Inside the Chalk

Yankee Stadium will be electric tonight when the New York Yankees go for a 4-game sweep over the Boston Red Sox. Aaron Judge is still seeking his 61st home run to tie Roger Maris and it could happen tonight. The Red Sox have lost 5 straight to the Bombers and are expected to send Brayan Bello to the hill. He has not pitched well. Bello is 2-6 with a 4.75 ERA, a 1.71 WHIP, and the Red Sox are 0-7 in his last 7 starts against a team with a winning record. New York is expected to counter with the lefty “Nasty” Nestor Cortés, Jr. He has been delivering. Cortés is 10-4 with a 2.67 ERA and a nasty WHIP of only 0.97. The Yankees are hot, winning 6 straight, and are 7-0 in their last 7 against the AL East.
TONIGHT’S PICK: NEW YORK YANKEES

The Seattle Mariners lost the opener of their 3-game set last night to the host Kansas City Royals, 5-1. Seattle holds the final spot in the AL Wild Card but they can feel the heat from the Baltimore Orioles who are breathing down their necks for the coveted spot so they had better get back on track, and they should tonight. Logan Gilbert is the expected starter for the Mariners and he is an impressive 13-6 with a 3.13 ERA, a 1.18 WHIP, and the Mariners are 7-0 in his last 7 starts against the AL Central. The Royals are expected to send lefty Kris Bubic to the rubber and how he is still in the Bigs is beyond me. Bubic is 2-13 with a 5.81 ERA, a 1.71 WHIP, and has lost his last 7 starts. The Mariners have the edge in runs per game, run differential per game, home runs per game, etc., etc., etc.
TONIGHT’S PICK: SEATTLE MARINERS

The Milwaukee Brewers sit 2 ½ games back of the Philadelphia Phillies for the last Wild Card spot in the NL so losing to the lowly Cincinnati Reds is not an option. The Brewers took Game 1 of their 4-game set with the Reds yesterday, with a 5-1 win at Great American Ball Park. Tonight Milwaukee is expected to send lefty Eric Lauer to the hill. He is 10-7 with a 3.91 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP. The Reds are expected to counter with the veteran southpaw Mike Minor. Minor has not pitched well. He is 4-12 with an elevated ERA of 6.06 and 1.63 WHIP. Milwaukee is 16-6 in the last 22 meetings overall and 4-0 in their last 4 in Cincinnati. The Brew Crew are 9-4 in their last 13 road games against a left-handed starter and should be able to get to Minor.
TONIGHT’S PICK: MILWAUKEE BREWERS

The San Diego Padres are very much alive in the NL Wild Card race and will go for a series sweep over the St. Louis Cardinals in a matinée today at Petco Park. The Friars have won 5 straight, outscoring their opponents 26-4 over that span, and are expected to have their ace, Joe Musgrove, on the hill . Musgrove is 10-7 on the season with a 3.16 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP. The Cardinals have a very comfortable 7 ½-game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers for the top spot in the NL Central and are expected to send Jack Flaherty to the bump. Flaherty has seen little action this year due to a shoulder issue and is 0-1, with an elevated ERA of 5.09 and a 1.83 WHIP. Perhaps that shoulder is still an issue. The Padres have won the last 7 meetings with St. Louis in San Diego and are worth considering.
TODAY’S PICK: SAN DIEGO PADRES

The New York Yankees have lost two in a row but will get back on track today when they wrap up their series with the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. The Bombers will have their ace, Gerrit Cole, on the hill. Cole is 11-7 with a 3.30 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP. The Brewers are expected to counter with Jason Alexander, who is 2-3 with a 5.29 ERA and a 1.60 WHIP. The Yankees get it done today.
TODAY’S PICK: NEW YORK YANKEES