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

Tampa Bay continues to impress with their second half play, winning three straight after Monday's shutout win over the Rangers 3-0. That's 12 wins in their last 15 games. Tonight they get their Ace on the hill in the person of Blake Snell. Snell is 19-5 this and that makes tonight's start all the more important as he goes for Number 20! Snell has not allowed two runs or less now in 12 of his last 13 starts. Have to believe that Snell will be one of the leading candidates for AL Cy Young this year. The Rangers have lost two straight and eight of their last 11 games. Yovani Gallardo starts tonight for the Rangers with a 8-5 record and 5.94 ERA. Gallardo has allowed 11 runs over his last 7 1/3 innings with six walks. I don't see much of a chance for the Rangers here tonight, especially with the Rays and Snell looking for that big 20th win for their ace. Take the Rays and lay the 1.5 runs

The Phillies recent 3-7 run has really taken a bite out of their chances at a NL East title. The Phillies have dropped to 6.5 games back of the Braves and five back of a Wild Card spot. The Phillies did take two of three in their weekend series with the Marlins, losing on Sunday 4-6. Today, Jake Arrieta returns to the hill with a 10-9 record and 3.66 ERA. Arrieta has been fair of late, but nothing spectacular. The one-time Cy Young winner has allowed four runs in each of his last three of four starts with three runs in the other game. The Mets dropped two of three to the Red Sox in their weekend series. New York has gone under in four of the last five with one push. Zack Wheeler will toe the rubber today for the Mets with a 11-7 record and 3.23 ERA. Wheeler has been very good of late, allowing one run or no runs in seven of his last nine starts. I don't expect many runs in this one tonight the way Wheeler has been pitching and the way I know Arrieta can pitch. I'm playing UNDER.

 The Rockies and the Giants have split the first two games of this series with the Giants winning on Friday, 2-0 and the Rockies on Thursday 2-0. Both games have easily gone UNDER which is what I'm looking at in this game. Today, the Giants will send their Ace from last year, Madison Baumgarner to the hill. Baumgarner is 5-6 this year with a 3.30 ERA. Baumgarner has been hit hard in his last two starts, allowing 11 runs over 11 innings. However, before that he had allowed two runs or less in six of his seven starts. The Rockies will send German Marquez to the hill. Marquez is 12-9 with a 3.99 ERA. Marquez has been very good of late, allowing two runs or less in each of his last six starts and 11 of his last 13 starts. In fact, the Rockies have gone UNDER in eight of the last nine times that Marquez has started. I like this one to be another low scoring contest and I'll be on the UNDER.

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

 Washington lost on Thursday to the Cubs in 10 innings, 3-4. The Braves had Thursday off. The Braves have won five straight, while the Nationals saw their five-game win streak snapped by the Cubs. Atlanta has gone under in three straight games, allowing three total runs to the Giants in their series. Kevin Guasman starts tonight for the Braves with a 9-10 record and 3.89 ERA. Gausman allowed four runs over 4 2/3 innings in his last start. However, before that, he allowed just four runs over his previous five starts. The Nationals start Max Scherzer who is 17-6 with a 2.31 ERA. Scherzer has not allowed more than three runs in any of his last 11 starts. I don't expect the Braves to get many here tonight and if Gausman can pitch like he did prior to his last start, this will be an easy UNDER. Play the UNDER.

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

 Tough loss for the D'backs on Wednesday as they couldn't hold the lead at Colorado and lost, 5-4. The loss dropped the D'backs to 3.5 games back of the Rockies and makes today's contest all the more important. The good news for Arizona is that they get Clay Buchholz on the hill who has been outstanding for them. Buchholz is only 7-2 in his 16 starts, but has a stellar 1.74 ERA. Buchholz has allowed one or no runs in each of his last five starts (3 total runs). The Rockies also start one of their best in Kyle Freeland. Freeland is 14-7 on the season with a nice 2.91 ERA. Freeland has allowed two runs or less in six of his last seven starts. Both of these pitchers are excellent, which means runs will be at a premium here today. I'm going with the UNDER.

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

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

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

The Diamondbacks trying to keep pack in the packed NL West race. The Rockies are in first, a half game ahead of the Dodgers and 1.5 ahead of Arizona. These two teams just did sneak over the total on Friday, with Arizona winning 5-3. Still, Arizona has been a good under team of late, going under in 11 of their last 13 games. Clay Buchholz has been a very pleasant surprise for the D'backs with a 7-2 record and stellar 1.76 ERA. Buchholz has allowed just two runs over his last four starts (28 innings). The Braves counter with Julio Teheran who is 9-7 with a 4.05 ERA. Teheran is coming off a fine seven inning, four hit, one run performance vs the Pirates. I don't see the Braves getting much vs Buchholz tonight. I'm playing the UNDER here.

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

The Dodgers have closed to just a half game back of the Rockies and one game back of the Diamondbacks. The Dodgers took the opener of this three-game set with the Rockies on Friday, 4-2 behind Clayton Kershaw. The Rockies blew numerous opportunities to tie or take the lead in this game. Today, the Dodgers send Walker Buehler to the hill with a 6-3 record and 2.52 ERA. Buehler has not allowed more than two runs in any of his last seven starts. The Rockies counter with Kyle Freeland who is 13-7 with a 2.96 ERA. Freeland has also pitched very well, allowing two runs or less in six of his last eight starts with the other two starts allowing just three runs. This should be another tight, low scoring game. Take the UNDER.

The Yankees have no chance at the AL East title, but they have a solid lock on one of the Wild Card spots. The Yankees have a 3.5 game lead over second spot holder Oakland and a 9-game lead over tonight's opponent Seattle. The Mariners could take a chunk out of that lead, but it will be tough. The Yankees start Masahiro Tanaka tonight with a 10-5 record and 3.90 ERA. Tanaka has allowed two runs or less in seven of his last nine starts. Seattle will counter with their Ace James Paxton. Paxton is 11-5 with a 3.68 ERA this season. Paxton hasn't been as sharp as we saw earlier in the season, still he's their best and still shows it. My pick in this one is the UNDER with these two pitchers on the hill.

Huge series starting here tonight as the NL West leading Rockies host the 2nd place Dodgers. The Dodgers are 1.5 games back of Colorado while the Diamondbacks are 2.5 games back. The Rockies have won five straight games and tonight they start Jon Gray. Gray is 11-7 this year for Colorado with a 4.64 ERA. Gray has allowed three runs or less in seven of his last nine starts. The Dodgers will start Clayton Kershaw tonight. Kershaw has a 6-5 record and 2.40 ERA. While Kershaw has been as dominating as we've seen him in recent years, he has still pitched well. Kershaw has allowed two runs or less in his last eight starts. Both these pitchers should do well tonight, I'm taking the UNDER.

 Tampa Bay finally has seen a few losses here of late after Thursday's setback at Toronto, 3-10. Still, the Rays are hot, winning 13 of their last 16 games. Tonight they get their Ace on the hill in Blake Snell. Snell is 17-5 this year with a outstanding 2.02 ERA. Snell has been amazing of late too, allowing one or no runs in 10 of his last 11 starts. The Orioles have lost four of their last five games. Dylan Bundy gets the start tonight with a 7-13 record and 5.36 ERA. Bundy had a rough stretch recently, allowing 21 runs over 14 1/3 innings of work. His last start was better, allowing three runs over 5 1/3 innings to the Royals. Still, the Rays with their ACE is too good to pass on. I'm laying the -1.5 runs here tonight with Tampa Bay.

The Diamondbacks snapped their four-game losing streak with a win over the Padres on Tuesday night, 6-0. Tonight they start a series with NL East leading Atlanta. The Diamondbacks have gone UNDER in 11 straight games, thanks in part to an excellent pitching and poor hitting combo. Zack Greinke starts tonight with a 13-9 record and 2.97 ERA. Greinke has allowed just three runs over his last two starts (14 innings). Greinke has seen his last five starts go UNDER the total. The Braves just got swept by the Boston Red Sox, losing the finale yesterday 8-9 after leading 7-1. Anibal Sanchez starts today for the Braves with a 6-5 record and 3.07 ERA. Sanchez has been very good of late, allowing one run or no runs in four of his last six starts. I look for a low scoring game tonight with these pitchers on the hill. Play the UNDER.

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

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

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

The Dodgers didn't have any miracle 9th inning come-from-behind wins in them last night. Tied at 1-1 in the top of the 9th, the Mets hit a three run home run to take the lead. The Dodgers did answer with one in the bottom of the 9th, but it wasn't enough. The Diamondbacks lost to the Padres and the Rockies beat the Giants. Just 1.5 games separates all three teams in the NL West. The Mets will start Jason Vargas tonight. Vargas is just 5-8 on the season with a 6.56 ERA. However, Vargas has pitched very good of late, allowing just five total runs in his last four starts (22 2/3 innings). The Dodgers will counter with Rich Hill. Hill is 6-5 on the season with a 3.63 ERA. Hill has allowed three runs in his last two starts (11 innings). I like this game to stay under, just like the last six Dodgers games have done. Play the UNDER.

San Diego pulled the big upset last night in their opener with the D'backs, beating them 6-2. It was the Padres fifth win in their last seven games. Joey Lucchesi will start tonight for the Padres with a 7-7 record and 3.59 ERA. Lucchesi has allowed just three runs over his last two starts (12 2/3 innings). Arizona has dropped four straight games and has fallen 1.5 games back in the NL West division. The D'Backs will start Robbie Ray tonight. Ray is 4-2 with a 4.55 ERA and has allowed just two runs over his last two starts (10 1/3 innings). Both these pitchers have been in good form of late and with that, I'm going UNDER here tonight.

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

 The Dodgers coming off a huge series against the Diamondbacks, taking three of four. The last two in dramatic fashion, coming from behind in the 8th and 9th innings to win. The result is the Dodgers are now in 1st in the NL West by a 1/2 game over the Rockies and one game over Arizona. The Dodgers start Alex Wood today who is 8-6 on the season with a 3.49 ERA. Wood has pitched very well of late, allowing just five runs over his last five starts (27 2/3 innings). The Mets took two of three from their series with the Giants. They will start their Ace Jacob Degrom. Degrom is 8-8 with a 1.68 ERA. His record isn't indicative of his pitching though. Degrom has allowed two runs or less in each of his last six starts and nine of his last 10 starts. Both pitchers will be good tonight and again runs will be hard to come by with these teams. Take the UNDER.

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

It's a virtual tie in the NL West between the Diamondbacks, Dodgers and Rockies. The Dodgers have had to rely on late inning heroics the last two games to rally and win. They have taken two of three from the Diamondbacks and the best news is it looks like closer Jansen has returned to his old form after a shaky start to his return from the IR. All three games have been strong pitching games with all three going under. That's what I'm sticking with today, the UNDER. Clay Buchholz has been very surprising for the D'backs with a 7-2 record and 1.76 ERA. He's allowed no runs over his last 14 innings. Walker Buehler has also been very good for LA, with a 6-3 record and 2.59 ERA. He's allowed just three runs over his last four starts (24 innings). This is going to be another low scoring game. Take the UNDER.

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

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

The Cardinals are 4.5 games back of the Cubs in the NL Central but are leading in the NL Wildcard race. The Cardinals start Austin Gomber tonight with a 3-0 record in his six starts and a 2.51 ERA. Gomber has been excellent since starting at the end of July, allowing two runs or less in five of his six starts. Meanwhile, the Reds have lost two straight and seven of the last eight. Homer Bailey starts tonight with a 1-12 record and 6.17 ERA. To say it's been a rough year for Bailey is an understatement. Bailey has pitched better of late, still, the Reds haven't won one of his starts since May. I'm laying the 1.5 runs here with the Cardinals.

