Inside the Chalk

The San Diego Padres will look to rebound today after an 8-0 beating yesterday by the Miami Marlins when the two clubs wrap up their 4-game set at Petco Park. The Padres do not lick their wounds for very long. After allowing 5 runs or more in their previous game, they are 8-0 in their last 8. They will also turn to their ace and San Diego native, Joe Musgrove, to deliver and that is just what he has been doing. Musgrove is off to a 4-0 start with a nasty 1.97 WHIP and a 1.91 ERA. Miami is expected to turn to lefty Trevor Rogers to throw strikes. He comes in at 1-4 with a 6.14 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP. Even with last night’s win, the Marlins are still just 1-4 in their last 5 trips to Petco and are a dismal 0-7 in Rogers’ last 7 starts as a road dog.
TODAY’S PICK: SAN DIEGO PADRES

Two southpaws are expected to oppose each other when the Houston Astros host the Detroit Tigers today in the third game of their 4-game set at Minute Maid Park. Framber Valdez is expected to get the nod for the Astros and Eduardo Rodríguez for the Tigers. Valdez has decent numbers, at 1-2, with a respectable ERA of 3.42 and a 1.22 WHIP. Rodríguez, on the other hand, not so good. He is 0-2 with a 5.33 ERA, a 1.30 WHIP, and was lit up in his last turn against the Dodgers. Rodríguez is also 1-3 lifetime against Houston with an ERA of 8.53. The Tigers are 2-10 over their last 12 games, 6-13 in their last 19 against the ‘Stros, and are just 3-8 in their last 11 against a left-handed starter. Dusty Baker has his club clicking on every cylinder. Houston has won 5 straight, are 6-0 in their last 6 home games, 6-0 in their last 6 games against southies, and should take care of business today against a Detroit team that is just 3-8 on the road.
TODAY’S PICK: HOUSTON ASTROS

The Baltimore Orioles are a team to keep an eye on in the coming years. They have a lot of raw young talent and that will be on display tonight when they open a 3-game set with the Kansas City Royals at Camden Yards. Baltimore is riding a 2-game winning streak after splitting a 4-game series with a really good Minnesota Twins team. Tonight the expected starters are Jordan Lyles for the Orioles and Carlos Hernández for the Royals. Neither one of these guys is winning the AL Cy Young but the edge in this matchup goes to Baltimore. Lyles is 2-2 with a 4.50 ERA and a 1.62 WHIP, as opposed to Hernández who comes in at 0-1 with a 6.00 ERA and a 1.89 WHIP. The Royals have lost 5 of their last 6 and have mustered just 13 runs during that span. They are also just 2-6 on the road this season and 4-13 in their last 17 in Baltimore. The Orioles are 7-6 at the Yard and their bats have come alive, launching 7 home runs over their 2-game winning streak. Consider the Birds.
TONIGHT’S PICK: BALTIMORE ORIOLES

The Toronto Blue Jays snapped their 2-game skid yesterday with a 2-1 win over the New York Yankees. Tonight they will head to Progressive Field for a 4-game series with the Cleveland Guardians. Cleveland played a doubleheader yesterday with the San Diego Padres so fatigue could be a factor for them tonight. Toronto has been solid on the road, at 6-4, and have won three straight against Cleveland. The Jays are 5-0 in their last 5 as a road favorite and their young guns should be able to get to the Guardians expected starter, Aaron Civale, who is 0-2 with a bloated ERA of 10.67 and a 1.95 WHIP.
TONIGHT’S PICK: TORONTO BLUE JAYS

The New York Mets won both games of their doubleheader yesterday with the Atlanta Braves. Expect more of the same today when they wrap up their 4-game series in an early one at Citi Field. The Mets are comfortably atop of the NL East, with a record of 18-8 on the season and 9-4 in Queens. On the flip side, the Braves are not playing like reigning World Series Champs. Atlanta is a disappointing 11-15 overall and just 5-8 away from Truist Park. Today’s expected pitching matchup favors the Mets. Tylor Megill is slated for New York. He is a perfect 4-0 with an ERA of only 1.93 and a 0.86 WHIP. Atlanta is expected to give the nod to Ian Anderson. He is 2-1 with an elevated ERA of 4.66 and a 1.29 WHIP.
TODAY’S PICK: NEW YORK METS

The San Diego Padres will head to Progressive Field tonight to take on the Cleveland Guardians. Mike Clevenger will be making his season debut for the Pads after missing all of last year with Tommy John surgery. Clevinger has had this day marked on his calendar as he faces his old team and will be out to prove they made a mistake sending him packing. Clevinger can deal, with a career record of 44-23 and a 3.19 ERA. Cleveland is expected to counter with Zach Plesac, who is 1-2 with a 3.80 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP. San Diego has been clicking on every cylinder. They are 9-4 on the road and 8-3 in their last 11 interleague road games. The Guardians have won 3 straight but are just 3-3 at Progressive Field and 0-6 in their last 6 interleague home games. If rust isn’t an issue for Clevinger, the Friars should get this one.
TONIGHT’S PICK: SAN DIEGO PADRES

The Arizona Diamondbacks split a 4-game set with the St. Louis Cardinals and it won’t get any easier for the them tonight when they head south for a 3-game series with the Miami Marlins. The Marlins quietly have one of the best rotations in the Majors and they are expected to send Pablo López to the rubber, whose his numbers have been off the charts. López is 3-0 with a ridiculous ERA of 0.39, a 0.73 WHIP, and 23 strikeouts in 23-1/3 innings of work. Zac Gallen is expected to get the nod for the D-backs and he has been dealing as well. Gallen has yet to notch a win but has an ERA of 0.60, a 0.67 WHIP, with 14 K’s in 15 innings work. Miami has won 7 of their last 8, are 5-2 in their last 7 meetings with Arizona and 5-0 in the last 5 against them at LoanDepot Park. Arizona has the worst batting average in the Majors at .181 and the way López is dealing could spell trouble for the Snakes.
TONIGHT’S PICK: MIAMI MARLINS