Category: Baseball

The Kansas City Royals now sit 20 games below .500 and by shipping Jon Jay to Arizona, it’s evident they are writing the season off and in a rebuilding mode. Tonight they will head to the Bay area to open a 4-game set against the Oakland Athletics. Oakland will send Paul Blackburn to the hill, who will be making his 2018 debut. Blackburn has had some bad breaks. His season last year was cut short due to a line drive off his pitching hand and in spring training he came down with a right forearm strain. His numbers last year were decent at 3-1, with a 3.22 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP. The Royals have now lost four in a row and will turn to Jason Hammel to throw strikes. Hammel sits at 2-5, with an ERA of 5.17 and a WHIP of 1.43. Oakland took 2 out of 3 from Kansas City last week in Kansas City, outscoring them 25-6 and have won 11 of the last 15 meetings.
TONIGHT’S PICK: OAKLAND ATHLETICS

The Los Angeles Angels are starting to surge and will go for a series sweep tonight at home over the Kansas City Royals. The Angels will send the young sensation, Shohei Ohtani, to the hill and he has been living up to all the hype. Ohtani is 4-1, with a 3.18 ERA, a 1.08 WHIP, and in his last 3 turns he is 1-0, with an ERA of only 1.89 and a 0.95 WHIP. The Royals will send Ian Kennedy to the mound and he has been having issues. Kennedy is 1-6, with a 6.08 ERA and a 1.62 WHIP. In Kennedy’s last 3 turns, he is 0-2 and his ERA has soared to 9.88, with a WHIP of 1.98. Kansas City has been awful on the road, with a record of 11-19, and they are 0-5 in their last 5 meetings with Los Angeles.
TONIGHT’S PICK: LOS ANGELES ANGELS

Two southpaws will oppose each other tonight in Arlington, when the Texas Rangers send Matt Moore to the hill and the Oakland Athletics counter with Sean Manaea. Hitters have been feasting on Matt Moore. He is 1-5, with a 7.85 ERA, a 2.00 WHIP, and in the month of May, he was 0-2 with a bloated ERA of 10.80. Sean Manaea, who has a No/No under his belt this year, is 5-6, with a 3.60 ERA, and a WHIP of just 0.97. Oakland is 12-5 in their last 17 meetings with Texas and 6-2 in Manaea’s last 8 turns against the Rangers.
TONIGHT’S PICK: OAKLAND ATHLETICS

The Los Angeles Angels have dominated the Kansas City Royals, sweeping them in Kansas City in April, and they will look to continue that success when they open a 3-game series tonight at Angel Stadium. The Angels’ starters have been delivering and will turn to Nick Tropeano tonight to throw strikes. Tropeano has been steady, with a record of 3-3, a 3.80 ERA, and a 1.24 WHIP. The Royals will turn to Danny Duffy and he has seen better days. Duffy is 2-6, with a 5.71 ERA, a 1.58 WHIP, and he has walked 31 batters, which is not good. Add to that, the Royals are 3-10 in Duffy’s last 13 starts and 1-4 in their last 5 meetings with Los Angeles. You have to consider a play on the Angels.
TONIGHT’S PICK: LOS ANGELES ANGELS

The San Francisco Giants are going for a sweep today over the visiting Philadelphia Phillies, but I don’t see that happening. Jeff Samardzija should start for the Giants but once again he is on the DL. What else is new? So today they will send the son of Pudge Rodríguez, Derrick Rodríguez, to the bump. This kid will be making his first Big League start. He has made one appearance in relief but was not very effective, allowing 4 runs on 5 hits in just 3-1/3 innings of work. Philadelphia will counter with the flame thrower, Jake Arrieta. As usual, Arrieta has been delivering with a record of 5-2, a 2.16 ERA, and a WHIP of 1.15 in 58-1/3 innings of work. The Giants will be without Brandon Belt, which will hurt. Chris Segal will be calling the shots and San Francisco is 0-4 in their last 4 games when he is behind the dish.
TODAY’S PICK: PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

The Arizona Diamondbacks showed how much offensive power they possess last night when they smacked 6 homers in a 9-1 trouncing of the Miami Marlins. Tonight they will go for a series win against Miami when they play the middle game of a 3-game set at Chase Field. The Marlins have now lost four in a row and will turn to Caleb Smith to right the ship. Smith’s numbers are not bad, at 4-5, with a 3.51 ERA, and a 1.15 WHIP. Zack Greinke will tap the rubber for the Diamondbacks. Greinke has similar numbers on the season, at 3-4, with a 3.64 ERA, and a 1.04 WHIP, but he has pitched better than his numbers indicate. Greinke has never lost in his career to Miami, with a record of 5-0 in 9 starts. The Marlins have not fared well in the desert, going 1-5 in their last 6 games. Add to that, the Diamondbacks are 20-6 in Greinke’s last 26 home starts. A consideration on Arizona is warranted here.
TONIGHT’S PICK: ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

Two of the top gunslingers in the American League will square off tonight at Minute Maid Park when Chris Sale taps the rubber for the Boston Red Sox and Gerrit Cole for the Houston Astros. Both of these guys have been dominating. Cole is 5-1, with a 2.05 ERA, and a 0.83 WHIP, and Sale is 5-2, with a 2.76 ERA, and a 0.96 WHIP. Sale, however, was not Sale-like in his last turn on Sunday. He allowed 6 runs on 5 hits in 4-1/3 innings against Atlanta. Boston has struggled against the reigning Champs, going 1-5 in their last 6 meetings overall and 1-4 in their last 5 at Minute Maid Park. Houston is 5-1 in Cole’s last 6 starts and 4-1 in his last 5 turns at home. Edge Astros.
TONIGHT’S PICK: HOUSTON ASTROS