Inside the Chalk

The 75-71 San Francisco Giants are very much alive in the Wild Card hunt and will open a 4-game set with the Colorado Rockies tonight at Coors Field. To say the Giants have owned the Rockies would be an understatement. San Fran has won 16 of the last 17 meetings with Colorado and is expected to have Logan Webb toeing the rubber, who also owned the Rockies. Webb is 10-12 with a 3.40 ERA on the season, 8-2 in his career against Colorado with a 3.24 ERA and is 2-0 this year against them with an ERA of only 1.77. He last faced Colorado on Saturday where he pitched 6 scoreless innings resulting in a 9-1 Giants romp. The Rockies are 53-92 on the season and are obviously eliminated from post-season play. They are likely to send Chase Anderson to the hill. Anderson is winless, at 0-5, with a 6.49 ERA and is 0-1 this year against the Giants with a bloated ERA of 9.35. After yesterday’s 6-5 comeback win over Cleveland, San Fran will also have momentum on their side and should come out on top in this one. The Giants won’t come cheap but are still worth considering.
TONIGHT’S PICK: SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS

The 91-53 Baltimore Orioles rarely lose a series, and I don’t see that happening tonight when they play the rubber game of their 3-game set with the 64-81 St. Louis Cardinals at the Yard. Tonight’s expected starters are Kyle Gibson for the O’s and Drew Rom for the Red Birds. Rom, the ex-Oriole and southpaw, is 0-2 with a 7.79 ERA and a 2.02 WHIP over 17.1 innings of work. Gibson comes in at 14-8 with a 5.12 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP over 168.2 innings of work. The Orioles are an impressive 43-27 at Birdland and 4-0 in their last 4 against a left-handed starter. Baltimore holds a 3-game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East and guess who comes to town tomorrow for a 4-game set? The Rays, so the O’s will be extra motivated tonight to go into that series on a winning note.
TONIGHT’S PICK: BALTIMORE ORIOLES

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