Inside the Chalk

The best southpaw in the business, Chris Sale, will be back on the rubber after a two year layoff due to TJ surgery when the Boston Red Sox host the Baltimore Orioles. Baltimore has lost 9 in a row and they are 8-22 in their last 30 against a left-handed starter on the road. That doesn’t bode well for the Birds. Sale is 8-2 in his career with a 2.57 ERA against Baltimore.
TODAY’S PICK: BOSTON RED SOX

The Milwaukee Brewers are hot. They lead the NL Central by 8 games and should pad that lead this weekend when they visit the 41-74 Pittsburgh Pirates. Mitch Keller is expected to toe the rubber for the Bucs and he is just simply not good. Keller is 3-9 with a 7.06 ERA, a 1.81 WHIP, and the Brewers are 6-1 in their last 7 at PNC Park.
TONIGHT’S PICK: MILWAUKEE BREWERS

The San Diego Padres cannot afford to lose to a team like the Miami Marlins if they want to contend in the tough NL West and they know it. Tonight the Pads will have Joe Musgrove tapping the rubber at Petco Park and he has been delivering. Over his last 3 starts, Musgrove is 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA and a 0.84 WHIP. Enough said.
TONIGHT’S PICK: SAN DIEGO PADRES

The Houston Astros better be sleeping with one eye open because the Oakland Athletics sit just 3 games back for the top spot in the AL West. The A’s mowed down the pathetic Texas Rangers yesterday, 12-3, and today will be no different. Oakland has won 4 straight against the Rangers and are 36-15 in their last 51 meetings overall.
TODAY’S PICK: OAKLAND ATHLETICS

The Los Angeles Dodgers are the pick today. They have too much firepower to fall to the Los Angeles Angels again tonight. Julio Urías is expected to toe the rubber for the Dodgers and when he starts, good things happen. Urías is 13-3 with a 3.40 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP.
TONIGHT’S PICK: LOS ANGELES DODGERS

After Wednesday’s tough loss to the Oakland Athletics, the San Diego Padres now find themselves 7-1/2 games back of the NL West leading San Francisco Giants. The good news for the Friars is the Arizona Diamondbacks come to town tonight, followed by another bottom dweller, the Miami Marlins. If they are going to go on a run, now is the time. San Diego had yesterday off so they are well rested and after a day off, the Padres are 5-1 in their last 6. The expected starters for tonight’s game are two southies, Caleb Smith for the Snakes and Ryan Weathers for the Padres. Smith is just 3-8 on the season with a 5.04 ERA, a 1.35 WHIP, and Arizona is 0-5 in his last 5 road starts. Weathers comes in with decent numbers at 4-3, with a 3.65 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP, but was lit up in his last outing against the Colorado Rockies so any sign of trouble and it will become a bullpen session. Arizona is a pathetic 13-41 on the road and 2-6 in their last 8 at Petco Park. The Padres should be able to light up Smith. San Diego is 11-3 in their last 14 home games against a left-handed starter.
TONIGHT’S PICK: SAN DIEGO PADRES