Category: Baseball

The American League Division Series kicks off today at Minute Maid Park and I like Chris Sale and the Boston Red Sox to take game 1 over Justin Verlander and the Houston Astros. This won’t be easy for Boston with Verlander on the hill. The veteran has been down this road before. Verlander is 15-8 on the season, with an ERA of 3.36, and since joining the Astros from Detroit, he is 5-0, with an ERA of just 1.06. The southpaw, Chris Sale, has enjoyed success against Houston, going 5-1 with an ERA of 1.31 in 6 career starts. Sale is 17-8 on the season, with a 2.90 ERA, and the Red Sox are 7-2 in his last 9 road starts. Houston led the American League in hitting with an average of .282 but they are 6-13 in their last 19 games against lefties. Road dog today.
TODAY’S PICK: BOSTON RED SOX

Two teams that know each other well, the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies, will meet at Chase Field tonight to decide the National League Wild Card. The Diamondbacks will send Zack Greinke to the hill to face the Rockies’ Jon Gray. Greinke has had another outstanding year, going 17-7, with an ERA of 3.20, and a 1.07 WHIP. The same can be said for Gray, who went 10-4, with an ERA of 3.67, and a 1.30 WHIP. Greinke has been lights out at home, posting a record of 13-1. Arizona had the upper hand this year over Colorado, winning 11 of the 19 contests, and outscoring them 101-69. I like the home team in this situation.
TONIGHT’S PICK: ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

The New York Yankees hope to continue their dominance over the Minnesota Twins in post-season play when they square off tonight in the AL Wild Card game in the Bronx. The Yankees defeated the Twins in the AL Division Series in 2003, 2004, 2009 and 2010, going 12-2 during that span. There is no pitching edge tonight because both hurlers are equally lethal. The Yankees Luis Severino is 14-6, with a 2.98 ERA, and a 1.04 WHIP. Severino was 3-0 in 5 starts in September, with a 2.10 ERA, allowing just 15 hits and striking out 38 batters in 30 innings of work. The Twins counter with Ervin Santana. Santana is 16-8, with a 3.28 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP but has an ERA of 5.60 in 20 career starts against the Bombers. Minnesota is 0-5 in their last 5 playoff games, 17-50 in their last 67 meetings with New York, and 14-42 in their last 56 trips to Yankees Stadium. Edge Bombers.
TONIGHT’S PICK: NEW YORK YANKEES

The Cleveland Indians can clinch home field advantage throughout the American League post-season with a win today at home over the Chicago White Sox and I see that happening. Cleveland showed no mercy on Chicago yesterday, pummeling them 10-1. It won’t get any easier for the White Sox today because Corey Kluber is expected to go for the Indians. Cleveland’s ace has been throwing flames, with a record of 18-4, an ERA of 2.27, and a 0.86 WHIP. The Indians are 6-0 in Kluber’s last 6 starts against the White Sox and 4-1 in his last 5 turns against them at Progressive Field. The young upstart Carson Fulmer is expected to get the nod for the White Sox. Fulmer is 2-1, with a 4.42 ERA, a 1.31 WHIP, and was yanked early in his last start with a blister and that is always an issue. The White Sox are 15-38 in their last 53 road games and 0-5 in their last 5 meetings with the Indians. The number is high in this one and so it should be.
TONIGHT’S PICK: CLEVELAND INDIANS

The Milwaukee Brewers sit 2 games back of the Colorado Rockies, with 3 games left for the second Wild Card spot, so it is a must-win situation for them tonight when they play out the last 3 games against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals were eliminated last night from post-season play by the Chicago Cubs and will send John Grant to the rubber to oppose the Brewers Chase Anderson. Grant will be making his second start of the season and is 0-0, with a 3.65 ERA, a 1.38 WHIP, and has yielded 3 homers in his 2 outings. The Cardinals are 1-5 in their last 6 overall and 1-5 in their last 6 games against the National League Central. The Brewers Chase Anderson has mowed them down in 2017, with a record of 11-4, a 2.81 ERA, and a 1.12 WHIP. The Brewers are 7-2 in their last 9 road games, 6-2 in their last 8 meetings with St. Louis, and 4-1 in their last 5 trips to Busch Stadium. Brew Crew stays alive!
TONIGHT’S PICK: MILWAUKEE BREWERS

The New York Yankees are still alive to capture the American League East title and tonight they will go for the 3-game sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium. The Bombers have been hot, winning 18 of their last 24 games, going 11-1 in their last 12 at home, and have scored 33 runs over their last 5 contests. New York will send Sonny Gray to the rubber and he has pitched better than his record indicates. Gray is 10-11 on the season, with an ERA of 3.30, and a 1.17 WHIP. The Rays will counter with Jake Faria. He is 5-4, with an ERA of 3.33, a 1.15 WHIP, and is winless in his last 3 turns, with an ERA of 4.67 and a 1.33 WHIP. Tampa has struggled with the Yanks, going 2-8 in the last 10 meetings, and are just 7-23 in their last 30 trips to the Bronx. I like the Bombers in this situation.
TONIGHT’S PICK: NEW YORK YANKEES

The Colorado Rockies have just a 1-1/2 game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers for the second Wild Card spot, so losing is not an option when they play the rubber game of a 3-game set against the Miami Marlins in an early one today at Coors Field. The Rockies will send Jon Gray to the hill and he will be opposed by Marlins southpaw Adam Conley. Conley has had issues in his last 3 outings, going 1-0, with an inflated ERA of 10.50, a 2.17 WHIP, and was lit up in his last turn, allowing 7 runs on 6 hits in just 1-2/3 innings. Gray on the other hand, has been delivering. He is 2-0 in his last 3 outings, with an ERA of just 1.50, a 0.89 WHIP, and has allowed 3 runs or fewer in his last 12 starts. The Rockies are 8-3 in their last 11 home games against southpaws and should get to Conley today.
TODAY’S PICK: COLORADO ROCKIES