Inside the Chalk

The Atlanta Braves are on the verge of sweeping the Los Angeles Dodgers tonight at Truist Park and they should do it. Chris Sale is expected on the hill for the Braves. Enough said.
TONIGHT’S PICK: ATLANTA BRAVES

The New York Yankees will be at home on River Ave. tonight to take on the Houston Astros. The Yankees are 33-29 in the Bronx and will take care of business.
TONIGHT’S PICK: NEW YORK YANKEES

The best team in the majors, the Milwaukee Brewers, will open a 3-game set with the New York Mets tonight in Queens. The expected starters are Kyle Harrison for Milwaukee and Zac Thornton for New York. Harrison has Cy Young numbers at 10-3 with a 2.84 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP. Thornton comes in at 3-4 with a 3.04 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP. When the Brewers come to town, the host team is never happy. Milwaukee is 36-26 on the road and they have the edge in this game in runs scored, runs allowed, and hits. The Brewers should prevail.
TONIGHT’S PICK: MILWAUKEE BREWERS

The smoking hot 73-58 Philadelphia Phillies head west tonight to open a 3-game set with the 62-69 Seattle Mariners. Philadelphia has ripped off nine straight wins and after tonight it could very well be ten. The Phillies’ ace Zack Wheeler is expected to get the nod. Wheeler is 10-4 with an ERA of only 2.92 and a 1.01 WHIP. The Phillies have won four straight against the Mariners, are 35-28 on the road, and are hot. Ride them ’til they are not.
TONIGHT’S PICK: PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

The New York Yankees will go for a series win over the Toronto Blue Jays when the two clubs wrap up their 3-game set this afternoon at the Stadium. Today’s expected starters are a couple of flamethrowers, southpaw Carlos Rodón for the Yankees and right-hander José Soriano for the Jays. Rodón is 4-2 with a 3.22 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP. Soriano comes in at 10-6 with a 3.23 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP. New York has been hot, winning 5 of their last 6, and the Tampa Bay Rays can feel the heat with the Yankees breathing down their necks for the lead in the AL East. The Bombers have played well in the Bronx, with a record of 32-28, and have the edge in runs scored, runs allowed, home runs, and team ERA.
TODAY’S PICK: NEW YORK YANKEES

The 69-60 San Diego Padres took Game 1 of their 3-game set with the 63-66 Minnesota Twins last night, cruising to a 6-2 victory, and have now won 6 straight at Petco Park. The Padres are expected to send right-hander Casey Mize to hill. He might be 5-7 on the season but don’t let that sway you. Mize has good stuff and has a very respectable 3.18 ERA with a WHIP that any pitcher would be proud of at 1.07. In his last turn against the Cleveland Guardians, Mize was in the zone, logging 6 strong innings of shutout ball, yielding just 3 hits, and San Diego went on to a 5-0 victory. The Twins’ expected starter is another righty, Dean Kremer, who is 2-4 with a 5.40 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP. In his last turn against the Phillies Kremer was tagged for 4 runs on 5 hits over 5-1/3 innings of work and Philadelphia went on to win, 7-5. The Padres boast a 38-26 record at Petco Park and are 10-1 in their last 11 home games against a right-handed starter.
TONIGHT’S PICK: SAN DIEGO PADRES

The 67-61 Arizona Diamondbacks return home tonight to Chase Field to open a 3-game set with the 61-67 Cincinnati Reds. Arizona is just one game back of the San Diego Padres for the last Wild Card spot and is expected to have southpaw Eduardo Rodríguez on the hill and he has been delivering. Rodríguez is 12-4 with a 2.71 ERA, a 1.21 WHIP, and in his last two starts against two of the best teams in the majors (the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers) he was dialed in. Against the Braves, Rodríguez allowed only 2 runs on 5 hits over 6 frames and the Diamondbacks cruised to a 10-3 win. Against the Dodgers he worked 7 frames allowing 2 runs on 5 hits and the Diamondbacks went on to a 4-2 victory. Fellow lefty Nick Lodolo is expected to be called on to throw strikes for the Reds. Lodolo is very hittable at 3-2 with a 4.52 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP. The Snakes took two of three from the Reds back in June in Cincinnati. They are also 6-0 in Rodríguez’s last 6 home starts against a team with a losing record, and the Reds are 0-4 in their last 4 roads games against a left-handed starter. Arizona was off yesterday so they will be well-rested, and Cincinnati will not be after falling to the St. Louis Cardinals last night, 10-9.
TONIGHT’S PICK: ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS