meetings and will notch another one today.
TODAY’S PICK: CLEVELAND INDIANS

It was evident the Houston Astros had some early season rust when they went 1-3 against the Tampa Bay Rays to start the season. That rust should be shed tonight and they will be in top form when they travel to Globe Life Park to face the Texas Rangers. The Astros are expected to give the nod to Brad Peacock and when he takes the rubber, good things happen. Houston is 4-1 in Peacock’s last 5 starts and 13-5 in his last 18 starts on the road. To say Houston has dominated Texas would be an understatement. The Astros are 8-3 in the last 11 meetings overall and 17-4 in their last 21 trips to Arlington. The Rangers are expected to send the lefty, Drew Smyly, to the rubber and that could mean an early exit for the southpaw because the Astros crush lefties, going 13-5 in their last 18 against them.
TONIGHT’S PICK: HOUSTON ASTROS

The New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles will play the rubber game of a 3-game set in a matinée today in the Bronx. The Bombers are expected to give the nod to southpaw J.A. Happ. Since being acquired from the Blue Jays last year, he has been lights out. Happ has yet to lose since dawning pinstripes, with a record of 7-0 along with a 2.69 ERA, and he has owned the Orioles. In his last 10 starts against Baltimore, he has allowed 3 runs or fewer, and last year they batted just .196 against the left hander. The Orioles are expected to send Dylan Bundy to the rubber. Bundy had a disastrous 2018 where he led the American league in losses with 16 and had an ERA of 5.45. It looks as if things haven’t changed for Bundy. This spring he had a bloated ERA of 7.89 and has not fared well over his career against New York, going 2-5 with a 6.18 ERA. Take the Bombers.
TODAY’S PICK: NEW YORK YANKEES

The World Champion Boston Red Sox were embarrassed last night by the Seattle Mariners, 12-4, at the newly named T-Mobile Park. Don’t expect a repeat of that tonight when the two clubs play the second game of a 4-game set. Seattle is expected to give the nod to the lefty Yusei Kikuchi. Kikuchi made his Major League debut last week in Japan and he pitched well, surrendering 2 runs on 4 hits in 4-2/3 innings of work but that was against the Athletics, not the Red Sox. The Mariners will keep him on a short leash and that might be a good thing because Boston crushes southpaws, going 20-8 in their last 28 against them. The Champs will send Nathan Eovaldi to the hill. Eovaldi can deliver, and that was evident in last year’s post-season play. In 3 career starts against Seattle, he has an ERA of only 2.12.
TONIGHT’S PICK: BOSTON RED SOX

The Philadelphia Phillies will kick off the 2019 campaign today when they open a 3-game set against the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park. Philly made a statement in the off-season that they want to win the division when they signed super star Bryce Harper, Andrew McCutchen, Jean Segura and J.T. Realmuto. Atlanta was quiet over the Winter, with the only notable acquisition being third baseman Josh Donaldson. The Braves will turn to Julio Teherán today to throw strikes and he was 9-9 a season ago with a 3.94 ERA. The Phillies will counter with their ace, Aaron Nola. Nola was lights out in 2018 with a record of 17-6, a 2.37 ERA, and Philadelphia is 5-1 in his last 6 home starts against Atlanta. Consider the home team here.
TODAY’S PICK: PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES