Game one of this big matchup went to the home team on Thursday, as the Red Sox demolished the Yankees, 15-7. The Yankees will try and take game two of this four-game set tonight with their ace on the hill, Luis Servino. Servino is 14-4 this season with a 2.94 ERA and 1.082 WHIP. Servino has been roughed-up of late though, allowing 12 earned runs over his last 11 1/3 innings. His worst two starts of the season have come back-to-back. The Red Sox will counter with Rick Porcello who is also having an excellent season. Porcello is 13-4 with a 4.03 ERA. Porcello has had a few rough starts recently, allowing 12 runs in 7 2/3 innings. However, he did sandwich a nice no run outing in between those bad starts, where he allowed no runs over six innings to the Orioles. The Sox are the dog here, which is just too much to pass on. I'm taking Boston.

The Atlanta Braves have won three straight games and closed the game for first in the NL East to just a half game behind the Phillies. Mike Foltynewicz will start tonight for the Braves. Foltynewicz is 7-7 with a 3.04 ERA this season. Foltynewicz has not been as sharp lately though, allowing four runs or more in four straight starts. The Mets made history in a bad way the other night when they gave up the most runs in their history, 25 to the Nationals. They have lost two straight and four of their last five games. Jason Vargas will start tonight with a 2-6 record and 8.36 ERA. Vargas has not been good though he has been better lately. Still, the Mets should get shelled tonight as the Braves need games against these weak opponents. I'm taking the OVER here tonight.

Is there a better rivalry in sports than the Yankees and the Red Sox? The Sox lead the Yankees in the AL East by 5.5 games. So this series is really bigger for the Yankees if they hope to close the gap and not just play for a Wild Card. The Yankees lost yesterday to the Orioles, 5-7, but still have won five of their last eight. CC Sabathia starts tonight for the Yankees. Sabathia is 6-4 this season with a 3.53 ERA. Sabathia has been up and down of late, but coming off a two run performance over 4 2/3 innings in his last start vs the Royals. The Red Sox had their four game win streak snapped last night vs the Phillies, 1-3. Brian Johnson is 1-1 in his six starts with a 1.80 ERA. Johnson has been very good, allowing no runs over his last two starts (10 2/3 innings). The Sox will be pumped up tonight with the home crowd and a very good Johnson on the hill. Play Boston.

While neither of these teams will make the playoffs, they still have pride to play for. The Royals have won two straight games after yesterday's win over the White Sox, 10-5. The Royals have taken the first two games in this set with Chicago. Brad Keller starts today for the Royals with a 3-3 record. Keller has a 4.02 ERA and 1.491 WHIP. Keller has allowed at least three runs in each of his last four starts and four or more in three of those. Walks have also been an issue, with 14 free passes in his last 20 innings. The White Sox have lost three straight and six of their last seven. They have allowed 10 runs or more in four of their last seven games. Reynaldo Lopez starts today with a 4-9 record and 4.57 ERA. Lopez has allowed at least five runs in his last three starts. Neither pitcher should be around long in this game. I look for a high scoring affair. Play the OVER

The Brewers have gotten great pitching in their series with the Dodgers, taking both the first two games and allowing just two runs to LA. Milwaukee has now won five out of six and seven of their last nine games. Chase Anderson will get the start, with his 7-7 record and 3.69 ERA. Anderson has been hot of late, allowing two runs or less in each of his last seven starts. The Dodgers were the big trade deadline winner, picking up shortstop Manny Machado from Baltimore. Still, they have lost three straight, scoring just three runs in the process. Rich Hill gets the start today for LA with a 4-4 record and 3.88 ERA. Hill has allowed just one run over his last 13 innings. Both pitchers have been very good, but the Brewers have been winning and tonight we get them as a dog. Play Milwaukee.

The Rockies and Cardinals have split the first two games of their four-game set, with Colorado taking last night's contest 6-3. Kyle Freeland will start today for the Colorado with a 9-6 record and 3.13 ERA. Freeland went six innings in his last outing, allowing no runs and five hits to the A's. The Cardinals will counter with Luke Weaver who is 6-9 on the season with a 4.86 ERA and 1.389 WHIP. Weaver has pitched better of late, allowing three runs or less in each of his last four starts. Rockies with an edge on the mound today and I like the live dog with Colorado. Take the Rockies.

There was a time when the Astros looked like a runaway in the AL West. However, the Mariners have closed the gap to just four games. Houston finally broke their five game losing streak with a win last night over the Mariners, 5-2. The teams have split their first two games heading into today's final contest. Dallas Keuchel will start today for the Astros with a 8-9 record and 3.67 ERA. Keuchel has pitched much better of late, allowing three runs or less in each of his last five starts. The Mariners will start Wade Leblanc. Leblanc has been very good for the M's with a 6-1 record in his 16 starts. He has a 3.34 ERA and 1.101 WHIP. I look for a close game tonight and low scoring. Play the UNDER.

 Toronto has lost the first two games of their three game series with the A's. The Jays have scored just three runs total so far. They will start Marcus Stroman today. Stroman is 4-7 with a 5.31 ERA. However, Stroman has pitched very well of late, allowing three runs total in his last two starts (13 2/3 innings) and seven runs over his last four starts (25 2/3 innings). Oakland has been one of those surprise teams since June and they look for the sweep today. Sean Manaea starts today with a 9-7 record and 3.46 ERA. Manaea has not allowed over three runs in any start for his last 10 starts. I like both these pitchers today who have been very good of late. Play the UNDER.

The Rangers have won four straight games, sweeping Houston and taking game one of this set with Arizona last night, 9-5. The Rangers have scored, 9, 4, 7 and 11 in their last four games. In fact, six of their last eight games have gone over. Bartolo Colon starts tonight with a 5-9 record and 5.16 ERA. Colon has been roughed-up of late, allowing 11 runs over his last 11 2/3 innings. Arizona had its three-game win streak snapped last night. The D'backs send Zack Godley to the hill tonight. Godley is 11-6 with a 4.77 ERA and lofty 1.530 WHIP. Godley has had issues with walks all season. In addition, he's allowed eight runs over his last 10 2/3 innings. Neither pitcher that sharp of late, and both teams can hit. Take the OVER.

The Giants have strung together two straight wins after losing four straight. San Francisco took game one of their set with the Padres on Monday, 5-3 in 12 innings. Derek Rodriquez takes to the mound for the Giants. Rodriquez is 4-1 in his nine starts with a 2.90 ERA. Rodriquez has been impressive all season, allowing more than three runs just one time in his nine starts. The last place Padres just can't seem to do anything right these days. They have lost six straight games, allowing five runs or more in all six games. Clayton Richard starts today with a 7-10 record and 5.05 ERA. Richard has been roughed-up a bit lately, allowing 13 runs over his last eight innings with six walks and just four KO's. The Padres just in too big a tail spin right now. The Giants are playing better and have a solid starter on the hill. Play San Francisco

The Brewers have had an excellent season, posting a 61-47 record. They took three of four at San Francisco, losing the finale on Sunday, 5-8. Now they head South to take on the Dodgers for four-games. Freddy Peralta will start tonight. Peralta is 4-2 in his eight starts since returning in May. Peralta has a 3.74 ERA with a nice 1.015 WHIP. Peralta is coming off his worst start of the season, but still has been solid, allowing three runs or less in six of his eight starts. The Dodgers are barely holding onto first place in the NL West, with a half game lead over the Diamondbacks. They will send Kenta Maeda to the mound tonight. Maeda is just 6-5 with a 3.31 ERA. The Dodgers have lost three of Maeda's last four starts. Milwaukee has a better record then the Dodgers and provides a live dog play tonight. Play Milwaukee

The Astros have had little competition in the AL West, but things have gotten tighter as they have lost four straight. The A's and Mariners are closing the gap and tonight's game with Seattle could prove big in the standings. Gerrit Cole has been excellent this year, posting a 10-2 record in his 21 starts with 15 quality starts, a 2.54 ERA and a 0.980 WHIP. The Mariners lost two of three at the Angels, taking the final game on Sunday, 8-5. James Paxton has had extended time off, not starting since July 12th. Paxton is 8-4 with a 3.62 ERA and 1.081 WHIP this season. Paxton was on the 10-day DL with a stiff back. This could prove a problem here tonight since backs can act up in a hurry. I like the Astros with Cole on the mound until I see that Paxton is well. Play Houston.

Miami split their four-game set with the Nationals, losing the first two and winning the last two. They travel to Atlanta to start their series with the Braves. They will send Wei-Yen Chen to the hill tonight. Chen is just 3-7 on the season with a 5.66 ERA and 1.488 WHIP. Chen has been inconsistent all season long, having one good start and then a bad one. The Braves salvaged the final game of their four-game set with the Dodgers by winning on Sunday, 4-1. The Braves send Julio Teheran to the hill. Teheran has a 7-7 record with a 4.42 ERA. Teheran also has been inconsistent, coming off a poor outing vs these Marlins where he allowed seven runs over just 4 1/3 innings. Neither pitcher really excites me here and I think both will give up plenty of runs tonight. Take the OVER

Arizona has taken the first two in this series with the Padres. They won on Friday 6-2 and then again yesterday, 9-4. Clay Buchholz starts today for the D'backs with a 3-1 record and 1.79 ERA in his eight starts. Buchholz has been even better on the road where he is 2-1 in his five starts with a 1.57 ERA. Meanwhile, the Padres have lost four straight and are in dead last in the NL West. Joey Lucchesi will start today with a 5-5 record and 3.34 ERA. Luchhesi has been a decent pitcher for the Padres, allowing two runs or less in five straight starts. Still, this is the Padres we are talking about. The Diamondbacks know the importance of winning these games against the Padres if they want to stay in the playoff race. Take Arizona.

The Dodgers have won three straight games to improve to 59-46 and lead the NL West over Arizona by 1.5 games. The Dodgers made a big pre-trade deadline move in picking up SS Manny Machado from the Orioles. That adds a quality shortstop to their roster and a big bat to go with the big bats they already have. LA looks to sweep the four-game series today from the Braves. Ross Stripling gets the call and is having an outstanding season with a 8-2 record and 2.76 ERA. He is coming off one of his worst starts though, allowing five runs over just 4 2/3 innings to the Phillies. The Braves how now lost four straight games and fallen behind first place Philadelphia in the NL East. Sean Newcomb will try and halt their losing streak today. Newcomb is 9-5 with a 3.41 ERA. He went through a bad stretch, allowing 10 runs over 6 2/3 innings. However, the last two starts have been better, with four runs over 11 2/3 innings. Still, the Dodgers are energized and have their young phenom on the hill today. Play the Dodgers.

The Brewers have won two straight games and four of the last five games. They have taken two straight from the Giants, winning 7-5 on Thursday and 3-1 on Friday. Jhoulys Chacin will start tonight for the Brewers. Chacin is 9-3 with a 3.58 ERA this season. In addition, Chacin has allowed just two earned runs over his last 11 innings with no walks and 11 KO's. Chacin has also allowed two runs or less in four of his last five starts. The Giants have lost three games in a row, five of the last six and seven of the last nine games. Johnny Cueto is 3-1 in his eight starts for the Giants with a 2.76 ERA. Cueto has been hit harder of late, allowing 12 runs over his last 17 innings with seven walks and 12 KO's. Brewers have an edge here tonight in starters and have been the hotter team. Play the Brewers.

 Arizona took game one of this set with the Padres last night, 6-2. They D'backs only scored in one inning, but that's all they needed for Zack Grienke to shut down the Padres. Pat Corbin will toe the rubber tonight for Arizona. Corbin is 7-4 with a 3.06 ERA and is coming off a 1-run performance against the Cubs with no walks and nine KO's. The Padres have lost three straight after last night's loss. In addition, they have lost 10 of the last 12 games. Tyson Ross will try and turn the fortunes for the Padres tonight. Ross is 6-8 with a 4.37 ERA and 1.297 WHIP. Ross has pitched well of late, allowing two runs in each of his last two starts. However, the two starts before that he allowed 15 runs over seven innings. Walks continue to plague Ross, with six over his last two starts and 11 over his last four. The D'backs need to beat a team like the Padres if they want to stay in the race for the NL West. I like them to do just that here tonight. Play the Diamondbacks.

My live dog of the day falls once again to the A's. This team has been very good, posting a 61-44 record this season. They have also won six of their last seven and 10 of their last 13 games. Brett Anderson will get the start tonight. Anderson is 2-2 with a 5.46 ERA, but has allowed just five runs over his last four appearances (15 1/3 innings). The Rockies have won two straight and nine of the last 11 games. They will start Antonio Senzatela. Senzatela is 1-2 in his three starts with a 4.91 ERA. Senzatela has allowed 10 runs over his last 11 1/3 innings with five walks. I give the pitching edge tonight to the A's, but both teams have been hot. Good value here with the road dog. Play Oakland.

 The Mets have split their first two games of this series with the Pirates. They jumped out to a 3-0 lead last night, but couldn't hold on as the Pirates tied the game at four and eventually won at 5-4. All Star Jacob Degrom will get the start today. Degrom is only 5-5 on the season, but his record doesn't reflect his excellent 1.71 ERA and 0.967 WHIP. In fact, Degrom hasn't allowed over three runs in any of his last 17 starts. The Pirates had their 11-game win streak snapped by Cleveland, then lost two straight before last night's win. They will send Trevor Williams to the mound today. Williams is 8-7 with a 4.11 record. Williams has pitched well, allowing no runs over his last two starts (11 innings). The only blemish is the five walks and just four KO's he's allowed during that time. The Mets have been playing better and with Degrom on the hill you know they will be in this one to the end. Play the Mets.

 The Mets have split their first two games of this series with the Pirates. They jumped out to a 3-0 lead last night, but couldn't hold on as the Pirates tied the game at four and eventually won at 5-4. All Star Jacob Degrom will get the start today. Degrom is only 5-5 on the season, but his record doesn't reflect his excellent 1.71 ERA and 0.967 WHIP. In fact, Degrom hasn't allowed over three runs in any of his last 17 starts. The Pirates had their 11-game win streak snapped by Cleveland, then lost two straight before last night's win. They will send Trevor Williams to the mound today. Williams is 8-7 with a 4.11 record. Williams has pitched well, allowing no runs over his last two starts (11 innings). The only blemish is the five walks and just four KO's he's allowed during that time. Both these pitchers have been very good and I expect a low scoring, close game here on Saturday evening. Play the UNDER.

Arizona is nipping on the heal of the Dodgers for first place in the NL West. Losing two straight games didn't help as they split their four game series with the Cubs. Today they start their set with the Padres and send Zach Greinke to the hill. Greinke is now 11-5 after winning six of his last seven decisions. Grienke has been hot, allowing just five total runs over his last six starts with just five walks and 42 KO's. The last place Padres are the only team in the West that doesn't have at least a .500 record. They will send Luis Perdomo to the hill. Perdomo is just 1-5 in his eight starts with a lofty 6.99 ERA. Big mismatch here in pitching and that's why I'm laying the -1.5 runs the D'backs.

The Texas Rangers just lost four straight to the A's, losing two of those games when leading going into the 9th inning. They have to feel snake bit by the Oakland Magic and now have to travel to intrastate rival Houston. The Astros are just cruising in the AL West with a 67-37 record. Is it possible this Houston team is better than the World Series Champions of last year? Sure is. Dallas Keuchel is only 8-8 on the season but has really come around lately. Keuchel has allowed just three runs over his last four starts (27 2/3 innings). Keuchel has been great with 18 KO's. The Rangers will start Yovani Gallardo who is 4-1 in his limited six starts. Even with that record, Gallardo has just a 5.56 ERA. The Astros should have little trouble with their rivals here tonight and I'll lay the -1.5 runs with the Astros.

 Platinum Club : The Giants return home after splitting their two games at Seattle and losing four of six against Oakland. The Giants are still in the hunt in the jammed NL West race. They will start Dereck Rodriquez today. Rodriquez is 4-1 in his eight starts with six quality outings and a 2.89 ERA. Rodriquez has allowed just four total earned runs over his last four starts (26 1/3 innings). The Brewers took two of three from Washington, but have still lost nine of their last 12 games. Milwaukee will start Wade Miley today. Miley is 1-1 in his four starts with a 1.56 ERA. Miley has pitched well in limited starts, allowing two runs or less in each start. Should be a low scoring game tonight, but I like the Giants at home here. Play San Francisco.

