The Braves and Cubs began a four-game set yesterday and the Cubs took game one, 8-3. The Braves are in 1st place in the NL East with a 46-33 record, 5 1/2 games ahead of 2nd place Philadelphia. Max Fried starts today for the Braves with a 8-3 record in his 15 starts. Fried has a 4.11 ERA and 1.346 WHIP. Fried has been inconsistent of late, allowing five runs in two of his last four starts and 2 and 3 runs in the other two starts. Meanwhile, the Cubs have won two straight and four of the last six. Adbert Alzolay will make his first start of the season today as he's been added to what is now a 6-man rotation. Alzolay has appeared in relief, going four inning and not allowing a hit until a walk and home run knocked him from the game. The Cubs expect big things from Alzolay as I do today. I'm taking Chicago.

The Texas Rangers are quietly in 2nd place in the AL West with a 42-36 record. yes, they are still 6.5-games back of the Astros, but they are in it for the Wild Card at this point with a long way to go. The Rangers have won two straight games as they begin this series with the Tigers. Jesse Chavez starts his fifth game today with no record. The Rangers are taking a page from the Rays playbook by starting a relief pitcher. Chavez will go one, maybe two innings at most today. Chavez has yet to allow a run in any of his four starts and the Rangers are 3-1 when they have done this experiment. Obviously the ball gets turned over to the bullpen early. The pen has a 12-6 record this year and a 4.36 ERA. The Tigers have now lost four straight and eight of their last nine games. Jordan Zimmermann starts today. Zimmermann got his first start since April with his last start on June 19th. Zimmerman has a lofty 6.03 ERA and allowed three runs over five innings in his return. I will be on the Rangers here today. The Tigers are struggling and Zimmermann has not been an answer. Take Texas.

Two teams with losing streaks enter Monday's opening game of their series as the Red Sox host the White Sox. Boston lost the last two games of their three-game series to the Blue Jays, including Sunday's 1-6 setbacks. Eduardo Rodriguez starts today for Boston. Rodriguez is 8-4 in his 15 starts with a 4.71 ERA. While Rodriguez has a nice record, he's been inconsistent on his runs as he allows four or more one game and then one or two the next. The White Sox lost at Texas on Sunday, 4-7. They will turn to their Ace today to try and get back to winning ways. Lucas Giolito is 10-2 but got hit hard in his last outing by allowing six runs over 4 1/3 innings. That was by far his worst outing of the season. I look for Giolito to rebound today and both of these teams to struggle scoring runs. I'm taking the UNDER.

Two streaking teams meet today in the Bronx, as the Astros bring a 7-game losing streak to face the Yankees with a 8-game win streak. The Yankees are putting distance between themselves in the AL East and 2nd place Tampa. J.A. Happ is once against winning games for this team with a 7-3 record in his 15 starts. The Yankees are 11-4 in those 15 games. Happ's ERA could be better at 4.59, but when you play on a hitting machine like the Yankees, you don't have to be perfect. Happ has held his last three opponents to two runs or less though. A 7-game losing streak by the Astros has seen their one time insurmountable AL West lead shrink to 7-games over the A's. Justin Verlander is their best pitcher and will start today. Verlander is 9-3 with a 2.68 ERA on the season. However, even he's been hit with this losing streak bug. Verlander lost last time out to the Reds, 3-4 and the Astros have now lost his last two starts. The Yankees are a dog here at home with a decent pitcher on the mound against a struggling team. That's a dog I think is very live. Play the Yankees.

 The Marlins bring a modest three-game win streak into today's game, while their host, the Philadelphia Phillies, have a 6-game losing streak. The Marlins can pull off the sweep of the Phillies with a win today. They will look to Jordan Yamamoto to do just that. Yamamoto is 2-0 in his only two starts and has been excellent. He's allowed no runs in either start (14 total inningss) with just four walks and 12 KO's. The struggling Phillies have now dropped 5.5 games back of the NL East leading Braves. Zach Eflin will try and halt their losing streak. Eflin is 6-7 in his 14 starts with a 2.83 ERA and 1.163 WHIP. Eflin has been very good, but has also received thin run support. Yamamoto is a big dog here and I'm going to take another change on a pitcher that has been great in his two starts. Take Miami.

The Washington Nationals look for their sixth straight win today as they host the Braves. After sweeping the Phillies, the Nat have taken game one of this series with the Braves. Anibal Sanchez starts today for the Nats. Sanchez is only 3-6 on the season, but has a nice 3.84 ERA. Sanchez has been excellent of late, with the Nats winning his last five starts. In those starts, Sanchez has allowed two runs or fewer. After an 8-game win streak, the Braves have cooled a bit, going 2-3 their last five games. Mike Foltynewicz will toe the rubber today for the Braves. Foltynewicz is 2-5 on the season with a 5.53 ERA. I like the Nats here today, especially with a hot Sanchez on the hill. Take Washington.

The Cincinnati Reds increased their win streak to six-games with another win over the Brewers on Friday, 11-7. It was their second straight win over the Brewers after having swept Houston in the series before this. Today they start one of their best in Luis Castillo. Castillo is 7-1 on the season with a nifty 2.36 ERA and 1.106 WHIP. Castillo has allowed two runs or fewer in each of his last four starts. The Brewers have been slumping, losing five straight and seven of their last eight games. Jhoulys Chasin starts today with a 3-8 record in his 13 starts and a 5.60 ERA. Chacin has been very inconsistent, pitching well at times and then getting hit hard for a few games. Today we get the red-hot Reds as a dog with their best pitcher on the hill. That's the kind of combo I like. Take Cincinnati.

The NL Central leading Cubs have split their first two games with the Mets, winning the opener and then losing on Friday, 4-5. The Cubs are now 41-34 and 1-game ahead of the Brewers. Jose Quintana will start today for the Cubbies. Quintana is just 4-6 on the season with a 4.07 ERA and 1.305 WHIP. Quintana gave up 8-runs in his opening game of the season. Since that start, he has allowed three runs or fewer in 12 of his 13 games including four straight. The Mets are in next to last in the NL East. The Mets have lost six of their last eight games. Zack Wheeler will toe the rubber today for New York. Wheeler has a 5-5 record in 15 starts with a 4.94 ERA and 1.331 WHIP. Wheeler has allowed nine runs over his last 10 2/3 innings. He's also not allowed UNDER three runs in his last seven starts. Cubs are the much better team and Quintana is a better starter than he appears on paper. Take Chicago.

Late action on Friday has the Angels playing at the Cardinals in a Interleague contest. The Angels made it back to .500 by winning seven of their last 10 games. The Angels will start Griffin Canning today who is 2-3 on the season with a 3.93 ERA and 0.993 WHIP. Canning has kept the Angels in every one of his nine starts, as as he has not allowed more than four runs in any single outing. The Cardinals are 38-36 on the season but trail both the Cubs and the Brewers in the NL Central. The Redbirds lost on Thursday and split their series with the Marlins. They will turn to Michael Wacha tonight. Wacha is 4-3 on the season with a 5.40 ERA and 1.658 ERA. Unlike Canning, Wacha has a very high WHIP and a much higher ERA. Wacha has been hit hard in two of his last three outings, allowing six runs each in two of those starts. This game is basically a pickem here tonight, but the Angels have been hot and have the more consistent starter on the hill. Take LA Angels.

 The Cincinnati Reds bring a 4-game win streak into today's contest at Milwaukeee. The Reds just swept the first-place Houston Astros on their Texas swing. The Reds will look to Tanner Roark to continue the winning today. Roark is 4-6 in his 14 starts with a 3.63 ERA and 1.386 WHIP. Roark is coming off a fine start vs the Rangers where he allowed just two runs over seven innings. Roark has been good all year, allowing over three runs just three times in 14 starts (all 4 runs). Meanwhile, the Brewers have lost three straight and five of their last six. The Brewers will turn to Jimmy Nelson today. Nelson only has two starts and has allowed nine runs over seven innings with six walks. Yet, here is Nelson a favorite tonight. I see a lot of value in the dog here as the Brewers are slumping and they have a very unproven starter on the hill. Take the Reds.

 Early game on the schedule has the Indians playing at the Rangers. It hasn't been a bad year for the Indians, but right now they are looking at a Wild-Card run since they trail the AL Central leading Twins by nine-games. Shane Bieber starts today for the Indians with a 6-2 record and 3.90 ERA. It's been hit or miss for Bieber, who has allowed two runs twice in his last four games and then five and six runs in the other two games. The Rangers have an almost identical record at 39-35 on the season and they trail first place Houston by about nine-games too. That means these two clubs will be duking it out the rest of the way for one of the two Wild Card spots. Mike Minor starts today with a 6-4 record with a 2.63 ERA. Minor has not allowed more than three runs in any start but one time in 15 outings. Minor has been good and these teams are pretty evenly matched. I'll take the home team here with the better starter. Play Texas.

Colorado and Arizona are tied in wins with 38 each this season. The D'backs have two more losses, so that puts them one-game back of the Rockies. Colorado took game one of this series on Tuesday, 8-1. They will start Jon Gray tonight. Gray is 6-5 in his 14 starts with a 4.39 ERA and 1.333 WHIP. The Rockies have won four of the last five starts for Gray. The Padres are 12 games back of the Dodgers for the NL lead, so really they look to be fighting for a Wildcard spot at this point. The D'backs will start their Ace in Zack Greinke tonight. Greinke is 8-2 in his 15 starts with a 2.65 ERA and 0.884 WHIP. Grienke has been on top of his game of late too, allowing no runs over his last 13 1/3 innings. Since his opening game, Grienke has allowed more than three runs in a games once (4 runs). I like the D'backs tonight to take game two here with their best on the mound. Play Arizona.

The Crosstown Classic resumes as the White Sox take the highway North to take on the Cubbies here tonight. The White Sox took the opener on Tuesday evening, 3-1. That snapped a 2-game losing streak for the Sox and increased the Cubs losing streak to two games. One of the best pitchers in baseball goes tonight for the White Sox in Lucas Giolito. Giolito is 10-1 in his 13 starts with a nifty 2.22 ERA and 0.951 WHIP. Giolito has allowed just one run over his last three starts (21 innings) with six walks and 26 KO's. Jon Lester will start for the Cubs. Lester has had an up and down season, more down lately. Lester got shelled last time out, allowing six runs over five innings. He's now allowed 10 runs over his last 11 innings of work. I'm a little stunned that arguably the best pitcher in baseball is a 1.34 dog to a pitcher that is struggling. I'll take it though. Play the White Sox.

The Milwaukee Brewers hold a 1/2 game lead over the Cubs in the NL Central. The Brewers have lost three of their last four games including last night to the Padres, 0-2. They will turn to Brandon Woodruff tonight. Woodruff has been one of their best this year with a 8-1 record in his 14 starts. Woodruff has a 3.87 ERA and 1.156 WHIP. Meanwhile, the Padres are 12-games back of the NL West leading Dodgers and could get back to .500 with a win tonight. Prospect Logan Allen is being called up to start for the Padres tonight. Allen is listed as the Padres No 5 prospect and was dealt to San Diego in a trade that send Craig Kimbrel to the Red Sox. Allen had a 5.15 ERA at Triple-A El Paso this season in 57 2/3 innings. I'm going to take the Brewers here tonight to rebound against a pitcher making his first major league start. Play Milwaukee.

The Astros bring a two-game losing streak into tonight's contest while the Reds bring a two-game win streak. Houston lost to the Reds last night, 2-3 and on Sunday to Toronto, 0-12. Tonight they turn to Justin Verlander who is 9-2 in his 15 games this season. Verlander has 13 quality starts to go along with his 2.50 ERA and 0.735 WHIP. Verlander has allowed over three runs in a game just twice in his 14 starts and that was four runs. The Reds will send Anthony Desclafani to the hill. Desclafani is 3-3 in his 13 starts with just 3 quality starts. In addition, Desclafani has a 4.43 ERA and 1.323 WHIP. The Astros are too good to lose three straight, especially with their ACE on the mound tonight. I'm taking the Astros and laying 1.5 runs. Play Houston -1.5 runs.

 The Braves have won two straight coming into this game with the Mets. The Braves scored 15 runs, a season high on Sunday and then turned around and scored 12 runs on Monday over the Mets. The Mets will start Julio Teheran in this contest. Teheran is 5-4 in his 15 games with a 2.92 ERA and 1.188 WHIP. Teheran has been red-hot of late, allowing one run or no runs in each of his last eight start. That's four total runs in those eight starts. The Mets have lost two straight and four of their last five. The Mets start Jacob deGrom here tonight. deGrom is only 3-6 in his 14 starts with a 3.37 ERA and 1.125 WHIP. But more important, the Mets are 4-10 in his starts this year. Sure, deGrom is one of the best pitchers in baseball, but right now Teheran is just as good if not better and he's playing on a much better team that is pounding the ball right now. Somehow Teheran and the Braves are a home dog here and that's too much for me to pass on. Play the Braves.

The New York Mets dropped to 34-37 with their loss on Sunday to the Cardinals, 3-4. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Braves increased to 42-30 with a 15-1 blowout of the Phillies on Sunday. It was the most runs the Braves have scored thus far in any game this season. The Braves increased their lead to 1.5 games over the Phillies for the NL Central lead while the Mets are in 3rd place, 6 1/2 games back. Zack Wheeler will start today for the Mets. Wheeler is 5-4 in his 14 starts with a 4.87 ERA and 1.286 WHIP. Wheeler gave up nine runs in his 4 2/3 inning start last timer out at the Yankees. The Braves will start Mike Soroka. Soroka is 7-1 this season with a nifty 1.92 ERA and 0.967 WHIP. Soroka had his worst start of the season last time out, allowing five runs over 5-innings to the Pirates. Prior to that start, Soroka had allowed one run or none in nine of his 10 starts. I like the Braves here today and Soroka to rebound with another great start. Play the Braves.

The Cincinnati Red exploded on Sunday to beat the Texas Rangers, 11-3. It was a rare OVER for the Reds who have gone under in 11 straight prior to Sunday's OVER. Still, this is a very good UNDER team and that's what I'm looking at here today as they faced one of the best staffs in baseball. The Astros did get shelled on Sunday by the Blue Jays, 0-12. A rare home blowout for the 1st place Astros. Houston will turn to Wade Miley today. Miley is 6-3 in 14 starts with a very good 3.14 ERA and 1.158 WHIP. Miley held the Orioles to no runs over six innings in his last start. Miley has also allowed three runs or fewer in every start this year but one (4 runs). The Reds start their Ace, Luis Castillo. Castillo is 6-1 in his 14 starts with a 2.31 ERA. Castillo has allowed one run in each of his last two starts. Two excellent starters here today along with a very good UNDER Reds team. I'm taking this one UNDER.

 NL West matchup here has the San Diego Padres, Arizona and the Rockies grouped together for what looks like a Wild Card race at this point. The Dodgers are way out in front with 47 wins while the Padres have 34 and the Rockies 37. San Diego has dropped two of the first three in this series and now has lost six of their last seven overall. The Padres will start Nick Margevicius today. Margevicius is 2-6 in his 11 starts with a 5.02 ERA and 1.384 WHIP. Margevicius doesn't go long into games, just three to five innings. The Rocks will start Peter Lambert for just his third start. Lambert has been excellent in his two prior starts, going five and seven innings and allowing just one run in each game. Lambert has a 1.50 ERA and 0.833 WHIP thus far. Rockies are the better team at this juncture and Lambert proving he deserves a starting role. Take Colorado.

The Rangers ran their win streak to 2-games with a 4-3 win over the Reds on Saturday. The Reds have been a very good under team this year, now a 23-43-2 O/U on the season. The Reds have seen their last 11 games go under the total. Sonny Gray will start today for the Reds with a 2-5 record but a fairly good 3.51 ERA. Gray has seen his last two games go under the total as he's allowed three and two runs in those two games. The Rangers will counter with Ariel Juarado, who is 3-1 on the season with a 3.77 ERA and 1.361 WHIP. Juarado has only five starts, but has not allowed more than three runs in any of hist last four. I'm sticking with the UNDER here early on Sunday. The Reds have been a great under team and I see that continuing here today. PLAY the UNDER.

My biggest play on Friday was against these Yankees, but it was really because I liked Giolito so much for the Sox and he didn't disappoint with a blowout win for my AL Situational Game of the Year winner. Today, I'm switching over to the visiting Yankees. The Yanks have lost three straight and will turn to Chad Green to stop that streak. Green is 0-0 in his four starts with a 4.76 ERA and 1.587 WHIP. Green is one of those relievers who's asked to start and go a couple of innings, like the Rays do with Stanek. Green has held his last two opponents to no runs, so maybe it will work for the Yankees too. In face, the Yankees have won all four games they have put Green on the mound to start. The White Sox will counter with Reynaldo Lopez. Lopez is 4-6 in his 14 starts with a 6.21 ERA and 1.606 WHIP. Lopez had a decent start last time out, but prior to that one he allowed 19 runs over 13 2/3 innings. I'll take the Yankees here today as they look to their pen to win this one for them. Take NY Yankees.

 The Texas Rangers took Friday's Interleague game with the Cincinnati Reds, 7-1. The win snapped a two-game losing streak for the Rangers. Texas is in 2nd place in the AL West, however they are nine games back of the Astros for the division lead. Mike Minor will get the start today for the Rangers. Minor is 5-4 in his 14 start with a nifty 2.52 ERA and 1.175 WHIP. Minor has been very consistent, allowing three runs or fewer in nine straight starts. In addition, he's allowed just two runs over his last 13 2/3 innings with four walks and 13 KO's. The Reds have now lost five of their last seven games and seven of their last 10. The Reds will send Tanner Roark to the hill tonight. Roark is 4-5 in his 13 starts with just two quality outings. Roark has a 3.74 ERA and 1.411 WHIP. In addition, Roark has allowed eight runs over his last 11 innings of work. I like the visitor here tonight. Take Texas.

The Giants won their third game in a row on Saturday with their win over the Brewers, 5-3. However, the Giants are still in last in the NL West, some 17 games back of the Dodgers. Today, they will try for four straight wins with Madison Bumgarner on the hill. Bumgarner is 3-6 on the season with a 3.72 ERA and 1.161 WHIP. Bumgarner has pitched well, allowing three runs or fewer in seven of his last eight starts. The Brewers lost for just the second time in their last seven games last night. They will turn to Jimmy Nelson today. Nelson only has one start under his belt this year, going three innings and allowing five runs along with three walks and two KO's. Despite not having started this year, Nelson was installed as a 2.50 favorite in that game and lost to the Marlins. 3-8. Now, here he is again, a road favorite over the Giants. I'm not sold on Nelson who's only start was less than even average. I'll take the Giants here as a small dog. Play San Francisco.

Milwaukee holds a one-game lead over the Cubs for the NL Central lead. The 39-29 Brewers start a 3-game series at San Francisco after two games at Houston that they split. Zach Davies will start tonight with a 7-0 record and 2.41 ERA. Davies has been very good for this club as the team is 9-4 in his 13 starts. The Giants will counter with Drew Pomeranz. Pomeranz is 1-6 in his 11 starts with a very poor 7.16 ERA and 1.750 WHIP. This game looks like a no-brainer to me. I'm taking Milwaukee.

The White Sox keep fighting to get back to the .500 mark and they are so close. Tjhe Good news is that they have their Ace and maybe the best pitcher in baseball right now in Lucas Giolito on the hill. What I love about tonight's situation is that I can get this awesome pitcher at just a 1.10 price as of right now. Giolito is 9-1 in his 12 starts this season with a nifty 2.28 ERA and 0.920 WHIP. Giolito has struck out 30 batters in his last three starts (23 innings) with just three walks. This is a huge reason that WHIP is so low. Plus, the White Sox have won his last eight starts with Giolito winning seven of those. I can't give enough accolades to this starter tonight, yet here he is just a 1.10 favorite at home. The reason? Well, he's facing the Yankees. CC Sabathia will start this game for the Yanks. Sabathia is 3-3 in his 10 starts, but he has just two quality starts during that time. Sabathia has allowed 11 runs over his last 16 innings and the Yankees have lost his last two starts. I will be jumping all over the Sox tonight with Giolito on the hill. Play Chicago.

Pittsburgh has fallen on hard times as they bring a 7-game losing streak into tonight's game at Miami. The Pirates just got swept on the road by both Atlanta and Milwaukee. Now the road trip continues to Miami. Steven Brault will start with a 1-0 record in his five starts. Brault has a 4.24 ERA and 1.586 WHIP. His Whip is high because he walks a lot of batters. Miami will start Trevor Richards. Richards is only 3-6, but has a decent 3.31 ERA. Richards has been very good of late, allowing just three runs in his last four starts (24 2/3 innings). The way Richards is pitching and the Pirates are playing, I'm on Miami here tonight. Play Miami.

The Arizona Diamondbacks just trying to stay in the rear view mirror of the NL West leading Dodgers. The D'backs are now 36-33 after yesterday's win over Philly, 2-0. Arizona has now won six of their last seven games. They start their Ace today, Zach Greinke. Greinke is 7-2 in his 14 starts with 12 quality starts under his belt. Greinke has a nice 2.87 ERA and 0.935 WHIP. Greinke has allowed 1 run or fewer in three of his last five games. Washington will counter with Erick Fedde. Fedde is 1-0 in his four starts with just one quality start. Fedde has a 2.70 ERA, but has walked six batters in his last 15 innings. Jury still out on Fedde until he gets more starts under his belt. But with Greinke we know we get a quality starter who has put together lots of quality starts this season. I'm making a big play today on Arizona.

 This IL game looks to be the matchup of the day as a pair of their respective league's best pitchers will matchup here. The Brewers will start Brandon Woodruff today who is 8-1 with a 3.87 ERA and 1.170 WHIP. Woodruff has allowed three runs or fewer in seven of his last eight start. The Astros will counter with their staff Ace in Justin Verlander. Verlander is 9-2 with a 2.40 ERA and 0.747 WHIP. Verlander is a strikeout machine who also has allowed three runs or fewer in six straight outings. If you like pitching, then this is the game of the day. I'm taking the UNDER and enjoying the show.

Another rivalry game here today as the NL's Cincinnati Reds take on the AL's Cleveland Indians. The Reds are in last place in the NL Central with a 29-36 record. They will look to Anthony Desclafini today. Desclafini is 2-3 in his 12 starts with a 4.70 ERA and 1.348 WHIP. Desclafini had one of his best starts last time out, going 5-innings with just one earned run allowed. However, Desclafini has not received any run support, getting 2 runs or less in three of his last four starts. The Indians are in 2nd place in the AL Central, but they trail Minnesota by 10 1/2 games. They will start Zach Plesac today with a 1-1 record in his three starts. Pleasac returned to the starting lineup in late May and has pitched very well with a 1.89 ERA and 0.879 WHIP. Plesac looks very good and we only have a small line to fade here today. I'm taking the Indians early today.

The Pittsburgh Pirates bring a 4-game losing streak into tonight's contest at Atlanta. The Bucs have fallen to 30-25 with this losing streak. They will turn to Chris Archer to break that streak tonight. Archer is 3-5 in his 10 starts with a 5.20 ERA and 1.453 WHIP. However, Archer is coming off his best start of the season where he went six innings vs these Braves, allowed six hits and just one run. The Braves have won four straight as they look for their fifth here tonight. The Braves will send Mike Foltynewicz to the hill. Foltynewicz has a 1-5 record with a 5.89 ERA and 1.263 WHIP. Foltynewicz faced these Bucs and Archer in his last start, going six innings and allowing three runs as he suffered the loss 1-6. Rematch here tonight of the matchup last Thursday and I look for the same outcome as last time. Take Pittsburgh as a nice dog.

 Tampa Bay has one of the best records in baseball at 41-24. Tonight they face the 33-34 Oakland A's. The Rays will do their relief pitcher starting as Ryan Stankek will once again toe the rubber. Stankek has 18 starts, all two innings or fewer. Stankek has a 1.84 ERA and 0.955 WHIP. The Rays are also 12-6 in the game Stanek has started. The A's will counter with Michael Fiers. Fiers has a 5-3 record, but a bit high on the ERA of 4.78. Fiers is a solid starter, but I'm taking the Rays here tonight and their starting pitcher by relieve. Play Tampa Bay.

The Mets and Yankees renew their Subway series here today in the Bronx. The Mets bring a 2-game win streak into tonight's rivalry while the Yankees carry a one-game win streak. The Mets will start Jason Vargas tonight. Vargas is 2-3 on the season with a very respectable 2.84 ERA and 1.286 WHIP. Vargas has allowed just two total runs over his last three starts (21 innings) including a complete game shut-out of the Giants last time out. James Paxton will toe the rubber tonight for the Yankees. Paxton is 3-2 in his nine starts with a 3.11 ERA. Paxton is coming off a loss at Toronto, allowing four runs over 4 2/3 innings of work. Not only do we get the hotter pitcher tonight in game 2, but we get a huge dog price too. Take the Mets tonight.

The Cubs staked St Louis to four runs in the top of the first inning yesterday and shut them down after that, rallying for nine unanswered runs for the win. It was the Cubs 2nd win in a row over the Cardinals and the team's fifth win in the last six games. Today, they send Kyle Hendricks to the hill. Hendricks is 6-4 in his 12 starts with a 3.16 ERA and 1.104 WHIP. Hendricks has been a solid pitcher with the team winning six of his last seven starts. That coming after Hendricks started the season losing his first three games and four of his first five. The Cardinals dropped to 31-31 on the season with the loss yesterday and can fall under .500 with another today. Adam Wainwright will try to keep that from happening today. Wainwright is 5-5 in his 12 starts with a 4.21 ERA and 1.372 WHIP. Wainwright had his best start of the season last time out against these Cubs, allowing no runs and just two hits over eight innings. Can he do it back-to-back? I don't think so. I look for the Cubs to take to sweep this series here today at home. Play Chicago.

The Chicago Cubs took game one of this series with their rival St Louis Cardinals, 3-1 on Friday. The win was their fourth in the last five games. Today, they start veteran Jon Lester. Lester is 4-4 in his 11 starts with a respectable 3.32 ERA and 1.307 WHIP. Lester had an excellent start last time out, going seven strong innings with just four hits and one run to the Angels. The Cardinals are in 3rd place in the NL Central with a 31-30 record. Jack Flaherty will start today with a 4-3 record in his 12 starts. Flaherty has a 3.76 ERA and 1.144 WHIP. These pitchers are very evenly matched here today, but I give the edge to the home club. I'm taking the Cubs at an excellent price. Play Chicago.

The White Sox losing streak was extended to 3-games with the loss to the Royals on Friday night, 4-6. The Royals snapped their 6-game losing streak with the win. The Sox will start their Ace of the staff today in Lucas Giolito. Giolito is 8-1 in his 11 starts with a 2.54 ERA and 0.951 WHIP. Giolio has been excellent, allowing three runs or fewer in each of his last eight starts. In fact, in six of those eight he allowed one or no runs. The Royals will counter with Brad Keller who is 3-7 in his 13 starts. Keller has a 4.50 ERA with a 1.449 WHIP. Keller has not been near as successful as Gioloto has been this season and with that I expect the White Sox to take game 2 here on Saturday. Play Chicago White Sox.

Two teams both in need of a win meet here today as the Royals host the White Sox to start their series. The Sox come in with a 2-game losing streak while the Royals are riding a 6-game losing streak. The Royals have one of the worst records in baseball this year at just 19-43. Homer Bailey will start today for the Royals with a 4-6 record and 6.05 WHIP. The Royals have lost Bailey's last four starts. The White Sox will counter with Ivan Nova who is 3-5 on the season with a 6.24 ERA and 1.643 WHIP. However, Nova has a couple of decent starts to build on, going 12 innings and allowing just four earned runs. Neither pitcher all that great, but the Royals aren't the worst team in baseball for no reason. Take Chicago here today.

The Brewers snapped that two game losing streak to the Marlins with a nice comeback win on Thursday, 5-1. The Pirates beat the Braves on Thursday, 6-1 and have now won two-straight games and are just one game from the .500 mark. Rookie Davis makes his first start for the Pirates. Davis missed all of last year with a hip problem. The 6-foot-5, 255 lb Davis is a big presence on the mound. He'll need all that intimidation today. He will have to face the best pitcher so far this year for the Brewers in Brandon Woodruff. Woodruff is 7-1 in his 12 starts with a 3.82 ERA and 1.200 WHIP. Woodruff had a tough start last time out, allowing six runs over just four innings. However, prior to that he allowed five total runs in his previous five starts. Davis still has too many question marks to back here today. Instead, I'll lay the 1.5 runs with the Brewers best in Woodruff. Play Milwaukee -1.5 Runs.

The Braves and Pirates have split the first two games of this series with the rubber game today. The Braves lost last night 4-7 but won on Tuesday, 12-5. Mike Foltynewicz today. Foltynewicz is having a down season with a 1-4 record and 6.10 ERA this season. Folty has shown flashes of his 2018 brilliance though. The Pirates snapped a three-game losing streak with yesterday's win. The Pirates have not put back-to-back wins together since Mid-May! Chris Archer will try and change that today for the Bucs. Archer is 2-5 on the season with a 5.66 ERA and 1.468 WHIP. Archer, like Folty, has also struggled this year as he's allowed four runs or more in four of his last five starts. I like the Braves here early on Thursday. Take Atlanta.

The Yankees look to snap a 2-game losing streak today against Toronto. The Yankees lost game one yesterday, 3-4. Today they send James Paxton to the hill. Paxton is 3-2 in his eight starts with a nifty 2.81 ERA and 1.128 WHIP. Paxton has been red-hot, allowing no earned runs in four of his last five starts (all team wins). The Blues Jays win on Tuesday snapped a six game losing streak as Toronto is now 22-38 and in dead last in the AL East. The Jays will send Trent Thornton to the hill today. Thornton is 1-4 in his 12 starts with a 4.52 ERA and 1.340 WHIP. Paxton has been so perfect of late that it's hard not to take him here today. But he's laying a big price, so I'm going to lay the 1.5 runs. Play New York -1.5 Runs.

While the other two NL divisions both have close races, the NL West is being dominated by the LA Dodgers. The Dodgers have opened up a 9 1/2 game lead in the West over the Rockies with the Diamondbacks now 12 games back. The Dodgers have the best record in baseball and have won six straight games. Hyun-Jin Ryu is having a Cy Young type of year for the Dodgers with a 8-1 record, 1.48 ERA and 0.808 WHIP. Ryu has been amazing this year, allowing no runs in four of his last five starts. The D'backs will counter today with Taylor Clarke. Clarke is 1-1 in his three starts with a 6.28 ERA and 1.535 WHIP. Hard to pass on Ryu here today against Clarke. But I'm going to have to lay the 1.5 runs. Take Los Angeles -1.5 Runs.

The St Louis Cardinals have won four straight games and now trail first place Milwaukee by just three games in the NL Central. The Reds sit in last place in the division, however they are just 6 1/2 games back in what is the closest division race in the NL. The Reds will start their Ace today in Luis Castillo. Castillo is 5-1 in his 12 starts this season with a 2.45 ERA and 1.105 WHIP. Castillo has the most wins on the staff and the best ERA by far. St Louis will give Genesis Cabrera his second start of the season. In his first, he went just 3 2/3 innings, allowed five hits and five runs and took the loos by the Phillies. The Reds are a small road favorite here today, but that's fine as their is a big difference in pitching today. I like the Reds with their Ace on the hill. Play Cincinnati.

The Minnesota Twins are running away with the AL Central, now 11 1/2 games ahead of the White Sox and the Indians. The Twins have won three straight games and average 6.0 runs per game. Devin Smeltzer makes just his second start of the season today. Smeltzer went six innings in his only previous outing, allowing three hits and no runs. He also struck out seven and walked none. The Indians can't afford to lose these games or they will be out of both the division and Wildcard races. Shane Bieber will toe the rubber today for the Tribe. Bieber is 4-2 in his 11 starts with a 3.65 ERA and 1.080 WHIP. Bieber did get hit hard in his last start at Boston, allowing eight hits and six runs over five innings. Even though Smeltzer has only one start, that was an excellent one and I am going to take him again here today. Play Minnesota.

Very short schedule here on the Monday baseball slate with just four games. I'm going to look at this IL contest between the Angels and the Cubs. The Angels won on Sunday big, beating the Mariners 13-3. Meanwhile, the Cubs lost a tough one on the road to the Cardinals, 1-2. The Angels switched pitchers overnight from Cahill to Cam Bedrosian. Bedrosian is 0-1 in his four starts with a 4.50 ERA and 1.250 WHIP. The Angels pull a page from the Rays playbook today by starting a relief pitcher. Bedrosian won't go more than one inning and in his last two starts he's allowed a run in that inning. The Cubs will send Jon Lester to the hill. Lester is jsut 3-4 in his 10 starts, but has a 3.59 ERA and 1.386 WHIP. Lester got hit hard his last start, but I look for the veteran to rebound here today. Plus the Angels will lose their DH in this one. Take the Cubbies on the Run Line.

Sunday Night action here on Sunday has two old rivals set to continue their battle. The Yankees are in first place in the AL East with a 28-19 record, 2 1/2 games ahead of Tampa Bay and 9 1/2 ahead of the Red Sox. The Sox are just .500 on the season at 29-29 and have now lost four straight games. David Prices starts for the Red Sox with a 2-2 mark on the season and a 2.83 ERA and 1.03 WHIP. The Yankees will counter with CC Sabathia. Sabathia is 3-1 this season and has a 3.48 ERA with 1.26 WHIP. Both these pitchers are veterans with lots of experience against the other. However, it's no doubt the Yankees are the better team right now. I'm taking the Yankees tonight.

The Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox had better get it in gear or the AL Central will be out of their reach by the All Star Game. The Minnesota Twins lead the Indians by 10 1/2 games and the White Sox by 11 1/2 games. The Indians will start Zach Plesac today. Plesac has one start and that was at Boston where he went 5 1/3 innings and allowed four hits and one run. The Sox will counter with Lucas Giolito who is 7-1 on the season with a 2.85 ERA and 0.98 WHIP. Plesac might be the real deal, but one start doesn't tell us a lot. However, Giolito is the real deal as he's been the best starter for the Sox this year. I'm taking Chicago here on Sunday.

Houston improved to 38-20 with their win on Friday over the A's. The Astros are running away with the AL West as the next team is Oakland with a 29-28 record. Today's starter, Justin Verlander, has been as hot as any pitcher and right now a leading candidate for the AL Cy Young. Verlander is 9-2 in his 12 starts with 10 quality starts. Verlander has a 2.38 ERA and 0.744 WHIP. In addition, Verlander has allowed five earned runs over his last four starts (29 innings) with just five walks and 35 KO's. The Oakland A's have lost three straight games and will have a tough time today against the Astros. The A's will start Brett Anderson who has pitched well with a 6-3 record in his 11 starts with a 3.86 ERA. The only reason the line is as reasonable on the Astros as it is, is because of Anderson for the A's. Still, the Astros with Verlander is a lethal combination. Take Houston.

 Both these teams are looking for better results after poor starts. The Royals are just 19-38 on the season while the Rangers are a bit better at 28-27. The problem with both clubs has been pitching, as the Royals allow an average of 5.2 runs per game and the Rangers allow 5.3 runs per outing. The Royals start Homer Bailey today. Bailey is one of those struggling hurlers with a 4-5 record in his 11 starts and a 5.79 ERA and 1.481 WHIP. Bailey has allowed 11 runs over his last 10 1/3 innings of work with seven walks. The Rangers turn to Lance Lynn. Lynn is 6-4 on the season with a 4.65 ERA and 1.389 WHIP. Lynn has been decent on the season but is coming off a loss at Seattle where he allowed three runs over six innings. Can't put much trust in either of these pitching staffs. I'm going with the OVER here today.

The Indians look to snap a 2-game losing streak today at Chicago. The Indians lost to the White Sox both on Thursday and Friday by a combined 5-16 margin. The Indians have also gone over in five of their last six games, mainly because of poor pitching. Jefry Rodriguez starts today for the Tribe. Rodriguez is 1-5 with a 4.99 ERA and 1.487 WHIP on the season. Rodriguez has allowed 14 runs over his last 15 innings with eight walks. Meanwhile, the White Sox have won five-straight games. They will start Ivan Nova today. Nova is 3-4 in his 11 starts with a 6.52 ERA and 1.719 WHIP. Both these pitchers today have struggled and I expect a high scoring game. Play the OVER.

It's not unusual to see the Colorado Rockies as a good over team. This season the Rockies are 30-22-3 O/U/P. They average 5.4 runs per game and allow 5.3 runs per game. The Toronto Blue Jays have had their issues with pitching, allowing 4.7 runs per game and now make a rare trip to play in the high altitude of Coors Stadium in Denver. Edwin Jackson will start for the Jays with a 0-2 record in his three starts and a high 9.00 ERA and 1.643 WHIP. Jackson has allowed 7, 5 and 2 earned runs in his three starts. In fact, his last two starts the opposing teams have totaled 31 runs. The Rockies will start German Marquez today. Marquez is 5-2 in his 12 starts with a 3.56 ERA and 1.123 WHIP. At home those numbers go up to 5.40 ERA and 1.600 in six starts. Jays will find Coors a tough place, especially with a struggling Jackson on the hill. Expect a lot of scoring in this one tonight. Play OVER.

Tampa Bay brings a 6-game win streak into today's contest with the Twins. Both clubs are having fine seasons thus far with Minnesota at 37-18 and the Rays at 35-19. The Twins in first place in the AL Central and really are looking to run away with this division as the nearest team are the Indians at 28-28. Jose Berrios starts today with a 7-2 mark in his 11 starts with a 3.20 ERA and 1.151 WHIP. The Rays have one of the best pitching staffs in baseball and during the last nine games (8-1 record) they have allowed three runs or less in each contest. Ryan Stanek gets the start today and as usual, he'll go one or two innings at most. The Rays are 11-4 when they start Stanek and the hard throwing righty has allowed a run just twice in his 15 starts. I like this system they use to start Stanek as it's worked all season long. Take Tampa Bay here on Friday.

