The set-up: The Baltimore Orioles were once 22-10 on the 2017 season but the team has imploded. Baltimore returned from the break with a 10-game homestand and promptly got swept by the Cubs, losing three games by the combined scores of 27-11. The Orioles entered their series against Texas with their starters having posted an American League-worst 6.02 ERA. However, Chris Tillman delivered six strong innings (two hits and one run) in a 3-1 Orioles win. The Rangers have a 10-game road trip to open the second half and with Monday's loss, have collected only 22 hits in splitting the first four games. Neither team is a threat in their respective divisions (especially Texas, playing in the AL West with Houston) but like almost the entire AL, remain in wild card contention. Texas is 2 1/2 and Baltimore 4 1/2 games out of the final wild card spot.

The pitching matchup: Tyson Ross (2-1 & 5.33 ERA) starts for the Rangers and Dylan Bundy (8-8 & 4.33 ERA) for the Orioles. Ross did not make his season debut until June 16 following surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome and has made it through six innings in only one of his first five starts (Texas is 3-2). It's encouraging that he has limited opponents to a .211 batting average in those five starts but then again, Ross is 0-2 with an ugly 17.10 ERA in seven career appearances (just one start) against Baltimore, allowing 19 runs in 10 innings! Bundy opened the season by winning five of his first six decisions but his ERA has climbed nearly 1 1/2 runs over his last six starts (from 2.93 to 4.33). He has not allowed a run in three appearances (one start) versus Texas, winning that lone start.

The pick: The Baltimore Orioles needed to play 34 innings before taking their first lead following the All-Star break, when Seth Smith hit a tie-breaking HR in the seventh-inning of Monday's 3-1 win. I'm not ready to say the Orioles "are back" but the Texas bats have been very quiet since returning from the break, accumulating only 22 hits while scoring a modest 10 runs in four games, five of which came last Friday (that's five runs the last three games!). Make Baltimore a 10* play.

The set-up: The Pirates won 4-2 on Monday in the opener of this four-game  home series with the Brewers. It marked Pittsburgh's eighth win in its last 10 games and moved the Pirates to within six games of the first-place Brewers in the NL Central. More good news comes Pittsburgh's way in that Starling Marte returns to the lineup Tuesday night after serving an 80-game suspension for testing positive for the performance-enhancing substance Nandrolone. Marte was suspended on April 18 but will be in left field when the Pirates host the Milwaukee Brewers in the second of this four-game series. The loss represented the second in a row for Milwaukee, which had has now dropped back-to-back games for the first time since June 27-28. The Brewers are still atop the division but the Cubs have won four straight and are just 3 1/2 back (Cards are 5 1/2 back and the Pirates six back).

The pitching matchup: Junior Guerra (1-3 & 4.78 ERA) takes the mound for Milwaukee and Ivan Nova (9-6 & 3.21) for Pittsburgh. Guerra missed almost two months (from early April to late-May) with a right calf strain and has made only 10 starts (he has just one win and the Brewers are 4-6 in those starts). He had a third straight abbreviated start last time out when he took a come-backer off the shin and was knocked out of the game after 3 1/3 innings against the New York Yankees on July 7 (Brewers would win 9-4). He had pitched just four innings in each of his previous two starts, allowing a combined 12 runs on 16 hits in a pair of losses. Guerra faced the Pirates on June 21, giving up three runs and seven hits along with a season-high five walks in a 4-3 Milwaukee win (he had a no-decision). Guerra is 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA in four career starts against Pittsburgh (team is 3-1). Nova improved to 4-2 over his last six starts after limiting the Chicago Cubs to two runs on three hits over 6 2/3 innings on July 8, He was touched for four runs and a season-worst 11 hits over seven innings in a loss at Milwaukee on June 22, leaving him 1-1 with a 3.32 ERA in three career starts vs. the Brewers (teams are 1-2).

The pick: The Brewers may be a first-place team but that's not due to any real contributions from Guerra (again, one win in 10 starts!). This marks his first start since the break, after stumbling through an injury-plagued first half of the season. Meanwhile, Nova had nine wins at the break and will continue his best season since going 16-4 with the Yankees in 2011. Pittsburgh is playing much better and gets Marte back for this one and after all, aren't we all waiting for Milwaukee to crash? Let's not forget that his team went 73-89 in 2016 and 68-94 in 2015. Make Pittsburgh a 10* play.

The set-up: The Rockies lost 13 of 18 games prior to the break and returned to play this past weekend at Citi Field against the Mets. They promptly lost 14-2 and 9-3, giving them 15 losses in their previous 20 games. Colorado is hoping it has stopped the bleeding after Sunday’s 13-4 rout of the Mets, as the Rockies open a three-game series against the visiting San Diego Padres on Monday. The Padres beat the Giants 7-1 on Sunday and all of a sudden own three straight series wins (6-3 during that run but still just 40-51 on the season).

The pitching matchup: Luis Perdomo (4-4 & 4.54 ERA) gets the nod for San Diego and German Marquez (6-4 & 4.36 ERA) for Colorado. Perdomo won his third consecutive start on July 5, holding Cleveland to two runs (one earned) over five innings in a 6-2 victory. He has allowed three or fewer runs in 11 of his 15 outings this season but the Padres are only a modest 7-8 in his starts. He is 0-2 with a 5.32 ERA in five career games (three starts / team is 0-3) against Colorado. Marquez is pitching for the first time since July 7, when he allowed three runs over seven frames in 12-4 victory against the Chicago White Sox. The rookie is facing San Diego for the second time this season after allowing six runs on eight hits with nine strikeouts over five innings in an 8-5 loss at Petco Park on June 2.

The pick: The Padres have won four of their last six on the road but are still only 16-28 away from home on the season, getting outscored 5.11-to-3.45 RPG. Perdomo has seen his team lose all three of his starts against the Rockies (5.82 ERA) and faces a Colorado team long overdue to break out of its current slump. Why not here for the Rockies, where they've averaged 5.80 RPG at Coors in 2017. Make Colorado an 8* play.

The set-up: St. Louis opened a 10-game road trip by losing two of three at Pittsburgh over the weekend. The Cards fell to 18-23 on the road in 2017 and to 44-47 on the season, leaving them 6 1/2 back of the Brewers in the NL Central. The Mets began the second half by winning 14-2 and 9-3 over the visiting Rockies but were then routed 13-4 in Sunday’s series finale. The Mets welcome the Cards to Citi Field for a four-game series beginning tonight at 41-48, leaving them 13 games back of the Nats in the NL East.

The pitching matchup: Adam Wainwright (10-5 & 5.20 ERA) will get the start for the Cards and Zack Wheeler (3-6 & 4.86 ERA) for the Mets. Wainwright bested Wheeler and the Mets 4-1 right before the break in St. Louis on July 8, allowing one run and recording seven strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings. That gives him three straight wins, recording at least seven strikeouts in each outing. Wainwright is 4-5 with a 4.66 ERA in 12 career appearances (10 starts  / Cards are 5-5) against New York. Wheeler's last win came all the way back on May 20. He is win-less in his last seven starts since (he's 0-4 and the team 2-5) and had a stretch of three straight starts in which he didn’t make it past the fourth inning before he had a strong outing on July 8 at St. Louis, allowing two runs over six innings (that marked his first career appearance against the Cards).

The pick: Wainwright has pitched well since mid-May, although he has thrown in a few clunkers. Still, he has allowed two ERs or less in eight of his 11 starts since May 14 and that's not bad. Wheeler pitched as well as Wainwright when these two met on July 8 right before the break (4-1 St. Louis win) and I expect another low-scoring game in this one. Make the Under a 10* play.

The set-up: Washington addressed its biggest problem area (bullpen) over the weekend by acquiring a pair of solid relievers from Oakland. The Nationals lead the NL in batting average (.279) and runs scored (515) while ranking third in starters' ERA (3.57) but 14 blown saves and a major-league worst 5.31 ERA from their relievers have kept them a "tick below" the Dodgers and Astros. Washington just acquired right-hander Ryan Madson and left-hander Sean Doolittle from Oakland in hopes of solving its bullpen woes. So far in this series at Cincy, relief has not been needed. The Nats have hit 10 HRs en route to outscoring the Reds 29-11 in winning the first three of this four-game series. Washington now owns a four-game winning streak and at 55-36, a 9 1/2 game lead in the NL East. The Reds have fallen to 39-52, 11 1/2 games out in the NL Central.

The pitching matchup: Stephen Strasburg (9-3 & 3.43 ERA) takes the mound for Washington and Scott Feldman (7-6 & 3.94 ERA) for Cincinnati. Strasburg did not pitch well in his last start prior to the break, allowing  a season-high tying six runs (three earned) over a season-low three innings before leaving the game after getting hit in the hip by a come-backer. The Nats lost that July 8 game 13-1 but have not lost since. Strasburg is 2-1 with a 5.00 ERA in seven starts versus the Reds (Nats are 3-4). Feldman lost in his last outing (July 5 at Colorado) , allowing a pair of HRs among the four runs and five hits he allowed over five innings in a 5-3 Colorado win. However, he had gone 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA over his previous three outings (teams was 3-0), including a win in Washington on June 25 in which he permitted two runs and seven hits across seven innings. Feldman is 1-0 with a 2.50 ERA in three starts versus Washington (teams are 2-1).

The pick: Feldman has been solid at Great American Ball Park this season, going 4-2 with a 3.00 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in nine starts but the Reds are just 4-5. Avoiding a sweep at the hands of the Nats will be a difficult chore. Starsburg has to be looking to get back on track after his very poor July 8 start and note that the Nats have won four in a row since that game, outscoring opponents 39-16. As for Strasburg, he's 6-1 (2.61 ERA) on the road in 2017 over eight starts (Nats are 6-2). Make the Nats an 8* play.

The setup: The NY Yankees and Boston Red Sox played a 16-inning marathon on Satuday (Yanks won 4-1) and now play a Sunday day/night doubleheader. Saturday's game lasted nearly six hours but New York pulled within 3 1/2 games of the first-place Red Sox with the win. However, the contest left both teams with uncertainty heading into Sunday's twin-bill Sunday, as each team used seven relievers in the longest game between the rivals at Fenway Park since 1966. New York turns to fill-in starter Bryan Mitchell in the matinee against Boston's Rick Porcello

The pitching matchup (Game 2): Masahiro Tanaka (7-8 & 5.47 ERA) for the Yanks and David Price (4-2 & 3.91 ERA) for the Red Sox. Tanaka has had a wildly inconsistent season and went into the break off a rough outing against Milwaukee last Sunday, allowing five runs in 4 1/3 innings while serving up two HRs. He's now allowed 23 HRs, the second-most in the AL. Tanaka is 6-3 with a 3.89 ERA in 12 career starts vs. Boston (NYY are 6-6). Price didn't come off the disabled list until May but has allowed three ERs or fewer in all but one of his nine starts, since. He owns a 4.76 ERA in his 36 career starts against the Yankees (he's 14-11 and his teams 21-15).

The pick: Tanaka posted his second career shutout with a three-hit gem at Fenway Park back on April 27 but was reached for five runs on five hits (including three HRs) in five innings of a rematch at Yankee Stadium last month. He is not to be trusted. Price may be unhappy (particularly with the media) but he's been very consistent since getting a late start to the 2017 season. Make Boston a 10* play.

The set-up: The Rangers followed Friday's 5-3 win in Kansas City with a 1-0 shutout win on Saturday, giving them five wins in their last six game and getting themselves back to .500 at 45-45. Almost all AL teams are alive in the wild card chase at this stage and Texas has clearly climbed back into contention as the Rangers are currently just two back of the final wild card spot. In contrast, the Royals are heading in the opposite direction. After going 6-1 from June 30 through July 5, KC has now lost five straight to fall to 44-45 (note: team is still just 2 1/2 out of that final wild card spot!).

The pitching matchup:. Yu Darvish (6-8, 3.49 ERA) takes the mound for Texas and Ian Kennedy (3-6 & 4.45 ERA) for Kansas City. Darvish has dropped four straight decisions, although twice in that span he allowed just two ERs, including last Sunday in a 3-0 defeat against the LA Angels. Darvish is 2-1 (2.25 ERA) in four career starts vs. KC (Texas is 3-1). Kennedy gets his first start since the break coming off going unbeaten in his last six starts with a 3.22 ERA. He's gone at least six innings in five of those outings. posting a 3-0 record (KC is 5-1).

The pick: Texas goes for the sweep here but Kennedy has a nice run going (see above). As for Darvish, he is a way better pitcher than his current record and I expect that he'll continue the fine pitching the Texas staff has shown lately, when the Rangers have allowed a total of just 10 runs in winning five of six. Make the Under a 10* play.

The set-up: The Blue Jays entered the season off back-to-back appearances in the ALCS in 2015 and 2016 but Toronto just can't seem to find a groove, after opening 2-11 (team was 8-17 at the close of April). The Jays returned from the All Star break to win 7-2 in Detroit on Friday but then got clobbered on Saturday, as the Tigers bounced back with their highest offensive output in a month in an 11-1 victory. J.D. Martinez and Miguel Cabrera each had three hits and a HR (Martinez had five RBI) but Detroit is still just 40-49 on the season. The Blue Jays failed to build on Friday's 7-2 series opening win, as they managed just two hits in the entire game plus needed their bullpen for six innings after Francisco Liriano exited early with neck stiffness. Toronto sits at 42-48 and is tied for last-place in the AL East with Baltimore. The Jays and Tigers play the rubber match of this three-game series early Sunday afternoon in Detroit.

The pitching matchup: Marco Estrada (4-6 & 5.17 ERA) takes the hill for the Jays and Anibal Sanchez (1-0 & 5.89 ERA) for the Tigers. Estrada won his last two starts in May, striking out 20 and giving up two runs over 13 2/3 innings, leaving him 4-2 with a 3.15 ERA. However, his season has fallen apart since. He gave up six runs and four walks over 4 2/3 innings versus the New York Yankees right before the break, marking the fifth time in his last seven starts in which he has failed to get through five innings. Estrada is 0-4 with a bloated 9.46 ERA during a seven-start win-less drought (team is 2-5). Sanchez had a 9.00 ERA in mid-May when he was sent to the minors after making 11 appearances, all in relief. However, since joining the rotation upon his recall, he has been a changed pitcher. He owns a 3.09 ERA over four starts and has put together a string of three consecutive quality starts heading into this one. Sanchez is 3-3 with a 5.28 ERA in eight career starts against the Blue Jays (teams are 4-4).

The pick: Estrada will make his second career start against Detroit (1-0 & 3.60 ERA) when he opposes Anibal Sanchez. Note that Sanchez led the AL with a 2.57 ERA in 2013, which is the reason the Tigers gave him "one last shot" in the rotation. However, 2013 is a long time ago. Meanwhile, it's true that Estrada is win-less since May 27 but he was an American League All-Star selection in 2016. Make Toronto a 10* play.

The set-up: Mike Trout is back in the Los Angeles Angels' lineup but his much-ballyhooed return didn't result in a victory. Trout returned to the field after missing 39 contests with a torn ligament in his left thumb but went 1-for-5 in Friday's 10-inning, 2-1 loss to the visiting Rays. The loss was the Angels' eighth in 11 games, as LA fell three game back of the AL's final wild card spot in a very crowded field. As for Tampa Bay, its win coupled with New York's loss, give the Rays a one-game lead over the Yankees for the AL's No. 1 wild card spot.

The pitching matchup: Alex Cobb (7-6 & 3.75 ERA) takes the mound for the Rays and JC Ramirez (8-7 & 4.46 ERA) for the Angels. Cobb has delivered scoreless two-hit efforts in two of his last three starts, an eight-inning no-decision against Pittsburgh on June 27 and a 7 2/3-inning 1-0 victory over Boston on July 8. He is 3-1 with a 2.38 ERA over his last six starts (Rays are 4-2) and has given up fewer than three ERs in five of the six. Cobb is 1-2 with a 6.51 ERA in five career starts against the Angels (Rays are 2-3), including a 4-0 loss on May 23 in which he gave up four runs on seven hits over 7 1/3 innings. Ramirez came into the 2017 having never started a major-league game but he is the team's leader in victories (eight) after making 17 starts prior to the All-Star break (Angels are 10-7). He beat Texas 3-0 in his last start before the break, allowing just two hits in six scoreless innings. Ramirez defeated Tampa Bay on May 22, when he allowed two runs and six hits over 6 2/3 innings (2.70 ERA).

The pick: Cobb has been mentioned as someone the Rays could trade before the non-waiver trading deadline July 31 but Cobb's recent efforts have put the Rays in serious wild card contention and Tampa Bay would surely need both Archer and Cobb in the rotation if the team wants to compete for a playoff spot. This Cobb/Ramirez matchup has the markings of a pitchers duel. Make the Under an 8* play.

The set-up: The Brewers went just 73-89 in 2016, finishing 30 1/2 games behind the Cubs in the NL Central. However, Milwaukee has been one of 2017's biggest surprises in the first half of the season, coming out of the All Star break with a 5 1/2 game lead over the Cubs and finding themselves atop the division. The All-Star break did nothing to slow down the Brewers' mojo, as they maintained their lead over the Cubs (Chicago won 9-8 on Friday) by winning 9-6 at home last night over MLB-worst Philadelphia Phillies. An eight-run second inning (powered by Ryan Braun's sixth career grand slam), was all Milwaukee needed to make it seven wins in its last eight games. Philadelphia remains mired in the NL East basement, as well as owning MLB's worst overall record (29-59), its worst road record (13-34) and its second-worst moneyline mark (minus-$2383).

The pitching matchup: Aaron Nola (6-6 & 3.59 ERA) starts for the Phillies and Jimmy Nelson (8-4 & 3.30 ERA) for the Brewers. Nola has been Philly's best pitcher since the beginning of June but had his three-start winning streak snapped last time out as he suffered a hard-luck loss to San Diego on July 8, after allowing two runs on four hits in eight innings. He has given up a total of only five runs and recorded 34 strikeouts in 29 1/3 innings (1.53 ERA) over his last four starts and has yielded more than three runs just once in his last seven outings! Nola was superb in his two previous career starts against Milwaukee, allowing one run and striking out 16 over 13 innings while notching a pair of victories (0.69 ERA). Nelson comes into this contest having won each of his last three starts, including a road outing against the New York Yankees on Sunday in which he gave up three runs over five innings. Nelson has posted a 1-1 record and 6.89 ERA in three career outings against Philadelphia (team is 1-2).

The pick: The Brewers are playing with supreme confidence (at least for now) and in Nelson, Milwaukee has a pitcher who has gone 4-0 with a 0.97 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 37 innings) over his last five Miller Park starts. His lone no-decision in that span came in a game in which Nelson tossed eight scoreless innings (11-0 KW ratio) but Milwaukee would lose 2-1 in 12 innings (Nelson's mound opponent was some guy named Kershaw). At first blush this looks like an under but is either pitcher really as good as he has looked lately? I think not. Nola's career ERA is 4.08, Nelson's is 4.16 plus Philly's bullpen ERA is 4.54 and Milwaukee's 4.04. Make the Over an 8* play.

The set-up: The Nats, owners of MLB's second-largest division lead, returned from the break and right out of the gate got a four-game series at Cincinnati against the last-place (NL Central) Reds. Bryce Harper hit a pair of HRs in Friday's 5-0 victory, as the Nationals improved to 6-2 in their last eight contests overall and upped their road record to an impressive 27-17. The Reds fell to 23-21 at home and 39-50 overall, 10 1/2 games out of first in their division.

The pitching matchup: Max Scherzer (10-5 & 2.10 ERA) gets the nod for Washington and Luis Castillo (1-1 & 3.13 ERA) for Cincinnati. Scherzer settled for a no-decision in his final start before the All-Star break, allowing four runs on six hits over 7 2/3 innings but the Nationals went on to beat Atlanta 5-4. The NL's All Star game starter had permitted two or fewer ERs in his previous eight starts, going 6-2 in that stretch. Scherzer is 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA in three career starts against the Reds (teams are 1-2). Castillo is a rookie who has given up two or fewer runs in three of his first four major-league starts. He earned his first victory last time out with 6 2/3 scoreless innings at Arizona, as the Reds won 7-0. He owns a 30-10 KW ratio over 23 innings in his four starts. Castillo allowed five hits and two runs on solo homers by Brian Goodwin and Anthony Rendon in five innings and was in line for the win before a blown save led to a 6-5 Washington win back on June 23 in his MLB debut.

The pick: Scherzer over Castillo (fifth career start) is a "no-brainer," as he takes major league-best 2.10 ERA and NL-leading 173 strikeouts into Saturday's start. Scherzer also has the added bonus in that the Nationals feature a lineup that includes the National League's top three hitters, Murphy (.342), Harper (.327) and Zimmerman (.327). You don't see that too often! Make the Nats an 8* play.

The set-up: New York/Boston is one of the best rivalries in any sport. The Red Sox took the first of this three-game series Friday night 5-4 with a two-run rally in the bottom of the ninth off Yankee closer Aroldis Chapman. The Yankees have now dropped 19 of 26 and have fallen 4 1/2-games back of Boston in the AL East (that division deficit matches a season high). The loss also represents just the latest bullpen disaster for New York, which has now lost five straight one-run games! It took a while for Boston to getting going in 2017, as the Red Sox were only 21-21 through games played May 20 but they began a six-game winning streak on May 21 and Boston has gone 30-18 since being 21-21, surging to the top of the division.

The pitching matchup: It's a battle of All Stars on Saturday, with Luis Severino (5-4 & 3.54 ERA) facing Chris Sale (11-4 & 2.75 ERA). Severino entered the break on a high note after fanning 10 in seven solid innings against Milwaukee last Saturday. He has 29 strikeouts against just three walks over his last three starts and is fourth in the AL (Sale is first) with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 4.59. He pitched seven scoreless innings in a win at Fenway Park on April 26 but is 1-3 with a 4.07 ERA in five career games (four starts) versus Boston. Sale dropped his first-half finale after giving up four runs in seven innings at Tampa Bay on July 6 but he did finish with 12 strikeouts and no walks in the 4-1 loss. Sale's been great at Fenway in 2017, going 6-1 with a 2.34 ERA and 0.85 WHIP in eight starts (Sox are 7-1).

The pick: Four days after starting the All-Star Game for the AL, Sale will make his first start of the second half of the season Saturday afternoon. Sale has lived up to all of Boston's expectations so far, entering the break leading the majors in strikeouts (178) while ranking near the top of any number of other major statistical categories. In eight career starts vs. New York, he owns a 1.54 ERA. What's not to like about Sale over a struggling New York team? Make Boston a 10* play.

The set-up:The defending AL champion Indians have struggled at home in 2017, going 21-24. However, the team's 26-16 road record is good enough to give them a 21/2 game lead in the AL Central as the second half begins. The A's are just 39-50 (a whopping 21 games back of the Astros in the AL West), while they battle the 38-49 White Sox and 39-49 Tigers for the AL's worst record. The Cleveland Indians visit the Oakland Athletics on Friday for the opener of their three-game series, as the team begins the second half with a six-game trip to the Bay Area (three games at San Francisco will be next). It's a good opportunity to stretch the team's AL Central lead, drawing two last-place teams as all teams return to play after the All Star break:

The pitching matchup: Carlos Carrasco (10-3 & 3.44 ERA) will start for the Indians and Sonny Gray (4-4 & 4.00 ERA) for the A's Carrasco has won five consecutive decisions, as well as seeing the Indians win 12 of his last 13 starts, overall. Cleveland is 14-3 in all of his starts in 2017, giving him MLB's fourth-best moneyline mark at plus-$818. Carrasco improved to 3-0 with a 1.80 ERA in five career appearances (four starts / teams are 3-1) against Oakland on May 29, when he gave up two runs on four hits in seven innings. Gray has produced three straight strong starts, going 2-1 while allowing five runs - four earned - over 21 innings during that span (1.71 ERA). Gray fell to 2-2 and saw his ERA rise to 4.00 in six career starts ((A's are 3-3) versus the Indians on May 30, when he was tagged for seven runs on nine hits over 4 2/3 innings at Cleveland.

The pick: I wouldn't want to buck the Indians here but I also like the way Gray is beginning to find his form, after a late start to the season due to injury. That said, expecting the A's to reach Carrasco would be a stretch, considering he has a 7-1 record and 2.38 ERA in nine road starts (team is 8-1) while limiting opponents to a .197 batting average. Make the Under a 10*.

The set-up: The Brewers went 73-89 in 22016, finishing 30 1/2 games back of the eventual World Series-winning Cubs. However, the Brewers open the second half of the 2017 season at ,50-41, giving them a 5 1/2 game lead on the Cubs in the NL Central. The Phillies finished just two games worse than the Brewers last season (71--91) but unlike Milwaukee, Philadelphia gets back on the field owning MLB's worst record (29-58), which puts them on pace to win only 54 games. Philadelphia also owns the second-worst moneyline mark (minus-$2287), besting only the hard-to-explain SF Giants.

The pitching matchup: Nick Pivetta (2-4 & 4.73 ERA) will get the nod for the Phillies and Zach Davies (10-4 & 4.90 ERA) for the Brewers. Pivetta continues to struggle allowing HRs, giving up 12 in his 11 starts to begin his MLB career. The Phiilies are 3-8 in all of his starsts, including 2-5 on the road where his ERA is 5.56 and his WHIP is 1.76. This marks his first career start against the Brewers. Davies won his third straight start and improved to 5-1 in his last seven outings on July 6, allowing just two runs on five hits in six innings of an 11-2 rout of the Chicago Cubs. "Personally, (10 wins is) something that kind of makes you happy," the 24-year-old told reporters. "There are personal goals that you want to hit, but at the same time, we want to play in October." Davies struggled in his lone encounter versus Philadelphia, taking the loss after permitting four runs on nine hits in six innings of a 5-2 setback on April 22, 2016.

The pick: The Brewers aren't just leading the NL Central, they are also one of MLB's best money-making teams in 2017, checking in at plus-$1762 (third-best among all teams). Davies has been a HUGE surprise, with Milwaukee going 12-6 in his starts, giving him a moneyline mark of plus-$787, which ranks fifth among all starters in 2017. The Phillies are 13-33 on the road and open the second half averaging 3.82 RPG, ranking 29th of 30 teams. Make the Brewers an 8*.

The set-up: The Mets opened the 2017 season off a World Series appearance in 2015 and an 87-win 2016 season (NL wild card) while the Rockies last had a winning record in 2010 and came into this season having averaged a modest 70 wins per, over that six-year drought. However, as all teams return from the four-day All Star break, it's the Rockies who are 'smelling' the 2017 playoffs, not the Mets. Yes, Colorado lost has 13 of 18 heading into the break but while they are 9 1/2 games back of the NL West-leading Dodgers, the team's 52-39 record gives them a 7 1/2 game cushion over the Cubs for the NL's second wild card spot. In stark contrast, the 39-47 Mets are 12 games back of the Nats in the NL East and almost as far back in the wild card standings (10 1/2 back).

The pitching matchups; Jon Gray (2-0 & 3.75 ERA) will start for Colorado and Jacob deGrom (9-3 & 3.65 ERA) for New York in a matchup of ace right-handers. Gray has been limited to just five starts in 2017 but has won both his starts since returning from an 11-week absence due to a stress fracture in his left foot. He earned the victory in his most recent outing on July 5, giving up three runs (two earned) over 5 2/3 innings as the Rockies defeated the Cincinnati Reds, 5-3. Gray allowed five ERs in his 2017 debut (4/3) but in his other four, owns a 2.25 ERA. DeGrom has been the only Mets starter to remain on the field and meet expectations this season. Opening Day starter Noah Syndergaard (lat) and former ace Matt Harvey (shoulder) remain on the shelf. DeGrom won his fifth straight start in his most recent appearance last Friday, when he allowed four runs over seven innings as the Mets beat the Cardinals, 6-5. He has a 1.62 ERA in the five consecutive wins.

The pick: Colorado's recent woes remain a concern and the jury is still out on Gray (is he 100% healthy?), as the second half opens. It's a small sample size but Gray does own a 6.13 ERA in three career starts vs. the Mets. In contrast, deGrom owns an 0.95 ERA in four career starts against the Rockies and does come in off five straight wins, pitching seven-plus inning in each one. Make the Mets a 10* play.

The set-up: The Tigers will attempt not to get swept in this three-game series at Cleveland tonight on ESPN. Detroit lost 11-2 on Friday and 4-0 on Saturday, falling 10 games below .500 (38-48) and nine games behind the AL Central-leading Indians, who are 47-39. The Tigers are 9-19 since June 8, while the defending AL champs are 16-8 since June 15. Cleveland leads the AL with a 3.77 team ERA, and their starting pitchers own a 1.96 ERA in their last seven games. Getting back to Detroit, manager Brad Ausmus is emphasizing that there is still the second half of the season to play. "It's a 162-game season and this team is built for 162 games," he said. "I'm confident the guys will bounce back." Methinks that Ausmus is 'whistling past the graveyard!'

The pitching matchup: Detroit's Michatel Fulmer (8-6, 3.20 ERA) was the AL rookie-of-the-year in 2016 (11-7, 3.06 ERA with Detroit going 19-7 in his starts for a plus-$1292 moneyline mark which ranked sixth-best) and will square off against 2014 Cy Young winner Corey Kluber (7-3, 2.85 ERA), who was a postseason pitching star for the Indians in 2016. Fulmer has not matched last season's success but he will be representing Detroit in Tuesday's All Star game. The same can be said of Kluber, who has been brilliant in his seven starts since coming off the DL. Kluber has gone 4-1 (the score in the one loss was 1-0), while posting a 1.24 ERA and holding opposing hitters to a .155 BA since June 1. He's struck out 10-plus batters in six of those seven starts, with a KW ratio in that span of 74-8!

The pick: While Kluber has been close to un-hittable lately, the Indians are just 4-3 in his dominating seven-start span. Yes, Cleveland's won the first two of this series but the Indians are still only 21-23 at home, easily giving them MLB's worst home moneyline mark of minus-$2046 (SF is next-worst at minus-$1053). The Indians are way too high of a favorite to play in the game but with two All Star pitchers squaring off, the Under earns a 10* rating.

The set-up: Seattle finally halted an eight-game home losing streak with Friday's 7-2 victory over Oakland. Nelson Cruz drove in five runs and hit the 300th HR of his career to lead the way. Both teams are far behind the Astros in the AL West but as I often note, at this point of the season, the AL wild card race remains reasonably open. Either team could sure use a two-game sweep over the weekend, with 42-46 Seattle trailing the second wild card spot by four games and 38-49 Oakland finding itself 7 1/2 games back.

The pitching matchup: Chris Smith (NR) of Oakland Athletics will be making one of the more unlikely starting debuts in major-league historv in tonight's contest, opposed by Seattle's Andrew Moore (1-1 & 3.60 ERA). Smith owns a 4.58 career ERA while seeing time with the Boston Red Sox (2008), Milwaukee Brewers (2009-10) and Athletics. He was released by the Seattle Mariners in 2011 and became a coach at UC Riverside (his alma mater), before later giving the sport another try and catching Oakland's attention during an independent league stint. Smith becomes the oldest starter in Athletics' franchise history at 36 years, 90 days. Moore is a rookie, making his third career start. He pitched eight innings while beating the Detroit Tigers 9-6 in his debut (June 22), then pitched seven innings while losing to the Kansas City Royals 3-1 in his second outing (July 3). Moore has allowed three ERs in each of his previous two starts.

The pick: Moore may be holding opponenst to a .204 BA but he's also given up three HRs in his 15 innings. As for Smith, it's quite a storybook adventure but Seattle has averaged 5.09 RPG at home and has had 11 hits in each of the first two games of this series. Neither bullpen is much of a help (Seattle's ERA is 4.28 and Oakland's 5.08!), so the Over is a 10* play.

The set-up: The Rockies got a much-needed 12-4 win last night in the first of a three-game home IL series with the White Sox. Colorado had hoped to make a move this week while the last-place Reds (NL Central) and last-place White Sox (AL Central) came to Coors Field. However, the Rockies were able to do no better than a 2-2 split against the Reds and last night's win over the White Sox was just the team's fourth in its last 16 games. One of the main reasons Chicago is a last-place team is that the White Sox are now 18-30 road, after allowed 26 runs in losing three straight away games.

The pitching matchup: Jose Quintana (4-8 & 4.45 ERA) will start for Chicago and Jeff Hoffman (5-1 & 4.01 ERA) for Colorado. It has not been a good season for the Chicago lefty, whose ERA is about one run higher than his career average of 3.51. Quintana defeated the Rockies in his lone career start against them when he gave up two runs on five hits over seven innings on April 8, 2014. Hoffman is serving up an excellent rookie season, with the Rockies having won six of his eight starts in 2017. He faces Chicago for the first time in this one.

The pick: I expected the Rockies to handle the Reds (they didn't) but I'll back then here as an 8* play.

The set-up: The Dodgers beat the Royals 4-1 in Friday's opener of this three-game IL series and have won 24 of their last 28 games heading into Saturday’s contest (Dodgers are a MLB-best 37-11 at home). The Kansas City Royals saw their four-game winning streak come to an end on Friday’s series opener but they've won 22 of their last 33 games to get within two games of the first-place Indians in the AL Central.

The pitching matchup: Ian Kennedy (3-6 & 4.44 ERA) gets the call for KC and Brandon McCarthy (6-3 & 3.25 ERA) for LA. Kennedy earned his third straight win last Monday, 3-1 at Seattle against Seattle. He has now gone 3-0 with a 2.22 ERA in his last four starts (Royals are 4-0), after going 0-6 with a 5.40 ERA in his first 11 outings of 2017. Kennedy has sure had his troubles with LA, going 5-9 with a 4.31 ERA in 20 career starts against the Dodgers (teams are 9-11), including 0-7 since his last win on September 11, 2012 while with Arizona. McCarthy will be activated off he disabled list to start Saturday night for the first time since June 25, when he allowed five runs (four earned) in three innings against Colorado. He has battled knee soreness throughout the season but was cleared to start after throwing a four-inning simulated game last Monday. McCarthy is 3-2 with a 4.05 ERA in 14 career games (six starts / teams are 4-2) against Kansas City.

The pick: Kennedy started the season 0-6, which was one of the more misleading records in baseball. He has allowed six hits or fewer in all 15 starts this season. However, the Royals scored just 28 runs in his first 10 starts. As noted above, the Royals have won Kennedy's last four starts, in which he has gone six innings or more in three of them, allowing just 14 hits and six ERs in 24 1/3 innings. The Dodgers are 6-2 in McCarthy's home starts (he's allowed two ERs or less six of the eight), while posting an impressive 1.02 WHIP at home. Make the Under an 8* play.

The pick: This is the best Nova has pitched since he went 10-3 in 17 starts in 2012 with the New York Yankees, prior to that year's All Star break. Still, I'm not quite sold. Yes,  it's been a tough first half for Arrieta, but he's pitched solidly at Wrigley in 2017, going 3-0 (team is 4-1) in a modest five starts in the "Friendly Confines." Make the Cubs an 8* play.

The set: The 37-49 Padres and the 28-57 Phillies continue their three-game set tonight in Philadelphia. San Diego Padres catcher Austin Hedges, who leads NL catchers with 13 HRs, went deep in each of his first two at-bats in his first career start at Citizens Bank Park and after a long rain delay before delivered a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the ninth to give San Diego a 4-3 victory. It marked the Padres' fourth win in five games, while the Phillies dropped their fourth straight contest. Neither team is going anywhere in 2017, as San Diego is 21 games back of the Dodgers in the NL West and Phildelphia sits 22 1/2 games back of the Nats in the NL East.

The pitching matchup: Jhoulys Chacin (7-7 & 4.52 ERA) will take the mound for the Padres and Aaron Nola (6-5 & 3.73 ERA) for the Phillies. Chacin bested the Dodgers 5-3 last Sunday in San Diego, continuing his home dominance in 2017. He's 5-2 with a 1.68 ERA in nine home starts but away from pitching-friendly Petco, he has been among the worst starting pitchers in MLB this season. He owns an abysmal 9.08 ERA in eight road starts. He hasn't faced the Phillies since 2014 but is 2-1 with a 2.25 ERA in seven appearances (five starts / teams are 2-3) versus Philadelphia. Nola won his third consecutive start Monday against Pittsburgh, firing seven scoreless innings while allowing four hits and striking out eight in a 4-0 Philly win. He has posted a 1.27 ERA during his win streak, striking out at least eight each time. Nola is 4-2 in six starts with a 2.68 ERA since the beginning of June, He has three career starts against San Diego, going 1-1 with a 3.60 ERA (team is 2-1).

The pick: Chacin home/away dichotomy is real, evidenced also by his 0.92 WHIP in San Diego, compared to a 1.99 WHIP on the road. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Phillies' pitching staff has lacked a true ace since trading Cole Hamels midway through the 2015 season. I don't want to carried away but Nola, a 24-year-old who was the club's first-round pick in 2014, looks like a budding ace. He's won three straight, going at least seven innings in each, while posting a 1.27 ERA (three ERs allowed  in 21 1/3 innings pitched). With Chacin's road woes, make the Phillies an 8* play.

The set-up: The Houston Astros own MLB's best overall record on the strength of the team's outstanding road record. Houston pounded out 14 hits in Friday's a 12-2 victory at Toronto, improving to 21-4 away from home since the middle of May (Astros are 32-10 away from home on the season, owning MLB's best moneyline mark of plus-$). George Springer had four hits (including two HRs) to go along with five RBI. Jose Altuve added three hits for the Astros to raise his major league-leading average to .342, and Carlos Correa hit his 18th HR to extend his hitting streak to 15 games, giving him the longest active run in the majors. The Blue Jays dropped to 40-46 with the loss Friday, leaving them tied with Baltimore in the AL East basement, 9 1/2 games back of the Red Sox. The Blue Jays, who have played in the last two ALCS matchups, just can't seem to get "back in the race," after opening 2017 by going 7-18 in April (started the season 2-11).

The pitching matchup: Mike Fiers (5-3 & 3.80 ERA) will start for Houston and Marcus Stroman (8-5 & 3.42 ERA) for Toronto. Fiers didn't have his "A game" in his last outing against the Yankees. He needed 105 pitches to get through four innings but he struck out seven (did allow four walks) and was pulled after four scoreless innings in a game the Astros won 8-1. Opponents have managed 16 hits in 30 innings over Fiers' last five outing, part of an eight-start stretch in which the Astros are 6-2 when he takes the mound (1.93 ERA). Fiers is 1-2 with a 4.07 ERA in three career starts against the Blue Jays and that includes him allowing five runs (four earned) in 4 2/3 innings in his only prior start at the Rogers Centre. Stroman allowed two runs in five innings last Monday at Yankee Stadium (Yanks won 6-3). It marked the 13th time in 17 starts in 2017 in which he has allowed three ERs or less. Stroman has faced the Astros just three times in his career, going 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA (team is 1-2).

The pick: Always a little dangerous going against the Astros, especially on the road (see above) but Stroman owns a strong 2.87 ERA in nine home starts this season for the Blue Jays and I'm not ready to quit just yet on this Toronto team. Make the Blue Jays a 10* play.

The set-up: Almost all AL teams remain within shouting distance of the two wild card spots available, as the 2017 season gets set for its four-day All Star break come Monday. The 41-46 Mariners may be 17 1/2 games back of the Astros in the AL West and the 38-48 A's find themselves 20 games back but Seattle is much more modest 4 1/2 games out of the final AL wild card spot, while the A's are seven-back (granted, it's a VERY crowed field!). The teams opened a four-game series Thursday night with the A's winning 7-4, which drops Seattle to 0-4 on its current homestand, as well as making it eight straight home losses for the Mariners. No way Seattle has any chance at a wild card spot if it doesn't turn around its fortunes at home. As for the A's, they've been an awful road team all season, as Thursday's win leaves them just 13-27 away from home on the season.

The pitching staff: Sean Manaea (7-4 & 3.75 ERA) gets the nod for Oakland and James Paxton (6-3 & 3.27 ERA) for Seattle. Manaea settled for a no-decision against Atlanta on Sunday but continued his good pitching, allowing just two runs on six hits in a season-high 7 1/3 innings. He is now 6-2 since coming off the DL in mid-May, a span of 10 starts (A's are 7-3). He's given up more than three runs only twice in those 10 outings, although his first start back from the DL came on May 15 against the Mariners, when he allowed four runs on two hits and five walks in five innings in a 6-5 loss. He's 3-1 with a 4.50 ERA in five career starts (team is 3-2) against Seattle. Paxton halted a four-start win-less drought (he was 0-3 and the team 1-3) when he limited the Angels to one run on two hits over 6 1/3 innings at Los Angeles in a 5-3 win. Paxton is 2-0 with a 4.13 ERA in four career starts against the Athletics (team is 3-1), including a no-decision at Oakland on April 20 in which he surrendered five runs on nine hits over 4 1/3 Innings.

The pick: Last night's game finished with 11 runs and 21 hits. Seattle pitching has now allowed 24 runs in its last three games and note that Paxton struggled in his lone appearance against the A's this season. Yes, Manaea is in a nice groove but he's no Kershaw. Oakland is allowing 5.38 RPG on the road in 2017 and the Mariners, despite their struggles at home, are averaging 5.07 RPG at Safeco. With neither bullpen offering much relief (Seattle's bullpen ERA is 4.31 and Oakland's is 4.97), the Over is a 10* play.

The set-up: The 38-46 Detroit Tigers and the 45-39 Cleveland Indians open a three-game series at Progressive Field tonight, as MLB teams get ready for a four-day All Star break, beginning Monday. The Tigers capped a 5-4 homestand with a 6-2 win over the Giants on Thursday and enter this series seven games back of Cleveland. The Indians, the defending AL Champs, are clinging to first in the AL Central, leading the Royals by just one game and the Twins by 1 1/2. The team's home woes were not in evidence in Thursday's 11-2 rout of San Diego but that victory gives the Indians a poor 19-23 home mark. What a difference a year makes. The Indians went 53-28 at Progressive Field in 2016 (only the Cubs won more home games) and finished plus-$1230 against the moneyline. In stark contrast, the team's home moneyline mark in 2017 is minus-$22456, more than $1000 worse than MLB's second-worst home team's mark!

The pitching matchup: Jordan Zimmermann (5-6 & 5.58 ERA) starts for Detroit and Carlos Carrasco (9-3 & 3.50 ERA) for Cleveland. Zimmermann allowed a four-run sixth against the Indians just this past Saturday, losing to Carrasco and the Indians 4-1. That makes him 0-2 in his last five outings (Tigers are 1-4). He has been plagued by the home run ball all season, surrendering four in his last three outings and 21 in 16 starts on the season. Zimmermann is 0-2 with a 10.67 ERA over three career starts against Cleveland (teams are 1-2). Carrasco allowed just one run on four hits with seven strikeouts on Saturday against the Tigers, improving to 4-0 in his last five starts overall (Indians are 5-0). He's 2-1 with a 2.29 ERA in three outings versus Detroit this season but just 7-7 with a 4.69 ERA against them in 17 career starts (teams are 9-8).

The pick: In this quick pitching "re-hook" from Saturday, expect a similar effort from the starters. Zimmermann had thrown five scoreless inning until the sixth and as already noted, Carrasco yielded just one run on four hits with seven strikeouts in seven innings. So what else is new? Carrasco has allowed two runs or fewer in 11 of his 16 starts this season. Make the Under a 10* play.

The set-up: Oakland has endured slides of six, four and six contests since June 7, with a pair of four-game winning streaks in between, a model of inconsistency. The A's visit Seattle tonight to open a four-game series with the Mariners off back-to-back home wins over the White Sox, giving them a 38-45 record overall, leaving them in last-place in the AL West (21 games back of Houston). Seattle welcomes Oakland to town but the Mariners are on a seven-game home losing streak. Seattle allowed four runs in the first inning last night to Kansas City but was able to take a 6-4 lead, before losing 9-6 in 10 innings. Seattle sits just 41-45 on the season (17 1/2 games back of Houston) but can hold out a sliver of hope, as the Mariners are just four games out of the final wild card spot in the AL. However, to say the least, it's a crowded field.

