My 9* Daytime Dominator is on the SD Padres at 2:15 ET. (This side play is "action").

The San Diego Padres ended a 13-year playoff drought in 2020's 60-game season and were expected to contend for the NL West title in 2021. However, the Padres would finish 79-83, 20 games behind the first-place Giants. The StL Cards have been a postseason regular this century, making the playoffs 15 times since 2000. San Diego opens a three-game series in St Louis on Memorial Day, sporting a 30-17 record. The Padres opened the season just 5-5 but it's been a steady climb since, as they've gone 25-12 since that .500 start. The Padres are stuck in the NL West and are three games back of the 33-14 Dodgers, who own MLB's best record. The Cards have been steady in 2022 and open the series 26-21, 3 1/2-games behind the NL Central-leading Brewers. If the season ended today, the Padres would own the NL's No. 1 wild card spot and the Cards the No. 2 spot.

The Padres will send Nick Martinez (2-2, 3.86 ERA) to the mound in Monday's game. He signed with the Padres just before spring training after spending the past FOUR seasons in Japan. The Padres are just 4-4 in Martinez's eight starts but note that he's allowed two ERs or less in FIVE of his last six outings. That includes last Monday, when he allowed two ERs in five innings at home vs Milwaukee, a game the Padres won 3-2. The St. Louis pitching staff is currently an injury-depleted group. During the team's four-game split against the Milwaukee Brewers over the weekend, only ONE of their starting pitchers lasted more than five innings. Making matters worse, the Cardinals are in the midst of playing 12 games in 11 days. The Cardinals will have to approach Monday's game as a bullpen start with Packy Naughton (0-1, 2.89 ERA) arriving from Triple-A Memphis to fill the role of opener. Naughton has made five relief appearances and one start this season for the Cardinals. He is 2-0 with a 1.84 ERA in seven relief appearances for Memphis.

I will make this side play "action," as one never knows if under these conditions, St Louis manager Oliver Marmol could go with another "opener!" Here's what Padres manager Bob Melvin has said about his starter (Martinez)."The four seasons in Japan did a lot for Nick. His stuff is sharper and his confidence has grown." What's more, Martinez takes the mound for the Padres, knowing they own MLB's best road record at 17-7.

Good luck...Larry

The third pick of my STP is a 7* on the Hou Astros at 4:10 ET.

The Houston Astros entered the season having won the NL West in FOUR of the previous five seasons (three WS appearances in that span) and were preseason favorites to repeat as AL West champs. Seattle finished second in the American League West in 2021 with a 90-72 record, just two games out of a wild-card berth. That extended Seattle's postseason drought (the longest active one in MLB) to 20 years, as the Mariners last made the playoffs back in 2001. Ironically, that team won 116 games, tying a MLB record for most wins in a single season. The two NL West rivals (?) opened a three-game series Friday in Seattle, with Flexen (7 IP / 1 ER) out pitching Verlander (6 IP / 6 ERs) in a 6-1 Seattle win. The teams played again Saturday with Seattle winning 6-0, as Logan Gilbert pitched seven scoreless innings.

Despite Houston owning a 29-18 record and Seattle a 20-27 one, the Mariners (NINE back of the Astros in the AL West) have outscored the division-leading Astros 12-1 over the first two contests and will go for a three-game series sweep Sunday afternoon. Luis Garcia (3-3, 3.38 ERA) gets the ball for Houston, while Seatle will turn to Marco Gonzales (3-4, 3.74 ERA). Garcia was 11-8 with a 3.30 ERA and 1.17 WHIP in 30 appearances (28 starts) in 2021, finishing as the American League Rookie of the Year runner-up. Garcia has made eight starts in 2022. Houston is 5-3 in those starts and Garcia owns a 1.10 WHIP and a .206 BAA against to go along with a solid 3.38 ERA. Gonzales has gone 46-30 for Seattle from 2018-21 and remains a mainstay in Seattle's starting rotation in 2022 (see above).

However, it will be no easy chore to sweep the Astros here, as Gonzales has made 11 career starts vs Houston, going 2-7 with a 4.53 ERA and 1.51 WHIP (Seattle is 2-9 in his 11 starts!). 'PERFECT' time to take Houston and Garcia.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* PERFECT STORM is on the LA Angels at 4:07 ET.

The Blue Jays missed a wild card spot by ONE game in 2021 but were a 'sexy' preseason pick to best the Rays, Red Sox and Yankees in the brutally tough AL East in 2022. The Angels are coming off a 77-85 season and the franchise's only World Series title came back in 2002. I'm sure it seems like even more than two decades ago to Angel fans, as the team has missed the postseason 11 times in the last 12 years (got swept 3-0 in a 2014 ALDS in its lone appearance in that span). The Jays and Angels opened a four-game series Thursday night in Anaheim against the Angels but while Toronto was just 23-20, 7 1/2-games behind the NY Yankees in the AL East, the Angels checked in at 27-18, just TWO games behind the Astros in the AL West.

However, Toronto has won the first THREE games of the series 6-3, 4-3 and 6-5, improving to 26-20, while the Angels have fallen to 27-21. Toronto goes for the sweep and Jose Berrios (3-2, 4.75 ERA) to the mound, while the Angels hope to avoid the 'dreaded' four-game home sweep with Patrick Sandoval (3-1, 1.79 ERA) on the mound. Berrios won 40 games for the Twins from 2017-19 but was traded last July to Toronto during the 2021 season. This marks his 10th start of 2022. Toronto went 5-0 in his April starts, despite Berrios posting a less-than-spectacular 4.13 ERA. However, his ERA is 5.40 in four May starts (Jays are 1-3).

Sandoval entered the current season 4-15 with a 4.42 ERA in 36 appearances (29 starts). However, in seven 2022 starts, the Angels are 6-1, with Sandoval posting a 1.17 WHIP to go along with his sub-2.00 ERA (see above), while opponents are batting just .210 against him. He may be 'just who the doctor ordered' for LA to salvage the series finale. Berrios has NOT pitched well in May (see above) and in six career starts vs the Angels, is 2-4 with a 5.67 ERA and 1.50 WHIP. LA avoids the home sweep with a convincing win!

Good luck...Larry

The second pick of my STP is a 9* on the NY Yankees at 1:40 ET.

The Tampa Bay Rays lost the first two games of their four-game home series against the NY Yankee, 7-2 and 2-0. Nestor Cortes allowed just four hits and one run over eight innings in Thursday's 7-2 win and then Jameson Taillon faced just one batter over the minimum, allowing two hits and no walks over eight innings in Friday's 2-0 win. The Yankees became the first club to post consecutive eight-inning outings by a starter and with their fourth straight win, moved to 20 games over .500 at 33-13. Tampa Bay, which has won the AL East in each of the last two seasons, fell to 26-19, 6 1/2-games behind New York.

Gerrit Cole (6 IP / one ER/ 10 Ks) gave the Yankees a third straight excellent performance from their starting rotation on Saturday but the Rays came away with a 3-1 win. Tampa Bay will look to earn a split of the series on Sunday, sending ace Shane McClanahan (4-2, 2.06 ERA) to the mound. However, the Yankees will counter with Luis Severino (3-0, 3.02 ERA). The Yankees won Severino's first seven starts of 2022 but then, in the second game of a home doubleheader last Sunday against the White Sox, lost 5-0. However, Severino was NOT at fault, as he pitched SEVEN scoreless innings. McClanahan was sharp in a 4-0 win Tuesday against the visiting Miami Marlins, pitching six scoreless innings with nine Ks. There is little doubt that he's a quality starter but here's the rub.

Severino has made 14 career appearances (10 starts) against Tampa Bay, going 8-2 with a 3.11 ERA. He's 7-2 (team is 7-3) in the 10 starts. Meanwhile, McClanahan is 0-2 with a 5.84 ERA and a .327 BAA in three career starts vs the Yankees.  New York moves back to 20 games over .500 with a win and also moves back to 6 1/2-games ahead of Tampa Bay in the division.

Good luck...Larry

The first pick of my STP is a 9* on the Col Rockies at 1:35 ET.

The 21-25 Rockies will try to earn a split of their four-game series against the 17-31 Nationals on Sunday afternoon. Washington won 7-3 on Thursday and then after Friday's game was postponed, the teams played a split doubleheader Saturday, with the Nationals taking the first game 13-7 and the Rockies winning the nightcap, 3-2. The starting pitchers will be Kyle Freeland (1-4, 4.60 ERA) and Josiah Gray (4-4, 5.44 ERA).

Freeland was one of Colorado's budding stars when he finished fourth in the Cy Young voting in 2018, going 17-7 with a 2.85 ERA. He is now one of the grizzled vets for the Rockies but hasn't done much winning since 2018. However, while he is just 1-1 over his last five starts, the Rockies a 4-1. He was awful in the lone loss (six ERs allowed in a 14-10 defeat at the hands of KC) but in the four team wins, he has allowed just five ERs over 23.1 innings for a 1.93 ERA. Gray has started 22 games -- nine this season -- since making his major league debut with his only relief appearance back on July 20, 2021. Not sure what to make of Gray just yet but pitching for the sad-sack Nats will make life difficult.

Getting back to Freeland, he's much healthier these days and his history against Washington bodes well for him and the Rockies on Sunday. He is 4-1 with a 1.83 ERA in six career starts against them (Colorado is 5-1), including 2-1 with a 1.66 ERA in four starts at Nationals Park (team is 3-1). Colorado is the play.

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Las Vegas Insider is on the Hou Astros at 10:10 ET.

The Houston Astros entered the season having won the NL West in FOUR of the previous five seasons (three WS appearances in that span) and were preseason favorites to repeat as AL West champs. Seattle finished second in the American League West in 2021 with a 90-72 record, just two games out of a wild-card berth. That extended Seattle's postseason drought (the longest active one in MLB) to 20 years, as the Mariners last made the playoffs back in 2001. Ironically, that team won 116 games, tying a MLB record for most wins in a single season. The two NL West rivals (?) opened a three-game series last night in Seattle, with Flexen (7 IP / 1 ER) outpitching Verlander (6 IP / 6 ERs) in a 6-1 Seattle win. The teams play again Saturday with Houston sporting a 27-19 record and Seattle a 19-27 one (that's a 10-game gap!).

Jose Urquidy (4-1, 4.24 ERA) will take the mound for Houston, while Logan Gilbert (4-2, 2.60 ERA) will get the ball for Seattle. Urquidy had a nice 2021 for Houston, going 8-3 with a 3.62 ERA and 0.99 WHIP in 20 starts (team was 14-6). The team lost two of his first three starts in 2022 (Urquidy's ERA was 5.52) but the Astros have won his last FIVE starts (he's 3-0), as he's posted a 3.51 ERA in that span. Gilbert was just 6-5 with a 4.68 ERA in his rookie season but the Mariners went 16-8 in his 24 starts. He opened the current season 4-0 through his first five starts (Seattle was 5-0 and Gilbert owned an 0.64 ERA!) but the Mariners have lost his last FOUR starts (he's 0-2), while his ERA is 4.86, more that FOUR runs higher than in his first five starts.

Both pitchers have struggled (Urquidy vs Seattle and Logan against Houston) but both have small sample sizes. More important is "current form" and Urquidy owns a HUGE edge there, while as noted earlier, Houston is 10 games better than Seattle and the season hasn't yet to reach Memorial Day. Houston rebounds off last night's 6-1 loss, as it looks to stay ahead of the Angels (own a 2 1/2-game edge) in the AL West..

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Weekend Wipeout is on the LA Angels at 10:07 ET.

The Blue Jays missed a wild card spot by ONE game in 2021 but were a 'sexy' preseason pick to best the Rays, Red Sox and Yankees in the brutally tough AL East in 2022. The Angels are coming off a 77-85 season and the franchise's only World Series title came back in 2002. I'm sure it seems like even more than two decades ago to Angel fans, as the team has missed the postseason 11 times in the last 12 years (got swept 3-0 in a 2014 ALDS in its lone appearance in that span). The Jays and Angels opened a four-game series Thursday night in Anaheim against the Angels but while Toronto was just 23-20, 7 1/2-games behind the NY Yankees in the AL East, the Angels checked in at 27-18, just TWO games behind the Astros in the AL West.

However, Toronto has won the first two games of the series 6-3 and 4-3, improving to 25-20, while the Angels have fallen to 27-20. Yusei Kikuchi (2-1, 3.47 ERA) will be on the mound for Toronto on Saturday, opposed by LA's Michael Lorenzen (5-2, 3.05 ERA). Kikuchi spent his first three seasons with Seattle, going 15-24 with a 4.97 ERA. Toronto lost his first four starts of 2022 (5.52 ERA) but Kikuchi owns a 2.08 ERA in four May starts (Jays are only 2-2 in those games). Lorenzen spent his previous six seasons as a reliever, but the Angels decided to make him part of their starting rotation in 2022. This marks his eight start of 2022 and he's earned a decision in each of his first seven (see above). He takes the mound here after impressive back-to-back performances, both against the Oakland A's. He held the A's to one run and five hits in seven innings back on May 14 and then last Saturday, he shut out the A's over six innings, giving up just three hits.

Lorenzen has made one career appearance against the Blue Jays, throwing three scoreless innings of relief back in 2017. Kikuchi has been sharp in May but I will NOT ignore his history vs the Angels, as it's just plain 'ugly!' In seven career starts, he's 1-4 (team is 1-6), as Kikuchi owns a 10.62 ERA and 2.26 WHIP. The Angels bounce back here, off losses Thursday and Friday, "with room to spare!"

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Las Vegas Insider is on the Tor Blue Jays at 9:38 ET.

The Blue Jays missed a wild card spot by ONE game in 2021 but were a 'sexy' preseason pick to best the Rays, Red Sox and Yankees in the brutally tough AL East in 2022. The Angels are coming off a 77-85 season and the franchise's only World Series title came back in 2002. I'm sure it seems like even more than two decades ago to Angel fans, as the team has missed the postseason 11 times in the last 12 years (got swept 3-0 in a 2014 ALDS in its lone appearance in that span). The Jays opened a four-game series last night in Anaheim against the Angels but while Toronto was just 23-20, 7 1/2-games behind the NY Yankees in the AL East, the Angels checked in at 27-18, just TWO games behind the Astros in the AL West.

However, Toronto won 6-3 on Thursday by reaching Ohtani for five runs in six innings, while Ryu gave the Jays five solid innings (two ERs allowed). The series continues Friday, and the Jays will own a HUGE edge in the starting pitcher matchup. Alek Manoah (5-1, 1.62 ERA) goes for Toronto, while Los Angeles send Chase Silseth (1-1, 2.61 ERA) to the mound, who will be making the third start of his career since being called up from Double-A back on May 13. Manoah was 9-2 with a 3.22 ERA in 20 starts as a rookie in 2021 and then opened 2022 by going 4-0 with a 1.44 ERA. He took the mound against the Yankees back on May 3, with the Blue Jays having won 20 of his first 24 major league starts. He went winless over his next three starts (he was 0-1 and the team was 0-3) but Manoah's ERA during that 'slump' was 2.18! He got back in the win column in his last outing, with a 3-1 win over the Reds (8 IP / 1 ER) on May 21.

Both of Silseth's first two starts have come against the struggling A's, earning a 2-0 win with six scoreless innings (allowed just ONE hit) on May 13 but then losing 4-2 on May 20, allowing three ERs on six hits (two HRs) over 4.1 innings. The Angels have played better than the Blue Jays in the early going of 2022 but I think MOST will agree that Toronto's a better team and that Manoah owns a HUGE edge on the mound tonight. Great price on Toronto.

Good luck...Larry

My 8* Division Dominator is on the NY Mets at 7:10 ET. This side play is "action" (see below).

The Philadelphia Phillies opened the season having failed to make the playoffs in each of the last 10 years, the second-longest active streak in MLB. The New York Mets contended in the NL East for most of the season but went 22-38 down the stretch to finish in third place at 77-85, 11 1/2 games out of first place. The Mets made the 2015 World Series (lost 4-1 to KC) and made a one-game wild card appearance in 2016, but they've been playoff-less the last five years. The NL East rivals open a three-game series Friday at Citi Field with New York leading the division with a 29-17 record, 7 1/2-games better than the 21-24 Phillies and Braves.

Philadelphia beat the Atlanta Braves 4-1 Thursday to earn a split of that four-game series, while the Mets were off Thursday, after being routed by the host San Francisco Giants 9-3 in the rubber game of a three-game series on Wednesday afternoon. The Mets aren't used to losing a series in 2022, as the series loss to the Giants was just the second of the season for the Mets, who have won 11 series and split another in 14 tries. Philly hasn't been over .500 since the team had a 3-2 record back on April 12. The Phillies have reached .500 a number of times, the most recent being when they were 17-17 in games played through May 14, but they've gone 4-7 since that time.

Tonight's starting pitchers are Bailey Falter (0-1, 3.75 ERA) for Philly and Carlos Carrasco (4-1, 3.50 ERA) for the Mets. Falter made his first major league start of the season on May 11, when he gave up one run in 4.2 innings during a no-decision against the Seattle Mariners (Phillies won 5-2). However, his four other outings this year, and 21 of his 22 appearances last year, have come in relief. There was talk about Eflin starting and that's why I'm making this side play "action." Carrasco earned a win on Saturday when he gave up one run over 5.1 innings as the Mets beat the Colorado Rockies 5-1 in the opener of a doubleheader

The Mets are counting on Carrasco this season and he has pitched well in May, posting a 2.59 ERA in four starts. He has had limited appearances against the Phillies, going 1-1 with a 1.80 ERA in three career games (one start). The Mets are off two straight losses but haven't lost THREE in a row all season. Carrasco and the Mets are the play over Philadelphia and Falter, or whomever the Phillies decide to start.

Good luck...Larry

My 9* PERFECT STORM is on the StL Cardinals at 7:45 ET.

The Milwaukee Brewers and St Louis Cardinals split a four-game series in Milwaukee earlier this season and will resume their battle for National League Central superiority Thursday night while opening a four-game series in St Louis. Milwaukee entered the current season having made the last four postseasons, winning the NL Central in 2021. As for St Louis, the Cards have been a postseason regular this century, making the playoffs 15 times since 2000 (was a wild card in 2021). The 28-16 Brewers arrive in Busch Stadium with a 3 1/2-game lead over the second-place Cardinals, who check in at 24-19. Milwaukee will start Eric Lauer (4-1, 2.16 ERA) in the series opener, while the Cardinals will counter with Adam Wainwright (5-3, 2.87 ERA),

Lauer entered this season 21-24 with a 4.16 ERA in his career but in seven starts in 2022, the Brewers are 6-1, with Lauer adding an 0.94 WHIP with a .204 BAA to go along with his 2.16 ERA. All are familiar with Wainwright's successful career and after going 2-3 with a 4.00 ERA in five April starts, he'll take the mound tonight having won all THREE of his May starts, allowing just three ERs on hits over 20 innings (1.35 ERA). I'm not even close to being convinced that Lauer can keep up his early-season form and will note that he is 1-1 with a 7.90 ERA in four career appearances against the Cardinals, including three starts (6.75 ERA and 1.92 WHIP in those starts). NO ONE doubts Wainwright these days (even at 40-years-old) and he is 20-13 with a 2.69 ERA in 50 career appearances against Milwaukee, including 43 starts. The Cards are 28-15 in his starts vs the Brewers, with Wainwright posting a 2.74 ERA and 1.12 WHIP.

Wainwright made five starts against Milwaukee in 2021, with the Cards winning FOUR of them. In the lone loss, he allowed just two ERs over six innings of a 2-0 Milwaukee win. Wainwright over Lauer is just 'PERFECT,' at least for tonight!

Good luck...Larry

My 8* PERFECT STORM is on the Atl Braves at 7:20 ET.

The Philadelphia Phillies opened the season having failed to make the playoffs in each of the last 10 years, the second-longest active streak in MLB. The 2021 Braves won the NL East for the FOURTH straight season last year and then captured the franchise's first World Series title since 1995. The NL East rivals opened a four-games series in Atlanta on Monday. Both owned 19-22 records, EIGHT games behind the Mets in the division. Philadelphia 7-3 on Monday but Atlanta bounced back with a 7-6 win last night. That leaves the teams right where they started on Monday (both are now 20-23), as they get set for the third game of the series. The Mets remain EIGHT game ahead of both teams, atop the NL East.

Ranger Suarez (4-2, 4.12 ERA) gets the ball for the Phillies on Wednesday, while the Braves counter with Charlie Morton (3-3, 4.95 ERA). Suarez is in his fifth season but has made just 23 starts in his 91 career appearances. His lifetime record is 19-10 with a 2.92 ERA. He's made EIGHT of those starts in 2022, with Philly going 6-2. However, the pitching edge goes to Atlanta with Charlie Morton. Morton turned his career around beginning in 2017. Excluding the COVID season of 2020, he has gone 49-22 in the last four full seasons, playing on teams that have played in THREE World Series (winning twice) in that span (with Houston in 2017, with Tampa Bay in 2019 and with Atlanta in 2021). Morton allowed two runs on two hits and a walk in 5.1 innings against the Cincinnati Reds on April 8, earning a "W" in Atlanta's 7-6 victory. However, over his next four starts, allowed 16 ERs in 18.1 innings (7.85 ERA) in going 0-3 (Braves lost all four). However, Morton has been outstanding in his last three starts, going 2-0 (Atlanta is 3-0) with a 2.20 ERA.

Atlanta won last night's game with a two-run 9th to pull out a one-run win. The Braves won't need any late-game heroics this time around, behind another solid outing by Morton. Atlanta's offense has struggled for most of this season but the Braves have had double-digit hits in each of the last two games. Atlanta is 'PERFECT,' at least for tonight.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Getaway Day Game of the Week is on the SD Padres at 4:10 ET.

The Milwaukee Brewers entered the current season having made the last four postseasons, winning the NL Central in 2021. Milwaukee was a preseason favorite to win its divisions again in 2022. The San Diego Padres ended a 13-year playoff drought in 2020's 60-game season and were expected to contend for the NL West title in 2021. However, the Padres would finish 79-83, 20 games behind the first-place Giants. The teams opened a three-game series Monday in San Diego, with the Padres coming away with a 3-2 win in 10 innings. The Brewers bounced back last night with a 4-1 victory. The Brewers are on an 11-game road trip, as they play the rubber match of this series on Wednesday afternoon. The 27-16 Brewers are three games ahead of the Cards in the NL Central, while the Padres are now 28-15, falling 1 1/2-games behind the Dodgers in the NL West. 

Aaron Ashby (0-3, 3.49 ERA) will start for the Brewers against the Padres' Yu Darvish (4-1, 3.91 ERA). Ashby made13 appearances (four starts) in 2021, pitching a modest 31.2 innings. He's made nine appearances in 2022 but just THREE have been starts. He's 0-1 with a 4.61 ERA in 13.2 innings during those contests (Phillies are 2-1). The veteran Darvish opened the season with six scoreless innings, taking a no-decision in a 4-2 team loss. He then got just FIVE outs in his second start, allowing nine ERs. However, over his last six starts, he's 4-0 and the Padres 6-0 with Darvish posting a 2.58 ERA. 

The Padres have faced quality Milwaukee starters in the first two games of this series (Houser and Burnes) but here draw Ashby. Darvish is 2-2 lifetime against the Brewers with a 2.13 ERA, a 0.92 WHIP and a .188 opponents' batting average in seven starts vs the Brewers (teams are 4-3). It's also worth noting that Darvish is 10-5 with a 3.13 ERA, a 0.96 WHIP and a .201 opponents' batting average in 23 career starts at Petco Park. "Getaway" win goes to the Padres.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* PERFECT STORM is on the Mil Brewers at 9:40 ET.

The Milwaukee Brewers entered the current season having made the last four postseasons, winning the NL Central in 2021. Milwaukee was a preseason favorite to win its divisions again in 2022. The San Diego Padres ended a 13-year playoff drought in 2020's 60-game season and were expected to contend for the NL West title in 2021. However, the Padres would finish 79-83, 20 games behind the first-place Giants. The teams opened a three-game series last night in San Diego, with the Padres coming away with 3-2 win in 10 innings. It was the first contest of an 11-game road trip for the Brewers, who lost for just the FOURTH time in their last 12 games. It was the Padres' FIFTH straight win and the team's seventh win in eight games. The 26-16 Brewers are 26-16 (two games ahead of the Cards in the NL Central), while the Padres are now 28-14, closing within a half-game of the Dodgers in the NL West.

Tuesday's starters feature a matchup between Cy Young Award winners. Corbin Burnes won the National League Cy Young Award last season, posting an 11-5 record with a league-leading 2.43 ERA. He had 234 strikeouts and a 0.94 WHIP. Blake Snell won the American League Cy Young Award in 2018 with Tampa Bay, posting a 21-5 record with a league-leading 1.89 ERA. He had 221 strikeouts and a 0.97 WHIP. Burnes is 1-2 with a 2.26 ERA in eight 2022 starts (team is 4-4), while Snell (0-1. 7.36 ERA) made his 2022 debut this past Wednesday. He opened the season on the injured list with a strained adductor, the same problem he had during the 2021 season. Snell gave up three ERs on three hits and three walks with five strikeouts in 3.2 innings of a 3-0 loss at Philadelphia.

Burnes' W-L record is deceiving, as he has posted SIX quality starts in his first eight outings, holding opponents to a .190 batting average, while owning an 0.83 WHIP (62-8 KW ratio). Burnes gives Milwaukee a HUGE advantage over Snell, who hasn't been the same pitcher ever since Game 6 of the 2020 World Series. With the Rays leading 1–0 with one out, Snell was pulled by Kevin Cash for Nick Anderson in the 6th inning after pitching a shutout with two hits and nine strikeouts. The Dodgers then scored two runs in that inning and would go on to win the game 3–1 and the World Series for the first time since 1988.

Burnes and Milwaukee earn the "W!"

Good luck...Larry

My 9* PERFECT STORM is on the Phi Phillies at 7:20 ET.

The Philadelphia Phillies opened the season having failed to make the playoffs in each of the last 10 years, the second-longest active streak in MLB. The 2021 Braves won the NL East for the FOURTH straight season last year and then captured the franchise's first World Series title since 1995. Heading into this four-game series in Atlanta which opens tonight, both own 19-22 records, EIGHT games behind the Mets in the NL East. Philadelphia was 10-10 through April and has hovered around .500 by going 9-12 in May. The Braves fell to 5-6 on the season with a 2-1 loss at SD and have yet to climb back to .500.

The first game of the series features Philly's Zack Wheeler (2-3, 3.49 ERA) against Atlanta rookie Tucker Davidson (1-0, 5.87 ERA). Wheeler comes in on a roll, having allowed only three ERs over 26 innings in his last four starts (he's 2-0 with a 1.04 ERA and the team is 3-1). Wheeler is coming off perhaps his best start of the season when he threw seven scoreless innings in a 3-0 win over the San Diego Padres last Wednesday. Davidson is one of Atlanta's prized young arms and made his first start of the season on May 17, earning his first career victory. He threw five shutout innings against Milwaukee, allowing three hits, three walks and striking out three in a 3-0 win. That was quite an improvement over his only other 2022 appearance, when he allowed five ERs (2.2 IP) in an April 11th relief stint against the Nats.

The 'jury is still out' on Davidson but as noted, Wheeler is in excellent current form plus in 21 career starts vs the Braves, he owns a 3.16 ERA. He made three starts against Atlanta in 2021, allowing just three ERs over 22 innings (1.23 ERA). Take the Phillies.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Weekly Wipeout is on the Chi Cubs at 6:40 ET.

The Brewers and Cardinals were expected to battle for the NL Central title in 2022 and that is what has played out as the season approaches Memorial Day. Milwaukee is 26-15 and St Louis is 23-18. The Reds were coming off an 83-79 season in 2021 and likely had some hopes of joining the Brewers and Cards in the 2022 division 'fight' but there was "No Joy in Wrigleyville'' entering 2022, as the Cubs were coming off a 71-91 season. Cincy's dreadful 3-22 start basically 'killed' the Reds' 2022 plans, while the Cubbies dipped below .500 with a loss on April (6-7) and have remained a sub-.500 team since. The two NL Central rivals open a four-game series Monday in Cincinnati, with the Cubs at 16-24 and the Reds at 12-28.

Chicago will start left-hander Drew Smyly (1-5, 3.97 ERA) on Monday, while Cincinnati will turn to Vladimir Gutierrez (0-5, 8.65 ERA). Smyly was 11-4 with Atlanta last season (Braves won the World Series), with the Braves going 14-9 in his 23 starts. However, he's been a disappointment for the Cubs in 2022 since pitching 9.2 scoreless innings in his first two starts (Cubs won both games). However, he takes the mound tonight having lost FIVE in row, while posting a 5.55 ERA. That said, his Cincy counterpart (Vladimir Gutierrez) is making his first start since May 11, when he was demoted to the bullpen. He never saw action as a reliever and the second-year pitcher has not made it through five innings in any of his SIX starts this season. He owns a 1.96 WHIP to go along with his 'ugly' 8.65 ERA in six starts (team is 1-5) plus opponents are batting .317 against him.

Excellent spot for Smyly to pick up his second win of 2022 against Gutierrez and a team in which he's made four career starts against, going 3-0 (teams are 4-0) with a 3.10 ERA and 1.08 WHIP. Cubs Win! Cubs Win!

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Signature 38-Club Play is on the SF Giants at 4:05 ET.

The San Diego Padres ended a 13-year playoff drought in 2020's 60-game season and were expected to contend for the NL West title in 2021. However, the Padres would finish 79-83, 20 games behind the first-place Giants. The 2021 Giants surprised all by winning a MLB-best 107 games last season, ending the Dodgers' run of eight straight NL West titles. However, they lost to the Dodgers in an NLDS matchup. Both San Diego and San Francisco are chasing the Dodgers in the NL West, as LA sits at 27-12 after winning SEVEN in a row. The Padres and Giants opened a three-game series in San Francisco on Friday and the Padres have come away with back-to-back one-run victories. San Diego won 8-7 (10 inn) on Friday and then 2-1 on Saturday, behind Joe Musgrove's seven scoreless innings. Musgrove improved to 5-0 and lowered his ERA to 1.90 with an eighth straight quality start to open the season (Padres are 8-0 in his starts). As the teams get set for the series finale, the Padres are 26-14 (1 1/2-games back of the Dodgers), while the Giants are now 22-17, FIVE games behind LA and 3 1/2-games back of SD.

Sunday's starting pitchers are San Diego rookie Mackenzie Gore (2-1, 2.17 ERA) and veteran Alex Wood (3-2, 3.93 ERA) for San Francisco. Gore's first five appearances were starts (team was modest 2-3) and then he was used in for three innings of relief (did NOT allow a run) in a May 17th game at Philadelphia. Gore's had a solid start to his career but I'm NOT sure it's a good thing that he's only pitched THREE innings since his last start (back on May 9, 12 days ago!). Wood has been around since 2013 and had that memorable 2017 with the Dodgers, going 16-3 with a 2.72 ERA. He joined the Giants last season and was a solid member of the team's rotation, going 10-4 with a 3.83 ERA in 26 starts (Giants went 19-7!). Wood has faced San Diego 11 times in his career and while he's 4-2 and his teams are 5-6, he's posted a solid ERA of 3.19 and a WHIP of 1.19.

It's early but this is an important series, especially for the Giants. The Giants won two of the three when the Padres last visited Oracle Park back on April 11-13. I noted Friday (I lost with the Giants) that when San Diego leaves Oracle Park on Sunday, the two NL West 'chasers' will have 13 games remaining against each other in 2022, with 10 of those being played in San Diego. I pointed out that the Padres entered this series 14-7 on the road this year and were 5-1-1 in their seven road series to date. However, all five series wins had come against sub-.500 opponents. The Giants took a five-game home winning streak into Friday's game but the Padres have taken the series with wins Friday and Saturday. All the Giants can accomplish here is to avoid the 'dreaded" home sweep. Am I 'spitting into the wind?' I DON'T think so and will take the veteran over the rookie and just in case SD makes a late pitching change, I'm making this side play "action!"

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Situational Stunner is on the Chi Cubs at 2:20 ET.

The Arizona D'backs joined the NL in 1998 and made the playoffs in THREE of the team's first five seasons (won 2001 World Series). However, since 2003, Arizona has missed the postseason in 16 of the last 19 years. The D'backs hit 'rock bottom' in 2021, earning the dreaded 'daily double,' as owners of MLB's worst record (52-110) and its worst moneyline mark (-$3,941). Here's how one preseason magazine summed up the Cubs' situation heading into 2022, coming off a 71-91 season last year. "Highly successful early in the 20th century, followed by 100 years of mediocrity, then a six-year burst of winning and now back into the abyss."

The D'backs began a four-game series at Wrigley Field against the Cubs on Thursday, on a season-high six-game losing streak which began with two defeats to the Cubs in Phoenix. However, Arizona won 3-1 on Thursday, then the Diamondbacks hit a season-high seven HRs for a 10-6 win on Friday and on Saturday, Arizona trailed 4-0 after six innings, but fought back to win 7-6 in 10 innings. Arizona goes for a four-game road sweep with a 21-21 record, while the Cubs sit at 15-24, having lost four in a row after winning a season-high four in a row. Each defeat has come at home, where Chicago is 6-15 (no "Friendly Confines" in 2022!).

Taking the mound on Sunday will be Merrill Kelly (3-2, 3.27 ERA) for Arizona and Wade Miley (1-0, 2.70 ERA) for Chicago. Kelly is looking to rebound after he allowed a career high EIGHT runs over two innings of a 12-3 road loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers this past Tuesday. However, it needs to be noted that he had allowed just EIGHT combined ERs in the seven starts before that. Also worthy of note is that he's now in his fourth season with Arizona and owns a pretty "ho-hum" record of 26-29 with a 4.17 ERA. Miley pitched his first four major league seasons (2011-14) in Arizona and won a career-high 16 games in 2012. However, from 2013 through 2018 (six-year span), he was just 51-63. He then went 14-6 in 2019 with Houston, helping the Astros earn a World Series appearance. Miley went 12-7 in 28 starts last season with the Reds (Cincy was 17-11) but was claimed on waivers from the Reds in November by the Cubs. Miley started the season on the injured list with elbow inflammation and didn't make his 2022 debut until May 10.

This marks Wiley's third start of the season. In his second start, he allowed one runner in seven innings and struck out six, throwing 83 pitches, retiring his first 14 batters. The 9-0 win was his first since Sep 7th of 2021. Here's the bottom line. Only ONCE in the Arizona Diamondbacks' 25-year history have they swept a road series from the Chicago Cubs, and they've NEVER done it over a four-game set. With a little 'magic' from Ernie Banks, Cubs Win! Cubs Win!

Good luck...Larry

My 8* Weekend Wipeout is on the Min Twins at 7:10 ET.

The Twins went just 73-89 in 2021 (20 games behind the division-winning White Sox), after winning the AL Central in 2019 and 2020.The KC Royals began the current season having missed the postseason in each of the previous SIX years, after making back-to-back World Series in 2014 (lost) and 2015 (won). Minnesota posted a 6-4 victory in the series opener on Friday, moving to 23-16 (three games ahead of the White Sox for first place in the AL Central), while the Royals fell to 14-24 (can you say SEVEN straight missed postseasons?). The three-game series continues on Saturday, as Joe Ryan (4-2, 2.39 ERA) takes the mound for the Twins to face Brad Keller (1-3, 2.89 ERA) of the Royals. Both starters have excellent ERAs and WHIP's (Ryan's is 0.96 and Keller's is 1.01) but a closer look reveals the following.

The Twins are 5-2 in Ryan's seven starts and he owns a 36-12 KW ratio plus a .179 BAA to go along with his excellent ERA and WHIP. I'll also note that he's pitched better on the road, with a 1.62 ERA (Twins are 3-0 in his road starts), compared to his 3.00 home ERA. Keller is in his fifth season with KC and entered 2022 at 29-35 with a 4.01 ERA. He posted a 1.74 ERA in his first five starts (Royals went 2-3) but in his last two, has allowed 17 hits and eight ERs over 12.2 innings for a 5.68 ERA (KC has lost both games). Ryan has allowed more than two ERs on just ONE occasion in seven starts and gives Minnesota the edge in starting pitching. The Twins seem headed for a division and/or wild card run, while the Royals are already 10 games under .500 and headed nowhere. Twins in a romp!

Good luck...Larry

Note: This side play is "action" (see below).

My 10* PERFECT STORM is on the Pit Pirates at 6:35 ET.

The StL Cards have been a postseason regular this century, making the playoffs 15 times since 2000. St Louis opened a three-game series last night in Pittsburgh, beating the Pirates 5-3. The Cards are 21-18 to open the 2022 season (four games behind the 1st-place Brewers in the NL Central), while the Pirates, who are coming off three losing seasons (including going 61-101 in 2021) fell to 16-22. St Louis opened the week losing three of four to the Mets and are hoping to take advantage of a Pittsburgh team that has now scored just 12 runs in its last eight games.

Matthew Liberatore is slated to make his major league debut when he starts against the Pirates' Jose Quintana (1-1, 2.19 ERA) in Saturday's contest. Liberatore posted a 3-3 record with a 3.83 ERA in seven starts with Memphis and while he's expected to start, we NEVER know for sure these days, so I'm making this side play on Pittsburgh "action." Quintana has been around since 2012 and had 13-win seasons in 2016, 2018 and 2019, However, he made just 33 appearances (only 11 starts) in the 2020 and 2021 seasons combined, going 0-3 with 6.16 ERA. Quintana was brought in at least in part to add a veteran presence to the Pittsburgh rotation, but he has done MUCH more than that. He has not allowed a run over his last two starts (13 IP) and has given up two or less runs in SIX of his seven starts. That includes a season-best seven shutout innings Sunday, when he yielded three hits and struck out five in a 1-0 win over Cincinnati, despite the Reds executing a combined no-hitter.

This pick is MOSTLY about playing 'ON' Quintana but I also expect the Pittsburgh bats to 'wake up' against Liberatore, who is expected to make his major league debut. Again, Pittsburgh is "the play" regardless of the St Louis starter.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Division (NL West) Game of the Month is on the SF Giants at 10:00 ET.

The San Diego Padres ended a 13-year playoff drought in 2020's 60-game season and were expected to contend for the NL West title in 2021. However, the Padres would finish 79-83, 20 games behind the first-place Giants. The 2021 Giants surprised all by winning a MLB-best 107 games last season, ending the Dodgers' run of eight straight NL West titles. However, they lost to the Dodgers in an NLDS matchup. The 25-12 Dodgers are currently leading the NL West but the 24-14 Padres are in close pursuit, while the 22-15 Giants are hoping to close the gap when they host San Diego in this three-game weekend series in San Francisco.

The series opens Friday night with Sean Manaea (2-3, 3.77 ERA in seven starts) pitching for the Padres against Jakob Junis (1-1, 1.79 ERA in four games, two starts). Both pitchers joined their teams this spring. Manaea had his moments with Oakland but was never really able to put together a full season. He opened 2-1 with a 1.42 ERA for the Padres but San Diego has lost his last four starts, with Manaea posting a 5.63 ERA. Junis signed with the Giants as a free agent in March after spending his entire career with the Royals, with whom he went 29-35 with a 4.82 ERA and 1.35 WHIP in 105 games (89 starts) over five seasons. He started the season in Triple-A Sacramento but in 20.2 innings with the Giants, has given up four ERs for a 1.74 ERA with 0.97 WHIP, an 18-4 KW ratio and a BAA of 2.13.

It's early but this is an important series, especially for the Giants. The Giants won two of the three when the Padres last visited Oracle Park back on April 11-13. When San Diego leaves Oracle Park on Sunday, the two NL West 'chasers' will have 13 games remaining against each other in 2022, with 10 of those being played in San Diego. I will point out that the Padres are 14-7 on the road this year and are 5-1-1 in their seven road series to date. However, all five series wins have come against sub-.500 opponents. The Giants take a five-game home winning streak into tonight's game and I expect them to extend that winning streak to SIX in a row vs the struggling Manaea.

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Situational Stunner is on the Atl Braves at 6:40 ET.

The 2021 Braves won the NL East for the FOURTH straight season last year and then captured the franchise's first World Series title since 1995. The Marlins joined the National League in 1993 and entering the COVID-shortened season of 2020, had made the postseason just TWICE. However, the Marlins would capture the World Series each time, in 1997 over the Indians and in 2003 over the Yankees. The Marlins overcame all sorts of team COVID issues to end a 16-year postseason drought in 2020 but the 2021 team finished 67-95. The two NL East teams begin a three-game series tonight in Miami with the defending champs sporting a 17-21 record, a half-game worse than the Marlins. 17-20 mark.

The pitching matchup for tonight will be Charlie Morton (2-3, 4.93 ERA) and Trevor Rogers (2-4, 4.45 ERA). Morton turned his career around beginning in 2017. Excluding the COVID season of 2020, he has gone 49-22 in the last four full seasons, playing on teams that have played in THREE World Series (winning twice) in that span (with Houston in 2017, with Tampa Bay in 2019 and with Atlanta in 2021). Morton allowed two runs on two hits and a walk in 5.1 innings against the Cincinnati Reds on April 8, earning a "W" in Atlanta's 7-6 victory. However, over his next four starts, allowed 16 ERs in 18.1 innings (7.85 ERA) in going 0-3 (Braves lost all four). However, things have gone MUCH better for Morton in his last two starts, pitching 10 innings while allowing just one ER on four hits with 14 Ks. Rogers was a modest 7-8 in 25 starts as a rookie but owned an ERA of 2.64, a 1.15 WHIP plus opponents hit just .218 against him. We saw NOTHING like that from him in his first five starts of 2022 (1-4 with a 6.14 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and a BAA of .262) but like Morton, has allowed just one ER in his last two starts (10 IP / 11 Ks).

The tiebreaker? While Morton has not been great vs Miami in his career (9-5 with 4.03 ERA and 1.19 ERA), Rogers has had NO success against the Braves. He's made five starts vs Atlanta, going 0-4 with a 5.24 ERA and 1.42 WHIP (Marlins are 0-5). Make that 0-6!

Good luck...Larry

My 7* PERFECT STORM is on the StL Cardinals at 6:35 ET.

The StL Cards have been a postseason regular this century, making the playoffs 15 times since 2000. St Louis is 20-18 to open the 3022 season and begin a three-game series in Pittsburgh vs the 16-21 Pirates, who are coming off three losing seasons, including going 61-101 in 2021. The Cards are hoping to turn their road trip around after losing three of four against the Mets in New York. Pittsburgh is 7-7 in their last 14 games but have recently really struggled to score runs, totaling NINE runs in its last seven games!

The Cards' Adam Wainwright (4-3, 3.15 ERA) is scheduled to face Pittsburgh's Zach Thompson (2-3, 5.47 ERA) in Friday's series opener. Wainwright and Molina broke the major league mark with their 203rd victory as a starting battery last Sunday with a 15-6 win over San Francisco. They passed Warren Spahn and Del Crandall, who amassed 202 wins for the Boston and Milwaukee Braves from 1949-63. The 40-year-old Wainwright is like the Energizer Bunny and has made 48 appearances in his career vs Pittsburgh, including 44 starts. He's 24-7 with a 3.38 ERA and 1.17 in his starts, with the Cards going 32-12. Thompson pitched for Miami in 2021 as a rookie, going 3-7 with a 3.24 ERA in 26 appearances (14 starts). He's 2-3 in seven appearances (six starts) in 2022, but his ERA is up to 5.47 and WHIP to 1.52.

Wainwright HAS to be the play here, when considering the following facts. He compiled a 0.30 ERA in four starts against the Pirates in 2021, and then blanked Pittsburgh over six innings in an Opening Day win this year. Wainwright comes into Friday with a 32-inning scoreless streak against Pittsburgh, dating to June 26, 2021. Here at PNC Park, he has pitched 20 straight scoreless innings dating to Sep 7, 2019. Challenging him tonight is a Pittsburgh lineup that ranks last in the National League in runs (122), next-to-last in HRs (28) and 12th in batting average (.224). "Case Closed," as Archie Bunkers used to say!

Good luck...Larry

My 8* Daytime Dominator is on the Chi Cubs at 2:20 ET.

The Arizona D'backs joined the NL in 1998 and made the playoffs in THREE of the team's first five seasons (won 2001 World Series). However, since 2003, Arizona has missed the postseason in 16 of the last 19 years. The D'backs hit 'rock bottom' in 2021, earning the dreaded 'daily double,' as owners of MLB's worst record (52-110) and its worst moneyline mark (-$3,941).  Here's how one preseason magazine summed up the Cubs' situation heading into 2022, coming off a 71-91 season last year. "Highly successful early in the 20th century, followed by 100 years of mediocrity, then a six-year burst of winning and now back into the abyss." 

The D'backs and Cubs began a four-game series Thursday in Wrigley Field, with Arizona winning 3-1 behind Zac Gallen's outstanding pitching (he's now 3-0 with a 1.14 ERA and 0.71 WHIP). 19-21 Arizona ended its longest losing streak of the season (six) with the victory, while the 15-22 Cubs have dropped two in a row after winning four straight and six of eight following a run of 14 losses in 17 games. Humberto Castellanos (2-1, 4.15 ERA) gets the call for Arizona, while the Cubs counter with Kyle Hendricks (2-3, 4.03 ERA). Castellanos has not completed six innings in any of his six starts this season but he's 1-0 with a 2.76 ERA in three May starts (D'backs are 2-1). "(Castellanos is) doing exactly what you want a fifth starter to do," Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. "You want him to be able to give you a chance to win a baseball game every fifth day.

Kyle Hendricks has never matched his 16-8 (2.13 ERA) 2016 season but was 14-7 in 2021, despite a 4.77 ERA. Hendricks allowed 10 runs over 10 combined innings against the Brewers on April 29 and May 4 vs the White Sox but takes the mound this afternoon, looking for a third straight strong outing. He has allowed just one run over 14.1 innings of his last two outings. Hendricks owns a 2.82 ERA at home this season (Cubs have won THREE of four) plus in eight career starts vs Arizona, he's 4-2 (team is 6-2) with a 2.94 ERA and 1.12 WHIP. Cubs Win! Cubs Win!

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Late Breaker is on the Arz D'backs at 7:40 ET.

Here's how one preseason magazine summed up the Cubs' situation heading into 2022, coming off a 71-91 season last year. "Highly successful early in the 20th century, followed by 100 years of mediocrity, then a six-year burst of winning and now back into the abyss." The Arizona D'backs joined the NL in 1998 and made the playoffs in THREE of the team's first five seasons (won 2001 World Series). However, since 2003, Arizona has missed the postseason in 16 of the last 19 years. The D'backs hit 'rock bottom' in 2021, earning the dreaded 'daily double,' as owners of MLB's worst record (52-110) and its worst moneyline mark (-$3,941).

The D'backs and Cubs begin a four-game series tonight in Wrigley Field, with Arizona sitting 18-21 and the Cubs 15-21. However, while the D'backs enter on a six-game slide, the Cubs have won THREE straight series (6-3 in individual games). Arizona beat Chicago 4-3 at Chase Field on Friday the 13th but have since lost SIX in a row, the last two games of its series with the Cubs and then FOUR straight in Dodger Stadium against LA (note: D'backs had won 12 f 16 prior to their six-game skid). As for the Cubs, they enter this series winning two of three against San Diego, Arizona and Pittsburgh.

All that said, I REALLY like Arizona's chances here to break its slide. Zac Gallen (2-0, 1.05 ERA) takes the mound for Arizona and he's been one of MLB's best pitchers this season. He's made six starts (D'backs are 4-2), allowing just four ERs over 34.1 IP, while allowing only 18 hits. He's got a 35-5 KW ratio, a 0.67 WHIP and opponents are batting a miniscule .150 against him. The Cubs counter with Marcus Stroman (1-3, 5.13 ERA), who will be activated off the COVID-19 injury list and takes the mound for the first time since May 1. I've always believed Stroman is HIGHLY overrated and his record says it all. He will take the mound with a respectable 3.67 ERA but his lifetime record is only 62-63.

Great spot for Gallen to lead the way as Arizona breaks its six-game slide. Cubs Lose! Cubs Lose!

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Getaway Day Play is on the Cle Indians at 1:10 ET.

The Reds beat the Guardians 5-4 (10 inn) Tuesday night and will attempt to complete a sweep of Cleveland when the teams wrap of a two-game interleague series on Thursday (Wednesday's game was rained out). Cincinnati has won SEVEN of its last 11 games but the team's dreadful 3-22 start figures to leave them in the hole for most of the season. Cleveland lost to the Cubs in the 2016 World Series (led 3-1, before losing the final three games) and followed with THREE more postseason appearances in the next four years (exception was in 2019 when the team won 93 games). However, Cleveland would go just 80-82 in 2021. The Guardians won EIGHT of 10 to reach 15-14 through May 9 but have now lost FOUR of five to fall back to 16-18.

The Reds will hand the ball to Tyler Mahle (2-4, 5.89 ERA), while Cal Quantrill (1-2, 3.93 ERA) will start for the Guardians. This is the same pitching matchup scheduled for Wednesday. Mahle opened the season 1-4 in six starts (team was 1-5) with a 7.01 ERA. He's been much better his last two, going 1-0 with a 3.72 ERA (Reds won both games) but both starts have come against Pittsburgh. Mahle enters tonight's game 0-2 with a 4.96 ERA and 1.59 WHIP in four career starts against the Guardians (Reds are 0-4!). This is Quantrill's 4th MLB season, and he was 8-3 with a 2.89 ERA in 2021 (40 appearances, including 22 starts). His 3.93 ERA is not all that bad but Cleveland is only 2-4 in his six starts. He's only faced the Reds once, allowing three ERs over six innings in 2019.

The Guardians won BOTH meetings in Cincinnati (10-5 and 7-3) back on April 12 & 13 and grab the "W" (one day later than planned) after a one-run loss on Tuesday night.

Good luck...Larry

My 8* ALCS Rematch is on the Hou Astros at 6:10 ET.

The Houston Astros entered the season having won the NL West in FOUR of the previous five seasons (three WS appearances in that span) and were preseason favorites to repeat as AL West champs. The Red Sox have won four World Series titles since 2004 but Boston struggled to a 24-36 record in the 2020 season, before surprising most by going 92-70 in 2021. The Red Sox made it to the ALCS but lost 4-2 to the Astros. The teams met at Fenway Park starting on Monday for a three-game rematch of last year's American League Championship Series. Boston won 6-3 on Monday but Houston rebounded to win 13-4 on Tuesday. The rubber match" of the series goes Wednesday.

The Astros were just 7-9 through April 25th but have won 17 of 21 (won 11 straight from May 2-13) to lead the AL West at 24-13, ONE ahead of the 24-15 LA Angels. As for Boston, the Red Sox are 14-22, leaving them just a half-game better than the Orioles for last-place in the AL East (Red Sox are 13 games behind the 1st-place Yankees!). Luis Garcia (3-1, 2.94 ERA) gets the starting assignment for the Astros on Wednesday, while Nick Pivetta (1-4, 5.08 ERA) will start the series finale for the Red Sox. Garcia was 11-8 with a 3.30 ERA and 1.17 WHIP in 30 appearances (28 starts) in 2021, finishing as the American League Rookie of the Year runner-up. Garcia has made six starts in 2022 (Astros are 5-1) with a 0.95 WHIP to go along with his sub-3.00 ERA In two May starts, he's 2-0 with a 0.75 ERA and an 18-4 KW ratio. This is Pivetta's 7th season, and he entered 2022 with a 31-42 record (5.16 ERA). He opened 2022 going 0-4 with a 6.08 ERA in six starts (team was 0-6!) but his seventh start was "the charm." He beat the Rangers 7-1 in Texas in his last outing, allowing just one ER on seven hits in seven innings.

Houston clearly owns the starting pitcher matchup, as Garcia is 2-1 with a 3.95 ERA and 0.95 WHIP in three career stars vs Boston, while Pivetta is 0-2 with a 4.24 ERA over three starts vs Houston (Red Sox are 0-3). What's more, in three Fenway starts in 2022 (Boston is 0-3), Pivetta owns a 6.75 ERA and opponents BAA of .333! Houston wins the "rubber match!"

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Weekly Wipeout is on the Mil Brewers at 7:40 ET.

The 2021 Braves won the NL East for the FOURTH straight season last year and then captured the franchise's first World Series title since 1995. The Milwaukee Brewers entered the current season having made the last four postseasons, winning the NL Central in 2021. Both were preseason favorites to win their respective divisions in 2022 but so far, only the Brewers are "holding up their end." The Brewers moved above .500 with an April 18th win (to move to 6-5) and opened this three-game series with the Braves on Monday 17-8 over their last 25 (.680). Milwaukee led the NL Central at 22-13, 2 1/2-games up on the Cardinals. The Braves started 2-1 but have been under .500 ever since. They came into Monday's game just 16-19, 6 1/2-games behind the Mets in the NL East. The brewers beat the Braves 1-0 last night, as Peralta outpitched Anderson.

The series continues tonight with Milwaukee on an 18-8 run (a 23-13 record overall) and the Braves just 16-20, ahead of only the sad-sack Nationals in the NL East. Tucker Davidson (0-0, 16.88 ERA) will get the nod for the Braves on Tuesday in what will be his first start of the season. Milwaukee will counter with Adrian  Houser (3-3, 3.86 ERA).  Davidson made five starts in 2020 and 2021, lasting just 21.2 innings while allowing 10 ERs (4.15 ERA). His LONE appearance this season came back on April 11 against the Washington Nationals, allowing FIVE runs on five hits and two walks. Houser was just 7-13 (4.13 ERA) in his first four years with Milwaukee, before going 10- 6with a 3.22 ERA in 2021. The Brewers went 18-8 in his 26 starts, giving Houser MLB's  11th-best moneyline record (+$793 at $100/game). I expect Davidson to start but will make this side play "action," just in case the Braves change their minds before the first pitch! Houser is 3-3 in six starts and while he's yet to look as good as he did in 2021, he earns a HUGE advantage over Davidson (or whomever). He faces an Atlanta offense that never got going last night, managing just two hits. The last 17 Braves hitters were retired in order, and the bottom five batters in the lineup combined to go 0-for-15 with 11 strikeouts. Brewers move to 19-8 in their last 27 games with a "W." Good luck...Larry

My 9* PERFECT STORM is on the Sea Mariners at 7:07 ET.

Seattle finished second in the American League West in 2021 with a 90-72 record, just two games out of a wild-card berth. That extended Seattle's postseason drought (the longest active one in MLB) to 20 years, as the Mariners last made the playoffs back in 2001. Ironically, that team won 116 games, tying a MLB record for most wins in a single season. The Blue Jays also just missed a wild card spot (by ONE game!) in 2021 but were a 'sexy' preseason pick to best the Rays, Red Sox and Yankees in the brutally tough AL East in 2022. Seattle lost the opener of this three-game series 6-2 in Toronto last night and currently stands 16-20. The Mariners are already SEVEN games behind the 23-13 Astros and 24-14 Angels in the AL West. Can you say 21 straight playoff-less seasons? The Jays moved to a modest 19-17 with last night's win and sits 7 1/2-games behind the first-place Yankees and two games behind the Rays in the AL East.

Tuesday's starting pitchers are Logan Gilbert (4-1, 2.13 ERA) for Seattle and Jose Berrios (2-2, 5.82 ERA) for Toronto. Gilbert went just 6-5 (4.68 ERA) as a rookie last season for Seattle but the Mariners went 16-8 in his 24 starts, giving him MLB's third-best moneyline mark (+$1,106 at $100/game). Berrios won 40 games for the Twins from 2017-19 but was traded last July to Toronto. during the 2021 season. Gilbert made four starts in a dominating April, which included victories over reigning division champions Tampa Bay and the Chicago White Sox. He was 3-0 (team was 4-0) with an 0.44 ERA, a showing earned him the American League Pitcher of the Month Award for April. He opened May with a 7-3 win (5.2 IP / 1 ER), making him 4-0 (team is 5-0) with an 0.64 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and a BAA of .180. However, he's lasted just five innings in his last two starts, allowing seven ERs for a 6-30 ERA (he's 0-1 and Seattle 0-2). Berrios was 2-0 in five April starts and while his ERA was 4.13, the Blue Jays won all FIVE of his starts. However, he's imploded in two May starts, allowing 11 ERs in just 10 innings (9.90 ERA), going 0-2.

Toronto's 19-17 start is hardly what was expected and in fact, the Blue Jays will try to end a stretch of FOUR consecutive series losses Tuesday night by backing up Monday's win with another "W" tonight. Seattle has also underachieved to open 2022 but at this price, I believe the Mariners are a VERY 'live' dog.

Good luck...Larry

My 8* Las Vegas Insider is on the LA Angels at 8:05 ET.

The Angels are coming off a 77-85 season and the franchise's only World Series title came back in 2002. I'm sure it seems like even more than two decades ago to Angel fans, as the team has missed the postseason 11 times in the last 12 years (got swept 3-0 in a 2014 ALDS in its lone appearance in that span). The Rangers appeared in back-to-back World Series in 2010 and 2011 (lost both) but continued to be competitive, making the playoffs in THREE of the next five seasons. However, it's been FIVE consecutive losing seasons for Texas since 2017.

The teams begin a three-game series in Texas Monday night. The Angels travel to Texas on the heels of a 4-1 victory in Oakland on Sunday. Los Angeles captured three of the four games against the Athletics over the weekend and has now won FOUR straight series. 23-12 (.649) LA is just percentage points behind the 24-13 (.657) Astros in the AL West. The Rangers finally found some offense in a 7-1 victory Sunday against Boston. The Rangers had scored just four runs in the first two games of the series vs Boston and now are 9-2 this year when scoring five runs or more. Since Texas is just 14-10 on the season, that means the Rangers are 5-17 when scoring less than five runs.

Noah Syndergaard (3-1, 2.45 ERA) will take the mound for the Angels, and Texas will counter with Jon Gray (0-1, 5.51 ERA). Syndergaard has returned from the Tommy John surgery that cost him most of two seasons. He has made five starts, lasting at least 5.1 innings in every start and has not allowed more than three runs in any of them. He has a 1.06 WHIP to go along with his 2.45 ERA plus opponents are batting just .225 against him. Jon Gray won 43 games in a four-year span from 2016-2019 for Colorado but then went 10-16 with a 5.03 ERA in 2020 and 2021, Still, the Rangers signed him a four-year, $56 million contract prior to the start of 2022. He's been limited to four starts because of nagging injuries (team is 1-3).

The Angels are the much better team and while Syndergaard has been sharp in 2022, Gray still has MUCH to prove.

Good luck...Larry 

My 10* Oddsmaker's Error is on the Atl Braves at 7:40 ET.

he 20221 Braves won the NL East for the FOURTH straight season last year and then captured the franchise's first World Series title since 1995. The Milwaukee Brewers entered the current season having made the last four postseasons, winning the NL Central in 2021. Both were preseason favorites to win their respective divisions in 2022 but so far, only the Brewers are "holding up their end." The Brewers moved above .500 with an April 18th win (to move to 6-5) and enter this game 17-8 their last 25 (.680). Milwaukee leads the NL Central at 22-13, 2 1/2-games up on the Cardinals. The Braves started 2-1 but have been under .500 ever since. They come into this game just 16-19, 6 1/2-games behind the Mets in the NL East.

My 9* ALCS Rematch is on the Hou Astros at 7:10 ET.

The Houston Astros entered the season having won the NL West in FOUR of the previous five seasons (three WS appearances in that span) and were preseason favorites to repeat as AL West champs. The Red Sox have won four World Series titles since 2004 but Boston struggled to a 24-36 record in the 2020 season, before surprising most by going 92-70 in 2021. The Red Sox made it to the ALCS but lost 4-2 to the Astros. A rematch of last year's American League Championship Series is set for a three-game set at Fenway Park starting Monday, when the Houston Astros visit the Boston Red Sox.

The Astros were just 7-9 through April 25th but have won 16 of 19 (won 11 straight from May 2-13) to lead the AL West at 24-13, percentage points ahead of the 23-12 LA Angels. As for Boston, the Red Sox are 13-21, leaving them in last-place in the AL East and with MLB's third worst moneyline record (-$798 at $100/game). Monday's pitching matchup features Houston's Jake Odorizzi (3-2, 3.38 ERA) going up against Boston's Garrett Whitlock (1-1, 2.19 ERA). Odorizzi has found a groove, having won his last three starts, allowing just one ER on six hits over 17.2 innings (0.51 ERA). Whitlock was 8-4 with a 1.96 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in 2021 but all 46 of his appearances were in relief. He opened this season in the bullpen, but his last four appearances have been as a starter. He lasted a modest seven total innings in his first two, allowing just ONE unearned run. However, over eight innings of his last two starts, he's allowed five ERs for a 5.63 ERA.

The Red Sox are set to give Whitlock another turn in the rotation on Monday but he's up against a red-hot Houston team (16-3 last 19) and his counterpart Odorizzi is in excellent current form. Houston takes Game 1 of this ALCS rematch.

Good luck...Larry

My 8* Situational Stunner is on the Min Twins at 2:10 ET.

Full, detailed analysis Sunday morning by 9:30 ET.

My 10* Division Game of the Month (NL Central) is on the Pit Pirates at 1:35 ET.

The Reds opened the season 3-22, so they had nowhere to go but up. The Reds won the first two of this four-game series with the Pirates in Pittsburgh (4-0 and 8-2) and had won a season-high three straight, five of six and six of eight before Saturday's 3-1 loss. A win Sunday could further boost the 9-25 Reds' confidence with a third straight series win, after Cincinnati went 0-7-1 in its first eight series. Pittsburgh will try to get away with a series split. Pittsburgh is coming off three losing seasons, including going 61-101 in 2021 (Pirates are 14-19 to open 2022).

The pitching matchup sure favors Pittsburgh on Sunday, as Cincinnati rookie Hunter Greene (1-5, 7.62 ERA) is scheduled to oppose Pittsburgh veteran Jose Quintana (1-1, 2.70 ERA). Greene has allowed 32 hits in 26 innings (he's yet to throw six full innings), as well as 22 ERs. Adding to his 'ugly' 7.62 ERA, there is his 1.81 WHIP and a BAA of .291! Quintana has been around since 2012 and had 13-win seasons in 2016, 2018 and 2019, However, he made just 33 appearances (just 11 starts) in the 2020 and 2021 seasons combined, going 0-3 with 6.16 ERA.

That said, Quintana makes this SEVENTH start of 2022 here, coming off one of the more impressive starts by a Pirates pitcher this season. He picked up his first win this past Monday when he shut out the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers for six innings, allowing two hits, five strikeouts and four walks, in Pittsburgh's 5-1 win. Quintan finally got some help from his lineup, as he had received poor run support in three of his first five starts, masking the fact that he has allowed two runs or less in FIVE of his first six starts. I don't usually make a "big play" on a team playing .424 baseball, but Quintana earns a HUGE edge over Greene and remember, the Reds check in with a 'winning percentage' of .265! Pardon the pun.

Good luck...Larry

Note: This side play is "action" (see below for details).

My 10* Signature 38-Club Play is on the Cle Indians at 7:10 ET.

Cleveland began a new era in 2022 (no longer the Indians, now the Guardians). Cleveland lost to the Cubs in the 2016 World Series (led 3-1, before losing the final three games) and followed with THREE more postseason appearances in the next four years (exception was in 2019 when the team won 93 games). However, Cleveland would go just 80-82 in 2021. The Twins went just 73-89 in 2021 (20 games behind the division-winning White Sox), after winning the AL Central in 2019 and 2020. The teams opened a three-game series in Minnesota last night, with 15-15 Cleveland having won EIGHT of 11 and the 18-14 Twins having just got swept 3-0 by Houston, which outscored them 21-3. Friday's game was tied two-all entering the bottom of the 6th, when Minnesota broke it open by scoring NINE times on its way to a 12-8 victory. The teams play again Saturday, with Minnesota leading in the AL Central (19-14), while Cleveland and Chicago are both three games back at 15-16.

Sane Bieber (1-2, 4.13 ERA) will take the mound for Cleveland, while the Twins have decided to promote Devin Smeltzer to make his season debut. Smeltzer is 4-2 with a 4.26 ERA in 19 career games (seven starts) with the Twins over parts of the previous three seasons. One can't be sure if Smeltzer will definitely go, and that's the reason I'm making this side play "action!"

My 9* PERFECT STORM is on the Atl Braves at 4:05 ET.

The San Diego Padres ended a 13-year playoff drought in 2020's 60-game season and were expected to contend for the NL West title in 2021. However, the Padres would finish 79-83, 20 games behind the first-place Giants. The Braves won the NL East for the FOURTH straight season last year and then captured the franchise's first World Series title since 1995. The Padres are off to a good start in 2022, while the defending champs are struggling. The teams opened a three-game series last night in Atlanta with San Diego winning 11-6. The Padres scored four runs (in six innings) off the red-hot Fried and then added SEVEN more runs (wound up with 16 hits for the game) off three relievers. Darvish gave of five ERs but it didn't matter much.

The Padres are now 21-12 and in a three-way battle with the 20-11 Dodgers and 20-12 Giants in the NL West. In contrast, the Braves started 2-1 but have been under .500 ever since. Friday's loss dropped them to 15-18, 6 1/2-games behind the first-place Mets in the NL East. San Diego will send Sean Manaea (2-3, 3.75 ERA) to the mound to face Atlanta's Charlie Morton (2-4, 5.65 ERA). Manaea spent six years with Oakland (50-41, 3.88 ERA) and has made six starts with the Padres in 2022. He started well, going 2-1 with a 1.42 ERA in his first three starts but over his last three, he's 0-2 (team is 0-3), allowing 12 ERs in 17 innings (6.35 ERA).

Morton turned his career around beginning in 2017. Excluding the COVID season of 2020, he has gone 49-22 in the last four full seasons, playing on  teams that have played in THREE World Series (winning twice) in that span (with Houston in 2017, with Tampa Bay in 2019 and with Atlanta in 2021). Morton allowed two runs on two hits and a walk in 5.1 innings against the Cincinnati Reds on April 8, earning a "W" in Atlanta's 7-6 victory. However, over his next four starts, allowed 16 ERs in 18.1 innings (7.85 ERA) in going 0-3 (Braves lost all four). Things went MUCH better for Moron in his last start, as he pitched five scoreless innings (allowed just two hits) in a 9-2 win over the Brewers.

Morton bounced back in his last start on Sunday against Milwaukee. The veteran looked good while throwing five shutout innings (allowed just two hits) to beat the Brewers 9-2. Morton lost to the Padres on April 14, allowing five runs in five innings during an 11-1 defeat but in 10 career starts against San Diego, he's 6-2 with a 2.66 ERA (teams are 7-3). As for Manaea, his ONLY start vs Atlanta came back in 2017. I expect Morton to follow up on his last outing, against a lineup that just pounded out 16 hits and 11 runs. Meanwhile, Manaea is struggling (see above) plus Atlanta is expected to get Ronald Acuna Jr. back in the lineup on Saturday. Acuna has missed two games with a right groin injury that he sustained on Tuesday. Note that Acuna has an active 24-game on-base streak (dating back to last season) and he has hit safely in seven straight games. Morton and Atlanta get the "W!"

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Weekend Wipeout is on the StL Cards at 2:15 ET.

The SF Giants surprised all by winning a MLB-best 107 games last season, although they lost to the Dodgers in an NLDS matchup. The StL Cards have been a postseason regular this century, making the playoffs 15 times since 2000. The teams opened a three-game series last night in St Louis, with  the Giants defeating the Cardinals 8-2 to extend their winning streak to SIX games, while the Cards lost for the FIFTH time in six games. The Giants are now 20-12, right on the heels of the 21-12 Padres and 20-11 Dodgers in the NL West, while the 17-15 Cards have fallen 3 1/2-games behind the Brewers in the NL Central.

The Giants have outscored opponents 49-20 during their winning streak, while the Cards have scored three runs or less in four of their last five games. However, I'm backing St Louis in this one, taking Dakota Hudson (2-2, 3.56 ERA) over Jakob Junis (1-0, 1.20 ERA). Hudson was 16-7 back in 2019 but injuries have limited him to just 15 stars since that season, with SIX of those starts coming here in 2022. He made four April starts and posted a 2,75 ERA (team was 3-1) but the Cards have lost both of his May starts. He hasn't been that far off in May, allowing three ERs in each outing, including last Sunday in San Francisco when he allowed three runs on five hits and four walks in 4.2 innings. He struck out four in a no-decision during a game the Giants won 4-3. Take note that he had won both of his previous career starts vs the Giants, posting a 2.45 ERA.

Junis was 9-3 in 2017 but entered this season 20-32 with 4,94 ERA since that season. He's got a 1.20 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and a 15-3 KW ratio this season but that's over just three starts, lasting a modest 15 innings. He's made four career starts vs the Cards without a decision, posting a 3.20 ERA while his teams are 2-2. The Giants are surging, while the Cards are in an offensive slump but I REALLY like Hudson over Junis in this one.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* PERFECT STORM is on the Arz D'backs at 9:40 ET.

Here's how one preseason magazine summed up the Cubs' situation heading into 2022, coming off a 71-91 season last year. "Highly successful early in the 20th century, followed by 100 years of mediocrity, then a six-year burst of winning and now back into the abyss." The Arizona D'backs joined the NL in 1998 and made the playoffs in THREE of the team's first five seasons (won 2001 World Series). However, since 2003, Arizona has missed the postseason in 16 of the last 19 years. The D'backs hit 'rock bottom' in 2021, earning the dreaded 'daily double,' as owners of MLB's worst record (52-110) and its worst moneyline mark (-$3,941).

The Chicago Cubs open a three-game series Friday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. The Cubs 'limp' into Phoenix just 11-19, while the D'backs have rebounded from a 6-11 start to win 11 of 15. They are now 17-15 (.531) on the season, quite an improvement over the 2021 team that played .321 baseball. Drew Smyly (1-3, 3.04 ERA) will get the start for the Cubs, while the D'backs counter with Zach Davies (1-1, 3.34 ERA). Smyly was 6-0 back in 2013 with Detroit (63 appearances, all in relief) and then went 11-4 with Atlanta last season in 29 appearances (23 starts). However, take away those two seasons and he's 30-38 with a 4.29 ERA throughout the rest of his career. He has made just ONE start vs Arizona, allowing six hits (3 HRs) and five ERs over 4 innings in a 7-0 loss last year.

Zach Davies had back-to-back good seasons with Milwaukee in 2016 (11-7) and 2017 (7-9) but he was just 25-30 from 2018-2021. He doesn't have much to show (W-L wise) in his six 2022 starts but he's allowed two ERs or less in FOUR of them. He's seen plenty of the Cubs in his career, making 19 starts with a 3.61 ERA and 1.22 WHIP (teams are just 9-10).

Arizona has been one of the surprise teams so far in 2022 and I like the way the D'backs are playing. As for the Cubs, "NOT so much!" I also favor Davies over Smyly. Cubs Lose! Cubs Lose!

Good luck...Larry

My 8* Las Vegas Insider is on the Atl Braves at 7:20 ET.

The San Diego Padres ended a 13-year playoff drought in 2020's 60-game season and were expected to contend for the NL West title in 2021. However, the Padres would finish 79-83, 20 games behind the first-place Giants. The Braves won the NL East for the FOURTH straight season last year and then captured the franchise's first World Series title since 1995. The Padres are off to a good start in 2022 at 20-12, just ONE game behind the 1st-place Dodgers in the NL West. In contrast, the Braves started 2-1 but have been under .500 ever since. The 15-17 Braves open this three-game home series with the Padres 6 1/2-games behind the 22-11 Mets in the NL East.

The San Diego Padres will send Yu Darvish (3-1, 4.05 ERA) to the mound, while the Braves counter with Max Fried (4-2, 2.68 ERA). I've always considered Darvish overrated. He went 39-25 in his first three seasons (Texas) but he was just 40-42 entering this season in the previous six years with FOUR teams. That said, he's had just one poor start in 2022, allowing nine ERs over just 1.2 innings in a 13-2 home loss back on April 12. Since then, he's 3-0 in four starts (team is 4-0) with a 2.10 ERA. The problem for Darvish and SD is that they are facing the red-hot Max Fried.

Fried entered this season with a 38-13 (.745) record from 2019-21 and the Braves were also an OUTSTANDING 50-19 (.724) in all of his starts. He opened the current season 0-2 (5.72 ERA) but owned a 9-1 KW ratio. He has rebounded to win his last FOUR starts, allowing just four ERs over 26 innings (1.38 ERA) with a 26-1 KW ratio (his KW ratio is 35-2 on the season). Darvish has made six career starts vs the Braves, going 1-4 (team is 2-4) with a 4.80 ERA and 1.47 WHIP. In contrast, Fried has made just two starts vs the Padres (one in 2019 and one in 2021) but has allowed just one ER over 16 innings for a 0.56 ERA and 0.44 WHIP (11-0 KW ratio). Fried and the Braves are the play!

Good luck...Larry 

My 10* Game of the Week is on the LA Dodgers at 10:10 ET.

The Philadelphia Phillies opened the season having failed to make the playoffs in each of the last 10 years, the second-longest active streak in MLB. Philly heads to LA tonight to open a four-game series with the Dodgers, after taking two of three in Seattle. The Phillies are just 14-17 to open the season and find themselves 6 1/2-game behind the Mets in the NL East (11 straight non-playoff seasons?). The Dodgers saw their streak of EIGHT straight NL West titles end in 2021 (Giants won 107 games to LA's 106) but made the postseason for the NINTH consecutive season (did beat the Giants 3-2 in a NLDS matchup). The Dodgers just lost TWO of three in Pittsburgh (?) but are back home to begin an eight-game homestand. LA is 20-9 on the season, 1 1/2-games better than the Padres and two games ahead of the Giants in the NL West (tough division).

Philadelphia will send Zack Wheeler (1-3, 4.10 ERA) to the mound on Thursday in his return from the COVID-19 injured list. Wheeler came into spring training behind schedule due to an illness, but he has had consecutive scoreless outings in his past two starts. He threw six innings of one-hit ball in a win over the Colorado Rockies on April 28, then tossed 7.2 sharp innings during a no-decision against the Texas Rangers on May 4. He struck out seven in each outing. In five career starts against the Dodgers, Wheeler is 2-2 with a 4.66 ERA (teas are 2-3). Tyler Anderson (3-0, 2.78 ERA) starts for LA and he will enter his Thursday start coming off consecutive victories. In his first season with the club (7th overall season), Anderson has been in the rotation since lefty Andrew Heaney went on the injured list due to shoulder discomfort on April 20. Anderson is 2-1 with a 3.13 ERA in four career starts against Philadelphia (teams are 2-2), but he hasn't faced them since 2018.

I'm NOT all that focused on the starting pitchers in this one, rather I'm looking to back this 'powerful' LA team. The Dodgers own MLB's best run-differential at plus-78 runs, 26 runs more than Yankees second-best mark of plus-52. The Dodgers lead all of MLB in scoring (5.14 RPG) and lead in team ERA (2.25) plus bullpen ERA (0.99). Los Angeles has played just 12 games at home, the least of any National League team and tied for the lowest in the major leagues with the Cleveland Guardians, but no team can top the Dodgers' .833 home winning percentage (10-2). LA 'shakes off' losing two of three in Pittsburgh and the Phillies are in the WRONG place at the WRONG time.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Las Vegas is on the Atl Braves at 7:20 ET.

The Red Sox have won four World Series titles since 2004. Boston struggled to a 24-36 record in the 2020 season but surprised most by going 92-70 and reaching the ALCS before losing 4-2 to the Astros. The Braves won the NL East for the FOURTH straight season last year and then captured the franchise's first World Series title since 1995. The Red Sox and Braves opened a two-game interleague series Tuesday in Atlanta with both teams coming in with losing records. The Red Sox had lost FIVE straight (and 12 of 15!), giving them a 10-19 record (LAST in the AL East). The Braves started 2-1 but have been under .500 ever since. The Braves were coming off winning TWO of three over Milwaukee) and entered having won three of four. At 14-16, the Braves sat in 2nd-place in the NL East but SIX games behind the Mets.

The Red Sox beat the Braves 9-4 to end their five-game losing streak last night, the team's longest losing streak since July 29-August 3, 2021. The series finale is tonight, with Boston trying to win its first series since taking two of three from the Detroit Tigers back on April 11-13. Boston's Nathan Eovaldi (1-1, 2.94 ERA) will square off against Atlanta's Ian Anderson (3-1, 4.01 ERA). Eovaldi has decent numbers in 2022 but the Red Sox are just 2-3 in his starts. Anderson's 2022 numbers aren't quite as good but that is due to his first start (Apr 10), when he allowed five ERs in just 2.2 innings. Over Anderson's last four starts, he 3-0 with a 2.45 ERA.

I'll acknowledge that Eovaldi has made 14 career starts against the Braves while posting a 2.71 ERA, but his teams are just 7-7 and he has not faced Atlanta since September 2018. The Braves really like Anderson and why not? He's 4-0 the last two postseasons, posting a 1.28 ERA and 0.94 WHIP. I really like Anderson as well and he comes in pitching VERY well. Let's NOT forget that the Red Sox had scored a total of just 10 runs in their five-game slide, before getting nine runs on 11 hits last night. The Braves get the "W."

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Oddsmaker's Error is on the TB Rays at 9:38 ET.

The Tampa Bay Rays entered the current season off three straight postseason appearances, winning the AL East in both 2020 and 2021. The Angels are coming off a 77-85 season and the franchise's only World Series title came back in 2002. I'm sure it seems like even more than two decades ago to Angel fans, as the team has missed the postseason 11 times in the last 12 years (got swept 3-0 in a 2014 ALDS in its lone appearance in that span). The teams began a three-game series in Anaheim on Monday night with LA coming away with an impressive 11-3 victory. The win gives the Angels a 20-11 record, ONE game better than the 18-11 Astors in the AL West. The blowout loss Monday night was Tampa Bay's second consecutive setback following a six-game winning streak. The Rays are 18-12, three games behind the Yankees in the AL East.

Tuesday's starters are veteran Corey Kluber (1-1, 2.36 ERA) for the Rays, while the Angels counter with rookie Reid Detmers (1-1, 5.32 ERA). Kluber is a two-time American League Cy Young Award winner, but he has dealt with a variety of injuries over the past few years that have limited his availability. The Rays took a chance on him by signing him to a one-year, $8 million deal, hoping he could provide leadership as well as some productive innings on the mound. So far, it looks as if the Rays made an excellent investment. This marks Kluber's 6th start and in his last two, he's pitched six innings in each, allowing a total of just one ER on four hits (Rays have won 6-1 and 3-0). Detmers made five starts in 2021 (just 20.2 IP), going 1-3 with a 7.40 ERA and 1.79. He's matched those five starts already this season and I guess(?) he's shown some improvement. He's 1-1 and the Angels are 3-2 in his starts.

However, while his WHIP is way down (1.14) but while his ERA has fallen by more than two full runs, it remains high at 5.32. Detmer hasn't pitched beyond the 5th inning in any of his starts this season and will face a Tampa Bay lineup that is 'itching' to get back out there after finishing last night 1-for-16 with runners in scoring position. "The Price is Right" (a bargain) on Kluber and the Rays tonight.

Good luck...Larry

My 8* PERFECT STORM is on the Hou Astros at 7:40 ET.

The Houston Astros entered the season having won the NL West in FOUR of the previous five seasons (three WS appearances in that span) and were preseason favorites to repeat as AL West champs. The Twins went just 73-89 in 2021 (20 games behind the division-winning White Sox), after winning the AL Central in 2019 and 2020. The Astros visit the Twins to open a NINE-game road trip Tuesday night in Minneapolis. Both teams are 18-11 but note that Houston has won SEVEN in a row to close within ONE game of the Angels in the AL West. As for the Twins, after stumbling to a 4-8 start, they have won 12 of 15 to reach 18-11, giving them a three-game lead in the AL Central over Cleveland and a 3 1/2-game lead of the defending AL Central champion White Sox.

Houston's Justin Verlander (3-1, 1.93 ERA) will start the series opener. He has 229 career victories, and his next win will move him past Luis Tiant, Will White and Sam Jones for sole possession of No. 66 on the all-time list. He's made 38 career starts against Minnesota and is 20-10 with a 2.91 ERA (teams are a more modest 22-16). Joe Ryan made five starts last season (just 26.2 IP) so is still a rookie. He's made five starts this season and the Twins have won his last FOUR. He owns a 0.83 WHIP and a BAA of .167 to go along with his 1.63 ERA.

Both teams come in playing well but there is little doubt in my mind that Houston is the better team and while one has to be impressed with Ryan's excellent early results, Verlander is a future HOF who is clearly FULLY recovered from Tommy John surgery that kept him out of most of the 2020 COVID-shortened season and ALL of 2021. I'm on Verlander and the Astros.

Good luck...Larry

My 8* Weekly Wipeout is on the Atl Braves at 7:20 ET.

Full, detailed analysis Tuesday morning by 10:00 ET.

My 9* Oddsmaker's Error is on the Arz D'backs at 9:40 ET.

The Marlins joined the National League in 1993 and entering the COVID-shortened season of 2020, had made the postseason just TWICE. However, the Marlins would capture the World Series each time, in 1997 over the Indians and in 2003 over the Yankees. The Marlins overcame all sorts of team COVID issues to end a 16-year postseason drought in 2020 but the 2021 team finished 67-95. The D'backs joined the NL in 1998 and made the playoffs in THREE of the team's first five seasons (won 2001 Worlds Series). However, since 2003, Arizona has missed the postseason in 16 of the last 19 years. The D'backs hit 'rock bottom' in 2021, earning the dreaded 'daily double,' as owners of MLB's worst record (52-110) and its worst moneyline mark (-$3,941).

The Marlins won SEVEN straight from April 23-30 to reach 12-8 but head to Chase Field having lost SEVEN of eight to fall to 13-15. As for Arizona, the D'backs have won NINE of 12 to reach 15-14 and have gone from LAST to FIRST in the moneyline standings, leading MLB at the moment at +$688 (remember, the team was -$3,941 in 2021). The teams open a three-game series tonight, as Miami's Elieser Hernandez (2-1, 6.66 ERA) takes on Arizona's Humberto Castellanos (2-1, 4.12 ERA).

Hernandez entered this season 7-15 with a 4.67 ERA and has only had one good start in 2022 (6 IP / 1 ER in an 11-3 win). In his other four, he has pitched 18.1 innings, while allowing 17 ERs (8.35 ERA). It sure doesn't inspire confidence that Hernandez has struggled in his four career starts against Arizona, going 0-2 r(team is 103) with a 7.80 ERA and 1.73 WHIP. Castellanos doesn't have much of a history (this marks his 29th career appearance and 12th start) but he had his first career start against Miami last week in a 5-4 win. He got the victory after not allowing a run on four hits in 5.2 innings and striking out four and not issuing a walk.  

That win by Castellanos was part of a 3-0 sweep of the Marlins in Miami by Arizona (last Mon-Wed) and now the D'backs get the slumping Marlins for three games at home in Chase Field. Arizona is a bargain at this price.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* IL Game of the Month is on the Sea Mariners at 9:40 ET.

Seattle finished second in the American League West in 2021 with a 90-72 record, just two games out of a wild-card berth. That extended Seattle's postseason drought (the longest active one in MLB) to 20 years, as the Mariners last made the playoffs back in 2001. Ironically, that team won 116 games, tying a MLB record for most wins in a single season. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Phillies opened the season having failed to make the playoffs in each of the last 10 years, the second-longest active streak in MLB. Philly ended April 11-11 but are just 1-5 in May (two rainouts) and at 12-16, don't look much like a playoff contender in the early going. Seattle was 11-6 through April 26th but has lost 10 of 12 to fall to 13-16. With the 19-11 Angels and 18-11 Astros off to good starts, Seattle needs to get things straightened out.

The Phillies open a seven-game road trip this week with three games in Seattle. The team is currently without starting pitchers Zack Wheeler and Zach Eflin (COVID-19 injured list), but the Phillies said both might rejoin the squad on the seven-game trip (the last four games are in Anaheim against the Angels). Ranger Suarez (2-1, 4.63 ERA) will make his sixth start Monday and his first career appearance against the Mariners. He made 39 appearances (12 starts) last season, going 8-5 with a 1.36 ERA and 1.00 WHIP. However, while he's 2-1 in five starts in 2022 (team is 4-1), his ERA has 'jumped' more than THREE runs (from 1.36 to 4.63) and his WHIP is up from 1.00 to 1.63!

Chris Flexen was 14-6 (3.61 ERA and 1.25 WHIP) in 2021 and with the Mariners going 22-9 in his starts, owned MLB's best moneyline mark at +$1,597. Yes, he's 1-4 in five starts in 2022 but note that both his ERA (3.10) and WHIP (1.14) are lower than last year's numbers! Excellent opportunity here for Flexen to pick up a "W" against a Philly team that's 3-7 on the road.

Good luck...Larry

My 7* Weekend Wipeout is on the SD Padres at 4:10 ET.

The Marlins joined the National League in 1993 and entering the COVID-shortened season of 2020, had made the [postseason just TWICE. However, the Marlins would capture the World Series each time, in 1997 over the Indians and in 2003 over the Yankees. The Marlins overcame all sorts of team COVID issues to end a 16-year postseason drought in 2020 but the 2021 team finished 67-95. The San Diego Padres ended a 13-year playoff drought in 2020's 60-game season and were expected to contend for the NL West title in 2021. However, the Padres would finish 79-83, 20 games behind the first-place Giants.

The Marlins and Padres opened a four-game series in San Diego on Thursday. Both teams had to fly across the country after tough losses Wednesday. The Marlins battled back from a 6-3 deficit Wednesday to take a 7-6 lead into the ninth, only to give up two runs to the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks and lose 8-7. Meanwhile, the Padres blew leads of 3-1 and 5-3 to lose the second game of a doubleheader in Cleveland, 6-5 in 10 innings. Over the past three games, Miami Marlins starters Jesus Luzardo, Sandy Alcantara and Pablo Lopez have combined to hold the San Diego Padres to five runs (four earned) on 13 hits and six walks with 17 strikeouts in 26.2 innings. That translates into a 1.35 ERA and 0.71 WHIP but the Padres have won TWO of the three games. The Marlins did win 8-0 Saturday night, which snapped a six-game slide. Miami is just 13-14 as it looks to gain a split of the series on Sunday afternoon. Meanwhile, the Padres are 18-10 overall, having won 13 of 18 since opening the season 5-5.

Trevor Rogers (1-4, 6.14 ERA) will start for Miami, while San Diego counters with Joe Musgrove (4-0, 1.97 ERA). Rogers was a modest 7-8 in 25 starts as a rookie but owned an ERA of 2.64, a 1.15 WHIP plus opponents hit just .218 against him. However, we've NOTHING like that from him in 2022, as he's 1-4 after five starts with a 6.14 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and a BAA of .262. Musgrove threw the first no-hitter in Padres history just over a year ago and his 11 wins, 3.18 ERA and 31 starts were San Diego's best marks in what was a disappointing 2021 season. However, let me note that 2021 was the first winning year he's had in his six MLB seasons. However, he's been TERRIFIC here in his seventh big league season. He's 4-0 in five starts (Padres are 5-0) with a 1.97 ERA and 0.91 WHIP. He also owns a 33-2 KW ratio. The SD bats should 'wake up' vs Rogers and not only has Musgrove been dominant so far in 2022, he also 3-0 with a 2.04 ERA in three career starts vs the Marlins. Blowout Alert!

Good luck...Larry

My 7* Afternoon Delight is on the Bos Red Sox at 11:35 am ET.

Full, detailed analysis Sunday morning by 8:00 ET.

My 10* Signature 38-Clib Play is on the Atl Braves at 7:20 ET.

The Milwaukee Brewers entered the current season having made the last four postseasons, winning the NL Central in 2021. The 20221 Braves won the NL East for the FOURTH straight season last year and then captured the franchise's first World Series title since 1995. Both were preseason favorites to win their respective divisions in 2022. The Brewers won the series opener 6-3 on Friday in Atlanta and have won NINE of their last 10 games. Milwaukee has won 18 of its last 23 and at 19-8, is tied with the NY Mets for the most wins in MLB. In contrast, the Braves fell to 12-16, leaving them SEVEN games behind the aforementioned Mets in the NL East. The ONLY time Atlanta has been above-.500 this season was back on April 9, when the Braves were 2-1!

Milwaukee's Corbin Burnes (1-1, 1.93 ERA) will start for Milwaukee, while Atlanta counters with Max Fried (3-2, 3.00 ERA). Burnes had a breakout season in 2021, leading the major leagues with a 2.43 ERA. He also had a 0.94 WHIP and 234-34 KW ratio. He has picked up where he left off so far in 2022. Through five starts he leads the NL with 43 strikeouts in 32.2 innings (has allowed just 7 walks) and has a 0.73 ERA to go along with his 1.93 ERA. he pitched seven innings and allowed two runs with 10 strikeouts and one walk against the Chicago Cubs in a 2-0 loss on May 1. It was his third straight start with at least 10 strikeouts.

However, Burnes "meets his match" in Atlanta's Max Fried. He entered this season with a 38-13 (.745) record from 2019-21 and the Braves were also an OUTSTANDING 50-19 (.724) in all of his starts. He opened the current season 0-2 (5.72 ERA) but owned a 9-1 KW ratio. He has rebounded to win his last three starts, allowing just three ERs over 19 innings (1.42 ERA) with an 18-0 KW ratio (his KW ratio is 27-1 on the season). A few things to note here. While the Brewers were 19-9 in Burnes' starts last season, his moneyline mark was just +$147 (he was over-priced all season). His numbers are excellent to open 2022 are strong but Milwaukee is just 2-3 in his starts.

Fried is 2-1 with a 2.57 ERA in three career regular season starts against Milwaukee but also beat the Brewers in Game 2 of the NLDS by throwing six scoreless innings, striking out nine. That's 3-1 all-time, with a 1.80 ERA and 0.95 WHIP. I'm 'jumping' all over Fried at this price at home.

Good luck...Larry

My 9* PERFECT STORM is on the StL Card at 7:15 ET.

The SF Giants surprised all by winning a MLB-best 107 games last season but after dropping the first two games of this four-game home series to the Cardinals, have lost FIVE straight and seven of eight. At 14-12, the Giants sit in 4th-place in the brutally tough NL West, just a half-game ahead of Arizona. The StL Cards have been a postseason regular this century, making the playoffs 15 times since 2000. They are currently 16-10 and like last season, are chasing the Brewers (19-8, tied with the Mets for the most wins in MLB) in the NL Central. The Cards are 2 1/2-games behind.

Steven Matz (3-1, 4.56 ERA) is expected to be activated off the bereavement list and start Saturday's game for St Louis, opposed by San Francisco's Logan Webb (3-1, 3.26 ERA). Matz never fulfilled his promise as a Met but went 14-7 (3.82 ERA) with Toronto last season in 29 starts. He signed a four-year, $44 million deal with the Cards in November of 2021 and in his St Louis debut, got ripped for seven ERs in just three innings of a 9-7 loss to Pittsburgh. However, in his four starts since that 'disaster,' he's 3-0 with a 2.18 ERA and 22-4 KW ratio (Cards have won all four). Logan Webb went 11-3 with a 3.03 ERA and 1.11 WHIP for the Giants in 27 appearances (26 starts) last season. The Giant won 21 of his 26 starts, giving him MLB's second-best moneyline mark at +$1,229 at $100/game. However, he had entered the 2021 season just 5-7 with a 5.32 ERA in 21 appearances (19 starts) in his first two years. He opened the 2022 season allowing just two ERs in his first two starts (14 innings) but has allowed three ERs in each of his last three, pitching 16.1 innings to give him a 4.96 ERA. However, like last season, the Giants win when he starts (4-1).

Then again, the Cards have been solid this season while the Giants are in somewhat of a free-fall (see above). Matz has pitched well against the Giants in his career, going 1-0 with a 1.88 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in four starts (teams are 3-1), while Webb hasn't seen much of the Cards. However, in two career starts against the Cardinals, he owns a 10.79 ERA and 2.40 WHIP. At this price, Matz and the Cards are the play.

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Las Vegas Insider is on the Sea Mariners at 9:40 ET.

Note: This an "action play," as one can't be sure which pitcher Tampa Bay will use as an 'opener!"

The Tampa Bay Rays entered the current season off three straight postseason appearances, winning the AL East in both 2020 and 2021. Seattle finished second in the American League West in 2021 with a 90-72 record, just two games out of a wild-card berth. That extended Seattle's postseason drought (the longest active one in MLB) to 20 years, as the Mariners last made the playoffs back in 2001. Ironically, that team won 116 games, tying a MLB record for most wins in a single season. Seattle's Robbie Ray had ONE bad inning Thursday (allowed four runs, including 3-run HR) and Seattle couldn't erase the deficit while taking a 4-3 loss. The Mariners have lost four in a row and EIGHT of the last nine. Seattle will send out their hottest pitcher Friday night when they try to end their current slump. Logan Gilbert (4-0, 0.64 ERA) gets the nod for Seattle, while Matt Wisler (1-0, 1.50 ERA) will be the "opener" for Tampa Bay on Friday ahead of the expected bulk pitcher, Josh Fleming (2-3, 6.32 ERA).

Let's cut right to it. Yes, Seattle's slumping but the Mariners are 7-3 at home and note that the Rays were 3-13 in their last 16 games at Seattle before last night's one-run win. Gilbert was just 6-5 with a 4.68 ERA in his rookie season but the Mariners went 16-8 in his 24 starts. That gave him a moneyline record of +$1,106 (3rd-best in MLB). Gilbert made four starts in a dominating April, which included victories over reigning division champions Tampa Bay and the Chicago White Sox. He was 3-0 (team was 4-0) with an 0.44 ERA, a showing earned him the American League Pitcher of the Month Award for April. He opened May with a 7-3 win (5.2 IP / 1 ER) and enters this game 4-0 (team is 5-0) with an 0.64 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and a BAA of .180. His moneyline record of +$516 leads all starters in 2022.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Non-Division Game of the Month is on the Sea mariners at 9:40 ET.

The Tampa Bay Rays entered the current season off three straight postseason appearances, winning the AL East in both 2020 and 2021. Seattle finished second in the American League West in 2021 with a 90-72 record, just two games out of a wild-card berth. That extended Seattle's postseason drought (the longest active one in MLB) to 20 years, as the Mariners last made the playoffs back in 2001. Ironically, that team won 116 games, tying a MLB record for most wins in a single season. The two teams are meeting for the second time in two weeks, as they open a four-game series tonight in Seattle. Last week at Tropicana Field, Tampa Bay won the set by taking two of three from the Mariners - dropping the first game 8-4 before earning a pair of one-run victories to close the series. The Rays then lost a home weekend series against the Minnesota Twins, before rebounding to sweep the A's in a three-game series to open this week in Oakland. Seattle returns home after a 2-7 road trip which included losing all three at Houston Monday through Wednesday (Seattle is now 4-25 in Houston since the 2019 season opened, a span during which Seattle has been outscored 190-77). The Mariners have fallen to 12-13 but will be home for seven games (Phillies arrive Monday for a three-game series).

Many consider Shane McClanahan (1-2, 3.00 ERA) to be Tampa Bay's ace. He was 10-6 (3.43 ERA) last season and will make his sixth start Thursday. The team is just 2-3 in those starts but he leads the majors with 14.0 strikeouts per nine innings! Seattle counters with Robbie Ray (2-2, 4.15 ERA), who will also be making his sixth start this season. Seattle signed reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray (13-7 with a 2.84 ERA in 32 starts in 2021) away from the Toronto Blue Jays to a five-year, $115 million contract in the off season to be the team's ace. Looking closely at his five starts, you'll find this. In his second start of the season (at Chicago), he gave up six runs in 6.1 innings in a game delayed by rain. FOUR of those runs came in the second inning during a downpour. In his other four starts of 2022, he's allowed eight ERs in 24 innings (3.00 ERA) with Seattle winning THREE of the four. He's made eight career starts vs the Rays and while he's just 2-3 (teams are 3-5), he owns a 2.77 ERA and 1.05 WHIP.

Seattle had a nasty road trip but returns home for seven games, where the Mariners are 7-2 to open 2022. Seattle signed Ray to win games like this and that's my bet. Bonus: Ray is a home dog!

Good luck...Larry

My 8* Weekly Wipeout is on the Col Rockies at 3:10 ET.

The Washington Nationals won the World Series in 2019 but then went 26-34 in the 2020 COVID season and 65-97 in 2021. They have opened 2022 at 9-17, as they get ready for their 'rubber match: of this three-game series with Colorado at Coors Field. The Rockies have missed out of the postseason in each of the last three seasons and are currently 14-10. That ties them with the Giants but has them 'looking up' at both the 16-9 Padres and 16-7 Dodgers. The Rockies look improved, but the NL West is brutally tough!

The Nationals won the first game of the series, 10-2 on Tuesday night, and Colorado bounced back with a 5-2 win on Wednesday night. For the rubber game, Washington will send Aaron Sanchez (1-1, 6.75 ERA) against Antonio Senzatela (2-1, 3.66 ERA). You may remember Sanchez from his 2016 season with Toronto when he went 15-2 but since 2017, he's 12-25 with a 5.08 ERA (including two starts in 2022). He's started four times vs Colorado, going 1-1 with a 4.37 ERA and 1.41 WHIP (teams are 2-2). Senzatela is in his sixth season (all with the Rockies) and is only 38-36 with a 4.81 ERA and 1.42 WHIP (hardly impressive). However, Senzatela has not suffered a loss at home since May 11, 2021, a span of 13 starts. Since that last home loss, he's 4-0 with a 3.12 ERA (impressive for Coors Field) with the Rockies going 10-3. All Rockies in this one!

Good luck...Larry

My 8* Getaway Day Game of the Week is on the StL Cards at 1:10 ET.

The team are back at it Wednesday afternoon, as Adam Wainwright (2-3, 4.00 ERA) squares off against Kris Bubic (0-2, 10.50 ERA). Wainwright went 17-7 with a 3.05 ERA last year and received Cy Young Award votes for the fifth time in his career, finishing seventh in voting. He finished 3rd in 2009, 2nd in 2010, 2nd in 2013 and 3rd in 2014. Wainwright is 6-3 with a 3.90 ERA in 12 career starts vs the Royals (Cards are 7-5). Bubic was 6-7 with a 4.43 ERA in 2012, making 29 appearances (20 starts). However, in four starts so far in 2022, he's lasted only 12 innings, allowing 14 ERs. His ERA is an abysmal 10.50 and his WHIP an ugly 2.08.

Before scoring seven runs last night, the Royals had scored just SIX runs during their four-game losing streak and enter this game just 3-9 over their last 12 games. Expect the veteran Wainwright to give the Cards an effort good enough for St Louis to get a "W" over the Royals and the STRUGGLING Bubic!

Good luck...Larry 

The 3rd pick of my STP is an 8* on the LA Dodgers at 10:10 ET.

The Giants will send left-hander Carlos Rodon (3-0, 1.17 ERA) to the mound, while the Dodgers counter with lefty Jose Urias (1-1, 2.50 ERA). Rodon was 13-5 (2.37 ERA) for the White Sox in 2021 but he signed a two-year, $44 million contract with the Giants in March. Urias was MLB's lone 20-game winner in 2021 (20-3 with a 2.96 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP in 32 starts). Rodon has allowed one run or less in all four of his Giants starts and has at least eight strikeouts in all of them (38-8 KW ratio on the season). Urias was roughed up in hsi 2022 debut (6 runs allowed but just three earned in two innings at Coors Field) but in his last three, has gone 16 innings while allowing just two ERs on only four hits, for a 1.13 ERA, 

Both pitchers enter in excellent form but I favor the home team, expecting the Dodgers to make an early 'statement' that the NL West is still their 'domain!'

Good luck...Larry

The 2nd pick of my STP is a 10* on the StL Cardinals at 8:10 ET.

The StL Cards have been a postseason regular this century, making the playoffs 15 times since 2000. Meanwhile, the Cards' Missouri rivals, the KC Royals, began the current season having missed the postseason in each of the previous SIX years. The two in-state rivals opened a three-game IL series Monday, with the Royals wasting a strong pitching performance by Zack Greinke (6 IP / 3 hits / one ER) while falling 1-0 to the Cardinals. Yesterday's contest was played in St louis (rescheduled game) but now it's two games at Kauffman Stadium Tuesday and Wednesday. The Royals have scored just SIX runs during their four-game losing streak and have lost nine of 11 heading into this two-game set in KC. Meanwhile, the Cardinals have won four of their last six, but they have scored two or fewer runs in SIX of their last nine games.

However, the bottom line is that St Louis is 13-9, 1 1/2-games behind Milwaukee in the NL Central, while the Royals are 7-14, tied with the Tigers for last place in the AL Central. Dakota Hudson (2-1, 2.75 ERA) gets the ball for St Louis and Brad Keller (0-2, 2.19 ERA) for the Royals. Hudson is coming off a strong performance, holding the Arizona Diamondbacks to one hit in six scoreless innings on April 28. Prior to that, he held the Cincinnati Reds scoreless on two hits in 6.2 innings. After making just NINE starts in 2020 and 2021, Hudson just may be regaining the form he showed when he went 16-7 in 2018. He's made three career starts vs the Royals going 1-0 with a 2.81 ERA (Cards are 3-0). Keller has suffered from poor run support this season, as his teammates have scored just THREE times for him in his 24.2 innings. Keller allowed just one run on three hits in seven innings in his last start, a game the Royals eventually won 5-2 over the Chicago White Sox in 10 innings. Keller was 8-12 with a 5.39 ERA in 2021 and is seeking his first win of 2022 in his fifth start. No reason to think he'll get it here, as in five career starts vs the Cards, he's 1-4 with a 5.65 ERA and 1.47 WHIP.

Good luck...Larry

The first pick of my STP is a 9* on the Tor Blue Jays at 7:07 ET.

The New York Yankees opened their series at Toronto with a 3-2 victory on Monday night, on a tiebreaking single in the ninth. New York now owns 10 straight wins and a 17-6 record, 2 1/2-games better than Toronto (15-9) and four better than Tampa Bay. New York is on a double-digit winning streak for the second straight season, and its 17-6 start is the team's best since 2003 (19-4). The Blue Jays are 9-4 in their last 13 games but need to do much more offensive than last Night, when Toronto hit into three double plays and went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position.

Jameson Taillon (1-1, 3.26 ERA) will get the nod for the Yankees, while the Blue Jays counter with Alex Manoah (4-0, 1.44 ERA). Taillon underwent offseason ankle surgery, and this marks second season for the Yankees. Taillon was 8-6 with a 4.30 ERA in 29 starts in 2021 (Yanks were 17-12), coming off a second Tommy John surgery (first was in May of 2019). Taillon's a solid starter when healthy and he has allowed two ERs or less in each of his four starts this season. However, he and the Yanks will face quite a challenge in Toronto's Manoah. He was 9-2 with a 3.22 ERA in 20 starts, as a rookie in 2021 (Toronto was 16-4 in his 20 starts!).

Toronto has won Manoah's last 12 starts and is 20-4 in his 24 career starts. He's 2-0 with a 1.53 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in three starts vs the Yanks (Jays are 3-0), while Taillon is 1-3 in five starts vs Toronto (teams are 2-3), posting a 4.88 ERA. Toronto ends New York's 10-game winning streak tonight.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Division Game of the Month (NL East) is on the Atl Braves at 7:10 ET.

The Atlanta Braves continue a seven-game road trip Monday in New York, after losing 7-3 on Sunday afternoon in the rubber game of a three-game series against the Texas Rangers 7-3. Meanwhile, the Mets extended their franchise-record, season-opening streak of series wins to seven by beating the visiting Philadelphia Phillies 10-6 on Sunday night. This four-game series is the first meeting of the 2022 season between the two teams. It's the first meeting since July 29. The Braves were 51-53 at that time but went 37-20 the rest of the way and won the NL East (for the FOURTH straight season) before capturing the franchise's first World Series title since 1995. In stark contrast, New York went 22-38 down the stretch to finish in third place at 77-85, 11 1/2 games out of first place. The Mets made the 2015 World Series (lost 4-1 to KC) and made a one-game wild card appearance in 2016, but they've been playoff-less the last five years.

The 10-13 Braves will send Max Fried (2-2, 3.00 ERA) to the mound, while the 16-7 Mets counter with Chris Bassitt (3-1, 2.25 ERA). Fried entered this season with a 38-13 (.745) record from 2019-21 and the Braves were also an OUTSTANDING 50-19 (.724) in all of his starts. He opened the current season 0-2 (5.72 ERA) but owned a 9-1 KW ratio. He has rebounded to win his last two starts, allowing just one ER over 13 innings with a 12-0 KW ratio (that's 21-1 through four starts). Fried is 4-3 with a 2.78 ERA in 16 career games (11 starts) against the Mets. Chris Bassitt was traded to the Mets prior to the start of this season, coming off a 12-4 (3.15 ERA) 2021 season with the A's (team was 17-10 in his starts). He's had one poor outing (allowed five ERs in a 5-2 loss to the Giants but in his other three (all wins), has allowed just one ER over 18 innings. Bassitt has never faced the Braves.

The Mets rank first in the majors in on-base percentage (.344), second in batting average (.262) and third in ERA (2.99), stats the current Braves can't match. The Mets' SEVEN straight series wins is an impressive accomplishment, but the Braves have already fallen SIX games behind them, and the season is not yet FOUR weeks old. No series prediction for me here but I will make a HUGE play on Fried and the Braves in Game 1 of the series!

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Rivalry Rout is on the Tor Blue Jays at 7:07 ET.

The NY Yankees earned a wild card berth in the 2021 postseason (lost to the Red Sox), the team's FIFTH straight playoff appearance (tied with Houston for MLB's second-longest active streak behind the Dodgers, who have made NINE consecutive postseason appearances). The Blue Jays missed a wild card spot by ONE game in 2021 but were a 'sexy' preseason pick to best the Rays, Red Sox and Yankees in the brutally tough AL East. The New York Yankees head to Toronto on Monday for the opener of a three-game series with the Blue Jays on a NINE-game winning streak. The Yanks are 16-6 (MLB's best record) but the Blue Jays are just 1 1/2-games behind New York with a 15-8 record. The Blue Jays are on a streak of their own after defeating the visiting Houston Astros 3-2 on Sunday in the rubber match of a three-game series. They are undefeated in their first SEVEN series this season (6-0-1), to match the franchise best set in 1992. The ONLY series the Blue Jays have not won is the four-game split with the Yankees in New York from April 11-14.

Jordan Montgomery (0-1, 2.70 ERA) gets the nod for New York, while Toronto counters with Ross Stripling (0-0, 3.60 ERA). Montgomery is in his sixth season with the Yankees and will be making his fifth start of 2022. While he owns a 2.70 ERA and 0.95 WHIP, the Yankees have lost THREE of his four outings. This marks his eighth career start vs Toronto. He is 2-1 with a 3.50 ERA (Yanks are 4-3 in his seven starts). Stripling was traded from the Dodgers to the Blue Jays during the 2020 season and in 2021 was hardly impressive. He made 24 appearances (19 starts), going 5-7 with a 4.80 ERA. He's only made two career starts against the Yankees (both in 2021), going 0-2 with a 4.50 ERA.

Stripling's no bargain but with the Yankees coming to Toronto on a NINE-game winning streak (and a 1 1/2-game lead), the Jays will BADLY want to win this series. No better way to do that than to win this first game of the Series. That's the bet!

Good luck...Larry

My 9* PERFECT STORM is on the Oak A's at 4:07 ET.

Both Cleveland and Oakland have been playoff regulars in recent years but both sat out in 2021, Cleveland with an 80-82 record and Oakland with an 86-76 mark. The two teams wrap up a three-games series Sunday in Oakland, with Cleveland winning the first two (had entered the series on a 7-game slide). Oakland has now lost FIVE of seven to fall to 10-11, while Cleveland's back-to-back wins only gets them to 9-12. The Guardians will turn to Triston McKenzie (0-2, 3.71 ERA) for the conclusion of their 10-game trip, while Oakland's James Kaprielian will take the mound for his season debut on Sunday in the finale of a three-game series.

Both were rookies last year, with McKenzie going 5-9 with a 4.95 ERA in 25 appearances (24 starts). Kaprielian was impressive as a rookie last season, going 8-5 with a 4.07 ERA in 24 games (21 starts). Kaprielian missed spring training with an inflamed right AC joint and Oakland has been exercising patience with Kaprielian. He started the season on the injured list before making three minor-league rehab starts. Here' the bottom line. Kaprielian looks to be a better pitcher than McKenzie (off their respective rookie seasons) plus Oakland should avoid the "dreaded' home sweep against a sub-.500 Cleveland team playing its 10th road game in 10 days.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Situational Stunner is on the Chi White Sox at 2:10 ET.

The Angels are coming off a 77-85 season and the franchise's only World Series title came back in 2002. I'm sure it seems like even more than two decades ago to Angel fans, as the team has missed the postseason 11 times in the last 12 years (got swept 3-0 in a 2014 ALDS in its lone appearance in that span). The White Sox ended an 11-year postseason drought in 2020 with a wild card appearance. They then ran away with the American League Central title last season with a 93-69 record, winning the division by 13 games. Chicago expected even more in 2022. However, as the Angels and White Sox get set to play the third game of this four-games series on Sunday, the Angels' 14-8 record has them in first place in the AL West, while the 8-12 White Sox are in third place in the AL Central, 3 1/2-games behind the Twins. The Angels won Friday's opener 5-1 but the White Sox responded with a 4-0 victory on Saturday.

Sunday's starting pitchers are Michael Lorenzen (2-1, 2.93 ERA) for LA and Dallas Keuchel (1-2, 9.00 ERA) for Chicago. Lorenzen spent his previous six seasons as a reliever, but the Angels decided to make him part of their starting rotation in 2022. This marks his fourth start of 2022 and in his two wins, he has allowed just one ER over 12 innings, while he allowed four ERs (3.1 IP) in his lone loss. Lorenzen has no decisions with a 3.86 ERA in five career games (two starts) vs. the White Sox. Keuchel won the NL Cy Young back in 2015 with Houston (20-8, 2.4 ERA) but he's just 59-49 (with a 4.00-plus ERA) since. Keuchel posted a 4.25 ERA before the All-Star break in 2021, before recording a 6.82 mark in 14 games (13 starts) in the second half. In Keuchel's first start of 2022, he allowed three ERs over five innings at home to Seattle, earning a 6-4 win. However, he had one of the worst outings of his career in his second start, giving up 10 runs (seven earned) in one-plus inning against Cleveland. He had control issues in his most recent start, allowing five walks in four innings, giving up two unearned runs in a 6-0 loss to KC. However, Keuchel has made 19 career starts vs the Angels, going 12-2 with a 3.49 ERA (teams are 14-5 in his starts).

After a 6-2 start in 2022, the White Sox have lost 10 of 12, averaging just 2.4 runs per game. I just DON'T see this offensive slump continuing (note: White Sox averaged 4.91 RPG in 2021, 6th-best in MLB). Lorenzen is far from a proven starter and it's hard to ignore Keuchel's career-long success vs the Angels. Take Chicago.

Good luck...Larry

My 8* Weekend Wipeout is on the Tor Blue Jays at 1:37 ET.

The Houston Astros entered the season having won the NL West in FOUR of the previous five seasons (three WS appearances in that span) and were preseason favorites to repeat as AL West champs. The Blue Jays missed a wild card spot by ONE game in 2021 but were a 'sexy' preseason pick to best the Rays, Red Sox and Yankees in the brutally tough AL East. Houston opened 4-1 but then lost EIGHT of 11 to fall to 7-9. However, after winning 11-7 in the series opener at Toronto on Friday, will took a four-game winning streak and an 11-9 record into Saturday's contest. Friday's loss dropped the Jays to 13-8, 1 1/2-games behind the first-place Yankees and a half-game ahead of the third-place Rays. The Jays won 2-1 on Saturday, led by George Springer's two solo HRs. The 11-10 Astros and 14-8 Jays play the "rubber match" of this three-games series on Sunday. Framber Valdez (1-1, 3.15 ERA) starts for Houston and Kevin Gausman (1-1, 2.19 ERA) for Toronto.

Valdez had a good regular season for Houston in 2021, going 11-6 with a 3.14 ERA in 22 starts (team was 13-9). However, in five postseason starts, he allowed 17 ERs over 19.2 innings for a 7.78 ERA and 1.83 WHIP. He has only had one bad outing in 2022 (in four starts), allowing six ERs over 4.1 innings of a 7-2 loss to the Angels. However, while he's allowed just one ER over 15.2 innings (0.59 ERA) of his other three starts, Houston has lost two of the three (more in a bit). Gausman was nothing more than a journeyman prior to last season, when he was a key part of a San Francisco starting rotation that helped the Giants go from FOUR consecutive losing seasons to a MLB-best 107 wins. Gausman was 14-6 with a 2.81 ERA and 1.04 WHIP (Giants went 21-12 in his 33 starts). Gausman allowed three ERs in his 2022 debut but then just three ERs over his next three starts (19.2 innings for a 1.37 ERA). It's time to give this guy some "props," as he has a 31-0 KW ratio in 2022 and a 1.01 WHIP to go along with his 2.19 ERA.

I noted earlier that despite pitching well in THREE of his four starts this season, Valdez has suffered from a lack of run support. Houston is just 5-6 its last 11 games and except for an 8-7 (10 inn.) win over Toronto on April 24 and Friday's 11-7 over the Jays on Friday, the Astros once-proud offense has averaged just 2.44 RPG in their other nine games in that span. No reason to think that Hoston will have much success against Gausman. Blowout Alert!

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Las Vegas Insider is on the Atl Braves at 7:05 ET.

The Atlanta Braves won the NL East for the fourth straight year in 2021 with just 88 wins. They entered the postseason with the fewest wins of ANY of MLB's 10 playoff teams but went on to win their second-ever World Series title since the franchise moved from Milwaukee to Atlanta in 1966 (previous WS win was in 1995). Speaking of the World Series, the Rangers appeared in back-to-back World Series in 2010 and 2011 (lost both) but continued to be competitive, making the playoffs in THREE of the next five seasons. However, it's been FIVE consecutive losing seasons for Texas since 2017, including the team losing 100-plus games in 2021 (60-102) for the first time since going 57-105 in 1973. The Braves and Rangers opened a three-game IL series last night in Arlington. The Braves came away with a 6-3 win to get within a game of .500 at 10-11 (Atlanta is chasing the 15-6 Mets in the NL East). As for the Rangers, they fell to 6-14 and aren't chasing ANYONE.

Atlanta rookie Bryce Elder (1-2, 4.30 ERA) will be opposed by Dane Dunning (0-1, 4.91 ERA) of Texas. Elder won his MLB debut 16-4 against the Nats on April 12 (5.2 IP / 3 ERs) but has lost his last two, allowing 11 walks in nine innings (did not allow a walk in his debut). Dunning was just 5-10 with a 4.51 ERA and 1.44 WHIP as a rookie last season and opened 2022 by lasting a total of just 12.2 innings in his first three starts (5.68 ERA / 1.89 WHIP / 321 BAA). to go along with his 5.68 ERA. Dunning will be working on regular four days rest after receiving no decision against the Houston Astros on April 25, when he allowed two runs in 5.2 innings with five strikeouts and one walk in a game the Rangers won 6-2.

I had Atlanta last night and wrote the following: "The Braves could really use a 3-0 sweep but I don't want to get ahead of myself. Take Anderson and Atlanta Friday night. Anderson allowed two ERs in six innings and Atlanta hit four HRs (Braves lead the National League with 28). Elder is a native of nearby Decatur, Tx and will have hundreds of family members and friends in Globe Life Field on Saturday when he pitches near his hometown for the first time in his career. He gets to face the Rangers, who have lost FOUR in a row and have won only six games, tied for the fewest wins in the American League. Second verse, same as the first.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Game of the Month is on the Sea Mariners at 6:10 ET.

Seattle finished second in the American League West in 2021 with a 90-72 record, just two games out of a wild-card berth. That extended Seattle's postseason drought (the longest active one in MLB) to 20 years, as the Mariners last made the playoffs back in 2001. Ironically, that team won 116 games, tying a MLB record for most wins in a single season. The Marlins joined the National League in 1993 and entering the COVID-shortened season of 2020, had made the postseason just TWICE. However, the Marlins would capture the World Series each time, in 1997 over the Indians and in 2003 over the Yankees. The Marlins overcame all sorts of team COVID issues to end a 16-year postseason drought in 2020 but the 2021 team finished 67-95. The teams played the opener of this three-game series in Miami last night, with the Marlins winning 8-6. Miami has now won SIX straight games, its longest streak since 2020. It's also the longest active win streak in the National League but at 11-8, the Marlins are three games behind the 15-6 Mets. It was Seattle's third straight loss and at 11-9, the Mariners find themselves 'looking up' at the 14-7 Angels in the AL West. Seattle will send Robbie Ray (2-1, 3.91 ERA) to the mound, while Miami counters with Jesus Luzardo (1-1, 3.71 ERA).

Seattle signed reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray (13-7 with a 2.84 ERA in 32 starts in 2021) away from the Toronto Blue Jays to a five-year, $115 million contract in the off season. Ray triumphed in his Opening Day start, limiting host Minnesota to one run on three hits in seven innings but he took the loss at Chicago in his second start, giving up six runs in 6.1 innings to the White Sox in a game delayed by rain. Looking a little closer, FOUR of those runs came in the second inning during a downpour. "It was a little muddy. It wasn't the greatest conditions," Ray has returned to form in his last two outings and if one 'excuses' him for that bad-weather start in Chicago, he owns a 2.37 ERA with Seattle winning all three of his other 2022 starts. Luzardo had a career-high 12-strikeout performance in his 2022 debut against the Los Angeles Angels on April 12. He allowed two hits, one walk and one run. However, we saw NONE of that last season, as he struggled with the Oakland A's and Marlins, combining for a 6-9 record and a career-worst 6.61 ERA. He enters this game with a career record of 10-12 with a 5.23 ERA and 1.41 WHIP over 46 appearances (30 starts).

Luzardo is really NO match for Ray, who is 4-2 in eight career starts vs Miami (teams are 5-3), posting a 2.08 ERA and 1.01 WHIP. Luzardo's lone start vs Seattle came last season, when he lasted 4.2 innings while allowing four ERs (gave up three HRs!). Seattle breezes to a win.

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Afternoon Delight is on the Tor Blue Jays at 3:07 ET.

The Houston Astros entered the season having won the NL West in FOUR of the previous five seasons (three WS appearances in that span) and were preseason favorites to repeat as AL West champs. The Blue Jays missed a wild card spot by ONE game in 2021 but were a 'sexy' preseason pick to best the Rays, Red Sox and Yankees in the brutally tough AL East. Houston opened 4-1 but then lost EIGHT of 11 to fall to 7-9. However, after winning 11-7 in the series opener at Toronto on Friday, will take a four-game winning streak and an 11-9 record into Saturday's contest (note: The Angels have opened 14-7 in the AL West). Friday's loss dropped the Jays to 13-8, 1 1/2-games behind the first-place Yankees and a half-game ahead of the third-place Rays. Saturday's starters are Luis Garcia (1-0, 4.60 ERA) and Jose Berrios (1-0, 4.91 ERA).

Garcia was 11-8 (3.30 ERA and 1.17 WHIP in 30 appearances (28 starts), finishing as the 2021 American League Rookie of the Year runner-up. Garcia has a 4.60 ERA in his first three starts of 2022 but also a 0.96 WHIP. He's got just one win, but the Astros have won all three of his starts, including last Sunday at home vs the Blue Jays. He did not pitch well, allowing five ERs in six innings but Houston would win 8-7 in 10 innings., That was his third career start vs Toronto and despite a 4.85 ERA, he owns a 0.92 WHIP with the Astros winning all three of his starts. Berrios won 40 games for the Twins from 2017-19 but was traded last July to Toronto. He made his third Opening Day start (1st for Toronto) on April 8 and recorded just ONE out against the Texas Rangers (allowed three hits, two walks and four ERs). However, Toronto won that game 10-8 and have won each of his last three as well, with Berros posting a 3.00 ERA.

Berrios has made seven career starts vs Houston Teams are 3-4 and he owns a 4.91 ERA) but I sure like the way he's pitching right now. As for Houston, the Astros entered last night's game having averaged 3.5 runs in its previous four games, before matching their season high with 14 hits, while scoring 11 runs! Berrios pitches the Jays to a win here.

Good luck...Larry

The 3rd pick of my STP is an 8* on the Atl Braves at 8:05 ET.

Note: This play on Atlanta is "action," as it is possible the Rangers could switch their "opener." Either way, Atlanta is the choice.

The Atlanta Braves won the NL East for the fourth straight year in 2021 with just 88 wins. They entered the postseason with the fewest wins of ANY of MLB's 10 playoff teams but went on to win their second-ever World Series title since the franchise moved from Milwaukee to Atlanta in 1966 (previous WS win was in 1995). Speaking of the World Series, the Rangers appeared in back-to-back World Series in 2010 and 2011 (lost both) but continued to be competitive, making the playoffs in THREE of the next five seasons. However, it's been FIVE consecutive losing seasons for Texas since 2017, including the team losing 100-plus games in 2021 (60-102) for the first time since going 57-105 in 1973. The Braves visit Arlington for a three-game IL series with the Rangers beginning Friday night. Atlanta has opened just 9-11 and have fallen FIVE games behind the Mets, who lead the division and all of MLB, with a 14-6 record. As for the Rangers, their 6-13 start is not surprising at all.

Atlanta will send Ian Anderson (1-1, 5.40 ERA) to the mound, with the Rangers countering with Garrett Richards (0-0, 2.25 ERA) as their "opener." The Braves really like Anderson and why not? He's 4-0 the last two postseasons, posting a 1.28 ERA and 0.94 WHIP. Richards went 13-4 (2014) and 15-12 (2015) with the Angels but is nothing more than a journeyman. He filled the starting pitcher spot for Texas last Sunday in Oakland, going the first two innings and allowing two hits before leaving in favor of Spencer Howard. He pitched two scoreless innings in relief against the Astros on Tuesday.

The Braves could use a 3-0 sweep but I don't want to get ahead of myself. Take Anderson and Atlanta against Texas, regardless of who "opens!"

Good luck...Larry

The 2nd pick of my STP is a 9* on the TB Rays at 7:10 ET.

The Twins went just 73-89 in 2021 (20 games behind the division-winning White Sox), after winning the AL Central in 2019 and 2020. However, after a 4-8 start in 2022, Minnesota has won SEVEN in a row and is atop the division after three weeks, at 11-8. The Tampa Bay Rays are off three straight postseason appearances and back-to-back AL East titles but while their 11-8 record matches Minnesota's, the Rays are third in the AL East behind the 13-7 Blue Jays and 13-6 Yankees.

The Twins' patchwork rotation has been outstanding (2.39 ERA is the second-best mark in MLB) and will send Dylan Bundy (3-0, 0.59 ERA) to the mound. Bundy is in his first season with Minnesota, and he has allowed just one run (15.1 IP) while winning all three of his starts this season. He's got a 12-1 KW ratio, a 0.72 WHIP and opponents are hitting just .175 against him. Corey Kluber (0-1, 3.68 ERA) will get the start for the Rays. Kluber won 18 games three times and 20 games once for the Indians from 2013 thru 2018, capturing an AL Cy Young award in 2014 and 2018. However, arm problems have limited him to just 24 starts from 2019-2021 (he was 7-6 with a 4.40 ERA). Kluber allowed just two ERs over his first two starts this season (9.2 IP) but last Friday, allowed four ERs on 11 hits over five innings of a 4-3 loss to Boston.

Minnesota enters this game on a roll and Bundy has been great but here is a guy who really has done little prior to his red-hot start in 2022. In 13 career starts against Tampa Bay, he's 5-6 (teams are 6-7), while posting a 6.47 ERA and 1.49 WHIP. Kluber has 23 career starts against the Twins and while he's a modest 9-7 (teams are 11-12), he owns a solid 3.40 ERA and excellent WHIP (1.08) against Minnesota. The Rays break that seven-game Minnesota winning streak right here!

Good luck...Larry

The 1st pick of my STP is an 8* on the Bos Red Sox at 7:05 ET.

The Boston Red Sox visit Baltimore for a three-game series with the Orioles starting Friday night. The Red Sox are just 8-12, after losing SEVEN of their last nine games. Meanwhile, the Orioles are 6-13 and open the series on a four-game slide. Boston has FIVE one-run losses this season, including four in the last eight days. The latest came Thursday, when the Red Sox were held to four hits in a 1-0 defeat to the host Toronto Blue Jays. The Red Sox have scored two or fewer runs in SEVEN of their last 10 games. However, this weekend it's the sad-sack Orioles, who have lost 100-plus games in THREE of the last full seasons and while it's early, are on pace to do so again in 2022.

Veteran left-hander Rich Hill (0-1, 4.85 ERA) will get the ball for Boston and he's in his 18th season. Baltimore counters with Kyle Bradish, who is being called up from Triple-A Norfolk to make his major league debut. Bradish was acquired from the Los Angeles Angels in the Dylan Bundy trade in December 2019 and has allowed four runs (two earned) and struck out 17 batters in 15 innings in his first three starts with Norfolk this season. He threw 87 pitches over six innings in his last outing for the Tides on April 22. Hill has yet to earn a win in three starts but who threw four scoreless innings against the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday (Boston lost 5-3).

I like the vet over the rookie in this spot and will note that Wood owns a 3-0 record and 2.25 ERA in 15 career games (five starts) against the Orioles.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Situational Stunner is on the Cle Guardians at 4:07 ET.

Cleveland began a new era in 2022 (no longer the Indians, now the Guardians). Cleveland lost to the Cubs in the 2016 World Series (led 3-1, before losing the final three games) and followed with THREE more postseason appearances in the next four years (exception was in 2019 when the team won 93 games). However, Cleveland would go just 80-82 in 2021 and opened the current season looking for a return to the postseason. Meanwhile, the Angels are coming off a 77-85 season and the franchise's only World Series title came back in 2002. I'm sure it seems like even more than two decades ago to Angel fans, as the team has missed the postseason 11 times in the last 12 years (got swept 3-0 in a 2014 ALDS in its lone appearance in that span). It's early but Cleveland fans have to be disappointed with the team's 7-11 start, while Angel fans have to like their team's 12-7 start. The Angels are looking to complete a four-game sweep of the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday afternoon in Anaheim, with Cleveland having lost SIX in a row while Los Angeles has won four in a row.

Cal Quantrill (1-0, 3.94 ERA) will make his fourth start of the season for the Guardians, while Reid Detmers (0-1, 6.57 ERA) will also make his fourth start of the season for the Angels. This marks Quantrill's fifth season, and he was a career-best 8-3 last season (40 appearances, including 22 starts), posting a 2.89 ERA and 1.18 WHIP. Reid made five starts for the Angels last season, going 1-3 with a 7.40 ERA and 1.79 WHIP. Quantrill is coming off his longest outing of the season, going 6.1 innings against the New York Yankees on Saturday, when he got a no-decision after allowing three runs and six hits. He's made just one start vs LA and that was last season, pitching seven scoreless innings of a 3-0 win. Detmers is coming off his best start of the 2022 season, giving up two runs on three hits and one walk in five innings but was tagged with the 5-3 loss against the Baltimore Orioles on Friday. He made his only start against Cleveland in 2021, allowing three ERs on seven hits in just 3.2 innings of a 5-1 loss.

I believe Quantrill owns a solid edge over Detmers on the mound and I'm not convinced the Angels are any better than the Guardians, despite both teams currently headed in opposite directions. Great price on the road underdog.

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Getaway Day Game of the Week is on the Pit Pirates at 12:35 ET.

The Milwaukee Brewers entered the current season having made the last four postseasons, winning the AL Central in 2021. The Pittsburgh Pirates have missed the playoffs in each of the last SIX years, with the lone winning season in that stretch came when they went 82-79 in 2018. Milwaukee went 95-67 last season, while Pittsburgh finished 61-101 (34 games behind). The Brewers look to sweep their series in Pittsburgh on Thursday, which would make them 6-0 against the Pirates after sweeping them in a home series last week. The Brewers outscored the Pirates 15-5 during that 3-game sweep in Milwaukee and won 12-8 on Tuesday, before winning 3-1 on Wednesday.

