Scherzer will take the ball on full rest in the winner-take-all Game 5. The NL Cy Young candidate allowed four runs in six innings with five strikeouts in a Game 1 loss and I expect him to be more focus this time around. I think Washington appears to have a huge edge with their well rested ace facing off against veteran Rich Hill who is on short rest. Hill was roughed up in Game 2, allowing four runs on six hits and two walks in just 4 1/3 innings. He is now winless in his last four appearances, and he struggled with control. Matt Scherzer is coming off a great season going 20-7 with a 2.96 ERA. He was also 10-1 with a 2.86 ERA in his final 15 starts of the regular season, and his splits show he's better at home than he is on the road, and better at night than he is in the day. Everything I see points to the home team Nationals here on Thursday night.  5*

10* MLB GAME OF THE WEEK:

The Indians were very good at home during the season but only 2 games over .500 on the road. The Red Sox have twice come back from 2-0 deficits in the Divisional Series, but Clay Buchholz finished strong, going 4-0 with a 2.63 ERA in his final seven starts. I'm going to side with Clay Buchholz even though I think he'll give up three runs or so over six innings of work. I like the offense for the RedSox to break out here at home to press the issue in desperation and I expect them to score early and often against Josh Tomlin.

I thought David Price would be at his best heading into the playoffs, but the Sox lost his last two starts after winning nine straight behind him. Now I'm forced to glance once again at his postseason experience, which started as a rookie reliever in 2008 for the Rays where he was sensational. But after that as a starter, it's all been downhill. He's 2-7 with a 5.12 ERA in the postseason for three different teams. I've got Corey Kluber riding a four game win streak and Cleveland winning 42 of its last 58 games at home. Taking the INDIANS here in game 2.

5*

I am backing Boston here on Thursday night and Game 1 starter Trevor Bauer hasn't thrived at Progressive Field this year, going 4-6 with a 4.73 ERA.
He's 0-2 with a 12.91 ERA in three career appearances vs. Boston and the hot bats come in well rested. Porcello is coming off of a huge season.
He is 5-3 with a 2.84 ERA in 12 career starts at Progressive Field as well.  The Red Sox have MLB's best lineup and they'll show it Thursday night in support of Rick Porcello.

5*

In a one game playoff here you gotta love the SF ace- Madison Bumgarner. The guy has just been golden when it comes to big games. The Giants in the first game of a playoff series are 13-3.
He's 5-0 with a 1.80 ERA all-time against the Mets.

 The Giants have given him plenty of offensive support this season, particularly on the road, where he owns a winning record and a solid ERA and 1.12 WHIP. Bumgarner has given up one earned run or less in four of his six career starts against New York and the NY Mets lefties will struggle against him.
Noah Syndergaard will counter for the Mets. Despite pitching well, he only managed to post a .500 record at home during the regular season, largely due to a lack of run support. That will be an issue again on Wednesday. Take the SF Giants behind their ace and playoff experience here on Wednesday night.   10* MLB PLayoffs Game of the Week

5*

I think we are getting some great value on the UNDERDOG here on Tuesday night.
 The Orioles led the majors in homers, are playing better than the Blue Jays and hold a bullpen edge.
Toronto is just 13-16 since the start of September and not playing good ball lately. Since then the Blue Jays have averaged an AL-worst 3.6 runs per game.

Chris Tillman has won all four of his outings vs the Bluejays this season.  Stroman hasn't been at his best lately with Toronto losing five of his last six, including a 4-0 home loss to the O's on Thursday.
Tillman has been strong all season, with the team winning 22 of his 30 starts.

 The Orioles paced the majors with 253 homers as well which should help his team support. He's backed by the best closer in the American League, if not all of baseball, in Zach Britton, who was a perfect 47-for-47 in save chances.
Lets take the ORIOLES here as the underdog.

The Mets have a half-game lead for the top wild card spot. They appear more hungry than the two teams chasing them and over the last week their bats have come alive. A big part of where the Mets are right now has been Seth Lugo (2.59 ERA in his seven starts). The Mets have won his last six outings, including Aug. 30 over the Marlins. Miami's Jose Urena has struggled in his last two starts, giving up five runs in three innings to the Braves and seven runs in two innings against the Phillies. Take the NY METS here on Wednesday night! 5*

I really like what I saw out of Felix Hernandez last time out when he beat a wild card contender, Toronto, and didn't allow a run in seven innings. It was vintage King Felix. Seattle needs him big tonight and I like him to show up here on the road. Cano and Cruz have been HOT for the Mariners lately with their bats. Seattle left 14 runners on base last night and should be able to score runs vs Mike Fiers who has an ERA over 5.50 in his last 3 starts. Seattle has won four of its last five, while Houston has lost four of its last five.  10*

The Tigers are fighting for the final AL wild-card spot, while the Indians are in playoff cruise control mode looking to clinch the AL Central. The Indians have only gone 37-37 on the road this season, but you could attribute their division crown to being 13-2 against the Tigers. Cleveland has swept both series in Detroit this season. The dominance over the Tigers isn't the reason for supporting Cleveland tonight -- it rests with Corey Kluber to pad his Cy Young resume. The Indians have won his last three starts and 10 of his last 11. The big bats for the Indians combined to go 0-14 on Sunday and their defense committed 3 errors. Look for a big bounce back game for Cleveland here on Monday night!  5*

The Brewers are 14-13 when Davies starts, including his win over the Cubs on Saturday at Wrigley Field. He will be facing the Reds for the fourth time and has a 3.57 ERA in the first three matchups. In his last road start, Cincinnati's Anthony DeSclafani threw a complete-game shutout at Arizona on Aug. 27, allowing only four hits with one walk and nine strikeouts in a 13-0 victory. He is 4-1 on the road overall with a 3.21 ERA and should be able to pick up another win here against the lowly Brewers. Take the REDS here on the road Friday evening.   10*

Baltimore is too good of a team to get swept in 4 games by Boston. The Orioles are tough at home and coming off a game where they had 3 errors and only 4 hits. Their 3-5 hitters combined to go 0-11. It's hard to believe Baltimore's Chris Tillman is an underdog in this spot, as he shut down the Red Sox in his only start against them back on June 14th, allowing one run and five hits in seven innings of a 3-2 road victory. Granted, Boston's David Price is 7-0 with a no-decision in his last eight outings overall, but he has gotten a lot of run support during that stretch. Runs should be at a premium here, and I like the home underdog on Thursday night.  5*

The Yankees had won seven straight behind Masahiro Tanaka before losing to the Red Sox in his last start, but it sure wasn't his fault. He gave up four hits and one run over seven innings. Still, the Yankees have won 14 of his last 17 starts, which is basically J.A. Happ and Clayton Kershaw territory. He owns a 2.42 career ERA vs. the Rays, with the Yankees winning all seven of his starts against them. He's 4-0 against them this season, the last start coming Sept. 10, a 5-1 win. I like the young Yanks to grab another win tonight! 5*

Houston has the better bats in their lineup and I like them here on Wednesday afternoon. This is a clear pitching mismatch in favor of the Astros, who have won six straight with Collin McHugh on the mound. McHugh is an impressive 4-0 during that stretch and has allowed one run or less three times in those six outings. Meanwhile, the A's have lost four of five with Daniel Mengden on the hill, going 0-3 at home.  5*

The Red Sox have won five straight, but I'm on Baltimore tonight in this critical game behind Kevin Gausman, who has been absolutely sensational over his last five starts. He has allowed zero runs four times in that span. Baltimore is very good at home and I'm taking the hot pitcher here at home. The 25-year-old has been terrific lately, posting 2.06 ERA since Aug. 3.  5*

Pirates starter Steven Brault yielded two runs in five innings in a no-decision against the Reds on Friday. The young left-hander allowed five hits and two walks while striking out two batters in the ballgame. He has 19 strikeouts and 12 walks in 24 innings and has great stuff. The Phillies have struggled against the NL Central going 11-20 in those games. The Phillies have lost in each of Jake Thompson's last five starts, and five of his seven overall this season have seen nine runs or more scored. I like the Pirates here to take care of business and get the win.  10* NL GAME OF THE WEEK!

THe Oakland A's are one of the leagues worst teams against lefty starters.
Oakland's Ross Dewiler has not earned a win in more than a month, and only one of his five starts since then have been good. In the other four outings, Detwiler surrendered a combined 17 runs in 17 innings and took a loss three times.
KC's starting pitcher Gee has delivered quality starts in three of his last four outings as gets the ball for the opener of a four-game set at Kauffman Stadium. He has a 2.84 ERA over his last five appearances. 5*

Cleveland is playing some good ball going 8-2 their last 10 games. They are also 36-17 versus the AL Central while the Twins are 18-42 vs the AL Central.
The Twins are one of the worst teams in baseball.
The Indians have a good pitcher going to the mound who can help the team move one step closer in Danny Salazar. Even though Salazar is winless in his past six starts with an 0-3 mark and three no-decisions, he pitched good enough to earn a victory last time out against Miami. He allowed one run and six hits with a season-high 11 strikeouts in an eventual 6-5 win. Look for Cleveland to get the win here on Friday night.  5*

This is a very reasonable price on the Rays and Jake Odorizzi, who's 6-0 with a 1.89 ERA since the All-Star Break. While Evan Longoria could miss the game after getting hit in the hand with a pitch, Logan Forsythe should be back in the lineup after getting a rest Monday.
Baltimore also struggles on the road with a 30-37 record this season away from home.
I think the Rays will get to Baltimore starter Yovani Gallardo. He's 2-5 with a 7.18 ERA on the road and the Orioles have lost his last five starts.

Lets take the TB Rays here Tuesday night behind Odorizzi.  10*

Masahiro Tanaka is a different pitcher with five days' rest. He's 8-1 with a 2.34 ERA in 15 career starts on five days' rest. He last pitched on Tuesday and the Yanks have been tough at home all year. Joe Giradi mixed up the batting order on Sunday and it paid off. These are must win games for the Yanks against division opponents if they want to move up in the playoff chase. Tanaka comes in hot, having gone 4-0 with a 1.93 ERA in his last five starts. The Yankees (3.5 games out in the Wild Card race with still 27 games left to play) aren't dead yet after Sunday's win at Baltimore. They have a big pitching edge today against R.A. Dickey, who is already 0-2 versus the Yanks in two previous starts this season. I look for the NY Yankees to improve to 12-1 in Tanaka's last 13 starts at Yankee Stadium.  5*

Boston has won 3 in a row while the A's have dropped 5 straight a nd the RedSox offense is averaging 8.4 runs in their last 7 games.

The Red Sox have won 11 of the past 12 meetings with the A's, and I look for a strong start from Boston lefty Eduardo Rodriguez. Against southpaws, Oakland ranks 28th in on-base percentage (.298) and 25th in OPS (.696). The A's have never faced Rodriguez so thats another advantage for the pitcher and the RedSox here.
The A's haven't been real competitive lately while the Red Sox are pulling out all the stops in their playoff chase.
Take the BOSTON REDSOX here on Sunday evening. 10*

Despite losing a couple of extra inning games to the Yankees the Royals have been playing good ball lately. KC starter Danny Duffy struggled in his last start so I expect him to bounce back and his team had won each of his previous 11 starts, and he has been excellent at Kauffman Stadium. Duffy is 6-0 at home with a 3.16 ERA and opposes a struggling pitcher in Detroit's Anibal Sanchez. The Tigers have lost eight of his last 10 starts, and I look for the Royals to get the win at home here on Friday night. 5*

 Homer Bailey's return from Tommy John surgery took a turn south after he allowed six runs on nine hits over 2 1/3 innings against the Dodgers. I expect the DBacks bats to get to him and they are coming off a 13-0 loss where they only had 4 hits compared to the Reds 16. Overall, Arizona is now 22-5 Over the total their last 27 home games and they seem to bounce back after getting shutout! Arizona hasn't lost back-to-back games in NL play in over 2 weeks and I expect them to bounce back with a WIN here on Sunday afternoon and their bats to plate at least 6 runs.   5*

I'm backing the NY Yankees on Saturday afternoon behind their young baby boomers and their strong home play. They won their third in a row beating their opponents by a combined score of 24-5. Chad Green is coming off two quality starts allowing just one run and seven hits in 12 with 16 strikeouts and a .163 opposing batting clip.

 Baltimore has lost 2 in a row and just 28-36 on the road after last night's  loss and the Yankees have won five of the last seven meetings.
Lastly Bundy has a 4.94 ERA in day games compared to 2.67 at night. Take the YANKEES here on Saturday afternoon. 5*

Marlins starter Tom Koehler has been the top starter for Miami since the All-Star break. Since July 21 over a span of six outings, the right-hander has an ERA of 1.62. In 39 innings, he has allowed just 26 hits, while striking out 30.

 Koehler also actually has been very good at home too.

On the flip side Volquez is in the midst of a really bad run. He’s had five straight starts that have ranged from average to awful and he is giving up a lot of HR's.  KC is just 25-40 on the road and we'll take the MIAMI MARLINS here on Thursday evening. 5*

Matt Boyd of the Tigers is 4-0 with a 2.06 ERA in seven starts and a relief inning since rejoining the Tigers in early July, including six shutout innings against the Twins July 18. The lefty has 13 innings of one-run ball in his past two starts and his ERA in his last 3 starts is 0.64. The streaky Detroit Tigers go for their third straight win tonight against Minnesota, which has lost five in a row after The Twins starter Duffey has a 6.67 ERA at home and 8.03 in night games. Detroit has won eight of the last 10 meetings and the Twins will show us tonight why they are one of the worst teams in baseball. PLAY THE DETROIT TIGERS as our 10* AL Game of the Week.

The Texas Rangers are 10-5 in Interleague action while the Reds are just 4-11. 6 of the past 7 times Texas has lost 2 in a row they've bounced back with a WIN. This is a hitters ballpark and I like the Texas Rangers bats to put up some runs here on Tuesday night.  5*

Cole Hamels allowed a career-high 14 hits against the Tigers on Saturday, but surrendered only two runs over seven innings. You can bet he'll bounce back with good stuff tonight at TB. It was his fifth quality start in six outings since the All-Star break. He’s 3-2 with a 1.96 ERA over that span. Hamels is 8-2 with a 1.97 ERA and .209 opponent batting average on the road this season. Texas is 53-34 against Right-handed starters and should have no problem with the Rays tonight as they've beaten them 4 straight times. Just be careful with Evan Longoria and the rest of their lineup doesn't scare me. The TEXAS RANGERS are 7-3 their last 10 games and I'll play them here on Friday night.  10*

In his third start back from Tommy John surgery, Homer Bailey looked like his pre-surgery self with 11 strikeouts over six scoreless innings. The Reds now face Andrew Cashner, who has been roughed up his last two starts allowing seven runs and eight hits in five innings at Colorado and then four runs and nine hits with five walks in five innings against the White Sox. Since being dealt to the Marlins from the Padres, Cashner is 0-2 with a 6.61 ERA, giving up 12 earned runs in 16 innings. The right-hander also has allowed 22 hits, as he's struggled keeping the ball down. This is not the stadium to struggle with that as he will get lit up. Cashner is 0-5 with a 7.03 ERA on the road and he has a 9.58 ERA in August. The last three seasons at Great American Ball Park, Cashner has given up 13 runs and 22 hits in 17 2/3 innings. Lastly the Marlins have lost five of their last six road games against right-handed starters and we'll take the REDS here on Wednesday night as another 10* DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH.

Lets go with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night. SF has struggled lately with a 9-19 record since the All-Star break. Jameson Taillon is 3-2 with a 2.85 ERA and Pittsburgh has won six of his last seven starts and he has allowed just seven runs in 24 innings on the road. The Giants will be seeing him for the first time and that is always an edge for he pitcher. He has an ERA of 1.35 his last 3 starts and I look for the Pirates who are 7-3 their last 10 to notch another win here on the road tonight. The Pirates have also won 6 of last 7 in SF. PLAY THE PIRATES.   10* NL GAME OF THE WEEK

Yovani Gallardo has put together two solid outings in which he has allowed three runs in 12 innings. Gallardo returns home where I expect the Orioles to put up some runs here tonight. Eduardo Rodriguez has struggled against Baltimore and the RedSox bullpen isn't doing well. Baltimore is very good at home posting a 39-17 record and 26-19 versus the AL East. They are also one of the few teams who have a winning record against Left-handed starters. Play BALTIMORE  5*

5*

Tyler Anderson had one of his best starts of the year his last time around. He held the Rangers to one run on two hits over seven innings with five strikeouts. He has allowed four total runs over his last three outings. Despite having similiar records this Colorado team is pretty good. Its a potent Rockies lineup that is looking to continue to move up. We like Colorado to bounce back here on Saturday evening after committing 3 errors on Friday night.   5*

Washington is 33-20 at home and 11-5 in Interleague play. Gio Gonzalez has been on fire in his last five starts as the lefty has a 2.03 ERA. On the flip side Josh Tomlin has lost three of his last five starts and in those three losses he gave up a total 19 runs (16 earned) in 15 1/3 innings. Tomlin also has an ERA near 7 in his last 3 starts and has not pitched well. Cleveland batters have a combined .216 batting average against him as well. Lastly, Cleveland is 1-7 in their last 8 Interleague games against teams with a winning record. I'm backing the Nationals here on Wednesday afternoon.  10*

The Marlins are 16-8 versus the NL West this year and starter Tom Koehler 3-0 with 1.89 ERA career team starts versus San Francisco and 3-0 team starts versus N.L. West this season.

Giants Brandon Crawford banged out seven hits and carried the team last night.

SFan's Moore has a 7.36 career ERA at Marlins Park allowing 15 hits in 11 innings and Miami is sixth in the majors with a .273 batting average against left-handers. Matt Moore 2-9 team starts at night this season

The Giants have lost 11 of their last 15 road games and 15 of their last 22 overall and I'll back MIAMI here at home on Tuesday night. 5*

Texas is very good at home but just average on the road. Rockies starter Anderson pitched a career-high seven innings in his last start and tossed his third straight quality start, his sixth in seven outings. Anderson broke a streak of three straight starts without allowing a homer when he allowed a first-inning shot. He pitches well at home and I like the Rockies here at home to get the WIN.  5*

Marcus Stroman struck out a career-high 13 batters during his last start, against the Astros. He had a disappointing first three months of the season but he has posted a very respectable 3.29 ERA since the start of July.

The bit bats in the 2-4 spots for the BlueJays combined to go 0-14 on Saturday.
 Troy Tulowitzki has now brought home a run in 5 of his last 7 games to give him 53 on the season, which is on pace for being better than the standard season numbers for him. And Josh Donaldson has been swinging the bat fast, and seeing pitches excellently. Batting vs a young pitcher like Ventura should not be trouble.

Given the fact that the Royals are facing another quality innings eater in Marcus Stroman on Sunday - the bats from Kansas City are looking at a very tough game here - and the lineup for The Jays isn't going to get any better, dealing with hot bat Russell Martin and the steady and confident Donaldson as well.

Royals are 1-7 in their last 8 vs. a team with a winning record.

Toronto wins on Sunday afternoon.  10*

The Orioles Tillman's pitching has been striking players out at the box since 7.21.2016, the hot span, in which Tillman has 17 strikeouts against just 1 home run, over 17+ innings. Tillman will be looking to keep it rolling in the right direction against the ChiSox.

Rodon takes the mound for his dismal team on Saturday - with him lined up as the probable starter for the Sox - Rodon, gave up 5 earned runs in his last start, and has a bloated 7.11 ERA over the last 7 days. He's got a tough match up in his next start, though, as the Sox host the O's on Saturday.

Orioles are 5-1 in Tillman's last 6 starts with 5 days of rest and I like the Baltimore bats to have a big night here on Saturday.

5*

Jeff Samardzija was originally scheduled to start Thursday. That changed with Matt Moore's arrival. Usually the extra day off throws off a pitchers routine. Samardzija is 7-16 with a 4.92 ERA in 57 August appearances and I am backing the Nationals here on Friday night as the Washington hitters have good numbers against him. Despite the extra inning win on Thursday SF is just 5-13 since the allstar break and struggling to score runs. Washington goes with Gio Gonzalez who has a 1.96 ERA in his last 3 starts and the team is coming off a day off and rested playing at home.  10*

Matt Moore’s record is not indicative of the way he’s been performing over the last month, as he’s posted a very good 1.60 ERA and 1.10 WHIP over his last five starts, which includes 33.2 innings of work. He is now with a new team and should dominate coming over from the American League. Velasquez for the Phillies never gets any run support and I dont think the Giants will get swept here as they are a solid road team on the year going 29-25. I think we have a major mismatch with the SF Giants here on Thursday afternoon.  5*

Michael Wacha retired 15 of the first 16 batters he faced before being chased in his last start by allowing three sixth-inning runs. There were signs of improvement, though, particularly in that Wacha did not issue a walk for the first time all year. Wacha has slowly started to improve as he’s now tossed seven quality outings over his last nine trips to the hill. The home side counters with the volatile Cody Reed (0-5, 7.07) who was rocked for six runs off five hits over five innings in a loss to San Francisco on Tuesday. He really struggles at home in this hitters park and I expect the Cards to get a big win on Wednesday night.  5*

We roll with the Dodgers here on Tuesday night. Brandon McCarthy lasted just four innings Wednesday against the Rays, his worst start of the season. Look for him to be focused and bounce back tonight with a very solid effort. His numbers have been excellent through five starts: a 2.39 ERA and 11.3 K/9..Rockies starter Gray is 0-2 with a with a 5.74 era against the Dodgers lifetime and 6.55 ERA this year against them and the Dodger lineup batting .317 against him as well.   10* NL GAME OF THE WEEK/

Chris Archer has gone at least six innings in 11 of his last 12 starts and has posted a 3.92 ERA over that stretch.

His last two starts have been very encouraging on the road against the Dodgers and Rockies. He struck out 19 batters in those two outings versus two walks, while posting a 2.08 ERA. Today he'll face the worst offense in the American League in KC.  The Royals are without 2 of their top bullpen relievers right now as well and I like TB here at home on Monday night as the Rays have had luck against left handed starters.  5*

I like the Marlins here at home. A few things I like in this one as the Fish are getting healthy at the right time and playing good ball and right in the Wildcard chase. Cashner now is with the Marlins after he was traded away from the Padres. New guys always seem to want to step up for the new team and Miami actually looks good this season. Cashner can help them out in a major way and the Cards haven't seen much of him so he might be able to limit the Cards hitting. I like Miami here at home on Sunday. 5*

Three solo home runs allowed by David Robertson in the ninth Sunday vs. Detroit cost Jose Quintana a chance for his ninth victory in a quest for his first season with double-digit wins. Quintana has made three quality starts during his four July outings. Quintana has pitched much better than his 8-8 record indicates and he is 2-1 with a 2.70 ERA in three games against Minnesota this season. Twins starter Ricky Nolasco continues to struggle with a 4-8 record and 5.40 ERA and comes off a game in which he gave up 6 runs and 6 hits in just two innings of work at Boston. Nolasco is 0-4 at home and 2-5 with a 6.90 ERA in night games. The Twins are also just 9-27 in division games and have the worst record in the American League and I'll grab the WSox here on Friday night.  5*

Look for the Brewers to bounce back here this afternoon. They had 5 errors last night and just played terrible. The Brewers Zach Davies has pitched extremely well lately and has a 7-1 record and 2.84 ERA over his last 14 starts to show for it! He's been particularly sharp since the All-Star break with just 1 earned run allowed on only 7 hits in 13 innings. DBacks starter Robbie Ray is 5-9 with a 4.53 ERA and the Diamondbacks have lost 13 of Ray's last 16 road starts dating to last season. Milwaukee has won eight of its last 10 home games against southpaw starters and we'll back them here this afternoon.  5*

The Royals have dropped six of seven to fall three games below .500 for the first time this season. Angels: RHP Matt Shoemaker starts for Los Angeles on Wednesday. He has allowed two or fewer runs in seven consecutive starts. The Angels are really hitting right and throw out the Astros who the Angels are 1-11 against this season and LA is 12-2 their last 14 and the hottest team in baseball. They had 22 hits last night and probably could have scored a lot more as they left 14 runners on base. Albert Pujols is hitting again which will make the combo of him and Trout even more dangerous. Look for the Angels to get another win here on Wednesday night.   10*

Miami only had 2 hits last night and I expect them to bounce back with a win here on Tuesday night after getting shutout in two consecutive games. Tom Koehler gets the start for the fish and he worked a season-high eight innings in his last outing, a win at Philadelphia. The right-hander is 1-1 with a 1.64 ERA in three starts against the Phillies this season. Phillies starter Jerad Eickoff has had a tough July, giving up 17 runs, six walks and 27 hits in four July starts. In his last outing, Eickoff was pulled after surrendering five earned runs on nine hits in five innings to the Marlins. He is throwing everything right across the heart of the plate and hitters are taking advantage. I like Miami to hit him early and often tonight and the Marlins to notch the win.  5*

The Detroit Tigers are just 25-29 on the road and looking to stay in the playoff hunt. The RedSox are 7-3 their last 10 and 34-22 at home so far this season. The Tiger hitters have never seen Drew Pomeranz who will be making his second start since coming over from San Diego. Detroit had a long 2 hr rain delay late Saturday night then had to finish that game on Sunday followed by another game in the heat on Sunday then had to travel to Boston last night. Tigers starter Justin Verlander is just 3-6 lifetime against Boston and are just 15-36 in the last 51 meetings in Boston. Play the REDSOX on Monday night.  5*

THis is a major pitching mismatch on Sunday and I am backing the Texas Rangers. The Rangers are finishing up a long road trip and I expect them to grab a win on the road here on Sunday afternoon. AJ Griffen is only 3-1 but he has very good stuff and always starts off very strong. He is building his endurance and I look for him to give Texas a solid 6 or 7 innings here today. Royals starter Edinson Volquez has been having command issues and several of the Texas hitters have very solid numbers against him. Look for division leaders Texas to take care of business and get the win here led by Ian Desmond and Adrian Beltre.   10*

Danny Duffy has made 4 straight quality starts with at least seven strikeouts and no more than one walk.. HE started the season in the bullpen, is 5-1 with a 3.27 ERA and leads the club with 101 strikeouts. Since June 1, his 67 strikeouts top the AL. The Royals have won Danny Duffy's last four starts and he has given up more than three runs just once his last nine starts and he has a 2.51 ERA in July. Kansas City has won 25 of Duffy's last 34 starts on this field. We'll back the KC Royals on Friday. On the flip side Texas has gone 5-13 so far this month and their bullpen is very streaky and Darvish is on a pitch count tonight. The Rangers allowed 24 runs in their last 3 games. Lastly, Kansas City is 30-15 at home this year and 44-20 at home against right-handed starters dating to last season. I'm backing the KC Royals here at home tonight to get us the cash!  5*

The Marlins are hanging tough this season and only 5 games back in the division.

The starter for the Marlins Tom Koehler here tonight and I have a feeling that he pitches a good game here though as his spot in the rotation is said to be on the line and he is facing a Phillies team that is ranked last in the Majors since the All-Star Break with a .227 weighted on base average. Koehler has a 1.93 ERA versus the Phillies in 2 starts.
Philly hit a nice win streak prior to the All-Star Break but the bats are struggling again.

The Phillies did have 12 hits last night, and they only scored 4 runs leaving five runners in scoring position with 2 outs as that has been a problem for them all season long.
Look for the Miami Marlins to get the win here on Thursday night.  5*

Toronto is 7-3 their last 10 and Arizona is struggling going 3-7 their last 10. The BlueJays are 10-6 in Interleague play and Arizona is just 5-8

Marcus Stroman has never faced the D-backs before in his career, but he has made eight appearances in Interleague Play. In five starts and three relief appearances, Stroman is 4-0 with a 1.88 ERA over 38 1/3 innings vs. the National League.

DBacks starter Patrick Corbin is 0-2 with an 8.35 ERA over his last four games and has allowed 19 homers in 19 starts. His last win came on June 21, when he allowed two runs in 6 1/3 innings in Toronto, his only career start against the Blue Jays. Look for TORONTO to get some revenge tonight and get the win.  10*

This line opened at -150 and this is about as high as I'll go but I really like the RedSox at home tonight. The RedSox sinkerballer Rock Porcello will try to build off his solid first half when he opens the homestand against the Giants. Porcello is 8-0 with a 3.32 ERA in his nine starts at Fenway this season. Jake Peavy doesn't perform well in Interleague play and neither do the Giants. I like Boston here tonight.   5*

We won with the Tigers on Sunday and come right back with them here tonight.

Matt Boyd has been solid at home posting a 3.86 ERA.  The Twins starter Ricky Nolasco is 0-2 with 5.98 ERA last two team starts versus Detroit and 1-7 in their team starts versus A.L. Central. The Twins are bad and I like Detroit to get an easy win here tonight.

With the Tigers having won the last six games in a row in this series, look for more of the same here on Monday night. 5*

The Pirates only had 4 hits last night.  I expect them to do much better tonight.

Gerrit Cole will come off the disabled list after missing more than a month with a strained right triceps, and the Pirates could use their ace in top form. Cole has a 2.77 ERA and has done well in the 2nd half of the season in the past.
The Pirates have lost 2 in a row but are still 7-3 their last 10 days.  Look for PITT to get back on track tonight behind their ace and grab a win on the road.  5*

Chris Archer is 7-19 with a 4.31 ERA in his last 34 starts and the Rays have lost 10 of the last 12 games he has started. Most of Archer’s problems stem from ineffective fastball command. He has struggled most in the first inning, posting a 9.95 ERA.

In in last outing Archer allowed five runs and seven hits in six innings after throwing 116 pitches. Baltimore hitters have a collective .802 OPS versus Archer and already this season, the Orioles have tagged Archer for six runs and 15 hits in 11 2/3 innings.
The Rays are second to last in the major leagues with a home batting average of .231 and they have lost seven of their last eight home games.

The Baltimore bats have some very good numbers against Archer and I'll back them as a small dog here on Friday night.  5*

Kansas City was slumping terribly, and it appeared they'd be on their way to yet another loss until last night's walk-off win with 2 runs in the bottom of the 9th inning.
Since June 2nd, the defending World Series champs are mired in a 14-19 slide and are sitting in fourth place, seven games back of front-running Cleveland.

The Royals’ starters are allowing the highest home run rate in the American League,
Hisashi Iwakuma will be the starting pitcher for the Mariners on this day.
 Iwakuma is 3-0 with a 1.61 ERA in four career outings against the Royals.

It'll be Yordano Ventura toeing the rubber for the Royals in this contest.
Right hander Ventura is 6-6 with a 5.26 ERA so far this season and I expect the Seattle bats to get the best in this game tonight.  5*

Seattle starter Wade LeBlanc is a 31-year-old southpaw who has been outstanding in two starts since being acquired from Toronto, allowing six hits and two runs in 12 innings against the Cardinals and Orioles.

 LeBlanc has struck out 8 while walking just 2 and allowing only 6 hits and 2 earned runs in 12 innings of work spanning his first two starts as a member of the M's. A big key here for the Mariners southpaw is that he is facing a team that is the worst in the American League in terms of batting average versus southpaws. Houston is hitting a  lowly .226 against left-handed pitching this season!
I like Seattle as a small dog here as hitters have been hitting .282 verus Mike Fiers. Several of the Mariners have very good numbers against Fiers and I like our chances with Seattle tonight!  5*

I think the Detroit Tigers snap the Indians streak here this afternoon.

This will be the 4th time already this season that Detroit is facing Tomlin. Familiarity with a pitcher generally leads to success and Tomlin allowed 3 Tigers homers when he faced them less than 2 weeks ago and he gave up 9 hits in 6 innings in his prior start against Detroit.

Fulmer is the first Tiger since at least 1913, and the first Major League rookie since Christy Mathewson in 1901, to allow one earned run or none in eight consecutive starts. I like the Tigers here on Wednesday afternoon. 5*

The Mets are 24-16 at home and winners of 5 straight. They take on the Marlins here on Tuesday night. The Marlins are 15-23 versus the NL East and start Wei Chen, who has never faced the Mets, is going through a rough stretch since mid-May. In his last nine starts, the left-hander is 1-2 with a 5.73 ERA. He has one win since May 11. Overall, he's 3-2 with a 4.61 ERA on the road. I like the NY Mets here at home behind Steven Matz who is pitching with revenge from an earlier loss in the season.  10*

The Phillies have woken from the dead and won 7 of the their last 10 games. Jerad Eickhoff has been the team’s most reliable pitcher this season, stopping losing streaks with quality performances. He pitched particularly well in June, going 3-2 with a 2.23 ERA in six starts. I like the Phillies to get the win over the Braves this evening.   5*

The Angels put up 21 runs on Saturday. While I dont expect that many today I do expect the bats to hit the weak RedSox pitching. Sean O’Sullivan is getting another chance as the Red Sox #5 starter, but he isn't that good. The Red Sox are not playing well at all, and their bullpen is bad too. Matt Shoemaker has been remarkably unlucky in terms of picking up wins, but the Angels righty has been on a terrific roll going back several starts. Shoemaker wrapped up the month of June with a 2.14 ERA. He also has some very good numbers against the Boston lineup. Play the ANGELS here on Sunday.  5*

The Cleveland Indians finally had their 14-game winning streak come to an end Saturday with a loss to the Blue Jays. JA Happ is 2-1 with a 3.38 ERA in five appearances -- four starts -- in his career against the Indians. The Indians are 0-6 in Klubers last six starts after allowing 5 runs or more in their previous game. The Blue Jays are 10-1 in Happ's last 11 home starts vs. a team with a winning record. Lastly Toronto is 8-1 in Happ's last nine home starts overall. Play the BJays here on Sunday afternoon.  5*

Justin Verlander’s resurgence last year took off at Tropicana Field, where he tossed eight innings of one-run ball with 10 strikeouts to beat the Rays. I expect him to bounce back from his last outing where he gave up 4 HR's in 1 inning. He is getting 1 extra days rest which should also help him. Tampa Bay was hitting .228 against right-handed starters and .233 at home. Blake Snell makes his fifth start of the season and he has allowed eight earned runs in 20.3 innings of work. He has had control problems and doesn't go deep in ballgames meaning an awful bullpen comes into play here on Saturday evening. Play on the DETROIT TIGERS.  5*

Seattle starter Wade LeBlanc made his Mariners debut on June 24 in place of an injured Taijuan Walker. He threw a a three-hit scoreless six innings of work and earned the 31-year-old left-hander a spot in the starting rotation. He is a solid pitcher who the Orioles hitters have never faced. Baltimore starter Kevin Gausman is just 1-5 on the season and several of the Mariners hitters have good number against including Cano who have a .556 average vs him. I'll take Seattle at home to get the win on Friday night.  5*

The Cubs are 25-11 on the road and have won 3 straight. John Lackey struggled in his previous outing, his shortest of the season at 4 1/3 innings, when he gave up seven runs vs. the Marlins. He is a very good pitcher and I expect him to bounce back tonight with a solid game and the Cubs offense is clicking with Bryant and Rizzo. He's 2-0 with a 1.98 ERA in four career starts against the Mets. The Mets have struggled lately with their poor offense and their pitchers are also banged up.   10*

BlueJays starter JA Happ is 3-0 his last 3 starts with a 2.84 ERA and 18 K's. The Rockies bullpen has been one of the worst in the league this season. That is bad news for Colorado tonight because their starter, Eddie Butler, is unlikely to pitch deep into this game. Butler has a 10.42 ERA and a 2.11 WHIP in his home starts this season. The Rockies righty also has a 10.20 ERA and a 2.27 WHIP in his last 3 starts overall. Facing a Blue Jays lineup that has averaged 6.5 runs per game in their last 12 games.  10* BLOWOUT GAME OF THE WEEK!

The Rangers, who have the best record in the American League at 49-27, won a three-game series for the seventh time after dropping the opener. The Texas Rangers are 27-8 through their last 35 games and have been money as underdogs all season long. They are also 37-17 versus right handed starters. The Texas bat have been red hot and they have 6 guys in their lineup hitting over .270 this year while the Yanks have just 3. Rangers RHP Chi Chi Gonzalez is set for his first appearance of the season in the opener of a four-game series at the Yankees on Monday night. The Yanks have never faced him so that advantage goes to the Rangers. Gonzalez had a 2.87 ERA on the road last season. The 24 year old has been pretty sharp in the minors lately posting a 3.71 ERA through his last seven outings. Rangers are 13-3 in their last 16 road games and I'll take them here in NY on Monday night as a small underdog.   10*

5*

Astros starter Mike Fiers has won his past two starts, beating the Rays on the road and Reds at home. In four starts since June 1, he’s 2-0 with a 2.63 ERA, allowing 21 hits in 24 innings. The Astros are 3-1 in those starts, all quality outings and the bats are hot for Houston winning 6 in a row, while KC starter Chris Young since returning to the Royals' rotation on June 5, Young is 0-1 with a 4.80 ERA, and his career ERA vs the Astros is 5.49.   10*

I like SD here in this spot tonight. Coming off his first poor outing in a month, Friedrich faces the Reds in Cincinnati, where he’s started just once, picking up his second career win back in 2012. Friedrich has allowed one earned run in 19 road innings this year. The bigger deal is the massive differential on splits for the Padres. They’re pretty feeble against righties, but this team has put up some very good numbers against lefties, and they’re facing a very average southpaw tonight. I therefore have some faith the Padres can get at least a few runs on the scoreboard tonight. I think San Diego is a very solid play here.   10* NL GAME OF THE WEEK

Since the beginning of May, no one in baseball has a better ERA than Sabathia. The big veteran lefty, having a resurgent season for the Yankees, carries a sparkling 0.82 mark over his last seven starts entering the finale against Colorado. The Yanks were also 0-9 last night with runners in scoring position. Look for the NY bats to bounce back this afternoon and the Yanks to grab the win behind Sabathia.  5*

Tillman has been superb this season as the O's ace, and he has won his past eight decisions. The right-hander has allowed just one earned run in his past two starts combined while striking out 16 batters. On the other hand BJays starter Marcus Stroman snapped out of his recent funk by limiting the lowly Phillies to just two runs over seven innings. Prior to that, he allowed 25 runs over his previous 29 2/3 innings. The Baltimore bats will be alive at home here today and I like the Orioles to get the cash.  5*

Colorado only had one hit on Friday night.
Rockies starter Tyler Chatwood has been excellent on the road this season, sporting a Major League-best 0.65 ERA. In his last road start, he held the Dodgers to one run on one hit over eight innings. The Rockies have won five of his last six starts.
Marlins starter Chen has given up 7 HR's in his last 2 starts and has not looked good.

Look for Colorado to come out swinging and get the WIN here on Saturday afternoon.5*

With the Tigers 10-4 win over the Royals yesterday Detroit has won 9 of its last 13 games. The Tigers offense has averaged 6.2 runs per game during this stretch and it likely wouldn't take much run support for Michael Fullmer to get the win tonight. The Detroit right-hander is on an incredible scoreless streak that has reached 28 and 1/3 innings! The Royals have never faced Fullmer so that is another advantage for the red hot hurler.

The Royals right-hander starter Ventura has given up 9 homers in his last 9 starts and faces a dangerous Tigers lineup tonight. Kansas City's loss last night to these Tigers drops KC to just 5-9 in their last 14 games. The Tigers have won 7 in a row with Fullmer on the mound. I don't see that streak stopping tonight! PLAY THE TIGERS! 10*

Adam Wainwright the Cardinals right-hander has won seven straight decisions against Houston and I like the value being offered with him in this spot tonight. St Louis lost yesterday's game thanks in part to a pair of unearned runs. The top five hitters in the Astros lineup only went 2 of 20 - hitting .100 in yesterday's game. Houston only has one player hitting over .268 in their lineup.

Wainwright comes into this start having a 3.03 ERA in these last five starts combined and is pitching much better of late than what his full season stats would lead you to believe. The Astros Collin McHugh has a 5.22 ERA on the season and has been hit at a .302 clip on the year. He has allowed 4 earned runs or more in 7 of his 13 starts this season and this looks like another tough spot for him as he has a losing record on the road and a losing record in night games this season. The Houston right-hander also has a 5.00 ERA in his career starts against the Cardinals. The Astros are only 14-21 on the road The Cards had won 7 of 8 before yesterday's loss and I like them to bounce back here at home.   5*

What the public is looking at here is a Rockies pitcher, Jorge De La Rosa, who is 2-4 with an 8.81 ERA this season versus Eovaldi 6-2 with a 4.42 ERA. Don't fall into this trap. What I see is a guy who got relegated to bullpen duty, including long relief of as much as 4 innings (and not in meaningless games) and who stepped up big time. In 8 innings of bullpen work De La Rosa allowed only 1 earned run on a solo bomb and that was 1 of just 3 hits against him in these 8 innings while he walked none and struck out 10. De La Rosa now takes on a Yankees team that has struggled against left-handers this season with an 8-13 record and some ugly numbers at the plate against lefties. The Yanks are also 13-18 on the road.

The Yankees haven't faced De La Rosa in a long time (which certainly could help the lefty) as he's happy to face a team against which he's 3-0 in his career with a 0.00 ERA thanks to 17 scoreless innings! De La Rosa will be opposed by Nathan Eovaldi of the Yanks. The right-hander has been struggling of late with 10 earned runs on 18 hits (including 3 homers) in his last two starts spanning only 10 and 2/3 innings of work. Eovaldi is facing a Rockies team that crushes the ball at home averaging 5.7 runs per game while hitting at a .291 clip. The Yanks are banged up and playing a lot of AAA players. Colorado has won 6 of its last 8 games and I like the Rockies in this spot tonight!
  10*

With their 4-1 win in the Bronx yesterday the Tigers have won 8 of their last 11 games. Amazingly, Detroit has allowed an average of only 2.6 runs per game during this 11-game stretch. That spells bad news for a White Sox team that has lost 7 of their last 9 games and averaged only 3.2 runs per game in their last 10 games. Matt Boyd gets the starts for the Tigers and he has allowed only 9 hits in the 11 and 2/3 innings of work spanning his last two outings. The Detroit southpaw has actually had no hitters going through the first four innings of each of those starts. James Shields has now given up 17 earned runs in the 4 and 2/3 innings spanning his last two starts. Shields is 2-8 on the season and the White Sox are 5-9 against left-handed starters this year. I'm playing the Detroit Tigers here on Monday night.  5*

Sanchez became the first Blue Jays pitcher since David Price to reach double digits in strikeouts during his last outing. He struck out 12 vs. Detroit, which was a career high. Credit the curveball, which has become his new out pitch.  He has looked very tough and I expect the Orioles to struggle with him.

Baltimore starter Jimenez has been very erratic and the BlueJays bats will jump all over him this afternoon. 5*

The Pirates had to go to Colorado for a makeup game yesterday. Pittsburgh got blasted 11-5 by the Rockies and now return home to immediately resume their home stand. Between the long flight and the high elevation I think that will take its toll on the Pirates. Pitt has now lost 9 of their last 13 games and I see great line value here. Gerrit Cole has been getting hit harder of late and that is going to catch up with him soon. Cole has given up 32 hits in his last 25 innings of work spanning his last 4 starts. Michael Wacha has done well in his last 2 starts as he has given up only 10 hits while striking out 10 in the 11 innings spanning these two outings. Unlike the Pirates, the Cardinals have been heating up as they have won 8 of their last 12 games.  10* Underdog Game of the Week

Angels starter Jhoulys Chacin has some good numbers pitching versus the Yankees. LA is also looking to avoid the 4 game sweep here. THey had 14 hits on WEdnesday and left 9 runners on base. Look for the Angels to get to Ivan Nova. The Yanks right-hander has been struggling badly with a 1-2 mark and 6.27 ERA in his last 3 starts. Nova has allowed 4 homers in these 3 games. As for Nova, he has also been hit hard by the Angels in his career starts against them. Nova has a 5.19 ERA in his career against the Angels and 5 of the 7 games went over the total. Nova earned the win June 4 in his last outing, but still allowed five earned runs on seven hits. I like the Angels as an underdog here as they have 5 batters hitting .288 or better in their lineup.  5*

Lance McCullers has won his last two starts, throwing five innings in wins over Baltimore and Arizona. This will be his fifth start since being activated, and he’s 2-1 with a 3.38 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 16 innings in his last three outings. The Astros have been playing good ball and I'll take them in this spot at home on Sunday.  5*

I'll back the Pirates on Saturday night with one of their hottest pitchers. Locke is coming off the best start of his career, a 105-pitch three-hitter against the Marlins on Monday. He's pitched at least six innings in seven of his 10 starts. He is 2-1 with 3.96 ERA in four home starts this year. The Angels didn't come into this series playing particularly well but their bats came alive in the opener on Friday night. I'm not convinced they can keep it going here, however. Nick Tropeano will counter for Los Angeles. He was roughed up for seven hits and four earned runs over five innings in an 8-6 home loss to the Astros last time out. He's been riding a bit of a roller coaster this season and will face a tough test against a Pirates lineup that is hitting right around .290 at home this season.  10*

I dont expect Zimmermann to go deep into the game here tonight coming off his injury.

Carlos Rodon is coming off a decent outing in which he allowed one run over five innings vs. the Royals on Saturday.
The southpaw lost out on a victory chance this past Saturday in Kansas City when the bullpen allowed seven runs in the ninth and gave away a 7-1 advantage. Rodon gave up one run on six hits and three strikeouts over five innings in the no-decision. Carlos has been looking forward to this start since he struggled the last time he faced them last year.

I like the WhiteSox here as a small dog to get us the cash Friday night.  5*

I also like the Rockies on the Runline. THey are very good at home while the Reds have struggled overall and on the road. The Reds have not won back-to-back games all year on the road and they are coming off a win last night. PLAY COLORADO here.  5*

I'm backing the LA Angels on Wednesday. Mike Scioscia's squad has dominated the Tigers, winning 11 of the last 12 meetings overall, after a dramatic 11-9 walk off win last night. Matt Shoemaker has held Tiger hitters to 5 hits in 44 combined at-bats against him. Meanwhile, the Angels have averaged 5.79 rpg in their last 19 games as the bats have truly heated-up. We'll look for the Halo bats and Shoemaker to remain hot, and we'll back the Angels as they look to make it 4-0 against Detroit when Shoemaker toes the rubber. With Shoemaker in spot-on KW form with 23 K’s and 0 BB’s his last two starts and look for the LA ANgels to improve to 15-1 in their last 16 games as a host n this series here tonight. 5*

I like the Texas Rangers on a win streak, while the Indians have started backing up following a nice run of their own. Cole Hamels suffered his first loss of the season on Friday, allowing six runs in 42/3 innings against the Pirates and he is 1-1 with a 4.32 ERA. He is 3-0 with a 1.63 ERA in four road starts. I look for him to bounce back here on WEdnesday evening. Hamels will get to face a Cleveland lineup that isn’t always the most potent against lefties, so I give him a good chance to put together a quality start this evening. Take the Texas Rangers here.  5*

Martinez has struggled this month in losing five straight starts behind a horrible 6.84 ERA, most recently getting shelled for six runs over five innings in a 9-8 loss to the Cubs on Wednesday. It was the third straight start that he’s allowed at least four runs and fourth straight in which he hasn’t lasted past the fifth frame. The Brewers have won five of their last six, keep your eyes on Jonathan Lucroy, who was 6 for 11 with two home runs and nine RBI vs. the Reds this weekend. You’ll also want to track Aaron Hill, who is 8 for 13 with two homers over his last four games. The home side counters with Junior Guerra (3-0, 3.30), who has quietly been dominating, winning all five of his starts since joining the rotation on May 3rd. Guerra has been particularly sharp of late, surrendering three runs and posting 21 K’s over 18 innings over his last three. Take the Brew Crew here on Monday.  5*

Reds starter Alfredo Simon's ERA is over 10 and this will probably be his last start. Cincy doesn't have one offensive player hitting over .290 in their lineup and just an awful team. They scored 7 runs on Saturday so expect them to struggle after a rare win. Brewers starter Chase Anderson has lost six of his past seven starts, but hopes to build on his last home start on May 17, when he went a season-high 8 2/3 innings vs. the Cubs. He gave up two runs on three hits, two of them ninth-inning homers, with 6 K's. 5*

Los Angeles is worth a look at home Saturday night against the Astros. Houston is going to send out their ace on paper in Dallas Keuchel, but he's been anything but an ace in 2016. Keuchel has a 5.92 ERA and 1.588 WHIP in 10 starts. Houston is also not a good road team. They are just 7-16 away from home and looked last crap last night too.

I'll take the home underdog with the LA Angels here Saturday night. 5*

Marcus Stroman has allowed two earned runs or fewer in all but one of his five starts this month. But he did struggle against Boston earlier this season when he allowed five runs over 5 1/3 innings on April 8 but that was at Fenway.  I expect him to be much better at home.

For the RedSox, starter Rick Porcello has struggled over the years at Rogers Centre, going 2-5 with a 7.15 ERA in seven career appearances.

With Batista back in the lineup today for Toronto we'll back them at home. 5*

We roll with Houston here who has won 3 contests in a row and we continue to ride Houston as it's now or never for this team. This is a team that now sits at 20-28 on the season and frankly their goal at this point is just to get to .500 as they have underachieved with the talent they have. Of course, sweeping Baltimore at home by scores of 3-2, 4-3 and 4-2 goes a long way. This is a team that sends Fiers to the mound who has come a long way of late putting together 5 of 6 quality starts, including not winning his last 2 starts as the motivation is very strong for him to do well here. The Astros are 4-1 against a righty of late. The Angels send Shoemaker who comes off his best outing of the year striking out 12 against the Orioles. The Angels are 3-13 in their last 16 games at home with Shoemaker starting and 1-9 in their last 10 games against a team with a losing record.   5*

TB starter Chris Archer lasted just three innings and allowed six runs on Sunday against Detroit. It was a terrible start for him. I expect him to bounce back and be focused tonight. For his career against the Yankees, though, Archer has posted a 5-2 record and a 2.25 ERA. The Yankee bats have gone cold again and they have struggled at TB in the past. Look for the Rays to get a big win here on Friday night.   10* MLB GAME OF HTE MONTH

Drew Smyly has been solid all season, but has little to show for his efforts. Saturday against the Tigers, he logged his fifth quality start but came away with his fifth loss. He loves pitching at home during the day starts. Jose Fernandez has been solid this year but the right-hander has had his struggles against the Rays, going 0-2 with a 5.79 ERA in two starts. I'm backing the TB Rays here at home THursday afternoon.   5*

Rubby De La Rosa has always had the big arm and lots of potential. This might be his breakout season. He has displayed some substantial improvement in a variety of areas and while I don’t know that he’s ever going to be an ace, Rubby is establishing himself as a solid rotation piece for the Snakes. The big improvement for Rubby DLR has been his ability to handle lefty hitters, which had been a huge issue for him previously. The same cannot be said for Pirates lefty Jeff Locke. I will be surprised if Locke remains in the Pittsburgh rotation for much longer as there are a couple of prime young prospects on the way. Locke just hasn’t been able to achieve any consistency and his 2016 numbers are simply lousy. The Diamondbacks were absolutely destroyed on Tuesday night, so I’m hoping Arizona bounced back tonight and I see a big edge for De La Rosa against Locke.   5*

RA Dickey has been struggling and has given up the most HR's in the MLB the past 2 years out of all starting pitchers. The New York Yankees have won five straight and seven of their past 10. This looks like a good spot to back the Bronx Bombers as they take on AL East rivals Toronto Blue Jays home at Yankee Stadium. He has now allowed 7 home runs in his last five starts and he is 0-3 with a 3.43 ERA through his last six starts at Yankee Stadium. With the short porch look for a heavy dose of lefty batters for the Yankees tonight. Nathan Eovaldi picked up the win in his last outing, working six innings of one-run ball to defeat the D-backs in Arizona. It was the third straight winning effort by Eovaldi, who allowed four runs in 6 2/3 innings to the Blue Jays on April 14 at Toronto. His command is very good and his fastball has looked great with a lot of movement. The Blue Jays are 1-7 in Dickeys last eight starts. Yankees are 5-0 in their last five games vs. a starter with a WHIP greater than 1.30.  10*

Vince Velasquez was far from efficient in his last outing, needing 103 pitches to get through five innings, but Velasquez was dominant. He now has four starts in 2016 in which he’s allowed no runs and three hits or fewer.

We take Philadelphia here as they have won 25 games and that speaks volumes that we have gotten to this point in the season and they have still secured enough wins and are able to make a move in the NL East and still be relevant. Tigers start Mike Pelfrey has given up 44 hits in 7 starts and I like the Phillies to get the win here on the road. 5*

The Giants are 9-1 their last 10 games and I like their chances at home here on Sunday night. San Francisco owns a 6-3 record when Bumgarner starts. He's coming off his 27th career game and second of the season with 10 or more strikeouts. SF is tough at home and the Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks is a much different pitcher on the road as he has a 5.19 ERA on the road in contrast to a 2.28 mark at home. Look for SF to make it 10-1 their last 11 games and notch a win on Sunday.   10*

The problem is that the players in Oakland just aren't as good as the players for the Yanks. The Yankees have lucked out a couple of times, but matched up vs the A's will be more than a good matchup as this is a pitchers ballpark. Manaea has not done a very good job of keeping the ball down so far this year, oftentimes he’s missing his pitches into the dirt. Starlin Castro will have a field day hitting off him if he is off pitch like he has been. Yankees are 4-0 in Tanakas last 4 starts vs. a team with a losing record NY Yankees behind Tanaka and the tough Yankees bullpen.

A longshot in the Preakness worth a shot: Stradivari --- This is probably the toughest horse to gauge from a pace perspective. He is lightly raced and comes in off two wins by a combined 25+ lengths. In both he was right near the front early and took over after a half mile. He is shown in the middle of the pack in the Pace Projector. With his outside post draw, that seems a reasonable placement. There is a lot of speed inside and letting those go and tucking behind them would seem like the best move for a horse that is still learning the game.  5*

I like the WhiteSox here at home.
Jose Quintana has allowed two earned runs or fewer in all eight of his starts this season and has made seven straight quality starts. He has issued a mere 11 walks and has allowed one homer over 52 2/3 innings.  ALso several of the Chicago hitters have good numbers versus Royals starter Dillon Gee.  5*