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Dodgers bring a three-game winning streak into tonight's game. The NL West race has really tightened up. The Dodgers are two back of Arizona while Colorado is one game back. The Dodgers will start Walker Buehler tonight. Buehler is 6-3 this season with a 2.51 ERA. Buehler has been really good of late, allowing just one run over his last three starts (20 innings) and four runs over his last five starts (32.1 innings). The Rangers lost two of their at San Francisco. They will start Ariel Jurado tonight. Jurado is 2-3 with a 6.40 ERA. Jurado has allowed 16 runs over his last three starts (16 2/3 innings). The Dodgers are one of the biggest home run teams in baseball and that should be evident tonight against this pitcher. Take LA and lay the run and a half.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wild finish to this game on Friday night as the Pirates and Brewers had to go 15 innings to decide this game. Tied at 4-4 in extra innings, the Pirates took a 6-4 lead in the 15th only to have the Brewers rally for three in the bottom half of the inning for the win. This was a big win for Milwaukee since they are in a dog fight with St Louis and Chicago for the NL Central race. The Brewers will come back with Jhoylys Chacin on Saturday. Chacin is 13-4 this season with a 3.58 ERA. Chacin has shut down the opposition, allowing no runs over his two starts (13 innings) with just two walks and 13 KO's. The snake bit Pirates will send Jameson Taillon to the hill. Taillon is 9-9 with a 3.58 ERA. Taillon has been very consistent, allowing three runs or less in each of his last 15 starts. Both these starters are excellent and with the bullpens likely not getting much action, I like this game to go under.

St Louis has been red-hot and has climbed into 2nd place in the NL Central, just three games back of the Cubs. Miles Mikolas starts today for the Cardinals. Mikolas has been excellent, posting a 13-3 record with a 2.80 ERA. Mikolas has allowed two runs or less in nine of his last 11 runs. The Rockies have also been hot and are just one back in the NL West. Antonio Senzatela has just six starts this season, with a 2-2 record and 3.60 ERA. Senzatela has allowed just four total runs over his last three starts (15 innings). Both clubs are hot and both pitchers have been excellent. I will just go with the UNDER here tonight.

Milwaukee has dropped to third place in the NL Central, 3.5 games back of the Cubs and now 1/2 game back of St Louis. The Pirates are out of it now, some 11 games back of the lead in the division and riding a 2-8 streak. Wade Miley starts today for the Brewers. Miley is 2-2 in his nine starts with a 2.18 ERA. Wiley has been excellent, allowing two runs or less in eight of his nine starts and three in the other. The Pirates start Joe Musgrove who is 5-7 with a 3.31 ERA. While Musgrove has pitched well, the Bucs have lost three of his last four starts. Both pitchers have been very good and I look for this one to go UNDER.

The Braves have opened up a three-game lead in the NL East over the Philadelphia Phillies thanks in part to a four-game win streak. They look to extend that to five today with All-Star Mike Foltynewicz on the hill. Foltynewicz is 10-7 on the season with a 2.72 ERA. Foltynewicz has looked every bit the All-Star lately, allowing just two earned runs over his last three starts (20 2/3 innings). Meanwhile, Miami has lost 15 of its last 20 games. The Marlins will start Daniel Staily today with a 4-6 record and 4.60 ERA. Straily got hit pretty hard last time out, allowing five runs over six innings in a 2-8 loss to the Nationals. Braves can really put some distance in this race with wins over poor teams like the Marlins. I'm laying the runs line here with the Braves.

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

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

The Dodgers have scored just five runs in their two games with the Cardinals, falling even further back in the NL West to the Diamondbacks. Walker Beuhler will look to change that today as he's 6-3 for LA with a 2.71 ERA. Buehler has been very good lately, allowing four runs over his last four starts (25 1/3 innings). The Cardinals have won two straight and 12 of their last 14 games with some solid pitching. Jack Flaherty toes the rubber today for the red birds. Flaherty is 7-6 with a 2.96 ERA. In addition, Flaherty has allowed just two runs over his last three starts (19 innings). Both these pitchers have been great of late, I'm looking at the UNDER tonight

The Braves have won two straight, allowing just one run in the process to the Pirates. The Braves have gone under in four straight games and six of the last seven games. Julio Teheran starts today with a 8-7 record and 4.24 ERA. Teheran has been good lately allowing three runs or less in six of his last seven starts. The Pirates offense has gone South, scoring six total runs over their last six games and getting shutout in three of those games. Trevor Williams gets the start today for the Bucs with a 10-9 record and 3.53 ERA. Williams has been very good of late, allowing three total runs over his last six starts (37 innings). With Williams pitching lights out and the Bucs bats gone cold, this one is a dead UNDER.

The A's pitching staff has been amazing and it got even better with some key deadline moves. They have shutout the Rangers in two staright games, winning 6-0 and 9-0. Edwin Jackson starts today for the A's with a 4-2 record in his 10 starts. Jackson has a 2.58 ERA and has allowed just two runs over his last four starts (24 1/3 innings). The Rangers will counter with Mike Minor who is 9-6 and has a 4.61 ERA. Minor has been good of late, allowing three runs or less in nine of his last 11 starts. Looks like another rough day for the Rangers to score and I like this game UNDER.

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

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

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

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

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

The Diamondbacks lost to the Padres in extra innings on Saturday night and with it they lost a game to the Rockies, who now trail them by 1/2 game. The Dodgers lost so they are still two games back. That makes today's game against the lowly Padres even more important. Zack Greinke will start for Arizona with a 12-8 record and 3.00 ERA. Greinke had been great until his last start where he gave up four runs over 6 2/3 innings. Before that he allowed two runs or less in nine straight starts. The Padres snapped a five game losing streak with their Saturday win. They will start Brett Kennedy today, who is 0-2 in his two starts with an 11.00 ERA. Kennedy has allowed 11 runs over nine innings of work with 20 hits and just five KO's. This should be an easy win today for the D'backs who will cover the 1.5 runs. Play Arizona on the run line.

The Astros looked like they were going to run away with the division at one time. As of today they are tied with Oakland for the lead in the AL West at 74-49. Oakland has been one of the hottest teams in baseball lately. That coupled with a Houston losing streak has seen the Astros once big lead evaporate. Today, I'm looking at the UNDER in this matchup. The Astros have not been hitting well, evidenced by their 2-8-1 O/U mark their last 11 games. Well, that and the fact that they have scored more than three runs just twice in their last 11 games. Their Ace, Justin Verlander, is on the hill. Verlander has struggled a bit more this year with a 11-8 record and 2.52 ERA. Verlander has allowed six runs to the Mariners and five runs to the Tigers in recent starts. Still, he's held opponents to two runs or less in six of his last eight starts. The A's are 2-9-1 O/U in their last 12 games. The pitching has been excellent and today's starter Sean Manaea has been no exception. Manaea is 11-8 on the season with a 3.44 ERA, but he's also held his last 13 opponents to three runs or less. Don't expect many runs in today's game and as such, play the UNDER.

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

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

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

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

The Chicago Cubs have opened up a 3.5 game lead in the NL Central, while the Pirates have now fallen to 10 games back and are out of the 2018 playoff race. The Cubs will start Cole Hamels tonight, with a 7-9 record and a 4.22 ERA. Hamels has been great of late, allowing two total runs over his last three starts (18 innings). The Pirates have lost four straight and not scored over four runs in any of those games. Trevor Williams will start tonight with a 10-8 record and 3.66 ERA. He's been amazing lately, shutting our four of his last five opponents and allowing just two total runs over his last 29 innings. This game has UNDER written all over it. Play the UNDER.

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

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

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

The St Louis Cardinals continue their playoff run with eight straight wins and three in a row over the Nationals. They have also gone over in four of the last five games, scoring six runs or more in each. Luke Weaver starts today for the Cardinals with a 6-10 record and 4.81 ERA. Weaver has been much better of late, allowing three runs or less in six straight games. Washington has fallen bellow the .500 mark now at 60-61 and is watching its playoffs hopes fade fast. Tanner Roark starts today for the Nats with a 7-11 record and 4.00 ERA. Roark has also pitched better of late, allowing two runs or less in the last four starts. Still, both these pitchers have losing records and the Cardinals bats have been hot. I'm taking the OVER today.

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

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

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

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

The Indians have won three straight, including last night's opener with their instate rivals, Cincinnati, 10-3. Today the Tribe will send Ace Corey Kluber to the hill, with a 14-6 record and 2.74 ERA and 0.919 WHIP. Kluber has hit a couple of rough starts, but for the most part he's been very good with 19 quality starts out of 24. The Reds will turn to Sal Romano today. Romano is 7-9 with a 4.96 ERA and 1.396 WHIP. The line is way too high to play Cleveland straight, but I'm laying the 1.5 runs with the Indians today. Play Cleveland -1.5 runs.