The pitching matchup: A pair of rookie hurlers take the mound tonight, Paul Blackburn (0-0 & 0.00 ERA) for Oakland and Sam Gaviglio (3-3 & 3.48 ERA) for Seattle. Blackburn was impressive in his major-league debut on Saturday, allowing just one unearned run on three hits over six innings of a no-decision against Atlanta (Braves won 4-3). Before getting called up, he posted a 5-6 record and 3.05 ERA in 15 appearances (14 starts) for Triple-A Nashville. Blackburn will be starting against his former organization, as he was acquired from Seattle in November for Danny Valencia. Gaviglio will be making his 10th start of 2017 in this one but comes in win-less in his last three, despite allowing three runs or fewer each time. He suffered a second straight loss Saturday, when he gave up three runs on five hits over a career-high 6 1/3 innings in a 4-0 road loss against the Los Angeles Angels. Gaviglio will be facing Oakland for the first time.

The pick: Blackburn sure looked good in his debut and let's note that Gaviglio has worked at least five innings in each of his nine starts in his rookie season. Gaviglio should have little trouble with the A's, who are 13-27 on the road, averaging just 3.92 RPG. Make the Under a 10* play.

The set-up: The Boston Red Sox sat at 21-21 in games played through May 20. However, despite seeing their six-game winnings streak snapped last night in an 8-2 loss at Texas, the Red Sox open a four-game series at Tampa Bay tonight against the Rays, having won 28 of their last 43 games. The 49-36 Red Sox come into the final four days before the break four games better than the Yankees in the AL East and 5 1/2 games better than the third-place Rays, who are 44-42. Tampa Bay reached a season-high four games above .500 on June 27 but enter this series having lost six of its last 10.

The pitching matchup: Chris Sale (11-3 & 2.61 ERA) gets the start for Boston and rookie Jacob Faria (3-0 & 2.23 ERA) for Tampa Bay. Sale is a strong candidate to get the start for the AL in Tuesday's All-Star Game and leads the majors with 166 strikeouts, while Boston has gone 13-4 in his starts (plus-$580 ranks 15th among all starters). Sale comes in with seven wins in his last eight starts and has made two starts against Tampa Bay earlier in this season, winning each one while allowing four runs on five hits with 24 strikeouts in 14 innings (2.57 ERA). He's now 6-4 with a 3.51 ERA against Tampa Bay in his career. Faria has yet to lose in five big league starts and has recorded a quality start in each one. He won his first three but has had back-to-back no-decisions in his most recent two (Rays are 1-1). Faria owns an 0.90 WHIP and .202 BAA to go along with his excellent 2.23 ERA in 2017.

The pick; Have to like what Faria has done so far but Sale is rolling and while the Red Sox were limited to three hits and didn't collect one until the sixth inning in last night's 8-2 loss, Boston had averaged 8.8 runs during its six-game winning streak. Make Sale and Boston an 8* play.

The set-up: The St. Louis Cardinals earned series wins over two of MLB's best teams, Arizona and Washington, before heading into the final week before the All-Star break with series at home against the Marlins and the Mets. Both of those teams are below .500 and the Cards hoped that a "big week" could get them to .500 (Cards opened the week three games under) by the break. However, after winning 14-6 on Monday to reach 40-42, St. Louis has dropped back-to-back games to fall to 40-44 with four games reamaining this week. Now, only four wins in a row will get St. Louis to the .500 mark by the break. Miami hit four HRs in Wednesday's 9-6 win, after Yelich hit a three-run HR to lead Tuesday's 5-2 victory. The back-to-back wins has temporarily put an end to a stretch in which the now 38-45 Marlins had lost five of seven.

The pitching matchup: Tom Koehler (1-3 & 8.33 ERA) takes the mound for Miami and Michael Wacha (5-3 & 4.16 ERA) for St. Louis. Koehler had arm troubles and was put on the DL shortly after getting ripped for eight ERs in just three innings by Houston on May 16. He made his first appearance since that time on July 1 and again was lit up for seven runs on six hits and a pair of walks in just 1 2/3 innings at Milwaukee. Koehler started against St. Louis back on May 10 but did not factor in the decision after allowing four runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings. It surely not good news for Miami that he's 1-3 with 7.62 ERA in five career starts against St. Louis (teams are 1-4) . Could Wacha be coming around? He's dominated in his last two starts, recording a pair of wins while allowing a total of just one run on nine hits in 12 innings (0.75 ERA). He struck out a season-high nine over six innings against Washington on Saturday while issuing one walk. Wacha has just two career starts against Miami, going 1-0 with a 5.40 ERA (Cards are 1-1).

The pick: Koehler has not completed six innings in any of his last five major-league appearances (Miami is 1-4 in that stretch) and on the season, he owns a 1.78 WHIP and .311 BAA to go along with his ugly 8.33 ERA. He has also surrendered 11 HRs in 40 overall innings. Then, there's his awful lifetime mark against St. Louis. With Wacha coming off back-to-back strong outings plus his 2.91 ERA in 10 home starts in 2017, what' not to like about St. Louis? Make the Cards a 10* play.

The set-up: The Arizona Diamondbacks were hoping to close the gap on the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West with a three-game series that began July 4th at Dodger Stadium. Things didn't go as planned Tuesday night, as a 4-3 loss to the Dodgers dropped the D'backs 3 1/2 games back of LA. Catching LA will not be easy, as the 56-29 Dodgers have won 21 of their past 25 games and own a major-league-best 34-11 home record, including 13-1 in the past 14 games at Dodger Stadium. LA owns a plus-154 run differential, which would tie the 1976 Cincinnati Reds for second best among NL teams heading into the All-Star break. Getting back to Arizona, it's been a remarkable turn around from 2016, when the team finished 69-93, 18 games out of a wild card spot. Arizona comes into tonight's game 52-32 (No. 1 wild card spot), which gives them a 10 1/2-game cushion in the wild card chase!

The pitching matchup: Zack Godley (3-2 & 2.67 ERA) takes the mound for Arizona and Alex Wood (9-0 & 1.83 ERA) for Los Angeles. Godley lost for only the second time in his 10 starts last Wednesday, despite holding St. Louis to three runs on two hits over seven innings. Arizona is 7-3 in his 2017 starts this season and he's posted a 2.45 ERA and 11 strikeouts in five career appearances (one start) covering 11 innings against the Dodgers. Godley may be doing a nice job but it pales in comparison to what Wood has accomplished in 2017 for LA. Wood became the first Dodgers pitcher to begin a season 9-0 since Rick Rhoden in 1976, after holding San Diego to one run over six innings last Friday. The National League’s ERA leader was denied a spot on the All-Star roster despite going 6-0 with a 1.83 ERA in six starts at home this season. Wood is 3-3 with a 3.60 ERA in 10 career games (six starts / teams are 2-4) against Arizona.

The pick: Both of tonight's starters have been terrific in 2017 but I'm leery that both are pitching "over their heads." Shutting down LA at home doesn't happen often (the Dodgers are averaging 5.60  RPG at Chavez Ravine this season) plus Wood will face an Arizona lineup averaging 5.18 RPG on the season (5th-best in MLB). Make the Over a 10* play.

The set-up: Boston rookie Andrew Benintendi knocked in the go-ahead runs in Monday's 7-5 Red Sox win in 11 innings, then went 5-for-5 with two HRs, six RBI and four runs scored in July 4th's 11-4 rout of the Rangers (Aaron Judge, who?). Boston has now won six straight (eight of nine) and will go for a three-game sweep of the Rangers in Texas on Wednesday night. The Rangers have now lost three straight and six of their last seven, with the team's pitching staff allowing at least five runs in each of those six setbacks. At 40-44, Texas now trails Houston by 17 games in the AL West. Meanwhile, after some early struggles, 49-35 Boston now leads the Yankees by four full games in the AL East

The pitching matchup: Doug Fister (0-1 & 4.91 ERA) takes the mound for Boston and Andrew Cashner (3-7 & 3.87 ERA) for Texas. Fister was claimed off waivers by the Boston Red Sox on June 25 and has been solid in each of his first two starts, allowing three ERs in each outing. He does not yet own a decision (Red Sox are 1-1) and with Fister spending last season with Houston in the AL West, he made five starts against Texas, posting a 1-2 record with a 4.73 ERA. He's 6-6 (4.98 ERA) in 16 career starts vs. Texas (teams are 6-10). Cashner spent two weeks on the disabled list with an oblique injury only to return on Thursday at Cleveland and get hit on the right elbow by a broken bat. He was charged with five runs on six hits in five-plus innings to suffer a 5-1 loss. He was diagnosed with just a bruise and steps to the mound again tonight. Cashner's ERA of 3.87 is better than his 3-7 record or Texas' 5-8 record in his 13 starts.

The pick: Fister has to be thrilled to join Boston and this guy has proven he can pitch in the majors. Again, Cashner has pitched better than his record shows and I'll make the Under a 10* play.

The set-up: The A's snapped a six-game slide on a walk-off HR last night. Oakland owns the AL's worst record (36-48) and Chicago its second-worst mark (37-46), as the two teams meet in the rubber match of this three-games series Wednesday afternoon. The A's are 23-21 at home and the White Sox just 18-28 on the road.

The pitching matchup: Mike Pelfrey (3-6 & 4.13 ERA) gets the nod for Chicago and Sonny Gray (3-4 & 4.09 ERA) for the A's. Pelfrey had a no-decision versus Texas in his last start, despite giving up five runs on eight hits (over five innings) and surrendering a pair of HRs for the second straight start. He has only one win in his last seven outings (six starts), although Chicago is 3-3 in those starts. That stretch includes a 3-0 home loss to the A's on June 23, which leaves him 0-5 in five career starts against Oakland, along with a bloated 7.56 ERA in those contests! Gray got a late start to the 2017 season due to injury but is coming off one of his best performances in his last outing, although he suffered a hard-luck loss. He allowed just one run on two hits over a season-high eight innings against Atlanta on June 30 (Braves won 3-1). Gray also was superb in his previous outing, beating the White Sox 5-3 in Chicago with seven strong innings of two-run ball (one earned). That gives him a 2-0 record (4.13 ERA) in four career starts vs. Chicago, although the A's are just 2-2.

The pick: Two bad teams here but with Chicago's poor 18-28 record and Pelfrey's downright 'ugly' 0-5 (7.56 ERA) career mark against the A's, Oakland has to be the 8* play.

The set-up: Everyone keeps waiting for the Chicago Cubs to recapture the magic from their World Series run last October but after losing the first of a two-game IL series at home to the Tampa Bay Rays on July 4, the Cubs sit 41-42. The Cubs fell to 1-6 in interleague play this season after going 15-5 against AL clubs in 2016. About the only good news for Chicago fans is that despite a sub-.500 record, the Cubs are only 3 1/2 games out of first in the NL Central. The teams wrap up this two-game set this afternoon and while the Cubs have dropped five of their last seven games, the Rays have won three of their last four and check in at 44-41, putting them in a virtual three-way tie for the AL's second wild card spot.

The pitching matchup: Blake Snell (0-5 & 5.36 ERA) starts for Tampa and John Lackey (5-9 & 5.24 ERA) for Chicago. It' been a rough season so far for Snell (I'm being kind here),
as he hasn’t made it through six innings since his season debut April 6. Snell has yet to record a quality start in nine outings this season, with the Rays going 2-7 in his starts. He'll make his first-ever start against the Cubs in this one. Meanwhile, the veteran Lackey has not been much better than Tampa's 24-year-old with just one win in his last seven decisions (he's 1-5 and the Cubs 2-5), while posting only three quality starts in his last nine outings. In fact, he's coming off his worst performance of the season last time out in an 8-4 loss at Washington, allowing eight runs on nine hits over 5 1/3 innings. Lackey is 14-8 with a 4.09 ERA in 25 starts against the Rays (teams are 16-9).

The pick: Lackey hasn’t faced the Rays since 2014 but I favor the vet over Snell, who is 1-7 with a 4.64 ERA in 14 career road starts and hasn't had a big league victory since September 22, 2016. Snell was recalled from the minors to start this past Friday (his first big league appearance since mid-May) and allowed four hits, five walks and six ERs in five inning at Pittsburgh. Make the Cubs.an 8* play.

The set-up: The Colorado Rockies returned home on Monday after going 1-8 on a nine-game road trip to LA, SF and Arizona. Overall, the Rockies had lost 10 of 11 but Colorado was set to play seven games at home this week prior to the All, Star break and its opponents were two last-place teams, the Cincinnati Reds and the Chicago White Sox. Colorado opened the week seven games back in the NL West but this homestand gave them an opportunity to pick up the pieces form a disastrous two-week slide. The Reds were up first and Colorado came through win a 5-3 win. It should be no surprise that the Reds lost on the road, as they are now 12-27 away from home, getting outscored 5.97-to-4.26 RPG.

The pitching matchup: Homer Bailey (0-2 & 27.00 ERA) starts for the Reds and Kyle Freeland (8-6 & 3.84 ERA) for the Rockies. Bailey, the owner of two career no-hitters, has struggled mightily in two starts since returning from elbow surgery, allowing 14 runs on 12 hits over 4 2/3 innings. He is 2-2 with a 4.43 ERA in seven career starts against the Rockies (team is 2-5). Freeland is making a case for being one of 2017's best rookie pitchers. He has completed at least six innings in 11 of his last 13 starts (Rockies are 10-6 in his starts). Freeland won at Cincinnati back on May 21 despite allowing four runs in 5 2/3 innings, his only outing against the Reds.

The pick: I backed the Rockies Monday and do so again here, as Colorado averages 5.,79 RPG at Coors this season and in the case of Bailey, will be facing a pitcher who may not be long for the majors. Make Colorado a 10* play, again.

The set-up: The Boston Red Sox are beginning to show more of a consistent offense. The team's 7-5 win (11 innings) over Texas in Monday’s series opener gives Boston five consecutive victories in which the team has scored at least six runs games. While the Yankees have struggled since mid-June, Boston has surged in that same time frame and Monday's win keeps the first-place Red Sox three games clear of the rival New York Yankees in the AL East (Boston is 48-35 and New York 44-37). The Rangers are stuck in the AL West with the Astros (owners of MLB's best record at 56-27) and have lost five of their last six to fall three games under .500 (40-43) and 16 games back of Houston.

The pitching matchup: David Price (3-2 & 4.61 ERA) takes the mound for Boston and Yu Darvish (6-6 & 3.11 ERA) for Texas. Price got a late start to the 2017 season due to injury and has also been sidetracked by getting into fights with local reporters and broadcasters. However, he is beginning to pitch well, entering this July 4 contest with a string of four straight starts of allowing three or fewer ERs. He matched season highs with seven strikeouts and seven innings pitched against Minnesota on Thursday and did not walk a batter in a 6-3 win. Price has had much success against Texas in his career though, going 3-9 with a 5.42 ERA in 17 starts (teams are better though with an 8-9 record, despite that high ERA). Darvish has pitched well lately, allowing a total of just two ERs over 13 innings in the last two starts. Darvish may be just 6-6 on the season but he has surrendered more than three runs just once in his last 13 outings and is holding opponents to a .205 batting average. Darvish hasn't faced Boston since 2014 and is 1-1 with a 3.63 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 22 1/3 innings over three starts against the Red Sox in his career (Texas is 2-1).

The pick: Two All-Stars caliber pitchers take the mound in this one and both have pitched well as of late. With that in mind, the Under is a 10* play.

The set-up: The A's swept the three-game series against the White Sox in Chicago from June 23-25 but opened a three-game home series with Chicago by losing 7-2 on Monday night. The defeat marks Oakland's sixth straight overall and the 35-48 A's also fell for the eighth straight time at home (both streaks are season highs!). The 37-45 White Sox are hardly making a surge but they have now won four of their past five games.

The pitching matchup: James Shields (2-1 & 3.98 ERA) will get the nod for Chicago and Daniel Gossett (1-3 & 5.57 ERA) for Oakland. Shields had a nightmare 2016 season pitching first for San Diego and then Chicago, but opened the 2017 season allowing exactly one run in each of his first three starts (he was 1-0 and Chicago 2-1 while posting a 1.62 ERA). However, a strained right lat sidelined him for two months. He is coming off his first win in three starts since returning, a 4-3 triumph over the New York Yankees on Thursday in which he allowed three runs (two earned) and five hits over 6 1/3 innings. Shields was battered for six runs on seven hits and three walks in three innings of a June 24 start in Chicago, losing 10-2. That setback evened Shields' career record against the Athletics at 6-6 and raised his ERA to 4.64 in 18 outings (teams are 10-8). Gossett allowed five runs on seven hits over five innings in a 6-1 loss at Houston on Thursday and will be making just his fifth overall start in the major leagues. Gossett posted his only career win opposite Shields at Chicago on June 24 after giving up two unearned runs and five hits in six innings of that 10-2 rout.

The pick: The A's are in a slump but the White Sox are still just 18-27 on the road and it sure doesn't help that their closer, David Robertson, is on the paternity list and is expected to miss the entire three-game series. Make Oakland an 8* play.

The set-up: The San Francisco Giants are suffering through a 'nightmare' season in 2017 (33-51, 22 games back in the NL West) but will take a season-high six wins in a row into this three-game IL series in Detroit against the Tigers. Like the Giants, the Tigers had Monday off and are also a last-place team at 36-48. Detroit has lost 11 of 15 to find itself saddled with its worst record at the 81-game mark since 2003 but the Tigers are a much more modest eight games out of first in the AL Central plus almost every AL team remains alive in the wild card chase at this stage of the season.

The pitching matchup: Matt Cain (3-7 & 5.46 ERA) takes the mound for San Francisco and Michael Fulmer (7-6 & 3.19 ERA) for Detroit. Cain hasn't won since an 8-4 triumph over the Dodgers back on May 15 and saw his win-less stretch extend to eight starts last Tuesday (he's 0-6 and the Giants 2-6) after receiving a no-decision on the heels of allowing three runs on six hits in six innings versus Colorado (SF won 4-3). That game vs. the Rockies concluded a disastrous June in which Cain posted a 7.77 ERA and 2.14 WHIP. Fulmer snapped a three-start losing skid on Thursday in a 7-3 victory over Kansas City. The 2016 AL rookie of the year allowed just two earned runs and struck out seven and was one out shy of a complete game.

The pick: The Tigers were 19-7 in Fulmer's starts last year and his moneyline mark of plus-$1292 ws 6th-best in all of MLB but Detroit is a more modest 8-7 in his 2017 starts. However, he happens to be the Tigers' lone All-Star representative. As noted, Cain's off an 'ugly' June but all of a sudden, the Giants are playing much better with the team's pitching staff leading the way by allowing just 17 runs in their six consecutive wins (2.83 per). Expect a decent effort out of Cain and Fulmer sure should be able to handle a San Francisco lineup which ranks 28th in runs scored (3.94 per) plus dead-last (30th) in OPS (.679) and HRs (70). Make the under an 8* play.

The set-up: The Mets got set to host the Nats for a four-game series at Citi Field back on June 15. New York entered that series having won five of six, while Washington had lost five of six. New York had 'closed' within 8 1/2 games of the Nats and was optimistic it had a chance to take the series and gain some ground. However, the Nats took the first three games of that series by the combined score of 22-9, before the Mets were able to salvage the finale with a 5-1 victory. The Mets were 31-37 in games played through June 18 and found themselves 10 1/2 games back of the Nats in the NL East. With the all Star break looming this coming Monday through Thursday, not much has changed for these two NL East rivals. On the morning of July 4th, the 38-44 Mets trail the 49-34 Nats by those same 10 1/2 games. The two worst bullpens in the National League (Mets own a 4.93 ERA & the Nats a 5.16 ERA) lived down to their billing last night, as Washington suffered its 14th blown save when Granderson belted a two-out, two-strike pitch for a tying two-run HR in the ninth. However, a trio of Mets relievers then gave it right back in the bottom of the inning on a pair of walks and Ryan Raburn's walk-off single. The Nationals improved to 8-3 this season against the Mets, who have dropped two in a row following a 7-1 run.

The pitching matchup: Seth Lugo (3-1 & 3.55 ERA) will start in this early first-pitch of 11:05 ET for the Mets and Joe Ross (4-3 & 5.12 ERA) gets the nod for the Nats. Lugo didn't make his 2017 debut until June 11 but won for the third time in four starts this past Thursday 6-3 at Milwaukee. He allowed three runs on six hits over six innings, his third quality start in his four outings.Lugo's lone defeat came in the previously mentioned series back in mid-June at Citi Field, when he surrendered four runs (three earned) in 6 2/3 innings in a 7-4 loss up against Washington's Strasburg. He is 1-1 with a 2.30 ERA in three games against Washington in his career. Ross was demoted to the minors after allowing five runs over four innings on April 30 but he's starting to come around. He did lose at the Mets on June 18 (vs. deGrom), giving up four runs (two earned) and nine hits over six innings but he has bounced back with consecutive strong starts versus Cincinnati and the Chicago Cubs. Ross is just 1-2 with a 4.71 ERA in five career starts (team is 2-3) against the Mets.

The pick: Lugo's done a solid job for the Mets since returning in June from a tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. That said, Ross has also been solid since the start of June, allowing two ERs or less in four of his five starts. I won't ignore Washington's 8-3 record against the Mets here in 2017 and will make the Nats an 8* play.

The set-up: The Colorado Rockires are happy to be home, after going 1-8 on a nine-game road trip to LA, SF and Arizona. The Rockies will play seven games at home this week prior to the All, Star break and their opponents will be two last-place teams, the 35-46 Cincinnati Reds and the 36-45 Chicago White Sox. Colorado has dropped 10 of 11 overall, to fall seven games back in the National League West but this homestand against a pair of last-place clubs gives them an opportunity to pick up the pieces. The Reds are up first, coming off winning two of three against the Cubs but Cincy owns a 12-26 road record, getting outscored 6.00-to-4.29 RPG.

