Category: Baseball

The reigning AL East Champion Baltimore Orioles will kick off the 2024 campaign at home today against the Los Angeles Angels. The Orioles were 101-61 overall last year and 49-32 at Camden Yards, and if you think they were a force last year, this year they will be even better. The O’s acquired the 2021 Cy Young winner, Corbin Burns, from Milwaukee to bolster their rotation and he is expected to get the nod today in the opener. Burns was 10-8 last year with a 3.39 ERA and a ridiculous WHIP of only 1.069 which was the best in the majors. The Halos, who were 73-89 last year, are expected to turn to southpaw Patrick Sandoval to throw strikes. He had just 7 wins with 13 losses in 2023 and a 4.11 ERA. The Angels new skipper, Ron Washington, will have his work cut out for him this year. Starting pitching is an issue, Shohei Ohtani jumped ship to the Dodgers, Mike Trout is still Mike Trout but getting older, and Anthony Rendon is always injured. Baltimore swept Los Angeles in a 3-game set in their last meeting in September and was 5-2 overall last year against the Halos. Consider the O’s.
TODAY’S PICK: BALTIMORE ORIOLES

The Texas Rangers are one win away from their first ever World Series title, up 3-1 on the Arizona Diamondbacks, and they are expected to turn to their ace, Nathan Eovaldi tonight at Chase Field to finish the job. Eovaldi is 4-0 in the postseason with a 3.52 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP. We know the D-backs will be aggressive at the plate with their backs against the wall, but Eovaldi’s nasty junk should be able to keep them off balance. The Snakes are expected to counter with Zac Gallen, who was lights out in the regular season but he has slumped in the post. Gallen is 2-2 with a 5.27 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP. The Rangers have not lost on the road this postseason. If this series goes back to Texas for game six, the Rangers will likely have to face Merrill Kelly and that is someone Bochy’s crew would rather not deal with.
TONIGHT’S PICK: TEXAS RANGERS

The World Series will kick off tonight in Arlington and in case you didn’t know, the Texas Rangers will be pitted against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Tonight’s expected starters will be Zac Gallen for the D-backs and Nathan Eovaldi for the Rangers. Eovaldi is the reason the Rangers are where they are. He is a perfect 4-0 in the postseason with a 2.42 ERA, a 0.92 WHIP, and is 3-0 in his career against Arizona with a 2.78 ERA. Gallen has struggled this postseason. He is 2-2 with an elevated ERA of 5.24, a 1.48 WHIP, and was shaky at best in his last two turns in the NLCS, yielding 9 runs on 14 hits and 5 homers to the Phillies with both starts resulting in losses. Texas just knocked off the World Champs, which carries a lot of weight. They have Nathan Eovaldi getting the nod and the best skipper in the business, Bruce Bochy, calling the shots. What more could you ask for?
TONIGHT’S PICK: TEXAS RANGERS

Yesterday the Arizona Diamondbacks got to Aaron Nola early and the Snakes went on to a 5-1 victory to force a game seven tonight in the NLCS. The expected starters for tonight are Ranger Suárez for the Phillies and Brandon Pfaadt for the D-backs. Pfaadt is 0-0 in the postseason with a 2.13 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP over 12-2/3 frames. Suárez has been dealing. He is 1-0 with an ERA of just 0.64, a WHIP to match at 0.64 over 14 frames, and is a perfect 3-0 in his career in playoff games with a 0.94 ERA. The Phillies were 1-7 yesterday with runners in scoring position, which is not a recipe for a win, but that won’t happen tonight. The D-backs have made a great run but the Phillies are the better team, by far, on the diamond tonight. They are also at home, have their fans behind them, and if you have ever been to Citizens Bank Park, you get it.
TONIGHT’S PICK: PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

With a win today at Citizens Bank Park over the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Philadelphia Phillies will win their second straight National League pennant. Today’s expected starters are Aaron Nola for the Phillies and Merrill Kelly for the D-backs. Nola has been almost unhittable in the postseason, going 3-0 with an ERA of only 0.96 and a 0.75 WHIP. Kelly is 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP. Philadelphia is a perfect 6-0 in the postseason at home, outscoring their opponents 39-8. You know Citizens Bank Park will be electric and Philly fans will be geared up for this one.
TODAY’S PICK: PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

The Texas Rangers face elimination tonight at Minute Maid Park, with the Houston Astros holding a 3-2 lead in the ALCS, but don’t throw the towel in on Texas just yet. The Rangers will have Nathan Eovaldi on the hill. He has delivered all season long and that has carried over into the postseason where he is 3-0 with a 2.29 ERA and a WHIP of only 0.86. On the flip side, the Astros are expected to counter with lefty Framber Valdez and he has been struggling. In the postseason, Valdez is winless, at 0-2, with a bloated ERA of 11.57, a 2.57 WHIP, and the ‘Stros are 0-5 in his last 5 home starts. The Rangers had Game 5 in the bag but let it slip away. That won’t happen tonight.
TONIGHT’S PICK: TEXAS RANGERS

It looked like the Philadelphia Phillies were going to run away with the NLCS, up 2-0, but the Arizona Diamondbacks clawed their way back, tying the series at two games apiece. Tonight in Game 5 at Chase Field, the expected starters are Zack Wheeler for the Phillies and Zac Gallen for the D-backs. These two flamethrowers faced each other in Game 1, with Wheeler coming out on top. Wheeler is 2-0 in the postseason with a 2.37 ERA, a nasty WHIP of only 0.63, and is 6-3 lifetime against the Snakes with a 2.96 ERA. Gallen is 2-1 in the postseason with a 4.96 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP. Philadelphia has the edge in runs per game, run differential, batting average, hits and homers.
TONIGHT’S PICK: PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES