Rating: 2 Units

Los Angeles plays well against weaker opponents, winning four of the last five against a team that has a winning percentage of less than .400. Los Angeles starting pitcher Patrick Sandoval performed well on the mound last time out allowing two earned runs on six hits in seven Innings with five strikeouts. Los Angeles defeated Oakland 11-3 in that matchup last Wednesday. In contrast, St Louis starting pitcher Steven Matz has a 6.23 ERA and has been hit hard in each of his five starts allowing 18 runs in 26 innings pitched. St Louis was swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers in a three-game series over the weekend and has lost six of the last seven while also losing seven of the last 10 played at home.

Rating: 2 Units

The Baltimore Orioles open today's series against the Kansas City Royals with the clubs headed in opposite directions. The Orioles continue their season-long, 10-game road trip having won six straight series, their best streak since 2014. After winning 11 of 13, Baltimore improved to 19-9 for its best start since 1997. Right-hander Tyler Wells (1-1, 2.79 ERA) makes his eighth start of the year. He collected his first win Wednesday, allowing two runs in 5 2/3 innings against Boston. Wells, who leads the majors with a 0.724 WHIP, made his only two career starts against Kansas City in 2022, going six innings each while winning both games. The Royals are in a 3-14 slide, falling to the bottom of the American League Central with baseball's second-worst record. The 7-22 start matches their worst in club history. Left-hander Ryan Yarbrough (0-3, 6.35 ERA) will make his second start after throwing 77 pitches over four innings in his previous start Wednesday at Arizona.

Rating: 2 Units

The Twins' splits are more favorable against right-handers (.248/.322/.426/.748) than against left-handers (.193/.265/.360/.625), with 35 doubles, 30 home runs, 110 RBI, and 74 walks vs. righties. They should be comfortable at the plate against Kopech, who has just one quality start in five outings in 2023. Minnesota should be able to put runners in scoring position easily — Kopech has given up three or more walks in four of five starts — and capitalize on any mistakes he makes of the heart of the plate in those situations. The White Sox will likely struggle against Ryan, who is mowing down the opposition this season. He's surrendered only ten earned runs in 32 innings, allowing just one walk in his last three outings combined. Chicago has a lower OBP (.292) against right-handers, with 190 strikeouts and just 49 walks in 770 ABs. 

Rating: 2 Units

After recovering from a sprained ankle suffered in spring training, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tony Gonsolin is trying to rebuild his mound endurance. That process continues Monday against the visiting Philadelphia Phillies. Gonsolin (0-0, 0.00 ERA) will make his second start of the season in the opener of a three-game series. In his first start, Gonsolin threw 3 1/3 scoreless innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates while allowing two hits and three walks. He threw 65 pitches, 39 for strikes. The Phillies will counter with Taijuan Walker (2-1, 4.97 ERA), who exited his previous start with forearm tightness after throwing 68 pitches over four innings. Walker is 3-3 with a 4.32 ERA in 11 career starts against the Dodgers. He has had trouble with Mookie Betts (5-for-10, two walks, double, RBI) and Chris Taylor (4-for-14, two walks, double, RBI). The Dodgers enter this series after sweeping their weekend set against the St. Louis Cardinals. 

Rating: 2 Units

Chicago left-hander Drew Smyly (2-1, 3.21 ERA) opposes left-hander MacKenzie Gore (3-1, 3.00) in the series opener. Smyly has been a solid performer early in his second season with the Cubs. After being hammered for seven runs -- six earned -- in his first outing of the season, Smyly is 2-0 with a 1.54 ERA over his past four starts. Last time out, Smyly allowed two runs on four hits over five innings of a no-decision against the San Diego Padres. He struck out four and walked one while throwing 89 pitches. The two runs came on three hits and a walk in the fourth. Smyly is 1-0 with a 3.38 ERA in eight games, including six starts, in his career versus the Nationals. Gore lost his only career start against the Cubs, allowing three runs on seven hits over five innings in a game last season. The Cubs have lost four of their last five games, but they’ve won five of their last nine road games. The Nationals have lost four of their last six games and six of their last seven home games. They have struggled offensively, scoring only four runs in their last four home games.

Rating: 2 Units

Charlie Morton (3-2, 2.76), today's originally scheduled starter, will start the second game in today's double header.  Tylor Megill (3-1, 3.96), who was scheduled to oppose Strider on Saturday and Sunday will be on the hill for New York in Game 2. Morton earned the win last Tuesday, when he allowed one run over seven innings as the Braves beat the Miami Marlins, 7-4. Megill will be looking to reverse a trend that's become commonplace over his three seasons. The 27-year-old didn't factor into the decision on April 23 when he gave up four runs over four innings as the Mets fell 5-4 to the San Francisco Giants. Megill is 0-1 with a 7.00 ERA in his last two starts after going 3-0 with a 2.25 ERA in his first three starts. Last season, Megill was 4-0 with a 1.93 ERA in five April starts -- including an outing in which he tossed the first five innings of a combined no-hitter -- but 0-2 with a 9.76 ERA in 10 games (four starts) thereafter. As a rookie in 2021, Megill was 1-0 with a 2.04 ERA in his first seven starts but 3-6 with a 6.13 ERA the remainder of the season.

Rating: 2 Units

The Athletics have a 108 OPS+ against the left-handed pitchers and an 81 OPS+ versus the left-handed starters in 2023. On the other side, the Reds own an 88 OPS+ against the lefties and a strong 116 OPS+ versus the left-handed starters. Both teams have hit well of late, so I’m looking for the Reds’ pitching staff to make a difference.  Nick Lodolo can only pitch better than he did last week, and the Reds’ bullpen has amassed a sturdy 2.61 ERA, 2.91 FIP, and .250 opposing BABIP over the last seven days and 20.2 innings of work. On the other side, the Athletics’ bullpen has posted a disastrous 8.56 ERA, 6.24 FIP, and .379 opposing BABIP across 27.1 frames in the last seven days. 

Rating: 2 Units

The Boston Red Sox will turn to left-hander Chris Sale as they look to take a three-game series from the visiting Cleveland Guardians this afternoon. Sale (1-2, 8.22 ERA) has not won since his second start back on April 6 against Detroit, going 0-2 in three decisions since. He allowed nine hits and five runs in five innings Monday at Baltimore. Sale has walked 10 and allowed five home runs across his 23 innings. The veteran lefty's 8.22 ERA is the highest of any five-start span in his career. Sale is 5-8 with a 4.76 ERA in 31 career appearances (20 starts) against Cleveland. Opposing will be Cleveland's talented young southpaw Logan Allen (1-0, 1.50), who struck out eight in six innings of one-run ball last Sunday during his major league debut against Miami.

Rating: 2 Units

The Marlins will start rookie right-hander Bryan Hoeing (0-1, 9.82 ERA). Hoeing, 26, was Miami's seventh-round pick out of Louisville in 2019. He made his major league debut last year. Since then, he has made nine appearances (two starts) going 1-2 with an 11.57 ERA. He has faced the Cubs just once, pitching one scoreless inning of relief in a game last September. The Cubs will counter Hoeing with left-hander Justin Steele, who is 4-0 and has the best ERA in the National League (1.19). In his 12 most recent starts, dating to back July 22, 2022, Steele is 5-1 with a 1.07 ERA. Armed with high heat and a nasty slider, Steele has blossomed. He has faced the Marlins just once in his career, tossing 4 2/3 scoreless innings while striking out 10 in a 2-1 Cubs victory in August of last season.

Rating: 2 Units

The Dodgers have won three of their last five games. They are playing well offensively, scoring 18 runs in their last four games. Expect them to continue playing well in this game because Montgomery has struggled on the mound for the Cardinals, giving up 10 runs in his last three starts. He gave up six runs in his only start against the Dodgers and will have a hard time slowing them down in this game. The Cardinals have lost three of their last four games and five of their last seven road games. They have struggled offensively, scoring only 13 runs in their last four road games. Things won’t get easier for them in this game because Kershaw has looked good on the mound this season, especially at home where he has given up one run in two starts while striking out 18 batters. He gave up four runs in his last five home starts against the Cardinals and will keep their offense in check once again.

Rating: 2 Units

Washington starter Chad Kuhl will take the mound for the fifth time of the season. Kuhl exited after allowing one run in 3.2 innings against the Twins last weekend, resulting in a no-decision in a game the Nats won by a 10-4 score. The veteran has not looked good, squandering at least four runs in three of his four performances, and has reported a 7.36 ERA and a 1.75 WHIP in 18.1 innings. Kuhl has conceded one run in 4.1 career innings against his old Pirates team. Pittsburgh starter Vince Velasquez will take the mound for the sixth time of the year today. Velasquez was brilliant in his previous start, completing seven shutout innings against the Reds, striking out ten batters in a 2-0 win. The veteran has struggled in recent years but has rebounded nicely this year, posting a 3.76 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP accompanied by a 3-2 record in 26.1 innings pitched.

Rating: 2 Units

Right-hander Zack Wheeler (2-1, 4.73 ERA) is the scheduled starter for the Phillies on Saturday. He has won consecutive starts despite allowing seven runs on 11 hits and three walks in 11 innings against the Chicago White Sox and Colorado Rockies. He struck out 16 in those two outings. While Wheeler will make his first career regular-season start against the Astros, he faced Houston twice in the World Series. He allowed seven runs (six earned) on nine hits and four walks with eight strikeouts over 10 1/3 innings while taking the loss in both Game 2 and Game 6. Right-hander Cristian Javier (2-0, 3.21) has the starting assignment for the Astros today. He struck out a season-high 10 batters -- including seven consecutively -- against the Atlanta Braves on Sunday. Javier allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits and two walks over six innings in a 5-2 victory. Javier has faced the Phillies just once in his career, and it was a historic outing. He threw the first six innings of a combined no-hitter in Game 4 of the World Series, recording nine strikeouts and walking two in a 5-0 victory.

Rating: 2 Units

The Milwaukee Brewers will turn to veteran left-hander Wade Miley when they welcome the Los Angeles Angels for the first time since 2016 today in the opener of a three-game series. Miley (3-1, 1.96 ERA) will be opposed by left-hander Tyler Anderson (1-0, 7.20 ERA). Miley, limited to 37 innings in nine games with the Cubs last season due to injuries, has been the Brewers' most effective starter. In his last start, he allowed two runs in five innings to get the victory in a 5-4 win over the Red Sox. Miley has not allowed a run in two of his four starts, and opponents are batting just .209 against him. Miley is 5-1 with a 3.30 ERA in eight career starts vs. the Angels, the last time in 2019 when he was with Houston. Anderson, 15-5 with a 2.57 ERA as an All-Star last season with the Dodgers, will be making his fifth start. He has not won since his first start when he allowed four hits over six scoreless innings in a 6-0 victory at Oakland on April 2. In three starts since then, Anderson has allowed 17 runs, 16 earned, on 22 hits in 14 innings, allowing five home runs. Anderson kept the ball in the park in his last start, but was tagged for six runs, five earned, on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings with just one strikeout. He did not get the decision in an 11-8 loss to the Royals. Anderson is 2-2 with a 5.82 ERA in four career starts against the Brewers. He is 1-2 with an 8.59 in three starts at American Family Field, allowing 14 runs in 14 2/3 innings.

Rating: 2 Units

The pitching matchup for the series opener features New York left-hander David Peterson (1-3, 7.36 ERA) against Atlanta southpaw Max Fried (1-0, 0.60). Peterson lost to the host San Francisco Giants in his most recent start on Saturday. He pitched five innings and was roughed up for seven runs on seven hits and one walk with eight strikeouts. He remains in the rotation because of injuries to Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer's 10-game suspension for use of a foreign substance on the ball. Peterson is 3-3 with a 4.50 ERA in eight career appearances, seven starts, against the Braves. His last appearance vs. Atlanta was on Oct. 1, when he worked two-thirds of a scoreless inning. Fried has retained the form that made him runner-up in the 2022 NL Cy Young Award voting. After sustaining a left hamstring strain in the season opener and ending up on the injured list, Fried has returned to work two scoreless stints. In his latest outing, against the Houston Astros on Sunday, he received no decision after tossing 6 2/3 scoreless innings and yielding three hits and three walks. He struck out five. In 21 career appearances (16 starts) against the Mets, Fried is 7-5 with a 2.78 ERA and 101 strikeouts in 97 innings. Last season, he was 3-2 with a 2.79 ERA in five starts against New York.

Rating: 2 Units

I expect the Orioles to win convincingly on Thursday. Despite the Tigers playing well against the Brewers, the Orioles have a huge edge in the starting pitching advantage, including a slightly stronger bullpen.  Baltimore also has a superior offense, ranking in the top-11 in scoring, home runs, and OPS, while the Tigers are in the bottom five in those categories. The Orioles have won six straight games over losing ball clubs, and I will take them to come out on top and end up with another victory over the Tigers.

Rating: 2 Units

The Angels have won three of their last five games and five of their last seven home games. They are playing well offensively, scoring 19 runs in their last five games. They will play well offensively in this game because they have done a great job against left-handers this season and Sears has struggled on the mound, especially on the road where he gave up seven runs in two starts. He gave up two runs in his only start against the Angels and with Oakland having the worst bullpen in the league, they will have a hard time slowing down the Angels in this game. The Athletics have lost three of their last five games and four of their last six road games. With the exception of the first game of the series, they have struggled offensively, scoring more than four runs twice in their last five games. Their offensive struggles will continue in this game because they don’t hit the ball well against right-handers and they haven’t had a lot of success against Ohtani, who gave up two runs in his last five starts. He gave up only one run in his last four starts against the Athletics and will keep their offense in check once again, so go with Los Angeles to cover the run line.

Rating: 2 Units

Seth Lugo (2-1, 2.78 ERA) will make a fifth start to open his season for the Padres on Thursday. A prime reliever the past five years for the New York Mets, the right-hander started 18 games for New York in 2017, and amid injuries in San Diego's rotation to open 2023, he is delivering in that role for the time being. Lugo allowed two runs and six hits while walking one and striking out six over six innings on Friday at Arizona. However, the Padres' offense managed just two hits and the Diamondbacks pulled away late to make him a hard-luck loser.Hayden Wesneski (1-1, 6.23 ERA) is scheduled to take the mound for the Cubs in the series finale. The rookie right-hander has had his issues thus far in 2023, and he allowed three runs and five hits in 4 1/3 innings of a 9-4 loss to the Dodgers on Saturday. Wesneski, who has completed five innings just once in his four 2023 starts, will face the Padres for the first time. He will get his first look at Xander Bogaerts, who is batting .326 and has reached base in 28 straight games dating to 2022.

Rating: 2 Units

Smyly (2-1, 3.13 ERA) took a perfect game into the eighth inning Friday against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The bid for history ended when Smyly and catcher Yan Gomes collided trying to field David Peralta's slow roller that barely made it halfway to third base. It was the only hit and runner Smyly allowed over 7 2/3 innings, as he struck out 10 in the Cubs' 13-0 win at Wrigley Field. After yielding seven runs (six earned) and nine hits in 4 2/3 innings at Cincinnati in his 2023 debut, Smyly has given up two runs and seven hits over 18 1/3 innings over his past three starts. Armed with a balanced approach of fastballs and curveballs, plus other off-speed options, Smyly has found an early rhythm in his second season with Chicago. In his past seven home starts, Smyly is 3-1 with an 0.89 ERA. Scheduled San Diego starter Michael Wacha (2-1, 7.08 ERA) allowed four runs and eight hits over 12 innings while winning his first two starts this season. However, he has yielded 12 runs and 21 hits in 8 1/3 innings over his past two outings. The right-hander is 4-8 with a hefty 6.50 ERA in 20 career outings (18 starts) against the Cubs, but he last faced them in 2019 when he was with the St. Louis Cardinals. 

Rating: 2 Units

Alcantara (1-2, 5.47 ERA) will be matched up against Atlanta's Bryce Elder (2-0, 1.14) in the third game of a four-game series. The Braves won the first two games, 11-0 and 7-4. Alcantara missed his last scheduled start, on Saturday against the Cleveland Guardians, due to biceps tendinitis. Alcantara has been roughed up in the early portion of the season aside from the shutout he threw on April 4 against the Minnesota Twins. Over his two most recent starts, he allowed 14 runs (12 earned) in 10 innings. He gave up five runs (three earned) in his latest outing, on April 16 against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks, but had a season-high nine strikeouts. Elder has pitched at least 5 1/3 innings in each of his four starts this year, and he held the opposition without an earned run three times. He hasn’t given up a run in two home starts and gave up only five runs in his last three starts against the Marlins.

Rating: 2 Units

This has the makings of what should be a solid pitching matchup. Gilbert has faced Philadelphia just one time, giving up four earned runs in 5.0 innings back in May of last year. Walker has never faced Seattle, so there is just a limited amount of history to make a prediction of how the starters will perform. However, both have looked good this season and are getting solid performances from their bullpens of late which should keep their teams in the game. The big advantage for Philadelphia is that they have been much better offensively of late, and they are starting to drive the ball better. While the Phillies have hit only 26 home runs this season, they have hit 14 over their last 10 games. That will prove to be the one edge they need to earn a narrow victory in this contest.

Rating: 2 Units

Milwaukee's starter today, left-hander Eric Lauer, is coming off his two best outings of the young season. Lauer (3-1, 4.30 ERA) held the San Diego Padres to one run and five hits in six innings on April 14, then limited the Seattle Mariners to two runs and four hits in 7 2/3 innings on Wednesday. Lauer isn't a hard thrower by major league standards. His fastball topped out at just over 91 mph his latest start, but he used his cutter effectively. He will be opposed by right-hander Spencer Turnbull (1-3, 7.85 ERA). In his latest outing on Wednesday, Turnbull gave up three runs and three hits while walking three in 5 1/3 innings against the Cleveland Guardians.

Rating: 2 Units

The Twins have lost three of their last five games, but they’ve won five of their last nine home games. They struggled offensively in recent games, scoring only nine runs in their last three games, but they will play well in this game because they hit the ball well against right-handers and they hammered Brito in Yankee Stadium less than two weeks ago, scoring seven runs in less than one inning against him. With New York’s bullpen also struggling in recent games, they will have a hard time slowing down the Twins in this game. The Yankees have lost two of their last three games. They struggled offensively during that stretch, scoring only five runs. Their offensive struggles will continue in this game because Gray has been dominant on the mound for the Twins, giving up only two runs in four starts.

Rating: 2 Units

Cincinnati looks to take the three-game series on Tuesday behind Luke Weaver (0-1, 6.00 ERA). The right-hander got off to a rough start in his Reds debut last Thursday against the Pittsburgh Pirates after missing the first three weeks of the season with a right elbow flexor strain. Weaver allowed four first-inning runs before following with five shutout innings in a 4-3 loss. He finished with eight strikeouts against two walks and four hits. Texas, which is coming off just its second loss in its past eight games, will turn to left-hander Martin Perez (3-1, 3.38). He allowed three runs on eight hits with three strikeouts and no walks over 5 2/3 innings in a 12-3 win over the host Kansas City Royals last Wednesday. Perez will pitch against the Reds for the first time in nearly a decade and for just the second time in his 12-year major league career. Perez threw 6 2/3 shutout innings, allowing just six hits with three strikeouts and a walk, in a 4-0 win in June 2013. The Rangers are averaging 8.75 runs per game over their past eight contests.

Rating: 2 Units

The Milwaukee Brewers will be out to remain the only team in the majors that has not lost consecutive games this season when they host the Detroit Tigers today in the opener of a three-game series. Right-hander Colin Rea (0-0, 4.22 ERA), summoned from Triple-A Nashville after Brandon Woodruff went on the injured list, makes his third start for Milwaukee, while left-hander Matthew Boyd (0-1, 4.50) gets the nod for Detroit. Brewers are facing a team that has put up six runs in their last five games. The Tigers are also the lowest-scoring team in the majors. Milwaukee is top-10 in pitching and offense right now, something that should be on full display against a lackluster Detroit team.

Rating: 2 Units

Both pitchers have had their struggles this season but Bassitt’s real issues came in his first start of the year. He’s pitched well in his last three starts, turning in a sub-two ERA, and is coming off a stellar outing in Toronto’s win over Houston. Meanwhile, Lynn has been roughed up repeatedly this season, posting an ERA north of nine in his last three starts, and was tagged by Philadelphia in his previous outing. The White Sox entered Sunday losers of eight of their 12 road games on the season. Those numbers don’t bode well for the Pale Hose and with Bassitt pitching well, coupled with the depth in the Blue Jays’ lineup, you have to lean toward the hosts in this contest.

Rating: 2 Units

The high-octane Rangers recorded their 10th win in 13 outings with a 5-2 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Sunday. Texas is no stranger to lighting up the scoreboard, with the team's loud bats going a long way toward providing great comfort to the club's pitching staff. Conversely, the ice-cold Reds have lost six in a row following Sunday's 2-0 setback to the Pittsburgh Pirates. They mustered just four hits en route to being shut out for the third time during that stretch. Texas right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (2-2, 5.40 ERA) snapped a two-start losing skid by tossing six strong innings in a 12-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals last Tuesday. He allowed two runs on seven hits while striking out five in that outing. Eovaldi, 33, is 1-0 with a 0.60 ERA in two career appearances (both starts) versus the Reds. He will be opposed by Cincinnati left-hander Nick Lodolo (2-1, 4.98), who is looking to turn the corner following a disastrous outing in his last trip to the mound. Lodolo, 25, yielded eight runs on 12 hits -- including three homers -- in 4 2/3 innings in a 10-0 shellacking by the high-powered Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday. 

Rating: 2 Units

With right-hander Tylor Megill (3-1, 3.00 ERA) slated to start the series finale for the Mets, the Giants could elect to activate Joc Pederson (sprained right wrist) from the injured list. San Francisco already saw the return of former Met Michael Conforto (tight left calf) earlier in the series. Megill won each of his first three starts, limiting the Miami Marlins (twice) and San Diego Padres to a total of four runs on 12 hits in 16 innings. The visitors will test their mettle on Sunday against Giants right-hander Ross Stripling (0-1, 7.30), who will be making his second start of the season. Stripling was in the Giants' opening rotation, albeit for only for one start -- a 6-0 loss to the New York Yankees in which he allowed four runs in five innings. He since has made three relief appearances, serving up six runs in 7 1/3 innings. The 33-year-old has made just one previous start against the Mets. He's 0-0 with a 3.52 ERA in three career appearances against them.

Rating: 2 Units

The Milwaukee Brewers hope to see a healthy Corbin Burnes on the mound Sunday when they play the rubber match of a three-game series against the visiting Boston Red Sox. Burnes (2-1, 4.76 ERA) left his most recent start Monday at Seattle in the sixth inning with a left pectoral strain. The right-hander reported no issues following his bullpen session on Friday, however. Right-hander Brayan Bello (0-1, 16.88) will make his second start for Boston since coming off the injured list. Burnes got the victory in his start against the Mariners, allowing two runs on three hits in 5 1/3 innings before exiting with the injury. In his previous start, he gave up just three hits over eight scoreless innings in a 7-1 win at the Arizona Diamondbacks on April 11. Opponents are batting .207 this season against Burnes, who has yet to face the Red Sox in his career. Bello, who posted a 2-8 record with a 4.71 ERA last season as a rookie, will make his second start after coming off the injured list. He was tagged for five runs on eight hits in 2 2/3 innings in his first outing on Monday, leaving following a rain delay in a 5-4 loss to the Los Angeles Angels.

Rating: 2 Units

After battling against the Yankee ace Saturday, I see the Blue Jays hitting Yankee starter Clarke Schmidt early and often Sunday. Schmidt is yet to make it past four innings in a start, and has allowed at least three runs in each outing. Runs will be harder to come by for the New York offense against Kevin Gausman. Gausman has been the opposing pitcher at Yankee Stadium 14 times in his career. Although he took some lumps earlier in his career with the Orioles, he posted a 1.42 ERA in two starts in New York last season. Gausman also is 9-5 with a 2.52 ERA in his last 19 road starts dating back to last season.

Rating: 2 Units

Musgrove will be making his first start of 2023 and will likely be on a pitch count. However, Musgrove will be turning the game over to the fifth-best bullpen ERA in the middle to late innings. Kelly, on the other hand, will turn the game over to the third-worst bullpen ERA in the later innings. Keep an eye on Kelly's ability to throw strikes with the right-hander averaging three walks per outing. San Diego is 13th in baseball with nearly four walks per game and will certainly try to make Kelly work. The Padres now possess arguably the best lineup in baseball with all-stars Tatis, Juan Soto, Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts highlighting a dominant top half of the lineup. The Diamondbacks have lost two straight games heading into game two of this series while the Padres have won two straight. The Padres have now won four straight games in Arizona heading into Friday night. Look for the Padres to gain more ground in their chase to the top with a win here.

Rating: 2 Units

Dodgers' starter Dustin May has not pitched a whole lot due to injuries but has great stuff. He has accrued a 3.22 career ERA and a 1.06 career WHIP and has conceded two or fewer runs in three of his four starts on the season. He has great command as well and will issue very few walks. Cubs’ starter Hayden Wesneski is still learning what it takes to be an effective big league starter. The rookie surrendered eight runs in his first two outings spanning only six innings which occurred against the Reds and Mariners. While he silenced the Athletics last time out, they have the worst lineup in baseball. I expect the Dodgers' veteran lineup to get to the rookie.

Rating: 2 Units

The Yankees are trying to avoid their first series loss after Toronto recorded a 6-1 victory on Friday. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a two-run homer in the first inning and Brandon Belt later added a two-run homer and a two-run double. Cole (4-0, 0.95 ERA) heads into today as the first pitcher in team history to record at least 30 strikeouts with a sub-1.00 ERA through his first four outings since earned runs were first recorded in 1913. He notched 10 strikeouts on Sunday when he threw a 108-pitch two-hitter in a 2-0 home win over the Minnesota Twins for his 23rd double-digit strikeout game as a Yankee, tying Ron Guidry's team record. Cole also has yet to allow a homer after leading the AL with 33 yielded last year, when he also racked up a major-league-best 257 strikeouts. Toronto starter, Manoah (1-1, 6.98 ERA) has been tagged for 15 runs while allowing four homers and 15 walks in 19 1/3 innings. Manoah has struggled to get deep into games and that means the Yankees will get a good look at a Blue Jays' bullpen that has an ERA of 4.20 to start the season.

Rating: 2 Units

Boston starting pitcher Nick Pivetta gave up six runs on five hits in four innings with three walks and served up one home run when facing the Los Angeles Angels last Saturday. Pivetta has allowed three runs or more in two of his three starts. Boston will play without Adam Duvall who, before being injured, was leading Boston with four home runs and 14 RBIs through the first eight games. Milwaukee starter Freddy Peralta is coming off a poor outing but prior to that had two strong outings in which the right hander allowed only one run on six hits through 12 innings. Milwaukee's pitching staff has the third best team ERA, the 5th best WHIP and is holding opposing hitters to the fifth lowest batting average. Boston has lost each of its last four interleague games and the Red Sox have lost 35 of the last 51 played on the road.

Rating: 2 Units

Pitching and defense were especially strong in the series against the Padres, in which the Braves gave up a combined two runs in three games. Right-hander Bryce Elder (2-0, 1.53 ERA) gets the start on Friday, looking to continue Atlanta's excellent pitching into the homestand. Elder has struck out 17 in 17 2/3 innings over three starts thus far in 2023. Friday's contest is Elder's first against the Astros in his career. The series also is the first meeting between the winners of the last two World Series since Atlanta took two of three games at home last August. Elder is also facing a Houston offense that's not as dangerous as Atlanta's, even ignoring any inconsistency. Maybe if Jose Altuve or Michael Brantley were playing for the Astros I'd consider differently, but neither player is healthy.

Rating: 2 Units

The Los Angeles Dodgers always have a great chance to win when Julio Urias is on the hill. They have won three of the four games that the ace has started this season. He has been on his game, limiting his opponent to two or fewer runs in all four performances. The Dodgers have won 21 of the last 24 games started by Urias. Cubs’ starter Drew Smyly has not been effective. The veteran has conceded 15 runs in his 9.1 innings of work. He has recorded a poor 4.66 ERA in his career against LA. He does not strike out many betters and has a FIP of 4.69 on the season which suggests his 4.70 ERA is justified.

Rating: 2 Units

New York enters this contest rolling, while San Francisco finally ended a four-game losing streak. The Giants got a sensational performance out of the bullpen, but they have been rather mediocre through the first few weeks of the season. This is one area where New York has a significant advantage. The starting pitchers should give New York a slight edge, but it is in the bullpen where the Mets will close out this game. San Francisco has the better power production, but they have struggled to produce runs over their last five, averaging 3.71 per game. New York is just slightly better than that number over the last five (3.91), but one can understand the struggles when they were facing the Dodgers in Los Angeles for three games and, yet, they still scored 13 runs in those three games. Right now, New York clearly looks like the better team, and it makes sense to go with them in this contest.

Rating: 2 Units

The Pirates, who host the Reds for four games starting today, have won 11 of 16 since that opening set, including sweeps at Boston and Colorado. Cincinnati, meanwhile, has lost 10 of 15 and hasn't won a series since. The Pirates just completed that second sweep, winning all three against the Rockies in Denver, including a 14-3 win Wednesday. They outscored Colorado by a whopping 33-9. They have won four of their past five overall. In fact, Pittsburgh has not lost two straight games since dropping the final two games of that opening series against Cincinnati. Pirates starters have gone at least six innings and turned in a quality start in nine games in a row. In the series opener today, Cincinnati right-hander Luke Weaver is scheduled to make his season debut against Pittsburgh right-hander Roansy Contreras (1-1, 6.00 ERA). In his third start of the year, Contreras got a no-decision Saturday in St. Louis, giving up two runs in six innings. Contreras did not face Cincinnati in the earlier series but is 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA in three career starts against the Reds, all in 2022.

Rating: 2 Units

Right-hander Kenta Maeda (0-2, 4.09 ERA) is scheduled to start on the mound for Minnesota today. The Red Sox will counter with right-hander Tanner Houck (2-0, 4.50 ERA). Maeda exited his first start of the season due to arm fatigue, and then allowed eight hits and four runs in six innings during latest outing, on April 10 against the Chicago White Sox. Maeda skipped his next turn in the rotation and will enter the Thursday game with extra rest. He is 0-2 with a 4.50 ERA in two career starts against the Red Sox. Houck won his first two starts of the year, then gave up two runs on four hits in four innings against the Los Angeles Angels during a no-decision on Friday. Houck has a 1-0 record with a 2.61 ERA two career starts vs. the Twins. In his most recent meeting with Minnesota, he threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings en route to a victory on April 16, 2022.

Rating: 2 Units

Right-hander Luis Garcia (0-2, 7.71) will start the series finale for Houston. Despite recording a season-high seven strikeouts against the Texas Rangers on Friday in his most recent outing, Garcia was the pitcher of record in the Astros' 6-2 loss after allowing five runs on six hits and two walks over five innings. He has yet to log more than 15 outs in a start this season. Garcia is 1-1 with a 4.00 ERA over three career starts against the Blue Jays. He went 0-1 with a 5.25 ERA in two outings against Toronto last season, including a home start on April 24 during which he allowed five runs on five hits and one walk with six strikeouts over six innings but did not factor into the decision of the Astros' 8-7 victory. The Astros' lineup still is trying to find its foothold without Altuve at the top of the order. Toronto played very well against Houston last season, sporting a 4-2 record against the World Champs.

Rating: 2 Units

It's difficult to bet against Max Scherzer ever, especially not in a park where he's had extensive success pitching in. Noah Syndergaard is by no means a bad pitcher, but he hasn't been sharp in the past two starts, which he'll need to be to duel with Scherzer. Both offenses are capable of scoring in bunches, as evidenced by last year, this year, and game one of this series. When it comes to pitching in this game, the Mets have the better starter and the bullpen that's been more reliable. The Mets should take this game.

Rating: 2 Units

Texas deluged Kansas City with five runs in the sixth inning and another four in the eighth en route to a 12-2 win on Tuesday. The rout improved the Rangers to 4-1 against the Royals on the season and marked Kansas City's eighth loss in its last nine outings. A win today gives Texas its first sweep since opening the season with three wins over reigning National League champion Philadelphia. Left-hander Martin Perez (2-1, 2.87 ERA) takes the mound for Texas on Wednesday. Perez scored the win his last time out, striking out four and giving up two earned runs on five hits and four walks in the Rangers' 6-2 win at Houston on Friday. Perez has a 5-1 record in 12 appearances against Kansas City dating back to 2013. He has posted four straight victories against the Royals, including in each of his last two starts at Kauffman Stadium -- the most recent a six-inning performance with six strikeouts, seven hits and four earned runs last June 27. Right-hander Brady Singer (1-1, 7.88) starts for the Royals. After an impressive first start to the season (one earned run on two hits with three strikeouts and three walks over five innings in an April 3 win against Toronto), Singer has struggled in his last two appearances. Singer gave up eight hits and five earned runs over six innings April 8 at San Francisco, then took the loss on Friday with 10 hits and eight earned runs surrendered to Atlanta over five innings. Singer is 0-2 all-time against Texas, with both starts coming in 2021.

Rating: 2 Units

These two teams have headed in opposite directions since the Padres took three of four in Atlanta April 6-9. The Braves have won six straight since that rough series, while the Padres have dropped five of seven games since that point. Snell has struggled this season and has continued to have problems with his control. Meanwhile, Strider has been striking out hitters at a prodigious rate and if he can be a bit more efficient as far as pitch count goes, he’ll be even more dangerous as the season goes forward. Right now, the Braves are hitting while the Padres are struggling at the dish despite their star-laden lineup. Strider doesn’t make it any easier for San Diego and that gives Atlanta the upper hand in this contest as they earn the win.

Rating: 2 Units

While the Oakland offense has been getting better and they got much better pitching in the final two games against the Mets over the weekend, they have a real challenge in Stroman. The right-hander is 1-1 with a 4.21 ERA in six appearances against Oakland, but all of that damage was done against him during his time with Toronto, and he looked great against Oakland in his final two outings, both in 2019 when he allowed one run in 15.0 combined innings. Waldichuk looked “better” in his last outing, but how could he not? He had been crushed through his first two outings of the year, and he is facing a Cubs team that is not lighting up the offense. However, he has his work cut out for him facing Stroman, so Chicago will win this game easily.

Rating: 2 Units

Right-hander Jose Urquidy (1-0, 2.35 ERA) is the scheduled starter for the Astros on Tuesday. He tossed six scoreless innings in a 7-0 victory over the Pirates on Wednesday, allowing two hits and three walks while recording two strikeouts. Urquidy is 2-1 with a 5.73 ERA over four career starts against the Blue Jays. He finished 1-0 with a 5.06 ERA in two appearances against Toronto last season. In a home start against the Blue Jays last April 23, he allowed two runs on six hits and one walk with three strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings. He finished with a no-decision in the Astros' 3-2 loss. Six days later, Urquidy got the win as Houston prevailed 11-7. He gave up four runs on seven hits in five innings, with one walk and six strikeouts. Right-hander Chris Bassitt (1-2, 7.63 ERA) has the starting assignment for Toronto on Tuesday. He is coming off a loss his last time out, although it was his best outing of the season. On Thursday, he surrendered two runs on four hits and three walks with seven strikeouts over six innings in a 3-1 setback to the visiting Detroit Tigers. It marked the first start of his three this season in which he didn't give up a home run. Bassitt is 3-3 with a 4.30 ERA over 11 career appearances (10 starts) against the Astros.

Rating; 2 Units

Rich Hill (0-2, 7.20 ERA) will take the mound against Colorado's Kyle Freeland (2-0, 0.96). Hill is 1-4 with a 5.68 ERA in seven career starts against Colorado, with his only win coming at Coors Field on Sept. 9, 2018, when he was with the Los Angeles Dodgers. It was his last start against the Rockies. Pittsburgh has been struggling to score runs without Cruz in the lineup. With him in the lineup, the Pirates averaged 4.7 runs a game, but have posted an average of just 3.4 since he's been out. The challenge is replacing Cruz's bat atop the order. Ke'Bryan Hayes and Ji Hwan Bae have platooned at leadoff for the past week. Freeland has looked like he did in 2018 when he finished fourth in National League Cy Young Award voting. He started this season by not allowing a run in his first 13 innings and left his last start with a lead before St. Louis rallied to win. Freeland is making his eighth career start against the Pirates and is 3-2 with a 3.75 ERA in his previous outings against them. Freeland has learned from his struggles the past few seasons as he tries to recapture the form that saw him go 17-7 with a 2.85 ERA in 2018.

Rating: 2 Units

The San Francisco Giants have not looked good early this season. They only have one series win all season and have lost six of their last eight games after a series loss in Detroit. The Miami Marlins are playing well, collecting the victory in four of their last five games. Giants’ starter Logan Webb has not been effective. The right-hander has surrendered four runs in two of his three outings including four home runs in that span. This is not ideal considering the Giants are also having problems with the bullpen. They stand 27th with a poor 6.08 ERA. Marlins’ starter Jesus Luzardo has been outstanding, conceding only four runs in 18.2 innings pitched on the season, good for a minuscule 1.93 ERA.

Rating: 2 Units

The Reds, who have lost five of their last seven, will be looking to rebound from their worst loss of the season, a 14-3 thrashing at the hands of the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday. The Reds surrendered 23 hits and had their starting third baseman Spencer Steer leave in the ninth inning holding his side after diving for a ground ball. Tampa just rocked All-Star Alex Manoah, and bring their powerful bats to the most home run-happy venue in MLB, Great American Ball Park. The Rays' offense should feast this series, and their pitching staff is too good to allow Cincinnati to string hits together. The Reds haven't proven they can consistently take pitchers out of the park. Expect the Rays to jump on Hunter Greene, who has been shaky in 2023, and take this game comfortably.

Rating: 2 Units

The White Sox are without Tim Anderson and Yoan Moncada but there's still enough firepower in this Chicago offense to win, especially with ace Dylan Cease on the bump. The veteran right-hander is 2-1 with a 3.09 ERA and 33 strikeouts in four starts (23.1 innings) against Baltimore in his career. The Orioles are hitting left-handed pitching much better than righties this season, too  .370 OBP, .866 OPS, and 27 K-rate versus left-handers and a .332 OBP, .757 OPS, and a 29% K-rate versus right-handers).

Rating: 2 Units

The Pirates will start right-hander Mitch Keller (1-0, 3.57 ERA) in the series finale. Keller has delivered two quality stars in April, allowing just three runs on 10 hits in his last 13 innings. He is 2-1 with a 3.38 ERA in eight career starts against the Cardinals. Tommy Edman (5-for-16, double, three walks, three RBIs) and Lars Nootbaar (4-for-8, double, three walks) have had success against him. St. Louis will counter with struggling veteran Miles Mikolas (0-1, 10.05 ERA). In his last start, the right-hander allowed six runs on 10 hits, including three homers, in five innings of a 9-6 victory at Colorado. Mikolas is 5-5 with a 3.05 ERA in 19 career appearances against the Pirates, including 16 starts. Bryan Reynolds (9-for-28, four doubles, three RBIs) and Ke'Bryan Hayes (4-for-10, double) have hit well against him. St. Louis has only won three of its last 10 games against divisional opponents.

Rating: 2 Units

Gerrit Cole held the distinction of leading the major leagues in strikeouts while also allowing the second-most home runs last season. This season, Cole is off to one of the best starts of his career, partially due to his ability to avoid allowing homers. He seeks a fourth straight win Sunday afternoon when the New York Yankees attempt to get a split of a four-game series with the visiting Minnesota Twins. Cole (3-0, 1.40 ERA) has won three straight starts to begin a season for the third time in his career (2013, 2020). Last year, Cole allowed three of his 33 homers and had a 6.35 ERA through his first three outings. So far, Cole has allowed 11 hits -- no HRs -- through his first 19 1/3 innings while beating the San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies and Cleveland Guardians. Cole is 4-0 with a 3.21 ERA in five career starts against the Twins. He struck out 14 in 6 2/3 innings Sept. 7 in New York.

Rating: 2 Units

Right-hander Bryce Elder (1-0, 0.00 ERA) will make his third start of the season for the Braves on Saturday. In his most recent outing, a no-decision against the Cincinnati Reds on Monday, Elder allowed six hits through 6 1/3 scoreless innings. He walked one and struck out seven. Elder has never faced Kansas City. Left-hander Kris Bubic (0-1, 1.64) will get the nod for the Royals after pitching well in a no-decision against the San Francisco Giants on Sunday. Bubic surrendered just two hits through six scoreless innings without issuing a walk. He also matched his career high with nine strikeouts. The Braves are destroying left-handed pitching this season. Ahead of this series, the Braves owned a .336/.411/.478 slash line in 113 at-bats against lefties.

Rating: 2 Units

Right-hander Chad Kuhl (0-0, 8.10 ERA) will be Washington's starter on Saturday. He has gone five innings in both his outings this season, with the Nationals losing each time. Cleveland will have right-hander Zack Plesac (0-0, 9.00 ERA) as its starter. He worked seven innings and gave up two runs in a no-decision against the Seattle Mariners on Sunday. Plesac, who has surrendered a home run in both of his starts, was the starter in two games that went to extra innings this season. He has made one career appearance against Washington, when he gave up two runs in a five-inning start as a rookie near the end of the 2019 season. The Guardians will have their bullpen intact behind Plesac after their Friday starter, Cal Quantrill, tossed six innings of three-run ball.  The Nationals have now lost 14 of their last 18 games, including seven of their last eight home games. Cleveland has won five of its last six road games and is the much better team in this matchup.

Rating: 2 Units

Since allowing four runs in five innings on Opening Day, Baltimore right-hander Kyle Gibson (3-0, 3.44 ERA) has been especially sharp. Gibson enters the matinee against Chicago with victories in his first two April starts, having struck out nine and yielded three runs in 13 1/3 innings. He is coming off a Monday home win against the Oakland A's, when he yielded one run and five hits in 6 1/3 innings. Gibson will oppose Chicago right-hander Michael Kopech (0-2, 6.75 ERA) as the White Sox try to even the series. Kopech is a prime example of what has gone wrong for the White Sox. He couldn’t throw strikes in his season debut and was roughed up by the Giants, giving up five homers in a 12-3 loss.

Rating: 2 Units

I’m going with the Mariners only because of their bullpen. The starting duo will have a tall task in this matchup, and I’m expecting Seattle’s relievers to make a difference down the stretch. Marco Gonzales won’t miss a lot of bats, for sure, and it’s hard to trust Austin Gomber, too, as the Rockies’ lefty has been pretty much awful over the last two years. The Mariners are not hitting the lefties well in 2023 (.607 OPS), but that could easily change when they meet Gomber. The Rockies’ bullpen is struggling early in the season, and I’m expecting to see more of the same at T-Mobile Park. 

Rating: 2 Units

Quantrill has been inconsistent in his two starts but should have success against the Nationals' soft-hitting lineup. The Nationals are last in baseball in home runs thus far. In addition, they have just one win at home this season compared with five losses. The Guardians are just 29th in the league in home runs but they are exceptional at playing small ball; advancing runners, stealing bases, and timely hitting. While Williams has done a nice job getting the Nats into the middle innings in each of his first two starts, he turns the ball over to one of baseball's worst bullpens. This game will be one in the late innings by the more opportunistic Guardians.

Rating: 2 Units

The Diamondbacks have won five of their last six games and three of their last five road games. They’ve been on a roll offensively in recent games, scoring 22 runs in their last four games. Expect them to continue playing well in this game because they have been great against left-handers and they’re going up against Rogers, who has struggled on the mound through two starts, giving up seven runs in his first two starts. He gave up five runs the last time he faced the Diamondbacks. The Marlins also have a bullpen that has been one of the worst in the league so far, so expect them to have a hard time slowing down the Diamondbacks in this game. The Marlins split their last six games, but they’ve lost four of their last seven home games. They have struggled offensively at home, scoring only seven runs in their last three games. Their offensive struggles will continue in this game because they haven’t had a lot of success against Bumgarner, who gave up seven runs in his first two starts, which isn’t bad considering he was facing the Dodgers in both games. He gave up four runs in his last four starts against Miami and will keep their offense in check. Go with Arizona to cover the money line.

Rating: 2 Units

Jordan Montgomery (2-0, 2.25 ERA) will start the series opener against the Pirates. He allowed three hits in seven innings in his latest start, a 6-0 victory at Milwaukee on Saturday. He struck out nine batters and walked two. The Pirates will turn to Vince Velasquez (0-2, 9.82 ERA) as they open a seven-game road trip. The right-hander lasted just 2 2/3 innings in his latest start, an 11-5 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Saturday. He allowed five runs on six hits and four walks with one strikeout. Velasquez is 1-3 with a 5.67 ERA in seven career appearances against the Cardinals, including six starts.

Rating: 2 Units

The Yankees have owned the Twins at Yankee Stadium over the past five seasons with 13 wins in 15 games. Rookie right-hander Brito has gotten off to a strong start with two straight wins and an ERA of 0.90. Ryan, however, was hit hard in his only start against New York last season and allowed over a run more per game on the road than at home. Ryan is not a high-volume strikeout pitcher which could lead to a big night for the Yankees' powerful bats. Heading into Wednesday's game, the Twins scored a total of six runs in their last five losses. Look for the Yankees to continue their dominance over the Twins at home.

Rating: 2 Units

The Philadelphia Phillies have struggled on the road in the early going of the season, losing five of their six road decisions. They have scored three or fewer runs in four of the games in that span. The  Cincinnati Reds have won three out of their last four home games. Reds’ starter Nick Lodolo has been outstanding, conceding only two runs in his 12 innings of work. He just sailed through seven shutout innings against this Phillies squad last week. He has been incredible when pitching against Philly in his young career, sporting a minuscule 1.86 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP in 19.1 innings, and has allowed zero home runs.

Rating: 2 Units

The Rays moved to 18-4 against Boston in the past 22 contests in the domed park. With No. 2 starter Zach Eflin (back tightness) going on the 15-day injured list Tuesday, the Rays called up No. 1 prospect Taj Bradley to make his major league debut. The right-handed Bradley, 22, is considered the No. 18 prospect by MLB Pipeline, No. 42 by Baseball America and No. 60 by ESPN. When Boston's Chris Sale (1-0, 11.25 ERA) returns to the mound near the town where he grew up, the veteran left-hander will look for a better start than the one in Detroit last Thursday. Boston's staff desperately need a return to form by Sale, who has looked shaky in his first two outings. Across eight innings against the Baltimore Orioles and Detroit, the lanky lefty has given up 11 hits and 10 runs with 13 strikeouts and five walks. He also has surrendered four homers.

Rating: 2 Units

The Orioles have won four of their last seven games. They are playing well offensively, scoring 16 runs in their last four games. They scored five runs in the first game of the series and won’t have trouble scoring once again because they have been great against left-handers and Waldichuk hasn’t looked good on the mound so far, giving up 14 runs in his first two starts. He has given up 19 runs in his last four road starts and is backed up by one of the worst bullpens in the league, so expect them to have a hard time slowing down the Orioles in this game. The Athletics have lost eight of their last 10 games and four straight road games. They have one of the worst offenses in the league and they played worse in recent games, scoring only one run in their last three games. Even though Kremer struggled on the mound in his first two starts, the Athletics’ offensive struggles will continue in this game because they have been terrible against right-handers, batting under .200 against them. They also struggled when they faced Kremer last season, scoring only two runs in six innings against him. Baltimore’s bullpen has also done a good job in recent games, so don’t expect them to have a hard time keeping Oakland’s inept offense in check.

Rating: 2 Units

The Astros have crushed lefties early on, with .292/.354/.542 slash line through 72 at-bats. That includes four of their 10 team home runs in a quarter of the at-bats. Hill also hasn't been pitching well and Father Time may have finally come to collect on a long career. Opposing him, Urquidy gets to face an offense that's not nearly as threatening, outside of Bryan Reynolds. Houston has picked up a pair of comfortable wins recently, and this will probably be another one.

Rating: 2 Units

May has been excellent in his first two starts this season as he continues to round back into form well over a year after Tommy John surgery. Meanwhile, Wood was roughed up in his first outing this season and struggled in all three of his starts against the Dodgers last season. The left-hander will have to contend with the powerful right-handed bats of Mookie Betts, JD Martinez and Will Smith tonight. Be wary that Wood allowed four home runs in his three starts against LA last season. Following Monday's win, the Dodgers have now won 16 of the last 20 meetings against the Giants. LA has also now won eight straight games in San Francisco. I expect that trend to continue on Tuesday night and for the Dodgers to win yet again.

Rating: 2 Units

St. Louis has sputtered mightily at the plate this season in key situations and that is a major reason why they are in the cellar of the NL Central. The Cardinals are hitting .275 with the bases empty and .315 with runners on base, but that number craters to .230 with runners in scoring position on the year. They are zero for eight with the bases loaded so far this season. Mikolas has struggled in his first two starts, allowing five runs in each outing as he’s been tagged for a league-high 19 hits. Colorado has been up and down this season but Freeland has been stellar in his two outings this season. The Rockies are a prolific offensive team at home and that works in their favor here, especially facing an eminently hittable pitcher like Mikolas. Give Colorado the advantage at home as they prevail behind another solid start from Freeland.

Rating: 2 Units

The Yankees turn to Cole on Tuesday night and the trends certainly steer toward the Bronx Bombers. Cole was 2-0 against the Guardians in the regular season last year and followed that up with two dominant starts in the AL Divisional round. He has gotten off to a strong start this year, with two straight wins and 19 strikeouts in 12.1 innings pitched. Cleveland's offense is predicated on long at-bats and base running. Cole's ability to get swings and misses will keep the Guardians off the base paths. Meanwhile, Gaddis takes the mound for Cleveland and is not the swing-and-miss pitcher that Cole is. Gaddis is a contact pitcher and will struggle against this powerful Yankees' lineup. I expect the Bombers to get back on track with the long ball against Gaddis and pull away for a series-tying win in game two of the series.

Rating: 2 Units

Los Angeles dominated San Francisco last season, winning the final five games of the series. The Dodgers have also won seven consecutive games in San Francisco, so they are going to be confident entering this matchup. Their offense has been rolling early in the season, even though they were unable to overcome their bad pitching over the weekend. That should not be an issue on Monday night with Urias on the mound. He is about as trustworthy as any team in the majors over the few years, posting a 2.16 ERA last year. Urias has been outstanding through his first two starts this season as well, while Webb is coming off a pair of rough starts.

Rating: 2 Units

The Yankees have used a similar formula from last season to win six of their first nine games this year; the long ball and a solid bullpen. They have homered in each of their first nine games and are fifth in home runs thus far. The Guardians, meanwhile, thrive on base running and timely hitting. They will have Bieber on the hill, who has yet to allow a long ball this season. Cleveland will lean on their ace in the series opener and should be able to push across enough runs against German to pick up a low-scoring win against the Bombers.

Rating: 2 Units

The White Sox send Cease to the hill in this matchup and he was lights-out against the Twins last season, failing to allow a run in 16 innings. He was also stellar on the road with an ERA of 2.00 in 2022. Lastly, Cease has been solid this season with 18 strikeouts in two starts. The Twins have scored just three runs total in their three losses and I expect Cease to silence their bats in this one as well. Maeda pitched well in his first game back since the 2021 season. Expect the Twins to be careful with him once again in this game and the White Sox to get a good look at their bullpen in the second half of this game.

Rating: 2 Units

The Nationals are expected to be at the bottom of the standings and their poor start is no surprise. They are stumbling, winning just three games on the young season. The Rockies have been competitive. They won two of four against the Padres and are always dangerous at Coors Field. Washington starter Chad Kuhl has struggled against the Rockies in his career, posting a poor 4.64 ERA and a. 1.40 WHIP in 21.1 innings. He gave up four runs in five innings against the Rays in his opening start. Kuhl was a member of the Rockies' last season and had difficulty at Coors Field, recording a 5.18 ERA in his 74.2 career innings pitched in the hitter's park.

Rating: 2 Units

I am concerned about St. Louis’ pitching situation on Sunday afternoon, especially against a Milwaukee team that is off to an excellent start to the year. The Cardinals are without Wainwright, leaving them scrambling for an additional starter in their rotation. They turned to Woodford on Monday, and he was lit up by Atlanta’s powerful lineup. He will make another start today, but this could be his final turn through the rotation. Peralta was a solid starter for Milwaukee last year and got off to a strong start on Monday. He threw six scoreless innings and should have some wiggle room with Woodford opposing him in this matchup.

Rating: 2 Units

The Rays enter the game with a plus-46 run differential after winning their first eight games by four runs or more. That run differential through eight games is the largest in the modern era of MLB, eclipsing the plus-40 marks recorded by the 1955 Chicago White Sox and tied by the 1999 Cleveland club. The Rays also are on their longest winning streak since May 2021, when they won 11 games in a row. Tampa Bay has outscored its opponents 64-18 in their season-starting blitz -- although they've faced the Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals and the A's, teams which combined for winning percentage of just .372 in 2022. Right-hander James Kaprielian (0-0, 9.00 ERA) -- a former first-round pick of the New York Yankees -- will take the ball as the A's hope he can slow Tampa Bay's juggernaut offense. In his most recent start, on April 3, Kaprielian was tagged for five runs on seven hits in five innings in a wild 12-11 loss against the Cleveland Guardians. Drew Rasmussen (1-0, 0.00), a right-hander, will start for the Rays on Sunday. He held the Nationals to two hits over six shutout innings with seven strikeouts and no walks in a 6-2 win on April 3. In his only career start against Oakland, Rasmussen earned the victory on May 2, 2022, giving up one run and throwing five innings of one-hit ball.

Rating: 2 Units

This line is higher than it was when this same pitching matchup took place last Sunday, but I am still happy to take New York. I think we learned two valuable lessons from that contest, creating value here even after the line movement. One, Rogers’ struggles from last season continued, looking more like the 2022 version of himself rather than the 2021 version. Two, Senga is the real deal, bringing heat all game and not shying away from the moment. The Mets have gone 13-5 in their last 18 home games against the Marlins and have dominated the season series so far this year.

Rating: 2 Units

I'm choosing to believe in San Francisco's streak of offensive dominance every other game. It's a weird thing very early in the season, but baseball is a weird sport. On a serious note, I can't see the Royals winning consecutive games frequently this season, especially not with the way their offense has performed on most nights. They haven't won two straight yet. Even if Singer has another terrific start, he's handing the ball over to a suspect bullpen. Roll with the Giants at home here. In addition, SF starter Brady Singer for his career he is 6-10 with a 4.07 ERA on the road. That includes a 2-3 record with a 3.99 ERA last season.

Rating: 2 Units

Despite a tough start against the Astros in his only appearance against them lifetime, I like Ryan at home in this game. Ryan had a solid 3.03 at home last season and was the Twins' most consistent pitcher throughout the season. He picked right up where he left off in game one of this season after allowing just three hits in a win over the Royals. The Astros lineup has struggled without Altuve at the top of the order to be a catalyst for the likes of Bregman and Pena. Those two in particular are off to slow starts and Ryan should be able to exploit their struggles. Garcia finished poorly last season and started slowly this year as well while taking the loss to the White Sox. Garcia is likely in danger of losing his spot in the rotation when the Astros get some of their injured arms back.

Rating: 2 Units

Left-hander Patrick Sandoval (1-0, 1.80 ERA) will start for the Angels, and if his season debut is any indication, he's not going to be the club's hard-luck pitcher again this season. Last year, Sandoval won just six games in 27 starts despite a 2.91 ERA, in large part the result of a lack of support from the offense. The Angels offense averaged 3.3 runs per game in his starts and scored more than four runs only five times in the 27 starts. During the month of July, the Angels scored a total of six runs over Sandoval's five starts. But last Saturday in Sandoval's season debut, the Angels scored 13 runs against Oakland, considerably more than enough for the Angels' No. 2 starter, who allowed one run and two hits in five innings for the victory. Right-hander Chris Bassitt (0-1, 24.30 ERA) will start for Toronto, his second start of 2023 following a forgettable performance his first time out. Last Sunday against St. Louis, Bassitt lasted just 3 1/3 innings and allowed nine runs and 10 hits, including four home runs. Bassitt said all six of his pitches were hit hard in the game, and it was his goal to figure out why during his time between starts.

Rating: 2 Units

Today's game will be the home opener for the Twins in a game that originally was scheduled for Thursday but was pushed back a day because of inclement weather. Temperatures in the Twin Cities today are expected to reach 50 degrees after they were in the 30s on Thursday. Right-hander Sonny Gray (1-0, 0.00 ERA) still is expected to start for the Twins despite the schedule shift. Gray has a 4-4 record with a 3.08 ERA in 10 career starts against the Astros. Jose Urquidy (0-0, 6.75) is Houston's scheduled starter. He needed 82 pitches to get through four innings in his debut, a 6-4 victory over the Chicago White Sox. He allowed three runs on seven hits, struck out five and walked one. Houston's bullpen has not been dominant to start the season posting a 4.13 ERA in games against the White Sox and Tigers. The loss of Altuve has also been an adjustment for the Astros lineup.

Rating: 2 Units

The last time the New York Mets played at home, they had trouble generating consistent offense and their starting pitchers struggled at the most inopportune time. The Mets begin their home schedule anew this afternoon against the Miami Marlins to kick off a three-game series. Tylor Megill (1-0, 3.60 ERA) is slated to take the mound for the Mets against Edward Cabrera (0-0, 4.50 ERA) in a battle of right-handers opposing each other for the second time this season. Megill and Cabrera made their season debuts in the Mets' 6-2 win last Saturday. Megill allowed two runs over five innings while Cabrera gave up two runs in four innings. Cabrera is 1-1 with a 6.63 ERA in five starts against the Mets.

The Padres have not looked threatening yet this season, going 3-3 against subpar opponents in the Rockies and Diamondbacks. The Braves have been raking at the dish, ranking top 10 in most hitting categories, and scored 16 runs in the three-game sweep of the Cardinals this week. Padres’ starter Blake Snell had trouble in his first start, conceding three runs in only 4.1 innings. The Braves’ starter Spencer Strider was the best rookie pitcher in the Major Leagues last year and registered six shutout innings against the Nationals in his season debut. He limited the Padres to just two runs in his lone career meeting. Strider was especially difficult to solve at home last season where he posted a 6-1 record and a stifling 2.17 ERA. 

Rating: 2 Units

Colorado always has a major home-field advantage based on the altitude at Coors Field, and this will be its first home game of the season. The Rockies have plenty of powerful bats in their lineup with Bryant, Cron and Charlie Blackmon, which does not bode well for Gray after he looked bad in his first start. Freeland shut down one of the league’s best lineups last Friday in San Diego and closed the 2022 campaign with 5.2 innings of one-run baseball against the Dodgers. The Rockies have an advantage on the mound and at the plate on Thursday afternoon, so I am thrilled to back them at a cheap price, especially with Washington not having the day off on Wednesday.

Rating: 2 Units

Detroit's Spencer Turnbull will be making his first home start since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2021. The 30-year-old right-hander, who tossed a no-hitter against Seattle on May 18, 2021, will pitch at Detroit's Comerica Park for the first time since May 29 that same year. He recorded his last win that day when he held the New York Yankees to one run in 5 2/3 innings. He's 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA in two career starts against the Red Sox. Boston left-hander Chris Sale gave up seven runs on seven hits, including three homers, to Baltimore in three innings Saturday. Sale was bailed out by the Red Sox offense, which rallied for a 9-8 victory. Boston committed two errors in the series finale and has allowed 14 stolen bases without a caught stealing this season.

Rating: 2 Units

Betting against Ohtani right now seems like a terrible idea, especially when the line is this cheap against a fill-in pitcher. Seattle racked up a ton of runs on Tuesday night, but it is facing one of the league's best starters on Wednesday. Ohtani was outstanding during the World Baseball Classic and it carried over to his Opening Day start against Oakland. He put together the best pitching numbers of his career last season and is motivated to lead his team to a series win on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Flexen is being inserted into the rotation due to Ray’s injury, and he relies too heavily on his defense to get outs.

Rating: 2 Units

After holding the reigning World Series champion Houston Astros in check on Opening Day, Chicago White Sox right-hander Dylan Cease now braces for the slugging San Francisco Giants. Cease (0-0, 1.42 ERA) stands in San Francisco's way after limiting the Astros to one run and two hits in 6 1/3 innings Thursday. The runner-up in the 2022 American League Cy Young race, Cease walked zero while fanning 10, matching Jack McDowell's 1991 club record for most strikeouts in the season opener. San Francisco ace Logan Webb (0-1, 6.00) is eager to rebound from an uneven season debut Thursday. Webb fanned a personal-best 12 New York. Yankees in six innings to set a franchise Opening-Day record, but still saw enough of his pitches squared up. He yielded four runs and four hits, including two homers, in a 5-0 defeat. Cease has faced the Giants once in his career, defeating them in San Francisco on July 2 behind five innings of one-run ball with four hits, three walks and four strikeouts. Wade Jr. reached Cease for a leadoff home run. Webb opposed Cease in that game and took the loss in his only career appearance against Chicago, giving up five runs (three earned) and six hits in six innings with one walk and five strikeouts.

Rating: 2 Units

These teams have gone in opposite directions to start the season. The Phillies have been outscored 37-12 in their first four games entering Tuesday night’s action. Meanwhile, New York has outscored the opposition 24-6 in their first four games of the year and posted a pair of shutouts. Nola started the year strong before getting roughed up in a nine-run fourth inning for the Rangers in his debut. Meanwhile, Cole stifled the Giants in his season debut and the Yankees played well in the first week of the season. New York has looked good at the plate and with the Phillies giving up runs by the truckload early on, you have to back the Yankees in this contest.

Rating: 2 Units

There are two huge advantages that the Red Sox have entering this game. The first is that they have a far superior offense. They are not likely going to be scoring nine runs per game against the Pirates as they did against Baltimore, but it would not be surprising to see them score five or six per game. In addition, Pivetta has dominated the Pirates in his career, allowing 14 hits and four earned runs in 18.0 innings pitched. He gives the Red Sox the biggest advantage of all and should hold the Pirates to a couple of runs before his evening is over. He will then turn the game over to a struggling Boston bullpen who will give up a couple of runs before finishing off the game. 

Rating: 2 Units

Through four games, the New York Yankees are off to a good start thanks to their power hitting. The Philadelphia Phillies, on the other hand, are winless in four games, unable to get clutch hits and prevent opponents from scoring often. New York heads into today hitting .260, and besides the hits, the Yankees have drawn 19 walks after getting nine on Monday. Torres is among the Yankees off to an impressive start. He is 4-for-12 after reaching base a career-high five times Monday while collecting his 100th career homer, an RBI infield single and three walks. Philadelphia's Matt Strahm will make his 26th career start and his first start where he is not an opener since July 2, 2019, for San Diego, when he allowed seven runs and 11 hits in five innings against San Francisco. As a starter in his career, Strahm is 4-10 with a 5.08 ERA. He made a relief appearance on Opening Day, throwing a scoreless inning during the Phillies' 11-7 loss to the Texas Rangers. The left-hander is 0-2 with a 2.45 ERA in 10 career appearances, one start, against the Yankees. In a May 27, 2019, start at New York, he struck out 10 and allowed three runs in six innings.

Rating: 2 Units

San Diego starting pitcher Yu Darvish finished last season with 16 victories and a solid 3.10 ERA. San Diego won four out of the five starts that Darvish had against Arizona last season including each of the last four and two during the final month of the regular season when Darvish gave up a combined three runs on three hits across 12 innings resulting in 6-3 and 6-1 victories for the Padres. Arizona has lost five of the last six head-to-head versus San Diego and the Padres have won 20 of the last 27 at home in Petco Park versus the Diamondbacks. San Diego has won five of the last seven versus a team from the National League West.

Rating: 2 Units

Nelson, Arizona's second-round pick in the 2019 draft, tied two franchise records when he made his debut against the Padres last Sept. 5. He shut out the Padres on four hits and no walks with seven strikeouts over seven innings. It tied the team's records for longest shutout outing and strikeouts in a debut and earned Nelson his first major-league win. Overall, Nelson was 1-1 with a 1.47 ERA and a 0.82 WHIP in three starts last season. Weathers, who spent the entire 2022 season at Triple-A save for one emergency start for the Padres, had a 4.91 ERA this spring. While his spot in the rotation likely will disappear once Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove are ready, Weathers could become the long man in the bullpen. After a fast start in 2021, Weathers has struggled. He is 4-7 in 31 major-league appearances (19 starts) with a 5.49 ERA. He has allowed 107 hits in 98 1/3 innings with 75 strikeouts. Weathers, 23, is 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA in four career appearances (two starts) against Arizona.

Rating: 2 Units

The San Francisco Giants will experience Opening Day for a second consecutive American League projected playoff contender when they begin a three-game series this afternoon at the Chicago White Sox. Right-handers Anthony DeSclafani of San Francisco and Michael Kopech of Chicago are the scheduled starters in the first Giants-White Sox matchup in Chicago since September 2017. Chicago Starter, Michael Kopech, posted a 3.01 ERA (23 ER/68.2 IP) in 13 starts at home last season, holding the opposition to a .157.  San Francisco starter, DeSclafani, will be pitching in a regular-season game for the first time since getting pulled in the third inning of a 10-3 home loss to the Cincinnati Reds last June. The White Sox swept a three-game series in San Francisco last July, outscoring the hosts 19-7.

Rating: 2 Units

Mets' starter Carlos Carrasco is getting up there in age but is still a solid pitcher. The veteran right-hander has contained the Brewers throughout his career, posting a 3.60 ERA in five starts. Brewers’ starter Freddy Peralta usually takes a while to find a groove as evidenced by his subpar 4.38 career ERA in April. The right-hander recorded a 5.00 ERA in 18 innings last April. Also, Peralta had trouble when pitching at home last year, going 3-4 with a 4.34 ERA. 

Rating: 2 Units

Right-hander Cal Quantrill (15-5, 3.38 ERA last season) is scheduled to take the mound Sunday for the Guardians as they attempt to win the series. Quantrill is 0-0 with a 3.86 ERA in two career appearances against Seattle, with one start. With two really good seasons under his belt as a full-time starter, Cal Quantrill has a chance to be really good in this league for Cleveland. He has a lot more upside entering this season than his opposition, Marco Gonzales, a veteran who consistently posts an ERA right of 4.00 every year (10-15, 4.13 ERA last season).

Rating: 2 Units

Following Shohei Ohtani and Patrick Sandoval on the mound for the Angels will be left-hander Tyler Anderson, who hopes to help the team clinch a series win after Los Angeles rebounded from a 2-1 defeat on Opening Day with a 13-1 shellacking of Oakland on Saturday. Anderson went 15-5 with a career-best 2.57 ERA last season. Oakland is expected to counter with lefty Ken Waldichuk (2-2, 4.93 ERA in 2022). Anderson will make his first start for the Angels, continuing a tour of baseball's Western divisions. He starred for the Los Angeles Dodgers last season, following stints earlier in his career with the Colorado Rockies, San Francisco Giants and Seattle Mariners, as well as the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 33-year-old did not face the A's last season. He's dueled Oakland three times in his career, allowing a total of 10 hits and two earned runs in 16 2/3 innings, going 2-0 with a 1.08 ERA. The Scottsdale, Ariz., resident pitched well in the spring, going 2-0 with a 1.35 ERA. He said during spring training that pitching near home was a driving factor in signing with the Angels.  The A's counter with Waldichuk who didn’t look good in spring training and gave up four home runs in 13.2 innings pitched. He gave up five hits and four runs in 3.1 innings in his last outing and will have a hard time slowing down the Angels in this game.

Rating: 2 Units

Brito impressed the Yankees by going 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA in four spring training appearances. On March 25, in his second spring start, he wowed them by pitching 5 1/3 innings against the Toronto Blue Jays, who fielded a lineup of most of their regulars. He surrendered no runs, hits or walks, and struck out three. The Yankees signed Brito out of the Dominican Republic as a non-drafted free agent on Nov. 9, 2015. He entered this season as New York's 30th-best prospect according to Baseball America and was added to the 40-man roster after going a combined 11-4 with a 2.96 ERA in 26 outings (23 starts) in Double-A and Triple-A. Ross Stripling makes his San Francisco debut after spending the past two-plus seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays. Stripling went 10-4 with a 3.01 ERA in 32 appearances (24 starts) with Toronto last season and signed a two-year, $25 million deal that includes an opt-out with San Francisco. Stripling is 0-5 with a 4.55 ERA in seven career appearances (four starts) against the Yankees. Last year, he was 0-1 with a 4.70 ERA in two starts against New York.

Rating: 2 Units

The Red Sox are excited to finally have a healthy Sale back on the mound from the outset, as he endured two separate stints on the injured list last season. He likes what he has seen from this iteration of the club. Both of Sale's starts last season came in July after he recovered from a rib injury, but a left fifth finger fracture on July 17 against the New York Yankees shortened his return and sidelined him for the remainder of the season. Sale 10-3 with a 2.71 ERA in 23 career appearances (17 starts) against Baltimore. World Baseball Classic champion Masataka Yoshida, from Japan, made his major league debut Thursday and was one of four Red Sox to post two-hit days. Sale's counterpart will be Orioles right-hander Dean Kremer, who will make his 2023 debut while pitching his sixth career start against Boston. He has yet to beat the Red Sox, going 0-4 with a 6.85 ERA. Kremer was 8-7 with a 3.23 ERA in 22 outings (21 starts) last season.

Rating: 2 Units

The pitching matchup would clearly seem to favor San Francisco in this contest, but San Francisco looked anemic in the opener, producing just four hits. While no one should expect the Yankees to completely shut down the San Francisco lineup for a second straight game, there is also no reason to expect this team to put up a lot of runs. Schmidt looked good last season and has a lot of bullpen help so if he struggles, there is plenty of help to keep this game low-scoring. New York hit two home runs and had eight hits in the opener. They know how to make the most out of their opportunities and have one of the deepest lineups in baseball. Cobb should have some success but do not expect him to fare much better than Webb did.

Rating: 2 Units

The Astros, 6-0 in their last six Saturday games, will once again have their fun with Giolito, exposing Chicago's number-three starter. Giolito lost his both of his starts against Houston last season, allowing 15 runs on 15 hits in eight innings. In seven career starts vs. the Astros, Giolito is 2-5 with a 6.21 ERA, having served up seven home runs in 42 innings. After an Opening Day letdown, Houston will be plenty motivated to get rolling. The Astros will not lose their season-opening series to a middling White Sox club, breaking things open with a resounding game-three victory.

Rating: 2 Units

Seattle's fans are known for being so loud they annually draw the most false-start penalties in the NFL. It seems they've taken that same approach across the street to T-Mobile Park. Mariners manager Scott Servais and his players credited the sold-out crowd for helping them to a 3-0 victory Thursday in the season opener against the Cleveland Guardians. The four-game series continues in Seattle on Friday night, when Mariners left-hander Robbie Ray (12-12, 3.71 ERA last season) will try to keep the momentum going. Ray is 2-0 with a 0.90 ERA in four career appearances against Cleveland, including three starts. With Triston McKenzie on the injured list with a strained teres major muscle in his right shoulder, the Guardians are set to start rookie right-hander Hunter Gaddis (0-2, 18.41 ERA last season). Gaddis will be facing the Mariners for the first time.

Rating: 2 Units

Left-hander David Peterson, regarded just last month as the New York Mets' sixth- or seventh-best starting option, is already in the two-hole. Peterson, 27, will face the host Miami Marlins tonight after the Mets won 5-3 on Opening Day. The reason for Peterson's promotion is the Mets have two starters on the injured list. Projected fifth starter Jose Quintana (rib surgery) isn't expected back until at least July, and new co-ace Justin Verlander, who pitched for the Houston Astros last year and won his third Cy Young Award, was placed on the injured list Thursday due to a muscle strain. This is Peterson's fourth year in the majors. Last season, he won a career-high seven games, going 7-5 with a 3.83 ERA in 28 appearances (19 starts). Peterson has been good in five career appearances (four starts) against the Marlins, going 2-1 with a 2.74 ERA.

Rating: 2 Units

The Astros will turn to Valdez in this spot and he will be up for the challenge. Valdez has been the Astros most consistent pitcher in the playoffs and a strong argument could be made for the lefty in the Cy Young race. He is 7-4 at home this season and has struck out 10.42 batters per nine innings at home. Valdez is facing a Phillies lineup that has gone silent at the worst possible time. They are hitting just .100 in the last two and a half games and are striking out far too often. Valdez dominated this lineup with his curveball in game 2 and expect to see a heavy dose of that again in this one. The Phillies have seemingly leveled off and Rob Thomson, who has masterfully manipulated his bullpen throughout these playoffs, may be running out of bullets back there. Wheeler has to give the Phillies more than six innings in this game or his team will not have a chance. 

Rating: 2 Units

The Houston Astros have a multi-time Cy Young winner ready to go on four days rest for Wednesday but Dusty Baker is confident in Javier. The numbers back up Baker's confidence. Javier has an impeccable 0.32 ERA in his last five starts and keeps the ball in the yard. Meanwhile, the Astros get their second look at Nola in the series. They hit him fairly hard in game one and looked comfortable at the plate against him. The Phillies have been outstanding at home but will face arguably the Astros best pitcher in the last month.  Baker has his dominant bullpen rested and at his disposal in this near-must-win game. 

Rating: 2 Units

he Astros have absolutely pounded left-handed starters this season with a 42-12 record against them. In their one look at Suarez this season, just under a month ago, they had three home runs and six overall in just three innings. Suarez has made effective appearances out of the pen in the playoffs but struggled in his start. He walked five batters in his appearance against Atlanta as a starter. If he can't find the zone in this one, he will be out of the game quickly. Expect Phillies manager Rob Thomson to have a quick hook in this game with his left-hander. If Suarez doesn't have it early, we will see Zach Eflon and Brad Hand very early in this one. Javier has been lights out down the stretch and solid on the road all season with sub 3.00 ERA. The Astros will take full advantage of a favorable pitching matchup and win this one comfortably