Category: Baseball

The Los Angeles Dodgers lost another one last night, falling victim at home to the Arizona Diamondbacks and bringing their skid to 6 games, but that should end tonight when they open a 4-game set at Chavez Ravine against the Colorado Rockies. The Dodgers have won 5 of the last 6 meetings with the Rockies and are expected to send the best pitcher in baseball to the hill, Clayton Kershaw. What can you say about Kershaw? Just that he is 16-2 on the season, with an ERA of 1.95, a WHIP of 0.86, and he is 21-6 lifetime against the Rockies. In his last 3 starts, Kershaw is 2-0, with an ERA of 0.00, and a 0.73 WHIP. That’s scary. The Rockies are expected to send Jon Gray to the rubber. Gray has a 6-4 record, with an ERA of 4.26, and a WHIP of 1.43. In his last 3 outings, Gray is 1-2, with a very respectable ERA of 2.55, and a 1.25 WHIP. The Rockies are 2-5 in their last 7 overall, 6-14 in their last 20 against the National League West, and are 1-4 in Gray’s last 5 road starts against a team with a winning record. The number in this one is high and it should be, because everything points to a Dodgers victory.
TONIGHT’S PICK: LOS ANGELES DODGERS

It took the Boston Red Sox 19 innings last night against the Toronto Blue Jays to end their 3-game skid and I like their chances to make it two in a row tonight when they face the Jays in the rubber game of a 3-game set at Fenway. Doug Fister has been outstanding for Boston in his last 3 starts, going 2-1, with a stingy ERA of 1.57, and has coupled that with a WHIP of just 0.65. Joe Biagini will get the nod for Toronto and in his last 3 outings, he posted a record of 0-2, with a 6.75 ERA, and a 1.88 WHIP. Biagini has pitched a total of 11 innings against Boston this year, which includes 1 start, and has allowed 7 runs on 12 hits during that span. The Jays are 0-4 in his last 4 starts and they are 1-4 in the last 5 meetings with Boston. Shane Livensparger will be behind the dish tonight and home teams are 4-0 in his last 4 games when he is pulling the strings.
TONIGHT’S PICK: BOSTON RED SOX

The Milwaukee Brewers took the loss yesterday at the hands of the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park but I like their chances to even the score tonight when Zach Davies takes the hill in the second game of a 3-game set. Davies has a record of 16-7, with an ERA of 3.85. The right-hander has allowed just 3 earned runs in his last 4 starts and has been lethal on the road, where he boasts a record of 8-1 with a 2.13 ERA. The Reds will call on Robert Stephenson to throw strikes. Stephenson owns a record of 3-4, with a 5.52 ERA and has 3 career appearances against Milwaukee with an inflated ERA of 7.94. The Reds are 3-8 in their last 11 home games against a team with a winning record and 0-4 in Stephenson’s last 4 starts against a team with a winning record. The Brewers Ryan Braun has been hot, going 5-8 in his last 2 games.
TONIGHT’S PICK: MILWAUKEE BREWERS

The Arizona Diamondbacks are red hot, winning their last 9 games, but I see that coming to an end today when they take on the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Zack Godley will tap the rubber for Arizona and in his last 3 outings, he is 1-2, with an ERA of 5.51, and a 1.59 WHIP. The Rockies will counter with Germán Márquez. Márquez is 1-0 in his last 3 starts, with an ERA of 4.50 and a 1.44 WHIP. Colorado is 8-2 in his last 10 outings and 9-0 in his last 9 home starts.
TODAY’S PICK: COLORADO ROCKIES

The Minnesota Twins will try to add some distance between themselves and the Kansas City Royals for the American League second wild card spot when they meet tonight a Target Field. Kansas City called up the lefty Onelki García from AAA Omaha where he was 7-3, with an ERA of 4.75. Kyle Gibson will start for the Twins. Gibson is 2-1 in his last 3 starts, with an ERA of 3.06, and a 1.36 WHIP. The Twins are 7-1 in their last 8 home games and 4-0 in their last 4 home games against southpaws. Minnesota is 4-0 in Gibson’s last 4 starts against the Royals and KC is just 2-6 in their last 8 trips to Minnesota.
TONIGHT’S PICK: MINNESOTA TWINS

The Pittsburgh Pirates have lost 3 in a row but had the day off yesterday to gather their bearings and tonight they will host the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park. Pittsburgh’s ace, Gerrit Cole, will tap the rubber tonight for the Pirates. Cole is 11-8, with a 3.99 ERA, a 1.23 WHIP in 167 innings of work and last faced the Reds on Saturday where he threw 7 scoreless innings in a 1-0 Pirates win. Cincinnati will send Luis Castillo to the hill. Castillo is 2-7, with a 3.26 ERA, and a 1.14 WHIP in 77.1 innings of work. The Reds are 24-41 on the road. Pirates should get this one.
TONIGHT’S PICK: PITTSBURGH PIRATES

Two southpaws will oppose each other today when the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox open a 4-game set in the Bronx. Joe Girardi will send CC Sabathia to the hill. The veteran has been steady over his last 3 outings, going 1-1, with a 3.94 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP. The Bombers are 4-0 in CC’s last 4 starts against the Red Sox and 11-2 in his last 13 starts against the American League East. John Farrell will send Eduardo Rodríguez to the mound. Rodríguez is 0-1 in his last 3 outings, with a 6.11 ERA, a 1.30 WHIP, and Boston is 0-4 in his last 4 road starts and 0-4 in his last 4 starts against the American League East. I like the Yankees in this situation.
TODAY’S PICK: NEW YORK YANKEES