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Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
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08-24-17 | Dodgers -152 v. Pirates | Top | 5-2 | Win | 100 | 9 h 32 m | Show |
The pitching matchup: Hyun-Jin Ryu (4-6 & 3.45 ERA) takes the mound for LA and Chad Kuhl (6-8 & 4.52 ERA) for Pittsburgh. Ryu's 4-6 record hardly tells the story of his 2017 season. Ryu opened the season by losing his first four starts but he has gone more than 2 1/2 months without tasting defeat, since. He will carry a nine-start unbeaten streak into Thursday afternoon's finale. Yes, victories continue to elude Ryu but while he's just 2-0 in his nine-game unbeaten streak, the Dodgers have won EIGHT of those nine starts (2.77 ERA). Kuhl won his 2017 debut but then went 12 starts without a victory (he was 0-6 and Pittsburgh 2-10). However, he's turned things around by posting a 5-2 record over the past two months, although teh Pirates are 7-5 in that 12-start stretch. Kuhl took the 5-2 loss at Dodger Stadium on May 10 by giving up four runs on six hits over five innings. That leaves him 2-1 with a 5.06 ERA against LA in three career starts The pick: Ryu also owns three career starts against tonight's opponent but is a perfect 3-0 with a 2.79 ERA. Throw in LA winning eight of his last nine outings and the Dodgers' overall dominating play and a bounce back from last night's 1-0 loss comes as no surprise. Make LA a 10* play. |
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08-24-17 | Marlins -120 v. Phillies | Top | 9-8 | Win | 100 | 6 h 33 m | Show |
The set-up: There have been very few "rays of light" in 2017 for the Phillies, who own MLB's worst record at 46-79. However, Rhys Hoskins just extended his hitting streak to five games with a three-run HR to highlight a five-run third inning and added a two-run double in the sixth in Wednesday's 8-0 rout. He's 7-for-18 with four HRs, 11 RBI and six runs scored during his streak, as the Phillies have won three of the five games. The Phillies will go for a split of their four-game series with the Marlins this afternoon and enter a respectable 5-6 versus the Marlins this season, not bad for a team playing .368 baseball on the season. Miami scored 19 runs on 27 hits in Tuesday's doubleheader sweep plus had scored 64 runs total during a 9-2 stretch (5.82 RPG) but then managed a measly two hits in Wednesday's shutout loss. Miami is out of the division race (Nats lead by 13 1/2 games in the NL East) but Marlins are 5 1/2 games behind Colorado for the second wild-card spotThe pitching matchup: Vance Worley (2-3 & 4.82 ERA) will face his former team for the fifth time in his career (just a third start) when he takes the mound for Miami and he'll be opposed by Jake Thompson (1-1 & 4.20 ERA). Worley allowed two runs on three hits in 5 1/3 innings of an 8-1 defeat at the New York Mets in his last outing, dropping to 2-1 with a 2.42 ERA this month in four starts. Worley will receive his third look at his former team this season, yielding three runs on seven hits in four innings of two relief stints. He's made two career starts against the Phillies, going 1-1 with a 4.00 ERA. Thompson is being called up from Triple-A to make Thursday's start with Philadelphia in the midst of playing six games in a five-day stretch due to Tuesday's doubleheader. He was shredded in his last outing with the Phillies on Aug. 2, surrendering seven runs on nine hits (including three HRs) in a 7-0 loss at the Los Angeles Angels. Thompson will be making his 16th career appearance and 13th start on Thursday, albeit his first versus Miami.
The pick: Worley spent his first three major league seasons (2010-12) with the Phillies. He was traded to the Twins in late 2012, spending 2013 with Minnesota, 2014-15 with the Pittsburgh Pirates, 2016 with the Baltimore Orioles and now returning to the NL East when he was signed last off-season by the Marlins to a minor league deal. He got called up in May, first as a starter before moving to the bullpen. He made 10 appearances as a reliever between May 30 and July 25 but got another chance in the rotation after Tom Koehler's late-July demotion to Triple-A. He has made the most of that chance by going 2-1 with a 3.08 ERA in five starts since then (Marlins are 4-1). Thompson owns a 5.37 career ERA, a 1.57 career WHIP and opponents have batted .281 against him in his 15 career appearances, including .333 in 2017. Make the Marlins an 8* play.. |
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08-23-17 | Twins v. White Sox UNDER 10.5 | Top | 3-4 | Win | 100 | 25 h 54 m | Show |
The set-up: The Minnesota Twins were caught from behind and passed by the defending AL Champs (Cleveland Indians) in the AL Central but they have righted the ship with a 13-4 run which has not enabled them to catch the Indians (Cleveland leads the division by 4 1/2 games) but has allowed them to keep their playoff hopes alive. The 65-60 Twins currently own the No. 2 wild card spot, led by a power surge which has seen them hit 17 HRs in their last six games, while averaging more than two per contest during their 13-4 run. Minnesota hit three HRs in Tuesday's 4-1 victory in Chicago against the White Sox and the five-game series (teams played a doubleheader on Monday) continues tonight at Guaranteed Rate Field. The 48-76 White Sox own the AL's worst record and have been "playing out the string" for quire awhile now. |
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08-23-17 | Blue Jays v. Rays OVER 8.5 | Top | 7-6 | Win | 100 | 24 h 55 m | Show |
The-set-up: The Tampa Bay Rays opened August with three straight wins but until last night's 6-3 win over the Blue Jays, the Rays hadn't won back-to-back games (TB beat Sea 3-0 on Sunday) since that three-game run to open the month. Tampa Bay is 62-65 on the season and is currently four games back in the race for the American League’s second wild card spot but the bigger problem may be that the Rays are one of five teams vying for that spot, not to mention the Orioles, who are just a half-game behind Tampa Bay. The Blue Jays are two games back of the Rays (six back of the No. 2 wild card spot) but are fading out of the AL wild card race with four straight losses to start their road trip, as they continue this three-game series at Tropicana Field. The pitching matchup: Marcus Stroman (11-6 & 2.99 ERA) has been pitching well and takes the mound tonight for Toronto, squaring off against Tampa Bay rookie Austin Pruitt (6-4 & 5.37 ERA). Stroman comes in off three straight quality starts and six in his last eight games overall (Jays are 5-3), after limiting Tampa Bay to two runs on six hits over 6 1/3 innings last Wednesday in a 3-2 Toronto victory. Stroman is 5-4 with a 4.04 ERA in 10 career starts against the Rays (team is 5-5). Pruitt registered a career-high seven innings last time out against Seattle, but allowed six runs on 11 hits and two walks in his second straight loss. The rookie had strung together three consecutive quality starts before his last game while permitting a modest four runs on 16 hits over 18 1/3 innings combined in that span (1.96 ERA). This will be his first career start vs. Toronto but he is 1-0 with a 4.26 ERA in three previous relief appearances against the Blue Jays The pick: The Tampa Bay offense has come alive lately (15 runs in its last three games), while the Toronto lineup will face a rookie with a 1.50 WHIP and .302 BAA to go along with his 5.37 ERA. Make the Over an 8* play. |
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08-23-17 | Brewers v. Giants -130 | Top | 2-4 | Win | 100 | 21 h 30 m | Show |
The set-up: The Brewers wasted an excellent pitching effort Monday by Zach Davies (two unearned runs allowed over six innings) in a 2-0 Loss, as Milwaukee's lineup managed just four singles. The loss meant that the Brewers had dropped 10 of their last 11 at AT&T Park but Milwaukee to erased a 3-2 deficit with a two-run seventh inning and won, 4-3 last night. The Brewers remained 2 1/2 games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs in the NL Central (Chicago won 13-9 at Cincy) and climbed within three of Colorado for the second wild-card spot (Rockies lost 3-2 at KC). The teams play the rubber match of the series this afternoon, with the Giants 'limping along' with the MLB's second-worst record (51-77) and its worst moneyline mark at minus-$3149 ($640 worse than than the Phillies). |
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08-22-17 | Brewers v. Giants OVER 8 | Top | 4-3 | Loss | -100 | 29 h 28 m | Show |
The set-up: The Brewers coughed up a 5 1/2 game lead over the Cubs at the All Star break in the NL Central. However, after losing six straight from Aug. 6-11, Milwaukee had won six of seven to climb back to within two games of the Cubs, as they began a three-game road series against the San Francisco Giants on Monday. The good news was that the Giants owned MLB's third-worst record plus MLB's worst moneyline mark but the kicker was that the Brewers had dropped 35 of their last 55 games in San Francisco, including nine of their last 10. "Lightning didn't strike," as the Giants shut out the Brewers 2-0 last night, as Milwaukee managed only four singles in the defeat (ruined a solid effort by Davies, who allowed two uneraned runs in six innings). The setback was Milwaukee's 10th in its last 11 meetings at AT&T Park, dropping them 2 1/2 games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs in the NL Central and 3 1/2 back of Arizona for the second wild-card spot. San Francisco improved to 3-2 on its seven-game homestand as rookie Chris Stratton and three relievers combined on the four-hit shutout. |
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08-22-17 | Mariners -104 v. Braves | Top | 0-4 | Loss | -104 | 27 h 40 m | Show |
The set-up: The Seattle Mariners opened a four-city, 13-day, 12-game road trip this past weekend and took two of three from the Rays in Tampa. The Mariners arrived in Atlanta for a three-game series on Monday and were able win win 6-5. At 64-62, they are one game back of the Twins for the AL's final wild card spot, with the Angels just a half-game ahead of them. The Mariners have their work cut out for themselves, as in order to stay in the wild card chase, they will have to navigate a stretch that has them playing 21 away games in 28 contests. The good news is, that after opening 8-20 on the road, the Mariners have gone 22-10 on the road since that awful start. Atlanta fell to 55-68 on the season with the defeat, losing for the 23rd time in 33 games since July 17, the most losses by any team during that stretch. |
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08-22-17 | Cubs -154 v. Reds | Top | 13-9 | Win | 100 | 26 h 25 m | Show |
The Chicago Cubs sprinted out of the gate right after the All Sta break, catching and passing the Brewers in the NL Central. However, a 3-7 run (from Aug. 2-9) brought them back to the pack, but they are hopeful that they have righted the ship by winning eight of the their last 11, including a three-game IL series sweep over the Blue Jays this past weekend. Coming off a day of rest on Monday, the Cubs were helped by the Giants who beat the Brewers 2-0 and Chicago currently sits 2 1/2 games up on the Brewers and 3 1/2 up on the Cards in the division. The Cubs have a golden opportunity to pad their lead with a six-game road trip to Cincinnati and Philadelphia, which are both last-place teams. “It’s that time of year, sink or swim now,” Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo told reporters. “We’ve got to just keep going and play clean baseball. I think we are.” The Reds have played better of late, winning four of their last six and splitting a four-game series in Chicago last week. However, the Reds are 53-72, a record better than only the 51-win Giants and 45-win Phils in the National League. |
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08-21-17 | Brewers -117 v. Giants | Top | 0-2 | Loss | -117 | 15 h 49 m | Show |
The set-up: The Brewers coughed up a 5 1/2 game lead over the Cubs at the All Star break in the NL Central. However, after losing six straight from Aug. 6-11, Milwaukee has managed to win six of seven and climb back to within two games of the Cubs, as they begin a three-game road series against the San Francisco Giants on Monday. Now the Giants own MLB's third-worst record at 50-76 plus MLB's owrst moneyline mark (minus-$3157) but the kicker is, the Brewers have dropped 35 of their last 55 games in San Francisco, including nine of their last 10. The pitching matchup: Milwaukee gives the ball to staff ace Zach Davies (14-6 & 4.26 ERA), while the Giants send Chris Stratton (1-2 & 4.91 ERA) to the mound, making just the fourth start of this season (seventh of his career). Davies is coming off a strong outing on Tuesday in which he allowed one run and six hits over 6 2/3 innings in a 3-1 home victory over Pittsburgh. The Brewers are 16-9 in all of Davies' 2017 starts, giving him MLB's seventh-best moneyline mark (plus-$-872). Davies been superb on the road this season, posting a 7-0 record and 2.52 ERA in 12 outings (Brewers are 9-3). He will be facing San Francisco for the first time. Stratton takes the mound after posting his first win of 2017 on Aug. 13. He registered 10 strikeouts while scattering five hits over 6 2/3 scoreless innings at Washington for his first major-league triumph as a starter (Giants won 4-2). Stratton made a relief appearance against Milwaukee last season, giving up one hit and one walk over two scoreless frames. The pick: The Brewers just may have "righted the ship" and winning this series here in San Francisco against the struggling Giants seems like a must, as three games at Dodger Stadium are up this coming weekend! In Davies I will trust. Make Milwaukee an 8* play. |
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08-21-17 | Mariners v. Braves UNDER 9.5 | Top | 6-5 | Loss | -100 | 12 h 9 m | Show |
The set-up: The Seattle Mariners opened a four-city, 13-day, 12-game road trip this past weekend and took two of three from the Rays in Tampa. The 63-62 Mariners arrive in Atlanta for the first contest of a three-game series on Monday, 1 1/2 games out of the second AL wild-card spot. Designated hitter Nelson Cruz singled Sunday to extend his hitting streak to 12 games and is batting .422 during that stretch with seven HRs and 16 RBI. The Mariners have their work cut out for themselves, as in order to stay in the wild card chase, they will have to navigate a stretch that has them playing 21 away games in 28 contests. The good news is, that after opening 8-20 on the road, the Mariners arrive in Atlanta having gone 21-10 on the road since that awful start. Atlanta salvaged the finale of a three-game home series with Cincinnati on Sunday, winning 8-1 but sit 55-67 on the season with no playoff hopes, having lost 19 of their last 27 games. The pitching matchup: Andrew Albers (1-0 & 1.80 ERA), who was just purchased from the Braves on Aug. 11 for cash considerations, will face his ex-teammates here for Seattle and match up against Mike Foltynewicz (10-8 & 4.75 ERA). Albers made the most of his first major-league appearance of the season while holding Baltimore to one run over five innings to earn his first big-league victory since his rookie season in 2013. Albers had made 17 appearances in the majors from 2013-2016 with Minnesota and Toronto (2-5 & 4.41 ERA), posted a 2.61 ERA in 26 games for Atlanta’s Triple-A affiliate while going 12-3! Foltynewicz has gotten pounded in his last two starts, allowing 14 runs on 16 hits with seven walks in six innings during losses at St. Louis and Colorado (7.88 ERA). However, those two outings followed a 12-start stretch during which he had posted a 3.58 ERA and went 7-1 (Atlanta won 10 of those starts). Foltynewicz enters this contest with the Braves 13-10 in his 2017 starts, giving him an impressive plus-$695 moneyline mark (10th-best). He is 5-2 with a 3.48 ERA and 47 strikeouts against 19 walks in nine home starts this season (Braves are 7-2). The pick: Albers pitched well in Triple-A this year (see above) and was sharp in his first start for Seattle. He faces his ex-team here and the lefty faces an Atlanta team which has played just 20 games against a left-handed starter in 2017 (10-10). Foltynewicz is off two 'ugly' starts but both came on the road. He's been very good in SunTrust Park in 2017 (again, see above) and I'll make the Under a 10* play. |
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08-21-17 | Dodgers -158 v. Pirates | Top | 6-5 | Win | 100 | 12 h 40 m | Show |
The set-up: The Dodgers saw their six-game winning streak ended by Justin Verlander, as they lost 6-1 Sunday afternoon in Detroit. The defeat also ended LA's streak of 13 consecutive interleague wins (it's been quite a season, so far, for LA, which owns a 20-game lead in the NL West). The Dodgers look to begin a new winning streak and further damage the playoff hopes of the Pirates, when they begin a four-game series in Pittsburgh on Monday. Pittsburgh earned a split of its four-game series against St. Louis by winning the final two contests (won 6-3 last night in Williamsport) but that came on the heels of a six-game losing streak. Sunday's win kept Pittsburgh 6 1/2 games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs in the NL Central (Pirates are seven games back of the second wild-card spot). . The pitching matchup: Alex Wood (14-1 & 2.30 ERA) continues his "career year" by taking the mound for LA and will be opposed by Pittsburgh's Gerrit Cole (10-8 & 4.04 ERA). Wood settled for a no-decision against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday despite allowing just one run and six hits over seven innings (Dodgers would win 6-1). Wood suffered his first (only) loss of 2017 on July 28, allowing seven ERs over 4 2/3 innings of a 12-3 loss to teh Braves. However, he's 3-0 (team is 4-0) over his last four starts, with Wood posting a 1.89 ERA over his last three. Wood evened his career record against Pittsburgh at 2-2 with a 12-1 home victory on May 8, when he registered a season-high 11 strikeouts while giving up only two hits in five scoreless innings. His ERA is 2.50 in six career starts against the Pirates (teams are just 2-4). Cole has been streaky in 2017 and escaped with a no-decision at Milwaukee on Wednesday after surrendering four runs on five hits (including three HRs) in six innings of a 7-6 Milwaukee win. He has served up six HRs over his last four outings and 26 on the season, which is more than double his previous career high (11). Cole has posted a 5.22 ERA in five career starts against Los Angeles but owns a 3-1 record (Pirtaes are 4-1). The pick: Cole's 5.22 career ERA against the Dodgers hardly bodes well against MLB's best team, one averaging 5.09 RPG while owning a .793 OPS (3rd-best). The Dodgers are 15-4 in Wood's 19 starts in 2017, giving him MLB's sixth-best moneyline mark (plus-$893). Factoring in that the Dodgers are 8-1 in their past nine meetings against the Pirates, I'll make them an 8* play. |
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08-20-17 | Cardinals v. Pirates UNDER 9.5 | Top | 3-6 | Win | 100 | 11 h 51 m | Show |
The set-up: It's a special game between the Cards and Pirates on Sunday night, as the teams meet at Historic Bowman Field in Williamsport, Pa. as part of the Little League Classic. The Pirates will be the host team and yesterday afternoon snapped a six-game slide with a 6-4 victory, The Cardinals took the first two of this four-game series by scoring 11 runs each on Thursday and Friday but were held in check yesterday and with the loss, fell 2 1/2 games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs in the NL Central (are also a half-game back of the second-place Brewers). |
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08-20-17 | Marlins v. Mets -158 | Top | 6-4 | Loss | -158 | 13 h 21 m | Show |
The set-up: The New York Mets came into Saturday's game with the Marlins on a 1-8 run at home in Citi Field, a span in which they had averaged a paltry 2.3 RPG. It was more of the same through five innings on Saturday for New York but then, a seven-run outburst in the sixth led to an 8-1 win. It was the most runs New York has scored at home since July 15 and it snapped the club's five-game overall losing streak overall. The Mets now set their sights on a series win when they host the Miami Marlins in the rubber match of this three-game series Sunday afternoon. Miami lost for just the second time in eight games, as Giancarlo Stanton was walked three times while being kept in the ballpark for the third straight game, which follows his string of six straight contests with a HR. |
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08-19-17 | Nationals v. Padres OVER 7.5 | Top | 1-3 | Loss | -120 | 23 h 27 m | Show |
full analysis |
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08-19-17 | White Sox v. Rangers UNDER 12 | Top | 7-17 | Loss | -120 | 23 h 52 m | Show |
The set-up: The Texas Rangers took a four-game winning streak, one in which they had scored 37 runs (9.25 per), into Friday night's second contest of a four-game series with the Chicago White Sox, owners of the American League's worst record. However, Texas was held to just three runs on six hits in the one-run loss. It was just the Rangers' second loss in their last nine games, as the club sits 1 1/2 games behind Minnesota and the LA Angels in the battle for the American League's second wild card. Chicago ended a five-game losing streak but the White Sox have been in a free-fall since July 4, going 9-32 to leave them with a 46-73 record (only the Phillies, at 43-77, are worse in all of MLB!). |
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08-19-17 | Diamondbacks -138 v. Twins | Top | 0-5 | Loss | -138 | 23 h 32 m | Show |
The set-up: The Twins took the first of their three-game IL series with the D'backs last night, winning 10-3. Minnesota has come out of a slump post-break to win nine of 12 and move into a tie with the LA Angels for the second wild card in the American League. Meanwhile, while the Diamondbacks also hold down the same spot in the NL but with a four-game cushion over St. Louis. However, while Minnesota is streaking, Arizona is fighting a slump, having lost nine of its last 3.The pitching matchup: Zack Greinke (14-5 & 3.01 ERA) gets the ball on Saturday for Arizona and the Twins will counter with Jose Berrios (10-5 & 4.27 ERA). Greinke threw 6 2/3 scoreless innings while fanning nine to defeat Houston 2-0 his last time out. It was the fifth straight start in which he has finished at least six innings and left him one win shy of tying Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers for the lead in the National League. Greinke saw plenty of the Twins from his days in Kansas City and is just 4-8 with a 4.50 ERA over 10 career starts (teams are 5-14). Berrios is coming off poor starts in back-to-back outings, allowing five runs in five innings but escaped with a 6-5 win August 6. He then lasted just 3 1/3 innings while giving up six runs in a wild 12-11 Minnesota los to Detroit on Aug 12 (escaped with a no-decision). This is Berrios' second season (joined the rotation in mid-May of 2017) and after a strong start in which he went 7-1 with a 2.98 ERA in his first eight starts, he's gone 3-4 over his last nine (Twins are 3-6), with his ERA rising to 4.27 on the season. This is his first career start vs. Arizona.
The pick: The good news for Minnesota fans is that Berrios sports a 2.89 ERA in five career interleague starts but I don't believe that's a good enough reason to go against Greinke. Greinke is 6-1 with a 2.78 ERA in his last nine starts (D'backs are 7-2), giving him MLB's fifth-best moneyline mark of plus-$912 (17-7 in all starts). Make Arizona an 8* play. |
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08-18-17 | Brewers v. Rockies -168 | Top | 4-8 | Win | 100 | 20 h 1 m | Show |
analysis coming |
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08-17-17 | White Sox v. Rangers -153 | Top | 8-9 | Win | 100 | 25 h 22 m | Show |
The set-up: The Texas Rangers remain in the AL wild card hunt, although they are hardly alone. Texas rolled up 28 runs in a three-game home sweep of the Detroit Tigers to pull within two games of the LA Angels for the second wild card but they are one of SEVEN teams withing 3 1/2 games of that final playoff spot.The Rangers now welcome the Chicago White Sox to Arlington having won six of their last seven games and with hope of continuing their momentum against the White Sox. Chicago has lost four straight and seven of 35 since July 4, leaving them with the AL's worst record at 45-72. Chicago's latest loss was painful, as the White Sox allowed three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning Wednesday to suffer a 5-4 loss to the LA Dodgers, giving them a 20-41 road record.. |
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08-16-17 | Tigers v. Rangers -172 | Top | 6-12 | Win | 100 | 1 h 25 m | Show |
accidentally entered. Not a play. |
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08-16-17 | Giants v. Marlins -159 | Top | 1-8 | Win | 100 | 13 h 24 m | Show |
The set-up: Giancarlo Stanton has homered in six consecutive games (two short of the major league record) and has homered in 23 of his last 35, giving 44 on the season. However, his solo shot in last night's game didn't much help, as the Marlins lost 9-4 at home to the Giants. Miami is 57-61 on the season, 14 1/2 games back of the Nats in the NL East and the Giants are 48-73, an incredible 37 1/2 games back of the Dodgers in the NL West. The teams play the rubber match of this three-game series early this afternoon at Marlins Park. |
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08-15-17 | Indians -165 v. Twins | Top | 8-1 | Win | 100 | 27 h 42 m | Show |
The set-up: The Cleveland Indians won the final three of their four-game series at Tampa Bay this past weekend and were to continue their 10-game road trip with six games this week (at Minnesota and Kansas City), beginning tonight. However, Cleveland had to make a 'pit stop' Monday at Fenway to make up a rain out with the Red Sox, who were on a 9-1 run. Edwin Encarnacion hit pair of two-run HRs in Monday's 7-3 win over Boston, extending Cleveland's winning streak to four games. Monday's make-up date means the Indians haven't had a day off since July 20 and won't have another one until August 31. However, the busy schedule has worked well for the Indians, who are 16-7 since the team's last off day and in the process, have opened a five-game lead in the AL Central. The 59-57 Twins, along with the Royals, are both five games back of the Indians and Minnesota will open this series having won seven of eight.
The pitching matchup: Danny Salazar (4-5 & 4.15 ERA) gets the start for Cleveland and Bartolo Colón (4-9 & 6.77 ERA) for Minnesota. Salazar has permitted four runs in four starts since returning from a seven-week stint on the disabled list (1.42 ERA) but has been able to win just once (Indians are just 2-2). Salazar also has 36 strikeouts in 25 1/3 innings in that span. He gave up one run in six innings to win at Minnesota on April 17, making him 4-3 with a 4.45 ERA in 11 career starts vs. Minnesota (team is 7-4). The Twins picked up Colon after he was waived by Atlanta, where he was 2-8 with an 8.14 ERA. The Twins lost Colon's first three starts (5.87 ERA) but then Colon won 8-4 over Texas on Aug. 4 with a complete game. He followed with seven scoreless innings of a 4-0 win at Milwaukee. He takes the mound 2-1 in five starts with Minnesota (team is 2-3) but his ERA of 4.02 has cut in half his ERA with the Braves. The veteran has 12 career starts against the Indians, going 7-4 with a 3.81 ERA (teams are 8-4). The pick: Minnesota swept a three game series at Cleveland in late June but is 0-7 at home against the Indians this season while getting outscored 48-15. That's in line with how these two teams have performed all season, as the Indians own a better road record than home record and the Twins own a better road record than home mark. What changes here? Make Cleveland a 10* play. |
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08-14-17 | Indians v. Red Sox OVER 10 | Top | 7-3 | Push | 0 | 11 h 3 m | Show |
The set-up: The Boston Red Sox visited the Bronx for a three-game weekend series with the hated Yankees, beginning on Friday. Boston came to Yankees Stadium on an eight-game winning streak and with a 4 1/2 games lead in the AL East. However, the team's bullpen, which is having an outstanding season, imploded Friday night, allowing a five-run Yankee eighth-inning, as Boston's winning streak was snapped 5-4. The Red Sox recovered nicely though, winning 10-5 on Saturday afternoon and then last night on ESPN, Andrew Benintendi, who hit a pair of three-run HRs on Saturday, drove in the winning run in Sunday's 3-2 win. Boston has now won 10 of its last 11, while opening a 5 1/2-game lead over New York. Benintendi has played a big part in Boston’s surge, going 13-for-27 with four HRs and 11 RBI during a seven-game hitting streak. The Indians make a one-day visit to Fenway Park on Monday, for the makeup of a rained-out game back on August 2. Cleveland took the final three contests of its four-game set in Tampa Bay over the weekend to increase its lead in the AL Central to 4 1.2 games, as new acquisition Jay Bruce (from the Mets) made an immediate impact by going 5-for-12 with three RBI. |
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08-13-17 | Red Sox v. Yankees OVER 8 | Top | 3-2 | Loss | -100 | 12 h 21 m | Show |
The set-up: The Yankees ended Boston's eight-game winning streak with a five-run 8th inning leading to a comeback 5-4 Friday night victory. However, rookie Andrew Benintendi hit a pair of three-run HRs in Saturday's 10-5 Boston win, giving the Red Sox nine wins in their last 10 and regaining the 4 1/2 game lead in the AL East the team had when this series began Friday night. The rubber match of a three-game series goes Sunday night on ESPN, as Boston looks to increase its lead in the East to 5 1/2 games while New York, which leads the AL wild card race by 2 1/2 games, looks to avoid a fourth straight non-winning series (Yankees are 5-7 in that stretch). The pitching matchup: Chris Sale (14-4 & 2.57 ERA) goes for Boston and the Yanks send rookie Jordan Montgomery (7-6 & 4.05 ERA) to the mound. Sale is coming off a dominating outing in which he struck out 13 while limiting the Tampa Bay Rays to two hits in eight scoreless innings of a 2-0 win this past Tuesday. The AL Cy Young favorite has not allowed an earned run in four of his five starts since the All-Star break and has not suffered a loss since July 6. Sale had no trouble with the New York lineup back on July 15, when he scattered three hits and struck out 13 over 7 2/3 scoreless innings (note: the Yanks won 4-1 in 16 innings). That follows a theme, as although Sale owns a 1.36 ERA in nine career starts vs. the Yanks, his teams are just 4-5! Montgomery made a brief trip to the minors this week but came back when CC Sabathia went on the disabled list and is trying to pick up where he left off after holding the Cleveland Indians to one run and three hits over five innings on Aug. 5. He was hit in the head with a line drive during batting practice on Saturday but went through tests and is expected to make the start. Montgomery was not at his best at Boston on July 14, when he allowed three runs on six hits and three walks in four innings (Boston won 5-4). The pick: I realize Sale comes in on a roll but the Yankees have averaged 5.69 RPG at home. As for Boston, the Red Sox have averaged 6.40 RPG during a 9-1 stretch and I'll make the over a 10* play. |
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08-13-17 | Astros -145 v. Rangers | Top | 2-1 | Win | 100 | 7 h 21 m | Show |
The set-up: No team will be able to catch the Houston Astros in the AL West but the Angels, Mariners and Rangers are all still alive in the wild card hunt. The Rangers followed Friday's 6-4 win over the Astros with an 8-3 win Saturday night and have now moved within 2 1/2 games of the AL's second wild card by posting three straight wins. Texas goes for its fourth win in a row, as well as a three-game sweep of the first-place Astros Sunday afternoon in Arlington. Houston has lost the first five of its eight-game road trip and while the Astros still own a 12-game margin tin the division, they have lost 11 of their last 14 games. |
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08-12-17 | Orioles v. A's UNDER 9.5 | Top | 12-5 | Loss | -120 | 27 h 49 m | Show |
The set-up: The Orioles have fought their way back into the wild card discussion in recent weeks but squandered a late lead last night and fell 5-4 in Oakland. and dropped a 5-4 decision. Baltimore missed an opportunity to reach the .500 mark for the season on Friday and now (at 57-59), must win the remaining two of this four-games series with the A's to achieve that mark. The setback was the third in four contests for the Orioles, who are now two games back of the Minnesota Twins in the race for the second wild-card spot in the American League. Oakland staged an eighth-inning rally to halt its three-game slide, earning their first win on their current nine-game homestand (1-3 so far). The A's are going nowhere in 2017, as the team's 51-65 record is better than only the White Sox's 45-68 mark in the American League. The pitching matchup: Dylan Bundy (11-8 & 4.15 ERA) starts for Baltimore and Sean Manaea (8-6 & 4.15 ERA) for Oakland. Bundy recorded a career-high 10 strikeouts over seven innings in Monday's 6-2 win in LA over the Angels. He's allowed just two ERs over his last two starts (15 innings for a 1.20 ERA) but that comes after allowing 19 runs in 20 1/3 innings (8.55 ERA) over his previous four outings. This is Bundy's first-ever start against Oakland. Manaea hasn't won in any of his last four starts (he's 0-1 with a 6.63 ERA and the A's are 1-3). Like Bundy, Manaea will be facing Baltimore for the first time in his brief career. The pick: I played last night's Bal/Oak game under and despite some late bullpen woes, cashed that ticket by a half-run. Tonight's win will come easier. Make the Under an 8* play. |
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08-12-17 | Royals -153 v. White Sox | Top | 5-4 | Win | 100 | 25 h 55 m | Show |
The set-up: The Royals were within 1 1/2 games of the AL Central lead as recently as July 26 but they've dropping five straight and 10 of their last 12 after a 6-3 loss in Friday’s series opener at Chicago. Kansas City is now five games back of Cleveland in the AL Central and while te Royals are just 1 1/2 games out of the final AL wild card spot, four teams are ahead of them, plus Baltimore is one back of KC and Texas two games back. The White Sox still own the AL's worst record at 45-68, but Friday's victory gives them four straight wins. |
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08-12-17 | Red Sox v. Yankees -155 | Top | 10-5 | Loss | -155 | 22 h 50 m | Show |
The set-up: The Boston Red Sox had opened a 4 1/2 game lead over the Yankees entering this weekend's three-game series, on teh strength of an eight-game winning streak (Yanks entered having lost six of nine). Boston held a 3-0 lead going into the eighth inning in Friday's series opener and the Red Sox looked safe, considering they owned the best bullpen (according to ERA) in all of MLB. However, Addison Reed, the latest addition to the relief corps, was charged with four runs without recording an out as the Red Sox bullpen had a 19-inning scoreless streak come to an end,as the team went on to suffer a 5-4 loss. Boston's lead over the Yankees in the American League East was trimmed to 3 1/2 games and the etam's eight-game winning streak was snapped. Maybe the Yanks are pulling out of a funk, as they now own four wins over their last six games, afdter a four-game slide. The series continues this afternoon in the Bronx, as the Yankees still get plenty of head-to-head chances to make up ground in the East with nine more games against the Red Sox. |
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08-11-17 | Orioles v. A's UNDER 9.5 | Top | 4-5 | Win | 100 | 14 h 13 m | Show |
The set-up: The Baltimore Orioles opened the 2017 season 22-10 but by the All Star break, were just 42-46. Baltimore returned from the break and lost all three games at home to the Cubs (falling to 42-49) but have since gone 15-9 to climb back in the wild card race. Currently, the Orioles sit just 1 1/2 games out of the final AL wild card spot, although it's a log-jam with six teams within 1 1/2 games of each other vying for ONE spot! The Orioles will attempt to move closer to a wild-card spot tonight in Oakland for the second contest of their four-game series. Baltimore began the series on Thursday with a 7-2 win and the fact that the A's are 50-65 on the season (owners of the AL's second-worst record), has to give Baltimore confidence. |
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08-11-17 | Pirates v. Blue Jays -136 | Top | 4-2 | Loss | -136 | 11 h 13 m | Show |
The set-up: The Pittsburgh Pirates have so far had little trouble in this week of interleague contests. The Pirates took three of four in a home-and-home set with the Tigers and now move on to Toronto to wrap up a week of seven IL games with the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. The Pirates pounded out 13 hits in a 7-5 win over the Tigers on Thursday The pitching matchup: Jameson Taillon (6-5 & 4.60 ERA) will take the mound for Pittsburgh and Marcus Stroman (10-5 & 3.17 ERA) for Toronto. After not making it through four innings in either of his previous two starts in which he allowed 17 ERs on 20 hits in 6 2/3 innings (woeful 22.95 ERA), Taillon struck out eight in 6 1/3 innings while allowing two runs on five hits in a win in his last start against San Diego (Pittsburgh would win 5-4 in 12 innings last Sunday). Taillon will be facing Toronto for the first time in his career but note he is 2-1 with a 1.93 ERA in five career interleague starts. Stroman surrendered 11 hits at Houston on Sunday but limited the damage to two earned runs in 6 2/3 innings without factoring in the decision (Jays lost 7-6). In fact, he has not been part of the decision in four of his last five starts despite surrendering three runs or less in each of those no decisions. Stroman appeared once in relief previously against Pittsburgh (no starts) but is 8-1 with a 2.38 ERA in 14 career interleague games, including 11 starts. The pick: Pittsburgh has won six of its last eight games but will face a tough test here against Stroman. He may have just two wins over his last six starts but he deserves much better, posting a 2.50 ERA. His 8-1 record and 2.38 ERA in IL games speaks volumes and here in 2017, he's 3-1 with a 2.73 ERA in four interleague starts. Make Toronto an 8* play. |
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08-10-17 | Dodgers -160 v. Diamondbacks | Top | 8-6 | Win | 100 | 21 h 1 m | Show |
The set-up: The Dodgers lost 6-3 at Chase Field on Tuesday but rebounded last night with a 3-2 victory, becoming the first team to record 80 wins this season. The accolades just keep piling up for this LA team. Los Angeles has won five of its last six contests to improve to 6-2 on its nine-game road trip and became the first team since 1913 to reach the 80-win mark in its first 113 contests. The Dodgers have won 14 of 16 games and 45 of 53. They have won 14 of their past 17 series, splitting the three others. The rubber match of this three-game series goes tonight and LA has not dropped a series since losing two of three to Washington from June 5-7. Arizona has lost three of its last four contests to fall one-half game behind the Rockies for the first NL wild card spot but the D'backs own a 6 1/2-game lead for the second wild card. The pitching matchup: Yu Darvish (7-9 & 3.81 ERA overall in 2017) will start for LA and Anthony Banda (1-1 & 3.86 ERA) gets the nod for Arizona. Darvish had a brilliant debut with Los Angeles this past Friday, scattering three hits and striking out 10 over seven scoreless innings in a 6-0 victory over the Mets at Citi Field. It was an enormous turnaround, as he had been battered for 10 runs over 3 2/3 innings of a 22-10 loss to Miami on July 26 in his final outing with Texas before being traded five days later. Darvish has made two career starts against Arizona, going 1-0 while allowing four runs (2.45 ERA) and recording 28 strikeouts over just 14 2/3 innings (Rangers were 1-1). Banda is coming off a 2-1 triumph at San Francisco on Friday in which he gave up one run and three hits over six innings in his second major-league start. Banda will be facing Los Angeles for the first time and has posted a 7-6 record and 5.13 ERA in 19 starts for Triple-A this season. The pick: The contrast on the mound could not be much greater, as Banda makes his third career start and one can hardly be impressed by his 5.13 ERA in Triple-A in 2017. Meanwhile, Darvish is a No. 1 starter on most teams (he'll be No. 2 for LA when Kershaw returns) and rose to the occasion in his first start for LA. Expect another quality outing here and that LA lineup will teach Banda a thing or two. Make the Dodgers a 10* play. |
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08-10-17 | Royals v. Cardinals OVER 8.5 | Top | 6-8 | Win | 100 | 19 h 34 m | Show |
The set-up: The St. Louis Cardinals elected to 'stay pat' at the non-waiver trade deadline and all of a sudden, have surged into contention in the NL Central. The Cardinals go for a four-game sweep of their I-70 Series with the Royals Thursday night, while looking to make it six wins in a row, overall. The Cardinals outscored the Royals 21-6 in two wins at Kansas City to open the series, then won 8-5 last night back in St. Louis. The Cards are now 58-56 (in a virtual tie with the 59-57 Brewers) and have inched within 1 1/2 games of the first-place Cubs. Meanwhile, the Royals have dropped five of their last six to fall four games behind first-place Cleveland in the AL Central and one back of Seattle for the second wild-card spot The pitching matchup: Jason Hammel (5-9 & 4.73 ERA) takes the mound for KC and Lance Lynn (10-6 & 3.12 ERA) for StL. Hammel has recorded quality starts in each of his last two outings and four of his last six but it's been a looong year for him, as the Royals are 7-15 in his 2017 starts (minus-$658). Hammel is 4-6 with a 5.69 ERA in 13 career starts against the Cardinals (teams are 5-8). Lynn enters on a roll, having gone 4-0 with a 1.21 ERA over his last six starts and has allowed more than one run only once during that stretch (Cards are 5-1). Lynn has made just three career starts against the Royals, without much success (6.38 ERA). The pick: The Cards are looking for a season-high sixth straight win and come in swinging the bats very well, averaging 9.2 RPG in their five consecutive wins. No reason to expect Hammel to slow them down here and while Lynn is "on a roll," his 6.38 career ERA against the Royals make me say Over in this one (8* play). |
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08-10-17 | Pirates -143 v. Tigers | Top | 7-5 | Win | 100 | 13 h 31 m | Show |
The set-up: The Tigers managed just three runs in two losses at Pittsburgh (Monday and Tuesday) against the Pirates but pounded out 14 hits in Wednesday 10-0 win at Comerica Park last night. Justin Verlander rolled back the clock (8 IP / 1 hit / 0 runs) and now Detroit will look to earn a sweep of the home portion of its four-game, home-and-home interleague set with Pittsburgh on Thursday afternoon. The 52-61 Tigers aren't much of a threat to play this postseason, as they sit six games out of the final wild card spot in the AL, with EIGHT teams ahead of them. As for the 56-58 Pirates, they still remain in striking distance in the NL Central, a mere 3 1/2 games back of the Cubs. The pitching matchup: Gerrit Cole (9-8 & 4.00 ERA) will take the hill for Pittsburgh and Drew VerHagen (0-1 & 5.00 ERA) for Detroit. Cole turned in his sixth straight quality start this past Saturday against San Diego but suffered his first loss in that span while allowing three runs on eight hits and two walks in six innings of a 5-2 Padres win. The former No. 1 overall pick had surrendered a total of eight ER in 32 innings over his previous five starts (2.25 ERA with Cole going 3-0 and Pittsburgh 5-0). Cole is 8-5 with a 3.34 ERA in 16 career interleague starts, including 1-1 with a 2.41 mark in three starts against Detroit (Pirates are 2-1). VerHagen, who made 40 relief appearances from 2014-2016, is getting a second chance to start after allowing two runs on four hits in five innings without factoring in the decision at Baltimore on Saturday (Orioles won 5-2). He made two appearances out of the bullpen after being recalled in July and surrendered a total of three runs in four innings in that role. VerHagen went 7-7 with a 4.90 ERA in 19 starts for Triple-A Toledo before being recalled. The pick: Cole will be making his 24th start this season, three more than he had during his injury-marred 2016 campaign."It's been nice to be healthy and contribute," Cole said. "That's our goal here, so it's been fortunate to be given this opportunity. I've just got to keep plugging away at it." One could easily argue that he's become Pittsburgh's ace, as he's 6-2 with a 2.98 ERA over his last 10 starts (Pirates are 8-2). Cole and Pittsburgh are the bet (8*). |
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08-09-17 | Dodgers -117 v. Diamondbacks | Top | 3-2 | Win | 100 | 14 h 52 m | Show |
The set-up: The Dodgers are wrapping up a nine-game road trip with a three-game series in Arizona against the D'backs. Arizona posted a 6-3 triumph in Tuesday's opener, snapping LaAs string of four straight victories and dropping the Dodgers to 5-2 on their nine-game trip. The 64-48 Diamondbacks won't be catching the Dodgers this season (are 15 games back) but for a team which went 69-93 in 2016, Arizona has to be pretty satisfied with its performance in 2017. Arizona currently holds down the No. 1 wild card spot in the NL (just a half-game up on Colorado) and is 6 1/2 games clear of the NL playoff 'cut line.' The pitching matchup: Alex Wood (13-1 & 2.33 ERA) continues his "career year" for LA when he takes the mound tonight against Zack Greinke (13-4 & 3.10 ERA), who spurned the Dodgers by signing a FA deal with the D'backs after the 2015 season. Wood suffered his only loss of the season on July 21 vs. the Braves but has rebounded with back-to-back wins, including a 7-4 triumph in Atlanta last Thursday in which he allowed one run over six innings. Wood is 3-3 with a 3.46 ERA in seven career starts against Arizona (teams are 3-4). Greinke managed to extend his unbeaten streak to seven starts on Thursday, as he escaped Chicago with a no-decision after being ripped by the Cubs for six runs on nine hits over six innings. He has gone 5-0 since suffering his last loss on June 20, with the D'backs going 6-1. Greinke recorded 51 wins with Los Angeles from 2013-15 but fell to 3-3 lifetime against the Dodgers in eight starts (teams are 5-3), after giving up five runs on 10 hits and three walks over five innings of a road loss on April 14 of this season. The pick: Greinke is 10-0 with a 2.39 ERA in 12 starts at home this season (D'backs are 11-1) but note that he owns a 5.60 ERA in three starts against the Dodgers since leaving them to sign with the D'backs. Wood owns a 1.55 ERA and 0.99 WHIP in eight road starts this year and in case you haven't heard, he pitches for MLB's best team. Make the Dodgers an 8* play. |
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08-09-17 | Astros v. White Sox UNDER 10 | Top | 1-7 | Win | 100 | 13 h 34 m | Show |
The set-up: The Astros still own the AL's best record at 71-41, as well as owning MLB's best overall road record at 38-16. However, last night's 8-5 loss in Chicago to the White Sox leaves Houston just 11-12 since the All Star break. Chicago snapped a six-game slide with the win but it was just the team's fourth win in 23 games since the break, as the White Sox own the AL's worst record here in 2017 at 42-68. Chicago goes for back-to-back wins for the first time this month tonight, in the second of this three-game series. Meanwhile, the the Astros look to regain their mojo after losing seven of their past 10 games. The pitching matchup: Collin McHugh (0-0 & 3.24 ERA) missed 3 1/2 months with an elbow impingement and takes the mound for just the fourth time in 2017 tonight for Houston. He will be opposed by Miguel Gonzalez (5-10 & 5.15 ERA) of the White Sox. McHugh surrendered one earned run for the second straight outing in last Thursday's game versus Tampa Bay but is still looking for his first decision of the season (he's 0-0 and the team 1-2). McHugh surrendered just five hits and struck out six in six innings against the Rays to walk away with a smile. "It feels good to throw a full 100 pitches, to get a full game in," he said. "It's been a long time for me. So, I think it's a step in the right direction for sure." McHugh is 0-3 with a 4.00 ERA in three career starts vs. the White Sox. Gonzalez saw his streak of three solid starts end (2.33 ERA in that span) with a thud on Thursday after allowing seven runs on seven hits in just 1 2/3 innings of a 9-5 loss at Boston. Gonzalez is 1-4 with a 3.95 ERA in six career starts vs. the Astros (teams are 2-4). The pick: McHugh has looked good in his last two outings and should have little trouble vs. a White Sox lineup that ranks 24th in scoring in all of MLB at 4.30 RPG. As for Gonzalez, I expect him to bounce back from his last awful outing (remember he owned a 2.33 ERA in his previous three starts), against a Houston team "off its game." Make the Under an 8* play. |
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08-09-17 | Padres v. Reds -139 | Top | 3-8 | Win | 100 | 12 h 34 m | Show |
The set-up: The Padres and Reds own two of MLB's worst records and opened a four-game series Monday in Cincinnati. The two teams have taken took turns pounding each other in the first two of this four-game set, as the Reds hit four HRs in an 11-3 win on Monday but then watched San Diego jump on top quickly (led 7-0) in a 7-3 Padres win last night. Recently, the Reds are enduring a stretch in which they've been held to four or fewer runs in five of the last six games, while the Padres are last in the National League in runs scored (430 / 3.84 per). San Diego checks in at 50-62 and Cincinnati at 46-67. |
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08-09-17 | Rockies v. Indians -160 | Top | 3-2 | Loss | -160 | 5 h 35 m | Show |
The set-up: The Colorado Rockies were one strike from a 1-0 victory in Tuesday's game before Cleveland's Austin Jackson delivered a tying RBI single and Yan Gomes followed with a walk-off, three-run HR, giving the Indians a 4-1 victory in the first of a two-game IL series between the two playoff contenders.The Indians moved four games ahead of the Royals atop the AL Central, while the Rockies maintained a comfortable six-game lead over the Brewers for the NL's final wild card spot (Colorado is just a half-game back of the D'backs for the No. 1 wild card spot). |
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08-08-17 | Cubs -172 v. Giants | Top | 3-6 | Loss | -172 | 23 h 35 m | Show |
analysis coming |
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08-08-17 | Astros v. White Sox UNDER 10 | Top | 5-8 | Loss | -100 | 20 h 30 m | Show |
analysis coming |
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08-08-17 | Yankees v. Blue Jays -122 | Top | 2-4 | Win | 100 | 19 h 25 m | Show |
The set-up: The NY Yankees will visit Toronto to take on the Blue Jays in a three-game series. Toronto has played in each of the last two ALCS matchups but here in 2017, it's the Yankees who are the playoff contender, not the Blue Jays. The Yankees opened the season having made the playoffs in just one of the last four seasons (lost the wild card game in 2015 to the Astros) but enter this series 59-51, good enough for second in the AL East (three games behind the first-place Boston Red Sox) but also 2 1/2 games up in the race for the first AL wild card spot. In contrast, the 52-59 Blue Jays are last in the AL East (10 1/2 games removed from first), as well as sitting five games out of the second wild-card spot but with SEVEN teams ahead of them! |
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08-07-17 | Cardinals v. Royals UNDER 9 | Top | 11-3 | Loss | -115 | 20 h 11 m | Show |
The set-up: This year’s I-70 Series comes with plenty on the line, as both the Royals and Cardinals enter the four-game home-and-home series Monday at Kansas City with hopes of making a playoff push.The 57-53 Royals are just 2 1/2 games behind first-place Cleveland in the AL Central plus currently own the AL's second wild card spot (two games back of the NYY and a half-game up on TB). The 55-56 Cardinals sit eight games out in the NL Wild card race but in the tight NL Central, trail the first-place Cubs by just 3 1/2 games, so the Cards are far from "out of it!" |
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08-07-17 | Tigers v. Pirates -153 | Top | 0-3 | Win | 100 | 19 h 1 m | Show |
The set-up: The Tigers caught some attention by taking two of three from both AL-leading Houston and the New York Yankees before opening a four-game series at Camden Yards by beating the Orioles on Thursday and Friday. Detroit entered the weekend having won six of eight and on a season-high-tying four-game wining streak but it came to a crashing halt as Baltimore hit three HRs in a 5-2 Saturday win and five more in Sunday's 12-3 victory. The Tigers are now 8 1/2 games back of Cleveland in the AL Central and six games behind Kansas City for the second wild-card spot. Over in the NL Central, Pittsburgh was able to creep within 4 1/2 games of the first-place Cubs with Sunday's 5-4 victory over San Diego, as newcomer Sean Rodriguez belted a walk-off solo HR in the 12th inning a day after being acquired from Atlanta. The Pirates recorded their 15th consecutive win when scoring at least four runs. The two teams play two at PNC Park in Pittsburgh before shifting to Detroit's Comerica Park for two games in a home-and-home setup. The pitching matchup: Jordan Zimmermann (7-8 & 5.35 ERA) takes the mound for Detroit and rookie Trevor Williams (4-4 & 4.47 ERA) will get the nod for Pittsburgh. Zimmermann missed out on an opportunity to record his first shutout of the season on Wednesday due to a rain delay of more than three hours in New York but settled for the victory after allowing six hits across seven scoreless innings. He has turned in three quality starts in four tries since the All Star break and has not walked a batter in any of those three efforts. Zimmermann notched his only win in three career starts versus the Pirates last season, tossing six scoreless innings in Pittsburgh on April 14 (he's 1-2 with a 4.00 ERA). Williams settled for another no-decision his last time out, allowing two runs on six hits over 5 1/3 innings (Pirates lost 5-2 to the Reds this past Wednesday). It marked his 10th no-decision in 16 starts this season (Pirates are 7-9). Williams is 1-0 with a 3.42 ERA in four starts since the All-Star break (Pirates are 2-2) and makes his first-ever career start against the Tigers.. The pick: Yes, Detroit has won nine of its past 15 road games, after starting the season with a 15-28 (.349) record away from Comerica Park. However, trusting Zimmermann away from home is a dangerous proposition. He was a solid part of Washington's rotation for years but injuries limited him to just 18 starts last year with the Tigers, when he went 9-7 with a 4.87 ERA. He's been healthier in 2017 but his ERA is a career-worst 5.35 and he's allowed 142 hits in 119.1 innings. On the road, his ERA is 5.95 and his WHIP is 1.65, while the Tigers have lost nine of his 12 starts. Make Pittsburgh a 10* play. |
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08-06-17 | Dodgers v. Mets UNDER 9.5 | Top | 8-0 | Win | 100 | 13 h 45 m | Show |
The set-up: With Saturday's 7-4 win at Citi Field over the Mets, the Los Angeles Dodgers got their 43rd win in their past 50 games, giving them the best 50-game run by a big league team since the 1912 New York Giants compiled the same mark. The Dodgers are 43-7 since June 7 and the 1912 Giants had the same record from May 14 to July 3 that season. The Dodgers hit five HRs in rallying past the Mets to extend their incredible surge. Los Angeles has won all but one of its past 13 games, upping the top record in MLB to an astounding 78-32. That puts the Dodgers at 46 games above .500 for the first time since they were 98-51 back on Sept. 15, 1962. Note that the 1962 team didn't even win the pennant after dropping a best-of-three playoff to rival San Francisco. This year's Dodgers are looking to end a World Series drought that dates to the franchise's last championship in 1988. As for the 2017 Mets, not so much! They are now 49-59 on the season (15 games back of the Nats in the NL East) and have now been outscored 49-15 by the Dodgers in six games in 2017 (all LA wins). The Dodgers have hit 23 HRs in those six games, extending to eight, their winning streak over the Mets dating back to last season.
The pitching matchup: Hyun-Jin Ryu (3-6 & 3.83 ERA) starts for Los Angeles and Steven Matz (2-4 & 5.50 ERA) takes the mound for the Mets. Ryu needed only 85 pitches to toss seven scoreless innings last time out against San Francisco, as the Dodgers wold go on to win 3-2 in 11 innings. That start was typical for Ryu as of late, as the lefty hasn't recorded a decision in his last four starts, despite recording a 2.38 ERA in that span. It's also worth noting that he owns a 2.16 ERA in four career starts vs. the Mets (he's 2-0 and the Dodgers 4-0!). In contrast, Matz has lost three straight decisions and is 0-2 with a 12.21 ERA in four starts since the All-Star break (Mets are 1-3). |
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08-06-17 | Padres v. Pirates -174 | Top | 4-5 | Win | 100 | 6 h 20 m | Show |
The set-up: San Diego rookie Dinelson Lamet surrendered two runs on two hits in San Diego last weekend in beating the Pirates 4-2. He was sharp again on the other side of the country last night in Pittsburgh, striking out five against three walks and allowing just one hit over 5 2/3 innings in a 5-2 victory over the Pirates.The 49-60 Padres are just playing to get better from now until the end of the season while the Pirates have grander designs, as they are still within striking distance in the NL Central, lurking 5 1/2 games out in the division. However, Pittsburgh's penchant for struggling against losing teams, is hurting its chances. The Pirates are now 3-7 in their last 10 games, all against teams at least 10 games under .500! The rubber match of this three-game series goes Sunday. |
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08-05-17 | Diamondbacks -137 v. Giants | Top | 4-5 | Loss | -137 | 13 h 45 m | Show |
The set-up: Arizona eked out a 2-1 win in the series opener of its three-game series with the Giants last night. Paul Goldschmidt went 3-for-4 with both RBI, one day after hitting a career-best three HRs and driving in six in a 10-8 victory over the Chicago Cubs. Goldschmidt is 17-for-34 with four HRs and 13 RBI over his last 10 games, with seven multi-hit contests in that span. Arizona remains a half-game up on Colorado in the race for the top wild card spot plus is six full games inside of the NL's playoff 'cut line.' As for the Giants, their 42-69 record is better than only the Phillies in all of MLB , while their minus-$3110 moneyline mark is a MLB-worst! The pitching matchup: Taijuan Walker (6-5 & 3.55 ERA) vs.gets the start for the D'backs and rookie Chris Stratton (0-2 & 7.71 ERA) makes his second start and fifth appearance of the season for the Giants. Walker last won back on June 21 (16-5 against Colorado) but is win-less in six starts since then (he's 0-2 and the Rockies 2-4). However, he did strike out 10 in just 5 2/3 innings against St. Louis in his last outing while giving up three runs on four hits en route to the 3-2 loss. Walker is 2-1 with a 3.50 ERA in three career starts against the Giants, with the loss occurring on April 10 of this season. Stratton lost his only previous start, 6-2 to Detroit on July 6, when he gave up five runs on six hits over 6 2/3 innings as a late fill-in for the injured Johnny Cueto. Stratton also walked five in that loss to the Tigers and has 13 walks in 24 major-league innings over the last two seasons. The pick: What's to like about the Giants with an very inexperienced pitcher on the mound? It's a rhetorical question. Make the D'backs an 8* play. |
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08-05-17 | Blue Jays v. Astros OVER 8.5 | Top | 4-3 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 46 m | Show |
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08-05-17 | Dodgers -177 v. Mets | Top | 7-4 | Win | 100 | 8 h 41 m | Show |
The set-up: Yu Darvish was pretty good (a huge understatement) in his LA Dodgers debut on Friday, striking out 10 over seven scoreless innings of LA's 6-0 victory. It was LA's 11th win in 12 outing and as the Dodgers continue this three-game series in New Yrok against the Mets, they are in the midst of one of the best two-month stretches in major-league history. The Dodgers eye a 43rd victory in their last 50 contests in Saturday afternoon's game at Citi Field when they continue their three-game series Saturday in New York. Los Angeles has won eight of its last nine on the road and owns a 14-game lead in the NL West, plus is 12 games better that the NL's second-best team, the Washington Nats. Meanwhile, New York has dropped five of its last six to fall 12 1/2 games back of Colorado for the second and final NL wild-card spot (can you say good night?). The pitching matchup: Rich Hill (8-4 & 3.35 ERA) will get the start for LA and Seth Lugo (5-3 & 4.53 ERA) for New York. Hill comes in on a roll, with five consecutive starts in which he has allowed two runs or less. He finished July 4-0 with a 1.45 ERA in five starts (Dodgers are 5-0), while striking out 40 and walking only five. Hill fanned eight and permitted one run on four hits in a win versus the Mets on June 21, improving to 1-2 with a 9.00 ERA in five appearances (three starts / team is 1-2) against them. Lugo is coming off one of his worst efforts of the season in last Sunday's 9-1 loss at Seattle in which he surrendered five runs on eight hits (including two HRs) in five innings. Lugo went 2-2 with a 5.29 ERA in July but overall, is 10-4 with a 3.72 ERA as a starter entering his 18th career start here, as he faces the Dodgers for the first time. The pick: The Mets own the second-worst ERA in the NL (4.92) but own an 8.78 ERA in getting outscored 42-11 by the Dodgers in five games (all LA wins). The Dodgers have hit 18 HRs in those five games, extending to seven, their winning streak over the Mets dating back to last season. Why should anything change here? Make the Dodgers an 8* play. |
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08-04-17 | A's v. Angels UNDER 9 | Top | 6-8 | Loss | -100 | 14 h 22 m | Show |
The set-up: The Angels come off a three-game sweep of the Phillies, giving them five wins in their last six to come within a game of .500 (54-55). The Angels welcome the Oakland A's to Angel Stadium, where they own a five-game winning streak. Los Angeles has closed to three games of the AL's final wild card spot (currently held by KC) and need to take advantage of the A's, who are just 48-61 overall, including 17-36 on the road (only the Phillies own a worse record away from home). The pitching matchup: Jharel Cotton (5-8 & 5.49 ERA) goes for the A's and Troy Scribner (1-0 & 4.50 ERA) will be make his third major-league appearance and first career start in this one for the Angels. Cotton was roughed up by Minnesota on Sunday in his first start since spending nearly a month on the disabled list due to blisters. He was lucky to escape with a no-decision, after allowing five runs on five hits (including two HRs) and five walks in 3 2/3 innings. Cotton defeated the Angels in his major-league debut back on Sept. 7 but is 0-2 against them this year after surrendering 12 runs over 9 1/3 frames in two outings for an 11.57 ERA (ouch!). Scribner worked a scoreless inning against Philadelphia on Tuesday, which followed him allowing two runs over three innings at Toronto in his debut three days earlier. The pick: Cotton has been awful at home in 2017 (7.56 ERA and 1.68 WHIP in eight starts) but in seven road starts, owns a 3.26 ERA and 1.24 WHIP. The Astros gave up on Scribner in 2015 but he has matured quickly in the Angels' organization, going 12-5 with a 3.41 ERA in Double-A and Triple-A last year, before going 10-3 with a 4.16 ERA in Triple A in 2017. The Angels called him up last week and he got the win in his first major league appearance, then pitched an inning of relief Tuesday. I'm optimistic for his first start. Make the Under an 8* play. |
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08-04-17 | Phillies v. Rockies -149 | Top | 3-4 | Win | 100 | 13 h 57 m | Show |
The set-up: The Rockies were able to take two of three at home over the NY Mets, by winning the rubber match of their series 5-4 last night. Colorado is 62-47 and a half-game back of Arizona for the No. 1 wild card spot in the NL. The Rockies are 5 1/2 games inside the playoff 'cut line,' as they welcome another struggling team from the NL East to Coors Field, the major league-worst Philadelphia Phillies (39-67). The pitching matchup: Vince Velasquez (2-6 & 4.91 ERA) gets the nod for Philly and Kyle Freeland (11-7 & 3.71 ERA) for Colorado. Velasquez's win-less streak reached eight starts on Sunday, when he settled for a no-decision against Atlanta despite scattering six hits over seven scoreless innings. He has allowed fewer than two ERs in four of his last five outings but has not won since defeating the Cubs in Chicago on May 1, going 0-4 (team is 3-5). However, let's note that he missed the entire month of June and more than half of July with an elbow injury. Velasquez is 1-0 with a 4.60 ERA in three career starts against Colorado (team is 3-0), including a no-decision on May 25 in which he gave up one run over five innings in a Philly win. Freeland has won three straight decisions (3-0 with a 2.01 ERA that four-game stretch / team is 3-1), including a tough outing at Washington on Sunday in which he allowed four runs - three earned - and nine hits over five innings in a 10-6 win. Freeland will be facing Philadelphia for the first time. The pick: The Phillies not only own MLB's worst overall record but its worst road record (16-38, minus-$1480), as well. Freeland leads all major-league rookies in victories (11) and innings (121 1/3) and comes in having allowed just two runs over 14 1/3 innings in winning his last two starts at home (1.26 ERA). The Rockies average 6.25 RPG at Coors and Freeland looks headed for a 15-win season. Make Colorado a 10* play. |
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08-04-17 | Cardinals v. Reds OVER 9.5 | Top | 2-3 | Loss | -120 | 11 h 58 m | Show |
The set-up: The Cards head to Cincinnati for a three-game weekend series with the Reds, off a 2-1 setback at Milwaukee on Thursday. It marked St. Louis' fourth loss in seven games and drops the Cards 4 1/2 games behind first-place Chicago in the NL Central. The cellar-dwelling Reds dropped a 6-0 decision to Pittsburgh on Thursday for their 15th loss in 20 games, leaving them 44-64 on the season, better than only the Giants and the Phillies in the entire NL. The pitching matchup: Mike Leake (7-9 & 3.29 ERA) takes the mound for St. Louis and Asher Wojciechowski (1-1 & 4.50 ERA) for Cincinnati. Leake had a strong start to the 2017 season (5-2 with a 1.92 ERA thru May 24) but owns a 2-7 mark since May 29 over 12 starts (Cards are 4-8) and is 0-4 with a 4.79 ERA in seven career starts against a Cincinnati (teams are 0-7!), a club with which he spent parts of six seasons. Wojciechowski has assumed a spot in the rotation in place of the struggling Tim Adleman, who has been moved to the bullpen. "Just wanted to get a different look," Reds manager Bryan Price told reporters of the 28-year-old Wojciechowski receiving Friday's start. "... The one thing that we really want to see is some evolution." Wojciechowski has allowed just one run on four hits and struck out 17 over six relief appearances since his return from Triple-A on July 2. Wojciechowski has one career start vs. the Cards (0-1 & 3.00 ERA / team is 1-0). The pick: Leake's season has crumbled and the fact that he's made seven career starts against the Reds with his teams going 0-7, hardly gives one confidence he can get things turned around here. As for Wojciechowski, his career ERA over 17 major league appearances (seven starts) is 5.36. Make the Over an 8* play. |
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08-04-17 | Nationals v. Cubs -143 | Top | 4-2 | Loss | -143 | 7 h 38 m | Show |
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08-03-17 | Phillies v. Angels -146 | Top | 4-5 | Win | 100 | 14 h 21 m | Show |
The set-up: The LA Angels have won the first two of their three-game IL series with the Phillies by a combined 14-1 score. Wednesday's 7-1 win marked LA's 11th consecutive win over Philadelphia. The Angels go for a three-game sweep tonight and will be looking for their fifth victory in six contests. The "mini-surge" has LA within three games of the AL's final wild card spot , although the Angels still have four teams to 'climb over.' The Phillies haven't 'climbed over' anyone in 2017, as they check in with MLB's worst record (39-60) and its third-worst moneyline mark (minus-$1918). The pitching matchup: Jerad Eickhoff (2-7 & 4.56 ERA) starts for Philly and Parker Bridwell (5-1 & 2.83 ERA) for LA. Eickhoff has won his last two decisions, after losing his first seven of the campaign. However, one can't avoid the fact that the Phillies are 5-13 in his 18 starts in 2017, leaving him minus-$850 against the moneyline, the 8th-worst mark among all starters. In stark contrast, LA rookie Bridwell has seen the Angels go 7-1 in his eight starts this season, giving him MLB's third-best moneyline mark at plus-$917. He's coming of going 3-0 with a 1.69 ERA in four starts (LA was 4-0). The pick: Neither starter has ever faced tonight's opponent but every aspect of this matchup favors the Angels. Bridwell has been a huge winner and Eickhoff a huge loser in 2017 plus the Phillies' 16-38 road record plus 11 straight losses to the Angels pretty much clinches it. Make the Angels a 10* play. |
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08-03-17 | Rays v. Astros -148 | Top | 5-3 | Loss | -148 | 12 h 26 m | Show |
analysis soon |
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08-03-17 | Mets v. Rockies -152 | Top | 4-5 | Win | 100 | 7 h 30 m | Show |
The set-up: Colorado's road woes have been real but this afternoon, the Rockies look to avoid losing their first home series since late June when they host the New York Mets in the rubber match of their three-game set. Colorado has gone 4-0-1 in home series since dropping two of three to Arizona back in late-June (20-22). The Rockies edged the Mets 5-4 on Tuesday but last night, fell 10-5, as the Mets rode a six-run sixth inning to victory. The loss was the fifth in Colorado's last eight, leaving them just a half-game back of the D'backs but also 5 1/2 games ahead of Milwaukee for the second wild-card spot. As for the Mets, who have no realistic playoff hopes with two months left in the 2017 season at 49-56, they will be attempting to win their first road series since taking two of three in Miami from June 27-29. |
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08-02-17 | Reds v. Pirates -148 | Top | 5-2 | Loss | -148 | 11 h 20 m | Show |
The set up: The Cincinnati Reds began a four-game series in Pittsburgh against the Pirates on Tuesday, having lost 14 of their previous 17 games. However, the Reds won 9-1 last night to give this last-place team (NL Central) its seventh win in eight games here in 2017 against the Pirates. The Reds are going nowhere this season and the Pirates may be going nowhere as well, partly because of their record against the sad-sack Reds. The Pirates have dropped five of six to fall 6 1/2 games behind first-place Chicago. From the "what might have been" category, what if the Pirates were 5-3 against the Reds instead of 1-7? Doing the math, Pittsburgh wold not be 51-55 but 55-51 and just 2 1/2 back of the Cubs! If wishing could only make it so. The pitching matchup: A pair rookies square off tonight, Robert Stephenson (0-4 & 7.86 ERA) goes for the Reds and Trevor Williams (4-4 & 4.53 ERA) for the Pirates. Stephenson's lack of control proved costly on Thursday as he allowed a career-high seven walks over 4 1/3 innings in a 4-1 setback at Miami. "I knew what was going on, but I just wasn't able to fix it," the 24-year-old said of the 92-pitch outing. It was Stephenson's second straight start, after 13 relief appearances. He's allowed eight ERs on 12 hits over 9 2/3 innings in going 0-2 with a 7.45 ERA in those two starts. Williams opened the 2017 season in the bullpen as well but has now made 15 consecutive starts (Pittsburgh is 7-8). He settled for a hard-luck no-decision on Wednesday, despite allowing just one run on five hits in six innings at San Francisco. Stephenson has two career starts against Pittsburgh (0-0 with a 9.00 ERA / Reds are 1-1) and Willaims owns a 6.75 ERA in one career start against the Reds but Pittsburgh won that game.
The pick: Yes, the Red are 7-1 against the Pirates in 2017 (outscoring them 49-25) but Cincy remains a poor 18-35 on the road, allowing 5.49 RPG. Meanwhile, while Williams owns just one win and one loss over his last eight starts, he's pitched well, allowing three ERs or less in seven of them. Make Pittsburgh a 10* play. |
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08-02-17 | Tigers v. Yankees UNDER 10 | Top | 2-0 | Win | 100 | 7 h 6 m | Show |
The set-up: The Tigers held off the Yankees 4-3 on Tuesday, giving them three wins in their last four, following a four-game skid. Detroit's Shane Greene, who made his major league debut with New York in 2014, received his first save opportunity against his former team at Yankee Stadium and earned it by getting the final five outs. The Yanks lost for only the third time in 12 games but did drop one-half game behind first-place Boston in the AL East, as Boston beat Cleveland Monday and Tuesday. Yankee "super rookie" Aaron Judge was 0-for-4 and is now 10-for-63 since the All-Star break, dropping his batting average below .300 (.299) for the first time since late April. |
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08-02-17 | Blue Jays -183 v. White Sox | Top | 5-1 | Win | 100 | 6 h 26 m | Show |
The set-up: The Toronto Blue Jays haven't given up on making the the postseason just yet but they can't miss out on an opportunity to take the rubber match of their three-game series at Chicago this afternoon. Toronto already lost Monday's game 7-6 to the White Sox, before rebounding with last night's 8-4 victory. I believe the 50-57 Blue Jays are being overly optimistic about their postseason chances, as while they are just six games out of the final wild card spot, they would have to 'climb over' seven teams! Anyway, losing two of three to the sad-sack White Sox, who own the AL's worst record at 41-63, would hardly be a step in the right direction. |
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08-01-17 | Twins v. Padres OVER 8 | Top | 0-3 | Loss | -103 | 14 h 27 m | Show |
The set-up: The Minnesota Twins have been one of MLB's best road teams in 2017 but that hasn't been the case during the team's current eight-game West Coast road trek Minnesota fell to 1-5 on the trip and lost for the sixth time in its last seven overall, following Sunday's 6-5 loss in 12 innings to Oakland. "(Sunday's) game kind of mirrored some of the other ones on this trip," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "... What we've been doing too much of is letting these teams hang around."haven't been comforting at all. After squandering leads in every contest, the Twins aim to turn around their fortunes on Tuesday as they continue the road trip with the opener of a two-game interleague series at the San Diego Padres. The Twins currently reside 4 1/2 games out of a wild-card spot and take a 3-6 interleague mark into Petco Park to face the Padres, who saw their four-game winning streak halted on Sunday when they were routed 7-1 by Pittsburgh. San Diego (47-58) "can't even see" the Dodgers in the NL West and are also 12 1/2 of a wild card spot (Padres are 7-9 in IL play). The pitching matchup: Jose Berrios (9-4 & 3.76 ERA) starts for Minnesota and Jhoulys Chacin (10-7 & 4.22 ERA) for San Diego. Berrios sustained his second loss in three outings on Tuesday, after allowing four runs in the fourth inning of a 6-2 setback at the Los Angeles Dodgers. Berrios looks to get back on track and maybe he will, as he has allowed two ERs or less in eight of his 14 starts this season (Twins are 9-5, plus-$466 in his 2017 starts). Chacin comes in 4-0 in his last five starts (Padres are 5-0), after yielding two runs on four hits for the second straight outing in Wednesday's 6-3 win over the New York Mets. Chacin has made just two career starts vs. the Twins, going 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA. However, he owns an impressive 6-2 mark with a 2.05 ERA in 11 starts at Petco Park (SD is 7-4). The pick: At first blush this could look like an under but Berrios is beginning to show some 'wear and tear' (5.76 ERA over his last six starts) plus the Twins just dealt away their closer to the Nats. As for Chacin, he's pitching way over his head. He entered the 2017 season 46-57 in his eight-year career. Make the Over an 8* play. |
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08-01-17 | Mets v. Rockies -134 | Top | 4-5 | Win | 100 | 13 h 58 m | Show |
The set-up: Colordo's road woes have hurt them (went 3-16 away from home from Jun 11 thru July 26) but they open August holding down the second wild card spot in the National League (just a half-game back of the D'backs for the No. 1 spot) and 5 1/2 games inside the NL palyoff 'cut line.' A few days after shoring up their bullpen with the acquisition of Pat Neshek, the Rockies obtained veteran catcher Jonathan Lucroy on Sunday in a deal with Texas. Colorado opens the new month by hosting the New York Mets in a three-game series beginning on Tuesday. The 48-55 Mets are out of the NL East race and also find themselves 10 1/2 games behind Colorado in the wild-card race. The pitching matchup: Steven Matz (2-4 & 5.51 ERA) starts for New York and Jeff Hoffman (6-3 & 5.58 ERA) for Colorado. Matz, whose season has been limited due to injury, was 2-1 with a 2.12 ERA through his first five starts but he's gone 0-3 with a 14.18 ERA over his last four outings with opponents batting .479 against him (Mets are 1-3). The second of those difficult starts came against Colorado on July 16, when he was shelled for seven runs on nine hits in an inning of work. Matz is 0-2 with an 11.57 ERA in two career starts against Colorado but will pitch at Coors Field for the first time. Hoffman's season has had a similar arc as Matz's, although with more work. He owned 2.25 ERA through mid-June but has given up 35 ERs in 37 1/3 innings (8.44 ERA) over a span of seven starts since (he's and teh team). Among his better outings in the stretch was a win opposite Matz at Citi Field on July 16, as he surrendered four runs in six innings, his lone career outing vs. the Mets. |
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08-01-17 | Diamondbacks v. Cubs -170 | Top | 4-16 | Win | 100 | 12 h 23 m | Show |
The set-up: The Cubs are 13-3 since the All-Star break and are now 2 1/2 games up in the NL Central, as they get set to host the Arizona Diamondbacks in a three-game series at Wrigley. The D'backs have lost touch with the Dodgers (haven't all teams) but remain atop the NL wild card race, a half-game up on the Rockies and six games clear of the NL playoff 'cut line!' Chicago is among the hottest teams in the majors, thanks in large part to a rejuvenated starting rotation that has posted a 2.34 ERA and 11 quality starts in 16 games since the break. Meanwhile, Arizona has been stuck in neutral since the break, going 7-9. The pitching matchup: Patrick Corbin (8-9 & 4.36 ERA) steps to the mound for Arizona, while Jon Lester (8-6 & 3.88 ERA) looks to follow up on three straight strong post-break starts. Corbin hasn't been bad either as of late, winning his last two starts and allowing two or fewer runs in his last four. Corbin is 3-0 with a 3.32 ERA in three starts against the Cubs. Lester had an outstanding second half in 2016 and has been excellent in three starts since the All-Star break in 2017, winning all three while posting a 2.05 ERA. Lester is 2-0 with a 4.63 ERA in four starts against the Diamondbacks (teams are 2-2). The pick: I sure don't want to try to fade the Cubs right now, especially with Lester on the hill. Arizona has looked mediocre since the break and on the season, is just 24-27 on the road, compared to 36-18 at home. Make the Cubs an 8* play. |
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08-01-17 | Nationals -205 v. Marlins | Top | 6-7 | Loss | -205 | 11 h 27 m | Show |
The set-up: Gio Gonzalez took a no-hitter into the ninth inning of Washington's 1-0 victory in Monday's series opener in Miami against the Marlins.There was also more great news on Monday for Washington's beleaguered bullpen, as the Nats made a trade with Minnesota for All-Star closer Brandon Kintzler, who will join recent acquisitions Ryan Madson and Sean Doolittle. Could Washington suddenly have a formidable bullpen to go along with its excellent starting pitching and powerful lineup? The NL East-leading Nationals now hold a 14-game edge over second-place Miami, which has dropped two in a row following a four-game winning streak. It's highly unlikely the Nats can catch the Dodgers, so a five-game NLDS matchup with the Cubs seems to be looming. |
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08-01-17 | Reds v. Pirates -165 | Top | 9-1 | Loss | -165 | 11 h 23 m | Show |
The set-up: The Cubs have made the biggest move in the NL Central (now lead by 2 1/2 games) but the Pirates also made an initial surge after the break, reaching 49-48 on July 21. However, Pittsburgh has lost six of eight since, as it begins an eight-game homestand with the opener of a three-game series versus the Cincinnati Reds. The Pirates are currently 5 1/2 games behind first-place Chicago in the NL Central, while the cellar-dwelling Reds did snap a six-game skid with a 6-4 victory over Miami on Sunday. However, it marked just the team's third win in 17 outings (Cincy sits 42-63, 14 1/2 games back of the Cubs). The pitching matchup: Homer Bailey (2-5 & 8.37) gets the nod for the Reds and Jameson Taillon (6-4 & 4.03 ERA) for the Pirates. Bailey comes in off three straight losses (8.47 ERA) but is it possible that PNC Park could be an 'elixir?' Bailey has posted a 5-2 mark with a 2.58 ERA in nine career starts in Pittsburgh, including a no-hitter on Sept. 28, 2012. Taillon is coming off the worst start of his career on Tuesday, surrendering 10 runs on nine hits in three innings of an 11-3 shellacking at San Francisco. He's faced the Reds four times in his career, going 1-1 with a 4.91 ERA (team is 2-2). The pick: Baily looks like a mess with an 8.37 ERA, 2.01 WHIP and .366 BAA in his seven starts this year. Meanwhile, while Taillon is off an awful start, he had allowed just eight runs over 27 2/3 innings of his previous five starts (2.60 ERA). Make Pittsburgh an 8* play. |
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07-31-17 | Giants v. A's -144 | Top | 5-8 | Win | 100 | 15 h 34 m | Show |
As noted in the analysis, this play is still valid despite the pitching change for Oakland. The set-up: San Francisco continues its five-game road trip after being on the wrong side of a three-game sweep in its weekend series in LA against the Dodgers. The Giants squandered one-run leads in both the ninth and 11th innings Sunday night, en route to a 3-2 setback. That pretty sums up the team's 2017 season, one in which the Giants' 40-66 record is better than (just barely) the Phillies' 38-64 mark and its moneyline mark of minus-$3068 is $1250 worse than MLB's second-worst mark (also Philly)! The Giants play the the A's in Oakland Monday and Tuesday, before crossing the bay for home games against the A's Wednesday and Thursday. Oakland's season isn't all that much better that San Francisco's, as the A's are 46-59 (the AL's second-worst mark), leaving them 22 1/2 games back of the Astros in the AL West (note: Giatst are an inconceivable 34 1/2 games back of the Dodgers in the NL West!). The pick: Matt Cain (3-9 & 5.45 ERA) will take the mound for the Giants and Sonny Gray (6-5 & 3.43 ERA) is slated to be the starter for the A's. Cain was moved back from an expected Sunday start so Bumgarner could face the Dodgers last night. Typical of how San Francisco's season has been, the Gainst wasted a greta effort by its ace (seven scoreless innings). Cain has gone 2 1/2 months without recording a victory, suffering eight losses in 12 games (11 starts / team is 3-8) since defeating the Dodgers back on May 15. Cain has posted an impressive 2.34 ERA in 12 career appearances (11 starts) against Oakland but sports just a 4-5 record with the Giants going 4-7 in his starts. Oakland pushed Gray's start back a day in order to give the team more time to potentially work out a deal. We may wind up seeing a different pitcher come game-time, as Gray has been the subject of trade rumors over the last several days and still could be moved prior to Monday's non-waiver deadline at 4 p.m. Gray has given up three runs and 11 hits while recording 15 strikeouts and only three walks over 13 innings in winning both of his previous career starts against San Francisco (2-0 & 2.08 ERA). (Note: As I'd anticipated, there has been a pitching change for the A's - to Paul Blackburn. This is even better as he threw seven shutout innings of two-hit ball his last time out. Of his 5 starts so far, 4 have been quality ones.) The pick: Cain has lost eight straight decisions, which matches a career high. Any reason to think anything will be different in this one? Make Oakland a 10* play. |
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07-31-17 | Blue Jays -159 v. White Sox | Top | 6-7 | Loss | -159 | 13 h 39 m | Show |
analysis soon |
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07-31-17 | Braves v. Phillies OVER 9 | Top | 6-7 | Win | 105 | 16 h 52 m | Show |
The set-up: The 38-64 Philadelphia Phillies may own MLB's worst record but don't try to 'sell' that to the Atlanta Braves. The Phillies made it three wins in a row over the Braves in Sunday's 2-1 victory and Philadelphia has now defeated Atlanta eight times in 10 tries in 2017. The Phillies are playing their best baseball of the season, averaging 5.8 RPG in their last 11 contests. Meanwhile, the Braves have lost seven of eight, a stretch in which the team has averaged a meager 3.3 RPG. Atlanta concludes a three-city, 11-game road trip Monday, looking to avoid a four-game sweep but has stranded 29 runners through the first three games of the series. The Phillies are 10-3 in their last 13 home games with the Braves, going back to May of 2016! |
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07-30-17 | Giants v. Dodgers UNDER 8.5 | Top | 2-3 | Win | 100 | 10 h 44 m | Show |
The set: The Giants/Dodgers is one of MLB's greatest rivalries but the 2017 season is a year in which there is not much to it. The teams are 6-6 in 12 meetings so far but who cares? After all, the Dodgers own MLB's best record (73-31) and lead the last-place 40-65 Giants by 33 1/2 games in the NL West. The Dodgers are a ML-best 46-13 at home, while the Giants are just 18-36 on the road. The Giants average only 3.92 RPG (29th of 30 teams) while LA pitching owns a 3.11 ERA and 1.12 WHIP, with both figures leading all ML teams. The Dodgers take a seven-game winning streak into tonight's ESPN contest, allowing an average of only 3.14 runs during their current streak. Los Angeles is a phenomenal 38-6 since June 7! As for San Francisco, its season is lost. The Giants are 25 games below .500 and they've blown leads 28 times that directly led to a loss. They're 9-48 when scoring three runs or less. They're so far behind the Dodgers in the National League West that they're in danger of being lapped. Never in the historic rivalry have the Giants ever trailed the Dodgers by this many games. The pitching matchup: Madison Bumgarner (1-4 & 3.38 ERA) will make the start tonight for the Giants, going up against the Dodgers' Hyun-Jin Ryu (3-6 & 4.17 ERA). Bumgarner has had his scheduled start moved from Monday to Sunday, as the Giants try to salvage the finale of the set for San Francisco. The Giants had lost each of Bumgarner's first six starts this year before he helped them roll past Pittsburgh in his previous outing 11-3 on Tuesday, allowing just one run in five innings. The four-time All-Star and former World Series MVP sat out from late-April to mid-July with a shoulder injury. He has 42 strikeouts against just eight walks in 2017 and he's posted a 2.89 ERA through his first four road outings. Bumgarner is 14-9 with a 2.72 ERA in 26 career starts against the Dodgers (Giants are 15-11). Ryu has failed to get through six innings in five straight starts but allowed exactly two runs in each of the last four to help the Dodgers go 3-1. He limited the Giants to a run in six innings at San Francisco earlier this year and is 4-5 with a 3.79 ERA in 10 career matchups (Dodgers are 5-5). The pick: Bumgarner's been moved up in a an effort to help the Giants avoid a sweep against their long-time hated rival and I expect an excellent effort from him. As for Ryu, he's allowed exactly two runs in each of his last four outings, so the Under is a 10* play. |
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07-30-17 | Indians -182 v. White Sox | Top | 1-3 | Loss | -182 | 7 h 28 m | Show |
The set-up: The AL Central-leading Indians have won nine straight after posting a 5-4 victory on Saturday plus picked up a game on the KC Royals (Cleveland now leads by three games), who saw their nine-game winning streak end last night in a 9-8 (10 inn.) loss at Boston. Meanwhile, the White Sox have dropped 14 of their last 15 overall and at 39-62, are "closing in" on the 37-64 Phillies for MLB's worst record. The Indians look to make it 10 wins in a row and a sweep of this three-game series on Sunday, while the White Sox look to snap a five-game slide. |
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07-30-17 | Astros -129 v. Tigers | Top | 1-13 | Loss | -129 | 6 h 28 m | Show |
The set-up: The 68-35 Houston Astros are running away in the AL West with a 17-game lead in the division. Houston also owns the AL's best overall record (10 1/2 games better than defending AL champs Cleveland) and MLB's best road record at 38-14. However, it was the 46-56 Tigers who erased a three-run deficit and snapped a four-game skid with Saturday's 5-3 victory at Detroit. The Tigers' win leaves them 3-7 in their last 10 and 10 games under . 500 with the whispers that Detroit may be a "seller" by the July 31 trade deadline growing louder. The teams will play the rubber match of this three-game series on Sunday, as the Astros play the final game of their nine-game road trip (are 5-3, so far). |
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07-29-17 | Twins v. A's UNDER 9 | Top | 4-5 | Push | 0 | 14 h 39 m | Show |
The set-up: The Minnesota Twins have the bad luck to be stuck in the AL Central, as division rivals KC (nine straight wins) and first-place Cleveland (eight straight wins), are currently MLB's hottest teams. The Twins are trying to keep pace and last night's 6-3 win in Oakland snapped a four-game slide but leaves Minnesota just 5-8 since the break and 50-51 overall, six games back of the Indians (Twinheare are four back of the Royals, who own the second wild card spot). The Twins will continue their three-game set against the host Oakland A's on Saturday, a team with teh AL's second-worst record (44-59). Only the 39-61 White Sox are worse. The pitching matchup: Adalberto Mejia (4-4, 4.10 ERA) steps to the mound for KC, opposed by Chris Smith (0-1, 3.32 ERA) of Oakland. Mejia is win-less in his last three starts, despite allowing just one ER in each of the last two. He will look for his first win since July 3 tonight, making his first road start since June 28. This is Mejia's first start against Oakland. Smith remains in search of his first career win as a starter as he heads to the mound for the fourth start of his major league career (his first 63 career appearances came as a reliever). Smith has made two career relief appearances against Minnesota, allowing two hits with two walks and a pair of strikeouts in three scoreless innings. The pick: Mejia comes in pitching well and while he's struggled at home (4.91 ERA in 10 starts), he owns a 2.31 ERA in his five road starts this season. In Smith's lone home start this year, he allowed just two runs (one earned) against the Rays in seven innings. Make the Under an 8* play |
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07-29-17 | Cubs -160 v. Brewers | Top | 2-1 | Win | 100 | 12 h 44 m | Show |
The set-up: The Milwaukee Brewers took a 5 1/2 game lead over the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central into the All Star break. However, while the Cubs came out of the break red-hot (won six straight and 11 of 132, the Brewers, after winning their first two games back, would lose their next six and nine of 11. That meant that when the Cubs came to Miller Park to visit the Brewers last night in the opener of a three-game series, Chicago had caught Milwaukee and led the division by 1 1/2 games. However, the Brewers celebrated returning home off a 2-8 road trip by edging the Cubs 2-1. The Brewers have won 10 of their last 12 at home and can now reclaim first place in the NL Central with a second consecutive victory over the defending world champions on Saturday. It would be hadr to criticize the Cubs though, as they are 11-3 since the break, led by a starting staff that has posted a 2.54 ERA with10 quality starts in its 14 games since the break. The pitching matchup: Kyle Hendricks (4-3 & 3.95 ERA) will take the mound for Chicago and Junior Guerra (1-4 & 5.22 ERA) for Milwaukee. Hendricks came off the disabled list to start Monday against the crosstown White Sox, allowing one run and eight hits over 4 1/3 innings (White Sox would win, 3-1). He was lifted after 92 pitches but he didn’t issue a walk, which is a good sign for a pitcher who relies on command. Hendricks is 6-3 with a 2.80 ERA in 12 career starts against the Brewers (Cubs are 8-4), with a win and a no-decision this season (Cubs are 2-0). Guerra takes the mound looking for his first win since May 31. He's made nine starts since that last win and hasn’t recorded a quality start in any of his last five. Guerra is 0-4 (Brewers are 3-6) in his win-less streak and owns a 6.34 ERA in that stretch. Guerra is 1-0 with a 2.03 ERA in two starts against the Cubs (Brewers are 1-1), with both occurring last season. The pick: Not sure how one can back Guerra at this point and Hendricks has enjoyed his visits to Miller Park, going 4-1 with a 2.52 ERA in six starts. Hendricks is not quite teh same pitcher who led MLB last season in ERA (2.13) but he's still a quality starter, something Guerra is not! Make the Cubs a 10* play. |
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07-29-17 | Angels v. Blue Jays -117 | Top | 6-5 | Loss | -117 | 6 h 40 m | Show |
The set-up: LA Angels began their six-game road trip earlier this week by getting swept in Cleveland to fall to 22-31 on the road. That's not exactly news, as the Angels haven't posted a winning road record since 2014. However, Rogers Centre in Toronto has been good to them recently. Mike Trout drove in two runs and C.J. Cron homered to back a career-high 7 1/3 innings from rookie Parker Bridwell in Friday's 7-2 LA win. That improved the Angels' record in Toronto to 12-4 over their last 16 games at Rogers Centre. The Blue Jays opened the second-half of their schedule by going 3-7 on a 10-game road trip but then returned home to sweep the A's in a four-game series to begin this week. However, last night's loss is just another indication that this isn't going to be Toronto's year. Toronto has played in the last two ALCS matchups but after going 8-17 in April, Toronto has just never recovered and at 48-55, the Jays are in last-place in the AL East (eight games out) and seven games back in the wild card chase. The 50-54 Angels are headed nowhere as well, buried far behind the Astros in the AL west and 5 1/2 games out in the wild card, with seven teams ahead of them. |
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07-28-17 | Twins v. A's +105 | Top | 6-3 | Loss | -100 | 15 h 56 m | Show |
The set-up: There's talk the contending Minnesota Twins and floundering Oakland Athletics could be trade partners as the teams begin a three-game series Friday night. The 49-51 Twins have played 14 straight games against fellow playoff hopefuls. They are 4-10 in that stretch after suffering a three-game sweep in Los Angeles at the hands of the Dodgers. No team is in greater need of a break in the schedule and the Twins get one. Their next five games are against two of the worst teams in the West. They follow the Oakland trip (A's are 44-58) with a two-game stopover in San Diego (Padres are 45-57 ) and then return home to host struggling Texas (Rangers are 49-52) to begin a six-game homestand. The Twins have fallen six games out in the AL Central and four games out in the wild card chase. As for the 44-58 Oakland A's..... The pitching matchup: Garcia will be making his Twins debut after having been acquired along with catcher Anthony Recker from the Atlanta Braves for 19-year-old right-hander Huascar Ynoa. He'll go up against Oakland rookie Daniel Gossett (2-5 & 5,40 ERA). Garcia was 4-7 with a 4.30 ERA in 18 starts for the Braves (team was 9-9). Garcia has faced the A's just once in his career, suffering the loss last season while allowing five runs in seven innings (6.43 ERA). Gossett pitched the A's most recent win, a 3-2 road triumph last Sunday against the New York Mets. He has never faced the Twins in his eight career starts. The pick:The A's wrapped up a seven-game road trip 1-6, after they were swept in the four-game series in Toronto. They blew two ninth-inning leads and lost consecutive games on walk-offs. The team's late-game meltdowns can't be considered a surprise, as the team dealt two of its top relievers -- left-hander Sean Doolittle and righty Ryan Madson -- to Washington for a three-player package that featured two low-level minor-leaguers. Staff ace Sonny Gray could be the next to go. All that said, I want no part of Garcia or the floundering Twins, who are in a complete "free-fall' which should also not be a surprise. After all, the Twins lost a ML-high 103 games last year. Make Oakland a 10* play. |
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07-28-17 | Astros -172 v. Tigers | Top | 6-5 | Win | 100 | 12 h 0 m | Show |
The set-up: The Houston Astros visit Detroit for a three-game weekend series with the Tigers, beginning Friday night. Houston comes to town with MLB's biggest division lead (17 games), it's second-best overall record at 67-34 (only the Dodgers are better at 71-31) and a ML-best 37-13 road record. More good news comes in that the Astros have their ace back to start the opener of the series. The Tigers, who everyone assumes will be 'selling' come July 31, checks in at 45-55 on the season, better than only the 44-59 A's and 39-60 White Sox in the American League. |
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07-27-17 | Cubs v. White Sox UNDER 11 | Top | 6-3 | Win | 100 | 13 h 35 m | Show |
The set-up: After taking two of the first three games of this Cubs/White Sox annual Crosstown Classic, the defending champs are now 10-2 since the All Star break and sit 53-47 on the season, a half-game better than the Brewers in the NL Central. With next week's trade deadline rapidly approaching, the Cubs' South Side neighbors are heading in the opposite direction. Wednesday's 8-3 loss means the White Sox have lost 14 in their last 16 games, giving them the AL's worst record at 39-59. The White Sox are in "full-blown" rebuilding mode! The pitching matchup: Jon Lester (7-6 & 3.95 ERA) will start for the Cubs, while the White Sox counter with Mike Pelfrey (3-7 & 4.46 ERA). Lester hopes to continue the strong effort the Cubs have gotten from their starters since the All-Star break, as Cubs starters are 9-0 with eight quality starts and have posted a 2.50 ERA. Lester had that nightmare start right before the break (recorded just two outs and allowed 10 runs, although only four were earned, against the Pirates) but has returned from the break to post back-to-back wins (1.80 ERA). Lester is 6-6 with a 4.43 ERA in 14 starts vs. the White Sox in his career (teams are 8-6). I guess one could point to Pelfrey's 2-0 career mark vs. the Cubs with a 1.66 ERA in three outings (teams are 3-0) but that's really a small sample size. Pelfrey last won back on June 17 vs. Toronto, with the team going 1-4 in his five starts since. On the season, the White Sox are 6-10 in his starts. The pick: The Cubs bats have come alive, as they have averaged 6.0 RPG since the break but while it is a small sample size, Pelfrey has pitched very well against the Cubs. As for Lester, he had a great second-half in 2016 and has begun 2017 the same way (1.80 ERA in B2B wins since the break). Make the Under a 10* play. |
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07-27-17 | A's v. Blue Jays -157 | Top | 4-8 | Win | 100 | 5 h 10 m | Show |
The set-up: Toronto's Justin Smoak hit a two-run HR to tie last night's game at two-all and Kendrys Morales followed with a walk-off solo HR as the Blue Jays beat the A's 3-2. Oakland has now lost seven of its last nine games and at 44-57, can just about kiss its postseason chances goodbye (the A's are 9 1/2 games back of the AL's second wild spot). The 47-54 Blue Jays will need more dramatic wins to thrust themselves back into the postseason picture. After playing in the last two ALCS matchups, Toronto has never recovered from an 8-17 April. The Jays may be 6 1/2 games out of the final AL Wild card spot but seven teams are ahead of them. The pitching matchup: Sean Manaea (8-5 & 3.82 ERA) will start for Oakland and Marcus Stroman (9-5 & 2.98 ERA) for Toronto. Manaea has been Oakland's most reliable starter in 2017. He is 7-2 with a 3.17 ERA over his past 12 starts (A's are 8-4), after opening 1-3 with a 5.52 ERA in his first six starts this season (A's were 1-5). This marks Manaea's second career start vs. Toronto (1-0 & 3.00 ERA). Stroman has pitched well all season for Toronto but his last two outings (July 17 & 22), kind of sum up Toronto's 2017 season. Stroman has allowed one ER over 14 1/3 innings (0.63 ERA and an opponents' batting average of .196) but has two no-decisions to show for it (Jays are 1-1). Stroman is 0-0 with a 4.63 ERA in two career starts against Oakland (Jays are 0-2). The pick: Toronto is surely down but not quite out. However, the same can't said about the A's and Oakland is a poor 16-34 on the road YTD. No real reason to think the A's can avoid the four-game sweep here, as Oakland has lost 11 of its last 12 games at Rogers Centre. Make Toronto an 8* play. |
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07-27-17 | Angels v. Indians -143 | Top | 1-2 | Win | 100 | 5 h 45 m | Show |
The set-up: The Cleveland Indians returned from the All Star break and lost five of six games on the road at Oakland and San Francisco. However, the defending AL champs returned home and have won six straight games, as they enter the final contest of the team's seven-game homestand against the LA Angels.The team's six-game winning streak is a season-high and has come at the perfect time, as AL Central rival Kansas City currently owns MLB's longest-active winning streak at eight games. The Indians are a season-high nine games over .500 at 54-45 but with eight wins in a row, the 53-47 Royals have climbed within 1 1/2 games of Cleveland. Meanwhile, the 49-53 Angels are a distant fourth in the AL West (18 1/2 games back of the Astros) and while they are "only" five games back in the race for the second wild-card spot, there are five teams ahead of them! The pitching matchup: J.C. Romero (9-8 & 4.38ERA) will get the nod for LA and Cleveland's starter will be Trevor Bauer (8-8 & 5.58 ERA). Romero is 2-2 with a 3.52 ERA in four July starts and while he has made four career appearances against the Indians, all of them have been in relief (no record and a 5.06 ERA). Bauer has struggled in recent starts, lasting just 10 2/3 innings in his three July starts, allowing 17 hits, nine walks and 10 ERs (8.44 ERA). The pick: Some good news for Cleveland fans is that Bauer is 3-0 with a 3.14 ERA in four career starts vs. the Angels (team is 3-1). Even better news is that the Indians are on a roll, having outscored their opponents 50-18 in their six-game winning streak. One last thing. The Angels enter today's game having lost seven in a row to the Indians dating back to June 12 of last season. They also have lost 11 of their last 12 games against the Indians, including each of their last nine games at Progressive Field. Make Cleveland an 8* play. |
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07-26-17 | Twins v. Dodgers OVER 9 | Top | 5-6 | Win | 110 | 12 h 57 m | Show |
The set-up: Kershaw may be sidelined for four-to-six weeks but the Dodgers won Sunday's game (the one in which he left) and have added back-to-back wins Monday (6-4) and Tuesday (6-2) over the Twins. As LA goes for a three-game sweep in tonight's finale, the Dodgers will take the field having won 35 of their last 41 to extend their NL West lead to 12 1/2 games and their leed over the Astros in the race for MLB's best overall record to 2 1/2 games. The Dodgers also own a major-league best 43-13 home record. Minnesota lost for the third straight time last night and Tuesday's defeat dropped them below .500 for the first time since April 24 at 49-50. The Twins, who have lost four of five overall, trail Cleveland by 4 1/2 games in the AL Central and are also three games back in the a wild card chase that includes eight teams separated by no more than five games. The pitching matchup: Ervin Santana (11-7 & 3.26 ERA) takes the mound for the Twins and Brock Stewart (0-0 & 0.00 ERA) will make his first start of the season for the Dodgers, after throwing a combined 13 scoreless innings over six relief appearances since June 20. Santana ended May with a 7-2 record and 1.75 ERA but has since given up at least five runs five times, while allowing two or fewer runs in his other four outings. He is coming off yet another poor outing Friday against Detroit, surrendering five runs on seven hits (including two HRs), while throwing 95 pitches over only 3 1/3 innings. Santana got the win with six innings of two-run ball the last time he faced Dodgers in 2014, improving to 6-4 with a 2.38 ERA in 13 starts against them (teams are 8-5). Stewart, who battled an illness over the weekend, will make his first start of the season Wednesday. He has permitted only five hits and three walks in 13 innings in his six relief appearances in 2017. The pick: Minnesota pitchers have allowed 32 runs during their 1-4 stretch and counting on Santana to get that straightened out is "asking for trouble." Yes, Stewart has excellent numbers over his six relief stints since June (opposing hitters are batting only .122 against him) but he struggled mightily in his first five career starts in 2016, going 2-2 with a 6.38 ERA. Make the Over an 8* play. |
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07-26-17 | Marlins v. Rangers -177 | Top | 22-10 | Loss | -177 | 12 h 28 m | Show |
The set-up: The Rangers hit four HRs in Tuesday's 10-4 win over Miami, making it four wins in the team's last five. Texas remains 3 1/2 games out of the second wild card in the American League, its only chance to play October baseball (the Rangers are 18 games back of the Astros in the AL West). Miami is 45-53 on the season and going nowhere as the two teams play the rubber match of this three-game series Wednesday night. |
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07-26-17 | Braves v. Diamondbacks -183 | Top | 3-10 | Win | 100 | 8 h 53 m | Show |
The set-up: Arizona won 10-2 on Monday but those same bats were quiet on Tuesday, as the Braves won 8-3. In fact, Arizona's starting pitcher, Taijuan Walker, had two of the team's eight hits (including a long solo HR) in the loss. With the defeat, Arizona suffered its 12th setback in its last 17 contests, falling 12 1/2 games back of the LA Dodgers in the NL West. The D'backs are in a virtual tie with the Rockies for the two wild card spots in the NL but both teams are now also looking over their shoulders at the Cubs, who are with 4 1/2 games (if not the Cubs, it would be the Brewers). The 48-51 Braves are not threatening the Nats in the NL East nor the top wild card teams but are 4-1 against the Diamondbacks this season and 15-8 against the NL West. The rubber game of this three-game set goes Wednesday afternoon. The pitching matchup: Aaron Blair (2016: 2-7, 7.59 ERA) will get the first crack at seizing the rotation spot of Jaime Garcia, who was traded to Minnesota whne he faces off against Arizona's Patrick Corbin (7-9, 4.43 ERA). Blair hardlty impressed last season (see above) and he's gone 6-5 with a 4.97 ERA in 18 starts for the Braves' top minor-league affiliate so far in 2017 (he's allowed 89 hits and 40 walks in 87 innings). Blair faced Arizona in his third career start last season and suffered the loss after giving up three runs (two earned) in five innings.Corbin's last start might have been his best this season. He was moved up in the rotation because Taijuan Walker has pitched effectively at Chase Field in 2017, going 5-3 with a 3.15 ERA in 11 starts (team is 7-4). That's quite a difference from his 2-6 (6.19 ERA) road mark in nine starts (team is 2-7). Over his past three Chase Field starts, he has a 2.41 ERA. The pick: No reason to expect Blair to be able to handle an Arizona team which is 35-18 at home, outscoring opponents 5.70-to-4.08 RPG. Then there is Corbin's success against the Braves to consider. He is 3-0 with an 0.59 ERA against Atlanta, yielding only two ERs in 30 2/3 innings over six games (four starts). Those two runs came July 15 during a five-inning start in Atlanta, when he didn't figure in the decision as the Braves won 8-5. Make Arizona an 8* play. |
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07-25-17 | Braves v. Diamondbacks -142 | Top | 8-3 | Loss | -142 | 14 h 6 m | Show |
The set-up: The Arizona Diamondbacks opened their three-game home series with the Atlanta Braves with a 10-3 win Monday night at Chase Field. J.D. Martinez, who arrived from Detroit in exchange for three prospects last Tuesday, was hit in the hand by a pitch in his debut and missed three games before playing his first full contest with Arizona on Monday. His three-run HR last night was a pleasant reminder of why the D'backs traded for him. The 57-42 D'backs are in a virtual second-place tie with the Rockies (both trail the Dodgers by 11 1/2 games in the NL West) but the two teams hold down the NL's two wild card spots, 5 1/2 games clear of the Cubs. The Braves have now dropped six of eight since reaching the break-even mark at 45-45 on July 16, following a three-game sweep of Arizona in Atlanta (Braves are currently 9 1/2 games out in the wild card chase). The pitching matchup: Mike Foltynewicz (8-5 & 3.87 ERA) starts for Atlanta and Taijuan Walker (6-4 & 3.61 ERA) for Arizona. Foltynewicz remained unbeaten in his last nine starts with a win on Thursday in Los Angeles, ending the Dodgers' 11-game winning streak. He allowed three runs on six hits across 6 1/3 innings to move to 5-0 in his nine-game unbeaten stretch (Braves are 8-1!). He has been particularly tough on opponents of late, going 4-0 with a 2.93 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 30 2/3 frames over his last five outings. However, Foltynewicz is 0-1 with a 5.96 ERA in five career starts against the D'backs (team is 1-4). Walker came off the paternity list Sunday and hopes to end a four-game win-less streak (he's 0-1 but Arizona is 2-2) against the same team he faced for the first time 11 days ago, settling for a no-decision in Atlanta despite allowing two runs over six innings. That's his only appearance against the Braves. The pick: Yes, Foltynewicz is "in a groove," but note that the D'backs are 10-5 in Walker's 2017 starts, giving him the 12th-best moneyline mark among starters at plus-$604. Then there is Arizona's 35-17 home record (second-best to only the Dodgers'), where the D'backs are outscoring opponents by almost two runs (5.75-4,00 RPG)! Make Arizona an 8* play |
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07-25-17 | Brewers v. Nationals OVER 10 | Top | 8-0 | Loss | -100 | 12 h 32 m | Show |
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07-24-17 | Mets v. Padres UNDER 7.5 | Top | 5-3 | Loss | -105 | 22 h 46 m | Show |
The set-up: It's a week until the non-waiver trade deadline (looming July 31) and Mets like Jay Bruce, Lucas Duda, Curtis Granderson and Addison Reed have all been mentioned as possible trade bait. The Mets saw their four-game winning streak come to an end with Sunday’s 3-2 loss to Oakland and New York has now fallen 10 games back in the NL wild-card race, not to mention 13 1/2 games back in the NL East, New York opens a 10-game road trip Monday against the rebuilding San Diego Padres, who took three of four from San Francisco over the weekend. The Padres are three games back of the Mets in the wild card race and at 43-55 overall, are a whopping 24 1/2 games back of the Dodgers in the NL West. The pitching matchup: Jacob deGrom (11-3 & 3.37 ERA) will start for New York and Clayton Richard (5-10 & 5.35 ERA) for San Diego. DeGrom comes in having won a career-high seven consecutive starts, posting a 1.51 ERA with a 50-10 KW ratio over that stretch. DeGrom is 1-1 with a 1.80 ERA over 20 innings in three career starts against the Padres (Mets are 2-1). Richard will need a bounce back performance here, after surrendering a career-high 11 runs (10 earned) on 14 hits over just 3 2/3 innings in an 18-4 loss at Colorado last Wednesday. “I have to take responsibility,” Richard told reporters. “Unfortunately, it just seemed like mishit balls found the right spots. It was a Coors Field day.” Methinks Richard is passing the buck some to bad luck! Richard is 2-3 with a 4.17 ERA in seven career starts versus the Mets (teams are 3-4).. The pick: DeGrom is pitching as well as anyone not named Kershaw and no reason to expect the San Diego bats to solve him in this one. As for Richard, I'll buy into the fact that the vet will rebound from that last start and let's not forget that more than a handful of Mets are playing this week expecting a call from the front office. Make the Under a 10* play. |
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07-24-17 | Astros -153 v. Phillies | Top | 13-4 | Win | 100 | 19 h 40 m | Show |
The set-up: It's close to being a first versus worst meeting as the Houston Astros visit the Philadelphia Phillies for a three-game interleague series that begins Monday. Houston owns MLB's second-best record overall (LA Dodgers own the best) but own MLB's best road record (35-12) and its second-best moneyline mark (plus-$1948). Meanwhile, Philadelphia owns MLB's worst overall record (34-62) and its third-worst moneyline mark (minus-$2048). That said, the Astros are just 5-4 since the All-Star break, while the Phillies have captured five of their last seven contests, after taking two of three this past weekend from the Brewers.. The pitching matchup: Brad Peacock (8-1 & 2.49 ERA) takes the mound for the Astros and Vince Velasquez (2-5 & 5.14 ERA) for the Phillies. Peacock looks to continue his breakout season in tonight's opener of the series. He entered 2017 with 11 wins over parts of five ML seasons, having made 60 appearances (including 46 starts). Peacock has made 22 appearances here in 2017 with the last 10 (since May 22) all being starts. He's 6-1 in those 10 starts (Astros are 8-2) and enters this contest on a five-start winning streak while posting a 1.82 ERA. He is 1-1 with a 6.75 ERA in two career starts against the Phillies. Velasquez was excellent at Miami on Tuesday, holding the Marlins to two runs - one earned - over six innings but settled for a no-decision in Philadelphia's 5-2 victory. It was his first start since May 30, after spending six weeks on the disabled list with a strained flexor in his right elbow. Velasquez will make his first-ever start against Houston in this one. The pick: Philadelphia is playing better but I expect Houston to have too much for them in this series, starting in tonight's game. Peacock is red-hot and will go to the mound for a team which is 35-12 on the road while averaging a whopping 7.17 RPG. That spells bad news for Velasquez, who unlike in 2016 when he owned a 2.88 home ERA, has struggled at home in 2017, with a 6.26 ERA and 1.50 WHIP in five home starts. Make Houston an 8* play. |
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07-24-17 | White Sox +1.5 v. Cubs | Top | 3-1 | Win | 115 | 4 h 7 m | Show |
The set-up: The Chicago Cubs’ took the rubber match of their three-game series with the Cards 5-3 last night on ESPN and have now won eight of nine since returning from the break. The team's starting pitching has been a big reason for Chicago's surge, with seven quality starts in those nine games, as Chicago starters own a 2.41 ERA. With the help of a Milwaukee slump (Brewers have lost seven of eight), the Cubs have moved into a tie with Brewers atop the NL Central. Anyone not see this coming? The Cubs now get set to play a home-and-home four-game series with their crosstown rivals the Chicago White Sox, who limp in on nine-game losing streak (0-8 since the break). The White Sox own the AL's worst record as the meet the Cubs at Wrigley Field Monday and Tuesday before heading back home to the South Side on Wednesday and Thursday. |
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07-23-17 | Cardinals v. Cubs -170 | Top | 3-5 | Win | 100 | 13 h 37 m | Show |
The set-up: The Cubs’ six-game winning streak came to a crashing halt on Friday, when the Cardinals scored nine runs with no outs in the eighth, for an 11-4 win at Wrigley. However, Chicago turned the tables on St. Louis Saturday afternoon, rallying for two runs in the eighth inning for a 3-2 victory. Milwaukee also won on Saturday, so the Cubs remain a game back of Milwaukee but they put an extra game between themselves and the Cards plus the Pirates, who lost at Colorado. The two longtime rivals square off tonight on ESPN in the rubber match of this three-game series. The pitching matchup: Michael Wacha (7-3 & 3.71 ERA) takes teh mound for St. Louis and the newly-acquired Jose Quintana (5-8 & 4.20 ERA) for Chicago. Wacha is starting to regain the form he first showed in the 2013 postseason and the 2015 regular season, when he won 17 games. He has won four straight starts and five consecutive decisions after throwing a three-hit shutout against the New York Mets on Tuesday. He has been dominant during his four-start winning streak, with a 1.01 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 26 2/3 innings. However, Wacha is 4-5 with a 6.26 ERA in 12 career starts against the Cubs (Cards are 5-7). Quintana will make his first start as a Cub at Wrigley Field, where he is 0-1 with a 2.51 ERA in two previous outings.Quintana was dominant in his Cubs debut last Sunday, racking up 12 strikeouts over seven scoreless innings to win at Baltimore, and he’s eager to pitch in front of his new home crowd. "I'm really excited to be part of this team and throw Sunday against the Cardinals," Quintana told reporters. "I'm excited, man, I'm excited. I don't know what the fans will say to me, but I'll try to do the best." Quintana has won both of his previous starts against the Cardinals, in 2012 and 2015, while allowing two runs over 11 1/3 innings (1.59 ERA). The pick: Wacha's lack of success vs. the Cubs should be a concern for St. Louis backers (not I), plus the move from the South Side of Chicago to the North Side will prove to be "just what the doctor ordered" for Quintana. Make the Cubs an 8* play. |
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07-23-17 | Nationals v. Diamondbacks UNDER 8.5 | Top | 6-2 | Win | 100 | 9 h 43 m | Show |
The set-up: The Washington Nationals are 6-2 heading into the final game of their nine-game road trip. This game marks the rubber match of a three-game series with the D'backs, as the teams have exchanging one run victories. Arizona won 6-5 on Friday and Washington won 4-3 on Saturday. The Nats' 32 road wins is second-best in MLB to the Astros' 35 and are a big reason that the Nats own an 11-game lead in the NL East (only bigger division lead is also held by Houston, which owns a 17-game lead in the AL West). Arizona is 56-41 on the season, in a virtual tie with Colorado for second place in the NL West. However, both teams are a whopping 10 1/2 games back of the Dodgers. Instead of looking up, both the D'backs and Rockies are looking over their shoulders, as there is a 5 1/2 game gap between the two teams and the defending champion Cubs in the wild card race. The pick: Stephen Strasburg (10-3 & 3.31 ERA) and Robbie Ray (9-4 & 2.97 ERA) square off on Sunday in a matchup of All Star pitchers. Strasburg had an awful start prior to the All-Star break, lasting only three innings and failing to strike out a batter while while allowing six runs (three earned) in a loss to Atlanta. However, he rebounded with a special effort in last Monday's 6-1 win at Cincinnati. He struck out 11 while allowing one run on four hits in seven innings. The win gives Strasburg a 7-1 record in nine road starts with a 2.45 ERA and 1.06 WHIP (Nats are 7-2). Ray continued his surprising season in his first start after the All-Star break, tossing six innings of two-run ball at Cincinnati to establish a career high with his ninth victory. The D'backs are 12-6 in Ray's starts in 2017 (plus-$497). A worry may be Ray's 0-3 record with a 6.48 ERA in three career starts against the Nats. The pick: The Nats and Strasburg have been terrific on the road all season and note that six of Strasburg's nine road starts have stayed under the total. Ray has pitched better away from home for most of 2017 but does enter this contest 3-1 with a 2.45 ERA in his last four home starts. Make the Under a 10* play. |
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07-23-17 | Rangers v. Rays -134 | Top | 6-5 | Loss | -134 | 6 h 52 m | Show |
The set-up: The Tampa Bay Rays took a five-game winning streak into their series' finale at Oakland on Wednesday and had passed the Yanks in the AL East. However, the Rays lost 7-2 to the A's in that one, before returning home for a six-game homestand. Up first were the Rangers for three games and Tampa has lost back-to-back 4-3 decisions and now find themselves tied with the Yankees for the AL's two wild card spots with both teams just one game ahead of the Twins and the Royals (Yanks and Rays trail the Red Sox by 3 1/2 games in the division). The Rangers rallied to win Friday's game and then came back from a three-run deficit Saturday to win by the same 4-3 score. The Rangers can now earn a three-game series sweep on Sunday, after entering the series on a five-game losing streak. Texas has no chance to catch the Astros in the AL West (trail by 18 games!) but are among the half-dozen or more teams still in the wild card chase (currently sit 3 1/2 games out). |
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07-22-17 | Braves v. Dodgers UNDER 8 | Top | 2-6 | Push | 0 | 15 h 35 m | Show |
The set-up: The Braves ended the Dodgers' 11-game winning streak with a 6-3 win over LA Thursday night at Dodger Stadium and then 'lit up' Alex Wood for nine runs (seven earned) over just 4 2/3 innings of a second straight Atlanta win, 12.3 (Wood entered the game 11-0 with a 11.56 ERA). Lefty Jaime Garcia not only tossed seven strong innings but also belted a grand slam in Friday’s win, as the Braves improved to 7-2 in their last nine road games and to on the season. As for LA, after going 31-4 over a 35-game stretch, LA is now looking to avoid a third straight loss. The pitching matchup: Julio Teheran (7-7 & 4.69 ERA) starts for Atlanta and Rich Hill (6-4 & 3.55 ERA) for Los Angeles. Teheran was always an excellent home pitcher for Atlanta but a move to the team's new home, SunTrust Park, has not been to Teheran's liking. He's an abysmal 1-7 with 7.05 ERA in 10 starts (Braves are 2-8). However, on the road, Teheran's an outstanding 6-0 with a 2.53 ERA in nine starts (Braves are 7-2). The bad news (for Brave fans) here is, Teheran is 0-6 with a 6.47 ERA in seven career starts versus the Dodgers (Atlanta is 0-7). Hill battled blister problems for most of 2016 (first with Oakland and then LA) and it was much of the same early in 2017. However, he has posted a 1.74 ERA and 44-to-6 KW ratio over his last five starts covering 31 innings (he's 3-1 and the Dodgers are 4-1). What's more, Hill owns a 3-0 record and 1.89 ERA in seven career games (five starts / teams are 4-1) against the Braves. The pick: Am I somewhat concerned over Teheran's ugly LT mark against LA? Yes, but his 2.53 ERA in nine 2017 road starts trumps that. Then there is Hill, who has been on a roll since mid-June. Make the Under a 10* play.
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07-22-17 | Red Sox -128 v. Angels | Top | 3-7 | Loss | -128 | 15 h 30 m | Show |
The set-up: The Boston Red Sox won 6-2 last night in Anaheim, giving them four wins in their last six. That's not exactly a hot streak but it's a step in the right direction after having lost six of eight from July 5 through July 16. Chris Sale tossed six scoreless innings in Friday’s victory but Dustin Pedroia saw his nine-game hitting streak come to an end. Still, the win kept Boston 3 1/2 games up on the Yankees and Rays, who are in a virtual tie for second in the AL East. The Angels have now dropped eight of their last 12 games and are now 4 1/2 games out of a wild card spot, with three teams ahead of them and two teams tied with them (talk about a log-jam!). |
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07-22-17 | Cardinals v. Cubs -160 | Top | 2-3 | Win | 100 | 10 h 31 m | Show |
The set-up: The Cubs’ six-game winning streak came to a crashing halt on Friday, when the Cardinals scored nine runs with no outs in the eighth, for an 11-4 win at Wrigley. However, the entire NL Central got much tighter, as with Milwaukee's loss at Philly (6th straight), the Cubs remained just one game back of the Brewers while Pittsburgh's sixth straight win (12th in 14 games) saw the Pirates close to withing two games of first place. The Cards' big win over the Cubs moved them within 3 1/2 of the Brewersrs square off here. |
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07-21-17 | Red Sox -191 v. Angels | Top | 6-2 | Win | 100 | 15 h 35 m | Show |
The set-up: The Red Sox started winning while the Yanks began to struggle and Boston took over the AL East lead. However, while the Red Sox still own first-place in the division (Boston leads Tampa Bay by 2 1/2 games and New York by 3 1/2), they are just 5-8 since the team's six-game winning streak was snapped on July 5. Boston continued to just "spin its wheels" completing an eight-game homestand coming out of the break at just 4-4. The Red Sox open a three-game series Friday in Anaheim against the Angels, who had dropped seven of nine before winning two of their last three. Mike Trout has homered in back-to-back contests to highlight his five-game hitting streak, which has helped the Angels stay in that tightly-bunched group of teams fighting for the AL's two wild card sport (Angels are currently 3 1/2 games out of the final spot). |
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07-21-17 | Pirates v. Rockies -131 | Top | 13-5 | Loss | -131 | 13 h 10 m | Show |
The set-up: Everyone is talking about the Cubs in the NL Central, after the defending champs have won all six games since the break to close withing a game of the Brewers. However, the red-hot Pirates have also surged into contention in that division, after completing a four-game sweep of the first-place Milwaukee Brewers with Thursday's 4-2 victory. Pittsburgh was eight games behind Milwaukee when it woke up last Sunday morning but now finds itself only three back, as Thursday's 4-2 victory moved them to 48-48 (Pirates have won 11 of 13). Colorado (56-41) endured a 5-15 stretch before righting the ship by scoring 49 runs during a four-game winning streak, including a three-game sweep of the San Diego Padres to open this week. The 56-41 Rockies now share the NL wild card lead with the Arizona Diamondbacks and are 5 1/2 games ahead of the Chicago Cubs and 7 1/2 in front of Pittsburgh. These two hot teams square off for three games this weekend at Coors Field. The pitching matchup: Trevor Williams (3-4 & 4.69 ERA) gets the nod for Pittsburgh and Jeff Hoffman (6-1 & 4.33 ERA) for Colorado. Williams began the season in the bullpen but is now 2-3 with a 4.43 ERA in 13 starts in 2017 (Pirates are 6-7). He has never faced Colorado or any of its players. Hoffman was acquired from Toronto in the 2015 in Troy Tulowitzki trade and like Williams, has never faced Pittsburgh or any of its players. The Rockies are 7-3 in Hoffman's 10 starts this season but his ERA at Coors is a problem (6.44), considering it's just 2.45 on the road. The pick: Something has to give here but I won't buck Colorado here at home. Colorado is averaging 12.25 RPG in its four-game winning streak with the last three coming at Coors, where they are now averaging 6.19 RPG on the season. Colorado is a 10* play. |
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07-21-17 | Brewers v. Phillies -135 | Top | 1-6 | Win | 100 | 12 h 36 m | Show |
The set-up: The Milwaukee Brewers were one of MLB's surprise teams in the first half, taking a 5 1/2 game lead in the NL Central over the defending champion Cubs into the All star break. Let's remember, this team won just 73 games in 2016 and 68 in 2015. That said, most felt the Cubs would eventually "get their act together" and I imagine most observers felt that Brewers would at some time in 2017's second half, be faced with a "regression to the mean." Well, the Cubs have gone 6-0 since the break, while the Brewers, after winning their first two contests after the break, have gone on to lose five in a row. Milwaukee continues itt 10-game road trip with three against the Philadelphia Phillies beginning Friday, with its lead in the NL Central having dwindled to just one game over the Chicago Cubs. More bad news for Milwaukee comes in the fact that after Pittsburgh completed a four-game sweep of Milwaukee with a 4-2 victory on Thursday, the Pirates closed to within three of the Brewers. Hard to have anything nice to say about the Phillies though, as Philadelphia opens this series with MLB's worst record (32-61) and its third-worst moneyline mark (minus-$2148). The pitching matchup: Matt Garza (4-4 & 3.84 ERA) takes the mound for Milwaukee and Aaron Nola (6-6 & 3.54 ERA) for Philadelphia. Garza has made 14 starts in 2017 and the Brewers have gone 7-7. Garza allowed one run, three hits and three walks while striking out one in five innings of Milwaukee's 5-2 loss to Philadelphia on Sunday, leaving him 2-2 with a 2.62 ERA in 10 career starts vs. the Phillies (teams are 4-6). Nola permitted two runs, seven hits and two walks while striking out seven in six innings of the Phillies' 3-2 loss at Milwaukee on Saturday and is now 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA in three starts versus the Brewers (team is 2-1). Nola has become Philly's best pitcher of late, going 4-3 with a 2.65 ERA in his last eight starts, lowering his ERA by 1.52 during that span. The pick: The Brewers desperately need to "take care of business" in this three-game series at Philly, as the team wraps up the month with a three-game series in Washington against the Nats and then has a three-game home series with the Cubs. However, I want no part of a this floundering Milwaukee team which has scored just 11 runs in losing five in a row and faces Nola, who owns a 1.78 ERA in his last five starts. Make the Philles a 10* play. |
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07-21-17 | Cardinals v. Cubs -140 | Top | 11-4 | Loss | -140 | 7 h 51 m | Show |
The set-up: The Cubs entered the All Star break at 43-45, 5 1/2 games back of the first-place Brewers in the NL Central. However, Chicago has won all six games since returning to the field (three-game sweeps at Baltimore and Atlanta) and now return to the "Friendly Confines" for a three-games series with the Cards before playing a home-and-home IL series with the crosstown White Sox, beginning with two games at Wrigley on Monday and Tuesday. Is this finally the hot streak the Cubs (and most baseball observers) expected would eventually come? St. Louis has lost two straight but is 13-9 its last 22 and is not out of things in the division just yet, sitting 4 1/2 games behind Milwaukee. |
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07-20-17 | Yankees v. Mariners +1.5 | Top | 4-1 | Loss | -150 | 15 h 46 m | Show |
The set-up: The Seattle Mariners open a four-game home series with the NY Yankees having won six of their last seven games to reach the .500 mark (48-48). Seattle now sits just 1 1/2 games behind the 48-45 Yankees, who currently hold down the second wild-card spot. The Mariners completed a 5-1 road trip with a 4-1 victory over the Houston Astros on Wednesday and now have their next 10 contests scheduled for Safeco Field. New York lost to Minnesota 6-1 on Wednesday, one day after acquiring third baseman Todd Frazier (0-for-1, hit by pitch) and relievers David Robertson (didn't pitch) and Tommy Kahnle (one scoreless inning) from the Chicago White Sox. The Yankees are counting on this trade to kick-start a winning streak, as since mid-June, the Yankees have been in a funk (10-22 their last 32 games). |
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07-20-17 | Blue Jays v. Red Sox -118 | Top | 8-6 | Loss | -118 | 6 h 11 m | Show |
The set-up: The Red Sox got hot about the same time the Yankees went into a slump and Boston took over first-place in the AL East prior to the break. However, Boston began to 'cool off' before the break and heading into last night's game with Toronto was just 4-7 in its previous 11 games and had played 58 innings in a four-day span after Tuesday's 5-4 win in 15 innings. Boston manager John Farrell was grateful for a stress-free 5-1 win Wednesday night saying, "The fact that we played that game in under three hours, it felt like we were only at halftime," Farrell told reporters. With the Rays and Yankees both losing on Wednesday, the Red Sox lead Tampa Bay by three games and the Yankees by 4 1/2 games as they get set for Thursday afternoon's finale of this four-game series with Toronto. The 43-51 Blue Jays reside in the AL East basement, 10 games back of the Red Sox, as the team just hasn't been able to overcome a 2-11 start that led to an 8-17 record by the end of April. The pitching matchup: Francisco Liriano (5-5 & 6.04 ERA) takes the mound for Toronto and Doug Fister (0-3 & 6.75 ERA) for Boston. Liriano lasted just two-plus innings in his last start, allowing five runs on three hits and four walks against the Tigers in an 11-1 loss on July 15. 2017 has been a struggle for Liriano with his 6.00-plus ERA, 1.67 WHIP and .283 BAA. He held Boston scoreless on four hits over 5 1/3 innings on April 19 but was ripped for five runs on seven hits in six innings by the Red Sox on July 1. That leaves him 4-4 with a 5.44 ERA in eight career starts against Boston. Fister was claimed off waivers from the LA Angels and made a decent season debut against his former club, taking the loss with six innings of three-run ball. He did not factor in the decision in his following start, allowing a three-run HR among four hits over five innings. He then allowed six runs at Texas in 3 2/3 innings before giving up three runs in relief during.a 16-inning loss to the Yankees last Saturday, The pick: That 16-inning game has forced the Red Sox to shuffle their pitcher rotation. Overall, the Red Sox have played 67 innings in six games over five days! That said, the Blue Jays just can't seem to 'catch fire' and Liriano has been a 'nightmare' on the road this season, allowing 35 hits and 21 walks in just 27 innings. His away ERA is 8.33 and his road WHIP is 2.07! Fister has made eight career starts against Toronto and owns a respectable 3.69 ERA. Make Boston a 10* play. |
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07-19-17 | Cardinals v. Mets -144 | Top | 3-7 | Win | 100 | 12 h 16 m | Show |
The set-up: Everyone is talking about the the Cubs, as the defending champs have returned from the break to win five in a row, closing within 2 1/2 games of the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central, However, the Brewers also need to be worried about the Cardinals, who have rebounded from a disastrous stretch by playing their best baseball of the season over the last 2 1/2 weeks. The Cards have won 13 of 20 and at 46-47, have a chance to reach .500 by sweeping the Mets in this three-game series. Cards are now just 4 1/2 games back of Milwaukee. With Tuesday's 5-0 loss, the Mets have dropped three in a row and eight of 11 to plummet into fourth place in the National League East at 41-50. The pitching matchup: Mike Leake (6-7 & 3.14 ERA) takes the mound for the Cards and Jacob deGrom (10-3 & 3.48 ERA) for the Mets. Leake's 3.14 ERA is solid but he is mired in a 1-5 slump in his last nine starts (Cards are 3-6). Leake owns a solid 2.74 ERA against the Mets but is just 2-3 in seven starts (teams are 4-3). DeGrom won his sixth consecutive start Friday, when he allowed two runs (one earned) over eight innings as the Mets beat the Colorado Rockies 14-2. He struck out 11 and walked one. He has lasted at least seven innings in each of his past six wins, a stretch that began with a complete game against the Chicago Cubs back on June 12. He has a 1.53 ERA during the winning streak and has allowed just 27 hits and nine walks while striking out 47 in 47 innings. The pick: DeGrom is 2-2 with a 5.63 ERA in four career starts against the Cardinals but he comes in pitching as well as any pitcher in MLB not named Clayton Kershaw. Meanwhile, his opposite number (Leake), is slumping. The Cards are playing better right now but deGrom will be the difference. No sweep here! Make the Mets a 10* play. |
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07-19-17 | Brewers v. Pirates -143 | Top | 2-3 | Win | 100 | 12 h 10 m | Show |
The set-up: Everyone is talking about the the Cubs, as the defending champs have returned from the break to win five in a row, closing within 2 1/2 games of the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central. However, right now, the Brewers are tasked with worrying about the Pirates, who after last night's 4-3 win over Milwaukee have won nine of 11 to draw within five games of the Brewers. |
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07-19-17 | Padres v. Rockies -168 | Top | 4-18 | Win | 100 | 8 h 16 m | Show |
The set-up: The Rockies struggled before the break (lost 13 of 18 games) and when they returned to play, promptly lost 14-2 and 9-3 to the Mets. That gave them 15 losses in their previous 20 games but Colorado "stopped the bleeding" with a 13-4 rout of the Mets on Sunday. Colorado returned home Monday to open a three-game series with the Padres, who were just 16-28 on the road to open this week. The Rockies were hoping they could build some mojo against the Padres. That's exactly what has happened, as Colorado followed its 13-run Sunday effort at Citi Field by scoring nine runs on both Monday and Tuesday in winning both games. That three-game winning streak has them within a half-game of Arizona in race for the NL's top wild card spot and has allowed the Rockies to keep the red-hot Cubs at bay, who trail them by 5 1/2 games for that final wild card spot. San Diego has fallen to 40-53 overall (the Padres can't even see the Dodgers in the NL West), which includes a 16-30 road mark. The pitching matchup: Clayton Richard (5-9 & 4.75 ERA) takes the mound as the Padres try to avoid the sweep and will be opposed by Jon Gray (2-1 & 6.23 ERA) of the Rockies. Richard is win-less in his last five starts, going 0-2 with a 6.18 ERA (team is 1-4). Padres manager Andy Green told reporters, "He's the unquestioned leader of the team and his preparation is second to none for his own craft. He's ready to pitch every five days. He's a tremendous leader, tremendous teammate. He means more to this organization than I think anybody outside could really know." I'm not sure just what to make of that statement. Richard defeated the Rockies back on June 2 (gave up four runs - three earned - on 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings) and is 4-4 with a 4.79 ERA in 16 career appearances (15 starts / teams are 7-8). Gray was rocked by the New York Mets in his last outing, giving up eight runs on nine hits in two-plus innings of a 14-2 loss. However, he had pitched well in his first two starts since returning from a foot injury that caused him to miss two-plus months to begin the season. Gray posted a 3.09 ERA in two wins, while striking out 15 in 11 2/3 innings. He is 2-2 with a 2.30 ERA in seven career starts vs. San Diego (team is 2-5). The pick: Here's the rub. The Rockies come in having scored 31 runs in three straight wins (have 30 hits) and on the season, average 5.93 RPG at Coors. In contrast, SD is 18-30 on the road, getting outscored 5.28-to-3.59 RPG. Richard has made seven career starts at Coors Field and owns a 7.78 ERA, while Gray owns an 0.86 ERA in three career starts at Coors Field against the Padres. Make Colorado a 10* play. |
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07-19-17 | Phillies v. Marlins -181 | Top | 10-3 | Loss | -181 | 5 h 16 m | Show |
The set-up: The Phillies lost 6-5 (10 inn.) on Monday but Nick Williams' two-run HR led the way to a 5-2 win in Miami last night. The MLB-worst Phillies (31-61) now have a chance to take this three-game series with a win this afternoon against the Marlins in teh rubber match of the series. Miami has dropped four of its last five to fall to 42-50, 14 1/2 games back of the first-place Nats in the NL East. The Marlins' wild card hopes aren't much brighter, as they are 11 games out of the final wild card spot with four teams ahead of them. |
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07-18-17 | Padres v. Rockies -141 | Top | 7-9 | Win | 100 | 12 h 28 m | Show |
The set-up: The Rockies lost 13 of 18 games prior to the break and returned to play this past weekend at Citi Field against the Mets. They promptly lost 14-2 and 9-3, giving them 15 losses in their previous 20 games. However, Colorado "stopped the bleeding" with a 13-4 rout of the Mets on Sunday and returned home Monday to open a three-game series with the Padres. San Diego was coming off three straight series wins but at 40-51 (prior to Monday's game), the Padres were hardly a formidable opponent. Yes, the Padres had won four of their last six on the road but they were still only 16-28 away from home on the season. Colorado won 9-6 last night, giving the team consecutive wins for the first time in four-plus weeks.The pitching matchup: A pair of rookies take the mound on Tuesday night, Dinelson Lamet (3-3 & 5.93 ERA) for San Diego and Antonio Senzatela (9-3 & 4.63 ERA) for Colorado. Lamet has struck out 55 in just 41 innings but also has been reached for 10 HRs over his first eight major-league starts. Lamet hasn't pitched since losing 11-2 to Cleveland back on July 7, when he allowed six runs (five earned) on six hits in only four innings. This is his ninth career start and first against Colorado. Senzatela is being recalled from Triple-A and will make his first big-league start since June 22. He was 7-1 with a 3.19 ERA through 10 starts before he began struggling as he posted an 8.54 ERA during a five-start stretch. Senzatela has already defeated the Padres twice this season, recording a 2.77 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in 13 innings.
The pick: This is Lamet's first time in Coors Field and it hardly bodes well that in four road starts in 2017, he owns an 8.00 ERA and 1.61 WHIP (welcome to Coors!). As for Senzatela, he's had great success at Coors, going 7-2 in his nine starts there. He'll face a San Diego team which ranks 30th (dead-last) in both runs scored (3.63 per) and team BA (.231) plus is only 16-29 on the road, getting outscored 5.20-to-3.51 RPG. Meanwhile, he'll be backed by a Colorado team averaging 5.87 RPG at home in 2017. Make Colorado an 8* play. |
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