Inside the Chalk

The Boston Red Sox and the New York Mets will open a 3-game set tonight at Fenway. The struggling Red Sox have lost 5 of their last 6 and will be without their skipper tonight, Alex Cora, who is taking the night off for a personal matter. Boston is expected to send Hunter Dobbins to the hill. His numbers are decent at 2-1 with a 3.90 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP but Dobbins did not look good in his last turn against the Detroit Tigers when he yielded 5 runs and Detroit went on to a 6-5 win. New York has won the last three meetings with Boston and is expected to give the nod to Kodai Senga, who has been dealing. Senga is 4-2 with a nasty ERA of 1.02, a WHIP of only 1.17, and in his last turn against the Pittsburgh Pirates he was sharp as usual, yielding just 1 run and the Mets went on to a 2-1 win. The Mets lost 2 of 3 over the weekend to the Yankees but should get back on track tonight.
TONIGHT’S PICK: NEW YORK METS

Tonight the Texas Rangers will have their ace, Nathan Eovaldi, on the hill when they host the Houston Astros at Globe Life Field. Eovaldi has been lights out with a record of 4-2, a 1.75 ERA and a WHIP of only 0.75. Houston’s expected starter, Lance McCullers, has been just the opposite. He is 0-1 with a bloated ERA of 15.75, a WHIP of 3.00, and that is not a typo. Texas has won 6 straight, is 16-8 at home and should come out on top tonight. The Rangers are hot; ride them ’til they are not.
TONIGHT’S PICK: TEXAS RANGERS

Vladimar Guerrero Jr. is starting to earn his money. The Toronto Blue Jays are starting to click and will go for a series win over the Tampa Bay Rays in a matinée today at Rogers Centre. The Blue Jays have won 5 of their last 6 and are just 3.5 back of the New York Yankees for the top spot in the AL East. Today’s expected starters are Zack Littell for the Rays and Kevin Gausman for the Jays; edge Jays. Littell is 2-5 with a 4.40 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP. Gausman is 3-3 with a 3.97 ERA and a WHIP of only 0.95. Toronto is 12-9 at home and should come out on top.
TODAY’S PICK: TORONTO BLUE JAYS

The San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Angels will play the rubber game of their 3-game set tonight at Petco Park. The Padres should have no problem getting to Angels expected starter, Kyle Hendrix. He is not what he was when he played for the Chicago Cubs. Hendrix comes in at 1-4 with an elevated ERA of 5.30 and a 1.26 WHIP. The Padres are averaging just shy of 5 runs per game and are 15-5 at home. The Friars get it done tonight.
TONIGHT’S PICK: SAN DIEGO PADRES

The New York Mets took game 1 of a 3-game set with the Pittsburgh Pirates in Queens last night and tonight they will do the same. New York is 16-4 at Citi Field and will have Kodai Senga on the bump. Senga is 4-2 with an ERA of only 1.16 and a WHIP to match at 1.16. The Mets won’t come cheap but will not lose this game.
TONIGHT’S PICK: NEW YORK METS

The St. Louis Cardinals have won 8 games in a row but now they have to face the Philadelphia Phillies in Philly, and that’s a problem. The Phillies are 13-6 at home and will have Cristopher Sánchez on the hill. Sánchez is 4-1 with a 2.89 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP. He will shut down the Cardinals bats.
TONIGHT’S PICK: PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES