The Houston Astros are by far the superior team here with the better pitcher on the mound. This powerhouse team hits for more than just average, and Houston has no liability defensively either. Houston had a great half season this year, hitting .282 - and they have not regressed during the season. The Astros have hit .274 as a team lifetime against Liriano with an OBP of .308, and Liriano has struggled in night games this season with an ERA over 6.00. Houston starter McCullers has pitched solid on the road this season with opponents hitting just .217 against him leaving him with an ERA of just 3.02 over 8 road starts. McCullers has also pitched solid in night games this season with opponents hitting just .205 against him over 10 starts, leaving him with a solid ERA of just 2.53 in night games. Toronto is not nearly as good on defense as Houston either. They have put up big numbers and heavy runs/game this whole season - and will so again. Liriano has only been striking out the bare minimum during his most recent that span - while bricking his ERA to 5.66 and his WHIP to 1.61. The game here has the Astros getting the edge in all phases of the game. Take HOUSTON here on Thursday night.

10* AL GAME OF THE WEEK

Milwaukee have the rest of the season to clean up their bothersome fielding problems they are also in a excessively weak division. A footwork problem is easier to get straightened out than a technique problem. Milwaukee has also been getting better on the batting side of the ball - and the Brewers have shown they can also pitch with pretty much anyone when they are in the game. Baltimore is pretty decent defensively, but still nothing too terrifying as being compared with some of the others in the MLB. Patience is not their calling card with a 22nd - ranked OPS - and they fall behind others with their lack of contact. The process of bringing that up is to hit with power and get the contact when asked to - but Baltimore haven't gotten to the point where they can feel good about their on ball skills. Milwaukee wins another one at home on Wednesday night.

5*

I'm backing the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday with Taillon over Leiter. Andrew McCutchen obviously had a terrific June and part of the reason is the adjustment he has made at the plate. Jameson Taillon has pitched well since his return, including his last outing which was his best start yet. We expect another successful outing against a Philadelphia offense that ranks in the bottom-third in the league in most key offensive categories. These Pirates have a pretty young and vibrant group of guys. The Pirates offense is also much better than the Phils. This Philadelphia team has 25 yr old center fielder, Odubel Herrera, who is 15th the league in strikeouts - Herrera, has not been getting better with each swing and he has been starting to look worse and worse with each outing. Philadelphia is going to be a bottom dweller, until they get their team in a whole new order. The Phils have won just 17 of their last 61 games, while the Bucs are on a 9-2 run when Taillon throws on four days rest, the situation today. I'm back the Pirates on the 4th of July here.

10*

I don't love either pitcher in this matchup between Rick Porcello and Martin Perez, but I do like how the Red Sox are playing heading into this one. They're on a four-game tear that included a 15-1 shelling of the Blue Jays on Sunday. The Rangers are just 4-6 in their last 10 and Martin Perez  is 2-2 with a 6.12 ERA in six career starts against the Red Sox.. I don't see those Boston bats, which have scored at least six runs in four of their last five games, cooling down on anytime soon and I'll take the RED SOX here on Monday.

5*

I like the Houston Astros against the New York Yankees on Sunday listing starting pitchers Mike Fiers over Luis Severino.
Mike Fiers has gone 4-1 with a 2.43 ERA in his last six outings. In that span, he's allowed no homers in 37 innings.
 I've been impressed with how well Fiers has improved, and looked over his last six outings.

 I think the powerful Houston lineup that leads the majors with a .283 batting average will get to Severino, who is 0-1 with a 4.74 ERA over his last three starts. The last time Severino faced these Astros he lasted just 2.1 innings, after being tagged for three earned runs on six hits, three walks and a hit batter. Look for the Astros at home to notch another win.

10* AL Game of the Week

The Giants have won five straight, but I look for their streak to end Sunday against the Pirates and Trevor Williams. San Francisco is just 3-7 in road starts by Jeff Samardzija, and 1-6 when he starts on Sundays. The Pirates are hitting .276 against him and also 5-1 when Williams starts Game 3 of a series. I'm back the Pirates at home here on Sunday to avoid the sweep.

5*

I am backing the Oakland A's and Paul Blackburn in this one. The 23-year-old right-hander is making his Major League debut, as he steps into the rotation in place of Jharel Cotton, who is battling a blister issue. This is a kid who has always had to rely on hitting his spots, so working relentlessly on focusing in on the zone has helped. Blackburn, who is 5-6 with a 3.05 ERA in 79.2 innings for Triple-A Nashville this season, hails from California and will have plenty of support in the stands for his big day. He's shown a knack for preventing runs, despite not being a strikeout pitcher. His pitchability and poise on the hill are his strong points. The guy induces outs, and he'll surprise Braves hitters with his average - but effective - arsenal. Take the A's here and list Blackburn as your Oakland A's starting pitcher.

5*

Texas did everything but win the game last night against Chicago, as the Rangers let a 7-5 lead in the 9th slip up thanks to a bullpen implosion. The White Sox rallied for 3 runs to walk-off an 8-7 winner last night. This will be Holland's first time starting against the team he pitched for for 8 seasons, and with his ERA in the high 5's over his last 3 starts, I expect his former teammates to get to him early and often. Cole Hamels returned from a 2 month stint on the disabled list and was battered pretty good against the Indians, as he escaped with a no-decision in a 15-9 loss. Look for him to be better against a team he is 1-0 with an under 3 ERA in 3 career starts. Texas gets my call in this one on Saturday afternoon.

5*

The Cubs have won four straight games against NL East opponents behind Jon Lester, who has allowed the Nationals to hit just .193 against him in 140 at-bats. Lester is 2-0 with 22K's and a 2.71 ERA in his last 3 starts.
Chicago is hitting .364 against Washington starter Joe Ross, and I like the price to support the Cubs for getting a win here on Thursday afternoon.

5*

Cleveland is hitting .256 this season thus far - and has also notched 91 home runs - though, so we know they are always capable of crushing the ball. Cleveland is ranked 12th in the MLB in batting - and they have a couple of guys who can really swing for the fence in Edwin Encarnacion and Francisco Lindor - watch this show they are going to put on.

It's hard to imagine a comeback at just 23 years old, but Rougned Odor has not provided value with his legs or his on-base ability with a garbage .251 OBP. Texas only has a .242 batting avg. as a team on the year - and their pitching is just bad.
I like the INDIANS here at home on Wednesday.

5*

SF's Matt Cain is 0-2 with just 5 K's in his last 3 starts. His ERA in June is over 8.80. The Colorado Rockies Hoffman is 3-0 with 1.33 EA and 0.51 WHIP away as opposed to 8.36 ERA with 2.00 WHIP home this season, and 3-1 vs NL West this season. Hoffman who is a rookie, excelled in his first five starts (2.05 ERA, 34 Ks, 36 IP) before giving up nine third-inning runs against the D-backs on Wednesday. Look for him to bounce back with a dominating performance here Tuesday night. Lastly, the Rockies are 9-1 the last 10 games in this series and we also note that the SF Giants haven't won back-to-back games in almost 30 days. PLAY THE COLORADO ROCKIES

10* NL GAME OF THE MONTH

With improved shoulder placement, and an above average swing - the youngster, Carlos Correa, can get even better. Houston are not necessarily ultra fast on the bases, on the whole, but Jose Altuve and Correa are not a liability either. Houston has more than enough to do what they need to do, yet again, to a bottom dwelling team like the A's. When Manaea gets into a bad pitch count vs teams - teams take advantage, it has been proven time and time again. Although their best pitcher, the blossoming hurler has still not shown enough progress for Oakland to consider him a serious threat for teams to deal with. With what is taking place in Oakland with their horrible defense on the field they put out their every game, it leaves this team in serious trouble. Houston wins this one on Tuesday night.

5*

The Nats have been dominating the NL East and already have a nine-game lead before the halfway point.

The Cubs have sputtered for most of the 2017 campaign. They're a banged up team right now with Ben Zobrist, Jason Heyward and Kyle Hendricks all on the DL.
 I like the matchup today for the Nats, with Gio Gonzalez going up against Eddie Butler. Lastly, the Nationals have won six of seven behind Gio Gonzalez at home against winning teams, while the Cubs have dropped five straight road games against clubs with winning records.

5*

The Nats scored 18 runs on 19 hits on Saturday and I expect more of the same here on Sunday.
The worst thing for a struggling pitching staff in the National League is a date with the Washington Nationals, and the Cincinnati Reds are not putting up much of a fight. The Reds will try to get some length out of their starter and avoid another sweep here on Sunday.

The Reds are 1-13 over their last 14 contests and are in danger of suffering their fourth three-game sweep in that span. Washington leads the majors with 422 runs scored and pounded on Cincinnati  Saturday,

Washington starter Roark is coming off his worst start in a while - a 2 2/3-inning stint at Miami on Monday in which he was rocked for six runs on six hits and two walks. Roark is 1-1 with a 3.41 ERA in five career starts against the Reds and I like him to bounce back here at home.

The Nationals bats are on fire including 2B Daniel Murphy who recorded an extra-base hit in each of the last eight games and recorded 11 RBIs in that span.

Also, Ryan Zimmerman is 6-for-13 with five RBIs in the last three contests. Take the NATIONALS to get us another 10* win on Sunday.

TB Rays starter Jacob Faria continued his impressive start, holding Detroit to one run and fanning nine. He became only the fifth pitcher since 1913 to pick up a win while going at least six innings and allowing no more than a run in each of his first three career games. On the flip site, last night the Orioles became the first team since 1924 to allow at least five runs in 20 straight games. The Baltimore pitching staff ranks dead last in the league with a 5.20 ERA, while it has allowed a league-worst 401 runs and 377 earned runs. Mash that with the Rays hitting .264 at home, where it ranks 8th in the league with 207 runs scored at Tropicana Field. Take Tampa Bay tonight at home to take care of business and get us a win.

5* BEST BET

I like the Pirates winning their Thursday afternoon showdown with the Brewers behind Ivan Nova. Nova is coming off two straight wins, including a seven-inning start vs. the Cubs on Saturday. In 12 IP vs. the Brewers, all in '16, Nova has fanned 10 and he is also 2-0 with a 1.85 ERA in his last 3 starts. The Pirates have won five of the last seven starts by Ivan Nova, while the Brewers are 7-15 in starts by Chase Anderson following a loss which he pitched in. Lets play the PITTSBURGH PIRATES here on Thursday afternoon.

5*

Carlos Carrasco and the Indians are 22-15 on the road and playing some good ball.
He allowed one run on four hits and struck out seven in 6 1/3 strong innings in Friday's 8-1 win over the Twins. The right-hander is 5-1 with a 2.89 ERA and has only allowed two home runs in seven road starts this season while Kevin Gausman has struggled with control and walks.

Cleveland wins on the road - even though the Os are a completely different team at home in 2017. Cleveland is an odd team that has flashed some high ranked pitching through the season. I fully believe their pitching staff can get it done here vs the strikeout happy swingers of Baltimore. Patience has been really inconsistent for Baltimore in recent years

Considering their size, it's not inconceivable that we'll see a significant bats swinging for power for Baltimore on the offensive side of things. As they haven't been able to pick up steady runs in a game with any consistency since the beginning of June. Baltimore's 24 year old righty, Manny Machado, has not shown the O's hopeful that he deserves a better sense of trust as his plummeting bat skills verify.
Take the INDIANS on Wednesday night.

10* AL GAME OF THE WEEK

Look for another typical run scoring performance by the red hot bats of the Brewers. As Milwaukee recently ripped the St. Louis lineup by swinging hot bats - and taking advantage of well timed plays when they needed it.

The Pirates will pin their hopes on the pitching of right hander Chad Kuhl in this game.
Kuhl has a 1-6 record and a 5.61 ERA this season.

Kuhl struggles with putting the ball in any of the corners vs decent batters, let alone hot ones. Pittsburgh has had problems with their pitching staff on the whole - and Kuhl isn't going to help that problem here.

The Brewers will counter Kuhl with Zach Davies.
Right hander Davies has a 4.91 ERA to go along with a 7-3 record this season.
Brewers starter Davies faced the Pirates once this year and allowed two runs on four hits in 5 2/3 innings. Pittsburgh is 13-20 on the road and 10-20 its last 30 games against NL Central teams. First-place Milwaukee has won five of its last seven games and I'll back them to bounce back at home here on Tuesday evening.

5*

Washington's Tanner Roark has struggled mightily over his last 3 starts, allowing 13 earned runs over 18 2/3 innings, and I think the host Marlins are very good value as a pickem

The Marlins starter Nicolino is 2-0 with 1.99 ERA and 1.10 WHIP home team starts this season.

 With the host 3-0 in Nicolino’s starts this season, and Miami winning five straight home games and 13 of its last 20 overall I am backing the MARLINS here on Monday night.

5*

Buck Farmer is 2-0 with a 3.50 ERA in his last 3 starts and has good stuff on the mound. Farmer had his 13-inning scoreless streak snapped abruptly in his last start, allowing six runs in 2 1/3 innings against the D-backs. Look for him to bounce back with a quality start on Sunday vs. TB.
Farmer faced the Rays once in relief in 2015, allowing a home run in one-third of an inning. The Tigers are 18-15 at home while the Rays are just 15-20 on the road.
I like the Detroit Tigers here at home on Sunday.

5*

Teams in revenge mode from an earlier sweep in the season have done quite well this season.  I will side with Angels to get this win on Saturday night with a bounce back win over the Royals.

This will be Alex Meyer’s first career appearance against Kansas City. In his last 3 starts he has pitched brilliant with a 1.61 ERA and 18 K's.

The Angels had just 3 hits last night and the big bats in their lineup combined to go 0-14. Look for the LA Angels to put an end to the Royals winning streak here on Saturday night.

10*

Despite his glittering record, the rookie right-hander Antonio Senzatela has been hit hard of late, compiling a 6.46 ERA in his last three starts over 15 1/3 innings. SF's Jeff Samardzija has been throwing pretty well, giving up three runs on four hits in six innings. He’s up to 100 strikeouts on the year, and he’s only walked two batters since April ended so his control has been very good too. I think we have a major edge on the mound with the SF Giants on Friday night.

5*

The Arizona Diamondbacks will look to extending their winning streak on Friday night. Arizona has posted a perfect 4-0 record in their last four games where they faced a right-handed starter and they have gone an excellent 5-1 in Corbin's last six starts where versus a team with a losing record. The Phillies, on the other hand, have struggled a bit in the spot they are in here tonight as they have gone an awful 3-7 in their last ten games versus a team from the NL West and they have lost six of their last seven Game #1's of a series. Arizona is too stacked to feel confident in Nola cruising through their lineup, and I'm backing the Diamondbacks tonight.

5*

Matt Moore has been shaky with a 2-7 record, 5.28 ERA record. Moore most recently gave up four runs off seven hits over six innings in a loss to the Twins on Friday (he’s also been at his worst on the road, going 0-4 with a 7.94 ERA). Jeff Hoffman (4-0, 2.33) has a 0.74 WHIP along with 34 strikeouts to just three walks over his 27 innings of work this year for Colorado. The Rockies haven’t lost this season with Hoffman on the mound (4-0) and has won every one of those games by more than one run and an average of five runs. Colorado is 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games and 5-1 ATS in their last six games hosting the Giants. Take the ROCKIES.

5*

I'm taking the Mets in this match-up against the Nationals. Steven Matz looked good in his 1st outing off of the DL and I expect him to go deeper into this game pitching. The Nationals are been a slump as of lately by losing 5 out their last 6 games. The Mets are won 5 out of their last 6 games. Gonzalez will have his hands full against this powerful Mets line-up who has hit 26 homeruns in 13 games this month. Take the METS here at home tonight.

5*

The Rockies are 24-13 on the road this year but have dropped 3 straight road games. I like Colorado behind German Marquez here on Wednesday evening. Bottom line, Colorado swings their bats really good, and lefty beast, Charlie Blackmon, has never had any problems making contact. And their overall tools warrant some serious eyeballing. Colorado has been really good on the pitching side of the ball - and cagey vet, Mark Reynolds is hitting over .400 over the last 7 days. Pittsburgh has had some low ended bat speed, hitting just around .247 and a bad jump on the ball in the field, as well. Pittsburgh is not home run kind of team with just 57 homers, as of June 11th - putting them in the cellar region of the majors. Pittsburgh isn't the same team they used to be and neither is Colorado who is tied for 1st place in the NL West. Colorado wins

10*

As the Yankees open a seven-game road trip, they're offering big value behind Masahiro Tanaka. He's been sterling against the Angels in three career starts and the Yanks gave him 1 extra day of rest for this game. The Angels start pitcher Meyer who allowed one unearned run on three hits over six innings in his last start against the Tigers on Wednesday. The 6-foot-9 right-hander is going to have his hands full against the RED HOT bats of the Yankees. No Mike Trout for the Angels and their lineup is fairly weak and the Yankees bullpen is also rested. PLAY ON NY

5*

Today I'm playing the St. Louis Cardinals as our 5* PLAY OF THE DAY.

The Phillies have lost four in a row, and are a dismal 9-25 road mark after last night's 7-0 loss.

St. Louis, which has struggled through a tough spell, is in a good spot to turn back a recent losing streak with a huge series against the lowly Phils. The Cardinals should shut down this lineup, with the league's second-best home ERA at 3.05.
Adam Wainwright was rocked for nine in 3 2/3 innings his last time out. It marked the most runs allowed by Wainwright in a start since Aug. 2013. I expect him to be focus and to bounce back with a big performance here on Sunday.
Look for the better team to prevail here, as the Cardinals will dominate and get another WIN over the Phillies.

5*

We go with the Oakland A's as our pick in GAME 2 of this Double-Header.
Sean Manaea is 3-0 with a 1.35 ERA in his last 3 starts.  He extended his win streak to four games with a six-inning effort against the Blue Jays Monday. He threw a career-high 111 pitches, allowing two runs on four hits. He struck out seven and walked three. Last night Oakland gave up 15 hits, 5 HR's and TB scored in all of the 1st five innings.
I like the A's and their pitching matchup in game 2 of this Saturday DH. 5*

Belmont Horse Race:
TapWrit at 8-1 odds.
Play him across the board to win-place-and-show.

This horse earned its way into the Derby Field with an impressive win in February’s Florida Derby, beating State of Honor and Wild Shot, and by finishing second in the race prior, just behind McCracken. Legendary trainer Todd Pletcher gave TapWrit the previous race off, skipping the Preakness, to hopefully rest and  gear up and a big push at the Belmont. We shall see if the extra rest proved wise. Rested horse, legendary trainer, solid jockey – it’s an very nice combo and good odds to boot.

I like the value here with Boston in what I feel is a big spot for the Red Sox, as they look to bounce back after losing the final 2 games in their most recent series against the rival Yankees. Boston should also get a boost here in their first home game after a lengthy 10-game road trip. Red Sox have won 5 of 6 at home and are 12-4 in their last 16 home games against a team with a losing record.
Detroit's  Jordan Zimmermann has a 5.98 ERA and 1.573 WHIP in 11 starts and 0-3 with a 7.07 ERA in 5 road outings entering Friday's game at Fenway. The Tigers have lost his last six road starts.

Lastly the RedSox are 25-7 in their last 32 home games after losing their previous game by 4 or more runs.

Back Boston to bounce back after a tough series in the Bronx.

10* AL GAME OF THE WEEK

On Thursday afternoon the Diamondbacks will send out Patrick Corbin in this one following a 7-4 victory over the Padres last night. The home team is also 11-1 in Corbin’s starts this season.
Corbin has pitched well at times, picking up 56 strikeouts this season. He has a 3.34 career ERA when pitching against the Padres. Clayton Richard gets the nod in this game for the San Diego Padres. He is 4-6 on the year with a 4.36 ERA. He is 4-4 with a 4.76 ERA and 28 strikeouts in his last 8 appearances facing the Arizona Diamondbacks. It's going to be tough sledding for the Padres as Arizona has a 22-8 home record this season while San Diego is 10-21 on the road. We like the Diamondbacks to win this game.

5*

Angels starter JC Ramirez is not good.
He surrendered three homers and a season-high seven runs while pitching 4 1/3 innings in an 11-5 loss versus Minnesota on Friday. . He was missing counts, missing getting his breaking stuff.
 The Tigers are 7-1 in Michael Fulmer’s last eight home starts and 9-0 when he starts Game 3 of a series. The Angels have dropped their last four Thursday games and are on a 1-4 road clip against losing teams and I really like the TIGERS here at home on Thursday afternoon.

5*

Ty Blach is coming off the best game of his career, a complete game shutout of the Phils.  I expect the Brewers to have their way with him.

Nelson made franchise history in his last start against the Dodgers on Friday, becoming the first Brewers pitcher to make consecutive starts with at least 10 strikeouts while allowing no walks.
Take Milwaukee here on Wednesday night.

5*

10* NL GAME OF THE WEEK:

STL has now dropped 4 straight and they are a better team than that.
Adam Wainwright is on an incredible roll, having yielded one run over his past four starts, all wins. The Cardinals desperately need a big performance from their veteran leader, and I'll bet they get it. Cincy starter Tim Adleman has struggled against STL, posting a 5.19 ERA in three career starts. They hit him hard six weeks ago in a 7-5 St. Louis win.

Look for the Cardinals to get the big bats rolling and them moving with a WIN tonight.

Ian Kennedy has been one of the luckiest pitchers in baseball according to expected wOBA based on exit velocity and launch angle of batted balls allowed. His ERA is over 12.0 in his last 3 starts. For the Astros Mike Fiers went six innings on Tuesday in Minnesota, allowing a pair of runs on five hits and striking out eight. He has also pitched better on the road than at home and batters batting .050 pts lower.

5*

Kenta Maeda, for the second straight start, gave up three first-inning runs, but put up zeros in his final four innings. He also made two throwing errors, his first error since June 30, 2016. He’s 1-0 with a 1.46 ERA in two career starts against Milwaukee. He also has very good stuff on the mound.

The Brewers have lost six of their last eight home games entering Sunday's contest against visiting L.A. Milwaukee starter Zach Davies has been especially bad at Miller Park (6.46 ERA).  The Dodgers have won 8 of their last 10 games and I like them to get the sweep here on Sunday.
Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen picked up his 9th save Saturday and has 40 strikeouts with no walks on the year.

10* NL GAME OF THE WEEK

The Houston Astros are the best team in the majors and no one within their own division looks capable of stepping up to offer a challenge. The Astros will try to become the first team to reach 40 wins and push their latest streak to 9 straight victories.

Houston Astros bats will be too much for Rangers starter Andrew Cashner.

Houston goes with Lance McCullers who went 4-0 with a 0.99 ERA in six starts in May, allowing 21 hits in 36 1/3 innings. He threw 22 consecutive scoreless innings at one point. He’s 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA in his past three road starts, covering 19 innings.
Overall on the season he has a 6-1 record and a 2.48 ERA.
Houston SS Carlos Correa is batting .472 with four homers and 13 RBIs in his last eight games and I expect them to stay hot.
Last night Houston was a 7-1 winner against the Rangers and I like them to get another win here on Saturday night.

10* AL GAME OF THE WEEK

Zach Greinke will take the hill in this one and he has been a Marlins killer going 2-0 with a 2.00 ERA and 18 strikeouts in his last three starts facing the Marlins. Greinke is also coming off one of his worst outings of the year as he yielded five earned runs in a 6-1 loss at the Brewers in his last outing, but had won his prior four starts while allowing just eight total runs. Miami's roster has a combined batting average of .231 against Greinke and strikes out in about 25 percent of at-bats.

Jeff Locke will make his first start of the year, he went 9-8 with a 5.44 ERA last season. Paul Goldschmidt has accumulated 5 hits in his last 13 at-bats facing Locke. Daniel Descalso is 4 for 5 with 0 strikeouts in his career facing Jeff Locke. We'll take Greinke and the Dbacks to get the win in this one.

5*

Matt Boyd is a solid lefty despite his poor record. Boyd worked through mechanical issues that impact his command to give up three runs in 4 2/3 innings in a loss to the White Sox on Friday. KC starter Ian Kennedy is 0-2 with a 10 ERA in his last 3 starts. The big bats for the Tigers went 0-12 last night and the team only had 3 hits. I'm backing the Detroit Tigers here on Wednesday night.

5*

We burned with the Rockies on Monday dropping out 10* by one run, but going back to the well behind Tyler Anderson, who's allowed two or fewer runs in three of his past four starts.

For Seattle Ariel Miranda has a 4.22 ERA in 10 games but this will be his first time pitching here in the thin air of Colorado.

Look for Colorado to improve to 12-5 in its last 17 games against left-handed starters.

5*

Julio Teheran has been dominant on the road with a 0.71 ERA and he won't have to face MVP Mike Trout in the Angels lineup, who's getting an MRI on his injured thumb he hurt on Sunday. Back Atlanta as a small dog on Monday night.

5*

The Mariners have lost seven of eight entering Monday's series opener in Colorado, which sports the NL's best record. Tyler Chatwood is coming off a sterling outing and I like him to keep it going against a Seattle team that just flew in from Boston and also lose their DH here in a NL ballpark. Back the Rockies with their potent lineup here on Monday afternoon.

10* Oddsmaker Mistake Play

In his last seven starts, Kyle Freeland is 4-1 with a 2.63 ERA with a .221 batting average against and 24 strikeouts. When he has control and good command he is a very good pitcher. Rockies Charlie Blackmon has collected 15 RBIs during his hitting streak and 18 over his last 11 games to raise his major league-leading total to 45. For the Cardinals OF Stephen Piscotty left the team Friday to attend to a personal matter and it is unknown when he will return. I like the Rockies lineup especially here at home.

5*

The Diamondbacks are coming off of a 4-2 win over the Brewers yesterday. The Milwaukee Brewers will hand the ball to Chase Anderson for this match-up as he has a 4.85 ERA. The Arizona Diamondbacks will be utilizing right-hander Zack Greinke. Greinke is 6-2 with a 2.82 ERA and 78 strikeouts this season. Greinke has been skillful in his last 22.67 innings against the Milwaukee Brewers posting a 1-2 record with a 2.66 ERA. Anderson has completed as many as five innings just once in four May starts, giving up six runs in four frames last Sunday at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Diamondbacks 3B Jake Lamb has 7 home runs in his last 10 games. On the flip side Brewers 1B Eric Thames is 1-for-16 over a five-game span and has not produced an extra-base hit in 11 straight. We like Greinke and the Diamondbacks to find a win on the road in this one. Play the Diamondbacks.

5*

Switch hitting 1B, Justin Smoak has been scoring runs at an excellent rate with 11 runs scored since 5.11.17. Coming back from a rough road run - Toronto will be ready to go vs Texas. Manager John Gibbons has to feel pretty good going up vs a Texas team that has been well behind the curve on the road.

The Texas defense and fielding is questionable to say the least, with 31 errors as of the 5.23.17 period. Though the Rangers pitching is pretty good, their bats are not. Texas has so far, failed to live up to last years success - it doesn't look promising here either.

Texas is just 8-16 on the road and they've dropped 3 in a row.

Toronto wins this one at home on Friday night.

10*

The Pirates offense is downright terrible. After the first two hitters in their lineup, the team batting average is .220 and that includes the Pirates CF Andrew McCutchen who is 1-for-20 over the last five games, dropping his batting average to .200. That isn't going to produce many runs. Julio Teheran gets the start for the Braves and he was given an extra day of rest in preparation for his latest home start in the third of a four-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night. The Pirates are just 8-17 away from home and Teheran is 3-1 with a 3.00 ERA versus the Pirates after beating them with seven strong innings last month. Braves CF Ender Inciarte is 8-for-9 in the series and Atlanta has won 10 of their last 13 games. Take the BRAVOS at home here on Wednesday night!

10* GAME OF THE MONTH

Biagini allowed Atlanta to score six runs during their first six at-bats in his last outing but settled in to retire the next 12 batters he faced. This will be his fourth start, and his pitch count should be around 90 and he can go deep into the game. I like the BJAYS here in this matchup.

5*

Cobb is trending in the right direction, delivering quality starts in his last 4 starts, allowing just 8 earned runs in his last 27 1/3 innings. His changeup is back to good form, and effectively worked the fastball-curve combo. I like TB here at home on Tuesday night.

5*

Kyle Gibson sports an 8.20 ERA and a .419 on-base percentage allowed; he's in for a rough outing at Baltimore as the Orioles look to improve on their 15-4 home mark. Back the Orioles as they are tough at home and have the better pitcher on the hill tonight

5*

THe Angelsl and Jesse Chavez have the edge here on Sunday.  Batters are hitting Chavez just .176 over three May starts, a stretch in which he's posted a 3.79 ERA.

Mets starter Tommy Milone’s ERA in three starts with the Brewers this season was 5.14. His ERA through two starts with the Mets is 5.90. I like the Angels here to avoid the sweep on Sunday and get this win!

5*

Bud Black is doing a great job for the Rockies winning at home and on the road this year. Colorado won 12-6 on Friday to improve to 14-6 away from home while Cincinnati lost its 7th in a row and is really struggling. The Rockies have won seven of Antonio Senzatela's eight starts and the Rockies have the offensive punch to get another win on Saturday. Senzatela has a 2.50 ERA in 18 innings on the road with opponents batting just .234 against him. Reds SP Tim Adleman is 2-2 with a 5.27 ERA and I'll back Colorado here in this one on Saturday afternoon.

5*

The Astros are the class of the league with a 29-12 record and a 7 1/2 game lead in the AL West. The Astros have won 9 of their last 10 games, including their last four in a row and now face Trevor Bauer, who is 3-4 with a 6.92 ERA. Bauer faced the Astros on April 26 and gave up four runs and six hits in six innings although the Indians pulled out a 7-6 win. Houston has won Charlie Morton's last four starts and Morton is 4-0 with a 2.43 ERA at home this season. The Astros have a very good and powerful lineup here.

5*

Jordan Zimmermann (3-2) is saddled with a 6.28 ERA heading into his eighth start this season, a matinee outing Thursday in the finale of a three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles at Comerica Park.

He has allowed at least four runs in five of his past six starts, including his most recent appearance when he gave up five runs (four earned) on 10 hits over 5 1/3 innings against the Los Angeles Angels on Friday.
He's a ripe starter to bet against and this afternoon he's facing Dylan Bundy, who has been on his game all year with quality starts in all eight appearances --- just 13 total runs allowed. Baltimore has won six of those.

Baltimore has the edge here on Thursday afternoon.  The Orioles C Welington Castillo is 6-for-10 in his first two games since coming off the disabled list.
Chris Davis also has seven RBIs and eight runs scored during a six-game hitting streak.
Take the ORIOLES as our 10* AL GAME OF THE WEEK and our only release on Thursday.

I look for Rick Porcello to have a little positive regression with a large park and league shift in the NL park in St. Louis. Boston starter Rick Porcello has been solid on the road, allowing just four combined earned runs in his last three outings. St. Louis is 1-7 in the past eight home starts by Mike Leake, and has lost six straight of his outings against winning teams. Take the REDSOX.

5*

The Mariners are in desperate need to turn things around following four straight losses to the Toronto Blue Jays. They’ll have Yovani Gallardo on the hill who is 1-3 on the year with a 4.58 ERA. Oakland will counter with Sean Manaea who is going to pitch after a stint on the disabled list with a shoulder injury. Prior to getting hurt, he has a 5.18 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in five starts. The Mariners are 5-1 in their last six home games facing a team with a losing record. Oakland is 2-10 in their last twelve road games. Look for Seattle to rebound in this one behind their tougher bats.

5*

Baltimore is 7-2 in Chris Tillman’s last nine road starts and 6-1 when he pitches against AL Central opponents. The Royals are just 5-11 against right-handed starters. Baltimore in one of my top teams in power ratings while KC is near the bottom. The Royals are the only team to score fewer than 100 runs in the majors this season. Kansas City just doesn't have the hitters this year.

5*

The heavy-hitting Milwaukee Brewers attempt to slug their way to another victory when they host the New York Mets on Saturday for the middle contest of their three-game set. Milwaukee has won four of its last five, including a series-opening 7-4 triumph in which it belted four home runs to pull even with Washington for the major-league lead. New York has lost two straight and their bats have gone cold. Their Saturday starter Robert Gsellman has a 6.54 ERA, but has been helped with a lot of run support this season. He has allowed 13 runs and 10 hits in 9 2/3 innings on the road so far.

The Brewers Zach Davies has settled down after a rough start to the season and Milwaukee has won his last four starts, including a 6-2 win at Pittsburgh when he allowed two runs on four hits in 5 2/3 innings. The Brewers have won four of their last five while scoring a total of 32 runs. Davis has an extra day of rest and Milwaukee has won six of his last eight starts with five days of rest and we'll take the Brew Crew on Saturday.

10*

Jose Urena will get the start for the Marlins and he will be opposed by Mile Foltynewicz, who is scheduled to get the call on the hill for the Braves. Miami has posted a 7-3 record in their last ten games when facing a team with a winning % of .400 or lower while the Braves are and awful 3-8 in their last eleven games versus a team from the NL East. Throw in the fact that the Braves have also lost 11 of their last 15 road games and that they are just 3-9 in their last twelve Game #1's of a series and we'll lay the price here with the Marlins on Friday night.

5*

WSox left-handed starter Dave Holland has not allowed more than two earned runs in any of his six starts and he has very good stuff. The 30-year-old kept the ball in the park in that outing and has done so in four of six trips to the mound. Holland picked up his second win in his last three starts last Thursday after allowing two runs - one earned - and three hits in 6 2/3 frames of an 8-3 romp at Kansas City. Look for the WhiteSox to get this win here in this rain shortened series on Thursday night.

10* AL GAME OF THE WEEK

The Reds are 7-2 their last 9 and I like their chances against CC tonight.  The Yankees bullpen is drained and Sabathia can only go 4 or 5 innings.

Anytime Sabathia starts I anticipate a loss. Cincinnati 3B Eugenio Suarez is 8-for-23 with two homers, nine RBIs and four runs scored in his last six contests and I think the Yanks bats go cold tonight vs Tim Adleman who allowed two runs over six innings during his most recent start, a 4-2 win Thursday over Pittsburgh. Against left-handers, he has a 0.66 WHIP and .167 opponents' average.
Play the REDS on Tuesday night!

10*

I like the Indians in this match-up against the Blue Jays. Cleveland starter Trevor Bauer hasn't been the best this year, but his last three starts he is 2-1. Stroman is 0-2 while pitching at home. Indians are a better team than the Blue Jays and it will show here tonight.  The Indians are 11-7 while playing on the road, while the Blue Jays have been struggling at home going just 4-8 so far this season.

5*

The Angels have a big edge on the mound this afternoon and I like them in this spot. Matt Shoemaker will start the Angels’ series finale against the Astros on Sunday. Shoemaker pitched well in his first outing against Houston on April 20, yielding two runs over seven innings. He has gone 1-1 with a 4.78 ERA and 1.344 WHIP in six starts this season, including 1-1 with a 3.64 ERA in his last three starts. Shoemaker has owned the Astros, posting a 2.98 ERA and 1.071 WHIP in eight career starts against them. Mike Fiers is 0-1 with a 5.68 ERA and 1.540 WHIP in five starts this season, including 0-0 with a 6.75 ERA and 1.725 WHIP in three road starts. Fiers is also 1-2 with a 5.28 ERA in five career starts against the Angels. The Angels are 6-0 in Shoemaker's last six home starts and I'll back them here on Sunday.

10* AL GAME OF THE WEEK

The Cardinals got their offense going with 16 hits and 10 runs in a shutout of the Braves on Friday. They are in a favorable spot Saturday with a lucrative price behind Mike Leake, who has won five of his last seven road starts. Meanwhile, the Braves have lost seven straight Saturday starts by Julio Teheran and are 1-5 in their last six home games. I'm playing the STL Cards here on Saturday evening.

5*

Gerrit Cole is 0-2 in his last 3 starts but has a 1.89 ERA with 23 strikeouts.

Cole pitched well Monday in Cincinnati but was again not helped by his defense or lineup. Since a five-run outing on Opening Day, Cole has thrown at least six innings in each of five starts while posting a 2.61 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 31 innings. His defense and team offense has let him down so far this year.  I expect him to do well again and the Pirates offense to pick him up.

The Milwaukee infield is shabby and fragile in spots. The 29 -year-old Josh Harrison has been one of the few bright spots in the Pittsburgh lineup so far in 2017, and Harrison is now batting at .310 through 25 games with 5 homers, 11 RBI and 12 runs scored.
I'm on the Pittsburgh Pirates as our 10* NL GAME OF THE WEEK.

For the Kentucky Derby we are going with:
 #15 McCraken 6-1 Current Odds

If you are looking for the Perfect Horse for the Coarse then look no further than this 3-year old son of Ghostzapper, winner of the 2004
Breeders' Cup Classic run at the same distance as the Kentucky Derby. McCraken is a perfect 3-3 over the Churchill Downs Main track, all as a 2-year old.

McCraken will be making his third start off a layoff, which is
Usually the best race in a horse's form cycle, especially off a regression. McCraken is a horse where the human connections mean a lot to me.  He's 3-for-3 over the track at Churchill Downs and is based here, winning the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes in November.
Take him across the board to WIN-PLACE-AND SHOW in the Kentucky Derby.

I'm backing the Mets here at home on Friday as they have scored 30 runs its last three games, which has helped to overcome the numerous injuries the Mets have suffered so far this season. Now they face Tim Koehler, who is 2-8 with a 4.56 ERA against the Mets in his career, including last year when Koehler was 0-3 with a 6.41 ERA and .337 opponent batting average versus New York. Miami has dropped 7 of their last 9 and they've really looked bad both hitting and pitching wise. This is a perfect spot for the Mets to pick apart a team that is playing with no confidence. Miami has lost seven of its last nine games and the offense is dead as they have only scored more than two runs twice in their last 8 games. Take the NY METS

5*

The Yankees are offering good value at Chicago here on Friday afternoon. The World Series reigning champs will be getting their rings and this will fire up the visiting team. Yanks starter Michael Pineda has struck out 37 batters while walking four, and he and the Yankees are underdogs here at Wrigley. Catcher Gary Sanchez is expected to return to the lineup Friday. I'm backing the Bronx Bombers to rough up Kyle Hendricks and Aaron Judge goes deep.

5*

The Rockies should win their Thursday matchup with the Padres as they have very good numbers against SD starter Perdomo. Kyle Freeland is off to a strong start with a 3-1 record and 2.93 ERA for Colorado and he gets a lot of weak ground balls. He should get the better of Luis Perdomo, who has a 4.96 ERA and yet to earn a decision.

5*

Nolasco has been okay this season, as he’s racked in a 4.13 ERA. For him, I suppose he can look at that as an accomplishment, because it’s certainly good enough to hang around in the poor rotation that makes up the Angels. The Angels don’t have the best bullpen, but the Mariners is absolutely atrocious. They are 29th with a 5.80 ERA and blowing leads left and right, including last night. Detroit is only worst than the Seattle pen. The Angels won in extra inning last night and have won 7 of their last 8 games. I like the LA Angels to get another win tonight.

5*

Cleveland has posted a perfect 6-0 record to the over in Bauer's last six starts where he started with four days of rest and he is in excellent form.

Both of these teams can hit the ball but the Indians have the better middle relief and bullpen between these 2 ball clubs.
Take the TRIBE!

5*

Arizona blew it in the 9th inning last night and I like Pat Corbin and the DBacks to bounce back here on Sunday.  They are very good at home and their starter today allowed two runs on eight hits over seven innings against the Padres in his last start. He fanned seven and walked a pair. The left-hander had his slider working in that game and he has very good stuff and I expect him to go deep into this game.

5*

I'm backing Joe Musgrove here on Saturday evening as he gave up four runs in the first inning Sunday against the Rays, but then came back to throw five scoreless, hitless innings, allowing just one walk, in his longest start this season. Musgrove has great stuff and I expect him to take care of business here. The Astros lineup is much better here and the A's have dropped 5 in a row and their lineup is punchless. I'm all over Houston at home here.

10*

SD is a very bad team and SF starter Jeff Samardzija should get at least 10K's tonight. He has lasted seven innings or more in five of his previous 10 starts against San Diego. His most recent outing against San Diego was a gem - seven shutout innings and nine strikeouts last Sept. Lay the juice with SF here on Friday night!

10* NL GAME OF THE WEEK

 Charlie Morton (1-2, 4.29 ERA) looked to be cruising in his last start against Tampa Bay until the Rays busted out for four runs in the sixth inning. In Morton's four starts this season, eight of the 10 earned runs he has allowed have come in the 5th inning. Other than that he has been very solid. The Astros have the much better offense and I look for them to bounce back at home tonight and snap their losing streak.

5*

While Mariners lefty James Paxton has been outstanding, Tigers starter Daniel Norris is solid and Detroit is offering value at this big underdog price. The Tigers slug .460 against left-handed pitching, which ranks seventh in the majors, and they've scored 37 runs over the past three games. The Tigers at home are a very solid choice here on Wednesday night.

5*

Josh Tomlin’s early-season struggles for the Indians have opened up some value on Cleveland as a home underdog Tuesday evening. The Indians have won five straight against AL West opponents, and are 6-2 in Tomlin’s last eight starts against teams with winning records. Josh Tomlin’s early-season struggles for the Indians have opened up some value on Tomlin has limited Houston's current roster to just a .176 batting average, with Carlos Beltran held in check with just one hit in 11 at-bats. Most of Houston’s wins have come against meager competition, and I’m not sold on the Astros holding up. This is a good play-against spot and I'll take the INDIANS at home Tuesday.

10* HOME COOKING PLAY

Matt Garza is coming off the disabled list to make this start after missing the start of the season with a right groin strain. He pitched in a pair of Minor League games to tune up and should not be on any limited pitch count. Most of the Reds have never seem him so that is a major advantage to the Brewers here at home.

5*

The TB Rays have been getting good pitching from their staff this year.  The Rays have won six straight home games and seven of eight against the Astros. Tampa Bay starter Blake Snell is a lefty with solid stuff and I like him and the Rays to get the win here on Saturday evening.

5*

The Kansas City Royals are getting away with some sub-par efforts from their hitters thanks to a dominant pitching staff. The Royals' pitchers will try to run their streak of allowing fewer than three earned runs to seven straight games when they visit the Texas Rangers on Thursday. The KC Royals start LH Danny Duffy (2-0, 1.80 ERA). Duffy allowed two runs or fewer in each of his first three starts and held the Angels to one along with three hits while striking out six in seven innings on Friday. The World Baseball Classic champion is limiting opponents to a .203 batting average to help overcome seven walks in 20 frames. He is in mid-season form and pitching great and we'll back him and the Royals here on Thursday night.

5*

This is more a play-against the weak Padres lineup and against Chacin who is 1-2 with a 7.80 ERA. They've scored two runs five of their last seven games and dropped five straight. Arizona starter Zack Greinke is still a top-25 pitcher. Greinke was solid in this two home starts but struggled against his former team, the Dodgers. The Diamondbacks have won 10 of Zack Greinke's last 14 starts, and I like them to improve that mark Wednesday night.
Take the Diamondbacks here on Wednesday night.

5*

Andrew Triggs has won both his starts in 2017 and hasn't given up a run through 11 2/3 innings. The right-hander allowed four hits and a walk in six impressive innings in his last outing against the Royals on Wednesday. Almost all of the Texas hitters have not seem him yet and that also favors the pitcher.
For the Rangers Darvish is 3-10 with a 4.43 ERA in 15 career starts against the Athletics. He is 1-3 with a 5.72 ERA in five career starts in the Coliseum.
I like the home underdog with the Oakland A's here on Tuesday night.

5*

The NY Yankees are now 6-0 at home and playing great ball winning 7 straight.

Tonight they start their big 6'6 lefty Jordan Montgomery as he will make his second Major League start after striking out seven Rays in 4 2/3 innings on April 12. He is tall with deception, he permitted three runs (two earned) on five hits and said his goal is to get deeper into games.
Yankees are 13-2 last fifteen home games in this series and theWhite Sox starter Holland 5.75 ERA with 8 K’s and 10 BB’s this spring.
With Holland just 3-6 in his MLB career team starts against the Pinstripes, we going to back the NY Yankees here on Monday night.

10* AL GAME OF THE WEEK

Texas has only one run the first two games of the series and didn't get a hit until the sixth inning in Saturday's 5-0 loss to the Mariners.  Cole Hamels  has a 5.09 ERA in 10 starts against Seattle in his career and he's 2-3 with a 5.79 ERA at Safeco Field. 

Mariners starter Hisashi hasn't been great in two road starts this year, struggling with walks and home runs, but the Rangers offense has also scuffled this series. If this comes down to bullpens, the Rangers' unit has been terrible. Iwakuma is on extra rest since he hasn't pitched since Sunday and Seattle is 6-0 when the right-hander pitches with six days rest.
Take SEATTLE here on Sunday to get the sweep.

5*

The BJAYS need to get back on track with a win here on Saturday. Marco Estrada will be working in his changeup in this outing. It's his bread-and-butter pitch, and he has very good numbers vs the Orioles. Baltimore goes with Alec Asher and I beleive Toronto will have success with him here in the dome. Asher is 2-7 with a 5.88 ERA in 12 career MLB starts.

5*

Friday, the Braves will aim to deliver for their ace, Julio Teheran who hasn't given up a run yet in 13 innings pitched. Now he is at home and I expect the Atlanta offense to support him with some runs. Thus far Teheran has had two great outings result in no decisions. That should change Friday, as Teheran will be opposed by former Brave Jhoulys Chacin. The Padres have no offense and the Braves will put it to them here tonight

5*

After a slow start to the early season, Yankees OF Aaron Judge has turned it up at the plate over his last three games -- homering in each of them.

I like the Yankees to beat up on Matt Andriese and complete the sweep. Aaron Judge is 3 for 4 with a homer off him, and he's belted home runs in three straight games now. Lay it as the Rays fall to 1-6 in their last seven games in the Bronx as the Yanks have the better hitters and bullpen in this matchup.

10* AL GAME OF THE WEEK

Zach Wheeler is not a good pitcher.  He gave up 5 runs in just 4 innings of work last week.
Phillies starter Vince Velasquez showed why he is exciting and solid pitcher for the Phils. He struck out 10, in his first start but sometimes control is an issue. He knows his pitch efficiency must improve and he says he's made some adjustments for his start on Wednesday night. He has some good numbers vs the Mets bats.
Play the PHILLIES to bounce back tonight after getting shelled last night.

5*

I was impressed by the way Dylan Bundy shut down the Blue Jays in his first start, going seven strong innings of a 3-1 win with eight strikeouts and no walks. In his last start at Fenway Park in September, he picked up a 6-3 win against Drew Pomeranz, who allowed five runs in two innings.

The righty was fantastic in his debut, stifling Toronto over seven innings on Wednesday night. Bundy allowed just one run and had first-pitch strikes to the first 13 batters.

Pomeranz gets his first start of the season Tuesday after allowing 11 runs in 12 spring innings. The Orioles are playing their first road game after a 4-1 start, and I like Bundy to keep the roll going against a banged-up Red Sox lineup who several players were hit with the flu bug.

5*

Even though he received limited action this spring, Tanner Roark looked like his usual self by the end of his 2017 debut. He allowed two runs on three hits in six innings with six strikeouts and retired 13 of the final 14 batters he faced.
He is a ground ball pitcher who doesn't issue many walks. Washington 2B Daniel Murphy (8-for-17) and OF Bryce Harper (7-for-18, home run) have had very nice success against Wainwright. I like the Nats here at home on Monday night after coming off 2 straight losses on the road.

10* NL GAME OF THE WEEK

The Rays have a solid pitching advantage on Saturday with an underrated Chris Archer. He was great in his season debut, allowing just two runs against a decent Yankees club. He has a 3.23 career ERA when pitching against Toronto. The Blue Jays will counter with Aaron Sanchez who will make his season debut in this one. Sanchez was strong last season with a 3.00 ERA and 1.15 WHIP. He looked weak during spring ball though posting an above eight ERA in over ten innings of work. He hurt his finger during spring training and that injury could still be lingering for him. Toronto has struggled historically when playing in Tampa Bay and Archer is a sneaky pitching advantage in this one. Take the Rays!

5*

Denver native Kyle Freeland has yet to make his first official pitch in the majors, but his first taste of big-league action this season against the Los Angeles Dodgers proved to be a bit of a struggle. One of the Colorado Rockies' top pitching prospects will make his major-league debut Friday when the Rockies host the Dodgers in their home opener.

Freeland opened the spring with a poor showing against Los Angeles on Feb. 28 - giving up four runs (three earned) over only two innings

The Dodgers figure to present a significant obstacle for Freeland after outscoring the San Diego Padres 27-10 while winning three of four at home against their National League West rival. Yasiel Puig sparked the offense in Thursday's 10-2 victory with two homers and three runs scored, and he was one of three Los Angeles hitters to drive in five runs during the series, joining Corey Seager and Joc Pederson.
I like the LA Dodgers to get the win this afternoon.

5*

 These 2 teams have split the series thus far and yesterday’s game got rained out. Lackey put up decent numbers last year with an 11-8 record and 3.35 ERA. It was not quite as good as his performance when he was a Cardinal and threw for a career best 2.77 ERA in 2015. Lackey went 1-1 with a minimal 2.03 ERA and 0.94 WHIP in four games against the Cardinals last season. Lance Lynn will counter for the Cardinals.  He’s struggled in his career when facing the Cubs, with a 6-6 record and 4.16 ERA. The Cardinals have lost his last four starts against Chicago.

The Cubs are 5-1 in Lackey’s L6 starts. The Cubs have won five of the last seven games in St. Louis. I like the Cubs to get the win here on Thursday afternoon.

5*

The Giants have won 13 of their last 14 series against the Diamondbacks in Arizona. Johnny Cueto looked great in spring training and now he gets to pitch in Chase Field where he was 3-0 last season and 4-0 with a 2.54 ERA the last three years. Cueto is 8-4 with a 1.89 ERA in April since 2014, including 4-1 and 2.65 last season when he won 13 of his first 14 decisions. Patrick Corbin was 1-8 with a .290 opponent batting average at home while allowing 47 earned runs in 76 innings. San Francisco has his number and I like the Giants to get the win here on Tuesday night.

5*

The tides have officially turned in the NL Central with the Cubs winning the World Series last year and the Cardinals projected to be a mediocre team in 2017.  It will be Jon Lester taking on Carlos Martinez at Busch Stadium in this one. Martinez went 16-9 with a 3.04 ERA last season. The Cardinals have lost his last four starts taking on the Cubs. Chicago is 4-1 in their last five at Busch Stadium overall. Lester went 2-0 with a 0.87 ERA against the Cardinals last season. Take the Cubs to ruin the Cardinals home opener in this one.

5*

Tampa Bay comes off a 68-94 season and appears headed for the AL East cellar again after a 10-18 September which obviously means the Rays didn't improve much throughout the season. Chris Archer was 3-10 at home at year and 1-4 record and 5.01 ERA in April and is a slow starter.

For the Yanks, who are coming off a great preseason, they start Masahiro Tanaka was 14-4 with a 3.07 ERA and set career highs in wins, innings, starts, strikeouts and quality starts. The right-hander had a 2.34 road ERA and was 4-0 with a .194 opponent batting average against the Rays and New York has won Tanaka's last eight starts versus Tampa Bay and the Rays are 0-6 in Archer's last six starts vs the Yanks.

Masahiro Tanaka is by far the best pitcher in the Yankees rotation. He just knows how to pitch but, more importantly, he knows how to win. Another bonus is he had great success on the road last year. His spring was sensational. Tampa Bay’s offense is below average and should be easy for Tanaka to navigate through and my opening MLB 10* is on the NY Yankees.

10*

Watching the Cubs steamroll the Indians in Game 6 with all their hitters busting loose and I think that momentum will carry the Cubs through Game 7 and that Kyle Hendricks who is a ground ball pitcher will have his way on the mound tonight. He hasn't allowed a run in his last two starts and only three runs total in four playoff starts. Which ever starter can get through the 5th inning in my opinion will win this game and I like our chances with the CUBS.

5*

 Jake Arrieta has struggled overall in his past 3 starts.
His 
ERA is 7.20 with just 5 strikeouts.
He has pitched 3 straight road games in the playoffs, allowing 14 hits, 7 runs in 16+ innings. The Cubs are 18-37 in their last 55 interleague road games vs. a team with a winning record. Cleveland is home with a Top 10 offense, getting the DH back for Game 6 in their home stadium and I think they'll get back to their hitting ways and get the win here at home.

 The Indians are 15-4 in interleague games, plus 30-11 in Tomlin's last 41 starts and has only given up a total of 3 runs in his last 3 starts.
TAKE THE CLEVELAND INDIANS.

5*

The Indians will open their first World Series since 1997 with the ball in the hands of their ace - Corey Kluber who has made the most of his first career postseason action, posting a 0.98 ERA in his three starts, including two scoreless outings, this October.  He also has very good numbers against the Cubs lineup.
The Iidians are great at home posting a 53-28 record and I like them here on Tuesday night in Game 1.  5*

At the age of just 20 years, two months and seven days, Julio Urias is set to become the youngest pitcher to start a League Championship Series in Game 4 on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium. He has great stuff and the Cubs offense is struggling. They have managed just six hits the past two games getting shutout twice. Historically we see the best team in the regular season struggle in the postseason. Take the LA Dodgers once again here at home.  5*

I really like the LA Dodgers tonight with their veteran Rich Hill who won 12 regular season games after his arrival in Los Angeles from Oakland and has yet to get a win in the post-season. Arrieta was a pedestrian 6-4 with a 3.69 ERA after the All-Star break and seems to have a dead arm. I like the Dodgers here at home to get the win on Tuesday night. 5*

Look for Aaron Sanchez to bounce back at home after struggling in his first career postseason start, allowing six runs in 5 2/3 innings against Texas on Oct. 9th. The right-hander will attempt to return to his winning ways at Rogers Centre, where he went 6-1 with a 3.74 ERA on the season. I expect the BlueJays bats to come around as well in this game and get a WIN and avoid the SWEEP.  5*