Category: Baseball

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

The Los Angeles Dodgers knew they couldn’t lose last night’s game, or they were done, and they didn’t, even if it took over 7 hours to do it. The Dodgers will have all the momentum going into tonight’s Game 4 and 56,000 Dodger fans for added support. Nathan Eovaldi was slated to start for the Red Sox tonight but threw 97 pitches in relief last night and as of now the lefty, Drew Pomeranz, is expected to start for Boston. The 2018 season is one Pomeranz would like to forget. He was a dismal 2-6, with a 6.08 ERA and a 1.77 WHIP. The well rested southpaw, Rich Hill, is expected to tap the rubber for Los Angeles. The veteran lefty was on his game in the regular season with a record of 11-5, a 3.59 ERA, a 1.16 WHIP, and in the post-season he is 0-0 with a 2.61 ERA. The Dodgers are 7-0 in Hill’s last 7 starts, 6-1 in his last 7 starts at Chavez Ravine and with this morning’s victory, Los Angeles is now 5-1 in their last 6 playoff games at Dodger Stadium.
TONIGHT’S PICK: LOS ANGELES DODGERS

The Los Angeles Dodgers are in a world of trouble, down 2-0 to the Boston Red Sox, but now the Series switches to Dodger Stadium. Tonight they won’t have to deal with freezing temperatures and a left handed starter. Righty Rick Porcello will get the start for Boston. The former Cy Young winner was a respectable 17-7 with a 4.28 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP in the regular season but struggled in his last post-season outing against Houston, yielding 4 runs on 7 hits and 2 homers in 4 innings of work. The rookie flame thrower, Walker Buehler, will get the nod for Los Angeles. Buehler was 8-5 in the regular season with a 2.62 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP. In 12 starts this year at Chavez Ravine, he had an ERA of only 1.93. Buehler was roughed up in his first two post-season starts but rebounded in his last turn against Milwaukee, striking out 7 and yielding just 1 run in 4-2/3 innings of work. The Dodgers are 6-1 in their last 7 games against right handed starters and 4-1 in their last 5 playoff games at home. If the Dodgers lose tonight, it’s over and they know it.
TONIGHT’S PICK: LOS ANGELES DODGERS

It doesn’t get much better than having the Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. Tonight Game 1 will be played at Fenway and the two best southpaws in the game will oppose each other, with Clayton Kershaw getting the nod for Los Angeles and Chris Sale for Boston. Both hurlers were on their game in the regular season and had similar numbers, with Kershaw going 9-5 with a 2.73 ERA and Sale at 12-4 with a 2.11 ERA. The Red Sox have won 4 in a row and it took just 9 games for them to dispose of the New York Yankees and the Houston Astros to reach the World Series. It took 7 grueling games for the Dodgers to beat Milwaukee and that might have taken its toll. Boston will be well rested and they are 6-1 in their last 7 World Series games at Fenway, giving them the edge tonight.
TONIGHT’S PICK: BOSTON RED SOX

The Los Angeles Dodgers find themselves down 2-1 to the Milwaukee Brewers and to say that tonight is a “must win” for the Dodgers is an understatement. The Dodgers are expected to send Rich Hill to the rubber to try to even the score. The veteran southpaw had a productive year with a record of 11-5, a 3.66 ERA, and a 1.12 WHIP. In the 2018 campaign, Hill went 1-0 against the Brewers, with an ERA of only 1.50 and struck out 13 batters. The Brewers are expected to counter with Gio González. His numbers in the regular season were mediocre at 10-11, with a 4.21 ERA, and a 1.44 WHIP. Manny Machado went yard against González in Game 1 and Counsell elected to yank him after just two innings of work. Los Angeles had their chances last night, going 0-10 with runners in scoring positions and had loaded bases in the ninth, however, they couldn’t bring anybody in, thanks to Yasmani Grandal’s and Brian Dozier’s strikeouts. Rich Hill won’t have to worry about passed balls tonight because Dave Roberts finally woke up and decided to bench their struggling catcher for Austin Barnes. The Dodgers have to win this game or a World Series berth looks really bleak, and they know it.
TONIGHT’S PICK: LOS ANGELES DODGERS

Thanks to Justin Turner’s blast on Saturday, the Los Angeles Dodgers were able to even the score with the Milwaukee Brewers and walk away from Miller Park with a split. Tonight the venue switches to Chavez Ravine for Game 3 of the NLCS. The Dodgers are expected to turn to their rookie flame thrower, Walker Buehler. The young upstart had a stellar year, going 8-5 in the regular season with a 2.62 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP. He did have a hiccup in Game 3 of the NLDS against the Braves but, in his last 12 regular season starts, he had an ERA of 1.55 and held batters to an average of .158. Now that is dominance. The Brewers are expected to counter with Jhoulys Chacín. Chacín went 15-8 in the regular season, with a 3.50 ERA, a 1.16 WHIP, and was dominant against the Rockies in his last turn, pitching 5 scoreless innings. However, Chacín took the loss in his last start at Dodger Stadium when the Dodgers steamrolled the Brewers, 21-5. The Dodgers are 4-1 in Buehler’s last 5 home starts and 8-2 in their last 10 playoff games at the Ravine. Dodgers get it done.
TONIGHT’S PICK: LOS ANGELES DODGERS