Inside the Chalk

The Giants send the lefty Madison Bumgarner to the hill today to try to win the rubber game against Dan Straily and the Cincinnati Reds in this 3-game set. Bumgarner is 10-5 on the season, with a 2.14 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP. After losing his last 2 outings, he should be due for a big game. The Giants are 19-7 in their last 26 home games and 12-1 in Bumgarner’s last 13 starts against the National League Central. Dan Straily is 5-6 on the season, with a 4.01 ERA, a 1.19 WHIP, and the Reds are 3-8 in their last 11 meetings with the Giants. Joey Votto has had success against Bumgarner, going 5-14 with 1 homer but Jay Bruce has struggled against him, going 2-15. Kerwin Danley is calling it today and the Giants are 4-0 in their last 4 with him behind the dish. If Bumgarner keeps it away from Votto, the Giants should win this game.

Today’s pick:

San Francisco Giants

The Washington Nationals open a 9-game road trip tonight when they travel to Progressive Field to take on the Cleveland Indians. The Nationals have lost 5 of their last 7 games but will try to get back on track tonight when they send the lefty Gio Gonzalez to the hill. Gonzalez is 6-8 on the season, with a 4.53 ERA, a 1.37 WHIP, and Washington is 1-4 in his last 5 road starts. The Indians give Danny Salazar the nod tonight and he is 11-3 on the season, with a 2.75 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP. Cleveland is 8-1 in Salazar’s last 9 starts, 7-0 in their last 7 Interleague games, and 6-1 in their last 7 home games against southpaws. The Indians were losers in their last 3 contests but that should end tonight.

Tonight’s pick:

Cleveland Indians

After an embarrassing loss at home yesterday to the Seattle Mariners, the Toronto Blue Jays will try to redeem themselves when they send the southpaw, J.A. Happ, to the mound today at Rogers Centre. Happ has been on fire. Over his last 3 starts, he is 2-0 with a 1.96 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP. The Jays are 10-1 in Happ’s last 11 home starts and 4-0 in his last 4 against the American League West. Another lefty will take the hill for the Mariners, Wade Miley. Miley is 0-3 in his last 3 turns, with a 4.82 ERA, a WHIP of 1.64 and Seattle is 0-5 in his last 5 starts. The Mariners have struggled on the road against lefties, going 0-4 in their last 4 against them. Tim Timmons is behind the dish and the Mariners are 2-12 in their last 14 when he calls it. The Jays avoid the sweep today.

Today’s pick:

Toronto Blue Jays

Chris Sale has been scratched and replaced by Matt Albers, but I’m sticking with the White Sox.

Two lefties square off tonight on the south side when the Chicago White Sox send their ace, Chris Sale to the mound to face Matt Boyd and the Detroit Tigers. Sale has a league-leading 14 wins on the season, with a 3.18 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP. Matt Boyd enters tonight’s contest with a 1-2 record, an ERA of 4.91 and a WHIP of 1.31. Detroit is 1-8 in Boyd’s last 9 road starts and 2-5 in his last 7 starts on 4 days’ rest. Chris Sale has been dominant at home, going 8-2 in his 10 starts and he is 4-0 in his last 4 home starts against the Tigers. Doug Eddings is calling it today and Detroit is 1-4 in their last 5 with him behind the dish. The White Sox should end their 3 game skid tonight.

Today’s pick:

Chicago White Sox

Detroit’s sensational rookie, Michael Fulmer, takes the hill tonight on the south side when they play the second game of a 4 game set against the Chicago White Sox. Fulmer is 9-2 on the season, with an ERA of 2.13. Over his last 10 starts, he has an incredible ERA of 0.69 and that is not a typo. Detroit is 11-1 in Fulmer’s last 12 starts and 6-2 in their last 8 meetings with Chicago. Jacob Turner, the ex-Tiger and Detroit’s overall 9th round selection in the 2009 Draft, gets the nod for the White Sox tonight and he has not lived up to his billing. He is 0-1, with an inflated ERA of 18.02 and was drilled by the Angels on Sunday, yielding 8 runs on 7 hits in 4 innings of work. Chicago is 1-7 in their last 8 outings and probably have thrown the towel in for the 2016 campaign.

Tonight’s pick:

Detroit Tigers