Inner Circle Dog : These two teams have nearly identical records, however the Dodgers are in first place in the NL West and the Braves are in 2nd in the NL East. The Dodgers lost two straight to the Phillies, with the last night's loss 3-7. The Dodgers acquired Orioles shortstop Manny Machado for a post season run. Machado will add more punch to an already potent lineup. Rich Hill takes to the mound today with a 3-4 record and 4.33 ERA. Hill has been up and down all season, coming off a good start vs the Brewers where he allowed one run over six innings. The Braves had a day off on Wednesday after losing at Miami on Tuesday, 3-9. Anibal Sanchez starts today for the Braves. Sanchez is 5-2 with a 2.88 ERA and 1.048 WHIP. Sanchez has been solid, allowing three runs or less in eight of his last nine starts. Braves a nice little dog at home with what I believe is the better pitcher. Take Atlanta.

Dog Shocker: I have hit some big dog prices in baseball over the last few week. If you know what to look for then you have good value with these plays. Today is another live value big dog in Miami. Washington isn't even a .500 club, yet they are laying this huge road price today. The Nats have lost two of their last three games and five of their last eight. Stephen Strasburg is just 6-7 on the season and has a mediocre 3.90 ERA. In fact, he's coming off a horrible start, allowing six runs over 4 2/3 innings to the Braves. That makes 13 runs he's allowed over his last 13 2/3 innings. Meanwhile, Miami has won five of its last seven games and Daniel Straily will try and increase that here today. Straily has struggled to a 4-4 record and 4.02 ERA. However, unlike Strasburg, he's been very good of late, allowing just two earned runs over his last 13 innings of work. No way the Nationals should be this big a favorite on the road with a struggling Strasburg on the hill. Take Miami.

The A's made an amazing comeback win in last night's contest at Texas. At one point in the game, Oakland trailed 2-10. However, a late rally by the A's resulted in eight runs over the last three innings, including three runs to tie the game in the 9th. They forced extra innings and scored three in the 10th to win the game. It was the fourth win in a row for Oakland who improved to 59-43. Edwin Jackson starts today with a 1-2 record in his five starts. Jackson has a 2.93 ERA and has not allowed over three runs in any of his five outings. The stunned Rangers will turn to Martin Perez today. Perez is 2-4 in his seven starts with a 8.05 ERA and 2.077 WHIP. Not good news for the Rangers today after last night's shocking loss and now they have a poor Perez on the hill. This has an easy Oakland win written all over it. Play Oakland.

 The Brewers have won two straight over the Nationals, winning on Monday, 6-1 and then on Tuesday, 5-4. The wins have improved their record to 58-45 as they are right on the heels of Chicago Cubs for 1st place in the NL Central. Freddy Peralta starts today with a 4-1 record in his seven starts. Peralta has a 2.65 ERA and 0.964 WHIP. Peralta has allowed three runs or less in all but one of his starts (that was four runs). The struggling Nationals have dropped two games under .500 with the pair of losses. They will turn to Tanner Roark today. Roark is 3-11 with a 4.72 ERA and 1.382 WHIP. Roark has allowed four runs or more in three straight starts and seven walks during that time. Brewers playing better and have the better starter on the hill today. Play Milwaukee.

The Oakland A's have won three straight and five of their last six games. They took the opener with the Rangers last night, 15-3. Frankie Montas starts today for the A's with a 5-2 record in eight starts and a 3.35 ERA. Montas is coming off an excellent start, allowing just three hits and no runs at Houston in a 2-0 A's win. The Rangers have lost eight of their last 10 games. The will turn to Mike Minor to stop that losing streak. Minor is 6-6 with a 4.89 ERA. Minor went just 2 2/3 innings in his last start, allowing six runs to the Orioles. I like the A's here tonight to keep winning against a reeling Rangers club. Play Oakland.

The Pirates continue their big win streak, which is now up to 10 games. The Pirates have improved to 52-49 with this 10 game streak. Last night's game didn't make the full nine since it was called after six innings with the Pirates winning 7-0. During their 10-game win streak they have been pounding the ball, averaging 6.4 runs per game. And that includes their seven runs over just six innings last night. Joe Musgrove will start today for the Bucs, with his 3-4 record and 4.08 ERA. Musgrove has allowed five runs or more in three of his last five starts. The Indians have also been a good over team, especially lately as they are 7-2-1 O/U in their last 10 games. Shane Bieber starts today with a 5-1 record and 3.53 ERA. Beiber has allowed 11 runs over his last 19 innings though. The way the Pirates are hitting and winning this game has all the markings of an OVER.

The Cardinals have been an excellent OVER play of late, hitting the OVER in eight of their last nine games. The Cards will start Austin Gomber who will make his first major league start today. Gomber will be recalled from Triple-A Memphis to start today. Gomber has made some relief appearances for the Cardinals. In Memphis, he has a 3.42 ERA in 68.1 innings. Meanwhile, the Reds have also been a good over team, with 10 of their last 12 going over. Today they will start Homer Bailey who hasn't started since May 28th. Bailey is just 1-7 with the Reds and has a 6.68 ERA. Too many questions today with these pitchers, I'm taking the OVER.

 The Dodgers are in first place in the NL West in what is a very close race with four teams. They have won two straight games and six of eight. They will send Kenta Maeda to the hill today. Maeda is 6-5 with a 3.16 ERA. Maeda has pitched well of late, allowing four runs over his last four starts (25 2/3 innings). The Phillies will counter with Aaron Nola. Nola has been their best starter this season with a 12-3 record and 16 quality starts in his 20 appearances. Nola has a 2.30 ERA and 0.977 WHIP. This looks to be a good pitcher's duel tonight. I'm going UNDER.

Executive Total : The Rangers snapped their four game losing streak with a shut-out win on Sunday over the Indians, 5-0. The Rangers have gone over in three of their last four games and have scored 21 runs over that span. Texas sends Cole Hamels to the hill today. Hamels is 5-8 this season with a 4.36 ERA and 1.336 WHIP. Hamels has not pitched all that well of late, allowing 18 earned runs over his last four starts (17 innings). The A's just finished six games with their neighbors across the bay, San Francisco. The A's took four of the last five from the Giants, including the last two in extra innings. Brett Anderson will toe the rubber today for the A's with a 1-2 record in his six starts. Anderson has been hit hard for the most part, evidenced by his 6.09 ERA and lofty 1.860 WHIP. I am going with the OVER here tonight as both teams should get their share of runs.

IL total of the Month : The Pirates continue their red-hot streak as they have now won nine straight games after their win over the Reds on Sunday, 9-2. The Pirates have been scoring in bunches of late, with 27 runs scored in their three games vs the Reds and 28 in their previous five games vs the Brewers. Trevor Williams starts today for the Bucs with a 7-7 record and 4.36 ERA. The Indians have been an excellent over team for most of the season. Despite their under in last night's game, they have now gone OVER in seven of their last 10 games (1 push). Corey Kluber will go for the Tribe today. Kluber was rouched up last time out, allowing eight hits and six runs over 7 1/3 innings. The Pirates have been red-hot and the Indians can score in bunches. I like this game to go OVER the total.

Inner Circle Total :One of the big surprises this year for the Dodgers has been the pitching of Ross Stripling. Stripling has a 8-2 record in his 14 starts with a nice 2.36 ERA and 1.063 ERA. Stripling has been very good, allowing three runs or less in 12 of his last 13 starts. He's coming off a six inning no run performance vs the Padres. Not to be outdone, the Phillies have also received excellent production from Zach Eflin. Eflin is 7-2 with a 3.15 ERA and has not allowed more than three runs in any of his last seven starts. This has the makings of a fine pitchers duel tonight. I'm taking the UNDER.

The Reds look to snap their two game post-All Star losing streak here today in the finale with the Pirates. The Reds lost 1-12 to the Bucs on Friday and then 2-6 last night. Much maligned Matt Harvey will take to the hill today. Harvey is 5-5 with a 4.22 ERA and 1.2030 WHIP. Harvey has pitched very well of late though, allowing two earned runs or less in five straight starts. The Pirates have improved to 50-49 thanks to a eight-game win streak. Ivan Nova will toe the rubber today. Nova is 5-6 with a 4.38 ERA and 1.276 WHIP. Nova has been up and down most of the season, off a good start vs the Brewers. I like Harvey here today who has pitched very well and may be trade bait as the deadline approaches. Take the Reds.

The Rockies came back from a 2-5 deficit in last nights game with the Diamondbacks to win, 8-5. The win was the team's 6th in a row as they surge in the NL West. It's a traffic jam in the West with four teams all close to the top spot. That makes these division games even more important. Today the Rockies look to extend their win streak with Kyle Freeland on the mound. Freeland is 8-6 with a 3.11 ERA. Freeland has been hot, allowing two runs or less in each of his last six starts. In addition, he's allowed just two runs over his last 10 2/3 innings. The D'backs have now lost two straight and dropped to second in the West. A loss today and they can drop to third. Zack Godley will toe the rubber for the D'backs. Godley is 11-6 in his 19 starts with a 4.66 ERA. Godley has also been very consistent, allowing just two runs over his last 12 innings. Both teams and pitchers are evenly matched, the only thing not is the line where the Rockies are a big dog. I hit a big dog with the Braves last night, I'm set to do it again tonight. Play the Rockies

The Pirates have been red-hot, winners of their last seven games in a row. The Pirates recent win streak has gotten the team back to the .500 mark at 49-49. The Bucs easily won game one of this series with the Reds, 12-1. Today they send Nick Kingham to the hill. Kinghill is 4-4 in his nine games with a 4.26 ERA. Kingham has pitched very well of late, allowing just four runs over his last 12 2/3 innings with two BB's and 14 KO's. The Reds have lost two straight games and dropped to 43-54 on the season. Today they send Anthony Deslafani to the hill. Desclafani is 4-2 in his eight starts with a 5.32 ERA. Desclafani has got roughed up in two of his last three starts, allowing 12 runs over his last three starts (15 2/3 innings). The Pirates have momentum and we get them as a small dog here today. Play Pittsburgh.

The Rangers open the 2nd half of the season at home after a 10-game road trip to finish the first half of the season. Texas was just 3-7 to finish that road stint. Martin Perez looks to get the Rangers back on the winning note today. Perez is just 2-4 with a 7.67 ERA and a lofty 2.046 WHIP. Perez has just two quality starts in his six outings and some really bad ones to go along with those two. Cleveland has little competition in a very week AL Central. The Indians are the only team with a winning record (52-43). Today they send Trevor Bauer to the hill. Bauer is 8-6 with a 2.31 ERA in his 20 starts. Bauer has been very good of late, allowing two runs or less in his last six starts. The Indians have a big advantage on the hill today and I look for a lopsided win. Lay the run line with the Indians

The Braves are hoping to duplicate their success in the first half of the season that led to a 52-42 record. The open a three-game set here today at Washington. The Braves won their last game of the 1st half over the Diamondbacks, 5-1. Today they send Anibal Sanchez to the hill. Sanchez is 4-2 in his 11 starts with a nice 2.73 ERA and 1.005 WHIP. Sanchez had a great first to the first half, allowing just two runs in his last two starts (12 2/3 innings) and not allowing over three runs in seven of his last eight starts. Washington had a sub-par first half of the season, finishing with just a 48-48 record. Stephen Strasburg will start today with a 6-6 record and 3.46 ERA. Strasburg has pitched well, though the team has lost his last two starts and two of his last three. Braves way too big a dog today considering they have the hotter pitcher on the hill and the better record. Live dog action here with the visitor. Take Atlanta

 The All Star game is tonight and finally MLB got smart enough to remove the attachment to the World Series home field advantage. This was a silly thing to pin on a game that is for fun, especially when it can impact a team that has had a great season and deserves home field throughout the playoffs. That being said, this is also the fourth straight game being played at a National League park. The AL will bat last and officially be the home team though. The AL has dominated this series, winning five straight, including the last three at NL parks. The NL did have a bit of success in 2012 - 2010 where they won three straight. However, the AL won the previous 12 of 13 games. That means the AL has now won 15 of the last 18 years against the senior circuit. That's a pretty impressive streak for any sport's All-Star game. I'm going to stick with that trend here tonight and take the AL.

 The All Star game is tonight and finally MLB got smart enough to remove the attachment to the World Series home field advantage. This was a silly thing to pin on a game that is for fun, especially when it can impact a team that has had a great season and deserves home field throughout the playoffs. That being said, this is also the fourth straight game being played at a National League park. The AL will bat last and officially be the home team though. The MLB All Star game is unlike the NBA, NFL or even NHL in that those games usually have little or no defense and are full of scoring. This game though has been a solid under play in recent times. In fact, only the 2015 game in Cincinnati had nine runs. The other 10 of 11 years had eight or less. That's why the oddsmakers have dropped this total all the way down to seven, which is almost unheard of. Last Year's game in Miami resulted in a AL win, 2-1. Again a game dominated by pitching. That's not where I'm going this year, with this line of seven, I'm sticking with the OVER.

Reason: Colorado has won four straight games as they close out the first half of the season. The look for the sweep here today vs the Mariners. The Rockies have won 10-7 and then yesterday 4-1 over Seattle. In fact, the Rockies are kind of sad to see the break, having won 10 of their last 12 games. Tyler Anderson will start today. Anderson is 6-3 for Colorado with a 3.76 ERA. Anderson has allowed just one run over his last three starts (20 innings). Seattle will start Mike Leake today. Leake is 8-6 on the year with a 4.36 ERA and 1.323 WHIP. Leake has struggled recently, allowing eight earned runs over his last eight innings with three walks and just five KO's. The Rockies are hot and they have the edge on the mound today too. I'm playing Colorado.

The Phillies got a great pitching effort from Jake Arrieta on Friday to shut down the Marlins, 0-2. The Phils will try to make it three in a row with a win today. To do so, they send Aaron Nola to the hill. Nola is 12-2 and by far the best pitcher the Phillies have this season. Nola has a outstanding 2.27 ERA and 0.984 WHIP. In addition, Nola has allowed just two total runs over his last three starts (21 2/3 innings) with just five walks and 27 KO's. The Marlins dropped to 39-57 with their loss on Friday. Trevor Richards heads to the hill today for the fish. Richards is 2-5 with a 5.24 ERA. Nola has been outstanding and I look for another excellent Phillies start today. Play Philadelphia.

The Rays have gone under in three straight after last night's loss to the Twins, 1-5. They will send Nathan Eovaldi to the hill this evening. Eovaldi has been pitching very well, allowing just two total runs over his last three starts (19 innings) with just three walks and 23 KO's. The Twins will start one time Rays pitcher Jake Odorizzi. Odorizzi will likely have extra incentive against his old teammates tonight. Odorizzi has also been hot, allowing just two runs over his last three starts (17 innings) with eight walks and 22 KO's. Two red-hot pitchers and for me that means UNDER.

The Marlins took two of three games from the Brewers as they head into their final series before the break. The Marlins will turn to Wei-Yin Chen tonight. Chen is just 2-6 on the season with a lofty 6.14 ERA and 1.546 WHIP. He's been inconsistent, pitching well one game and getting shelled the next. The Phillies will turn to Jake Arrieta who is 6-6 on the season with a 3.47 ERA. The Phils are a pretty good road favorite here and the key to this game is finding out which Chen will show up. I think we'll get the good one tonight. Chen has been so much better at home where he has a 1.89 ERA in his six starts and and the Marlins are 4-2. Chen at home as a dog has some great value here. Play Miami.

Tampa Bay continues their surge. It was just a week or so ago that they climbed back to .500 mark. Now, the club is 48-44 with their recent five game win streak. The Rays took two of three from the Mets and then swept the Tigers. Today they start a four-game set with the Twins. The Rays begin the series with their Ace on the hill, Blake Snell. Snell is 12-4 on the season with a nice 2.10 ERA. Snell has now allowed over one run in any of his last four starts and just one time in his last nine starts. The Twins are still eight games under .500 at 41-49. They will turn to Kyle Gibson today. Gibson is just 3-6 this season with a 3.59 ERA. Gibson has allowed 11 runs over his last three starts. Snell has been amazing and today we'll stick with the Rays Ace here. Play Tampa Bay.

The Nationals and Mets begin a three-game set tonight in New York. The Nationals lost two of three in their last series with the Pirates, with all three games going under. The Nats scored a total of eight runs over the three games. Tonight they start their Ace, Max Scherzer. Scherzer is 11-5 on the season with a 2.33 ERA and 0.893 WHIP. Scherzer is coming off a sub-par start, allowing four runs over seven innings the the Marlins. The Mets have gone under in six of their last eight games. This is in part to an anemic offense. Steven Matz will try and keep them close tonight with a his 4-6 record and 3.31 ERA. Matz has pitched very well of late, allowing just one run over his last two starts (11 2/3 innings). Both pitchers are very good and I don't expect the Mets to get much tonight vs Scherzer. Play the UNDER.

The Rockies have split their first two games with Arizona, taking last night's contest 19-2. The Rockies will send Kyle Freeland to the hill today with a 8-6 record and 3.18 ERA. Freeland has been even better at Coors field, posting a 5-2 record and 2.89 ERA. Freeland has not allowed more than two runs in any of his last four starts. The D'backs will start Robbie Ray today. Ray is 3-1 in his nine starts with a 5.23 ERA and lofty 1.488 WHIP. Ray has allowed 10 runs over his last 9 1/3 innings of work with five walks. Strange that Colorado is a +1.00 dog here against a poor pitcher like Ray. I'll take the good price on the home team. Play Colorado.

The Dodgers and Padres have split the first two games of their series with LA winning on Monday and the Padres last night, 4-1. The Dodgers will send Kenta Maeda to the hill today. Maeda is only 5-5 in his 15 starts, but has a respectable 3.28 ERA. Maeda has pitched well, allowing two runs or less in seven of his last eight starts. In fact, the Dodgers have gone UNDER in eight straight starts that Maeda has made. The Padres will counter with Joey Lucchesi. Lucchesi is 4-4 on the season with a 3.27 ERA. However, he's been excellent of late, allowing just two runs over his last three starts (14 2/3 innings). Both of these pitchers have been hot and I like this game to go UNDER tonight.

 Seattle has fallen back to second in the AL West behind Houston. Still, the Mariners are having a fine season at 57-35. The M's send Marco Gonzales to the hill today. Gonzales is 9-5 in his 18 starts this season. Gonzales has a 3.39 ERA. In addition, Gonzales has allowed just two runs over his last two starts (15 innings). The Angels took game one with the Mariners on Tuesday, 9-3. Jaime Barria will start tonight for the Halos. Barria is 5-5 in his last 12 starts with a 3.39 ERA. Barria has pitched well of late, allowing two runs or less in each of his last three starts (15 2/3 innings). Both clubs have pitchers who have been hot and therefore I'm taking the UNDER tonight.

White Sox have now lost five straight games as they begin their IL series tonight with the Cardinals. The Astros blasted the Sox, outscoring them 29-14. Dylan Covey will start for the Sox tonight. Covey is 3-4 with a 5.01 ERA. Covey has got hit hard late, allowing 22 runs over his last four starts (15 innings). The Cardinals lost two of their three game set with the Giants. They work their way back East after their West Coast swing. Miles Mikolas has been excellent for the red birds, posting a 9-3 record this season with a nifty 2.63 ERA and 1.033 WHIP. Mikolas has allowed just five total runs over his last three starts (19 innings). Huge edge today to the Cardinals in starters, plus St Louis just is the better team. Play the Cardinals.

The Cubs are in second place in the NL Central, trailing the Brewers. Chicago has won two straight and eight of the last nine games. They will start Kyle Hendricks today who is 5-8 on the season with a 4.27 ERA. Hendricks has had a rough time of late, allowing 13 runs over his last three starts (13 2/3 innings). Kenricks has walked seven and struck out just eight during that span. The Cubs make the trip West today to take on the Giants. The Giants split their four-game series with the Cardinals, taking the finale on Sunday, 13-8. Today, they will start Andrew Suarez. Suarez is 3-5 with a 3.92 ERA. Suarez has pitched very well of late, allowing just three runs over his last three starts (19 2/3 innings) with just three BB's and 15 KO's. Suarez pitching very well compared to Kendricks. I'm taking the Giants here tonight.

The Cubs and Reds have split the first two games of this series with the Reds winning last night, 8-7. The Reds have now won seven of their last eight games. They send one of the leagues best to the hill today in Jon Lester. Lester is among the MLB leaders in ERA with a 2.25 ERA and 11-2 record. Lester has allowed more than two runs just one time in his last 11 starts. The Reds dropped to 39-50 with the loss last night. They will counter with Luis Castillo. Castillo is 5-8 in his 18 starts with a 5.53 ERA and 1.378 WHIP. Castillo has allowed less than three runs just one time in his last seven starts. Cubs should have little trouble here today. Play Chicago.

The Brewers sit atop the NL Central division with their 53-36 record. They have taken two of the first three from the Braves, losing last night 1-5. Junior Guerra will start today with a 5-5 record and 2.87 ERA. Guerra has pitched well, allowing no runs in his last start over five innings. The Braves are in first place in the NL East with a 50-38 record. They will send Sean Newcomb to the hill today with a 8-3 record and 3.10 ERA. Newcomb has allowed eight runs over his last two starts (8 2/3 innings) with seven walks and just eight KO's. I like the Brewers today with Guerra on the hill. Play Milwaukee.

Tampa Bay has just got back to .500 at 44-44 with their win on Saturday over the Mets, 3-0. The Rays will try and stay there today with Nathan Eovaldi on the hill. Eovaldi has a 3.92 ERA this season in his seven starts and has pitched very well of late. Eovaldi has allowed just two runs over his last 12 innings. The Mets dropped to just 35-50 on the season with their loss last night to the Rays. The Mets are calling up Chris Flexen to start today. The Mets have a doubleheader on Monday and needed the fifth starter. Flexen has just a 4.48 ERA in his 67 innings at Triple-A Las Vegas. Flexen hasn't show much in the minors or in relief for the Mets this year. Take the Rays.

The Rockies have won four straight games, thanks to some stellar pitching. The staff has allowed just four total runs over their four game win streak with three going under and one push. Kyle Freeland starts today with a 8-6 record and 3.25 ERA. Freeland has allowed just four runs over his last three starts (20 innings). The Mariners are having a great season at 56-33. They lost to the Rockies last night, 1-7 but had won nine of their previous 10 games. James Paxton starts tonight with a 8-2 record and 3.30 ERA. Paxton went eight shutout innings in his last start, walking two and striking out 11. This one should be a good pitching duel tonight. I'm taking UNDER.

Tampa Bay just got to the .500 mark and a two game losing streak has dropped them back to 43-44. The Rays have seen their total go under in seven of their last nine games (one push). Blake Snell gets the start today. Snell is the team's ace this year with a 11-4 record and 2.24 ERA. Snell has allowed just two totals runs in his last three starts and not over two runs in eight of his last nine starts. The Mets have gone under in three of their last four games. Their hitting has not been very good this season, as they average just 4.0 runs per game. Steven Matz starts today with a 4.50 record and 3.46 ERA. Both these clubs are below average hitting teams and with Snell on the hill I don't expect much out of the Mets. I'm taking UNDER.

 These clubs have split the first two of their series with the Cardinals winning on Thursday and the Giants last night, 3-2. The Cardinals send Carlos Martinez to the hill today. Martinez is 5-4 with a 3.20 ERA. Martinez has allowed just four runs over his last two starts (12 innings) with three walks and 15 KO's. The Giants are in fourth place in the NL West at 46-44. They snapped a four-game losing streak with last night's win. Jeff Samardzija returns from the DL today. Samardzija hasn't pitched since May 29th when he went just one inning. Samardzija is 1-4 on the season with a 6.56 ERA. Not sure what form Samardzija will be in after a long layoff. I'm taking the Cardinals here today until I know how Samardzija works out.

The Phillies bring a five game win streak into today's contest with their Western PA rivals. The Phils trounced the Bucs yesterday, 17-5. Jake Arrieta starts tonight for Philly. Arrieta is only 5-6 on the season, but has a nice 3.54 ERA and 1.270 WHIP. Arrieta has been solid, allowing three runs or less in each of his last three starts. The Pirates have a four game losing streak. They turn to Jameson Taillon today. Taillon is 5-6 with a 4.05 ERA. Philly just playing better ball at this stage of the season. Take Philadelphia

Reds have won two straight including last night's opener with the Cubs, 3-2. Today Matt Harvey will toe the rubber. Harvey is just 4-5 on the season with a 4.46 ERA. However, he's pitched well of late, allowing no runs in his last start and just three runs over his last three starts (18 2/3 innings). The Cubs will counter with Tyler Chatwood. Chatwood is 3-5 with a 4.42 ERA. Unlike Harvey, Chatwood is coming off his worst start of the season, allowing seven runs over five innings to the Twins. Both these pitchers have similar stats with Harvey the better of late. No reason the Cubs should be such a big favorite here. Take the Reds.

Great pitching matchup here tonight as the Braves start Mike Foltynewicz. Foltynewicz is 6-4, but his record doesn't reflect how well he has pitched. Foltynewicz has just a 2.02 ERA this season and more recently he's allowed two run or more just one time in his last nine starts. The Brewers counter with Freddy Peralta. Peralta has only five starts under his belt, but a 2.28 ERA and has allowed no runs in three of his five outings. Two very good starters tonight and that looks like an UNDER to me.

The surging Oakland A's are now 48-39 on the season thanks to a run where they are 14-3 in their last 17 games. Which begs the question, how are the A's who are one of the hottest teams in baseball such a big dog tonight? They have Paul Blackburn on the hill who is only 2-2 this year with a 6.47 ERA. However, Blackburn is coming off one of his best starts last time out against who? Yep, these Indians. He allowed the tribe just three hits and no runs over 6 2/3 innings. The Indians will counter with Carlos Carrasco who is 8-5 in his 15 starts with a 4.24 ERA. However, Carrasco hasn't started since mid-June due to injury. He wasn't all that consistent either in his previous starts. So again, my question is why are the A's such a big dog. Really, there is no reason. I'm taking the A's here who can easily win this contest.

The Rays have been a giant killer this year. AT 43-43 they sure get some huge dog prices and tonight is no different. The last eight times the Rays have been installed as the underdog, they are an amazing 7-1 and the profits just have been rolling in. Tonight, I'm taking the Rays again with Ryan Stanek on the hill. Stanek may only have a 0-1 record in his nine starts, but the Rays have won two of his last three starts as big dogs. The Mets are just 34-49 on the season and while they have their ace on the hill tonight, that's never a given with this club. Jacob Degrom is having a nice year, at 5-4 you would think his stats are mediocre too, but not. He has an outstanding 1.84 ERA and hasn't allowed over three runs in any of his last 13 starts. So how does he have just five wins? Poor support. In his last 10 starts the Mets have garnered more than three runs of support just one time. Take the Rays tonight and enjoy your dog winner.

The Giants had been riding a nice 9-2 run before they hit the Mile High City. The Rockies swept the Giants, outscoring them 14-3. The Giants return home tonight from their six game road trip to face the Cardinals. Johnny Cueto returns to the hill tonight after making his last start on April 28. Cueto is a huge return to this team after he was 3-0 to start the season with a 0.84 ERA and 0.688 WHIP. The Cardinals took two of three in their series with the Diamondbacks but are still just 2-5 in their last seven games. Their West Coast trip continues tonight at San Francisco. The Red Birds will start Luke Weaver who is 4-7 in his 17 starts with a 5.36 ERA and 1.461 WHIP. Weaver has walked eight batters in his last 15 2/3 innings. If Cueto is even close to his previous form, the Giants are a great play tonight. Take San Francisco.

The Seattle Mariners win streak continues, now up to eight games after their 4-1 win over the Angels on Tuesday. The M's jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the 1st inning and never looked back. Mike Leake will try and extend the streak to nine tonight. Leake is 8-4 in his 17 starts with a 4.01 ERA and 1.208 WHIP. Leak has had seven excellent starts in his last eight games. His only blemish was a five run performance to the Red Sox on Jun 17th. The Angels have lost two straight and eight of the last 10 games. The Halos will turn to Jamie Barria tonight. Barria is 5-4 in 11 starts with a 3.40 ERA and 1.204 WHIP. The Mariners have been red- hot and they have an excellent closer in Diaz. Take the Mariners!

The LA Angels try to get back into the race today after dropping to 43-42 on the season. The Angels send Andrew Heaney to the hill. Heaney is 4-5 with a 3.95 ERA and 1.207 WHIP. Heany is coming onff one of his worst starts, alloing six runs over just 3 1/3 innings to the Red Sox. Seattle continues to cruise along, winning seven in a row by sweeping the Royals and the Orioles. Tonight they send Wade Leblanc to the hill. Leblanc is 3-0 in his 11 starts with a 3.09 ERA and 1.166 WHIP. Leblanc has just one bad start in his last 11, that coming at Boston on June 22 where he allowed six runs over 4 2/3 innings. I like the Mariners as they continue to play great baseball. Play Seattle.

The Orioles snapped their seven game losing streak last night with a win over the Angels, 8-2. The O's are still buried in last place in what is the toughest division in baseball, the AL East. Alex Cobb gets the start this eveing with a 2-9 record and 6.75 ERA. Cobb has not pitched well, allowing 20 runs over his last four starts (22 2/3 innings). Meanwhile, the Phillies have won two straight and four of five. The Phils send Zach Eflin to the hill today with a 6-2 record in his 10 starts. Eflin has a nifty 3.02 ERA and has not allowed over two runs in any of his last four starts. Eflin pitching great and the O's just not a good team this year. Play Philadelphia.

Two of the best teams in baseball reside in the AL East this year and that's Boston and the NY Yankees. Sad thing is, one will have to settle for a Wild Card. The Red Sox hope it won't be them and today they will send Brian Johnson to hill. Johnson has just two starts, but both have been good. Johnson allowed one run over four innings to the Angels and then one run over six innings to the Marlins. The Nationals have lost three straight and eight of their last 10 games. They will try to get out of their slump with Tanner Roark on the hill. Roark has a 3-8 record in his 16 starts with a 3.94 ERA. Walks have been an issue for Roark, with seven free passes in his last 10 1/3 innings. I like the Sox tonight with Johnson on the hill. Play Boston.

The Minnesota Twins look to snap a four-game losing streak when they play the second of their series tonight with the Brewers. The Twins lost the opener last night 5-6. Jake Odorizzi starts tonight for the Twins. Odorizzi is 3-5 in his 17 starts with a 4.62 ERA and 1.436 WHIP. Walks have been a issue for Odorizzi with 12 free passes in his last four starts. The Brewers will counter with Junior Guerra tonight. Guerra is 4-5 with a 3.05 ERA and 1.198 WHIP. I like this IL matchup in favor of the home club here. Play Milwaukee.

The Giants swept Arizona in their three-game series and now travel to Colorado to begin their series with the Rockies. The Giants will start Madison Bumgarner today. Bumgarner is 1-2 in his five starts since returning from the DL. Bumgarner has a nice 2.51 ERA and 1.021 WHIP. He is also coming off two straight starts where's he's allowed no runs over 15 innings with just four walks and 16 KO's. The Rockies took two of three from the Dodgers, though they lost on Sunday, 4-6. Kyle Freeland starts today with a 7-6 record in his 16 starts, 3.30 ERA and 1.220 WHIP. Freeland is coming off a nice start, allowing no runs and four hits over seven innings to the Giants. Both these pitchers have been pitching very well and I am going UNDER tonight.

Atlanta goes for the sweep today in their series with the Cardinals. The Braves have scored 16 runs to the Cardinals 5 runs thus far. Mike Foltynewicz starts today for the Braves. Foltynewicz is 5-4, but has pitched much better than his record. Foltynewicz has a 2.14 ERA and has not allowed more than two runs in any of his last eight starts. In fact, in those eight starts he allowed two runs just one time. The Cardinals have lost three straight games and scored just six runs during that stretch. Today they start John Gant. Gant is 1-2 in his four starts with a 4.09 ERA and 1.091 WHIP. The way Foltynewicz is pitching, I don't see the Cardinals getting much off him. I'll take Atlanta.

Houston has gone over just one time in their last five games. They lost the opener to the Rays last night with the Ace Verlander on the hill, 2-5. They have now lost both games of this series to the Rays, both as big favorites. Today, the Astros send Charlie Morton to the hill. Morton has been the team's best pitcher this year with a 10-1 record, 2.54 ERA and 1.108 WHIP. Morton has not allowed a run over his last 13 innings of work with 17 KO's. The Rays have clawed their way back to .500 now at 41-41. They look to go over the break-even mark today with Blake Snell on the hill. Snell has had a great season with a 10-4 record, 2.31 ERA and 1.036 WHIp. Snell has also been hot, allowing just one run over his last 14 innings. Two red-hot pitchers here means I'm going UNDER.

The Giants and D'backs opened a three game series last night with the Giants winning 2-1. That makes the Giants 5-1 in their last six and 8-2 in their last 10 games. Derek Rodriguez starts today for the Giants with a 2-1 record in his five starts. Rodriquez has a 3.95 ERA with a 1.280 WHIP and is coming off a seven inning, four hit, one run performance. Arizona lost for just the second time in their last nine games. The D'backs have allowed just three runs over their last three games. Shelby Miller toes the rubber today for the D'backs, making just his second start of the season. His first wasn't all that good, allowing five runs over just 3 2/3 innings to the Marlins. Both teams have been playing well, but I give the nod here today to the visitor. Take San Francisco.

The Red Sox and Yankees continue their storied rivalry here today on Saturday. The Sox lost the opener last night, 1-8. Today they turn to Chris Sale who is 7-4 with a 2.56 ERA and 0.927 WHIP. Sale has been excellent of late, allowing just four runs over his four starts (28 innings). He's also walked just seven and struck out 43. The Yankees will start Sonny Gray who is 5-5 with a 4.93 ERA and 1.444 WHIP. Gray has allowed 10 runs over the last 16 2/3 innings. Red Sox have a very good Sale on the hill today and that's all I need to play Boston.

Two clubs having very good seasons matchup here tonight as the 45-34 Braves take on the 42-37 Cardinals. Atlanta has slumped a bit of late, losing two straight games and five of the last seven. They will send Julio Teheran to the hill tonight with a 5-5 record in his 15 starts. Teheran has a 4.52 ERA, but is coming off his worst start of the year, allowing seven runs over just 4 2/3 innings. The Cardinals had their four-game win streak snapped on Wednesday by the Indians, 1-5. Miles Mikola has been outstanding for the Red Birds this year, posting a 8-2 record with a 2.69 ERA. He's been even better at home with a 1.68 ERA and 0.869 WHIP. I like Mikolas a lot here tonight, take St Louis.

White Sox and Rangers begin a three-game set here today in Arlington. The White Sox just took two of three from the Twins. However, Chicago is still 24 games under the break even mark at 28-52. Dylan Covey has been a pleasant surprise for the Sox, posting a 3-2 record in eight starts with a 2.84 ERA and 1.399 WHIP. The Rangers took two of their from visiting San Diego in IL action. The Rangers will send Yovani Gallardo to the hill. Gallardo is 1-0 with a 7.84 ERA in his two starts. In fact, he's allowed nine runs over 10 1/3 innings with five walks and just seven KO's. Gallardo not pitching near form yet and with that I'll stick with the Sox here tonight. Play Chicago.

The Tampa Bay Rays have improved to 39-41 thanks to a recent 5-1 run. However, they did lose the opener with the Astros on Thursday, 0-1 in a tough loss. Still, this club wins as big dogs, evidenced by their wins over the Nationals (+1.80), Yankees (+1.75), Astros (+2.15)and Yankees (+2.25) all within the last two weeks. So you can get great value with this team as a big dog as they are here today. Wilmer Font is 1-1 in his four starts with a nice 1.69 ERA and 1.063 WHIP. Font has allowed just one run over his last three starts (13 2/3 innings). The Astros start Gerrit Cole who is 9-1 on the season with a 2.56 ERA and 0.899 WHIP. Cole has been hit the last few starts, evidenced by those eight runs he gave up in two starts. This looks like a live dog spot again for these Rays. Take Tampa Bay.

 White Sox and Rangers begin a three-game set here today in Arlington. The White Sox just took two of three from the Twins. However, Chicago is still 24 games under the break even mark at 28-52. Dylan Covey has been a pleasant surprise for the Sox, posting a 3-2 record in eight starts with a 2.84 ERA and 1.399 WHIP. The Rangers took two of their from visiting San Diego in IL action. The Rangers will send Yovani Gallardo to the hill. Gallardo is 1-0 with a 7.84 ERA in his two starts. In fact, he's allowed nine runs over 10 1/3 innings with five walks and just seven KO's. Gallardo not pitching near form yet and with that I'll stick with the Sox here tonight. Play Chicago.

The Rockies have lost three straight after losing game one of this series to the Giants on Tuesday, 2-3. This series looks to be a low scoring series in the cold, damp air of San Francisco. Kyle Freeland starts tonight for the Rockies. Freeland is 7-6 on the season with a 3.55 ERA. Freeland has allowed two runs in both his last two starts (13 innings). Freeland has been consistent for Colorado this year, allowing over four runs just one time. The Giants have won three straight games and will turn to Madison Bumbarner tonight. Bumgarner had his best start since returning in June with a eight inning performance and no runs. Bumgarner looks to be in fine form now and I look for this game to go UNDER.

The Cardinals look to extend their win streak to five games tonight with a win over the Indians. The Cardinals have taken the first two in this series with the Tribe, outscoring them by a 15-2 margin. Jack Flaherty starts tonight for the red birds. Flaherty is 3-2 in his 10 starts with a nice 2.50 ERA and 1.006 WHIP. Flaherty has allowed just two total runs over his last three starts (18 1/3 innings). The Indians look to avoid the sweep tonight by starting Shane Beiber. Beiber is 2-0 in his three starts. After a shaky first start where he allowed four runs over 5 2/3 innings, Beiber has allowed just one run over his last 12 2/3 innings. Both these pitchers have been very good and the way the Indians offense has left them in this series, I'm going UNDER!

The Cardinals look to extend their win streak to five games tonight with a win over the Indians. The Cardinals have taken the first two in this series with the Tribe, outscoring them by a 15-2 margin. Jack Flaherty starts tonight for the red birds. Flaherty is 3-2 in his 10 starts with a nice 2.50 ERA and 1.006 WHIP. Flaherty has allowed just two total runs over his last three starts (18 1/3 innings). The Indians look to avoid the sweep tonight by starting Shane Beiber. Beiber is 2-0 in his three starts. After a shaky first start where he allowed four runs over 5 2/3 innings, Beiber has allowed just one run over his last 12 2/3 innings. I like the Cardinals to complete the sweep here tonight. Play St Louis.

The Yankees are now 2-18 O/U in their last 20 games after last nights win over the Phillies, 6-0. The Yanks have been on an amazing under run despite having one of the most potent linesups in baseball. The Yankees just called up Luis Cessa and he will start tonight. The Yanks hope to get 70-80 pitches out of Cessa tonight. The Yankees have an excellent pen, so no problems there. The bullpen has just a 2.73 ERA this season with 24 saves. Philadelphia has two straight to the Yankees and three overall in a row. The Phils have scored just two runs against the Yankees and not surprisingly, both games went under. Zach Eflin starts tonight with a 5-2 record and 3.44 ERA. I like this game to follow suit and go UNDER.

The Cubs offense has been mired in a bit of a slump. The Cubs have scored three runs or less in seven of their last nine games including last night's loss to the Dodgers, 1-2. Jon Lester has been solid for the club all season long. Lester is 9-2 in his 15 starts with a 2.10 ERA and 1.089 WHIP. Lester has allowed no runs in three of his last four starts and two runs in the other start. That's two total runs in four starts (27 innings). The Dodgers start Ross Stripling today. Stripling is having a fine season with his 6-2 record and 2.37 ERA and 1.000 WHIP. Stripling has allowed two runs or less in eight of his last nine starts. This looks to be another great pitching duel tonight. Take the UNDER

Nationals offense continues to slump, getting shut out on Monday by the Rays, 0-11. The offense has scored three runs or less in four of their last six games. Today, the Nats send their Ace, Max Scherzer to the hill. Scherzer is 10-3 in his 16 starts with 14 quality outings. Scherzer has a 2.09 ERA with a 0.845 WHIP. In addition, Scherzer has allowed two runs or less in all but one start this year. The Rays are now just two games back of .500 after winning four straight games including a sweep of the Yankees. The Rays send Nathan Eovaldi to the hill today. Eovaldi is just 1-3 on the season with a 4.91 ERA. Eovaldi has just five starts so he's still working some of the issues out. Today I like this game UNDER. Scherzer won't allow much and Eovaldi I look for improvement in each game. Play UNDER.

The Cincinnati Reds have won seven straight games to improve to 32-45 on the season. The Reds swept the Cubs and the Tigers. Today they start Tyler Mahle who is 6-6 on the season with a 3.89 ERA. Mahle has pitched very well of late, allowing just four total earned runs over his last four starts (22 1/3 innings). The Braves snapped a three game losing streak on Sunday with a win over the Orioles, 7-3. Mike Foltynewicz starts today with a 5-4 record and 2.16 ERA. Foltynewicz has been solid most of the season. The Reds are a +1.40 dog here today and with a 7 game win streak, I look for them to be a very good valued dog in this spot. Play the Reds.

Toronto struggling just to get to .500 in one of the toughest divisions in baseball, the AL East. Toronto starts J.A. Happ today. Happ is having a very good season at 9-3 with a 3.56 ERA and 1.033 WHIP. Happ and the Jays have the unenviable task of facing Justin Verlander today. Verlander is 9-2 with a 1.60 ERA and 0.776 WHIP. Verlander has not allowed more than three runs in any of his 16 starts this season. In fact, Verlander has 15 quality starts. I don't expect the Jays to get but one or two at the most. If Happ can keep the Astros in check, this one will go UNDER

Washington has not been playing very well of late. The Nationals have lost two of three and seven of their last 10 games. The offense has struggled at times. Gio Gonzalez will start today for the Nats with a 6-4 record, 3.08 ERA and 1.347 WHIP. Gonzalez has struggled in June like the Nationals. Gonzalez has allowed 14 runs in his four June starts over 20 1/3 innings. The Rays have won three straight after sweeping the Yankees. The Rays start Blake Snell today who is 9-4 with a 2.48 ERA and 1.060 WHIP. Snell has allowed one run or no runs in five of his last six starts. Rays playing very good right now and Nats are not. Plus Snell has big edge over Gonzalez. Play the home team, Tampa Bay.

 Washington has not been playing very well of late. The Nationals have lost two of three and seven of their last 10 games. The offense has struggled at times. Gio Gonzalez will start today for the Nats with a 6-4 record, 3.08 ERA and 1.347 WHIP. Gonzalez has struggled in June like the Nationals. Gonzalez has allowed 14 runs in his four June starts over 20 1/3 innings. The Rays have won three straight after sweeping the Yankees. The Rays start Blake Snell today who is 9-4 with a 2.48 ERA and 1.060 WHIP. Snell has allowed one run or no runs in five of his last six starts. I like the way that Snell has been pitching and with the struggles the Nats have had of late, I look for this game to go UNDER.

These two teams play their fourth game of this series today. The Padres look to even the series with a win today. San Diego will start Eric Lauer who is 3-4 in his 11 starts with a 5.47 ERA and lofty 1.843 WHIP. Lauer has walked nine batters in his last three starts (16 2/3 innings). The Giants counter with Dereck Rodriquez who is 2-1 with a 4.87 ERA. Rodriquez has allowed 10 runs over his last 14 2/3 innings. Neither starter is much to boast about here today and I look for both teams to get their hits and runs. Play the OVER.

The Cardinals and Brewers play the Rubber match of their series today with the Brewers holding a 2-1 edge. St Louis took game three on Saturday, 3-2. The Brewers will start Jhoulys Chacin today. Chacin is having a fine season with a 6-2 record in 16 starts with a 3.18 ERA and 1.242 WHIP. Chacin has allowed just one earned run over his last two starts (12 1/3 innings). Meanwhile, the Cardinals have lost three of their last four of their last six. Luke Weaver gets the start today for the Red birds. Weaver is 3-6 in 15 starts with a 4.92 ERA. Weaver has allowed 12 earned runs over his last three starts (15 1/3 innings). I like Milwaukee today with Chacin over Weaver. Play the Brewers.

Arizona has won three straight games while Pittsburgh has dropped four in a row. The D'backs can sweep the four game series with the Bucs today, having outscored Pittsburgh 18-6 in the process. Clay Buchholz gets the start for the D'backs with a 1-1 record, 2.14 ERA and 1.040 WHIP. Buchholz has been very good in five of his six starts, allowing two earned runs or less in all six starts. Trevor Williams will start for the Pirates with a 6-4 record, 4.00 ERA and 1.222 WHIP. Williams is coming off his best start in a while, allowing one hit and no runs over seven innings to the Brewers. I still give all the edges in this one to the Diamondbacks. Play Arizona.

The Angels look to extend their three-game win streak tonight against the Blue Jays. The Angels improved to 41-35 after their recent wins. Jaime Barria will get the start today for the Halos. Barria is 5-3 in his nine starts with a 3.57 ERA. Barria had his worst start of the season last time out, allowing six runs over just four innings. Toronto has lost three of its last four games to drop to 34-41 on the season. They will start Marcus Stroman today who is 0-5 on the season. Stroman hasn't started since May 8th. Stroman has not pitched well, with a 7.71 ERA and a 1.714 WHIP. The Angels should have a big edge here at home over Stroman. Play the home team, play the Angels.

 Phillies have now won three straight after their blowout win over the Nationals on Friday, 12-2. The Phils will start Aaron Nola today. Nola is 8-2 with a 2.55 ERA and 1.007 WHIP. Washington has been in a slump, winning just two of their last eight games and three of their last 10 games. Erick Fedde will make just his fourth start this year. Fedde is 0-2 with a 5.63 ERA and 1.375 WHIP. Fedde has not allowed under three runs in any of his three starts. I like the Phillies to take game two here today. They have been playing very well and have the better pitcher on the hill. Play Philadelphia.

 Arizona has taken both games from Pittsburgh to open this four-game series. The D'backs have outscored the Bucs, 11-4. They will start Zack Grienke today who is 6-5 on the season with a 3.90 ERA and 1.167 WHIP. Pittsburgh will try and snap its three game losing streak today with Joe Musgrove on the hill. Musgrove is 2-2 with a 3.68 ERA and 1.262 WHIP. Musgrove has three quality starts in his six outings. Pittsburgh has scored three runs or less in each of its last four games. I don't expect many runs again here today. Play the UNDER.

Texas now on a six-game win streak after their opening series win over the Twins on Friday, 8-1. Yovani Gallardo will start today for the Rangers. Gallardo makes just his second start of the season. In his first, he went five innings, gave up six hits and five runs. The Twins have allowed 17 runs in their last two games. Jake Odorizzi will start today with a 3-4 record and 4.38 ERA. Odorizzi has allowed 16 runs over his last four starts for the Twins. This one should be high scoring with two poor pitchers on the hill. Play the OVER.

Both these teams are very good under teams this year. St Louis is 30-39 O/U on the season while Milwaukee is 29-43 O/U. Jack Flaherty will start for the Cards. Flaherty is 3-2, but has a very good 2.66 ERA with a 1.085 WHIp. He has allowed one or no runs in six of his nine starts. Milwaukee counters with Junior Guerra who is 3-5, but also has an excelletn 2.89 ERA. Guerra has allowed three runs or less in seven straight games. Both these pitchers are better then their respective records indicate. I like this game UNDER tonight.

Interleague action here tonight has the Orioles playing their close neighbor, Washington. That means the AL O's have to hit their pitchers tonight. The O's are already one of the biggest under teams in baseball at 29-41 O/U on the season. This is because their offense only averages 3.6 runs per game. Don't expect them to get much vs the Nationals' Ace, Max Scherzer. Scherzer is 10-3 with a 2.06 ERA and 0.844 WHIP. Scherzer has not allowed over two runs in any of his last four starts. The O's will start Kevin Gausman. Guasman is 3-6 with a 4.48 ERA. Guasman is coming off nice starts where he's allowed five total runs over 12 2/3 innings. Don't think the O's get many runs here tonight. Play the UNDER.

Seattle lost game two of this series to the Yankees last night, 5-7. That evened the series at one game each. Mariners Ace James Paxton will take the hill today. Paxton is 6-1 in his 15 starts with a 3.44 ERA. Paxton had one of his worst starts of the season last time out, allowing six runs over just 2 1/3 innings to the Red Sox. Still, Paxton has been the most consistent pitcher in the M's rotation this year. The Yankees finally got a game over last night. That broke their string of 14 straight under games. Luis Servino gets the start today at 10-2 on the season. Servino has a very good 2.09 ERA and 0.929 WHIP. Both these pitchers are excellent and to me this game looks like another under for the Yankees. Play UNDER.

The Rangers have won four straight games. The Rangers look to sweep the Royals today, having outscored them 10-4 in the first two games. Austin Bibens-Dirkx will make just his third start of the year tonight. Bibens-Dirkx has not pitched all that well, allowing eight runs in his 11 innings pitched. The Royals will start Jake Junis tonight. Junis is 5-7 with a 4.43 ERA. Junis has been hit hard of late, allowing 12 runs over his last 10 2/3 innings. This one has all the markings of a high scoring game. I'm playing the OVER.

The Mets have been a very good under team all season as they are 28-38-2 O/U on the year. A big reason for this is their lackluster offensive output that has accounted for just 3.8 runs per game. The good news is that Ace Jacob Degrom is on the hill today. Degrom is 4-2 in his 14 starts, but has an outstanding 1.55 ERA. In fact, You would have to go back to early April to find that last time Degrom has allowed more than two runs in a game. The Rockies are slumping, losing two straight and eight of their last 10. They will counter today with Tyler Anderson. Anderson is 4-1 with a 4.48 ERA. Anderson has allowed just three runs over his last 14 innings. Don't expect a lot of runs here today with Degrom on the hill. The Mets anemic offense likely won't produce much either. Play the UNDER.