 While this game has no meaning in the standings to the Reds, they do have some bragging rights on line with their intrastate rivals from Cleveland. The Indians have won two straight and four of the last five. Today they send Mike Clevinger to the hill. Clevinget is 7-7 with a 3.37 ERA. Clevinger has not allowed more than three runs in any of his last four starts. That after a rough couple of starts where he allowed nine runs over 12 innings. The Reds will send Homer Bailey to the mound today. Bailey is having a year to forget, with a 1-9 record, 6.19 ERA and 1.587 WHIP. Bailey is coming off just a 3 1/3 inning performance where he allowed 11 hits and five runs to the Mets. The Indians have won 12 of the last 17 meeting with the Reds and five of the last six in Cincinnati. In addition, Bailey is just 1-4 in his last five starts vs the Indians. Play the Indians here minus 1.5 runs.

It has not been a very good season for the Nationals, but they have climbed to three games over .500 and trail the Phillies by 5.5 games in the NL East. The Cubs have built a two-game lead in the NL Central over the Brewers and 5.5 over the Cardinals. Today is the rubber game of this three game set, with the teams splitting the first two. The Nationals send Max Scherzer to the hill. Scherzer is 15-5 on the season with a 2.28 ERA and 0.897 WHIP. Those numbers are pretty amazing, but he's also allowed just three earned runs over his last three starts (21 innings) with four walks and 27 KO's. The Cubs are a home dog today with Cole Hamels on the hill. Hamels hasn't had a typical year with a 7-9 record and 4.38 ERA. However, he's been much better in his last two starts, allowing just one earned run over 11 innings. I don't see many runs in this game so I'll go UNDER today.

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

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

 Philadelphia looks to take this three-game set with the Padres after the two teams split the first two games. The Phillies lost on Friday 0-2 and then came back with a 5-1 win on Saturday. The Phillies look to veteran Jake Arrieta today. Arrieta is 9-6 with a 3.11 ERA. In addition, Arrieta has allowed more than two runs just one time in his last seven starts. The Padres will start Joey Lucchesi today. Lucchesi is 5-6 with a 3.70 ERA. Lucchesi has also been very good of late, allowing more than two runs just one time in his last seven starts. Both these pitchers will be hard to get runs off today. Play the UNDER.

Very important game for both these teams as both are in second place in their respective divisions, but within two games of the leaders. The Brewers and Braves have split the first two games of this series, with Atlanta winning on Friday and the Brewers on Saturday, 4-2. Chase Anderson starts today for the Brewers. Anderson has a 3.81 ERA, but has been much better than that in recent games. Anderson has allowed two runs or less in eight of his last nine starts. The Braves start Sean Newcomb today. Newcomb is having a fine season with a 10-5 record and 3.15 ERA. In addition, Newcomb has allowed just three total runs over his last three starts (20 2/3 innings). Another great pitcher's duel here today and I like this game to go UNDER.

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

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

The Pirates took game one of this series on Thursday evening, 10-5. The Giants are just about out of a playoff spot as they are seven games back in the NL West and seven games back in the race for the Wild Card. The Pirates are also falling back, as they are seven games back in the NL Central and just ahead of the Giants for a Wild Card spot. The Pirates have won three straight now. They will send Clay Holmes to the hill tonight. Holmes will be making just his third start, with his last coming on July 14th. Holmes is 1-1 with a 4.32 ERA. The Giants have lost four of their last five games. They have also scored just five total runs over their last three games and they have scored more than three runs once in their last seven games. Derek Holland starts for the Giants. Holland is 5-8 on the season with a 3.96 ERA. Holland has pitched very well of late, allowing just six total runs over his last four starts (22 2/3 innings). The Giants are 2-6-1 O/U in Holland's last nine starts. I like this game to go under. The Giants haven't been scoring and both pitchers have been very good of late. Play UNDER.

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

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

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

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

The Cleveland Indians pretty much have a wrap on the AL Central as they lead the Twins by nine games, even after the Twins last won last night. The Twins have gone over in four of their last five games. Today they start Jake Odorizzi, who is 4-7 on the season with a 4.60 ERA. Odorizzi has been hot and cold, allowing at least five runs in two of his last four starts. The Indians scored 10 runs against the Twin in game one of their series and then just two last night. They will send Mike Clevinger to the hill today. Clevinger is 7-7 with a 3.48 ERA, but actually has a higher ERA at home where he it's 4.28. Don't expect another low scoring game tonight. Play the OVER.

