It's been a rough start to the season for the Blue Jays. The Jays are four games out of first place in the AL East, tied with Tampa heading into Game 2 of this series at Tropicana Field. I like the Rays to win in a pitcher's duel this afternoon. 

Here are my keys to the game: 

1. Pitching - The Rays will send Chris Archer to the mound, and he's coming off his best performance of the season so far. Archer (1-4, 5.47 ERA) tossed 6.2 scoreless innings, striking out 10 in a win over the Orioles in his last start. Archer has seen more of the Blue Jays than any other team, going 5-3 with a 3.26 ERA in 15 starts over the last three seasons. 

2. Batter vs. Pitcher - The Toronto lineup has had very little success against Archer, batting .180 with 61 strikeouts over a combined 205 at bats. Jose Bautista is batting .147 with five strikeouts in 34 career at bats versus Archer. 

3. X-Factor - Evan Longoria is batting .381 lifetime versus Blue Jays starter J.A. Happ.

Selection: This is a play on the Tampa Rays (10*)

10* National League SIDE OF THE WEEK on Colorado Rockies.

The Rockies come into Arizona tonight as losers of five straight, and they should be pretty desperate to snap this losing skid. With a struggling pitcher going for the Diamondbacks, this looks like a good spot for Colorado to snap out of this slump. My money is on the Rockies. 

Here are my keys to the game: 

1. Pitching - Tyler Chatwood will get the nod for the Rockies, and he's already beaten Arizona once this year. He gave up just a pair of runs on seven hits over 6.1 innings in a 4-3 win at Chase Field in his season debut. He's also been good on the road overall, going 2-0 with an 0.68 ERA. The Diamondbacks will send Robbie Ray to the mound, and he was torched for five runs on right hits and a pair of walks in just three innings in his last outing. 

2. Batter vs. Pitcher - Charlie Blackmon is set to come off the 15 day DL, and he's 5-for-8 lifetime versus Ray. The southpaw will have to keep an eye on Nolan Arenado, who is batting .292 versus left-handed pitching. 

3. X-Factor - Tyler Chatwood is 2-0 with a 3.32 ERA in four career starts versus Arizona 

Selection: This is a play on the Colorado Rockies (10*)

10* COACH’S PLAYBOOK on Houston Astros.

The Houston Astros have been one of the biggest disappointments in the MLB so far this season. The team has recorded just six wins over its first 20 games and it lost yesterday's opener of a three-game series against the Seattle Mariners 3-2. Tuesday's pitcher match-up makes me lean the Astros in this contest though. 

Here are my keys to the game: 

1. Pitching - The Astros hand the ball to Dallas Keuchel (2-2, 3.71 ERA) who has two of the teams six wins. He was rocked for six runs on 13 hits in six innings at Texas his last start but has a solid 2.68 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in nine career appearances against the Mariners, and the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner is bound to bounce back with a strong performance tonight. The Mariners counter with Nathan Karns (1-1, 5.28) who has been lit up in two of his three starts this season. He conceded five runs (four earned) on five hits and four walks over 5 1/3 innings at Cleveland his last start and was charged with the loss in his lone home start this season when he was tagged four four runs in five innings of a 6-1 loss against the A's. 

2. Seattle's Struggles With Southpaws - Seattle's .214 batting average against left-handers this season is among the worst marks in the Majors. They have lost eight of their last 10 when coming up against a left-handed starter. 

3. X-Factor - Seattle had only four hits yesterday while the Astros went 2 for 9 with runners in scoring position. Better efficiency from the Astros in this contest and they'll win easy. 

Selection: This is a play on the Houston Astros (10*)

10* UNDERDOG OF THE MONTH on the San Diego Padres.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 3.5 games back of the Cubs in the NL Central, and they come into Game 2 of this series versus the Padres as losers of five of their last seven. San Diego will have it's ace on the mound on Thursday, and my money is on the Friars as a home dog. 

Here are my keys to the game: 

1. Pitching - James Shields will get the nod for San Diego, and he's still looking for his first win of the season. He's pitched pretty well so far, but simply hasn't gotten the run support. He's only faced the Pirates twice over the last three seasons, but he's been sharp posting a 1.38 ERA over 13 innings. 

2. Batter vs. Pitcher - The Pirates lineup has not been able to solve Shields, batting just .138 over a combined 69 at bats. During that span they have twice as many strikeouts (18) as they do hits (9). 

3. X-Factor - Pittsburgh has really struggled against the Padres, they are 21-43 in the last 64 meetings. 

Selection: This is a play on the San Diego Padres (10*)

10* play on Seattle Mariners.

The Mariners bats had been awful quite prior to their arrival in the Bronx, but they busted out to score seven runs in a 7-1 win in Game 1 of this series Friday. They look like a solid bet with their ace on the mound in a matinee in Game 2. My money is on the Mariners. 

Here are my keys to the game: 

1. Pitching - Felix Hernandez will get the call on Saturday, and he's still in search of his first victory. He's pitched well though, and has a history of pitching well against the Yankees. He's 1-0 with a 1.89 ERA in three starts at Yankee Stadium over the last three seasons. C.C. Sabathia will go for the Yanks, and he failed to impress in his season debut.

2. Batter vs. Pitcher - Adam Lind was 2-for-4 with an RBI in Game 1, and he's 7-for-15 with four RBIs lifetime versus Sabathia. 

3. X-Factor - Sabathia had an ERA of 7.36 in five starts in day games last year. 

Selection: This is a play on the Seattle Mariners (10*)

10* SUPER DOG on Cincinnati Reds.

The Chicago Cubs entered the season as the favorite to win the World Series, and they have not missed a beat so far starting the year with a 7-1 record. I think the Cincinnati Reds are looking good to record an upset and deny the Cubs to sweep this three-game series tonight though. 

Here are my keys to the game: 

1. Pitching - The Cubs hand the ball to Jason Hammel (0-0, 1.50) who is 1-1 with a 4.38 ERA in nine career games (eight starts) against the Reds. He has struggled with Brandon Phillips who is 6-for-19 in previous match-ups and Phillips has started the current season strong with seven hits in 18 at bats over the past five games. The Reds will counter with Raisel Iglesias (1-0, 2.31 ERA) and he held the Cubs to four runs over 12 2/3 innings in two meetings last season. 

2. Batter vs. Pitcher -  The current Cubs teams is a combined 7-for-42 (.167) with 14 strikeouts versus Iglesias, and a reliable batter like Jason Heyward is 0-for-6. The only Cubs player with multiple hits against Iglesies is Kyle Schwarber, whos is out for the year with a knee injury.

3. X-Factor - Hammel is coming off a quality start when he held the D'Backs to one run in six innings in his season-debut, but the Cubs are 0-5 in Hammels last five starts following a quality start in his last appearance.

Selection: This is a play on the Cincinnati Reds (10*)

10* BLOWOUT SIDE OF THE MONTH on St. Louis Cardinals.

The St. Louis Cardinals will look to rebound from a 4-1 loss at PNC Park on Opening Day, with a favorable pitching match in Game 2 of this series versus Pittsburgh. The Cardinals hand the ball to 24 year old right-hander Michael Wacha, and he should be able to out-duel veteran Jonathon Niese. My money is on the Cardinals. 

Here are my keys to the game: 

1. Previous History - Niese has not impressed in four appearances this Spring, going 0-2 with an 8.40 ERA. He got roughed up by St. Louis last year, going 0-1 with a 5.68 ERA in two starts. His numbers at PNC Park aren't very encouraging either, he's 1-1 with a 5.91 ERA in two starts here since 2013. 

2. Batter vs. Pitcher - The Cardinals lineup is batting .304 over a combined 92 at bats versus Neise, and both Matt Carpenter and Jedd Gyorko are a combined 9-for-17 with four doubles. Yadier Molina has faced him more than any other Cardinal, and he hasn't been fooled, batting .318 with a home run. 

3. X-Factor - The Cardinals are 7-3 in their last 10 road games versus a left-handed starter.

Selection: This is a play on the St. Louis Cardinals (10*) 

10* play on New York Mets.

The New York Mets and the Kansas City Royals will open the season with a two-game set at Kauffman Stadium. This is a replay of last year's World Series finals where the Royals got the better of the Mets, but I like New York's chances of getting a little revenge here in the season-opener. 

Here are my keys to the game: 

1. Pitching - The Mets hand the ball to their ace Matt Harvey who's coming off a solid season, posting a 2.53 ERA after missing all of 2014 to recover from Tommy John surgery. He's had a turbulent preseason dealing with a blood clot in his bladder, but he won each of his four April starts last year and we should see another strong April from the right-hander this season. The Royals will counter with Edinson Volquez who has compiled a sub-4.00 ERA in two straight seasons. He does not have a good record against the Mets going 2-5 with a 5.70 ERA in nine career starts against them. 

2. Slow Starters - The Royals are just 1-11 in their last 12 during game 1 of a series while the Mets are 16-5 in their last 21 series-openers. 

3. X-Factor - The Mets players should be well motivated with revenge on their minds after having to watch the Royals raise their second championship banner pre-game.

Selection: This is a play on the New York Mets (10*)

The Kansas City Royals made the most of the home-advantage in the World Series last night when they tied the game at the bottom of the ninth to give themselves the chance to eventually win the game in extra-innings. We saw a total of nine runs scored, but I don't think runs will come quite as easy for either team here in Game 2. 
Here are my keys to the game: 
1. Pitching - The Mets hand the ball to Jacob deGrom (14-8, 2.54 ERA) who has won each of his three starts here in the post-season while yielding only a total of four runs on 15 hits and an amazing 27 strikeouts over 21 innings of work. This will be the deGrominator's first meeting with the Royals and don't be surprised if it takes a while for them to figure him out, if they ever do. The Royals counter with Johnny Cueto (11-13, 3.44 ERA) who lasted only two innings at Toronto on Oct. 19 in his last start when he was torched for eight runs on six hits and four walks. He held Houston to just two runs on two hits with eight strikeouts over eight innings his last start here at Kauffman Stadium though and he has a .230 BAA versus the current Mets roster.
2. Situational - Each of deGrom's last four starts have gone under the total and the under is 5-1-1 in the Royals last seven inter-league games.
3. X-Factor - New York's Daniel Murphy failed to homer for the first time in seven postseason games Tuesday. He's might struggle to start another streak tonight as he's just 3-for-17 in previous meetings with Cueto. 
Selection: This is a play on the Mets@Royals to go under the total (10*)

The highly anticipated 2015 World Series will open Tuesday night when the Kansas City Royals will host the New York Mets at Kauffman Stadium. The Royals are back in it for the second straight year and whether they'll go all the way or not this time is still up in the air, but I think they good at home in Game 1.

Here are my keys to the game: 
1. Pitching - The Mets hand the ball to Matt Harvey (13-8, 2.71 ERA) who'll make his third appearance here in the post-season. He's conceded a total of five runs (four earned) on 11 hits over 12 2/3 innings of work but only recorded four strikeouts in the process. Harvey finished the regular-season on a pitch-count and the extended break here since dismissing the Cubs in the NLCS might not work to his advantage either as it's been a lot of stop-and-go for the 26 year old lately. The Royals counter with Edinson Volquez (13-9, 3.55 ERA) who allowed five runs on three hits and four walks over five innings of a 7-1 loss at Toronto his last start. He held the Blue Jays to two hits over six scoreless innings his only home-start here in the post-season though and was 8-4 over 16 starts at the K during the regular season. 
2. The Royals' Routine - Failing to defeat the Giants in the 2014 World Series could work to the Royals advantage here. They've been in this situation before and knows what it takes to win it. The Mets have a very young rotation and questions must be raised how they'll cope with the massive amount of pressure they'll be exposed to here. 
3. X-Factor - Kansas City's Alcides Escobar has hit safely in 10 straight games and played a huge factor when the team dismissed Toronto in the ALCS and was named the series MVP. 
Selection: This is a play on the Kansas City Royals (10*)

The Toronto Blue Jays opened the ALCS with a pair of losses here at Kauffman Stadium but have battled themselves back into the series by taking two of three at Toronto. They now have survive two games at Kansas City, and I think the price is right to back Toronto in Game 6.

Here are my keys to the game: 
1. Pitching - The Royals hand the ball to Yordano Ventura (0-1, 6.57) who has conceded three runs in each of his three playoffs starts this season. He hurled 5 1/3 innings of the 6-3 win in Game 2 of this series but put a lot of batters on base by allowing eight hits and a pair of walks. The Jays counter with David Price who conceded five runs on six hits over 6 2/3 innings in that same match-up. He was still the more dominant of the two pitchers in my opinion though as it was only an unfortunate seventh inning that made him suffer after tossing six scoreless innings. He recorded a total of eight strikeouts with no free passes in the contest which can be compared to Ventura's six retired batters with a pair of walks. 
2. Situational - The Blue Jays battled themselves back from a two-game deficit against the Rangers in the ALDS and having done such a feature already must give them a boost as well as giving the Royals a bit of a scare. The teams are off an off day now which should favor the Jays who are 19-7 in their last 26 games following an off day while the Royals are 2-6 in their last eight following a days of rest.
3. X-Factor - The Royals have lost six of their last eight with Jeff Nelson behind home plate. 
Selection: This is a play on the Toronto Blue Jays (10*)

The Kansas City Royals and the Toronto Blue Jays have split back-to-back slug-fests at Rogers Centre. The Royals have a commanding 3-1 lead in the series though and I think runs will come at a premium for both sides in this do-or-die game for the Jays. 
Here are my keys to the game: 
1. Pitching - The Royals hand the ball to Edinson Volquez (13-9, 3.55 ERA) who tossed six scoreless innings of two-hit ball in the ALCS opener. He held Toronto to just three runs over 11 1/3 innings of work over two regular-season meetings as well and has done his best work in afternoon-games this season. The Blue Jays counter with Marco Estrada (13-8, 3.13 ERA) who conceded three runs on six hits over 5 1/3 innings when tossing opposite Volquez five days ago. He handled the Royals well over the two regular-season meetings though conceding only four runs over 12 1/3 frames.  
2. Batter versus Pitcher - At first glance Volquez .268 BAA versus Toronto doesn't look that impressive, but he's handled their big bats well. Troy Tulowitzki is just 3-for-14 in previous meetings, Ben Revere is hit-less over eight at bats while Jose Bautista has just three hits over 17 at bats. 
3. X-Factor - Six of Estrada's last eight home starts have gone under the total.
Selection: This is a play on KC@TOR to go under the total (10*)

The Chicago Cubs are back at Wrigley facing a "must win" situation in Game 3 of this series versus the Mets. The Cubs big bats have been silent in this series so far, but I expect the home cookin' to play a big role here in tonight's game. My money is on the Cubs to get one back versus the visiting Mets.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Pitching - Kyle Hendricks will be on the mound for the home team, and he's pitched well at Wrigley all year. Hendricks (8-7, 3.95 ERA) allowed three runs on four hits, striking out seven over 4.2 innings in a 6-3 win at St. Louis in Game 2 of the Division Series. The Mets counter with Jacob deGrom, who was struggled at Wrigley in his career. He was 0-2 with a 6.10 ERA in two starts versus the Cubs this season, and he allowed four runs on five hits, including a pair of home runs in a loss at Wrigley.

2. Home Cookin' - The Cubs are batting a major league best .328 at home in these playoffs, and they've hit a whopping nine home runs in two games at Wrigley.

3. X-Factor - Anthony Rizzo is 3-for-9 with a home run lifetime versus deGrom, and he's homered in both home games during the Division Series.

Selection: This is a play on the Chicago Cubs (10*) 

The Toronto Blue Jays erased an 0-2 deficit versus Texas in the ALDS, and won Game 5 at home in one of the wildest games any of us have ever seen. The Royals were also on the ropes, and their bats bailed them out in Game 4 in Houston, before they took the deciding Game 5 at home. I expect to see fireworks when these two hot teams meet in Game 1.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Pitching - The Jays hand the ball to Marco Estrada, who lost his only start at Kansas City during the regular season. Estrada pitched well in Game 3 at Texas, allowing just one run on five hits over 6 1/3 innings. The Royals counter with Edinson Volquez, who lost his only start in the Division Series. He was tagged for three runs on five hits and four walks over 5 2/3 innings in Game 3 at Houston.

2. Previous History - The Jays have gone over the total at a rate of 8-1-2 in their last 11 overall, and 19-7-1 in their last 27 on the road.

3. X-Factor - Chris Colabello is swinging a hot bat for the Jays, batting .375 with a home run and a pair of RBIs in the Division Series. He's 1-for-4 with a home run lifetime versus Volquez.

Selection: This is a play on Toronto@KC to go OVER the total (10*) 

The New York Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers are tied at 2-2 of this NLDS and will play a deciding Game 5 at Dodger Stadium Thursday. The winner will face the Cubs in the NLCS, and I think we'll see a tight low-scoring contest with two real studs on the mound. 
Here are my keys to the game:
1. Pitching - The Mets hand the ball to Jacob deGrom (14-8, 2.54 ERA) who has been dominant all season long and opened his post-season career by hurling seven scoreless innings of five-hit ball here at Dodger Stadium in the series-opener. He held the Dodgers to two hits over 7 2/3 innings of work in the regular-season and has a .175 BAA over 57 at bats versus them. The Dodgers counter with Zack Greinke (19-3, 1.66 ERA) who held the Mets to two runs on five hits in seven innings of a 5-2 win in Game 2 of the series. He has allowed two or fewer earned runs in each of his last five starts and conceded only two runs in 14 innings over two regular-season meetings with the Mets this year. 
2. Situational - The under is 4-1 in the Mets last five games following an off day and six of their last eight overall have gone under the total. The under is 5-2 in the Dodgers last seven playoff games and 11-2 in Greinke's last 13 starts with four days of rest. 
3. X-Factor - The Mets had just three hits in Tuesday's 3-1 loss and their .206 batting average in the post-season is the worst of all teams in the divisional series. 
Selection: This is a play on NYM@LAD to go under the total (10*)

The New York Mets won an action-packed game 13-7 last night to take a 2-1 lead of this NLDS against the Los Angeles Dodgers. We're likely to see much less action over the plate in tonight's contest as the Dodgers are looking to stay alive in the series with their ace on the mound. 
Here are my keys to the game: 
1. Pitching - The Dodgers hand the ball to Clayton Kershaw (16-7, 2.13 ERA) who conceded three runs on four hits and four walks over 6 2/3 innings in the series-opener. He also recorded 11 strikeouts in the 3-1 loss though and had 18 strikeouts over 16 innings of work with just one run allowed versus the Mets in the regular-season. The Mets counter with Steven Matz who made six regular-season starts here in his rookie-season while posting a 2.27 ERA. One of those starts were against the Dodgers who the left-hander held to two hits over six scoreless innings.  
2. Situational - The under is 14-6 in Kershaw's last 20 starts overall and Under is 7-2 in his last nine starts against the Mets who have a 14-5 under trend in their last 19 playoff home games going.
3. X-Factor - Curtis Granderson, Yoenis Cespedes and Travis d'Arnaud are a combined 3-for-22 in previous meetings with Kershaw. 
Selection: This is a play on LAD@NYM to go under the total (10*)  

The Chicago Cubs defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates in the NL Wild Card game, extending their winning streak to nine games. They play Game 1 of the NLDS in St. Louis, against a Cardinals team that faded a little in the second half. I'll take the hot team here in the series opener.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Pitching - The Cubs hand the ball to Jon Lester, who finished the season strong going 7-4 with a 3.04 ERA in the second half. Lester (11-12, 3.34 ERA) allowed one run on three hits, striking out nine over eight innings in a win at Cincinnati in his final start of the regular season. The Cardinals counter with John Lackey, and he allowed three runs on five hits over four innings in a loss at Atlanta in his last start.

2. Road Warriors - The Cubs are 10-1 in their last 11 road games, and they've won six of their last nine versus St. Louis.

3. X-Factor - The Cardinals were out-scored 12-0, losing three straight at the end of the season in their final series at Atlanta.

Selection: This is a play on the Chicago Cubs (10*) 

The Chicago Cubs are coming into the National League Wild Card game on the back of eight consecutive victories, much thanks to outstanding pitching. The Pirates pitching staff finished the regular season with the second-best ERA, much thanks to their ace Gerrit Cole. Runs won't come easy for either team here and I think we'll see this game go under the set total.
Here are my keys to the game: 
1. Pitching - The Cubs hand the ball to the phenomenal Jake Arrieta (22-6, 1.77 ERA) who is off three consecutive shutout performances spanning 22 innings over which he's yielded just a total of six hits and one walk while fanning 27 batters. He's been efficient all around all season, but has been particularly dominant on the road and in night games. The Pirates counter with Gerrit Cole (19-8, 2.60 ERA) who is off three straight quality starts. The under is 14-6-1 in Cole's last 21 starts following a Quality Start in his last appearance and he has posted a 2.13 ERA over four meetings spanning 25 1/3 innings against the Cubs this season. 
2. Batter versus Pitcher - Jake Arrieta has held the Pirates to four runs (three earned) on 18 hits over 36 innings of work this season, limiting them to a .151 team batting average. 
3. X-Factor - The under is 5-1 in the last six meetings.
Selection: This is a play on the Cubs@Pirates to go under the total (10*)

The New York Yankees closed out the regular season with six losses in their last seven games. The Houston Astros won six of their last eight but that was still not enough to catch the Yankees meaning the Bronx Bombers will enjoy the home-field advantage here in the one and only AL Wild Card game. There will be extreme pressure on the batters, and runs are likely to come at premium with two elite pitchers on the mound. 
Here are my keys to the game: 
1. Pitching - The Astros hand the ball to Dallas Keuchel (20-8, 2.48 ERA) who wrapped up the regular season with three wins while allowing only four runs on 14 hits over 20 2/3 innings of work. He's held the Yankees to four hits with 21 strikeouts over 16 innings this season. The Yankees counter with Masahiro Tanaka (12-7, 3.51 ERA) who surrendered four runs on five his in five innings against the Red Sox his last start. He had conceded only three runs on 15 hits over 21 innings in his last three starts prior though. 
2. Situational - Six of the Yankees last eight playoff games have gone under the total and the under is 5-1 in their last six home games vs. a left-handed starter. Keuchel has the Yankees limited to a .206 team batting average over 97 at bats.  
3. X-Factor - Only four of the last 16 head-to-head meetings have gone over the total. 
Selection: This is a play on Houston@NYY to go under the total (10*)

Only one of the Toronto Blue Jays last eight games have failed to go over seven runs and we should see plenty of action over the plate here in game 2 of a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Jays have already claimed the division but are looking to stay ahead of the Royals for the best record in the American League, and are likely to field a strong lineup. 
Here are my keys to the game: 
1. Pitching - The Blue Jays hand the ball to Marco Estrada (13-8, 3.15 ERA and he's struggled with the long-ball of late yielding seven homers over his last six games and 11 over his last nine. That does not bode well facing a Tampa Bay team that has reached the seats nine times in its last six games. The Rays counter with Chris Archer (12-13, 3.26 ERA) who was torched for nine runs on 10 hits and five walks with a pair of homers in 3 2/3 innings of a 10-8 loss to the Jays on Sept. 26. He's posted a 6.58 ERA in five starts since Aug. 31. 
2. Bruce Dreckman - Today's umpire has called four straight overs, and the over is 4-1 in his last five games behind home plate versus Toronto and 5-2 in his last seven games behind home plate versus Tampa Bay.
3. X-Factor - Ben Revere was 3-for-4 last night and is a perfect 3-for-3 with a double in previous meetings with Archer. 
Selection: This is a play on TOR@TB to go over the total (10*)

The Los Angeles Dodgers will close out the regular-season with a three-game set against the San Diego Padres home at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers may have claimed the division title but are still battling with the Mets for post-season home-field advantage and I think we'll see both sides playing a competitive and high-scoring game tonight.  Here are my keys to the game: 
1. Pitching - The Padres hand the ball to Casey Kelly (0-1, 9.00 ERA) who will make his third appearance (second start) of the season. He surrendered six runs on six hits in five innings of a 6-3 home-loss to Arizona his last start, which was the first since Sept. 2012. The Dodgers counter with Alex Wood (11-12, 3.89 ERA) who conceded a joint season-high eight runs on 11 hits and a pair of walks over 5 1/3 innings of a 12-5 loss at Colorado his most recent start. The current Padres roster has a combined .303 batting average over 33 at bats versus Wood.  2. Trends - Only one of the Padres' last 27 road games have failed to fly over the total and the over is 13-2-3 in their last 18 during game 1 of a series. The over is 4-1 in the Dodgers' last five when hosting a team with a losing road record. 3. X-Factor - Adrian Gonzalez has 16 RBIs and seven homers over 16 meetings with the Padres this season.  Selection: This is a play on SD@LAD to go over the total (10*)

The Toronto Blue Jays are winners of five straight, and they come into Game 2 of this series in Baltimore with a magic number of two (wins to clinch the AL East). The Orioles are slumping, batting a major league low .225 in September. I like the Jays to stay hot in Baltimore in GAME ONE of the double header on Wednesday. 

Here are my keys to the game: 

1. Pitching - Toronto will hand the ball to Marcus Stroman, who is still perfect since coming off the DL. The 24 year old is coming off back to back wins over the Yankees and the Red Sox, allowing just one run through 14 innings. The Orioles counter with Miguel Gonzalez, who is winless in his last seven starts. 

2. Home Cookin' - Miguel Gonzalez hasn't been very successful at Camden Yards lately, going 0-4 with a 6.81 ERA in seven starts since May 19. 

3. X-Factor - The Blue Jays are 37-14 in their last 51 games vs. a right-handed starter.

Selection: This is a play on the Toronto Blue Jays (10*) 

The Mariners have lost five straight on the road, and they return home to host Houston in a three game series starting tonight. The Astros are still very much alive in the AL West, trailing Texas by just 2.5 games with six games to play. The total for tonight's game looks a little low, and I think we'll see some runs at Safeco in Game 1.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Pitching - The Astros hand the ball to Lance McCullers, who has lost five in a row. McCullers (5-7, 3.22 ERA) allowed three runs on four hits, including a pair of home runs in a 4-3 home loss to the Angels in his last outing. He's 1-6 with a 4.88 ERA on the road this season. The Mariners counter with Roenis Elias, who has been hit hard by the Astros.

2. Batter vs. Pitcher - Evan Gattis was 2-for-4 in yesterday's win over Texas, and he's 4-for-9 with a home run lifetime versus Elias.

3. X-Factor - The over is 9-0-1 in the last 10 meetings between these two teams.

Selection: This is a play on the Astros@Mariners to go OVER the total (10*) 

The Arizona Diamondbacks will be in San Diego tonight to play Game 1 of a three game set versus the Padres, and Arizona has won 4-of-7 on this road trip so far. The Padres have a losing record at home for the season, and I don't like their chances against a hot pitcher in the series opener at PETCO.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Pitching - Rubby De La Rosa will get the call for the visiting D'Backs, and he's been strong in the second half. De La Rosa (13-8, 4.60 ERA) tossed 5.2 scoreless innings in a 2-0 win at San Francisco in his last start. He's 7-1 with a 3.88 ERA in his last 12 starts. The Padres will counter with rookie right-hander Casey Kelly, who is making his season debut. He allowed one run on five hits in two innings of relief a few days ago.

2. Paul Goldschmidt - The Arizona slugger continues to swing a hot bat, hitting .385 with three home runs over the last seven days. He's hitting .304 with a home run and five RBIs at PETCO this year.

3. X-Factor - The Diamondbacks are 21-8 in their last 29 road games vs. a team with a losing home record.

Selection: This is a play on the Arizona Diamondbacks (10*) 

Both the Indians and the Twins are till alive in the Wild Card race, and Cleveland will take on Minnesota in Game 2 of a three game set at Target Field Wednesday. The Twins took Game 1, but I like the Indians to draw even here with their ace on the mound tonight.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Pitching - The Indians hand the ball to Corey Kluber, who has owned the Twins in 2015. Kluber (8-14, 3.44 ERA) gave up three runs on five hits over just four innings in a home loss to Kansas City in his last start. He's 2-0 with a 2.30 ERA in two starts versus Minnesota. The Twins counter with Phil Hughes, who is coming off four straight losses. He's 1-2 with an 8.44 ERA in three starts versus the Indians this year.

2. Batter vs. Pitcher - The Twins lineup is batting a combined .195 with 75 strikeouts over 236 at bats versus Kluber. Brian Dozier is 3-for-28 with nine strikeouts lifetime versus Kluber.

3. X-Factor - The Indians are an American League best 16-8 since August 25.

Selection: This is a play on the Cleveland Indians (10*) 

The AL East is still very much up for grabs as the Yankees and the Blue Jays play Game 2 of a three game series in Toronto on Tuesday. The Jays hold a 3.5 game lead, but with a dozen games remaining the race is far from over. With a pair of quality pitchers on the mound in a high stakes game at Rogers Center tonight, I expect a low scoring tilt.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Pitching - The Yankees hand the ball to Luis Severino, who has won four of his last five starts. The rookie right-hander is 2-1 with a 2.28 ERA in four starts on the road so far. He lost his only previous start in Toronto, but it was a quality start allowing three runs in six innings. The Jays counter with Marco Estrada, who is 7-3 with a 2.70 ERA in his last 12 starts.

2. Previous History - Both teams have struggled at the plate in the season series, with nine of the last 12 head to head meetings falling short of the total. The Jays have seen the total go under in 12 of their last 17 home games.

3. X-Factor - The Yankees are batting an American League worst .221 in the month of September.

Selection: This is a play on the Yankees@Jays to go UNDER the total (10*) 

The Mets have won seven straight, and they host the Miami Marlins at Citi Field tonight. The Marlins aren't a great road team, and it's more than likely they get blown out tonight in New York. I'm taking the Mets on the runline.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Pitching - The Mets hand the ball to rookie right-hander Logan Verrett, who makes just his second career start. Verrett (1-1, 3.06 ERA) has primarily been used out of the bullpen, and he's been pretty effective striking out 26 batters over 32 innings. The Marlins counter with Justin Nicolino, who gave up five runs on nine hits over just 4.1 innings in a loss to the Brewers in his last start.

2. Yoenis Cespedes - The Mets slugger has recently been mentioned as a dark horse candidate for MVP in the National League. He's been on a tear since arriving at the trade deadline, and he's hitting .405 with six home runs and 16 RBIs over the past seven days.

3. X-Factor - The Mets have won five of their last seven versus Miami, and four four of those five games were blowouts.

Selection: This is a play on the New York Mets -1.5 (10*) 

The Washington Nationals have completely collapsed, and they now sit 9.5 games back of New York in the NL East. After losing 2-of-3 in Miami, they begin a new series tonight in Philadelphia. The Phillies are coming off back-to-back home wins over the Cubs, and with a hot young pitcher on the mound tonight, we could see a pitcher's duel here in Philly.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Pitching - The Phillies hand the ball to Aaron Nola, who has impressed in his first 10 major league starts. Nola (6-2, 3.56 ERA) blanked the Braves through seven innings, fanning seven in a 5-0 home win over Atlanta in his last outing. He's 3-1 with a 2.10 ERA in five starts at Citizen's Bank Park. The Nationals counter with Jordan Zimmerman, who is 10-5 with a 2.80 ERA in 22 starts under the lights this year.

2. Bryce Harper - The National League MVP candidate suffered an injury that forced him to leave last night's game, and his status remains uncertain for tonight's game. He's been struggling, just 4-for-20 in his last six games.

3. X-Factor - Zimmerman is 4-2 with a 2.63 ERA in his last six starts versus Philly.

Selection: This is a play on the Nationals@Phillies to go UNDER the total (10*) 

The Mets have won the first two games of this series in Washington, and they look to complete the sweep tonight. The first two games of this series saw plenty of scoring, but I think tonight's game will be a pitcher's duel. Given the scheduled starters, the total for this game looks a little high.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Pitching - Jacob deGrom will be on the mound for the Mets, and he's coming off back-to-back losses. He's 3-1 with a 2.93 ERA in his last nine starts, and the Mets have won his last two starts versus Washington. The Nats counter with Stephen Strasburg, who has won three straight. The right-hander is 3-1 with a 2.50 ERA in his last five starts.

2. Previous History - The Mets have seen the total fail to reach the number in each of deGrom's last six road starts. He's 4-0 with a 2.82 ERA in those contests

3. X-Factor - Bryce Harper is 0-for-8 in this series so far, and he's batting just .218 in the season series.

Selection: This is a play on the Mets@Nats to go UNDER the total (10*) 

The Dodgers came into Anaheim as winners of nine of their previous 11, and they swept the Angels in a three game series in LA in the beginning of August. With ace Clayton Kershaw on the mound in Game 2 on Tuesday, I think the Dodgers should win easily. I'll take LA on the runline.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Pitching - Kershaw (12-6, 2.18 ERA) went the distance, allowing one run and striking out 15 batters in a 2-1 home win over the Giants in his last outing. He's now racked up a whopping 39 Ks in his last three starts. The Angels counter with rookie right-hander Andrew Heaney, who lost to the Dodgers in LA on August 1. He allowed a pair of runs on four hits in 5.1 innings in that game.

2. Mike Trout - The Angels slugger has really cooled off in the second half, batting just 2.69 since the All Star break. He hit a dozen home runs in July, and just two since.

3. X-Factor - The Halos rank dead last in the major leagues batting just .234 in the second half of the season. Albert Pujols struggled aren't helping, he's hitting just .222 over the last seven days, and just .230 since the All Star break.

Selection: This is a play on the LA Dodgers RL -1.5 (10*) 

The Texas Rangers are one of the hottest teams in the majors, and they're hot on the heels of the Houston Astros in the AL West. Texas will take on the Mariners in Seattle on Monday, and I like the visitors with a superior starting pitcher on the mound.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Pitching - Yovanni Gallardo will be on the hill for the Rangers, and he's won four in a row. Gallardo (11-9, 3.27 ERA) allowed four runs on six hits over five innings in a win over the Padres in his last outing. He's 4-1 with a 4.86 ERA in his last nine starts. The Mariners counter with Roenis Elias, who owns a home record of 1-3 with a 4.38 ERA in six starts. He's also 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA two starts in day games.

2. Batter vs. Pitcher - Gallardo has owned the Mariners lineup, limiting them to a .179 batting average over 79 at bats. Kyle Seager and Robinson Cano are a combined 0-for-11 versus the right-hander.

3. X-Factor - The Mariners are 3-7 in their last 10 games as an underdog.

Selection: This is a play on the Texas Rangers (10*)   

The Colorado Rockies will take on the Padres at PETCO Park on Monday, and this will be a battle of two of the bottom feeders in the NL West. The Rockies have lost seven of their last eight versus San Diego, and I expect to see a low scoring game here between two teams that are struggling to score runs.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Pitching - The Padres hand the ball to Ian Kennedy, who is pitching quite well lately. Kennedy (8-12, 3.88 ERA) gave up a pair of runs on five hits while striking out a dozen over seven innings in a no-decision versus Texas his last time out. It was the second time in his last three starts that he had double-digit strikeouts, and he's  4-3 with a 2.35 ERA in his last nine starts. The Rockies counter with Kyle Kendrick, who allowed just one run in his last start.

2. Previous History - The Rockies have seen the total go under seven of their last nine overall, and 14 of their last 21 road games.

3. X-Factor - Colorado ranks dead last in the major leagues in runs scored on the road, batting just .234 away from Coors Field.

Selection: This is a play on the Rockies@Padres to go UNDER the total (10*) 

The Washington Nationals are heating up, and they've now won six straight at home. There's very little margin for error as they are trying to catch the division leading New York Mets. I like Washington to stay hot here on Monday.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Pitching - The Nats will send ace Max Scherzer to the mound, and he's coming off a win over St. Louis in his last start. Scherzer (11-11, 2.89 ERA) allowed a pair of runs on 11 hits, striking out 10 in six innings in a 4-3 win at Busch Stadium. The Mets counter with Jonathon Niese, who was hammered by the Phillies in his last start.

2. Batter vs. Pitcher - The Nats lineup is hitting a combined .326 over 236 at bats versus Niese. Danny Espinosa is 9-for-21 with a home runs and three RBIs versus the veteran.

3. X-Factor - Scherzer has faced the Mets twice already this season, posting an ERA of 0.61 over 14.2 innings.

Selection: This is a play on the Washington Nationals RL (10*) 

The Pittsburgh Pirates trail St. Louis by 6.5 games in the NL Central, and they have split the first two games of this weekend series at Busch Stadium. Last night's game was a pitcher's duel, and I think we'll see another low scoring tilt tonight.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Pitching - The Cardinals will send John Lackey to the mound, and the veteran is having a fine season. Lackey (11-8, 2.87 ERA) gave up a pair of runs on four hits over six innings in a home win over Washington in his last outing. He's 8-3 with a 1.89 ERA in 14 home starts. The Pirates counter with left-hander Gerrit Cole, who is among the major league leaders with 15 wins.

2. Batter vs. Pitcher - John Lackey is 1-0 with a 1.37 ERA in his last three starts versus the Pirates.

3. X-Factor - The Under is 8-2-1 in Gerrit Cole's last 11 starts away from Pittsburgh. The Cardinals are trending under at a rate of 34-14-4 in their last 52 home games.

Selection: This is a play on the Pirates@Cardinals to go UNDER the total (10*) 

The Washington Nationals will host the Altanta Braves on Sunday afternoon, and Washington can complete the sweep here in Game 4. The Nats have out-scored Atlanta 28-5 through the first three games, and I am expecting another blowout here in this one.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Pitching - The Braves will send rookie Manny Banuelos to the mound, and he's looking to snap a three game losing streak. Banuelos (1-3, 3.33 ERA) allowed three runs on six hits over just 2.2 innings in a home loss to Miami in his last outing. He's surrendered nine runs on 18 hits over 11.2 innings in his last three outings. The Nats counter with Joe Ross, who has surrendered one run on seven hits over 13 innings, winning his last two home starts.

2. Home Cookin' - The Braves have lost 12 straight on the road, while Washington has won five in a row at home. Joe Ross is 4-2 with a 1.91 ERA in six starts at Nationals Park in 2015.

3. X-Factor - Bryce Harper is 5-for-11 with a pair of home runs and three RBIs in this series so far.

Selection: This is a play on the Washington Nationals -1.5 on the Run Line (10*)

Just when it looked like the Giants were going to catch the Dodgers in the NL West, San Francisco has fallen flat here in this series so far. The Giants look to avoid the sweep on Wednesday, but it's not going to be easy against Clayton Kershaw. 

Here are my keys to the game: 

1. Pitching - The Giants hand the ball to Mike Leake, who has lost 2-of-3 appearances since coming over from the Reds. Leake (9-6, 3.53 ERA) gave up four runs on six hits over 6.1 innings in a no-decision versus the Cardinals in his last start. He's 1-2 with a 4.05 ERA in his last three starts versus the Dodgers. LA will counter with Clayton Kershaw, who is 8-2 with a 1.45 ERA at home this season. 

2. Batter vs. Pitcher - The Giants lineup is hitting just .193 with 94 strikeouts over a combined 326 at bats versus Kershaw. 

3. X-Factor - Andre Ethier is 7-for-15 with a home run and six RBIs lifetime versus Mike Leake. He's swinging a hot bat as well, batting .429 over the last seven days. 

Selection: This is a play on the LA Dodgers -1.5 (10*)

The St. Louis Cardinals will host Washington tonight, and this game looks destined to be a pitcher's duel. The Cardinals won both Games 1 & 2 by an identical score of 8-5, but I expect a lower scoring battle here in St. Louis tonight. 

Here are my keys to the game: 

1. Pitching - The Nats hand the ball to Max Scherzer, who has been mired in a bit of a slump. Scherzer (11-11, 2.88 ERA) allowed four runs on six hits over seven innings in a home loss to Miami in his last start, and it was his fourth straight loss. While he lost to the Cardinals in the only previous meeting, he pitched well in that game, giving up a pair of runs on six hits over seven innings. The Cardinals counter with Michael Wacha, who is 6-2 with a 2.42 ERA at home, and 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA versus St. Louis this season. 

2. Previous History - While these teams have scored plenty of runs so far in this series, history tells us that this is the exception and not the norm. The under is 12-4-2 in the last 18 meetings in this series. 

3. X-Factor - The Under is 34-14-3 in Cardinals last 51 home games.

Selection: This is a play on the Nats@Cardinals to go UNDER the total (10*) 

The Giants came into L.A. trailing the Dodgers in the NL West by just 3.5 games, but lost ground with a 5-4 loss in the series opener last night. We'll see a pair of aces face off here on Tuesday, and my money is on Zack Greinke to come away with the win. 

Here are my keys to the game: 

1. Pitching - Greinke (14-3, 1.61 ERA) tossed seven scoreless frames in a 1-0 win at Cincinnati in his last start. He's 7-1 with a 1.42 ERA in 14 starts at Chavez Ravine in 2015. The Giants counter with Madison Bumgarner, who can tie Jake Arrieta for the major league lead with his 17th win. There aren't a lot of negative things to say about Bumgarner, but it is worth noting his ERA of 4.17 on the road is more than double what it is at home. 

2. Previous History - Greinke is 6-0 with a 2.28 ERA in eight career starts versus San Francisco, and the Dodgers are 45-21 at home this season. 

3. X-Factor - The Giants have lost eight of their last 10 road games. 

Selection: This is a play on the LA Dodgers (10*)

The Atlanta Braves have now lost six straight at home heading into tonight's game versus Miami, but I like their chances of ending that slump tonight against a Miami team that owns one of the worst road records in baseball. 

Here are my keys to the game: 

1. Pitching - The Braves hand the ball to Manny Baneulos who returns to the rotation after missing over a month with a sore elbow. The rookie left-hander showed flashes of brilliance in his first four major league starts, going 1-2 with a 2.49 ERA. The Fish will counter with a rookie of their own in Justin Nicolino, and the 23 year old is coming off back-to-back losses. 

2, Home Cookin' - Despite their recent home losing streak, the Braves still have a respectable 33-30 home record. The Marlins on the other hand are brutal on the road, and they've lost eight of their last nine road games versus a left-handed starter. 

3. X-Factor - The Braves are expecting 30 year old Cuban Hector Olivera to make his debut tonight. The third baseman made headlines in the off-season signing a 62 million dollar deal with the Dodgers. He was acquired in the Alex Wood trade. 

Selection: This is a play on the Atlanta Braves (10*) 

The Jays lost the series opener versus Cleveland by a score of 4-2 yesterday, but after winning 24 of their last 30 overall, you have to like their chances of bouncing back at home tonight. The Indians have won seven of their last eight, but tonight's pitching match-up appears to favor the Jays. 

Here are my keys to the game: 

1. Pitching - The Jays hand the ball to Marco Estrada, who has been red hot in the second half. The right-hander gave up just one run on four hits, striking out six over six innings in a loss at Texas his last time out. He's an impressive 5-2 with a 2.86 in eight starts since the All Star break. The Tribe will counter with 24 year old rookie Cody Anderson, who is 0-2 with 9.00 ERA in his last five starts. 

2. Edwin Encarnacion - Toronto's designated hitter extended his hitting streak to 26 games last night (the longest in the majors this season), and he's hitting .412 during that span. He's 8-for-14 with four home runs and 11 RBIs on this current home stand. 

3. X-Factor - Estrada is 4-2 with a 2.02 ERA in his last six starts at Rogers Center. 

Selection: This is play on the Toronto Blue Jays -1.5 (10*) 

Two struggling teams will take Turner Field Monday night when the Atlanta Braves host the Miami Marlins. The Braves have been swept in three of their last four series and were outscored 38-11 in three losses to the Yankees over the weekend. They swept a three-game set at Miami at the start of the month though and they must be poised to give the home-town crowd something to cheer for tonight after the weekends fiasco.  

Here are my keys to the game:  

1. Pitching - The Fish hand the ball to Chris Narveson (1-1, 7.04 ERA) who'll make his eight appearance of the season. He was torched for seven runs on eight hits and three walks in 3 2/3 innings of a 7-2 home loss to Pittsburgh on August 26 in his first major league start since 2012. The Braves will counter with Mike Foltynewicz (4-6, 5.71) who held the Marlins to two runs on five hits and four walks in 5 2/3 innings of a 7-2 win on August 8. He's lost each of his last three starts but can hardly be blamed for the 5-1 home-loss to the Rockies his last start when he conceded four runs, but no earned, over five innings.  

2. Previous Meetings - The Braves have won 10 of the last 13 meetings with the Fish who are 2-8 in their last 10 overall. The Braves are looking good to keep up that dominance here winning 14 of their last 20 home games versus a team with a road winning % of less than .400. 

3. X-Factor - Adonis Garcia is 9-for-18 with a double and two home-runs in his last four games.  

Selection: This is a play on the Atlanta Braves (10*)

The Bronx Bombers shelled the Braves in Atlanta yesterday, winning by a score of 20-6. They will on the road in Boston, beginning a new series versus the Red Sox at Fenway tonight. Boston has been playing well, and I like the Sox at home with a superior pitching match-up. 

Here are my keys to the game: 

1. Pitching - The Red Sox hand the ball to Eduardo Rodriguez, who has been rather hit or miss. The rookie left-hander has been roughed up in day games, but he's a very impressive 6-1 with a 1.67 ERA under the lights. The Yankees hand the ball to Ivan Nova, who gave up seven runs in just four innings in a home loss to Houston in his last start. 

2. Home Cookin' - The Red Sox have won nine of their last 14 at Fenway, and they are 7-0 when Rodriguez starts at home as a favorite. 

3. X-Factor - Big Papi is 8-for-22 (.364 ) with a home run and four RBIs lifetime versus Nova. 

Selection: This is a play on the Boston Red Sox (10*)

The Toronto Blue Jays swept the Tigers over the weekend, out-scoring Detroit 29-6 in those games. They host the Cleveland Indians tonight, and with a couple of hot pitchers on the mound, the bookmakers are calling for a closely contested low scoring game. The Jays offense is firing on all cylinders though, and I don't think anything can stop them at this point. 

Here are my keys to the game: 

1. Pitching - The Jays hand the ball to David Price, who is having another phenomenal season. Price (13-4, 2.42 ERA) allowed two runs on five hits over six innings in a 12-4 win at Texas his last time out. He's 2-0 with an 0.42 ERA three starts versus Cleveland this season, but the Indians lineup is hitting a respectable .275 against him. The Indians counter with Danny Salazar, who allowed five runs on eight hits over 4/2 innings in a loss in the Bronx in his last start. 

2. Edwin Encarnacion - The Jays designated hitter is crushing opposing pitchers over the last seven days, batting .391 with six home runs and 17 RBIs. He's 2-for-5 with a home run lifetime versus Salazar. 

3. X-Factor - Toronto has won 24 of it's last 29 overall, and they've gone over the total in nine of their last 11. 

Selection: This is a play on the Toronto Blue Jays -1.5 (10*)

The Atlanta Braves have won just one of their last 12 games and are coming into this game on the back of consecutive losses to the New York Yankees. I think the Bronx Bombers are way too big favorites here though and we're getting a terrific price playing the home team on the run-line.  

Here are my keys to the game:  

1. Pitching - The Yankees hand the ball to Nathan Eovaldi (13-2, 4.00 ERA) who's off eight scoreless innings of four-hit ball against the Astros home at Yankee Stadium. Eovalidi's road ERA of 4.94 is almost two full runs higher than his ERA at home though and he was 0-2 in three starts at Turner Field last season. The Braves will counter with Julio Teheran (9-6, 4.29) who is 3-0 with a 2.73 ERA in five starts this month. Teheran is 7-1 behind a 2.71 ERA in 13 home starts this season and has served up just nine homers over his last 15 appearances overall.  

2. Home Cookin' - The Braves have won 12 of their last 17 games as a home underdog of +110 to +150 and they're 6-1 in Teheran's last seven starts as a home underdog in the same span. 

3. X-Factor - The Yankees' Mark Teixeira is still out with a bruised right shin and is not expected to be back in the line-up until tomorrow at the very earliest.  

Selection: This is a play on the Atlanta Braves +1.5 (10*)

The Minnesota Twins defeated the Houston Astros 3-0 as a sizeable underdog in the opener of a three-game series at Target Field. I would not be the least bit surprised if they record another upset tonight as they seek to overtake the Texas Rangers for the last Wild Card spot in the American League, currently sitting just 0.5 games behind, while the Astros are sitting pretty at the top of the AL West.  

Here are my keys to the game:  

1. Pitching - The Astros hand the ball to Mike Fiers (6-9, 3.63 ERA) who's off a complete game no-hitter against the Dodgers home at Texas his last start. Can he really follow that up with another stellar outing after that 134 pitch performance though? A sense of accomplishment might sneak in and the Twins' red hot bats will be ready to pounce on any sign of weakness. The Twins will counter with Mike Pelfrey (6-7, 3.69 ERA) who's allowed a total of four runs on 14 hits and two walks over 10 innings over his last two starts, both on the road. He'll be excited to be back at Target Field where he's 4-2 behind a 1.97 ERA in 11 starts for the season and he's done reasonably well against the Astros in his career with a 3-2 record behind a 3.35 ERA in six starts.  

2. Barking Dogs - The Astros are just 6-21 in their last 27 games as a road favorite while the Twins have won seven of their last eight as an underdog. They've won five straight against right-handed starters.  

3. X-Factor - Eduardo Escobar is 2-for-3 with a triple and a walk in previous meetings with Fiers. He's 7-for- 15 with a pair of doubles and two homers over his last four games.  

Selection: This is a play on the Minnesota Twins +1.5 (10*)

The Detroit Tigers have won just one of their last seven games and have dropped to last place in the AL Central. The Toronto Blue Jays on the other hand are sitting top of their division and have won six of their last seven. They defeated the Tigers 5-3 in the opener of a three-game series last night and another win for the surging Jays are in the cards this afternoon.   

Here are my keys to the game:  

1. Pitching - The Tigers hand the ball to Buck Farmer (0-2, 7.80 ERA) , a 24 year old right-hander who has made just four starts on the season. He conceded three runs on three hits and three walks in 5 1/3 innings of a 12-5 loss not factoring in the decision his last start. This will be his first career meeting with the Jays and their mighty offense, and it must be hard for an inexperienced pitcher to know exact what you'll be up against when facing a deep line-up like this. The Jays will counter with Drew Hutchinson (12-2, 5.06) who held the Yankees to one run on three hits in 6 2/3 frames of a 3-1 win his last start. The Jays are undefeated in his last six starts overall and he's a dominant 10-1 behind a 2.57 ERA in 13 starts at Rogers Centre this season. He's an undefeated 5-0 in nine starts during the day.  

2. Situational  - The Tigers have lost 60 of their last 72 games as a road underdog of +201 or greater and they've covered the run-line in just one over their last six losses overall. The Jays are a dominant 22-5 in their last 27 overall and have won 14 of Hutchison's last 17 starts as a home favorite.  

3. X-Factor - Toronto has scored an average of 10 runs over its last six games.  

Selection: This is a play on the Toronto Blue Jays -1.5 (10*)

Two of the hottest teams in baseball at the moment will clash at Target Field Friday night when the Houston Astros will visit the Minnesota Twins for the opener of a three-game set. The Astros have won five of their last six and are sitting pretty at the top of the AL West five games ahead of Texas while the Twins had won six straight before losing 5-4 t the Trop last night. With the AL Central division title well out of reach, they'll have to focus on claiming one of the Wild Cards in the AL, and I think they should come into this contest with plenty of motivation to back an upset.  

Here are my keys to the game:  

1. Pitching - The Astros hand the ball to Scott Kazmir (7-8, 2.39 ERA) who tossed six innings of one-run ball against the Dodgers his last start. He had lost three straight prior though conceding a total of 13 runs (nine earned) on 22 hits and eight walks over 16 2/3 innings. Much like the whole Astros team he's been much better home in Houston where he's 5-3 with a 1.80 compared to a 2-5 record behind a 3.19 ERA on the road. He gave up six runs on seven hits in six innings of a 13-0 loss his last visit to Target Field on May 6. The Twins will counter with Kyle Gibson (8-9, 3.96 ERA) who's gone through a rough patch with a 0-3 record behind a 7.22 ERA in his last seven starts. He's a solid 5-4 with a 3.12 ERA home at Target Field this season though and 2-0 with a 2.55 ERA in three career starts against the Astros.  

2. Situational - The Astros are just 6-20 in their last 26 games as a road favorite while the Twins have won six of their last seven as an underdog. They've won four of Gibson's last five home-starts.  

3. X-Factor - Minnesota's 173 runs scored against left-handers this season is the third best mark in the major-leagues.  

Selection: This is a play on the Minnesota Twins +1.5 (8*)

 The Cleveland Indians have opened a five-game homestand with back-to-back wins against the Milwaukee Brewers but are still five games back of the Texas Rangers and the last Wild Card in the American League. The Los Angeles Angels meanwhile are just 0.5 games behind the Rangers and I would not be surprised to see them record an upset in the opener of a three-game series at Progressive Field Friday night.  

Here are my keys to the game:  

1. Pitching - The Halos hand the ball to Andrew Heaney (5-2, 3.39 ERA) who'll be looking to bounce back from an atrocious outing when he was lit up for eight runs on seven hits and three walks over just 3 1/3 innings of a 15-3 home-loss against the Jays his last start. Heany has been far sharper on the road all season though where his 2.13 ERA is more than two runs better than his 4.17 mark home in L.A. He'll also have the advantage that none of the Tribe's batters have any experience whatsoever against him. The Indians will counter with Danny Salazar (11-7, 3.30 ERA) who much like Heany struggled his last start when he conceded five runs (four earned) on eight hits with two homers over 4 2/3 innings of a 6-2 loss at Yankee Stadium. He held the Halos to one run in six innings on August 5, but the Tribe still lost the game 4-3 and he's 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA in three career starts versus the Angels.  

2. Situational - The Indians have lost five of their last six games following an off day and they're 5-16 in their last 21 games when facing a left-handed starter. The Halos are 8-3 in Heaney's last 11 starts. 

3. X-Factor - Kole Calhoun is 3-for-6 with two homers in previous meetings with Salazar. 

Selection: This is a play on the Los Angeles Angels +1.5 (8*)

The Toronto Blue Jays have won all but one of their last six games to pull 1.5 games ahead of the New York Yankees for the AL East division title. They'll host a slumping Detroit Tigers team for the opener of a three-game series Friday and I have a feeling a blowout win for the home-team is in the cards tonight.  

Here are my keys to the game:  

1. Pitching - The Tigers hand the ball to Matt Boyd (1-4, 7.04 ERA), a 24 year old rookie who'll make his eighth appearance (seventh start) in the big leagues tonight. He allowed three runs on five hits in six innings of a 4-2 home-loss to Texas his last start and he's 0-1 behind a 7.36 ERA in three road outings on the season. The Blue Jays will counter with R.A. Dickey (8-10, 4.26 ERA) who's been roughed up in back-to-back road-starts surrendering a total of 10 runs on 20 hits over 10 frames. The Blue Jays still won both games though putting up a total of 20 runs, and Dickey is not likely to require as much support home at Rogers Centre here tonight as he's 6-3 with a 3.31 ERA over 13 home-starts this season.  

2. The Blue Jays' Bats - Toronto average of 5.42 runs per game this season is by far the best record in baseball. Its bats have been even more prolific of late averaging 9.16 runs per game over its last six behind a .333 team batting average. The Tigers meanwhile have mustered only 26 runs over their last seven for an average of 3.17 runs per game. 

3. X-Factor - Ben Revere is riding a seven-game hitting streak over which he's been batting .483 over 29 at bats. He was 3-for-4 in yesterday's 4-1 loss to Texas.  

Selection: This is a play on the Toronto Blue Jays -1.5 (10*)

The New York Mets are coming into this contest looking to book a seventh consecutive win and complete a four-game sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies. Each of the first three games in the set have seen 11 runs or more scored and another slugfest seems likely tonight.  

Here are my keys to the game:  

1. Pitching - The Mets hand the ball to Jonathon Niese (8-9, 3.80 ERA) who was lit up for seven runs on 11 hits in just 5 1/3 innings of work at Coors FIeld his last start. He was still "rewarded" with the win though as the Mets offense bailed him out in the 14-9 victory. The Braves will counter with Aaron Harang (5-14, 4.67 ERA) who's off a rare strong outing when he held the Fish to two runs on two hits and four walks in seven innings his last start. He's still 0-3 with an 8.18 ERA in his last four outings and will have to slow down a Mets team that has been hitting .347 with an average of 10.7 runs over its last six games. 

2 .Trends - Nine of the Mets last 10 games and each of their last seven with the total set at 7.0-8.5 have gone over the total. The over is 26-6-4 in Phillies last 36 home games and 6-2 in their last eight with the total set at 7.0-8.5. 

3. X-Factor - The Mets' Michael Cuddyer is 7-for-10 with two homers, three doubles and a total of six RBIs over the first three games in this series. He's 3-for-14 with a double and a triple off Harang in previous match-ups.  

Selection: This is a play on  Mets@Phillies to go over the total (10*)

The Atlanta Braves host the Colorado Rockies in a battle of bottom feeders here on Wednesday. The Rockies tied the series at 1-1 with a 5-1 win last night, but another win here in the rubber match is unlikely. The Braves will send a hot pitcher to the mound to try to silence the Colorado bats that rank dead last in the majors in runs scored on the road, batting .234 away from Coors Field. 

Here are my keys to the game: 

1. Pitching - The Braves hand the ball to Shelby Miller who has pitched far better than his win/loss record would suggest. The 24 year old right-hander owns a minuscule 2.01 ERA in a dozen starts at Turner Field this season. The Rockies hand the ball to Yohan Flande, who is 3-0 with a 3.62 ERA since the All Star break. 

2. Atlanta's Offense - The Braves rank dead last in the major leagues in runs scored, and they are batting just .239 versus left-handed pitching. 

3. X-Factor - The under is 8-1 in Millers last nine starts overall.

Selection: This is a play on the Rockies@Braves to go UNDER the total (10*)

The New York Yankees and the Houston Astros have split the first two of this three-game set at Yankee Stadium after a convincing 15-1 Astros win last night. They're now a game behind the Toronto Blue Jays for the AL East division title while the Astros are sitting pretty at the top of the AL West 4.5 games ahead of Texas. The Bronx Bombers need this win more than Houston and I expect the home team to win this afternoon's rubber-match.  

Here are my keys to the game:  

1. Pitching - The Astros hand the ball to Collin McHugh (13-7, 3.96 ERA) who's 1-2 in his last four starts despite posting a minuscule 1.67 ERA. He has received no runs of support in his last two games and just one in his last three, and runs won't come easy here either as the Yankees counter with Michael Pineda (9-7, 3.97). The 26 year old will make his first start since July 24 when he was sidelined due to a right flexor forearm muscle strain. He had surrendered nine runs on 14 hits in 11 2/3 innings in two starts prior being placed on the disabled list clearly inhibited by his injury. He'll be pumped up here in his first start back and he's held Houston to two earned runs in eight innings earlier in the season.  

2. Situational - The Astros have won just two of their last 11 games as a road underdog in the +110 to +150 span. They're 2-6 in McHugh's last 8 road starts overall while the Yankees are 4-1 in Pineda's last five starts as a home favorite of -110 to -150. 

3. X-Factor - Pineda has the best strikeout-to-walk ratio in the majors for pitchers with 100+ innings under their belt for the year with 117 strikeouts versus just 15 walks over 118 innings.  

Selection: This is a play on the New York Yankees (10*)

Nine of the last 11 head-to-head meetings between the Chicago Cubs and the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park have one under the total, but I think the line is set way too low tonight. The Cubs have been swinging hot bats of late and I think we'll see a high-scoring game between two teams fighting for the Wild Card spots in the National League.  

Here are my keys to the game:  

1. Pitching - The Cubs hand the ball to Jake Arrieta (15-6, 2.30 ERA) who by all means are having an impressive season. The 29 year old is off four straight wins and tossed six scoreless innings of a 7-1 home-win against the Braves his most recent start, but he conceded three runs (two earned) on five hits and two walks in 6 2/3 frames at U.S. Cellular Field his last road outing. Arrieta has yielded three walks in four of his last seven starts for a total of 17 over that span. The Giants will counter with Matt Cain (2-3, 5.66 ERA) who's allowed four runs or more in four of his last five starts while making it past to the sixth inning just once. He has a 7.32 ERA in four starts this month with just 12 strikeouts over 19 2/3 innings of work.  

2. The Cubs Bats - Chicago has averaged 6.86 runs scored on its own over its last seven games behind a .277 batting average and eight of their last 10 games as a road favorite have sailed over the total. The over is 7-2 in Cain's last nine home starts with the total set at 6.5 or lower. 

3. X-Factor - The Giants have scored just 16 runs over their last six games (all away from home) but they've been up against the elite pitching staff of the Cardinals and the Pirates. Expect an offensive outbreak in front of the home-town crowd tonight.  

Selection: This is a play on CHC@SF to go over the total (10*)

The AL West-worst Oakland Athletics recorded their fourth win in six games when they defeated division-rivals the Seattle Mariners 11-5 last night. Another high-scoring encounter is in the cards Tuesday night as two unreliable pitchers will take the hill.  

Here are my keys to the game:  

1. Pitching - The A's hand the ball to Jesse Chavez (7-12, 3.75 ERA) who had posted a 6.57 ERA over five starts before holding the Dodgers to two runs in eight innings of a 5-2 home-win Wednesday. His road-ERA of 4.73 is almost two runs higher than his mark home in Oakland though and he's lost each of his last four starts against the Mariners behind a 4.75 ERA. The M's will counter with Mike Montgomery (4-6, 4.16) who is  0-4 with a 7.45 ERA in his last eight starts. The 26 year old left-hander held Oakland to run on six hits in 5 2/3 innings of a 2-1 win on July 5, but he'll face a revived Oakland offense here.  

2. Situational - Nine of Chavez's last 13 starts overall and three of his last four against Seattle have gone over the total. The same is true for 21 of the Mariners last 29 games at Safeco Field.  

3. X-Factor - The current members of the Mariners are batting .303 over 119 at bats against Chavez with Nelson Cruz going 5-for-11 with a double and a pair of homers.  

Selection: This is a play on OAK@SEA to go over the total (10*)

 The Arizona Diamondbacks had won four straight with a total of 26 runs scored before coming up short in a 5-3 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals in the opener of a four-game set Monday night. The Cardinals have scored 15 runs over their last two games and I think we'll see plenty of action over the plate from both sides tonight.  

Here are my keys to the game:  

1. Pitching - The D'backs hand the ball to Robbie Ray (3-9, 3.38) who had his scheduled start Monday pushed back a day to give him some extra rest. Ray last outing was on August 19 when he conceded three runs on seven hits in six innings of a 4-1 loss to the Pirates. He's surrendered three runs or more in each of his last four starts with one coming home at Arizona where he's 0-4 with a 4.45 ERA on the season. The Cardinals will counter with Jaime Garcia (5-4, 1.79 ERA) who's having an impressive season, but he conceded three runs on seven hits in 6 1/3 innings his most recent start. He allowed a season-high four runs (three earned) on eight hits in six innings against the D'backs back in May.  

2. Arizona's Bats - The hosts have averaged six runs per game over their last seven games with a .285 batting average, reaching the seats 10 times over that span. A.J. Pollock has been swinging an extremely hot bat and was named NL Player of the Week on Monday after going 12-for-29 August 17-23.  

3. X-Factor - 23 of Garcia's last 34 road starts (68%) with the total set in the 7.0-8.5 span have gone over the total.  

Selection: This is a play on STL@ARI to go over the total (10*)

The Chicago White Sox broke out of an offensive slump in an 8-2 win against the Los Angeles Angels Thursday and they beat the Mariners 11-4 in Seattle last night. We are likely to see more fireworks at Safeco tonight. 

Here are my keys to the game:  

1. Pitching - The White Sox hand the ball to southpaw Carlos Rodon, who has been hit hard in three of his last four appearances. The 22 year old gave up a pair of home runs in loss to the Angels in his last start, and he's 2-3 with a 5.67 ERA in his last six starts. The Mariners will counter with Vidal Nuno, who comes out of the bullpen. 

2. Situational - Nine of the White Sox's last 11 away from home have sailed over the total and the over is 5-1 in the Mariners last five home games. 

3. X-Factor -  The Over is 18-5-3 in the Mariners last 26 home games. 

Selection: This is a play on CHW@SEA to go over the total (10*)

The Philadelphia Phillies have split the first two games of this series in Miami, and we have seen plenty of offense so far at Marlins Park. I expect another slugfest here tonight, as both teams send struggling pitchers to the mound. 

Here are my keys to the game: 

1. Pitching - The Phillies will send Aaron Harang to the mound, and he's coming off three straight losses. Harang (5-15, 4.79 ERA) gave up six runs on seven hits over 4.2 innings in a loss at Milwaukee his last time out. He's 1-3 with an 8.55 ERA in his last four appearances. The Fish counter with Justin Nicolino, who is 0-1 with an 8.38 ERA in two starts at home. 

2 Previous History -  Five of the last six meetings in this series have gone over the total, and Miami has gone over at a rate of 17-4-1 in it's last 22 overall. 

3. X-Factor - Harang is 0-4 with a 6.00 ERA in his last seven starts versus Miami. 

Selection: This is a play on the Phillies@Marlins to go OVER the total (10*)

The Chicago White Sox broke out of an offensive slump in an 8-2 win against the Los Angeles Angels last night. The Seattle Mariners meanwhile lost the rubber-match of a three-game series against the Texas Rangers Wednesday. Both teams will start with their respective ace on the hill in this contest which should lead to a low-scoring contest. I think the books have set this line way too low though and I'm hammering the over.  

Here are my keys to the game:  

1. Pitching - The White Sox hand the ball to Chris Sale (11-7, 3.32 ERA) who tossed seven scoreless innings home at U.S. Cellular Field against the Cubs his last start. He was lit up for seven runs on 12 hits in five innings of an 8-2 loss at Fenway his last road start though and he has a 3.75 ERA in 11 road starts this year. The Mariners will counter with Felix Hernandez (14-7, 3.65 ERA) who hasn't looked much like an ace here in the second half of the season. He's posted a 6.31 ERA in six starts since the All-Star break and lasted only 2 1/3 innings of a 22-10 loss to the Red Sox his very start. He managed to give up 10 runs on 12 hits while serving up three homers over those rough frames.  

2. Situational - Eight of the White Sox's last 11 away from home have sailed over the total and the over is 4-1 in the Mariners last five home games with the total set at 6.5 or lower. 

3. X-Factor -  Nelson Cruz is 6-for-13 with two homers in previous at bats versus Sale.   

Selection: This is a play on CHW@SEA to go over the total (10*)

The Pittsburgh Pirates are owners of a Wild Card in the AL but might aim higher than that sitting 4.5 games back of the St. Louis Cardinals for the NL Central division title. They've won seven of their last eight and shut out the Giants in a 4-0 victory last night. I like the Giants in this match-up though as they should have a huge advantage on the mound.  

Here are my keys to the game:  

1. Pitching - The Pirates hand the ball to Jeff Locke (6-7, 4.31 ERA) who's conceded four runs in each of his last three starts home at PNC Park for a 6.89 ERA. The 27 year old southpaw has failed to make it through six innings in each his last five starts overall for a 1-1 record and a 5.54 ERA. He has an 8.68 ERA in two career starts versus the Giants who will counter with Madison Bumgarner (14-6, 2.98 ERA). Mad Bum is off two complete games, allowing just one run on eight hits and one walk. He's riding a three-game winning streak behind a 0.73 ERA and he's 5-1 since the All-Star break, allowing one run or less in each of the victories. He threw a four-hit shutout at PNC Park on Oct. 1 in his last meeting with the Pirates.  

2. Situational - The Giants are 4-1 in their last five games as a favorite of -110 to -150 and have won 14 of Bumgarner's last 17 starts against a team with a winning record. The Pirates meanwhile are 2-5 in Lockes last seven starts as an underdog of +110 to +150. 

3. X-Factor - Nori Aoki was 1-for-3 with a walk last night after seven days out of the lineup. He's 3-for-8 in previous at bats versus Locke.  

Selection: This is a play on the San Francisco Giants (10*)

The Pittsburgh Pirates are looking to chase down the St. Louis Cardinals for the NL Central-lead, or at the very least defend the Wild Card spot they are currently owners of. They've won five of their last six games scoring eight runs or more three times in that span and are off a 9-8 win against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Another high-scoring tilt is in the cards Wednesday night when the two teams clash for the rubbermatch of this three-game series at PNC Park.  

Here are my keys to the game:  

1. Pitching - The Pirates hand the ball to J.A. Happ (4-7, 4.64 ERA) who's still looking for his first win with the Pirates since coming over from Seattle. He's 0-2 with a 7.36 ERA over his last six starts overall and allowed four runs on nine hits in 4 1/3 innings of a 5-0 loss in his lone home-start for the Pirates so far. The D'backs will counter with Robbie Ray (3-8, 3.29 ERA) who's off three consecutive losses surrendering a total of 10 runs on 18 hits and eight walks over 15 1/3 innings of work. This will be his first start against the Pirates this season but he was lit up for four runs in five innings here at PNC Park in his debut season last year.  

2. Situational - The over is 6-2-1 in the Pirates last nine games with the total set at 7.0-8.5 and 5-1 in their last six at home. 11 of the D'backs last 16 away from home have sailed over the total.  

3. X-Factor - The Pirates have reached the seats in 12 consecutive games, as streak likely to continue as Ray has served up four homers over his last four starts.  

Selection: This is a play on ARI@PIT to go over the total (10*)

The Washington Nationals are coming into this contest on the back of six consecutive losses, leaving the field scorless half of the times. A visit to Coors Field could be just what they need to get back on track offensively, and I expect a high-scoring contest in this series-opener against the Colorado Rockies.   

Here are my keys to the game:  

1. Pitching - The Nats hand the ball to Jordan Zimmermann (8-8, 3.34 ERA) who's overall numbers may look decent enough, but he's way better at home at Nationals Park than on the road where he has a 4.55 ERA in 11 starts on the year. He's a winless 0-3 with a 3.68 ERA overall since the All Star break. The Rockies will counter with David Hale (3-4, 5.69 ERA) who'll make his first start in over a month after spending some time on the disabled list due to a groin injury. He's allowed four runs or more in each of his last five starts, serving up on a homer per game on average in that span and a total of 10 in his last seven starts.

 2. Situational - Six of the Rockies last seven and all of Hale's last four home at Coors Field have gone over the total. The over is 8-2 in the Nats last 10 games following an off day. 

3. X-Factor - Colorado's relievers rank dead last in the major leagues this season with a 4.83 ERA.  

Selection: This is a play on WAS@COL to go over the total (10*)

The Minnesota Twins are coming off back to back wins over Cleveland, and they begin a new series in the Bronx on Monday night. The Yankees are clinging to a half game lead in the AL East after taking 2-of-3 in Toronto. The Bronx Bombers might need all the offense they can muster tonight with a struggling reliever making a spot start in Game 1 versus the Twins. 

Here are my keys to the game: 

1. Pitching - The Yankees will send 24 year old Bryan Mitchell to the mound, replacing scheduled starter C.C. Sabathia. This will me the kid's second start of the year, and his first was no picnic, giving up four runs on seven hits over just four innings in an 8-2 loss to the White Sox. The Twins counter with Kyle Gibson, who is 0-3 with a 7.39 ERA since the All Star break. 

2. Trevor Plouffe - The Twins third baseman was 2-for-4 with a home run last night, and he's hitting .308 with a home run and a pair of RBI's in four games versus the Yankees this season. 

3. X-Factor - The bullpen has been a strength for the Yankees this season, but cracks have started to appear lately. Southpaw Andrew Miller has surrendered three runs on six hits in his last three appearances. 

Selection: This is a play on Twins@Yankees to go OVER the total (10*)

The Philadelphia Phillies have won just one of their last five games and have lost back-to-back games to the Milwaukee Brewers. I like the Brew Crew's chances of completing the sweep of this three-game series Sunday afternoon.  

Here are my keys to the game:  

1. Pitching - The Phillies hand the ball to Aaron Harang (5-13, 4.52 ERA) who's lost 10 of his last 11 starts. He was lit up for eight runs on 12 hits with two homers in just 5 1/3 innings at Arizona his very last outing. Harang has been poor away from home all season long currently sitting on a 2-6 record with a 5.23 ERA over nine road-starts. The Brewers will counter with Taylor Jungmann (6-4, 2.42 ERA) who's having a remarkable rookie season. He's been particularly sharp home at Miller Park where his ERA drops to 2.12 and he's 2-1 with a 1.44 ERA in four day-starts on the year.  

2. Solid Favorites - Milwaukee is 67-17 in its last 84 games as a home favorite of -151 to -200 and it has won five straight as a home favorite. The Phillies are 1-4 in their last five games as an underdog and 1-10 in Harang's last 11 starts as a dog. 

3. X-Factor - Harang was torched for eight runs on 14 hits in five innings of a 9-5 home-loss to Milwaukee on July 1.  

Selection: This is a play on the Milwaukee Brewers (10*)

The Minnesota Twins are looking to make it to the post-season sitting just three games back of the Angels for the last Wild Card in the American League. They're desperate for a win after losing out 6-1 to division-rivals the Cleveland Indians in this series-opener last night. I expect both teams to score plenty of runs here as two rusty pitchers will take the mound.  

Here are my keys to the game:  

1. Pitching - The Twins hand the ball to 24 year old rookie Tyler Duffey (0-1, 27.00 ERA) who'll make his second start in the big leagues. He conceded six runs on five hits with two homers in just two innings of a 9-7 loss to Toronto in his debut 10 days ago. The Indians will counter with Josh Tomlin who'll make his very first start of the season after recovering from a shoulder surgery. He posted a 4.76 ERA in 25 outings last season and he owns a 6.41 ERA in nine career games (six starts) against the Twins. 

2. Situational - Five of the Tribe's last seven games have gone over the total and the same is true for seven of the Twins last nine. Seven of the last eight meetings have gone over. 

3. X-Factor - Joe Mauer and Torii Hunter are a combined 10-for-24 in previous match-ups with Tomlin. 

Selection: This is a play on CLE@MIN to go over the total (10*)

The Houston Astros will be happy to return home after a brutal road trip that saw them drop seven of nine games. The good news for Houston his that they still sit in first place in the AL West as the Angels have also struggled, and they will send their ace to the mound tonight in the first game of a 10 game home stand. 

Here are my keys to the game: 

1. Pitching - The Astros hand the ball to Dallas Keuchel, who is looking to bounce back from a tough loss on the road at Oakland. Keuchel (13-6, 2.40 ERA) allowed three runs on 10 hits over 7.2 innings in a 3-1 loss to the A's. He can match Felix Hernandez for first in the American League with his 14th win tonight. The Tigers hand the ball to Alfredo Simon, who has surrendered four or more runs in seven of his last eight starts. He owns an ERA of 5.64 in 11 starts on the road. 

2. Home Cookin' - The Astros recent struggles have mostly been on the road, they are still one of the best home teams in baseball with a record of 38-18 at Minute Maid Park. Keuchel is a perfect 10-0 with a 1.26 ERA in 12 starts in Houston this year. 

3. X-Factor - The Tigers are 1-4 in their last 5 games vs. a left-handed starter.

Selection: This is a play on the Houston Astros -1.5 (10*)

The New York Yankees ended a five game skid with an 8-6 win at Cleveland last night. Three of the losses came against the surging Toronto Blue Jays home at Yankee Stadium, and odds are they'll struggle at Rogers Centre tonight as well against a Blue Jays team that has won 11 straight games.   

Here are my keys to the game:  

1. Pitching - The Yankees hand the ball to Ivan Nova (4-4-, 3.52 ERA) who was reached for four runs on four hits and two walks in 5 1/3 innings against the Blue Jays his very last start on August 8. He's 1-2 with a 6.94 ERA in his last five starts versus the Blue Jays and there are plenty of batters in the current Toronto team with good numbers against the 28 year old. The Jays will counter with David Price (11-4, 2.35) who's been excellent all season long and has impressed in his first two starts for Toronto. He pitched opposite Nova on August 8 and held the Yankees scoreless over seven innings of the 6-0 win and has conceded only one run on six hits with 18 strikeouts over 15 innings in the Blue Jays uniform.  

2. The Yankees Quiet Bats - The Yankees had scored only eight runs in five games before matching that output last night. They have a major-leagues worst .174 team batting average over the last seven days.  

3. X-Factor - Justin Smoak hit a grand slam off Nova less than a week ago. He's 2-for-5 with a walk overall against Nova. 

Selection: This is a play on Toronto Blue Jays (10*)

The Cleveland Indians have won four straight but are still finding themselves bottom of the AL Central with slim to no chances of reaching the post-season. The New York Yankees have suffered five straight defeats and have lost out on the AL East top spot to the surging Blue Jays. I like the Bronx Bombers to pick up a valuable "W" tonight.  

Here are my keys to the game: 

1. Pitching - The Tribe hand the ball to Trevor Bauer (9-8, 4.06 ERA) who conceded four runs on seven hits and three walks with three homers in his most recent start. The 24 year old right-hander is 4-5 with a 5.60 ERA home at Progressive Field for the year and he's 1-2 with a 3.78 ERA in three career starts versus New York who will counter with Nathan Eovaldi (11-2, 4.15 ERA). He's 6-0 with a 2.87 ERA in his last nine outings and held the mighty Blue Jays to just one run on five hits in 6 1/3 innings his last start. 

2. Home Woes - The Indians have lost four of their last five as a home underdog and they're just 24-33 home at Cleveland for the year. The Yankees have won each of Eovaldi's last five road starts. 

3. X-Factor - The Yankees are 8-2 in Eovaldi's last 10 starts as a favorite of -110 to -150. 

Selection: This is a play on the New York Yankees (10*)

The Oakland Athletics came into this three-game set at Rogers Centre on the back of three wins at Houston. The Toronto Blue Jays had won eight on the bounce though and made it nine straight when they claimed the opener 4-2 last night. Odds are the Jays will take down tonight's contest as well I expect them to cover the runline in the process.  

Here are my keys to the game:  

1. Pitching - The Blue Jays hand the ball to R.A. Dickey (6-10, 3.93) as originally scheduled starter Mark Buehrle's start has been moved back a day. Dickey is 2-1 with a 2.15 ERA in five starts against the A's in a Toronto uniform and he conceded only two runs on five hits in 8 2/3 innings at O.co. Coliseum less than a month ago. He's been extremely sharp since the All Star break going 3-0 with a 0.99 ERA over five starts. The A's will counter with Aaron Brooks (1-0, 2.41 ERA) who's impressed in two starts since joining the club from the Royals conceding two runs on nine hits in 14 1/3 frames. The Jays were one of two teams he faced last season and he was banged around for seven runs on five hits and three walks in just 0.2 innings of work. 

2. Oakland's Errors - The A's were charged with two errors in last night's 4-2 loss and they have a major leagues-worst 96 for the season.  

3. X-Factor - Edwin Encarnacion has missed the last two games with a finger injury but is likely to return to the lineup tonight. He has a .379 so far this month.  

Selection: This is a play on the Toronto Blue Jays -1.5 (10*)

The Philadelphia Phillies came into last night's opener of a three-game series at Chase Field filled with confidence after a three-game sweep at San Diego. The Arizona Diamondbacks finished the game a 13-3 winner though and I think the D'backs are looking good to take down tonight's contest as well.   

Here are my keys to the game: 

1. Pitching - The Phillies hand the ball to David Buchanan (2-6, 7.23 ERA) who's struggled all season long and he was roughed up for seven runs on 10 hits in four innings of a 10-8 home loss to the Dodgers his last start. He's 0-3 with a 7.20 ERA in four road starts for the year and 0-5 with a 4.62 ERA in his last nine away from home. The D'backs will counter with Jeremy Hellickson (7-8, 5.06) who's off a pair of road losses allowing a total of 11 runs (10 earned) on 12 hits and six walks in eight innings. He shut out the Brew Crew through six innings of four-run ball his last start at Chase Field though and he's 5-1 with a 2.33 ERA in his last six home outings.  

2. Situational - The Phillies are just 18-39 away from home this season and they've lost 10 of Buchanan's last 11 road starts. The D'backs are 5-1 in their last 6 home games against a right-handed starter and they've also won five of their last six as a home favorite.  

3. X-Factor - A.J. Pollock was 3-for-5 with a homer last night and he's batting .345 so far in August.  

Selection: This is a play on the Arizona Diamondbacks (10*)

The Pittsburgh Pirates are coming into this contest as owners of the first Wild Card in the NL and are trying to chase down the Cardinals for the NL Central top spot. They'll host a hot Los Angeles Dodgers team for the opener of a three-game set Friday night, but I expect the Pirates to hold this to a one run game at the very least.  

Here are my keys to the game:  

1. Pitching - The Dodgers hand the ball to Clayton Kershaw (9-6, 2.37 ERA) who's been nothing short of outstanding in his last four starts, hurling a total of 34 shutout innings while fanning 45 batters. He's been far more efficient home at Dodger Stadium with a 1.66 ERA compared to a 3.03 mark away from home, and his scoreless streak is bound to end soon. The Pirates will counter with Gerrit Cole (14-5, 2.29 ERA) who conceded three runs (two earned) in five innings of a 4-3 loss at Cincinnati his last start. He was 3-1 with a 2.40 ERA in four starts last month though and has earned the "W" in each of his two career starts against the Dodgers. 

2. Situational - The Pirates have won five of their last six games with Jeff Kellogg behind home plate and they're 6-2 in their last eight following an off day. The Dodgers have lost four of their last five as a road favorite of -110 to -150 and are unmotivated big favorites here. 

3. X-Factor - Andrew McCutchen is 6-for-19 with a homer in previous meetings with Kershaw and Cole's personal catcher Chris Stewart is 6-for-12 against the Dodgers' ace.  

Selection: This is a play on the Pittsburgh Pirates +1.5 (10*)

Two struggling NL East rivals will take Turner Field for the opener of a four-game set Wednesday night. The visiting Miami Marlins have won just one of their last eight while the Atlanta Braves have won two of their last 10. The Braves are sitting third in the division five games ahead of the Marlins in fourth and I like them to run away with this game.     

Here are my keys to the game:  

1. Pitching - The Fish hand the ball to Jose Urena (1-5, 4.37 ERA) who conceded five runs (four earned) on eight hits in five ininngs of a 5-3 home-loss to the Padres his last start. The 23 year old rookie did not walk a batter in that contest but had given out 11 free passes over his last three starts prior and he's 0-2 with a 5.03 ERA in five road-outings for the year. The Braves will counter with another rookie in 22 year old Matt Wisler (5-2, 4.44) who was lit up for seven runs on eight hits in 4 2/3 innings at Philadelphia his most recent start. He's been rock-solid home at Atlanta though, earning the "W" in each of his three starts behind a 2.33 ERA.   

2. Road Woes - Miami has won just 17 of its 52 road-games on the year while Atlanta is 27-22 at home. The Braves are 6-1 in their last seven games as a home favorite.  

3. X-Factor - The Braves have won seven of nine meetings on the season while limiting Miami to 2.78 runs per game. 

Selection: This is a play on the Atlanta Braves (10*)

The Milwaukee Brewers came into this four-game set against the San Diego Padres on the back of five consecutive losses and dropped the opener 13-5. They've won two straight since and I like them to deny the Padres a split of the series with another win Wednesday afternoon.  

Here are my keys to the game:  

1. Pitching - The Padres hand the ball to Odrisamer Despaigne (5-7, 4.75 ERA) who's off a pair of "Ws" and conceded three runs on five hits in six innings at Miami his last start. He's 2-3 with a 4.88 ERA over 10 outings away from home for the year and the Padres are 3-8 in Despaigne's last 11 starts as a road underdog. The Brew Crew will counter with Matt Garza (5-12, 5.17) who is off a pair of losses conceding six runs on 11 hits over 11 2/3 innings of work. Perhaps a date with the Padres is what he needs to turn a corner as he's 2-0 with a 2.14 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 21 innings over three career meetings.  

2. Situational - The Padres have lost four of their last five as a road underdog while the Brewers are 5-1 in their last six games as a home favorite of -110 to -150.   

3. X-Factor - Ryan Braun has been swinging a hot bat of late going 7-for-13 with five doubles in the last four games. 

Selection: This is a play on the Milwaukee Brewers (10*)

The New York Yankees have been swinging extremely hot bats of late and defeated the Boston Red Sox 13-3 in last night's opener of a three-game set of this classic rivalry. Another high-scoring game is in the cards tonight when the two AL Est rivals will clash again. 

Here are my keys to the game:  

1. Pitching - The Red Sox hand the ball to Steven Wright (4-4, 4.53 ERA) who is off a decent outing when he conceded two runs on six hits in seven innings of an 8-2 home-win against the White Sox. He had surrendered 10 runs (eight earned) in 9 1/3 innings in his last two starts prior though and has a 5.28 road-ERA for the year. The Yankees will counter with Luis Severino who will make his major-league debut. He's 7-0 with a 1.91 ERA in 11 starts with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre but is likely to struggle here against the big boys and could certainly have asked for an easier opponent to make his debut against.  

2. Glowing Bats - The Yankees have scored a major leagues best 69 runs with a .323 batting average over the last seven days for an insane average of 11.5 runs scored per game. The Red Sox have averaged 6.33 runs per game over the same span while batting .284.  

3. X-Factor - Each of the last five meetings at Yankee Stadium have gone over the total.  

Selection: This is a play on BOS@NYY to go OVER the total (10*)

Neither the Seattle Mariners or the Colorado Rockies are likely to make it to the post-season and their results of late have reflected that fact. Both sides have won just two of their last seven, but the Rockies are returning home from a seven-game road-swing and I expect them to be pumped up to play in front of the home-town crowd again. 

Here are my keys to the game:  

1. Pitching - The Mariners hand the ball to Felix Hernandez (12-6, 3.02 ERA) who was lit up for seven runs on 12 hits with two homers in 6 2/3 innings of an 8-2 loss against the D'backs his last start. He has has allowed seven or more runs on three occasions this season and a first time visit to Coors Field is not an ideal spot to bounce back from a rough outing. The Rockies will counter with Eddie Butler (3-7, 4.82) who is 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA in two outings since getting recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque. This might prove to be a turning point for the 24 year old as Seattle is batting a pathetic .230 away from home for the season.  

2. Home Cookin - The Rockies have won seven of their last 10 home at Coors Field and they're 6-1 in their last seven home games against a team with a losing road record.  

3. X-Factor - Jose Reyes, who came over to the Rockies as part of the trade that send Troy Tulowitzki to the Blue Jays, is 6-for-12 with a homer in previous meetings with Hernandez. 

Selection: This is a play on the Colorado Rockies +1.5 (10*)

The San Francisco Giants have started the second half of the season in an impressive fashion. They bagged nine of their first 10 games after the All Star break but have lost two of their last three, a 6-3 loss at Texas last night included. I like the Rangers to set themselves up for a sweep of this three-game set tomorrow with a third straight win overall tonight.  

Here are my keys to the game:  

1. Pitching - The Giants hand the ball to Chris Heston (11-5, 3.14 ERA) who's entering this contest on the back of three consecutive wins. He's 6-1 away from home for the year despite his 3.86 road ERA being more than a run worse than at home and has relied heavily on run-support, which may be scarce tonight when the Rangers can counter with their newly acquired ace Cole Hamels (6-7, 3.64 ERA). Hamels tossed a no-hitter fanning 13 batters in his last start with the Phillies and will be looking to redeem himself after conceding nine runs on 12 hits in 3 1/3 innings of a 15-2 loss to at AT&T Park on July 10. What better place to do that than right in front of your new home fans? 

2. The Rangers Bats - Texas has won seven of it's last 10 games, scoring five or more runs in eight of those 10 contests. 

3. X-Factor - Elvis Andrus is 5-for-9 with a homer and a double in his last two games. 

Selection: This is a play on the Texas Rangers (10*)

The Minnesota Twins have won just four games since the All Star break but are nevertheless still holding down the second wild card in the AL. They need to pick up pace badly though, and a good start would be to claim tonight's game 3 of a four-game set against the Seattle Mariners after splitting the first two in the series.   

Here are my keys to the game:  

1. Pitching - The Mariners hand the ball to Mike Montgomery (4-4, 3.20 ERA) who's 0-2 with a 7.08 ERA in his last four starts. He's performed better both at home and in the day than an on the road and during the night this season and is likely to struggle here at Target Field. The Twins will counter with Kyle Gibson (8-8, 3.48) who'll be looking to bounce back from two atrocious outings allowing 12 runs (11 earned) on 16 hits over 10 1/3 innings of work. He had recorded four straight wins prior to the slide though and is 2-1 with a 2.88 ERA in four career starts against Seattle.  

2. Reliable Favorites - The Twins have won each of their last five games as a favorite of -110 to -150 and they're 9-1 in Gibson's last 10 starts against a team with a losing record.  

3. X-Factor - Minnesota is 33-21 home at Target Field for the year.  

Selection: This is a play on the Minnesota Twins (10*)

The Milwaukee Brewers have won only one of their last six games and found themselves on the losing side in the opener of a four-game series against NL Central rival the Chicago Cubs last night. The Cubs maye have won three of their last four but I like the price we get on the hosts to tie the series tonight.  

Here are my keys to the game:  

1. Pitching - The Cubs hand the ball to Jason Hammel (5-5, 3.20 ERA) who lasted only 3 2/3 innings his last start when he was lit up for six runs on eight hits in an 11-5 home-loss to the Phillies. He's a win-less 0-3 with a 4.10 ERA and has received just 11 runs of support over his last eight starts. The Brew Crew will counter with Taylor Jungmann (5-2, 2.14) who's been terrific here in his debut season in the big leagues. He's allowed two or fewer earned runs in all but one of nine starts and he has posted a 1.59 ERA in three outings home at Milwaukee.  

2. Batter vs. Pitcher - The current Brewers lineup has a combined batting average of .288 against Hammel. Gerrardo Parra is 9-for-25 against Hammel and has batted .435 so far this month.  

3. X-Factor - The Brewers have won six of their last eight with umpire Hunter Wendelstedt behind home plate. 

Selection: This is a play on the Milwaukee Brewers (10*)

The Atlanta Braves have lost four straight heading into tonight's Game 2 at Philly, but they look good to bounce back with a win against the last place Phillies. Both teams have been unloading players at the deadline, but the Braves still enjoy a pitching mismatch tonight. 

Here are my keys to the game: 

1. Pitching - Williams Perez will be on the mound for Atlanta, and the rookie has been impressive so far. Perez (4-0, 2.88 ERA) allowed two runs on four hits over 4.2 innings in a no decision at Pittsburgh in his last outing. He's 2-0 with a 2.33 ERA in four starts on the road. The Phillies counter with David Buchanan, who has just one victory on the season. Buchanan (1-5, 7.00 ERA) allowed three runs on six hits over 6.1 innings in a no decision versus Tampa in his last start. 

2. Buchanan vs. Division Opponents - The Phillies are 1-11 in Buchanans last 12 starts vs. National League East.

3. X-Factor - Umpire Mark Carlson hasn't been kind to home teams, with the road team winning six of his last seven games behind home plate.

Selection: This is a play on the Atlanta Braves (10*)

The New York Mets are coming off a hugely disappointing loss when they allowed the Padres to come back from a 7-1 deficit to eventually claim last night's series-finale 8-7. The Washington Nationals meanwhile recorded a second straight win when they defeated the Marlins 1-0 and are currently sitting top of the NL East, three games ahead of the Mets in second. I like the Nats chances of pulling away even further with a win tonight.  

Here are my keys to the game:  

1. Pitching - The Mets hand the ball to Matt Harvey (9-7, 3.16 ERA) who's off a quality start when he held the Dodgers to two runs on six hits in seven innings of a 15-2 home-win his last start. He allowed five runs (four earned) in seven innings at Nationals Park his last start prior though and odds are he'll struggle again as he's been unable to record back-to-back wins since winning his first five starts this season. The Nats will counter with Gio Gonzalez (8-4, 3.83 ERA) who's 6-1 with a 1.66 ERA in nine career road-starts against the Mets. This will be his second visit to Citi Field for the year after tossing seven scoreless innings there back in May.  

2. Previous Meetings at Citi Field - The Nats have three shutouts in the last five games at New York and they're 38-13 in the last 51 meetings in the Big Apple. 

3. X-Factor - The Nats Michael Taylor has three homers during a six-game hitting streak and was a perfect 2-for-2 last night. He's 3-for-10 with a double off Harvey lifetime.  

Selection: This is a play on the Washington Nationals (10*)

The Toronto Blue Jays are coming off back-to-back wins and defeated the Kansas City Royals 5-2 in the opener of a three-game series at Rogers Centre Thursday night. I think we're getting a terrific price on the Royals to bounce back with a win tonight though when they send their newly acquired ace to the hill.  

Here are my keys to the game:  

1. Pitching - The Blue Jays hand the ball to Drew Hutchison (9-2, 5.42) who has struggled in previous meetings with the Royals with nine runs and 12 hits allowed over 12 1/3 innings. He served up two homers over four innings at Seattle his last start while conceding six runs (five earned) on seven hits. The Royals will counter with Johnny Cueto (7-6, 2.62 ERA) who'll make his debut since joining the club from the Reds. "I'm just very happy and very proud to be part of this club," said Cueto who is likely to come out pumped up to the maximum. He last faced Toronto last season when he allowed three runs (one earned) over eight innings and he has the Jays newly acquired Troy Tulowitzki limited to three hits over 13 at bats.  

2. Eric Hosmer - The Royals' first baseman is batting .500 in his last 13 games and he's 9-for-17 with two doubles, a homer and six RBIs in his last four.  

3. X-Factor - The Royals have won six of their last eight coming off a loss.  

Selection: This is a play on the Kansas City Royals (10*)

The major leagues-leading St. Louis Cardinals have found ways to win despite being rather unproductive at the plate but was on the losing side last night when the Cincinnati Reds shut them out in a 4-0 defeat. Another low-scoring contest is in the cards tonight when the teams will square off in the rubber-match of a three-game set at Busch Stadium.  

Here are my keys to the game:  

1. Pitching - The Cardinals hand the ball to John Lackey (9-5, 2.88 ERA) who conceded four runs on four hits in six innings of a 5-4 loss against Cincinnati in his season-debut. He's been extremely efficient of late though after conceding a season-high 10 runs at Colorado on June 8 going 5-1 with a 1.75 ERA in eight starts since. The Reds will counter with Anthony DeSclafani (5-7, 3.98 ERA) who's struggled home in Cincinnati this season, but he's been reliable away from home posting a 2.67 ERA in 10 road-starts.  

2. Home Cookin' - Lackey has a 1.97 ERA in 11 home-starts for the year and the under is 35-14-2 in the Cardinals games at Busch Stadium this season.  

3. X-Factor - Each of the last four meetings at St. Louis have gone under the total.  

Selection: This is a play on CIN@STL to go under the total (10*)

Two teams that have been swinging hot bats in recent games will clash at Globe Life Park in Arlington Wednesday night. The Yankees annihilated the Rangers 21-5 last night, and although less runs are to be expected tonight I think the teams will score enough for the game to climb over the total.  

Here are my keys to the game:  

1. Pitching - The Rangers hand the ball to Colby Lewis (10-4, 4.49 ERA) who's off a pair of road-wins yielding four runs over 15 innings of work. His most recent starts home at Texas has not been quite as successful with the veteran right-hander giving up a total of 13 runs on 17 hits in 11 frames. This will be his second start against the Yankees this season surrendering five runs in 6 2/3 innings of a 10-9 win back in May and he's 2-3 with a 5.55 ERA in six career starts against them. The Yankees will counter with Masahiro Tanaka (7-3, 3.64 ERA) who's won three straight starts behind a 2.82 ERA. He's yielded five home-runs over the last two alone though and he's allowed 11 over his last six starts.  

2. Hot Bats - The Yankees have scored a major leagues-best 59 runs over seven games in the last seven days with the Rangers sitting fourth with 44 runs scored over the same span, but one less game played.   

3. X-Factor - The over is 8-2 in Lewis' last 10 starts with the total set at 7.0-8.5. 

Selection: This is a play on NYY@TEX to go over the total (10*)

The Chicago White Sox bats have come alive during a five-game winning streak. They defeated the Boston Red Sox 10-8 in last night's opener of a four-game set at Fenway Park, and I believe we'll have another high-scoring contest on our hands tonight.  

Here are my keys to the game:  

1. Pitching - The White Sox will hand the ball to Jeff Samardzija (7-5, 3.91 ERA) who's off eight innings of one-run ball at Cleveland. He's otherwise been rather poor away from home this season with a 4.84 ERA in 11 outings away from home and he has an 8.53 ERA in two career games (one start) against Boston who will counter with Wade Miley (8-8, 4.33). Miley has conceded one run in 13 innings over his last two starts combined, but he was far from perfect giving seven free passes over those two games. He's surrendered nine runs on 14 hits in 12 innings in his last two starts home at Fenway where he has a 4.68 ERA for the year.  

2. Hot Bats - The White Sox have averaged 6.14 runs per game over their last seven while the Red Sox have averaged an even five over the same span.  

3. X-Factor - Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval are a combined 11-for-26 in previous match-ups with Samardzija. 

Selection: This is a play on CHW@BOS to go over the total (10*)

The New York Yankees have been on fire at the start of the second half of the season winning seven of their last nine games. Tonight's opponent the Texas Rangers have been good of late as well though winning four straight before losing 13-7 at Anaheim last night. I like the price we get on them to bounce back with a win here in the opener of a three-game set home in Texas tonight. 

Here are my keys to the game:  

1. Pitching - The Yankees will hand the ball to Ivan Nova (2-3, 3.34 ERA) who'll make his sixth start of the year after recovering from Tommy John surgery. He's lost both his road-starts while conceding six runs on 16 hits with three homers over 12 frames and he's 2-2 despite a rather high ERA of 4.80 in five career starts against the Rangers. Texas will counter with Matt Harrison (1-1, 5.40 ERA) who'll make his third start of the year after missing close to 14 months because of back surgery. He was lit up for six runs in four innings of a 7-4 loss against Arizona on July 8 in his season debut but tossed six scoreless ininngs at Coors Field his most recent outing. He was 1-2 with a 1.77 ERA over three starts against the Yankees 2011-12. 

2. Situational - The Rangers have won four of their last five coming in as an underdog and they're 7-3 in Harrison's last 10 starts as a home underdog. They've won four straight meetings with the Yankees.  

3. X-Factor - Josh Hamilton is 6-for-10 with three doubles in previous meetings with Nova.  

Selection: This is a play on the Texas Rangers (10*)

The Angels have lost three in a row, and they look to avoid a sweep today at home against Texas. The Rangers have won four straight, and several Texas players are heating up at the plate. 

Here are my keys to the game: 

1. Pitching - Nick Martinez will be on the hill for the visitors, and he's looking to snap a five game win-less skid. Martinez (5-5, 3.92 ERA) gave up seven runs in just four innings in his last start, but we won't read to much into that given it was against the Rockies in Colorado. He pitched well enough to win in three of his last five starts, but didn't get much in the way of run support. The Angels counter with rookie Andrew Heaney, who only has 10 major league starts under his belt. 

2. Day Trends - The Angels haven't had a lot of success at the plate in afternoon games, ranking dead last in the majors in scoring. The news gets worse, as Martinez owns impressive career numbers in day games. 

3. X-Factor - Mike Trout and Albert Pujols have combined to go 1-for-20 lifetime versus Martinez. 

Selection: This is a play on the Texas Rangers +1.5 (8*)

The Houston Astros had a five-game winning streak snapped last night when the Kansas City Royals defeated them 2-1. I like the Astros to bounce back with a win in Sunday's rubber-match of this three-game series.  

Here are my keys to the game:  

1. Pitching - The Royals hand the ball to Yordano Ventura (4-7, 5.19 ERA) who's been roughed up of late. He was torched for six runs on 10 hits in only four innings of a 10-7 home-loss to the Pirates his last start, and he's 1-4 with a 6.21 ERA in his last six outings. The Astros will counter with Dallas Keuchel (12-4, 2.12 ERA) who unlike Ventura is coming off a gem when he tossed seven shutout innings against the Rangers. He has three shutout in his last five starts, one of them against the Royals who he held scoreless over eight innings at the end of June.  

2. Situational - The Astros have won seven straight game 3s of a series wtih Keuchel on the mound and they're 7-1 in the last eight meetings.  

3. X-Factor - Ventura has a 5.59 ERA in two career starts against the Astros. 

Selection: This is a play on the Houston Astros (10*)

The San Diego Padres snapped a three-game skid with a 3-1 win against the Miami Marlins last night as they tied this four-game set at Petco Park 1-1. I think the Padres are looking good to make it two on the bounce with another "W" Saturday night.  

Here are my keys to the game:  

1. Pitching - The Fish will hand the ball to David Phelps (4-6, 3.91 ERA) who's win-less over his last five outings with the Fish losing each over that span and the 28 year old absorbing the loss on three occasions. It's unlikely he'll get back on track here on the road as he's 2-4 with a 4.47 ERA over 10 road outings for the year and 0-4 with a 7.67 ERA in his last five. The Padres will counter with Ian Kennedy (5-9, 4.78 ERA) who was rewarded with the decision in a 4-2 win against the Giants his last start conceding two runs on six hits in six innings. He's 3-1 with a 3.11 ERA in six career starts against Miami and has its current roster limited to a .200 average over 105 at bats.  

2. Situational - The Marlins have lost 10 of their last 13 coming in as an underdog of +110 to +150 and they're 1-8 in Phelps' last nine starts against a team with a losing record. 

3. X-Factor - The Marlins have won only one of the last five meetings at Petco Park.

Selection: This is a play on the San Diego Padres (10*)

The Milwaukee Brewers have started the second half of the season strong winning five of their first seven games. They've split the first two of a four-game set against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field after a 2-1 win Friday, and I like the Brew Crew to take the lead in the series with another win tonight.  

Here are my keys to the game:  

1. Pitching - The D'backs will hand the ball to Rubby De La Rosa (7-5, 4.83) who's off seven innings of one-run ball against the Fish but had struggled in his previous two outings conceding 10 runs on 16 hits over just 8 2/3 innings of work. He conceded four runs on six hits with two homers in five innings against the Brewers back in May. Milwaukee will counter with rookie phenom Taylor Jungmann (5-1, 2.04 ERA) who's posted a 2.04 ERA over his first eight starts in the big leagues. The Brewers have won each of his last five starts with the 25 year old right-hander going 3-0 behind a 1.80 ERA.  

2. Road Warriors - The visitors are posting a losing road record for the year going 23-25, but they've won eight of their last nine away from home when visiting a team with a losing record and they've won five of the last seven meetings at Arizona.  

3. X-Factor - Adam Lind is 5-for-8 with two doubles, a homer and no strikeout off De La Rosa lifetime.  

Selection: This is a play on the Milwaukee Brewers (10*)

The Minnesota Twins are chasing the Kansas City Royals for the AL Central lead sitting 5.5 games back and made up some ground with a 10-1 annihilation of the New York Yankees last night. I like them to carry that momentum over to tonight's contest and I think we're getting terrific value on the home-team in this match-up.  

Here are my keys to the game:  

1. Pitching - The Yankees hand the ball to CC Sabathia (4-8, 5.25 ERA) who's off a solid home start against Seattle when he yielded only one run on six hits in six innings of a 2-1 win. Outings like that have been few and far between for the veteran southpaw this season though, and considering how the Twins swung their bats yesterday he's likely to regress back to normal tonight. The Twins will counter with Tommy Milone (5-2, 3.38) who lasted only 2 2/3 innings his last start when he was torched for seven runs (five earned) on five hits in a 14-1 loss at Oakland. He had yielded only a total of seven runs over his last six starts prior though, and he's won three straight at home behind a 1.80 ERA. 

2. Situational - The Yankees have lost four of their last five as a road favorite of -110 to -150 and are 1-6 in Sabathia's last seven starts following a Quality Start in his last appearance. 

3. X-Factor - Torii Hunter was 2-for-5 with a homer in last night's contest and he has plenty of experience against Sabathia going 21-for-76 (.276) with eight doubles and three homers.  

Selection: This is a play on the Minnesota Twins (10*)

The Miami Marlins are coming into this contest riding a three-game winning streak which includes a 3-0 win against the San Diego Padres in the opener of a three-game set last night. I like the Padres to bounce back with a win tonight.  

Here are my keys to the game:  

1. Pitching - The Fish will hand the ball to Dan Haren (7-5, 3.46 ERA) who was lit up for five runs on seven hits with two homers in six innings of an 8-7 loss at Philadelphia his last start. Not that surprising as he's 3-3 with a 4.13 ERA away from home for the season. The Padres will counter with Andrew Cashner (3-10, 4.10) who's off a sub-par outing as well when he was touched for four runs on three hits in 7 2/3 innings of a 5-2 loss at PNC Park. His last outing home at Petco Park was a decent one though when he held Arizona to two runs over seven frames and he's posted a respectable 2.91 ERA in seven career appearances (three starts) against the Marlins. He should be able to contain a Fish offense here again as the visitors offense is plagued by injuries. 

2. Overachieving Fish Offense - The Marlins have been able to overcome injuries to Dee Gordon and Giancarlo Stanton. How long can we expect them to keep that up though? 

3. X-Factor - Alexi Amarista was 2-for-3 last night and he's 5-for-11 with two doubles and a homer off Haren lifetime.  

Selection: This is a play on the San Diego Padres (10*)

The Miami Marlins started the second half of the season by getting swept over three games at Philadelphia and they have since split the first two games of this series in Arizona. The D'Backs will be looking to avenge a 3-0 loss last night, but they'll have to get to Miami's ace in order to do so. 

Here are my keys to the game:  

1. Pitching - The Fish hand the ball to Jose Fernandez, who will make just his fourth start since returning from injury. Fernandez (2-0, 2.37 ERA) allowed a pair of runs on four hits over six innings in a loss at Philadelphia in his last outing. He's always been a far better home pitcher, while his record of 4-8 with a 3.93 ERA on the road leaves a lot to be desired. The D'Backs will counter with Robbie Ray, who owns an impressive 2.39 ERA in nine starts this year. 

2. Injuries - With Dee Gordon and Giancarlo Stanton both sideline by injuries, the Marlins lineup is pretty thin. 

3. X-Factor - Paul Goldschmidt is 6-for-14 since the All Star break and he leads the NL batting .341 with 72 RBIs. 

Selection: This is a play on the Arizona D'backs (10*)

The Seattle Mariners tied this set at Comerica Park against the Detroit Tigers 1-1 with an 11-9 victory last night. I like the Tigers to bounce back with a win in tonight's rubber-match.  

Here are my keys to the game:  

1. Pitching - The Mariners will hand the ball to Mike Montgomery (4-3, 2.51 ERA) who's coming off back-to-back losses, yielding a total of eight runs on 15 hits in 11 innings. The 26 year old southpaw is 3-0 with a 1.69 ERA in four road-starts but should struggle here against a Detroit team that has owned lefties all season long. The Tigers will counter with Anibal Sanchez (9-7, 4.55 ERA) who's an impressive 6-0 with a 2.86 ERA in his last seven starts. He conceded three earned runs in 6 1/3 innings of a 5-4 win at Safeco in his last start prior to the All Star break and is likely to receive plenty of run-support tonight as well. 

2. Road Woes - The Mariners .225 team batting average away from home is the second worst mark in baseball for the season. 

3. X-Factor - Sanchez has received an average of seven runs of support during his unbeaten run of seven games.  

Selection: This is a play on the Detroit Tigers (10*)

The NL East leading Washington Nationals will be looking to fight off the New York Mets, sitting two games back in the same division, in the rubber-match of a three-game set this afternoon. I like the price we get on the home team in this match-up as the visitors have struggled away from home all season long. 

Here are my keys to the game:  

1. Pitching - The Mets hand the ball to Noah Syndergaard (4-5, 3.05 ERA) who's had an impressive debut season in the big leagues. He's been far better home in New York than on the road though where he's 0-4 with a 4.73 ERA in six starts. The Nats will counter with Jordan Zimmermann (8-5, 3.27 ERA) who is 3-0 with a 1.99 ERA in his last five starts. He's been dominant home at Nationals Park all season compiling a 2.40 ERA over 11 home-starts and he's 8-5 with a 2.91 ERA against the Mets lifetime. 

2. Road Woes - The Mets are 17-31 away from home this season and have lost 21 of their last 26 as a road underdog.  

3. X-Factor - Curtis Granderson is 9-for-27 during a six-game hitting streak but he's just 3-for-16 with five strikeouts against Zimmerman lifetime. 

Selection: This is a play on the Washington Nationals (10*)

The Los Angeles Dodgers have lost back to back games at Atlanta, and still they come into Game 3 as a heavy favorite. The Dodgers are well overrated on the road, as they are just 20-25 so far away from Chavez Ravine. I like the Braves as a home dog with their ace on the mound, but I think the better bet is on the total.

Here are my keys to the game: 

1. Pitching - The Dodgers will send Mike Bolsinger to the mound, and he's been rather inconsistent this season. Bolsinger (4-3, 3.04 ERA) allowed one run on two hits over four innings, failing to earn a decision in a 5-3 defeat at Washington in his last outing. He's win-less in seven starts on the road this season. The Braves will counter with Julio Teheran, who allowed a pair of runs on four hits over 4.2 innings in a 4-2 win over the Cubs on Friday. 

2. Home Cookin' - Teheran is 5-0 with a 2.18 ERA in nine starts at Turner Field this season, and the Braves have won 10 of their last 14 at home. This Dodgers team ranks dead last in the National League in runs scored in day games.

3. X-Factor - The Braves have seen the total trend at a rate of 20-7-2 in their last 29 overall.

Selection: This is a play on the Dodgers@Braves to go UNDER the total (10*)

The Miami Marlins started the second half of the season by getting swept over three games at Philadelphia and they lost the opener of a three-game set at Chase Field last night as well. It was the D'backs first win since the All Star break and I think they'll claim tonight's match-up as well to set themselves up for a sweep tomorrow.  

Here are my keys to the game:  

1. Pitching - The Fish hand the ball to Mat Latos (3-6, 4.90 ERA) who'll make his first start since July 5. He's 1-3 with a 2.57 ERA in six road-starts this season but was torched for six runs in 5 1/3 innings of a 7-6 loss to the D'backs home in Miami on May 21. The D'backs will counter with Jeremy Hellickson (6-5, 5.04 ERA) who tossed four innings of two-run ball at Texas on July 8 his last start. He left that contest early with a blister which should have time to heal over the All Star break. He has an 0-0 record with a 4.60 ERA in three career starts versus the Marlins but has their current team limited to a .164 batting average over 73 at bats.  

2. Injuries - With Dee Gordon and Giancarlo Stanton both sideline by injuries, the Marlins lineup is pretty thin. 

3. X-Factor - Paul Goldschmidt is 5-for-13 since the All Star break and 4-for-11 against Latos lifetime. 

Selection: This is a play on the Arizona D'backs (10*)

Both the Colorado Rockies and the Texas Rangers could have wished for a better start to the second half of the season. The Rangers lost two of three at Houston and were demolished in yesterday's 10-0 defeat while the Rockies lost two at San Diego before Sunday's game was postponed. I like Rockies to pick up their first win since the All Star break tonight.  

Here are my keys to the game:  

1. Pitching - The Rangers hand the ball to Nick Martinez (5-5, 3.43 ERA) who'll make his first start since July 1 as he was sent down to Triple-A Round Rock shortly after allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits in 6 2/3 innings of a 4-2 loss at Baltimore. He's 0-3 with a 6.27 ERA in his last three starts in the big leagues. The Rockies will counter with 28 year old southpaw Chris Rusin (3-3, 3.98 ERA) who tossed two scoreless innings out of the bullpen in an 11-3 win against Atlanta his last outing. He's 1-1 with a 2.73 ERA in his last five appearances and 2-0 with a 3.32 ERA in three home starts for the year. 

2. Situational - The Rangers are 1-5 in their last six road games when facing a left-handed starter and also 1-5 in their last six interleague games. 

3. X-Factor - No team in the major-leagues has been swinging their bats as good in their own ballpark as the Rockies who have a .305 team batting average at Coors Field for the season.  

Selection: This is a play on the Colorado Rockies (10*)

The St. Louis Cardinals are coming into the series-finale of this three-game set against the New York Mets looking to complete the sweep. I think we're getting a more than reasonable price on backing the best team in baseball of doing just that. 

Here are my keys to the game:  

1. Pitching - The Mets hand the ball to Jonathon Niese (5-8, 3.61 ERA) who's lost his fair share of road games already this season going 2-5 with a 3.44 ERA in nine road-starts. He's been extremely poor in daylight as well surrendering 15 runs on 25 hits over 21 2/3 innings of work and was torched for eight runs on 11 hits in five frames by St. Louis earlier this season. The Cardinals will counter with Tim Cooney (0-0, 4.34 ERA) who's still looking for his first decision in the big leagues. This will be his fourth start and the Mets must look like a manageable opponent scoring just four runs over the first two games in the series. 

2. Road Woes - The Mets have one of the worst road records in baseball this season going 15-30 away from home. The Cardinals are not only the best team in baseball overall, they're also the best home team losing only 11 of their 44 home games this year.  

3. X-Factor - The current members of the Cardinals have a combined .371 batting average against Niese with Johnny Peralta going 5-for-11.  

Selection: This is a play on the St. Louis Cardinals (10*)

The Milwaukee Brewers have opened the second half of the season with back-to-back wins against the Pittsburgh Pirates. I like them to close out this three game set home at Miller Park with yet another win.  

Here are my keys to the game:  

1. Pitching - The Pirates hand the ball to John Locke (5-5, 4.03 ERA) who conceded four runs (one earned) on five hits and three walks of five innings of a 4-1 home-loss to the Cardinals his last start prior to the All Star break. He might be in even more trouble today as he's 2-2 with a 7.28 ERA in six road-starts for the year and 1-1 with a 4.13 ERA in five starts during the day. The Brew Crew will counter with Taylor Jungmann (4-1, 2.15 ERA) who's impressed in his first seven starts in the big leagues. He's off his first complete game in a 7-1 win at Dodger Stadium where he conceded just one run on three hits and he's held opponents to two runs or less in all but two of his seven starts. 

2. Home Cookin - The Brewers have absolutely dominated this series home in Milwaukee historically winning 51 of the last 71 meetings at Miller Park and are looking good at improving those numbers even further today. They're 5-1 in their last six home games when facing a left-handed starter and 5-1 in their last six home games versus a team with a winning record. 

3. X-Factor - Ryan Braun is 8-for-23 with three double and a homer off Locke in previous match-ups.  

Selection: This is a play on the Milwaukee Brewers (10*)

Both the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Washington Nationals are sitting top of their respective divisions and they've split the first two of a three-game series at Nationals Park. We're getting a good price on the visitors in today's rubber-match, and I recommend a play on the Dodgers. 

Here are my keys to the game:  

1. Pitching - The Nats hand the ball to Max Scherzer (10-7, 2.11) who struggled his last start in front of the home fans, surrendering five runs on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings of a 5-0 loss to the Reds. This will be his first meeting with the Dodgers for the year, but he has a losing career record against them going 2-3 with a 3.51 ERA. The Dodgers will counter with Zack Greinke (8-2, 1.39 ERA) who's been extremely dominant of late. He's not allowed a single run in his last five starts and he might record another shut out today as he's 3-1 with a 2.22 ERA in five career starts against the Nats. 

2. Solid Closers - The Dodgers have won six of their last seven game 3 of a series and they're 17-4 in Greinke's last 21 game 3 starts. 

3. X-Factor - Yasiel Puig is 4-for-7 so far in this series and he's 2-for-3 with a double and a triple off Scherzer lifetime. 

Selection: This is a play on the Los Angeles Dodgers (10*)

The Blue Jays lost by a score of 3-2 at home to the Rays yesterday, and I am expecting another low scoring game here this afternoon. Toronto leads the major league's in scoring, but the Rays might have their Kryptonite.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Pitching - The Rays will hand the ball to Chris Archer, who has absolutely owned Toronto throughout his career. Archer (9-6, 2.74 ERA) is actually coming off the worst start of his career, allowing nine runs on a dozen hits over six innings in a loss at Kansas City. He's faced Toronto three times this season, allowing just one run over 22 innings. As incredible as that sounds, he's 1-0 with a 1.84 ERA in five starts at Rogers Center since 2012.

2. Batter vs. Pitcher - Jose Bautista is 2-for-26 lifetime versus Archer, while Edwin Encarnacion is 4-for-28 with four strikeouts.

3. X-Factor - Five of the last six times these two teams have played in Toronto, the total has gone under.

Selection: This is a play on the Rays vs. Jays to go UNDER the total (10*)