Inside the Chalk

With their 11th straight victory over the Oakland Athletics, the Seattle Mariners find themselves just a half game back of the Boston Red Sox for the second Wild Card spot in the AL. Oakland, on the other hand, is 3-1/2 back for the second spot with just 4 games left. They are done and they know it. But that’s not to say they would like nothing more than to put the screws to Seattle and tonight they will turn to Frankie Montas to do just that. Montas has pitched well all year, with a record of 13-9, a 3.48 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP. Seattle will turn to rookie Logan Gilbert to keep the streak alive. Gilbert has been mediocre, at 6-5, with an ERA on the high side at 4.83, and a 1.19 WHIP. The A’s have played well on the road, at 42-35, and are 5-2 in their last 7 away from T-Mobile Park.
TONIGHT’S PICK: OAKLAND ATHLETICS

A trip to Baltimore is just what the Boston Red Sox need to get them back on track after being swept at home by the New York Yankees over the weekend. Boston has won 6 straight against the bottom-dwelling Orioles and the margin of victory has been +2 runs or greater. Chris Sale (5-0, 2.57 ERA) will be getting the start for the Red Sox and he has been an Oriole killer in his career. The southpaw is 10-2 lifetime with an ERA of only 2.58 and is 2-0 this year with a 2.70 ERA against the O’s. Baltimore is expected to counter with Bruce Zimmermann. Zimmermann is 4-4 with an elevated ERA of 4.83 and will be making his first Big League start since June, so rust could definitely be a factor. Consider Boston on the runline.
TONIGHT’S PICK: BOSTON RED SOX -1.5

This is not a good time for the Toronto Blue Jays to start slumping but they are and now trail the New York Yankees by 2 games for the last spot in the AL Wild Card. Toronto will turn to their ace and AL Cy Young candidate, lefty Robbie Ray, to right the ship in Minnesota, where the Twins have won the first 2 games of their 4-game set. Ray has been delivering all year. He is 12-6 with a 2.72 ERA, a 1.03 WHIP, and leads the AL in strikeouts, with 238. Minnesota will counter with John Gant. Gant is upside down, at 5-9, with a 3.76 ERA, a 1.45 WHIP, and the Twins are 1-4 in his last 5 starts. The Jays’ potent offense mustered just 4 runs during their 3-game skid so they are due.
TONIGHT’S PICK: TORONTO BLUE JAYS

The San Francisco Giants and the Colorado Rockies will open a 3-game set tonight at Coors Field. The Giants will send lefty Alex Wood to the hill and he has been dealing all year. Wood is 10-4 with a 3.99 ERA, a 1.20 WHIP, and is 2-0 this year against the Rockies with a 3.06 ERA. The Rockies are expected to hand the ball to Peter Lambert. Lambert has been on the shelf, recovering from Tommy John, and will be making his first start in over two years. The Giants swept the Rockies earlier this month at Coors Field, outscoring them 29-12 in the 3-game set and have won 6 of the last 7 meetings.
TONIGHT’S PICK: SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS

Despite winning 9 of their last 11, the Los Angeles Dodgers are 2 games back of the San Francisco Giants for the lead in the NL West so they need to keep winning and they will. The Dodgers fell to the Rockies, 10-5, yesterday but should bounce back today with Max Scherzer toeing the rubber. Scherzer has been lights out all year. He is 15-4 with a 2.08 ERA, a 0.81 WHIP, and since joining LA from Washington, he is a perfect 7-0 with a nasty ERA of 0.78. The Rockies always play well at home, that’s a fact, and are also playing great ball, going 8-3 in their last 11, but will be a heavy underdog today. They are 1-7 In their last 8 home games as a dog of +201 or higher. Lefty Kyle Freeland is the expected starter for the Rockies. Freeland has shown no consistency all year and will have his work cut out for him today. He is 6-8 with a 4.50 ERA, a 1.41 WHIP, and has not fared well in his career against the Dodgers. He is 3-7 with a 4.06 ERA and the Dodgers are 5-1 in their last 6 road games against a left-handed starter.
TODAY’S PICK: LOS ANGELES DODGERS