Inside the Chalk

The Tampa Bay Rays will be a big dog tonight when they try to even the score with the Houston Astros. Gerrit Cole will be on the bump for Houston and we know what he can do. Deliver. Cole is 20-5, with a 2.50 ERA, a WHIP of just 0.89, and that is scary. However, Tampa is going to counter with Blake Snell. Let’s not forget, Snell was the AL Cy Young winner last year and the Rays are 4-1 in his last 5 starts against the Astros. Tampa is worth a shot.
TONIGHT’S PICK: TAMPA BAY RAYS

The New York Yankees and the Minnesota Twins will square off tonight at the Stadium for Game 1 of the ALDS. To say the Yankees have dominated the Twins in post-season play would be an understatement. New York is 13-2 in their last 15 post-season meetings with Minnesota and will have the southpaw, James Paxton, on the bump. The Big Maple has been throwing flames. He has won 10 straight games with a 2.95 ERA and is 15-6 on the season with an ERA of 3.82. José Berríos will get the nod for the Twins and he has also been delivering. Berríos is 15-6 with an ERA of 3.68 but has struggled at Yankee Stadium. In his career, he in 0-2 in the Bronx with an inflated 9.82 ERA. Paxton is 7-3 at home this year and is 3-1 in his career against the Twins with an ERA of only 2.27. The Bombers get it done.
TONIGHT’S PICK: NEW YORK YANKEES

Year in and year out, the St. Louis Cardinals always put a good product on the field, and tonight they will be at SunTrust Park to face the Atlanta Braves in Game 1 of the NLDS. Miles Mikolas will get the nod for the Cards and southpaw Dallas Keuchel for the Braves. Mikolas’ numbers were not great in the regular season, with a record of 9-14 and a 4.16 ERA, but he has pitched well in his last 3 turns, going 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA, and let’s not forget, last year he was tied for the most wins in the National League, with 18. Keuchel has been mediocre, with a record of 8-8, a 3.75 ERA, and he has been getting lit up over his last 3 turns, going 0-3 with a bloated ERA of 6.19. St. Louis is 9-3 in their last 12 trips to Atlanta and 5-0 in their last 5 road games against a left-handed starter. Consider the Cardinals in an upset.
TODAY’S PICK: ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

Two teams that are spitting images of each other will meet tonight in the AL Wild Card game when the Oakland Athletics host the Tampa Bay Rays. Tonight’s probables will be Charlie Morton for Tampa and Sean Manaea for Oakland. Manaea was sidelined for almost a year with a shoulder issue but since his return he has gone 4-0, with a 1.21 ERA and a WHIP of 0.78, which would explain why he gets the nod over Mike Fiers. Tampa’s ace, Morton, is having a banner year. He is 16-6, with a 3.05 ERA, a 1.08 WHIP, and is 1-0 this year against Oakland with an ERA of just 0.69. Manaea will be making his first post-season start so nerves could be an issue, and when he last faced Tampa in 2018, he did not fare well, surrendering 4 runs on 5 hits, resulting in a 6-0 Tampa rout. Morton has been in this situation before and if his nasty curve ball is working, the Rays prevail.
TONIGHT’S PICK: TAMPA BAY RAYS

The Washington Nationals got hot just at the right time, winning 8 straight, and will have a pumped up crowd behind them tonight when they host the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Wild Card game. Max Scherzer, who has been battling back issues, says he is 100% and ready to deliver. Despite an injury plagued year, the 3 time Cy Young winner was still dominant, with a record of 11-7, a 2.92 ERA, and a 1.03 WHIP. Brandon Woodruff will get the nod for the Brewers. Woodruff has been on the money, with a record of 11-3, a 3.62 ERA, and a 1.14 WHIP, but he missed two months with an oblique injury and will be on a short leash. Ryan Braun and Lorenzo Cain are both nicked up and the Brewers will be without superstar Christian Yelich. The Nationals are 12-3 in Scherzer’s last 15 starts and when he is healthy, there is no one better.
TONIGHT’S PICK: WASHINGTON NATIONALS