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Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
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04-08-19 | Padres +116 v. Giants | Top | 6-5 | Win | 116 | 20 h 6 m | Show |
At 9:45 pm, our selection is on the San Diego Padres over the San Francisco Giants. It seems like only yesterday that Giants southpaw Madison Bumgarner was one of the most feared starters in the game. In fact in 2016, Bumgarner was 15-9 with a 2.74 ERA and an All Star for the fourth straight season. And he finished each of those four with an ERA under three runs. But two things happened over the next two seasons: 1) Bumgarner suffered multiple injuries, and 2) the Giants became a really bad baseball team. Over the past two seasons, despite an ERA of around 3.30, Mad-Bum had just 38 total starts with a record of 10-16. He and his team are at it again this year with a 0-2 record and 1.38 ERA in his first two starts covering 13 innings. He will face the Padres and young LHP Eric Lauer tonight. After a very strong Spring, Lauer has kept it going in his first two regular season starts with a 3.27 ERA in 11 innings. The Giants' anemic offense was on display again on Sunday, losing to the Rays 3-0 and they are 3-13 in Bumgarner's last 16 starts following a team loss in the previous game. Take the Padres. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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04-07-19 | Rangers +133 v. Angels | Top | 2-7 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 17 m | Show |
At 4:05 pm, our selection is on the Texas Rangers over the Los Angeles Angels. Hardly anyone noticed when the Rangers signed RHP Shelby Miller to a free agent contract back in January. Perhaps for good reason. Over the past three seasons, the veteran starter's ERA has been 6.15, 4.09, and 10.69 respectively with a combined record of 5-16. And the year before those three, he led the Majors with 17 losses when he was in Atlanta. But perhaps a move back to Miller's native Texas will help resurrect his career. Sure, his first start was nothing to write home about, but the Rangers did win the game nonetheless. And the match-up today against RH starter Chris Stratton definitely favors the more experienced Miller. Like Miller's signing, the trade with the Giants that brought Stratton to Anaheim barely made any ripples and Stratton could have a very tough time going from pitcher-friendly AT&T Park to Angel Stadium, even if he gets more run support here. In his last five starts -- including his lone start in 2019 -- Stratton has allowed 21 ER in just 18 2/3 innings (a 10.12 ERA). Take the Rangers. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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04-07-19 | Cubs v. Brewers -111 | Top | 2-4 | Win | 100 | 7 h 19 m | Show |
At 2:10 pm, our selection is on the Milwaukee Brewers over the Chicago Cubs. Many people predicted that the NL Central would be the most competitive division in the Majors this year. So far, those predictions are looking very shaky. While the Brewers have exceeded almost all expectations so far, going 7-2 in their first nine games, the Cubs are way at the other end of the spectrum, with just two victories in their first eight contests. The two rivals will square of this afternoon in Milwaukee with RHPs Kyle Hendricks (CHI) and Zach Davies (MIL) taking the mound for their respective teams. Davies pitched pretty well in his first start, a 4-3 Brewer victory over the Reds, but he left the game after five innings with a no-decision. Hendricks posted 14 wins last season, but he saw his ERA rise almost a half-run, and his first start of 2019 was not encouraging -- seven runs (two earned) on 10 hits with three walks in just 4 1/3 innings. The Brewers are 4-1 in Davies last five starts vs. teams with a losing record and 11-4 in his last 15 home starts vs. teams with a losing record. Take Milwaukee. |
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04-07-19 | Marlins v. Braves -158 | Top | 3-4 | Win | 100 | 7 h 30 m | Show |
At 1:20 pm, our selection is on the Atlanta Braves over Miami. The Braves saw their 4-game win streak go by the wayside yesterday. But they should get back into the win column this afternoon behind Sean Newcomb. The Braves' southpaw threw four shutout innings in his 2019 debut vs. the Cubbies, and he's 4-1 in his career vs. the Marlins with a 2.06 ERA. Miami's an awful 48-121 (minus 39 games on the money line) as a road underdog, priced from +150 to +200, while Atlanta's 50-30 (+22 games on the money line) vs. division rivals. Take the Braves. |
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04-06-19 | Rangers +130 v. Angels | Top | 1-5 | Loss | -100 | 13 h 19 m | Show |
At 4:05 pm, our selection is on the Texas Rangers over Anaheim. Oft-injured Drew Smyly pitched in the Majors for the first time since 2016 when he threw three innings of 1-run ball on Monday. And that outing followed a largely-successful spring training for the Southpaw. Today, he'll match up against Anaheim's Tyler Skaggs, who had a mediocre effort at Oakland in his season debut. Dating back to last season, Skaggs has now gone six straight starts without a Quality Start. The Angels are hopeful that Skaggs has a breakthrough season, but he underwhelmed in his Spring Training performances (7.45 ERA). The Angels have been a poor home favorite of -150 or less (14-20, minus 11 games on the money line), so we'll take the underdog Rangers with Smyly on the hill. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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04-06-19 | Twins +137 v. Phillies | Top | 6-2 | Win | 137 | 11 h 20 m | Show |
At 2:05 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Twins over Philadelphia. Michael Pineda threw 4 innings of 1-hit ball in his season debut last Sunday -- a 9-3 win over the Cleveland Indians. Pineda missed all of last season, as he recovered from Tommy John surgery, so the Twins were no doubt happy with his performance. This afternoon, Pineda will try to follow-up that game with another strong effort. And I believe he will, as he's been strong in daytime starts (6-2 last eight), and in April games (15-9). Meanwhile, Pineda's mound counterpart, Jake Arrieta, has been poor of late in the daytime (11-15, minus 9 games on the money line). And Arrieta's teams have also burned money (14-20, minus 11 games on the money line) when he's worked on an extra day or two of rest. Take Minnesota. |
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04-06-19 | Nationals v. Mets +114 | Top | 5-6 | Win | 114 | 10 h 25 m | Show |
At 1:10 pm, our selection is on the New York Mets over the Washington Nationals. When the Nationals signed free agent pitcher Patrick Corbin to a six-year, $140 Million contract in the off-season, there were a lot of people questioning it. After all, the veteran LHP has been in the league for six seasons -- only two of which (2013 and 2018) would warrant that type of reward. That, coupled with the fact that Corbin has had a history of injuries, makes the Nats' contract questionable at best. Sure, Corbin's first start was decent, but it wasn't anything special so the jury is certainly still out. He will try to take the next step this afternoon against the Mets in New York. Fellow southpaw Steven Matz goes for the home team and his last start against DC here at Citi Field was one of the strangest results we've seen. Despite a very strong performance (one run on five hits in seven innings), the Mets lost 15-0. With an improved bullpen this season, a similar effort today should not be in vain.  Corbin's teams (the D-Backs and Nats) are 13-18 (-7 games on the money line) in his last 31 road starts. Take the Mets. |
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10-28-18 | Red Sox v. Dodgers -136 | Top | 5-1 | Loss | -136 | 8 h 51 m | Show |
At 8:15 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Dodgers over the Boston Red Sox. With the Red Sox one game away from another World Title, we are back to the top of the Dodgers' rotation for Game 5 in Los Angeles. That means lefthander Clayton Kershaw will go to the mound. He wasn't sharp vs. Boston in Game 1, but there is reason to think that Kershaw can turn the tables tonight. For one thing, in Game 1, Kershaw was in unfamiliar territory, playing in a park he had never pitched in before and having to do it in cold weather. But now Kershaw will be back home, where he has amazing numbers. In 164 appearances at Dodger Stadium (all starts), Kershaw is 83-34 with a ridiculous 2.08 ERA in just under 1113 innings. And he's given up just one run on five hits, with 12 strikeouts in 15 post-season innings pitched at home this season. Finally, the Dodgers are 7-3 when trailing in a Playoff series, and 20-8 in their last 28 inter-league games. Take Los Angeles. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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10-27-18 | Red Sox +145 v. Dodgers | Top | 9-6 | Win | 145 | 4 h 31 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Boston Red Sox over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Last night we had a huge play on the Dodgers, and were rewarded with a thrilling 3-2, 18-inning victory. Tonight, the Red Sox will look to rebound, and will hand the ball to southpaw Eduardo Rodriguez. At first, it looked like the Red Sox would start Drew Pomeranz, and I would not have played on Boston had he been listed as the starter. But Boston's coaches must not have had the requisite confidence in him, given his 6.08 ERA this season, so they are now turning to Rodriguez, which is a smart move. The 25-year-old Venezuelan made 23 starts this season, and Boston won 19 of them (including 9-1 on the road, and 2-0 in interleague starts), so they will be extremely confident with him on the hill. Meanwhile, Los Angeles has struggled when priced at home between -125 and -175, as it's gone 22-24, minus 15 games on the money line. Take Boston. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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10-26-18 | Red Sox v. Dodgers -151 | Top | 2-3 | Win | 100 | 16 h 56 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Dodgers over the Boston Red Sox. The Sox dominated the first two games of this series at home , including a 4-2 victory on Wednesday, in which they held LA's batters to just three hits. That second defeat now puts the Dodgers in a must-win situation in L.A. tonight. RH Rick Porcello goes for the visitors, and by most accounts, Porcello has been a very solid starter throughout his career, even winning an AL Cy Young in 2016. But the Sox may have wanted to start him at home because in two starts at Dodger Stadium, the 29 year old has not fared well. In 10 2/3 innings here, Porcello has a 5.91 ERA and has allowed 18 hits with three walks for an atrocious WHIP of 1.97. The Dodgers will counter with rookie LH Walker Buehler. When we last saw Buehler, he was closing out the NLCS with 4 2/3 sparkling innings in Milwaukee in game seven. He's still looking for his first post-season victory, and he's back home tonight where he has a career ERA of 2.31 in 16 appearances (12 starts). With their victory in that NLCS Game 7, the Dodgers have now won six of Buehler's last nine starts going back to the end of August. Even better: the Dodgers are an awesome 121-86 (+18 games on the money line) after getting less than five hits in their previous game. Take Los Angeles. Interleague Game of the Month! As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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10-24-18 | Dodgers +133 v. Red Sox | Top | 2-4 | Loss | -100 | 16 h 29 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Dodgers over the Boston Red Sox. The Dodgers are down 1-0 after a battle of the aces (Sale vs. Kershaw) went to the home team, 8-4, on Tuesday. Now L.A. will use LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu to start Game 2. I really like L.A., as the Dodgers are 5-1 in their last six Game 2s of a series. And they'll be matched up against southpaw David Price, who has recorded just one victory in 12 Playoff starts. It's true that Boston was able to get to L.A.'s All Star lefty, Clayton Kershaw, last night. But over the last three years, the Red Sox have struggled somewhat vs. lefty starters. Indeed, Boston has gone 240-147 (+47 games on the money line) vs. righties, but just 63-53 (minus 5 games on the money line) vs. lefties. And Ryu isn't just any lefty. He had a sparkling 1.97 ERA this regular season in 15 starts. Take L.A. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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10-20-18 | Dodgers -108 v. Brewers | Top | 5-1 | Win | 100 | 17 h 52 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Dodgers over the Milwaukee Brewers. If you had told the Brewers back in April that they would need to win two straight home games to make it to the World Series, they would certainly take that. Now the two games are down to just one as the Brewers took care of the Dodgers and Hyun-Jin Ryu on Friday night fairly handily. And not only do they need just one more game, but they get to send the man most would consider their best starter of 2018 to the mound (RHP Jhoulys Chacin) opposite a rookie (RH Walker Buehler). But Buehler isn't just any first-year pitcher. The 24-year-old took the league by storm this season, going 8-5 with a 2.62 ERA in 24 games (23 starts). From an ERA standpoint, his previous NLCS start doesn't look so good (four runs in seven IP). But Buehler struck out eight and walked one with six hits allowed, so he was pretty darn good. The Dodgers won five of Buehler's final seven starts of the regular season and now they will ride their rookie to their second straight World Series appearance. Take Los Angeles. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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10-19-18 | Dodgers v. Brewers +101 | Top | 2-7 | Win | 101 | 7 h 35 m | Show |
At 8:35 pm, our selection is on the Milwaukee Brewers over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Wade Miley will make a 2nd consecutive start for the Brewers, here, in Game 6. Of course, his start in Game 5 lasted for just one batter (whom he walked). But he will no doubt be allowed to pitch deeper into tonight's game, and he was masterful the last time he faced Los Angeles at the Brewers' home field. That was last Saturday, in Game 2, and Miley shut out the Dodgers over 5 2-3 innings, and allowed just two baserunners. I look for another great effort by the veteran southpaw tonight. Take Milwaukee. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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10-17-18 | Red Sox v. Astros -139 | Top | 8-6 | Loss | -139 | 16 h 53 m | Show |
At 8:35 pm, our selection is on the Houston Astros over the Boston Red Sox. Game three of the ALCS was a case of which bullpen would break first and this time it turned out to be the Astros. Normally the closer, Osuna was brought into the game in the eighth inning and it couldn't have gone worse. Now the home team will turn to RH Charlie Morton, who was arguably its best pitcher in last season's World Series. In two appearances in that series -- one start -- Morton posted a 1.74 ERA and 0.58 WHIP in 10 1/3 innings. This will be Morton's first time on the mound in the 2018 playoffs and it's a critical start as the 'Stros can ill-afford to go down 3-1. Tonight we will also find out if the bullpen appearance that RH Rick Porcello made in game two on Sunday will affect him as he gets the start for Boston. In three career starts at Minute Maid Park, Porcello is 1-1 with a 5.59 ERA in just over 19 innings. Despite the loss on Tuesday, the 'Stros are 13-4 in their last 17 home games. Take Houston. MLB High Roller. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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10-17-18 | Brewers +163 v. Dodgers | Top | 2-5 | Loss | -100 | 6 h 45 m | Show |
At 5:05 pm, our selection is on the Milwaukee Brewers over the Los Angeles Dodgers. If someone had told you a year ago that the best one-two starting pitching combination in the 2018 post-season would be Jhoulys Chacin and Wade Miley, you would have said they were punking you. For one thing, you wouldn't even know the team that person was talking about. Chacin joined the Brewers last December while Miley signed as a free agent two months later. Through four combined starts -- one NLDS and NLCS each -- Chacin and Miley have not allowed a run in 20 2/3 innings, surrendering just 11 hits. Today, it will be Miley's turn as he faces the Dodgers for the second time in this series. The veteran southpaw was spectacular in game two last Saturday, firing 5 2/3 shutout innings, allowing only two base runners. Anything close to that should get the job done today against the Dodgers and LH Clayton Kershaw who took the loss in game one. The fact that Miley's second NLCS start is on the road shouldn't matter as he is 4-0 with a 2.06 ERA in seven career starts at Dodger Stadium (48 innings). Even better: the Brewers have gone 52-34, +25 games on the money line, after scoring less than two runs. Take the Brewers in this underdog role this afternoon. MLB Elite Info Winner. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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10-16-18 | Brewers v. Dodgers -147 | Top | 1-2 | Win | 100 | 11 h 54 m | Show |
At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Dodgers over the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers prevailed 4-0 on Monday night, putting the Dodgers in pretty-much a must-win situation tonight in Game 4. Like game one, it will be a lefty-lefty match-up tonight at Dodger Stadium as Rich Hill gets the call for the home team and the Brewers turn to their Game 1 starter, Gio Gonzalez. Both pitchers are veterans, but it's Hill who has been much more effective in the post-season. Last year -- although they eventually lost to the Astros -- Hill was the Dodgers' best pitcher in the NLCS and World Series, allowing three runs and 10 hits in 13 2/3 innings with 20 strikeouts and five walks in three starts in those two series. And Hill loves pitching at Chavez Ravine. In 30 games here -- 29 starts -- Hill is 14-10 with a 2.79 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in just over 164 innings. Hill entered September with a 6-5 record, but by the end of the season he was 11-5, having gone 5-0 in the final month. And when you include his start in the NLDS -- a 6-2 victory -- the Dodgers are now 6-0 in his last six starts. Additionally, Los Angeles has won its last four games after being shut out. Meanwhile, Gonzalez has struggled mightily on the road this season (26 runs in 25 2-3 innings; 9.11 ERA) vs. teams that finished the year with a winning record. Take Los Angeles. MLB Game of the Year! As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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10-16-18 | Red Sox v. Astros -124 | Top | 8-2 | Loss | -124 | 7 h 53 m | Show |
At 5:05 pm, our selection is on the Houston Astros over the Boston Red Sox. Boston was able to even this ALCS on Sunday, but it may have severely hurt its chances in the next three in Houston in the process. In order to insure their lead -- due to the fact that they have an inferior bullpen to the 'Stros -- the Sox used SP Rick Porcello in the eighth inning. The strategy worked, but it means they won't have Porcello as a starter tonight. And with Porcello penciled in to start Game 4, he won't be available tonight out of the pen either. This means the already wide gulf between the quality of Houston's playoff pitching and that of Boston just got wider. Tonight it will be LH Dallas Keuchel going in front of a raucous home crowd at Minute Maid Park while the Sox are forced to go with RH Nathan Eovaldi. Keuchel is an ace who is only three seasons removed from a Cy Young while Eovaldi is a journeyman who has a career 44-53 record with a 4.16 ERA. He generally pitched well after Boston acquired him from Tampa, but won just three games in 11 starts pitching for the best offensive team in the game. And his teams also have won just three of his last 13 starts as a road underdog. Finally, the Astros are 87-48, +27 games on the moneyline, when priced from -100 to -150. Take Houston. MLB Elite Info Winner. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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10-14-18 | Astros v. Red Sox -114 | Top | 5-7 | Win | 100 | 16 h 43 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Boston Red Sox over the Houston Astros. The Astros took game one last night behind some solid pitching and timely hitting, taking advantage of multiple miscues, walks, and hit batsmen by the home team. But the big news is that Chris Sale left the game early with his fastball barely reaching 90 MPH while he showed an uncharacteristic inability to find the strike zone. That puts more pressure on the rest of the rotation, beginning tonight with David Price, whose own post-season struggles have been well documented. If ever there was a way to exorcise his demons, it is for Price to go out tonight and pitch a gem. And the veteran southpaw is more than capable of doing just that. Putting his playoff issues aside for a moment, Price has been very effective against the Astros, going 6-2 with a 2.94 ERA in 12 career games (10 starts) vs. Houston. And for all of his recent problems, Price still owns a career record of 26-7 with a 3.08 ERA at Fenway Park. On the flip side, 'Stros RHP Gerrit Cole is 0-1 with a 5.73 ERA in two starts covering 11 innings here. Take the Red Sox. AL Game of the Week. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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10-13-18 | Dodgers -120 v. Brewers | Top | 4-3 | Win | 100 | 1 h 1 m | Show |
At 4:05 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Dodgers over the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers once again defied the odds and beat the Dodgers -- and Clayton Kershaw -- in game one last night. And Brewers' Manager Craig Counsell looks like the biggest genius in sports today as a result. Counsell lifted Gio Gonzalez after two innings -- even though he was pitching very well -- and the man he replaced him with (Brandon Woodruff) not only pitched brilliantly, but proceeded to hit a home run off of Kershaw that was the beginning of the end for L.A. So with their proverbial backs against the wall, the Dodgers will turn to LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu in game two. That may seem like a downgrade from Kershaw, but Ryu was L.A.'s best starter at the end of the regular season, going 3-0 with just one run allowed in his last three starts (19 innings). He kept it up in the ALDS, throwing seven scoreless innings in game one against the Braves on October 4. That's a long time between starts which should be fine as Ryu is 10-6 with a 2.78 ERA in 24 career starts on six or more days of rest. Take the Dodgers. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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10-12-18 | Dodgers -150 v. Brewers | Top | 5-6 | Loss | -150 | 7 h 40 m | Show |
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10-08-18 | Red Sox +165 v. Yankees | Top | 16-1 | Win | 165 | 12 h 25 m | Show |
At 7:40 pm, our selection is on the Boston Red Sox over the New York Yankees. David Price experienced another post-season meltdown on Saturday, leaving Game 2 of the ALDS to a chorus of Fenway boos after only 1 2/3 innings. Now the series shifts to the Bronx knotted up at a game apiece. Boston will turn to RHP Nathan Eovaldi while the Yanks will send out their ace who pitched in the Wild Card Game last Wednesday, RHP Luis Severino. Eovaldi's numbers since joining the Sox don't leap off the page at you, but he made quite an impression with Boston fans when he held the Yanks to three hits in eight shutout innings in his second start with the team. Eovaldi hasn't allowed a run to New York in 16 innings since his mid-season trade from Tampa. But this will be his most important start, not only with the Sox, but probably of his career so far as it marks his first playoff action. The Yanks held the high-powered Boston lineup to just two runs on Saturday, but that's not necessarily a bad thing for the Sox as they are 6-1 in their last seven after scoring two runs or less in their previous game. And they're also 11-6 as a road underdog of +150 or more (+12 games on the money line). Take Boston. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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10-07-18 | Dodgers v. Braves +165 | Top | 5-6 | Win | 165 | 14 h 42 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Atlanta Braves over the Los Angeles Dodgers. The first playoff game at Atlanta's Sun Trust Park could also be the last game of their season. The Braves are down 2-0 in this series and have yet to score a run thanks to some pretty dominant Dodger pitching. But the home crowd should be amped up tonight so expect the young stars of Atlanta's lineup to respond accordingly. It may be LHP Sean Newcomb's first-ever post-season start (he pitched two scoreless innings of relief in game one) but at age 25 and in his second season, he's actually the veteran of this match-up. 24-year-old RH Walker Buehler also pitches in his first MLB playoff game for the Dodgers. One thing Newcomb can use as motivation is the fact that in his last start against this Dodger club -- back on July 29 -- he almost no-hit them, coming within one out from doing so in a dominant performance that resulted in a 4-1 Braves win. That performance was right here in Atlanta and no doubt Newcomb will take a repeat of that tonight. Take the Braves. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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10-07-18 | Brewers v. Rockies -150 | Top | 6-0 | Loss | -150 | 11 h 30 m | Show |
At 4:35 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Rockies over the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers have taken a commanding 2-0 lead in this NLDS and need just one win in the next three games to advance. But the Rockies can take some satisfaction in that each of the first two games was close , and both could have easily gone their way. But the main reason for them to be optimistic is the fact that Games 3 and 4 here at home will feature their #1 and #2 starters while the Brewers are much further down in their rotation right now. This afternoon it will be RH German Marquez who broke through in 2018 with a 14-11 record, 3.77 ERA and 230 strikeouts in 196 innings (a 10.7 K rate). Sure, Marquez did most of his best work on the road this season, but that's to be expected. And you won't see it in his overall home numbers, but Marquez finished the season absolutely loving Coors Field. In his last four starts here, Marquez allowed just three earned runs in 27 2/3 innings. And, more importantly for today, the Rockies went 4-0 in those starts (by an astounding combined score of 42-5). Finally, Colorado's 40-20 (+10 games on the money line) as a home favorite this season. Take Colorado. MLB Game of the Week! As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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10-05-18 | Braves +212 v. Dodgers | Top | 0-3 | Loss | -100 | 16 h 52 m | Show |
At 9:35 pm, our selection is on the Atlanta Braves over the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Braves have relied on their youth movement all season, but now that they're down 1-0 in the NLDS, and in a quasi must-win situation, they will turn to their most experienced starter to get them back in this series. Anibal Sanchez may have only been a member of the team for one season, but he is the only one in the current rotation with multiple seasons of playoff experience. And Sanchez has not only pitched in the post-season, but he's had success there as well. In seven playoff games (six starts), the 34-year-old RH has posted a 2.79 ERA and 1.16 WHIP. Sanchez thrived on the road this season, going 5-2 with a 2.67 ERA in 13 starts away from Atlanta vs. just 2-4, with a 3.00 ERA in 12 home appearances. And Sanchez has been on quite a roll lately, finishing the season with just four runs allowed in his last four starts covering 23 innings. The Braves are 4-1 in Sanchez's last five road starts vs. teams with a winning record, and they are 10-4 in their last 14 road games vs. teams with a winning home record. Take Atlanta. MLB High Roller. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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10-05-18 | Indians v. Astros -141 | Top | 2-7 | Win | 100 | 9 h 49 m | Show |
At 2:05 pm, our selection is on the Houston Astros over the Cleveland Indians. There is no better game one pitching match-up than the one on display this afternoon in Houston. Between them, RH's Corey Kluber (Indians) and Justin Verlander (Astros) have three Cy Youngs (and finished in the top three on three other occasions), one MVP, and one Rookie of the Year. We are being treated to this battle of the Giants courtesy of the fact that both of these teams coasted to the post-season and neither had to play a Wild Card game so they are beginning the playoffs with a re-set rotation. And while nobody would dispute the fact that Kluber is one of the elite pitchers in the game, it's Verlander who has the far-more experienced -- and superior -- post-season resume. In 22 playoff appearances (all but one being starts), the 35-year-old is 11-6 with a 3.07 ERA (vs. 4-2 and 3.54 eight games for Kluber). And lest you think the elder Verlander is slowing down, his post-season run with the Champs last season was arguably his best ever (4-1 with a 2.21 ERA in six games -- five starts). Finally, Verlander hasn't given up an earned run in his last two starts. And his teams are 14-2 the last three years if he didn't give up 2+ earned runs in either of his two previous starts. Take the Astros. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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09-30-18 | Braves -128 v. Phillies | Top | 1-3 | Loss | -128 | 11 h 37 m | Show |
At 3:05 pm, our selection is on the Atlanta Braves over the Philadelphia Phillies. The 10 teams who will be playing baseball in October are now settled. However, in the National League, all five teams are incentivized to win on this final scheduled day of the regular season. And that's because the Cubs and Brewers are tied for first place in the NL Central, with 94-67 records. And the Dodgers and Rockies are tied for first place in the NL West, with 90-71 records. Meanwhile, Atlanta, which has already sewn up first place in the NL East, is tied with both the Dodgers and Rockies (at 90-71) for the 2nd overall seed in the National League Playoffs, and the eventual home field advantage which comes with that seeding. Thus, this game is very important to the Braves this afternoon. Atlanta will hand the ball to RHP Kevin Gausman, whose last start was also against these Phillies. Gausman pitched 6 1-3 innings, and allowed three runs in that game -- an 8-3 Braves victory. Meanwhile, the Phillies will start Ranger Suarez, who hasn't started a game since August 16, when he gave up 11 hits and 4 runs in 4 innings vs. the Mets -- a 24-4 Mets win. The Braves have won six of the last seven vs. the Phillies, and 49 of 74 division games (+27 games on the moneyline) overall this season, while Philly has won just seven of its previous 27 games, and is also a poor 25-43 after scoring 3 runs or less in back to back games. Take Atlanta. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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09-27-18 | Braves -118 v. Mets | Top | 1-4 | Loss | -118 | 16 h 18 m | Show |
At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the Atlanta Braves over the New York Mets. The Braves have locked up a Playoff spot, and are currently seeded 2nd, one game ahead of Colorado, which leads the NL West division. And, of course, if Atlanta can remain ahead of the eventual NL West division winner (either Colorado or Los Angeles), it will have home field advantage vs. such team in the first round of the Playoffs. Thus, Atlanta should be motivated to win tonight. The Braves will hand the ball to Julio Teheran, who has a 3.86 ERA over his last three starts, and a 3.11 ERA in his 19 nighttime starts this season (compared to a 5.73 ERA in daytime affairs). He'll be matched up against Jason Vargas, who has a 4.80 ERA in his last three starts, and a 5.88 ERA in his 16 nighttime games. Importantly, the Braves have excelled on the road this season, while the Mets have struggled at home, Atlanta is 46-31 on the road, +22 games on the moneyline, while the Mets are an awful 34-43 at home, minus 17 games on the moneyline. It's true that Atlanta lost last night, and only managed 2 hits, which tied a season low. But the Braves had won their six games previous to last night, and scored an average of 5.6 runs per game in those. Take the Braves. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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09-26-18 | Brewers v. Cardinals -102 | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -102 | 14 h 58 m | Show |
At 7:10 pm, our NL Central Game of the Month is on the St Louis Cardinals over the Milwaukee Brewers. With their defeat last night, the Cardinals have fallen behind the Colorado Rockies in the race for the final playoff spot. So, with just four games left, this is virtually a 'must-win' for the Redbirds. They'll hand the ball to John Gant, who will make his 19th start of the season. He has a solid 3.68 ERA and 1.29 WHIP as a starter this season, and has been at his best at night, where his ERA dips to 2.78 (compared to 6.12 in daytime starts). Gant will be opposed by Jhoulys Chacin, who is an uninspiring 1-7 in his career starts vs. St. Louis, with a 5.73 ERA and 1.58 WHIP. Even worse, he hasn't made it into the 6th inning in any of his four most recents starts. And in his four starts vs. St. Louis this season, the Cardinals have scored 17 runs (14 earned) in 20 2-3 innings. Take St. Louis. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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09-25-18 | A's v. Mariners -103 | Top | 8-10 | Win | 100 | 19 h 37 m | Show |
At 10:10 pm, our selection is on the Seattle Mariners over the Oakland A's. The A's have clinched a post-season Wild Card berth, and will play the Yankees in that elimination game next week. The venue of that game has yet to be decided, as Oakland still has hopes of catching the Yankees (Oakland's currently 1.5 games behind). However, even though Oakland "needs" to win, we will fade it tonight, on the road in Seattle. The A's will start lefty Brett Anderson, who has been dreadful of late. His ERA over his last three starts is 6.39. And his season ERA on the road, in 10 starts, is a nasty 5.36 (with a 1.51 WHIP). In contrast, Mike Leake has a 2.79 ERA and 0.93 WHIP over his last three starts. And his home ERA this season is 3.99, with a respectable 1.27 WHIP. The Mariners are 8-2 this season behind Leake, when favored -150 or less (and 19-11, +12 games on the moneyline, in all of Leake's starts this season). Take Seattle. Good luck, as always....Al McMordie. |
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09-24-18 | Pirates +146 v. Cubs | Top | 5-1 | Win | 146 | 17 h 1 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Pittsburgh Pirates over Chicago. The Cubs will likely win the division, as they're up on Milwaukee by 2.5 games with just a week to go. Tonight, though, they'll have to face one of the hottest pitchers in baseball. Pittsburgh's Jameson Taillon has not given up more than 3 earned runs in a start in his last 20 outings! And his ERA over those 20 games is 2.70. And his last start was one of his three best starts this season, as he struck out 11 over seven shutout innings, in a 2-1 Pirates victory vs. Kansas City. Pittsburgh has now won his last six starts, and 12 of his last 15. That bodes well against the Cubs and Cole Hamels tonight, as Hamels has a 5.89 ERA over his last three starts, including a troubling, six inning, seven run performance, where he couldn't locate his fastball, at Arizona last Wednesday. The Buccos have been installed as a sizable underdog, due to the fact Chicago needs to win, while the Bucs have been eliminated from Playoff contention. But Pittsburgh continues to play hard, and has won six of its last eight games. With Taillon on the hill, it's a live underdog on Monday night. Take Pittsburgh. Underdog of the Week. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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09-21-18 | Cubs -162 v. White Sox | Top | 4-10 | Loss | -162 | 11 h 19 m | Show |
At 4:10 pm, our selection is on the Chicago Cubs over the Chicago White Sox. This afternoon, Jose Quintana will return to the park he called home for the first five-and-a-half seasons of his MLB career. And the situation in which Quintana pitches against his former team for the first time since going from the South Side to Wrigley Field couldn't be more important. The Cubs were blasted 9-0 by Arizona on Wednesday, but are still clinging to a 2 1/2 game lead over the pesky Brewers. They'll have a great chance to improve on that in the next week, as their next seven games are against teams with losing records, starting with this weekend set vs. the White Sox. Sure, Quintana holds a career losing record here at Guaranteed Rate Field (22-27), but that's mainly because he pitched for a losing team most of the time and he also owns a 3.59 ERA over those 84 games (82 starts). What a thrill it would be for him to get his team that much closer to its third straight Division Title with a win today. The White Sox are just 9-25 in their last 34 inter-league games while the Cubs are 22-7 in their last 29 inter-league road games vs. teams with a losing record, and 65-27 (+26 games on the moneyline) off a game where they failed to score 2+ runs. Take the Cubs. MLB Road Warrior Winner. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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09-20-18 | Red Sox +152 v. Yankees | Top | 11-6 | Win | 152 | 9 h 32 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Boston Red Sox over the New York Yankees. Having all but locked up the AL East as well as the best record in baseball, there are reasons to think that the Red Sox are taking their foot off of the proverbial accelerator with a little more than a week to go in the regular season. And getting blown out, 10-1, like they did to the Yankees last night, certainly seems to back that thinking. But there are at least two reasons to believe that Boston still wants to win games. First is the fact that the Sox are two victories away from their franchise record for wins in a season (105). And second is fact that the last thing a #1 seed wants to do going into the playoffs is to come in off a string of losing efforts, especially if those losses are to its division rival. So, tonight, I expect the Boston bats to come out in support of LHP Eduardo Rodriguez who goes to the hill for his 23rd start of the season. Certainly, Chris Sale has been Boston's #1 pitcher this season. But Rodriguez has been arguably Boston's next best starter with a 12-4 record, 3.53 ERA and 10.0 strikeouts per nine innings. The Sox are 5-1 in Rodriguez's last six starts, and 9-1 this season off a loss by more than 5 runs. Meanwhile, the Yankees' Masahiro Tanaka has given up 11 runs and 26 baserunners in 15 innings pitched vs. the Red Sox this season. Take Boston. AL East Game of the Week. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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09-19-18 | Reds v. Brewers -160 | Top | 0-7 | Win | 100 | 16 h 37 m | Show |
At 7:40 pm, our selection is on the Milwaukee Brewers over the Cincinnati Reds. The Brewers picked up Gio Gonzalez after the Nats placed him on waivers, sacrificing only a couple of lesser Minor League prospects. The 32-year-old southpaw has paid immediate dividends, going 1-0 in his first two Milwaukee starts with a 2.61 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in 10 1/3 innings. Start number three will be his third straight at his new home as Gonzalez faces the Reds back at Miller Park in an effort to keep his team in the thick of the playoff race. Cincy will go with RH Matt Harvey, who they picked up from the Mets in early May for C Devin Mesoraco. Harvey has been up and down since joining the Reds, going 7-6 with a 4.13 ERA in 22 starts. But five of Harvey's seven victories -- and only one of his losses -- have come at Great America Park so the road has not been kind to the 29-year-old. This will be Harvey's first start of the season at Miller Park, but in his career, he is 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA in two starts here. Heading into Wednesday, the Reds are 7-21 in their last 28 road games, while Milwaukee is 64-32, +18 games on the money line, their last 96 as a home favorite. Take the Brewers. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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09-18-18 | Cardinals v. Braves -136 | Top | 8-1 | Loss | -136 | 15 h 37 m | Show |
At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Atlanta Braves over the St. Louis Cardinals. One of the biggest pitching surprises of either league goes to the hill tonight for Atlanta for his 22nd start. Anibal Sanchez's performance thus far has left even the most seasoned of baseball followers scratching their heads. The 34-year-old's ERA the last three seasons with Detroit was 4.99, 5.87, and 6.41 -- not trending in the right direction as they say. So what could possibly account for his 3.01 number (along with a 1.12 WHIP) this season? The Braves don't really care just as long as Sanchez keeps doing what he's doing. They would love to have the veteran going to the mound for them in the post-season as Sanchez has a career 2.79 ERA and 1.16 WHIP combined over three playoff seasons. And it's looking more and more like the Braves will get to the post-season with tonight's game will be a good warm-up for them as the Cards may be someone they see in October. Sanchez has a career 3.26 ERA vs. St. Louis in six starts (38 2/3 innings), while his mound opponent -- Austin Gomber -- has given up 10 runs and 19 baserunners in his last two starts (covering nine innings). Take Atlanta. MLB Game of the Month. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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09-17-18 | Rockies v. Dodgers -152 | Top | 2-8 | Win | 100 | 20 h 23 m | Show |
At 10:10 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Dodgers over the Colorado Rockies. In a very important game on Sunday night, the Dodgers tried relying on RH Ross Stripling, who had only had one start since August 9 and that decision didn't work out for them. The Cards shut out L.A. as Stripling lasted just 3 1/3 innings so tonight they come home for a three-game series against the team they are a half-game behind. In game one they will send LH Hyun-Jin Ryu to the mound to face the Rockies and RH Jon Gray. With all of the star power on this pitching staff, Ryu has been arguably the Dodgers' most consistent starter in the limited time he's been out on the mound. In 12 starts, the 31-year-old southpaw is 4-3 with a 2.42 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in just over 63 innings. It's true that Gray was stellar in his first nine starts after returning from a stint in Triple-A, but in his last two, he has lasted just four innings and he has a 5.14 ERA in his last three. Also, the Rockies are also a poor 10-24 on the road with Gray on the hill when the O/U line was less than 9 runs. Take the Dodgers. Mound Mismatch Massacre! As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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09-16-18 | Pirates v. Brewers -162 | Top | 3-2 | Loss | -162 | 11 h 25 m | Show |
At 2:10 pm, our selection is on the Milwaukee Brewers over the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Brewers are a completely different looking team this season than last -- especially in the everyday lineup. But no offensive addition has been more important to this team than that of RHP Jhoulys Chacin. Chacin's first year in Milwaukee is his 10th in the Majors and it looks like it's going to be his best overall. He has tied his career mark with 14 wins (2013 - Colorado), as well as starts (31), posted a 3.54 ERA, and is eight strikeouts shy of his career-best mark of 153. Perhaps most important is the fact that Milwaukee is 20-11 when Chacin takes the mound, and that mark is the same as the leading candidates for the Cy Young (Max Scherzer and Aaron Nola). Chacin looks for that important 15th victory this afternoon against a team that he's pitched well against this season, but hasn't gotten the support from his teammates that he's deserved. By contrast to Chacin, the Pirates' RH Trevor Williams is 12-9 but his team is only 14-14 in his 2018 starts. The Bucs are 1-4 in Williams' last five starts vs. winning teams. Take the Crew. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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09-14-18 | Dodgers v. Cardinals +117 | Top | 3-0 | Loss | -100 | 17 h 41 m | Show |
At 8:15 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Cardinals over the Los Angeles Dodgers. You would have been hard-pressed to find many people who had heard of tonight's starters in this crucial game back in March. But here we are in September and both RH's Walker Buehler (Dodgers) and Jack Flaherty (Cards) have become key members of their respective rotations. There's no denying Buehler's importance to his team right now, but if there is a weakness in the 24-year-old rookie's resume, it's in his performance away from Dodger Stadium. In 11 games (10 starts) at home, Buehler is 3-3 with a 2.32 ERA and 0.87 WHIP. But in his nine road starts, he has only managed a 4.07 ERA and 1.23 WHIP. These two starters faced off less than a month ago (August 22) in L.A. and the Cards came through with a 3-1 victory (although Flaherty took a ND). Flaherty hasn't lost a start since July 31 and the Cards are 5-2 in his last seven trips to the mound. The Dodgers are 1-5 in the last six meetings while the Cards are 7-2 in their last nine games vs. NL West teams and 4-1 in Flaherty's last five vs. winning teams. Take St. Louis. MLB Dog of the Month. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.  |
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09-13-18 | Cubs -123 v. Nationals | Top | 4-3 | Win | 100 | 12 h 51 m | Show |
At 4:05 pm, our selection is on the Chicago Cubs over the Washington Nationals. This afternoon, the Cubs will make a trip to DC to play a make-up a game from last weekend.  LH Mike Montgomery will go to the mound for Chicago opposite Nationals RH Joe Ross, who is making his return from Tommy John surgery. In 34 games, including 15 starts, Montgomery is 4-5 with a 3.85 ERA. However, on the road, his ERA is a full run lower than it is at Wrigley (3.43 vs. 4.43). It also isn't hurting Montgomery to have had a light workload (107 2/3 innings) this season, which should allow him to continue to perform at a high level. To wit: in the month of August, Montgomery posted a 2.70 ERA. The Cubs are also 12-4 in their last 16 games vs. a RH starter, while Washington is a poor 16-23 (minus 16 games on the money line) vs. lefties. Take Chicago. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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09-12-18 | Dodgers -187 v. Reds | Top | 8-1 | Win | 100 | 4 h 45 m | Show |
At 12:35 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Dodgers over the Cincinnati Reds. Yesterday, the Reds continued their dominance over L.A., with a sixth straight win this season in the series. The 7th (and final) game of the series will be played early today at Great American Ball Park, so this will be the final chance for Los Angeles to defeat the Reds this year. I believe they will do so. Ross Stripling will get the start for the Dodgers today, though he's coming off an injury, and will be limited in his pitch count (about 45 pitches, or 3 innings). But that's not a bad thing, as the Dodgers' bullpen's ERA in day games is 3.34, with a 1.15 WHIP this season. It's true that the Reds have won Anthony Desclafani's last three starts. But it's been due to offensive production, not for Desclafani's pitching. Indeed, his ERA over his last three outings is 6.28 and he hasn't had a quality start in any of his last four games. Even worse, the Reds are an awful 8-30 (minus 15 games on the money line) as a home underdog of +175 or higher, and 1-6 behind Desclafani when he's been a home dog of +125 or more. Take Los Angeles in this early afternoon game. Good luck, as always....Al McMordie. |
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09-11-18 | Dodgers -166 v. Reds | Top | 1-3 | Loss | -166 | 13 h 50 m | Show |
At 6:40 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Dodgers over the Cincinnati Reds. The Reds jumped all over the Dodgers and Alex Wood last night, and that's not something that L.A. can really afford right now. It's not likely to happen tonight as Hyun-Jin Ryu goes to the mound for the 12th time this season. The veteran southpaw has been very tough to hit this season, as evidenced by his 2.16 ERA and 1.03 WHIP. Last night's victory was the Reds' fifth straight over the Dodgers this season as the Dodgers haven't beaten Cincy since last June. But the Reds haven't faced Ryu in 2018 either, and he's been ultra tough against just about everyone he's gone out and pitched against. His last road start was on May 2 and Ryu threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings in that one before leaving with a groin injury. He has made five starts since returning -- all at home -- but he was pretty effective in limited road work leading up to the injury. The Dodgers are also 16-5 in Ryu's last 21 road starts vs. teams with a losing record, and they've won five straight off a loss. Take L.A. Mound Mismatch Massacre! As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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09-10-18 | Diamondbacks v. Rockies -142 | Top | 2-13 | Win | 100 | 17 h 2 m | Show |
At 8:40 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Rockies over the Arizona Diamondbacks. With the possible exception of the Braves (if they win the NL East) no run to a Division Pennant has been as surprising as that of the Rockies. And like Atlanta, Colorado has had many unsung heroes. But none has been bigger than German Marquez. Despite winning 11 games and finishing fifth in the NL Rookie of the Year voting last season, the 23-year-old RHP flew under the radar coming into 2018. He has already matched last year's win total and lowered that ERA to 4.05 in 28 starts. More importantly, Marquez has been red-hot down the stretch. In his last five starts, Marquez has gone 2-0 and allowed seven runs on 20 hits in 35 2/3 innings with 38 strikeouts and just seven walks. Those are ace-like numbers and two of those five starts were here at home, and they were every bit as good as his road starts. RH Zack Godley has had a good season for the D-Backs for sure, but they are 2-7 in his last nine starts vs. teams with a winning record while the Rox are 8-2 in Marquez's last 10 starts vs. the same. Take Colorado. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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09-10-18 | Yankees -148 v. Twins | Top | 7-2 | Win | 100 | 17 h 32 m | Show |
At 8:10 pm, our selection is on the New York Yankees over the Minnesota Twins. The Yankees were looking for a weekend sweep in Seattle against a team that they're attempting to knock out of post-season contention. But after winning the first two games, New York fell one run short on Sunday, 3-2. But the Yanks are still sitting pretty -- two-and-a-half games up on the A's for the first Wild Card spot in the AL heading into this series vs. the Twins. You can count LHP JA Happ among the group of starters whose season has taken a turn for the better since being traded from a non-contender to a contender. Happ was solid -- 10-6 with a 4.18 ERA in 20 starts -- while with the Blue Jays from April through July. But after going to the Bronx he has been lights-out -- Cy Young worthy if it was over an entire season. Since donning the pinstripes, the veteran southpaw has gong 5-0 with a 3.10 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in seven starts. The Yanks don't mind being on the road at all lately as they are 11-4 in their last 15 away from the Bronx. The Twins are 0-7 in their last seven games following a win. Take New York. |
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09-10-18 | Brewers v. Cubs -132 | Top | 3-2 | Loss | -132 | 16 h 28 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Chicago Cubs over the Milwaukee Brewers. The Cubs were rained out in DC yesterday which allows them to skip their #5 starter and come back today with a full day of rest and LH ace Jon Lester on the mound at home. After a so-so 2017 (13-8 with a 4.33 ERA), Lester has rebounded strong this season, going 15-5 with a 3.53 ERA in 28 starts. The beginning of the second half was a struggle for Lester as he went 0-3 in his first five starts after the All Star break. But Lester has settled down lately, going 3-0 with four earned runs allowed in his last four starts covering 23 2/3 innings. He started September off on a high note, shutting out the Phillies on the road over six innings with seven strikeouts and no walks for his 15th victory. He hasn't faced the Brewers since his second start on April 5 in Milwaukee, shutting them out over six innings allowing just three hits with six strikeouts in an 8-0 beat-down for his first victory of the season. The Cubs are 5-0 in Lester's last five starts against the Brewers. Take the Cubs. |
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09-08-18 | Cubs -140 v. Nationals | Top | 5-6 | Loss | -140 | 7 h 38 m | Show |
At 6:10 pm (approximate start time), in Game 2 of the Double Header, our selection is on the Chicago Cubs over Washington. Cole Hamels will get the start for the Cubbies, and he's been perhaps the most valuable player traded for at the deadline. Indeed, since the Cubs acquired him in late July, he's a perfect 4-0 with a 1.00 ERA in seven starts with his new team. And one of those starts was against this Nationals club, which he held to one earned run in seven innings, in a 4-3 win by Chciago on August 12. I surely won't fade those numbers. But he's also been terrific on the road all season, with a 2.38 ERA and 7-2 record in his 14 road starts. Finally, the Nationals have been dreadful vs. lefties this season (14-23, minus 19 games on the moneyline). Take the Cubs in Game 2 with Hamels. |
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09-08-18 | Braves +121 v. Diamondbacks | Top | 5-4 | Win | 121 | 18 h 12 m | Show |
At 8:10 pm, our selection is on the Atlanta Braves over Arizona. We played on Atlanta as a big underdog in Game 1 of this series (and won), and then came back with the homestanding Diamondbacks last night (and also won). Tonight, we're back on the road dog, as we'll play on the Braves behind RHP Julio Teheran. This season, the Braves are a perfect 9-0 as an underdog of +150 or less with Teheran on the hill, while Arizona is a poor 21-23 (minus 12 games on the moneyline) as a favorite at home, priced from -125 to -175. Teheran's career numbers vs. Arizona are solid (4-1, 2.72 ERA, 1.20 WHIP), while Clay Buchholz has a poor 6.06 ERA and 1.89 WHIP vs. the Braves, in three starts. Take Atlanta. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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09-08-18 | Cardinals -157 v. Tigers | Top | 3-4 | Loss | -157 | 16 h 13 m | Show |
At 6:10 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Cardinals over the Detroit Tigers. The Cards are locked in a tight battle with the Brewers for the #1 NL Wild Card and they wouldn't be in this position without the contribution of RHP Jack Flaherty. Flaherty has come up huge for the Cards, with an 8-6 record and 2.83 ERA in 23 starts coming into tonight. In his last start, Flaherty had to face Max Scherzer and the Nats. After needing 33 pitches to get through the first inning (with a HR to Trea Turner), Flaherty settled down and was in line for the victory after holding the Nats to that single run (the bullpen blew it later on). He won't have Max Scherzer or the Nats lineup to contend with tonight as Flaherty faces the Tigers for the first time in his career. He comes into this start with a 1.50 ERA in his last three and his lineup with have the benefit of using DH tonight against LHP Matthew Boyd. The Cards are hitting .256 vs. lefties this season and Boyd is 2-4 with a 6.06 ERA in eight inter-league games (six starts) in his career. Heading into this evening, the Tigers are 5-10 in their last 15 games vs. NL teams. Take St. Louis. |
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09-07-18 | Braves v. Diamondbacks -149 | Top | 3-5 | Win | 100 | 17 h 15 m | Show |
At 9:40 pm, our selection is on the Arizona Diamondbacks over Atlanta. Last night, we were on the other side, and were rewarded with a nice, extra-innings win by the underdog Braves. But we'll switch gears on Friday and take the homestanding Diamondbacks. Kevin Gausman will get the start for the Braves, and his teams have been dreadful in his road starts, as they've won just 23 of 68 (minus 21 games on the moneyline). Even worse: as an underdog, Gausman's teams have gone 2-10 this year, and 7-25 (minus 16 games on the moneyline) the past two years. Arizona's Patrick Corbin has faced Atlanta eight times, and has gone 4-1 with a 1.69 ERA. I look for him to be dominant once again. Take Arizona. MLB Game of the Week. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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09-06-18 | Braves +145 v. Diamondbacks | Top | 7-6 | Win | 145 | 16 h 60 m | Show |
At 9:40 pm, our selection is on the Atlanta Braves over the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Braves lost for the 3rd straight time yesterday afternoon, 9-8, to Boston. And it was a heartbreaker, as the Braves were up 7-1 in the game, as well as 8-7 in the top of the 9th, but collapsed. Tonight, Atlanta will face Arizona, another team in the Playoff hunt. The Braves will start Anibal Sanchez, while Arizona will turn to Zack Greinke. Both pitchers are in fine form, and both have similar, overall statistics. Sanchez's ERA is 2.55 in his last three starts, and it's 3.07 for the season. Similarly, Greinke's ERA is 2.70 over his last three outings, and it's 2.97 this year. Atlanta's actually been a better road team than home team this season. At home, Atlanta's a money-burning 37-34, minus 2 games on the moneyline. But on the road, it's 39-29, plus 16 games on the moneyline. Likewise, Arizona's been much better away from home (39-32, +7 games on the moneyline), than in front of its home faithful (36-32, minus 8 games on the moneyline). With Atlanta on the road, at Arizona, we'll take the Braves in this underdog role. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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09-05-18 | Cubs +103 v. Brewers | Top | 6-4 | Win | 103 | 15 h 18 m | Show |
At 8:10 pm, our selection is on the Chicago Cubs over the Milwaukee Brewers. Milwaukee has taken the first two games of this series, and is now alone in 2nd place in the National League Central division (and sits in 1st place in the Wild Card race). Tonight, Milwaukee will look to narrow the Cubs' 3-game division lead. But I favor the Cubs in this match-up. Chicago will hand the ball to LHP Jose Quintana. It's true that he's had an up-and-down season, as he's 11-9, with a 4.21 ERA. But he's been much better at night (2.93 ERA; 1.16 WHIP) than in the daytime (5.20 ERA, 1.51 WHIP). Even better: he's dominated the Brewers in his eight career starts, as he's gone 4-2, with a super 1.67 ERA. Quintana will oppose Brewers RHP Jhoulys Chacin. Unfortunately for Milwaukee, Chacin has done his best work in the afternoon, as he's 4-1, with a 2.90 ERA. This game, though, will be played at night, where Chacin's ERA is almost a full run higher (3.80). Take the Cubs. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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09-04-18 | Cubs -101 v. Brewers | Top | 1-11 | Loss | -101 | 16 h 41 m | Show |
At 8:10 pm, our selection is on the Chicago Cubs over the Milwaukee Brewers. It's not a marquee match-up, but a pair of southpaws go to the hill in Milwaukee in what could be the biggest series of the regular season for these two teams. It's hard to deny that LH Wade Miley has given the Brewers an incredible boost that virtually no one expected. But for all he's done for the Crew, Miley only has two wins in 11 starts with no victories in the month of August. Also, in his two August starts here at home, Miley allowed five runs on 15 hits with four walks in 10 innings against the Pirates and Rockies -- hardly numbers you would expect from someone with a 2.18 ERA. What that tells you is that Miley has been more lucky than good recently, at least when it comes to pitching at Miller Park. Mike Montgomery will make his second start since coming off the DL. So far as a starter, he's 4-3 with a 3.38 ERA in 14 games. He will try to avenge a loss in his only other start against the Brewers this season on June 13 despite giving up just one run over six innings. The Cubs are 19-8 in their last 27 games vs. a LH starter, and 10-2 their last 12 coming off a loss. Take Chicago. As always, good luck...AL McMordie. |
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09-04-18 | Phillies -137 v. Marlins | Top | 9-4 | Win | 100 | 15 h 41 m | Show |
At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the Philadelphia Phillies over the Miami Marlins. With the Braves playing a series against the best team in baseball (the Red Sox), the Phillies need to take advantage of a series like this one. Unfortunately, although Boston came through and thumped the Braves on Monday, the Phillies couldn't do anything and lost a tough one in the first game of this series in south Florida. And it's beginning to look more and more like Philly's only path to the post-season will be by way of an NL East title. So if ever there was a time for RHP Jake Arrieta to prove his worth, now would be it. Sure, Arrieta has a solid 3.54 ERA in a full slate of 26 starts. But that's about the only thing you could say has gone well for the biggest off-season pitching free-agent. Arrieta's record is only 9-9 (on a team that is seven games over .500) and he continues to lose in critical situations. Nobody knows how crucial the last four weeks are more than Arrieta himself, so look for him to turn it up down the stretch. The Phillies are 7-3 in Arrieta's last 10 starts on grass, and Arrieta's teams are also a super 25-7 when priced from -125 to -175 on the road. Take Philadelphia. |
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09-02-18 | Mariners v. A's -128 | Top | 2-8 | Win | 100 | 14 h 27 m | Show |
At 4:05 pm, our selection is on the Oakland A's over Seattle. The A's have been fantastic this season when favored, as they're 44-20, +17 games on the moneyline (and 29-12 in this situation at home). This afternoon, they'll hand the ball to Edwin Jackson, who is 3-2 at home, with a 2.88 ERA. In stark contrast, Felix Hernandez has a losing record (8-11) this season, including 4-6 on the road, with a 7.30 ERA. And the Mariners are 1-7 as an underdog of +150 or less with him on the hill. Clearly, Hernandez's best days are in the rear view mirror. Jackson's a perfect 4-0 in his four career starts vs. Seattle, with a 1.26 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP. Take the A's. Good luck, as always....Al McMordie. |
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09-02-18 | Cubs v. Phillies -147 | Top | 8-1 | Loss | -147 | 12 h 58 m | Show |
At 1:35 pm, our selection is on the Philadelphia Phillies over Chicago. Aaron Nola has been spectacular of late. In his last six starts, he's given up 1 earned run or less in five of the games. And his ERA over his last four starts is 0.64. He'll look to keep it going this afternoon against a Chicago squad which is a poor 28-42, minus 9 games on the moneyline, its last 70 as an underdog. And with the Phillies coming in at 12-0 this season as a home favorite with Nola on the hill, we'll take the home team this afternoon. |
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09-02-18 | Brewers -108 v. Nationals | Top | 9-4 | Win | 100 | 12 h 58 m | Show |
At 1:35 pm, our selection is on the Milwaukee Brewers over Washington. The Brewers caght a break today when the start of Washington's ace pitcher, Max Scherzer, was moved to Monday -- against Milwaukee's rival, St. Louis. There's no doubt that the Brewers will be happy to see Jefry Rodriguez on the mound, instead. The Brewers will hand the ball to Junior Guerra, who has a solid 3.50 ERA in his daytime starts this season. And in his lone start vs. the Nationals this season, Guerra gave up just one earned run, and four hits, in six innings. Milwaukee's a super 39-21 when priced as a favorite of -150 or less, including 7-2 behind Guerra this season. Take Milwaukee. |
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09-01-18 | Diamondbacks +153 v. Dodgers | Top | 2-3 | Loss | -100 | 18 h 4 m | Show |
At 9:10 pm, our selection is on the Arizona Diamondbacks over the Los Angeles Dodgers. As goes Clayton Kershaw, so go the L.A. Dodgers. When you look at the southpaw ace's ERA of 2.39, you might assume that all has been right with the three-time Cy Young award winner this season. But you'd be wrong. With only 124 innings pitched, and just six wins into September, Kershaw is having a sub-par season for sure. By now, the veteran southpaw usually has 15 or more wins. And if he was doing that this year, the Dodgers would likely have a pretty comfortable lead in the NL West. He'll get start number 21 tonight at home against a team with which he's very familiar in the Diamondbacks.  It will be LH ace vs. LH ace as Arizona sends out Patrick Corbin. The 29-year-old D-Backs hurler has some pretty strong numbers in 2018 (10-5 with a 3.15 ERA in 27 starts), and he held Los Angeles to just two runs over 18 1-3 innings pitched in three starts this season. In contrast, Kershaw has given up 5 runs in 19 innings pitched vs. Arizona in his three 2018 starts. Take the Diamondbacks. |
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09-01-18 | Mariners -109 v. A's | Top | 8-7 | Win | 100 | 3 h 56 m | Show |
At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Seattle Mariners over Oakland. James Paxton has given up just 1 run in 7 1-3 innings vs. the A's this season, and is 3-0 lifetime vs. Oakland with a 3.30 ERA. Tonight, the Mariners have been installed as a road favorite, and they're a solid 31-18 this season when favored -150 or less.  Take Seattle. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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09-01-18 | Rockies -145 v. Padres | Top | 4-2 | Win | 100 | 18 h 35 m | Show |
At 8:40 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Rockies over San Diego. The Padres are a horrid 39-73 as an Underdog this season, including 12-32 (minus 18 games on the moneyline as a home underdog). Tonight, they'll face Jon Grey, who has a solid 2.67 career ERA in 14 starts vs. San Diego. Grey's mound opponent will be Robbie Erlin, who has an ERA of 7.89 and a WHIP of 1.80 in five career starts vs. the Rockies. Take Colorado. |
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08-31-18 | Diamondbacks v. Dodgers -127 | Top | 2-3 | Win | 100 | 18 h 40 m | Show |
At 10:10 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Dodgers over Arizona. The Diamondbacks will hand the ball to Zack Greinke tonight. Greinke has long been the Majors' best pitcher when installed as a favorite (and especially at home). Unfortunately, his team is a road underdog tonight. And Greinke's teams have been dismal in his career as a road underdog, as they're 28-56, minus 19 games on the moneyline (compared to 207-128, +42 games on the moneyline, when not a road underdog). Similarly, Hyun-Jin Ryu has performed much better in his career as a favorite (39-23, +6 games on the moneyline) than as an underdog (15-16). This season, Ryu's Home ERA is 1.57, with a 0.94 WHIP. Even worse for Arizona: it's a dismal 22-33 (minus 15 games on the moneyline) vs. winning teams this season, and 8-16 (minus nine games on the moneyline) vs. starting pitchers with an ERA of 3.20 or less. Take Los Angeles. Good luck, as always....Al McMordie. |
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08-31-18 | Pirates v. Braves -113 | Top | 3-2 | Loss | -113 | 15 h 5 m | Show |
At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Atlanta Braves over Pittsburgh. The Braves lost last night to Mike Montgomery and the Cubs. And that continued the Braves' trend this season where they've dominated RHPs (56-37, +21 games on the moneyline), but have burned money vs. LHPs (18-22, minus 4 games on the moneyline). Tonight, the good news for the Braves and SP Anibal Sanchez is that they'll face Pirates RHP Jameson Taillon. Additionally, Pittsburgh is a poor 28-50 as a road underdog priced at +150 or less. Take Atlanta. |
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08-31-18 | Brewers v. Nationals -117 | Top | 4-1 | Loss | -117 | 15 h 36 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Washington Nationals over Milwaukee. Tanner Roark will get the start for the Nationals tonight, and he's been terrific over his last seven starts. The Nats are 6-1 in those seven games, and Roark's given up just 8 earned runs and 38 baserunners in 44 2/3 innings (1.61 ERA; 0.85 WHIP). One of those seven starts was against these Brewers, and all Roark did was strike out 11 batters in 8 scoreless innings. In his career vs. Milwaukee, Roark has a 4-1 record in six starts, with a 2.32 ERA and 1.00 WHIP. Take Washington. |
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08-29-18 | Nationals v. Phillies -122 | Top | 6-8 | Win | 100 | 16 h 52 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Philadelphia Phillies over Washington. It's likely going to be "too little, too late" for the Washington Nationals, who have won three straight, but still sit six games out of the Playoff picture. Tonight, Washington will face Jake Arrieta and the 2nd place Phillies. Arrieta's been at his best here, at home, as his ERA is 2.88, with a 1.13 WHIP. In contrast, Gio Gonzalez' road ERA is 4.35 with a 1.39 WHIP. Even worse: in Gonzalez's last three starts, he's 0-3, with an 8.04 ERA. And he's 1-9 his last 10 decisions! Take the Phillies. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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08-29-18 | A's v. Astros -160 | Top | 4-5 | Win | 100 | 11 h 58 m | Show |
At 2:10 pm, our selection is on the Houston Astros over the Oakland Athletics. If there's a series in MLB right now bigger than this one between the Astros and A's then somebody should let us know. The A's have closed the gap between them and the defending champs like a freight train over the last few weeks and now they are everyone's favorite dark horse in the AL. But with success often comes setbacks, and the A's just found out that two of their best starters have landed on the DL (Brett Anderson and Sean Manaea) so things won't get any easier for them. This afternoon it will be RHP Trevor Cahill -- another one of their pleasant surprises -- taking the mound for the 17th time this season. The biggest problem for Cahill will likely be the venue he's pitching in. That's because the 30-year-old veteran has one of the strongest home field biases in the Majors. In eight starts at the Coliseum, Cahill is 4-0 with a 0.85 ERA. However, in the same number of starts in opposing ballparks, he is 1-3 with an ugly 6.92 number. In two starts at Minute Maid this season, Cahill is 0-1 with a 5.59 ERA. Take the Astros. |
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08-29-18 | Mets v. Cubs -183 | Top | 10-3 | Loss | -183 | 10 h 48 m | Show |
At 2:20 pm, our selection is on the Chicago Cubs over the New York Mets. Alec Mills is a 26-year-old RHP who was drafted by the Royals in 2012 and then traded to the Cubs for a minor league player in a move that went virtually unnoticed in 2017. But Mills has put up some pretty impressive minor league numbers over the past five years and could prove critical to the Cubs post-season push over the next 30+ days. After shutting out the Cards in a two-inning relief appearance on July 27, Mills finally made his first MLB start last Friday and he made the most of it. Over 5 2/3 innings, Mills held a pretty good Reds lineup to one run on three hits while punching out eight hitters with just one walk. That start, along with the fact that Tyler Chatwood and Mike Montgomery remain sidelined with injuries, has given Mills another chance to stick in the back end of this very unsettled rotation (Yu Darvish is also out for the rest of the season). Heading into Wednesday's continuation of last night's suspended game (scheduled to start before this game, at 1 pm), the Mets are 0-8 in the last eight meetings with the Cubs. Take Chicago. |
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08-28-18 | Rockies -130 v. Angels | Top | 3-2 | Win | 100 | 11 h 20 m | Show |
At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Rockies over the Anaheim Angels. The Rockies suffered a tough loss last night when their bullpen gave up five runs in the bottom of the 8th after moving out in front by two runs in the top of the inning. Tonight, the Rockies will hand the ball to LHP Kyle Freeland, who has a 1.91 ERA in seven career interleague starts (the Rockies went 6-1 in those games). Even better: Colorado is 9-1 in Freeland's last 10 starts, while the Angels are a poor 16-24 (minus 12 games on the moneyline) vs. southpaws this season. Take Colorado. |
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08-28-18 | Marlins v. Red Sox -258 | Top | 7-8 | Win | 100 | 8 h 25 m | Show |
At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the Boston Red Sox over Miami. The Red Sox come into this home game in a mini-slump. Boston has dropped its last three games, but has been installed as a big favorite vs. Jose Urena and the Marlins on Tuesday. Boston is a jaw-dropping 51-9 (+29 games on the moneyline) its last 60 games as a favorite priced at -200 (or higher), and 28-10 (+17 games on the moneyline) off back-to-back losses. Take the Red Sox. |
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08-28-18 | White Sox v. Yankees -231 | Top | 4-5 | Win | 100 | 8 h 20 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Yankees over Chicago. In his career, James Shields has not been able to step up in class, when installed as a big underdog. Indeed, Shields' teams are an awful 9-42 (minus 27 games on the moneyline) with Shields on the hill when priced at +150 or higher. Lance Lynn has a career record of 3-1 (in six starts), with a 2.15 ERA vs. the White Sox. Take the Yankees. Good luck, as always....Al McMordie. |
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08-27-18 | Rockies -137 v. Angels | Top | 7-10 | Loss | -137 | 11 h 6 m | Show |
At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Rockies over the Los Angeles Angels. After a bit of a breakout season in 2017, LHP Jonathan Gray has had a bit of a glass-half-full/glass-half-empty campaign this year. On the half-full side, the Rockies strikeout artist has hit 10 wins for the third season in a row and will reach a career high if he can be victorious just once more. But on the half-empty side, Gray slumped badly in the first half and, although he has pitched much better since the break, his ERA still sits at 4.67. But Gray has yet to lose a game in the second half (2-0 with a sparkling 2.83 ERA and 0.87 WHIP in six starts), and he's lowered his ERA a full run from where it sat in mid-July. Now, if Gray can just put it all together for a full season, he could find himself among the NL elite pitchers. He has a great shot at win number 11 tonight against the Angels, who have dropped six straight, and who have lost all but one of their last nine games. The Rox will also get the added benefit of using a DH tonight and Gray is 5-1 with a 3.18 ERA in 10 career inter-league starts. Take Colorado. MLB High Roller Winner. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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08-26-18 | Mariners v. Diamondbacks -176 | Top | 2-5 | Win | 100 | 12 h 39 m | Show |
At 4:10 pm, our selection is on the Arizona Diamondbacks over Seattle. There has been no better pitcher "in Vegas" as a home favorite than Zack Greinke. Indeed, in his career, his teams are 116-45 in this role (+47 games on the moneyline). This afternoon, Greinke will match up against Mike Leake, who brings a career 4.96 ERA vs. the Diamondbacks (over 11 starts) into this contest. In contrast, Greinke is 5-1 vs. Seattle (in 10 starts), with a 1.96 ERA and 0.94 WHIP. Take the Diamondbacks. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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08-26-18 | Rangers v. Giants -156 | Top | 1-3 | Win | 100 | 12 h 33 m | Show |
At 4:05 pm, our selection is on the San Francisco Giants over the Texas Rangers. It's no secret that the Giants' season has been filled with mostly disappointments. But one pleasant surprise has been the performance of Derek Holland. The Giants signed the 31-year-old LH to a minor league contract in February and initially at least, it wasn't clear what the Giants would get from Holland. After his first 10 starts (May 25), Holland was just 2-6 with a 4.72 ERA. But over the last three months, he has been a key member of the Giants' staff, stabilizing an injury-plagued rotation. Holland has lowered his ERA by more than a run since the end of May and he hasn’t lost a start since July 10 (eight starts). Tonight, Holland will face the team which drafted him in the 25th round in 2016, and for which he played the first eight seasons of his MLB career. It will be his third career start vs. the Rangers as he faced them twice when he was with the White Sox last season. Holland has allowed two or fewer runs in six of his last seven starts and the Giants are 6-0 in his last six starts vs. teams with losing records. Take San Fran. |
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08-26-18 | Red Sox +113 v. Rays | Top | 1-9 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 54 m | Show |
At 1:10 pm, our selection is on the Boston Red Sox over Tampa Bay. The Red Sox lost to Tampa Bay yesterday, and are in danger of being swept by the Rays. Still, there's no reason for anxiety in Boston, as the BoSox are firmly in control of the division lead, with a 7-game cushion over the Yankees. Today, Boston will hand the ball to Nate Eovaldi, who started the season for these Rays. So, Eovaldi will be extremely comfortable pitching here, at Tropicana Field. Indeed, his ERA at home for the Rays this season was 2.11. Even better: Eovaldi is 4-0 in five daytime starts, with a 0.82 ERA and 0.48 WHIP. And the Red Sox are 29-6 this season in day games! Take Boston. MLB Road Warrior Winner. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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08-26-18 | Phillies -117 v. Blue Jays | Top | 8-3 | Win | 100 | 9 h 34 m | Show |
At 1:05 pm, our selection is on the Philadelphia Phillies over the Toronto Blue Jays. Vincent Velasquez gets the start this afternoon for the Phillies, and he's been super away from home this season (2.97 ERA; 1.26 WHIP). He'll face RHP Marco Estrada, who has a 4.91 ERA at home this season (and a 6.23 ERA over his last three starts). The Phils have been at their best when favored this year (40-27, +5 games on the moneyline), while Toronto has been a money-burner as a home underdog (9-16, -4 games on the moneyline) this season. Take the Phillies. |
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08-25-18 | Cardinals v. Rockies -141 | Top | 1-9 | Win | 100 | 16 h 36 m | Show |
At 8:10 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Rockies over St. Louis.  The Rockies had their 3-game win streak snapped last night, but they're still 13-3 their last 16 games. We'll take the Rockies to start a new streak tonight against John Gant and the Cardinals. Gant has a losing 3-5 record on the season, and has an ERA north of 4 runs per game. Meanwhile, German Marquez has dominated the Cards in his career, with a 2-0 record, 2.53 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP. And the Rockies are 13-6 as a home favorite with Marquez on the mound. Take Colorado. |
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08-25-18 | Mariners v. Diamondbacks -160 | Top | 4-3 | Loss | -160 | 9 h 20 m | Show |
At 8:10 pm, our selection is on the Arizona Diamondbacks over the Seattle Mariners. A couple of veteran lefthanders pitching for Division Contenders go to the hill tonight as the Mariners visit Arizona for the first series since 2012. Wade LeBlanc has had a very nice season with the M's -- his second stint with them -- going 7-3 with a 4.04 ERA in 25 games (20 starts). But you have to wonder if the party isn't coming to an end for Leblanc, who has a career record of 37-38 with an ERA of 4.34. LeBlanc has a 1-2 record and 6.75 ERA over four August starts, bringing his second half numbers to 2-2 with a 5.13 ERA after going 5-1 and 3.63 in the first half. In his last start, the southpaw allowed seven runs (five earned) in 4 1/3 innings vs. the Dodgers on August 17. And more relevant to tonight is the fact that Leblanc is 3-3 with a 4.47 ERA in 13 career games (nine starts) vs. the D-backs. Seattle doesn't get the use of its DH tonight, something it's relied on all season. Heading into Saturday, Arizona is 7-3 in its last 10 inter-league home games vs. teams with a winning record. Take the D-Backs. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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08-25-18 | Braves -157 v. Marlins | 1-3 | Loss | -157 | 15 h 38 m | Show | |
At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the Atlanta Braves over Miami. Notwithstanding yesterday's 1-0 loss, Atlanta is still 38-28 on the road this season (+17 games on the moneyline). Anibal Sanchez has been a big part of this success, as he's 5-1 on the road, with a 3.00 ERA and 1.08 WHIP. The Braves are 13-4 vs. Miami this season, while Sanchez is 1-0 in his 3 starts vs. the Fish in his career, with a respectable 3.60 ERA and 1.20 WHIP. Take the Braves. |
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08-25-18 | Red Sox -148 v. Rays | Top | 1-5 | Loss | -148 | 7 h 19 m | Show |
At 6:10 pm, our selection is on the Boston Red Sox over the Tampa Bay Rays. Two seasons removed from his AL Cy Young winning campaign and Rick Porcello is back. The 29-year-old RHP won't win the Cy Young this season but he has one of the best records in the league 15-6 in 26 starts so far with an outside chance to hit 20 wins for the second time in his career. Start number 27 will come this evening in St. Pete, a place where Porcello has had quite a bit of success in his career. In 14 starts at Tropicana Field, Porcello is 8-4 with a 2.72 ERA in just under 93 innings. Those eight wins are the third-most that Porcello has logged at an ball park in the league (Fenway and Comerica). Porcello can not only help the Red Sox today but he will also likely be heavily relied upon in the upcoming post-season. He's also looking to bounce back after a rare rough outing for him last time. Porcello was not happy after three mistake pitches led to his demise last time out in a 5-4 loss to the Indians. Despite getting drubbed here last night the Sox are still 11-5 in the last 16 meetings with the Rays. Take Boston against the Rays and Ryan Yarbrough. |
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08-25-18 | Phillies -121 v. Blue Jays | Top | 6-8 | Loss | -121 | 12 h 36 m | Show |
At 4:05 pm, our selection is on the Philadelphia Phillies over the Toronto Blue Jays. The Jays beat the Phillies at home last night by a 4-2 margin, thereby playing the role of inter-league spoiler. With the loss, the Phillies have now fallen three games behind the Braves in the race for the NL East which many people thought would have included the Nationals. No doubt, the home team will look to turn the tables today behind 25-year-old RHP Nick Pivetta. Pivetta has had a solid, if not spectacular sophomore campaign, going 7-10 with a 4.66 ERA in 26 games including 25 starts coming into this afternoon. Pivetta -- a native Canadian -- faces the Blue Jays for the second time in his career and the second time this season. Despite their loss on Friday, the Phillies are still 8-3 in their last 11 inter-league games vs. teams with a losing record and 5-0 in their last five inter-league road games vs. the same. The Phillies are also 11-3 in Pivetta's last 14 starts following a team loss in their previous game. Take Philadelphia. |
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08-22-18 | Padres v. Rockies -231 | Top | 2-6 | Win | 100 | 19 h 0 m | Show |
At 8:40 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Rockies over San Diego. The Rockies' 4-game win streak was snapped by the Padres last night. But I love Colorado to bounce back tonight, as they've won each of Jon Gray's last eight starts, dating back to June 22. And Gray's last six starts were all against Playoff contenders (Braves, Dodgers, Brewers, Cardinals, Astros, Mariners). Tonight, it's a much different story, as Gray will face the cellar-dwelling Padres, who are 50-78 on the season -- the worst record in the National League. Gray has given up 1 run or less in four of his last five starts vs. San Diego. And he'll have a huge advantage on the mound tonight vs. Jacob Nix.  The Padres rookie was bombed in his last start by the Diamondbacks, as he gave up 5 runs and couldn't make it through the first inning. Take Colorado. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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08-22-18 | Astros v. Mariners +130 | Top | 10-7 | Loss | -100 | 15 h 31 m | Show |
At 4:10 pm, our selection is on the Seattle Mariners over Houston. In what many thought would be an easy ride for the Astros to another AL West title, not only do they now have to contend with the Oakland A's, but the pesky Mariners are also still very much in the hunt.  RHP Charlie Morton -- who really came through for the 'Stros down the stretch last season -- will make his 25th start today. Through little fault of his own, Morton has only notched one victory in his last six starts going back to before the break. The primary reason, of course, is that the Houston offense has only managed to put 19 runs across in those six games. The Astros did win last night here, but only scored three runs. This afternoon, they'll have to face LHP Marco Gonzales, who has a 2.71 ERA in his 11 home starts this season. Houston has struggled this season on the moneyline vs. Lefties (28-20, minus 10 games on the moneyline), while Seattle has excelled vs. Righties (51-34, +18 games on the moneyline). Finally, Morton's teams are a poor 19-40 (minus 24 games on the moneyline) in his daytime starts. Take Seattle as the home dog. |
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08-22-18 | Reds v. Brewers -235 | Top | 0-4 | Win | 100 | 12 h 30 m | Show |
At 2:10 pm, our selection is on the Milwaukee Brewers over the Cincinnati Reds. Just a handful of games separate the top three spots in the NL Central and the Brewers have to be thrilled about the fact that they are still in the hunt for a Wild Card and a Pennant with just about five weeks to go. The Crew features the most surprising starting rotation in the NL -- very similar to the Oakland A's in the American League. Tonight it will be rookie RHP Freddy Peralta making his 13th start of the season. Peralta won't challenge Juan Soto, Brian Anderson, or Ronald Acuna for NL Rookie of the Year honors, but he's had a very successful run for a 21-year-old.  The first inning remained a problem for Peralta in his most recent start against the Cardinals, when he allowed two runs to bump his ERA to 9.00 in 12 opening innings this season. But the Brewers have been working with Peralta on his mechanics so I expect an improved performance this afternoon. The Reds will go with RHP Robert Stephenson (0-1 and 7.94 in two starts this season) and they are 2-6 in in his last eight road starts. Take the Brewers. |
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08-21-18 | Cardinals v. Dodgers -163 | Top | 5-2 | Loss | -163 | 17 h 46 m | Show |
At 10:10 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Dodgers over the St. Louis Cardinals. How ironic would it be if Hyun-Jin Ryu is the pitcher that gets the Dodgers to the promised land this season? The 31-year-old LH Japanese import has been a huge disappointment over the last two seasons, heading to the DL multiple times for various ailments. True to form this season, Ryu started strong in April, but hit the shelf after a month of action due to a groin injury. Ryu returned on August 15 and fortunately for the Dodgers, he looked like he never missed a beat, tossing six shutout innings against San Francisco while allowing just three hits and striking out six Giants with no walks. He gets a chance to prove that performance was no fluke tonight for his team which is in the midst of the tightest division race in the Majors. The Cards will send rookie RH Daniel Poncedeleon to the mound for his second MLB start as Luke Weaver has been relegated to the bullpen for now. But despite a successful starting debut (7 IP, 0 ER, 0 H), Poncedeleon is an unproven commodity, especially against a lineup like the Dodgers'. Take L.A. |
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08-21-18 | Angels +200 v. Diamondbacks | Top | 4-5 | Loss | -100 | 16 h 15 m | Show |
At 9:40 pm, our selection is on the Anaheim Angels over Arizona. The Angels have been installed as a huge underdog, notwithstanding the fact that SP Felix Pena's ERA in his four road starts is 1.31. Moreover, the Diamondbacks are a money-burning 25-25 (minus 12 games on the moneyline) as a home favorite this season. Take the Angels. |
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08-21-18 | Braves v. Pirates +107 | Top | 6-1 | Loss | -100 | 5 h 18 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Pittsburgh Pirates over the Atlanta Braves. Knowing that they didn't have to wait any longer to make a run at the NL Title, the Braves made some deadline trades, and it seemed like their favorite hunting ground for pitching was in Baltimore. Atlanta acquired both RPs Brad Brach and Darren O'Day and SP Kevin Gausman from the O's in two separate deals and with Nick Markakis already on the squad, it must seem like Baltimore south around the Braves' locker room lately. Gausman will get his fourth start with the Braves tonight and while with the Birds, the RH faced the Bucs twice, going 0-1 with an 8.44 ERA in 10 2/3 innings. RHP Ivan Nova continues to excel at PNC Park.  Nova allowed only one run in 6 2/3 innings here on Thursday night, but lost to the Cubs, 1-0. The Pirates are 5-2 over his past seven starts, and Nova has posted a 3.72 ERA during that stretch. He owns a 3.32 ERA in 11 home starts this season. Speaking of 1-0, the Braves took game one of this series by that score on Monday so look for the Pirates to exact some revenge tonight. Take Pittsburgh. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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08-21-18 | Indians v. Red Sox -142 | Top | 6-3 | Loss | -142 | 14 h 47 m | Show |
At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the Boston Red Sox over the Cleveland Indians. In what could be a preview of the ALCS, the Indians came into Fenway yesterday for the first time this season with a showdown of the last two AL Cy Young winners (Porcello and Kluber). Tonight in game two, the pitching match-up is without those marquee names, but at least one of these starters has been putting up Cy Young-type numbers here at home recently. The Sox needed some pitching help, so they traded for RH Nathan Eovaldi at the deadline and the 28-year-old proceeded to get very comfortable in his new home. His first two starts were at home and all Eovaldi did in those was not allow a run in 15 innings while notching a pair of victories. His next two starts were on the road -- one of which was ugly while his last one (in Philly) was a fairly effective five innings. He's back home tonight and looking to extend his Fenway success against a team which he has dominated in the past (Eovaldi is 2-1 with a 2.70 ERA in three career games (two starts) vs. the Tribe). Take Boston. |
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08-21-18 | Phillies +132 v. Nationals | Top | 4-10 | Loss | -100 | 14 h 40 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Philadelphia Phillies over Washington. The Phillies have been installed as an underdog at Washington. And that bodes well, given that the Nationals are a poor 16-21 (minus 14 games on the moneyline) the past two seasons as a favorite with Roark on the mound. Roark's home ERA this season is 5.00 (compared to 3.24 on the road), while Velasquez's road ERA is 3.02 (compared to 4.99 at home). Take Philadelphia. |
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08-20-18 | White Sox v. Twins UNDER 9.5 | Top | 8-5 | Loss | -115 | 15 h 56 m | Show |
At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox 'under' the total. Stephen Gonsalves is rated as the #4 prospect in the Minnesota Twins system. The southpaw pitcher has been in professional ball since 2013, but he is just 23-years-old which gives you some idea of how talented Gonsalves was even as a high-schooler in San DIego. With the injury to Ervin Santana, Gonsalves will make his MLB debut tonight at his new home ballpark against the Chicago White Sox. Although the lefty isn't a particularly hard-thrower, he's had a very solid Minor League career, posting a 2.46 ERA in 113 games (108 starts) covering 599 innings throughout all the various levels from rookie ball to AAA. So clearly Gonsalves deserves this opportunity. RHP Lucas Giolito came into the season with high expectations after a successful sophomore campaign in Chicago. But 2018 has been a huge disappointment with Giolito going 8-9 with a 6.15 ERA in 24 starts. However, he's been much better on the road (4.54 ERA) this season than at home (8.17 ERA). Not surprisingly, eight of his 12 home starts this season have gone 'over' the total, while just one of his 14 road starts the past two seasons have gone 'over' (10 'unders'; 1 'over'; and 3 'pushes'). Take the 'under.' |
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08-19-18 | Mets v. Phillies -185 | Top | 8-2 | Loss | -185 | 15 h 29 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Philadelphia Phillies over the New York Mets. The Nationals must be pretty upset that the upstart Phillies have looked like a better team than them pretty much the whole season. So imagine how much more upset they'll be if RHP Nick Pivetta has a great final two months and helps the Phillies get to the post-season (while DC sits at home)? Pivetta was a Nats' draft pick in 2013 but they traded him two years later to the Phils for closer Jonathan Papelbon, who turned out to be just as much of a cancer on their team as he was in Philadelphia. Now Pivetta looks like he's thriving, having thrown three quality starts this month, allowing just three earned runs in 18 August innings. He was dominant last time out against the best team in baseball (Boston) but simply didn't get the run support and ended up taking a bad beat no-decision in a 2-1 Phillies loss. No doubt his lineup will want to correct that tonight and give the 25-year-old the support he deserves, and against LH Jason Vargas (2-8; 8.10 ERA), they should be able to. The Mets are just 2-11 in Vargas' 13 starts this season, while Philly is 22-5 priced as a favorite of -150 or higher. Take Philly. MLB Elite Info Winner. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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08-19-18 | Diamondbacks -186 v. Padres | Top | 4-3 | Win | 100 | 12 h 60 m | Show |
At 4:10 pm, our selection is on the Arizona Diamondbacks over San Diego. The Padres won a rare game as a home underdog last night, when Christian Villanueva had a pinch-hit, walk-off single to lift the team to a 7-6 victory over the D-Backs. That loss lowered Arizona's division lead to a mere half-game over Colorado. The good news for Arizona is that it will have its ace, Zack Greinke on the mound today. Even better: Greinke is 11-2 with a 2.10 ERA in his career vs. San Diego. And the Padres are a miserable 9-31 (minus 30 games on the moneyline) as a home underdog this season. Take Arizona. |
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08-19-18 | Dodgers -197 v. Mariners | Top | 12-1 | Win | 100 | 7 h 32 m | Show |
At 4:10 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Dodgers over Seattle. The Mariners won in extra innings yesterday, 5-4, when Los Angeles' reliever, Dylan Floro, balked home the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning. This season has been a disappointing one for the defending National League champions. And, if the season ended today, Los Angeles would be on the outside, looking in at the Playoff picture. Thus, the Dodgers certainly need to put a win streak together, and they'll turn to their ace, Clayton Kershaw this afternoon. He's done his best work on the road this season, as his ERA is 2.08 away from Chavez Ravine. Moreover, in his career, the Dodgers are 70-26 in his daytime starts (+28 games on the moneyline), compared to 140-91 in his nighttime starts (-11 games on the moneyline). Take Los Angeles. |
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08-19-18 | Astros -144 v. A's | Top | 9-4 | Win | 100 | 12 h 54 m | Show |
At 4:05 pm, our selection is on the Houston Astros over the Oakland Athletics. Don't look now, but with their one-sided victory on Saturday, the A's have hit the reset button on the entire season as they have the exact same record as the Astros (74-49). With about a 1/4 of the season to go, it's a scenario that seemed almost unthinkable even as recently as a month ago. The Astros wouldn't make excuses for this dilemma, but they certainly could. The team had been without three of their best hitters in Correa, Springer, and Altuve until recently. Now two of the three are back and Altuve should return early next week (with Brian McCann possibly not far behind). So in these situations, you want your ace on the hill and the 'Stros have it today with Justin Verlander scheduled for his 27th start. Like his team, Verlander hasn't been at his best lately, but he often excels right around this time (just look at what he did from late August on in 2017).  The A's will go with their best starter as well as LH Sean Manaea get his 26th start. But Oakland is 2-8 in Manaea's last 10 starts vs. Houston going back to 2016. Take the 'Stros. |
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08-19-18 | Rockies v. Braves -130 | Top | 4-2 | Loss | -130 | 11 h 33 m | Show |
At 1:35 pm, our selection is on the Atlanta Braves over the Colorado Rockies. The Rockies go for an improbable four-game sweep of the Braves in Atlanta this afternoon. The first three games of this series have been no contest with the Rox out-scoring the Braves by a 21-11 margin so far. But they have to face the "Comeback Kid" this afternoon in the Braves 34-year-old RH Anibal Sanchez. Sanchez has resurrected his career down in Dixie with the Braves as he was nothing more than an afterthought when Atlanta signed him to a one-year, one million dollar contract in the off-season. Sanchez has flourished with his new team going 6-3 with a 3.07 ERA in 17 games, including 16 starts. And if there's one thing Sanchez likes doing this season it's pitch during the day. In five afternoon starts, the former Detroit Tigers starter is 2-1 with a 1.69 ERA (vs. 4-2 and 3.64 under the lights). The Braves lost Sanchez's only other start vs. the Rox this season, 3-2 back in April in Colorado. Before that, his teams (Detroit and Miami) went 5-0 in his previous five starts against them, out-scoring the Rockies 35-16 in those. Take Atlanta. 5* NL Game of the Month. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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08-18-18 | Angels -116 v. Rangers | Top | 11-7 | Win | 100 | 10 h 37 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Angels over the Texas Rangers. The Angels have been waiting for Andrew Heaney to arrive on the MLB stage for quite some time. They may not have to wait much longer. A former first-round draft pick of the Marlins in 2012, the veteran southpaw was traded to to the Angels in 2014 but has been slow to develop despite having a pretty good team around him for most of his time in L.A. This season we've started seeing some flashes of what an ace is supposed to look like, including Heaney's first-ever complete game shutout on June 5 against the Royals. More recently, Heaney has been throwing solid outings, with quality starts in six of his last eight trips to the mound and the Halos are benefiting from it even when Heaney doesn't register the victory. The Angels have won six of Heaney's last seven starts (six for six on grass) including his last one on the road in San Diego, 6-3. The Rangers won the first two games of this series, but the Angels have been feasting on bad teams lately, going 8-3 in their last 11 games vs. teams with losing records. Meanwhile, the Rangers' Martin Perez has a 6.71 ERA and 1.96 WHIP this season, and the Rangers have dropped eight of his last 10 starts. Take the Angels. MLB Road Warrior Winner. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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08-17-18 | Rockies v. Braves -122 | Top | 11-5 | Loss | -122 | 17 h 36 m | Show |
At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Atlanta Braves over the Colorado Rockies. When the Rockies Kyle Freeland and the Braves Sean Newcomb look into the mirror, you have to wonder if the image of the other one stares back at them. These two young starters' careers are on such similar paths that it's freaky. Both are southpaws who came into the Majors last year at age 24 and put up solid -- but average -- rookie numbers. And now both are excelling in their sophomore campaigns with very similar numbers. Freeland is 10-7 with a 3.02 ERA in 24 starts while Newcomb is 10-5 with a 3.40 ERA in 23 starts. But while Freeland excels at home (7-2; 2.22) and struggles a bit on the road (3-5; 3.74), Newcomb pitches well no matter the venue. Here at Sun Trust Park, Newcomb is 4-2 with a 3.41 ERA in 10 starts. Newcomb produced two of his best starts of the year before allowing a season-high 12 hits against the Brewers on Sunday. Still, Atlanta's won his last four starts. In his career, Newcomb's 1-0 with a 3.78 ERA in three starts vs. Colorado, including a six inning, five-hit shutout at Coors Field on April 8. Take the Braves. MLB Roadkill Winner. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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08-16-18 | Rockies -104 v. Braves | Top | 5-3 | Win | 100 | 16 h 18 m | Show |
At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Rockies over the Atlanta Braves. Colorado's Jon Gray has only won two starts since June 22, but that's likely not much of a concern to him or his team right now. That's because even though the W's haven't been coming in bunches for the 26-year-old RH, that hasn't stopped the Rockies from winning when Gray goes to the hill. In fact, Colorado has won seven straight Gray starts going back to the middle of June and they will try to make it eight in a row when he gets his 23rd start of the season tonight against a very good Braves team. RH Julio Teheran used to be the undisputed ace of this staff, but as the Braves have brought up young stars like Sean Newcomb and Mike Foltynewicz, Teheran's role has diminished a bit. And that's a good thing because the 26 year old has struggled through much of the season, posting an 8-7 record with a 4.33 ERA in his 23 starts coming into tonight. The Rockies are 19-7 in the last 26 meetings with the Braves. Take Colorado. MLB Road Warrior. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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08-16-18 | Mets v. Phillies -171 | Top | 6-9 | Win | 100 | 1 h 14 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Philadelphia Phillies, in Game 2 of the Double Header, over New York. This match-up will feature Zach Eflin against Steven Matz. The Mets placed Matz on the disabled list after his last start, which was (by far) the worst of his career. New York was drummed, 25-4, by Washington in that game, back on July 31. Matz lasted just 2-3 of an inning and gave up seven earned runs. Of course, anyone can have one bad start. But Matz also wasn't effective in his two starts prior to that, as he gave up 9 runs in 11 innings. So, his ERA over his last three starts is an ugly 12.34. And the Mets are also just 12-21 his last 33 starts. In contrast, Philly has won seven of Eflin's last 11 starts, and his ERA is 3.57 with a 1.10 WHIP this season. At home, even though Citizens Bank Park is not a pitcher's park (it ranks 10th in run production), his numbers actually improve to 3.21 (ERA) and 1.04 (WHIP). This season, Philly is an awesome 17-3 (+12 games on the moneyline) as a home favorite priced at -150 or higher, while New York is an awful 46-90 (minus 29 games on the moneyline) as an underdog the past two years. Take Philadelphia. MLB Roadkill Winner. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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08-16-18 | Rays v. Yankees -168 | Top | 3-1 | Loss | -168 | 10 h 47 m | Show |
At 1:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Yankees over the Tampa Bay Rays. The Yankees are in big trouble with their starting pitching. Their bona-fide ace through much of the season, RH Luis Severino has been struggling mightily lately, veteran LH CC Sabathia has been placed on the DL (knee) and their other ace, RH Masahiro Tanaka hasn't been able to get a Yankee victory in his two August starts. It seems the only starters who have done anything lately are the two that New York got in trade recently (JA Happ and Lance Lynn). It's Tanaka's turn this afternoon in this series finale. The Yanks used to dominate the Rays but that hasn't been the case this season as with their victory on Wednesday, Tampa has now won seven of the last nine meetings. The good news for New York today is that Tanaka has been dominant against the Rays in his career, going 8-2 with a 3.62 ERA in 12 starts against them and his only 2018 outing vs. Tampa was his best. On July 24, Tanaka threw a complete game shutout, allowing just three Rays hits. The Rays are just 7-22 in their last 29 in the Bronx. Take New York. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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08-15-18 | Giants v. Dodgers -180 | Top | 3-4 | Win | 100 | 17 h 16 m | Show |
At 10:10 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Dodgers over San Francisco. Hyun-Jin Ryu got his season off to a great start (3-0, 2.12 ERA, 0.87 WHIP in six starts), but sustained an injury, and has missed the last 3 1-2 months. Ryu will make his return tonight, and the Dodgers desperately need his services. They've lost their last five games, and would be out of the Playoffs if the season ended today. Ryu has a 3.36 career ERA vs. San Francisco, while his mound opponent, Derek Holland, has an 0-3 record and a 6.38 ERA lifetime vs. Los Angeles. Take the Dodgers. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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08-15-18 | Rockies v. Astros -199 | Top | 1-12 | Win | 100 | 15 h 17 m | Show |
At 8:10 pm, our selection is on the Houston Astros over Colorado. It's one of the craziest stats of the season: Houston has lost its last nine home games. That would be hard for even the worst baseball clubs to do. But the Astros have baseball's 3rd best record. Tonight, they'll attempt to right their ship, and will hand the ball to Gerrit Cole.  Cole has a 2.76 home ERA, while Tyler Anderson's road ERA is 4.48. And Cole's teams have won all four of his starts vs. the Rockies the past three seasons. These two pitchers battled each other 22 days ago at Coors Field, and Cole led Houston to an 8-2 win. I look for Houston to snap its losing streak. Take the Astros. |
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08-15-18 | Brewers v. Cubs -133 | Top | 4-8 | Win | 100 | 9 h 26 m | Show |
At 2:20 pm, our selection is on the Chicago Cubs over the Milwaukee Brewers. The Cubs were likely concerned about some of their starting pitching in the first half. Case in point is veteran RH Kyle Hendricks, who had been one of their most consistent performers over the past few seasons. But after his first start of July (his 17th overall this season), Hendricks was sitting with a very uncharacteristic 5-8 record and 4.27 ERA. But from that point forward, Hendricks has been much more effective. Since that 17th outing, Hendricks has gone 3-1 and has lowered his ERA to 4.02 in seven starts. Strong second halves are nothing new for the 28-year-old. In 2016, Hendricks went 7-6 with a 2.55 ERA in the first half -- numbers most starters would love to have. But after the break, he caught fire, going 9-2 with a 1.68 ERA in 14 starts. Last season, he did it again, posting a 2.19 ERA in the second half after putting up a 4.09 number prior to the break. The Cubs would love nothing more than to have Hendricks lead them to another Division Crown in the next six weeks. And they're 5-1 in Hendricks' last six starts. Take Chicago. |
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08-14-18 | Giants v. Dodgers -182 | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -182 | 16 h 58 m | Show |
At 10:10 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Dodgers over San Francisco. Last night, we played on Los Angeles, as we noted that Clayton Kershaw's career ERA vs. San Francisco was 1.60 over 43 appearances. And all Kershaw did was LOWER that career ERA, as he gave up just one earned run over 8 innings. But the bullpen blew LA's 2-1 lead in the 9th inning when it gave up 4 runs -- all with two out -- to hand the Giants a 5-2 victory. Tonight, Alex Wood will try to snap the Dodgers' 4-game losing streak. Wood was a hard-luck loser, himself, in his last start. The Dodgers lost 2-1 to the Astros in that game, even though Wood gave up just one earned run in 6 innings. Wood's ERA over his last three starts is 1.53. And he'll face a fellow southpaw, Andrew Suarez, tonight. Suarez has gotten bombed over his last five starts (7.42 ERA; 1.65 WHIP), and the Giants are also an awful 52-89 (minus 26 games on the moneyline) on the road the past two seasons, including 22-50 vs. opposing starters that don't give up more than 5.5 hits per start. Take Los Angeles. Good luck, as always....Al McMordie. |
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08-14-18 | Rockies v. Astros -198 | Top | 5-1 | Loss | -198 | 14 h 59 m | Show |
At 8:10 pm, our selection is on the Houston Astros over the Colorado Rockies. Don't look now but the 'Stros painful defeat on Sunday (coupled with yet another Oakland victory last night) has led to the defending Champions' lead in the AL West being knocked down to just two games. While the A's continue to be the surprise team of the Majors, the Astros continue to struggle with second-half injuries and have now lost five of their last seven games with a much-needed day off on Monday. They must take advantage of this two-game mini-series at home against Colorado before heading out west to play the A's, Mariners, and Angels in what looks to be the most important road trip for them of the season. The good news is that they will have their ace, RH Justin Verlander, go to the mound tonight. Verlander suffered his worst performance of the season his last time out, here at home, against the Mariners (2.0 IP, 7 H, 6 ER). So he looks for a rebound tonight against a team he's never lost to (3-0 with a 1.88 ERA in four starts covering 28 2/3 innings). Even better: Verlander's teams are 21-3 in his 24 interleague home starts, while the Rockies are 1-7 in the last eight meetings with the Astros. Take Houston. Interleague Game of the Week. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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