Category: Baseball

I like the Minnesota Twins chances for a victory tonight when they play host to the San Diego Padres at Target Field. San Diego has been playing good baseball but have struggled against Minnesota, going 2-10 in the last 12 meetings and 1-4 in their last 5 trips to Minnesota. Andy Green will send the lefty, Travis Wood, to the hill for the Friars. Wood is 0-1 in his last 3 starts, with an ERA of 7.15, a 2.47 WHIP, and was roughed up in his last outing, giving up 7 runs on 7 hits with 2 homers in just 2 innings of work. Kyle Gibson will get the nod for the Twins. Gibson has been sharp in his last 3 turns, with a record of 2-0, a 1.83 ERA, a WHIP of 1.12, and the Twins are 4-0 in his last 4 starts. Minnesota has been dominant in interleague play, with a record of 8-0 in their last 8 games, and they are 5-0 in their last 5 home games against southpaws.
TONIGHT’S PICK: MINNESOTA TWINS

The game between the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays has been moved from Tropicana Field to Citi Field in Queens due to the hurricane so it will be like a home game for the Yankees. Joe Girardi will call on his veteran southpaw CC Sabathia to throw strikes. Sabathia might not have the velocity he once had but he knows how to pitch. He is 11-5 on the season, with a 3.91 ERA, a 1.29 WHIP, and has been a Tampa-killer. The Yankees are 8-0 in Sabathia’s last 8 starts against the Rays and they are 4-1 in the last 5 meetings. Jake Odorizzi is expected on the hill for the Rays. Odorizzi has a mediocre record of 8-7, with an ERA of 4.58, a 1.30 WHIP, and the Rays are 1-5 in his last 6 starts when he faces the powerhouse AL East. Tampa has had issues with lefties, going 1-5 in their last 6 games against them. I like the Yankees in this situation.
TONIGHT’S PICK: NEW YORK YANKEES

The Arizona Diamondbacks are on the verge of being swept at home by the San Diego Padres but Robbie Ray is on the hill today for Arizona and he won’t let that happen. Ray doesn’t get the attention like other lefties, such as Kershaw and Sale, but he is just as good. In his last 3 starts, the flamethrower is 3-0, with an ERA of just 0.93 and a stingy WHIP of 0.67. The pesky Friars, who are no push over, will counter with Luis Perdomo. Perdomo has pitched well in his last 3 outings, going 1-1, with an ERA of 2.50, and a 1.56 WHIP but San Diego is 1-7 in his last 8 starts against the National League West. The Diamondbacks are 11-4 in Ray’s last 15 starts and 7-1 in his last 8 starts against a team with a losing record. The number is high but they all are at this time of year. Lay it and take Arizona.
TODAY’S PICK: ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

Baseball is a streaky sport and after losing 3 in a row, Boston is now on a 3-game run. The Red Sox should make it 4 in a row tonight when their ace southpaw, Chris Sale, takes the mound at Fenway to face Matt Andriese and the Tampa Bay Rays. Sale is 15-7, with an ERA of 2.85, and he mowed down the Rays on August 8th, throwing 8 scoreless innings with 13 strikeouts and giving up just 2 hits. Matt Andriese is 5-2 with a 3.78 ERA. The Rays are 1-5 in his last 6 road starts and they are 4-10 in their last 14 trips to Fenway. Boston is 4-0 in Sale’s last 4 turns against a team with a losing record and 6-2 in his last 8 home starts.
TONIGHT’S PICK: BOSTON RED SOX

The Seattle Mariners have lost 3 in a row and now sit 4 games back of the second AL Wild Card spot so they had better start winning games. It’s not do or die time but its getting close. Their AL West rival, the Los Angeles Angels, will make the trip to Safeco Field to open a 3-game set tonight and the Mariners have a good chance of taking game 1. Newly acquired Mike Leake, from the Cardinals, will tap the rubber for Seattle. Leake is 8-12, with an ERA of 4.14, but was lights out in his first 9 starts with St. Louis, posting an ERA of 1.91, and in his lone start for Seattle, he is 1-0, with an ERA of 2.57, and a 1.29 WHIP. Mike Scioscia will send Ricky Nolasco to the hill. Nolasco is a dismal 6-12, with an ERA of 5.08, and he is lucky to have that. The Angels are 3-10 in Nolasco’s last 13 starts on 5 days’ rest and Nelson Cruz has been a Nolasco-killer, going 11 for 25 with 4 homers. Both teams need this game but Seattle needs it more and they know it.
TONIGHT’S PICK: SEATTLE MARINERS

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