Cappers Sports Picks

My 10* Situational Stunner is on the Chi Cubs at 8:05 ET.

The NL Central-leading Chicago Cubs followed a three-game sweep of Milwaukee by holding on for a 6-5 triumph in Monday's series opener vs the Oakland A's. The Cubs hit four HRs last night and have scored 23 runs (5.75 per) in winning the first FOUR contests of a six-game homestand. Oakland had its three-game winning streak halted but remained a half-game behind Tampa Bay for the second wild-card spot in the American League. The A's are 45-24 since mid-May, including a 28-13 run since June 17.

A pair of lefties square off tonight, as Brett Anderson (9-7, 4.04 ERA) takes Jon Lester (9-7, 3.86 ERA). Anderson is coming off a loss last Wednesday to the Brewers, allowing three runs on eight hits over seven innings. He takes the mound looking to snap a four-start winless streak in which he's 0-2 (team is 2-2) with a 4.81 ERA. Anderson has faced the Cubs just twice in his career, going 0-0 (team is 1-1) with a 1.80 ERA.

Lester suffered an 8-0 loss after yielding five runs on nine hits over five in his last outing at St Louis this past Thursday. That effort continued his 2019 road woes, as in 10 starts away from Wrigley, the Cubs are 3-7 with Lester posting a 4.81 ERA. The veteran Lester went 6-4 in 11 starts with Oakland back in 2014. He is 6-4 with a 3.56 ERA over 15 starts (teams are 9-6) vs his former team.

Oakland is an excellent team and is playing well but here in Wrigley, going against the Cubs with Lester on the hill makes little sense. Chicago is 12-2 in its last 14 home games (40-18 on the season) and in 11 home starts in 2019, Lester owns a 2.95 ERA with the Cubs going 9-2. Cubs win! Cubs win!

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Oddsmaker's Error is on the SF Giants at 9:45 ET.

The Washington Nationals sat 19-31 on the morning of May 24 but a 36-15 run to 55-46 in games played through July 24th brought them within 'shouting distance' of Atlanta in the NL East plus placed them right in "the thick of things" in the NL wild card race. However, after dropping TWO of three at Arizona over the weekend, the Nats have lost SEVEN of their last 10 games .58-53 Washington heads to San Francisco to open a three-games series tonight with the Giants, SEVEN games back of the Braves in the NL East (tied with Philadelphia). The Nats and Phillies are tied for the NL's second wild card spot but are just a half-game back of the Cards, who own the top wild card spot. The Giants were 35-47 after 82 games but won 17 of their next 20 to reach two games over .500 (52-50) by July 23. However, the team's push for the second NL wild card has 'hit a speed bump' with THREE losses in their last four games (SF is 56-56, 2 1/2 games back of the Nats and Phils).

Taking the mound for tonight's opener are Erick Fedde (1-2, 4.67 ERA) of Washington and Jeff Samardzija (8-8, 3.75 ERA) of San Francisco. Fedde hasn't won since May 26 and in his seven starts since then, he's gone 0-2 with a 6.21 ERA (team is 3-4), capped by him allowing nine ERs on nine hits in just 3.2 innings in his last start against Atlanta (Braves won 11-8). Fedde has never faced the Giants. Samardzija scattered three hits over six scoreless innings in a 5-1 victory at Philadelphia last Wednesday and will take the mound tonight, with a 4-1 (2.10 ERA) record over his last six starts (team is 5-1).

Samardzija's 2-9 mark with a 4.80 ERA in 18 career appearances (11 starts / teams are 2-9) against the Nats is hard to dismiss but he's been VERY sharp in the Giants' recent surge. Meanwhile, the Nats' Fedde, who entered the 2019 season 2-5 with a 6.44 ERA in 14 career starts (team was 4-10), has hardly done much of ANYTHING to make one think he's "ready form primetime!"As this price, the Giants ARE the play!

Good luck...Larry

My 7* Las Vegas Insider is on the Was Nats at 4:10 ET.

The Washington Nationals sat 19-31 on the morning of May 24 but a 36-15 run to 55-46 in games played through July 24th brought them within 'shouting distance' of Atlanta in the NL East plus placed them right in "the thick of things" in the NL wild card race. The Nats had lost FIVE of seven heading into a three-game weekend series in Arizona against the D'backs and won 3-0 on Friday but saw Strasburg get 'torched' (nine ERs in 4.2 innings) in Saturday's 18-7 loss. Arizona managed just ONE hit in Friday's 3-0 loss but rebounded to bang out 15 hits (including five HRs) in scoring 18 runs on Saturday. The rubber match of the three-game series goes Sunday afternoon, with 58-52 Washington tied with Philadelphia, SEVEN games back of Atlanta in the NL East but just a half-game back of St Louis for the top NL wild card spot. Meanwhile, Arizona is 'buried' in the NL West (17 games back of the Dodgers) but are the D'backs are still 'alive' in the wild card hunt at 55-56 (3 1/2 games back of the Nats and Phils).

Patrick Corbin (9-5, 3.23 ERA) takes the mound for Washington, opposed by Arizona rookie Taylor Clarke (4-3, 5.53 ERA). Corbin will be making the first appearance against the team with which he spent the first six seasons of his major-league career. Corbin double digits in victories three times with Arizona (2013, '17 & '18) and can hit the mark again Sunday as he looks to win his FIFTH straight decision. Those five wins have come over an eight-start unbeaten stretch in which the lefty has allowed two ERs or less SEVEN times! He has a 1.76 ERA and the Nats are 7-1 during his recent hot streak.

Clarke is also riding an unbeaten streak that reached five starts (3-0) on Tuesday, when he allowed an unearned run and three hits over 5.1 innings in a 4-2 victory over the Yankees in New York. In his previous start, he gave up two runs in six innings in a 5-2 win over Baltimore. However, he entered his July 24th start vs Baltimore, having failed to complete five innings in SIX of his previous eight starts (exceptions were both just 5-inning efforts!)

Sure, Clarke has pitched well in his last two outings but he takes the mound with a 5.53 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and .281 BAA on the season. In contrast, Corbin's been on a roll since mid-June and his ERA is down to 3.23, his WHIP to 1.14 and opponents are batting just .228 against him. One has to imagine hed 'LOVE to beat his former team plus he catches the D'backs off an 'explosive' 15-hit (5 HRs), 18-run effort. Timing is everything.

Good luck...Larry

My 8* Situational Stunner is on the Oak A's at 4:07 ET.

The Oakland Athletics earned a wild card berth last season (97-65) plus owned MLB's best moneyline mark at $3,663 (more than $500 more than the world champion Red Sox). The A's were just 36-36 in games played through June 16, as they were clearly 'stuck in neutral.' However, Oakland would enter the break on a 14-5 run and while the A's haven't quite kept that pace up since returning from the All Star break, they have gone 13-7. At 63-48, Oakland is just a half-game back of the Rays for the AL's second wild card spot. The A's welcomed the Cardinals to Oakland this weekend for a two-game IL series and took last night's game 8-3. St Louis has now opened a challenging five-game road trip with a loss and hope for a split on Sunday, with three games in LA against the MLB-best Dodgers (73-40) up next. St Louis was just 44-44 at the break but has won 14 of 21 to open season's second half and at 58-51, is a half-game back of the Cubs in the NL Central (Cards currently own the NL's first wild card spot).

Taking the mound today will be St Louis veteran Adam Wainwright (7-7, 4.47 ERA) up against Tanner Roark (6-7, 4.24 ERA for the Reds), who was acquired at the trade deadline by Oakland. Wainwright was limited to eight starts in 2018 due to injury but will take the mound today for his 21st start of 2019. Wainwright settled for a no-decision against the Chicago Cubs this past Tuesday, when he gave up just one run on five hits and three walks over 5.2 innings (Cards won, 2-1). That outing was in keeping with his efforts on the season as a whole. Wainwright owns a 2.26 ERA and 1.22 WHIP in 11 home starts but his ERA balloons to 7.16 (FIVE runs higher!) and his WHIP jumps to 1.61 in 10 road starts.

Roark pitched in the NL Central for the Cincinnati Reds (same division as the Cards), until acquired by the A's at the trade deadline earlier in the week. He had some solid seasons for the Nats, winning 15 games in 2014, 16 games in 2016 and 13 games in 2017. However, after going 9-15 (4.34 ERA) in 2018, he was traded to Cincy in the off-season. He's had at best, a so-so season but remember, the Reds are sub-.500 team, while the A's are a STRONG playoff contender.

I noted above that the A's are 27-12 (.692) since mid-June and I wouldn't be surprised if Roark, like Fiers last season, thrived down the stretch for his new team. The A's are 36-21 at home (DON'T count those two 'home' losses to Seattle in Japan to open the season) and considering Wainwright's road woes, Oakland is the play "all the way!"

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Daytime Dominator is on the Atl Braves at 1:20 ET.

The Cincinnati Reds won for the EIGHTH time in their last 13 games on Friday, beating the Atlanta Braves 5-2. However, the Reds lost 5-4 (10 inn) last night, leaving them at 51-58 (7 1/2 games out of 1st in the NL Central). Atlanta saw its three-game winning streak end Friday but after Shane Greene blew the save in the ninth inning of his Atlanta debut, outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr's first career walk-off hit in the 10th gave the Braves the "W" and a 65-46 record. Washington lost on Saturday, while Philly won, so the Braves enters Sunday SEVEN games ahead of both rivals in the NL East.

Taking the mound for the rubber match of this three-game series will be Sonny Gray (6-6, 3.45 ERA) and Julio Teheran (6-7, 3.38 ERA). Gray won 14 games for the A's in 2014 and again in 2015 but had a poor 2016 season. He was traded to the Yankees during the 2017 season and went just 4-7 with a 3.72 ERA. He pitched for New York in all of 2018, finishing a HUGELY disappointing 11-9 with a 4.80 ERA. However, Gray earned his second career All-Star berth this season, after going 5-5 with a 3.59 ERA in the first half. He owns a 2.96 ERA in four starts since the break, while holding opponents to a .202 average.Still, he's a modest 1-1 and the team 2-2.

Teheran may own a 6-7 record but one must look closer to see the "real" Teheran. After opening 2-4 with a 5.35 ERA in his first seven starts of 2019 (thru the end of April), Teheran has allowed two ERs or less in 14 of his 16 starts since the beginning of May! He owns a 2.50 ERA, while allowing just 66 hits in 86.1 innings during that stretch, with the Braves going 12-4!

The Braves are a MUCH better team that the Reds and Teheran is the BETTER pitcher. He takes the mound with a 2.26 ERA in 10 home starts, facing an opponent which ranks 23rd in scoring (4.47 RPG), 21st in team BA (.246) and 22nd in OPS (.736). Braves win and take the series.

Good luck...Larry

My 8* PERFECT STORM is on the Oak A's at 9:07 ET.

The Oakland Athletics earned a wild card berth last season (97-65) plus owned MLB's best moneyline mark at $3,663 (more than $500 more than the world champion Red Sox). The A's were just 36-36 in games played through June 16, as they were clearly 'stuck in neutral.' However, Oakland would enter the break on a 14-5 run and while the A's haven't get that pace up since returning from the All Star break, they have gone 12-7. At 62-48, Oakland is just a half-game back of the Rays for the AL's second wild card spot. The A's welcome the Cardinals to Oakland tonight, for a two-game IL series. St Louis enters a challenging five-game road trip, beginning with two games at Oakland, followed by three games in LA against the MLB-best Dodgers (72-40). The Cards are coming off taking the rubber match of a three-game set against the Chicago Cubs with an 8-0 victory Thursday night. St Louis was just 44-44 at the break but has won 14 of 20 to open season's second half and at 58-50, owns a half-game lead over the Cubs in the NL Central (Brewers are 2 1/2 games back).

Dakota Hudson (10-5, 3.88 ERA) will square of against Mike Fiers (9-3, 3.54 ERA) in Saturday's series opener. Hudson saw his four-game winning streak come to an end Sunday against Houston, giving up five runs in four innings of a 6-2 loss. However, the Mississippi State rookie (he pitched just 27.1 innings in 2018), has allowed more than three ERs in just TWO of his 21 starts (Cards are 14-7 in his starts, giving him a +$674 moneyline mark).

While Hudson has surely been impressive, he has NOTHING on Fiers. Aftar all, Fiers is unbeaten over his last 15 starts, beginning with his no-hitter against Cincinnati back on May 7.Going back to the two starts prior to his no-hitter, Fiers has allowed three ERs or less in an incredible 17 consecutive starts! Fiers is 7-0 over his 15-game unbeaten streak, posting a 2.30 ERA. Yes, he is a modest 3-2 (teams are 4-3) in seven career starts vs St Louis, but he owns a sparkling 1.52 ERA in those contests.

Some may remember that Fiers was acquired by the A's (from Detroit) in early August of 2018 and Oakland went 8-1 (+$812) in his nine starts. Add that to his 13-8 (+$1,085) moneyline record with the Tigers and Fiers was MLB's top MONEY-MAKER among all starters in 2018 (21-9, +$1,897). Oakland has won four straight meetings and SEVEN of the last nine encounters with St Louis and I'm backing Fiers over Hudson, who faces the A's for the very first time (remember Fiers' 1.52 career ERA vs the Cards!).

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Oddsmaker's Error is on the SF Giants at 8:10 ET.

The San Francisco Giants were 35-47 after 82 games but won 17 of their next 20 to reach two games over .500 (52-50) by July 23. However, the team's push for the second NL wild card has 'hit a speed bump' with FIVE losses in its last eight games (Giants are currently 3 1/2 games out). The Rockies snapped their four-game losing streak against the Giants last night, edging San Francisco 5-4. Colorado lost a one-game playoff to the Dodgers for the NL West title last season but the team's 91-72 record was good enough for a wild card appearance. The 2019 season has fallen apart for the Rockies, as last night's win was just the team's SIXTH in in last 20 games! At 51-59, Colorado sits in last-place in the NL West (20 games back of LA) and finds itself 7 1/2 games back of the second wild card spot with SEVEN teams in front of them.

Madison Bumgarner (6-7, 3.74 ERA) will take the mound for the Giants on Saturday night, opposed by Jon Gray (10-7, 3.88 ERA).San Francisco's recent surge kept them from dealing Bumgarner by the trade deadline and the team's ace is now fully focused on trying to help the Gaints get back to the postseason for teh first time since. 2016. Bumgarner was not at his best in his last outing this past (gave up four runs and four hits over seven innings against San Diego) but he won his FOURTH straight decision. More notably, Bumgarner started poorly in 2019 (1-4 through six starts / Giants were 1-5) but he's since allowed three ERs or less 14 of his last 17 starts, with the Giants going 12-5 .

Gray has 10 wins on the season (in 22 starts / team is 13-9) but posted his first victory since June 29 with a excellent outing against the LA Dodgers on Monday. He allowed just one run on three hits with six strikeouts over eight innings of a 9-1 win. However, he is 6-3 with a 3.24 ERA over 12 games (11 starts / team is 7-4) since June 1. Of concern is that Gray owns a 1-4 record and 5.08 ERA in nine career starts vs San Francisco (team is 3-6).

As for Bumgarner, he's 16-8 witha 3.`15 ERA in 33 career starts vs the Rockies (Giants are 21-12), having won each of his last FOUR decisions against Colorado dating back to last season. Coors Field is no longer a "feared" venue, as the Rockies are just 28-26 at home in 2019, with their pitchers allowing a WHOPPING 7.11 RPG. No way the Giants (with Bumgarner) should be ANY kind of an underdog in this one!

Good luck...Larry

My 8* Weekend Wipeout is on the Atl Braves at 7:20 ET.

The Cincinnati Reds won for the EIGHTH time in their last 13 games last night, beating the Atlanta Braves 5-2. Cincinnati is 51-57 (SEVEN games out of 1st in the NL Central) and continues it three-game series tonight in Atlanta, which saw its three-game winning streak end, as the offense collected only four hits. However, the 64-46 Braves remain atop the NL East, SIX games up on Washington and SEVEN on Philadelphia.

Saturday's pitching matchup features Trevor Bauer (9-8, 3.79 ERA with Cleveland) for the Reds and Dallas Keuchel (3-4, 3.86 ERA) for the Braves. Bauer was one of the biggest names moved at the trade deadline.His final start for the Indians came last Sunday at KC, when he gave up eight runs (seven earned) on nine hits in 9-6 loss. However, he entered that contest with a 2.30 ERA over his four previous starts, striking out 39 in just 27.1 innings.

Keuchel will make his ninth appearance since signing with Atlanta in early June. He struggled with his control in his last outing Monday at Washington, walking four and hitting a batter while giving up four runs on six hits over 5.1 innings of a 6-3 loss. That said, the 31-year-old and former Cy Young winner, has allowed three ERs or less in SIX of his eight starts, posting a 1.33 WHIP with 47 hits allowed across 49 innings.

Looking closer, Keuchel, owns a 2.66 ERA and 0.89 WHIP in three home starts for Atlanta. Getting back to Bauer, he sure has "the goods" but he has sure had his share of ups and downs. His final start with Cleveland saw him allow seven ERs in a game for the THIRD time this season. He entered that July 28th game having allowed five ERs in THREE of his previous nine starts. Bauer ended his final start with the Indians by throwing the ball over the center-field fence while being removed from Sunday’s game in Kansas City. I'll take Keuchel and NOT regret it.

Good luck...Larry

My 6* Weekly Wipeout is on the Atl Braves at 7:20 ET.

The Atlanta Braves return home to open a four-game series Thursday against the Cincinnati Reds, after winning TWO of three at Philadelphia and at Washington to extend their lead in the NL East to 6 1/2 games over the Nats and seven over the Phillies. The Braves' shaky bullpen blew a late three-run lead Wednesday at Washington but Josh Donaldson homered in the 10th inning for a 5-4 triumph. However, Atlanta acquired relievers Shane Greene from Detroit along with Mark Melancon from San Francisco at the trade deadline, after acquiring Texas reliever Chris Martin on Tuesday (bullpen help is on the way!). The Reds were also were active at the trade deadline, acquiring pitcher Trevor Bauer from Cleveland as part of a three-team deal on Tuesday (Puig is off to the Indians). Cincinnati won for the FOURTH time in five games Wednesday, beating Pittsburgh 4-1. However, the 50-56 Reds sit 6 1/2 games out in the NL Central (in fourth-place), as well as SIX games back of the NL's second wild card spot (SIX teams are in front of them for that final spot!)

Anthony DeSclafani (6-5, 4.01 ERA) will get the ball for the Reds and Max Fried (11-4, 4.21 ERA) goes for Atlanta. DeSclafani pitched well over his last five starts, posting a 2.20 ERA, while going 2-1 (team was just 2-3) . He is 1-1 with a 4.15 ERA in four career starts against the Braves (team is 2-2), with his last appearance against Atlanta coming back in 2016. Fried opened the season with two relief appearances but has since made 20 consecutive starts (team is 14-6). The 25-year-old has struggled at times in his first full season in a major league rotation, as he owned a 6.17 ERA with a .339 opponents batting average during an eight-start stretch from May 28 thru July 6. Then again, he gave up three ERs or less FOUR times in that span. Fried rebounded to pitch five scoreless innings of three-hit ball at Milwaukee on July 15 (a 4-2 Atlanta win), before a blister on his hand landed him on the DL. He wasn't sharp in his return (July 27), allowing four ERs over 5.1 innings, but the Braves routed the Phillies 15-7 in that contest.

Fried is far from being a team ace but the Braves are 14-6 (+$576) in his starts, In comparison, DeSclafani is little more than a journeyman (Reds are 10-10 in his starts), pitching for a Cincy team heading nowhere. As for the Braves, they are 31-16 (.660) since June 7, headed for a second straight NL East crown. Price is a little high but well worth it.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Division Game of the Month (AL East) is on the Bos Red Sox at 7:10 ET.

The Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox opened a three-game series at Fenway on Tuesday, with both battling Oakland A's for the AL's second wild card spot. The Red Sox are in the midst of playing 14 consecutive games against New York and Tampa Bay. The Red Sox went 5-2 last week at Tropicana Field and in Fenway against the Yankees but have lost two in a row to the Rays here in Boston, 6-5 on Tuesday and 8-5 last night. Heading into tonight's series finale, the Red Sox have fallen 2 1/2 games behind the Rays for second place in the AL East and more importantly, 2 1/2 games back of them in the race for the second wild card spot. Tampa Bay's back-to-back wins has allowed them to inch past the A's (by a half-game), into the AL's second wild card spot.

Tonight's pitching matchup features Tampa Bay rookie Brendan McKay (1-1, 3.72 ERA) and Boston's Andrew Cashner (10-5, 4.18 ERA), who was acquired from Baltimore back on July 13. McKay made an excellent major league debut back on June 29, throwing six scoreless innings of one-hit ball to beat Texas 5-2. He then went five innings in a pair of no-decisions vs the Yankees and Orioles in his next two outings. He had a 1.69 ERA through his first three starts but then was shelled for SIX runs (five earned) on nine hits by the White Sox on July 19 in a 9-2 loss..

Cashner excelled while with Baltimore, going 9-3 (3.83 ERA), while posting MLB's top moneyline mark among starters (11-6 / +$1,196). However, the 32-year-old was knocked around for nine ERs on 14 hits (including four HRs), in losing his first two outings with the Red Sox (7.36 ERA). Cashner got plenty of help in his most recent outing, as he broke into the win column in his third start with Boston, going 6.2 innings and giving up three runs on 10 hits to beat the New York Yankees 10-5.

I realize Wednesday's 8-5 win improved the Rays' record at Fenway to 7-1 in their last eight but I'm backing Boston here, to avoid the sweep. Boston was a dominating 57-24 at home in 2018 but last night's loss drops them to 27-28 at Fenway in 2019. That makes little sense for a team averaging 5.98 RPG in its home park. Cashner is no 'savior' but he's a solid starter and McKay had all sorts of trouble with the White Sox's lineup in his last outing. Expect the same here (McKay last pitched on July 19), as Boston's offense carries the day!

Good luck...Larry

My 10* IL Game of the Month is on the Oak A's at 10:07 ET.

The Oakland Athletics earned a wild card berth last season (97-65) plus owned MLB's best moneyline mark at $3,663 (more than $500 more than the world champion Red Sox). The A's were just 36-36 in games played through June 16, as they were clearly 'stuck in neutral.' However, Oakland would enter the break on a 14-5 run and then won SEVEN of eight coming out of the break. Oakland was off Monday and then opened a three-game IL series last night with the Brewers. The A's won 3-2 in 10 innings last night, giving them a three-game winning streak after they had lost FIVE of six from July 21-26. Oakland (61-47) owns a half-game lead over Tampa Bay (61-48) for the second wild-card spot in the AL and continues its series with Milwaukee on Wednesday, a team which at 56-51, trails St Louis by 1 1/2 games for first place in the NL Central and is one game out of the second wild-card spot.

Tonight's pitching matchup features Jordan Lyles (5-7, 5.36 ERA) and Brett Anderson (9-6, 4.05 ERA). The 28-year-old Lyles was acquired by the Brewers on Monday, just hours before he was supposed to start for the Pittsburgh Pirates at Cincinnati. He will be beginning his second tour of duty with Milwaukee, as he went 1-0 with a 3.31 ERA in 11 relief appearances for the Brewers last year. Lyles steps in for Gio Gonzalez, who had to be scratched Wednesday because of tightness in his left shoulder. Lyles began the 2019 season just 31-52 in his career, while posting a 5.28 ERA. However, he went 5-1 with a 2.81 over his first nine starts (Pirates won EIGHT of the nine). However, Lyles takes the mound tonight with an 0-6 record in his last eight outings (Pittsburgh was 0-8!), as well as owning a bloated 9.57 ERA over his last nine starts. Milwaukee wanted him, why?

Anderson had his four-start unbeaten streak halted by Texas last Thursday, as he allowed five ERs on seven hits in 4.2 innings of an 11-3 loss. The 31-year-old lefty has a modest 9-6 mark in 21 starts but the A's are 14-7 in those starts. In fact, since May 20, the A's are 9-3 over a 12-start stretch for Anderson. He's had just two poor outings in that run, the above-mentioned game vs Texas and back on June 23, when he allowed seven ERs over just three innings. However, in the other 10 starts during that run, he's allowed three ERs or less in each one, with the A's going 9-1.

Anderson is more than capable and again I ask, why would Milwaukee want Lyles? Lyles has made four starts this month, allowing a .444 batting average. The last time a pitcher made four or more starts in July and allowed a .444 or higher average was 30 years ago, when Charlie Leibrandt served up a .474 average in 1989. In fact, it's happened just four times in baseball history. Expect the A's to add to Lyles' misery in this one!

Good luck...Larry

My 8* Situational Stunner is on the StL Cardinals at 8:15 ET.

It may not be Red Sox/Yankees but the Cards/Cubs' rivalry is one of the best in MLB's long history. The two longtime rivals opened a three-game series in St Louis last night, tied for first place in the NL Central at 56-49. The Cardinals struck first in the series, as Paul Goldschmidt's solo HR in the sixth inning snapped a tie and lifted the Cardinals to a 2-1 win. The Cubs came out the break by winning SEVEN of eight but have now lost SIX of eight. As for the Cards, they did lose back-to-back games Saturday and Sunday to the Astros but St Louis has gone 13-5 since returning from the All Star break and last night's victory puts them one game up on the Cubs in the NL Central plus 1 1/2 games clear of the Brewers.

Taking the mound tonight will be Kyle Hendricks (7-8, 3.26 ERA) and Miles Mikolas (7-10, 4.19 ERA). Hendricks last won back on June 9, going 0-4 over his last six starts (Cubs are 0-6). However, he's pitched WAY better than that record, as he's allowed just eight ERs over 25 innings of his last five starts, giving him a 2.89 ERA in that stretch. That, plus the fact that Hendricks is 7-2 with a 3.06 ERA in 17 career starts vs the Cards (Cubs are 13-4), should give Chicago fans hope. Then again, I'll re-visit this in a moment.

Mikolas was an All-Star selection last season, going 18-4 with a 2.83 ERA (Cards were 24-8 in his 32 starts, giving him an outstanding plus-$1,418 moneyline mark). However, the Cards are just 11-10 in his 2019 starts (minus-$207). There is good news for St Louis fans, though. Mikolas' woes have come away from Busch Stadium. The second-year pitcher owns an 'ugly' 6.75 ERA on the road (as well as a poor 1.56 WHIP) but his home ERA is 2.15 and his home WHIP is 0.96! He's also fared well against Chicago in his short career, going 3-1 with a 1.95 ERA in six starts (Cards are 4-2).

Here's the bottom line. I had the Cards last night, backing Wainwright, who entered with a similar away/home dichotomy as Mikolas. Here's what I wrote in yesterday's analysis, "Wainwright owns a 7.16 ERA and 1.61 WHIP in 10 road starts but here in St Louis, his ERA drops to 2.33, which is almost five FULL runs lower!" Here we go again, as you can see by checking out Mikolas' splits, above. However, the clincher comes in the following, which I used last night. Tuesday's win by St Louis means the home team remains PERFECT in 2019 games played between these two rivals at 10-0! Will the road team eventually break through? Sure, but why here?

Good luck...Larry

My 8* Daytime Dominator is on the Atl Braves at 12:05 ET.

The Nationals welcomed the Braves to Washington for an important three-game series beginning on Monday. Once upon a time, the Nats were just 19-31 but Washington had gone 37-18 since May 24. However, the Atlanta Braves were no slouch in that same time frame either, going 34-21. As the teams took the field Monday night, Atlanta led Washington by 5 1/2 games in the NL East. The Nats won 6-3 on Monday but the Braves pounded out 15 hits in an 11-8 victory last night (Nats scored all their runs in the final four innings after the Braves built a 9-0 lead).

The rubber match of this three-game series is set for 12:05 ET in D.C. Atlanta rookie Mike Soroka (10-2, 2.44 ERA) will take the mound for the Braves, opposed by Washington's vs. Nationals RH Anibal Sanchez (6-6, 3.63). Soroka has put together a remarkable first full big-league season, ranking among the leaders in the majors in ERA. He lost his first start of 2019 (4-1 back on April 18), when he allowed just one ER over five innings in that contest. He then won his next 10 decisions over a 15-start run (Braves were 13-2), before losing 5-3 to Washington (and Sanchez) on July 20. Soroka did not earn a win in his last outing (one ER allowed over 4.1 innings of a 9-2 win).

