Inside the Chalk

The Miami Marlins will seek their first series sweep of the season when they host the Philadelphia Phillies in the finale of a 3-game set. Miami is riding a 4-game winning streak and José Ureña will tap the rubber tonight for the Marlins to try to keep it going. Ureña has yet to win a game in the 2018 campaign at 0-4, has a 4.91 ERA, and a 1.30 WHIP. The Phillies sit at 16-13 on the season and are in a tailspin, losing four in a row. Tonight they will turn to Aaron Nola to get them back on track. Nola has been on his mark at 3-1, with a 2.58 ERA and a WHIP of just 0.97. Miami might be hot but I see that ending tonight. The Marlins are still just 11-18 on the season and they are 0-8 in Ureña’s last 8 starts.
TONIGHT’S PICK: PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

A visit from the Baltimore Orioles to Angel Stadium tonight might be what the LA Angels need to get out of their funk. Baltimore will call on Alex Cobb to throw strikes and he has been horrendous. Cobb is winless at 0-3, with a bloated ERA of 13.11, and a 2.83 WHIP. The Angels will give the nod to Nick Tropeano. Tropeano missed last season due to Tommy John surgery and is off to a slow start. He is 1-2, with a 4.67 ERA, and a 1.38 WHIP, but it’s just a matter of time until he starts delivering. The Orioles have notched just 3 wins on the road and are 1-4 in their last 5 meetings with the Halos. Trout and company should get to Cobb tonight.
TONIGHT’S PICK: LOS ANGELES ANGELS

The Cleveland Indians, who have lost two in a row, will turn to Trevor Bauer tonight to right the ship when they open a 3-game set at Progressive Field against the Texas Rangers. Bauer comes into tonight’s contest with a record of 2-2, a very respectable 2.41 ERA, and a 1.10 WHIP. The Rangers will send their veteran southpaw, Cole Hamels, to the hill. Time might be catching up with the once dominant lefty. Hamels is 1-4, with 4.41 ERA, a 1.38 WHIP, and he is 1-2 in his career against Cleveland with an inflated ERA of 6.11. Texas is 1-6 in their last 7 meetings with Cleveland and 1-4 in their last 5 visits to Progressive. The Indians feast on lefties, going 21-6 in their last 27. Hamels could be in trouble tonight.
TONIGHT’S PICK: CLEVELAND INDIANS

The Boston Red Sox will send Rick Porcello to the hill today to try to slow down the raging Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays have now won 8 in a row but the weak link in their armor, Matt Andriese, will be tapping the rubber today. Andriese is winless on the season at 0-0, with a 5.40 ERA, and a 1.28 WHIP. Porcello has been lights out this season with a perfect record 4-0, a 1.93 ERA, and a 0.83 WHIP. Roll that with the fact that the Rays are 0-7 in Andriese’s last 7 starts. Boston is the play today.
TODAY’S PICK: BOSTON RED SOX

The Boston Red Sox will try to put some ice on the red hot Tampa Bay Rays today when they play the second game of a 3-game set at Fenway. Tampa turns to Yonny Chirinos to throw strikes. He might be winless on the season at 0-1 but has a very respectable 2.92 ERA, with a 1.05 WHIP. Boston will counter with the cagey veteran southpaw, David Price. Last year is a distant memory for Price. He is back to what he does best and that is deliver. Price is 2-2, with a 2.93 ERA, and a 1.16 WHIP. Tampa has had issues on the road against lefties, going 1-7 in their last 8 against them. The Rays took the first one yesterday, winning 4-3, but that still makes them just 1-6 in their last 7 meetings with Boston, and 2-5 in their last 7 trips to Fenway.
TODAY’S PICK: BOSTON RED SOX

The Oakland Athletics have won 8 of their last 10 games and will travel to Minute Maid Park tonight to face the World Champion Houston Astros. Oakland will hand the ball to lefty Sean Manaea, who in his last turn threw a no hitter. His numbers are impressive with a record of 3-2, a 1.23 ERA, and a 0.60 WHIP. Houston will counter with their southpaw, Dallas Keuchel. Keuchel has pitched well despite a 1-3 record. He has a 3.10 ERA with a 1.38 WHIP and has been dominant against the Athletics. Houston is 10-3 in Keuchel’s last 13 starts against Oakland and 7-0 in his last 7 starts against them at Minute Maid Park. Will Manaea have a no hitter hangover tonight? Most hurlers do.
TONIGHT’S PICK: HOUSTON ASTROS

Two of the worst teams in the American League will face each other tonight when the Kansas City Royals host the Chicago White Sox. The White Sox have mustered just 5 wins, as have the Royals, so it is hard to find a bright spot, but tonight it will go to Kansas City due to their starting pitching. Jakob Junis will get the nod for the Royals and he has been delivering. Junis has a record of 3-1, an ERA of 2.02, and a nasty WHIP of just 0.75. The Royals are 4-1 in his last 5 starts overall and 4-1 in his last 5 starts at Kauffman Stadium. Good things cannot be said about Lucas Giolito, who will take the hill tonight for Chicago. Giolito has been a disaster, with a record of 0-3, an ERA of 9.00, a WHIP of 1.85, and in his last outing he walked 7 batters, allowing 9 runs on 5 hits in 2+ innings of work – not good. If Kansas City is going to win another game, it should be this one.
TONIGHT’S PICK: KANSAS CITY ROYALS