NLDS Game of the Year. My selection is on San Diego over Los Angeles at 8:05 pm et on Friday.

I don't think many casual bettors believe there's much of a chance the Dodgers lose this game (and this series) after rallying for a lopsided victory in Game 4 and returning home for Game 5. We'll go the other way and back the Padres as they aim to rebound from an 8-0 drubbing two nights ago and advance to the NLCS.

Yu Darvish gets the start for San Diego. He was terrific in his first outing in this series, allowing just three hits and one earned run over seven innings. What else would we expect as he owns terrific career numbers against Los Angeles. Current Dodgers hitters are just 52-for-266 (.195) with a.594 OPS against him.

Los Angeles never seems quite sure of itself when naming a starting pitcher and this is no different as it will hand the ball to Yoshinobu Yamamoto for his 19th start in 2024. He wasn't sharp in the opener of this series, allowing five earned runs over three innings but was bailed out by the Dodgers bats in a 7-5 victory. Note that he threw 60 pitches and got just five swinging strikes. Current Padres hitters are 13-for-35 (.371) with a 1.107 OPS against him.

The bullpens should have all hands on deck following the off day on Thursday. Los Angeles' relief corps is coming off a strong showing in Game 4 but that was with the pressure off in an 8-0 victory. Game 5 will be pressure packed for the home side at Chavez Ravine. Take San Diego (10*).

A.L. Wild Card Game of the Year. My selection is on Baltimore over Kansas City at 4:05 pm et on Tuesday.

We got the starting pitching matchup we wanted in the opener of this Wild Card series on Tuesday as the Royals send Cole Ragans to the mound against Corbin Burnes of the Orioles.

The weather conditions figure to favor the pitchers at Camden Yards on Tuesday with relatively cool temperatures and the breeze blowing in from right-center. With that being said, I believe the hometown O's will have the edge.

Ragans has had a terrific season for the Royals but he eclipsed his career-high for innings pitched a long time ago and wasn't exactly dominant down the stretch. He'll face a difficult challenge on Tuesday as current O's hitters have gone 11-for-34 (.324) with an .837 OPS against him. Also note that Baltimore ranked inside the top-10 in the majors in weighted on base average against left-handed pitching during the regular season and fourth in overall wOBA over the last seven days. In stark contrast the Royals went cold at the plate down the stretch, ranking 29th in wOBA over the last seven days.

Baltimore will hand the ball to its ace Corbin Burnes. He checks in having allowed one earned run over his last three starts, covering a span of 17 innings. Current Royals hitters are just 28-for-121 (.231) with a .595 OPS against the veteran right-hander.

I haven't been all that high on the Royals bullpen all season. While they did make some savvy moves to boster their relief corps down the stretch, they were by no means a shut-down unit. We'll back the O's to gain the upper hand in this mini-series on Tuesday. Take Baltimore (10*).

N.L. West Game of the Month. My selection is on Arizona over San Diego at 9:40 pm et on Friday.

The Padres faded late in a 7-2 loss to the Dodgers last night as Los Angeles clinched the N.L. West division title. Here, I look for San Diego to stumble again as it opens a regular season-ending series in Arizona.

The Diamondbacks are quietly heating up at the plate, rising to seventh in the majors in weighted on base average over the last seven days. The Padres are headed in the opposite direction following a punchless series in Los Angeles, dropping to 18th in that category over the same stretch (they had recently been in the top-three over the same period).

Yu Darvish will take the ball for San Diego. His results have been mixed this season. He's certainly not baffling opposing hitters with the same level of consistency he did earlier in his career. Note that current D'Backs hitters have seen plenty of Darvish, going 57-for-224 (.254) with a .758 OPS against him.

Merrill Kelly will counter for Arizona. He has given up just one earned run in 11 innings of work over his last two starts. The D'Backs have won two of his last three outings. Current Padres hitters are just 35-for-156 (.224) with a .700 OPS against him.

The D'Backs bullpen figures to have the advantage in this game as well following an off day on Thursday. The Padres 'pen used three different relievers in last night's game and six over the last two contests. Take Arizona (10*).

A.L. East Game of the Month. My selection is on New York over Baltimore at 7:05 pm et on Wednesday.

NOTE: It sounds like Nestor Cortes will be scratched as he awaits an MRI on his throwing elbow on Wednesday. Cody Poteet appears most likely to start in his place. He has performed reasonably well in four previous starts at the big league level this season, logging a 4.31 FIP and 1.05 WHIP. We'll stick with the play as I still like the way the spot sets up for the Yankees.

I've never really understood teams celebrating clinching a Wild Card spot, at least not in today's MLB where three Wild Card berths are awarded in each league. That was the situation following the Orioles win last night, however. Here, I look for the Yankees to bounce back.

Zach Eflin will take the ball for Baltimore. He's pitched well since joining the Orioles. Baltimore has still lost two of his last three starts and he'll be facing a Yankees club that ranks number on in the majors in weighted on base average against right-handed pitching this season. Current Yankees hitters are 48-for-195 (.246) with a .696 OPS against him but that does include a combined 0-for-7 from Marcus Stroman and seldom-used Jose Trevino.

Nestor Cortes will counter for New York. The Yankees have won each of his last three starts. He's having a fine campaign, sporting a 3.83 FIP and 1.15 WHIP. Note that current O's hitters are 27-for-131 (.206) with a .519 OPS against him.

Both bullpens are in similar shape following last night's contest. The two teams were idle on Monday so it should be all hands on deck in this situation. Take New York (10*).

N.L. East Game of the Month. My selection is on New York over Washington at 7:10 pm et on Wednesday.

Maybe we have a bit of a false sense of security with the Mets right now but I'm going to back them at what I feel is a fair price given the matchup on Wednesday.

Washington isn't really hitting right now. It ranks 26th in the majors in weighted on base average over the last seven days (as of Tuesday evening). On Wednesday the Nationals will be up against Mets starter Jose Quintana. Note that New York has won each of his last three starts. Quintana enters this outing having allowed eight hits over 13 2/3 shutout innings over his last two starts. Also of note, current Nationals hitters are just 8-for-51 (.157) with a .501 OPS against the veteran left-hander.

Rookie D.J. Herz will counter for Washington. Like Quintana, he has also pitched well lately. Of course it helps that his last two starts came against the Marlins and Pirates. Current Mets hitters are 11-for-37 (.297) with an .874 OPS against Herz.

The better arms in Washington's bullpen have been overworked lately, leaving me concerned on Wednesday as Herz hasn't shown the ability to work deep into ball games. Take New York (10*).

American League Game of the Week. My selection is on Tampa Bay over Cleveland at 7:15 pm et on Thursday.

The Rays were just swept in a three-game series in Philadelphia. I look for them to bounce back on Thursday as they open a series against the Guardians in Cleveland.

It's not as if Tampa Bay has been playing all that poorly in the short-term picture. It checks in ranked 16th in the majors in weighted on base average over the last seven days and that's encouraging as it ranks 29th in that category over the last 30 days. Cleveland has actually cooled off slightly at the plate over the last seven days, dropping to 13th in wOBA over that stretch after residing inside the top-10 the previous week.

Ryan Pepiot will get the start for the Rays on Thursday. He's coming off a solid outing in Baltimore in which he allowed just one earned run over 5 1/3 innings in a 7-1 victory. Note that the Rays have won two of his three road starts since he returned to the starting rotation in mid-August. On the season Pepiot owns a 4.18 FIP and 1.14 WHIP in 22 starts. Current Guardians hitters are just 3-for-27 (.111) with a .254 OPS against him.

Gavin Williams will counter for Cleveland. He was chased after just 2/3 of an inning against the Dodgers last time out. It's been an up-and-down season for Williams as he has logged a 3.79 FIP but a 1.37 WHIP. Current Rays hitters are just 4-for-20 (.200) with a .623 OPS off of him. With that being said, Williams hasn't consistently worked deep into games and the Guardians bullpen has been stretched lately with six different relievers having thrown at least 30 pitches (and made two appearances) over the last three days. Both Hunter Gaddis and Cade Smith worked the last two days and are likely unavailable for this contest. Take Tampa Bay (10*).

Underdog Game of the Month. My selection is on Chicago over Boston at 7:15 pm et on Saturday.

The Red Sox took the opener of this series by a 3-1 score last night. It's worth noting that Boston's struggles at the plate continued as it ranks 29th in the majors in weighted on base average over the last seven days.

Garrett Crochet will take the ball for Chicago on Saturday. As awful as things have gone for the White Sox this season they've actually won two of his last three starts with both victories coming on the road. On the season, Crochet has posted Cy Young Award contending numbers, logging a 2.82 FIP and 1.07 WHIP in 28 starts.

Cooper Criswell will counter for the Red Sox. He tossed four no-hit innings in Detroit in his most recent outing but Boston still lost that game 4-1. Criswell has made 22 appearances at the big league level this year, logging a 3.93 FIP and 1.32 WHIP.

While the Red Sox bullpen has been effective, it is by no means deep and used three different relievers in last night's victory. Take Chicago (10*).

A.L. Game of the Month. My selection is on Minnesota over Tampa Bay at 1:10 pm et on Thursday.

I really like the way this series finale sets up for the Twins in St. Petersburg on Thursday afternoon.

Minnesota starter Pablo Lopez has quietly pitched the lights out over his last three outings, tossing 20 2/3 shutout innings. He has to be salivating at the thought of this particular matchup as he's held current Rays hitters to just 10-for-52 (.189) at the plate with a pathetic .453 OPS.

Taj Bradley will counter for Tampa Bay. The Rays have lost five of his last six starts. The one game they won over that stretch required a late rally against the Dodgers as Bradley was tagged for five earned runs in six innings of work. Note that current Twins hitters are 10-for-32 (.312) off of Bradley with a 1.045 OPS.

While Tampa Bay is technically still in the mix in the A.L. Wild Card picture it realistically has too many teams to leap-frog to even sniff out the third and final spot. Minnesota has plenty to play for and will be looking to salvage something from this trip to South Florida. I like the Twins chances of bouncing back on Thursday. Take Minnesota (10*).

A.L. West Game of the Month. My selection is on Seattle over Oakland at 9:40 pm et on Tuesday.

This may not be a must-win game for the Mariners but it’s close.

Seattle dropped the opener of this series in walk-off fashion last night. Quickly slipping out of the A.L. playoff race, the M’s desperately need to stem the tide on Tuesday.

I like Seattle’s chances with Luis Castillo taking the ball. It has won each of his last two starts and while he hasn’t been lights out lately, he has had a fine season overall, sporting a 3.87 FIP and 1.17 WHIP. Remember, he finished 5th in A.L. Cy Young Award voting with very similar numbers last year. If anything the steadying veteran presence on the mound should be a plus on Tuesday.

J.T Ginn will counter for Oakland. Part of the A’s youth movement, Ginn is only in the bigs due to the team being out of the race. He struggled in his first big league start last week and I expect him to have a tough time here as well. Note that he logged a 5.26 ERA and 1.47 WHIP in time split between Double and Triple-A this season.

While the A's are dealing with some fatigue issues in their bullpen with no fewer than two relievers having pitched each of the last two days, the Mariners should have all hands on deck in that department. Take Seattle (10*).

N.L. East Game of the Month. My selection is on Philadelphia over Atlanta at 6:40 pm et on Thursday.

The Braves are coming off a series sweep of the Twins in Minnesota. Meanwhile, the Phillies were blasted 10-0 by the Astros yesterday. I look for Philadelphia to bounce back in the opener of this N.L. East showdown series.

Charlie Morton will take the ball for Atlanta. Current Phillies hitters have enjoyed success against the veteran right-hander, going 54-for-190 (.284) with a .738 OPS. Morton owns a pedestrian 4.58 FIP and 1.30 WHIP on the campaign.

Cris Sanchez will counter for Philadelphia. He'll be looking to avenge a 3-2 loss suffered in Atlanta last week. Note that current Braves hitters are just 13-for-57 (.228) off of Sanchez with a .605 OPS. Sanchez has been lights out at home this season, logging a 2.18 ERA.

It will be all hands on deck for the Phillies bullpen after yesterday's lopsided defeat. Meanwhile, the Braves were forced to use both Joe Jimenez and closer Raisel Iglesias in each of the last two games, leaving both likely unavailable for tonight's contest. Take Philadelphia (10*).

N.L. Central Game of the Year. My selection is on Chicago over Pittsburgh at 6:40 pm et on Monday.

These two teams had very different results yesterday with the Cubs dropping a 7-2 decision in Miami and the Pirates securing a 4-3 home win over the Reds. I look for a different story to unfold on Monday as Chicago heads to Pittsburgh to open this divisional series.

The Cubs check in ranked top-three in the majors in weighted on base average over the last seven days. They'll get a chance to tee off on a familiar opponent in Pirates starter Mitch Keller on Monday. Current Cubs hitters are 24-for-87 (.276) against Keller with an .868 OPS. While Keller is coming off a terrific outing in Texas, he had given up a whopping 15 earned runs in his two starts previous to that.

Jameson Taillon will take the ball for Chicago. He has owned this Pirates lineup over the years. Current Buccos hitters are just 9-for-70 (.129) off of Taillon with a .372 OPS. Also note that Pittsburgh ranks 25th in the majors in wOBA over the last seven days.

Due to the lopsided nature of yesterday's game, the Cubs should have all hands on deck in terms of their bullpen on Monday (they used just one reliever yesterday). In fact, they've used just three relievers for 45 pitches combined over the last two games. Take Chicago (10*).

Underdog Game of the Week. My selection is on Los Angeles over Toronto at 1:35 pm et on Sunday.

The Blue Jays will be going for a rare four-game sweep of the Angels on Sunday afternoon in Toronto. I look for the Halos to foil their plans, however.

Tyler Anderson will take the ball for Los Angeles. The Angels have managed to win two of his last three starts. He's been quietly effective this season, sporting a 4.46 FIP and 1.21 WHIP in 25 starts (the fact that he's earned double-digit victories on such a bad team is telling).

Kevin Gausman will counter for Toronto. He recently held the Angels scoreless over seven innings on August 13th. With that being said, current Angels hitters are still 34-for-107 (.318) off of him with a .756 OPS. The Jays lost Gausman's most recent outing by a 6-3 score at home against the Reds.

The Angels bullpen is in fine shape after using just two relievers for 25 pitches in yesterday's game. Take Los Angeles (10*).

Interleague Game of the Week. My selection is on Cleveland over Milwaukee at 2:10 pm et on Sunday.

We'll back the Guardians as they look to avoid the sweep against the Brewers in Milwaukee on Sunday.

Ben Lively will get the start for Cleveland. He's been up-and-down lately but should have plenty of life in his arm on Sunday having worked just 8 2/3 innings over the last two-plus weeks. This appears to be a favorable matchup as current Brewers hitters are just 7-for-37 (.189) with a .514 OPS against him. You have to look way down to find the Brewers on the weighted on base average leaderboard over the last week - they rank 27th in the majors in that category.

Colin Rea will counter for Milwaukee. He's having a fine season but it's not as if expectations were all that high. He enters this start sporting a 4.55 FIP and 1.20 WHIP. The Guardians have climbed to 19th in the majors in wOBA over the last week following an extended slump at the plate.

Cleveland will have all hands on deck as far as its bullpen goes which is always a positive as this is one of baseball's best relief corps'. Take Cleveland (10*).

Division Underdog Game of the Month. My selection is on Miami over New York at 7:10 pm et on Friday.

We'll take our chances with the Marlins at a generous price against the Mets on Friday in Queens.

Roddery Munoz will take the ball for Miami. He hasn't been dominant by any stretch of the imagination but has been serviceable and it's worth noting that the Marlins have won two of his last three road starts. Current Mets hitters are just 4-for-16 (.250) against him with a .753 OPS.

The Marlins will be happy to see Sean Manaea on the opposing bump. Their current hitters are 9-for-23 (.391) against him with a 1.225 OPS. Manaea was chased after just three innings in his most recent start.

While the Mets were forced to use five different relievers in their home loss to the A's yesterday, the Marlins were idle, giving their rested bullpen an advantage here. Take Miami (10*).

Interleague Game of the Week. My selection is on Los Angeles over New York at 4:05 pm et on Sunday.

I feel this is more of a toss-up than the oddsmakers are giving it credit for as the Angels send Griffin Canning to the mound against Mets veteran Jose Quintana on Sunday.

Quintana pitched well in his last couple of starts prior to the trade deadline, no longer considered to be a trade chip for the playoff-contending Mets. Still, he owns a FIP approaching five and a 1.26 WHIP on the season. Also note that he has recorded an ERA more than a full run higher on the road compared to at home.

The Angels have won three of Canning's last four starts. While his overall numbers aren't great, he has recorded an ERA over a full run lower at home compared to on the road. Current Mets hitters are just 7-for-26 (.269) off of Canning with a .745 OPS.

The chasm between the two bullpens likely isn't quite as wide as the odds are making it out to be either. We'll back the Halos at home on Sunday. Take Los Angeles (10*).

National League Game of the Year. My selection is on Pittsburgh over Arizona at 9:40 pm et on Friday.

NOTE: This play will be 'action' with the Diamondbacks yet to announce their official starter (Zac Gallen is probable).

The Pirates are every bit as much involved in the National League playoff hunt as the Diamondbacks and they're just as hot as well, riding an 8-2 run over their last 10 games. They'll turn to Luis Ortiz on Friday while the D'Backs haven't settled on a starter (at the time of writing) but Zac Gallen looks like the leading candidate.

Ortiz has been quietly effective for the Buccos this season, rewarding them for sticking with him after a disastrous 2023 campaign. Ortiz logged a FIP nearing six last year but has bounced back to post a 3.09 FIP and 1.11 WHIP in north of 70 innings of work this season. Note that Pittsburgh is a perfect 4-0 in his four starts to date. While not bursting with depth, the Pirates bullpen is worth betting on when rested, which is the case here following an off day on Thursday.

If Gallen does get the start for the D'Backs, that serves our purposes just fine. He hasn't been the dominant pitcher we've come to expect this season and Arizona has lost each of his last two home starts and is just 3-5 in his last eight outings overall. He's topped out at four strikeouts over his last four starts.

Note that the Pirates have been trending in the right direction offensively, climbing the ladder in terms of weighted on base average over the last 14 and seven days. Arizona was red hot and while still effective at the dish, it has cooled slightly over the last seven and 14 days (according to wOBA). Arizona did bolster its bullpen by adding A.J. Puk in a trade yesterday but that only further illustrates that its relief corps is an issue. Puk owns a 4.30 ERA and 1.34 WHIP this season. Take Pittsburgh (10*).

A.L. Central Game of the Year. My selection is on Detroit over Cleveland at 6:40 pm et on Wednesday.

Tigers starter Jack Flaherty continues to get no respect whatsoever from the betting marketplace, despite the fact he's been on the mound for six Detroit victories in his last seven outings. Thought to be a key trade chip leading up to the deadline next week, Flaherty has shown no signs of slowing down as we enter the dog days of Summer. He has allowed two earned runs or less in six of his last seven starts and this is a matchup he can handle as current Guardians hitters are just 14-for-60 with a .681 OPS against him. While Flaherty has had a penchant for giving up home runs lately, allowing six in his last four outings, the weather conditions should help him in that regard on Wednesday with relatively cool temperatures (for late July in Cleveland) and fairly strong winds blowing in from left-center.

Tanner Bibee will counter for Cleveland. He did manage to pitch well over five innings in his most recent start against the Padres but the Guardians have dropped two of his last three outings and he gave up eight earned runs in 11 2/3 innings of work in those two losses (one of them came against these same Tigers). Current Tigers hitters are 16-for-56 off of Bibee with a .785 OPS.

Both bullpens have been overworked in the first two games of this series so there's no real advantage in that department. We'll go with the better starter at a generous price on Wednesday. Take Detroit (10*).

N.L. Game of the Week. My selection is on Milwaukee over Washington at 2:10 pm et on Sunday.

I'm never a big fan of the 'avoid the sweep' angle in baseball. If it were that simple, every bettor would be successful.

With that being said, I do like the Brewers chances of salvaging a win against the Nationals on Sunday, for a number of reasons.

The Nationals entered this series riding a five-game losing streak, including a three-game sweep at the hands of the Mets to open their current road trip. Despite winning the last two games, they're still four games under .500 on the road this season.

Jake Irvin will get the start for Washington on Sunday. The All-Star break can't come soon enough for the left-hander, who is approaching his career-high in innings pitched (nine innings shy entering Sunday's start) and will start on short rest (four days) for a third straight turn in the rotation (he's thrown 99 and 94 pitches in his last two starts).

Collin Rea will counter for Milwaukee. While his numbers aren't going to jump off the page, the Brewers do like to play for him having gone 12-6 in his 18 starts this season. He was lit up by the Pirates in his most recent outing but games like that have been few and far between. Rea is just one start removed from tossing seven shutout innings against the Rockies at hitter-friendly Coors Field.

The Nationals used five of their six available relievers in yesterday's game including Derek Law and Kyle Finnegan for a second straight game (likely rendering them unavailable here). Keep in mind, they also dealt key reliever Hunter Harvey to the Royals. Meanwhile, the Brewers are projected to have 'all hands on deck' in their bullpen for this pre-All-Star break finale. Take Milwaukee (10*).

A.L. East Game of the Year. My selection is on Baltimore over New York at 4:05 pm et on Saturday.

Yankees starter Luis Gil bounced back last time out as he gave up just one earned run over 6 1/3 innings but his team lost once again. In fact, New York has dropped each of his last four outings. Noting that current Orioles hitters are batting .298 in 47 career at-bats with a .757 OPS against Gil, his presence should be just what the doctor ordered for Baltimore on Saturday.

Of course, the O's have been slumping. Note, however, Baltimore has gone a perfect 3-0 in Grayson Rodriguez's last three starts and he has recorded a solid 3.43 FIP and 1.22 WHIP this season. Current Yankees hitters are just 7-for-34 off of Rodriguez with an OPS of .554.

While the O's did use four different relievers in last night's 4-1 defeat, none of those pitchers were pressed into action the night previous. Take Baltimore (10*).

National League Game of the Year. My selection is on Los Angeles over Philadelphia at 6:05 pm et on Thursday.

The Phillies have taken the first two games of this series but I look for the Dodgers to bounce back on Thursday and we're getting a generous price to back them.

While Philadelphia has prevailed in back-to-back games, it continues a cool-down period offensively. Note that the Phillies rank 23rd in the majors in weighted on base average over the last seven days - a far cry from what we had seen in the weeks and months prior. For their part, the Dodgers check in 14th in wOBA over the same stretch and third against right-handed pitching this season (which they'll be facing in Aaron Nola on Thursday).

Nola has been good but not great this season, logging a 3.81 FIP and 1.03 WHIP. He owns a 3.61 ERA at home compared to 3.33 on the road. Nola has also been tagged for 10 of his 16 home runs allowed here at Citizens Bank Park (11 additional innings). Current Los Angeles hitters are 43-for-162 off of Nola with an OPS of .766. Note that Shohei Ohtani has never faced Nola.

Rookie Landon Knack will counter for the Dodgers. He certainly hasn't been as good as his 2.86 ERA indicates as he has posted a 4.96 FIP but also an impressive 0.98 WHIP. In three road starts, Knack has recorded a 2.30 ERA.

Behind Knack is a Dodgers bullpen that should have all hands on deck on Thursday. They did use four relievers in last night's contest but none of them threw more than 16 pitches, nor have any of them pitched in back-to-back games. Take Los Angeles (10*).

N.L. East Game of the Year. My selection is on Atlanta over Philadelphia at 7:15 pm et on Saturday.

Phillies starter Ranger Suarez is one of the early contenders for the National League Cy Young Award and rightfully so as he has logged a 2.85 FIP and 0.99 WHIP through 17 starts. With that being said, he's not invincible, as we saw in his most recent outing as he was tagged for six earned runs on 10 hits over just 4 2/3 innings against the Marlins. Philadelphia actually rallied for a 7-6 victory in that contest but is still just 1-2 in Suarez's last three starts. The Braves are certainly familiar with Suarez, logging a collective 126 at-bats against him (their current hitters that is). Those 126 at-bats have been productive as they've recorded an .819 OPS.

Braves rookie Spencer Schwellenbach has been better than his 5.68 ERA indicates as he has posted a 4.01 FIP and a 1.30 WHIP in six big league starts. The Braves have gone just 1-5 in those six games as they've given the rookie three runs or less to work with in all six contests. Note that Atlanta does rank inside the top-10 in weighted on base average against left-handed pitching this season (entering last night's action). Meanwhile the Phillies red hot bats have cooled off slightly, dropping to 16th in the majors in wOBA over the last seven days (also entering Friday's action). Take Atlanta (10*).

A.L. West Game of the Month. My selection is on Los Angeles over Oakland at 4:05 pm et on Thursday.

The A's have taken the first two games of this series but I look for the Angels to salvage Thursday's finale in Oakland.

Los Angeles' bats went silent in last night's defeat, allowing A's starter Joey Estes to go the distance for a rare complete game shutout.

Today, the Angels will be facing A's left-hander J.P. Sears. Note that Los Angeles has been better against southpaws than righties this season, ranking 11th in the majors in weighted on base average vs. left-handed pitching. Sears owns a 4.89 FIP and 1.31 WHIP this season and the A's are 3-4 in his seven home starts.

Roansy Contreras will counter for the Angels. He has served as more of an 'opener' than anything else and isn't likely to work deep into this game on Thursday. He'll be facing an A's club that ranks 27th in wOBA vs. right-handed pitching this season and 20th overall over the last seven days. Los Angeles' bullpen is in fairly good shape with only Carson Fulmer and Matt Moore working in last night's lopsided affair. Take Los Angeles (10*).

Interleague Game of the Week. My selection is on San Diego over Texas at 8:05 pm et on Wednesday.

It may come as a surprise that the Padres rank second in the majors (entering last night's action) in weighted on base average vs. right-handed pitching this season. Coincidentally, they also went into last night's contest ranked third in baseball in wOBA over the last 14 days.

Rookie Adam Mazur will be tasked with keeping the Rangers bats at bay on Wednesday. A second-round pick in the 2022 Draft, Mazur is in the Padres starting rotation out of necessity only. While his numbers aren't great by any means, San Diego has had Mazur on a pretty short leash, most recently pulling him after just five innings and 55 pitches in an eventual 9-7 win over the Nationals. In fact, the Padres have won each of Mazur's last two outings even though he didn't last beyond the fifth inning in either of them.

I'll certainly give the edge to the Padres bullpen in this game should the latter innings be when proceedings are settled. To be honest, I'm not sure that will be how this one plays out as San Diego should get to Rangers starter Jon Gray early on.

Gray is one start removed from tossing six shutout innings against the Royals but followed up that performance by allowing eight earned runs in five innings against the Orioles. In fact, Gray has given up at least eight earned runs in two of his last three starts. Current Padres hitters have worn out Gray throughout his career, going 31-for-87 with 13 extra base hits including six home runs. Manny Machado has blasted four of those long balls. Take San Diego (10*).

American League Game of the Year. My selection is on Houston over Toronto at 7:05 pm et on Wednesday.

These two teams have split the first two games in this series although the Blue Jays were barely able to make a big lead stand up in last night's victory. I like Houston's chances of answering back on Wednesday as it hands the ball to Ronel Blanco against Yusei Kikuchi of the Jays.

Blanco has been a winner for the Astros this season, plain and simple. Houston has gone 11-4 in his 15 previous outings and it all started with a no-hitter against these same Blue Jays back on April 1st. While Blanco didn't have his best stuff last time out, that was against a red hot Mets offense. I look for him to fare considerably better against the feast-or-famine Jays lineup here.

Kikuchi hasn't been good lately, or as a whole this season. And the Astros have a pretty good track record against him with their current hitters having gone a combined 25-for-84 including 17 extra base hits. They've tagged seven home runs off the left-hander with Yordan Alvarez, Alex Bregman and Jake Meyers all taking him out of the park multiple times in 22 or fewer at-bats (Meyers has only faced him six times).

The Astros were able to keep all of their key bullpen arms idle thanks to trailing virtually wire-to-wire last night. Meanwhile, the Jays continue to miss closer Jordan Romano and his stand-in replacement Yimi Garcia due to injury. Take Houston (10*).

A.L. Central Game of the Year. My selection is on Cleveland over Kansas City at 8:10 pm et on Friday.

The Guardians bats went cold in last night's 2-1 defeat to open this series in Kansas City. I expect a different story to unfold on Friday.

Triston McKenzie will get another turn in the starting rotation for the Guardians. His season hasn't gone as planned as he checks in sporting a 4.66 ERA and 1.50 WHIP. The fact that he hasn't missed a single turn indicates that the Guardians feel that he is healthy. I do think he has the tools to turn things around and a matchup with the Royals should promote confidence, noting that McKenzie owns a career 7-3 team record against them with a 3.09 ERA and 1.01 WHIP. Even if McKenzie struggles again here, the Guardians haven't been afraid to pull him early and their terrific bullpen is in good shape after using only two relievers in last night's game.

Keep in mind, the Royals are last in baseball in weighted on base average in both the last 14 and seven days. While McKenzie has had a tough time keeping the ball in the park, the Royals are also tied for last in the majors in home runs over the last couple of weeks.

Alex Marsh will counter for Kansas City. He couldn't even make it through the third inning in his lone previous start against the Guardians this season. While Marsh has mixed in a few terrific outings this season, the majority of those came earlier in the season. He's allowed 24 earned runs over his last six starts, covering a span of 32 2/3 innings.

The Royals have one of baseball's least reliable bullpens, entering last night's action sporting a collective 4.32 ERA and 1.41 WHIP with 20 saves converted and 12 blown. The weather conditions don't figure to aid either pitching staff on Friday with warm temperatures expected and the wind blowing out to left-center. Take Cleveland (10*).

American League Game of the Month. My selection is on Baltimore over Houston at 2:10 pm et on Sunday.

This series hasn't gone the Orioles way but they can salvage something from it with a victory on Sunday afternoon and I like their chances of accomplishing just that.

Baltimore continues to produce offensively, ranked fourth in the majors in team OPS over the last seven days and second over the last 15 days. The Astros, despite their success at the plate in this series, still sit 17th in in baseball in team OPS over the last seven days.

Facing Framber Valdez should bring smiles to the faces of Orioles hitters as they've gone a combined 20-for-61 off of him with six extra base hits including four home runs (by four different players). Valdez has put together a few good starts recently but certainly hasn't reached the heights that saw him finish fifth in A.L. Cy Young Award voting two years ago and ninth last season, sporting a 3.86 FIP and 1.21 WHIP in 12 starts so far in 2024.

Albert Suarez will start for Baltimore and he'll be seeing all of the current Astros hitters for the first time in his career. He has of course been a terrific story here in 2024, returning to the big leagues for the first time in seven years and finding success in the O's starting rotation. Suarez owns a 3.06 FIP and 1.20 WHIP in 15 outings including eight starts this season.

The Orioles bullpen is in terrific shape with all hands on deck so to speak after using only one reliever (Bryan Baker) in yesterday's contest. Meanwhile, the Astros depth-shy relief corps is reaching overworked territory with each of its arms having worked two out of the last three games. Take Baltimore (10*).

Interleague Game of the Month. My selection is on New York over Atlanta at 7:15 pm et on Saturday.

I really like the way this one sets up for the Yankees as they look to snap out of their funk after getting manhandled by Chris Sale and the Braves in the series-opener last night.

New York should be happy to be facing Braves veteran right-hander Charlie Morton on Saturday. Current Yankees hitters are 45-for-145 (.310) off of him with seven home runs (Juan Soto has three in 11 at-bats). Morton has been alternating good and bad starts for much of the season and is coming off a good one last Saturday against the Rays. In two of his last four outings he has failed to last six innings and has given up at least four earned runs.

Marcus Stroman will take the ball for New York. Like Morton, he's been alternating good and bad starts and comes off a poor one against the Red Sox last Sunday. The Yankees do seem to like hitting for him, leading them to a 10-5 record with Stroman on the hill this season. Note that he has posted a solid 3.12 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in 12 nighttime starts with the Yanks winning eight of those games.

The Yankees bullpen is well-positioned on Saturday after Yoendrys Gomez gave them 78 pitches in relief in last night's blowout defeat. Take New York (10*).

N.L. Central Game of the Month. My selection is on Milwaukee over Cincinnati at 4:10 pm et on Saturday.

Despite the close, high-scoring nature of last night's defeat, the Brewers actually handled their bullpen well, using only two relievers in the 6-5 loss. Noting that Milwaukee ranks top-five in both daytime team OPS and home OPS, we'll back it as it looks to bounce back on Saturday afternoon.

Andrew Abbott will get the start for the visiting Reds. He continues to pitch to his career numbers, logging a 4.64 FIP and 1.19 WHIP so far this season. His walks are down this year but home runs allowed are up and strikeouts are down as well. Current Brewers haven't had a ton of success against him but those overall numbers are skewed by Blake Perkins, Gary Sanchez and Andruw Monasterio going a combined 1-for-20. Willy Adames, William Contreras and Christian Yelich are a combined 10-for-30, each homering off of him.

Bryse Wilson starts for Milwaukee. He's held current Reds hitters to just 13 hits in 73 at-bats against him. He's coming off a rough outing in Detroit last weekend but has been serviceable. While few give it much credence, Wilson does own a 6-0 record this year. Take Milwaukee (10*).

A.L. East Game of the Month. My selection is on Tampa Bay over Baltimore at 6:50 pm et on Monday.

The Orioles have to be feeling pretty good about themselves having gone 5-2 on this road trip including taking the first three games in this series in St. Petersburg. While they appear to be set up well to complete the sweep on paper with ace Corbin Burnes starting against Ryan Pepiot on Monday, we'll go the other way and take a shot with the Rays.

Tampa Bay certainly still has the personnel in place to turn things around but needs to start making a move and can ill afford to fall another game back with a fourth straight defeat at the hands of the O's. While Baltimore will be looking forward to heading home following this game, the Rays will stay home to begin a series with the Cubs.

Burnes has been on the mound for four straight Orioles victories. It's not as if his stuff has been completely dominant, however, as he has topped out at six strikeouts over his last three outings. We're certainly taking a bit of a leap of faith backing the Rays struggling bats, but I'm not sure they'll need a lot of offense in this particular game.

Pepiot has been quietly effective for Tampa Bay as it has won four of his last five starts. He has been slightly better than his 3.96 ERA indicates, posting a 3.42 FIP and 0.96 WHIP.

Due to the lopsided nature of the last couple of games, the Rays bullpen is set up well for Monday's affair. It will be 'all hands on deck' so to speak as they look to avoid the sweep. Take Tampa Bay (10*).

A.L. Central Game of the Month. My selection is on Cleveland over Kansas City at 6:40 pm et on Tuesday.

The Royals snapped a three-game skid with a come-from-behind 4-3 victory over the Padres on Sunday but are still just 2-6 over their last eight games. Seth Lugo has posted Cy Young Award-caliber numbers for Kansas City so far this season but there have undoubtedly been some smoke-and-mirrors involved. Note that while Lugo owns a sparkling 1.72 ERA, his FIP - a vastly superior metric - checks in at 3.21. He's also thrown at least 100 pitches in consecutive starts and has already logged 78 1/3 innings this season. Note that his career-high for innings pitched came last season when he tossed 146 1/3 innings for the Padres. Triston McKenzie will counter for Cleveland. He has recorded downright awful numbers this season including a FIP well north of five. Still, there are recent buy signals as he struck out nine in just five innings in his most recent outing in Colorado. The Guardians have also given him plenty of run support, all told they've won seven of his last eight starts going back to last season. Here at home this season, McKenzie has posted a 6-1 team record in seven outings, logging a 3.31 ERA. He should be happy to be facing the Royals as he has held current Kansas City hitters to a combined 6-for-47 at the plate including only two extra-base hits. Of course, any time we have the opportunity to back a rested Guardians bullpen (they enjoyed an off day yesterday), we'll look to do so. The Cleveland 'pen has been lights out this season, recording a 2.46 ERA and 0.98 WHIP. In stark contrast, the Royals 'pen has posted a collective 4.44 ERA and 1.46 WHIP. Take Cleveland (10*).

National League Game of the Month. My selection is on Miami over San Diego at 9:40 pm et on Tuesday.

We missed with the Marlins last night as they couldn't cash in on their opportunities in a 2-1 defeat to open this series. I do look for Miami to bounce back on Tuesday as it sends its ace Jesus Luzardo to the mound against Matt Waldron of the Padres. While few are paying much attention to the Marlins right now, they have been playing winning baseball lately and haven't dropped consecutive games since a five-game losing streak from May 6th-11th. Luzardo has quietly rounded into form, tossing 14 innings of eight-hit, shutout ball over his last two starts, striking out 11 without issuing a single walk along the way. Current Padres hitters are 16-for-55 off of the left-hander but only five of those hits went for extra bases. Matt Waldron checks in sporting a pedestrian 3.81 FIP and 1.44 WHIP in 10 starts for the Padres this season. The knuckle-baller has failed to last six innings in any of his four May starts. allowing 12 earned runs in 19 innings of work over that stretch. There's little separating these two clubs offensively in terms of recent form with the Padres checking in 22nd in the majors in team OPS over the last seven days and the Marlins just one spot behind them in 23rd over that stretch. I will point out that San Diego ranks 25th in baseball in team OPS vs. left-handed pitching this season. With that in mind, we'll back the Marlins at an underdog price on Tuesday. Take Miami (10*).

Interleague Game of the Week. My selection is on Texas over Philadelphia at 1:05 pm et on Thursday.

The Rangers slide continues while the Phillies have reeled off five straight wins. I expect Philadelphia's winning streak to come to an end on Thursday, however, as it sends Zack Wheeler to the mound against Andrew Heaney. While the Phillies have been raking at the plate all season, some splits are worth noting. They've been weaker in terms of team OPS in day games compared to night, at home compared to on the road and against left-handed pitching compared to righties. All of that to say, they've still been tough in just about every situation, but it's worth noting nonetheless as they play a matinee affair at home against southpaw starter Andrew Heaney on Thursday. I did feel the Rangers bats started to show signs of life last night. They simply couldn't get the clutch hits they needed to stay in the game. Phillies starter Zack Wheeler is an early National League Cy Young candidate but I see some areas of concern, most notably he has struck out only eight while walking six and giving up eight earned runs in 11 1/3 innings over his last two outings. Philadelphia was forced to use four relievers in last night's game, including Matt Strahm for a second straight night. Meanwhile, the Rangers got a pair of long relief efforts from Jonathan Hernandez and Yerry Rodriguez. Their best bullpen arms have all been idle since Saturday. Take Texas (10*).

A.L. East Game of the Month. My selection is on Baltimore over Toronto at 12:35 pm et on Wednesday.

The Orioles dropped Monday's series-opener against the Blue Jays before last night's game was postponed due to rain. We'll back Baltimore as it looks to get back in the win column in the front half of Wednesday's double-header against Toronto. Note that the O's currently sit eighth in baseball in team FIP and seventh in team OPS. The Blue Jays rank well below the MLB average in terms of team OPS and third-worst in team FIP. Take Baltimore (10*).

N.L. Central Game of the Month. My selection is on Milwaukee over Chicago at 2:20 pm et on Sunday.

The Cubs evened this series at a game apiece with a 6-5 victory yesterday. I look for the Brewers to answer back on Sunday afternoon. Freddy Peralta has had his top flight stuff going this season, posting a 3.18 FIP and 0.86 WHIP in six starts. Current Cubs hitters are just 9-for-76 off of him including only five extra-base hits. Javier Assad will counter for Chicago. He'll be facing a Brewers club that ranks tops in baseball in day game OPS and second in OPS vs. right-handed pitching. Over the last seven days the Brew Crew rank seventh in baseball in OPS while the Cubs sit 21st. Both bullpens have struggled lately but Milwaukee's relievers have generally been lights out on the road, sporting a collective 2.15 ERA and 1.01 WHIP with eight saves converted and only two blown. Take Milwaukee (10*).

Interleague Game of the Month. My selection is on Pittsburgh over Boston at 1:35 pm et on Sunday.

The Red Sox have proven to be road warriors in the early going this season but I look for them to get tripped up in the finale of their series in Pittsburgh on Sunday afternoon. Josh Winckowski will get the start for Boston. He has logged 11 2/3 innings in relief this season, posting an ugly 2.06 WHIP. Keep in mind, for his career he has recorded a 1.54 WHIP so it's not like there's a lot of positive regression to be expected. Veteran left-hander Martin Perez had a terrific Spring for the Pirates and has picked up right where he left off in the regular season, posting a 3.43 FIP and 1.26 WHIP in four starts. He did labor through his most recent outing against the red hot Mets but I'm confident we'll see him bounce back here. Take Pittsburgh (10*).

N.L. West Game of the Week. My selection is on Arizona over San Francisco at 9:45 pm et on Thursday.

Going back to the start of last season, the Giants are 17-20 in Logan Webb's 37 starts. Yes, he's a quality pitcher but San Francisco doesn't always provide the support needed to secure victories in spite of his terrific pitching. That wasn't the story in his most recent outing as the Giants produced 11 runs in a rout of the Rays last Saturday. I expect a much different story to unfold on Thursday in San Francisco. Diamondbacks starter Ryne Nelson is coming off a masterful six-inning outing against the Cardinals in which he allowed just one earned run. Note that the D'Backs have come away victorious in each of his three career starts against the Giants including a pair of wins in San Francisco. While the bullpen matchup is virtually a wash over the last week, D'Backs relievers have posted better overall numbers this season. Take Arizona (10*).

Interleague Game of the Week. My selection is on Chicago over Seattle at 9:40 pm et on Friday.

I'm fairly high on Cubs starter Jordan Wicks in the early going this season. We managed to cash the 'under' in his most recent start against the Dodgers. He didn't necessarily have his best stuff on that afternoon but still hung in there and ultimately helped our cause. I like the matchup here against a Mariners offense that just hasn't been there with any consistency in the early stages of the season. Bryce Miller has a bright future for Seattle, or at least that's the general consensus. I do think he's a considerable step behind the likes of George Kirby and Logan Gilbert in the M's starting rotation, however. In fact, I'm not sure Miller will every reach those heights. He's alternated good and bad starts so far this year and I think he's in for a rough one on Friday. Take Chicago (10*).

A.L. East Game of the Month. My selection is on Boston over Baltimore at 7:10 pm et on Thursday.

The Orioles have taken the first two games in this series including last night's contest in comeback fashion. We have a terrific starting pitching matchup on tap for Thursday's series finale but I'll give the Red Sox the edge with Garrett Whitlock taking the ball. Whitlock showed promise before being moved to the bullpen last year. So far this season he has logged a 2.25 FIP and 1.18 WHIP and that comes on the heels of an outstanding Spring. Grayson Rodriguez has the potential to be an ace for the Orioles but we saw him go through a stretch where he couldn't keep the ball in the park last May and we're seeing signs of that again in the early going this season (three home runs allowed in two starts). Fenway Park isn't a great place to figure out such issues. Take Boston (10*).

American League Game of the Month. My selection is on Tampa Bay over Los Angeles at 9:35 pm et on Monday.

We'll get another shot at fading Angels starter Tyler Anderson at a reasonable price after he inexplicably tossed seven shutout innings against the Marlins in his 2024 debut. Los Angeles is coming off a series loss at home against another (weaker) A.L. East opponent in the Red Sox. The Rays come in off a series win in Colorado and will look to keep it rolling with Zach Eflin on the mound on Monday. He shook off a rough debut against the Blue Jays by holding the Rangers to just one earned run over 6 1/3 innings last time out. I would consider Anderson one of the more overpaid starters in baseball right now and will gladly fade him in this matchup. Take Tampa Bay (10*).

Interleague Game of the Month. My selection is on Miami over Los Angeles at 6:40 pm et on Tuesday.

This is one of the bigger starting pitching mismatches on Tuesday's board but it isn't being priced like it. Tyler Anderson will start the year in the Angels rotation. That's only because he earned a big contract following consecutive solid campaigns in 2021 and 2022. He wasn't good in 2023 and I don't expect him to turn back the clock in 2024. The Marlins will hand the ball to their ace Jesus Luzardo. His ho-hum season debut against the Pirates (a game the Marlins lost) keeps the price in a reasonable range here. I expect Luzardo to make the leap to elite status this season, if he's not already there, but it will take some time for the betting marketplace to come around (and for the Marlins bats to start producing). I like the spot off last night's loss. Take Miami (10*).

Non-Division Game of the Month. My selection is on Houston over New York at 7:15 pm et on Saturday.

The Astros have dropped the first two games of this series but I look for them to bounce back behind impressive young starter Hunter Brown on Saturday. Not that Spring Training numbers ultimately mean all that much but Brown was electric during exhibition play, posting a 2.12 ERA and 1.18 WHIP with 17 strikeouts in 17 innings of work. The long season ultimately wore on Brown in 2023 but I look for a big sophomore campaign for the right-hander and this is a big stage for him in his season debut, facing the mighty Yankees off consecutive losses. New York will hand the ball to newly-acquired Marcus Stroman. He's coming off an All-Star campaign and makes the jump back to the American League. Note that Stroman's teams are just 11-19 (-3.2 net games) in his last 30 starts as an underdog priced between +125 and +175 including a 2-6 (-2.9 net games) record in that situation over the last three seasons. Take Houston (10*).

A.L. East Game of the Month. My selection is on Tampa Bay over Toronto at 6:50 pm et on Friday.

The Blue Jays smashed the Rays on Opening Day but I look for Tampa Bay to return the favor on Friday. Jays starter Chris Bassitt didn't have a great Spring, allowing 28-of-93 batters he faced to reach base. Last season, he recorded a middling 4.28 FIP and 1.18 WHIP. Aaron Civale will counter for Tampa Bay. He posted an ERA north of five during the Spring but did allow only 13-of-47 batters he faced to reach base. Civale saw his home runs allowed take a jump in 2023 but the rest of his numbers were fine. He has recorded a 3.57 FIP or better in each of the last three seasons. Take Tampa Bay (10*).

World Series Game of the Year. My selection is on Arizona over Texas at 8:05 pm et on Tuesday.

The Rangers gained the upper hand in this series last night as they jumped all over Diamondbacks rookie starter Brandon Pfaadt early and cruised to a 3-1 victory. I look for Arizona to answer back on Tuesday in what sets up as a battle of the bullpens. Andrew Heaney will get the start for the visiting Rangers but isn't likely to be given a long leash. He has pitched just 2 1/3 innings in the last two rounds of the playoffs, allowing six of the 13 batters he has faced to reach base. On the season, Heaney owns a very pedestrian 4.66 FIP and 1.38 WHIP. Reliever Joe Mantiply will counter for Arizona. Again, we can expect to see only an inning or so from the left-hander. I liked the way the D'Backs managed their bullpen in last night's defeat as they kept key arms like Ryan Thompson, Kevin Ginkel and closer Paul Sewald fresh for Game 4 on Tuesday. As expected in a tight game playing with the lead, the Rangers used both setup man Aroldis Chapman and closer Jose Leclerc. The Rangers already accomplished their goal of at least getting this series back to Texas for a Game 6. Now the pressure is squarely on Arizona as it can ill afford to go down 3-1 against a team as good as Texas. The D'Backs have proven resilient throughout these playoffs and I look for them to answer the bell once again on Tuesday. Take Arizona (10*).

ALCS Game of the Year. My selection is on Texas over Houston at 8:05 pm et on Monday.

Bettors will likely be quick to back the Astros to bounce back following last night's blown opportunity to close out this series at home, especially given we're going to see the same pitching matchup from Game 3 - a contest Houston led virtually wire-to-wire in an 8-5 victory. I like Rangers veteran and future Hall-of-Famer Max Scherzer's chances of bouncing back here, however, after he pitched for the first time in over a month in Game 3. Scherzer said after the game that he had more in the tank but agreed with manager Bruce Bochy's decision to lift him from the game after four innings with the Rangers trailing 5-0. While Mad Max got off to a shaky start in that contest, he did settle down and strike out the final two batters he faced and threw 42-of-63 pitches for strikes. We know the moment isn't too big for Scherzer as he's been in similar situations before. Also note that his teams have gone a perfect 6-0 in his last six starts here at Minute Maid Park, including 2-0 in postseason play (as a member of the Nationals in 2019). Cristian Javier will counter for Houston. He's posted tremendous postseason stats during his career and has successfully bounced back in these playoffs following a rough regular season. With that being said, I don't think there's any intimidation factor at play here as the Rangers will be seeing Javier for the eighth time since the start of last season. He didn't last beyond the sixth inning in any of those previous seven outings against Texas. In fact, he's failed to make it through the sixth inning in any of his last four starts against the Rangers. Texas is a perfect 7-0 on the road in these playoffs but it will be all for not if it can't secure a Game 7 victory on Monday night. I expect the Rangers to rise to the occasion once again. Take Texas (10*).

NLCS Game of the Year. My selection is on Arizona over Philadelphia at 8:05 pm et on Tuesday.

The Phillies took the opener of this series by a 5-3 score last night, notching their fifth consecutive victory at home in these playoffs. I look for that streak to come to an end on Tuesday, however, as the Diamondbacks hand the ball to Merrill Kelly against Aaron Nola of the Phillies. Kelly should have a live arm having not pitched since October 7th, when he helped the D'Backs to an 11-2 rout of the Dodgers in Los Angeles. Since getting rocked for seven earned runs against the Mets on September 14th, Kelly has allowed just four earned runs in four starts, covering a span of 25 innings of work. Note that Arizona has won 10 of Kelly's 16 road starts this season. Aaron Nola recorded nine strikeouts against Atlanta last time out and while most bettors will look at that as a positive, high strikeout totals have been problematic for Nola in his next start this season. After striking out nine or more batters, Nola has gone on to allow 5, 6, 0, 4 and 7 earned runs in his next outing with the Phillies going 0-5 in those contests. The D'Backs should be happy to be facing Nola noting that he owns a 7.67 ERA and 1.52 WHIP in five career starts against them. While Arizona has now dropped four straight meetings with the Phillies, that actually sets up favorably here as it has gone 7-1 when seeking quadruple-revenge against an opponent over the last two seasons, outscoring the opposition by 2.0 runs on average in that situation. Take Arizona (10*).

A.L. East Game of the Month. My selection is on Baltimore over Boston at 7:05 pm et on Saturday.

The Red Sox were shutout victors in last night's matchup between these two teams, evening the series at a game apiece. I look for the Orioles to answer back on Saturday. Kutter Crawford will take the ball for Boston. He's lasted six innings just once in his last six starts and checks in sporting a 5.69 ERA and 1.41 WHIP in 13 nighttime starts this season. Current Orioles hitters have had plenty of success against Crawford, reaching him for 11 hits in 22 at-bats with only three strikeouts to go along with three walks. Kyle Gibson will counter for Baltimore. He's given the O's a big lift when it counts this season, logging a 3.18 ERA and 1.12 WHIP in eight starts against A.L. East opponents, with Baltimore winning six of those contests. He's also closing out the regular season in excellent form, posting a 2.45 ERA and 1.04 WHIP over his last three starts. For his career, Gibson has recorded a 3.72 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in nine previous starts against Boston. The Orioles own a slight advantage in terms of the bullpen matchup. Baltimore's relief corps has posted a collective 1.86 ERA and 0.62 WHIP over the last seven games, being called into duty for only 19 1/3 innings over that stretch. Take Baltimore (10*).

N.L. Central Game of the Year. My selection is on Milwaukee over St. Louis at 7:40 pm et on Wednesday.

The Brewers jumped ahead early and had their opportunity to throw a knockout punch against the reeling Cardinals in last night's series-opener, but squandered it in an eventual 4-1 loss. I look for Milwaukee to bounce back on Wednesday as it hands the ball to veteran left-hander Wade Miley against Zack Thompson of the Cards. Thompson remains in the St. Louis starting rotation out of necessity only as the Cards are simply playing out the string at this point. The right-hander checks in sporting a 4.72 ERA and 1.35 WHIP in eight appearances this season. He just faced the Brewers last week, allowing four earned runs including two home runs in five innings. Note that Thompson has topped out at six strikeouts in his last seven starts. Wade Miley threw six shutout innings in a 6-0 victory over the Cards last week. In fact, Milwaukee has won each of his last three and five of his last six starts overall. Note that Miley owns a 3.08 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in 12 nighttime starts this season. While his career numbers against the Cards aren't eye-popping, he has handled their current lineup. St. Louis hitters have gone 18-for-63 (.286) off the left-hander with five extra-base hits. Keep in mind, Paul Goldschmidt is 10-for-20 against Miley with a pair of doubles and a pair of home runs. The problem for Goldy right now is, it's just not that difficult to pitch around him given the current state of the St. Louis lineup (Nolan Arenado headlines the list of players on the I.L.). Sporting one of the best bullpens in baseball, the Brew Crew should have a significant edge in the latter innings on Tuesday. Milwaukee relievers have not only been effective, but haven't been overworked either, logging a collective 538 2/3 innings on the campaign (entering last night's action). The Brewers 'pen entered this series having recorded a collective 1.93 ERA and 1.36 WHIP over the last seven games. Take Milwaukee (10*).

Division Game of the Week. My selection is on San Diego over San Francisco at 9:45 pm et on Tuesday.

The Padres dropped a heart-breaker and spoiled another win for likely N.L. Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell in the opener of this series last night. San Diego couldn't get anything going offensively after plating a run in the first inning against Giants ace Logan Webb. I expect a different story to unfold on Tuesday as they face San Francisco rookie Kyle Harrison. While Harrison undoubtedly has a bright MLB future, he's been going through it since his late-August call-up. Harrison checks in having allowed 14 earned runs in just 20 innings of work over his last four starts. This will be his second career start against the Padres after getting lit up to the tune of six earned runs in 5 2/3 innings back on September 2nd. Behind Harrison is a struggling Giants bullpen that entered last night's contest sporting an ERA well north of six over the last seven games. The good news is they weren't pressed into duty thanks to Logan Webb's complete game performance. The bad news is, they do figure to play a prominent role on Tuesday, noting that Harrison has lasted six innings just once in six career outings. Seth Lugo will take the ball for San Diego. He has quietly been the Padres most consistent starter outside of Snell, working at least six innings in 11 of his last 15 starts. In nine outings against N.L. West opponents this season he has logged a 3.16 ERA and 1.17 WHIP. He should be happy to be facing the Giants here, noting that he has posted a 3.08 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in four career starts against them. Like the Giants, the Padres didn't need to use many bullpen resources last night and unfortunately it was to their detriment leaving Robert Suarez in the game for the final 1 1/3 innings. All told, Padres relievers have worked around 120 innings fewer than the Giants relief corps this season. Take San Diego (10*).

N.L. Game of the Month. My selection is on Los Angeles over San Diego at 10:10 pm et on Tuesday.

The Padres took the opener of this series last night, putting up 10 runs in a wild, high-scoring affair. I expect the Dodgers to answer back on Tuesday. Michael Wacha will take the ball for San Diego. He mercifully hasn't faced the Dodgers since 2019 as he owns a lofty 5.51 ERA and 1.56 WHIP in 10 previous outings against them. While Wacha has posted solid overall numbers this season he has labored through his last few starts, recording a 5.28 ERA and 1.76 WHIP in his last 15 1/3 innings of work. Lance Lynn gets the start for Los Angeles. Like Wacha, the veteran right-hander has also struggled lately. I'm willing to bet on him bouncing back on Tuesday as he should be happy to be facing the Padres, noting that he owns a 2.61 ERA and 1.23 WHIP in 10 career outings against them. In fact, Lynn has already faced San Diego once since joining the Dodgers prior to the trade deadline, holding them to one earned run over six innings in an 8-2 victory on August 6th. There's not a lot separating the two bullpens although it's worth noting that the Padres have more than twice as many blown saves on the road (17) as the Dodgers do at home (8). Take Los Angeles (10*).

Game of the Week. My selection is on Detroit over New York at 7:05 pm et on Thursday.

The Yankees are suddenly one of the hottest teams in baseball, winners of five games in a row and eight of their last nine contests overall. I look for the Tigers to bring an end to their run on Thursday, however. Eduardo Rodriguez will take the ball for Detroit. After a rocky outing against the red hot Astros bats on August 26th, Rodriguez rebounded to hold the White Sox to just one earned run over 6 2/3 innings last time out. That performance lowered his road ERA and WHIP to 3.03 and 1.11 respectively on the season. Rodriguez is of course very familiar with the Yankees from his day with the division rival Red Sox. He's held up well against the Bronx Bombers, logging a 3.63 ERA and 1.30 WHIP in 22 career starts against them, with his teams winning 12 of those games. Carlos Rodon will counter for New York. It's been a tough return from injury for the left-hander as he has managed to work beyond the fifth inning in only three of nine starts since returning in early July. While the Yankees did manage to win his last start by a 6-2 score in Houston, Rodon was once again average at best, allowing three hits and two earned runs while striking out only four and walking one in five frames. New York has only won two of his nine starts this season. The last time it won a Rodon start, it dropped a 5-2 decision against the Rays at home in his next trip to the hill. The Yankees bullpen has been lights out lately but I don't mind the matchup here with the Tigers 'pen having posted a 4.01 ERA and 1.33 WHIP while converting 20 saves and blowing 11 on the road this season. Take Detroit (10*).

Interleague Game of the Year. My selection is on Baltimore over Arizona at 9:40 pm et on Friday.

While Orioles left-hander Cole Irvin has had a tough time staying healthy this season, when he's been right, he's been terrific. Irvin opened the campaign with a string of three consecutive poor outings. Since then, he's allowed one earned run or less in six of eight starts. Last time out, he made a few bad pitches on the way to allowing four earned runs against the Rockies but still hung in there for six innings in an eventual 5-4 victory. Baltimore checks in having won each of Irvin's last six trips to the hill. Here, he'll face a Diamondbacks team that is licking its wounds after a three-game sweep at the hands of the Dodgers (none of those games were close). They check in averaging just 4.4 runs per game against left-handed starting pitching this season and 4.5 runs per contest at Chase Field. In stark contrast, the Orioles have put up an average of 5.3 runs per game in posting a 41-24 road record. Zach Davies will get the start for Arizona. The D'Backs wasted a rare quality start from Davies last time out as he allowed just one earned run in five innings against the Reds but they dropped an 8-7 decision. Davies owns a disappointing 4.69 FIP and 1.60 WHIP this season. He's just one start removed from allowing nine earned runs in 3 2/3 innings and has given up at least six earned runs in three of his last seven outings. Not helping the D'Backs cause is the fact that their bullpen has logged a 6.57 ERA and 1.54 WHIP over the last seven games. Meanwhile, the O's 'pen has posted a collective 3.00 ERA and 1.10 WHIP over the same stretch. Take Baltimore (10*).

National League Game of the Week. My selection is on Cincinnati over San Francisco at 9:45 pm et on Monday.

The Reds managed to secure just one win in a four-game series in Arizona but I look for them to bounce back as they head to San Francisco on Monday. Andrew Abbott will take the ball for Cincinnati. He's enjoyed a fine rookie campaign having logged a 4.01 FIP and 1.17 WHIP in 85 1/3 innings of work. While walks have been an issue at times, he's made up for it by striking out just shy of 10 batters per nine innings and also giving up just north of seven hits per nine innings. Note that Abbott has yet to hit a batter or throw a wild pitch this season. His counterpart on Monday will be fellow rookie Kyle Harrison, who will be making his second big league start. Harrison's first outing went ok but he certainly wasn't dominant, recording a 5.97 FIP and 1.80 WHIP in 3 1/3 innings (small sample size, I know). At the minor league level this season (Rookie League and Triple-A) he has worked 67 2/3 innings, posting a 4.52 ERA and 1.48 WHIP. The Giants threw some key relievers at the Braves last night as they were desperately trying to hold on to avoid a series sweep (they succeeded). Note that San Francisco relievers have now logged just shy of 580 innings on the season and well north of 30 innings over the last seven games. Entering last night's contest they had recorded a collective 5.26 ERA and 1.41 WHIP over the last seven games. While the Reds bullpen has been taxed lately as well, it did enter Sunday's action sporting a 3.21 ERA and 1.25 WHIP over the last seven contests. On the season, Reds relievers have converted 27 saves while blowing only 10 on the road. Take Cincinnati (10*).

Interleague Game of the Week. My selection is on Los Angeles over Boston at 7:10 pm et on Friday.

The Red Sox salvaged a four-game series split in Houston thanks to a blowout victory yesterday. I'm not convinced they'll be able to notch a third straight win on Friday, however, as they welcome the Dodgers to Fenway Park. Los Angeles picked up a pair of victories in Cleveland yesterday. The Dodgers are in cruise control as they run away with the N.L. West Division title but that doesn't mean they've taken their foot off the gas as they continue to play winning baseball. Veteran Lance Lynn will get the call for Los Angeles on Friday. It's amazing what moving to a contending team can do for a pitcher as we've seen Lynn give up just four earned runs in four starts, spanning 25 innings of work since joining the Dodgers. His opponent on Friday will be Kutter Crawford. While he has had a fine season, he hasn't proven to be a good fit pitching here at Fenway Park, where he owns an inflated 8.00 ERA and 1.67 WHIP in seven starts. Behind Crawford is a Red Sox bullpen that has been severely overworked, logging 517 2/3 innings this season (entering yesterday's action) and having not had a day off since August 14th. The Dodgers 'pen entered Thursday's action sporting a collective 2.39 ERA and 0.80 WHIP over the last seven games. Take Los Angeles (10*).

American League Game of the Week. My selection is on Kansas City over Oakland at 3:35 pm et on Wednesday.

The A's have taken the first two games of this series but I'm confident we'll see the Royals answer back on Wednesday afternoon. Cole Ragans has quietly pitched well for Kansas City with the Royals splitting his four starts since being inserted into the rotation earlier this month. On the season, Ragans owns an impressive 2.26 FIP in 28 2/3 innings of work. While he has struggled in two previous outings against Oakland (both last season), current A's hitters haven't done much damage against him going a combined 3-for-20 at the dish. Adrian Martinez will get a spot start for Oakland - his first of the season. He was awful last year, posting a 5.35 FIP and 1.53 WHIP in 12 starts. In 32 1/3 relief innings this season, Martinez has logged a 4.44 FIP and 1.42 WHIP. Neither bullpen has been all that sharp lately but I do have more faith in the Royals relief corps, which has combined to convert 13 saves while blowing only seven on the road this season. Contrast that with the A's 'pen, which has blown 12 saves compared to just 11 converted at home. Take Kansas City (10*).

Division Game of the Week. My selection is on New York over Boston at 1:35 pm et on Sunday.

The Yankees are sliding right now, fresh off another lopsided defeat at the hands of the rival Red Sox yesterday. I do look for them to salvage the finale of this series on Sunday, however. Josh Winckowski will get a spot start for Boston. He allowed a whopping 10.9 hits per nine innings during his rookie year last season (in 70 1/3 innings pitched) and is on track to post a similar number this year (10.2 hits allowed per nine innings in 64 2/3 innings pitched). Of the 278 batters he has faced this season, 94 have managed to reach base. His counterpart on Sunday will be Clarke Schmidt. He's coming off a dreadful outing against arguably the best offense in baseball in Atlanta. I'm willing to give the rookie a pass for that poor start as he had been pitching well for an extended stretch, allowing three earned runs or less in each of his previous 14 starts. The Yankees bullpen continues to do its job having logged a collective 2.88 ERA and 1.19 WHIP over the last seven games. I like the prospect of getting behind their relief corps here following consecutive lopsided games as most of their key arms remain rested. Take New York (10*).

Interleague Game of the Week. My selection is on Toronto over Cincinnati at 6:40 pm et on Friday.

While the Reds are coming off a win over the Guardians to split their two-game series on Wednesday, they're still just 4-10 over their last 14 games and will give Brett Kennedy a spot start out of necessity only on Friday. Kennedy has made just one start previously this season and while it was a win, it came on the road against the Nationals. I don't believe he'll prove to be a good fit here at Great American Ballpark and certainly not in this particular matchup. Note that Kennedy has logged a 3.52 FIP and 1.30 WHIP in 64 innings pitched at Triple-A Louisville this season. Jose Berrios will counter for Toronto. While he did struggle against the Cubs in his most recent start, he has enjoyed a bounce-back season overall, posting a 4.00 FIP and 1.22 WHIP in 24 starts. Behind Berrios is a Blue Jays bullpen that welcomed back closer Jordan Romano earlier this week and has recorded a collective 1.85 ERA and 0.86 WHIP over the last seven games. Over that same stretch, the Reds have managed to convert just one save while blowing three. Take Toronto (10*).

Interleague Game of the Week. My selection is on San Francisco over Texas at 4:05 pm et on Sunday.

The Rangers have taken the first two games of this series, just as they did earlier this week in Oakland before getting shut out in the finale. While they're playing exceptionally well, I expect them to fail to close out the series sweep again here. Dane Dunning will get the start for Texas. He's not enjoying his best stretch of the season by any means, having allowed 4, 2, 5, 3, 1 and 3 earned runs over his last six outings. Note that while his overall numbers are solid this season, he has struggled in two particular situations - in day games and interleague matchups. Dunning owns a 4.83 ERA and 1.48 WHIP in six afternoon starts and a 5.22 ERA and 1.61 WHIP in six interleague outings. His counterpart on Sunday will be Giants ace Logan Webb. He finished 11th in N.L. Cy Young Award voting last season and his numbers have been right on par this year with a 3.29 FIP and 1.09 WHIP. He's worked at least into the sixth inning in six of his last seven starts, allowing two earned runs or less in five of those outings. He should be happy to be facing the Rangers, noting that he's been on the mound for 9-2 and 4-2 victories in his two previous starts against them. While the Rangers bullpen owns an advantage in terms of recent form, the Giants relief corps has been the better unit overall this season, logging a collective 3.64 ERA and 1.20 WHIP with a whopping 42 saves converted compared to only 19 blown. Take San Francisco (10*).

N.L. West Game of the Year. My selection is on Arizona over Los Angeles at 9:40 pm et on Wednesday.

The Dodgers made a big lead stand up, just barely, in last night's 5-4 victory to open this brief two-game series in the desert. The Diamondbacks have picked a bad time to go on a slide, losers of seven games in a row. They simply haven't been able to come up with the clutch hits when needed over that stretch with the majority of those recent losses coming down to one or two runs. Here, I look for them to finally bounce back with Merrill Kelly getting the start against Bobby Miller. Miller impressed in his first four starts with the Dodgers this season, allowing just two earned runs on 12 hits in 18 innings of work. Things haven't gone nearly as smoothly since then, however, as he has yielded 28 earned runs over his last eight outings covering a span of 40 1/3 innings. After lasting exactly six innings in three of his first four big league starts, Miller has failed to make it through six frames in seven of his last eight outings. Merrill Kelly has made three starts since returning from a blood clot in his calf and has generally pitched well, yielding six earned runs in 17 innings. His most recent start might have been his best since returning as he struck out nine Twins batters over six innings, allowing just two solo home runs along the way. While his career 0-10 record against the Dodgers jumps off the page, it's worth noting that the D'Backs did secure a 2-1 victory with Kelly starting in Los Angeles earlier this season, snapping a streak of 10 straight Kelly starts against the Dodgers in which Arizona lost. The bullpen edge goes to the Dodgers in this matchup but the gap is not as wide as you might think. I do like the fact that the D'Backs relief corps has yet to reach 400 innings pitched this season. The Dodgers 'pen entered last night's action having logged 28 innings over the last seven games and tacked on another three frames in that contest. Note that Los Angeles hasn't had an off day since July 31st while Arizona was idle on Monday. Take Arizona (10*).

American League Game of the Year. My selection is on New York over Chicago at 8:10 pm et on Tuesday.

The Yankees were stymied by White Sox ace Dylan Cease in the opener of this series last night, suffering a 5-1 defeat - their second straight loss. The White Sox have now won three games in a row on the heels of a five-game losing streak. I look for that run to end on Tuesday. Clarke Schmidt will take the ball for the visiting Yankees. He got off to a miserable start this season after pitching well predominantly out of the bullpen in his rookie campaign a year ago. The good news is, he's turned it around over the last couple of months and has proven to be an effective starter for the Yanks, lowering his FIP to 4.33 and his WHIP to 1.30. I do think we'll continue to see some positive regression in terms of his hits and home runs allowed, noting he gave up 2.1 fewer hits per nine innings and 0.5 fewer home runs per nine innings last year (albeit with a smaller sample size). Behind Schmidt is a Yankees bullpen that entered this series sporting a collective 2.23 ERA and 1.02 WHIP over the last seven games and has converted 14 saves while blowing only five on the road this season. That's in stark contrast to the White Sox 'pen, which entered last night's action with just 10 saves converted and 13 blown at home this season, logging a collective 4.83 ERA and 1.39 WHIP. Chicago will give Touki Toussaint another turn in the starting rotation on Tuesday. His results have been mixed. Case in point, he struck out nine Rangers opposing Max Scherzer last time out but also gave up four earned runs on five hits, two home runs and four walks over 5 1/3 innings. Toussaint has made it through the sixth inning just once in six starts this season. Take New York (10*).

Interleague Game of the Month. My selection is on Minnesota over St. Louis at 7:45 pm et on Thursday.

These two teams have split the first two games of this series and I expect the Twins to bounce back from last night's lopsided defeat to take the finale on Thursday. Sonny Gray will take the ball for Minnesota. The All-Star is quietly enjoying a fine campaign having logged a 2.93 FIP and 1.27 WHIP. He's been efficient but hasn't been overly taxed in recent starts, working 6, 6, 5 2/3, 6 and 6 innings over his last six outings. Matthew Liberatore gets the call-up to make Thursday's start for the Cardinals. He's a good example of a starting pitcher that has managed to climb the minor league ranks but has never been able to translate that success over to the bigs. Last year, he logged a 5.02 FIP and 1.73 WHIP in 34 2/3 innings of work. With a similar sample size of 32 innings this season, Liberatore has arguably been worse, posting a 4.68 FIP and 1.84 WHIP. Neither bullpen has been overly reliable lately but the difference is, the Cards relief corps has been bad for the majority of the season, entering last night's action sporting a collective 4.48 ERA and 1.43 WHIP. Take Minnesota (10*).

A.L. East Game of the Month. My selection is on Toronto over Tampa Bay at 7:05 pm et on Wednesday.

The Blue Jays are off to a rough start to this series. In fact, they've now lost three games in a row including an absolute beatdown in Hyun-Jin Ryu's return to the starting rotation last night. While I haven't always been high on Wednesday's starter Yusei Kikuchi, there's no denying he's pitched well this season and particularly of late. Kikuchi enters Wednesday's start having allowed just two earned runs over his last three outings, covering a span of 16 innings of work. Here at home, the Blue Jays have won six of his nine starts as Kikuchi has logged a solid 3.69 ERA and 1.23 WHIP. His counterpart on Wednesday, rookie Grayson Rodriguez, is coming off a fine outing of his own, shutting the Yankees out over 6 1/3 innings. It's not as if he had baffling stuff on that night as he recorded just four strikeouts along the way. Note that the Orioles bullpen has suffered some regression lately, posting a 1.57 WHIP over the last seven games (entering last night's action). On the road this season, Baltimore has converted 18 saves but has also blown 14. Take Toronto (10*).

N.L. Game of the Week. My selection is on Arizona over St. Louis at 9:40 pm et on Tuesday.

The Cardinals snapped their three-game losing streak, taking the opener of this series in a 10-6 slugfest last night. That was a tough spot for the Diamondbacks as they limped home following a three-game sweep at the hands of the Reds, which came at the end of a long nine-game road trip that also took them to Toronto and Atlanta. While they'll be right back at it on Tuesday, I do expect the D'Backs to get a lift from the expected return of starter Merrill Kelly after he spent a month on the I.L. due to a blood clot in his leg. Kelly himself indicated that it was only a minor speedbump as he was able to continue to throw from day one. He dealt with a far more serious blood clot that led to the removal of a rib back in 2020. Of course, the right-hander is having a career year by most accounts, logging a 3.85 FIP and 1.14 WHIP while allowing a career-low 6.7 hits per nine innings and striking out a career high 9.3 batters per nine innings. Arizona's bullpen has struggled lately but I still feel this is a relief corps in fine shape down the stretch having worked only 353 2/3 innings collectively (entering last night's action) this season. Steven Matz will counter for St. Louis. He was sharp in his most recent outing against the Cubs last Thursday but will now be starting on short rest (four days) for a second straight turn in the rotation. On the season, Matz owns a 4.12 FIP and 1.47 WHIP, yielding 10.0 hits per nine innings. The Cards bullpen has been virtually on par with that of the D'Backs this season. Of note, they've had a tough time closing out games, blowing 20 saves including 11 on the road (compared to 14 saves converted). It's also worth mentioning that St. Louis hasn't had a day off since the All-Star break and checks in 1-5 after scoring double-digit runs in its previous game this season. Take Arizona (10*).

Non-Division Game of the Year. My selection is on Chicago over Washington at 8:05 pm et on Monday.

Despite his recent struggles, I think this is the right spot to bring potential trade deadline piece Drew Smyly back to the starting rotation for the Cubs. He hasn't pitched since July 8th when he was rocked by the Yankees in the Bronx - his third straight poor outing. Still, we know the veteran left-hander is capable of much better and he should be happy to be facing the Nationals on Monday - a team he held to one earned run over seven innings in a 5-1 victory against earlier this season. In fact, for his career, Smyly owns a 3.00 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in seven previous outings against Washington. It's a much different story for Nationals starter MacKenzie Gore against the Cubs. He checks in sporting a career 7.00 ERA and 1.78 WHIP, albeit in just two previous starts against Chicago. The Cubs have feasted on left-handed starting pitching this season, going 16-11 while averaging 5.6 runs per game. While Gore has managed to lower his walks and increase his strikeouts per nine innings compared to his rookie campaign last year, he's giving up far too many hits (9.2 per nine innings) and home runs (1.4 per nine innings). The Nationals bullpen has been a mess all season, compiling a 5.09 ERA and 1.47 WHIP and things don't figure to get better with Hunter Harvey, who had grabbed the closer's role converting nine saves, expected to hit the I.L. with a forearm injury. Cubs closer Adbert Alzolay was pressed into action yesterday in a non-save situation and didn't fare particularly well but that appearance was by design to get him loose after an idle stretch. I'm confident he can bounce back if called into the game on Monday. While the Cubs 'pen hasn't pitched particularly well lately, it is still well-positioned to succeed having logged only 21 2/3 innings collectively over the last seven games. At home this season, Chicago relievers have combined to post a 3.86 ERA and 1.29 WHIP. Take Chicago (10*).

Interleague Game of the Week. My selection is on Tampa Bay over Atlanta at 1:40 pm et on Sunday.

The Rays have now lost seven straight games including the first two contests in this series. I do expect them to finally snap their skid on Sunday as they send Zach Eflin to the hill against Bryce Elder of the Braves. Eflin has been terrific this season, logging a 3.09 FIP and 0.98 WHIP to go along with a 9-4 record - Cy Young Award-caliber numbers. He should be happy to be facing the Braves - an opponent he saw plenty of during his days pitching for the Phillies in the N.L. East. Note that Eflin owns a 3.26 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in 13 career outings against Atlanta. Bryce Elder is having an outstanding season for the Braves as well. With that being said, I do think there has been some reason for concern (I use that term loosely) noting that he has issued eight walks over his last three starts and is coming off an outing in which he struck out only one batter over 6 2/3 innings against the Guardians. The Rays offense has been completely out of sorts but we do know what their lineup is capable of, noting they still average 5.4 runs per game this season. The two bullpens are virtually a wash on the season. While the Braves relief corps has been more effective lately, it is worth noting that the Rays were able to keep most of their key relievers idle thanks to Saturday's lopsided result. Take Tampa Bay (10*).

N.L. Central Game of the Month. My selection is on Milwaukee over Chicago at 2:10 pm et on Thursday.

The Cubs have taken the last two games in this series after dropping the opener on Monday. I look for Milwaukee to answer back in Thursday's series finale. Marcus Stroman will get the start for Chicago. We've seen some regression from the right-hander after a red hot start to the campaign as he has allowed eight earned runs on 13 hits over his last two outings spanning just nine innings of work. That's to be expected. Stroman has allowed only 6.7 hits per nine innings this season. He hasn't held opposing batters to fewer than 8.0 hits per nine innings since way back in his sophomore season in 2015 and that was an injury-shortened one (he worked only 27 innings). He has admittedly shut the door on the Brewers in three starts against them since the start of last season but here he'll be starting on short rest (four days) and even if he does pitch well there's no guarantee the Cubs up-and-down bullpen can close it out. Note that normally reliable setup man Mark Leiter Jr. has allowed four earned runs in his last two appearances and closer Adbert Alzolay has pitched in each of the last two games and may not be available as a result on Thursday. Freddy Peralta will counter for Milwaukee. He figures to be in line for some positive regression, noting that he has given up 8.1 hits per nine innings - his highest total since the 2019 campaign. The Brewers have actually lost Peralta's last two starts. They haven't lost three Peralta starts in a row since last August. We've seen encouraging signs out of the right-hander lately as he has yielded four hits or less in four straight starts and struck out at least eight batters in three of his last five trips to the hill. That comes on the heels of a stretch that saw him strike out five batters or fewer in five consecutive outings. The Brewers bullpen has admittedly struggled lately, entering last night's contest sporting a 5.11 ERA and 1.38 WHIP over the last seven games but has been reliable for the most part this season, converting 25 saves while blowing only 10. Take Milwaukee (10*).

Interleague Game of the Week. My selection is on Los Angeles over Arizona at 9:35 pm et on Friday.

Something has to give in this one as both the Diamondbacks and Angels are coming off consecutive losses. I like Los Angeles to bounce back as it hands the ball to Griffin Canning against Tommy Henry of Arizona. Henry has inexplicably posted a perfect 6-0 team record over his last six starts. I say inexplicably because he still owns a lofty 5.44 FIP and 1.37 WHIP this season. The D'Backs bats have been bailing him out but I believe they'll be hard-pressed to do so on Friday. Note that Henry's poor overall numbers this season have been virtually on par with the ones he posted during his rookie campaign last year (5.88 FIP and 1.45 WHIP in 47 innings pitched). Behind Henry is a D'Backs bullpen that has been good but certainly not great this season. Arizona's relief corps enters this series sporting a collective 4.36 ERA and 1.29 WHIP on the road this season. Griffin Canning got off to a bit of a shaky start this season but perhaps that was to be expected after he missed the entire 2022 campaign due to a back injury. Canning has certainly rounded into form lately, pitching as well as he has at any point during his big league career, allowing just nine earned runs in 36 innings of work over his last six starts to lower his FIP to 4.53 and his WHIP to 1.16. The Angels have handled Canning the right way this season, allowing him to pitch on full rest (five days or more) in all 12 starts. While Los Angeles' bullpen has suffered some regression lately, it still owns a collective 3.71 ERA and 1.30 WHIP on the season with 28 saves converted and only 13 blown (entering yesterday's action). Closer Carlos Estevez has been kept idle over the last two games so he should be good to go on Friday if needed. He has racked up 20 saves already this season while posting a 1.91 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in 33 innings. Take Los Angeles (10*).

Non-Division Game of the Week. My selection is on Atlanta over Cincinnati at 6:40 pm et on Friday.

Something has to give as the red hot Braves and Reds match up in Cincinnati on Friday. Atlanta has reeled off eight straight wins following yesterday's extra innings victory in Philadelphia. Cincinnati is riding an 11-game winning streak after a sweep of the lowly Rockies. Here, I look for the Braves to continue their winning ways as they hand the ball to impressive rookie A.J. Smith-Shawver against Luke Weaver of the Reds. Atlanta appears to have another good one in Smith-Shawver. He has made two big league starts this season, posting a lofty 4.47 FIP but an impressive 0.98 WHIP. That FIP is a little inflated after he gave up a pair of home runs in an 8-3 win over the Rockies last time out. Note that Smith-Shawver had allowed just one home run in 33 innings of work at the minor league level earlier this season. In those minor league outings he posted a sparkling 1.09 ERA and 0.94 WHIP. It's been a much different story for Luke Weaver. He checks in sporting a 5.48 FIP and 1.54 WHIP in 11 starts spanning 57 innings this season. On Friday, he'll be starting on short rest (four days) after getting lit up for 10 hits and five earned runs in five innings against the Astros last time out. Great American Ballpark hasn't been a good fit as he has logged a 7.27 ERA and 1.35 WHIP in five starts covering a span of 26 innings here this season. While the two bullpens are virtually a wash, it's worth noting that the Reds relief corps is approaching 300 combined innings pitched this season. That's nearly 30 innings more than that of the Braves. Atlanta has the benefit of having had two of the last four days off due to a rain out earlier this week. Take Atlanta (10*).

A.L. Non-Division Game of the Week. My selection is on Minnesota over Boston at 7:40 pm et on Wednesday.

The Red Sox have blasted the Twins in the first two games of this series as Minnesota's struggles continue having dropped five of its last six contests. I look for the Twins to finally answer back on Wednesday as they send Sonny Gray to the hill against Garrett Whitlock. Whitlock has posted solid overall numbers this season but certainly isn't immune to shaky outings. Note that he has given up at least four earned runs in three of his seven starts this season. He checks in having allowed just three earned runs over his last two starts but hasn't held more than two straight opponents to three earned runs or fewer since May of last year. Sonny Gray didn't have his best stuff last time out, lasting only four earned runs against the Tigers in an eventual 8-4 loss. He still owns a stellar 2.56 FIP and 1.28 WHIP in 14 starts spanning 76 innings of work this season. In eight home outings he has logged a 1.96 ERA and 1.11 WHIP. Gray gave up just one earned run over five innings in his lone start against Boston last season but the Twins lost that game by a 5-4 score. The two bullpens are a virtual wash in this matchup although it is worth noting that Minnesota entered last night's game having logged 28 2/3 innings fewer in relief this season, theoretically leaving that group fresher as we approach the final week of June. Take Minnesota (10*).

Interleague Game of the Week. My selection is on Houston over New York at 8:10 pm et on Tuesday.

This should be an emotionally-charged contest on Tuesday in Houston as Justin Verlander returns to Minute Maid Park to face his former team. The Mets jumped all over Astros rookie Hunter Brown last night but I expect a different story to unfold against Framber Valdez on Tuesday. Valdez checks in sporting a sparkling 2.84 FIP and 1.03 WHIP in 14 starts spanning 91 innings of work this season. He faced the Mets once last season, tossing eight shutout innings in a 9-1 victory in Queens. Verlander is having a very un-Verlander like season, posting a 4.43 FIP and 1.22 WHIP in 45 innings. His hits, home runs and walks allowed per nine innings are way up while his strikeouts are down considerably compared to his Cy Young Award-winning 2022 campaign. Whether he's 100% healthy or not is certainly up for debate. I do expect the slumping Astros to get to him on Tuesday. The bullpens are virtually a wash in this matchup but I do like the fact that Houston's 'pen entered last night's game having logged a collective 24 innings fewer than New York's this season. Interestingly, the Astros relief corps entered this series with a 3.10 ERA and 1.13 WHIP along with five saves converted and only one blown in just north of 80 innings pitched in Interleague play this season. Take Houston (10*).

N.L. Division Game of the Week. My selection is on Chicago over Pittsburgh at 7:05 pm et on Monday.

The Cubs failed to complete the sweep of the Orioles yesterday, snapping their five-game winning streak in the process. I look for them to bounce back on Monday as they hand the ball to Drew Smyly against Osvaldo Bido of the Pirates in a rematch of a meeting last week. Smyly doesn't own terrific career numbers against the Pirates but he should he pleased to be making this start in Pittsburgh. Note that he has faced the Pirates three times at PNC Park, allowing just four earned runs including only one home run in 16 innings. Smyly's numbers this season are in line with the ones he posted last year, logging a 4.33 FIP and 1.20 WHIP. I do think we'll see him pitch better than he did against the Pirates last week, when he yielded five earned runs over six innings. Osvaldo Bido gets the call for Pittsburgh out of necessity only. He actually held up well in his big league debut against the Cubs last week, allowing just one earned run over four innings. Note that he's been in the Pirates organization since 2017 so the fact that he's just now getting a chance in the Show is telling in my opinion. At the Triple-A level this season he had posted a 4.55 ERA and 1.30 WHIP in 55 1/3 innings of work. Only once previously has he recorded an ERA lower than four in a minor league campaign and that was back in 2019 when he pitched at the Single-A and A+ levels. The bullpens are virtually a was on the season but the Cubs relief corps has been marginally better over the last seven games (Pittsburgh's 'pen entered yesterday's contest sporting a collective 9.85 ERA and 1.95 WHIP over that stretch). I do like the fact that Chicago didn't use two of its most effective relievers in Mark Leiter Jr. and Adbert Alzolay in yesterday's game. The Pirates are missing a key late inning arm in Jose Hernandez as he's currently on the I.L. Take Chicago (10*).

Interleague Game of the Month. My selection is on Cleveland over San Diego at 8:40 pm et on Thursday.

The Padres have won the first two games of this series and are playing some of their best baseball of the season right now but I'm not necessarily ready to buy in. Logan Allen will get the start for the visiting Guardians as they look to avoid the sweep in this three-game interleague series. Allen didn't pitch particularly well but hung in there and lasted six innings against the Astros in an eventual 10-9 victory last time out. He has posted respectable numbers this season with a 3.43 FIP and 1.39 WHIP through nine starts spanning 51 2/3 innings. Ryan Weathers will counter for the Padres as they push Yu Darvish back a day to face the Rays on Friday. Weathers owns a 4.93 ERA on the campaign and probably hasn't even been as good as that lofty number, posting a 5.26 FIP and 1.49 WHIP. He's unlikely to work deep into this game as he pitches on just four days' rest (even though he did throw only 40+ pitches against the Rockies last time out). Note that the Padres bullpen enters this game sporting a collective 4.94 ERA And 1.31 WHIP over the last seven contests. At home this season, San Diego has only converted five saves while blowing four. The Guardians on the other hand check in with a 1.82 bullpen ERA and 1.01 WHIP over their last seven games. Cleveland's relief corps has been among the best in baseball this season, logging a 3.02 ERA and 1.16 WHIP with 23 saves converted and 13 blown. Take Cleveland (10*).

A.L. Division Game of the Month. My selection is on Texas over Los Angeles at 8:05 pm et on Monday.

The Angels took two of three games from the Mariners over the weekend and certainly enter this series playing well. I think they're going to be outmatched on Monday, however, as they send Tyler Anderson to the hill against Dane Dunning of the Rangers. Anderson has seen his FIP rise to 5.14 and his WHIP to 1.60 after allowing 10 earned runs in nine innings in his last two starts. He's allowing a whopping 10.0 hits and 4.4 walks per nine innings this season and while he's done a good job of keeping the ball in the park (1.0 home runs allowed per nine innings) that's not enough to minimize the damage, especially when you're striking out only 5.9 batters per nine frames. The Angels bullpen has been terrific but is approaching 'overworked' territory in my opinion as their relief corps eclipses 240 innings on the season. Dane Dunning is coming off a couple of rough outings of his own, giving up an uncharacteristic three home runs in his most recent start. Still, he owns a solid 3.72 FIP and 1.10 WHIP in 14 starts including six starts this season. While the Rangers bullpen has been up and down, it has logged a collective 1.16 WHIP in 99 innings of work here at home. In stark contrast to the Angels 'pen, the Rangers relief corps has only been called into action for 192 1/3 innings on the campaign. Take Texas (10*).

American League Game of the Month. My selection is on Houston over Toronto at 7:05 pm et on Monday.

The Blue Jays are coming off an impressive three-game sweep of the Mets in Queens over the weekend but I look for their run of success to come to an end on Monday as they return home to host the Astros. Houston checks in off a 2-1 loss against the Angels yesterday, failing to complete the four-game sweep of its division rival. Here, I'm confident we'll see the Astros bounce back against Blue Jays starter Alek Manoah, who continues to grind through a miserable campaign. Manoah last pitched last Wednesday and showed no signs of turning things around, lasting only four innings in an eventual 4-2 defeat. Now Manoah will have to start on short rest (four days) having posted a lofty 6.27 FIP and 1.77 WHIP in 12 starts spanning 57 2/3 innings of work this season. While the Jays 'pen behind Manoah has been terrific lately, I'm not sure it will be enough on this night. Brandon Bielak will get the start for the visiting Astros. He got shelled in his first couple of big league starts this season but has since settled down, allowing only 13 hits and six earned runs in his last three starts, spanning 17 1/3 innings. While Bielak certainly hasn't been as good as his 3.19 ERA indicates (he's posted a 5.15 FIP and 1.45 WHIP), I do think he can be effective against the up-and-down Blue Jays. While the Astros bullpen has struggled lately, it still owns a collective 3.30 ERA and 1.26 WHIP this season with 16 saves converted and only five blown. Take Houston (10*).

Interleague Game of the Week. My selection is on Los Angeles over New York at 10:10 pm et on Friday.

The Dodgers dropped their most recent contest in Washington but I look for them to rebound in Friday's series-opener against the Yankees. New York will give the start to Luis Severino. He checks in sporting a sparkling 1.59 ERA in two starts, spanning 11 1/3 innings. He hasn't been quite as sharp as that number indicates, however, as he has recorded a 3.73 FIP. In two minor league rehab outings, Severino logged a 4.05 ERA and 1.50 WHIP in 6 2/3 innings. Clayton Kershaw will counter for Los Angeles. He'll be looking to bounce back after a string of rough outings but still owns a 3.42 FIP and 1.14 WHIP in 11 outings spanning 62 1/3 innings this season. He'll be making his second straight on a full five days' rest. The Yankees bullpen appears to have the edge although it is worth noting that the Dodgers bullpen has been significantly stronger at home than on the road, logging a collective 3.14 ERA and 1.30 WHIP. Take Los Angeles (10*).

American League Game of the Week. My selection is on Seattle over New York at 9:40 pm et on Wednesday.

The Yankees have taken the first two games in this series in blowout fashion but I look for the Mariners to answer back on Wednesday. Clarke Schmidt has turned things around to a certain extent for the Yankees over the last couple of starts, allowing just three earned runs in 10 innings of work. He still owns a 4.25 FIP and 1.60 WHIP on the season. Of the 229 batters he has faced, 82 have reached base. The Mariners will counter with George Kirby. He got shelled in his most recent outing. It happens to the best of pitchers. That doesn't change the fact that he has pitched well this season, logging a 3.49 FIP and 1.10 WHIP, allowing just 71-of-254 batters to reach base. As a testament to how impressive he has been, Kirby has worked at least six innings in eight of his 10 starts this season. The bullpens are virtually a wash but I'm confident the Mariners can pick themselves back up at the plate and snap their two-game skid, noting they've lost more than two games in a row only once since April 30th. Take Seattle (10*).

American League Game of the Month. My selection is on Minnesota over Toronto at 2:10 pm et on Sunday.

The Blue Jays took the opener of this series by a 3-1 score on Friday but the Twins bounced back in a big way yesterday, delivering a 9-7 victory in a contest that probably wasn't quite as close as the final score indicated (the Blue Jays scored three runs in the ninth inning). Both teams have been scuffing their heels lately but I like the Twins chances of ending their current homestand on a positive note before heading off to Houston to open a three-game set on Monday. Jose Berrios will take the ball as he makes his fifth career start against his former team. Since joining the Blue Jays, Berrios has posted a 2-2 team record against Minnesota but has gone 0-2 here in the Twin Cities. While Berrios has enjoyed a solid bounce-back campaign so far, posting a 3.76 FIP and 1.22 WHIP, I don't particularly like the set-up here. He'll be starting on short rest (four days) for a third straight turn in the rotation after working seven innings against the Rays last time out (in a lopsided 20-1 victory). The last time we saw him do so he was ineffective over 5 1/3 innings last September against the Yankees, allowing five earned runs on nine hits. Note that he's shown a fairly sharp home-road dichotomy this season as well, logging a 5.60 ERA and 1.36 WHIP in his six road outings. Bailey Ober will counter for Minnesota. He continues to be one of the most underrated starters in baseball this season. Ober got the call to the bigs after starting the campaign at the Triple-A level, where he shone, posting a 2.55 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in 17 2/3 innings of work. Since joining the Twins, Ober has been just as effective, recording a 3.54 FIP and 0.99 WHIP in 35 1/3 innings pitched. He did allow four earned runs over five innings against the Giants last time out but has yet to give up more than single earned run in consecutive starts this season. Behind Ober is a Twins bullpen that has been terrific lately, entering yesterday's contest sporting a collective 2.35 ERA and 1.22 WHIP over the last seven games. The Jays 'pen has been on par with that of the Twins overall this season but entered yesterday's action with a 3.97 ERA and 1.37 WHIP over the last seven contests. While the Twins had the day off on Thursday, Toronto hasn't enjoyed an off day since May 11th (they'll finally get one tomorrow). The loss on the scoreboard wasn't the only setback for Toronto yesterday as CF Kevin Kiermaier was forced to leave the game with back discomfort. He's been one of the team's most consistent hitters this season, batting .319 and is also one of their best defensive players. It remains to be seen whether he'll be able to play on Sunday. The Twins have their share of injuries as well but have successfully employed a 'next man up' philosophy and average 4.8 runs per game at Target Field this season (entering yesterday's action). Take Minnesota (10*).

A.L. Central Game of the Month. My selection is on Chicago over Detroit at 6:40 pm et on Friday.

The Tigers took the opener of this series by a 7-2 score last night - their second straight victory. Note that they've strung together more than two wins in a row only twice previously this season while the White Sox haven't dropped back-to-back games since a three-game skid from May 10th to 12th, quietly turning things around following an awful start. Lance Lynn will take the ball for the visiting White Sox on Friday. I have him pegged as a positive regression candidate as much like his team, we've seen him start to turn the corner over his last couple of outings. Lynn still owns a disappointing 4.71 FIP and 1.47 WHIP on the season but those numbers do indicate he's pitched better than his lofty 6.28 ERA. Note that the hits have been falling in at an uncommon rate, even by Lynn's standards, as he has given up 10.2 hits per nine innings this season, compared to his career average of 8.3. Lynn has also given up 1.9 home runs per nine innings compared to his career mark of 0.9 but most of the damage was done when he was struggling early in the campaign. He has given up just one home run over his last two starts, spanning 13 innings of work. Lynn should be pleased to see the Tigers as his teams have gone a perfect 6-0 in his last six starts against them. Joey Wentz will counter for Detroit. He made seven starts at the big league level last year and pitched reasonably well. It's been a different story here in 2023, however, as the book may be out on the left-hander. He checks in sporting a 5.79 FIP and 1.63 WHIP through 38 2/3 innings of work. Wentz hasn't made it out of the third inning in either of his last two outings. While he will have the advantage of facing the White Sox for the first time, the same could have been said in his last start against the Washington Nationals and he was lit up for six earned runs on 10 hits over just two innings. Based on recent form, we can consider the bullpens a virtual wash in this matchup. I do like the fact that White Sox relievers have only been called upon to work 23 1/3 innings over the last seven games, posting a collective 2.31 ERA and 0.94 WHIP while converting three saves without blowing a single one over that stretch. Despite last night's defeat, the White Sox have had plenty of success here in the Motor City over the last 2+ seasons, going 12-7, outscoring the Tigers by an average margin of 6-4. Take Chicago (10*).

National League Game of the Month. My selection is on Washington over San Diego at 7:05 pm et on Wednesday.

The Padres took the opener of this series last night and have now strung together consecutive wins for the first time since May 3rd and 5th. I look for their success to be short-lived, however. Ryan Weathers will get another turn in the starting rotation for San Diego. I don't believe he's been as good as his 3.42 ERA indicates, recording a 4.46 FIP and 1.14 WHIP in 23 2/3 innings of work this season. The hits haven't been falling in against him but we're bound to see some regression in that department, noting that he has allowed just 6.8 hits per nine innings this season but gives up 9.2 for his career. Of the 92 batters Weathers has faced, 28 have reached base, this coming after he allowed 10-of-30 batters he faced to reach base at the Triple-A level earlier this season. The Nationals saw Weathers in the 2021 season, chasing him after 5 1/3 innings but not before plating four earned runs including two home runs on seven hits (while striking out only twice). Trevor Williams will counter for Washington. He's given the Nationals about what they expected, logging a 4.70 FIP and 1.26 WHIP through nine starts spanning 44 1/3 innings of work. He has certainly looked comfortable pitching here at Nationals Park, posting a 2.55 ERA and 1.13 WHIP in four home starts this season. Unlike his counterpart Weathers, Williams doesn't hand out many free passes, issuing just 2.0 walks per nine innings this season. While the Padres bullpen has pitched well lately, I'm willing to consider that department a virtual wash in this matchup at least when you consider the home/road splits of both relief corps'. The Nationals 'pen entered last night's action sporting a collective 3.86 ERA and 1.29 WHIP at home this season while Padres relievers had recorded a 3.96 ERA and 1.31 WHIP on the road. As I've said from the start of the season, I do think the Nats' are well-built for the ballpark they play their home games in, even if they are just 10-16 here this season. I like their chances of answering back against the Padres on Tuesday. Take Washington (10*).

A.L. East Game of the Month. My selection is on Toronto over New York at 7:05 pm et on Wednesday.

The Yankees have taken the first two games in this series and they've done so convincingly by a 13-7 margin. I look for the Blue Jays to answer back on Wednesday, even as they face New York ace Gerrit Cole. We've seen some cracks in Cole's armor lately as he has allowed 24 hits and 11 earned runs over his last four starts covering a span of 22 2/3 innings. While it hasn't necessarily affected him much in the past, he'll be making his fifth consecutive start on short rest (four days). The Yankees have managed to win Cole's last two starts against the Blue Jays, including a walk-off 3-2 victory in the Bronx back in April. The last time New York won consecutive Cole outings against Toronto (back in 2021) they dropped his next start against the Jays by a 5-1 score. Behind Cole is an effective but overworked Yankees bullpen that was forced into action early last night thanks to starter Domingo German's ejection. Note that New York hasn't had a day off since May 4th, complicating late-inning bullpen decisions. The Blue Jays will hand the ball to Chris Bassitt. After an up-and-down start to the season he has really settled in over his last two starts, not allowing a single earned run in 16 innings of work. In fact, since allowing 10 hits and nine earned runs in 3 1/3 innings against St. Louis in his season debut, Bassitt has given up just 20 hits and 10 earned runs in his last seven starts, lasting at least six innings in six of those outings. The Toronto bullpen faltered late in last night's game but entered that contest sporting a collective 1.82 ERA and 0.85 WHIP with five saves converted and only one blown at home this season. Closer Jordan Romano is well-rested having not pitched since Saturday. Take Toronto (10*).

Non-Division Game of the Week. My selection is on St. Louis over San Francisco at 9:45 pm et on Wednesday.

We'll often look to fade MLB teams coming off emotional, come-from-behind victories like the one we saw from the Giants last night. San Francisco has now won a season-high four games in a row after having not strung together consecutive victories on a single occasion previously. The win streak has really come out of nowhere for a team that wasn't doing anything particularly well and I expect it to grind to a halt on Wednesday. Steven Matz will take the ball for the visiting Cardinals. I think some positive regression to the mean is in order when it comes to the left-hander as he has gone winless through his first four starts this season, posting a 4.87 FIP and 1.64 WHIP along the way. Keep in mind, in his first year with the Cardinals in 2022, Matz logged a 3.78 FIP and 1.25 WHIP in 15 appearances spanning 48 innings of work. In his last full big league season, Matz recorded a 3.79 FIP and 1.33 WHIP in 150 2/3 innings with the Blue Jays in 2021. Matz command simply hasn't been there in the early going as he has issued north of 4.0 walks per nine innings. I do think he can and will settle down and it's worth noting that the Giants don't put a ton of pressure on opposing pitchers with runners on base, with just 12 stolen bases to date this season. Behind Matz is a Cards bullpen that has pitched well (despite last night's debacle), recording a collective 3.43 ERA and 1.26 WHIP this season. That's in stark contrast to the Giants bullpen, which has logged a collective 5.44 ERA and 1.37 WHIP. Anthony DeSclafani will get the nod for San Francisco on Wednesday. Perhaps the opposite of Matz, some negative regression to the mean can be expected when it comes to the veteran right-hander. He has posted a 2.91 FIP and 0.88 WHIP but comes off his worst outing of the season against the Mets last Friday. After pitching lights out in his first two starts this season, DeSclafani has allowed six earned runs on 13 hits, including two home runs, over his last two outings, covering a span of 11 2/3 innings. Take St. Louis (10*).

National League Game of the Week. My selection is on San Francisco over New York at 10:15 pm et on Friday.

The Mets entered the week on a four-game winning streak and have stayed hot, first taking two of three games from the mighty Dodgers in Los Angeles and then defeating the down-trodden Giants 9-4 in last night's series-opener in San Francisco. I look for their streak to grind to a halt on Friday, however, as they send Joey Lucchesi to the mound for his first big league start since 2021 against Anthony DeSclafani of the Giants. The plan probably wasn't for Lucchesi to be dropped into the starting rotation so early this season but the Mets are desperate with Justin Verlander and Carlos Carrasco sidelined due to injuries and Max Scherzer now suspended for 10 games for using an illegal substance. Lucchesi will be making his first big league start since undergoing Tommy John surgery. He has made three starts at the minor league level this season, recording an impressive 2.30 ERA and 1.15 WHIP. However, 18-of-64 batters he has faced have reached base and he was tagged for a pair of home runs in 15 2/3 innings of work so it's not as if he's been setting the Triple-A circuit on fire. It remains to be seen how deep he can work into a game and the Mets bullpen is a bit taxed at this point, having already logged 75 1/3 innings and not having had a day off since April 13th. DeSclafani has been sharp in his first three starts for the Giants this season. While he's bound to suffer some regression as he enters sporting a 1.42 ERA, his 2.34 FIP and 0.63 WHIP indicate he's pitching well without the help of smoke-and-mirrors. Only 12 of the 68 batters he has faced have reached base through his 19 innings of work this season. This will be a 'revenge game' of sorts for DeSclafani after he allowed five earned runs on nine hits over five innings against the Mets last April. I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt here as he was pitching on short rest (four days) in that previous outing against them and certainly wasn't in the same form he is now, noting that he battled injuries from that start on last year, ultimately making only two more trips to the hill (two months later) before being shut down for the season. Behind DeSclafani is a Giants bullpen that has struggled to the tune of a 5.65 ERA and 1.45 WHIP this season but does come in relatively fresh after Tristan Beck did yeoman's work last night, tossing 5 1/3 innings in relief of an ineffective Sean Manaea, just one day after getting called from the minors. On the flip side, the Mets were forced to use key reliever Drew Smith for the second straight game (and third in the last four) meaning he likely won't be available for Friday's game. Remember, New York is already without closer Edwin Diaz and Stephen Nogosek due to injuries. Take San Francisco (10*).

Division Game of the Month. My selection is on Cleveland over Detroit at 1:10 pm et on Wednesday.

The Guardians have lost three games in a row including a double-header sweep at the hands of the Tigers yesterday. All three of those contests could have gone either way as they were all decided by a single run. I expect to see the Guardians offense wake up on Wednesday afternoon as they face Spencer Turnbull of the Tigers. Turnbull hasn't been as bad as his inflated 9.00 ERA would seem to indicate but he hasn't been good either. The right-hander checks in sporting a 4.62 FIP and 1.92 WHIP through 13 innings of work. The Tigers have been careful with him as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery. As I've noted on more than one occasion this season, the Guardians are a taxing opponent to face as they put a ton of pressure on opposing pitchers thanks to their speed and aggressiveness on the basepaths. Here, they'll be facing Turnbull who has had a tendency to put a lot of runners on with 27 of the 63 batters he has faced reaching base so far this season. Behind Turnbull is a Tigers bullpen that held up well in yesterday's double-header but entered the day sporting a collective 5.46 ERA and 1.28 WHIP with only two saves converted and three blown this season. Cal Quantrill will take the ball for the Guardians. He has posted similar numbers to those of Turnbull so far this season. He hasn't had as much of an issue with his command, however, and will be facing the weaker of the two lineups in this contest (note that the Tigers 3, 4 and 5 hitters last night finished the game batting .189, .189 and .167, respectively). The hits have been falling in at an uncommon rate against Quantrill so far this season (12.1 hits allowed per nine innings) when you consider that he has only allowed more hits than innings pitched in one of his previous four big league seasons - that in his rookie campaign with the Padres in 2019). Quantrill has alternated good and bad outings against the Tigers over the course of his career but the Guardians have won his last two starts against them by a combined 18-4 score. Cleveland's bullpen entered yesterday's action with a collective 3.23 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in tow and didn't end up using closer Emmanuel Clase, keeping him fresh in case he's called upon on Wednesday afternoon. Take Cleveland (10*).

Non-Division Game of the Week. My selection is on Los Angeles over New York at 10:10 pm et on Tuesday.

The Mets took the opener of this series by a score of 8-6 last night as the Dodgers fell below the .500 mark once again. I look for Los Angeles to answer back behind veteran starter Clayton Kershaw on Tuesday. New York will hand the ball to Tylor Megill. While he owns a sparkling 2.25 ERA through his first three starts this season, his 4.64 FIP tells a different story. Megill isn't really fooling many hitters with a 1.9 strikeout-to-walk ratio through 16 innings of work. Of the 65 batters he has faced, 19 have reached base. Note that Megill is headed into uncharted territory riding a five-game team win streak in his starts going back to last season. He's accomplished that feat once previously in his career with the Mets losing his next outing by a 9-2 score against the Braves, at home no less. Kershaw is off to a solid if not spectacular start this season having logged a 4.44 FIP and 1.11 WHIP. His command has been there as he has recorded 8.5 strikeouts and just 2.0 walks per nine innings. Note that Kershaw faced the Mets once last season and was effective, allowing just one earned run (on only one hit) while striking out six and walking three over five innings. The Dodgers have gone an incredible 15-3 in Kershaw's 18 career outings against New York but again, only last year's start was all that relevant as that was his first start against the Mets since 2019. The Mets bullpen has been terrific despite missing some key arms due to injury. However, I am concerned with the fact that their relief corps has already logged 62 1/3 innings. The Dodgers did save some of their key bullpen arms thanks to trailing by multiple runs over the game's final three innings last night. I certainly anticipate positive regression from the Los Angeles 'pen as it has uncharacteristically struggled so far this season, recording a collective 4.97 and 1.53 WHIP. Take Los Angeles (10*).

Interleague Game of the Week. My selection is on Seattle over Chicago at 2:20 pm et on Wednesday.

The Cubs have gotten the better of the Mariners in the first two games of this series but I think Seattle has the right pitcher on the mound to stem the tide and end its three-game losing skid on Wednesday afternoon at Wrigley Field. Logan Gilbert will take the ball for the Mariners. We cashed one of our bigger plays of the season in a similar situation last year as Gilbert took the ball in a matinee affair against the White Sox in Chicago and helped Seattle avoid the sweep with a terrific performance. I expect a similar outcome here. Gilbert had a fine Spring and he's picked up right where he left off in the regular season, recording a 3.01 FIP and 1.30 WHIP in 10 innings of work. Behind Gilbert is a Mariners bullpen that got roughed up last night but has been solid in the early going this season, entering last night's action sporting a collective 2.76 ERA and 1.42 WHIP. Thanks to getting three innings from seldom-used Jose Rodriguez in mop-up duty the M's 'pen isn't in all that awful shape rest-wise entering Wednesday's matinee affair. Marcus Stroman will get the start for the Cubs. He's turned back the clock in a sense, following up an outstanding Spring with two fine outings to open the regular season (2.82 FIP and 0.92 WHIP). I can't help but feel regression is coming, however, noting that Stroman recorded a pedestrian 3.76 FIP and 1.15 WHIP last season. The Cubs have used key bullpen arm Mark Leiter Jr. in each of the last two nights so you have to figure he'll be unavailable on Wednesday. Chicago's bullpen entered last night's game having logged a collective 4.55 ERA and 1.22 WHIP with one save converted and two blown on the campaign. Take Seattle (10*).

Non-Division Game of the Month. My selection is on St. Louis over Colorado at 8:40 pm et on Tuesday.

The Cardinals have run into some tough pitching after a hot start to the season (offensively at least), recording single-digit hits in four of their last five games. In fact, they enter this game on a 1-6 slide but I look for them to turn things around on Tuesday. Cards starter Miles Mikolas is off to a rough start himself, allowing 19 hits and 10 earned runs in just 9 1/3 innings so far this season. With that being said, things probably aren't as bad as his inflated 9.64 ERA would seem to indicate as he has actually posted a 2.86 FIP. Keep in mind, he had an outstanding Spring, not allowing a single earned run in three starts, covering a span of 12 innings. While Coors Field isn't exactly an ideal park to bounce back in, I'm confident Mikolas can pitch well enough to give his team a chance on Tuesday. St. Louis will get a chance to tee off on a left-hander for the first time since it delivered a 6-0 win over Eric Lauer and the Brewers on Saturday. The Cards check in 49-25, outscoring opponents by an average margin of 1.5 runs when facing left-handed starting pitching over the last 2+ seasons. St. Louis is also an incredible 46-19 in its last 65 games as a road favorite, outscoring the opposition by 1.9 runs on average along the way. Here, the Cards will face Rockies southpaw Kyle Freeland. He's off to an admittedly strong start - the polar opposite of Mikolas after Freeland endured a difficult Spring that saw him post an ERA approaching six and a 1.93 WHIP in 9 1/3 innings. I don't think we should get too excited about the fact that Freeland hasn't allowed an earned run through two starts as he has posted a less-than-impressive 4.3 strikeouts per nine innings and his 3.16 FIP tells a different story compared to his flawless ERA. This will be the Cards third time seeing Freeland since the start of last season, connecting for nine earned runs on 17 hits over 10 1/3 innings over those two previous contests. The St. Louis bullpen is worth betting on in my opinion even if its numbers have been rather pedestrian so far (3.53 ERA and 1.40 WHIP in 35 2/3 innings). The Rockies 'pen has struggled to the tune of a 5.31 ERA and 1.48 WHIP, not to mention the fact that it has already been overworked, logging north of 40 innings collectively. Take St. Louis (10*).

A.L. Game of the Week. My selection is on Minnesota over Houston at 4:10 pm et on Friday.

If the Twins are going to be true contenders in the American League this season, this is a good early 'measuring stick' series for them at home against the Astros. I like them to take the opener on Friday night with Sonny Gray taking the ball against Jose Urquidy. Gray hasn't received many accolades but he's pitched exceptionally well over the last few seasons in particular. Last year, Gray logged a 3.40 FIP and 1.13 WHIP. He had a terrific Spring, posting a 1.86 ERA and 0.72 WHIP in 9 2/3 innings and while his command wasn't necessarily there in his regular season debut he did battle through it to work five innings, allowing just three hits and no earned runs against the Royals. He'll obviously face a tougher challenge here but I'm confident he'll be up for it. Urquidy has been a bit of an enigma for the Astros. Last year he posted a less than impressive 4.60 FIP but a solid 1.17 WHIP and that's been about par for the course for him over his 4+ year big league career. Urquidy didn't have a great Spring and followed that up with a shaky first regular season outing, allowing seven hits and three earned runs including two home runs in only four innings against the White Sox. While the Astros bullpen has been solid in the early going this season, it has already been overworked, logging 28 1/3 innings. Contrast that with the Twins relief corps, which has been asked to work just 18 2/3 innings, recording a collective 3.37 ERA and 1.07 WHIP. Take Minnesota (10*).

Division Game of the Month. My selection is on Miami over New York at 6:40 pm et on Friday.

The Mets took the opener of this series last night as the two starters duelled for five innings before things broke open in the second half of the game. Here, I look for the Marlins to answer back with Jesus Luzardo taking the ball against David Peterson of the Mets in a lefty-lefty matchup. Luzardo had a fine Spring, posting a 4.34 ERA and 1.13 WHIP to go along with a 19:3 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 18 2/3 innings of work. I would put Luzardo in the undervalued category after he recorded a 3.12 FIP and 1.04 WHIP in just north of 100 innings pitched last season. His counterpart, David Peterson, didn't give up a single earned run in the Spring but also pitched just 12 innings, issuing eight walks along the way. Peterson, like Luzardo, quietly had an impressive 2022 campaign, posting a 3.64 FIP and 1.33 WHIP. With that said, he allowed more hits, more walks and recorded fewer strikeouts per nine innings compared to Luzardo. Also note that the Marlins got to see him three times, seemingly getting better each time they faced him, culminating with a 6-3 win here at home in which they chased him from the game before the end of the fourth inning. The Mets saw Luzardo twice last season and he was more effective in his second outing against them, holding them to just two earned runs on four hits over six frames. The bullpens are pretty much a wash in my opinion and both had to work around three innings in yesterday's contest. Take Miami (10*).

NLDS Game of the Year. My selection is on Atlanta over Philadelphia at 4:35 pm et on Wednesday.

It's not a difficult decision to back the Braves against the red hot Phillies in Game 2 of this NLDS on Wednesday afternoon. Atlanta has one of the most underrated starting pitchers in baseball on the mound in 21-game winner Kyle Wright. While I'm not looking to make a habit of fading Phillies starter Zack Wheeler, I'll make an exception here. The Braves are 18-3 in their last 21 games after losing three of their last four contests, as is the case here, outscoring opponents by 1.9 runs on average in that spot. They're also 22-3 as a favorite with Wright starting this season, outscoring the opposition by 2.2 runs on average in that situation. Take Atlanta (10*).

A.L. Wild Card Game of the Year. My selection is on Toronto over Seattle at 4:05 pm et on Saturday.

The Blue Jays offense was non-existent against Mariners ace Luis Castillo yesterday, falling by a 4-0 score in a game that was never competitive. Here, I look for Toronto to answer back and salvage its season with a victory behind Kevin Gausman on Saturday afternoon. It may be surprising to some that Gausman actually led the league in FIP with a 2.38 this season. He did allow 3.71 runs per nine innings but that's still better than his counterpart on Saturday, Robbie Ray's 3.81 mark. Gausman didn't necessarily have his best stuff in his lone outing against Seattle this season, allowing two earned runs over five innings back in mid-May, but he does own a career 2.64 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in seven outings against the Mariners. Note that Ray checks in sporting a 4.17 FIP on the campaign. Note that Toronto has outscored opponents by 0.5 runs on average when playing at home off a loss this season (32-game sample size). The Blue Jays are also a long-term 309-263 (+55 net games) after scoring one run or less in their previous contest, as is the case here. Take Toronto (10*).

Underdog Game of the Month. My selection is on Kansas City over Cleveland at 7:10 pm et on Friday.

This will be our last chance to back Brady Singer this season and I like his chances of lifting the Royals out of their current slide. Singer checks in having posted a 0.45 ERA and 0.90 WHIP over his last three starts. Kansas City has incredibly won eight of his last nine trips to the hill. Note that the Royals did lose in a Singer start against these same Guardians earlier this month but I look for him to get his revenge here. Here, we'll note that the Royals are 21-13 in Singer's last 34 starts against A.L. Central opponents over the last two seasons. Aaron Civale will take the ball for Cleveland. He owns a 4.41 ERA and 0.86 WHIP over his last three starts. Note that the Guardians have won just twice in his five career outings against Kansas City including an 11-1 defeat in his lone previous start against the Royals here at home. Take Kansas City (10*).

Division Game of the Week. My selection is on Detroit over Kansas City at 6:40 pm et on Tuesday.

These two teams are playing some of their best baseball of the season down the stretch, not coincidentally as they deal with zero pressure having been out of the playoff race for months. Zack Greinke will get the start for the visiting Royals on Tuesday. He hasn't been awful this year, but he hasn't been good either. Greinke checks in with a 4.13 FIP and 1.39 WHIP while allowing just shy of 4.6 runs per nine innings. Behind him is a Royals bullpen that continues to struggle, having posted a collective 5.40 ERA and 1.55 WHIP over the last seven games. Detroit will counter with rookie Joey Wentz. He's been quietly impressive since returning to the bigs, lowering his FIP to 2.94 and his WHIP to 0.96 while yielding just 3.13 runs per nine innings in five starts this season. He actually faced the Royals on the road back on September 9th and didn't allow a single earned run over 6 2/3 innings - the best start of his young career. Should Wentz falter, the Tigers bullpen behind him has been solid lately, logging a collective 3.63 ERA and 1.30 WHIP with three saves converted and none blown over the last seven games. The Detroit 'pen has blown only six saves at home this season while recording a 3.50 ERA and 1.22 WHIP. Take Detroit (10*).

N.L. Division Game of the Month. My selection is on Colorado over San Francisco at 8:40 pm et on Wednesday.

The Giants have taken the first two games in this series but I look for the Rockies to answer back on Wednesday. Logan Webb carries a reputation as a front-of-the-rotation starter for San Francisco but he's looked anything but the part lately, lasting six innings or more only twice in his last six starts, failing to make it through the fifth inning in three of those outings. The Rockies have already seen him (and beat him) twice this season, scoring five earned runs on 11 hits in 12 2/3 innings. Note that Webb has recorded more than six strikeouts just once in eight career starts against Colorado. German Marquez will take the ball for the Rockies. He's faced San Francisco once this season, holding it to three earned runs over six innings in a 5-3 win as a +225 underdog back on June 7th. For as poorly as the veteran right-hander has pitched at times this season, the Rockies bats do tend to come alive for him, noting that they've won nine of his 15 home outings here in 2022. Marquez actually brings his best form of the season into this start having lasted seven innings and allowed two earned runs or less in three of his last four trips to the hill. While the Giants are technically still alive in the N.L. Wild Card race, the reality is they're not going to make it as they sit 9.5 games back of the third and final spot. Despite losing the first two games in this series, the Rockies have been battling, going 7-5 over their last 12 contests. Take Colorado (10*).

MLB Division Game of the Week. My selection is on St. Louis over Milwaukee at 7:45 pm et on Wednesday.

The Brewers took the opener of this two-game set by an 8-4 score last night. I look for the Cardinals to bounce back on Wednesday. Corbin Burnes will take the ball for the Brewers. After topping out at six strikeouts in his previous five starts, he K'd 14 batters against the Giants last time out. You would have to go back six starts against the Cardinals to find the last time St. Louis picked up a win against Burnes. With that being said, I believe there's reason for optimism on Wednesday. Cards starter Adam Wainwright is one of the fiercest competitors in baseball so you can be sure his last two rocky outings haven't sat well with him. On a positive note, he's given up just one home run in his last nine starts and hasn't issued a walk in three of his last five outings. He checks in sporting a 2.65 ERA and 1.14 WHIP at home this season. With a comfortable cushion atop the N.L. Central Division, the Cards may not have a lot to motivate them at the moment but I believe avoiding a sweep at the hands of the division-rival Brewers should do the trick on Wednesday. Take St. Louis (10*).

A.L. Central Game of the Month. My selection is on Kansas City over Detroit at 2:10 pm et on Sunday.

The Tigers have taken the first two games of this series but I look for the Royals to answer back on Sunday. Tyler Alexander takes the ball for Detroit. He checks in sporting a 5.03 FIP and 1.38 WHIP while allowing north of 5.7 runs per nine innings this season. The Royals have never faced him but going up against an opponent for the first time hasn't necessarily led to success for Alexander in the past and I don't believe it will here either. Kansas City will counter with Brady Singer. He hasn't had his best stuff over his last two outings but I look for him to bounce back here, noting that he owns a career 2.72 ERA and 1.22 WHIP in nine previous starts against Detroit. Singer owns a 3.70 FIP and 1.17 WHIP while holding opponents to just 3.6 runs per nine innings this season. The Royals should own an advantage in the later innings as well as their bullpen has posted a collective 2.13 ERA and 1.22 WHIP over the last seven games while Detroit's relief corps checks in with a 5.62 ERA and 1.88 WHIP over the same stretch. Take Kansas City (10*).

MLB Division Game of the Month. My selection is on Baltimore over Boston at 7:05 pm et on Friday.

The Orioles just dropped three of four games against the Blue Jays to fall 4.5 games back of the final Wild Card spot in the American League. Needless to say, they can ill afford another slip-up this weekend against the Red Sox. Fortunately for Baltimore, Boston is reeling as well, fresh off a three-game sweep at the hands of the Rays. The Red Sox will hand the ball to rookie Brayan Bello on Friday. He's coming off the best start of his young career, tossing six shutout innings against the Rangers. That start came at home. In two road outings, Bello has been tagged for eight earned runs on 12 hits in just eight innings. Austin Voth will counter for Baltimore. He's quietly enjoying a terrific season - the best of his young career - but he didn't have his best stuff last time out, yielding six hits and one earned run while lasting only 3 1/3 innings. While the two bullpens enter in similar recent form, the O's have without question had more success in that department this season, posting a collective 2.80 ERA and 1.17 WHIP while converting 18 saves and blowing only six here at home. Take Baltimore (10*).