Inside the Chalk

The Atlanta Braves have a one game lead over the New York Mets for the top spot in the NL East and will go for a 3-game sweep over their archrival tonight at Truist Park. But not so fast. New York will send Chris Bassitt to the hill and Atlanta with start Charlie “The Curve Ball” Morton. Morton is 9-6 with a 4.29 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP. Bassitt is 15-8 with a 3.27 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP. Plus, the Mets are 5-0 in his last 5 in the third game of a series and they are 8-2 in their last 10 Sunday games.
TONIGHT’S PICK: NEW YORK METS

The New York Yankees will play an early one today with the Baltimore Orioles in the Bronx. Today is the 61st anniversary when Roger Maris hit his 61st homer to pass the Babe so the stars are aligned for Aaron Judge to hit his 62nd at The Stadium. The expected starters are nasty lefty Nestor Cortés Jr. for the Yankees and Austin Voth for the Orioles. Cortés is 11-4 with a 2.56 ERA and a nasty 0.95 ERA. Voth has great numbers, at 5-3, with a 2.77 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP. The Orioles have struggled against left-handed starters, going 0-4 in their last 4, and Yankee Stadium will be electric.
TODAY’S PICK: NEW YORK YANKEES

The Toronto Blue Jays have clinched a Wild Card berth but not the #1 spot which would give them home field advantage, so be assured this weekend series with the Boston Red Sox at Rogers Centre will not be taken lightly. Toronto will send their ace, Alek Manoah, to the rubber tonight and he has been throwing flames. Manoah comes in at 15-7 with a 2.31 ERA and is 2-0 this year against the Red Sox, with an ERA of only 1.35. Nick Pivetta is expected to get the nod for Boston. He is 10-11 with a 4.48 ERA, is 0-1 this year against the Jays with a 5.52 ERA, and Boston is 0-4 in his last 4 turns against a team with a winning record. The Jays have won the last 6 meetings with the Red Sox, outscoring them 58-20, and tonight should be no different. The Young Guns get it done.
TONIGHT’S PICK: TORONTO BLUE JAYS

The Philadelphia Phillies had better be sleeping with one eye open because the Milwaukee Brewers are just a half game back of them for the third and final Wild Card spot in the NL. Milwaukee has 7 games left on the slate, with all of them being played at American Family Field, and will open a 4-game set tonight with the Miami Marlins. Two lefties are expected to get the nod tonight, with Eric Lauer for the Brewers and Braxton Garrett for the Marlins. Lauer is 10-7 with a 3.96 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP. Garrett is upside-down at 3-6 with a 3.52 ERA, a 1.16 WHIP, and Miami is 0-5 in his last 5 turns against a team with a winning record. The Brewers are 43-31 at home, 5-1 in their last 6 against a team with a losing record, and 4-1 in their last 5 home games against a left-handed starter.
TONIGHT’S PICK: MILWAUKEE BREWERS

With the New York Mets’ loss yesterday to the Miami Marlins, and the Atlanta Braves win over the Washington Nationals, the two teams are now deadlocked for the top spot in the NL East. Tonight New York will wrap up their quick 2-game set with Miami in Queens. The Mets cannot afford to lose again to the lowly Marlins and they know it because up next is a 3-game series with the Braves in Atlanta. Miami is expected to send Jesús Luzardo to the rubber. He comes in at 3-7 with a very respectable 3.57 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP but the Marlins are 0-7 in his last 7 turns against a team with a winning record. New York is expected to counter with Taijuan Walker and he has delivered all year long. Walker is 12-5 with a 3.53 ERA, a 1.18 WHIP, and he has owned Miami this year, going 4-0 with an ERA of only 2.23. The Mets are, by far, the better team 1-9, are 50-27 at Citi Field, and should come out on top in this one.
TONIGHT’S PICK: NEW YORK METS

If the Seattle Mariners want to hold onto the last Wild Card spot in the AL, they had better start winning baseball games. The Mariners are just 3-7 over their last 10 but should notch a win tonight when they host the Texas Rangers. Reigning Cy Young winner, southpaw Robbie Ray is expected to get the nod for Seattle. After a slow start to the season, Ray found his groove and is 12-10 with an ERA of 3.60 and a 1.16 WHIP. The Rangers are having a season they would like to forget. Texas is 65-87 overall and 33-42 on the road. They have lost 3 straight and are 2-8 in their last 10 against Seattle. The Rangers have yet to name a starter.
TONIGHT’S PICK: SEATTLE MARINERS

The Baltimore Orioles are still alive in the Wild Card hunt, sitting 4 games back of the third and final spot, but time is of the essence so they are going to have to take care of business when they head to Fenway tonight to open a 4-game set with the Boston Red Sox. Baltimore is expected to send Jordan Lyles to the rubber. He is a mediocre, at 11-11, with a 4.50 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP, but was sharp in his last turn against the Tigers, going the distance and allowing just 3 hits, fanning 6, and walking none, resulting in an 8-1 Orioles win. Boston, who is officially eliminated for playoff contention, is expected to counter with Connor Seabold and the O’s should be able to get to this guy. Seabold is winless, at 0-3, with a bloated ERA of 10.47 and a 2.20 ERA, and that is not good. Simply put, Baltimore has everything to play for and Boston doesn’t.
TONIGHT’S PICK: BALTIMORE ORIOLES