Inside the Chalk

After a dismal start to the 2022 campaign, the Cincinnati Reds are starting to turn it around, winning 5 of their last 7. Tonight they will welcome the struggling Washington Nationals to Great American Ball Park to open a 4-game set. The Nationals have lost 3 straight, have not scored a run in 21 innings, and were swept by the Mets in their last series, outscored 28-5. Joan Adon is expected to get the nod for the Nats and his numbers are not good. Adon is 1-8 with a 6.09 ERA, a 1.65 WHIP, and Washington is 0-9 in his last 9 starts as a dog. Cincinnati is expected to counter with Graham Ashcraft and although he hasn’t seen a lot of action, what he has shown looks impressive. Ashcraft is 1-0 with a 1.69 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP over 10.2 innings of work. The Reds are 4-1 in their last 5 home games and are a good value, depending on where you shop, at around -135.
TONIGHT’S PICK: CINCINNATI REDS

The Los Angeles Angels have now lost 6 straight after a 9-1 shellacking last night by the best team in baseball, the New York Yankees. Tonight it won’t get any easier for the west coasters when they resume their series with the Yanks in the Bronx. Southpaw Nasty Nestor Cortés Jr. will be tapping the rubber for New York and he has been throwing flame after flame. Cortés is 4-1 with a nasty ERA of 1.70, a stingy 0.85 WHIP, and in his last outing against a really good Tampa team, he yielded just 1 run on 4 hits resulting in a 7-2 Yankees win. The Angels will look to lefty Reid Detmers to pull them out of the gutter and we know what the Bombers do to left-handed starters, crush them. Detmers is 2-2 with a 4.65 ERA, a 0.91 WHIP, and does have a No-No this year under his belt, however since then his ERA has ballooned to 7.45. If LA wants to pull the upset in this one, they have some hurdles to overcome. The Halos are 0-4 in their last 4 road games, 0-6 in their last 6 against the AL East, and New York is 24-8 in their last 32 as a favorite.
TONIGHT’S PICK: NEW YORK YANKEES

The first place New York Mets put a thumping on the bottom-dwelling Washington Nationals yesterday, 13-5, and expect more of the same tonight when they meet again at Citi Field. New York will face lefty Patrick Corbin, who is a far cry from his days in Arizona. Corbin is 1-7 with a 6.30 ERA and a 1.66 WHIP, which is not good against a Mets team that averages over 5 runs per game. The Mets will send Trevor Williams to the hill. He has yet to notch a victory, at 0-3, with a 4.37 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP, but that will change tonight. The Mets have won 4 straight, are 17-8 in Queens, and are 6-2 this year against the Nats.
TONIGHT’S PICK: NEW YORK METS

The Boston Red Sox should have plenty of momentum when they conclude their 5-game series with the Baltimore Orioles tonight at Fenway. Boston’s offense exploded yesterday, scoring 12 runs, as they went on to put a beating on the visiting Orioles, 12-2. The Red Sox are starting to heat up, winning 9 of their last 12, and will send veteran southpaw Rich Hill to the the bump. Hill can still get it done at 42 and has owned the Orioles in his career, going 3-0 with a 2.00 ERA. Baltimore will counter with second year man Tyler Wells and he is winless in his last 3 starts. Boston has won 8 of the last 10 meetings with Baltimore at Yawkey Way and the O’s are 2-5 in their last 7 against a left-handed starter.
TONIGHT’S PICK: BOSTON RED SOX

The San Diego Padres and the Pittsburgh Pirates will play the rubber match of their 3-game set in a matinée today at Petco Park. The 29-17 Pads sit just three games back of the Dodgers for the top spot in the NL West and will send their 2017 first round pick to the hill, lefty Mackenzie Gore. Gore is living up to all expectations. He is 3-1 with a 2.06 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP over 35 innings of work. The 19-26 Bucs will send Roansy Contreras to the bump and his numbers look good, at 1-0 with a 2.13 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP, but that was over just 12.2 innings of work. The Friars usually bounce back after a loss. They are 4-0 in their last four Sunday games and could have Manny Machado back today, who sat out yesterday with a sore elbow. San Diego scores more than Pittsburgh, gives up less and they are worth considering today.
TODAY’S PICK: SAN DIEGO PADRES

The Toronto Blue Jays won the first two games of their 4-game set with the Los Angeles Angels but LA should bounce back tonight in Anaheim. The Angels are 11-2 in their last 13 in game 3 of a series and will have Michael Lorenzen toeing the rubber. Lorenzen has been on his mark, with a record of 5-2, a 3.05 ERA, a 1.06 WHIP, and LA is 4-1 in his last 5 starts. The Jays will send Yusei Kikuchi to the hill. Kikuchi has decent numbers, at 2-1, with a 3.47 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP. However, he has struggled against the Angels in his career, going 1-4 with a bloated 10.92 ERA and the Jays are 0-4 in his last 4 road starts.
TONIGHT’S PICK: LOS ANGELES ANGELS

The San Francisco Giants won two straight against a really good Mets team and tonight they will be in Cincinnati to open a 3-game set with the Reds. Cincinnati is also riding a 2-game winning streak and put up a staggering 20 runs yesterday but that was against a rebuilding Cubs team so no reason to get too excited. The Giants are expected to send Carlos Rodón to the hill. The southie is 4-3 with a 3.43 ERA, a 1.16 WHIP, and is 2-0 in his career against the Reds with a stingy 1.64 ERA. The Reds starter has yet to be determined. If the Giants want to keep pace with the Dodgers and Padres in the NL West they have to beat teams like the Reds and they know it. San Fran is 6-0 in the last 6 meetings overall with Cincinnati and 4-0 in their last 4 at Great American Ball Park.
TONIGHT’S PICK: SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS