Category: Baseball

The Chicago Cubs and the Arizona Diamondbacks will play the middle game of their 3-game set this afternoon at Wrigley. The Cubs took game one last night, 6-5, and are smoking hot. They have now won 3 straight, 9 in a row on the north side, and 13 of their last 16 overall. Chicago is expected to give the nod to Shota Imanaga and he has great numbers. The southpaw is 2-2 with a 2.88 ERA and a WHIP of just 0.87. Right-hander Ryne Nelson is expected on the hill for the D-backs and he has been getting lit up. Nelson is 1-2 with a 7.71 ERA and a 1.52 WHIP which is not good. The Cubs have the edge in runs scored, runs allowed, run differential, batting average, hits, homers, and are the side to consider.
TODAY’S PICK: CHICAGO CUBS

The Philadelphia Phillies fired their manager Rob Thomson and promoted Donny Baseball as the new skipper, and it’s already paying dividends. The Phillies shut out the San Francisco Giants last night, 7-0, in Mattingly’s debut. Tonight in the middle game of their 3-game set at Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia is expected to turn to southpaw Cristopher Sánchez to throw strikes. Sánchez is 2-2 with a 2.94 ERA, a 1.60 WHIP, and the Giants are 0-5 in their last 5 road games against a left-handed starter. The Phillies are loaded with talent and will turn this season around. That is a given. 
TONIGHT’S PICK: PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

The New York Yankees will be in Texas tonight to take on the Rangers and they will take care of business. Max Fried is expected on the hill for New York and when he gets the nod good things happen. They win. The Yankees’ southpaw is 3-1 with a 2.40 ERA and a WHIP of only 0.77. Enough said.  
TONIGHT’S PICK: NEW YORK YANKEES

The New York Yankees will take their 6-game winning streak into Daikin Park to face the Houston Astros tonight in the first of a 3-game set. Will Warren is expected on the hill for the Bombers and he has been delivering. Warren is 2-0 with a 2.49 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP. Yanks are hot. Ride them ’til they are not.  
TONIGHT’S PICK: NEW YORK YANKEES

With last night’s 7-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs, the Philadelphia Phillies have now lost 8 straight. The Phillies have too much talent to lose 9 in a row. Today in a matinée at Wrigley, Cristopher Sánchez is expected on the hill for Philadelphia and he will pull them out of their abyss. Sánchez is 2-2 with an ERA of 1.59 and a 1.41 WHIP. Harper and company get it done today.  
TODAY’S PICK: PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

The New York Yankees took game 1 of the 3-game set against their archrival, the Boston Red Sox, last night, 4-0, at Fenway. Yankees’ bats were stagnant for a while but have erupted. Over their last two games, they notched 11 runs and gave up zero. Expect more of the same tonight. Max Fried is expected on the hill for the Bombers. He was lit up in his last turn but that won’t happen again. The Yankee ace is 2-1 with a 2.97 ERA and a 0.81 WHIP.  
TONIGHT’S PICK: NEW YORK YANKEES

The red hot Atlanta Braves will take their 5-game winning streak into D.C. tonight to open a 4-game set with the Washington Nationals. It appears no one can slow down the Braves. They are coming off a 3-game sweep of the Philadelphia Philles in Philly and have won 9 of their last 11. Bryce Elder is expected to be on the hill for Atlanta and he has been almost unhittable. Elder has the second lowest ERA in the Majors at 0.77, a 1.03 WHIP, and is 2-1 on the season. In his last turn against Miami, Elder was once again lights out, pitching 5-2/3 scoreless innings, resulting in a 6-3 Braves win. The Nationals have struggled at home with a record of 2-7. Their expected starter for tonight, Jake Irvin, could have issues with the Braves’ potent offense. Irvin is 1-2 with a 6.16 ERA, a 1.47 WHIP, and that is not what you want when you face Atlanta. The Braves are 7-3 on the road, own the lowest team ERA in the Majors, average over 5 runs per game, are hot, and if that doesn’t warrant a consideration then what does?
TONIGHT’S PICK: ATLANTA BRAVES