Inside the Chalk

The Oakland Athletics are very much alive in the AL Wild Card hunt and will have an opportunity to further their cause when they visit Kauffman Stadium for a 3-game series with the Kansas City Royals. Oakland is 20-8 in their last 30 meetings with the Royals and 4-1 in their last 5 in KC. Frankie Montas is expected to tap the rubber for the A’s and he has been delivering flames. Over his last 3, Montas is a perfect 3-0 with a nasty ERA of 1.74 and a WHIP of just 0.92. On the other side, Jackson Kowar is expected to get the nod for the Royals. His last 3 turns have been ugly. Kowar is 0-2 with a bloated ERA of 8.10 and a 1.80 WHIP. Consider the Athletics.
TONIGHT’S PICK: OAKLAND ATHLETICS

The New York Yankees will host the Minnesota Twins today in a makeup game before heading to Baltimore for a 3-game set with the Orioles. New York is spiraling out of control, going 3-12 in their last 15, and are now one game back for the second Wild Card spot in the AL. If there is a bright spot for the Yankees in this mess they find themselves in, it is that they have owned the Minnesota Twins. New York is 5-1 this year against Minnesota and 43-11 in their last 54 meetings in the Bronx. Expected starters for today’s matinée are Luis Gil for New York and John Gant for Minnesota. Gil will be making his fifth start of the season and overall he has pitched well for the Yankees, with a record of 1-0, a 1.42 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP. Gant (5-9, 3.78 ERA, 1.49 WHIP) lasted just 3-1/3 innings in his last turn against New York, yielding 4 runs and 3 hits in a Yankees 7-5 victory. If the Yanks lose today, Aaron Boone needs to take it on the arches.
TODAY’S PICK: NEW YORK YANKEES

The Toronto Blue Jays are the hottest team on the planet, winning 13 of their last 15, and are now tied with the New York Yankees for the second AL Wild Card spot. Toronto’s offense has been off the rails and I expect that will continue today when they wrap up their 4-game set with the Baltimore Orioles at the Yard. Lefty Zac Lowther is expected to get the start for the O’s. The rookie, who is 0-1 with a 6.91 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP, could see an early exit. The Jays are averaging over 5 runs per game and are 4-0 in their last 4 against a left-handed starter. Steven Matz, who has been delivering all year, is expected to get the nod for Toronto. Matz is 1-0 over his last 3 turns, with a 2.12 ERA, a 1.18 WHIP, and has allowed just 2 earned runs or fewer in his last 7 starts. The Jays won both games of their doubleheader yesterday, in which they scored 22 runs, and are now 11-3 in their last 14 trips to Camden Yards.
TODAY’S PICK: TORONTO BLUE JAYS

With last night’s 5-4 victory over the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks, the Seattle Mariners are now just one game back of the stumbling, bumbling New York Yankees for the second Wild Card spot in the AL. Seattle will send Chris Flexen to the hill tonight in the sandwich game of their 3-game set. Flexen has been delivering all year, with a record of 11-5, an ERA of 3.56, and the Mariners are 8-0 in his last 8 starts against a team with a losing record. Arizona is expected to counter with Humberto Castellanos. He is 1-1 with a 3.65 ERA and did not look good in his last start against Seattle where he yielded 5 runs in just 3-2/3 innings of work. The Snakes have lost 6 straight, 11 of their last 12, and are 0-4 this year against the Mariners.
TONIGHT’S PICK: SEATTLE MARINERS

The Atlanta Braves return home tonight to face the Washington Nationals who are 2-8 in their last 10 and 6-20 in their last 26 road games. Atlanta holds a slim 1-1/2 game lead over the Phillies for the top spot in the NL East but that should change. Following Washington, the Braves will host the 57-80 Miami Marlins and the 63-74 Colorado Rockies. The expected starters for tonight’s game are Atlanta’s Max Fried and Washington’s Paola Espino. Fried is 11-7 with a 3.51 ERA and was dominant in his last turn against the Nationals, in the Braves 12-2 win. Espino is 4-4 with a 4.08 ERA and is 0-1 against Atlanta with a 5.00 ERA. The Braves are 12-4 this year against the Nats, 5-0 in their last 5 following a day off, and 14-3 in their last 17 against a team with a losing record.
TONIGHT’S PICK: ATLANTA BRAVES

The Chicago Cubs will have their 6-game winning streak on the line today when they open a 3-game set with the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley, but keep in mind their 6 wins were against the bottom dwelling Pittsburgh Pirates and the Minnesota Twins. After falling to the Detroit Tigers yesterday, 4-1, the Cincinnati Reds now reside a half game back of the San Diego Padres for the second NL Wild Card spot and will turn to Sonny Gray today to get them back on track. Gray has been throwing flames. Over his last 3 starts, he is 3-0 with a 1.00 ERA, a stingy WHIP of 0.56, and it doesn’t get much better than that. Rookie Justin Steele is expected to get the start for the Cubs. Steele is 1-1 over his last 3, with a 4.26 ERA, a 1.50 WHIP, and is 0-1 against the Reds with a 6.43 ERA. The Reds are averaging over 5 runs per game and have played well on the road, at 35-32. They are also 8-3 in their last 11 against the Cubs and 4-1 in their last 5 on the north side.
TODAY’S PICK: CINCINNATI REDS