Milwaukee took game one of this series with the Pirates on Thursday, 11-5. It was the third win in four nights for the NL Central leading Brewers. The NL Central has all five teams with at least 26 wins, so the Brewers can't let their guard down in this division. Today, they start Jhoulys Chacin. Chacin is just 3-6 on the season with a 4.88 ERA and 1.374 WHIP. Chacin has lost three straight games and looks to snap his personal losing streak tonight. Chacin hasn't pitched poorly, allowing eight earned runs over his last three starts (16 innings). Meanwhile, the Pirates have lost eight of their last 11 games to fall to 27-28. They will counter with Chris Archer. Archer is 1-5 in his eight starts and the team is just 1-7 in his starts. Archer has a 5.75 ERA and 1.549 WHIP. Walks have been a big issue for Archer with 12 free passes in his last 13 2/3 innings. Both these pitchers have had their struggles, but the Brewers are the better team with the better pitcher. I like the Brewers a lot here tonight. Play Milwaukee.

 Pittsburgh snapped a two-game losing streak with a win at Cincinnati on Wednesday, 7-2. The win evened the Bucs season record at 27-27. Joe Musgrove will start today for the Bucs with a 3-5 record in his 10 starts. Musgrove has a 4.74 ERA and 1.211 WHIP and is coming off one of his worst starts. Musgrove allowed six runs over five innings last start to the Dodgers in a loss. The Brewers had Wednesday off after a two-game series split against the Twins. The Brewers are holding onto first place in the NL Central, just ahead of the surging Cubs. Chase Anderson starts today for the Brewers. Anderson is 1-0 in his four starts with a 2.55 ERA and 1.302 WHIP. Anderson has had two starts where's allowed no runs this season and the other two he's allowed four and three runs. The Brewers are a small favorite here on Thursday and I like them in this spot with Anderson on the hill. Play Milwaukee

The Tampa Bay Rays look to win their fourth game tonight after beating the Blue Jays on Tuesday, 3-1. Blake Snell will get the start tonight for the Rays. Snell is 3-4 in his 10 starts with a 3.07 ERA and 1.006 WHIP. Snell has been very good in recent starts, allowing two runs over his last two games and four runs over his last four games. Toronto dropped their second game in a row and fifth in their last six games. Trent Thornton will start tonight for the Blue Jays. Thornton is 1-4 in his 11 starts with a 4.42 ERA and 1.272 WHIP. Thornton is off a decent start, allowing three runs over six innings. The Rays continue to play exceptionally well and with Snell on the hill I look for another one sided win. I'm laying the 1.5 runs here with the Rays tonight. Play Tampa Bay -1.5

The Pirates lost at the Reds yesterday, 6-11. The Reds are up 2-1 in this series with the final game today. So far these teams are 2-0-1 O/U/P. This morning I'm looking at the OVER between these two teams. The Pirates have gone over in seven of the last eight with one push and are 10-1-1 O/U/P their last 12 games. Steven Brault gets only his third start of the season. Brault has a 9.39 ERA with a 2.086 WHIP thus far. The Reds have also been a good over team with two straight overs and a 6-0-1 O/U/P record their last seven. Anthony Descalfani starts today with a 4.99 ERA and 1.315 WHIP. Neither of these pitchers are all that good and both teams have been great over plays of late. I'm making my play on the OVER here this morning.

Interleague action this morning has the Padres playing at the Yankees. San Diego lost game one of this series and then took game two yesterday, 5-4. The Padres are now 29-26 on the season and in 2nd place in the NL West. Chris Paddack will start this morning with a 4-2 record and a 1.93 ERA. Paddack also has a great WHIP of just 0.760. Paddack has not allowed more than three runs in any of his nine starts this season and the Padres are now 7-2 in his starts. The Yankees will counter with James Paxton. Paxton is 3-2 in his seven starts with a 3.11 ERA and 1.195 WHIP. Paxton is coming off just a three-inning outing where he gave up 2 hits and no runs but had three walks. Paxton was forced from the game with a sore knee. This is an ongoing problem he's had all season. Still, Paxton will get the start today. I can't pass on the Padres as a nice dog here today with a very good Paddack on the hill. Especially since I'm not sure how healthy Paxton will be today. Take San Diego.

The Tampa Bay Rays improved to 32-19 with their win over the Blue Jays on Monday, 8-3. Meanwhile, the Jays dropped to 21-33 on the season. The Rays are expected to start Ryne Stanek today. Stanek has started 14 games this season and only twice has he allowed runs. Yes, he only goes one or two innings, but in doing so he's allowed the Rays to go 10-4 in his starts. Stanek allowed three runs back on May 1st to the Royals and since then he's goner 10 1/3 innings in his last six starts and allowed just one run. His ERA for the season sits at 1.64. The Jays will start Clayton Richard. Richard is a southpaw who sports a 2.25 ERA but only has one start this season. I like the Rays to continue winning in this spot where they start Stanek. Take the Rays and lay 1.5 runs.

The Pittsburgh Pirates dropped by to the .500 mark with their loss on Monday. Good news is that they have one of the hottest pitchers in baseball on the mound today in Jordan Lyles. Lyles is 5-1 in his nine starts with a nifty 2.80 ERA and 1.091 WHIP. The Pirates do great with Lyles on the hill, going 8-1 and a perfect 4-0 on the road. In fact, Lyles has been even better on the road with a 1.96 ERA and 0.913 WHIP. The Reds lost on Monday to the Pirates, 5-8 and will look to Lucas Sims to debut in the rotation today. Sims is in the emergency starter role with Castillo and Gray both pitching on Monday's doubleheader. I like the Pirates here who have been almost perfect with Lyles on the hill. Play Pittsburgh.

Two top tier teams matchup here today as the Twins take on the Brewers. Milwaukee snapped a two-game losing streak with a win at Philly yesterday, 9-1. The Brewers will send Gio Gonzalez to the hill today. Gonzalez is 2-1 in his five starts with a 2.39 ERA and 1.101 WHIP. Gonzalez has been very good in his five starts, allowing two runs or less in four outings and three runs in the other. Minnesota brings a 6-game win streak into today's contest. The Twins held the White Sox to just one run over their last two games. Michael Pineda starts today for the Twins. Pineda is 4-3 in his 10 starts with a 5.43 ERA and 1.302 WHIP. Pineda has been very consistent of late, allowing exactly three runs in each of his last four starts. I like the UNDER here today in this matchup. Play UNDER.

The Angels took their last two games of the series from the Rangers, including Sunday 7-6. The Rangers will go for three in a row today with Trevor Cahill. Cahill is 2-4 on the season with a 6.43 ERA and 1.327 WHIP. Cahill has not been consistent this season but will look to build on a good last outing where he allowed just one run over five innings. Meanwhile Oakland has now won 9-straight games after sweeps of Detroit, Cleveland and Seattle. The A's pitching has been outstanding while their bats have provided plenty of punch during the streak. Chris Bassitt will start today with a 2-1 record and 2.48 ERA. Bassitt has been consistent in his six starts, allowing three runs or less in each. The line has dropped from over 165 to a respectable 140's now and I'm going to take the A's at that price. Play Oakland.

 Arizona is looking for the sweep today over the Giants. But, not only a sweep, but a total domination. The Diamiondbacks took game one, 18-2 and then yesterday exploded again for a 10-4 win. That's a 28-6 domination through the first two games. Luke Weaver gets the nod today for the D'backs with his 3-3 record in his 10 starts. Weaver has a very respectable 3.14 ERA and 1.064 WHIP. In fact, Weaver has not allowed more than three earned runs in any of his last nine starts. The Giants continue to have a horrid year at 21-30 and last place in the NL West. The Giants have lost four straight and six of their last nine games. Shaun Anderson gets the start today. Anderson has no record in his two starts for the Giants with a 3.80 ERA and 1.300 WHIP. Anderson has pitched well enough, but has yet to go past five innings of work. Still, the D'back just too good at this point for me to pass on here today. Play Arizona.

Tampa Bay has taken two of three from the Indians in this series after yesterday's win, 6-2. Now they start reliever Ryan Stanek today. Stanek has started 13 games this season and has gone from one to two innings. The Rays are now 9-4 in the games he's started. Stanek has allowed runs in just two of his 13 starts. The Indians look for the split here today. They also look to turn around a stretch that has seen the club lose five of their last six games. Trevor Bauer will get the start today. Bauer has a 4-3 record with a 3.95 ERA and 1.174 WHIP. Bauer has been hit hard of late, allowing 11 earned runs over his last two starts (11 innings). I like Stanek in these spots and today we get him and the Rays as a short dog price. Play Tampa Bay.

The Rangers have now improved to 25-23 thanks to a 5-game win streak. The Rangers swept the Mariners and now have taken game one of this series with the Angels, 4-3. Mike Minor will start game two here tonight for the Rangers. Minor is 5-3 in his 10 starts with a nifty 2.64 ERA and 1.129 WHIP. Minor has won two straight starts, allowing three earned runs over 11 innings with three walks and 14 KO's. The Angels have dropped to 22-28 and have lost five straight games and seven of the last nine. Tyler Skaggs will start tonight for the Halos. Skaggs is 4-4 in his eight starts with a 5.01 ERA and 1.403 WHIP. Skags has allowed 14 runs over his last 15 2/3 innings and yet here he is a favorite tonight. Now sure how that is when the Rangers are not only hot, but have a much better starter on the hill. I like dogs, but I think the line has the wrong favorite here tonight. Take Texas.

The Atlanta Braves improved to 29-23 and brings a 3-game win streak into tonight's contest at St Louis. The Braves will start Mike Soroka with a 5-1 record in his last seven starts. Soroka has been very good this season with just a 1.01 ERA and 0.873 WHIP. Soroka has been so good this year that he has yet to allow over one earned run in any of his starts. The Cardinals will turn to Dakota Hudson tonight who is 3-3 in his 9-starts with a 4.47 ERA and 1.705 WHIP. Walks have been an issue this season for Hudson, allowing at least two in each of his last three starts. The Braves have been brilliant with Soroka on the hill and this is a small price to pay with such a strong pitcher. Take Atlanta.

Tampa Bay pushed back Blake Snell to today's contest and started Yarbourough in his place on Thursday. The Rays easily beat the Indians in game one of their four-game series, 7-2. Snell will get the start today in game two. Snell is only 3-4 in his nine starts, but has a solid 3.31 ERA and 1.000 WHIP. Snell has been very good of late, allowing just three total runs over his last three starts (17 2/3 innings). The Indians look to snap their 4-game losing streak here this evening behind Shane Bieber. Beiber is 3-2 in his nine starts with a 3.18 ERA and 0.988 WHIP. Beiber is coming off his best start of the season, a complete game shutout of the Orioles, scattering five hits over nine innings and striking out 15! Both these pitchers look to be in a groove. I like the UNDER tonight.

Tampa Bay pushed back Blake Snell to today's contest and started Yarbourough in his place on Thursday. The Rays easily beat the Indians in game one of their four-game series, 7-2. Snell will get the start today in game two. Snell is only 3-4 in his nine starts, but has a solid 3.31 ERA and 1.000 WHIP. Snell has been very good of late, allowing just three total runs over his last three starts (17 2/3 innings). The Indians look to snap their 4-game losing streak here this evening behind Shane Bieber. Beiber is 3-2 in his nine starts with a 3.18 ERA and 0.988 WHIP. Beiber is coming off his best start of the season, a complete game shutout of the Orioles, scattering five hits over nine innings and striking out 15! It's hard to pass on such a quality pitcher like Snell in this kind of spot. I'm going to take him again here on Friday. Play Tampa Bay.

 The Miami Marlins all of a sudden have been winning. Yes, they are still 16-31 on the season, but they have also won six straight games and really are just three fewer wins then the Nationals tonight who are 19-31. Pablo Lopez will start tonight for the Marlins with a 3-5 record in his nine starts. Lopez has a 5.06 ERA but looks to build on his fine outing last time. Lopez when seven innings and allowed just one hit and no runs to the Mets his last time out. Lopez is a all or nothing kind of guy right now. The Nationals look to snap their five-game losing streak tonight. The pitching has been terrible, allowing 29 runs during that span. The Nats are spot starting Kyle McGowin tonight. With both Sanchez and Hellickson on the DL, the Nats have had to go to the farm system for tonight's starter. McGowin has a 4.32 ERA and 1.30 WHIP in his eight Triple-A starts this year. I like the Marlins here tonight. They are a dog and Lopez has shown he can put together great starts. Play Miami.

This matchup was postponed from yesterday, so both pitchers got an extra day rest for this game. The first place Minnesota Twins bring a 2-game win streak into today's contest at the Angels. The Twins took last Tuesday's contest with LA, 8-3 and have taken the first two of this series. The Twins start Martin Perez tonight. Perez is 5-1 in his seven starts and has been amazing this season with a 2.01 ERA and 1.052 WHIP. Perez has allowed just four total earned runs over his last four starts (26 2/3 innings). The Angels continue to struggle, losing three straight and six of their last nine games. They will turn to veteran Matt Harvey tonight. Harvey has also struggled this year, posting a 2-3 record with a lofty 6.35 ERA and 1.434 WHIP. No contest for me here tonight. The first place Twins with a very good pitcher on the hill against a struggling Angels and Harvey. I'm all over the Twins tonight.

Philadelphia looks to snap their modest 2-game losing streak today as they face their Chicago Cubs. The Phillies are 28-21 and will turn to Aaron Nola today. Nola is 4-0 in his 10 starts with a 4.47 ERA and 1.548 WHIP. Nola has pitched well of late, allowing just one run in each of four of five recent starts. The Cubs have a 2-game win streak heading into this game. Veteran Jon Lester will toe the rubber today. Lester is 3-2 in his eight starts with a 2.09 ERA and 1.256 WHIP. Lester had been brilliant until his last start where he was roughed-up for 10 hits and five runs over 4 1/3 innings by the Nationals. I look for Lester to rebound here today and get us the WIN! Play the Cubs.

Colorado took game one of this series on Wednesday, 9-3. The Rockies win snapped a four-game losing streak as the Rocks improved to 22-25 on the season. The Rockies will start Antonio Senzatela here this morning. Senzatela has a 3-3 record in his seven starts with a 4.89 ERA and 1.448 WHIP. Pittsburgh will counter with Jordan Lyles who is 4-1 in his eight starts. The Pirates are 7-1 when Lyles has started this season. Lyles has a nifty 1.97 ERA with a 1.051 WHIP. In addition, Lyles has allowed just three total runs over his last three starts (19 2/3 innings). I like Lyles a lot here today as the Bucs win when he starts. Play Pittsburgh.

The Dodgers improved to 32-17 on the season after beating the Rays on Tuesday, 7-3. The Rays dropped to 27-18 with the loss. Both these teams have excellent pitching staffs and that will be on display here again on Wednesday. The Rays will start their reliever Ryan Stanek, something they have done all season. Stanek has started 12 games this season and usually goes one or two innings before turning the ball over to long relievers. The Rays are now 8-4 when they have started Stanek. Tonight I will be looking at the UNDER. The Rays have gone UNDER in two straight with Stanek starting. The Dodgers will start Rich Hill. Hill is 1-1 in his four starts with a 3.00 ERA and 1.048 WHIP. Hill is off a 6-inning performance at Cincinnati where he allowed just two hits and no runs with 10 KO's. I like both these pitchers as Stanek usually keeps teams off the scoreboard for at least the first few innings and Hill has been solid in his four starts. Play the UNDER tonight.

 Early action on the diamond today has the Reds at the Brewers. The Reds took last night's contest from the Brewers, 3-0 behind a fine performance by Sonny Gray. The Reds turn to their Ace tonight in Luis Castillo. Castillo is 5-1 in his 10 starts with a 1.90 ERA and 0.957 WHIP. The Brewers will counter with Zach Davies. Davies also having a fine season with a 5-0 record, 1.54 ERA and 1.177 WHIP. Davies has not allowed more than two runs in a start this season. I expect a great pitcher's duel here today. I think the bullpens will decide this one and that goes to the Brewers. Take Milwaukee.

Platinum Club : The Reds are off a three-game set at the Dodgers where they lost two of three in Los Angeles. The Reds dropped to 21-26 and are in last place in the NL Central. Today, they face the first place team in the division, the Brewers. Sonny Gray will toe the rubber today for the Reds. Gray is 0-4 in his nine st arts with a 4.09 ERA and 1.182 WHIP. Gray has pitched well enough to earn some wins, allowing three earned runs or less in each of his last nine starts, but he has received poor run support. The first place Brewers lost two of three at Atlanta and return home tonight after a 10-game road trip. The Brewers will start Gio Gonzalez who is 2-0 in his four starts with a 1.69 ERA and 1.078 WHIP. Gonzalez has pitched well since his first start at the end of April, allowing 1 run or less in each of his last three starts. The Brewers have also won his last three starts. I like the Brewers here tonight. Play Milwaukee.

Both the Marlins and Tigers had yesterday off, the Tigers with two days off after a postponement. These clubs are having seasons they would like to forget thus far, with Miami at 13-31 and Detroit at 18-26. Miami can build on the fact that they have won three straight after sweeping the Mets. Today, the Marlins will start their best pitcher in Caleb Smith. Smith is 3-1 in his eight starts and has a nifty 2.25 ERA and 0.917 WHIP. The Tigers bring a six game losing streak into tonight's contest. The Tigers will start Spencer Turnbull. Turnbull is 2-3 in his nine starts with a 2.40 ERA and 1.253 WHIP. Both these pitchers have been good, but the Marlins look like winners with Smith on the hill. I'm taking the Marlins.

Both the Marlins and Tigers had yesterday off, the Tigers with two days off after a postponement. These clubs are having seasons they would like to forget thus far, with Miami at 13-31 and Detroit at 18-26. Miami can build on the fact that they have won three straight after sweeping the Mets. Today, the Marlins will start their best pitcher in Caleb Smith. Smith is 3-1 in his eight starts and has a nifty 2.25 ERA and 0.917 WHIP. The Tigers bring a six game losing streak into tonight's contest. The Tigers will start Spencer Turnbull. Turnbull is 2-3 in his nine starts with a 2.40 ERA and 1.253 WHIP. Both these pitchers have been good. I expect another low scoring game between these pitchers here tonight. Play the UNDER.

Inner Circle : The Oakland A's bring a 4-game win streak into this evening's contest at the Indians. The A's are just two games away from getting back to .500 and will look to Chris Bassitt tonight to get them a game closer. Bassitt is 2-1 in his five starts with a 1.93 ERA and 0.918 WHIP. Bassitt is off a fine start where he went 8-innings, allowed just four hits and no runs. Bassitt has not allowed over three runs in nay of his five starts this season. The Indians are in 2nd place in the AL Central behind the streaking Minnesota Twins. The Indians will start Trevor Bauer here tonight. Bauer is 4-2 in his 10 starts with a 3.76 ERA and 1.160 WHIP. Bauer is a quality starter, but there is lots of value with the dog here today and a very good pitcher on the hill. I'm taking the dog, play Oakland.

Both these clubs bring a losing streak into tonight's contest. The Diamondbacks have lost their last two games, while the Padres have lost three straight. Both clubs will have good starters going tonight. Arizona starts Luke Weaver who is 3-2 in his nine starts with a 3.16 ERA and 1.111 WHIP. Weaver has not allowed more than three runs in any of his last eight starts. The Padres will send Chris Paddack to the hill tonight. Paddack is 3-2 in his eight starts with a nice 1.99 ERA and 0.750 WHIP. Like Weaver, Paddack has not allowed more than three runs in any of his eight starts this season. This looks to be a low scoring contest tonight. I'm taking UNDER.

The Cubs took game one of this 3-game series with the Washington Nationals on Friday, 14-6. The Cubs improved to 26-16 on the season while the Nationals dropped to 18-26. The Cubs have been a very good under team up until yesterday's contest. Before the over on Friday, the Cubs have gone UNDER in seven of their last eight games. Now seven of the last nine. The Cubs starting pitching staff has been excellent and it's led by veteran Jon Lester. Lester starts his eighth game today with a 3-1 record, 1.16 ERA and 1.112 WHIP. Lester has not allowed more than two runs in any of his seven starts this season. The Nationals will start Stephen Strasburg. Strasburg is 3-3 in his nine starts this year with a 3.63 ERA and 1.052 WHIP. Strasburg has allowed two runs or fewer in four of his last five starts. Both these pitchers are very good veterans, but Lester has been lights out of late. I look for a low scoring game here today in Washington. I'm taking the UNDER.

The Cardinals and Rangers begin a Interleague series tonight. The Cardinals lost their second straight contest after yesterday's setback to the Braves, 2-10. Miles Mikolas is tied for most wins on the staff with four. Mikolas has a 3.83 ERA in his nine starts with a 1.056 WHIP. Mikolas has been very good of late, allowing just three total runs over his last three starts (20 innings) with just two walks and 16 KO's. The Rangers have won two straight games after a blowout win yesterday over the Royals, 16-1. Jose Leclerc will make his first appearance for the Rangers in the starter role. The Rangers are pulling a page from the Rays playbook and starting a closer who likely will go one, maybe two innings at most. Following Leclerc will be Adrian Sampson and then Areil Jurado, who will be the primary pitchers in the game. This technique works well for the Rays, we'll see if the Rangers can pull it off here on Friday. Still, I like the Cardinals in this spot. Play St Louis.

 Tampa Bay and New York begin their 3-game series here tonight at Yankee Stadium.The Rays and Yankees both had yesterday off. The Rays took both games from their intrastate rivals, Miami by a combined 5-0 total.The Rays will start reliever Ryan Stanek, again. Stanek started the last game against Miami. Stanek likely will go just one inning here and in his previous 11 starts he's allowed a run just one time. In fact, the Rays are now 8-3 in the games that Stanek has started. The Yankees have won three straight coming into tonight and five of the last six. C.C. Sabathia will start tonight. Sabathia is 2-1 in his six starts with a 3.26 ERA and 1.187 WHIP. Two teams that both have excellent pitching staffs here tonight. I like the UNDER between these teams. Play UNDER.

The Chicago Cubs saw its 3-game losing streak snapped yesterday in a 10-inning loss to the Reds, 5-6. The Cubs have been a good under team of late, with their last six games going UNDER the total. This is not only due to good pitching, but the offense has not been firing on all cylinders. Jose Quintana will start today for the Cubs. Quintana has a 4-2 record in his seven starts with a 3.83 ERA and 1.181 WHIP. Quintana gave up eight runs back in his first start of April 5th. Since that start, Quintana has allowed three runs or less in each of his starts. Despite their win on Wednesday, the Reds are just 19-24 on the season. Moreover, the Reds have been a very good UNDER team this year, posting a 15-27-1 O/U/P on the season. Luis Castillo toes the rubber for the Reds. Castillo has been the Reds Ace thus far this season. Castillo has a 4-1 record in his nine starts with a nifty 1.76 ERA and 0.994 WHIP. Castillo is coming off a six-inning performance at San Francisco where he allowed no runs and just two hits for the WIN. Both these pitchers have been good and with Castillo on top of his game this year, I'm taking the UNDER. Play UNDER.

The Oakland A's had yesterday off as the travel to Detroit to begin their series with the Tigers today. The A's bring a 3-game losing streak into today's contest. Chris Bassitt gets the start today for the A's. Bassitt is 1-1 with a 2.55 ERA in his four starts this year. Bassitt also has a very good WHIP with a 0.973 WHIP and has not allowed over three runs in any of his four starts. The tigers lost at home to Houston yesterday, 1-5. The Tigers have lost three straight games. Spencer Turnbull will toe the rubber today for the Tigers. Turnbull is 2-2 with a 2.42 ERA and 1.209 WHIP. Turnbull has pitched very well this season as he's allowed over two runs in a start just one time in eight outings and that was three run. Both these pitchers have been very good this season and both teams have underperforming offences. I like the UNDER here early on Thursday. Play UNDER.

Tampa Bay took game one of this rivalry series with Miami on Tuesday, 4-0. Today, they will look to continue their domination with reliever Ryan Stanek getting the short start. This is something the Rays have done all season, start Stanek and look to get 1 or 2 innings out of the hard thrower. Stanek has sstarted 10 games and given up runs in only one of those starts. The Rays are 7-3 in the games Stanek has started. Miami has just 10 wins on the season and started their best in their loss on Tuesday. Tonight they turn to Jose Urena who is 1-5 on the season with a 4.63 ERA and 1.478 WHIP. Miami has the short end all the way around in this series and I like the road team here a lot. Play Tampa Bay.

 The Astros domination of the Tigers continue here on Tuesday. Houston won the opener on Monday 8-1 and then again with last night's contest 11-4. That means Houston has outscored Detroit 19-5 in their two games thus far. Won't get any easier tonight for the Tigers as they face a very good vet in Justin Verlander. Verlander is 6-1 on the season with a nice 2.51 ERA and 0.820 WHIP. Verlander is coming off a seven inning performance at Texas where he allowed dno runs and one hit for the win. The Tigers will start Gregory Soto tonight. Soto has just one start this season and that didn't turn out well. Soto went just four innings at Minnesota, allowed nine hits and seven runs in the loss. I look for another total domination here tonight by the visitors. I'm going to lay the 1 1/5 runs with the Astros. Play Houston -1.5 runs.

Arizona snapped a three-game losing streak last night with a win over the Pirates, 9-3. The D'backs improved to 23-19 and 2nd place in the NL West behind the 27-16 Dodgers. Arizona will start Luke Weaver tonight. Weaver is 3-1 on the season with a nifty 2.98 ERA and 1.059 WHIP. Weaver has been very good in his last two starts, allowing just two total runs over 14 innings. The Pirates will counter with Joe Musgrove tonight. Musgrove is 1-4 on the season with a 4.89 ERA and 1.319 WHIP. Musgrove has been hit hard lately, allowing eight earned runs over three innings in his last start at St Louis. Moreover, he's allowed 13 earned runs over his last two starts, 5 2/3 innings with seven walks. I will be all over the host in this one. Take Arizona.

The Red Sox bring a five-game win streak into tonight's contest against the NL's Colorado Rockies. This is a short, 2-game series between these Interleague teams. The Red Sox will send Chris Sale to the hill. Sale looking to regain that form that he had last year, looks to be getting back into that groove. Sale is just 1-5 on the season, but his ERA has dropped to 4.50 and WHIP is 1.114. Sale has pitched very well his last four starts, allowing two runs or less in each start with a total of five walks and 42 KO's. The Rockies will counter with Kyle Freeland who is 2-5 on the year with a 5.84 ERA and 1.343 WHIP. Freeland has not pitched well of late, allowing 14 earned runs over his last three starts (17 innings). Sale is looking much like his old self and that means I'll be laying the runs here with the host tonight. Play Boston -1.5 Runs.

Bragging rights on the line tonight as Florida teams Tampa Bay and Miami square off. The Rays having the much better season at 24-15, while the Marlins have struggled to a 10-29 record. In addition, the Marlins come into this contest riding a five-game losing streak. The Rays will start Charlie Morton tonight. Morton is 3-0 in his eight starts with a nice 2.64 ERA and 1.218 WHIP. Morton has allowed just three total runs over his last three starts (17 2/3 innings). The Marlins have lost eight of their last nine games and will look to Caleb Smith tonight. Smith is their one really decent starter who has 30% of the teams wins with a 3-0 record in his seven starts. Smith also has a 2.11 ERA with a 0.891 WHIP. Smith is good, but he plays for a bad team and the Rays just too good right now to pass on this low price. Take Tampa Bay.

Milwaukee and Philadelphia play game two of their series after the Phillies took game one on Monday, 7-4. The Brewers have lost three straight now while the Phillies have won three straight. The Brewers start Brandon Woodruff tonight who is 5-1 on the season with a 4.25 ERA and 1.370 WHIP. Woodruff has pitched well of late, allowing one run in each of his last three starts (16 innings). The Phillies start Jerad Eickhoff tonight who is 2-1 in his four starts with a very nice 1.73 ERA and 1.00 WHIP. After a somewhat shaky first start of the season, Eickhoff has gone 20 innings and allowed just one earned run in three straight Philly wins. Eickhoff has been nearly perfect of late and even though Woodruff has been good, he hasn't been this good. I'm taking Philadelphia tonight.

Two teams both looking for a much needed win today face off as the Mariners host the A's. The A's are just 19-23 on the season while the Mariners have dropped below the .500 mark with four straight losses to 20-23 overall. The M's will turn to Yusei Kukuchi today who is 2-1 on the season through nine starts with a 3.54 ERA and 1.055 WHIP. Kukuchi has been very good of late, allowing just two earned runs over his last two starts (14 2/3 innings) with just two walks and 13 KO's. The A's pushed Michael Fiers back a day and he's set to pitch tonight. Fiers has a 3-3 mark in his nine starts with a 5.48 ERA and 1.239 WHIP. I'm taking the Mariners here tonight as Kikuchi has been very good of late. Play Seattle.

The Houston Astros begin a three-game set at Detroit tonight and bring a five-game win streak into this contest. The Astros will send Brad Peacock to the hill tonight with a 2-2 record in his six starts. Peacock has a 4.59 overall ERA, but a 6.96 road ERA in his two away starts. Detroit is 18-20 after a win on Sunday as they near the .500 mark for the season. Matt Boyd has been their most consistent starter this year with a 4-2 record in his eight starts. Boyd has a 2.86 ERA and 0.934 WHIP. The Tigers have won three of Boyd's four starts at home this season. Tonight Boyd is a nice dog at home where he has done well. Lots of value here with the home dog tonight. Play Detroit with Boyd.

 Sunday evening's contest has two old rivals matchup up as neighbors Milwaukee take on their rivals to the South, Chicago Cubs. The teams had to go 15 innings on Saturday to decide a winner, as the Cubs prevailed in the extra inning contest, 2-1. The loss by the Brewers snapped a 7-game win streak. Jhoulys Chacin will start today for the Brewers with a 3-3 record in his eight starts. Chacin has a lofty 5.04 ERA with a 1.272 WHIP. Chacin has pitched better of late, going 11 innings in his last two starts and allowing just two earned runs. Veteran Jon Lester will toe the rubber for the Cubs. Lester is 2-1 in his six starts with a 1.41 ERA and 1.031 WHIP. Lester has pitched excellent this season, allowing two runs or fewer in each of his six starts. I like Lester here today as I look for the Cubs to take their second in a row against the Brewers. Play the Cubs on Sunday evening.

The Oakland A's took Saturday's game with the Indians, 3-2, with the game going UNDER. That's what I will be looking at again here on Sunday, the UNDER. The Indians have been a good UNDER team this year with a 16-22 O/U record, mainly due to their good pitching staff. That should continue here today with Jefry Rodriguez on the hill for the Tribe. Rodriguez has a 0-2 record in his three starts, but has a nice 2.41 ERA and 1.071 WHIP. Rodriguez has allowed two or fewer runs in each of his three starts, but has failed to get any run support in two of those outings. Daniel Mengden will make his first appearance of the season for the A's. Mike Fiers will be pushed back to give him an extra day of rest. Despite a bad spring, Mengden made a good start at Triple A Las Vegas last Tuesday, going six strong innings and allowing just one run against Salt Lake City. I look for both pitchers to show up good here on Sunday as I take the UNDER.

Both of these teams have struggled this season, with the Reds taking yesterday's game and improving to 17-22 while the Giants are 16-21 and losers of two straight. The Reds start Anthony Desclafani today. Desclafani is 2-1 in his seven starts with a 3.65 ERA and 1.135 W:HIP. Desclafani has been even better on the road, posting a 3.27 ERA and 1.000 WHIP in his four starts and the team winning three of those outings. Desclafani's last start was against these Giants where he went six innings allowed four hits and three runs for the 12-4 WIN. The Giants most consistent starter gets the nod today in Jeff Samardzija. Samardzija is 2-1 on the season and has a 3.16 ERA and 1.054 WHIP. Samardzija is coming off a five inning, five hit and four run performance last time out against these Reds. Both these pitchers are pretty equal, but I give a nod right now to the visitor as the Giants just can't seem to get out of their own way these days. Take Cincinnati.

Both of these AL East teams will be battling it out all season as the Yankees and Rays are neck and neck in the standings atop the division. The Yankees turn to veteran C.C. Sabathia today. Sabathia is 2-1 in his five starts with a 3.20 ERA and 1.145 WHIP. Sabathia has only one start where he's allowed more than three earned runs and three of his five starts he's allowed two or fewer runs. The Rays will start their relief pitcher again in Ryan Stanek. Stanek is the hard throwing relief pitcher that gets the start and they the Rays look to for holding opponents for at least one or two innings. So far it's worked for them as in his nine starts, Stanek has allowed a run just one time. The other eight he's allowed no runs. The Rays are 6-3 when they have started Stanek. Both these pitchers are good, though we need the Rays pen to help us keep this one close and UNDER. That's my play today here, the UNDER.

 The Pirates snapped their two-game losing streak on Friday with a win over the Cardinals. The Pirates improved to 18-17 while the Cardinals dropped to 22-17. The Bucs will turn to Jordan Lyles today. Lyles is 2-1 in his six starts this season with a 2.20 ERA and 1.163 WHIP. Lyles has been very good this season, allowing over two earned runs in just one of his six starts. He's coming off a nice 6 2/3 effort vs Oakland, where he allowed just five hits and one run. The Cardinals turns to Miles Mikolas. Mikolas is 4-2 in his eight starts with a 4.02 ERA and 1.128 WHIP. Mikolas has allowed just one run over his last 13 innings of work with one walk and nine KO's. The Pirates are a huge dog here today and that's with a very good pitcher on the hill. I look for value on dogs and this one has value written all over it. I'm taking Pittsburgh today.

 Atlanta still trying to make it to the .500 mark after losing four straight games. The Braves got swept by the Dodgers and have now lost game one of this series with the Diamondbacks. Julio Teherean will start today for the Braves. Teheran is 2-4 in his eight starts this season with a 4.63 ERA and 1.343 WHIP. Teheran has been very inconsistent, throwing a good start followed by a poor start. Arizona has won two straight games to improve to 22-16. The Diamondbacks will start veteran Zack Greinke today. Greinke is 5-1 in his eight starts with seven quality outings. In fact, since his opening day poor start, he's had seven excellent starts. Greinke has allowed just four total runs over his last four starts (26 2/3 innings). Moreover, his control has been very good, walking just four during that span to go with his 22 KO's. This is a very good price to lay with a hot Greinke on the hill. I'm taking Arizona.

Two of the best pitchers this season are on display tonight in Tampa Bay. The NY Yankees visit Florida to take on the Rays and they will start Domingo German who is 5-1 in his six starts this year. German has a very nice 2.48 ERA with a 0.936 WHIP. German is coming off a start where he allowed just one run over 6 2/3 innings to the Twins. The Rays will start their best tonight in Tyler Glasnow. Glasnow is 6-0 in his seven starts with a great 1.47 ERA and 0.860 WHIP. Glasnow has not allowed over two runs in any start this season and is coming off a seven inning performance at Baltimore where he allowed just three hits and no runs over seven innings. This should be an old fashioned pitcher's duel here tonight. I'm taking the UNDER.

The Seattle Mariners took Wednesday game with the Yankees, 10-1 and with that win improved to 20-19 on the season. The Yankees dropped to 21-15. The M's have been one of the best over teams in baseball this season, with a 26-9-3 O/U/P record. That includes the over in last night's contest. Mike Leake will start today's contest for the M's. Leake is 2-3 in his seven starts with a 4.91 ERA and 1.513 WHIP. Leake has allowed 12 runs over his last 17 innings of work. The Yankees will start J.A. Happ who is 1-3 this season in his seven starts. Happ has a 4.93 ERA with a 1.278 WHIP. Happ is coming off a 5 2/3 outing vs the Twins where he gave up seven his and four runs. I'm on the OVER in this game today as the M's continue to give me win and after win this season. Play the OVER.

The Marlins look for a split of their four game series here today with the Cubs. Miami won the opener and then lost the last two including last night, 3-2. The pen has been an issue this season for the Cubs, with a 5.55 ERA on the road and high 1.638 WHIP. Yu Darvish will get the start today. Darvish is 2-3 in his seven starts and has a high 5.79 ERA and 1.714 WHIP. Walks have hurt Darvish this season, as he's allowed nine free passes in his last 10 innings. Surprisingly, Darvish has been worse at home, posting a 0-2 record in three starts with a 7.54 ERA. The Marlins will turn to Trevor Richards today. Richards still looking for that first win of the season against four losses in his seven starts. Richards has a 4.10 ERA and 1.313 WHIP. Cubs one of the better over teams in baseball and that's because of a suspect pen and shaky starters. That will be on display today and that for me is another OVER. Play OVER.

The White Sox and Indians complete their four-game series here today with an early game. The Sox have won two of the first three in this series. Today, Chicago will start Manny Banuelos, who is 1-1 in his three starts this season. Banuelos has a lofty 8.02 ERA and 1.945 WHIP. In addition, Banuelos allowed 10 hits and nine runs over just 2 2/3 innings last time out to the Red Sox. The Indians will counter with Carlos Carraso, who is 2-3 in his seven starts this season. Carrasco has a 5.60 ERA and 1.330 WHIP and has allowed eight runs over his last 14 1/3 innings. I look for today's contest to go OVER the total as both these pitchers have had their issues this season. Play OVER.

Tonight my top play in baseball is the OVER in this contest between the Kansas City Royals and the Houston Astros. The Royals have been a great over play all year with a 22-14-1 O/U/P record. This is thanks not only to an offense that averages 4.9 runs per game, but also a pitching staff that allows 4.9 runs per game. So far in this series with the Astros, these teams have gone over in both games with 14 and 10 runs being scored in the previous two contests. Jorge Lopez starts today for the Royals. Lopez has a 0-3 record in his seven starts with a lofty 5.09 ERA and 1.3254 WHIP. Lopez has allowed at least four runs in each of his last four starts. You can expect the Astros to get their average runs of 5.0 tonight against Lopez. Brad Peacock will start for the Astros. Peacock has a 1-2 record in his five starts with a 5.81 ERA and 1.291 WHIP. Peacock allowed seven runs in his last start, which lasted just 3 2/3 innings at Minnesota in 2-8 loss.  With two poor pitchers on the hill and a dead over team KC, I'm taking the OVER.