The pitching matchup: Luis Castillo (0-0 & 3.38 ERA) starts for the Reds and Jeff Hoffman (4-1 & 4.04 ERA) for the Rockies. Castillo is a rookie making just his third ML start. He's pitched in hard luck so far, as he has left with the lead in each of his first two, only to see a pair of blown saves deprive him of a win. He limited Milwaukee to two runs and five hits while striking out nine in 5 2/3 innings on Wednesday. He was 4-4 with a 2.58 ERA at Double-A Pensacola before his recent promotion. Hoffman has seven starts in his eight appearances this season and has allowed two runs or less in five of his last six. This is Castillo's first appearance vs. Colorado and Hoffman's first time seeing Cincinnati.

The pick: The Rockies were outscored 53-26 and batted just .211 on their nine-game road trip but they drew one of MLB's worst road teams in the Reds these next four days. Colorado averages 5.81 RPG at home in Coors Field. Yes, the Rockies have lost 10 of 11 but this team still owns MLB's third-best moenyline mark at plus-$1480. It's time to turn things around. Make Colorado a 10* play.

The set-up: The Cardinals went 3-8 from June 13 through June 24, clinching the team's first sub-.500 month since June of 2016! However, the Cards beat the Pirates 8-4 on June 25 and capped a 5-1 run to end June with Friday night's 8-1 home win over the Nationals. St. Louis ended June 13-16 and the 139 runs the Cards surrendered in June represented the team's highest one month total since May 2012. However, the Cards silenced the National League's most proficient offense on Friday and Saturday, beating the Nats 8-1 and 2-1. The Cardinals were after their fifth straight victory Sunday night on ESPN but the Nats scored seven runs on 10 hits and Scherzer struck out 12 St. Louis batters in seven scoreless innings as the Nats won 7-2. The Cards continue their 10-game homestand when the Marlins come to St. Louis for four games. Miami halted a four-game skid by posting a 10-3 victory at Milwaukee on Sunday. The Marlins are just 36-44 (11 games back of the Nats in the NL East) and finish their 10-game road trip this weekend in San Francisco. Miami is the site of this year's All Star game (Tuesday, July 11).

The pitching matchup: Jeff Locke (0-4 & 5.52 ERA) will start for Miami and Adam Wainwright (8-5 & 5.17 ERA) for St. Louis. Locke has made six starts in 2017 and has yet to find the win column (Marlins are also 0-6). Locke has made 11 career appearances (10 starts / teams are 5-5) against St. Louis, going 2-4 with a 4.98 ERA. Wainwright has had a roller-coaster season but comes in having allowed just two runs in each of his last two starts. Wainwright is 5-2 with two shutouts and a 2.37 ERA in 11 career games (nine starts / team is 7-2) against the Marlins, including a no-decision at Miami on May 9 in which he allowed four runs over 5 1/3 innings.

The pick: Wainwright has been just awful in eight road starts this season, posting an 8.36 ERA. However, he's 5-1 with a 2.64 ERA in eight home outings in 2017! Yes, Locke is win-less in six starts this season but he's pitched better than his record, as he's allowed three ERs or less in five of his six outings. Make the Under a 10* play

The set-up: The 40-41 Orioles begin a four-game, home-and-home IL series with the Brewers, having won five of their past eight. Baltimore beat the Tampa Bay Rays 7-1 on Sunday to salvage the finale of a three-game series. Once upon a time, Baltimore was 22-10 and leading the AL East but prior to winning five of its last eight, Baltimore had lost 28 of its previous 41 games. Currently, the Orioles are 6 1/2 games back of the first-place Red Sox. The 44-40 Brewers remain in first place in the NL Central but their lead was cut to two games over the Cubs after Sunday's 10-3 loss to the Marlins.

The pitching matchup: Wade Miley (3-6 & 4.54 ERA) gets the nod for the Orioles and with Chase Anderson going on the 10-day DL last week, the Brewers will give a spot start to lefty Brent Suter (0-1 & 4.20 ERA). Miley continues to struggle, as he has failed to get through six innings in five consecutive starts, allowing 22 ERs in 20 2/3 frames during the slump (he's 1-3 with a 9.58 ERA and the team is 1-4). He owns a 5.17 ERA in five career starts against the Brewers but somehow is 3-1 (team is 4-1). Go figure? With Chase Anderson going on the 10-day DL last week, Milwaukee will give a spot start to Brent Suter (0-1 & 4.20 ERA). Suter makes just his fourth career start and second of the 2017 season. His first was on June 13 at St. Louis, when he gave up three runs in 4 2/3 innings during a 6-0 loss. He has a 3.48 ERA in seven relief appearances in 2017, striking out 10 batters in 10 1/3 innings. Suter was 3-1 with a 4.42 ERA in 10 games (eight starts) for Triple-A Colorado Springs before his recall in late June.

The pick: Miley's struggled all season and comes in with an 8.83 ERA over his last four road outings, serving up six HRs in that span and issuing more walks (13) than strikeouts (10). He also owns an 8.38 ERA in two appearances at Miller Park. His counterpart is a pitcher making just his fourth career start and I expect the Baltimore lineup to be just fine against him. Make the Over a 10*.

The set-up: The Cardinals went 3-8 from June 13 through June 24, clinching the team's first sub-.500 month since June of 2016! However, the Cards beat the Pirates 8-4 on June 25 and capped a 5-1 run to end June with Friday night's 8-1 home win over the Nationals. St. Louis ended June 13-16 and the 139 runs they Cardfs have surrendered represented the team's highest one month total since May 2012. However, all the Cards have done so far this weekend is silence the National League's most proficient offense. The Washington Nationals average 5.53 RPG, although following Friday's 8-1 loss, the Nats were again silenced on Saturday by the Cards' Michael Wacha who had a season-high nine strikeouts over six innings of a 2-1 St. Louis win. The Cardinals now seek their fifth straight victory and a three-game sweep of the NL's best road team Sunday night on ESPN . The Nats are 25-17 away from home and despite scoring just two runs in the first two contests of this series, are averaging 5.45 RPG on the road.

The pitching matchup: Max Scherzer (9-5, 2.06 ERA) takes the mound for the Nats and will face the Cards' Carlos Martinez (6-6 & 2.88 ERA). Scherzer allowed only one run and two hits while fanning six over six innings in a 6-1 win over the Cubs last Tuesday. He's the major-league leader in strikeouts (151) and WHIP (0.78). He has given up only six  ERs on 22 hits over his last seven starts spanning 54 innings (1.00 ERA). Scherzer struck out 10 in six innings during a loss to St. Louis on April 12, falling to 1-4 with a 3.14 ERA in seven career starts versus the Cardinals (teams are 3-4). Martinez is in his third full season as a starter (won 14 and 16 games the last two years) and logged a fourth consecutive quality start this past Tuesday at Arizona. He allowed two runs on four hits and three walks while fanning 10 in six innings but did not factor in the decision (he left with a 5-2 lead but the D'backs won 6-5). Martinez has completed at least six innings in 12 consecutive starts and had registered at least 10 strikeouts four times this season. Martinez's only start in five appearances versus Washington was a head-to-head battle against Scherzer in May 2016 and resulted in a loss after he permitted four runs despite striking out eight in 6 2/3 innings.

The pick: Martinez has allowed a miserly .171 average to right-handed hitters, second in the league. Who is best? Scherzer leads the league at .125. With these two starters, the Under is a 10* play.

The set-up: The New York Mets opened a recent 10-game homestand by getting swept in a four-game series by the Dodgers but the team rebounded to win five of its last six games. New York returned home Friday to open a three-game home series against the MLB-worst Phillies and the team has continued to make a run at .500 with wins Friday (2-1) and Saturday (7-6). Saturday's win makes it four in a row and the Mets will try to make it five in a row and eight of nine when they host the Phillies in the finale of their three-game series on Sunday. As noted, the 26-53 Phillies own the worst record in the majors and are losers of 18 of their last 23 contests, overall.
 
The pitching matchup: Rookie Nick Pivetta (1-4 & 5.40 ERA) takes the mound for Philadelphia and Rafael Montero (1-4 & 5.63 ERA) for New York. Pivetta is coming off the worst start of his young career, allowing six runs on seven hits and five walks over 2 2/3 innings in a 6-1 loss at the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday. He had pitched much better in his previous two outings, allowing a total of just three runs in 13 innings (2.08) while striking out 19 and walking only three. Pivetta is taking on the division-rival Mets for the first time. Montero is getting an opportunity to keep a rotation spot and earned a win in a start at San Francisco last Sunday while surrendering one run on five hits in 5 2/3 innings. He did not fare nearly as well in his other two spot starts of 2017, allowing a total of eight runs in 6 2/3 innings (10.80 ERA). However, he thrived as a long reliever in two June appearances before earning another chance in the rotation. Montero suffered a loss in relief against Philadelphia on April 18, managing one out while yielding four runs - three earned - on four hits. Montero is 0-1 with a 12.00 ERA in five career games (one start) against the Phillies.

The pick: Montero is hardly "a stud" but New York is taking advantage a recent schedule that includes sub-.500 foes San Francisco (32-51), Miami (35-44) and the Phillies. The pitching staff has allowed an average of just 2.6 runs in the team's seven victories (over an eight-game span). What's to like about the Phillies, who come in 12-33 on the road, the worst road mark in MLB. The Mets are an 8* play.

The set-up: Both the 40-41 Mariners and 42-42 Angels are looking WAY up on the 54-27 Astros in the AL West. However, almost the entire AL is alive in the wild card chase and that goes for the Mariners (1 1/2 games out of the second wild card spot) and the Angels (one game back), for sure. Seattle halted a four-game slide with Friday's 10-0 win in Anaheim, as the Angels allowed a season-high 17 hits and were blanked for the seventh time this year.

The pitching matchup: Sam Gaviglio (3-2 & 3.38 ERA) will get the start for Seattle and Ricky Nolasco (3-9 & 4.86 ERA) for Los Angeles. Rookie Gaviglio has allowed two or fewer runs in six of his eight major-league starts in 2017, although he lost his most recent outing to Houston (and Lance McCullers), despite giving up just two runs on six hits in six innings. This marks his first appearance against the Angels. Nolasco pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings in defeating the 4-0 Dodgers on Monday, ending 10 straight outings without a victory dating back to April 27 against Oakland! Nolasco owns a 5.23 ERA in two no-decisions against Seattle this season (Angels are ) 1-1and is 1-4 with a 4.76 ERA in seven career starts versus the Mariners (teams are 2-5).

The pick: The Mariners are 6-2 in Gaviglio's starts here in his rookie season while the veteran Nolsaco has struggled all season long. Yes, he was brilliant against the Dodgers but one can't ignore that he owns a 6.08 and 1.49 WHIP in six home starts this season plus the Angels are 4-12 in all of his 2017 starts, giving him a moneyline mark of minus-$712, which ranks 252nd of 256 starting pitchers this season.

The set-up: The Cardinals went 3-8 from June 13 through June 24, clinching the team's first sub-.500 month since June of 2016! However, the Cards beat the Pirates 8-4 on June 25 and capped a 5-1 run to end June with last night's 8-1 home win over the Nationals. Yes, St. Louis ended June 13-16 but three of the team's five victories have come over 50-31 Arizona and 47-33 Washington. A big reason for the team's recent surge is a pitching staff which has allowed four or fewer runs in each of the wins and allowed just one run on six hits Friday to the Nationals, who lead the NL in runs scored (3.39 per). The Nats have injury issues at the top of its lineup with Trea Turner (fractured wrist) Aand dam Eaton (knee) on the disabled list. However, the Nats still own an 8 1/2 game lead in the NL East.

The pitching matchup: Gio Gonzalez (7-2 & 2.87 ERA) takes the mound for the Nats and Michael Wacha (4-3 & 4.50 ERA) for the Cards. Gonzalez is having a very solid season, as he has allowed three or fewer runs in 14 of his 16 starts, including each of the last seven. Gonzalez faced St. Louis back on April 11 and allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits without walking a batter in seven innings to earn an 8-3 win. Wacha has not had much consistency in 2017 but bounced back from two sub-par outings with an 8-2 win over Cincinnati on Monday, scattering one run on five hits over six innings. However, he did not record an out in the fifth inning in either of his two previous starts, surrendering a total of nine runs (six earned) on 16 hits in eight innings (6.75 ERA). That said, Wacha is 2-2 with a 1.57 ERA in four career starts against Washington

Gonzalez owns a splendid 2.87 ERA but yet, Washington is only 9-7 in his 16 starts this season. In keeping with that, although he owns a 2.86 career ERA against the Cards, his teams are just 5-4 in nine starts. Throw in Wacha's 1.57 ERA in four starts against the Nats and it's a 10* on the Under.

The set-up: The Mets salvaged a just-completed 10-game road trip with a 5-5 record with five wins in their final six contests. They kept their positive mojo intact last night as well, behind a strong seven-inning effort by Jacob deGrom. DeGrom struck out 12 and teamed with three relievers to hold the top five hitters in Philadelphia's lineup to a combined 0-for-19 in a 2-1 New York win. The Mets can secure their third straight series win with a victory today (or Sunday) vs Philadelphia, which is 3-4 on its current nine-game road trip. Actually, that's pretty good for the Phillies, who own MLB's worst road record (12-32), its worst overall record (26-52) and its second-worst moneyline mark (minus-$1949).

The pitching matchup: Jeremy Hellickson (5-5 & 4.40 ERA) takes the mound for Philadelphia and Zack Wheeler (3-5 & 5.29) ERA) for the Mets. Hellickson has rebounded from a rough stretch to post back-to-back solid efforts, allowing a total of two runs on nine hits over 13 innings (1.38 ERA). However, Hellickson remains win-less in his last seven outings (he's 0-4 and the team is 1-6). Hellickson has yet to face the Mets this year but struggled against them in 2016, giving up 21 runs in 24 1/3 innings (7.77 ERA) spread over five starts. That leaves him with an 8.21 ERA against the Mets in seven career starts (he's 2-4 and his teams 3-4). Wheeler was on a roll (had allowed just 11 ERs over seven starts) before he gave up 15 runs in only 3 2/3 innings over two starts on June 13 and 19. He was promptly placed on the disabled list after that but is ready to pitch again, here on July 1. He was 1-0 with a 3.38 ERA in two outings against the Phillies in April (Mets were 1-1) and is 3-1 with a 3.07 ERA in seven career starts versus Philly (Mets are 4-3).

The pick: The Phillies won eight of Hellickson's first nine starts in 2017 but that's all in the past now, as they've lost six of his last seven, including the last two when he pitched well (see above). The Mets are far from a juggernaut these days (37-42) but they have won 13 of their last 18 meetings with the Phillies and let's not forget Philly's road record of 12-32 in 2017. Make the Mets an 8* play.

The set-up: There can be no doubt that Boston misses David Ortiz but after a less-than-impressive start to the 2017 season (Red Sox were just 21-21 through May 20), Boston has gone 24-14 and caught the slumping Yankees in the AL East. The Red Sox aren't hitting at the same rate they were with David Ortiz in the middle of the lineup last season but they are developing new strengths. Boston's bullpen ERA of 2.88 is the second-best in all of MLB and that unit gave them five scoreless innings to close out Friday's series opener with Toronto, 7-4 in 11 innings. Closer Craig Kimbrel pitched a perfect 11th inning on Friday to increase his AL-leading save total to 23. Toronto, a team which has played in the last two ALCS matchups, struggled out of the gate by going 7-18 in April but got things turned around although it has never been able to reach .500. The Blue Jays have gotten to within one game of that mark often but keep falling back. Recently, the team has lost six of eight to fall five games under .500 (37-42) and into the AL East basement, 7 1/2 games back of Boston.

The pitching matchup: Chris Sale (10-3 & 2.77 ERA) gets the start for Boston and Francisco Liriano (4-3 & 5.46 ERA) for Toronto. Sale has come through big time for the Red Sox in 2017. He leads the majors with 155 strikeouts and fanned nine over 6 1/3 innings against Minnesota in a 4-1 win on Monday. He also tops the AL with a total of 113 2/3 innings pitched, owns an 0.91 WHIP and has held opponents to a BA of .200. Boston is 12-4 in his 16 starts in 2017. Sale enjoyed one of his best starts of the season at Toronto back on April 20, when he struck out a season-high 13 and scattered four hits over eight scoreless innings, giving him a 4-1 (1.72 ERA) career mark against the Jays in six starts (teams are 5-1). Liriano snapped a three-start win-less streak at Kansas City last Sunday, allowing two runs on six hits in six innings of an 8-7 win. Liriano owns a poor 1.61 WHIP to go along with a high ERA (5.46) but somehow, Toronto has gone 8-4 in his starts. However, he had his only scoreless outing of the 2017 season against Boston back on April 19, when he struck out six and yielded four hits in 5 1/3 innings of a 3-0 win.

The pick: Sale's been everything Boston had hoped he'd be when signing him in the off-season and I expect another strong effort from him here plus if needed, he'll have Boston's excellent bullpen in reserve. Toronto's lineup is not the feared bunch of the last two seasons, averaging only 4.22 RPG (25th) with a team BA of .244, which ranks 24th. Also, Boston's lineup ranks just 15th in runs scored at 4.71 per game. Make the Under an 8* play.

analysis soon

analysis soon

The set-up: The Yankees opened the week in a funk, having lost 10 of their previous 12 games. They took two of the first three of a four-game series in Chicago against the White Sox, Mon-Wed, but missed a chance with a 4-3 loss last night to end a string of four straight series losses (Yanks settled for a 2-2 split), New York now travels to Houston to take on the team with MLB's best record (Astros are 54-26) for a three-game weekend series. The Yankees are 42-35, one game back of the Red Sox in the AL East. The Astros had a slight "mini-slump," going 4-8 from June 9 through June 18, but head into this series with eight wins in their last 10 games, extending their led in the AL West to a whopping 13 1/2 games.

The pitching matchup: Michael Pineda (7-4, 4.12) will take the mound in tonight's opener for New York and he will face Lance McCullers (7-1 & 2.53 ERA). Pineda pitched poorly vs. Texas in his last outing (7 ERs in 4 IP), making it three times in his last five in which he's allowed five-plus ERs in a start. However, prior to that, Pineda had a stretch in which he allowed three ERs or less in nine straight starts (Yanks were 8-1), since losing his 2017 season debut at Tampa Bay. Pineda took the loss against Houston on May 11, allowing three runs on six hits and one walk with seven strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings of a 3-2 setback. He is 2-3 with a 4.62 ERA in six career starts against the Astros (teams are 2-4). Lance McCullers is set to make his second start since returning from the 10-day disabled list last weekend. The Houston staff has been riddled with injuries and fighting through issues of his own, McCullers has been terrific. The team is 12-2 in his starts and his moneyline mark of plus-$984 ranks second  among all starters. What's more, McCullers is 2-0 with a 0.75 ERA over two career starts against the Yankees, including a 5-1 victory at Yankee Stadium on May 12.

The pick: The Astros have maintained their grip on the best record in baseball despite their injuries and McCullers has been a beast. Houston comes in having won eight of 10, while the Yanks stumble in having lost 12 of 16. Make Houston an 8* play.

The set-up: I guess one could call the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies NL East rivals, as the two teams get set to square off in the opener of a three-game series at Citi Field Friday night. However, the Mets are going nowhere at 36-42 (10 1/2 games back of the first-place Nats) and the Phillies check in with MLB's worst record, at 26-51. The Mets are back home after a 10-game road trip. New York appeared headed for disaster when the Mets opened the trip by getting outscored 36-11 in a four-game sweep at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers but they won five of the last six games, sweeping the San Francisco Giants and taking two of three in Miami from the Marlins.The Phillies were off Thursday, a day after they completed a two-game sweep of the Mariners in Seattle with a come-from-behind 5-4 victory. Even with those back-to-back wins, the Phillies still own MLB's worst road record at 12-31. A win Friday would give the Phillies only their third winning streak of longer than two games this season.

The pitching matchup: It's a battle of right-handers, Philadelphia rookie Ben Lively (1-2 & 3.90 ERA) up against New York ace Jacob deGrom (7-3 & 3.71 ERA). Lively won his major league debut 5-3 against the Giants on June 3 (7 IP / 4 hits / 1 ER) but will be looking to snap a four-start win-less streak in this one. He's 0-2 and the team 0-4 in a stretch in which he's posted a 4.62 ERA. This marks his first appearance against the Mets. DeGrom is showing some "All Star form" in winning his last three starts, a stretch in which he has pitched at least eight innings each time and allowed just two ERs over 25 innings (0.72 ERA), which has lowered his seasonal ERA  from 4.75 to 3.71.

The pick: "We're hoping our pitching is starting to fall in place right now," Collins said after Seth Lugo allowed two runs (one earned) over six innings to cap a six-game stretch in which Mets starters posted a 2.55 ERA. "And if it does, we've got an exciting second half ahead of us." DeGrom is only the second pitcher in 2017 to throw at least eight innings in three straight starts, joining Boston's Chris Sale. What's more, he's 4-0 with a 2.49 ERA in eight career starts against the Phillies, with the Mets winning all eight games. Lively's not in deGrom's class but when he gave up five runs (four earned) over 5 1/3 innings as the Phillies fell to the Diamondbacks 9-2 last Saturday, it marked the first time he had lasted fewer than six innings as a big-leaguer. Make the Under a 10* play.

The set-up: The Dodgers and Angels conclude their home-and-home four-game IL series Thursday night in Anaheim. The Angels won last 3-2, after the two LA teams split a pair of 4-0 finals at Dodger Stadium Monday and Tuesday. The Dodgers own the NL's best record at 52-28, while the Angels are stuck in the AL West and at 42-40, have little chance of catching the Astros, who own MLB's best record at 53-26. The Angels trail the Astros by 12 1/2 games but almost every AL team is alive in the wild card chase and the Angels are among a group of seven teams all within four games of each other, vying for two spots.

The pitching matchup: Clayton Kershaw (11-2 & 2.47 ERA) will take the hill for the Dodgers tonight and JC Ramirez (7-5 & 4.38 ERA) for the Angels. Kershaw looks to become MLB's first 12-game winner this season. He has won seven consecutive decisions since losing back on May 1, with the Dodgers going 10-0 in that 10-start stretch. One runs out of superlatives when discussing Kershaw, as he own a 123-18 KW ratio in 2017, has allowed a modest 83 hits in 109 1/3 IP, giving him an 0.92 WHIP while opponents have hit only .207 against him. Other than that, he hasn't done much of anything. He's 5-2 with a 2.68 ERA in nine career starts against the Angels (Dodgers are 6-3). Ramirez defeated Boston in his last outing, allowing one run on four hits over six innings. However, he's struggled at Angels Stadium in 2017, going 1-3 with a 5.10 ERA in eight appearances (seven starts).

The pick: It's just tough to take the Over in any Kershaw start, although there have been eight overs and eight unders in his 16 starts this season. Still, the finals in the first three games of this "Freeway Series" have been 4-0, 4-0 and 3-2. Expect Kershaw to hold the Angels in check and remember that the Dodgers are just 19-17 on the road this season. Ramirez will start against the Dodgers for the first time in his career tonight but he has retired all 11 Dodgers he has faced in two career relief appearances spanning 3 2/3 Innings. Make the Under a 10* play.

The set-up: The Cards won 4-3 on Wednesday, after losing 6-5 in Arizona on Tuesday. It's the rubber match of the three-game series this afternoon, as the Diamondbacks seek to bounce back from a loss, just their fourth in the last 20 games! Arizona remained 1 1/2 games behind the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West, as the Angels edged the Dodgers 3-2 last night in Anaheim. The Cards check in at only 36-41 but with no team playing all that well in the NL Central, sit a modest 3 1/2 games out of first place.

The pitching matchup: Lance Lynn (5-5 & 3.86 ERA) starts for St. Louis and Patrick Corbin (6-7 & 4.89 ERA) for Arizona. Lynn's 2017 season had been solid until his last two starts, in which he's lost to Baltimore and Pittsburgh, giving up seven runs in each contest. It sure hasn't helped that he's allowed six HRs in the two games. Lynn is 3-0 with a 2.72 ERA in nine career appearances (seven starts / team is 5-2) against the Diamondbacks in his career. Corbin lost to Philadelphia in his last outing, despite giving up one run on eight hits over 6 2/3 innings. Like his team, Corbin has fared well at home, going 5-2 with a 3.19 ERA (he's 1-5 with a 7.84 ERA in six road starts). Corbin is 1-1 with a 5.00 ERA in three career starts against the Cardinals (teams are 1-2).

The pick: Lynn had allowed two or fewer ERs in 10 of his first 13 starts before his recent troubles (see above) but I'm not ready to buy that those troubles are behind him just yet. Wednesday's loss was just Arizona's third in its last 18 home games and in going 30-11 at home in 2017, the D'backs are averaging 6.20 RPG at Chase Field. Corbin has been solid at home (especially compared to his awful road record) but he's hardly a "shut down" starter. Make the Over a 10* play.

The set-up: The Kansas City Royals dropped Tuesday's series opener 5-3 at Detroit but won last night, 8-2. The Royals and Tigers will play the rubber match of this three-game series Thursday afternoon, as the Royals look to capture their sixth straight series. KC is 12-5 in that span and at 38-38, has climbed with 2 1/2 games of the Indians in the AL Central. The Tigers continue to flounder, having lost nine of 11 overall and seven of their last 11 at home. They are 34-43 overall, seven games back of Cleveland.

The pitching matchup: Jakob Junis (2-1 & 4.97 ERA) starts for KC and Michael Fulmer (6-6 & 3.29 ERA) for Detroit. Junis is a 24-year-old who is making a sixth straight start, after appearing out of the bullpen in his first two major league appearances. He has two quality starts in his last three outings, after allowing two runs over 6 1/3 innings in a no-decision against Toronto on Friday (KC won 5-4). This marks his first appearance against the Tigers. Fulmer, who was ROY in the AL last season, has recorded a quality start 12 times in 14 outings in 2017 but is just 6-6 and the team 7-7 in his starts. That's a far cry from the Tigers going 19-7 in his 2016 starts, when his moneyline mark of plus-$1292 was sixth-best among all starters. In fact, he has dropped five of six decisions since the middle of May. Fulmer does owns a 2.36 ERA in four career starts versus Kansas City (he's 1-2 and Detroit 2-2).

The pick: I wouldn't give up on Fulmer too soon, as he's pitched better than his record. In fact, he's off an excellent performance in his last outing, giving up one run on two hits with eight strikeouts in seven innings but received no run support in a 1-0 loss to the Padres. Junis has proven little so far and I'll stick with Fulmer and make Detroit an 8* play.

The set-up: The Indians have won two of the first three in this four-game home series with the Rangers, after Wednesday's 5-2 victory. After getting swept in a three-game series by the Twins last weekend, the Indians now wrap up a seven-game homestand with a chance to finish 3-4. The Rangers were 32-32 back on June 13 and with last night's loss, find themselves 7-7 over their last 14 and at 39-39 on the season, a whopping 13 1/2 games out of first in the AL West. Meanwhile, the 41-36 Indians are back on top of the AL Central at 41-36, by a half-game over the Twins.

The pitching matchup: Andrew Cashner (3-6 & 3.50 ERA) takes the mound for Texas and Corey Kluber (6-2 & 3.24 ERA) for Cleveland. Cashner will be activated off the disabled list to make the start on Thursday. He has been on the DL since June 15 with a left oblique strain. In his last three starts prior to going on the DL, Cashner was 1-2 with a 5.29 ERA and going back further, was 3-3 with 4.50 ERA in his previous six. Cashner's made just one career start against the Indians and it didn't go well, allowing six runs on six hits along with six walks in a 6-2 loss while pitching for Miami last season. Corey Kluber is unbeaten in five starts (he's 3-0 but the team just 3-2) since spending nearly a month on the disabled list. He was overpowering in his last start against Minnesota, registering a season-high 13 strikeouts while permitting two unearned runs and three hits over seven innings. It was the third consecutive start with a double-digit strikeout total. Kuber is 2-1 with a 4.36 ERA in five career starts vs. Texas (teams are 4-1).

The pick: We can't be sure about Cashner in his first start since June 14 but he does own a respectable 3.79 ERA in seven road starts this season. As for Kluber, he's in excellent form (1.29 ERA over his last five starts), so the Under is a 10* play.

The set-up: The Astros may own MLB's best overall record (52-26) but their play at home in Minute Maid Park has been sub-par. Tuesday night was another example as Houston fell 6-4 to the Oakland A's, who even with the win own just a 13-25 road record. The Astros' three-run, ninth-inning rally fell short last night and Houston is now a modest 23-17 at home, compared to a MLB-best 29-9 on the road! Houston has five more games at Minute Maid in this homestand, two with the A's and then three with the Yankees. After going 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position while stranding 10, Houston must do better. One would think, the struggling A's give them an opportunity to get better..

The pitching matchup: Jesse Hahn (3-5 & 4.66 ERA) will start for the Athletics and David Paulino (2-0 & 5.04 ERA) for the Astros. Hahn is 2-1 with a 7.00 ERA in four starts since being reinstated from the 10-day disabled list (strained right triceps) on June 6 and he's 1-4 with a 9.28 ERA over five career starts against the Astros, including a 12-9 setback last Thursday when he allowed 10 runs (nine earned) on six hits and three walks over just two innings..Paulino started opposite Hahn this past Thursday in Oakland, allowing three ERs in 5 1/3 innings to earn the win (it's his only career starts vs. the A's). It also marked just the second win of Paulino's career (note: the Astros are 3-2 in his five starts this season).

The pick: It's true that the A's have yet to win any of Hahns road starts in 2017 (he's 0-3 and the team 0-6) but it's also true that he's pitched fairly well away from home, with a 3.14 ERA in seven appearances (includes one relief stint). As for Paulino, he'll face an Oakland lineup which has averaged only 3.89 RPG in its 38 road games this season. Make the Under a 10* play.

The set-up: The Phillies and Mariners will wrap up their two-game IL series Wednesday afternoon in Seattle, following Tuesday night's game in which the MLB-worst Phillies scored four times in the ninth inning on their way to an 8-2 victory. The Phillies are going nowhere again in 2017 (at 25-51, they are 20 1/2 games back in the NL East) but while the 39-40 Mariners are 13 1/2games behind Houston in the AL West, almost the entire AL is within striking distance of a wild card spot (Seattle is just two games out of the final spot).

The pitching matchup: Mark Leiter (1-0 & 3.60 ERA) takes the mound for Philly and Felix Hernandez (3-2 & 4.68 ERA) for the Mariners. Mark Leiter, Sr. pitched 11 seasons in the major leagues, including two seasons with the Phillies. He was in attendance when Mark Leiter Jr. made his first major league start last Friday at Arizona. He pitched six scoreless innings, allowing three hits with one walk and five strikeouts to earn his first victory. "I was just trying to go out there and do my best, trying to keep the team in there," said Leiter, whose uncle Al also pitched 19 seasons in the big leagues. If nothing else, the young Leiter has good genes. "King Felix" will be making his second start since coming back from the disabled list. Hernandez was out from April 26 to June 22 with bursitis in his right shoulder, the first time he landed been on the DL with an arm problem in a decade. Hernandez is unfamiliar with Philadelphia, with just one career starts against them (0-1 & 3.86 ERA).

The pick: The Phillies surprised last night but this is not a good baseball team and even after Tuesday's win, the Phillies check in at 11-31 on the road. Meanwhile, Seattle has put themselves back in the wild card chase with an 18-11 run in which the team has averaged more than six runs per game and batted nearly .300 as a team in that span. Lastly, taking "King Felix" (Seattle is 9-2 in Hernandez’s last 11 home starts) over Leiter (he had pitched 19 innings and posted a 4.74 ERA in 12 relief appearances prior to his first start) is a "no-brainer.' Make Seattle a 6* play.

The set-up: The Los Angeles Angels Dodgers opened their home-and-home four game IL series with the LA Angels Monday night at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers came in on a 10-game winning streak, as well as an 11-game winning streak at Dodger Stadium, where they were a major league-best 32-10. They also entered Monday's contest having homered in 17 straight games to match the Los Angeles club record set back in 1960. However, all streaks were ended last night as the Angels came away with a 4-0 victory. It's highly unlikely that the Angels will catch the 52-25 Houston Astros in the AL West (currently trail by 12 1/2 games!) but they are starting to resemble a legitimate wild-card contender. The Angels extended their winning streak to three games on Monday and at 41-39, have moved within one game of Minnesota for the second wild card spot. Getting back to the Dodgers, they still own the best record in the National League (51-27) and lead the West by one game over Arizona.

The pitching matchup: Jesse Chavez (5-7 & 5.15 ERA) takes the mound for the Angels and Kenta Maeda (5-3 & 4.62 ERA) for the Dodgers. Chavez escaped with a no-decision after allowing five runs on seven hits in four innings of the Angels' 10-5 victory at Yankee Stadium on Thursday and that leaves him 1-2 with a 6.10 ERA in his last six starts, allowing 40 hits over 31 innings. Surprisingly, the Angels are 4-2 in that span. Chavez posted a 4.21 ERA in 23 relief appearances with the Dodgers last season after being acquired at the trade deadline from Toronto and is 1-1 with a 3.32 ERA in 11 games (two starts / teams are 1-1) against them. Maeda last started a game at Cincinnati on June 18, when he allowed one run, three hits and one walk while striking out five in five innings of an 8-7 victory. His only appearance since that start was when he pitched a scoreless seventh inning in the Dodgers' 6-1 win against Colorado on Friday. Maeda allowed four runs on five hits in four innings of a 7-6 loss to the Angels back on May 16, 2016 (0-1 & 9.00 ERA) in his only appearance against them.

The pick: Don't expect the Dodgers to be shut out again by the Angels but do expect another low-scoring contest. Make the Under a 10* play.

full analysis soon

The pitching matchup: Robert Gsellman (5-5 & 6.04 ERA) starts for New York and Dan Straily (5-4 & 3.43 ERA) for Miami. Gsellman has struggled badly in his last two starts, losing both while allowing 14 ERs on 20 hits (including six HRs) in 9 1/3 innings (13.50 ERA).. Gsellman is already facing the Marlins for the fourth time this season and is 1-1 with a 6.14 ERA through the first three (Mets are 2-1). While Gsellman has struggled in his last two, Straily has allowed just one run on seven hits over 12 1/3 innings while striking out 14 and walking one in his last two outings (1-0 with an 0.73 ERA / team is 2-0). He's had 86 strikeouts in 84 total innings this season and over his last five starts, has walked just three batters. Straily threw 5 1/3 no-hit innings against New York on April 16 but walked five and was lifted after 93 pitches. He's 0-1 with a 4.71 ERA in two career starts (teams are 1-1).

The pick: The Mets are coming off a three-game sweep in San Francisco but these days that's filed under "what's the big deal?" The Marlins earned a split of their four-game weekend series with the Cubs with a 4-2 Sunday win but had taken their previous five home series prior to that. That fact plus Strailly over Gsellman make the Marlins an 8* play.

The set-up: It's been a year of inconsistencies for the defending champs and life won't get an easier this week, as Chicago visits Washington to take on the 45-30 Nats, who lead the NL East by nine games and are seven games better on the season than the 38-37 Cubs. The good news foe Chicago fans is that no one in the NL Central has done much in 2017, so the Cubs open the new week just 1 1/2 games behind the first-place Brewers. The Cubs head north from Miami for this series, after splitting a four-games series with the Marlins, leaving the Cubs just 8-17 in their last 25 on the road. The Nats were 37-20 in games played through June 6 but over the last few weeks, are a modest 8-10.

The set-up: Eddie Butler (3-2 & 4.19 ERA) gets the ball in this first game for the Cubs and will be opposed by the Nationals' Gio Gonzalez (7-1 & 2.96 ERA). Butler is win-less in his last three starts (he's 0-1 and the team 1-2) and hasn’t made it through six innings since tossing six scoreless innings in his Cubs debut back on May 12. He allowed only one run and five hits Wednesday against San Diego but he ran up a high pitch count (92) and left without recording an out in the fifth. Butler has faced the Nationals only once, allowing four runs over six innings in a loss in 2015 (0-1 & 6.00 ERA). Gonzalez is well on his way to an eighth straight season with double-digit wins, entering 7-1 after 15 starts in 2017 (Nats are 9-6). He has won four straight decisions, with his last loss coming back on May 8 at Baltimore. He has posted five straight quality starts and is coming off a win at Miami in which he allowed three runs and six hits over seven innings with eight strikeouts. Gonzalez is 3-2 with a 3.23 ERA in nine starts in his career against the Cubs (teams are 4-5).

The pick: The Cubs continue to struggle, so I'm making the Nats a 10* play in this first of four games.

The set-up: The Phillies took the opener of this four-game series in Arizona but the D'backs won on both Saturday and Sunday, with yesterday's win taking 11 innings. Arizona's 2-1 victory gives the D'backs a 28-10 record at home (only the Dodgers own a better home-field mark) and 11 wins in their last 13 games, overall. The D'backs trail the Dodgers by 2 1/2 games in the NL West but do own MLB's top moneyline mark (plus-$1964). First baseman Paul Goldschmidt had two hits and a RBI on Sunday and is hitting .423 with five HRs and 18 RBI over his last 12 games. He leads the team with a .332 BA and leads all of MLB with 65 RBI. As for the Phillies, they head into Monday's series finale with MLB's worst overall record (24-50), its worst road record (10-30) and its second-worst moneyline mark (minus-$2123).

The pitching matchup: Nick Pivetta (1-3 & 4.46 ERA) gets the start for Philadelphia and Zack Greinke (8-4 & 3.14 ERA) for Arizona. Pivetta may have just one win in his eight starts of 2017 but he has struck out 46 batters over 42 1/3 innings. He has registered 19 strikeouts over his last two outings and has shown improved control of late with a total of just three walks in those last two, as well. Pivetta will be facing Arizona for the first time. Greinke pitched well for seven innings last Tuesday against Colorado but ran into trouble in the eighth and took the loss after being charged with four runs over 7 1/3 innings. He's having a solid year and as has been typical for him, he's been outstanding in his home park. Greinke is 6-0 in eight home starts (D'backs are 7-1), posting a 2.77 ERA and 0.92 WHIP. His career numbers vs. the Phillies are strong, as he's 7-1 with a 2.54 ERA in 10 career games (nine starts / teams are 6-3).

The pick: The Diamondbacks have won 14 of their past 17 overall and 13 of their last 15 at home. Meanwhile, the Phillies continue in go in the opposite direction, having lost 15 of their last 18 games, overall. As noted above, they own MLB's worst road record (averaging only 3.55 RPG) and after winning the series opener Friday have scored only three runs in 20 innings! Monday night Philadelphia faces Greinke, who is once again dominating visiting teams in his home park. Make the Under a 10* play.

The pick: Kuhl has not pitched well in 2017 but did have one of his best starts of the season on April 18 at St. Louis, giving up two runs on three hits over six innings. As for Leake, he's looked good in his last outing, after that awful four-game losing stretch. However, prior to that mini-slump, Leake owned a 1.91 ERA over his first nine starts of 2017. Pittsburgh/St. Louis games have been tight in 2017, as Saturday's 7-3 Pittsburgh win marked the first time in five meetings this season the outcome was decided by more than one run. Expect another close and low-scoring one tonight, making the Under a 10* play.

The set-up: The Minnesota Twins have steadied the ship by winning four of their last five contests, including the first two of this three-game series in Cleveland. Minnesota shut out the Indians 5-0 on Friday night and then won 4-2 Saturday afternoon, to improve to 22-9 on the road. The Twins now look to 'return the favor' and complete a three-game sweep of the Indians this afternoon, as Cleveland swept a four-game series at Minnesota last weekend. Cleveland came into this series having won eight of nine to take over first place in the AL Central but has gone 0-for-15 with runners in scoring position the last two games and now lead the Twins by just a half-game, meaning a Minnesota win will see the Twins regain the top spot in the division.

The pitching matchup: Ervin Santana (9-4 & 2.97 ERA) takes the mound for the Twins and will be opposed by the Indians' Josh Tomlin (4-8 & 6.07 ERA). Santana was one of the AL's best pitchers through the season's first two months, earning seven wins and owning a 1.75 through the end of May. However, he's struggled badly in three of his four June starts. He did win a 4-0 shut out at San Francisco on June 9, but he's lasted a total of just 14 innings in the other three outings, allowing 18 ERs (that's a 11.57 ERA in those three starts!). Santana is 6-11 with a 4.00 ERA in 23 starts against Cleveland in his career (teams are 8-15). Tomlin has had a rough June as well, going 1-2 (team is 1-3) in four starts, allowing 15 ERs over 19 1/3 innings (6.98 ERA). The Indians are just 5-9 in Tomlin's 14 starts in 2017 and in his career, he's 5-5 with a 5.07 ERA against the Twins (team is 7-6).

The pick: The Twins' 22-9 road record is MLB's second-best (only Houston's 27-9 mark is better) and the Indians are just 15-19 at home. The visiting team has won 11 of the 12 games played in this series in 2017 but that seems unlikely to continue. Santana has really struggled this month, while Tomlin (a 13-game winner in 2016) is a better pitcher than he's shown in 2017. In fact, he owns a 2.57 ERA in two starts against the Twins this season. "They've outplayed us. We've got to come out (Sunday) and get after it," Indians manager Terry Francona said. I'm with Terry. Make Cleveland a 10* play.

The set-up: The Dodgers opened their three-game series with the Rockies last night, winning 6-1. The victory gives LA eight wins in a row, as well as 14 in the team's last 15 games. The Dodgers have surged to the top of the NL West at 49-25 (the team's 30-10 home record is a MLB-best) and LA's run differential of plus-128 is 18 runs better than that of Houston, which owns MLB's best record (50-25). The Rockies have now lost three straight and are 47-29, leaving them in a virtual tie with the D'backs, 2 1/2 games back of the Dodgers.

The pitching matchup: Tyler Chatwood (6-7 & 4.08 ERA) will get the call for Colorado and he draws LA's Clayton Kershaw (10-2 & 2.61 ERA). Chatwood has had his troubles at home in 2017 (6.39 ERA in seven starts) but he has been decidedly better away from Coors Field this season, going 4-3 with a 2.41 ERA in eight road starts. Chatwood is 4-7 with a 3.95 ERA in 12 career starts versus the Dodgers (teams are 4-8). Kershaw was able to get a win this past Monday at home against the New York Mets, despite surrendering six runs and a career-high four HRs over 6 1/3 innings. The three-time Cy Young Award winner has allowed a career-high 17 HRs but he alos owns a 115-17 KW ratio over 103 1/3 frames. Kershaw has gone 20-6 with a 3.13 ERA in 35 career starts against Colorado (Dodgers are 26-9).

The pick: In Kershaw's 35 career starts against the Rockies, he's held them to a 222 opponents BA. He faces a Colorado lineup which was outscored 26-8 in back-to-back losses to Arizona before opening its nine-game road trip with a thud on Friday, scoring a single run on three hits. Throw in Chatwood's 2.41 ERA in eight road starts in 2017 and we have a 10* play on the under.

The set-up: No one, surely not the Cubs themselves, thought repeating would be a walk in the park. However, few if any, believed the Cubs would be so inconsistent as the 2017 season approaches its mid-point. The Cubs and Marlins opened a four-game series in Miami on Thursday with Chicago banging out 16 hits in an 11-1 rout. Then, one night later, the Cubs fell 2-0, marking the sixth time they’ve been shut out this season. That matches their total from all of last season! The teams square off in the third game of the series late this afternoon at Marlins Park with Chicago just a single game over .500 (37-36), while Miami is 33-39. The Marlins have won five straight home series and are 3-2 on their current 10-game homestand.

The pitching matchup: Jon Lester (4-4 & 3.83 ERA) vs will take the mound for Chicago and Justin Nicolino (0-1 & 5.06 ERA) for Miami. Lester had a great second half for Chicago in 2016 but his 2017 season so far has been a disappointment. He did post his second straight quality start Monday against San Diego, allowing two runs on five hits over six innings with seven strikeouts, but he didn’t factor in the decision. His struggles on the road this season are real, as he's 1-3 with a 5.85 ERA and 1.76 WHIP in six road starts (team is 2-4). Lester has just four LT starts against the Marlins, going 0-2 with a 4.91 ERA (teams are 1-3). Nicolino came off the disabled list Monday to make his first start in nearly three weeks and now makes just his fifth start of 2017 in this one. He was not sharp against Washington this past Monday, allowing six runs (three earned) in three innings, including a pair of HRs. Nicolino has three no-decisions and a loss in his four outings of 2017 but while he owns a 5.06 ERA and 1.69 WHIP plus opponents are batting .299 against him, the Marlins have won his three no-decisions.

The pick: Lester has had his issues in 2017 (especially on the road) but he's a "big-time" pitcher and the bottom line with Nicolino is this, his numbers per nine innings this season are poor across the board. He's allowing too many hits (11.3), too many HRs (2.3), too many walks (3.9) and striking out too few batters (5.6). Make the Cubs an 8* play.

The set-up: The Kansas City Royals won the first of this three-game series 5-4 over the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday. It was a dramatic win, as Whit Merrifield delivered a walk-off, two-run double to cap a four-run ninth inning. The victory gives Kansas City 10 wins in its last 12 and the Royals are now at .500 (36-35) for the first time since they were 7-7 back on April 19. The Blue Jays opened the season 2-9 and have not been able to reach that .500 plateau and last night's crushing loss drops them another game further away from the break-even mark at 35-38. The Blue Jays began their seven-game road trip with wins in two of the first three at Texas but dropped an 11-4 decision on Thursday, failing in yet another opportunity to move to .500 (team is 0-9 in nine such tries in 2017, getting outscored 73-24!).

The pitching matchup: Marco Estrada (4-5 & 4.98 ERA) gets the start for Toronto and will be opposed by KC's best pitcher here in 2017, Jason Vargas (10-3 & 2.27 ERA).
Estrada takes the mound in a four-game funk, having gone win-less in his previous four outings. He lost the first three in that stretch and then escaped this past Monday with a no-decision, despite allowing six runs on seven hits and four walks in just 3 2/3 innings at Texas (Toronto did win the game, 7-6). Estrada's ERA in his recent four-game stretch is a woeful 12.68. Estrada is seeing for the Royals for the first time since the 2015 ALCS, when he went 1-1 in a pair of starts, including a win in Game 5 that kept the series alive for Toronto. Including the postseason, he's 2-2 with a 2.84 ERA against the Royals in four starts. In stark contrast to Estrada, Vargas takes the mound on a five-game winning streak (2.20 ERA). He is tied with Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw for the major-league lead in wins at 10. Vargas missed the 2015 ALCS following elbow surgery and has not faced Toronto since a win on May 30, 2014 but enters this game with a 2-3 (5.36 ERA) record in eight career starts against the Jays (teams are 4-4).

The pick: Vargas is pitching great but there should be some concern regarding his poor career numbers vs. Toronto. As for Estrada, he's clearly "off his game" and with a career ERA of 6.13 in June, the Over is a 10* play.

The set-up: The Yankees have had a rough 10 days, losing seven in a row from June 13-20 and then after an 8-4 Wednesday win snapped the team's slid, New York was unable to protect a four-run lead in a 10-5 loss to the Angels on Thursday. The Yanks open a three-game home series Friday against the Texas Rangers, having lost eight of nine to fall into virtual tie with the 40-32 Red Sox at 39-31 on the season. Meanwhile, Texas (36-36) has won nine of 13 and while the Rangers remain 13 games back of Houston in the AL West, the team's current streak has them within 1 1/2 games of the second AL wild card spot.

The pitching matchup: Yu Darvish (6-5 & 3.35 ERA) of Texas and Masahiro Tanaka (5-7 & 6.34 ERA) of New York will oppose each other on American soil for the first time. This marks the first time they have faced each other since they were in Japan's Pacific League in 2011, when Darvish out-dueled Tanaka as the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters edged the Tohuku Rakuten Golden Eagles 3-1. Darvish was hit hard last time out against Seattle, giving up five runs on eight hits over five innings to fall to 1-3 over his past five starts (Texas is 1-4). Darvish is 3-1 lifetime in five starts against the Yankees (Rangers are 3-2). As for Tanaka, the Yankees clearly have to be worried. He ripped off five straight wins from April 14 through May 8 but he's 0-6 over his last seven starts (Yanks are 1-6), while posting a, 8.91 ERA in that span and allowing 15 HRs in just 33 1/3 innings of work. Tanaka has made only two career starts against the Rangers, going 0-1 with a 7.50 ERA (Yanks are 1-1).

The pick: Strictly on current form the play would be over but expect these two former rivals to rise to the occasion. Darvish owns a 2.65 ERA in six road starts in 2017 plus Tanaka is overdue for a turnaround. Make the Under a 10* play.

The set-up: The Toronto Blue Jays and the Kansas City Royals open a three-game series Friday night at Kauffman Stadium. The 35-36 Royals have won nine of 11 contests to move within one game of .500 while the 35-37 Blue Jays never seem to to able to get their record to the break-even mark in 2017 (more on that later). KC opened the week by taking two of three from the Red Sox and now close a six-game homestand with this three-game series with the Jays, who settled for a split of their four-game series in Texas following Thursday's 11-4 setback

The pitching matchup: J.A. Happ (2-4 & 4.26 ERA) takes the mound for Toronto up against Jake Junis (2-1 & 5.56 ERA) of KC. Happ is coming off a career season in 2016 (20-4) and now, after a slow start in 2017 (slowed by a stay on the DL due to elbow inflammation), has won back-to-back outings. The 34-year-old lefty first scattered six hits and struck out eight over six innings in a 4-0 victory at Seattle on June 11 and then struck out nine in 6 2/3 innings of a 7-2 triumph versus the Chicago White Sox this past Sunday. "I feel like the last two have been a lot better," Happ said. "I feel like I'm staying in my lanes a little better on each side of the plate, more consistently. That's a good sign for me and there's been a little bit more life to my fastball as well." Happ is 2-2 with a 5.96 ERA in four starts against the Royals in his career but has not faced them since 2014. Junis is a rookie and he'll be making his seventh career appearance and fifth start on Friday since being called up in early June. He sustained his first loss of the season last Saturday, after allowing five runs on eight hits (including two HRs) in 5 1/3 innings against the Los Angeles Angels.

The pick: The Royals are hot (see above) but the Jays have won nine of their last 11, have not lost a series this month and are 13-6 in June. Happ seems to have found his groove and one has to like him over the rookie Junis who owns a 1.76 WHIP and .304 opponents BA to go along with his 5.56 ERA. Yes, the Blue Jays are 0-9 when trying to reach .500 in 2017 (getting outscored 73-24 in those nine losses) but at two games under .500 entering tonight's game, that doesn't apply. Make Toronto a 10* play.

The set-up: The Cubs had a three-game winning streak snapped with a 3-2 home loss to San Diego on Wednesday in which they tied a season-low with only two hits. Chicago begins an 11-game trip with four against the Marlins in Miami on Thursday. The Cubs did win their last road series (took two of three at Pittsburgh June 16-18) but prior to that, had gone 4-14 their previous 18 on the road. Miami was being no-hit by Washington’s Max Scherzer entering the eighth inning Wednesday but rallied for a 2-1 win, giving the Marlins their fifth straight series victory at home (Marlins are 12-3 in that span) as they prepare to host the Cubs on Thursday.

The pitching matchup: Jake Arrieta (6-5 & 4.64 ERA) will start for Chicago and Jeff Locke (0-2 & 4.58 ERA) for Miami. Arrieta continues to struggle in 2017, after going a combined 40-14 the previous two years. He takes the mound tonight having failed to get out of the fifth inning in his last two starts, lasting a total of just nine innings. Like his team, he's struggled big time on the road, with a 5.09 ERA and 1.43 WHIP in nine away starts. Miami's Locke is win-less in four starts since coming off the disabled list June 1 but he's pitched reasonably well, allowing three ERs or less in all four outings. Locke lost to Arrieta and the Cubs on June 6, when he allowed four runs (three earned) in 4 2/3 innings and that's not exactly new. Locke is 1-4 with a 6.23 ERA in 11 career starts against the Cubs (teams are 3-8).

The pick: Locke hasn’t beaten the Cubs since 2013 but as noted above, he has not allowed more than three ERs in any of his four starts in 2017 since getting off the DL. Locke faces a Chicago team which is just 6-15 over its last 21 road contests, averaging only 3.71 RPG. Sure, Arrieta has struggled in 2017 but he limited the Marlins to two runs on just two hits over six innings in a 10-2 win June 6 in Chicago, improving to 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA in three meetings with Miami. Make the Under a 10* play.

The set-up: It's hardly been smooth sailing for the 33-37 Cardinals in 2017 but St. Louis outscored Philadelphia 16-7 in sweeping a three-game series at Busch Stadium June 9-11 and has now opened this week by winning back-to-back extra inning games at Citizens Bank Park. The Cards won 8-1 (in 11 innings) on Tuesday and last night overcame a 5-0 deficit to win 7-6 in 10 innings. St. Louis improved to 3-2 on its six-game road trip while Philadelphia suffered its fifth straight loss, as well as its 13th in the last 14 games. The Phillies continue to fall deeper and deeper into a hole, as the team's 22-48 record remains MLB's worst as the Cards look for a second straight three-game sweep Thursday afternoon.

The pick: Carlos Martinez (6-5 & 2.86 ERA) takes the mound for St. Louis and Aaron Nola (3-5 & 4.76 ERA) for Philadelphia. Martinez, another reliever turned starter for the Cards, opened the 2017 season struggling. He came out of nowhere to win 14 games in 2015 and then 16 games in 2016. However, he went 0-3 with a 4.71 ERA in five April starts in 2017. That's all changed since the start of May though, as he's gone 6-2 in his last nine outings, with his ERA on the season dropping to 2.86. Martinez is coming off back-to-back outstanding efforts, striking out 11 and scattering four hits in a 7-0 win over Philadelphia on June 10 before allowing one run in six innings in an 11-2 rout at Baltimore last Friday. Nola takes the mound for the Phillies having gone 1-5 in his last six outings, after allowing five runs on nine hits in six-plus innings against Arizona last Friday. "I'm not getting ahead of hitters like I need to, which makes me battle more, which puts a little more stress on you," he told reporters.

The pick: It's been a struggle for Nola this year but has pitched well in two career outings versus St. Louis, allowing just two hits over seven shutout innings in an game last season, before taking a 6-5 loss on June 11 despite allowing just three runs on four hits in five innings. However, Nola has had all sorts of trouble at home in 2017, posting a 6.50 ERA and 1.56 WHIP. Martinez is 3-0 with a 2.25 ERA in three career starts vs. Philadelphia, including allowing four hits and one walk while striking out 11 batters in a 109-pitch complete game on June 10. Martinez now has nine quality starts in his past 10 outings, including posting a 1.77 ERA with 50 strikeouts in 45 2/3 innings of his last six, while holding batters to a .159 batting average and .450 OPS. St. Louis makes it 6-0 against Philadelphia in 2017 with a second straight sweep. Make the Cards an 8* play.

The set-up: Kyle Seager's game-winning RBI double in the 10th gave Seattle a 5-4 over Detroit last night, following Monday's 6-2 triumph. It was the Mariners' third straight win and the team which opened the 2017 at 2-8 is now 36-37. However, playing in the AL West with Houston, Seattle finds itself 12 1/2 games out of first. There is good news though, as Seattle is part of a log-jam for the No. 2 wild card spot, as eight teams are within two games of that final playoff spot. Detroit is sinking with four straight defeats and nine in 12 games, falling to 32-38. There are two games left in this series and word is, Detroit manager Brad Ausmus' seat is getting pretty 'hot.'

The pitching matchup: Justin Verlander (4-4 & 4.50 ERA) gets the start for Detroit and James Paxton (5-2 & 3.23 ERA) for Seattle. One of Verlander's top outings of the 2017 season was a no-decision against the Mariners on April 27, when he allowed an unearned run and five hits over seven innings. However, Verlander is win-less in five starts since defeating Texas back on May 20, going 0-1 (team is 2-3). Verlander is 10-8 with a 3.09 ERA in 21 career starts against Seattle (Tigers are 11-10). Paxton posted a 1.69 ERA through his first eight starts (he was 5-0 but Seattle 5-3) but he's allowed 11 runs on 15 hits over just 7 2/3 innings in the consecutive poor starts, posting a 12.91 ERA. Paxton struck out nine and gave up four hits in seven scoreless innings to defeat Detroit 8-0 back on April 26 and is now 2-1 with a 2.80 ERA in four career starts against the Tigers (team is 2-2).

The pick: Seattle has been waiting for Paxton to deliver on his potential and a strong start to 2017 suggested, this would be the year. However, one has to show some concern after two brutal outings. As for Veralnder, he may be win-less his last five starts but over his last four starts, he owns a respectable 3.43 ERA. I'm taking the 1 1/2 runs and making the Tigers a 6* play.

The set-up: The Minnesota Twins lost their lead in the AL Central when they dropped four straight over the weekend to the Cleveland Indians. The Twins will get another shot at the Indians next weekend (three-game series in Cleveland) but first they host the Chicago White Sox for three games, a series which began last night. The White Sox had won of five of their last seven games heading into the series but were still mired in last place in the AL Central division at 31-37. The Twins came away with a 9-7 win, despite Santana allowing six runs on 10 hits (including two HRs) in just five innings. Minnesota still owns the worst home record in the majors (15-24) but it was huge to its their skid on a night when the team's ace pitcher labored. Chicago's loss dropped them to 16-26 on the road in 2017.

The pitching matchup: Lefty David Holmberg (1-0 & 2.63 ERA) gets the start for Chicago and will be opposed by José Berríos (6-1 & 2.74 ERA), who has been a nice surprise for the Twins. Holmberg is in his first season with Chicago, after making 14 appearances (12 starts) the last three seasons. He will be making his fifth start since being shifted from the bullpen to the rotation but has made it through five innings only once. However, he's surely shown great improvement this season, overall. He came into 2017 with a 6.45 career ERA but his ERA is just 2.63 this season plus he owns an 0.88 WHIP with opponents batting only .160 against him. He may be just 1-0 in his previous four starts but Chicago has won three times. Berrios pitched a season-high eight innings in a 6-2 win over Seattle last Thursday. He allowed two runs on five hits to win his third start in a row. He has yet to yield more than six hits in any of his seven starts this season (owns a decision in each one). While the Twins have struggled at home, Berrios has been an exception, going is 2-1 with a 2.61 ERA and 0.87 WHIP at Target Field.

The pick: Holmberg has shown excellent improvement in 2017 but the turnaround by Berrios is "off the charts." He was 3-7 in 14 starts last year for Minnesota (team was 3-11), posting an 8.02 ERA, 1.87 WHIP and opponents batted .310 against him. Here in 2017 after seven starts, his ERA is 2.74, his WHIP is 0.96 and hitters are batting only .186 against him. Make the Under a 10* play.

The set-up: The Indians surged into first place in the AL Central with a four-game sweep of the Twins in Minnesota Thursday through Sunday, where they outscored them 28-8. The Indians then opened a four-game road series at Baltimore with a 12-0 Monday pasting of the Orioles. That gave Cleveland six consecutive victories while scoring a total of 52 runs (8.67 per), as the Indians moved a season-high six games over .500 at 37-31. Meanwhile, the Orioles entered Tuesday at 34-35, after losing 25 of their previous 37 games. Baltimore did slow the Cleveland offense a bi on Tuesday, winning 6-5. However,  the Orioles have plenty of pitching concerns after giving up at least five runs for the 17th consecutive game, which is just three shy of the major league mark set by Philadelphia, way back in 1924! In the short term, the Orioles will go for their fourth win in five games as the teams continue a four-game set at Baltimore's Camden Yards, tonight.

The pitching matchup: Carlos Carrasco (7-3 & 3.21 ERA) steps to the mound for the Indians and will be opposed by the Orioles' Kevin Gausman (3-6 & 6.60 ERA). Carrasco held Minnesota to one run on four hits over 6 1/3 innings of last Friday's 8-1 victory. He's now 5-1 over his last eight starts (team is 6-1). He likes it on the road here in 2017, going 5-1 with a 2.89 ERA and 0.94 WHIP in seven starts (Cleveland is 6-1), Carrasco has made four career appearances (three starts / 1-2) versus the Orioles, going 1-2 with a 3.79 ERA. Gausman continues to give up hits in alarming numbers (107 in 75 innings) and his WHIP of 1.92 is easily the worst in the major leagues. The 26-year-old has allowed at least eight hits in seven consecutive starts, including last time out when he was tagged for five runs in 5 2/3 innings versus St. Louis in Friday's 11-2 Baltimore loss. However, Gausman is 2-0 with an 0.69 ERA in two career starts against the Indians.

The pick: Baltimore has allowed five or more runs in 17 straight games (an alarming stretch) and what makes anyone think Gausman can reverse that trend? His 2-0 mark in two starts against the Indians is hardly a sample size worthy of consideration. Gausman, like most of the Orioles' starters this season, has struggled to go late in the game. That has put added stress on an already short-handed bullpen, as setup man Darren O'Day and closer Zach Britton are on the disabled list. Meanwhile, Carrasco comes in on a roll and has been dominant all season on the road (see above). Make Cleveland a 10* play.

The set-up: The Minnesota Twins' lead in the AL Central evaporated when they dropped four straight over the weekend to the Cleveland Indians. The Twins get another shot at the Indians next weekend (three-game series in Cleveland) but first they will host the Chicago White Sox in the opener of a three-game series tonight. Minnesota was outscored 28-8 in dropping four straight to the Indians over the weekend and is 2-just 6 on its 11-game homestand, continuing a season-long problem at Target Field. Minnesota is only 14-24 at home in 2017, getting outscored, 6.13-to-4.58 RPG. However, the Twins have kept themselves in the AL Central hunt with a 20-9 road record. The White Sox have won of five of their last seven games but are mired in last place in the division at 31-37. The good news is, Chicago is just six games out of first.

The pitching matchup: Derek Holland (5-6 & 3.79 ERA) takes the ball for Chicago and Ervin Santana (8-4 & 2.56 ERA) gets it for Minnesota. Holland snapped a three-start losing streak last Tuesday by holding the Baltimore Orioles to one run on eight hits and two walks in six innings of a 6-1 Chicago win. However, he had allowed 14 runs on 17 hits in a combined seven innings over his first two June outings! Holland was not at his best against Minnesota on May 11, when he was charged with seven runs - three earned - on six hits and four walks in five innings to absorb the loss. That leaves him 2-5 with a 4.33 ERA over 10 career starst against Minnesota (teams are 4-6). Santana was arguably the AL's best pitcher in April and May. However, he's lacked consistency in three June starts, sandwiching two poor starts around a shutout in his last three. He had a complete game shutout at San Francisco on June 9 (4-0) but in his prior start and the one after the shutout, allowed 12 ERs on 16 hits in just nine innings! He's faced the White Sox plenty in his long career, going 10-9 with a 3.71 ERA over 24 starts (teams are 13-11).

The pick: Minnesota owns an ugly home record but the White Sox are just 16-25 on the road. I expect Monday's off day helped and note that Santana breezed through two starts against the White Sox in April, surrendering a total of only three hits in 15 scoreless innings en route to two wins. Make Minnesota an 8* play.

The set-up: Pittsburgh rolled to an 8-1 victory in the opener of its four-game series with the Brewers in Milwaukee last night. The Pirates have won six of nine and are now, five games back of the first-place Brewers in the NL Central. The Brewers lost for just teh second time in seven games but has scored just three runs in their last two games. The four-game series continues tonight and Milwaukee should be concerned with the fact that the Pirates have won seven the last eight meetings at Miller Park.

The pitching matchup: Chad Kuhl (1-6 & 5.61 ERA) starts for Pittsburgh and Zach Davies (7-3 & 4.91 ERA) for Milwaukee. These are two pitchers headed in opposite directions. Kuhl won his 2017 debut against Atlanta (April 8) but is win-less in 12 starts since (Pirates are 2-10). He has pitched five or fewer innings in each of his last 10 starts, including a three-inning scoreless outing against Milwaukee on May 5 in which he didn't return after a rain delay. Kuhl is 1-0 with a 1.76 ERA in three career starts against the Brewers (Pittsburgh is 3-0), so maybe that's something to "hang his hat on!" Meanwhile, Davies lost his first two outings of the season but has won seven of his last eight decisions over 12 starts (Milwaukee is 9-3). The negative is that unlike Kuhl, Davies has had no success against tonight's opponent, going 1-2 with a 9.56 ERA in four career starts against Pittsburgh (Brewers are 2-2).

The pick: I will not attribute much weight to Kuhl's limited success against Milwaukee and will add that Davies' lone career win over Pittsburgh did come this season when he allowed two runs and four hits in 5 2/3 innings on May 7. Pittsburgh has lost 10 of Kuhl's last 12 starts, while the Brewers are 9-3 over Davies' last 12. Good enough for me to make Milwaukee a 10* play.

The set-up: The Reds opened the new week on an overall nine-game losing streak, as well as a nine-game road losing streak. They put an end to both streaks with Monday's 7-3 win at Tampa Bay. Scooter Gennett homered for the second day in a row, driving in five runs in that span to give him 19 RBIs over the last 11 games. Joey Votto had an 11-game hitting streak halted Sunday but rebounded with a three-hit game in the series opener to boost his batting average to a season-high .310. The 37-36 Rays fell to 3-10 all-time against the Reds (their worst record against any team) and a loss on Tuesday would leave them back at .500, which has been a familiar place for Tampa Bay in 2017. The Rays have had a .500 record, 19 times so far this season.

The pitching matchup: Amir Garrett (3-5 & 6.91 ERA) takes the mound for the Reds and Alex Cobb (5-5 & 4.17 ERA) for the Rays. Garrett is a rookie left-hander who started well, posting a 1.83 ERA over his first three starts of 2017. He came through with a much-needed solid performance at San Diego last Wednesday, striking out eight in six innings while allowing just two runs (he settled for a no-decision as the Dodgers won 4-2). Still, Garrett, owns a 9.77 ERA over his last eight starts (with just one win). He had a short stint on the DL and in his three starts since returning, has allowed 12 ERs on 16 hits over just 9 2/3 innings (11.17 ERA!). Cobb got pounded in Seattle back on June 3 (allowed a career-worst nine hits and 14 runs) but has rebounded with back-to-back quality starts.

The pick. Garrett is a mess, although the good news for the Reds is that he's a lefty and the Rays are just 8-16 against left-handers this season, the second worst in the American League. That said, I don't want any part of Garrett. As for Cobb, eliminate his drubbing at Seattle (see above) and his ERA is 3.43 on the season. It's a solid 3.27 at Tropicana Field, where he also owns a 1.09 WHIP and is holding opponents to a .230 batting average. He pitched well in his only career start against Cincinnati, winning a 1-0 duel in 2014, holding the Reds to four hits and no walks. Make the Rays a 10* play.

The set-up: The Royals saw their six-game winning streak end Saturday in Anaheim but made it seven wins in their last eight contests with Sunday's 7-3 win over the Angels. KC concluded the team's road trip at 7-2 and has closed within 3 ½ games of first-place Cleveland in the AL Central at 33-35. The Royals return home to open the new week by meeting Boston for the first time this season, after taking four of six in 2016. The Red Sox took two of three at major league-best Houston over the weekend, including Sunday's 6-5 victory. Boston (39-30) has won seven of its last 10 games, moving into a virtual tie with the rival New York Yankees for first place in the AL East (Yanks have lost six in a row to fall to 38-29).

The pitching matchup: Hector Velazquez (1-1 & 6.48 ERA) gets the nod for Boston and Jason Hammel (3-6 & 5.05 ERA) for Kansas City. Velazquez will make just his second major-league start after holding Philadelphia scoreless on one hit and one walk over 3 1/3 innings on Wednesday to record the victory in relief. His first career start didn't go well, as he gave up six runs on nine hits (including three HRs) over five innings against Oakland back on May 18. Jason Hammel signed with KC as a free agent in the off season and a quick look at his record tells a sad story. The Royals have lost 10 of his 13 starts and his moneyline mark of minus-$584 ranks 240th of 249 starters in 2017. Hammel is 1-3 with a 4.61 ERA in 13 career appearances (six starts / teams are 2-4) versus the Red Sox.

The pick: However, looking a little closer at Hammel gives one a slightly different perspective. After a dreadful two months, he's opened June with three consecutive quality starts. which includes a pair of wins and a 2.21 ERA in that stretch. He has a 15-1 KW ratio in 20 1/3 innings during June. As for Velazquez, one has to look past his only previous big league start (a May 18 disaster) and note that he's off a 3 1/3-inning scoreless relief effort in his last outing plus owned a 1.29 ERA in nine outings in Triple-A Pawtucket this season before being called up. I'll make the Under a 10* play.

The set-up: The Reds stood in third place in the NL Central in games played through June 8 (just two games out of first) but went 0-6 on a West Coat swing through LA and SD. Cincy made a quick 'pit stop' at homs this weekend (again, against the Dodgers) but fared no better, getting swept. The Reds are now 29-39 (7 1/2 games out of first) and have lost nine in a row overall. They also find themselves back on the road for the next seven games, where they will try to avoid the team's first 10-game road losing streak since 1998 on Monday when they play the first of three against the Tampa Bay Rays. Tampa's five HRs on Sunday led the way to a 9-1 victory over Detroit, as the Rays earned a split of their four-game road series with the Tigers. Taht leaves them 37-35 and just 3 1/2 games back in the AL East (it's helped that the Yanks have lost six in a row!). The Rays have won seven of their last nine at home to reach 21-15 at Tropicana Field on 2017.

The pitching matchup: Scott Feldman (5-5 & 4.29 ERA) gets the start for the Reds and Jake Odorizzi (4-3 & 3.77 ERA) for the Rays. Feldman lost 6-2 in San Diego last Tuesday (four ERs over innings), which ended his three-game winning streak. He has been markedly worse on the road (2-3, 5.58 ERA) than in Cincinnati (3-2, 3.45) and is 4-3 with a 3.05 ERA in 17 career games (seven starts / teams are 4-3) versus the Rays. In contrast, Odorizzi squares off against Cincinnati for the first time. Odorizzi has pitched well at home in 2017, going with a 3.11 ERA and 1.01 WHIP in starts (Rays are), while allowing hitters to bat only .213 against him. Odorizzi carries a 6-3 record with a 3.12 ERA in 15 interleague starts into this game.

The pick: Cincinnati starting pitchers are 0-6 with an 8.29 ERA during the Reds' nine-game losing streak and Feldman's road owes (5.58 ERA and 1.60 WHIP) hardly give us any reason to think Cincy's pitching will improve. Let's also note that the right-handed Feldman faces a Tampa Bay lineup which owns the second-best record in the AL against right-handed starters (29-19) and the second-worst mark in the AL against lefties (8-16). Make Tampa Bay an 8* play.

The set-up: The Red Sox edged the Astros 2-1 on Friday but Houston bounced back last night, roughing up the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner (Rick Porcello) in a 7-1 victory. Porcello was charged with all seven runs (six innings), allowing 10 hits, including two HRs.The rubber match of this three-game series is set for tonight on ESPN. Houston moved to 42-16 on June 5 on the strength of an 11-game winning streak but had lost seven of 10 prior to Saturday's victory. Boston fell to 9-5 its last 14 but has closed to within just one game of the Yankees in the AL East, as New York has suddenly lost five in a row.

The pitching matchup: David Price (1-1 & 5.09 ERA) starts for Boston and Joe Musgrove (4-5 & 4.81 ERA) for Houston. Injury kept Price from making his 2017 debut until May 29 and in his fourth start of the season, finally earned his first win. It was hardly a great effort, as he allowed three runs on four hits and four walks across six innings to defeat the ML-worst Phillies 4-3 last Tuesday. Price is 4-2 with a 2.68 ERA over seven career starts against Houston (teams are 5-2). Musgrove returned from a stint on the disabled list this past Monday and surrendered two runs on five hits and a walk in 4 2/3 inings. He took the loss in a 6-1 Texas win in Houston. Monday's outing was a disappointment, as his previous start (May 26) had been his best of 2017, as he completed seven scoreless innings in a win versus Baltimore. This marks Musgrove's first start against Boston.

The pick: Sure, Houston owns MLB's best record at 46-23 but the Astros haven't won back-to-back games since their 11-game game winning ended on June 6. Musgrove was hardly sharp his last time out (first start in two-plus weeks) and in 2017, he's struggled at home with a 5.05 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP (team is 2-6 in his starts!). As for Price, his ERA may be high at 5.09 but he's allowed just 17 hits in 23 innings (21 Ks) and opponents are batting only .200 against him after four starts. In his seven career starts against Houston, Price has 61 strikeouts over 50 1/3 innings with an 0.93 WHIP. Make Boston a HUGE 10* play.

The set-up: Matt Davidson homered for the fifth time in the past six games in Chicago's 5-2 Saturday win over Toronto.That's three straight wins for Chicago, as well as five wins in its last six. The 31-36 White Sox still find themselves in last place but they are now just 4 1/2 games out of first in the AL Central. Toronto is also a last place team (AL East) and continues to spin its wheels as it is now 32-35 after going 9-9 in its last 18 games (Blue Jays are 6 1/2 games out of first).

The pitching matchup: James Shields (1-0 & 1.62 ERA) steps to the mound for Chicago and J.A. Happ (1-4, 4.31 ERA) for Toronto. Shields makes his first start in more than two months on Sunday. He was in the process of erasing the memory of a disastrous 2016 season (6-19 and a 5.85 ERA combined with Chicago and San Diego) when he began 2017 by allowing one run in each of his three starts over a combined 16 2/3 innings but he sustained a strained right lat on April 16. It sent him to the disabled list for the first time in his 12-year career. Shields is 12-6 with a 3.28 ERA in 24 starts versus Toronto (teams are 17-7). Happ takes the mound for the Blue Jays after winning his first game of the season last time out, when he allowed six hits and one walk while striking out eight in six innings of a 4-0 victory at Seattle on June 11. That was his third start since returning from the disabled list after an elbow injury sidelined him the same day Shields sustained his ailment. Happ is 1-2 with a 3.93 ERA in three starts versus Chicago.

The pick: Hard to figure how Shields will pitch in this one (last start came back on April 16) plus Happ finally returned to the form that saw him go 20-4 in 2016, last Sunday at Seattle. Let's make Toronto am 8* play.

The set-up; This three-game IL series continues Saturday night in Houston, with the Astros hosting the Red Sox. Boston won 2-1 last night and has now won six of its last eight to reach 38-29 on the season, just one game back of the Yankees in the AL East. Houston's 45-23 record remains MLB's best and while the Astros still own a commanding 11-game lead in the AL West, the team has now dropped seven of 10 since its 11-game winning streak

The pitching matchup: Rick Porcello (3-8 & 4.67 ERA) takes the mound for Boston and David Paulino (0-0 & 6.59 ERA) for Houston. The reigning Cy Young Award winner has lost three straight decisions and looks like a mess. Porcello has surrendered 66 hits in 43 1/3 innings over his last seven starts and opponents are hitting .310 against him, 80 points higher than during his 2016 season. He's only faced Houston twice in his career, going 1-0 with a 3.29 ERA (teams are 2-0). Paulino has recently een brecalled from Triple-A (May 31) and will make his fourth start of 2017. He has failed to get beyond four innings in two of his three major-league starts in 2017, including giving up five runs in four innings of a no-decision against the Los Angeles Angels this past Sunday. Opponents have 19 hits - including six doubles and three HRs - in just 13 2/3 innings against Paulino since he was recalled last month. He has never faced Boston.

The pick: While Porcello has had his struggles in 2017, it should also be pointed out that he has worked at least six innings in each of his last 19 road starts, the longest active streak in the majors, with a 3.30 ERA during that stretch. The Astros won't expect much (or too many innings) from Paulino and while I don't expect another 2-1 game, I don't expect a slug-fest, either. Adding fuel to my pick on the under is the fact that Boston's bullpen has not allowed a run in 24 innings, the team's longest such run since 2009 (25 1/3). Make the Under an 8* play.

The set-up: Texas has been an inconsistent team in 2017. The Rangers posted a 10-game winning streak (May 9-19) but followed it with a 4-12 stretch before they went 5-1 during a six-game road trip against division leaders Washington and Houston leading into this series. Texas (now 33-33) made it six wins in its last seven games with Friday's 10-4 series-opening rout. As for Seattle, the Mariners won nine of 10 to get back to the break-even mark on June 7 after falling a season-low eight games under .500, but they are only 3-6 since, checking in at 33-36.

The pitching matchup: Yovani Gallardo (3-6 & 6.11 ERA) starts for Seattle and Martin Perez (2-6 & 4.56 ERA) for Texas. Gallardo pitched well this past Monday in Minnesota, earning his first win in nearly a month after yielding three runs over six innings in a 14-3 win. That effort ended a two-start stretch in which he had surrendered 10 runs, 12 hits (including three HRs) and five walks over 10 innings. The vet has only four quality starts in 13 outings in 2017, with Seattle going 5-8. Gallardo allowed just one run on four hits in six innings but settled for a no-decision versus the Rangers on May 5 (Texas won 3-1) He's now 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA in three career starts vs. Texas (teams are 0-3). Perez allowed only two runs on seven hits over five innings last Saturday's in Washington but settled for a no-decision (Rangers won 6-3), as his win-less streak extended to four outings. Perez is 5-3 with a 3.29 ERA over 12 career starts against Seattle (Rangers are 7-5).

The pick: Seattle's a poor road team (just 13-23 in 2017) and Perez 3-1 with a 2.57 ERA in six starts against Seattle since the beginning of last year. Also, he's 3-0 with a 2.37 ERA in his five career home starts against Seattle. The trouble with taking Texas here is that the team's bats have been quiet, scoring only 10 runs over the last three games. Make the Under.

The set-up: The Nats came to New York on Thursday to open a four-game series with the Mets at Citi Field. The timing seemed perfect for the Mets, who came in 8 1/2 games back of the Nats in the NL East but had won five of their last six games, while the Nats had lost five of six. However, the visiting Nationals have widened the gap over the Mets with two comfortable wins, 8-3 on Thursday and 7-2 last night. Washington hit three HRs in Friday's win and has 12 over its last five games. The Nats' total of 103 HRs on the year rank them 4th among all teams. Washington ranks second in runs scored (5.52 per) and OPS (.814) plus third in team BA (.275).

The pitching matchup: Stephen Strasburg (7-2 & 3.27 ERA) will take the mound for Washington and Seth Lugo (1-0 & 1.29 ERA) for the Mets. Strasburg allowed six runs on seven hits in five innings in a no-decision against Atlanta on Monday (Braves won 11-10). That ended a streak of five straight quality starts in which he had gone 4-1. Strasburg is 7-4 with a 2.64 ERA in 13 starts against the Mets, all-time (Nats are 9-4). Lugo landed on the disabled list in the opening week of the season with a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament but he looked fully recovered in his season debut Sunday at Atlanta. He struck out six and limited the Braves to one run and six hits over seven innings in a 2-1 win. Lugo made one start and one relief appearance against the Nationals last season, allowing one run and six hits over nine innings and earning a win in the start.

The pick: Lugo made 17 appearances (eight starts) in 2016 for the Mets (his first season in the bigs) and will now make just his second start of 2017. It's a tough spot going against the powerful Washington lineup (see stats above) and facing Starsburg, who has seen the Nats go 9-4 in his 2017 starts. Strasburg has pitched better on the road in 2017, with a 2.52 ERA (compared to a 4.15 home ERA), going 5-1 in seven road outings (Nats are 5-2). Washington has outscored the Mets 15-5 in the first two games of the series and it doesn't get better for New York on Saturday, either, Make the Nats a 10* play.

The set-up: The first two games of this four-game series between the Rockies and Giants have seen Colorado win both high-scoring contests, 10-9 (Thursday) and then 10-9 last night! Colorado has dominated San Francisco this season by winning eight of nine meetings, among the reasons why the Rockies are 44-26 (lead NL West by one game over Arizona and LA) and the Giants are 26-43, a whopping 17 1/2 games out with the All Star break just under a month away. The Giants come to Coors Field this afternoon having lost 13 of their last 17 contests.

The pitching matchup: Matt Cain (3-5 & 5.22 ERA) gets the nod for the Giants and Kyle Freeland (7-4 & 3.57 ERA) for the Rockies. Cain lasted just 4 1/3 innings in a no-decision against Minnesota in his last start, allowing five runs on seven hits (Giants won 13-8). It's been a struggle for the 32-year-old vet in 2017, as he's 0-4 over his last five starts, having given up five or more runs in three of the outings. Cain has seen the Rockies a ton in his career, with a 17-10 record and 3.56 ERA in 38 starts (Giants are 22-16). Freeland is a rookie, who lost 7-2 at Pittsburgh in his last start, allowing five runs (four earned) on nine hits in 5 2/3 innings. However, he had won four of his previous five outings and on the season, has seen the Rockies go 9-4 in his 13 starts. His only career start against the Giants came on April 23 when he gave up six hits during seven scoreless innings of an 8-0 win.

The pick: Cain ranks 13th among active players with 2,030 1/3 innings pitched and is changing his style as he gets older and his velocity dips. However, the fact (truth) is, Cain hasn't pitched as many as 100 innings in any of his last three season. He had ERAs of 5.57 and 5.64 these last two years (plus WHIPs of 1.50 & 1.51), allowing more hits than IP in each year. He owns a 1.65 WHIP and .303 BAA in 2017, to go along with his 5.22 ERA. Make the Rockies an 8* play.

Rogers' complete analysis by 12 pm et (10*)The set-up: The KC Royals have caught fire with a season-high five-game winning streak after they opened a four-game series in Anaheim against the Angels with a 7-2 victory. Kansas City pounded out 15 hits and have now scored 42 runs (8.40 per) during the winning streak, after opening the season averaging 3.62 runs through its first 60 games. The loss dropped the Angels to 35-35 on the season (9-8 without Trout), as well as 0-4 on the year vs. the Royals, while scoring just five runs.

The pitching matchup: Ian Kennedy (0-6 & 5.40 ERA) gets the ball for KC and Jesse Chavez (5-6 & 5.06 ERA) for LA. Kennedy is having a miserable season and is still searching for his first win of 2017 in his 12th start of the year (Royals are 3-8). He has allowed four or more runs in each of his last six starts and despite allowing opponents to hit just .209 against him, is 0-2 with a 6.12 ERA in five road starts (KC is 2-3). Kennedy's best outing of the season came against the Angels as he struck out 10 and allowed two hits over eight innings in a no-decision back on April 16, but he's 0-4 with a 4.97 ERA in five career starts against them (teams are 1-4). Chavez gave up a season-high six runs against Houston in his last start but escaped with a no-decision after lasting only 3 2/3 innings. He has served up at least one homer in 11 consecutive appearances to set a dubious franchise record. Chavez lost his one career start against KC (4.76 ERA) but in six overall career appearances against him (includes five relief stints), he owns a 1.65 ERA.

The pick: Chavez has pitched as poorly as Kennedy in 2017 but while Kennedy has yet to win after 11 starts (again, KC is just 3-8), Chavez has managed five wins in his 14 starts (LA is 7-7). KC's win streak ends here. Make the Angels a 10* play.

The set-up: The 38-26 New York Yankees lead the AL East by two games over Boston, while the Oakland A's have sole possession of last place in the AL West at 28-38. However, in the first of this four-game series between the two teams, Khris Davis' two-run, walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th inning gave Oakland an 8-7 victory. All of a sudden, the Yankees have lost three straight and could be without catcher Gary Sanchez (he left the game Thursday night in the top of the ninth inning after stealing a base and hurting his groin) and CF Aaron Hicks, who left in the bottom of the ninth with tightness in his Achilles tendon. Manager Joe Girardi doesn't expect Sanchez or Hicks to miss more than a game or two but New York would sure like "all hands on deck" in trying to stop the team's current "mini-slide." Oakland's Davis leads the A's with 17 HRs and said he hopes momentum from the walk-off win carries over to the second game Friday night. "Just a win like that gives us some momentum for tomorrow and maybe for the whole series," Davis said.

The pitching matchup: Luis Severino (5-2 & 2.75 ERA) will get the ball for New York and Sean Manaea (6-3 & 3.67 ERA) for Oakland. Severino hasn't lost any of his last seven outings after he beat Baltimore 16-3 last Saturday, allowing just one run on two hits in seven innings. He has given up more than two runs only once during his unbeaten streak and fewer than two on five occasions. Severino is 3-0 during his last seven starts (Yanks are 5-2). In his lone career start vs. Oakland, he gave up two runs over six innings of a no-decision back on April 21, 2016 (NYY lost / 3.00 ERA). Like Severino, Manaea is riding a winning streak as well. The lefty enters on a five-start winning streak during which he has allowed two ERs or fewer in each outing while registering 32 strikeouts and seven walks over 32 innings (1.97 ERA and .193 opponent batting average). His latest win came on Saturday when he gave up two runs over seven innings at Tampa Bay. He's made two career starts vs. the Yankees, going 1-1 with a 3.28 ERA.

The pick: These two starters give us a very low total here and note that the Yankees average more runs than any team in MLB (5.81 per), with MLB's 2nd-best team BA (.277) and its No. 1 OPS (.826). Manaea comes in red-hot but the A's allow 5.42 RPG on the season and own an 'ugly' 5.13 bullpen ERA. Make the Over an 8* play.

The set-up: The 34-29 Minnesota Twins own a two-game lead over the 32-31 Cleveland Indians in the AL Central and will play the Indians in seven of their next 10 games. The first four games (there will be a Saturday twin-bill) will take place this weekend at Target Field, where Minnesota has gone only 14-20 in 2017. The AL Central has sent Kansas City to the World Series in 2014 and 2015 and Cleveland last year, when the Twins owned MLB's worst record (59-103). However, Minnesota has spent more than half of the 2017 season atop the division and has owned at least a share of the division lead since May 11. The Indians outscored Minnesota 20-7 en route to a three-game sweep at Target Field in mid-April but the Twins took two of three when the teams last met at Progressive Field from May 12-14 (Minnesota is in first because of its 20-9 road mark!).

The pitching matchup: Carlos Carrasco (6-3 & 3.36 ERA) gets the starting assignment for the Indians, opposed by the Twins' Nik Turley (0-0 & 9.00 ERA). Carrasco has lost just once since April 28 and is off a solid start the last time out, allowing two runs on seven hits and a walk across 5 1/3 innings in beating the White Sox 4-2 on Sunday. However, Carrasco has not pitched well in his career vs. the Twins, going 2-6 with a 4.74 ERA in 14 games (11 starts / team is 3-8). Turley made his big-league debut against San Francisco on Sunday, settling for a no-decision after giving up four runs on eight hits in four innings. He's a former 50th-round draft pick of the New York Yankees and had toiled for nearly 10 years in the minors before earning his long-awaited promotion after posting a 2.05 ERA and striking out 84 over 52 2/3 innings at two minor-league stops this season.

The pick-up: Carrasco's 4-1 (Indians 6-1) in his last seven starts and I expect a good outing. As for Turley, it's "now or never" after his long wait to reach the majors. The results of this weekend and next weekend at Cleveland could set the tone for the rest of the season. Expect a low-scoring game in the first of these seven 'battles.' Make the Under an 8* play.

The set-up: The Marlins struggled throughout most of May (6-18 after 24 games) but closed the month by winning their final four games. They've carried that success over into June and will open a three-game series in Atlanta against the Braves with 12 victories in their last 17 games (now 8-5 in June and 29-35 overall). Miami's turnaround has been sparked by the team batting .292 and averaging six runs per game in its recent stretch and the pitching staff has also improved significantly, posting a 3.62 ERA. The 29-36 Braves return home to open a 10-game homestand after winning two of three at NL East-leader Washington, improving to 14-15 since losing first baseman Freddie Freeman to a fractured wrist. The Braves have won three of the first five matchups against the Marlins this season and are 14-9 versus Miami since the start of 2016.

The pitching matchup: Dan Straily (4-4 & 3.89 ERA) takes the mound for Miami and Sean Newcomb (0-1 & 0.00 ERA) for Atlanta. Straily has posted a 3.32 ERA while going 3-1 over his last seven starts (team is just 3-4, though), allowing more than three runs just once in that span. That occurred in his last start Saturday at Pittsburgh, when he gave up four runs on nine hits in four innings of a no-decision. Straily earned his first victory for Miami against the Braves on April 11, surrendering two earned runs in five innings with two walks and five strikeouts. However, it was ripped in his other career outing vs the Braves, leving him 1-1 with 7.72 ERA. Newcomb was promoted to replace Bartolo Colon, who is on the disabled list with a strained oblique. He impressed in his major-league debut Saturday against the New York Mets, surrendering just an unearned run on four hits over 6 1/3 innings with two walks (one intentional) and seven strikeouts.

The pick: Newcomb earned an "A' in his MLB debut but often, pitchers regress in their second start. I like what I see these days from the Marlins and I'll go against Newcomb in his "second go-around!" Make the Marlins an 8* play.

The set-up: The Cincinnati Reds return to Great American Ball Park after stumbling through an 0-6 road trip but will only stay at home for the weekend, as it's back on the road Monday for seven in a row away from home. The Reds opened their 0-6 road trip by losing three games at Dodger Stadium and maybe it's fitting that they get another shot against the Dodgers here at home this weekend. Los Angeles scored 21 runs in sweeping three from Cincinnati last weekend and had ripped off six consecutive victories before a 12-5 loss yesterday afternoon at Cleveland. Rookie Cody Bellinger homered for the fifth time in six games to give him 18 in 47 contests and only Gary Sanchez (19) of the New York Yankees has hit more in his first 47 career games. The 41-26 Dodgers are tied with the D'backs in the NL West, as both teams trail the Rockies by one game for the division lead. In contrast, the 29-36 Reds reside in last place in the NL Central, although they are only 5 1/2 games out of first.

The pitching matchup: Alex Wood (6-0 & 2.01 ERA) gets the nod for LA and Tim Adleman (4-2 & 4.34 ERA) for Cincy. Wood came off the 10-day disabled list to face the Reds last Saturday and did not factor in the decision, allowing three runs on five hits over 5 2/3 innings. He was riding a streak of 25 1/3 scoreless innings spanning four starts and had won his last five outings before he went on the DL. Wood owns a career record of 2-0 in four appearances (three starts / teams are 3-0) against the Reds. Adleman faced the Dodgers last Sunday but also did not factor in the decision, permitting three runs (two earned) on five hits (including two HRs) over five innings. He had posted quality starts in each of his previous three outing, allowing just four runs on 10 hits in 21 innings (1.74 ERA). Adleman beat the Dodgers in his only other start against them with five scoreless innings in August of 2016 (he's 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA (team is 1-1).

The pick: the Dodgers are 25-10 at home but a much more modest 16-16 on the road in 2017. However, they've won each of the last six times that Wood has started and the Reds limp in on a six-game slide, having averaged just 2,17 RPG in five of those six losses (exception was a 9-7 loss to LA last Sunday). Make the Dodgers an 8* play.

The set-up: The 30-34 Kansas City Royals open a four-game series against the 35-34 Angels in Anaheim on Thursday. The Royals have scored the fewest runs (253 / 3.94 per) in the American League but have pushed 35 runs across the plate in winning four in a row. The Angels have won five of their last seven games and continue to stay competitive without reigning American League MVP Mike Trout. LA is 9-7 in his absence and is currently in second place in the AL West. The problem being, the Astros own an 11-game lead with MLB's best record (45-22).

The pitching matchup: Matt Strahm (1-3 & 4.50 ERA) starts for KC and Ricky Nolasco (2-7 & 4.81 ERA) for LA. Strahm will be making his first major-league start, after 41 relief appearances over the past two seasons. He is is holding opponents to a .178 batting average this season but has issued 18 walks in just 22 innings. Strahm has never has faced the Angels but note that he has recorded 56 strikeouts in 44 big-league innings. Nolasco enters this contest having lost five consecutive starts, which matches the longest skid of his career. His last win came back on April 27 (2-1 over Oakland), with him now going win-less in his last eight starts (team 0-8!). Nolasco is 2-4 with a 4.80 ERA in eight career starts against the Royals (teams are 2-6).

The pick: Yes, Nolasco has dropped five straight starts but he allowed three runs or fewer in three of them, including giving up just two runs on eight hits over seven innings in his last outing vs. Houston. The Royals are only 13-18 on the road and pitch a first-time starter against an LA team which has played well at home (20-13). Make the Angels a 10* play.

The set-up: Not much is going right for the Tigers these days, as they've lost five of their last six after a 2-1 home loss to Arizona on Wednesday night. Detroit is 30-34 on the season (four back in the AL Central) as it opens a four-game series at home against the 35-33 Tampa Rays, who despite a better record than the Tigers, are 5 1/2 games out in the AL East. The Tigers won six of seven over the Rays in 2016 but the Rays swept a three-game series from the Tigers in Tampa back on April 18-20.

The pitching matchup: Alex Cobb (5-5 & 4.29 ERA) starts for the Rays and Justin Verlander (4-4 & 4.68 ERA) for the Tigers. Cobb had a terrible start at Seattle on June 3 (allowed nine runs in just five innings) but bounced back in his last outing by holding Oakland to one run over six innings in a 13-4 victory on Friday. Cobb is 2-1 with a 2.75 ERA in five career starts against the Tigers (Rays are 3-2). Verlander hasn't won in his last four starts (0-3 / team is 1-3), allowing 12 runs on 26 hits over 19 2/3 innings (5.49 ERA). He is struggling with his control in 2017, walking 37 in 75 innings. However, Verlander is an impressive 8-3 with a 3.34 ERA in 15 starts versus Tampa Bay (Tigers are 11-4)..

The pick: Cobb will be making the 100th start of his career, while for Verlander, it's his 366th. The Rays allow 5.03 RPG on the road this year and the Tigers are averaging 5.43 at home. I'll back the vet and make Detroit a 10* play.

The set-up: The Mariners have scored a total of 27 runs in winning two of the first three games of this four-game series against the Twins. Seattle's offense has been consistently good for awhile now, as the team has scored five or more runs in 11 of its last 12 victories and caps this series Thursday afternoon in Minnesota having won 12 of its last 17. The team's 2-8 start to 2017 seems behind them and a win here gets them to .500 (Seattle sits 33-34). The Twins also have scored 27 runs in the first three games of this series but 20 of them came in Tuesday's victory, when they recorded a franchise-record 28 hits. Minnesota scored just three and four runs in the two losses and now are only 13-20 at Target Field in 2017. However, Minnesota's 20-9 road record leaves them 33-29 on te season, good enough for a two-game lead over the Indians in the AL Central race for first place.

The pitching matchup: Two surprising pitchers square off today, as Ariel Miranda (6-2 & 3.67 ERA) goes for Seattle and Jose Berrios (5-1 & 2.84 ERA) for Minnesota. Miranda has won five consecutive decisions and has allowed just nine ERs over his last six starts. He did not factor in the decision against Toronto this past Saturday, when he gave up two runs on two hits over 6 1/3 innings (Blue Jays won 4-2). Miranda lost his lone career start against the Twins, allowing three runs and three hits in four innings while serving up two HRs last season (6.75 ERA). Berrios comes in off back-to-back wins and has given up fewer than three runs in four of his six starts this year. He struck out eight in 5 1/3 innings while defeating San Francisco in his last outing, allowing only two runs on six hits.Berrios was 3-7 with an 8.02 ERA in 14 starts last year but is 5-1 in his six starts here in 2017 with an excellent 1.00 WHIP to go along with that 2.84 ERA. This marks his first start against Seattle.

The pick: Both pitchers have performed well in 2017  but unlike Berrios, who struggled badly last season, Miranda showed signs of promise by fashioning a 3.54 ERA in 11 appearances (10 starts) in 2016. The Twins' ugly home record of 13-20 (minus-$901 vs. the moneyline) makes them vulnerable again here, as does Berrios' 7.43 ERA in eight career starts at Target Field. Take the 1 1/2 runs and make Seattle a 6* play.

The set-up: The Rangers backed up their 6-1 Monday victory in Houston with a 4-2 win on Tuesday. That gives the Rangers a five-game winning streak overall, a stretch in which the team's staring pitchers having allowed only seven runs on 22 hits over 32 innings. The 44-22 Astros still own MLB's best record but the Astros have now followed an 11-game winning streak with losses in six of their last eight. Texas has climbed back to .500 (32-32) and will look to complete a three-game sweep tonight but the reality is that the Rangers remain 11 games back of the Astros (steep climb).

The pitching matchup: Andrew Cashner (3-5 & 3.17 ERA) takes the mound for Texas and Francis Martes (0-0 & 9.82 ERA) for Houston. Cashner allowed just one in seven innings on June 9 to shut down Washington 5-1. However, he has dropped both decisions versus Houston this season (June 3 and May 1), allowing eight runs (seven earned) on 14 hits for a 5.25 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP in 12 innings. The leaves him 0-3 with a 3.91 ERA in four career starts against Houston (teams are 1-3). Houston's rotation has been besieged by injuries and Martes will make his first career start on Wednesday. He was far from sharp while allowing four ERs in just 3 2/3 innings of relief against the Los Angeles Angels last Friday. “With a young pitcher like Martes, it’s a battle within himself," manager A.J. Hinch said. “Just repeating his delivery and using his pitches and getting his first outing out of the way was nice. ... It was a low-pressure game and he could see that his stuff in the strike zone plays pretty well. But he's got some work to do mechanically to be consistent."

The pick: I'm no fan of Cashner and Martes is Houston's top pitching prospect. Even with back-to-back wins, Texas is a modest 14-18 on the road in 2017. Houston is clearly in a "mini-slump" but I'll back them to avoid the home sweep here. Make the Astros a 10* play.

The set-up:The Royals and Giants wrap-up a two-game IL series this afternoon in San Francisco. Kansas City improved to 3-1 on its nine-game California trip with an 8-1 triumph on Tuesday as every starter in the batting order recorded a hit. The Giants managed only five hits in Tuesday's loss and continue to seem hopelessly lost, falling to 26-40, which leaves them tied for last place in the NL West with the Padres (both are 14 1/2 games back of Colorado). The Royals, World Series champs in 2015, are just 29-34, coming off an 81-81 season in 2016.

The pitching matchup: Jason Hammel (2-6 & 5.43 ERA) gets the nod for KC and Johnny Cueto (5-5 & 4.33 ERA) for SF. Hammel settled for a no-decision against Houston on Thursday despite allowing only one run and four hits over seven innings. Hammel has been a huge disappointment in his first season with the Royals, as KC has gone 2-10 in his 12 starts in 2017, giving him a minus-$738 moneyline mark. That ranks 238th among 242 starters this season!. He has yet to defeat San Francisco in his career, going 0-3 with a 3.02 ERA in 12 appearances (11 starts / teams are 4-7). Cueto did not factor in the decision at Milwaukee on Thursday after allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits and a season-high four walks in five innings. He has worked at least six innings in each of his previous eight outings but has gone just 2-4 in that span (team is 3-5). The Giants are 8-5 (plus-$336) in Cueto's starts this season but that's a far cry from when they were 23-9 (plus-$1056) in his 2016 outings (ranked 12th in the moneyline standings among starters). Of course, most will remember that Cueto spent part of the 2015 season with the Royals and helped them to the World Series title. He is 1-2 with a 3.79 ERA in three career starts against his former team.

The pick: Note that Cueto's three starts against KC all came when he was with the Reds, so this is his first meeting with them since leaving the team to sign a six-year, $130 million contract with the Giants. Cueto has not pitched as well as last year but does own a 2.64 ERA in 30 career interleague starts (14-6 record). Meanwhile, Hammel has been a complete bust (see above) and also note that he hasn't beaten anyone on the road since last July, a stretch of eight starts during which he has gone 0-7. He owns a 6.43 ERA and 1.86 WHIP in four road starts in 2017 (Royals are 0-4). Make the Giants a 10* play.

The pitching matchup: Daniel Gossett (NR) will make his major league debut for the Oakland A's and is opposed by Miami's Edinson Volquez (3-7 & 3.41 ERA). Gossett was a second-round pick of the Athletics in 2014 and struck out 151 in 153 2/3 innings with three different teams last season in the minors. He takes the spot of Andrew Triggs (hip) in the rotation after permitting four runs over 21 innings combined in his last three starts with Triple-A Nashville. He is 3-3 with a 3.41 ERA in 11 starts with the Sounds this year and is 19-22 in 77 games overall in the minors. Volquez began the season 0-7 but enters this game on a streak of 16 straight scoreless innings that included a no-hitter against Arizona in his last home start back on June 3. Volquez followed up his first career no-hitter with seven scoreless innings and three hits allowed at Pittsburgh to earn his third consecutive victory.hopes to make it four straight wins, here. He has allowed just one run on six hits and six walks over 22 innings in his last three starts, giving him an 0.41 ERA.. Volquez is 3-4 with a 4.82 ERA in seven career starts against the Athletics, including allowing  three runs over six innings in a 4-1 loss at Oakland on May 24.

The pick: Oakland's road woes are real and the Marlins have won nine of their last 11 at home plus send out a veteran pitcher who is certainly "in the zone!" Make the Marlins an 8* play.

The set-up: The Giants and Royals met in the 2014 World Series with the Giants winning Game 7 in KC, 3-2 (remember Bumgarner's classic performance in that Fall Classic?). That now seems like a lifetime ago, as the Royals are just 28-34 and the Giants 26-39 in 2017, as the two teams open a two-game interleague series on Tuesday in San Francisco. The Royals are 6-4 so far in June (have scored at least seven runs in their five wins) but on the season, are last in the AL in runs scored (237 / 3.82 per). The Giants (239) rank 28th in the majors in runs scored at 3.68 per, despite busting out of a slump by drubbing the Minnesota Twins 13-8 on Sunday.

The pitching matchup: Jason Vargas (8-3 & 2.18 ERA) takes the mound for KC and Ty Blach (4-3 & 3.64) for SF. Vargas has won his last three, despite not making it out of the sixth inning in two of them. He's sandwiched those two so-so starts around a seven-hit shutout of Cleveland on June 2. Vargas struck out nine in seven scoreless frames against the Giants at home on April 19 and is 1-1 with a 2.90 ERA in five career starts against them (teams are 3-2). Blach had a string of four straight wins come to an end when he allowed five runs on nine hits in six innings at Milwaukee last Wednesday.He also had a string of five straight starts of at least seven innings and three or fewer runs allowed come to an end in that contest. Blach has never faced the Royals and his lone previous interleague experience was a stint out of the bullpen at Kansas City on April 18, when he worked a scoreless two-thirds of an inning.

The pick: Vargas has had a nice season but the Royals have played poorly on the road, going 11-18 while allowing 5.10 RPG. Meanwhile, since replacing the injured Bumgarner in the rotation, Blach has done his best pitching at home, where he has allowed 19 hits and just seven ERs over 33 2/3 innings, posting a 1.87 ERA. In eight appearances this year at AT&T Park (five starts / three relief), Blach owns a 1.75 ERA and 0.92 WHIP. Make the Giants an 8* play.

The Minnesota Twins were happy to go 6-4 on their latest road trip, despite losing 13-8 at San Francisco on Sunday. However, a return to Target Field on Monday brought more misery. The Twins and Mariners have a four-game series scheduled to open this week in Minnesota and the Mariners crushed the Twins last night in the first game, 14-3. Minnesota has now lost five in a row and home, while incredibly getting outscord 62-25! Including Sunday's game at San Francisco and last night's home game vs. the Mariners, Minnesota pitchers have been ravaged for 27 runs on 36 hits these last two games. Seattle had scored a combined seven runs in its previous four games before breaking loose against Minnesota. However, the Mariners have played fairly well after opening the 2017 just 2-8, going 30-25 to get withing a game of .500 (32-33). The Twins may be an awful 12-19 at home but the team's 20-9 record leaves them 32-28 overall, one game up on the Indians for the AL Central lead.

The pitching matchup: Christian Bergman (3-3 & 4.03 ERA) gets the nod for Seattle and Kyle Gibson (3-4 & 6.52 ERA) for Minnesota. Bergman has bounced back in strong fashion since being hammered for 10 runs and 14 hits at Washington on May 23, as over his next two starts he beat the Red Sox and Rays, while allowing just two runs over 13 innings. However, he lost at home to the Twins last Thursday, despite permitting just one earned run in five innings (that's his lone career starts against Minnesota). Berman owns a 2.00 ERA since that awful start at Washington. Gibson suffered a disastrous April, going 0-4 with a 8.20 ERA in six starts (Twins were 2-4). He then landed on the DL but won his first start after returning from injury, albeit in shaky fashion (allowed six ERs over five innings of a 14-7 May 22 win at Baltimore), but followed that with three strong outings (2.65 ERA / team is 2-1). That includes six innings of one-run ball at Seattle last week. Gibson is 3-2 with a 2.72 ERA against the Mariners in seven career starts (team is 5-2)..

The pick: Gibson is pitching better but how can one trust the Twins the way they've played at home these last last five games? Meanwhile, after opening the 2017 season 1-9 on the road, the Mariners are a respectable 11-11 away from Seattle their last 22 road games! Make Seattle an 8* play

The set-up: The 39-25 LA Dodgers are tied for the third-most wins in MLB while the Cleveland Indians, the defending AL champs, are a much more modest 31-29. However, as the two teams get set to open a three-game IL series Tuesday night in Cleveland, they find themselves in similar positions. Both are second-place teams, one game back of their respective division leaders, Colorado in the NL West and Minnesota in the AL Central. The Dodgers enter on a four-game winning streak but while they are 25-10 at home, LA is just 14-15 on the road. As for Cleveland, the Indians own a winning road record (17-14) but are one of MLB's biggest disappointments in 2017 at home, going just 14-15 (more on that, later).

The pitching matchup; Clayton Kershaw (8-2, 2.20 ERA) steps to the mound for LA and will be opposed by Cleveland's Trevor Bauer (5-5 & 6.10 ERA). Kershaw is having another typical "Kershaw season," as he's among the major league leaders in ERA (2.20), WHIP (0.90) and strikeouts (101). He has allowed two or fewer runs in 10 of his 13 starts this season and the Dodgers are 11-2 in his starts (plus-$660, which ranks 5th-best). Kershaw took a no-decision in only start versus Cleveland but that 7.20 ERA should be of little concern, as it came during his rookie season of 2008. Bauer comes off his second-shortest outing of the season, allowing four runs, five hits and five walks in 3 1/3 innings of an 8-1 loss in Colorado on Wednesday. However, he had gone 3-0 with a 3.86 ERA in his previous five starts (Indians were 4-1), which included a start that was cut short at 1 2/3 innings because of a rain delay in a game the Indians eventually won 8-0 in Kansas City on June 4. Bauer is 1-0 with a 2.31 ERA in two career starts against the Dodgers (team is 2-0). He is 7-4 with a 3.03 ERA in 18 interleague games (17 starts).

This marks the Dodger's first IL game of 2017, something the Indians can't say but wish they could. Cleveland is 1-7 in interleague games this season, including 0-5 versus NL West teams Arizona and Colorado. Kershaw has that awful start against Cleveland back in his rookie season on his IL resume but considering he's 12-4 with a 2.22 ERA in 28 interleague starts. no one should be concerned. Yes, the Dodgers are a modest 14-15 on the road but they are 5-1 when Kershaw starts on the road (talk about a "difference-maker"). I noted earlier that Cleveland was a poor 14-15 at home but will add here that the team's home moneyline mark is the worst in all of MLB at minus-$1204. Make LA an 8* play.

full analysis soon

The pick: Yes, Lackey has struggled lately but he's pitched well against the Mets recently. DeGrom is also struggling but he'll face a Chicago team which has scored only 12 runs during its eight-game road slide. Make the Under a 10* play.

The set-up: The Mariners won 4-2 in the opener of their three-game home series with the Blue Jays but Toronto bounced back with a similar 4-2 win last night. The teams play the rubber game of the series on Sunday, as the Mariners cap an 11-game homestand (are 7-3 so far). Seattle opened the season 2-8 but has rebounded lately, winning 10 of 13 to sit just one game under .500 (31-32). The bad news is, Seattle resides in the AL West with the 44-19 Astros, so the Mariners are 13 games out of first place. Toronto knows all about slow starts, as the Blue Jays opened 2-11 in 2017. They had gotten to within one game of .500 on June 4 (28-29) but have now lost three of five since. However, despite finding themselves in last place at 30-32, Toronto is 'only' 7 1/2 games out of first in the AL East.

The pitching matchup: J.A. Happ (0-4 & 5.33 ERA) toes the rubber for Toronto and James Paxton (5-0 & 1.69 ERA) gets the nod for Seattle. Coming off a 20-4 season in 2016, Happ has been limited to just five starts in 2017 because of injury and is still looking for his first win of the season. He allowed five runs on four hits and three walks in 5 1/3 innings of a 5-3 loss at Oakland on Monday but it was the second-longest outing of the year. Happ spent part of 2015 with Seattle and is 3-1 with a 4.50 ERA in five career starts against his former team (teams are 3-2). While Happ seeks his first win of 2017, Paxton has yet to suffer a defeat this season in eight starts (he's 5-0 but the team has lost his three no-decisions). Incredibly, Paxton has only allowed runs in three of his eight starts in 2017 and in five home starts this season, is 4-0 (team is 4-1) with a 1.17 ERA and 0.98 WHIP.

The pick: Happ earned his milestone 20th victory of the season at Safeco Field last September, so maybe this start will be his "lucky day" (first win of 2017)? Paxton has been "lights out" at home in 2017 and neither team has shown much offense this weekend, scoring six runs apiece after two games. Make the Under an 8* play.