Sanchez was a pleasant surprise last season after signing with Atlanta during spring training, going 7-6 with a 2.83 ERA and 1.08 WHIP. However, after signing a two-year deal in the off-season with Washington. Sanchez opened 0-6 with a 5.10 ERA through nine starts (team was 3-6). Sanchez suffered a left hamstring strain in May that cost him 10 days on the injured list and he missed one start. However, he's returned to the rotation to help fuel Washington's recent surge. He's pitched to a 2.58 ERA with a .210 opponents batting average in his last 10 starts (he's 6-0 and the Nats are 7-3).

Soroka is in "revenge mode" here from that July 20 loss to Sanchez plus it's hard to ignore that the rookie is 6-0 with a 1.19 ERA and 0.94 ERA in 10 road starts in 2019 (team is 8-2). Yes, Sanchez has been very good as of late but note that his history against Braves is poor, going 7-11 with a 4.80 ERA over 21 career starts (teams are 7-14). I'm on "the rook," expecting Atlanta to take this "rubber game."

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Rivalry Game of the Month is on the StL Cardinals at 8:15 ET.

It may not be Red Sox/Yankees but the Cards/Cubs' rivalry is one of the best in MLB's long history. The two longtime rivals open a three-game series in St Louis on Tuesday, tied for first place in the NL Central at 56-49. Chicago salvaged the finale of a three-game series with the Brewers on Sunday, riding Kyle Schwarber's career-high seven RBI to an 11-4 win. However, it marked just Chicago's SECOND victory in its last seven games. In contrast, the Cards won 12 of 15 games out of the break, before losing Saturday and Sunday at home to the Houston Astros (note: Houston is in a life-and-death battle with the Dodgers and Yankees for MLB's best record / teams are separated by .003 percentage points!).

Taking the mound in tonight's series opener will be the Cubs' Yu Darvish (3-4, 4.54 ERA) and the Cards' Adam Wainwright (7-7, 4.63 ERA). The Cubs signed Darvish to a big deal in 2018, even after his AWFUL performance in the 2017 World Series for the Dodgers. He was limited to just eight starts in 2018 (due to injury), finishing 1-3 with a 4.95 ERA. He's been healthy for most of 2019 but his results have not been much better. In fact, Darvish ended a 13-start winless drought on July 17, when he allowed two hits in six scoreless innings against Cincinnati in a 5-2 home victory (he had not won since April 27 at Arizona!). Darvish has finished at least six innings in a season-high four straight starts, posting a 2.92 ERA in that stretch.

The veteran Wainwright was limited to eight starts in 2018 due to injury but will take the mound tonight for his 20th start of 2019. He may be just 7-7 (team is 9-10) but his away/home dichotomy is quite noteworthy. Wainwright owns a 7.16 ERA and 1.61 WHIP in 10 road starts but here in St Louis, his ERA drops to 2.33 (that's almost five FULL runs lower!) and his WHIP to 1.20. Wainwright has seen plenty of the Cubs in his career, going 16-12 (4.01 ERA) in 39 starts (Cards are 23-16).

Getting down to 'brass tacks,' the Cubs may be 36-18 at Wrigley but they are just 20-31 on the road. Considering Wainwright's strong home numbers, I'll be back the Cards in this one. Why not? After all, the two rivals have played each other nine times this season, with the home team winning EVERY game! Cubs lose! Cubs lose!

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Division Game of the Month (AL East) is on the Bos Red Sox at 7:10 ET.

The 67-38 NY Yankees have pulled away from the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox in the AL East. More importantly, BOTH are battling the 60-47 Oakland A's for the AL's second wild card spot. The Red Sox are in the midst of playing 14 consecutive games against New York and Tampa Bay. Boston welcomes the Rays to Fenway after taking TWO of three last week at Tropicana Field and then three of four from the Yanks at home this past weekend. The Red Sox host the Rays for three games Tuesday-Thursday and then head to the Bronx over the weekend for a four-game series (includes a Saturday doubleheader). Tampa Bay followed losing two of three to Boston at home, by taking two of three at Toronto over the weekend. The Rays rallied from a seven-run deficit in a 10-9 win Sunday, after coughing up a seven-run lead to lose by an identical score on Saturday.

The pitching matchup for the first contest of this three-game series will be a "re-hook" from last Wednesday, as Charlie Morton (12-3, 2.60 ERA) takes on David Price (7-4, 3.66 ERA). Morton spent his first nine years in the National League and sported a 46-71 record. However, he arrived in Tampa Bay this spring (as a free agent), after registering his best two seasons in the majors with Houston, going 29-10 with a 3.36 ERA in 55 starts. He won a World Series title with the Houston Astros in 2017 and made his first All-Star team in 2018. Morton looks to beat the Red Sox for the second time in less than a week, as he struck out 11 and allowed two runs on five hits over seven innings of a 3-2 victory last Wednesday at Tropicana Field. It marked the FIFTH time in the last seven starts that the AL leader in ERA had surrendered two ERs or less and his FIFTH outing of at least seven innings in his last 11 starts.

Price was 16-7 last season (Boston was 22-8, +$1,294 in his starts) plus was a postseason star for the first time in his career. However, he like his team, has struggled in 2019. Price is 7-4 in 19 starts but Boston is just 9-10 in those starts (minus-$524). Price is winless in three starts since the All-Star break, after losing that narrow decision to Morton and the Rays last Wednesday (he allowed three ERs on four hits over six innings). The former Tampa Bay ace has made 18 appearances (17 starts / teams are 9-8) against the Rays, going 6-6 with a 3.29 ERA.

I played on (and won!) with Morton last Wednesday but will be on Price and the Red Sox here, in this quick turnaround. Boston may be just 29-29 at home in 2019 but the Red Sox are averaging 6.02 RPG at Fenway, including 6.8 RPG in night games vs right-handed starters. Boston gets a much-needed win and Price gets his 'REVENGE' against Morton.

Good luck...Larry

My 7* Las Vegas Insider is on the Was Nationals at 7:05 ET.

The Washington Nationals get set to host the Atlanta Braves in an important three-game series starting Monday. Once upon a time, the Nats were just 19-31 but Washington has gone 37-18 since May 24. However, the Atlanta Braves have been no slouch in that same time frame, going 34-21. As the teams meet Monday night, 62-44 Atlanta leads Washington by 5 1/2 games in the NL East, although the Nats' recent surge give them a 56-49 mark, good enough for a three-way tie (with the Cubs and Cards) for the NL's two wild card spots.

Tonight's starters will be Dallas Keuchel (3-3, 3.50 ERA) for Atlanta and Patrick Corbin (8-5, 3.25 ERA) for Washington. Keuchel struck out a season-high 12 batters last Tuesday against Kansas City but the Braves lost, 5-4. Keuchel allowed a modest three ERs against the Royals in that outing, the SIXTH time in seven starts since he joined the Braves that he's allowed three ERs or less (note: Atlanta is 3-4 in those seven starts). Keuchel made his Atlanta debut at Washington back on June 21, giving up four runs (three earned) on eight hits in five innings of a 4-3 loss.

Corbin spent his first six seasons with Arizona, winning 14 games in both 2013 and 2017. He took a 56-54 career mark into 2019, his first season with Washington. Corbin's made 21 starts and has a modest eight wins but he's been OUTSTANDING since the middle of June, going 3-0 with a 1.60 ERA and a .217 batting average against in his past seven starts (he as allowed two ERs or less in SIX of them), with the Nationals going 6-1 in those outings.

As noted above, BOTH teams have played excellent baseball since late May but backing Corbin and Washington is "the bet!' Corbin is 5-1 with a 1.68 ERA and 0.88 WHIP in 10 home starts this season, with Washington going 8-2 (80%). What's more, Keuchel is 0-2 with a 4.70 ERA in four career starts vs the Nats (teams are 0-4!).

Good luck...Larry

My 10* "signature" 35-Club Play is on the Phi Phillies at 1:05 ET.

The Philadelphia Phillies opened the season with a three-game home sweep (10-4, 8-6 and 5-1) of the Braves but Atlanta's been the NL East's best team for almost the entire season. The Braves and Phillies opened a three-game series Friday night in Philadelphia, with Atlanta having lost SIX of eight, averaging a modest 3.4 RPG. As for the Phillies, they had won 15 of 25 games entering series, leaving them 5 1/2 games back in the NL East but "right in the middle" of the wild card race. The Braves posted back-to-back four-run innings (5th and 6th) on their way to a 9-2 win on Friday and then unleashed a 16-hit attack on Saturday (including Ozzie Albies hitting a grand slam) in a 15-7 win. Atlanta has extended its lead over Washington to 6 1/2 games and to 7 1/2 games over Philadelphia. The Phillies had no answer against the Braves for the second game in a row, losing for the SIXTH time in their last eight games against Atlanta (since that 3-0 sweep to open the season!).

The Braves go for a three-game sweep and will send Kevin Gausman (3-5, 5.71 ERA) to the mound up against Philly's Aaron Nola (8-2, 3.64 ERA). Gausman was just 5-8 (4.43 ERA) in 21 starts for Baltimore last season (Orioles were 6-15, -$967 in his 21 starts) but after getting 'rescued' by the Braves, went 5-3 (2.87 ERA) in 10 starts (Atlanta went 7-3). The 28-year-old Gausman took the mound last Sunday, after being sidelined for six weeks with plantar fasciitis. The Braves didn't know what to expect, as he had allowed 17 ERs on 25 hits in a total of just 8.1 innings in his three final starts before hitting the injured list (that's an ERA of 18.36). However, Gausman could not have authored a much better return from the injured list t home against Washington, holding the Nationals to one run on five hits with no walks and eight strikeouts in seven-plus innings in his first start since June 10.He is up to the task here? More in a bit.

Nola was Philly's Opening Day starter, coming off a 17-6 (2.37 ERA) season in which the Phils went 22-11 in his starts, giving him MLB's 12th-best moneyline mark of +$983. He enters this contest 8-2 in 22 starts, with Philly going 14-8, as well as a modest plus-$191 vs the moneyline. However, Nola has been outstanding in July, allowing one ER or less in FOUR of five starts this month, giving him a 1.93 ERA and 1.07 WHIP over 32.2 innings.

More good news comes Philly's way in that some of Nola’s best work this season has come against the Braves, as he's 2-0 with a 2.95 ERA in three starts against Atlanta (team is 3-0!) with 20 strikeouts in 18.1 innings.That should be no surprise, as in15 career starts against the Braves, Nola is 9-3 with a 2.26 ERA (team is 10-5). Getting back to Gausman, his performance on Sunday could help determine how aggressively the Braves pursue a pitcher before the trade deadline. If he pitches as well as he did in his return from the injured list last Sunday, Atlanta may back off its quest to add a starting pitcher and instead concentrate on finding another arm for the bullpen. However, if Gausman struggles, the Braves might resume their pursuit of an extra starter.

Here's my bet. Nola enters on a July 'roll' (see above) and note that Gausman made three starts against Philadelphia (the only ones of his career) last season after Atlanta acquired him at the trade deadline, posting a 5.51 ERA (0-2 / team was 1-2). He's made just ONE start (last Sunday) since June 10 and was on the sidelines the last two games, while Atlanta was pounding out 24 runs. Note that the Braves are averaging 5.35 RPG on the season but in road day games against right-handers, are just 6-6 while averaging only 4.2 runs. The play is on Philly behind Nola.

Good luck...Larry

My 8* Weekend Wipeout is on the NY Mets at 7:10 ET.

The New York Mets opened the season 9-4 but quickly feel off the pace in the NL East and after Friday's 6-3 in Pittsburgh, find themselves 48-55 and not in serious contention for a wild card berth. Pittsburgh opened 12-6 but an EIGHT-game losing streak dropped them below-.500 and the Pirates spent most of the season's first half hovering around that mark (Pittsburgh entered the break, 44-45). However, Pittsburgh has 'IMPLODED' since returning from the break, as last night's loss was the team's SIXTH straight, as the Pirates have gone 2-12 to open the second half to give them the second-worst record in the National League at 46-57. The Pirates have been outscored 81-47 in that 14-game stretch, during which their pitchers have posted a 5.34 ERA and given up 28 HRs (12 in the last THREE games).

Saturday's pitching matchup features Trevor Williams (3-3, 4.96 ERA) and Steven Matz (5-6, 4.75 ERA). The Pirates won Williams' first FOUR starts (2.59 ERA) but the team is just 4-6 over his last 10 (his ERA is now more than TWO full runs higher on the season), which saw him spend a little over a month on the DL (mid-May through Mid-June). Not much has gone right for Pittsburgh lately (see above) but maybe the fact that Williams is 2-0 with a 0.69 ERA in two career starts versus New York is a 'light at the end of the tunnel.' That said, I'm not buying it.

Matz opened the July in the bullpen but has returned to the rotation with a pair of solid starts, allowing two ERs in back-to-back outings at Minnesota and San Francisco (3.60 ERA and an 8-2 KW ratio). However, Matz hasn't won in his last eight appearances (six starts) dating to June 14, a stretch in which he is 0-2 with a 6.67 ERA (team is 1-5 in his starts).

However, Matz has pitched well here at Citi Field. He may own a 6.40 ERA and 1.81 WHIP in 11 road starts (Mets are 4-7) but he's 3-0 in seven home starts (Mets are 5-2), posting a 2.54 ERA and 1,21 WHIP. The Mets have won EIGHT of their last 12, while I've already given you Pittsburgh's 'ugly' stats since the All Star break (see above for a reminder). Mets win! Mets win!

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Division Dominator (NL East) is on the Atl Braves at 7:05 ET.

The Philadelphia Phillies opened the season with a three-game home sweep (10-4, 8-6 and 5-1) of the Braves but Atlanta's been the NL East's best team for almost the entire season. The Braves entered last night's game having lost SIX of eight, averaging a modest 3.4 RPG, but posted back-to-back four-run innings (5th and 6th) on their way to a 9-2 win. The Phillies had won 15 of 25 games entering this weekend home series but the loss drops them 6 1/2 games back of Atlanta in the division (note: Phils are just 2-5 against the Braves since sweeping Atlanta in the opening series of the season).

Atlanta lefty Max Fried (10-4, 4.08 ERA) gets the nod on Saturday, up against Philly's Zach Eflin (7-10, 4.25 ERA). Fried opened the season with two relief appearances but has since made 19 consecutive starts (team is 13-6). The 25-year-old has struggled at times in his first full season in a major league rotation, as he owned a 6.17 ERA with a .339 opponents batting average during an eight-start stretch from Then again, he gave up three ERs or less FOUR times in that span. However, Fried pitched five scoreless innings of three-hit ball at Milwaukee on July 15 (a 4-2 Atlanta win), before a blister on his hand landed him on the DL.

Eflin's last outing was July 20 at Pittsburgh, as he allowed three runs on five hits with no walks and three strikeouts over four innings in suffering a 5-1 loss. However, Eflin, has allowed six ERs or more in THREE of his last five starts, going 1-3 with a 9.38 ERA in that span (Phils are 1-4). Looking even closer, Eflin's troubles go back much further than his last five outings, as Philly is just 2-9 in his last 11 starts.

As to concerns over Fried's blister, "We caught (the blister) at a good time," Fried told reporters. "It was a little sensitive in the beginning, but we just wanted to knock it out. So far, I've had zero problems. I've felt normal things since."i want NO part of Eflin and I'll remind all that the Braves are 13-6 in Fried's starts this season, including 8-2 on the road!

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Division Dominator (AL Central) is on the Cle Indians at 8;15 ET.

The Minnesota Twins were 46-22 on the morning of June 15, 11 games up in the AL Central on the Cleveland Indians, who sat 35-33. However, while the Twins have played sub-.500 play ball since then (16-18), the Indians have surged to within TWO games of Minnesota by winning 25 of their last 34. Cleveland followed back-to-back setbacks against Minnesota (July 12 & 13) with SIX straight victories from July 14-19 and posted its 10th win in 12 games with Thursday's 5-4 triumph in 14 innings at 39-65 Kansas City. The Royals are 'buried' in the standings (24 out in the AL Central and 19 back of the 2nd wild card spot) but have gone 7-3 over their last 10 contests. However, ALL three of the losses have come against the Indians.!

Zach Plesac (4-3, 3.50 ERA) takes the mound tonight for the Indians and Jakob Junis (6-8, 4.83 ERA) for the Royals. Plesac is a 24-year-old rookie who made his MLB debut on May 28 at Boston. He's done a nice job in his 10 starts, allowing just 39 hits in 54 innings, posting a 1.09 WHIP and holding opponents to a .205 BAA. It shouldn't be a surprise that the Indians are 7-3 in his starts. Junis is return from the paternity list and hopes to serve up a repeat performance from his last outing. Junis limited the Indians to two hits and three walks over six scoreless innings of a 1-0 victory at Cleveland last Saturday.

However, Junis had made three previous outings versus the Indians this season, allowing 15 ERs on 23 hits over 17 innings (that's a 7.94 ERA). Junis has made nine starts (team is 4-5) and one relief appearance against Cleveland in his career, going 3-4 with a 5.73 ERA. Plesac will be facing Kansas City for the THIRD time in four starts this month, with the Indians winning each of the first two. This is selection is about MUCH more than the game's starting pitchers, as the Indians are surging, while the Royals are just frankly, "the Royals."

Good luck...Larry

My 10* PERFECT STORM is on the Cin Reds at 6:40 ET.

The Cincinnati Reds opened the season 1-8 but heading into the final weekend before the All Star break checked in at 41-44, 3 1/2 games back of the Cubs in the NL Central and four games back of the Brewers. Yes, the NL Central remains the 'tightest' of all MLB divisions but the Reds lost a two-game home series just prior to the break (to the Indians). They then returned from the break to lose EIGHT of 13 and as they get set to host the Rockies in a three-game weekend series are 46-54, EIGHT games back of the Cubs and Cards (both own 55-47 marks). The Rockies enter the weekend 48-55, a WHOPPING 18 1/2 games back of the Dodgers in the NL West. The Rockies appeared headed to their 10th loss in their last 11 games last night but scored three run sin the last two innings for an 8-7 comeback victory.

German Marquez (9-5, 4.99 ERA) takes the mound for Colorado tonight, opposed by Luis Castillo (9-3, 2.36 ERA). Marquez is tied with Gray for the team lead in wins (nine) but his ERA of 4.99 is just over a run higher than it was last season, when he went 14-11 (3.77). He posted his first win in nearly a month, after allowing two runs on three hits in seven innings of an 8-4 victory at the New York Yankees on Sunday. However, he had entered that game having allowed 19 ERs over just 14.2 innings (11.66 ERA) in his previous three outings (ALL Colorado losses).

Castillo settled for a no-decision in his last outing, despite allowing just one run on five hits in six innings in a the team's 3-2 home win over the Cards last Saturday. Castillo has been terrific for the Reds in 2019, as last Saturday's performance was his SEVENTH quality start in his last eight. He owns a 2.36. ERA, 1.11 WHIP and .180 BAA on the season.

Here at Great American Ball Park, Castillo has been OUTSTANDING. He owns a 1.67 ERA and 0.89 WHIP, while limiting the opposition to a .155 batting average in 11 starts. He takes on a Colorado team wrapping up the final leg of its10-game road trip. However, the Rockies have been in a 'free-fall' since late June. Colorado was "right in" the NL wild card race at 44-39 through June 29, but head into Friday's contest having lost 16 of its last 20 games! The Rockies are in the WRONG place at the WRONG time up against Castillo here at Great American Ball Park.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* AL Underdog Game of the Month is on the Chi White Sox at 8:10 ET.

The Minnesota Twins lost two of three at home to the Yankees to open the week and have dropped SEVEN of their last 10 games to see their AL Central lead shrink to just TWO games over the Cleveland Indians. Minnesota heads to Chicago on Thursday to open a four-game series. with the White Sox, who are 3-10 since the All-Star break, after opening a 10-game homestand by losing TWO of three to the Miami Marlins (Miami owns an NL-worst 38-62 record).

The pitching matchup for tonight will feature Jose Berrios (8-5, 2.96 ERA) and Lucas Giolito (11-4, 3.12 ERA). Berrios hasn't notched a victory since June 6, when he beat the Indians 5-4. He stood at 8-2 (3.14 ERA) after that win but takes the mound tonight looking to halt a seven-start winless stretch. His ERA is 2.62 in that stretch but he's 0-3 and the team 1-6. Berrios has pitched fewer than six innings in each of his last three starts and on the season, has pitched much better at home than on the road. He owns a 2.10 ERA in nine home outings but it's 3.72 ERA in 11 road starts .

Giolito became a regular in Chicago's starting rotation in 2018 but was just 10-13 with an 'ugly' 6.13 ERA in 32 starts (team was 14-18). However, what a difference a year makes! Giolito posted a spectacular 0.94 ERA during his eight-start winning streak (from May 7 through June 14) and owned a 10-1 record along with a 2.22 ERA through his first 13 starts of 2019 (White Sox were 11-2). However, that streak came to halt at Wrigley on June 19 in a 7-3 loss and he's just 1-2 in his six starts (White Sox are 2-4) since that June 14 win.

Minnesota's play has really fallen off the last month or so, as the Twins have gone from 47-22 (11 games up on Cleveland) to 61-40 (two games up), during a 14-18 stretch. Yes, the 45-54 White Sox have no postseason hopes but I was encouraged by Giolito's last outing. He settled for a no-decision at Tampa Bay this past Saturday, allowing just one run, seven hits, one walk and had nine strikeouts in 6.2 innings (Chicago would win, 2-1). This, after he had compiled a 6.48 ERA in his five previous starts. As noted above, Berrios hasn't pitched poorly recently (see above) but the Twins as a team, just aren't getting the job done. Minnesota blew an 8-2 lead to the Yankees on Wednesday (lost 14-12 in 10 innings) and I predict more woes for the Twins here vs Giolito and the White Sox here. Take the price!

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Weekly Wipeout is on the Cle Indians at 7:07 ET.

The Cleveland Indians are 29-12 since June 4, cutting a double-digit deficit to the Minnesota Twins in the AL Central to just THREE games. However, the Indians missed a chance to climb within two games of the Twins last night, as the Blue Jays rallied for a run in both the ninth and 10th innings to earn a 2-1 victory. The Indians came up short for just the SECOND time in eight games on Tuesday, as they managed six hits and went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position. However, Cleveland two-month surge gives them the American League’s top wild-card spot (one game up on Oakland and three clear of the playoff 'cut line'). Meanwhile, Toronto checks in at 39-64 and owners of MLB's fourth-worst moneyline mark (-$1,682).

The rubber match of this three-game series will feature a pitching matchup of Shane Bieber (9-3, 3.69 ERA) and Marcus Stroman (6-10, 3.06 ERA). Bieber, the 2019 All-Star Game's Most Valuable Player, has lost just ONCE since mid-May, going 7-1 over his last 12 starts (Cleveland is 9-3). He was able to post his SEVENTH victory in eight decisions the last time out, despite allowing five runs on seven hits and four walks in 5.2 innings against Kansas City. Looking at his season as a whole, Bieber owns a 156-28 KW ratio over 124.1 innings, posting a 1.05 WHIP and has held opposing batters to a .218 average.

Marcus Stroman, Toronto's lone All Star, could be making his final start for the Blue Jays when he takes the mound on Wednesday. Stroman is coming off one of his best efforts of 2019, when he permitted six hits without issuing a walk in seven scoreless innings of a 12-1 win at Detroit on Friday. Stroman has posted five quality starts in his last six outings but Toronto is just 3-3 in those games. Stroman has had a solid season but Toronto is only 8-12 in his 2019 starts.

Cleveland will head to Kansas City (another AL 'bottom-feeder' at 38-64) for four games after this contest and the LAST thing the Indians need is a series loss to the sad-sack Jays. Bieber "has the goods"and this win comes "with room to spare."

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Daytime Dominator is on the TB Rays at 12:10 ET.

The visiting Boston Red Sox have taken the first two of this three-game series vs the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Boston won 9-4 on Monday and then last night held on for a 5-4 victory when the Rays left the bases loaded in the ninth. The Red Sox are a modest 7-5 since the All Star break but with the Rays losing for the SEVENTH time in their last eight games, Boston now owns a share of second place in the AL East for the first time since March 29. It's a virtual tie in the AL East, as the 56-46 (.549) Red Sox and the 57-47 (.548) Rays are both TWO games back of Oakland, which owns the AL's second wild card spot.

Taking the mound for today's series finale will be Boston's David Price (7-3, 3.61 ERA) and Tampa Bay's Charlie Morton (11-3, 2.61 ERA). Price was 16-7 last season (Boston was 22-8, +$1,294 in his starts) plus was a postseason star for the first time in his career. However, he like his team, has struggled in 2019. Price is 7-3 in 18 starts but Boston is just 9-9 in those starts (minus-$422). He tied his season highs by allowing six runs and eight hits over four innings at Baltimore this past Friday, in an 11-2. The former Tampa Bay ace has made 17 appearances (16 starts / teams are 9-7) against the Rays, going 6-5 with a 3.16 ERA.

Morton spent his first nine years in the National League and sported a 46-71 record. However, he arrived in Tampa Bay this spring (as a free agent), after registering his best two seasons in the majors with Houston, going 29-10 with a 3.36 ERA in 55 starts. He won a World Series title with the Houston Astros in 2017 and made his first All-Star team in 2018. Morton opened the 2019 season 8-0 with a 2.10 ERA through 14 starts (Rays were 10-4) but since that fast start is 3-3 in seven starts (team is 3-4), although his ERA on the season remains an impressive at 2.61, like his 1.06 WHIP and .201 BAA.

Morton is 4-1 with a 4.58 ERA in eight career starts vs Boston (teams are 5-3) and takes the mound with a 2.80 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and .198 BAA at Tropicana Field. Price has pitched much better at home this season (2.89) than he has on the road (4.09 ERA). I say NO sweep here, as Morton and the Rays get the "W."

Good luck...Larry

My 10* PERFECT STORM is on the SF Giants at 9:45 ET.

The San Francisco Giants' surge continued Monday in their series opener against the Cubs. Austin Slater and Joe Panik delivered back-to-back RBI doubles during a three-run eighth inning as they rallied for a 5-4 victory, their 10th win in 12 games since the All Star break. The Giants have now won 16 of 19 since June 30, moving over .500 (51-50) for the first time in 2019! San Francisco's win allowed them to remain two games behind St Louis for the second NL wild card, while the Cubs' Monday loss reduced their lead to 1 1/2 games over the Cardinals in the NL Central (Brewers are two games back)..

Yu Darvish (3-4, 4.46 ERA) takes the mound for Chicago on Tuesday, opposed by San Francisco's Madison Bumgarner (5-7, 3.65 ERA). The Cubs signed Darvish to a big deal in 2018, even after his AWFUL performance in the 2017 World Series for the Dodgers. He was limited to just eight starts in 2018 (due to injury), finishing 1-3 with a 4.95 ERA. He's been healthy for most of 2019 but his results have not been much better. In fact, Darvish ended his 13-start winless drought this past Wednesday, when he allowed two hits in six scoreless innings against Cincinnati in a 5-2 victory. He had not won since April 27 at Arizona, settling for 10 consecutive no-decisions before suffering a loss to Atlanta on June 26. He then had two more no-decisions, prior to Wednesday's breakthrough win. Darvish won his only career start versus the Giants back on Sep 13, 2017, when he scattered three hits over seven scoreless innings in San Francisco while with the Dodgers.

The Giants have a huge decision to make soon, as they are in the thick of the NL wild-card race as the July 31 trade deadline approaches. Depending on the choice they make, Madison Bumgarner could be making his final start for the Giants in the middle contest of their three-game series with the Cubs. Bumgarner started poorly in 2019 (1-4 through six starts / Giants were 1-5) but he's since allowed three ERs or less in 13 of his last 15 starts! Bumgarner allowed a total of 11 runs over two starts in mid-June but after allowing just one run on five hits over nine innings against the Mets last Friday, he has allowed just five ERs over his last five starts (1.55 ERA and 34 Ks in 29 innings).

The Cubs are a poor 18-28 on the road in 2019 (allowing 5.13 RPG) and as noted above, can hardly count on Darvish to "come up big." Meanwhile, the red-hot Giants (on a 16-3 run) can count on Bumgarner (1.55 ERA his last five plus he's allowed three ERs or less in 13 of his last 15). What's more, Bumgarner has dominated the Cubs in his career, going 9-2 with a 2.35 ERA in 14 starts (Giants are 11-3). He also gets to face a Chicago team that has struggled against left-handed pitching. Chicago is hitting .242 against lefties, which ranks 13th among the 15 National League teams, plus in six road night games vs a left-handed starter in 2019, has gone 1-5 while averaging just 2.5 RPG. Cubs lose! Cubs lose!

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Situational Stunner is on the NY Yankees at 8:10 ET.

The Minnesota Twins lead the major leagues in HRs this season and added to that total with five HRs last night (eighth time this season the Twins have hit at least five HRs in a single game). Minnesota recorded an 8-6 win on Monday but the Indians also won, so the Twins' lead in the AL Central remains at three (Minnesota's lead was 11 games back in mid-June). Monday's defeat was New York's second straight (after a five-game winning streak) but the AL East-leading Yankees still own a nine-game cushion over Tampa Bay and are 10 games up on the Red Sox.

Taking the mound in the middle contest of this three-game series between division leaders will be Domingo German (12-2, 3.38 ERA) and Kyle Gibson (9-4, 4.02 ERA). German was 9-1 with a 2.60 ERA through May 21 but in a three-start stretch from May 26 through June 7, was 0-1 (team was 1-2), allowing 14 ERs over just 14.1 innings for an 8.59 ERA. A strained left hip flexor had sidelined him since June 8 but he returned on July 3. He's pitched six innings in each of his three outings since that return, allowing just three ERs for an 1.50 ERA, as well as owning a 18-2 KW ratio (he's 3-0). German recorded his first win in three career starts against Minnesota after permitting one run and four hits in 6.2 innings of a 4-1 triumph on May 5.

This is Gibson's seventh season and he opened the year 54-61 with an ERA of right around 4.50 (can you say journeyman?). However, with the help of Minnesota's outstanding offense (Twins rank 3rd in RPG at 5.63 and 3rd in ba at .271, plus rank 1st in both OPS at .834 and HRs at 187), he takes the mound tonight with nine wins over 19 starts, with the Twins going 13-6 in those starts. Gibson improved to 2-0 in his last five starts (Minnesota is 4-1) this past Thursday, after allowing three runs on six hits in seven innings of a 6-3 victory versus Oakland. However, he's had little luck against the Yankees in his career. He fell to 1-6 with a 6.50 ERA in nine career starts (Twins are 1-8 or an 88% "go-against") vs the Yankees after permitting five runs (two earned) in five innings of a 6-3 loss back on May 3.

Yes, the Twins beat the Yankees last night but they are just 21-48 the last decade against New York, including only 11-23 at Target Field. The Yanks are 12-3 (80%) in German's 2019 starts and bounce back from Monday's loss with a "W."

Good luck...Larry

My 7* Las Vegas Insider is on the Mil Brewers at 8:10 ET.

The Cincinnati Reds were within 3 1/2 games of the National League Central lead and the second wild card as recently as July 4 but their playoff hopes have taken a beating since the All-Star break. However, after Tyler Saladino had put the Brewers ahead 5-3 in the eighth with a grand slam last night in Milwaukee, Eugenio Suarez hit a two-run HRin the ninth to give the Reds a dramatic 6-5 victory (Suarez had already hit a two-HR in the 7th!). The Reds moved within eight games of the Chicago Cubs in the division and are still 6 1/2 games behind the Cards for the final wild card spot. The defeat 'stung' for the Brewers, who remained two games back of the Cubs in the division and fell one-half game behind the Cardinals in pursuit of that second wild card spot.

Tanner Roark (5-6, 3.97 ERA) will get the start for Cincy in tonight's contest, while Zach Davies (8-2, 2.79 ERA) will take the mound for Milwaukee. Roark had double-digit wins THREE times for Washington from 2014-2017 (seasons of 15, 16 and 13 wins) but fell to 9-15 with a 4.34 ERA in 2018. This is his first year with the Reds and he's got just FIVE wins in 19 starts (team is 9-10).

The 26-year-old Davies opened 2019 at 7-0 (2.41 ERA) through 13 starts (Brewers were 9-4), but then suffered a 5-3 loss at San Francisco on June 14. That outing began a three-start stretch in which he went 0-2 (team was 0-3), allowing 12 ERs on 21 hits over just 11.2 innings (9.26 ERA). However, Davies has been one of the NL's stingiest starters over the last three weeks, although his only win over that time came on Thursday as he held Arizona to one run over seven innings despite failing to record a strikeout. The Brewers have won each of Davies' last FOUR starts and no wonder, as he's allowed just two ERs on 17 hits over 23.1 innings, giving him an 0.77 ERA!

In contrast, Roark enters owning a 7.16 ERA in his last three outings. Expect Milwaukee to bounce back from last night's loss behind another outstanding effort from Davies.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Game of the Month (AL) is on the NY Yankees at 8:10 ET.

The New York Yankees and Minnesota Twins are both atop their respective divisions as the two teams get set to open a three-game series at Target Field on Monday. Back on the morning of June 15, the Yankees were 41-27, a half-game back of the TB Rays in the AL East. However, as of this morning, New York is 63-34, NINE games up on Tampa Bay, with the defending champion Red Sox trailing the Yankees by 11 games. Meanwhile, the Twins were 46-22 on the morning of June 15, 11 games up on the Indians in the AL Central. However, Minnesota woke up this morning at 60-38, just a mere THREE games ahead of the Indians. The Yankees, despite all their injuries, have overcome an 8-10 start to 2019 by going a MLB-best 55-24 (.696) since that slow start. The Twins have been atop the AL Central most of the season but a 14-16 record over their last 30 games (while the Indians have gone 22-8), has them in a tight race.

In a battle of lefties, CC Sabathia (5-4, 4.06 ERA) gets the call for New York, while Martin Perez (8-3, 4.10 ERA) goes for the Twins. Sabathia announced before the season that 2019 would be the final one of his 19-year major league career. It has hardly been a 'breeze' for CC in 2019, especially on the road. While he owns a 4-1 record with a 2.60 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and .214 batting average at home (team is 7-1), Sabathia is 1-3 with a 5.84 ERA, 1.54 WHIP and has allowed the opposition to hit .295 (Yanks are 2-5). However, I will close with some very STRONG reasons to back CC (and the Yanks) in this one, in a bit.

Perez opened 2019 with three appearances out of the bullpen but then went 6-1 over his first eight starts (Twins were 6-2). However, he owns just ONE win over his last seven starts and while the Twins are 3-4 in that stretch, Perez has allowed four ERs or more FIVE times! The 28-year-old has seen his season ERA elevate over a full run (2.95 to 4.10), since posting a 7-1 mark in his first 11 trips to the mound (eight starts / three relief appearances).

On to the pick: The Yanks are on a great roll coming in (see above), while the Twins are sub-500 since mid-June. What's more, the Yankees have DOMINATED the Twins the last decade, compiling a 48-20 record since 2010, including going 23-10 at Target Field. As for CC, he is 22-9 with a 3.08 ERA in 41 career starts against Minnesota (teams are 27-14), while Perez is 2-2 with a bloated 9.68 ERA and 1.98 WHIP in four career starts vs the Yankees. Let me finish by noting that CC is 12-1 in his last 16 starts against the Twins.

Good luck...Larry

My 8* Weekend Wipeout is on the Arz D'backs at 8:10 ET.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have been mentioned as possible sellers ahead of the July 31 trade deadline but taht may be "in doubt," as the D'backs have won SEVEN of 10 to reach 50-48. That makes them one of SIX teams fighting for two NL wild card spots, all within three games or less of each other. Arizona is currently just ONE game back of the second wild card spot, after scoring six runs in the third inning of Friday’s 10-7 home victory over the Milwaukee Brewers. The 51-48 Brewers are in third-place in the NL Central (three games back of the first-place Cubs) by they enter this contest a half-game ahead of the Diamondbacks the wild card chase.

Gio Gonzalez (2-1, 3.19 ERA) gets the nod for Milwaukee, opposed by Arizona's Zack Greinke (10-4, 2.95 ERA). Gonzalez pitched well for Milwaukee after joining the team in September. He was 3-0 in five starts (team was 5-0), posting a 2.13 ERA. He posted a 1.69 ERA in his first four starts of 2019 (from 4/28-5/15) with the Brewers going 3-1 but was then ripped for seven ERs over just 9.2 innings (6.52) in his next two starts (May 21 and 27). He was placed on the injured list on June 1 due to arm fatigue. The 33-year-old made his final minor-league rehab start on Monday for Triple-A San Antonio, allowing one run while throwing 68 pitches in 4.2 innings and makes his first start since May 27, tonight. The good news is that he's 3-1 with a 2.93 ERA in eight career starts vs Arizona (teams are 6-2).

Greinke takes the mound for Arizona, looking to bounce back after giving up five runs on eight hits over six innings in Sunday’s 5-2 loss to St.Louis. The setback snapped an INCREDIBLE five-year winning streak in July, as he entered that contest 14-0 with a 1.34 ERA over 18 starts in the month dating back to July 25, 2014. The bad news for Arizona is that Greinke is 1-4 with a 4.28 ERA in seven career starts vs Milwaukee (teams are just 2-5).

However, there is PLENTY of good news! The Diamondbacks have scored at least NINE runs in THREE of their last four games and Greinke has allowed three ERs or less in 15 of his 20 starts in 2019. NINE of those statst have come at home, where Greinke owns an 0.98 WHIP and the D'backs have won SEVEN of the nine. Make that EIGHT of 10, as Arizona wins "with room to spare!"

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Division Game of the Month (NL Central) is on the Cin Reds at 7:10 ET.

The St Louis Cardinals 'limped' into the All Star break having lost EIGHT of 12 games, but have returned to play to go 6-2 since the break. Friday's win was "special," as the Reds jumped out to a 7-0 lead, before the Cards erupted for their most explosive inning in nearly seven years. St Louis scored 10 times in teh sixth inning, including seven runs with two outs, then added two more in the 7th. The Cardinals needed every last run, as Cincinnati stormed back with two runs in each of the last two innings, before ending the game with the tying run on third (StL won, 12-11). The win marked the third straight game in which St Louis dug itself out of a multi-run hole and the Cards sit just 2 1/2 games back of the Cubs in the NL Central, plus find themselves in a virtual tie (with Philly) for the second wild card spot (Nats own the first but by just ONE game). Things have not gone as well for Cincinnati, which dropped its FOURTH straight to fall NINE games off the pace in the NL Central. That's TWICE the gap that existed for the Reds coming out of the All-Star break just over a week ago (Cincy's 2-6 since the break)..

Miles Mikolas (6-9, 4.15 ERA) gets the ball for St Louis in the third contest of this four-game set, with Luis Castillo (9-3, 2.41 ERA) taking the mound for the Reds. Mikolas was an All-Star selection last season and he displayed that form at home vs the Pittsburgh this past on Monday in a 7-0 win. He delivered an eight-hit shutout (7-0), inducing a career-high 20 groundballs against the 32 batters he faced. Mikolas is 2-1 with a 3.96 ERA in five career starts against the Reds (Cards are 4-1).

Castillo has been terrific for the Reds in 2019 (2.41 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and .177 BAA) but the Reds have lost FIVE of his seven no-decisions. Castillo comes in on a roll, having logged his SIXTH quality start in his seven outings, after limiting the Cubs to three runs on seven hits and three walks while fanning 10 over six innings of a 6-3 Cincy win at Wrigley on Monday. He had been dominant in his previous two starts to Monday's outing as well, allowing just one run on four hits while striking out 15 in 14.2 innings. Castillo is is a modest 2-3 overall with a 3.35 ERA in seven career starts against the Cardinals (Reds are 4-3)..

I mentioned that Mikolas was an All Star last year (18-4 with a 2.83 ERA) but that's hardly been the case in 2019, especially on the road. Yes, Mikolas has been strong at home (2.15 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and .226 BAA) but away from St Louis, he owns a 7.40 ERA, 1.67 WHIP and a truly 'ugly' .341 BAA!. As for Castillo, he's allowed just four ERs over his last three starts (20.2 innings for a 1.74 ERA), plus owns a 1.69 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and .146 BAA at home in 2019. That's the winning 'ticket!'

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Daytime Dominator is on the Chi Cubs at 2:20 ET.

The Chicago Cubs had lost EIGHT of 12 games before the break but have seemed made to make good use of the rest, as after eking out a 6-5 win Friday over the Padres, Chicago has won SIX of seven to move to 53-44. The surge has extended their lead in the NL Central to 2 1/2 games over the Cards and to three games over the Brewers. As for San Diego, the Padres are going in the opposite direction of late by losing SIX of seven, after entering the All-Star break with three consecutive victories over the National League-best Los Angeles Dodgers. The Padres check in at 46-51 (tied with Colorado for last in the NL West, 17 1/2 games back of LA), which leaves FIVE teams ahead of them in the chase for one of two wild card spots (SD is 4 1/2 games back of the second spot).

It's a battle of lefties at Wrigley this afternoon, as Joey Lucchesi (7-4, 3.92 ERA) takes the mound against Jose Quintana (7-7, 4.21 ERA). Lucchesi is unbeaten in his last five outings with a 3.45 ERA during that stretch (SD is just 2-3 in those games!), including five innings of two-run ball in a no-decision Saturday against Atlanta (Padres lost 7-5). Lucches was 8-9 in 26 starts in 2018 but he can match his win total from his rookie season here, in his 19th start after going 4-1 since May 24 (note; SD is 5-4 in those starts). He has made one start against the Cubs as a rookie in 2018, settling for a no-decision in giving up three runs (two earned) on seven hits and no walks with nine strikeouts in 5.2 innings.

Quintana allowed eight ERs in his first start of 2019 but then allowed three ERs or less in 12 of his next 13 starts. He then suffered a 10-2 home loss to the Mets on June 22, allowing eight ERs in just 4.1 innings. However, the veteran lefty has put together three straight wins, allowing just six ERs over 19 innings (2.84 ERA) with a 14-3 KW ratio. Quintana is 1-0 with a 2.77 ERA in two career starts versus San Diego (teams are 2-0).

Lucchesi has been excellent in 11 home starts (2.83 ERA) but in seven road starts, his ERA balloons to 5.79. He will face a Chicago team which is 35-17 at home (outscoring opponents 4.96-to-3.75). As for the lefty Quintana, he comes enters in good form and will face a San Diego team which is just 2-7 vs lefties on the road in 2019, including 0-3 in day games. Cubs win! Cubs win!

Good luck...Larry

My 8* Situational Stunner is on the Min Twins at 8:10 ET.

The Minnesota Twins lost six of 10 before the break but picked up a big series win out of the All-Star break. The Twins won the first two games in Cleveland on Friday (5-3) and Saturday (6-2) but while they couldn't complete three three-game sweep (lost 4-3). The Twins were back in Minnesota to begin the week, opening a nine-game homestand at Target Field with a two-game IL series against the Mets. New York won 3-2 on Tuesday and then finished with a 14-4 romp on Wednesday. However, the Twins regrouped to halt their season-high three-game slide with a 6-3 victory over Oakland last night. The Twins appeared on their way to a fourth straight setback but they hit three HRs over their final two innings to turn a two-run deficit into a win. Oakland saw its SIX-game winning streak come to an end and at 55-42 (.567), finds itself in a virtual tie with 56-43 (.566) Tampa Bay for the second wild-card spot in the AL. Both are ONE game back of Cleveland, which currently owns the No. 1 wild card spot.

Chris Bassitt (6-4, 3.98 ERA) will take the mound for Oakland, opposed by Minnesota's Jake Odorizzi (11-4, 3.06 ERA). Bassitt may own just SIX wins in his 15 starts this season (A's are a modest 8-7) but he's pitched better than that record. He has allowed three ERs or less in 13 of his 15 starts in 2019, including allowing more than three ERs just ONCE in his last eight outings. Odorizzi was a disappointing 7-10 (4.49 ERA) in his first season with Minnesota last year (was signed as a FA away from Tampa Bay) but opened 2019 by going 9-2 with a 1.92 ERA through June 9 (team was 10-3 in his starts). However, Odorizzi came off the injured list to make a start last Saturday (he missed a chance to pitch in his first All-Star Game due to a blister on his right middle finger), looking to end a poor four-start stretch in which he had gone 1-2 (team was 2-2). He had allowed 16 ERs over just 18.1 innings for a 7.85 ERA in that stretch but allowed just one run on three hits over 5.1 innings of a 6-2 win at Cleveland.

Bassitt has been solid for Oakland all season but he will take on a lineup which ranks 2nd in all of MLB in scoring (5.63 RPG) and team BA (.271) plus first in OPS (.831) and HRs (177). The Twins have dominated right-handed starters all season, going 47-26, including 24-11 at home. Speaking of "home," Odorizzi is 6-0 in eight Target Field starts (Minnesota is 7-1 or 88%), with a 2.27 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and a .192 opponents' batting average, while posting a 55-11 KW ratio. Good enough for me!

Good luck...Larry

My 10* PERFECT STORM is on the Phi Phillies at 7:05 ET.

The Philadelphia Phillies rallied for wins on Tuesday (3-run 9th) and Thursday (four-run 7th) to salvage a four-game home split with NL's best team, the LA Dodgers. The Phillies hope that momentum travels well as they head to Pittsburgh to open a three-game series vs the Pirates. The 50-47 Phillies are 7 1/2 back of the Braves in the NL East but they are "right in" the crowded wild card chase, sitting a half-game back of the second wild card spot. The Pirates welcome the Phillies to town to open a seven-game homestand, having lost FIVE of six since the All-Star break, giving them a 45-50 mark. However, they are closer to the NL Central's top spot (6 1/2 games back), than the Phillies are in the NL East.

Tonight's starting pitchers are Jake Arrieta (8-7, 4.54 ERA) and Jordan Lyles (5-6, 5.16 ERA). Arrieta has disappointed Philly since signing as a free agent in 2018 and the 2015 NL Cy Young Award winner has been working through bone spurs in his pitching elbow for his last seven starts. Despite pitching with a painful bone spur in his right elbow, he allowed one run on four hits in five innings Sunday against Washington in a 4-3 Philly win. The good news is that Arrieta is 13-6 with a 2.80 ERA in 23 career starts against Pittsburgh (teams are 16-7)..

Jordan Lyles began the 2019 season just 31-52 in his career, while posting a 5.28 ERA. However, he went 5-1 with a 2.81 over his first nine starts (Pirates won EIGHT of the nine). Lyles takes the mound tonight with an 0-5 record in his last six outings (Pittsburgh is 0-6!) and a bloated 10.13 ERA in his last seven starts, after getting ripped for SEVEN runs in just two-thirds of an inning in a 10-4 setback at the Chicago Cubs this past Saturday.

Sure, Arrieta is NOT the same pitchers he was in 2015 but the bottom line is, Lyles is back to being EXACTLY the kind of pitcher he's been throughout his career. His first nine starts of 2019 (see above for a reminder) are nothing but a distant memory!

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Situational Stunner is on the SF Giants at 9:45 ET.

San Francisco's 11-8 victory in Colorado on Wednesday not only gave the Giants a four-game sweep of the Rockies at Coors Field but the victory marked the Giants' 12th win in their last 14 games. All of a sudden, the Giants have climbed to within 2 1/2 games of the NL's second wild card spot. That said, it MUST be noted that EVERY team in the NL (save Miami) can say it is in the wild card chase. The Giants will welcome the NY Mets to Oracle Park for a four-game series beginning tonight and even the 44-51 Mets can claim that they are in the wild card 'hunt' (Mets are FIVE games back of the second wild card spot). New York travels to San Francisco off a surprising two-game sweep of the Twins in Minnesota, including Wednesday's 14-4 win, when the Mets pounded out 17 hits.

A pair of pitchers who are at the forefront of trade rumors meet Thursday, Noah Syndergaard (7-4, 4.55 ERA) of New York and Madison Bumgarner (5-7, 3.86 ERA) of San Francisco. A four-start winless stretch (May 19-June 4) left Syndergaard 3-4 with a 4.83 ERA through 13 starts (Mets were 6-7). However, he is 4-0 with a 3.82 ERA over his last five starts (Mets are 5-0), after he recorded nine strikeouts with zero walks in a seven-inning effort at Miami his last time out (Mets won 4-2). Bumgarner let up one unearned run in five innings at Milwaukee last Saturday (Milwaukee won 5-4). Bumgarner started poorly in 2019 (1-4 through seven starts / Giants were 2-5) but he's allowed three ERs or less in 11 of his last 13 starts!

The Giants have won five in a row and the Mets four straight but it's IMPOSSIBLE to NOT acknowledge that the Giants have 'found' their offense, averaging a WHOPPING 8.21 RPG during their recent 12-2 surge. Syndergaard owns a 2.61 ERA in seven career starts vs the Giants (team is 3-4), going 3-2. However, that pales in comparison to Bumgarner's career record vs the Mets, as he's 7-0 with a 1.71 ERA in nine starts (Giants are 8-1). That's an 89% winning situation!

Good luck...Larry

My 10* PERFECT STORM is on the Mil Brewers at 9:40 ET.

The Milwaukee Brewers 'limped' into the All-Star break on an 8-15 slide and opened the second half of the season by losing TWO of three at San Francisco. The Brewers welcomed the Atlanta Braves to Miller Park for a three-game series that began last Monday. The series was a rematch of a three-game set played in Atlanta from May 17-19. The Brewers were 27-19 when that series started and the Braves were 23-12. However, as the teams got set to meet again in mid-July, they were headed in opposite directions. The Braves took TWO of three at home in May and used that series victory to jump-start a stretch in which Atlanta had won 34 of 50 games to move 20 games above .500 for the first time this season at 57-37 (Braves led the NL East by seven games!). Meanwhile, the Brewers had gone just 21-27 over that same time frame and at 48-46, were out of the playoffs if they started on Monday.

The Brewers lost 4-2 to the Braves on Monday but then rebounded to win 13-1 and 5-4. Milwaukee had lost EIGHT of 10 games before winning the final two against the Braves to capture the series. The 50-47 Brewers now visit Arizona for a four-game series with the D'backs. Arizona returns home off a two-game sweep of the Rangers in Texas, beating 12-game winner Lance Lynn 9-2 on Tuesday and then winning 19-4 on Wednesday, tying a franchise record for a nine-inning game with 21 hits. The D'backs have won SIX of eight and at 49-47, are in a virtual three-way tie with StL and Philly, a half-game back of the Brewers for the NL's second wild card spot.

Zach Davies (7-2, 2.89 ERA) takes the mound for Milwaukee, opposed by Arizona rookie, Merrill Kelly (7-9, 3.93 ERA). The 26-year-old Davies opened 2019 at 7-0 (2.41 ERA) through 13 starts (Brewers were 9-4), but then suffered a 5-3 loss at San Francisco on June 14. That outing began a three-start stretch in which he went 0-2 (team was 0-3), allowing 12 ERs on 21 hits over just 11.2 innings (9.26 ERA). However, Davies turned in another strong outing last Saturday but received his THIRD straight no-decision, despite allowing one unearned run on two hits over six innings against San Francisco. Yes, he's not earned a win in his last three outings but the Brewers are 3-0. No kidding! He owns an 0.55 ERA with just one ER and one extra-base hit allowed over his last three starts covering 16.1 innings. In contrast, Kelly (a 30-year-old rookie) lost his THIRD straight decision last Saturday, giving up four runs (just one earned) with five strikeouts over five innings against St Louis. Kelly's gone FIVE starts without a win (team is 1-4), last earning a victory back on June 12.

Tough spot here for Arizona, which comes off a 19-run, 21-hit effort. Davies is "at the top of his game" and rookie Kelly is in the WRONG place at the WRONG time to pick up a win for the first time FIVE weeks!

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Weekly Wipeout is on the Arz D'backs at 8:05 ET.

The Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers conclude their two-game interleague series tonight, after the D'backs beat the Rangers (and 12-game winner Lance Lynn) 9-2 on Tuesday. Last night's victory gives Arizona FIVE wins in its last seven games and at 48-47. The D'backs are just one game out in the race for the NL's second wild card spot but it's a crowded field (only the Marlins are more than 5 1/2 games out of the NL's second wild card spot!). Texas has now lost NINE of its last 13 contests and at 50-45, has fallen FOUR games back of the AL's second wild card spot.

Tonight's starting pitchers are Robbie Ray (7-6, 3.81 ERA) of Arizona and Jesse Chavez (3-4, 3.84 ERA) of Texas. Ray went 15-5 (2.89 ERA) in 2017, as Arizona went 20-8 in his starts (moneyline mark of +$1,166 was 3rd-best among all starters). However, he took the mound on July 6 with an 0-3, 6.05 ERA record over his previous four starts (D'backs were 0-4). He takes teh mound tonight, having won back-to-back starts (each by a 4-2 score), allowing just two ERs on four hits with 16 Ks in 12.1 innings (1.46 ERA). Chavez was mostly used as a reliever before late June but has started in his last four outings, throwing at least five innings each time. However, he owns a 5.16 ERA in four outings since rejoining the starting rotation. and needs to bounce back after giving up seven runs (six earned) over 5.1 innings against Houston last Friday (Rangers did win, 9-8).

The Diamondbacks "right in" the NL wild-card race (see above) and may or may not end up being sellers before the July 31 trade deadline. Several teams are reportedly interested in Ray, including the Milwaukee Brewers, Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves. However, he's with the D'backs here and he'll face a Texas team which after reaching a season-high 10 games above .500, has lost NINE of 13 (not a good sign for a team which was 67-95 in 2018!). Arizona starting pitchers are 5-2 with a 1.90 ERA over their last seven outings and Ray continues that surge here.

Good luck...Larry

My 7* Las Vegas Insider is on the NY Yankees at 7:05 ET.

The Tampa Bay Rays rode three HRs from Travis d'Arnaud on Monday (including a three-run 9th-inning blast) to a 5-4 win. The Rays were poised to win their fourth consecutive contest against the New York Yankees last night (led 3-2 into the bottom of the 8th) but Aaron Judge ignited a SIX-run uprising to even the four-game series at one win apiece. Judge belted a go-ahead two-run HR and Didi Gregorius added a grand slam as the Yanks won 8-3. Those HRs helped move the first-place Yankees six games ahead of the second-place Rays and gave New York a 10-5 lead in the season series. The Yankees are 19-6 in their last 25 games but before erupting on Tuesday, they had scored only 17 runs in their previous six games. The Rays are 6-2 in their last eight games, as they continue to chase the Yanks in Wednesday's third contest of a four-game series.

Yonny Chirinos (8-4, 3.11 ERA) gets the nod for Tampa Bay and Domingo German (11-2, 3.40 ERA) for New York. For a time, Chirinos was following an "opener" but this marks his 10th straight 'regular' start. He's allowed three ERs or less in SEVEN of his last eight but the Rays are just 2-6 in that span. He notched a win for the first time in over a month on Friday, after allowing two runs on four hits with a career-high eight strikeouts over seven innings of a 16-4 romp at Baltimore (last previous win was back on June 7). German was 9-1 with a 2.60 ERA through May 21 but in a three-start stretch from May 26 through June 7, was 0-1 (team was 1-2), allowing 14 ERs over just 14.1 innings for an 8.59 ERA. A strained left hip flexor had sidelined him since June 8 but he returned on July 3. He's pitched six innings in his two outings since that return, allowing just one ER for an 0.50 ERA, as well as owning a 13-0 KW ratio (he's 2-0).

German is attempting to join Texas' Lance Lynn as the majors' second 12-game winner and I expect him to do just that. The Yankees are 34-16 at home (outscoring opponents on average, 5.16-to-3.70 RPG), including going 15-3 (83%) in home night games vs right-handers!

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Daytime Dominator is on the Atl Braves at 2:10 ET.

The Milwaukee Brewers welcomed the Atlanta Braves to Miller Park for a three-game series beginning Monday night. The series is a rematch of a three-game set played in Atlanta from May 17-19. The Brewers were 27-19. when that series started and the Braves were 23-12. However, as the teams got set to meet again in mid-July (this time at Milwaukee), they were headed in opposite directions. The Braves took TWO of three at home in May and used that series victory to jump-start a stretch in which Atlanta had won 34 of 50 games to move 20 games above .500 for the first time this season at 57-37 (Braves led the NL East by seven games!). Meanwhile, the Brewers had gone just 21-27 over that same time frame and at 48-46, would be out of the playoffs if they started Monday. T The Milwaukee Brewers host the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday in the final

The Braves won 4-2 Monday night, before the Brewers rebounded with a 13-1 blowout win last night. Milwaukee won for the just the THIRD time in its last 11 games, as the Brewers remained 2 1/2 games behind the Cubs in the NL Central and a half-game back of the second wild card spot. Atlanta lost for the first time in five games on its current six-game road trip, as its lead in the NL East is now 6 1/2 games over Washington and 8 1/2 games over Philadelphia. The teams meet this afternoon in the rubber match of the three-game series, in which will be the final meeting between Atl and Mil this season. Dallas Keuchel (3-2, 3.09 ERA) takes the mound for Atlanta and Chase Anderson (4-2, 4.27 ERA) for Milwaukee.

Keuchel has made five starts since signing with Atlanta. He allowed three ERs over five and 5.1 innings in each of his first two (went 1-1) but appears in mid-season form through three July starts He is 2-1 with a 2.11 ERA and 1.07 WHIP in that span, holding opponents to a .205 batting average and .553 OPS. Chase Anderson will make his 19th appearance and 14th start of the season for the Brewers. He is 3-2 with a 4.23 ERA since joining the rotation in late April (team is 6-7 in his previous 13 starts, losing each of the last three).

Atlanta had averaged 5.2 runs on 8.7 hits in the previous 15 games but finished with just five hits on Tuesday. Atlanta’s bullpen entered the middle contest of the three-game series owning a 2.81 ERA since May 22 but gave up NINE runs in four innings Tuesday. It's fair to say Tuesday's game was a "one-off." Atlanta is 30-19 in road games this season, having gone 22-9 away from home since May 9. What's more, the Braves are looking to win their 10th series in their last 11, having gone 9-0-1 in their last 10 series. The Braves have not lost a series since dropping two of three at Pittsburgh from June 4-6. (note: Atlanta is 20-7-3 in series this season). In STARK contrast, the Brewers are 3-9-4 in their last 16 series, with all THREE wins coming against Pittsburgh. Milwaukee's last series win over a team other than the Pirates came May 13-16 when the Brewers won three of four at Philadelphia. No reason to NOT to play the Braves here, especially with Keuchel matched up against Anderson.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Situational Stunner is on the Col Rockies at 8:40 ET.

The San Francisco Giants have spent most of the season in the NL West cellar but Monday's 19-2 and 2-1 victories at Colorado give the Giants 10 wins in their last 12 games. Yes, the 45-49 Giants are still in last place in the NL West but their recent surge has them just TWO games back of the Arizona D'backs in the division, while also climbing back into the NL wild card race (10 teams are within 5 1/2 games of each other with two wild card spots available). The twin-bill loss by the Rockies dropped Colorado to 46-48 on the season, as the team has now lost nine of 11.

The two NL West rivals play the third contest of this four-game series on Tuesday, as Drew Pomeranz (2-9, 6.42 ERA) of the Giants will square off against Peter Lambert (2-1, 6.67 ERA) of the Rockies. Pomeranz is having an AWFUL season with just TWO wins in 16 starts (team is 6-10). He has worked more than five innings in just ONE of those 16 starts and along with his 'ugly' ERA (see above), he owns a 1.77 WHIP and .305 BAA. Lambert won his first two major league starts (he gave up just two ERs on seven hits over 12 innings for a 1.50 ERA), but he's winless in his last four outings (0-1 / team is 0-4). Lambert has surrendered 20 ERs on 30 hits over 17.2 innings in his last four starts (10.19 ERA). Lambert has also served up nine HRs in 29.2 innings, including SIX in his last two starts.

Finding a good reason to back either starter is near-impossible but I will make a case to back the Rockies here. Colorado is coming off a doubleheader loss in which the Rockies managed just THREE runs on 11 hits over 18 innings. This from a team that even after yesterday's awful effort, checks in averaging 6.67 RPG at Coors Field. Colorado almost HAS to bounce back against Pomeranz, who owns a 9.76 ERA and 1.99 WHIP in his 2019 road starts. I can't really count on Lambert but despite the Giants' recent surge, the team enters this contest with a BA of .234 (ranked 29th), while averaging only 4.38 RPG (24th).

Good luck...Larry

My 7* Late-Breaker is on the Min Twins at 8:10 ET.

The Minnesota Twins had lost six of 10 before the break but picked up a big series win out of the All-Star break. The Twins won the first two games in Cleveland on Friday (5-3) and Saturday (6-2) but while they couldn't complete three three-game sweep (lost 4-3), the series win was a confidence-builder. The Twins are now back in Minnesota and open a nine-game homestand at Target Field, beginning with the a two-game IL series with the New York Mets on Tuesday. The Twins saw their lead over Cleveland in the American League Central cut in half over a roughly three-week span but came out of the break by taking two of three from the Indians to restore a 6 1/2-game advantage. The Mets also won two of three in their first series following the break (won the rubber match at Miami on Sunday by a 6-2 margin) but New York is just 42-51, 15 games back of Atlanta in the NL East. Yes, the Mets are just 5 1/2 games back of the second wild card spot but 10 teams are ahead of them in a battle for those two wild card spots!

Taking the mound tonight will be New York's Steven Matz (5-6, 4.89 ERA) and Minnesota's Michael Pineda (6-4, 4.56 ERA). Zack Wheeler was scheduled to start the opener but was placed on the 10-day injured list Monday afternoon due to right shoulder fatigue. Matz was sent to the bullpen after his last start (June 29) but this is his 17th start of 2019. Of concern has to be that in his previous four starts, the lefty allowed 17 ERs over just 17.1 innings (8.83 ERA), going 0-2 with the Mets losing ALL four games. Matz has never faced the Twins in his five major league seasons,

Pineda was limited to 17 starts with the Yankees last season, finishing 8-4 with a 4.39 ERA. He's made 17 starts already for Minnesota in 2019 and a quick glance shows that he's 6-4 with a 4.56 ERA. However, let's look closer. He opened 2-0 in his first three starts (Twins went 3-0) but then had a five-start stretch (from April 18-May 11) in which he went 0-3 (team was 0-5), posting a 7:06 ERA. However, since mid-May, Pineda has made nine starts, going 4-1 (Twins are 7-2). He comes into this contest having allowed exactly ONE run in FOUR of his last five starts. He is also 2-0 with a 0.69 ERA in two career starts against the Mets.

Pineda will take the mound for a team leading all MLB clubs in scoring (5.68 RPG), OPS (.830) and HRs (171), while ranking second in team BA (.271). Meanwhile, Matz will have to face that lineup, backed by a team which is a woeful 19-32 on the road in 2019. The Mets started their current nine-game road trip by winning two of three at Miami, which snapped a streak of 13 consecutive winless road series (0-10-3) that dated back to an April 1-3 sweep of the Marlins (note: Marlins own MLB's worst record). Twins win in a romp.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Game of the Week is on the Chi White Sox at 8:15 ET.

The Chicago White Sox returned from the All-Star break and got swept over the weekend in Oakland by the A's. Chicago was outscored 18-3 Friday and Saturday and then coughed up a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning on Sunday, eventually losing 3-2 in the bottom of the ninth on a throwing error. The 42-47 White Sox continue their 10-game road trip with a four-game series in Kansas City against the Royals, beginning on Monday. Chicago has fallen 8 1/2 games back of the second wild card spot but hope to 'make hay' in Kansas City, which took two of three at home vs the Tigers over the weekend. However, the Royals are just 32-62 on the season (MLB's third-worst record) and own MLB's worst moneyline mark (minus-$$1,948).

Taking the mound in tonight's series opener will be Lucas Giolito (11-3, 3.15 ERA) of Chicago and Jakob Junis (4-8, 5.33 ERA) of Kansas City. Giolito became a regular in Chicago's starting rotation in 2018 but was just 10-13 with an 'ugly' 6.13 ERA in 32 starts (team was 14-18). However, what a difference a year makes! Giolito tossed a scoreless inning in the All-Star Game on Tuesday in Cleveland, after entering the break on a sour note by giving up a season high-tying six runs in four innings of a 6-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs on July 6. Guiolito posted a spectacular 0.94 ERA during his eight-start winning streak (from May 7 through June 14) but that streak came to halt at Wrigley on June 19 in a 7-3 loss. That contest began a streak in which Giolito failed to get through six innings in four straight starts (he's 0-2 with a 7.11 ERA and the team is 1-3 in that stretch).

Junis is in his third season and Year No. 3 is NOT going well. He is win-less over his last seven starts, posting an 0-3 record with a 5.31 ERA (team is 2-5). Can he turn it around? His last win came back on May 30 and he'll take the mound with KC having lost his last four outings, posting a 5.32 ERA. Getting back to Giolito, he's DOMINATED the Royals in four starts this season, going 3-0 with a 1.80 ERA (34 Ks in 25 innings). In his young career, he's 6-0 with a 2.13 ERA in 10 starts vs KC (White Sox are 8-2). Chicago just may 'enjoy' its four-day stay in KC but that's getting ahead of myself. Monday, it's Giolito and the White Sox over Junis and the Royals.

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Las Vegas Insider is on the Atl Braves at 8:10 ET.

The Milwaukee Brewers welcome the Atlanta Braves to Miller Park for a three-game series beginning Monday night. The series is a rematch of a three-game set played in Atlanta from May 17-19. The Brewers were 27-19. when that series started and the Braves were 23-12. However, as the teams get set to meet again in mid-July (this time at Milwaukee), they are headed in opposite directions. The Braves took TWO of three at home in May and used that series victory to jump-start a stretch in which Atlanta has won 34 of 50 games to move 20 games above .500 for the first time this season at 57-37 (Braves lead the NL East by seven games!). Meanwhile, the Brewers have gone just 21-27 over that same time frame and at 48-46, would be out of the playoffs if they started today. The Braves completed a three-game sweep of the Padres in San Diego with Sunday's 4-1 win. As for the Brewers, they lost TWO of three at home to the Giants over the weeknd, as their bullpen allowed 16 ERs on 19 hits over 12 innings (12.00 ERA), featuring a blown save by Josh Hader on Friday and a six-run seventh on Sunday.

Starters for Monday's series opener will be Atlanta's Max Fried (9-4, 4.29 ERA) and Milwaukee's Adrian Houser (2-3, 4.01 ERA). Fried opened the season with two relief appearances but has since made 18 consecutive starts. He went 7-2 with a 2.88 ERA over his first 10 starts of this season (team was 7-3 through May 22) but he has since gone 2-2 with a 6.17 ERA over his last eight starts (note: Braves are 5-3 in that stretch). Fried has made just two career starts against the Brewers (1-1 with a 4.00 ERA) but he made one of his better starts of the season against Milwaukee back on May 17, striking out five and giving up just two hits in six shutout innings of a 12-8 victory.

Houser has made just five starts in 2019 but this marks his FOURTH consecutive turn in the rotation. It's hard to be optimistic about his prospects as he gets set to make his sixth start of 2019, considering he owns an 0-3 record, an 8.47 ERA and a 2.18 WHIP in his previous five starts. Houser has just one career appearance against Atlanta and that came last season, when he allowed three hits over 2.2 innings of scoreless relief.

The Brewers have just over two weeks to acquire help for their beleaguered bullpen, as they begin a stretch in which they face teams with a winning record in 16 of their next 19 contests. Hard to imagine Milwaukee having much confidence, as the Brewers enter tonight's gamer having lost 17 of their last 26 games. Meanwhile, the Braves are 27-10 since June 1. Atlanta is averaging 5.02 RPG in going 29-18 on the road (that's the NL's best road record), while the Brewers are allowing 5.06 RPG at home and as noted, have a bullpen that 'IMPLODED' over the weekend.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Pitch Perfect Play is on the Col Rockies at 3:10 ET.

Rookie Philip Ervin went 6-for-6 with three RBI while Yasiel Puig was 4-for-6 with a HR and four RBI in Cincy's 17-9 victory at Colorado. The Reds had lost 3-2 on Friday night but snapped a three-game losing streak by collecting a season-high 24 hits, as well as scoring a season high in runs. Colorado lost for the SEVENTH time in eight games, as five relievers combined to allow 12 runs on 15 hits over five innings. The 42-47 Reds and 45-46 Rockies are part of SEVEN teams chasing the NL's second wild card spot (all are withing four games). However, while the Rockies are a whopping 14 1/2 games back in their division (NL West), the Reds may be in last place in the NL Central but they are just 5 1/2 games back of the first-place Cubs.

Starters for the rubber match of this three-game set will be Cincy's Tyler Mahle (2-9, 4.47 ERA) and Colorado's Antonio Senzatela (7-6, 5.32 ERA). Neither pitcher deserves much respect but I will note that while Senzatela allowed seven runs over 4.1 innings against Arizona on July 5 (last start before the break), he was 4-1 with a 3.38 ERA over his previous seven starts (Rockies were 5-2).

As for Mahle, a seventh-round pick in the 2013 draft, he lost his FOURTH straight decision on July 7, 11-1 against Cleveland. He is 2-2 with a 3.62 ERA in seven home starts in 2019 (Reds are 4-3 ) but he's a MIND-NUMBING 0-7 with a 5.04 ERA in 10 starts away from Great American Ball Park, with the Reds going 0-10! Will that streak eventually end? Sure but NOT HERE. The Reds have ranked near the bottom of the National League in several offensive categories for almost all of the season but last night, scored 17 runs on 24 hits. NO deja vu in this one. Expect the Reds to lose for the 11th straight time in a Mahle road start!

Good luck...Larry

My 8* Daytime Dominator is on the Cle Indians at 1:10 ET.

The Cleveland Indians entered the All-Star break on a roll, having won SIX in a row. The Indians returned from the break and knew they had a 10-game homestand upcoming. SEVEN of those games were against the Tigers and Royals, two of the three worst teams in the AL. However, up first, Cleveland had a three-game series with the AL Central-leading Twins. Minnesota had lost six of 10 before the break and with Cleveland ending the first half on a 16-5 run, the Indians were just 5 1/2 games back of the Twins. Cleveland was primed to "make a move" this weekend but instead, the Indians rallied for three runs in the seventh inning to key a 5-3 victory on Friday. The Twins then followed with a 6-2 win last night, keyed by three HRs (note: Minnesota has now hit 171 HRs, five more than last season's total!). The Twins have pushed their lead in the division to 7 1/2 games over the Indians and Sunday will go for a sweep.

Taking the mound will be Minnesota's Jose Berrios (8-5, 3.00 ERA) and Cleveland's Shane Bieber (8-3, 3.45 ERA). Berrios has been stuck on eight wins since June 6. He's win-less in his last five outings (team is 1-4), although he has postied quality starts in four those outings, allowing a modest 10 ERs over 34 innings (2.65 ERA). More good news here for the Twins is that Berrios is 5-2 with a 3.71 ERA and 0.94 WHIP in nine career starts against the Indians (team is 6-3), after winning both of his encounters this season.

Bieber steps to the mound off his All-Star Game Most Valuable Player performance. Bieber was outstanding in his last two starts before the break, permitting just two runs on seven hits with 19 strikeouts and zero walks over 16 total innings. Bieber's had two 'hiccups' over his last eight starts, allowing seven ERs over 4.1 innings at Arizona on July 5 and six ERs in four innings vs the Cubs on June 12, but the Indians have won FIVE of his other six starts in that stretch, with Bieber posting a 2.25 ERA.

Bieber "has the goods," as evidenced by his 141 strikeouts to go along with just 23 walks across 112.1 innings on the season, not to mention a .214 BAA and a 1.01 WHIP. The Indians CAN'T afford to get swept here and Bieber is just the guy they want on the mound (team has won NINE of his last 13 starts). NO sweep on Sunday!

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Weekend Wipeout is on the Mil Brewers at 7:15 ET.

The Milwaukee Brewers 'limped' into the All-Star break on an 8-15 slide and opened the second half of the season with a difficult loss on Friday night. The Brewers lost their series opener to the Giants when Buster Posey delivered a tie-breaking grand slam in the top of the 10th inning. The 10-7 defeat, coupled with the Cubs' 4-3 win over the Pirates, dropped 47-45 Milwaukee 1 1/2 games behind first-place Chicago (48-43) in the NL Central. The Giants hit a season-high five HRs and while the win (the team's seventh in its last eight) allowed them to get within 4 1/2 games of a wild-card spot in the NL, there are EIGHT teams ahead of them in that battle for just TWO spots (note: Giants are 16 1/2 games back in the Dodgers in the NL West).

Taking the mound Saturday will be Madison Bumgarner (5-7, 4.03 ERA) of the Giants and Zach Davies (7-2, 3.07 ERA) of the Brewers. Bumgarner is a four-time All star and more notably, a three-time World Series champ (who will ever forget his 2014 performance against the Royals!). Bumgarner has not had a strong season but after the Giants won just ONE of his first six starts, they've won NINE of his last 13. Bumgarner is coming off an aborted outing in which he had to leave his start against St Louis last Saturday in the third inning after having been hit by a line drive near his left elbow earlier in the game.The veteran lefty had allowed just three runs and seven hits while registering 20 strikeouts over 13 innings in his previous two starts, winning both of them. He is 7-4 with a very good 2.76 ERA against Milwaukee during his career (13 starts / team is 9-4).

The 26-year-old Davies opened 2019 at 7-0 (2.41 ERA) through 13 starts (Brewers were 9-4), but then suffered a 5-3 loss at San Francisco on June 14. That outing began a three-start stretch in which he went 0-2 (team was 0-3), allowing 12 ERs on 21 hits over just 11.2 innings (9.26 ERA). However, he has bounced back with two consecutive solid outings, giving up a total of just one ER over 10.1 innings (0.87 ERA). He settled for no-decisions in both of those starts but Milwaukee won each game.

Yes, Davies has yet to beat San Francisco in three starts (he's 0-2 and the team 1-2), but he owns a 2.81 ERA in those three career starts vs the Giants. It's true that the Giants have scored 63 runs during their 7-1 spurt (7.88 RPG) but one CAN'T ignore that even after that hot stretch, the Giants still own MLB's lowest team BA (.230). In other major offensive categories the Giants rank 28th in OPS (.685) plus 27th in both scoring (4.21 RPG) and HRs (93). Davies gets that first "W" against the Gianst and it comes with "room to spare."

Good luck...Larry

My 8* Las Vegas Insider is on the StL Cards at 7:15 ET.

Trade rumors have surrounded more than a few key members of the Arizona Diamondbacks but while the D'backs are NOT in contention in the NL West (Dodgers are games up on Arizona), but the team is "right in the middle" of a tightly-bunched NL wild card race. Arizona posted a 4-2 victory Friday night at St Louis for its fourth consecutive win. The Diamondbacks improved to an NL-best 27-23 on the road and at 47-45 overall, Arizona pulled within one-half game of the second wild-card spot (note: 10 teams are within 4 1/2 games of each other in a battle for two spots!). As for the Cards, they fell two games back in that cluttered wild card race, while dropping their FOURTH straight contest at home.

Merrill Kelly (7-8, 4.03 ERA) will take the mound for Arizona on Saturday, opposed by St Louis' Dakota Hudson (7-4, 3.51 ERA). Kelly looked good against the Dodgers on July 3rdallowing three ERs in six innings, although Arizona lost, 5-4 (he took a no-decision). It was his FIFTH quality start in his last seven outings, although the team is a modest 4-3 in that stretch. Kelly will be facing the Cardinals for the first time but has been better at home (3.04 ERA / 1.09 WHIP) than on the road (4.94 ERA / 1.41 WHIP).

Hudson was the 34th overall pick in the 2016 draft and debuted in the major leagues last summer (4-1, 2.63 ERA in 27.1 IP) but has really come into his own in 2019. "Dakota has been our most consistent starter," Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said. "He uses a proven recipe ... sinker, slider, keep the ball down, control counts, get grounders and work efficiently. He's been a competitor since his first day in the organization." Hudson took the mound on June 29 having gone 4-0 with a 2.22 ERA over his previous seven starts, with the Cards having won ALL seven of those starts. However, his four-game winning streak and run of eight consecutive quality starts 'hit a brick wall' in San Diego, as he was pounded for seven runs on five hits (two HRs) and a walk over just 1.2 innings (Cards lost 12-3). However, Hudson picked up the win in his final start before the break after giving up three runs in five innings at San Francisco on July 5 in a 9-4 win.Like Kelly, this will be Hudson's first appearance against Saturday's opponent.

I noted Hudson's June 29th effort at San Diego but will add here that while he allowed SEVEN runs in that outing, just ONE was earned! That means the rookie has allowed three ERs or less in 16 of his 17 starts in 2019, including 14 in a row! I'm NOT 'standing in front of that train' with a rookie who owns a 4.94 ERA and 1.41 WHIP on the road.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Division Game of the Month (AL Central) is on the Cle Indians at 7:10 ET.

The Minnesota Twins rallied with three runs in the seventh inning which keyed a 5-3 victory over the Cleveland Indians, who saw their SIX-game winning streak snapped. Minnesota had lost six of 10 before the break but the win increased its lead in the NL Central to 6 1/2 games over Cleveland. The Indians' bullpen imploded (four runs allowed in four innings) but Cleveland has still won 11 of 15 since losing back-to-back 13-0 contests with the major league-worst Baltimore Orioles June 28th and 29th..

The second of the three-game series goes tonight, as Minnesota's Jake Odorizzi (10-4, 3.15 ERA) takes the mound against Cleveland's Trevor Bauer (8-6, 3.61 ERA). Odorizzi will come off the injured list to make the start on Saturday (he missed a chance to pitch in his first All-Star Game due to a blister on his right middle finger), looking to end a poor four-start stretch. Odorizzi was 9-2 with a 1.92 ERA through June 9 (team was 10-3 in his starts) but he's since gone 1-2 (team is 2-2), allowing 16 ERs over just 18.1 innings for a 7.85 ERA.

Bauer's had an inconsistent season but takes the mound unbeaten in his last SIX starts, with the Indians winning ALL six of those starts! He's TWICE allowed five ERs in that stretch but in the other four, he's allowed juts four ERs over 29.2 innings for a 1.21 ERA. Doing the math, Bauer is 4-0 with a 2.90 ERA in his last six starts (Cleveland is 6-0!). Yes, Bauer is an unimpressive 6-8 with a 4.35 ERA in 20 career starts against Minnesota (team is 9-11) but that pales in comparison to Odorizzi going 1-4 with a 5.25 ERA in 10 starts against Cleveland (teams are 2-8!). With Odorizzi struggling coming in (plus who knows about that blister?) and Bauer in "fine form" (see above), I'm "all over" the Indians.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Game of the Week is on the Atl Braves at 10:10 ET.

The Atlanta Braves entered the 2018 season off FOUR consecutive losing seasons, having averaged just 69 wins the previous three years. However, Atlanta would surprise all by going 90-72 last season to win the NL East. The Braves open the second half of 2019 with a 54-37 record, after winning 24 of 34 games since June 1. Atlanta owns a SIX-game lead in the NL East and is 5 1/2 games behind the LA Dodgers in the race for the NL's best record. The Braves kick off the second half on a six-game road trip, beginning with three games in San Diego this weekend with the Padres.

San Diego hasn't had a winning season since 2010 but the Padres ended the first half with three straight wins in LA against the Dodgers (owners of MLB's best record), a surge that boosted San Diego back to .500 at 45-45. The Padres will NOT threaten the 60-32 Dodgers in the NL West (SD trails by 13 1/2 games) but there is legitimate "wild-card talk" in San Diego, as the Padres are among EIGHT teams are within three games of each other for the two wild card spots

Dallas Keuchel (2-2, 3.60 ERA) will take the mound for Atlanta on Friday night, opposed by San Diego's Dinelson Lamet (0-1, 5.40 ERA). Keuchel makes his fifth start since signing with Atlanta last month and in his last two starts has allowed only four runs on 10 hits with three walks in 14.1 innings (2.51 ERA). The 31-year-old Keuchel signed with the Braves for $13 million in June and says, "I feel like I'm in mid-season form. It took a few starts to build up. I knew it would take a few, but I think I'm there. Mentally, at first it was just trying to get locked in."

Lamet, who turns 27 next week, went 7-8 with a 4.57 ERA in 21 starts in 2017 (team was 9-12), averaging 10.9 strikeouts per nine innings. He then missed all of 2018 after injuring his elbow late in spring training and undergoing Tommy John surgery. Lamet made his first start in the majors since 2017 on July 4, after giving up 16 runs on 21 hits with 33 strikeouts in 24 innings across six minor-league rehab starts. He was throwing in the 96-99 mph range on July 4 at Dodger Stadium, where he gave up three ERs on three hits and two walks with seven strikeouts in five innings (Padres lost 5-1)..

Keuchel was a great signing for Atlanta and the lefty will face a San Diego lineup which has averaged just 3.7 RPG in 15 games in 2019 vs left-handers and is a less-than-impressive 23-24 at home, averaging a poor 3.87 RPG. Lamet's arm looks fine but note that his last win came way back on 8/15/17. The Padres lost his final SEVEN starts of 2017 and then lost in his return to the majors on July 4th (see above). Why not a NINTH straight loss, here? No reason!

Good luck...Larry

My 9* World Series Rematch is on the Bos Red Sox at 7:10 ET.

The second half of the regular season begins with a World Series rematch, as the defending champion Boston Red Sox host the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday in the opener of a three-game interleague series. Boston won a major league-high 108 games last year and then breezed through the postseason, capped by a five-game win in the World Series over the Dodgers. However, the 49-41 Red Sox have struggled to find any consistency in 2019 and open the second half NINE games back of the Yankees in the AL East plus two games out of the second AL wild card spot. Meanwhile, the 60-32 Dodgers own MLB's best overall record and return from the break as owners of a 13 1/2 game lead in the NL West, a division they have won each of the last SIX years.

Taking the mound for Friday's opener will be Kenta Maeda (7-5, 3.76 ERA) of the Dodgers and Eduardo Rodriguez (9-4, 4.65 ERA) of the Red Sox. Los Angeles starters Hyun-Jin Ryu, Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler all made the All Star team but note that Maeda has enjoyed a solid first half and takes the mound at Fenway, having allowed three ERs or less in NINE of his last 10 starts. Rodriguez, like his team, has struggled to find any consistency in 2019, as he's allowed two or fewer runs NINE times but has also allowed four or more runs in his other NINE starts.

However, there is ONE thing consistent about Rodriguez. When he starts, the Red Sox usually win. Boston was 19-4 in his 23 starts in 2018, going plus-$1,387 against the moneyline (MLB's 6th-best mark). Has he been inconsistent in 2019? Yes, as I note above. However, the Red Sox are 13-5 in his 18 starts, going plus-$743 against the moneyline (again, MLB's 6th-best mark). Getting back to Maeda, he hasn't earned a win since May 31 against the Phillies. He'll take the mound tonight 0-3 over his last six starts, with the Dodgers going 2-4. Looking even closer, Maeda owns a 2.26 ERA and 0.81 WHIP at Dodgers Stadium but a 5.52 ERA and 1.36 WHIP. Do not expect Fenway to be kind to him!

Good luck...Larry

My 8* Pitch Perfect Play is on the Was Nats at 6:05 ET.

The Washington Nationals were just 19-31 in games played through May 23 but the Nats entered the All-Star break on a 28-11 run, claiming the No. 1 wild card spot in the NL at 47-42. The Philadelphia Phillies were 11 games over through 55 games but dropped 11 of 13 contests from June 9-23. However, they did win EIGHT of their final 13 games entering the break and sit just a half-game back of the Nats as owners of the NL's No. 2 wild card spot. Washington comes out of the break to open a nine-game road trip with a three-game series at Philadelphia.

Stephen Strasburg (10-4, 3.64 ERA) will take the mound for Washington on Friday, opposed by Philly's Nick Pivetta (4-3, 5.84 ERA). Strasburg enters this contest 6-1 with a 3.28 ERA over his last eight starts (Nats were 7-1) and won his THIRD straight start in on July 3, scattering two hits and striking out 14 batters over 7.1 scoreless innings in a 3-1 victory vs Miami. Pivetta has been inconsistent for most of 2019. He fell to 0-2 with a 7.33 ERA in his last four starts on July 3 (Phils are 0-4), after allowing six runs in 5.2 innings of a 9-2 loss at Atlanta.

I'm sold on Washington's recent resurgence, which has seen its starting rotation allow one run or less in nine of its last 12 games, while the offense owns a franchise-record streak of 21 consecutive contests with a HR. "Closing the deal" is the following. Starsburg owns a sparkling 12-2 record with a 2.72 ERA and 0.95 WHIP in 25 career starts vs Philadelphia (Nats are 20-5). In STARK contrast, Pivetta is 0-6 with an 11.15 ERA in eight career starts vs the Nats (teams are 0-8!!!!). He is 0-2 with a 13.00 ERA and 2.22 WHIP in two starts this season against Washington and has allowed 13 HRs in 31.2 career innings against the Nationals. P-E-R-F-E-C-T!

Good luck...Larry

My 7* PERFECT STORM is on the LA Dodgers at 4:10 ET.

Hunter Renfroe homered for the second straight game and Manuel Margot added a two-run shot in Saturday’s 3-1 victory, as the Padres beat the Dodgers for the second straight time. The Padres won 3-2 the night before and enter the final game before the break at 44-45. Yes, San Diego sits a WHOPPING 15 games behind the first-place Dodgers in the NL West but the Padres are in the thick of the NL wild card race, just 2 1/2 games out of the second wild card spot (note: FOUR teams sit between SD and that 2nd spot!). The 60-31 Dodgers are almost assuredly headed for their SEVENTH straight NL West title, as they own MLB's best record and the largest lead (14 1/2 games) of any division leader.

The Padres have a chance to win this four-game series on Sunday with a victory (Padres had lost FIVE in a row prior to their Fri and Sat wins!), while the Dodgers look for a split, after losing back-to-back home games for the first time since April 12-13. Joey Lucchesi (6-4, 3.91 ERA) takes the mound for San Diego and Ross Stripling (3-2, 3.45 ERA) for the Dodgers. Lucchesi pitched well last Sunday at home against the Cards. He allowed just two runs on four hits with six strikeouts over 5.1 innings, getting a no-decision as the Cards won 5-3 in 11 innings. Pitching well at Petco hasn't been a problem, as he owns a 2.76 ERA in 10 home starts. However, his road ERA over six starts is 6.10. More bad news looms in that he's 0-3 with a 7.64 ERA in four career starts against the Dodgers (team is 0-4!).

Stripling has been used as a starter (eight times) and reliever (14) in 2019, He was moved from the bullpen into the staring rotation in place of Rich Hill (left forearm strain) and has allowed a total of six runs (five earned) over his last two starts covering 7.2 innings. His innings figure to be limited here, as he posted a 1.86 ERA in six games (one start) in June but that was over a modest 9.2 innings. He is 4-4 with a 2.61 ERA in 13 career games (five starts / team is 2-3 and he owns a 2.55 ERA) vs San Diego.

Asking the Padres to win here is a stretch, as the Padres are seeking their first series win at Dodger Stadium since April 29-May 1, 2016. I noted above that LA comes off back-to-back home losses for the first time since April 12-13 and will add that LA is 37-10 at home, outscoring opponnents on average, 5.51-to-3.26 RPG. Should we really expect Lucchesi, with a 6.10 road ERA in 2019 and 7.64 ERA vs the Dodgers in four career starts to get the job done? I sure don't. Note that Stripling owns a 2.70 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and .232 BAA in eight home appearances (four starts). LA has won THREE of those four starts and in that lone loss, Stripling pitched 5.1 scoreless innings.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Oddsmaker's Error is on the SF Giants at 4:05 ET.

The San Francisco Giants have spent most of the season in the NL West cellar but entered this weekend series against the Cardinals riding a season high-tying four-game winning streak. It abruptly came to an end on Friday, as the Cards won 9-4. However,the Giants rebounded for an 8-4 victory on Saturday, the team's SIXTH win in its last eight games. Some good news is the Giants own a promising outfield duo oinAlex Dickerson and Austin Slater. Dickerson had an RBI double and Slater delivered a pinch-hit grand slam in Saturday’s victory, while Pablo Sandoval homered and drove in three runs. St Louis fell to 4-4 on its nine-game road trip and sits 44-43 in MLB's 'tightest' division. The first-place Cubs are two games better than the Cards but are only 4 1/2 games up on the last-place Reds in the NL Central.

The starting pitchers for the rubber match of this three-game series are Jack Flaherty (4-5, 4.90 ERA) and Jeff Samardzija (5-7, 4.32). Flaherty was a first-round draft pick of the Cardinals in 2014 but enters this game 0-2 with a 7.12 ERA and 11 HRs allowed over 30.1 innings over his last six starts (team is 2-4). Flaherty has made two starts vs San Francisco (0-0 / team is 1-1) but owns an 11.37 ERA! The 34-year-old Samardzija is a career underachiever and he's having another so-so year. He posted a 5.93 ERA in five June starts but opened July by becoming the first Giants pitcher to complete eight innings this season, allowing two runs over eight innings in a 13-2 victory over San Diego this past Monday. Samardzija is 4-5 with a 3.77 ERA in 24 career games (13 starts / teams are 8-5 and he owns a 3.57 ERA) vs St Louis.

While I'm no fan of Samardzija, I went against the Cards last night. Mikolas had pitched well at home (2.48 ERA and 0.97 WHIP in nine starts) but in eight road starts those numbers ballooned to 7.23 and 1.69! It's deja vu all over again, here. Flaherty owns a 3.48 ERA and 0.95 WHIP in nine home starts but a 6.81 ERA and 1.75 WHIP in eight road starts. Yes, the Giants own MLB's lowest team BA (.231), as well as ranking 28th in scoring (4.18 per), OPS (.684) and HRs (87), but they scored 40 runs in their four-game winning streak entering this series and have scored 12 runs in splitting the first two of thi series. Doing the math, the Giants have collected 52 runs (8.67 per) and 71 hits over their last six games and face a pitcher with a 6.81 road ERA and 1.75 road whip, who in two starts against San Francisco, owns an 11.37 ERA. Look out below.

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Daytime Dominator is on the Phi Phillies at 1:10 ET.

It's been a HUGELY disappointing season for the Phillies. Philadelphia sat a season-high 11 games over .500 on May 29 at 33-22 but the Phillies are only 13-21 since that time. Philly plays at the Mets on Sunday (the day before the All Star break), 6 1/2 games back of the first-place Braves in the NL East and even a half-game back of the Washington Nats. Philly won 7-2 at Citi Field on Friday but lost 6-5 last night, as the Mets ended a six-game losing streak against the Phillies. It was just New York's THIRD win in its last 12 contests, as the Mets find themselves 40-49, 12 1/2 games out in the NL East. The Mets can say that they are just 6 1/2 games back of the second wild card spot but they would also have to acknowledge that there are EIGHT teams in front of them (only the Marlins own a worse record than the Mets in the NL).

Aaron Nola (7-2, 3.89 ERA) takes the mound for Philly and Zack Wheeler (6-5, 4.42 ERA) for the Mets. Nola was Philly's Opening Day starter, coming off a 17-6 (2.37 ERA) season in which the Phils went 22-11 in his starts, giving him MLB's 12th-best moneyline mark of +$983. Nola, like his team, has struggled in 2019 (Phils are 11-7, +$7 in his 18 starts) but he enters this contest off back-to-back scoreless outings (15 IP / 5 hits / 18-4 KW ratio). The first of those two came at home vs the Mets on June 27, when he permitted just one hit and one walk over seven innings of a no-decision that the Philies won 6-3.

Wheeler has pitched well in his last three starts, posting a 1.86 ERA. However, the Mets are just 9-9 in his 2019 starts and his ERA (4.42), WHIP (1.25) and BAA (.250) are nothing to brag about. However, he is 5-2 with a 2.95 ERA in 13 career starts vs Philadelphia (mets are 8-5). However, Nola "tops that," going 6-1 with a 3.48 ERA in 11 career starts vs the Mets (team is 8-3). Also playing heavily in my selection of Philly is that New York's beleaguered bullpen gave up at least one run for the 22nd time in its last 25 games on Saturday, although the Mets did hang on to win. However, the Mets' bullpen ERA of 5.65 in 28th of 30 teams and it had allowed 27 runs on 35 hits over 17.2 innings in its six previous contests against Philadelphia (all losses). Philly wins this one then looks to regroup after the break.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Division Game of the Month (NL West) is on the Col Rockies at 10:10 ET.

Arizona first baseman Christian Walker had a career-high five RBI and enjoyed his first multi-HR game, as the D'backs beat the Rockies 8-0 on Friday night. The win ended a three-game slide and was just Arizona's SIXTH win in it last17 games (Arizona is 44-45 on the season). The Rockies' major league-worst starters' ERA grew to 5.57, as Antonio Senzatela allowed SEVEN runs in 4.1 innings on Friday, while team's overall ERA (5.21) is the worst in the National League (only Baltimore has a worse team ERA in all of MLB). Colorado has now lost four consecutive games, allowing 31 runs in that span (7.75 per). The Rockies have given up at least eight runs in FIVE of their past seven games, as they have fallen to one game above .500 at 44-43.

The starters for Saturday's contest are Jon Gray (9-5, 3.84 ERA) and Robbie Ray (5-6, 4.10 ERA).Gray won a creer high 12 games in 2018 by owned a 5.12 ERA. He's already won NINE games in 2019 (3.84 ERA) and teh Rockies are 11-6 in his 17 starts. Gray enters this game as Colorado's 'hottest' starter, going 6-1 with a 3.28 ERA over his last eight starts (team is 7-1). In contrast, Arizona's Ray comes in 0-3 with a 6.054 ERA over his last four starts (D'backs are 0-4). Ray went 15-5 (2.89 ERA) in 2017, as Arizona went 20-8 in his starts (moneyline mark of +$1,166 was 3rd-best among all starters). We haven't seen THAT pitcher in either 2018 or 2019.

Both starters own poor records against theri respective opponents, so there is nothing to learn from that. However, there is a clear edge with Gray over Ray and while Arizona did win 8-0 last night, that victory ended an EIGHT-game losing streak against Colorado. I'm "all over" the Rockies in this one.

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Weekend Wipeout is on the SF Giants at 10:05 ET.

St Louis hit three HRs and won its third straight on Friday night (9-4 at San Francisco), improving to 4-3 on its nine-game road trip leading up to the All Star break. The Cardinals have rediscovered their offense during the first week of July, scoring 23 runs in their last four games (5.75 per) and at 44-42, are just one game back of the Cubs and 1 1/2 back of the NL Central-leading Brewers. The 39-48 Giants have spent most of the season in the NL West cellar but had entered this series riding a season high-tying four-game winning streak.

Taking the mound tonight will be Miles Mikolas (5-8, 4.34 ERA) and Madison Bumgarner (5-7, 4.02 ERA). Mikolas was a star in 2018, going 24-8 with a 2.83 ERA. The Cards were 24-8 in his 32 starts, with his moneyline mark of +$1,418 being the 4th-best among all starters. However, the team is 9-8 (-$211) in his 2019 starts and he has been just AWFUL on the road. Mikolas has pitched well at home (2.48 ERA and 0.97 WHIP in nine starts) but in eight road starts, those numbers balloon to .723 and 1.69! Bumgarner is a four-time All star and more novably, a three-time World Series champ (who will ever forget his 2014 performance against the Royals!. Bumgarner has not had a strong season but after the Giants won just ONE of his first six starts, they've won EIGHT of his last 12 (5-2 at home in that span). Bumgarner won his second straight start with a stellar outing against Arizona last Sunday, when he allowed one run with nine strikeouts over seven innings. He has recorded a total of 20 strikeouts over his last two starts covering 13 innings, winning 10-4 and 4-2 (2.08 ERA).

No way I'm backing Mikolas with his road record and while Bumgarner is not the Bumgarner of years past, he has been solid since May 1 (8-4 in team starts). Giants get the ca$h!

Good luck...Larry

My 8* Daytime Dominator is on the TB Rays at 4:10 ET.

The New York Yankees have opened their four-game series with the Rays by winning a pair of extra-inning contests. Gary Sanchez's three-run HR highlighted a five-run 10th inning in Thursday's series opener (Yanks won 8-4) and then Aaron Judge and Brett Gardner each homered in the 11th inning on Friday night, as the Yanks again won 8-4! The Yankees have won 16 of their last 18, including going 7-0 against Tampa Bay and Boston in that span. New York now leads the Rays by 8 1/2 games in the AL East, while their leading over the defending champion Red Sox has grown to 11 games. As for the Rays, after winning four in a row from June 29 through July 2, they have dropped their last three games. After surrendering 10 runs during the team's four-game winning streak, Tampa Bay has allowed runs in its three-game skid.

CC Sabathia (5-4, 4.04 ERA) takes the mound for New York on Saturday afternoon and he will be opposed by Tampa's Blake Snell (5-7, 4.87 ERA). Sabathia is coming off back-to-back quality starts for the first time this season and struck out a season-high nine while allowing just two runs on six hits over six innings against the Toronto Blue Jays in his last outing on June 24 (Yanks won 10-8). Sabathia last saw Tampa Bay on June 19, when he allowed just one run on three hits over six innings of a 12-1 win. Sabathia is well-familiar with the Rays, going 18-16 with a 3.59 ERA in 51 career starts against them (teams are 28-23).

Snell won last year's Cy Young in the AL but his 2019 has been a HUGE disappointment. He failed to make it through four innings in any of his three outings from June 14-25, allowing 16 ERs while lasting a total of just SEVEN innings in that three-start stretch (20.57 ERA). However, he broke out of a that deep slump by striking out 12 and holding the Texas Rangers to two runs on three hits over six innings this past Sunday in a 6-2 win. The worst start of his disastrous stretch came at New York on June 19, when Snell lasted one-third of an inning and was rocked for six runs on two hits and four walks. Snell is a poor 3-6 with a 4.85 ERA in 14 career starts vs the Yanks (Rays are 5-9).

So why take Tampa in this one? The 38-year-old Sabathia has gotten some extra time off due to the team's trip to London and the off-days that surrounded the two-game series vs Boston last weekend but I'm not sure if it's good news that he takes the mound today having made just two starts since a June 14 one at the White Sox. What's more, the Yanks are 6-1 in CC's home starts (2.31 ERA / 1.15 WHIP) but 2-4 in his road starts (6.30 ERA / 1.623 WHIP). Snell has a similar away/home dichotomy. His road ERA is 6.48 (WHIP is 1.54) in nine starts, while in eight home starts, his ERA is 3.32 and WHIP is 1.04. Rays and Snell are the bet.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* PERFECT STORM is on the StL Cardinals at 10:15 ET.

The St. Louis Cardinals used a five-run 9th inning on July 3rd to earn a 5-2 victory and then won 5-4 on July 4th to take TWO of three games at Seattle to open the new week. Tommy Edman, who entered Wednesday's game in Seattle with 35 career at-bats and a .257 BA, hit a pinch-hit, three-run HR in Wednesday's win and the delivered a go-ahead, two-run single in the seventh inning of Thursday's one-run win. 43-42 St Louis heads to San Francisco tonight for the opener of their three-game set, looking to stay above .500. The Giants have spent most of the season in the NL West cellar but enter this series riding a season high-tying four-game winning streak, after completing a three-game road sweep of San Diego with a 7-5 victory.

Taking the mound on Friday will be Dakota Hudson (6-4, 3.40 ERA) and Drew Pomeranz (2-8, 6.25 ERA). Hudson was the 34th overall pick in the 2016 draft and debuted in the major leagues last summer (4-1, 2.63 ERA in 27.1 IP) but has really come into his own in 2019. "Dakota has been out most consistent starter," Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said. "He uses a proven recipe ... sinker, slider, keep the ball down, control counts, get grounders and work efficiently. He's been a competitor since his first day in the organization." Hudson took the mound on June 29 having gone 4-0 with a 2.22 ERA over his previous seven starts, with the Cards having won ALL seven of those starts. However, his four-game winning streak and run of eight consecutive quality starts 'hit a brick wall' last Saturday in San Diego, as he was pounded for seven runs on five hits (two HRs) and a walk over just 1.2 innings (Cards lost 12-3).

Pomeranz matched a career high with 11 strikeouts and allowed just two runs over five innings in a 2-0 loss to Colorado on June 24 and followed by registering seven strikeouts over five scoreless innings last Saturday vs Arizona. However, he was out-dueled by Greinke in a 4-3 D'backs win. That outing capped a month in which he was able to hold the opposition without an earned run for the THIRD time in five starts, after he posted a 19.16 ERA in four May starts.

Hudson has never faced the Giants, while Pomeranz has faced the Cards just once as a member of the Colorado Rockies in 2012 (0-0, 6.75 ERA / Rockies lost the game). Pomeranz has just two wins in his 15 starts, although the Giants are 4-1 in his no-decisions. Meanwhile, it MUST be noted that while Hudson allowed SEVEN runs in his last outing, just ONE was earned! That means the rookie has allowed three ERs or less in 15 of his 16 starts in 2019, including 13 in a row! He will face an Giants team here, which owns the lowest BA in MLB (.231), while ranking 28th (out of 30) in scoring (4.14 RPG), OPS (.683) and HRs (84). Cards are the play.

Good luck...Larry

My 8* Division Dominator (AL West) is on the Oak A's at 10:10 ET.

The Oakland Athletics beat the AL Central-leading Minnesota Twins 7-2 on Thursday, taking TWO of three in the series. The A's open a three-game series in Seattle against the Mariners on Friday, having won 12 of their last 16, while also going 29-15 since mid-May. The A's are just ONE game back of the Indians for the second wild card spot, in a VERY crowed wild card field (FIVE teams are within 2 1/2 games of each other, vying for TWO spots!). In STARK contrast, the Mariners are not "thinking postseason" these days. Seattle Mariners continued its losing ways Thursday, in a 5-4 setback against St Louis. The Mariners are now 25-51 (.329) since opening the season with 13 wins in 15 contests. Seattle trails division-leading Houston by 19 games and is 12 1/2 games back of the second wild card spot.

A pair of lefties take the mound on Friday, as Brett Anderson (8-5, 3.92 ERA) squares off against Yusei Kikuchi (4-5, 5.12 ERA). All in all, Anderson has had a solid season for Oakland. The 31-year-old Texan gave up for SEVEN runs over three innings of an 8-2 home loss to Tampa Bay on June 23 but in last Sunday's 4-0 win over the LA Angels, delivered 7.2 scoreless innings, yielding only two hits and two walks. The "bounce back" shouldn't have been a surprise, as the lefty had turned in three straight quality starts prior to his poor performance on June 23.

Kikuchi is a 28-year-old from Japan in his first season and enters this contest with Seattle having lost SIX of his last seven starts. He's 1-4 in that span, posting an 8.42 ERA with 19 strikeouts and 18 walks over 31 innings. This will already be the fourth time Kikuchi has faced the A's but he's yet to earn a win, while posting a 5.14 ERA. Anderson has made 20 starts against Seattle (he's 9-5 but the team is just 10-10) but he does own an impressive 2.28 ERA.

Anderson's rough outing against the Rays on June 23 was an outlier, as he takes the mound with the A's having gone 6-1 in the other seven outings of an eight-start (11 ERs allowed over 44.1 innings for a 2.23 ERA). Clinching the play is that in this battle of lefties, the A's check in at 16-7 vs left-handers in 2019 (8-4 while averaging 6.5 RPG on the road), while the Mariners are just 8-17 vs lefties in 2019.

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Las Vegas Insider is on the Pit Pirates at 7:05 ET.

Milwaukee lost THREE of four to the Cincinnati Reds and head to Pittsburgh in a first-place tie with the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central at 46-42. The Pirates lost 11-3 to the Cubs on July 4th but had won the first three games of the Series, Monday through Wednesday. At 42-44, Pittsburgh has close within THREE games of the division co-leaders (Cards are 1 1/2 games up on the Pirates and 1 1/2 games behind the Brewers and Cubs).

Taking the mound in tonight's opener will be Zach Davies (7-2, 3.24 ERA) and Steven Brault (3-1, 4.29 ERA). Davies opened the season 7-0 with a 2.541 ERA through his first 13 starts (team was 9-4) but is winless over his last four outings, going 0-2. He received a no-decision against the Pirates this past Sunday when he gave up one run and six hits over 5.1 innings (Milwaukee won 2-1). That effort broke a run in which the Brewers had lost his previous THREE starts, with Davies posting a 9.23 ERA. Davies beat Pittsburgh twice earlier in the 2019 season and stands 4-5 with a 5.08 ERA in 12 career starts against the Pirates (team is 6-6)..

Brault did not make his first start until May 7 and then made one start and two more relief appearances, before starting his last six outings. Brault received a no-decision while matched against Davies this past Sunday, giving gave up just one run on five hits over 4.2 innings. During his last six starts, the lefty has allowed just seven ERs over 31.1 innings, going 2-0 with a 2.01 ERA (Pirates are a modest 3-3, though). Brault has a 2.45 ERA in two starts against Milwaukee this season and is 1-2 with a 3.83 ERA in 13 career appearances (seven starts / team is 3-4 and he owns a 2.92 ERA) vs the Brewers.

I favor Pittsburgh and Brault in this quick "re-hook," especially since the Milwaukee bats have gone 'quiet,' with the Brewers scoring three runs or less in SEVEN of their last 10 games (Milwaukee enters this contest having failed to score in 23 consecutive innings!).

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Division Game of the Month (AL West) is on the Tex Rangers at 8:05 ET.

The Angels hope to complete a three-game sweep, while the Rangers look to avoid one on Thursday, with Griffin Canning (3-4, 3.79 ERA) taking on Lance Lynn (10-4, 4.00 ERA). LA rookie Canning will head to the mound for his 12th start of the season. He will be making this start on the day Skaggs was scheduled to pitch. The 23-year-old was a second-round pick in 2017. He defeated Oakland 8-3 this past Thursday (6 IP / 3 hits 2 ERs), ending a six-start winless stretch in which he had gone 0-3 with a 3.93 ERA (team was 2-4). Canning has faced Texas once (back on May 24 in Anaheim). He allowed one run on three hits in five innings and did not receive a decision in LA's 4-3 loss.

My 9* Daytime Dominator is on the Chi Cubs at 4:05 ET.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have taken the first THREE contests of their four-game home series with the Chicago Cubs, after scoring TWICE in the bottom of the 9th last night off Chicago's recently acquired closer (Craig Kimbrel) for a 6-5 win. The 42-43 Pirates have now won 12 of 17 to close within two games of the Cubs and sit three back of the NL Central-leading Brewers. The 45-42 Cubs have now lost FOUR straight and SEVEN of nine,

Taking the mound for the series finale are Jose Quintana (5-7, 4.21 ERA) and Jordan Lyles (5-4, 3.71 ERA). Quintana opened the season with a relief appearance and then gave up eight ERs in just three innings at Milwaukee in his first start (April 5). The lefty then went on to allow three ERs or less in 12 of his next 13 starts, but had little to show for it (Cubs were just 6-7 in that span). Quintana then suffered a brutal start at home vs the Mets on June 22, allowing eight ERs on nine hits (including three HRs) in just 4.1 innings of a 10-2 loss. However, he answered that awful outing with six scoreless innings at Cincinnati on Saturday in a 6-0 Chicago win.

Lyles began the 2019 season just 31-52 in his career, while posting a 5.28 ERA. However, he went 5-1 with a 2.81 over his first nine starts (Pirates won EIGHT of the nine). The journeyman returned from the injured list with a solid performance this past Saturday (had been out since a June 8 start) allowing three runs in six innings at Milwaukee but took a 3-1 loss. That means Lyles will enter this contest 0-3 (team is 0-4) in his last four starts, while posting a 6.16 ERA.

Quintana owns a 2.31 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in six career starts against Pittsburgh (he's 2-1 and his teams 4-2), while Lyles is 3-2 with a 3.59 ERA in 13 career appearances (seven starts / teams are 4-3) vs Chicago. Yes, Pittsburgh is going for the sweep but I believe Lyles has returned to his career form (see above for a reminder) and that Quintana has pitched MUCH better than his record indicates. NO sweep here. Cubs win! Cubs win!

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Oddsmaker's Error is on the Oak A's at 9:07 ET.

Oakland won the last three contests of a four-game series in Anaheim against the LA Angels over the weekend and then beat the division-leading Minnesota Twins 8-6 last night. The A's are 14-5 over their last 19 games and at 47-39, remain in a virtual tie with Cleveland (46-39) for the second wild card. The 53-31 Minnesota Twins lead the Central Division by SEVEN games (largest margin of any division-leader other than the LA Dodgers) but have lost FOUR of their last five. It should also be noted that the Twins were 47-22 on June 15, before losing NINE of 15 (trouble brewing?).

Taking the mound on Wednesday will be Kyle Gibson (8-4, 4.21 ERA) and Mike Fiers (8-3, 4.01 ERA. This is Gibson's seventh season and he opened the year 54-61 with an ERA of right around 4.50 (can you say journeyman?). However, with the help of Minnesota's outstanding offense, he takes the mound tonight with eight wins over 15 starts, with the Twins going 10-5 in those starts. However, he will be facing a tough opponent tonight in Mike Fiers. Fiers was 17-9 in 2018 (Det & Oak), finishing as MLB's top money-earner (21-9 in starts, +$1,879). 2019 did not begin well for him, as he entered May 7 with a 6.81 ERA but he then threw a no-hitter. Actually, Fiers' turnaround began in the previous two starts to that gem and he will enter tonight's contest having allowed three ERs or less in each of his last 12 starts. Fiers brings a 10-start unbeaten streak into tonight's contest, a stretch during which he has gone 6-0 (A's are 7-2 with a suspended game in that stretch, one in which the A's led 5-3).

Gibson's most recent outing was a relief appearance Thursday against the visiting Rays, when he threw a perfect 17th inning in a game that Tampa Bay eventually won 5-2 in 18 innings. He's 2-2 with a 4.03 ERA in four career starts against the A's, going 1-1 with 4.38 ERA in Oakland. The Twins seem to be "off their game" lately, while the A's are surging. As noted, Fiers has gone 10 straight starts without a loss (2.39 ERA in that stretch) and is 8-1 at home since arriving in Oakland late last year, with the A's going a MONEY-MAKING 12-2 (86%) in his home starts. want more? Fiers has pitched against the Twins 11 times in his career, including 10 times as a starter. He's compiled a 6-1 record and 2.77 ERA in those games teams are 9-1!). Yet, he is a home dog to a journeyman??

Good luck...Larry

My 8* Situational Stunner is on the Cin Reds at 7:10 ET.

Yasiel Puig, who had been on first base, scored in the 11th inning of Cincinnati's 5-4 win Tuesday after Milwaukee right fielder Christian Yelich's throw back to the infield on a single by Jose Iglesias eluded first baseman Eric Thames. The victory allowed the Reds to even their four-game series with the Brewers at one win apiece and Cincy now looks to post back-to-back victories for the first time since the team's season-high, six-game winning streak from June 16-21. The NL Central is MLB's most competitive division, as the 46-40 Brewers are in first-place but the last place Reds (39-44) are just 5 1/2 games back.

Taking the mound for the third contest of this four-game series will be Jhoulys Chacin (3-8, 5.60 ERA) and Sonny Gray (4-5, 3.94 ERA). Chacin found a 'home' with the Brewers in 2018, going 15-8 with a 3.50 ERA (Milwaukee was 23-12 in his starts, giving him a moneyline mark of plus-$1,079). However, he saw his winless skid extend to EIGHT starts after he notched his second straight no-decision on Friday, despite allowing one run in five innings vs Pittsburgh (Pirates won 3-2). Chacin's last win was all teh way back on April 30, as he's 0-5 and the team is 2-6. Chacin owns a 3-3 mark with a 4.26 ERA in 12 career appearances (10 starts / teams are 5-5) vs the Reds.

Gray won 14 games for the A's in 2014 and again in 2015 but had a poor 2016 season. He was traded to the Yankees during the 2017 season and went just 4-7 with a 3.72 ERA. He pitched for New York in all of 2018, finishing a HUGELY disappointing 11-9 with a 4.80 ERA. However, Gray has pitched well for the Reds the last two months. He continued to turn his season around this past Friday with a 6-3 win over the Cubs. He's 4-1 with a 3.74 ERA in his last eight starts, with the Reds going a MONEY-MAKING 7-1. What's more, he's 1-0 with a 2,76 ERA in three career starts vs the Brewers (teams are 3-0).

Noting Gray's current form (see above) and adding in Chacin's simply AWFUL road record in 2019, the play is clearly on Gray and the Reds. Chacin is 1-7 with a 6.94 ERA and 1.71 WHIP in eight starts, which is an 88% "play-against!"

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Pitching Mismatch is on the Min Twins at 10:07 ET.

Oakland is 13-5 over its last 18 contests and won the last three contests of a four-game series in Anaheim over the LA Angels over the weekend by a combined 23-5. The Athletics are playing some of their best baseball of the season and in the final week prior to the All Star break have climbed with a half-game of the AL's second wild card spot at 46-39. Meanwhile, the 53-30 Minnesota Twins lead the Central Division by EIGHT games (largest margin of any division-leader other than the LA Dodgers) but have lost THREE of their last four. It must be noted that the Twins were 47-22 on June 15, before losing EIGHT of 14.

Jake Odorizzi (10-3, 2.73 ERA) takes the mound for the visiting Twins on Tuesday and will be opposed by Oakland's Daniel Mengden (2-1, 4.03 ERA). The Twins lost Odorizzi's first three starts of 2019 (he was 0-2 with a 6.35 ERA) but his ERA was down to 1.92 ERA after a win at Detroit on June 9 (Odorizzi was 9-2 and the Twins had won his last 10 starts!). However, he's struggled in his last three outings, allowing 11 ERs on 19 hits over 15.1 innings (6.46 ERA). Mengden is coming off his best start of the season after tossing six scoreless innings in a 2-0 win at St Louis last Wednesday. However, Mengden only got that start because Frankie Montas (9-2, 2.70 ERA / 11-4 in team starts) was suspended 80 games for testing positive for PEDs. Mengden had made five appearances (three starts) in 2019. He was sent to Triple-A Las Vegas after getting knocked around for six runs on as many hits over 2.1 innings at the Los Angeles Angels on June 5 and posted a 6.10 ERA in two Triple-A games. His start vs the Cards was surely a surprise.

Mengden will be making his first career appearances against Minnesota and DON'T expect an effort like the one against the Cards. After all, the Twins rank second in scoring (5.71 RPG), as well as first in team BA (.270), OPS (.831) and HRs (157). As for Odorizzi, the Twins are12-4 in all of his starts (moneyline mark of +$863 ranks 4th among all starters) and he'll take the mound with Minnesoata having won 12 of his last 13 outings! As for his record against Oakland, it's a small sample size but a good one. He owns a 2.95 ERA against the A's in six overall outings but look closer. He will be making just his fourth career start in Oakland in hopes that it goes as well as the first three. His last two road outings against the A's have resulted in eight innings of shutout pitching in 2016 and seven innings of one-hit ball in 2017. He owns 1.29 ERA in his three Oakland starts, his lowest at any site at which he's started three or more games! That's good enough for me at a VERY reasonable price.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Situational Stunner is on the Col Rockies at 8:10 ET.

The Colorado Rockies will play the Houston Astros Tuesday and Wednesday, wrapping up a six-game homestand. Colorado and its opponents have each scored 96 runs in the tam's last 11 home contests, with the Rockies going a modest 6-5. Colorado did split a four-game series with the Dodgers (Thu-Sun), as the Rockies were able to snap a 12-game losing streak against LA with wins Friday and Saturday. They welcome the Houston Astros to Coors Field for this two-game interleague series, trailing the Dodgers by 12 games in the NL West but the Rockies are back in the wild card hunt, tied with the Phillies at 44-40 for the NL's second wild card, just a half-game back of the 45-40 Cubs. The Astros are coming off a three-game home sweep of the Mariners, returning to form after losing NINE of their previous 11 contests. Houston is 53-32 on the season (tied for second in the AL for most wins) and still owns a comfortable 6 1/2-game lead in the AL West. Houston leads all of baseball with its six All-Star selections and it's hard to argue with their inclusion.

Tuesday's pitching matchup features Jose Urquidy (NR) and German Marquez (8-3, 4.29). Here's the 4-1-1 on the 24-year-old Urquidy. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2016 and came back with increased velocity. He was the opening day starter at Corpus Christi (Double-A) and made seven appearances (six starts) and was promoted to Triple-A. Urquidy earned his promotion to the big leagues by going 3-1 with a 2.89 ERA in eight games (seven starts) with Round Rock, striking out 64 in 43.2 innings while recording a 0.97 WHIP.

Marquez has emerged as the ace of a Colorado staff that has been plagued by inconsistency and injury. He's coming off two solid starts, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits in five innings of a 6-3 victory at San Francisco this past Wednesday, after yielding one ER in eight innings of a no-decision at Dodger Stadium on June 21 (Colorado lost 4-2). Marquez is not a 'shut-down' kind of pitcher but the numbers don't lie. Colorado went 19-14 in his starts last year (+$571 moneyline mark ranked 25th among all starters) and the Rockies are 13-5 in his 2019, with his +$806 moneylimne mark ranking 5th-best!

Houston's sweep of Seattle hardly makes one forget the team's NINE losses in its previous 11 games, as the Mariners are a pathetic 24-49 (.328) since their 13-2 start. The above numbers reflect Coloadao's success with Marquez taking the mound and one CAN'T ignore that the Rockies are 8-1 (89%) in Marquez's home starts in 2019!

Good luck...Larry

My 8* Weekly Wipeout is on the Tex Rangers at 8:05 ET.

The Los Angeles Angels mourned the death of 22-year-old pitcher Nick Adenhart in 2009 in a car accident and now, 10 year later, announced early Monday afternoon that the 27-year-old Tyler Skaggs passed away due to unknown causes earlier in the day. Monday's game was understandably canceled (was postponed until August) but the now three-game series will get underway on Tuesday in Arlington. Los Angeles won last Thursday's series opener against Oakland in Anaheim but then lost the final three games to the A's while getting outscored 23-5! The 42-43 Angels hope to get back to .500 in tonight's contest with the 46-38 Rangers. Texas saw a six-game winning streak come to a crashing halt with back-to-back defeats at Tampa Bay this past Saturday and Sunday. Texas fell 2 1/2 games back of the Rays for the No. 1 wild card spot but remain a half-game ahead of Cleveland and Oakland for the second wild-card spot .

Tonight's pitching matchup will feature a pair of lefties, Jose Suarez (2-1, 5.57 ERA) and Mike Minor (8-4, 2.40 ERA). Suarez has been recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake City to make his fifth career start. His last major league start was back on June 20 when he gave up five runs on eight hits (three HRs) over five innings of a no-decision at Toronto (Jays won 7-5). Suarez has served up at least one HR in each of his four 2019 starts and has issued a total of nine walks over his 21 innings. Minor capped a brilliant month with his second career complete game this past Wednesday, winning 4-1 in Detroit. The first-time All-Star finished 3-0 with a 1.70 ERA over five outings in June (Rangers were 5-0) and he owns a 2.03 ERA in eight home starts.

Texas made back-to-back World Series appearances in 2010 and 2011 (lost both) to begin a seven-year stretch in which the Rangers made the playoffs in FIVE of seven seasons. However, Texas would go 78-84 in 2017 and then 67-95 in 2018. However, the Rangers find themselves squarely in the thick of the American League playoff race (see above). thanks to their strong play since mid-May. Minor is a former first-round pick who made 65 relief appearances for KC in 2017 but the Rangers put him back in the starting rotation in 2018. He made 28 starts last year, going 12-8 with a 4.18 ERA. Here in 2019, he's been the team's best starter. Minor allowed SIX runs in his 2019 opener but has since allowed three ERs or less in 15 of his last 16 starts (current streak is 12 in a row, allowing three ERs runs or less). The Angels are a poor 11-19 vs lefties (-$1,080) and face one tough lefty in Minor. Meanwhile, the Rangers are 28-15 (+$1,810) at home, averaging 5.70 RPG. Isn't Minor the obvious play?

Good luck...Larry

My 10* "signature" LEGEND Play is on the Ch Cubs at 1:10 ET.

All-Star shortstop Javy Baez hit his fifth career slam on Saturday (20 HRs and 56 RBI on the season) and Jason Heyward homered for the second straight game, as the Cubs beat the Reds 6-0. The Cubs own a 14-14 mark this month entering the final day of June but at 45-38, remain atop the NL Central, one game up on the Milwaukee Brewers. The Reds fell for the FIFTH time in six games but at 37-43, they are a modest 6 1/2 games back of the Cubs (note: FIVE second-place teams in MLB's six divisions are 6 1/2 games or more behind their respective division leaders).

The rubber match of the three-game series goes Sunday afternoon in Cincy, as Jon Lester (7-5, 3.83 ERA) takes on Anthony DeSclafani (4-4, 4.70 ERA). Lester opened the 2019 season with a 1.16 ERA through his first seven starts (team went 5-2) but he then surrendered 11 HRs while posting a 7.17 ERA and an opponents batting average of .325 in his next seven outings (Cubs went 3-4). However, he showed some promise in the last start of that seven-game stretch (June 19 at home vs the White Sox), earning a 7-3 win while allowing three ERs over 5.2 innings of a 7-3 win. He made it TWO straight wins this past Monday, beating the Braves 8-3 at Wrigley, allowing two unearned runs in six innings.

DeSclafani struck out a season-high NINE batters last Sunday at Milwaukee but allowed SIX six runs on eight hits over 4.1 of innings to take a 7-5 loss. That outing ended a three-start unbeaten streak in which he had surr2endered just ONE run in each of those starts. That said, DeScalfani is 4-4 in 15 stasrt (team is 8-7) on the season, posting a 4.70 ERA and 1.37 WHIP. So what's new? He's 31-32 in 100 career appearances (92 starts) with a 4.29 ERA and 1.31 ERA.

While the Cubs lead the division and Reds sit in its basement, Cincinnati has taken each of the two previous series (2-1) between the two teams in 2019. The Cubs dropped a 4-2 decision in the series finale at Great American Ball Park back on May 16 and lost the rubber match of another three-games series 10-2 setback at Wrigley Field on May 26. Is the THIRD time the charm? I say Y-E-S! The 29-year-old DeSclafani is nothing but a journeyman pitcher (see above), who is 3-3 record with a 4.24 ERA in 10 career starts vs Chicago (team is 5-5). Meanwhile, the accomplished Lester owns a 7-1 career record (3.88 ERA) in 16 starts against Cincinnati, with his teams going a DOMINATING 14-2 (that's an 88% winning rate). Cubs win! Cubs win!

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Las Vegas Insider is on the StL Cardinals at 10:10 ET.

The San Diego Padres woke up this morning 13 1/2 games back of the Dodgers in the NL West but the news isn't all bad. Friday's 3-1 triumph over the Cardinals improved San Diego to 41-40, as the Padres are above .500 at the midway point of the season for the first time in NINE years! It's the team's best 81-game record since enjoying a 48-33 first half in 2010. As for the St Louis Cardinals, they fell to 40-40 with Friday's loss, the team's FOURTH in a row. St Louis has scored only EIGHT runs in its current slide and finds itself three games back of the Cubs in the NL Central.

Taking the mound for the middle contest of this three-game set are rookies Dakota Hudson (6-3, 3.36 ERA) and Chris Paddack (4-4, 3.18 ERA). Hudson and Paddack are two of the top rookie pitchers in the National League. They rank among the top five rookie starting pitchers (minimum 60 innings) in every statistical category and among the top three in most. The only rookie starting pitcher higher on most charts is Mike Soroka of the Atlanta Braves. Hudson, who was the 34th overall pick in the 2016 draft, debuted in the major leagues last summer (4-1, 2.63 ERA in 27.1 IP) but has really come into his own in 2019. "Dakota has been out most consistent starter," Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said. "He uses a proven recipe ... sinker, slider, keep the ball down, control counts, get grounders and work efficiently. He's been a competitor since his first day in the organization." Hudson takes the mound 4-0 with a 2.22 ERA over his last seven starts, as the Cards have won ALL seven of those starts.

Paddack was acquired by the Padres in a trade with Miami on June 30, 2016, in exchange for closer Fernando Rodney. He was the Marlins' eighth-round pick in the 2015 draft. Paddack spent the 2018 season on limited duty with 17 minor league starts while rehabbing from Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery in the summer of 2016. The Padres are still limiting Paddack's innings and he recently returned from a 10-day trip to the minors during which he didn't appear in a game. Paddack's overall numbers are still good but look closer! Paddack had a 1.93 ERA and a 1.93 ERA after his first nine starts but he hasn't won since beating Arizona 2-1 back on May 20. He's made just FOUR starts since that May 20th win, going 0-2 (Padres are 0-4!). He's allowed 15 runs (14 earned) on 25 hits and five walks with 17 strikeouts over a modest 19.1 innings in those four outings, giving him a 6.52 ERA.

Yes, Hudson and Paddack are two of the NL's top rookie pitchers in 2019 but the duo comes into this contest heading in OPPOSITE directions. Stay the course with Hudson!

Good luck...Larry

My 8* Pitching Mismatch is on the Arz D'backs at 10:05 ET.

The San Francisco Giants lost 5-1 to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday night but rebounded last night to win, 6-3 while collecting 12 hits. Buster Posey broke out of a 2-for-28 slump with three hits and Alex Dickerson went 2-for-4 with a solo HR, as he has now reached base safely in each of his first eight games with the team. San Francisco broke a FIVE-game home losing streak against Arizona with the win. As for the D'backs, they lost for the EIGHTH time in their last 12 games, going just 4-for-17 with runners in scoring position.

The teams continue their four-game series tonight, as Zack Greinke (8-3, 3.08 ERA) squares off against Drew Pomeranz (2-8, 6.79 ERA). Greinke has not been very good over his last two starts (team is 1-1), allowing nine ERs on 18 hits over 13 innings (6.23 ERA) but let's NOT ignore that prior to his recent woes, he had allowed three ERs or less in 13 of his previous 14 starts! Greinke takes the mound here owning a 15.1-inning road scoreless streak, having gone 2-0 with a 0.47 ERA in his last three starts away from Chase Field.

Pomeranz matched a career high with 11 strikeouts and allowed just two runs over five innings in last Monday’s 2-0 loss to Colorado. However, the outing was a MAJOR improvement for the veteran who posted a 19.16 ERA in four May starts. He was briefly removed from the rotation after that stretch. Pomeranz has just two wins in his 14 starts but the Giants are 4-0 in his no-decisions.

Getting down to the nitty gritty, Greinke is CLEARLY the superior pitcher and what clinches it for me in this contest is the lifetime records of tonight's opposing pitchers. Greinke is 12-3 with a 2.34 ERA against the Giants in 19 career starts (teams are 15-4) and he's never lost in San Francisco, going 5-0 with a 1.37 ERA in seven starts at Oracle Park. In stark contrast, Pomeranz is 0-4 with an 8.53 ERA in 10 career appearances (seven starts) vs Arizona. He's 0-4 (team is 2-5) in those seven starts, posting a 9.10 ERA. Greinke is the "easy choice" in this one.

Good luck...Larry

My 7* Weekend Wipeout is on the LA Dodgers at 8:15 ET.

The Dodgers opened their four-game series with the Rockies with a 12-8 win on Thursday, moving to 7- 0 against Colorado in 2019. However, Colorado finally solved the 'riddle of the Dodgers' with Friday's 13-9 triumph. The Rockies took advantage of three LA errors as part of an eight-run fifth inning. The Rockies, who sit 12 games back of the Dodgers in the NL West, now set their sights on back-to-back victories against LA for the first time since last August

Clayton Kershaw (7-1, 3.07 ERA) will take the mound for LA, opposed by Colorado's Jon Gray (8-5, 3.92 ERA). Kershaw allowed four runs in six innings last Monday at Arizona, failing to record a quality start for the first time in EIGHT outings (LA lost, 8-5). Losing with Kershaw on the mound hasn't happened often to LA in 2019, as the Dodgers are 11-2 in his 13 starts. What's more, Kershaw is 22-7 with a 3.16 ERA in 40 career starts against Colorado (LA is 30-10).

Gray enters having won each of his last three decisions and is coming off back-to-back strong road outings, allowing one earned run over six innings in Arizona on June 19 and then tossing six scoreless innings at San Francisco this past Monday. Gray has been solid at home for the most part in 2019, going 3-1 with a 3.47 ERA in seven appearances (six starts / Rockies are 4-2). However, he is just 3-5 with a 4.98 ERA in 12 career starts against the Dodgers (Rockies are 6-6).

As noted above, Friday's win by Colorado was its FIRST in eight tries vs LA in 2019 and trying to make it back-to-back wins over LA (for the first time since last August), figures to be a ''bridge too far' (especially when facing Kershaw). LA in a R-O-U-T!

Good luck...Larry

My 10* PERFECT STORM is on the Oak A's at 10:07 ET.

The Oakland Athletics have been making a recent push toward a wild-card spot in the American League but so have the Los Angeles Angels. Both teams have won SEVEN of their last 10 and after the Angels beat the A's 8-3 last night in the opening contest of a four-game series in Anaheim, the 43-39 A's are just one game better than the 42-40 Angels. Oakland is 2 1/2 games out of the second AL wild card spot and LA, 3 1/2 games out. It's a jam-packed wild card field (SIX teams are within 4 1/2 games of the top-two positions), so the three games remaining in this series certainly have meaning. Oakland had won 10 of 14 overall contests and four straight on the road, before being limited to five hits on Thursday. As for the Angels, they moved two games over .500 for the first time this year, posting their FIFTH consecutive home victory and fourth in a row, overall.

Mike Fiers (7-3, 4.20 ERA) will get the start for Oakland and Felix Pena (5-2, 4.68 ERA) will follow Noe Ramirez (3-0, 2.95 ERA), who will used as LA's "opener." Fiers was 17-9 in 2018 (Det & Oak), finishing as MLB's top money-earner (21-9 in starts, +$1,879). However, 2019 did not begin well for him. He entered May 7 with a 6.81 ERA but he then threw a no-hitter. Actually, Fiers' turnaround began in the previous two starts to that gem and he will enter tonight's contest having allowed three ERs or less in each of his last 11 starts. Fiers brings a NINE-start unbeaten streak into Friday's contest, a stretch during which he has gone 5-0 (A's are 6-2 with a suspended game in that stretch and Fiers owns a 2.51 ERA). Pena has followed an "opener" in 10 of his last 11 appearances, after beginning the season by making four traditional starts. He will follow Noe Ramirez on Friday. Pena had won FIVE straight decisions and back-to-back outings before suffering a 4-2 loss at St Louis on Saturday, allowing four runs (two earned) and four hits in four innings.

Fiers is 5-4 with a 5.19 ERA in 12 career games (11 starts / teams are 7-4) vs the Angels but the is 2-0 in two starts against the Angels this season (2.25 ERA). Meanwhile, Pena has yet to defeat Oakland in his career, going 0-2 while surrendering 21 runs over 16 innings in three starts and two relief appearances (that's an 11.81 ERA, including a loss in two meetings this year. I'll close by adding that Oakland's 19-20 road record is VERY deceiving, as the A's opened 5-15 away from home in 2019 but enter this game 14-6 over their last 20 road games. I'm taking the 'price.'

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Situational Stunner is on the Chi Cubs at 7:10 ET.

The Chicago Cubs hit the midway point of the season on a high note (81st contest of a 162-game season), squeezing out a dramatic a 9-7 win to earn a split of a four-game series against Atlanta. Chicago erased a five-run deficit in Thursday's win, just its SEVENTH in its last 17 games. The 44-37 Cubs lead the NL Central by one game over the Brewers and three over the Cards, as they open a nine-game road trip leading into the 2019 All Star break. The Reds welcome the Cubs to Cincinnati for this three-game weekend series with a 36-42 record. Cincy won SIX straight from June 16-21 but enter this game having lost FOUR in a row, while allowing 23 runs. The Reds are in last-place in the NL Central but they are just 6 1/2 games back of the division-leading Cubs.

Cole Hamels (6-2, 2.92 ERA) takes the mound Friday for Chicago, opposed by Cincy's Sonny Gray (3-5, 4.03 ERA). The veteran Hamels has had quite a season, allowing three ERs or less in 14 of his 16 starts in 2019 (Cubs are 11-5). The lefty enters tonight's game looking to wrap up what's been a remarkable June. He may be just 2-0 (team is 3-2) in his five starts this month but he's pitched MUCH better than that record. Hamels has pitched at least seven innings in each one, allowing just four ERs (1.00 ERA) with 36 Ks over 36 innings. I'll get to his lifetime record vs the Reds in my closing argument. Gray's June has been NOTHING like Hamels'. He's 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA in four June starts (team is a surprising 3-1) and comes off lasting just 4.1 innings (allowed six hits, four walks and four ERs) of a no-decision at Milwaukee last time out, although the Reds won 11-7. Going back further, the "underachieving" 29-year-old has completed six innings only TWICE in his last 11 starts.

The Cubs are a 'shaky' 15-21 on teh road but I provide two HUGE positives in my support of them in this contest. Chicago is averaging an impressive 5.36 RPG in road contest and while send red-hot vet Lester to the mound. Lester enters in "top form" (1.00 ERA in five June starts) plus is a DOMINATING 12-1 with a 1.77 ERA in 18 career starts vs Cincy, with his teams going 17-1, which is a 94% winning situation. That's the play!

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Underdog of the Month (NL) is on the Atl Braves at 7;10 ET.

The NL East-leading Atlanta Braves are 48-34 enter this weekend's three-game series at Citi Field with the 37-45 New York Mets, 11 games up on their division rival. The Braves had won 15 of their last 19 entering Thursday afternoon's game at Wrigley with the Cubs and appeared on their way a fifth win in six games, only to cough up a five-run lead in a 9-7 loss to Chicago. Atlanta remains on the the road on a 15-5 overall run to wrap up its 10-game road trip with three games against the Mets. New York was 27-27 in late-May but open the series on a five-game slide, having gone 10-18 overall to 'lose touch' with the division leader.

Friday's pitching matchup features Mike Soroka (8-1, 2.07 ERA) and Jacob deGrom (4-6, 3.25 ERA). Soroka takes the mound tonight unbeaten since his season debut back on April 18. The Braves are 10-3 in his 2019 starts, as he not only owns that sparkling 2.07 ERA but an 0.97 WHIP and a n.201 BAA. Soroka and the Braves received a scare when he was hit in the right forearm by a pitch and had to exit Sunday's start at Washington after tossing two scoreless innings but the good news is, he's just fine. Soroka has been spectacular on the road with a 4-0 record, 1.07 ERA and 0.80 WHIP in seven starts (team is 5-2) plus is 3-0 (1.96 ERA) in his brief career vs the Mets .

The "beat went on" the last time out for reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Jason deGrom. Despite allowing two runs or less for the seventh consecutive start (more on that later), deGrom had to settle for a no-decision at the Cubs last Sunday (Mets would lose, 5-3). DeGrom owns a 1.88 ERA in 19 career starts against the Braves but owns a modest 7-6 record with the Mets going 8-11 in those starts.

Atlanta owns the best record in MLB (18-7) in June and is 4 1/2 games ahead of the Phillies in the division. Meanwhile, the reeling Mets are coming off a demoralizing four-game sweep by Philadelphia, blowing a lead of multiple runs in each of the losses. The Mets suffered their major league-worst 20th blown save when the Phillies scored five runs in the ninth of Thursday's 6-3 victory. New York's bullpen ERA is 5.65 ERA, the third-worst in MLB (Atlanta's bullpen ERA of 3.75 ERA ranks 4th-best). The Braves own a HUGE bullpen advantage here and how does one ignore the following? DeGrom has typically suffered from a lack of run support and that has been no different in 2019. He's allowed two ERs or less in 10 of his last 11 starts, yet the Mets are just 3-8 in that 11-start stretch. Expect more 'pain' for deGrom and the Mets up against Soroka and the Braves!

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Getaway Day Romp is on the Chi Cubs at 2:20 ET.

Nick Markakis belted a three-run HR and Brian McCann added a solo shot in Wednesday's 5-3 victory as the Braves improved to 4-2 on their current 10-game road trip. What's more, the Braves have won 16 of their last 20 as they get set to play the finale of their four-game series Thursday afternoon at Wrigley against the Chicago Cubs. Atlanta's recent surge gives them a 48-33 record, opening a 5 1/2 game lead over the Phillies in the NL East. Meanwhile, the 43-37 Cubs are just 6-10 their last 16 games, leaving them just one game up on the Brewers in the NL East (Cards are 2 1/2 back).

Bryse Wilson (0-0, 8.31 ERA) will get the start for Atlanta and Tyler Chatwood (3-1, 3.69 ERA) for Chicago. Wilson will be recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett to take a spot in the rotation that was created when Mike Foltynewicz was sent to the minors over the weekend. Wilson was the Braves' fourth-round pick in 2016 and while he's a modest 4-6 with a 3.79 ERA in 14 starts in Triple-A, he has registered 79 strikeouts in 78.1 innings plus has pitched shutout ball in FOUR of his past eight starts.

Chatwood pitched for the LAA for one year and then spent five seasons with Colorado. He went 4-6 with a 5.30 ERA in 2018 with the Cubs over 24 appearances (including 20 starts). He's made 18 appearances in 2019 but just TWO starts. Chatwood is making his second straight start, after allowing three runs (two earned) and six hits in four innings against the New York Mets on June 20 (Cubs won, 7-4). The Cubs also won his April 21 start 2-1, when he pitched six scoreless innings.

Atlanta has surrendered only five runs while winning Tuesday and Wednesday in Wrigley, after the Cubs prevailed in Monday's opener. However, let me point out that Chicago's losses came against lefties Fried and Keuchel and the untested Wilson is a righty. Chicago is a MONEY-MAKING 24-12 at home vs right-handed starters and I see the Cubs earning a split of this four-game series by winning behind Chatwood for the THIRD time in his three 2019 starts. I'm a perfect 2-0 in this series, winning with the Cubs on Monday and the Braves on Tuesday (passed on Wednesday's game). Make that 3-for3. Cubs win! Cubs win!

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Oddsmaker's Error is on the Min Twins at 8:10 ET.

The first-place Minnesota Twins (AL Central) host the wild card-leading Tampa Bay Rays (two-game lead on the No. 2 wild card teams) in the middle contest of their three-game series. Minnesota owns an 8 1/2-game lead over Cleveland in the AL Central, after a 9-4 victory in Tuesday's series opener. Minnesota owns MLB's highest scoring team (5.76 RPG) plus also leads all MLB teams in BA (.273), OPS (.843) and HRs (149). The Rays own MLB's second-lowest team ERA (3.32) and did own MLB's best road (at 23-10) prior to the team's current road trip. However, The Rays have stumbled to a 2-6 record on a 10-game road trip vs the NY Yankees, Oakland and now, Minnesota.

Tonight's pitching matchup is gem, as Charlie Morton (8-1, 2.31 will square off against ERA) vs Jake Odorizzi (10-3, 2.58 ERA). Morton spent his first nine years in the National League and sported a 46-71 record. However, he arrived in Tampa Bay this spring (as a free agent), after registering his best two seasons in the majors with Houston, going 29-10 with a 3.36 ERA in 55 starts. He won a World Series title with the Houston Astros in 2017 and made his first All-Star team in 2018. The Rays won 10 of Morton's first 14 starts, during which he went 8-0 with a 2.10 ERA. However, Tampa Bay has lost each of his last two starts, a stretch in which Morton has allowed five ERs five runs over 12.1 innings. Prior to his last two starts, Morton had won FOUR straight starts, posting a 1.00 ERA and a .151 BAA.

Odorizzi is a former Tampa Bay Ray and is tied for the AL lead in wins with Justin Verlander and Lucas Giolito. Odorizzi was 10-0 with a 1.52 ERA in his previous 11 starts before losing 4-1 at Kansas City on Thursday. He also faced the Royals in his previous start (6 IP / 4 ERs) but received enough run support in a 5-4 victory on June 15. The Twins lost Odorizzi's first three starts of 2019 but had won all 11 of Odorizzi's starts from April 17 through June 15, before losing last Thursday

Morton vs Odorrizi is a 'push' but while the Rays are just 4-10 in their last 14 contest, while averaging only 3.79 RPG (note; Tampa Bay has trailed in 13 of them!). Meanwhile, MLB's best offensive team is 39-20 (.661) against right-handers in 2019, including 24-12 (.667) in night games. How can this game be pick'em?

Good luck...Larry

My 10* IL Game of the Month is on the StL Cards at 7:15 ET.

The Oakland A's won 7-3 Tuesday night in St Louis. It gives them 13 wins in their last 17 road games, after opening the 2019 season just 5-15 away from home. Oakland is still EIGHT games back of Houston in the AL West but the 42-38 A's are only 1 1/2 games behind the three teams that are in a virtual tie for the AL's second wild card spot. Three Oakland players homered and Khris Davis added a two-run double as a pinch hitter. The A's had 10 hits, as did the Cards, but St Louis went 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position. Despite the loss, the 40-38 Cards are a modest 2 1/2 games back of the Cubs in the NL Central and only a half-game out of the NL's second wild card spot (currently held by the Phillies and Rockies).

This two-game IL series concludes tonight with Daniel Mengden taking on Adam Wainwright (5-6, 4.50. Mengden gets the start because Frankie Montas (9-2, 2.70 ERA / 11-4 in team starts) was suspended 80 games for testing positive for PEDs. Mengden has made five appearances (three starts) in 2019. His most recent big league outing was back on June 5, when he allowed six runs on six hits in 2.1 innings of relief against the Los Angeles Angels. He was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas on June 6 and has posted a 6.10 ERA in two Triple-A games.

Wainwright will become the FIFTH player to make 300 starts with St.Louis and the first since Bob Forsch hit the mark in 1983. He went 11-3 back in 2008 but then won 19 or 20 games in FOUR of his next five seasons (missed all of 2011). He's never quite regained his form from that stretch but returned from the injured list last Thursday and received a no-decision after giving up three runs in 5.1 innings against Miami (Cards lost 7-6 in 11 innings). The vet has been awful on the road (6.56 ERA and 1.51 WHIP in seven starts) but here in St Louis, has been VERY good. Wainwright has allowed three ERs or less in all SEVEN of his home starts, posting a 2.86 ERA at Busch Stadium.

Yes, Oakland's on a roll away from home but Mengden is getting the spot start ONLY because of the Montas suspension. He's proven pretty conclusively that he's "not ready from primetime." Meanwhile, Wainwright CAN be trusted at home and I'm backing the vet.

Good luck...Larry .

My 10* Pitching Mismatch of the Month (AL) is on the Tex Rangers at 7:10 ET.

Texas made back-to-back World Series appearances in 2010 and 2011 (lost both) to begin a seven-year stretch in which the Rangers made the playoffs in FIVE of seven seasons. However, Texas would go 78-84 in 2017 and then 67-95 in 2018. That said, the 43-36 Rangers find themselves squarely in the thick of the American League playoff race thanks to their strong play since mid-May. Texas currently is in a three-way tie for the second AL wild card position (with Cleveland and Boston), two games back of the No. 1 wild card (Tampa Bay). The Rangers took the opener of their three-game series at Detroit with the Tigers on Tuesday, winning 5-3. Texas improved to 10-6 on the road since the middle of May, after beginning 5-15 away from home. Jesse Chavez and three relievers held the Tigers to just six hits last night, sending 26-48 Detroit to its FIFTH straight loss.Detroit sits 23 games back in the AL Central and 14 1/2 games back of the second-place wild card team.

Two lefties square off tonight, Mike Minor (7-4, 2.52 ERA) of Texas and Matthew Boyd (5-5, 3.61 ERA) of Detroit. Minor is a former first-round pick who made 65 relief appearances for KC in 2017 but the Rangers put him back in the starting rotation in 2018. He made 28 starts last year, going 12-8 with a 4.18 ERA. Here in 2019, he's been the team's best starter. His outstanding first half continued with eight solid innings in a win over Cleveland this past Thursday, which left him 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA in four June starts (Rangers are 4-0). Minor allowed SIX runs in his 2019 opener but has since allowed three ERs or less in 14 of his last 15 starts (current streak is 11 in a row, allowing three ERs runs or less).

Boyd's season is headed in the opposite direction of Minor's. Boyd opened by allowing three ERs or less in 13 of his first 14 starts but enters this contest winless in four June starts. He gave up FIVE runs over six innings at Cleveland on Friday in a 7-6 loss, while serving up a career high-tying three HRs. He has allowed six HRs over his last three starts, going 0-1 (team is 0-4) in June with an ERA of 6.14.

Minor is 0-2 with a 7.24 in his only two career starts vs the Tigers but that's balanced by the fact that Boyd is 1-5 with a 6.54 ERA in six career starts vs the Rangers. What's more, while the Rangers are 26-14 overall since May 15 and are unbeaten in their last eight series (5-0-3), the Tigers are 8-28 since May 13 (note: Detroit was just two games under .500 at 18-20 in games played through May 12). Detroit has lost FIVE straight at home, having gone 2-17 (that's an 89% "go-against") at Comerica" since May 13. Repeating, the Rangers have won Minor's last FOUR starts (1.93 ERA) while the Tigers have lost Boyd's last four (6.14 ERA). It's a "MISMATCH" all-around!

Good luck...Larry

My 8* PERFECT STORM is on the StL Cardinals at 8:15 ET.

The 41-38 Oakland A's and the 40-37 St Louis Cardinals are both third-place teams as they get set to meet in St Louis for a brief two-game interleague series. Both teams lost on Sunday but the Athletics have shaved four games off their gap in the AL West over the past couple of weeks (A's sit eight games back of the Houston Astros). As for the Cardinals, despite a Sunday loss to the Angels, St Louis has won nine of 13 to reduce its deficit in the NL Central to 2 1/2 games.

Chris Bassitt (4-3, 3.64 ERA) will get the nod for for Oakland and Jack Flaherty (4-4, 4.24 ERA) for St Louis. Bassitt earned a win with 5.2 innings of two-run ball against Baltimore on Wednesday, striking out six and yielding a season low-tying two hits in an 8-3 win. The A's are 5-6 in Bassitt's 11 starts in 2019, after he entered the season 4-14 (3.86 ERA) his first four seasons over 40 appearances (30 starts). Flaherty took the loss in his last start (6-0), despite allowing a modest three runs and four hits over seven innings with eight strikeouts.

Let's take a closer look at this pitching matchup of third-place teams. Bassitt was solid in his last outing (see above) but he had a 5.88 ERA over his previous five starts prior to that start and he's 0-3 despite a 3.49 ERA in his interleague career. Flaherty has struggled in seven road starts in 2019 (6.68 ERA and 1.66 WHIP) but in eight home starts he owns a 2.49 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and .185 BAA. The A's are just 27-31 vs right-handed starers this season, while the Cards are 20-12 at home vs righties. Cards are the play.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Weekly Wipeout Winner is on the Atl Braves at 8:05 ET.

The Braves opened a four-game series at Wrigley last night with an 8-3 loss to the Cubs. Atlanta entered Monday's contest 16-5 in June, buoyed by a bullpen that was 9-1 with a 2.31 ERA this month (seven saves). Atlanta's bullpen did its job last night (one run allowed in four innings) but starter Julio Tehran was ripped for SEVEN runs in the game's first four innings. Willson Contreras went 2-for-4 with a HR and three RBI in Monday's 8-3 win for the Cubs, who won for just the SIXTH time their last 14 games. The 43-35 Cubs are clinging to a one-game lead in the NL Central (over Milwaukee), while the 46-33 Braves own a 5 1/2 game lead in the NL East (over Philadelphia).

The series continues tonight with Max Fried (8-3, 4.03 ERA) taking on Adbert Alzolay (1-0, 2.25 ERA). Fried was winless during a four-start stretch before beating the New York Mets in his last outing, allowing two runs on eight hits over six innings of a 7-2 victory. The win ended a four-start stretch in which Fried allowed 17 ERs and 31 hits over 20.2 innings for a 7.40 ERA. The lefty entered that stretch with a 2.88 ERA but even during those struggles, the Braves won THREE of the four contests.

Fried's "opposite number" will be rookie Adbert Alzola. Alzolay was impressive in four-plus innings of relief in his major-league debut this past Thursday against the Mets (4 IP / 1 ER) and picked up a win in relief. The 55-pitch outing has the Cubs convinced that he's ready to make his first major-league start. Alzolay signed as a 17-year-old non-drafted free agent in 2012 and has battled back from a 2018 season that was cut short because of a lat injury. He was 2-1 with a 3.09 ERA, striking out 46 and walking only six over 32 innings in six starts this season with Triple-A Iowa

Atlanta's played MUCH better in June than Chicago and Fried has been a consistent money-maker, as Atlanta is 11-4 (+$596 mark ranks 14th among all starters) in his 15 starts, including 6-1 on the road. I did play Chicago last night noting the team's great home record in night games (now 17-4) but let me add that just TWO of those 17 wins have come against left-handed starters. I'm backing the Braves (and their lefty starter) in this one. Cubs lose! Cubs lose!

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Situational Stunner is on the Chi Cubs at 8:05 ET.

The Atlanta bullpen is 9-1 with a 2.31 ERA in June (seven saves), helping Atlanta improve to 16-5 this month and move to 46-32 on the season. Atlanta has extended its NL East lead to 6 1/2 games over the 2nd-place Phillies. The Cubs rallied for a 5-3 victory on Sunday, giving them a split of the four-game weekend series at home. The Cubs are just 5-8 over their last 13 games but still own a half-game lead over the Brewers in the NL Central (Cards lurk two games back). The Braves have reached double-digit runs six times in June, including five games in which they scored at least 12 runs. Atlanta opens a four-game series at Wrigley tonight against a Chicago team which is 27-14 at home, while outscoring the opposition 4.78-to-3.68 RPG.

Julio Teheran (5-5, 3.40 ERA) will get the ball for Atlanta on Monday, opposed by Chicago's Jon Lester (6-5, 4.13 ERA). Teheran took the mound last Tuesday at home vs the Mets off an eight-start stretch in which he allowed just four ERs across 44.2 innings to post an 0.81 ERA (team was 7-1). However, Teheran suffered his worst start of the season, allowing six runs on eight hits with three walks over four innings of a 10-2 loss. Will Teheran bounce back? A good omen is that he is 3-1 in nine lifetime starts against the Cubs with a 3.29 ERA with the Braves going 8-1!

The veteran Lester beat the White Sox 7-3 on Wednesday, striking out six while allowing three runs on seven hits with one walk over 5.2 innings. However, after opening the 2019 season with a 1.16 ERA through his first seven starts (team went 5-2), he has surrendered 11 HRs while posting a 7.17 ERA and an opponents batting average of .325 in his last seven outings (Cubs are 3-4). Some good news for Chicago fans is that Lester is 6-2 with a 2.52 ERA in 10 career starts against the Braves (teams are 8-2).

The Braves are 'rolling' and except for his last start, Teheran has been nearly unhittable since the beginning of May. As for Lester's recent troubles, take a closer look. He's struggled on the road all season (5.82 ERA in six starts / team is 2-4) but here at Wrigley he's got a 2.32 ERA in eight starts (Cubs are 6-2). I noted above Chicago's 27-14 record at home (second-best home mark in the NL) and an 80% winning situation!) Cubs win! Cubs win!

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Oddsmaker's Error is on the Chi Cubs at 2:20 ET.

Pete Alonso hit his 26th HR in New York's 10-2 Saturday victory over the Cubs. The Mets have homered in 18 of 20 outings this month (team is just 9-11, though) and look to take THREE of four from the Cubs in the series finale today at Wrigley. The Cubs have now dropped EIGHT of their last 12 games but still own a half-game lead over the Brewers in the NL Central (St Louis is now just one back of Chicago).

Sunday's finale features Jacob deGrom (4-6, 3.26 ERA) taking on Cole Hamels (6-2, 2.85 ERA). The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner will try to win back-to-back starts for the first time since opening the season 2-0 while pitching 13 scoreless innings with a 24-2 KW ratio. DeGrom ended a six-game winless streak Tuesday by holding Atlanta to two runs on five hits over a season-high 8.1 innings,. He's now recorded four straight quality starts (EIGHT in his last 10). That's some solid pitching but Cole Hamels owns a 0.31 ERA over four June starts. He's allowed just one ER over 29 innings (17 hits allowed), with a KW ratio of 31-6. The Cubs are 10-5 in Hamels' starts in 2019 (5-2 at home), as he's posted 2.85 ERA and .226 BAA on the season.

DeGrom has typically suffered from a lack of run support and that has been no different in 2019. He's allowed two ERs or less in NINE of his last 10 starts, yet the Mets are just 3-7 in that 10-start stretch. He is 2-2 with a 3.05 ERA in seven career starts against the Cubs but at Wrigley Field he is 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA in three outings. The Cubs lost yesterday but are 26-14 at home on the season (outscoring opponents 4.78-to-3.70 RPG), including going 22-12 against right-handed starters. Meanwhile, the Mets are a poor road team (17-26) and an even a closer look reveals that after a 7-1 start away from Citi Field, they are 10-25 since. Cubs win! Cubs win!

Good luck...Larry

My 10* AL Game of the Month is on the Hou Astros at 2:05 ET.

The New York Yankees have homered in 25 straight contests, tying the franchise record set in 1941 and moving within two games of matching the major-league record set by Texas in 2002, after hitting two HRs in Saturday's 7-5 victory. The win was New York's EIGHTH in a row (that's a season-high), moving the Yankees 5 1/2 games ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East (defending champion Red Sox are eight games back). Houston has now lost a season-high SEVEN in a row but at 48-30, still owns a 6 1/2 game lead in the AL West. The Yanks look to complete a four-game sweep Sunday afternoon in the Bronx.

Justin Verlander (9-3, 2.59 ERA) will take the mound for Houston and J.A. Happ (7-3, 4.59 ERA) for New York. Verlander was 9-2 with a 2.16 ERA over his first 13 starts of the season (teams was 10-3) but he is 0-1 with a 4.43 ERA in his last three (Astros are 1-2). Verlander is 7-7 with a 3.54 ERA in 21 regular-season starts against the Yankees but Including two wins over the Yankees in the 2017 ALCS, is 4-0 with a 1.25 ERA in his last six starts against New York. Happ pitched into the sixth inning just once in his first four starts of 2019 (posting a 7.23 ERA) but he's allowed three ERs or less in EIGHT of his last 11 starts (Yanks are 9-2). In fact, Happ is 6-0 with a 4.29 ERA in his last eight starts (Yanks are 7-1) and today marks his 300th career start.

The Yankees are outscoring opponents 60-23 while batting .289 with 17 HRs in their eight-game winning streak, while the Astros are on their longest skid since also dropping seven straight from June 4-10, 2015. Houston has scored 12 runs and produced 30 hits in the first three games of this series but have negated those totals by going 4-for-30 with RISP. Houston is 16-6 vs lefties on the season and while the Yanks have won SEVEN of Happ's last eight starts, he does own a not-so-impressive 4.29 ERA in that stretch. Verlander has not been sharp in his last two outings but prior to that, he had given up five hits or less in 11 straight starts. Verlander is the very definition of a "stopper" and that's exactly what I expect him to do right here.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Situational Stunner is on the Was Nationals at 7:15 ET.

The Washington Nationals were considered one of MLB's bigger (biggest?) disappointments through 2019's first two months (Nats stood 19-31 on the morning of May 24). However, the Nats won 4-3 last night at home over the Braves, giving them their 18th win in 25 contests to pull within 6 1/2 games of first-place Atlanta in the NL East. Washington's Juan Soto finished 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored in Friday’s victory to raise his batting average to .376 with 10 doubles, five HR, 19 RBI and 27 runs scored since May 17, when he was hitting just .228. Atlanta lost for just the FIFTH time in 17 road games and dropped to 14-5 in June, despite getting its major league-leading 40th homer this month, as rookie Austin Riley hit his 12th in 34 contests this season. Freddie Freeman tied a team record by recording an RBI in his NINTH consecutive game.

Mike Foltynewicz (2-5, 5.53 ERA) will get the nod for Atlanta and Anibal Sanchez (3-6, 3.84 ERA) for Washington. Foltynewicz was 13-10 with a 2.85 ERA in 2018, finishing eighth in the NL Cy Young award voting while placing sixth in strikeouts (202) and ERA. However, he pitched just two innings in spring training due to right elbow soreness. After posting a 6.11 ERA while going 1-1 in four minor-league rehab starts for Triple-A Gwinnett, he made his season debut on April 27. Foltynewicz continues to battle command issues after an early season marred by injury and sub-par performances. He checks in with just TWO wins in 10 starts (team is 3-7). He is 5-4 with a 4.02 ERA in 11 career starts against the Nationals (Braves are 6-5).

Sanchez was a pleasant surprise last season after signing with Atlanta during spring training, going 7-6 with a 2.83 ERA and 1.08 WHIP. However, he left the Braves to sign a two-year deal in the off-season with Washington. Sanchez opened 0-6 with a 5.27 ERA through nine starts (Nats were 3-6) and had to leave in the second inning of a May 16 start against the New York Mets due to a hamstring injury (Nats would win, 7-6). Sanchez came off the injured list on May 29 and promptly carried a perfect game into the sixth inning at Atlanta that night, allowing one run and one hit with seven strikeouts in six innings. He take steh mound tonight having gone 3-0 with a 1.54 ERA and an 18-3 KW ratio over 23/1 innings in four starts (team is 4-0).

Atlanta has been solid but the Nats have won 18 of their last 25 and the pitching edge SURELY favors Washington. Foltynewicz is nowhere near his 2018 form and as noted, Sanchez has DOMINATED since coming off the DL (note: opponents are hitting just .183 against him his last four starts!). Nats win again!

Good luck...Larry

My 8* Daytime Dominator is on the Chi Cubs at 2:20 ET.

New York's Jeff McNeil had a two-run HR and the go-ahead RBI single in Friday's 5-4 win over the Chicago Cubs. He is 9-for-18 with two HRs, four RBI and six runs scored during a four-game hitting streak that has pushed his batting average to .341. The Cubs beat the Mets 7-4 in Thursday's opener of the four-game series but Addison Russell's two-run HR was not enough fo Chicago last night. The 41-34 Cubs had won EIGHT of their previous 10 at Wrigley Field but remain 1 1/2 games up on the Brewwrs in the NL Central, while the Cards lurk two games back. The 36-40 Mets find themselves fourth in the NL East, eight games out of first-place

Zack Wheeler (5-5, 4.94 ERA) takes the mound for the Mets and Jose Quintana (4-6, 3.87 ERA) for the Cubs. Wheeler seemed to be finding his 'sea legs' in a four-start stretch from May 21 to June 6, in which he lasted at least seven innings in each outing, going 2-0 (team was 4-0) with a 4.13 ERA. However, he's lost his last two starts, allowing 20 hits and nine ERs over 10.2 innings for a 7.59 ERA. Wheeler is 1-1 with a 5.14 ERA in four career starts against the Cubs

The left-handed Quintana has not earned a win in any of his last EIGHT starts. He is 0-5 with a 4.30 ERA since earning the victory against the St Louis Cardinals back on May 5 (team is just 1-7 ). However, let me note that after allowing EIGHT runs in his first start of 2019, Quintana has allowed three ERs or less in 12 of his last 13 starts. He deserves better. Also, he's 2-1 with a 1.35 ERA in three starts against the Mets.

The Cubs are 26-13 (67%) at home on the season (outscoring opponents 4.85-to-3.53 RPG), including going 22-11 (again, 67%) against right-handed starters. The Mets are a poor road team (16-26) but a closer look reveals that after a 7-1 start away from Citi Field, they are 9-25 since (that's a 74% "go-against"). Cubs win! Cubs win!

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Division Game of the Month (NL Central) is on the Mil Brewers at 8:10 ET.

The Brewers returned to Milwaukee off a 2-6 road trip on Thursday and lost 7-1 to Cincinnati in the opening contest of a 10-game homestand. Christian Yelich is the reigning National League MVP and he can hardly be blamed for Milwaukee's woes, as he homered for the Brewers' lone run last night and has seven HRs, 14 RBI and 15 runs scored during his 17-game hitting streak (Yelich has a majors-best 28 HRs). Thursday's victory gave the Reds a season-high FIVE-game winning streak, the first time the team has accomplished that since June of last year).

Sonny Gray (3-5, 3.77 ERA) will take the mound for the Reds and Chase Anderson (3-1, 4.05 ERA) for the Brewers. Gray was outstanding in his last start at Miller Park (May 21), as he scattered five hits and struck out nine over six innings of a 3-0 victory. The 29-year-old will enter this game 3-0 over his last six starts (3.31 ERA), with Cincy going 5-1. Anderson recorded his second straight no-decision last Sunday, allowing three runs and four walks over four innings against San Francisco. That outing leaves him 0-1 with a 5.79 ERA in three June starts but the Brewers have won BOTH of his no-decisions (4.50 ERA).

Gray began his career with Oakland but pitched for the Yankees for part of the 2017 season and all of 2018. Gray won 14 games in both 2014 and 2015 but he has since been a HUGE disappointment. He went 15-16 (4.51 ERA) in his one-plus seasons with the Yankees and was traded to Cincinnati on Jan 21. He has pitched well his last six outings but the Reds are just 7-7 in his 14 starts in 2019. Gray will face a Milwaukee team averaging 5.03 RPG at Miller Park and his Cincy team ranks 26th in team BA (.234), 24th in OPS (.715) and 23rd in scoring (4.29) RPG). The Reds did get seven runs last night against a right-handed starter but the Reds entered last night's contest just 10-16 vs righties on the road in 2019, averaging only 3.6 RPG. Anderson owns a 3.23 ERA in 11 career starts vs Cincinnati, going 5-2 while allowing only 46 hits in 58 innings. Cincy's five-game winning streak ends right here!

Good luck...Larry

My 7* Situational Stunner is on the StL Cards at 7:15 ET.

It's been an interesting series between the Marlins and Cardinals. St Louis won 5-0 on Monday, Miami won 6-0 on Tuesday and then St Louis won 2-1 in 11 innings last night. Both offenses have been feeble. Miami has been shut out 13 times this year and scored just one run in 11 innings on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Cardinals have scored just TWO runs in their last 20 innings, including a walk-off HR by Paul Goldschmidt to beat Miami on Wednesday.The 38-35 Cards enter Thursday's contest with SEVEN wins in their last 10 contests and they currently sit just TWO games back in the NL Central. As for the 26-46 Marlins, they own the NL's worst record. Miami opened the month with FOUR straight wins from June 1 through June 5 but have now lost 10 of its last 13 games.

The pitching matchup provides a stark contrast. Zac Gallen will be making his first major-league start for the Marlins, while veteran Adam Wainwright (5-6, 4.46 ERA) takes the mound for the Cardinals to make his 299th career start. Gallen begins his major-league career against the team that selected him in the third round of the 2016 draft before trading him in the deal involving Marcell Ozuna in December 2017 (he was one of four prospects the Marlins received when they traded for St Louis outfielder Marcell Ozuna). Gallen was 8-9 with a 3.65 ERA in 25 appearances with Triple-A New Orleans in 2018 but he's posted a 9-1 record and 1.77 ERA in 14 starts with New Orleans this year with 112 strikeouts in 91.1 innings. Gallen is getting his chance here, because starting pitcher Pablo Lopez was placed on the injured list due a strained pitching shoulder.

Retirement rumors surrounded Wainwright after the 37-year-old was limited to eight starts which totaled just 40.1 innings last season. Wainwright is a the three-time All-Star and has finished in the top three in Cy Young Award voting four times. However, Wainwright has added pitches to his repertoire, as he tries to transition from a power pitcher to a more finesse approach. Wainwright returns to the rotation after missing 11 days with a hamstring injury. The vet has been mostly healthy this season (he's made 13 starts) and a closer look revels that he's really struggled on the road (1-5 with a 6.56 ERA in seven starts) but here at home, he's 4-1 with a 2.31 ERA in six starts. This will be the first time Wainwright has faced the 2019 Marlins but over his career he is 6-2 with a 2.95 ERA in 12 appearances, including 10 starts (Cards are 8-2) vs Miami.

A pitcher's major-league debut is always a 'crap-shoot' but what we do know is that Gallen will face a St Louis team looking to claim a THIRD straight series and one which has gotten back in the thick on things in the NL Central (Cubs, Brewers and Cards are all within two games of each other). Meanwhile, Gallen takes the mound for a team that ranks dead-last in all of MLB in scoring (3.43 RPG), OPS (.642) and HRs (53), while ranking 25th in team BA (.236). Take the vet over the 'rook.'

Good luck...Larry

My 7* Las Vegas Insider on the Arz D'backs at 9:40 ET.

The Colorado Rockies and San Diego Padres combined for the highest-scoring four-game series in modern history over the weekend (92 total runs) and the Rockies showed no signs of slowing down in Tuesday's 8-1 victory at Arizona. Leadoff hitter Charlie Blackmon extended his on-base streak to 28 consecutive games with three hits last night, while Nolan Arenado homered and drove in three runs. Blackmon is the reigning NL Player of the Week, going 18-for-29 with four HRs, 10 RBI and 11 runs scored over his last five games. The Colorado victory moved the 38-34 Rockies moved into second place in the NL West, a game ahead of 38-36 Arizona. The Diamondbacks are 24-19 on the road but just 14-17 at Chase Field.

The starting pitching matchup for Wednesday's game is Jon Gray (6-5, 4.38 ERA) for Colorado and Zack Greinke (8-2, 2.65 ERA) for Arizona. Gray got the win last Thursday against the Padres, after allowing four runs with 10 strikeouts over six innings, as Colorado won, 9-6. Gray takes the mound tonight, coming off his first career relief appearance after 103 career starts. Sunday was Gray's scheduled bullpen day but he entered with two outs and a runner on third in the ninth with the Rockies and Padres tied at 13. He intentionally walked the next two batters to load the bases and walked pinch hitter Matt Strahm (a pitcher!) to bring in the go-ahead run, as San Diego won 14-13! Gray is 2-4 with a 5.80 ERA in nine career starts vs Arizona (Rockies are 5-4).

Greinke had an extra day of rest after exiting his previous start with a sore neck when he took the mound at Toronto on June 8. It seemingly helped, as he scattered four hits over six innings in a 6-0 win over the Blue Jays. Greinke then took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and tossed 7.1 shutout innings in a 5-0 victory over Washington last Thursday. “I felt really good,” Greinke told reporters. “Everything was working, and things felt crisp. Most pitches I threw were coming out how I wanted them to. I felt good the whole time.” Greinke takes the mound tonight having produced quality starts in 13 of his 14 outings since an Opening Day start that saw him allow seven ERs over just 3.2 innings against the Dodgers. Greinke is 12-6 with a 3.85 ERA in 32 career starts vs the Rockies (teams are 18-14).

Looking close, we find that Gray owns a solid 3.47 ERA at Coors Field but a 5.06 ERA on the road. Greinke's ERA is similar home (2.48) and away (2.78) but he's 3-0 in six home starts with Arizona going 5-1. What's more is, excluding his awful Opening Day start (see above), he's got a 2.07 ERA in his last 14 starts, along with an 82-12 KW ratio while allowing 63 hits in 91.1 innings. Greinke 'cools off' those red-hot Colorado bats in this one.

Good luck...Larry

My 7* 'Battle 4 Chicago' is on the Chi Cubs at 8:05 ET.

Eloy Jimenez hit a two-run HR in the top of the ninth to give the White Sox a 3-1 win over the Cubs last night at Wrigley Field. Jimenez was one of four prospects obtained when the White Sox traded Jose Quintana to the Cubs in July 2017. The 35-36 White Sox are 12 1/2 games out of 1st in the AL Central, while the Cubs are 39-33, just a half-game back in the NL Central. The crosstown rivals cap a brief two-game set on tonight, with the White Sox looking to complete a two-game sweep of the host Cubs.

Lucas Giolito (10-1, 2.22 ERA) will take the mound for the White Sox, while Jon Lester (5-5, 4.08 ERA) will take the mound for the Cubs. Giolito became a regular in the starting rotation in 2018 but was just 10-13 with a 'ugly' 6.13 ERA in 32 starts (team was 14-18). However, what a difference a year makes! Giolito will be looking to win his NINTH straight start on Wednesday. He has posted a spectacular 0.94 ERA during his eight-start winning streak and has recorded 65 strikeouts over 57.1 innings. He has allowed fewer than two runs in SEVEN of the outings and given up five or fewer hits in ALL eight starts. The White Sox are 11-2 in his 13 starts in 2019, giving him MLB's top moneyline mark at plus-$1,155.

The veteran Lester has had an up-and-down season. He served up a season-worst three HRs and gave up six runs on nine hits over five innings in a 7-3 loss at the Dodgers last Thursday. He has now allowed four or more ERs in FIVE of his last six outings, going 2-4 with a 7.59 ERA. However, Lester opened the season allowing just five ERs over his first seven starts (1.16 ERA). Lester is 9-6 with a 4.13 ERA in 17 career starts against the White Sox (teams are 11-6).

Can Giolito really be this good? He has struggled in his two career starts vs the Cubs, posting a 5.84 ERA. He will take on a Cubs team which is 24-12 at Wrigley (outscoring opponents 4.75-to-3.50 RPG), including going 12-4 vs right-handers in night games (5.5 RPG). Lester has had trouble on the road (5.82 ERA) but at home he owns a 2.45 ERA with the Cubs going 5-2. I'm on the vet over the 'overachieving' youngster. Cubs win! Cubs win!

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Getaway Day Game of the Month is on the Mil Brewers at 3:40 ET.

The San Diego Padres beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-1 Tuesday night, climbing back to .500 at 37-37. Meanwhile the Brewers fell to 2-5 on their eight-game road trip, although at 40-33, they maintain a half-game lead over the Cubs in the NL Central. Wednesday afternoon's game caps a short three-game homestand for the Padres, who have won three in row after losing SIX of their previous seven contests. The Brewers were shut out on four hits Monday night and Milwaukee ran its scoreless innings streak to 16 straight innings against the Padres on Tuesday, before scoring once in the eighth inning on a walk, two ground outs and a wild pitch. The Brewers were shut out for just the third time this season on Monday and went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position on Tuesday.

Zach Davies (7-1, 2.60 ERA) takes the mound for Milwaukee and Matt Strahm (2-6, 4.66 ERA) gets the nod for San Diego. Davies was 17-9 in 2017 but shoulder injuries limited him to just 13 starts in 2018 (2-7, 4.77 ERA). However, he opened this season with a 1.38 ERA over his first six outings and is working on the finest season of his career in 2019. Davies will be making his 15th start of the season Wednesday afternoon and while he did suffer his first loss of the season in his most recent outing (gave up three runs on six hits and a walk in five innings in a 5-3 loss at San Francisco last Friday), Davies became the first starter in Brewers history to win each of his first seven decisions in a season. Milwaukee is 9-5 in Davies' starts this season.

Strahm was activated off the 10-day injured list after recovering from a left rib strain last Thursday and was hammered at Coors Field by the Rockies, allowing six runs on seven hits over just 3.1 innings in a 9-6 loss to Colorado. He takes the mound today, having lost three straight decisions while giving up 16 ERs on 18 hits and seven walks with 19 strikeouts over 13.2 innings for a 10.54 ERA and a 1.83 WHIP. Strahm will be making his first career start versus Milwaukee

Hard to see the Milwaukee offense being held in check for a THIRD straight time, especially with Strahm's current record. As for Davies, expect him to get back in the "W' column, as he's 3-0 with a 2.16 ERA in four career starts vs the Padres (Brewers are 4-0).

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Oddsmaker's Error is on the Tex Rangers at 8:05 ET.

The 38-33 Texas Rangers suffered an 11-3 loss at Cincinnati on Sunday to drop to 14-21 on the road in 2019 but they had been dominant at home (24-12) as they got set to open a seven-game homestand against Cleveland and the Chicago White Sox. The Cleveland Indians completed a three-game sweep at Detroit with an 8-0 victory on Sunday, winning for the EIGHTH time in 11 contests. The sweep gave the Indians a 37-33 mark and while they were still 10 games back of the first-place Twins in the AL Central, their recent surge allowed them to climb to within a half-game of the Texas Rangers for the AL's second wild card spot. That set the stage for the first of a three-game series Monday night.

Danny Santana recorded two hits for the third straight game for Texas, including a two-run HR in Monday’s 7-2 triumph, as the Rangers improved to 25-12 at Globe Life Park), while the Indians fell to 37-34. Carlos Santana brings a 12-game hitting streak (13-for-45) into Tuesday’s contest while Francisco Lindor is 21-for-59 with four HRs this month for the Indians, who are just 17-17 on the road. The Indians send Zach Plesac 1-2, 2.92 ERA) to the mound Tuesday night, while the Rangers counter with Adrian Sampson ( (5-3, 4.21 ERA).

Plesac is coming off his worst start in the majors. He allowed four runs over 5.1 innings of a 7-2 loss to Cincinnati on Wednesday, after allowing a total of just FOUR runs over 19.1 innings in his first three major-league starts (1.86 ERA). Plesac surrendering three HRs to Cincinnati on Wednesday and has allowed five HRs in four starts (24.1 innings). Sampson is coming off a poor outing as well, giving up six runs on seven hits (including four HRs!) over five innings in a no-decision at Boston last Thursday (Red Sox won, 7-6). That outing saw his five-game winning streak end. Sampson had come in after an "Opener" in the first three contests of his winning streak, then won back-to-back starts over KC (5-1) and Oakland (3-1). His June 8 win over Oakland was a complete-game triumph.

During Sampson's winning streak, he allowed seven ERs over 31.2 innings for a 1.99 ERA. That streak came to a crashing halt last Thursday but note that it came against the Red Sox, who are currently on a six-game winning streak, averaging 6.8 RPG. Note that it also came on the road. Here at home, Sampson owns a 2.70 ERA in eight home appearances and in five home starts and two more 5.1-inning outings following an "opener," the Indians are 6-1!

The Rangers made back-to-back World Series appearances in 2010 and 2011 (lost both), to begin a seven-year stretch in which the Rangers made the playoffs in FIVE of seven seasons. However, Texas would go 78-84 in 2017 and then 67-95 in 2018. That said, the 39-33 Rangers find themselves squarely in the thick of the American League playoff race thanks to their strong play over the last month. Texas is 22-11 over its last 33 games and has gone 15-6 at home its last 21, entering this series with Cleveland having won FIVE of its last six home series, while splitting (2-2) the sixth. I noted above that the Indians are just 17-17 on the road and will add that Texas is now 25-12 at home (averaging 5.86 RPG), including 18-10 vs righties, averaging 6.0 RPG. Why is Cleveland the road fave?

Good luck...Larry

My 8* Situational Stunner is on the Min Twins at 8:10 ET.

The Boston Red Sox are the defending champs but since opening the season by going 2-8 on a 10-game road trip, Boston has been playing "catch-up." The Red Sox are currently 39-34, 5 1/2 games out of first in the AL East but just a single percentage point behind the 38-33 Texas Rangers (.535 to .534) for the AL's second wild card spot (note: three more teams are with 3 1/2 games of Boston). In contrast, the Twins have been at or near the top of the MLB 'world' for most of the season. Minnesota opens this three-game series with MLB's best record (47-23), mere percentage points ahead of the 48-24 Astros and Dodgers (note: The Twins own a 10-game lead in the AL Central).

Rick Porcello (4-6, 4.69 ERA) will get the nod for Boston and Jose Berrios (8-2, 3.01 ERA) for Minnesota. Porcello won the AL's Cy Young award in 2016 (22-4, 3.15 ERA) but then flopped in 2017, going 11-17 with a 4.65 ERA. He rebounded for LY's champs, going 17-7 (despite a poor 4.28 ERA) but here in 2019, sits 4-6 with a 4.69 ERA in 14 starts (team is 4-0 in his no-decisions). Porcello ha started 31 times vs the Twins in his career, going 12-10 with a 3.83 ERA (teams are 16-15).

Berrios (8-2, 3.01 ERA) has teamed with Jake Odorizzi (10-2, 2.24 ERA) to give the Twins quite a 1-2 'punch' at the top of the rotation. He is looking for his FIFTH straight quality start, after allowing just seven hits and one run (on a solo HR) over 6.2 innings without factoring in the decision last Wednesday against Seattle. Berrios owns an 84-17 KW ratio over 89.2 innings, with opponents batting .238 against him.

The Twins are 11-3 in Berrios' 14 starts (+$673, MLB's 7th-best mark among starters) and are 23-11 at Target Field in 2019, outscoring opponents 5.24-to-3.59 RPG. Meanwhile, Porcello owns a 6.37 ERA, 1.62 WHIP and a BAA of .315 in six road starts in 2019. He will face a Minnesota lineup which ranks 1st in runs (5.96 per), team BA (.275), OPS (.857) and HRs (137). The Twins not only own MLB's best record, they also own its best moneyline mark at plus-$2128 (a rare 'daily double'). In contrast, the Red Sox, despite being five games over .500, rank 26th of 30 teams against the moneyline (minus-$1,283).

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Underdog Game of the Month (AL) is on the the Tex Rangers at 8:05 ET.

The Cleveland Indians completed a three-game sweep at Detroit with an 8-0 victory on Sunday, winning for the EIGHTH time in 11 contests. The 37-33 Indians are still 10 games back of the first-place Twins (47-23) in the AL Central but the team's recent surge has them within a half-game of the Texas Rangers for the AL's second wild card spot. The 38-33 Rangers suffered an 11-3 loss at Cincinnati on Sunday to drop to 14-21 on the road in 2019 but they have been dominant at home (24-12) as they get set to open a seven-game homestand against Cleveland and the Chicago White Sox.

Mike Clevinger (1-0, 0.00 ERA) gets the nod for the Indians and will be opposed by Lance Lynn (7-4, 4.40 ERA). Clevinger went 12-6 (3.11 ERA) in 2017 (team was 14-7 in his 21 starts) and then 13-8 (3.02 ERA) in 32 starts last season (team was just 16-16). He opened the 2019 season by pitching 12 scoreless innings with a 22-4 KW ratio (1-0 / team 2-0) but suffered a strained muscle in his upper back during that second start of the season. He returns to the mound for the first time since April 7. Clevinger is 0-1 with a 2.42 ERA in five career outings (three starts / Indians are 0-3) against Texas.

Lynn won 71 games for the Cards in a five-year span from 2012-17 (he missed the 2016 season) but his 2018 season, split between the Twins and Yanks, was a flop (10-10, 4.77 ERA). However, has "settled in" with Texas, having allowed three ERS or less in 11 of his 14 starts this season. The vet attempts to post his EIGHTH straight quality start tonight, having posted a 1.99 ERA and 3-2 record over his last seven outings. Lynn has faced the Indians just twice in his career but he's 2-0 with a 0.75 ERA!

Obviously, the Indians are playing well but Clevinnger has to be considered a question mark in his first major league start since April 7. As for Texas, the Rangers made back-to-back World Series appearances in 2010 and 2011 (lost both), to begin a seven-year stretch in which the Rangers made the playoffs in FIVE of seven seasons. However, Texas would go 78-84 in 2017 and then 67-95 in 2018. That said, the 38-33 Rangers find themselves squarely in the thick of the American League playoff race thanks to their strong play over the last month (see above). Texas is 21-11 over its last 32 games and has gone 14-6 at home its last 20, winning FIVE of its last six home series, while splitting (2-2) the sixth.

Good luck...Larry

My 7* Situational Stunner is on the Mil Brewers at 4:05 ET.

The San Francisco Giants were off on Monday but then swept a brief two-game home series agianststhe Padres on Tuesday and Wednesday. It was another off day on Thursday, before the Giants claimed the first two matchups of their three-game home series with the Brewers on Friday and Saturday. San Francisco erased an early 4-0 deficit Saturday afternoon, rallying for an 8-7 triumph which gives them a season-high four-game winning streak. The Giants go for the three-game sweep on Sunday, as the Brewers continue their current eight-game road trip, after opening just 1-3.

Chase Anderson (3-1, 3.80 ERA) gets the ball for Milwaukee, opposed by San Francisco's Jeff Samardzija (3-5, 3.72 ERA). Anderson opened the season with five relief appearances, then made a couple of starts (both Milwaukee wins), before going on the DL. He has been solid since returning to the rotation and in his last outing, limited Pittsburgh to two runs on four hits with six strikeouts over six solid innings of a 5-2 Milwaukee win. It was his longest start of the year. He's posted a solid 3.58 ERA in his seven starts of 2019. Samardzija lost for the FOURTH time in his last five starts in his last outing, giving up three runs over 5.1 innings of a 7-2 home loss against the Dodgers on June 8. He does own a 2.53 ERA in six home starts this year, while limiting opponents to a .216 average in those outings, but he's just 1-1 and the team 3-3.

The bottom line is, Samardzija has been a career "underachiever." Speaking of underachieving, let me add here that Samardzija is 1-5 with a 4.18 ERA in 12 career starts against the Brewers, which is an 86% "go-against." That's MORE than just "underachieving." He'll face a Milwaukee team here that is 12-5 vs right-handers in day game in 2019, averaging 5.4 RPG. Meanwhile, Anderson takes on a San Francisco lineup which was just 3-8 in home day games vs righties (averaging 3.0 RPG), before Saturday's 8-7 win over Jeff Nelson, who was making just his second big league appearance since September of 2017. The fact that Anderson is 2-0 with a 2.50 ERA in three career starts at Oracle Park in San Francisco, adds even more confidence in my play.

Good luck...Larry

My MLB 10* Game of the Week is on the Col Rockies at 3:10 ET.

The Padres and Rockies will conclude a four-game series at Coors Field in Denver on Sunday afternoon. It's been quite an 'explosive' series, with the Rockies opening with a 9-6 win on Thursday, the Padres rebounding with a 16-12 win on Friday (note: San Diego trailed 11-5 entering the ninth inning and tied it to force extra innings, then scored five more in the 12th to win 16-12) and then Colorado won last night, 14-8. The teams have combined for 65 runs on 97 hits (including 13 HRs) and 24 walks.

With this backdrop, a pair of rookie pitchers face the daunting task of slowing down this offensive assault on Coors Field. Nick Margevicius (2-6, 5.02 ERA) takes the mound for San Diego and Peter Lambert (2-0, 1.50 ERA) for Colorado. Margevicius made his major league debut on March 30 in a 3-2 loss to San Francisco. He got his first big-league win 11 days later against the Giants (3-1) and through his first three starts was 1-1 with a 1.69 ERA (team was 2-1). However, he's 1-5 in his last eight starts. Margevicius had allowed 16 runs (15 earned) in 12 innings across three starts before he threw 3.2 shutout innings against Washington on June 7 (Padres won ). He takes the mound today 0-4 with a 6.33 ERA over his last six starts and has NEVER pitched more than SIX innings in a big-league game.

Lambert was a second-round pick in 2015 and was 26-29 with a 3.92 ERA and 1.25 WHIP in 97 minor league starts.However, he allowed just ONE run in each of his first two major league starts (both against the Cubs) , allowing seven hits and three walks while striking out 12 over 12 innings in a 10-3 win Tuesday and a 3-1 victory at Chicago on June 6. Here's the take on Lambert from catcher Chris Iannetta. "He has great stuff. The curveball is really good. The changeup's a plus changeup. His fastball command is plus when he has it. He understands that executing pitches is the way he's going to be successful, and he reverts back to that instead of trying to out-stuff guys. He's pretty cerebral. He knows what he's trying to do out there. And he has a really good understanding of his body and his mechanics. He has a plan of attack, and he has great command on top of that and that really helps."

Lambert takes the mound behind a Colorado lineup that is 9-2 at home in day games, averaging 7.1 RPG. That's the same lineup Margevicius will have to tame. Do we have any insight on how he will fair? Just maybe, as Margevicius has faced Colorado twice in 2019, allowing five ERs over four innings at San Diego on April 16 in an 8-2 loss and then five more ERs at Colorado (over five innings) in a 10-7 loss on May 12. That's 0-2 with a 10.00 ERA. Which team do you want today?

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Oddsmaker's Error is on the Phi Phillies at 7:20 ET.

The Phillies and Braves opened the 2019 season with a three-game series in Philadelphia, with the Phillies sweeping the Braves and outscoring them 23-11. The two teams had not met since but opened a three-game series Friday in Atlanta, with the Braves holding a 1 1/2-game lead in the National League East standings over the Phillies. In the first matchup between the top-two teams in the NL East in 75 days, the Braves rallied from deficits of 6-2 and 8-4 to win for the FOURTH time this season when trailing after eight innings. Atlanta scored TWICE in the eighth and THREE times in the ninth to win, 9-8. Atlanta has now won 23 of its last 32 games to extend its lead to 2 1/2 games over Philadelphia in the NL East. The crushing loss for Philly gives them NINE losses over the team's last 14 games.

Saturday's pitching matchup features Aaron Nola (6-1, 4.58 ERA) and Sean Newcomb (1-0, 2.59 ERA). Nola is coming off a career season in 2018, going 17-6 with a 2.37 ERA (Phils went 22-11 in all of his starts, going +$983 vs the moneyline). Nola posted a poor 5.68 ERA in April but excelled in May by going 4-0 with a 2.73 ERA in six starts (Phils were a PERFECT 6-0!), while averaging 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings. He lost his first start of June (it's his LONE loss of 2019!), by allowing SIX runs on eight hits in 5.1 innings (8-2 at San Diego) on June 3 but rebounded to hold Cincinnati to three runs on four hits with seven strikeouts in 6.2 innings this past Sunday in a no-decision.

Newcomb started 30 games for Atlanta in 2018, going 12-9 with a 3.90 ERA (team was 15-15 in his starts, +$17). The 26-year-old posted a 4.38 ERA in three starts before being demoted to the minors but since returning he's been used as a reliever, posting a 1.42 ERA with a 21-2 KW ratio in 16 appearances over 19 innings. Newcomb replaced Gausman on Monday against Pittsburgh, earning the win in Atlanta's 13-7 victory, allowing just one hit with no walks and six strikeouts in 4.2 innings. He returns to the rotation tonight, taking over for the injured Kevin Gausman (right plantar fasciitis). However, he may not be there long as newly signed Dallas Keuchel could join Atlanta next weekend at Washington.

The Braves' 'miracle' win last night gives Atlanta its first eight-game win streak since May 17-25, 2013 but I say, "Enough is ENOUGH!" I have almost NO faith in Newcomb, who draws a tough mound opponent. Nola is 8-3 in 13 career starts against Atlanta, posting an impressive 2.05 ERA. He has more wins against the Braves than any other opponent and I expect career win No. 9 over the Braves to come tonight. Surely, "the Price is Right!'

Good luck...Larry

My 8* PERFECT STORM is on the Mil Brewers at 10:15 ET.

Milwaukee lost a 10-8 slugfest at Houston on Tuesday and then overcame 24 strikeouts to edge the Astros 6-3 in 14 innings on Wednesday (Mike Moustakas' two-run HR sealed the victory). Milwaukee had Thursday off and after facing the team with MLB's best record (Houston), the Brewers visit tSan Francisco for a three-game series with the 28-38 Giants, who reside in last place in the NL West (16 1/2 games back of the Dodgers). Milwaukee leads the NL with 121 HRs, while the Giants have just 60 HRs, ranking 14th of 15 NL teams.

Zach Davies (7-0, 2.41 ERA) takes the mound in Friday's opener and he'll be opposed by Drew Pomeranz (1-6, 7.16 ERA). Davies was 17-9 in 2017 but injuries limited him to just 13 starts in 2018 (2-7, 4.77 ERA). However, he's well on his way to the finest season of his career, as he's yet to lose in 13 starts (7-0 / team is 9-4). He is 4-0 in six home starts (Milwaukee is 5-1) but his home ERA (3.13) is 1.25 higher than his 1.88 ERA in seven road starts. Davies has only faced the Giants twice and although he's yet to win, he does own a 1.64 ERA in two starts vs.San Francisco.

Drew Pomeranz took the mound last Friday against Kershaw and the Dodgers fighting to keep his spot in the rotation. He was coming off one of the worst outings of his career the previous Friday in Baltimore, allowing eight runs on six hits and two walks, while lasting just 1.1 innings. The veteran lefty had not reached the fourth inning in any of his previous FOUR starts, allowing 22 ERs on 25 hits over 10.1 innings for an astronomical 20.17 ERA. However, he turned in his most encouraging outing in over a month when he allowed three hits and struck out seven over five scoreless innings (SF won 2-1).

That said, let's note that Pomeranz has gone six innings in just ONE of his 11 starts in 2019. Like Davies, Pomeranz has made just two starts against this opponent without a win but UNLIKE Davies, his ERA of 8.00 ERA in those two career starts against the Brewers are a far cry from Davies' 1.64 ERA vs the Giants. Also weighing heavily in Milwaukee's favor is the fact that the right-handed Davies will face a San Francisco lineup that is not only 28th in scoring at 3.29 RPG and 29th in team BA at .222 but also 8-13 in home games against righties, averaging a WOEFUL 2.9 RPG.

Good luck...Larry

My NL 10* Game of the Month is on the LA Dodgers at 10:10 ET.

The Chicago Cubs fell 7-3 in their series opener last night at Dodger Stadium, the team's THIRD club's loss in its four games. The Cubs fell to 14-19 on the road and to 38-30 overall, one game back of the Brewers in the NL Central. Los Angeles hit four HRs, upping its home record to 26-7 (outscoring opponents 5.73-to-3.39 RPG) and its overall record to 46-23 (tied with Houston for the ML lead), giving the Dodgers a 9 1/2 game lead in the NL West.

Friday's pitching matchup features Kyle Hendricks (7-4, 3.00 ERA) and Rich Hill (3-1, 2.50 ERA). Hendricks was just 1-4 with a 5.33 ERA through five starts but has turned his season around. The right-hander is not just 3-0 with a 2.05 ERA over his last three starts (20-2 KW ratio in 22 innings) but he's won SIX consecutive decisions and has a 1.99 ERA over his last eight starts going back to the start of May (Cubs are 7-1). Hendricks' "opposite number' is lefty Rich Hill. His season got off to a late start because of a knee injury but ever since allowing FIVE runs in his 2019 debut to Pittsburgh back on April 28 (note: LA won that game 7-6), he has NOT allowed more than three runs in any of his last SEVEN starts. Hill has won back-to-back starts to open June, allowing just two ERs over 12 innings (1.29 ERA).

Hendricks is certainly pitching well but we must look closer. Most of his success has come at home, where in seven Wrigley starts he owns a 1.65 ERA and 0.89 WHIP. That compares to a 4.89 ERA in sis road starts with a 1.43 WHIP. He's just 2-2 in four career regular-season starts against the Dodgers with a 5.16 ERA, as the Dodgers have reached him for five HRs in 22.2 innings. Hendricks has a 6.52 ERA in two starts at Dodger Stadium, with his most recent start at Los Angeles coming on June 27 of last year when he gave up six runs on just eight hits in just 2.2 innings, easily his shortest of the season. What's more, Hendricks takes on an LA team which is a DOMINATING 19-3 at home vs righties in 2019 (that's an 86% winning situation!), averaging 6.6 RPG while earning a profit of $1,455 (at $100/game). The 39-year-old Hill has proven to be as energetic and competitive as anybody on the Dodgers' roster and the lefty will face a Chicago lineup which in 1-4 on the road vs lefties in night games, scoring only 2.4 RPG. LA is the play!

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Weekly Wipeout is on the Atl Braves at 7:20 ET.

The Phillies and Braves opened the 2019 season with a three-game series in Philadelphia, with the Phillies sweeping the Braves and outscoring them 23-11. The two teams have not met since but open a three-game series tonight in Atlanta, with the Braves holding a 1 1/2-game lead in the National League East standings over the Phillies. We are still about a month away from the All Star break, so it's too early to put too much importance on this series but both clubs surely realize they are "the teams to beat" in the NL East.

Nick Pivetta (4-1, 4.93 ERA) will get the ball for Philly and Max Fried (7-3, 3.75 ERA). Pivetta as optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley in mid-April, after posting a 8.35 ERA his first four starts. However, since returning from the minors on May 28, Pivetta has bolstered Philadelphia’s rotation by going 2-0 in three starts with a 1.80 ERA and a .171 opponents batting average over 20 innings. More good news comes in the fact that Pivetta has made nine career starts against the Braves, going 4-1 with a 3.21 ERA (team is 7-2). Fried began 2019 with two relief stints but then recorded a 2.96 ERA over his first 10 starts of 2019 from April 4 through May 22 (Braves were 7-3). However, the 25-year-old had surrendered nine runs on 18 hits over 9.2 innings in two straight outings (8.38 ERA), before pitching well in a no-decision Sunday at Miami (Atl won 7-6), giving up three runs on six hits with one walk and seven strikeouts over six innings.

Breaking the game down further, the Phils come in having lost EIGHT of their last 13 games, allowing five-plus runs SEVEN times in that span. In stark contrast, the Braves enter on a SEVEN-game winning streak, averaging SEVEN runs per game while reaching double-digits in hits SIX times.The Braves enter this contest averaging 5.4 RPG in home night games vs righties in 2019, while the Phils are 2-8 vs lefties on the road, including 1-6 (that's an 86% "go-against") in night games while averaging a pathetic 3.0 RPG.

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Situational Stunner is on the NY Mets at 7:10 ET.

The Mets salvaged a split of their day-night doubleheader against the Yankees on Tuesday, with a 10-4 victory in Tuesday's nightcap (lost the first game 12-5). Rookie Pete Alonso belted a three-run HR (he owns a team-leading 22 HRs) in the first inning, while Carlos Gomez and J.D. Davis also homered. The Mets have won five of seven overall and boast a 19-11 mark at Citi Field, as they open a four-game series with the St Louis Cardinals. The Card lost 9-0 at Miami on Wednesday, falling to 2-4 on their 10-game road trip, leaving them 13-20 on the road in 2019.

Thursday's pitching matchup features Jack Flaherty (4-3, 4.08 ERA) vs Jacob deGrom (3-6, 3.45 ERA). Flaherty has had a solid rookie season in 2018, going 8-9 with a 3.34 ERA in 28 starts. Here in 2019, he's pitched very well at home but has been a disaster on the road. Flaherty owns a 2.25 ERA and 0.85 WHIP in seven home starts but has posted a 6.67 ERA and 1.69 WHIP in six away starts. DeGrom was just 10-9 in 2018 but won last year's NL Cy Young award with a 1.70 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and .196 BAA. He lacked run support last season and has had a similar issue in 2019, although his ERA is up to 3.45, his WHIP up to 1.15 and his BAA is .233.

Here's the deal. The Cards are a poor road team (13-20), allowing 5.06 RPG. Flaherty's road numbers are 'ugly' and I'll add that hitters are batting .291 against him, as opposed to .188 batting at home. The Mets are a solid 19-11 at home, averaging 5.07 RPG. As for deGrom, a lackluster offense and leaky bullpen have done him no favors, as he received two runs or less of support in FIVE starts this season. Against Flaherty, that WILL change! The "situation" sets up perfectly for deGrom to earn a "W." That's the bet.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* NL Pitching Mismatch of the Month is on the Arz D'backs at 7:05 ET.

The Washington Nationals were getting close to the cellar of the NL East late last month but Washington has won 12 of its last 17 to climb to 31-36, lifting them 6 1/2 games up on last place Miami and moving to 7 1/2 games back of first place Atlanta. The Nats open a four-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday, the first contest of their 11-game homestand. The D'backs come to Washington for four games, which will conclude the team's 10-game road trip. Arizona has opened the trip 5-1, after Wednesday's 2-0 win at Philadelphia. Arizona is 36-33, which is 9 1/2 games back of the Dodgers in the NL West but the D'backs are just 2 1/2 games out of the second NL wild card spot.

Thursday's pitching matchup features Zack Greinke (7-2, 2.87 ERA) and Erick Fedde (1-0, 2.93 ERA). Greinke had an extra day of rest this past Saturday at Toronto, after exiting his previous start with a sore neck. It seemingly helped, as he scattered four hits over six innings in a 6-0 win over the Blue Jays. The victory was just the first in a four-start stretch but DON'T ignore the fact that after an Opening Day start that saw him allow seven ERs over just 3.2 innings against the Dodgers, Greinke has produced 11 quality starts in 12 of his next 13 outings (2.25 ERA in that baker's dozen of games). Opposing Greinke will be Erick Fedde, a 2014 first-round pick. He opened this season with just 14 career starts and began the season in the bullpen. However, he has acquitted himself well in his four starts since joining the rotation on May 21. He's 1-0 (team is 2-2) with a 2.70 ERA. This marks his 19th career start and FIRST against Arizona.

Arizona has been a money-maker on the road (22-17, +$897), while Washington (even after the team's recent good run), owns the 4th-worst moneyline mark (-$1,513) in MLB. That said, the 'key' here is Greinke over Fedde. Fedde is a 'work in progress,' while Greinke (the AL's 2009 Cy Young winner) is a proven winner. I've stated his impressive 2019 numbers above and will add that Greinke is 5-1 in eight career starts (teams are 6-2) with a 1.46 ERA and 0.91 WHIP vs Washington. Greinke has NOT lost to the Nationals since 2014 and DON'T expect him to lose tonight!

Good luck...Larry