Category: Baseball

Justin Verlander, who is 9-0 since joining the Houston Astros from the Detroit Tigers, will be called upon tonight to try to even the World Series at a game apiece and get out of Los Angeles with a split. Verlander was 15-8 in the regular season, with an ERA of 3.36, and has been lights out this post-season, going 4-0, with an ERA of 1.46 over 24-2/3 innings, striking out 24, and walking only 6. Rich Hill will get the call for the Dodgers. Hill was 12-8 in the regular season, with an ERA of 3.32 and has pitched well this post-season. In his 2 starts, he has an ERA of 3.00 with both outings ending in a no-decision. Verlander is a workhorse and will go deep in this game. Houston should get the win.
TONIGHT’S PICK: HOUSTON ASTROS

Two of the best southpaws in the business will oppose each other tonight when the World Series kicks off at Dodger Stadium. Houston will send Dallas Keuchel to the hill and Los Angeles will start Clayton Kershaw. Both these guys have similar numbers. Keuchel is 16-6, with an ERA of 2.87, and a 1.12 WHIP. Kershaw’s numbers are slightly better, with a record of 20-4, an ERA of 2.43, and a 0.95 WHIP. The Dodgers are 47-9 in Kershaw’s last 56 starts and 48-10 in his last 58 home starts. That’s impressive! LA’s bullpen has been unforgiving this post-season, with an ERA of 0.94, and held Chicago hit-less in the NLCS. Houston is 1-6 in their last 7 road playoff games and 1-6 in their last 7 trips to Chavez Ravine. The Dodgers have the edge in this one with the home crowd behind them.
TONIGHT’S PICK: LOS ANGELES DODGERS

The winner of tonight’s game between the New York Yankees and the Houston Astros will determine who makes it to the World Series to play the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday at Chavez Ravine. The Yankees CC Sabathia and Astros Charlie Morton, who faced each other in Game 3, will be tapping the rubber tonight at Minute Maid Park. CC, who is 1-0 with an ERA of 2.30 in the post-season, got the better of Morton in Game 3. Sabathia was on his mark, yielding just 3 hits over 6 scoreless innings. Morton, who is 0-1 in the post-season with an ERA of 10.13, was drilled by the Bombers in Game 3. New York sent Morton to the showers early, scoring 7 runs on 6 hits in just 3-2/3 innings. Sabathia has been down this road before. In 22 post-season career appearances, he is 10-5, with an ERA of 4.24, and after a Yankees loss, the veteran southpaw is 10-0 with an ERA of 1.69 in his last 13 outings. What would be better than a Yankees/Dodgers World Series? TONIGHT’S PICK: NEW YORK YANKEES

With a victory tonight over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, the Los Angeles Dodgers will be headed back to the World Series for the first time since 1988. Los Angeles will send southpaw Clayton Kershaw to the rubber and he will be opposed by another lefty, Chicago’s José Quintana. Kershaw, who was 18-4, with an ERA of 2.31 in the regular season, started Game 1 of the NLCS yielding 2 runs over 5 innings of work. Quintana, who faced Kershaw in the series opener, was 11-11, with an ERA of 4.15 in the regular season, and in Game 1, he also gave up 2 runs over 5 innings of work. Chicago’s ace closer, Wade Davis, tossed 48 pitches in relief last night for the Cubs and will not be available in Game 5 – and that is not good. Should Kershaw get in trouble, a well-rested Kenley Jansen will be ready. The Dodgers bullpen has been outstanding, pitching 20 consecutive scoreless innings and giving up just 3 hits in the series. Los Angeles is 6-1 in their last 7 meetings with Chicago and 6-1 in their last 7 playoff games. Dodgers move on.
TONIGHT’S PICK: LOS ANGELES DODGERS

The New York Yankees are living up to the name, the Bronx Bombers, and now have the momentum when they take on the Houston Astros in Game 5 of the ALCS in an early one today in the Bronx. Houston will send their ace, Dallas Keuchel, to the hill and he has been delivering. In his last 3 starts, he is 3-0, with an ERA of 0.96, and a WHIP of 0.91. The Yankees will counter with Masahiro Tanaka. Tanaka has been delivering as well. In his last 3 outings, he is 2-1, with a 0.90 ERA, and a WHIP of just 0.60. New York has been dominant at home, going 18-3 in their last 21 and 5-0 in their last 5 home playoff games. Winning is contagious and Yankee stadium will be electric.
TODAY’S PICK: NEW YORK YANKEES

The New York Yankees find themselves down 0-2 to the Houston Astros in the American League Championship Series and could have easily won one or both of the first two in Houston, if not for some unlucky breaks and two major blunders by the third base coach. However, that was then and this is now, and tonight the series switches to Yankee Stadium. Two hurlers will oppose each other with similar numbers, with CC Sabathia tapping the rubber for the Bombers and Charlie Morton for the Astros. Morton is 14-7, with a 3.64 ERA, a WHIP of 1.22, and Houston is 6-2 in his last 8 road starts. The lefty Sabathia owns a record of 14-5, with an ERA of 3.69, and a WHIP of 1.26. New York is 5-1 in Sabathia’s last 6 starts and 13-3 in his last 16 starts in the Bronx. When Sabathia takes the hill following a loss, he has been lights out, going 9-0 with an ERA of just 1.71 in 10 regular season starts. It goes without saying but the crowd will be up for this one. The Yankees cannot go down 0-3 or they are in major trouble and they know it.
TONIGHT’S PICK: NEW YORK YANKEES

The Los Angeles Dodgers are now 4-0 in post-season play after last night’s 5-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series. The Dodgers will seek their fifth straight victory tonight and are expected to send the ex-Cub, Rich Hill, to the rubber. The well-rested veteran southpaw is 12-8, with a 3.35 ERA, a 1.10 WHIP, and the Dodgers are 4-0 in his last 4 starts. The Cubs are expected to counter with another lefty, Jon Lester. Lester is 13-8, with a 4.21 ERA, a 1.29 WHIP, and will be going on just three days’ rest, after throwing 51 pitches on Wednesday in Game 4 of the NL Division Series. After last night’s loss, Chicago is now 0-4 in their last 4 trips to Chavez Ravine and for what it matters, the Cubs are 0-6 in Lester’s last 6 Sunday starts. Fatigue has to be affecting Chicago. They played Game 4 of the NL Division Series on Wednesday, had a tough game against the Nationals in Game 5 on Thursday, a grueling flight on Friday, then had to play on Saturday and now another game on Sunday. That’s tough to do. The Dodgers are hot – ride them ’til their not.
TONIGHT’S PICK: LOS ANGELES DODGERS