Inside the Chalk

The Seattle Mariners’ James Paxton threw a no-hitter on Tuesday against the host Toronto Blue Jays, beating them 5-0, but the Jays evened the score yesterday with a 5-2 victory at Rogers Centre. Tonight they will go for two in a row and a series win when they send their top hurler, southpaw J.A. Happ, to the hill. Happ sits at 4-2 on the season, with a 3.67 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP. Toronto is 5-1 in Happ’s last 6 starts and 4-0 in his last 4 outings at home. The veteran, Mike Leake, will tap the rubber for Seattle and he has been struggling. The ex-Red is 3-3 with a 6.28 ERA, a 1.60 WHIP, and in his last 3 turns, he is 1-2 with an inflated ERA of 9.20 and a 2.05 WHIP. Considering Leake’s poor numbers, and that the Mariners are 1-6 in their last 7 trips north of the border, the Jays warrant consideration in this one.
TONIGHT’S PICK: TORONTO BLUE JAYS

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