Philadelphia and Arizona have split the first two games of their three-game set with the Phillies taking last night's contest, 5-2. They have an early start time today and Vincent Velasquez gets the go today. Velasquez is 7-8 on the season with a 3.83 ERA. Vleasquez has been very good of late, allowing just three earned runs over his last five starts. Arizona starts Pat Corbin, who is 8-4 on the season with a 3.25 ERA. Corbin hasn't been as hot as Velasquez, but has had two very good starts in his last three outings. This series has been low scoring thus far and that's just what I expect again here today. Play the UNDER.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The NL Central is one of the more competitive divisions in baseball as four of five teams have a .500 record or better. The Cardinals and Pirates have split the first two games of this series, with the Cards winning last night 8-4. Jack Flaherty starts today for St Louis with a 4-6 record and 3.39 ERA. Flaherty has allowed seven runs over his lat 10 1/3 innings with four walks. The Pirates try and take today's rubber game with Trevor Williams on the hill. Williams is 9-7 on the season with a 3.89 record. Williams has been red hot though, allowing NO earned runs over his last three starts (22 innings). With Williams being so hot, I look for the Pirates to take today's game and the series from the Cardinals. Play Pittsburgh.

The Colorado Rockies are just two games back of the division leaders in the NL West. However, they have lost three straight games after dropping Friday's game to the Brewers, 3-5. Tonight they will send Tyler Anderson to the hill. Anderson is 6-3 on the season with a 3.69 ERA. Meanwhile, the Brewers are one-game back of the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central. Freddy Peralta will start for Milwaukee today with a 4-2 record in his nine starts with a 3.61 ERA. Peralta is coming off a fine start, allowing just one run and three hits over four innings of work. I like the Brewers to continue their winning tonight at home over the Rockies. Play Milwaukee

The Red Sox have opened up their lead to 7.5 games over the Yankees in the AL East. The Red Sox have taken the first two games of this series and another win today could be the end of this race in the East. The Yankees have been outscored in this series thus far, 8-19. Chance Adams will make his major league debut today for the Yankees. This was highly unlikely a week ago. The Yankees bolstered their starting lineup by picking up JA Happ, Zach Britton and Lance Lynn. Happ went on the DL, Lynn had to put in extra duty when Gray was bombed and Cessa also was in long relief. That meant Adams was brought up to start today. Adams had a 4.50 ERA in Triple-A with 102 KO's and 48 walks. The Red Sox will start Nathan Eovaldi today. Eovaldi is 4-4 on the season with a 3.80 ERA. The Yankees are just having too many issues right now and even those Adams is a highly regarded prospect, he's been a bit too uneven for me this year. Play the Red Sox.

The World Series rematch has the Astros playing at the Dodgers tonight. The Astros lead in the AL West has shrunk to five games over the A's and 5.5 over the Mariners. The Astros have won two straight games. World Series MVP Justin Verlander will start today. Verlander is 10-6 with a 2.24 ERA this season. Verlander is coming off a loss where he allowed two runs over five innings to the Rangers. The Astros have lost five of Verlander's last eight starts. The Dodgers have also won two straight, after last night's 21-5 pounding of the Brewers. Alex Wood will counter tonight. Wood is 7-5 with a 3.76 ERA. Wood has been very consistent, allowing three runs or less in nine straight starts. This should be a excellent matchup tonight, but I'm taking the Dodgers here in game 1.

Baltimore got thrashed last night to the Rangers in game one of their series, 8-17. SO the O's will return David Hess to the hill tonight. Hess hasn't started since June 29th. However, with the departure of Kevin Guasman who was traded, Hess will be the fill-in starter. In his nine starts this season, Hess has a 2-5 record and 5.93 ERA. Hess had four straight starts where he allowed five runs or more. The Rangers will counter with Ariel Jurado, who is 1-1 in his two starts with a 4.22 ERA. Two very inexperience pitchers here as I expect a high scoring game in this one. I'm taking OVER.