Category: Baseball

With last night’s win over the host Colorado Rockies, the 78-67 Chicago Cubs sit just 3 games back of the Milwaukee Brewers for the lead in the NL Central. In tonight’s middle game of their 3-game set, Chicago will likely turn to Javier Assad to throw strikes. He comes in at 3-3 with an ERA of only 2.83 and a 1.19 WHIP. The Rockies are having a season they would like to forget. They are 51-92 and are expected to send Chris Flexen to the hill. Flexen’s year has also been a disaster, at 1-7, with a bloated ERA of 7.36 and a 1.74 WHIP. In his career against Chicago, Flexen is 0-1 with a 12.79 ERA and that is not good. Cubs should get this one.
TONIGHT’S PICK: CHICAGO CUBS

After a lengthy road trip, the AL East leading Baltimore Orioles return home tonight to open a 3-game set with the St. Louis Cardinals. The Orioles are 90-52 overall and are expected to hand the ball to Dean Kremer. Kremer is 12-5 with a 4.07 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP. The Cardinals, who are dead last in the NL Central at 63-80, are expected to give the nod to Dakota Hudson who is an impressive 6-1 with a 4.43 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP. Baltimore is 42-26 at Birdland and 7-1 in Kremer’s last 8 starts. If the O’s want to hold their 3 game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays for the top spot in the AL East they have to take care of business at home against the St. Louis Cardinals, and I expect they will.
TONIGHT’S PICK: BALTIMORE ORIOLES

The Toronto Blue Jays will be without two of their best players, Bo Bichette and Matt Chapman, when they host the Kansas City Royals tonight, but it shouldn’t matter. KC is just 18-51 on the road and will have Collin Snider toeing the rubber. Snider has just 10.2 innings under his belt and is 0-0 with a 4.22 ERA and a 1.59 WHIP. Yusei Kikuchi will get the start for Toronto, and he is 9-5 with a 3.63 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP. The Jays are still alive in the playoff hunt. They cannot afford to lose to the inept Kansas City Royals, and they know it.
TONIGHT’S PICK: TORONTO BLUE JAYS

The New York Yankees will go for their sixth straight win and a sweep of the Detroit Tigers tonight in the Bronx. Expected starters are Eduardo Rodríguez for Detroit and Carlos Rodón for New York. Rodríguez is 10-7 with a 3.11 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP. Rodón is better than his numbers reflect. The southpaw is 2-4 with a 5.70 ERA, a 1.34 WHIP, and is due for a shutdown game.
TONIGHT’S PICK: NEW YORK YANKEES

The Seattle Mariners have lost three straight but get back on track today when they wrap up their 3-game set with the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. The Mariners will have Logan Gilbert on the hill and he has been sharp. Gilbert is 12-5 with a 3.56 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP. The Big Red Machine will give the nod to Lyon Richardson. This guy has only 12 innings under his belt with a 6.75 ERA and a 1.75 WHIP. Not good.
TODAY’S PICK: SEATTLE MARINERS

The New York Yankees are hot and will have the best hurler on the planet, Gerrit Cole, tapping the rubber tonight. Cole is 12-4 with a 2.95 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP. Detroit will counter with Alex Faedo, who is 2-5 with a 4.90 ERA and a 1.94 WHIP. The Yankees just swept the Houston Astros in Houston, outscoring them, 15-7. The Bronx Bombers are back.
TONIGHT’S PICK: NEW YORK YANKEES

The Tampa Bay Rays will host the Boston Red Sox today. Aaron Civale is expected to tap the rubber for the Rays and when he is on the mound, the Rays win. Civale is 7-3 with a 2.64 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP.
TODAY’S PICK: TAMPA BAY RAYS