Inside the Chalk

Two of the top gunslingers in the American League will square off tonight at Minute Maid Park when Chris Sale taps the rubber for the Boston Red Sox and Gerrit Cole for the Houston Astros. Both of these guys have been dominating. Cole is 5-1, with a 2.05 ERA, and a 0.83 WHIP, and Sale is 5-2, with a 2.76 ERA, and a 0.96 WHIP. Sale, however, was not Sale-like in his last turn on Sunday. He allowed 6 runs on 5 hits in 4-1/3 innings against Atlanta. Boston has struggled against the reigning Champs, going 1-5 in their last 6 meetings overall and 1-4 in their last 5 at Minute Maid Park. Houston is 5-1 in Cole’s last 6 starts and 4-1 in his last 5 turns at home. Edge Astros.
TONIGHT’S PICK: HOUSTON ASTROS

The Cleveland Indians are on a roll, winning three in a row and during that span they have scored 27 runs. Tonight they will host the worst team in baseball, the Chicago White Sox. Mike Clevinger will get the nod for the Tribe. Clevinger has been getting it done at 3-2, with a 3.32 ERA, and a 1.22 WHIP. He has also been an American League Central killer. Cleveland is 8-0 in his last 8 starts against them. The White Sox will reach into the barrel and send Lucas Giolito to the hill. He is 3-5, with a 7.53 ERA, a 1.71 WHIP, and in his last 3 turns, his ERA has soared to 8.31 – not good. Consider Cleveland tonight.
TONIGHT’S PICK: CLEVELAND INDIANS

The Arizona Diamondbacks snapped their 7-game skid on Friday but have resorted back to what they do best, lose. Today they should be able to right the ship because Homer Bailey and the Cincinnati Reds come to town. Bailey has been terrible, with a record of 1-6, a 6.21 ERA, a 1.69 WHIP, and over the last 4 years he is 9-19, with an ERA of 6.33. How does this guy still have a job? Arizona counters with Matt Koch, who has held his own. He is 2-3, with a 3.77 ERA, and a 1.14 WHIP. The Reds are 19-35 on the season and 10-16 on the road. If the Diamondbacks don’t win this game, it’s time to send Torey Lovullo packing.
TODAY’S PICK: ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

If the New York Yankees keep the best player since Micky Mantle in check, Mike Trout, they should walk down River Avenue with a win. Masahiro Tanaka will take the hill for New York. Tanaka is 5-2, with a 4.96 ERA, a 1.10 WHIP, and the Yankees are 4-0 in his last 4 starts against the American League West. Los Angeles will call on Garrett Richards to throw strikes. Richards has decent numbers, at 4-3, with a 3.31 ERA, and a 1.26 WHIP but the Angels are 0-5 in his last 5 turns against the Yanks.
TODAY’S PICK: NEW YORK YANKEES

The Texas Rangers are starting to show signs of life and they will seek their second straight win against the Kansas City Royals in a matinée today at Globe Life Park. Texas will turn to Bartolo Colón to get things done. Colón might be 45 years old and 285 pounds but he still knows how to pitch. He is 2-2, with a 3.51 ERA, and a WHIP of just 0.92. Colón was roughed up in his last turn but he was facing the Bronx Bombers and they do that to everybody. Kansas City will counter with Ian Kennedy, who has been awful. Kennedy is 1-5 on the season, with a 5.30 ERA, a 1.54 WHIP, and in his last 3 turns he was 0-2, with a bloated ERA of 10.91 and a WHIP of 1.91. The Royals are a dismal 5-16 in their last 21 encounters with the Rangers.
TODAY’S PICK: TEXAS RANGERS

What has happened to the Arizona Diamondbacks? This team has now lost seven in a row and 9 out of their last 10. Arizona has too much talent for numbers like that. Tonight they will try to turn it around when they head to the Coliseum for a 3-game set with the Oakland Athletics. Two lefties will face off tonight when Patrick Corbin taps the rubber for Arizona and Sean Manaea for Oakland. Corbin has pitched well at 4-1, with a 2.60 ERA, and a 2.71 WHIP. Manaea has come back down to earth since throwing a no-hitter on April 21st against Boston. In his last 3 turns, he is 1-1, with a 5.94 ERA, and a 1.44 WHIP. The A’s are 1-5 in their last 6 home games and 1-5 in Manaea’s last 6 Interleague starts. Arizona’s 5 time All-Star, Paul Goldschmidt, is batting just .200. It’s just a matter of time before Goldy gets hot. Tonight could be that night.
TONIGHT’S PICK: ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS