The Cincinnati Reds started the season horribly, winning just one time in their first nine games. Then they won four straight and again lost four straight. Now they have won two straight over the host team San Diego, winning the opener 4-1 and then yesterday 3-2, both as dogs. Luis Castillo gets the start today for the Reds with a 1-1 record in his four starts. Castillo has a nifty 1.46 ERA with an impressive 0.892 WHIP. Castillo has not allowed over two runs in any of his four starts this season. The Padres have now lost five straight games to drop to 11-10 on the season. Eric Lauer will toe the rubber today for the Padres. Lauer is 2-2 in his four starts with a 4.91 ERA and 1.364 WHIP. Lauer has been ok, but nothing spectacular. And against today's starter in Castillo, Lauer will have to better then he has. This game basically a pick'em and I like the red-hot Castillo here. Play Cincinnati.

The Colorado Rockies had a rocky start to the season with a 4-12 beginning. However, they seem to have turned things around of late, winning five-straight games. The Rockies have taken two straight from the Phillies, outscoring Philly 10-5 in the process. The pitching has been excellent during this five-game stretch, allowing less than 2-runs per game average. Antonio Senzatela will start today for the Rockies. Senzatela has a fine 1.35 ERA in his only start, allowing just one run over 6 2/3 innings to the Padres to get the win. Philly started the season 11-6 before losing its last two games to Colorado and dropping to 11-8. Aaron Nola gets the start today for Philly and is 1-0 in his four starts this year. Nola has a lofty 7.45 ERA and 1.655 WHIP. Nola has also had control issues, walking 11 batters in just 19 1/3 innings. The Rockies are hot and they have a very good pitcher on the hill today. I am taking Colorado tonight.

The Blue Jays beat the A's on Friday evening, 5-1. The win improved the Jays to 9-12 on the season and winners of two straight. The A's loss on Friday dropped them to .500 at 11-11. The Jays will start Matt Shoemaker today. Shoemaker is 3-0 in his four starts with a nifty 1.75 ERA and 0.857 WHIP on the season. In addition, Shoemaker has 23 KO's to nine walks. Michael Fiers starts today for Oakland. Fiers is 2-1 in his five starts with a 7.06 ERA and 1.569 WHIP. Fiers has been hit hard in his last two starts, allowing 12 runs and 14 hits over just 6 2/3 innings. Hard to pass on the Blue Jays as a nice dog here today with a very hot Shoemaker on the hill and Fiers struggling very badly in his last two starts. Play Toronto.

Tampa Bay continues their red-hot start to the season with a 14-5 record, though they did lose last night to the Orioles, 5-6. The Rays have won eight of their last 10 games as they prepare for the defending champs. The Rays have perfected this starter by bullpen that we have seen dating back to last year. Once again Ryan Stanek will start and go his one or two innings. This really gets the Rays off to a good start as Stanek has pitched six innings in his four starts, but allowed just two hits and no runs with no walks and 11 KO's. Stanek then hands the ball over to a very good bullpen. This has resulted in a 3-1 record so far for the Rays. The Red Sox have not had a good start to the season at 6-13 and losers of three straight. The pitching has been poor, allowing 6.3 runs per game this season. Eduardo Rodriquez starts today for Boston with a 1-2 record in his three starts. Rodriquez has a lofty 7.98 ERA with a 1.704 WHIP. The Rays look for real this year and against a struggling Red Sox team, I like this play a lot tonight on the Rays. Take Tampa Bay.

 Both these clubs have won 12 games so far on the young season. The Dodgers have won four straight games while the Brewers have lost one in a row. Both teams are scoring well, with LA averaging 6.1 rpg and the Brewers averaging 5.2 rpg. The Dodgers will start Julio Urias today with a 0-1 record in his three starts. Urias has a lofty 5.27 ERA and 1.317 WHIP. Urias not pitching as well as expected after a solid preseason. Urias has walked five and struck out just 13. Urias allowed six runs over five innings in his last start against these same Brewers. Zach Davies will toe the rubber today for Milwaukee. Davies is 2-0 in his three starts with a fine 1.53 ERA and 1.302 WHIP. Davies has allowed just three earned runs over 17 2/3 innings, yet he and the Brewers are a +1.00 even money bet here today. Urias has not been all that good and the Brewers have already seen him and hit him hard. I'll take Milwaukee at home with this excellent price today. Play Milwaukee.

The Blue Jays are off to a 7-12 record this season after losing game three of this series on Wednesday, 1-4. The Jays look to take three of four in this series today with Clay Buchholz on the mound. Buchholz is 0-0 on the season after just one start. His lone start was very good, going six inning allowing six hits and just one run. The Jays took that game over Tampa Bay 3-1 as a +1.90 dog. The Twins are 9-6 on the young season and look to split the series with the Jays today. Michael Pineda has also been solid so far this year with a 2-0 record in three starts. Pineda has gone 15 total innings, allowed 13 hits, five runs and just two walks with 15 KO's. I see the Jays as a solid value here as the big dog. They did it once already with Buchholz on the hill, I see them doing it again today. Take Toronto.

These two clubs have started about the same this year with the LA Angels at 8-9 and the Texas Rangers at 9-7. The Rangers bring a three-game win streak into today's contest while the Halos bring a two-game losing streak. The Angels also average just 3.9 runs per game compared to the Rangers 5.6 runs per game. Matt Harvey starts for the Angels today. Harvey has been hit hard since coming over to the A.L. Harvey has a 0-1 record in his three starts with a 10.05 ERA and 1.954 WHIP. Harvey has allowed 14 earned runs in his last 8 1/3 innings with four walks and 10 KO's. Lance Lynn toes the rubber for the Rangers today. Lynn also a longtime Senior circuit pitcher is 1-1 in his three A.L. starts this year. Lynn, unlike Harvey, has been good his last two starts allowing just three runs over 13 innings with three walks and 14 KO's. I like Lynn a lot here tonight as Harvey continues to struggle in the American League. Play Texas.

Toronto enters tonight's contest with a 6-11 record after winning yesterday over the Twins, 5-3. The Blue Jays are averaging 3.6 rpg while allowing 4.1 rpg. Aaron Sanchez gets the start today for the Jays. Sanchez is 1-1 on the season with a 1.69 ERA and 1.375 WHIP. Sanchez has been very good, allowing just three earned runs over his 16 innings with 16 KO's. The Twins are 8-5 on the season and have averaged 5.2 rpg and allow 4.5 rpg. Kyle Gibson will toe the rubber tonight for the Twins. Gibson is 0-0 in his two starts, but has a high 7.71 ERA and 2.034 WHIP. Gibson hasn't made it out of the 4th inning in either of his starts, allowing 14 total his and eight earned runs over 9 1/3 total innings. Jays are a nice dog here tonight with a very good pitcher on the hill. I'm taking Toronto.

Interleague action today has the Pittsburgh Pirates taking on the Detroit Tigers. The Pirates are 8-6 on the season and have won one game in a row. The Pirates have been a under team thus far with a 6-8 O/U record. They are scoring an average of 3.6 rpg and allowing 3.5 rps. Joe Musgrave gets the start today for the Bucs with a 1-1 record in his two starts. Musgrave has not allowed an earned run over 13 1/3 innings of work with just 7 total hits, three walks and 14 KO's. Detroit has also been a very good under team at 4-11 O/U. The Tigers average just 2.7 rpg and allow 3.3 rpg. Matt Boyd is 1-1 for the Tigers and will start today. Boyd has a 2.60 ERA in his three starts with a 1.154 WHIP. Boyd has allowed just two earned runs over his last 12 1/3 innings with five walks and 19 KO's. Detroit is a small home dog here and with a very good Boyd on the hill there is excellent value in the Tigers. Take Detroit.

The 5-9 Cincinnati Reds take on the 9-8 LA Dodgers here in the first game of a three games series. The Reds saw their four game win streak snapped on Sunday by the Cardinals, 5-9. Still, they finally got some wins under their belt after a terrible start to the season. Luis Castillo starts today for the Reds. Castillo is 1-1 after his first three starts with a excellent 0.92 ERA and 0.661 WHIP. Castillo has really been brilliant, allowing 2 total runs over 19 2/3 innings with just 5 hits, 8 walks and 25 KO's. The Dodgers snapped a six-game losing streak on Sunday with a win over the Brewers, 7-1. The Dodgers started the season hot at 8-2 before their losing streak. Clayton Kershaw makes his first start of the season tonight. Kershaw has been battling a shoulder issue. Kershaw has now missed time in four straight seasons. Last season saw one of the worst statistically for Kershaw and a big drop in the velocity of his fast ball. Today we find Kershaw as a 150+ favorite, which I find hard to believe against Castillo who has been on fire. I just don't have faith in this version of Kershaw after what I saw last year. I'll take the live dog here in the Reds with a very good Castillo on the hill. Play Cincinnati.

Both these clubs off to slow starts in 2019 with the Cubs at 5-9 and the Marlins at 4-12. The Cubs have seen an improvement of late, winning four of their last seven games. Yu Darvish starts today for the Cubs. Darvish is 0-2 in his three starts, with a lofty 7.50 ERA and 1.917 WHIP. Darvish has gone 2 2/3, 4 and 5 1/3 innings in his three starts. He's allowed 12 hits, 11 runs and 11 walks. Miami still looking for a winning grove. They beat the Phillies on Saturday 10-3 and then lost on Sunday, 1-3. Trevor Richards will toe the rubber tonight for the Marlins. Richards is 0-1 in his three starts with a 2.00 ERA and 1.11 WHIP. Richards has been solid for the Marlins with only four walks and 10 KO's. Richards is coming off his best start of the season, going six innings and allowing just one hit and no runs to the Reds in his last start. Marlins at home as a nice dog is too much for me to pass on here tonight. I like the pitching matchup in our favor. Take the Marlins.

The San Francisco Giants look for the sweep of the Rockies today. The Giants have taken the first three-games in this series by a 9-4 run margin. The Rockies have lost eight straight games now and average just 2.8 runs per game. German Marquez starts today for the Rockies. Marquez is 1-1 in his three starts and is coming off a loss vs Atlanta. Marquez allowed five runs over five innings in the loss. The Giants three-game win streak have improved the club to 7-9 on the season. Derek Holland gets the start today. Holland is 1-1 in his three starts with a 3.38 ERA and 1.250 WHIP. Holland is coming off a very solid start, allowing just one run and five hits over seven innings for the win against the Padres. The Rockies just haven't found any rhythm yet and with the Giants playing well, I'll take San Francisco to sweep this series here today. Play the Giants.

 The Indians and Royals matchup here today in a late Saturday game. The Indians lost on Friday to the Royals, 1-8. That was just their second loss in their last eight games. The Tribe are still 8-5 on the season. The Royals are off to a 3-10 start and had lost 10 straight games before yesterday's win. Jefry Rodriguez starts today for the Indians. It will be his first start of the season. Rodriquez makes the start for Clevinger. Rodriquez had a 5.71 ERA for the Nationals last season in limited use. Homer Bailey starts for the Royals. Bailey is 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA in his two starts. Bailey gave up seven runs over five innings his last start to Seattle. The Royals have really struggled and Bailey isn't the answer I'm afraid. I'm taking the Indians with Rodriquez here tonight.

Two teams that have struggled out of the gate are the Colorado Rockies and San Francisco Giants. The Rockies are just 3-11 and have lost seven games. The Giants have improved to 6-9 with a pair of wins over the Rockies. Both teams are not scoring much, Colorado averaging 2.9 runs per game and the Giants at 2.8. But at least the Giants pitching staff is decent with a 3.3 rpg average. Not so for the Rocks, who are allowing 5.2 runs this season. Kyle Freeland starts today for the Rockies. Freeland is 1-2 in his three starts with a 5.40 ERA and 1.260 WHIP. Freeland is coming off a bad outing vs Atlanta where he allowed seven hits and seven runs over five innings. Madison Bumgarner is 0-2 in his three starts. However, Bumgarner hasn't pitched poorly with his 3.32 ERA and excellent 0.947 WHIP. The Giants are the better team here today with the better pitcher. Nice price too here with the home Giants. I'll take the Giants today with Bumgarner.

Two teams that have had directly different starts to the 2019 season. The Mariners are off to a great start at 10-2 and have won three straight games. They are averaging 8.2 runs per game and allowing 5.1 runs per game. Marco Gonzales is 3-0 already on the season with a 3.20 ERA and 1.170 WHIP. Gonzales is coming off a very good start where he allowed just one run and four hits over 8 1/3 innings to the Angels. The Royals are off to a terrible start. KC won it's first two games of the season and since has gone on a 0-7 run. They are allowing 6.1 runs per game thus far too. Jake Junis is 1-0 after two starts with a 4.63 ERA and 1.371 WHIP. Easy call for me here today in this game. The M's are red-hot and have a very good pitcher on the mound against a struggling Royals team. Play Seattle.

Both of these clubs off to very nice starts this season with the Cleveland Indians winning six of their first nine games. The Indians are averaging 3.3 runs per game and allowing 3.2 runs per game. Cory Kluber had a lot of trade speculation around him in the off season, but he remains in Cleveland - for now. Kluber has lost his first two starts of the season, with a 5.23 ERA and 1.549 WHIP. Kluber went just 3 1/3 innings his last start, allowing eight hits and six runs. The Tigers are 7-3 to start the season and have won five straight games. The Tigers pitching has been excellent, allowing just 2.6 runs per game. However, the offense hasn't been all that good at just 2.7 runs per game. Jordan Zimmermann starts today for the Tigers. Zim has two starts this season with a 0.66 ERAS and 0.585 WHIP. Zimmerman has gone 13 2/3 innings and has allowed just seven hits and one run. He's struck out 10 and walked just one batter. The Tigers with Zimmermann have been a great combo to start the season and that's what I'm sticking with here early on Tuesday. Play the Tigers with Zimmermann.

The Seattle Mariners are off to one of the best starts in baseball with a 9-2 record. They have a two-game win streak that they bring into today's contest. They are averaging a mighty 7.1 runs per game, though the pitching staff has allowed 5.1 runs per game. The Kansas City Royals are just 2-6 to start the season and that was after winning their first two games of the season. They have since gone on a 0-6 losing streak. Their pitching staff has got hit hard also, allowing 5.3 runs per game. Homer Bailey gets the start for the Royals today. Bailey went 5-innings in his first start against Minnesota, allowing five hit and three runs in a no decision. Felix Hernandez will toe the rubber for the M's. King Felix won his first start, going 7-innings against the Angels and allowing just one earned run over 5 1/3 innings. Can't pass up on the red-hot Mariners here tonight, especially against a Royals team that has lost six straight. Play the Mariners.

The Chicago Cubs off to a rough start this season at just 2-6, though they did beat the Brewers on Saturday. The Cubs pitching and hitting have both been through the roof. The Cubs are averaging 7.5 runs per game, however, they are allowing 8.4 runs per game. Not surprising that the Cubs are 7-0-1 O/U this season. Kyle Hendricks starts today for the Cubbies. Hendricks is 0-1 in his only start, going just 4 1/3 innings, allowing 10 hits and seven runs. The Brewers picked up right where they left off last season, winning seven of their first nine games. They are allowing 5.4 runs per game and scoring 5.4 runs per game. Zach Davies starts today. Davies is 1-0 after one start, allowing four hits and two runs over five innings to the Reds. The Brewers just playing too good right now to pass on them here. I like Milwaukee today.

 The Cincinnati Reds off to a bad start to the season as they are just 1-6 on the young season and 0-5 after winning on opening day. The Reds are averaging just 1.8 rpg while allowing 3.2 rpg. Today they start Tanner Roark. Roark went 4 1/3 innings in his first start vs the Brewers, allowing six hits and three runs and taking a no decision. The Pirates are 3-3 on the season and beat the Reds on Friday, 2-0. The Bucs are averaging 3.8 rpg and allowing 3.2 rpg. Trevor Williams makes his second start of the season. Williams went six innings and beat these Reds 5-0 , allowing three hits and no runs. The Reds were shutout 0-2 for the second straight day by Pittsburgh. In fact, it's three straight days that the Reds have been shut out. The Reds are a poor hitting team early in the season and it won't get any easier against today's Pirates starter. Take the Pirates on Saturday.

 Tampa Bay has been one of the best pitching teams thus far in baseball. The Rays have allowed just 1.6 runs per game thus far and have a 5-2 record. Today they take on the San Francisco Giants in an interleague play. The Giants offense has not been good, averaging just 2.4 runs per game and so far they are just 2-5 on the season. The Giants start Dereck Rodriquez, who is 1-0 on the season, going 5-innings and allowing just 4 hits and two runs in his win over the Padres. The Rays start Tyler Glasnow. Glasnow also went 5-innings in his first outing, allowing just six hits and one run in his 3-1 win over the Astros. While both pitchers were very good in their first game, I like the Rays here. They are playing very well and their bullpen has been stellar. Take the Rays.

The Baltimore Orioles have won four games in a row and four of five on the season. The O's are coming off a 2-1 win yesterday at Toronto. Nate Karns will get his second start of the season. Karns went just two innings in his first start against the Yankees, allowing one hit and no runs. This has been quite common these days for teams to start a relief pitcher who will only go one or two innings. The Blue Jays are 2-4 on the year and have lost three straight games. The Jays are averaging just 3.0 runs per game, but allowing just 2.3 runs per game. Matt Shoemaker won his first start, going seven solid innings, allowing two hits and no runs against the Tigers. The Jays will need another good outing from Shoemaker the way they are hitting the ball right now. With these two hurlers on the hill, I'm taking the UNDER in this game. Play UNDER

The D'backs lost three of their four to start the season to the Dodgers. They rebounded with a win in game one of this series, beating the Padres 10-3 yesterday. Today, they start Zack Greinke, who was beat up by the Dodgers in his initial start. Greinke went just 3 2/3 innings and allowed seven hits and seven runs, including four home runs to the Dodgers. The Padres won the Manny Machado sweepstakes in the off season and they have started the season 3-2. They need to get their run production up though, averaging just 2.8 rpg. Eric Lauer pitched great in his opening start, going six solid innings, allowing four hits and no runs to the Giants in a 2-0 win. The D'backs have been getting hit so far and the Padres have a solid pitching staff. Big edge here to Padres pitching. If they can get the hitting going they will be a leader in the division. Take the Padres.

The Angels look to snap their three-game losing streak here tonight. The Halos are just 1-4 on the season and averaging a paltry 2.4 runs per game. Meanwhile, Seattle is flying high at 6-1 on the young year and averaging 7.7 runs per game. Marco Gonzales already starting his third game of the season for the M's. Gonzo is 2-0 with a 4.77 ERA. But the way the M's have been hitting he doesn't have to be great so far. The Angels start Trevor Cahill who is 0-1 on the season and allowed four hits and four runs over six innings to the A's in a 0-4 loss. The Angels just not jelling early and the M's are. I'm sticking with the hot team here tonight. Play Seattle.

The LA Angels have started slowly to the new season, going 1-3 their last four games and have lost their last two games. Meanwhile, the Mariners have gotten off to a red-hot start, winning five of their six games and have won two straight. The Mariners are averaging eight-runs so far in their six games and allowing 5.8. The Angels are scoring just 2.3 runs per game and allowing 3.0 runs per game. Chris Stratton starts today for the Halos with no record this year and Felix Hernandez will toe the rubber for the M's with no record this season. The Mariners are now a small dog here tonight and I like them a lot seeing they are scoring a lot of runs and the Angels have struggled thus far. Take the hot home team, play Seattle.

Both Detroit and Toronto have started the season at 1-1 as we head into game three. Toronto lost the opener to the Tigers, 0-2 and then rebounded yesterday with a win, 6-0 behind Matt Shoemaker's solid 7 innings of two-hit baseball. The Tigers offense needs to a bit better than two runs in two games. Spencer Turnbull starts for the Tigers. Aaron Sanchez will toe the rubber for the Blue Jays today. Short price here with the Jays and until I see better offense out of the Tigers I'll stick with Toronto. Play the Blue Jays.

The start of the MLB season is here and the Mets and Nationals will kick it off in the NL. We can't put a lot into preseason, but the Nationals were 17-12 to finish the Grapefuit league while the Mets were 13-16. The Mets will start Jacob DeGrom who has a lifetime 2.67 ERA and 1.07 WHIP. Max Scherzer will toe the rubber for the Nats. Scherzer has a 3.22 ERA with a 1.10 lifetime WHIP. Basically if I can get deGrom as a dog in any game I know I will be in that game. I'm taking the Mets and the underdog deGrom here on opening day.

You can make a case for either club here. The Red Sox are playing just like the best team in the majors that there were all season. They are hitting with two outs consistently as we saw that again in game two. Dodgers leading 2-1 and with two outs and no one on base the Red Sox strung together three hits and a walk to take the lead. LA now in that dreaded must win position. No team has gone 0-3 in the World Series and come back to win. The Dodgers know this and they throw rookie Walker Beuhler today. Beuhler is the reason they are here, with his excellent performance in game 7 of the NLCS. This is the best opportunity thus far for the Dodgers to get that first win. Take the Dodgers.

These teams are pretty evenly matched. They both hit the long ball, both have talented pitching staffs. But really, you need both of those plus more to get to the World Series. What has separated these clubs is that the Dodgers have been striking out a lot. Plus, LA has been hitting right around .200 with Runners in Scoring position. Boston has been hitting over .300 with RISP and make contact, not striking out nearly as much as the Dodgers do. That being said, today it's Ryu vs Price. Price is coming off an excellent start vs Houston in the ALCS, going six innings and allowing just three hits and no runs. Ryu lost at Milwaukee last time out, allowing two runs and six hits over 4 1/3 innings. Both these starters have been solid. LA has been loading their lineup with right handed hitters in an effort to get an advantage vs the lefties. Didn't really see that out of Boston in game one vs Kershaw and it worked for them. I am coming back with the Red Sox here in game two to hold home field advantage and go to the West Coast up 2-0. Play Boston

 The Red Sox rolled to a fairly easy ALCS win over the Astros. The Dodgers had a much tougher task, having to win a game 7 on the road. The Dodgers were supposed to be the team with the inferior bullpen to the Brewers, but it turned out the LA pen is what carried them to the win. That plus some timely home runs in game seven. Some questionable managing by Brewers HC Counsel. Not sure why we saw Hader so early in game seven. Now we get the Red Sox and Dodgers. It isn't too often that we see Clayton Kershaw a dog, let alone a +1.40 dog. Sure, Kershaw pitched the final inning of game 7 and he's had less then a stellar postseason career. Still, there is lots of value here in game one with Kershaw this big a day. I'm taking LA in game one with their ace on the hill.

The NLCS goes back to Milwaukee with the Brewers down 2-3. Milwaukee will have their full contingent of relievers available here tonight and that gives them a big edge. This series has been all about the pens and Milwaukee has one of the best if not the best in baseball. Wade Miley will start though after his controversial pulling in his last start. Miley went 5 2/3 innings and had given up just hits when pulled by HC Counsel. The Brewers would go on to lose that game, 3-4. Miley also pitched to one batter on Wednesday, walking the one hitter he faced. MIley has pitched very well in the playoffs, allowing no runs over his 10 12/3 innings with just five hits. I like the Brewers here and with their full pen at the ready, they have the distinctive edge. Play Milwaukee.

The Astros are in a must win situation tonight as they can ill afford to go down 1-3 in this series. The defending World Champions have some allegations swirling that they are cheating. We'll see how this pans out in coming days. For now, they need to concentrate on game five here tonight. Houston will send Charlie Morton to the mound with a 15-3 record and 3.18 ERA. Morton has yet to pitch in the postseason, making his last start 18 days ago vs Baltimore. Boston sends Rick Porcello to the hill. Porcello is 18-7 with a 4.22 ERA. Porcello pitched once in the ALDS vs the Yankees, allowing one run on four hits over five innings and getting the Win. The Astros need this game and I look for them to rise to the occasion here tonight and bounce back. Play Houston.

Marathon game last night in LA went well after midnight on the East coast. Both teams used just about every pitcher they had along with all position players in that 2-1 Dodgers win in 14 innings. LA's Bellinger hit the game winning single with Machado on 2nd base to win it for the Dodgers. It should be interesting to see how both managers are going to use their bullpens that both should be tired. The Dodgers will start their ace Clayton Kershaw. Kershaw beat the Braves in game 2 of the NLDS, 3-0, going eight innings and allowing two hits. Then in the NLCS vs the Brewers he went just three innings, gave up six hits and four earned runs as he was tagged with the loss, 5-6. The Brewers will send Wade MIley to the hill. Miley got pulled in game two after working a very good 5 2/3 innings, allowing just two hits and no runs. The Brewers would lose that game to the Dodgers, 3-4. HC Counsel took some criticism for pulling Miley too soon since he was pretty much cruising at that point. Counsel may need Miley to go further tonight with the status of the pen in the air. Still, the Brewers hit Kershaw pretty hard in Milwaukee and with the high price here tonight, I see lots of value taking the Brewers. Take Milwaukee.

 The Dodgers are pretty much in a must win situation here in game four. LA lost game three at home last night to the Brewers, 0-4. They made it exciting in the bottom of the 9th when they loaded the bases with one out. But Grandal struck out as did Belanger to finish the game. Tonight, LA has Rich Hill on the mound who is 11-5 on the season with a 3.71 ERA. Hill got a no decision in his start in the NLDS vs the Braves, as he went 4 1/3 innings and gave up just two runs. The Brewers will start Gio Gonzalez. Gonzalez was 10-11 on the season with a 4.21 ERA. Gonzalez only went two innings in his game 1 start vs LA, allowing one run and one hit. The Brewers bullpen got a lot of use in these early games so I look for Gonzalez to have to go more than two innings tonight. I like the Dodgers to take this game and even the series. Play LA.

Game three of this series tonight and it's a big game. With the Astros and Red Sox having split the first two, tonight's contest will determine who takes that all important 2-1 lead. Myself, I like the over tonight. Both first two games went over with a 7-2 and 7-5 socres. The Red Sox start Nathan Eovaldi tonight with a 7-7 record and 3.62 ERA. Eovaldi has pitched very well of late, allowing one run or fewer in each of his last five outings. The Astros turn to Dallas Keuchel. Like Eovaldi, it's been an off year for Keuchel, as he posted just a 12-11 record with a 3.78 ERA. Keuchel has had very good stretches and not so good stretches. The Astros have the more experienced starter on the hill tonight and with that I look for them to take game three. Take the Astros.

 The Astros took game 1 of the ALCS on Saturday, 7-2, behind World Series MVP Justin Verlander. The Astros can leave Boston with a commanding lead today. I gave out the Astros yesterday as a small road dog. I'm going with Houston here again on Sunday evening. Gerrit Cole gets the start for the Astros with a 16-5 mark this season and 2.82 ERA. Cole has allowed just two total runs over his last 13 innings with one walk and 16 KO's. In his two starts vs the Sox this year, Cole allowed five earned runs over 13 innings with 15 KO's. David Price will start today for the Sox. Price is 16-8 on the season with a 3.70 ERA. Price hasn't had the same success as Cole. He's allowed 10 runs over his last 12 innings of work. In his start in the ALDS vs the Yankees, he went just 1 2/3 innings and gave up three runs. The Astros are my play here as they have the better pitcher on the hill and are playing very well. Take the Astros in game 2.

Both these teams ran rough shod over their opponents in the division series. The Astros swept the Cleveland Indians 3-0, outscoring the Tribe 21-6. The Astros bring one of the best pitching staffs in baseball into the ALCS. They will start Justin Verlander here in game one on Saturday. Verlander was 17-9 on the season with a 2.54 ERA. Verlander has 12 straight scoreless innings and the Astros have won his last five starts and seven of his last eight. The Red Sox had the best record in baseball and took down the Yankees, 3-1. Chis Sale will start game one. Sale was 13-4 on the season with a 2.15 ERA. Sale gave up some runs down the stretch, at least by his own standards. Sale allowed seven runs over his last 13 1/3 innings. This promises to be an exceptional series, but I can't pass on taking Verlander at even money or even a slight dog. Play the Astros.

The Yankees came up just short in game one of this series with the Red Sox, losing 4-5 on Friday. I gave out the Yankees as a live dog and we got what I expected. The Yankees gave them all they could handle. Now it's game two and once again I'm looking at the Yankees. Masahiro Tanaka will start today for the Bronx Bombers with a 12-6 record and 3.81 ERA. Tanaka hasn't been quite as sharp his last couple of starts as he was prior to that, allowing eight runs over his last eight innings. However, those were games that had no meaning in the standings. The Sox will turn to David Price. Price is 16-7 on the year with a 3.58 ERA. Price has also got hit harder in his last two starts, allowing seven earned runs over his last 10 1/3 innings. He was beaten badly by these Yankees on Sept 19th, giving up six runs and four walks in just 5 1/3 innings for a Yankees 10-1 win. I look for the Yankees to be in this one at the end and even though I believe this pitching matchup is about even, I give the hitting edge to the Yankees. Play New York.

The Yankees and the Red Sox begin their AL divisional series here today at New York. The Yankees won over 100 games, yet finished seven games back of the Sox for the AL East title. The Yankees send their hottest pitcher to the hill today in JA Happ. Happ was 17-6 on the season and while he did give up four runs to the Sox last game out, he's been pretty impressive. Happ has allowed one run or less in four of his last five starts. The Yankees have won 10 of Happ's last 12 starts. Chris Sale goes today for the Red Sox. Sale is 12-4 on the season with a 2.11 ERA. Like Happ, Sale is coming off one of worst starts, allowing three runs to the Orioles in a 3-10 loss vs Baltimore. Both these teams have impressive starters going today. The difference is that the Yankees have the best home run hitting team in baseball. I think the pitching matchup is even here today, so the line is a bit out of whack. Good value with the Yankees in game one. Play New York.

Pitching aside in this one, I'm taking the Brewers for the main reason that the Rockies are playing in their fourth city in their last four games. They had to go 13 innings and use a lot of pitchers just to get here by beating the Cubs on Tuesday. Then they had their emotional celebration afterwards. Now they play at Milwaukee, which is rested, has the best bullpen in baseball and is playing great. Both starters here won't be around long and it looks like Milwaukee might be taking a page from the Rays/A's playbook of starting a bullpen pitcher and going from there. I like the spot the Brewers are in here in game one. Take Milwaukee.

Two contrasting styles meet here in the AL Wildcard. The Oakland A's have adopted the Tampa Bay Rays plan of starting a bullpen pitcher and then just using their pen from there on out. That's what we see today as Liam Hendriks get the start, though he likely won't go past the first inning. If you look at the last seven time Hendriks has pitched, he's gone one inning and allowed no runs in each outing. I'm a bit surprised that the Yankees have opted to go with Luis Severino here today. Severino is very good, posting a 19-8 record on the season. However, JA Happ has been their hottest pitcher and if you don't win today, your season is over. That being said, I believe the A's have a very good chance here today and with this line as big as it is on the Yankees, that makes Oakland a live dog pick. I'm taking Oakland here tonight.

The Mets and their ace Jacob deGrom will try and halt the Atlanta Braves six game win streak tonight. deGrom is only 9-9 on the season, but that doesn't speak for how good he is. deGrom has a 1.77 ERA, 0.938 WHIP and has allowed more than two runs just two times in his last 14 starts - and that was just three runs. In fact, deGrom hasn't allowed more than three runs but one time all season and that was four back in April 10th. The Braves will counter with Sean Newcomb. Newcomb is 12-9 on the season with a 4.04 ERA. Newcomb is coming off a poor start where he allowed five runs over just three innings of work. In fact, Newcomb has allowed five runs or more in four of his last seven starts. With deGrom we know we are in this game till the end. I'm playing the Mets.

Tampa Bay has won five straight after Wednesday's 20th win of the season by ace and Cy Young hopeful, Blake Snell. I had the Rays on the run line last night, an easy winner. Tonight I'm coming right back with the Rays and Ryan Stanek. Stanek has really been a relief pitcher, but the Rays have perfected this style of pitching lately where they start a bull pen pitcher and get one or two innings out of him. That's been the way they have used Stanek. Stanek will only be around for an inning, maybe two at the most. Stanek has not allwed a run in his last six starts doing this. The game will then be turned over to the pen. The Blue Jays will start Sawm Gaviglio. Gaviglio is 2-8 on the season with a 5.38 ERA. Gaviglio has allowed 11 runs over his last 13 1/3 innings. I like this method that the Rays have developed and I look for them to win here tonight. Play Tampa Bay.

The Chicago Cubs have been hot, winning two straight over Arizona and winning five of their last six games overall. The Cubs have shutdown the Arizona defense, outscoring them 14-2 in the two games. Cole Hamels toes the rubber tonight for the Cubs with a 9-9 record and 3.67 ERA. Hamels has allowed two runs or less in eight of his last nine starts. The Diamondbacks are dropping like a rock in the NL West. It wasn't long ago they were in first place, now they trail the Dodgers by six games and are six back in the Wild Card race. Robbie Ray will try and get the D'backs back on track tonight. Ray is 5-2 with a 4.14 ERA this season. Ray has pitched well, allowing two runs or less in seven of his last eight games. The Cubs are hot and the D'backs are not. Getting the Cubs here as a slight dog is just too much to pass on. Take Chicago.

 The Rockies continue to win, taking three of four from Arizona after Thursday's 10-3 win. Now the Rockies open a three game set at San Francisco before beginning a very important stretch of games. Colorado will next play three games at the Dodgers and then three more at Arizona. That makes these three more important as they want to open up a lead here, which now stands at 1.5 over the dodgers and 4.5 over the D'backs. Tyler Anderson starts for the Rockies here tonight. Anderson is 6-8 with a 4.89 ERA. Anderson is one of the weak links in this pitching staff. However, Anderson has improved the last two starts, allowing three runs in each start. The Giants look like a team that has given up, losing 11 straight games. The good news is the Giants didn't lose on Thursday, they had the day off. Chris Stratton will start tonight with a 9-9 record and 4.82 ERA. The Rockies won't be too big a favorite here with Anderson on the hill. That's good, because I'm betting against the Giants who have lost 11 straight. Play Colorado.

 Oakland continues to rattle off wins as they won their 6th in a row after Wednesday's win over the Orioles, 10-0. The A's are still three back of the Astros in the NL West, mainly because the Astros have also been hot, winning nine of their last 10 games. Still, the A's are in striking distance of the Astros and also have a 8.5 game lead over the Rays for the 2nd Wild Card spot. The A's will start Brett Anderson today with a 3-4 record and 4.02 ERA. Anderson had his worst outing last game, allowing five runs over 2 2/3 innings to the Astros. Still, Anderson had been stellar before that, allowing just two runs over his previous four starts. The Orioles have now lost six straight games after their loss on Wednesday to the A's. Dylan Bundy will toe the rubber for the O's today with a 7-14 record and 5.58 ERA. Bundy has not been good, allowing 34 runs over his last six starts (28 2/3 innings). The A's should have little trouble with this team tonight. Bundy has been horrible and the A's will take advantage of that. Play Oakland.

The Rays had their four game win streak snapped last night by these Indians, 0-2. The Rays have still won 17 of their last 21 games and the pitching has been amazing during that stretch. Today they get their Ace on the hill in the person of Blake Snell. Snell is 18-5 with a 2.06 ERA and should be a candidate for AL Cy Young the way he's pitching. Snell has allowed two runs or less in each of his last seven starts and 14 of his last 16 starts. The Indians counter with Carols Carrasco who is also having a stellar year with a 15-8 record and 3.48 ERA. Carrasco has given up five runs twice in his last four starts though. Still, Snell is amazing and to get him at home as a pick'em is just too good to pass on. Play Tampa Bay.

Can't go wrong in the 2nd half of the season playing on the Rays, especially as a home dog as they are today. The Rays have just been amazing this second half of the season, winning four straight and 17 of their last 20 games. Tonight they start Tyler Glasnow who is 0-3 in his seven starts with a 5.17 ERA. Glasnow has really had only one bad start and that was last time out where he gave up seven runs in just 2/3 of an inning. We'll discount that one for now and see if he can bounce back tonight. The Indians start Shane Bieber who is 9-3 with a 4.53 ERA. Bieber has allowed at least three runs in each of his last five starts, but the Indians have won four of those five. Still, the Rays winning 17 of the last 20 is just too good to pass on here tonight as a small home dog. Play the Rays.

 The Yankees took two of their three games with the Mariners, losing the finale on Sunday, 2-3. Still, the Yankees have a strangle hold on that first Wild Card playoff spot. Today they begin a 3-game set with the Twins and send recently acquired JA Happ to the hill. Happ is 15-6 on the season with a 3.90 ERA. Happ was acquired on July 26th and has made seven starts for the Yankees with a 6-1 record. During that time he's allowed two runs or less five times, three runs and five runs. The Twins are 4-11 in their last 15 games. Kyle Gibson will toe the rubber today with a 7-12 mark and 3.74 ERA. Gibson has allowed 16 runs over his last three starts (16 innings). The Yankees shouldn't have much trouble in this one and the price is reasonable too. Play New York.

The Dodgers have closed to just a half game back of the Rockies and one game back of the Diamondbacks. The Dodgers took the opener of this three-game set with the Rockies on Friday, 4-2 behind Clayton Kershaw. The Rockies blew numerous opportunities to tie or take the lead in this game. Today, the Dodgers send Walker Buehler to the hill with a 6-3 record and 2.52 ERA. Buehler has not allowed more than two runs in any of his last seven starts. The Rockies counter with Kyle Freeland who is 13-7 with a 2.96 ERA. Freeland has also pitched very well, allowing two runs or less in six of his last eight starts with the other two starts allowing just three runs. Hard to pass on the Rockies at home as a dog. This pitching matchup is pretty much even and that means I'm taking the value with first place Rockies at home. Play Colorado.

The A's had their two-game win streak snapped last night by the Yankees, 1-5. The A's are still in striking distance of the Astros, 3.5 games back of the AL West leaders. The A's have a comfortable lead as the 2nd Wild Card spot, 5.5 games over the fading Mariners. These Yankees can't win the AL East, but they look to have a wild card spot locked-up. The Yankees lead 2nd place Oakland by 4.5 games and third place Seattle by 10 games. Michael Fiers will toe the rubber today for the A's with his 106 record and 3.37 ERA. Fiers saw his stretch of excellent starts take a hit last game, as he allowed five runs over 3 2/3 innings to the Mariners. Still, the A's won the game, their sixth in a row when Fiers starts. The Yankees will start Luis Severino today. Severino is 17-6 with a 3.32 ERA. Severino had a few games where he got hit hard, but has bounced back with some good outings, though the Yankees have lost four of his last eight starts. That's enough for me to take a shot here with the home underdog A's. Play Oakland

 Is any team hotter than the Tampa Bay Rays? Not really. The Rays have actually closed within seven games of a Wild Card spot, as hard as that is to believe. The Rays have won 13 of their last 14 games, including last night's shutout win over the Blue Jays, 4-0. The pitching has been amazing, holding 11 of those 14 opponents to three runs or less. Tyler Glasnow gets only his seventh start tonight. Glasnow is 0-2, but has a respectable 3.23 ERA. In fact, Glasnow has held four of his six opponents to just one run in each start and has not allowed more than four runs in the other two starts. The Blue Jays have lost seven of their last nine games. Aaron Sanchez gets the start today. Sanchez is 3-5 with a 5.22 ERA and has allowed 11 runs over his last 8 1/3 innings. He's also walked five batters with just four KO's. Rays look like the steal of the day to me at this short road price. Play Tampa Bay.

The Braves look to salvage one game of this three-game set with the Red Sox in this early Wednesday matchup. The Braves have lost the first two games by a score of 3-13. Today, they will send All-Star Mike Foltynewicz to the hill today. Foltynewicz is 10-9 on the season with a nifty 2.80 ERA. Foltynewicz has allowed two runs or less in five of his last six starts. The Sox will counter with Hector Velazquez who is 2-2 in his six starts with a 5.87 ERA. Velazquez got rocked last game, allowing eight earned runs over just 2 2/3 innings of work. I like the Braves here this morning with their best pitcher on the hill. Play the BRAVES.

Tampa Bay has been one of the hottest teams in baseball of late. The Rays have won three straight and 12 of their last 14 games. Ryan Stanek starts tonight. Stanek is one of those starters that really is a relief pitcher. He usually only goes one or two innings before coming out, so he doesn't usually figure in the decision. Toronto will start Ryan Borucki who is 3-3 on the season with a 4.52 ERA. Borucki has gotten hit hard lately, allowing 21 runs in his last five starts (20 1/3 innings). Rays have just been too hot to pass on here. Plus the Jays have a very shaky starter on the hill. Play Tampa Bay.

 The Red Sox are running away with the AL East division up by 7.5 games over the Yankees. The race much tighter in the NL East where the Braves lead the Phillies by four games. The Braves are starting Touki Toussaint today who makes just his second start of the season. His first was very good, going six innings, allowing just two hits and one run against the Marlins. The Red Sox counter with Nathan Eovaldi who is 5-7 with a 4.35 ERA. Eovaldi has struggled at times, allowing 12 runs over his last 11 1/3 innings of work. Not sure why the Sox are favored here with a struggling pitcher on the hill. I'll take the underdog Braves today.

 The best division race in baseball is the NL West as there is a virtual tie among the Rockies, Dodgers and Diamondbacks. The Rockies lost their opener to the Padres on Friday, but bounced back on Saturday with a win, 4-2. Kyle Freeland will start today with a 12-7 record and 2.90 ERA. Freeland has been great, not allowing more than two runs in any of his last five starts. The Padres trying to play spoilers will send Jacob Nix to the hill today. Nix is 2-2 in his four starts with a 4.05 ERA. Nix has had two really good starts and two so-so starts. He also doesn't have a good BB to KO ratio with five walks and seven KO's. The Rockies can't let opportunities like this get away. Play Colorado.

Oakland fell back to 2.5 games behind the Astros as both teams have lost their last game and the A's losing two straight. The A's have been one of the hottest teams in baseball, but their two straight losses have put a bit of a damper on that streak. Michael Fiers looks to get the A's back on track tonight. Fiers is 10-6 this season with a 3.15 ERA. Fiers has been excellent of late, allowing a total of four runs over his last five starts (26 innings). Moreover, Fiers has not allowed more than three runs in his last 11 straight outings. The Mariners have dropped to seven back in the AL West, but are in third in the race for one of the AL Wild Card spots. Mike Leake starts for the M's with a 8-8 record and 4.03 ERA. Leake got roughed-up last time out, allowing five runs over six innings in a loss to the Diamondbacks. Leake has been inconsistent and while he has put together some good games, I don't like his recent outings. Take the A's here to bounce back tonight.

The Boston Red Sox have won three straight games including their opener with the White Sox on Thursday, 9-4. Boston has wrapped-up the NL East with a 8.5 game lead over 2nd place New York Yankees. Nathan Eovaldi makes the start today for Boston with a 5-6 record and 4.15 Eovaldi has not pitched well of late, allowing nine earned runs on his last 9.1 innings. The WHite Sox are a big dog here tonight at home. Chicago has won five of the last seven games. MIchael Kopech makes just his third start of the season with a 1-0 mark and 1.13 ERA. Kopech has gone eight total inning this year with 10 hits and one run. Kopech is a bit of a unknown entity, but we know Eovaldi hasn't been good. I'm taking a chance tonight on the home dog White Sox here.

The Colorado Rockies are a half game back of the Diamondbacks for the NL West lead with the Dodgers just a half game back of them. To say the West is tight is an understatement. That means these games against the last place Padres are essential to a playoff contender like the Rockies. The Rockies had Wednesday off after their win at the Angels on Tuesday, 3-2. The Rockies will start German Marquez tonight who is 11-9 on the season with a 4.27 ERA. Marquez has been excellent of late, allowing just three runs over his last three starts (21 innings). The Padres will try and play spoiler here tonight with Eric Lauer on the hill. Lauer is 5-7 with a 5.30 ERA. Lauer hasn't pitched very well, allowing 14 runs over his last 11 innings with six walks. This is one the Rockies should win going away if they want to prove they are deserving of a NL West title. Play Colorado.

Both these teams coming off home losses last night. The Cubs saw their six game win streak snapped by the Mets on Wednesday. The Braves had their two game win streak stopped by the Rays. The Braves will send All-Star pitcher Mike Foltynewicz to the hill tonight. Foltynewicz is 10-8 on the season with a nice 2.67 ERA. Foltynewicz has been very good, allowing four total earned runs over his last four starts (26 2/3 innings). The Cubs will counter with Mike Montgomery. Montgomery is 4-3 in his 13 starts with a 3.08 ERA. Montgomery has put two solid starts together, allowing one run over his last 11 1/3 innings. Both pitchers are good, but I give the edge to the Braves here both with offense and on the hill. Play Atlanta.

The Arizona Diamondbacks picked a bad time for their offense to go into a tailspin. In their last three games they have scored one total run and have been shut out in two straight games at San Francisco. The D'backs are now tied for the NL West lead with Colorado and just one game ahead of the Dodgers. Arizona will send Zack Godley to the hill tonight. Godley is 13-7 on the season with a 4.62 ERA. Godley has been hit hard of late, allowing 11 earned runs over his last 10 innings of work. The Giants will send Dereck Rodriguez to the hill with a 5-1 record in his 13 starts and a 2.37 ERA. Rodriguez has not allowed more than two runs in any of his last nine starts. Yet, we get the Giants as a small home dog tonight? I don't know if the D'backs will score again tonight. I'm taking the Giants

The Orioles have taken their first two games with the Blue Jays, outscoring Toronto 19-5 in the process. The O's send Alex Cobb to the hill today as they look for the sweep. Cobb is just 4-15 on the season with a 4.93 ERA. However, Cobb has looked much better of late, allowing two runs or less in five straight starts (35 innings), including a complete game win over the Indians on Aug 18. The Jays have lost three straight. The will look to Ryan Borucki tonight who is 3-3 on the season with a 4.12 ERA. Borucki has not looked good of late, allowing 16 earned runs over his last 16 innings with 10 walks and just 8 KO's. I look for the Orioles to take the series here tonight. Play Baltimore.

The St Louis Cardinals have made a nice run in the NL Central, however they are still 4.5 back of the Cubs because Chicago has also been hot. St Louis has won seven of the last 10 and and 15 of the last 18 games. Jack Flaherty starts today for the birds with a 7-6 record and 2.89 ERA. Flaherty has been very good, allowing three earned runs over his last four starts (25 innings). Meanwhile, the Pirates have lost five of the last six and 10 of the last 13. Ivan Nova starts today for the Bucs with a 7-8 record and 4.20 ERA. The Cardinals hold a big edge in recent play and tonight's starter. Play St Louis.

The Atlanta Braves are still 3.5 games in 1st place in the NL East, mainly because second place Philly is on a 3-7 run. The Braves face one of the hottest teams in baseball tonight in Tampa Bay. The Rays have won eight straight games. Ryan Stanek starts tonight for the Rays. Stanek is 0-2 in 21 appearances with a 2.84 ERA. Stanek has pitched mainly out of the pen this year and has allowed four runs over his last nine innings pitched. The Braves will start Julio Teheran tonight. Teheran is 9-7 this year with a 4.09 ERA. Teheran has been very good recently, allowing just four earned runs over his last three starts (20 innings). Even though the Rays are hot, they start a pitcher that won't be around long in this game. Take the Braves.

Arizona travels to San Francisco to start this 3-game set before an important 4-game set at the Dodgers. That makes winning these games even more important to the D'backs since they have both Colorado and LA on their heels. The Giants haven't committed to a pitcher yet, but that has no consequences to me. I'm making my play on Arizona here with Pat Corbin on the hill. Corbin is 10-4 on the season with a 3.12 ERA. Corbin has been very consistent, holding his last four opponents to three runs or less. In fact, the D'backs have won Corbin's last six starts. The Giants will likely start Chris Stratton tonight. Stratton is 8-7 with a 5.18 ERA. Stratton has got hit hard recently, allowing 16 runs over his last 15 innings of work. Whoever the Giants start, I'm taking Corbin and the D'backs here tonight.

The Rockies were in a tie with Arizona for first in the NL West, however their Sunday loss to the Cardinals coupled with an Arizona win over the Mariners has dropped them one game back. Still, the Rockies are 12-3 their last 15 games and putting the heat on the Diamondbacks. Today, they start a two-game set at the Angels. The Angels have lost five straight and haven't looked good at all. Colorado will start Jon Gray who is 10-7 with a 4.61 ERA. Gray has pitched well of late, allowing two runs or less in five of his last seven starts and just three and four runs in the other two starts. The Angels will send Odrisamer Despaigne to the hill. Despaigne has just three starts and an ERA of 8.31. He has not gone more than five innings and has allowed 12 earned runs over 13 innings. The Rockies have a NL West coast swing that has them playing the next four at San Diego and then back home to face San Francisco. These are all very winable games and they will not be happy to come away with more losses than wins during this stretch. Take Colorado.

 The Houston Astros now in a division dogfight with the Oakland A's. They have responded with four straight wins, including two straight over the Angels. They have outscored LA 17-6 so far. The Astros will start lefty Framber Valdez today, who will be making his first MLB start. Valdez was recalled from Triple-A Fresno on Tuesday. He pitched in releif, throwning 4.1 innings against the Mariners allowing just two hits and one earned run. The reason for Valdez pitching today was to give Gerrit Cole and extra day rest. The Angels have lost five straight games and seven of eight. The offense has been bad lately, even with the return of Trout to the outfield. Felix Pena will start today with a 1-3 record and 4.25 ERA. Pena gave up four runs over six innings last time out. The Astros should do well with Valdez on the hill, especially against the reeling Angels. Take Housto

The Tampa Bay Rays have been red-hot, winning seven straight games including both games against the Red Sox. They have outscored the Sox 15-4 so far as they look for the sweep here today. Their Ace, Blake Snell, takes the hill today. Snell is 15-5 with a 2.07 ERA. Snell has been on fire to, allowing just two runs over his last four starts (20 innings) with four walks and 26 KO's. The Red Sox have lost six of their last eight games. Nathan Eovaldi starts today with a 5-5 record and 3.81 ERA. Eovaldi has allowed nine runs over his last 13 innings. The Rays are red hot and have one of the best pitchers on the mound. I'm taking Tampa Bay.

The Oakland A's continue to put pressure on division leader Houston as they just keep winning. The A's have split their first two games of this series with the Twins, winning on Friday night 7-1. The A's are 1.5 back of the Astros as both teams won on Friday. Michael Fiers will start tonight's game. Fiers is 9-6 with a 3.21 ERA. Fiers has been on fire of late, allowing just three total runs over his last four starts (20 1/3 innings. Minnesota will start Stephen Gonsalves tonight. Gonsalves is 0-1 in his only start, allowing four runs, six hits and two walks in just 1 1/3 innings. It looks like another early exit tonight for Gonsalves as the A's continue to pound on the Twins. Play Oakland.

The Athletics have been one of the hottest teams in baseball recently. Oakland has won seven of their last 10 games and is now just one game back of the Astros for the AL West lead. Oakland begins a four-game set at Minnesota tonight with Trevor Cahill starting tonight. Cahill is 5-2 with a 3.11 ERA. In addition, Cahill has allowed three runs or less in five of his last seven starts. The Twins are no longer in playoff contention. Minnesota will start Kohl Stewart today with a 0-1 record in his two starts. Steward has a 7.71 ERA in those two starts allowing six total runs over seven innings. The A's have to beat inferior opponents and that means winning tonight. Play Oakland.

The Colorado Rockies are just 1.5 games back of the Arizona Diamondbacks for the NL West lead. The Rockies have won five of their last six games and nine of the last 11 games. Kyle Freeland starts tonight for the Rockies with a 11-7 record and 2.96 ERA. Freeland has been very good of late, allowing two runs or less in 10 of his last 12 starts. The Padres are trying to play spoilers now, but their recent 2-7 record in their last nine games doesn't reflect that. Joey Lucchesi has a 6-7 record and 3.79 ERA for the Padres. The Rockies know that games against the Padres are games they need to win if they are to make the playoffs. Take Colorado tonight.

 The White Sox had been playing well of late, until losing last night to the Twins, 2-5. They have won five of their last seven games. Today, Carlos Rondon gets the start with a 4-3 record and 2.69 ERA. Rondon has allowed two runs or less in six of his last seven starts with three runs in the other start. The Twins send Kyle Gibson tonight with a 7-9 record and 3.51 ERA. Gibson has been hot and cold lately. The Sox have been good and Rondon great. Play the White Sox tonight

The Cardinals have closed the gap in the NL Central to just 3.5 games behind the Chicago Cubs. They are also tied for the 2nd Wild Card place with three other teams. The Cards beat LA on Monday, 5-3. That was their 15th win in their last 19 games. Daniel Poncedeleon will make his 2nd start of the season tonight. Poncedeleon was amazing in his first start, allowing NO hits and no runs over 7 innings to the Reds. Meanwhile, the Dodgers are now 2.5 back in the NL West and two back in the Wild Card race. Hyun-Jin Ryu will make the start tonight. Ryu is 3-0 in his seven starts and making only his second start since May. Ryu pitched very well in his first game back, going 6 innings and allowing no runs to the Giants. The Cardinals are red-hot and at this price, they are a high valued dog here tonight. Play St Louis.

The AL Central is a runaway for the Cleveland Indians. The Twins are in 2nd place in the division, but out of even the Wild Card race. The Twins lost their opener to the White Sox last night, 5-8. Jose Berrios gets the start tonight for the Twins with a 11-8 record and 3.75 ERA. The White Sox have won two straight and five of their last six games. The Sox have called up hard throwing Michael Kopech to start tonight. Kopech was rated as the No 2 righthanded pitcher. Kopech's fast ball has been clocked at 105 MPH. Kopech was 7-7 at Triple-A Charlotte this year with a 3.70 ERA in 24 starts. Over his last seven starts he was 4-0 with a 1.84 ERA. Kopech is a star of the future on this team and I like him as a small dog here tonight. Play Chicago.

The Braves took the opener of this series with the Pirates on Monday, 1-0. The Braves have a one game lead over the Phillies in the NL East. The Pirates are pretty much out of the playoff race, trailing the Cubs by 9.5 games. The Braves will start Kevin Gausman today. Gausman is 7-9 on the season with a 4.22 ERA. Gausman has pitched much better lately, not allowing more than three runs in any of his last four starts. The Pirates start Ivan Nova, who is 7-7 with a 4.26 ERA. Nova has also pitched well of late, allowing three runs over his last 12 2/3 innings. The Pirates have lost six of their last eight games and I expect another setback tonight. Play Atlanta.

The Mets and Phillies split their four game series with New York taking the Sunday Night tv game, 8-2. Today, the Mets begin a four-game set with the Giants. Zack Wheeler gets the start today with a 8-6 record and 3.75 ERA. Wheeler has been very good of late, allowing two runs or less in each of his last five starts. The Giants lost at Cincinnati on Sunday, 4-11. San Francisco was swept in Cicny, getting outscored 6-20. Derek Holland starts today with a 6-8 record and 3.90 ERA. Holland is coming off a good start, allowing no runs over 4 2/3 innings. Have to wonder why he was pulled one out of getting a potential win. The game before, he allowed 10 hits and five runs over 6 1/3 innings. The Mets are playing well and the Giants look to be playing out the season. Play the METS

 Arizona has opened up a modest 1.5 game lead over the Colorado Rockies and two games over the Dodgers in the NL West. The D'backs have won three straight games, including the first two of this series with the Padres. They have outscored San Diego 14-5 so far in the two games. Zack Godley will start tonight with a 13-6 record and 4.24 ERA. Godley has pitched well of late, allowing more than three runs just one time in his last seven starts. The Padres, well, they just are not good. San Diego has lost five straight games. Clayton Richard starts tonight with a 7-10 record and 4.98 ERA. Richard has allowed five runs or more in three of his last five starts. These are the games the D'backs need to win if they are going to take the NL Division. Don't expect any letdown tonight, play Arizona.

The Cardinals continue their hot ways, beating Milwaukee last night, 5-2. St Louis have won nine of their last 10 games and 13 of their last 16 games. Mile Mikolas starts today and he's been excellent this year with a 12-3 record and 2.85 ERA. Mikolas did allow four runs over seven inning last time out, but the Cardinals still beat Washington 7-6. They have won Mikolas's last three starts and seven of the last eight. Milwaukee has lost two straight games and five of their last seven. Wade Miley starts today with a 2-1 record in his eight starts. Miley has a 2.23 ERA and has pitched well in his limited starts. Still, the Cardinals are just too hot to pass on here tonight. Play St Louis.

 The Oakland A's have not caught up to the Astros in the AL West, trailing Houston by just one game. The A's are one of the hottest teams in baseball and turned a Houston runaway to a division race. The A's have won 12 out of the last 15 games. Trevor Cahill starts tonight for the A's with a 4-2 record and 3.39 ERA. Houston has now lost six of their last seven games as they have given back all their lead to the A's. The reeling Astros will turn to Dallas Keuchel tonight. Keuchel is 9-9 on the season with a 3.48 ERA. Keuchel has pitched much better lately, allowing three runs or less in each of his last eight starts. Despite Keuchel's improvement, the A's are still on fire and can smell the division lead. Take Oakland.

The Dodgers broke their five game losing streak with a win over the Giants on Wednesday, 4-3. They had Thursday off to stew in their recent lackluster efforts. Walker Beuhler starts tonight for LA with a 5-3 record in his 14 starts and a 2.80 ERA. Beuhler has had a very solid season, allowing two runs or less in five of his last six starts. LA has fallen to third in the NL West, two games back of the Diamondbacks. Meanwhile, Seattle has also fallen to third place in the AL West, now 4.5 back of the Astros. Seattle also had Thursday off after winning Wednesday over the A's, 2-0, but losing two of three to their AL West contenders Oakland. Wade Leblanc has been excellent this season, posting a 7-2 mark in his 19 starts with a 3.70 ERA. Leblanc has allowed just three runs over his last 11 1/3 innings after a seven inning performance vs Houston the game before. We get Seattle at home as a dog and that's hard to pass on here. There is a lot of value with today's dog. Take Seattle.

The Oakland A's have been one of the hottest teams in baseball of late and have closed a once enormous NL West gap to just two games behind the Astros. That makes this three game set with the division leaders their biggest of the season. The A's did take two of three from Seattle, but lost the finale on Wednesday, 0-2. Still, the team is 11-3 in their last 14 games. Edwin Jackson starts tonight with his 4-2 record in his nine starts. Jackson has a respectable 2.48 ERA and has allowed no earned runs over his last three starts (19 1/3 innings). The Astros snapped a five game losing streak with a win over Colorado on Wednesday, 12-1. Charlie Morton starts tonight and has been one of the best pitchers for the Astros this year. Morton is 12-3 on the season with a 2.88 ERA. Morton has been solid, allowing no more than three runs in any of his last five starts. Still, getting the red-hot A's as a home dog with Jackson on the hill is too much to pass on. Take the A's.

The St Louis Cardinals have turned-up the heat in the NL Central, now cutting the Cubs lead to just five games. Moreover, they have closed to within 1.5 games of second place Milwaukee and 1.5 games back of a Wild Card spot. The Brewers have won just two of their last six and three of their last nine. Freddy Peralta starts tonight with a 5-3 record in his 11 starts and a 4.47 ERA. Peralta was hit hard last time out, allowing seven earned runs over just three innings to the Braves. The Cardinals saw their nine-game win streak snapped on Thursday night to the Nationals, 4-5. The pitching has been great, allowing over three runs just three times in their last 11 games. Jack Flaherty starts tonight with a 6-6 record and 3.14 ERA. Flaherty has held his lat two opponents to just two total runs (13 innings) with four walks and 16 KO's. The Cardinals are the hot team right now and I like them here tonight. Play St Louis.

The NL West is one of the tightest races in baseball, with just 1.5 games separating the top three teams. Arizona holds onto that top spot for now, with a 66-55 record and 1.5 game lead over both the Dodgers and Rockies. Arizona begins a four-game set with the Padres tonight and looks to increase its lead in the division. The D'backs will start Clay Buchholz tonight with a 5-2 record and 2.25 ERA in his 11 starts. Buchholz hasn't allowed over two runs in 10 of his starts and just three runs in the other start. The Padres have lost three straight and four of the last five. They were just swept by the Angels at home. Jacob Nix makes just his second start of the season tonight. In his first, Nix went six innings and gave up just four hits and no runs. While Nix looked good, the Padres are still bad. Arizona needs games against the bottom NL West team if they want to win the division. Take Arizona tonight.

The Dodgers have lost five straight games and have fallen to third place in the NL West, two games back of the Diamondbacks and one game back of the Rockies. The Dodgers offense has gone South all of a sudden, scoring three runs or less in their last four games. The pitching has still been solid, but the bats have gone cold. Hyun-Jin Ryu makes his first start since May 2nd tonight. Ryu had been having a very good season before going on the DL. Ryu has a 3-0 record in six starts with a 2.12 ERA. The Giants have taken the first two from the Dodgers and three in a row overall. Derek Holland is 6-8 this season with a 4.05 ERA. Holland has pitched well, allowing three runs or less in 10 of his last 11 starts. Big dog here tonight on the Giants and I see some very good value with them. Play San Francisco.

 The St Louis Cardinals are making a run for the NL Central lead all of a sudden. They have won seven straight and nine of the their last 10 games. The Cards have closed the lead with Chicago to just four games now. Austin Gomber will make only his fourth start of the season today. Gomber has a 1-0 record with a 3.52 ERA. The team has won all three of his starts. The Nationals have fallen eight back of the Braves in the NL East as they are now 60-60 on the season. The Nats will start Jeremy Hellickson today. Hellickson is 5-2 with a 3.54 ERA. Hellickson has been solid this season, but the Cardinals just playing too good right now. Play St Louis.

 The Cleveland Indians have won four straight games, including both games against the Reds. I have laid the run and a half in both these games with the Reds and have had to easy winners. Tonight, I'm just playing the Indians straight. Shane Bieber starts for the Indians with a 6-2 record in 11 starts with a 4.10 ERA. Bieber has pitched very well of late, allowing just two runs over his last two starts (12 2/3 innings). The Reds have now lost three straight, getting outscored 6-27 in the process. They will start Robert Stephenson today. Stephenson makes just his second start of the year after allowing three runs over four innings to the Mets in his first start. The Indians will steamroll over the Reds again tonight. Play Cleveland.

Interleague action today has the Pirates traveling to Minnesota to play the Twins. The Pirates have won four of their last six games. The Pirates do well against righties, going 11-2 on the road their last 13. They have also done well in IL games, going 20-6 in their last 26 vs the American League. Jameson Taillon starts today for the Bucs. Taillon is 9-8 with a 3.63 ERA. Taillon has not allowed more than three runs in any of his last 13 starts. The Twins have fallen on hard times, now 54-63 and well out of any postseason expectations. Jake Odorizzi starts today with a 4-7 record and 4.50 ERA. The Twins have lost their last six vs the National League. I look for the Pirates to take game one of this set tonight vs the Twins. Play Pittsburgh.

The Oakland A's continue to put the coals to the feed of the Houston Astros in the AL West. The A's have now cut the Astros lead to just 3.5 games, winning eight of their last 10 games. Meanwhile, the Angels are out of the playoff race as they trail the Astros by 14 games. The Angels look to play a bullpen game today, starting Taylor Cole. Cole has a 1.59 ERA out of the pen, but likely will only go a couple of innings. The Angels pen is decent, with a 3.63 ERA and 1.337 WHIP. The A's will start Trevor Cahill. Cahill is 4-2 in his 13 starts with a 3.12 ERA and 1.067 WHIP. Cahill has allowed just two runs over his last 12 innings with three walks and 16 KO's. The A's run to the playoffs continues today as I look for them to beat the Angels.

The Dodgers and Rockies have split the first two games of their four-game set, with the Rockies winning last night 5-4. Today, the Rockies will send Kyle Freeland to the mound. Freeland is 10-7 on the season with a 3.04 ERA. Freeland has been very good of late, allowing just three total runs over his last three starts (18 1/3 innings). In fact, Freeland has allowed over three runs just one time in his late 10 starts. The Dodgers still in a first place tie with Arizona as both clubs lost last night. The Rockies closed to within 2 1/2 games of both with their win. Walker Buehler toes the rubber tonight for the Dodgers. Buehler is 5-3 in his 13 starts with a 3.07 ERA. Both these pitchers have been very solid, but we get the Rockies at home as a dog with what I believe is a slightly better Freeland on the hill. That's a value dog I can't pass on. Take Colorado.

 This longtime rivalry between these clubs with the Cardinals winning on Friday, 7-0. That's three wins in a row for the Cardinals and seven of the last nine games for St Louis. The Cards will send Jack Flaherty to the hill today. Flaherty is 5-6 on the season with a respectable 3.18 ERA and 1.090 WHIP. Flaherty is coming off a solid six inning performance vs the Pirates where he allowed no runs and just three hits. In fact, Flaherty has allowed over three runs just one time in his six starts. The Royals have now lost seven of their last eight games. Danny Duffy hits the hill tonight with his 7-10 record and 4.70 ERA. Duffy has got hit pretty hard of late, allowing six and seven runs over his last three starts. Duffy can still show signs he's a quality starter, but they are spattered with really bad starts. I look for the Cardinals to take this one again tonight. Play St Louis.

The Rockies lost game one of their four-game set to the Dodgers on Thursday, 5-8. The Dodgers and Diamondbacks are tied for first in the NL West with the Rockies now 3.5 games back. The Rockies will start Jon Gray today. Gray is 9-7 on the season with a 4.66 ERA. The Dodgers will counter with Kenta Maeda. Maeda is 6-7 on the season with a 3.78 ERA. Maeda has had three sub-par starts in a row, allowing four runs or more in each start. I like the Rockies to take game two here on Friday.

Arizona is tied with the LA Dodgers for first place in the NL West. Both the D'backs and Dodgers are both tied for the last Wild Card spot too. Both clubs had a day off Thursday as they start this three game set. Clay Buchholz starts for the D'backs tonight. Buchholz is 5-1 in his 10 starts with a nifty 2.21 ERA. Buchholz really hasn't had a bad start yet, allowing two runs or less in nine starts and three runs in the other. The Reds are coming off a loss and have also lost seven of their last nine games. Anthony Desclafani starts today for the Reds. Desclafani is 5-3 on the season with a 4.98 ERA. Desclafani has been good and bad, coming off a good start after three mediocre ones. Still, the D'backs are a first place team with a very solid starter on the hill. Play the Diamondbacks.

The Mets and Marlins both had Thursday off. The Mets are off their series with the Reds, where they took two of three games. The Mets start Zack Wheeler today. Wheeler is 6-6 on the season with a 3.89 ERA. Wheeler has two consecutive starts where he has allowed no runs (13 innings). The Marlins have lost two straight and eight of their last nine games. Jose Urena will start today for the fish with a 3-11 record and 4.66 ERA. Urena has allowed 16 earned runs over his last 19 innings with 12 walks. While neither of these clubs will excite me much, the Mets should take this one tonight against a reeling Marlins club with a poor starter on the hill. Play the Mets.

Atlanta looking to win this series with the Nationals with a win today. The Braves have taken the first two of three in this series after last night's win 8-3. Anibal Sanchez starts today for the Braves with a 6-3 record and 3.00 ERA. Sanchez is coming off a very good start where he allowed just one run over six innings to the Mets. The Nationals have struggled all season and are just two games above the .500 mark. They will send Gio Gonzalez to the hill today. Gonzalez is 6-8 on the season with a 4.04 ERA and 1.508 WHIP. Gonzalez got hit hard last time out, allowing 10 hits and five earned runs over just 3 2/3 innings. It was his second start in the last three that he's allowed five earned runs. The Braves are just too good at this juncture of the season and they have the better starter on the mound today. Take Atlanta.

The Rockies and Pirates have split their first two games of this series, with the Rockies winning on Monday and the Pirates winning last night, 10-2. The Rockies send German Marquez to the hill today. Marquez is 9-8 on the season with a 4.77 ERA. The Rockies have won four of his last five starts. The Pirates have won just two of their last six games. Today they send Chris Archer to the hill. Archer is just 3-5 on the season with a 4.49 ERA. Archer has allowed at least four runs in each of his last three starts. Rockies will take the rubber game of today's contest. Play Colorado.

 The Oakland A's have cut the once huge Houston lead to just 4.5 games in the AL West. The A's have won six straight games and seven of their last 10. The A's also have a two game lead for one of the Wild Card spots over third place Seattle. The A's are a slight dog here tonight and will send Sean Manaea to the hill. Manaea is 10-7 on the season with a 3.37 ERA. Manaea has been very consistent, not allowing more than three runs in any of his last 11 starts. The Dodgers had last night off after losing two of three at home to the Astros. LA will send Rich Hill to the mound tonight. Hill is 4-4 with a 3.68 ERA. Hill has also been very good, allowing just two earned runs over his lat three starts (19 innings). This should be a very close game tonight, but I like the red-hot A's to come out on top. Play Oakland.

Tough loss for both the Giants and me last night. My dog shocker was on the Giants and they had a 1-0 lead into the top of the 9th inning. However, they couldn't hold the lead and gave up three 9th inning runs and lost, 1-3. The Giants wasted a fine performance out of Derek Rodriguez who went seven innings and allowed just three hits and no runs. Will Smith couldn't close out the game, allowing just one hit, but it was a three-run home run. I'm coming right back with the Giants tonight. Madison Bumgarner is on the hill. Bumgarner is 4-4, but has a nifty 2.94 ERA and hasn't allowed more than four runs in any of his 11 starts this season. The Astros send Dallas Keuchel to the hill with a 9-9 record and 3.68 ERA. Keuchel is coming off a loss where he allowed three runs over five innings to the Rangers. Long West coast trip for the Astros here against another tough pitcher. I'll take the Giants and see if they can last the FULL nine innings. Play San Francisco.

The Giants salvaged the final game of their three game set with the Diamondbacks, 3-2 on Sunday. The Giants have fallen to five games back in the NL West behind the D'backs and Dodgers. They will start Dereck Rodriguez today who is 4-1 in his 10 starts this season. Rodriguez has a 2.71 ERA and has not allowed more than two runs in any of his last six starts. The Astros took two of three in their World Series rematch with the Dodgers. Today they send Charlie Morton to the hill. Morton is 12-2 on the season with a 2.90 ERA. Morton has had two nice starts after a couple of questionable ones. Both these pitchers are excellent, but we get a nice, big dog at home with the Giants. Lots of value with this dog, play San Francisco.

The first place Philadelphia Phillies have won five straight games to take the lead in the NL East over the Braves. Jake Arrieta will start today for the Phils. Arrieta is 9-6 on the season with a 3.32 ERA. Arrieta has been very good of late, allowing two runs or less in five of his last six starts. The Diamondbacks are tied with the Dodgers for first place in the NL West. They have a tough series with the Phillies here starting tonight. Arizona starts Zack Godley tonight with a 12-6 record and 4.50 ERA. Godley has a nice record, but his lofty ERA and 1.467 WHIP do not match. Godley has been very good at times and then throws up a dog of a start. Tonight he faces a tough Phillies team that is red hot. I'm taking Philadelphia tonight.

The Pirates and Rockies are both trying to get back in the playoff picture. The Pirates have fallen 7.5 back of the Cubs in the NL Central. Meanwhile, the Rockies trail both the Dodgers and D'backs in the NL West by two games. The Rockies snapped a four game losing streak on Sunday with a win over the Brewers, 5-4 in extra innings after blowing a 4-1 lead in the bottom of the 9th inning. It was their only win in the three game set with Milwaukee. Kyle Freeland starts today for the Rockies with a 9-7 record and 3.20 ERA. Freeland has been very good, allowing three runs or less in eight of his lat nine starts. The Pirates keep falling further and further back in the NL Central. They have lost two straight games to St Louis. Today they start Joe Musgrove. Musgrove is 4-5 on the season with a 3.63 ERA. Musgrove has had some very good starts, but also has allowed five runs or more in three of his last seven starts. The Rockies are tough at home at they have the better starter on the hill tonight. Play Colorado.

The Brewers look to sweep their series with the Rockies today. Milwaukee won Friday's game 5-3 and then last night 8-4. That makes nine wins in their last 12 games. Wade Miley will start today with a 2-1 record in his six starts. Miley has a very nice 1.53 ERA and has not allowed over two runs in any of his six starts. The Rockies have lost four straight games and will look to Jon Gray today to snap that losing streak. Gray is 9-7 on the season with a 4.91 ERA and 1.337 WHIP. The Brewers are in a tight NL Central race with the Cubs as they trail Chicago by just one game. They need every home win they can get and today they should sweep this series. Play Milwaukee.