Mets/Braves 7:20: Mets are on a nice roll and taking command of this series. NYM now 5-1 in their last 6 vs Atlanta. And Carlos Carrasco running hot: 5-0 with a 1.69 ERA over last 42 2/3 innings. Braves, after dropping three straight to NYM, went on a nice run (6-0). And Spencer Strider is solid at home; however, he averages 3.2 innings pitched in his starts and that puts increased pressure on the bullpen. NY playing great fundamental baseball can find a way to win this one even without 3rd baseman Guillorme tonight. Mets the call. 

Yankees/Mariners 10:10: Neither team playing lights out. Yankees, however, on a 1-5 slide after winning for the first time since August 1st in New York. Seattle has responded to losses well recently going 4-1 off a loss, and 5-0 after allowing 5+ runs. Yankees paid the price for that win yesterday losing their DH Carpenter (foot) who was batting a healthy .305 as of yesterday. And the Bronx Bombers will have to face Luis Castillo again. Castillo came over to Seattle from Cincinnati. He did well in his first start in a Seattle uniform beating the Yankees on August 3rd allowing 3 ERs in 6 2/3 quality innings. Sure, Yankees got a good look at Castillo and have done well facing pitchers twice or three times a year; however, Castillo is a gamer and the bullpen has been respectable. Yankees counter with Gerritt Cole who hit a rough patch. He's allowed 11 runs in 12 innings of work, including that August 3rd matchup when he allowed 7 ERs. Cole has been in these slumps before it took a few games to shake out of it. With Seattle 6-0 on Tuesdays, 13-3 in Game 2 of a series, and 5-2 at home when the 'total' is set at 7 to 8', we'll ride the Mariners here. 

Red Sox/Kansas City 8:10: Tonight, we'll give the edge to the Royals with cagey veteran Zack Greinke on the mound. He's been outstanding at home this season at 3-1 with a 1.65 ERA. In his last 4 starts at home, he's allowed just 2 runs over 22 innings of work. Although he hasn't pitched well vs Boston in his career, he should do well against this Boston lineup. Boston counters with rookie Josh Winckowski. Before a solid effort on Sunday vs Milwaukee, Winckowski got beat up in 4 straight starts (6.75 ERA). We'll look for more growing pains for the kid here in Kansas City. Boston just 5-13 off a loss and 3 and 8 in their last 11 road tilts. KC the call. 

Analysis to follow...

Dodgers/Giants 9:45: Dodgers playing great ball, but Giants have a good chance with Webb tonight. Logan Webb has been money at home and at night. And in 7 starts vs the Dodgers, he sports a respectable 3.28 ERA. Weeks back, he threw 6 solid innings allowing 1 ER to the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. He's very comfortable at home and capable of going deep into the game. On the other hand, former Angel and often injured Andrew Heaney takes the hill for LA. He sports a bloated 7.02 ERA vs SF in 4 starts. Dodgers just 2-5 their last 7 in SF. Giants are 8-1 in their last 9 home games when the 'total' is set between 7 and 8. Take SF

Twins/Padres 7:15: Twins sport a solid 21-8 mark following a game in which they scored 2 runs or less. They haven't lost 4 straight games all season. We'll look for Minnesota to bounce back strong with Sonny Gray taking the hill. He's held batters to .225 BA this season. Twins are 9-5 when he starts. On the other hand, Padres counter with Joe Musgrove. Musgrove was lights out earlier this season but now struggling - giving up 9 ER on 14 hits over his last 10 1/3 IP. He's 0-2 vs Minnesota with a bloated 9.72 ERA. With the Twins 6-1 on Saturday, we'll look for them to bounce back strong here. 

Guardians/Red Sox 7:10: Cleveland on a 7-3 run while the Red Sox struggling on a 2-11 slide. Over a span of 2 1/2 weeks, Boston has 16 errors (3 with Cordero yesterday), 11 unearned runs. Worse yet, Boston starters are 0-12 with a lofty 7.65 ERA this month. Kutter Crawford will try to stop the bleeding tonight. He's done some good work lately (1-1 2.82 ERA last 4 starts) but can't forget his only start vs Cleveland last September -giving up 5 ER in 2 innings. On the other hand, Cleveland's Triston McKenzie has found a nice groove with a 3-0 run with a 0.34 ERA over his last 4 starts. This will be his first start vs the Red Sox. Boston misses injured Story and Devers, which started the 2-11 slide. We'll back the Guardians here. 

San Francisco/Arizona 3:40: Giants sluggish after All-Star break mired in an 0-6 slide being outscored 39-16 over that stretch. We'll look for them to break out today vs Zac Allen. Allen has been inconsistent this season. He's coming off a brilliant game vs Washington but could struggle here. He sports a 1-4 mark with a bloated 5.05 ERA in 8 starts vs the Giants. Giants are countering with Logan Webb who has been rock solid (1.38 last 4 starts), and 3-0 with a 1.17 ERA in 4 starts vs Arizona. SF sports a 35-16 mark in this series and overdue to get back on track here. They're 4-1 in Game 3 of a series while Arizona has a futile history in Game 3 at 26-57. Giants the call. 

Analysis to follow...

Angels/Royals 8:10: KC showing progress winning 2 of 3 since break. Angels 2-8 slide as they finally won in a big way yesterday at Atlanta. Look for former Angel - Zach Greinke to settle the Angels' bats back down. Veteran right hander won 3 of his last 5 starts and sports a respectable 3.57 ERA in 19 games vs the Angels. On the other hand, Syndergaard is a mere 1-7 in his last 8 starts. Angeles just 10-27 in Game 1 of a series. KC is 7-3 in Game 1 of a series and won 6 of their last 8 in their home park. KC has taken 2 of 3 in this series this season and should deliver tonight. 

Padres/Mets 7:10: I'll take the value with former AL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell. He's coming off a sluggish performance at Colorado; then again, lots of pitchers struggle at Coors field. Prior to that, Snell had back-to-back quality starts vs SF and LAD. We'll look for him and the respectable SD bullpen to deliver. Mets counter with Chris Bassitt. He is entering tonight coming off 5 straight quality starts; however, prior to that on June 8th, he was rocked for 7 ER in just 3 1/3 innings by the Padres. Padres are 19-9 vs starters with a WHIP less than 1.15, and control a 4-1 run in this series. San Diego the call. 

Houston/Seattle 10:10: Mariners on a 14-0 run and tonight can tie their franchise record of 15 straight wins set back in 2001. We'll give them the nod here. Seattle has given Urquidy problems (1-3 6.25 ERA in 7 appearances) including this season (0-3) and he couldn't make it to the 5th inning in any of the starts. On the other hand, Seattle's Gonzales has turned in 3 quality starts vs Houston going 6 or more innings while allowing 3 or fewer runs. What's more, the Seattle pitching over the last 25 games has been lights out. Starters are 12-3 with a 3.15 ERA. And the the bullpen sports a 1.49 ERA holding batters to just a .167 BA. Astros 2-6 in Seattle and we're jumping on Seattle here. 

Angels/Braves 7:20: Value with blistering hot Ohtani who sports a 9-4 record with a 2.38 ERA including a 6-0 run with a miniscule 0.45 ERA over that span. Braves reliant on the long ball (2nd highest HR total in league) should have a hard time with Ohtani; after all, he hasn't given up a HR in nearly 40 innings of work. On the other hand, 38-year-old Morton was starting to heat up when he ran into the Mets prior to the All-Star break. He was lit up for 5 runs in 5 innings. Also to note: Braves are just 6-13 in their last 19 vs starters with a WHIP less than 1.15. Angels the call. 

Analysis to follow...

Yankees/Astros 7:15: Greinke has been a consistent hurler over the years and despite having a fast ball slowing progressively over the years, he makes up for it with his intelligence and ability to paint the plate. Sure, he got a hit by the Yankees in May but he's going into the break stretching the innings, throwing strikes with good location. Yankees are on a nice 4-1 run and coming off a big shutout; however, we'll look for the two game dormant bats of Houston to awaken. Gerrit Cole has not adjusted to the post-sticky substance era yet; as a matter of fact, he's on an 0-3 slide, including his last two disastrous starts in which he gave up 9 ER in 9.1 innings. Yankees just 1-5 in Houston while the Astros are 20-7 at home vs wining teams. Houston the call. 

Yankees/Rays 3:10: Kluber over due to get rolling and it should come here. The two time Cy Young Award winner controls a 5-2 mark with a 2.67 ERA vs the Rays. Rays counter with Rich Hill who did not look good against the Marlins on Saturday. Yankees hitting lefties well at the moment (.299 BA) should send Hill to the showers early and subsequently tee off on the overused bullpen. Yankees the call. 

Analysis to follow...

Analysis to follow...

A's/Giants 4:05: Giants' defense a concern - allowing 6.05 RPG; moreover, relief pitching, more specifically - closing, has been the issue in this series. A's came back from a deficit in each of last two wins as Giants' closer Gott collapsed in each. More pressure should be put on the bullpen today with Logan Webb as the starter. On the surface, Webb's ERA looks good this season at 2.81 but carries a concerning WHIP of 1.50. More importantly, he hasn't seen the 6th inning of any of his starts. Possible more trouble late with the confidant bats of Oakland. We'll look for crafty veteran Mike Fiers to hold the fort down until the solid relief personnel of Oakland, including closer Hendriks (7 saves already) comes on to close it out.

Indians/Tigers 7:10: Worth taking a crack at Detroit despite the loss of 1st baseman - Cron. Detroit is under good guidance by Manager Gardenhire. He'll most likely put Candelario at 1st in his shuffling tonight. The Tigers put journeyman Ivan Nova on the hill. He's a wily veteran who still has some stuff in him and occasionally shows glimpses of dominance. He was shaky in his last start but does control a respectable 3-3 mark with a 4.14 ERA in 7 starts vs the Indians. And he faces a cold hitting lineup batting a meager .195 on the season. Sure, the Indians will eventually break out at sometime but I don't believe it will be tonight. Indians counter with Aaron Civale who dominated the Tigers last season but does face a revamped lineup that's put some runs up this year (5.23 per game). After 17 straight losses to the Indians, the Tigers are overdue for a win and it should come here.

Padres/Dodgers 9:40: Slight edge to the Padres to win the series here. Paddack is capable of getting the job done as he demonstrated on August 3rd win. He's catching a Dodgers' lineup not at their best now in the meat of the order. Dodgers counter with southpaw Julio Urias who looks good but doesn't have the duration to give more than 5 good innings. This is a better Padres' lineup than he's faced in the past and we'll look for SD to bounce back after their loss yesterday. Padres 5-2 off a loss and we'll grab the discounted price. 

ChiSox/Tigers 7:10: The Tigers are off to a strong start as Gardenhire using his lineup well and getting decent relief work en-route to their 4 game run. One of their relievers - Tyler Alexander - turned in a record setting performance with 9 consecutive strike outs vs Cincinnati. He gets his first start tonight and we'll roll with the lefty. He faces a simmering down Chicago lineup that was blistering hot to begin the month during a 4-0 run and then abruptly went cold losing 5 of their last 6 games. Veteran journeyman - Gio Gonzalez is off to a rough start with his new club with a 7.71 ERA over 3 starts. And he has not fared well in his career vs the Tigers with a 2-4 mark with a bloated 6.68 ERA over 7 starts. We'll back the Tigers here. 

Arizona/San Diego 4:10: Worth taking a shot with surging D-Backs which have won 3 of their last 4 games. Meanwhile, Padres have lost 3 of their last 4. Padres do have Lamet who is off to a great start as a starter; however, Mad Bum, who has not been sharp, overdue to get back on track after signing a huge contract with Arizona. He gets to avenge his earlier season defeat to the Padres and should put in some quality innings here. D-Backs 4-1 in Game 3 of a series whereas Padres just 1-5 in same role. Arizona the call.

Astros/Diamondbacks 7:07: Arizona finally broke out the whipping sticks yesterday with 14 runs to stop their 3 game slide. We'll look for continued run production behind Zac Gallen. Gallen looked good vs the hot hitting Dodgers with 9 strike outs in 6 innings while allowing just 2 ER. This is the first time he will face Houston and I believe he'll fare well. Houston counters with reliever Brandon Bielak in place of former D-Back Greinke. Bielak making his first big league start and should put increased pressure on the Astros' bullpen. D-Backs respectable 11-4 in interleague play and we'll ride them here. 

ChiSox/Brewers 8:10: White Sox running hot on a 4 game win streak. Their bats are firing away and are well balanced from 1 through 9. We'll look for them to jump on Brett Anderson - making his season debut. Sox counter with their southpaw - Carlos Rodon. He was shaky in his season debut vs Cleveland in the early going but settled in before being taken out. We'll look for him to put some quality innings in here vs a Brewers lineup that hasn't taken the field since July 29th. And with the big bat of Braun out, this is the first look at Rodon for the Brewers. ChiSox 4-1 in their last 5 at Milwaukee. White Sox the call. 

Rangers/Giants 4:05: Rangers struggling to drive in runs ranked in the bottom tier of MLB in runs per game. Moreover, they've lost their closer LeClerc (shoulder) for the season and much pressure on Allard in his season debut. He's facing a SF club that's hitting the ball well early in the year. SF is 6-1 in their last 7 IL games and going for the 3 game sweep here. The Giants are 5-2 in their last 7 vs lefty starters. Veteran Samardzija didn't look good in his season debut vs a hot hitting SD team. And he hasn't had success vs Texas - thus the line value. I don't believe the weak hitting Rangers can drive in enough runs here. SF the call. 

Dodgers/Diamondbacks 9:40: I don't usually pay this steep a price but will go with the higher premium tonight. Dodgers have a clear advantage in hitting, starting pitching and bullpen. Arizona off to a sluggish start and Robbie Ray looks shaky in the early going with a bloated 7.36 ERA and a a wild 1.91 WHIP. Dodgers 4-1 in their last 5 vs lefty starters and have won 13 of their last 16 road tilts. Sure, they've had some trouble in Arizona but Stripling and the solid Dodgers' bullpen should see to it the Arizona bats remain quiet tonight. Stripling looks good early with a 1.29 ERA and a 0.57 WHIP. And the Dodgers' bullpen hitting the mark (1.64 ERA). Arizona doesn't play the dog role well at 2-10 last 12. Dodgers the call. 

Royals/Tigers 7:10: Worth taking a crack with KC here. We get Duffy as a dog. Occasionally, he shows flashes of brilliance and this could be one of those outings. The light hitting Tigers are a team he's had a lot of work (19 starts) against Detroit and can do some good work on the road. Tigers have not had success vs lefties (16-36) including 1-4 in their last 5 at this ball park. Detroit counters with Matt Boyd. He's coming off a horrible opening day outing in which he plunked a few batters, gave up 4 runs in 6 innings. Moreover, he's just 5-9 with a lofty 6.46 ERA vs KC. Merrifield has been deadly vs Detroit including lighting up Boyd to the tune of 20 of 39 vs him. KC is 5-1 in this series and we'll take them here. 

Angels/A's 4:10: A's 8-2 at home in last 10 vs Angels. Today, they should bounce back nicely after yesterday's loss. A's are 27-7 in their last 34 off a loss and 7-1 as a home dog. Like them here with Mike Fiers getting the nod. Fiers went 15-5 with a 3.90 ERA last season and sports a sweet 13-3 mark at Oakland Coliseum; moreover, he went 3-0 vs the Angels last year. Angels a mere 8-22 in their last 30 road tilts. And they're just 1-9 in Game 3 of a series. Pujols (hitless on the year) and Trout (hitless yesterday) starting sluggishly and don't see them getting bats back vs Fiers and a pretty good bullpen. Angels counter with Shohei Ohtani who's returning following Tommie John surgery. He's surely young and good enough to recover and be successful as a pitcher in addition to his batting duties; however, like the A's with Laureano and company heating up.

Arizona/San Diego 9:10: Padres' Eric Hosmer showed a sign of potentially living up to his huge contract he signed 2 1/2 years ago. On opening day, he belted in 6 runs going 3 of 4 at the plate. Padres now 7-3 in their last 10 as a favorite including 4-0 as a home favorite. Padres will face southpaw Robbie Ray tonight. SD is 5-2 in their last 7 facing lefty starters. Ray very mediocre in 3 previous starts vs SD with a 5.40 ERA. Arizona counters with Dinelson Lamet. He battled back from Tommie John surgery to close out last season strong - fanning 24 over 11 innings of work. We'll look for him to work a solid 5 or 6 innings and then hand it over to a bullpen that's showing good work early. 

Washington/Houston 8:08: Bizarre road dominated series but not so bizarre if take a closer look. Washington put their best pitchers on the mound to start at Minute Maid: Scherzer and Strasburg and will put Scherzer back on tonight. Scherzer has been money in post season: Threw a lights out inning at Los Angeles on the 4th. Then allowed just 1 run over the Dodgers in 7 innings for a win on the 12th. He then shut down the Cardinals on the 12th with 11 strikeouts and allowed only 1 hit over 7 innings. And on the 22nd did enough for the win at Houston. He had neck spasms that were problematic as of just a few days ago but he's feeling it tonight. And consider this: Washington is 22-8 vs Houston over their last 30 games including a mind boggling 11-1 at Minute Maid Park! Greinke is solid but had his share of shaky moments throughout the post-season. We'll grab the Nationals to deliver the goods again.

Astros/Nationals 8:07: Staying on the red hot Nationals who are feeling it after a thorough blasting in Houston Tuesday night. It's not going to get easier on the Astros tonight. They face another rock solid post-season pitcher in Anibal Sanchez. Sanchez has plenty of playoff experience with a dazzling 2.56 ERA 1.05 WHIP and 60 strike outs over 56 innings of work; moreover, Sanchez was 4 outs away from a no-hitter in Game 1 of the NLCS in a 2-0 win over St. Louis. Astros counter with Zach Greinke who is fading down the stretch. Greinke sports a bloated 6.43 ERA over his last 3 post-season outings. That's not boding well facing a sizzling Washington lineup. Nationals are now on an amazing 42-16 roll including 8 straight playoff wins. Not getting off the Nationals train here. 

Nationals/Astros 8:07: Gladly take Strasburg and the hot hitting Nationals who still haven't cooled off after their stunning NLCS win over St. Louis. Washington a stunning 40-16 run and still hot! Strasburg has been magical this post-season with 33 strike outs with only 1 walk. His counterpart, Verlander is 0-4 with a bloated 5.67 ERA in WS action (Detroit and Houston); moreover, he's coming in to this one with a lofty 5.16 ERA this post-season. Nationals the call. 

Washington/St. Louis 8:08: Sanchez had some good post-season starts but not convinced he can go deep into the innings tonight vs a hot hitting Cardinals lineup coming off a shellacking over Atlanta. Cardinals 16-6 after scoring 5+ runs previously. And still concerns in spots in the Washington bullpen. We'll grab Mikolas who did well in G1 of the NLDS with 1 run on 3 hits over 5 innings. Cardinals have won 7 of the last 9 at home in this series. Cardinals the call. 

TB/Oakland 8:09: Gladly take the Rays and Charlie Morton at this price. Morton is a seasoned vet with successful playoff experience (Houston). He was well worth the investment this year for Tampa Bay. TB was 11-5 in his road starts. And he had a strong September at 3-0 with a 2.45 ERA. Manaea is quite the pitcher himself; however, shoulder surgery last year limited him to 5 starts this year. Sure, he was strong in all of them and good for 5 innings, 6 tops. Like the TB bullpen a bit better. TB 8-1 in Game 1 of a series and I'll grab the value with the road team here.

Giants/Cardinals 7:45: Sure, both of these teams are heading in opposite directions with the Cardinals rolling and the Giants freefalling; however, I'm not buying into Wacha on 3 days rest. Giants still carry dangerous bats, especially on the road and should be able to give Bumgarner run support. Bumgarner has won 8 of his last 9 team starts and he is usually at his best this time of year. Giants the call. 

Mets/Phillies 7:05: Mets had six straight losses before getting their act together at Philadelphia - up 2-0 in series. We'll continue to take the Mets against Zach Eflin. Eflin is coming off a good effort at Miami but he's a money burning 1-11 in his last 12 starts vs teams with winning records. Mets are a blistering 13-3 on the road vs righty starters and should unload on him. Mets counter with Marcus Stroman who has not been the dominant pitcher they expected when acquiring him from Toronto earlier this season; however, they're 4-1 with him as a starter. Stroman is doing his best work on the road (2.60 ERA); moreover, he's 2-0 with a 1.86 ERA and 0.83 WHIP in 3 appearances and 1 start vs Philly. Eflin sports a bloated 4.60 ERA at home and 5.29 ERA at night. Mets the call. 

Padres/Giants 9:45: Giants need to step it up immediately if they're going to make the post-season. SF lost 6 of their last 8 and falling fast out of Wild Card contention. We'll look for SF to deliver here. Giants have won 7 of the last 8 in this series and put Dereck Rodriquez on the hill. He's coming off 4 straight road starts including a disastrous 6 ER performance over 4 innings at Chicago on the 21st; however, he did do well vs SD early in the season allowing a combined 4 ER over 12 innings. Padres are not ripping the cover off the ball now and put struggling Chris Paddock on the mound. Paddock sports a bloated 9.36 ERA over his last 3 starts and is just 2-7 in team road starts. Giants' Alex Dickerson is carrying a hot bat (.350 BA) since he's come over from SD in June. We'll give edge to Bochy and SF.

Cardinals/Brewers 7:05: Analysis to follow...

Houston/Oakland 10:07: Worth taking a shot with Fiers and Oakland. Fiers has been a model of consistency in the A's rotation this season and sports outstanding numbers at home (7-2 w/ 2.54 ERA) and at night (8-1 w/ 2.69 ERA). Astros are 2-5 vs starters with a WHIP less than 1.15. A's are 19-7 in their last 26 home games and should get the best of Aaron Sanchez. Sanchez, who came over from Toronto in August, delivered two fine outings for his new team; however, against bottom feeders Seattle and Baltimore. A's have a bit more pop in their bats and will give him trouble. Sanchez sports a bloated 6.41 ERA on the road and 5.74 ERA at night. A's the call. 

Analysis to follow...

Reds/Nationals 7:05: Worth taking a shot with DeSclafani and the Reds. Reds showing resilience off losses lately at 5-0 and play well on Mondays at 4-0; as a matter of fact, Reds are 6-1 with DeSclafani on Mondays. We'll look for the Reds to get the best of Erick Fedde who has struggled in this ball park to the tune of 6.10 ERA. And the Washington bullpen is a hold your breath proposition virtually all season. DeSclafani is by no means lights out but he has answered the bell against the Nationals to the tune of 2-0 with a 2.17 ERA in 4 starts and 7 appearances. And chances are he won't face Soto (ankle) tomorrow... Red's bullpen more stable than Washington's. Reds the call. 

Cubs/Reds 1:10: Reds' Aquino leading a run assault on the Cubs. We'll look for the Red's run support to continue here for Luis Castillo. Cubs' Lester has a good record vs Cincinnati but he hasn't faced some of these new slugging acquisitions for the Reds. And Lester is coming off back to back poor starts. Cubs are now on a 9-21 road slide and just 3-9 at Cincinnati. Castillo is in great form and he's money during the day and at home where his ERA is a mere 2.25. Reds the call. 

Analysis to follow...

Cleveland/Minnesota 8:10: Indians 20-6 in their last 26 with Clevinger vs AL Central. Clevinger is a strong 4-0 with a 2.01 ERA in his last 5 starts following the All-Star break. Gibson, on the other hand, is rolling on a 9-0 team start run; however, he's had a few shaky sessions at home against good hitting teams (NYY, BoSox) and Cleveland has not been kind to Gibson; as a matter of fact, Gibson is 1-8 at home vs Cleveland; moreover, he sports a bloated 5.34 ERA in 12 starts vs the Indians. Gibson's win streak ends here. 

ChiSox/Tigers 1:10: Tigers on a miserable 9-43 slide vs righties should continue their misery against veteran journeyman Ivan Nova today. Nova is in great form (0.90 ERA last 3 starts) and does respectable work during daytime action. Tigers counter with Tyler Alexander who can throw well for 5 innings. The southpaw even did a bang up job July 3rd in Chicago - allowing 2 ER; however, the shaky Tigers' bullpen let him down as Chicago escaped with a 9-6 win. ChiSox are 5-1 on the road vs lefty starters and should deliver the goods again vs the hapless Tigers; after all, Tigers haven't won back-to-back games since early April. Tigers won the back end of double header last night.

Analysis to come shortly...

Brewers/Pirates 7:05: Former Pirate - Lyles returns to PNC Park, a park he never got comfortable in (5.42 ERA). We'll look for his former mates to break out of their slump at his expense. Dario Agrazal takes the mound for the Pirates. He's respectable at home including a strong 6 inning outing on this field July 6th where he allowed just 2 ER for the win. With both teams struggling now, we'll give the edge to the home team at a discount here.

Reds/Braves 1:20: Teheran having a strong season and looking to avenge an earlier season loss. Teheran has his strengths working for him this time: strong during day, at home and on Sunday a sweet 21-5 in team starts. Sonny Gray, on the other hand, is also having a strong year but did have trouble at home vs the Braves April 23rd (4 runs in 5 1/3 IP) despite a win for Cincinnati. He does pitch well on the road but won't have the juice to go the distance; unfortunately, the Cincinnati bullpen, an early season strength, is now a weakness and it's rearing its ugly head too often. Braves the call.

Giants/Rockies 8:10: Both teams in a slight funk but Giants should break out of it here. SF puts their ace - Madison Bumgarner on the hill. He's back on his game with a 0.83 WHIP in his last 3 starts and 6-1 in his last 7 team starts. Dating back to last season, he's 4-0 vs Colorado in team starts; furthermore, sports an impressive 16-8 mark with a 3.07 ERA in 33 starts vs Colorado. The Rockies counter with Jon Gray who is having a great year; however, he's 1-4 with a bloated 5.08 ERA vs SF. Giants are still in the playoff chase with the 20-8 run and have owned the NLW at 10-2. They're 8-1 off a loss. Rockies on a 7-20 slide and should stumble in this spot. Giants the call.

Tigers/Rangers 8:05: Detroit continues to find ways to lose games as evidenced by last night's Rangers' win. Tonight, we'll look for Texas to continue their mini run at the expense of one of Detroit's best pitchers - Matthew Boyd. Boyd is 9-22 in road starts and just 1-5 vs Texas. Once again he should fail to get the needed run support from a Tigers' lineup that drives in a measly 3.47 RPG vs righties. Not a fan of Sampson but he's respectable at home at 5-2 in team starts with a 3.56 ERA. And he's got the bats to back him. Texas the call. 

Toronto/Baltimore 7:05: Toronto is rolling on a 6-1 run whereas the Orioles are back on another slide after a mini run. Toronto's Bichette and Guerrero Jr. should give Pannone the needed run support; after all, Bundy has been struggling mightily at home with a 1-7 mark and a bloated 6.16 ERA. Bundy is now a disastrous 6-20 in his last 26 home starts. Pannone, who finally put together a quality start Monday vs KC, has the backing of a revved up bullpen and a lineup that hit a record 81 home runs since June 16th. Toronto the call. 

Analysis to follow...

Analysis to follow...

Analysis to follow~

Arizona/Miami 7:10: Occasionally, Miami pulls off a mini run and we'll look for them to go to 5-1 here. They've been competitive in this series and should deliver tonight behind Caleb Smith. Smith is at his best night at home where his ERA is a stellar 2.33. With his hip injury behind him, he should win his 5th straight team start. He's got the backing of a few hot bats in Rojas, Ramirez and Anderson. We'll look for them to tee off on Merrill Kelly who's having trouble keeping the ball in the park and sluggish on road and at night (4.62 ERA). Grab the Marlins at a solid discounted price. 

Braves/Nationals 7:05: Corbin is money at home but Braves saw him on the 19th and should get the best of him here. Braves 11-4 of a loss, 4-1 on Mondays and 9-3 vs lefty starters including 5-1 on the road. And I'm still not sold on the shaky Washington bullpen (6.07 ERA) which will come in to play tonight. We'll back Keuchel who has gradually whipped his arm into shape and should throw well tonight. Nationals 1-6 on Mondays and coming off a huge win yesterday vs Dodgers. Edge to Atlanta. 

Cubs/Brewers 2:10: Brewers getting boost from rookie Hiura who will be gunning for 17 game hit streak. And Yelich continues to impress. We'll look for the Brew Crew to rip Jose Quintana and the imploding bullpen (7.94 ERA over 1-5 slide) today. Brewers are 19-7 at home vs lefty starters, including a 6-1 run. Quintana, who sports a bloated 5.40 ERA during the day, had good run support during his winning run but shouldn't get that today. Zach Davies does good work during the day and at home. And he allowed just 1 ER in 2 starts over 12 innings vs the Cubs this season. Road woes should continue for Chicago today.

Cubs/Brewers 8:10: Not a fan of the Cubs on the road. Chicago has the worst road record in the NL at 19-29 including their current 6-16 slide. And Hendricks doesn't do his best work as a traveler: 3-6 with a 5.44 ERA; moreover, he's 2-5 in team starts vs Milwaukee. Yelich and the Brew Crew should give the needed run support to Gio Gonzalez. He's only good for 6 innings but showing signs of progress following shoulder inflammation time off. Cubs just 2-8 vs lefty starters. And they're 2-6 in Milwaukee. Brewers the call. 

Yankees/Red Sox 7:10: Yankees got in late (5:00 am) on Thursday from Minnesota. And they were sluggish last night; tonight, we'll look for the Yankees to bounce back behind Paxton. Paxton sports a 3-0 mark with a 1.89 ERA vs Boston and should be able to limit those early inning runs the Red Sox are piling up. On the other hand, Cashner, who is on the mound for his 3rd start in a Red Sox uniform, should have trouble. This is his fourth start vs NY this season. As a member of Baltimore, he got lit up in his first and fared decently in 2nd and 3rd despite taking the losses. NY 9-1 in Game 2 of series, 44-14 vs righty starters and a blistering 17-4 run on Fridays. Yes, NY the call.

Cubs/Giants 9:45: Giants on a 20-8 run as Bruce Bochy continues to work magic for the Giants in close games. Tonight, he's got his horse - Madison Bumgarner on the mound. Mad Bum is approaching mid-season form and should be hard to hit. He's 6-0 in team starts in this series. And he's 9-2 with a 2.17 ERA in 13 starts vs Chicago. Cubs counter with Yu Darvish who shook out of his slump and turned in a few great outings; however, Darvish is 1-5 overall in road team starts and facing a red hot team. With Cubs at 8-20 in their last 28 road games, I'm staying with hot home team.

Marlins/White Sox 8:10: Chicago starting to heat up on a 3-1 run. They have the big bats of Abreu and Moncada which are finding their range. They should be able to give struggling starter Dylan Covey the needed run support. Hitting Caleb Smith hasn't been easy this year but Smith does have his weakness on the road (4.58 ERA). White Sox 7-3 at home vs lefty starters. And that woesome Marlins' bullpen will eventually come into play tonight. Sure, Dylan Covey is struggling but if you look at his home slate, he's done a solid job with a 2.20 ERA in 16 1/3 innings of work. He faces one of the lowest run producing teams in the league. With Chicago at 4-0 at home in this series, we'll stay with the home team.

Rangers/Mariners 10:10: Texas has gotten the best of Seattle in this series but tonight's favorable matchup for the Mariners could turn the tide. Texas starter Adrian Sampson struggling on the road (0-8)  sporting a lofty 7.64 ERA. Texas' bullpen not to be trusted either. The Mariners' offense, driving in a respectable 5 RPG vs righties, should get the best of their former mate. On the other hand, Marco Gonzales is 5-2 in his last 7 team starts and 6-1 in Game 1 of a series. Texas 1-7 vs lefty starters. Seattle the call.

Mets/Giants 4:05: Look for the Giants to bounce back today. SF is on a 14-3 run and sports an 11-3 mark vs pitchers with a WHIP above 1.30. SF should get their bats back against Steven Matz who has struggled on the road this season and is 1-7 as a traveler vs teams with losing records. Giants starter - Connor Menez - was strong working up ranks of the minor leagues and now gets his MLB debut. Mets are a mere 4-10 vs lefty starters. We'll give the edge to SF today.

Blue Jays/Tigers 6:10: Tigers in a free fall and Norris not the answer. Detroit is 7-19 at home with Daniel Norris starting. The southpaw sports a 4.89 ERA at home and the Tigers' bullpen doesn't show signs of improvement (5.09 ERA); furthermore, Norris most likely won't get help from his light hitting mates which rank in the bottom of MLB. We get value with the Blue Jays' Thornton who is not a quality starter but does sport a 5-1 mark against sub par teams. 

Cardinals/Reds 7:10: Big momentum shifts should decide this again. Following the break, Cardinals are on a nice winning run (5-2) whereas the Reds are stuck in reverse (2-5). Wainwright, although struggling on a the road a bit, is coming off a dominant performance vs Arizona and should get some quality innings vs a Reds' lineup that's slowing down in run production. On the other hand, Mahle has yet to find his rhythm and should succumb to a heating up Cardinals' lineup. And the Reds' once dominant bullpen is fading. With the Reds at 6-20 when Mahle gets the start, I feel good about the Cardinals tonight; after all, they're 14-4 in Cincinnati!

Arizona/Texas 8:05: Arizona starters now 5-2 with a 1.90 ERA over last 7 starts. Included in that run is Robbie Ray who has allowed just 2 ER over his last 12 1/3 IP. The veteran southpaw has had his trouble vs Texas which hits lefties well; nevertheless, he's getting good run support from his mates and they should unload on Chavez who is now struggling as a starter in July - allowing 10 ER over his last 10 1/3 IP. Arizona is 7-3 in series and 4-1 at Texas. Arizona the call. 

Padres/Marlins 7:10: Worth taking a shot with Miami as Jordan Yamamoto takes the hill. He's been a great addition to the Marlins' rotation. He throws strikes, eats innings and limits walks. SD is currently slumping to open the second half of the season and should have a rough time in Miami. The Marlins won 2 of 3 in this series at SD earlier this year. Padres putting struggling lefty Logan Allen on the mound. We'll give the edge to Miami. 

Dodgers/Red Sox 7:05: Yesterday, Dodgers finally broke out the whipping sticks by lighting up Sale early. And sure, LAD strong vs lefties at 14-5; however, David Price will be a challenge. He's having a solid year and has won 21 of 27 starts at home; moreover, he shook out of his post-season jitters last October and delivered two outstanding performances vs this Dodgers' team; on the other hand, Ryu was on the losing end of one of those games getting punched out early. Sure, Ryu is MLB's ERA leader now, having a tremendous year minus the disaster in Colorado; however, Boston is 7-1 vs the Dodgers at Fenway and 25-5 after an opponent scores 5+ runs. I like that resiliency. BoSox the call. 

Giants/Brewers 7:15: Giants making a run going 8-2 over their last 10. They can win another series against the Brewers with a win here. We'll grab one of the best later season lefties in the game in Madison Bumgarner as a dog. Mad Bum is 4-1 at Milwaukee and 8-3 in his last 11 overall vs the Brew Crew with an ERA under 3. He's 5-0 on Saturday. What's more, he's getting run support from the surging Giants' bats. We'll look for them to get the best of Zach Davies who hasn't won a game since June 8th. He's 2-5 on Saturdays and 3-8 in Game 2 of a series. Giants the call. 

Cardinals/Giants 4:05: Giants starting to drive in runs. They've driven in 52 over their last 6 games. Sandoval got some help with newcomers Dickerson and Slater; today, we'll look for the Giants' bats to get the best of Jack Flaherty who sports a lofty 7.71 ERA over his last 3 starts; moreover, in two starts vs SF, he sports a bloated 11.37 ERA. On the other hand, Samardzija is coming off his best start of the season going 8 innings in a win over SD. We'll look for the Giants to keep the momentum rolling.

Cubs/White Sox 7:15: Revenge game for Giolito against Lester and the Cubs whom battered him at Wrigley Field on June 19th. Giolito has been strong at home where he is 5-1 with a 2.70 ERA. On the other hand, Jon Lester has not been a good road pitcher where he has given up 21 runs over his last 20 innings of work in 4 road starts. Sox hit lefties pretty well and have won 13 of their last 19 home games. White Sox the call. 

Yankees/Rays 7:10: Hard to fade a pitcher who's dismantled a team to the tune of 1 ER in 23 innings of work with 23 strike outs. Tanaka has virtually owned TB and sports a 12-5 mark in his career vs the Rays; moreover, in his last 6 starts vs TB, he sports a 1.29 ERA. His mates, who are currently driving in runs like there is no tomorrow and sport a 6-0 mark in their last 6 facing lefty starters, should light up young McKay who hasn't faced many big league batters.

Cubs/Pirates 7:05: Not at ease with Cubs on road. They've lost 16 of their last 22 road tilts and got throttled yesterday in Pittsburgh. Cubs do have resilience but not sure can hold up in the bullpen. Hendricks was having a breakout year until shoulder impingement stalled him out. He'll be on a pitch count and Cubs' overused bullpen will have to finish vs the hot bats of Pittsburgh. The Pirates counter with Joe Musgrove who is showing good stuff over his last few starts. He allowed just 1 run and no walks over his last 13 innings. And he's had success vs the Cubs unlike his counterpart vs Pirates at 0-4. Pirates the call. 

Diamondbacks/Giants 4:05: Bumgarner should be on top of his game here. He's set to be traded by the July 31st trade deadline. It appears he's starting to find his form as he punched out 11 batters at home for the win on Tuesday. He sports a solid 2.54 ERA in 34 starts vs Arizona. And the Giants' bullpen remains pretty solid. As for Robbie Ray, he's been pretty solid but 1-5 in his last 6 team starts due to a combination of a few sluggish outings, poor run support and bullpen breakdowns. He's done well vs the Giants with a 3:01 ERA in 13 starts. Giants are not a good hitting team vs lefties but could get to the bullpen late; after all, Ray rarely goes more than 6 innings on the road. Giants in a low scoring game. 

Cubs/Reds 4:10: Reds have won 7 of the last 8 at home vs the Cubs and should deliver here behind Castillo. Castillo has been rock solid for most of the season minus two poor outings vs the Brewers. He is 5-2 in team starts vs Chicago and does his best work in this ball park. His teammates hit lefties pretty well averaging 5 RPG and should get the best of Quintana who was shelled in his last start. Quintana is 1-8 in his last 9 team starts. And the Cubs' bullpen has been overworked as of late, especially after losing Hamels early yesterday. Reds the call.