Inside the Chalk

The Baltimore Orioles gave up 10 runs yesterday in the first inning and were routed at home by the Kansas City Royals, 15-7. After yesterday’s shellacking, Baltimore has now lost 7 straight and will turn to the ex-Padre Andrew Cashner to get them back in the Win column. Cashner has been anything but stellar, at 1-4, with a 4.89 ERA, and a 1.53 WHIP. The Royals will send Eric Skoglund to the hill and he has not be delivering either. Skoglund is 1-2, with a bloated ERA of 6.84, a 1.41 WHIP, and the Royals are just 1-7 in their last 8 trips to Camden Yards. So if Baltimore is going to win another game and save Buck Showalter’s job, it should be tonight.
TONIGHT’S PICK: BALTIMORE ORIOLES

The Philadelphia Phillies own one of the best home records in the Majors, at 12-5, and showed why last night in a 11-0 trouncing of the San Francisco Giants at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies will seek their second straight win when they host the Giants again in the second game of a 4-game set. Philadelphia’s Aaron Nola is emerging as one of the top hurlers in baseball and the 24 year old will get the nod tonight for the Phillies. Nola is 4-1, with a 2.17 ERA and a WHIP of only 0.92. The G-men will send the 31 year old southpaw, Derek Holland, to the hill. Holland’s better days are behind him. He comes into tonight’s contest at 1-3, with a 5.70 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP. Philadelphia has been crushing lefties at home, with a record of 12-2 in their last 14 games. The Phillies should get to Holland tonight.
TONIGHT’S PICK: PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

The Boston Red Sox will go for their third straight win when they close out a 4-game set today in Arlington against the Texas Rangers. Boston will send the best lefty in the business to the hill, Chris Sale. The flame thrower has been his usual dominant self, with a 2-1 record, an ERA of 2.14 and a WHIP of just 0.98. Texas counters with Doug Fister. Fister has pitched well despite a 1-2 record. He has a very respectable 2.88 ERA and a 1.48 WHIP. The Red Sox have been a force on the road, with a record of 13-5 and they are 7-1 in Sale’s last 8 road starts against teams with a losing record. The Rangers have one of the worst home records in the Majors at 5-14, and they are 2-7 in their last 9 games against southies. That doesn’t bode well for Texas with Sale on the hill.
TODAY’S PICK: BOSTON RED SOX

The Cleveland Indians played a double-header yesterday against the Toronto Blue Jays, with one of the games going into extra innings, so fatigue could be a factor tonight when they head to the Bronx to face the red hot New York Yankees. The Yanks have won three in a row and 12 of their last 13. Tonight they will send the future Hall of Fame southpaw, Carsten Charles Sabathia, to the hill. CC has never pitched better. He has a record of 2-0, with a nasty ERA of 1.71, and a WHIP of only 0.95. The Indians will turn to Josh Tomlin to throw strikes. Tomlin has been a disaster. He has yet to win a game at 0-4 and has an inflated 9.16 ERA with a 1.93 WHIP. The Bombers should feast on Tomlin tonight. The Yankees are hot – ride them ’til their not.
TONIGHT’S PICK: NEW YORK YANKEES

The best team in baseball, the Boston Red Sox, will open a 4-game set tonight at Globe Life Park against the Texas Rangers. Boston sits at 22-8 and are an impressive 11-4 on the road. Texas has been slow out of the gate, at 12-20, and are a dismal 4-12 in Arlington. Two southpaws will oppose each other tonight, with David Price tapping the rubber for the Red Sox and Mike Minor for the Rangers. Price started the season on his mark and has stumbled a bit in his last two turns but is still 2-3, with a 3.78 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP. Minor has been steady and sits at 2-1, with a 4.33 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP. The Rangers have had issues against lefties. They are 1-6 in their last 7 against them overall and 1-6 in their last 7 at home. Boston has had the upper hand against Texas, winning 6 of the last 7 contests. Edge Boston.
TONIGHT’S PICK: BOSTON RED SOX