Inside the Chalk

It is apparent the Los Angeles Angels just want this season to end, after getting outscored by the Oakland Athletics 31-3 in their last two outings. Tonight the Angels will travel to Minute Maid Park to face the Houston Astros for a 3-game set. Houston’s Gerrit Cole, who is 14-5 with an ERA of 2.88, will square off against the Angel’s lefty Andrew Heaney, who is 9-9 with an ERA of 3.97. Houston has won 7 of the last 10 meetings and are 6-0 in Cole’s last 6 home starts against teams with a losing record. The Astros can feel the heat from the Oakland Athletics and know they have to take care of business in this series.
TONIGHT’S PICK: HOUSTON ASTROS

The Philadelphia Phillies’ chances of catching the NL East leading Atlanta Braves are slim, to say the least, and tonight the two teams will open a 4-game set at SunTrust Park. The Braves will have Kevin Gausman tapping the rubber and, since being acquired from Baltimore in July, he has been paying dividends, with a record of 5-2, a 2.61 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP. The Phillies will give the nod to Vince Velasquez and he has been a disappointment, with a record of 9-11, a 4.50 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP. Velasquez is 0-4 this year against Atlanta with an inflated ERA of 7.41. I like the Braves in this situation.
TONIGHT’S PICK: ATLANTA BRAVES

The Los Angeles Dodgers have a 1-1/2 game lead in the NL West over Colorado and will go for a sweep tonight against the Rockies at Chavez Ravine. The Rockies will send the unpredictable Tyler Anderson to the hill and he is 6-9, with a 4.82 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP. The Dodgers will counter with their young right-hander, Walker Buehler, and he has been getting it done, with a record of 7-5, a 2.88 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP. The Dodgers have been hot, winning seven of their last ten. Ride ‘em til they’re not,
TONIGHT’S PICK: LOS ANGELES DODGERS

The Philadelphia Phillies’ playoff chances are still alive, but barely, so they will have to notch a win tonight when they host the New York Mets. The chances of that happening look good because Aaron Nola will be on the hill for Philadelphia. Nola is 16-5, with a 2.42 ERA and a WHIP of only 0.97. He will be opposed by the Metropolitan’s Steven Matz, who is 5-11, with a 4.18 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP. Nola has been lights out at home this year with a record of 9-2 and an ERA of 2.46, and he has four wins against the Mets this year. Consider the Phillies in this one.
TONIGHT’S PICK: PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

The Milwaukee Brewers lost two out of three over the weekend to the Pittsburgh Pirates but are still just 2-1/2 games back of the NL Central leading Chicago Cubs. The Brewers will call on Wade Miley to right the ship. Miley is 4-2, with a 2.23 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP. The Reds will give the nod to Anthony DeSclafani, who is 7-5, with a 4.80 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP. Milwaukee is 11-5 in their last 16 games with Cincinnati and over that span they’ve racked up 80 runs. The Brewers need to win this game.
TONIGHT’S PICK: MILWAUKEE BREWERS

Two of the best pitchers in the game will oppose each other today at Fenway Park when the Boston Red Sox host the New York Mets. The southpaw Chris Sale will tap the rubber for the Red Sox and, as usual, he has been delivering, with a record of 12-4, a 1.96 ERA, and a 0.85 WHIP. Jacob deGrom will get the nod for the Mets and he has been getting it done as well, with a record of 8-9, a 1.71 ERA, and a 0.95 WHIP, but the problem is the Mets don’t score runs and the Red Sox do.
TODAY’S PICK: BOSTON RED SOX

With last night’s win over the Cincinnati Reds, the Chicago Cubs have now won seven in a row against them. Today the two teams will resume their 3-game set at Wrigley. Chicago will send the leftie Jon Lester to the hill and he’s been mowing them down. Lester is 15-6, with a 3.57 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP. He has owned the Reds. The Cubs are 13-2 in Lester’s last 15 starts against them overall and 7-1 in his last 8 at Wrigley. Cincinnati will send Cody Reed to the rubber and his numbers are not good. Reed is 0-2, with a 5.08 ERA, a 1.52 WHIP, and the Reds are 0-8 in his last 8 road starts.
TODAY’S PICK: CHICAGO CUBS