In this "Getaway Day Game," it's Freddy Peralta (0-1, 7.50 ERA) for Milwaukee and Jose Quintana (0-1, 3.86 ERA) for Pittsburgh. Peralta was 10-5 with a 2.81 ERA and 0.97 WHIP (195-56 KW ratio) last season in 27 starts (Brewers were 18-9). Peralta is still looking for his first win of 2022, as he makes his fourth start. He is coming off a no-decision Friday in the Brewers' 4-2 loss at Philadelphia, when he allowed one run and three hits in five innings with six strikeouts and two walks. That was more like the Peralta of 2021, as he had an 11.75 ERA after his first two starts and has been working on some mechanics. "It's a good sign for me," Peralta said. "It's what I've been working on, and finally I was feeling a little more comfortable than the last two games." Peralta is 2-1 with a 3.19 ERA in 14 games, five of them starts (team is 3-2 in his starts, with Peralta posting a 2.17 ERA), against Pittsburgh.

Quintana's career began back in 2012 and he won 13 games in 2016 with the White Sox and 13 games for the Cubs in both 2018 and 2019. However, he's done almost NOTHING since. The Pirates signed him to a one-year deal in the offseason and this marks his fourth start. He's pitched a modest total of 14 innings, but his ERA is 3.86 and the Pirates have won TWO of his three starts. What's more, Quintana is 9-4 with a 2.78 ERA in 18 games, 17 of them starts vs Milwaukee, with those nine wins being his most against any team. His teams are 12-5 in his 17 starts against the Brewers and that includes him going 3-0 against Milwaukee back in 2019. He hasn't faced them since.

I've got some good 'vibes' here with Quintana and will take the 'juicy' home underdog. Bow Wow!

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Situational Stunner is on the Hou Astros at 8:05 ET.

The Astros remain the team everyone 'loves to hate.' Houston won the AL West last season with a 95-67 record, capturing the division for the FOURTH time in the last five years. Houston won the 2017 World Series (over the Dodgers), lost the 2019 World Series (to the Nats) and then lost it again last season to the Braves. The Astros opened the current season winning FOUR of five but have gone 3-8 since, after losing 6-2 last night to the Rangers in Arlington. Texas appeared in back-to-back World Series in 2010 and 2011 (lost both) but continued to be competitive, making the playoffs in THREE of the next five seasons. However, it's been FIVE consecutive losing seasons for Texas since 2017, including the team losing 100-plus games in 2021 (60-102) for the first time since going 57-105 in 1973.

Houston opened the season 4-1 but then lost SEVEN of 10, prior to visiting Arlington for a four-game series with the Rangers, who had opened 5-10. The Rangers won the opener of this four-game series 6-2 against their in-state rival, marking the team's FOURTH win in its last five games. However, the Astros rebounded with a 5-1 victory last night, as Jake Odorizzi gave Houston six strong innings (lone hit allowed was a solo HR). It was a much-needed effort, as Houston is in the midst of playing 17 consecutive days and is scheduled to play 33 games in 34 days. Astros manager Dusty Baker will utilize a six-man rotation to alleviate some stress on his starters, with reliever Cristian Javier (0-0, 0.00 ERA) set to make his first start of the season on Wednesday. Glenn Otto (1-0, 1.80 ERA) is the scheduled starter for the Rangers. He made his season debut against the Oakland Athletics on Friday, allowing one run on two hits and one walk with five strikeouts over five innings in an 8-1 victory, the FIRST win of his career.

Javier has made three scoreless relief appearances this season, allowing five hits and one walk with 12 strikeouts over 8.1 innings. This marks his 20th career start. He is 9-3 with a 3.35 ERA over 51 career appearances (19 starts). Javier is 3-0 with a 2.84 ERA over eight career appearances (four starts) against the Rangers, including a 1-0 record and 2.79 ERA over six appearances (two starts) last season, with 23 strikeouts in 19.1 innings. In his four career starts vs Texas, he's 3-0 (team is 3-1) with a 3.00 ERA and 0.96 WHIP. Getting back to Otto, he did have a strong 2022 debut but in six starts in 2021 (his first MLB season), he posted a 9.26 ERA and 1.71 WHIP in going 0-3 (team was 1-5). Houston gets the "W" and gets back to .500 at 9-9.

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Weekly Wipeout is on the TB Rays at 6:40 ET.

Seattle finished second in the American League West in 2021 with a 90-72 record, just two games out of a wild-card berth. That extended Seattle's postseason drought (the longest active one in MLB) to 20 years, as the Mariners last made the playoffs back in 2001. Ironically, that team won 116 games, tying a MLB record for most wins in a single season. The Tampa Bay Rays entered the current season off three straight postseason appearances, winning the AL East in both 2020 and 2021.Seattle won the opener of this three-game series at Tropicana Field 8-4 last night and the teams continue their three-game series tonight. The victory was Seattle's fourth straight and at 11-6, sit atop the AL West (Angels are 11-7). The Rays fell to 9-8 with the loss and are 2 1/2-games behind the 1st-place Blue Jays in the AL East (two games behind the Yankees).

Seattle will turn to Marco Gonzales (1-1, 3.29 ERA) for tonight's game, while Tampa Bay will counter with Drew Rasmussen (0-1, 5.25 ERA). Gonzales has gone 46-30 from 2018-2021 and in the last two seasons has gone 17-8. Seattle is 22-14 in his 22 starts, giving him a moneyline record of +$1,067. He received a no-decision after allowing six runs (two earned) over 4.2 innings against the Texas Rangers last Thursday. However, he is 3-0 with a 2.84 ERA in five career starts against Tampa Bay (team is 4-1). Rasmussen was not credited with the win in his first start of 2022 (Rays beat the Orioles 5-3 back on April 9) but he kept his record perfect at 3-0 with a 2.15 ERA in 11 career starts, extending his run without a loss to the 15th-longest in major-league history. That streak ended on April 15th in Chicago, as the White Sox won 3-2. Rasmussen did not pitch all that poorly, allowing three ERs in five innings. He then allowed two runs on four hits over three innings against the Chicago Cubs on April 20, a game the Rays won 8-2 in six innings. This marks his first start vs Seattle.

Tampa Bay has now lost SEVEN of its last eight meetings against Seattle dating back to last season. However, I don't see that trend continuing. The Rays are the better team and while Gonzales is a tough competitor, the Rays are HIGH on Rasmussen and so am I.

Good luck...Larry

My 8* Las Vegas Insider is on the Chi White Sox at 7:10 ET.

The Royals played in back-to-back World Series in 2014 (lost to the Giants 4-3) and in 2015 (beat the Mets 4-1) but six playoff-less seasons have followed. The 2016 team went 81-81 and the 2017 team went 81-81. However, the last four seasons have seen KC go 217-329 (.397). KC fans may be sensing some "deja vu," as after the 1985 team won the franchise's first World Series crown, the Royals didn't make the playoffs again until 2014 (that's a span of 28 years!). The White Sox ended an 11-year postseason drought in 2020 with a wild card appearance. They then ran away with the American League Central title last season with a 93-69 record, winning the division by 13 games. Chicago expected even more in 2022.

The Royals have started 5-9 (no surprise) and visit Chicago for the opener of a three-game series Tuesday night on a four-game slide. However, what IS surprising is that after opening 6-2, the White Sox welcome the Royals to Chicago on a SEVEN-game slide (now 6-9 on the season). The Royals will send Daniel Lynch (1-1, 5.40 ERA) to the mound to face veteran Dallas Keuchel (1-1, 15.00 ERA). Lynch made 15 starts as a rookie last season, going 4-6 with a 5.69 ERA and 1,63 WHIP (Royals were 8-7 in his starts). His 2022 debut was a poor one (allowed six ERs on nine hits of a 6-5 loss at StL) but he rebounded at home against the Twins, pitching five scoreless innings of a 2-0 win,

Keuchel won the NL Cy Young back in 2015 with Houston (20-8, 2.4 ERA). However, he's just 58-48 (with a 4.00-plus ERA) since. Keuchel posted a 4.25 ERA before the All-Star break in 2021, before recording a 6.82 mark in 14 games (13 starts) in the second half. In Keuchel's first start of 2022, he allowed three ERs over five innings at home to Seattle, earning a 6-4 win. However, Keuchel had one of the worst outings of his career in his second start, giving up 10 runs (seven earned) in one-plus inning last Wednesday against Cleveland! That said, I expect a bounce-back from Keuchel here, as he's 6-4 with a 3.21 ERA over career 14 starts vs the Royals. Meanwhile, Lynch has struggled against the White Sox in his first season (2021), going 1-2 with a 16.20 ERA and 2.64 WHIP in three starts. He allowed 15 ERs on 16 hits in 8.1 innings.

SEVEN straight losses by the White Sox? Enough is ENOUGH! Back Keuchel here.

Good luck...Larry

 My 9* Late-Breaker is on the Cle Guardians at 9:38 ET.

Cleveland began a new era in 2022 (no longer the Indians, now the Guardians). Cleveland lost to the Cubs in the 2016 World Series (led 3-1, before losing the final three games) and followed with THREE more postseason appearances in the next four years (exception was in 2019 when the team won 93 games). However, Cleveland would go just 80-82 in 2021 and opened the current season looking for a return to the postseason. Meanwhile, the Angels are coming off a 77-85 season and the franchise's only World Series title came back in 2002. I'm sure it seems like even more than two decades ago to Angel fans, as the team has missed the postseason 11 times in the last 12 years (got swept 3-0 in a 2014 ALDS in its lone appearance in that span). The Angels feature not only Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon but also the defending American League MVP Shohei Ohtani. Trout and Rendon missed most of last season because of injuries, with Trout playing in just 36 games and Rendon in 58. Trout didn't play at all after May 17, while Rendon's last game was July 4. Ohtani hit 46 HRs with 100 RBI (also 26 SBs) plus went 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA, striking out 156 batters in 130.1 IP.

The 7-8 Guardians and 9-7 Angels open a four-game-game series in Anaheim on Monday. The starters for tonight will be Shane Bieber (1-0 with a 2.25 ERA in three starts) and Michael Lorenzen (1-1, 4.82 ERA in two starts). Bieber was a rookie in 2018 and in 2019 went 15-8 and was the All-Star Game's MVP. In the COVID-shortened 2020 season he went 8-1 in 12 starts (team was 10-2), leading the AL in wins, ERA (1.63) and Ks (122), while posting an 0.87 WHIP and .167 BAA. He won the AL's Cy Young award. Bieber missed a chunk of the 2021 season (7-4 with a 3.17 ERA but 134 Ks in 96.2 IP) with a strained throwing shoulder. He was expected to be back at full strength this season and that looks like the case. He is 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA in three starts (team is 2-1) with a 16-3 KW ratio and a 0.69 WHIP.

Lorenzen spent his previous six seasons as a reliever but the Angels decided to make him part of their starting rotation in 2022. He has had one good start and one not-so-good one. He held the Miami Marlins to one run in six innings in his first start on April 11 (to earn a 6-2 win) but last Monday he gave up four runs and was knocked out of the game after 3.1 innings against Houston (took an 8-3 loss). Lorenzen is 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA in eight career games against Cleveland, all relief appearances. Meanwhile, Bieber is 3-0 with a 2.08 ERA and 0.84 WHIP in three career starts vs the Angels starts. He's native of Orange County, Ca. (attended Laguna Hills High School).

Bieber vs Lorenzen gives Cleveland a BIG edge plus note that SIX of LA's nine wins have come against 5-10 Texas, 6-10 Baltimore and 7-8 Miami. The Guardians are the play.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* PERFECT STORM is on the Hou Astros at 8:05 ET.

The Astros remain the team everyone 'loves to hate.' Houston won the AL West last season with a 95-67 record, capturing the division for the FOURTH time in the last five years. Houston won the 2017 World Series (over the Yankees), lost the 2019 World Series (to the Nats) and then lost it again last season to the Braves. The Astros opened the current season winning FOUR of five but had gone 2-7 before salvaging the final contest of a three-game home series with the Blue Jays on Sunday (8-7 in 10 Innings). The 7-8 Astros remain in Texas but not in Houston, as they open a four-game series in Arlington against the Rangers. Texas appeared in back-to-back World Series in 2010 and 2011 (lost both) but continued to be competitive, making the playoffs in THREE of the next five seasons. However, it's been FIVE consecutive losing seasons for Texas since 2017, including the team losing 100-plus games in 2021 (60-102) for the first time since going 57-105 in 1973. The Rangers won the first two contests of their three-game series in Oakland against the A's but fell 2-0 on Sunday to fall to 5-10 on the season.

Dusty Baker tinkered with his lineup on Sunday (Jose Altuve on the 10-day injured list since the middle of last week) and the Astros scored eight runs on 11 hits, after scoring only a total of SEVEN runs during a four-game slide. Speaking of scoring runs, the Rangers are averaging 4.73 RPG (8th-best in MLB) but Texas has been an all-or-nothing team this season. Texas has scored eight or more runs five times this season, going 4-1. However, they are 10-8 when scoring six or less, and have been held to three or less EIGHT times! Framber Valdez (1-1, 4.50 ERA) starts for the Astros and Dane Dunning (0-1, 5.68 ERA) for the Rangers. Valdez took a shutout into the seventh inning of his first start of the season but has allowed seven runs on 10 hits and nine walks over his last two starts, both Houston losses. Dunning has lasted a total of just 12.2 innings in his three starts (team is 1-2) and owns a 1.89 WHIP and .321 BAA to go along with his 5.68 ERA.

Valdez has made five starts vs Texas in his career going 3-1 with a 3.33 ERA and 1.11 WHIP, including 2-0 against Texas last season, pitching 13 innings while allowing just three hits and two ERs (1.38 ERA). Dunning was just 5-10 with a 4.51 ERA and 1.44 WHIP as a rookie last season and in his only starts vs Houston, allowed seven hits and three walks in four Innings, allowing four ERs in a 6-5 loss.

I expect the Astros to do well in this series, as they finish the week with three games in Toronto vs the Blue Jays. However, first things FIRST. Houston takes Game 1 of this series tonight!

Good luck...Larry

My 8* Rivalry Game of the Month is on the LA Dodgers at 4:10 ET.

The San Diego Padres see the LA Dodgers as their No. 1 rival but for the Dodgers, it's the Giants, dating back to their days in New York. That said, the Dodgers can't deny that this is a rivalry and it's growing. The Dodgers have opened 10-4 (best record in MLB) and the Padres are not far behind at 10-6, after the teams split the first two contests of this three-game series. The Dodgers finished with a 12-7 record against the Padres in 2021, a year in which the Dodgers won 106 games and competed in the postseason for the NINTH consecutive season (longest active streak in MLB). As for the Padres, after ending a 13-year playoff drought in 2020 (37-23 in a COVID-shortened season), they finished 79-83 (27 games behind the Dodgers!).

The pitching matchup features a pair of lefties, who both had STRONG 2022 debuts. Kershaw worked seven perfect innings at Minnesota on April 13, while Manaea issued one walk with seven strikeouts in seven hitless innings at Arizona on April 8, However, due to the shortened spring training, neither pitcher was allowed to go for a piece of history. Kershaw was pulled after pitches and Manaea after 88. Kershaw got a "W" in his second as well, although he allowed four ERs in five innings. Manaea has made two starts since his Opening Day outing, lasting six innings in each (allowing just three ERs), losing to the Giants 2-1 in San Francisco but then beating the Reds 4-1 in San Diego.

The Dodgers come in averaging 5.14 RPG (3rd-best in MLB), while the Padres are struggling at the plate. Shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. remains until at least mid-June and the Padres had five starters hitting under .200 through 15 games. Last night's 3-2 win in 10 innings snapped a 10-game SD losing streak against LA. While Manaea has talent, he's yet to put together a full season, which is hardly the case with Kershaw. Manaea has made just three starts against LA (0-2 / team is 1-2), posting a 5.27 ERA and 1.68 WHIP. As for Kershaw, he's 23-9 in 44 career starts vs SD (Dodgers are 32-12), posting a 2.14 ERA and 0.97 WHIP. I'll also note that he owns a 10-4 record and a 1.88 ERA in 19 starts at Petco Park. How does one go against Kershaw and LA in this one?

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Weekend Wipeout is on the Oak A's at 4:07 ET.

The Texas Rangers appeared in back-to-back World Series in 2010 and 2011 (lost both) but continued to be competitive, making the playoffs in THREE of the next five seasons. However, it's been FIVE consecutive losing seasons for Texas since 2017, including the team losing 100-plus games in 2021 (60-102) for the first time since going 57-105 in 1973. The Oakland Athletics had a run of three straight playoff appearances snapped in 2021 with an 86-76 record. The two AL West rivals will complete a three-game series today in Oakland. Texas won Friday's game 8-1 and I had a HUGE play on the A's in Saturday's second game of the series. Here's part of what I wrote in my analysis.

The Rangers are averaging 5.31 RPG (2nd-best in MLB) but Texas has been an all-or-nothing team this season. The eight runs Friday gave them eight or more five times this season. They've gone 4-1 in those games. However, they are 0-8 when scoring six or less, and have been held to three or less six times. The Rangers will send left-hander Martin Perez (0-2, 6.75 ERA) to the mound, while the A's counter with Frankie Montas (2-1, 3.63 ERA). This marks Perez's 11th season and while he has three seasons of 10 wins plus had a career-best 13-12 record in 2017 (4.82 ERA and 1.54 WHIP), he remains a journeyman (career record of 63-71 with a 4.72 ERA and 1.46 WHIP). He has allowed six ERs in eight innings in losses to the Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Angels to open this season. Montas began his career in 2015 but last year was the first season he made more than 16 starts. He was 13-9 with a 3.37 ERA and 1.18 ERA in 32 starts. Montas was Oakland's Opening Dat-y Starter on April 8th in Philly. He pitched poorly in a 9-5 loss, allowing five ERs in five innings. However, he has won back-to-back starts, 4-2 at Tampa Bay and 5-1 at home to Baltimore. He's gone 12.1 innings in the two wins, allowing two ERs (1.46 ERA) on seven hits with a KW ratio of 11-2. I really 'LOVE' Montas here over Perez.

Well, the Rangers won 2-0. So much for that 0-8 record when scoring six runs or less. Montas was dominant before running into trouble in the eighth, permitting three hits, striking out eight and walking one. before giving up two runs in the 8th of a scoreless game. Four Rangers pitchers combined on a three-hitter. Starter Perez was sharp after a pair of rough outings, pitching six scoreless innings of two-hit ball. And so it goes. Spencer Howard was originally scheduled to be activated from the 10-day injured list to start Sunday but instead it will be Garrett Richards. He won 13 games (2014) and 15 games (2015) for the Angels but has done VERY little since. Oakland lefty Cole Irvin (1-1, 4.32 ERA) gets the nod for the A's and he was just 10-15 (4.24 ERA and 1.33 WHIP) in 32 starts (is 1st full season).

However, this pick has little to do with Irvin but rather I'm expecting (counting on) the Oakland bats to finally wake up against a Texas pitching staff that owns a 5.27 ERA (2nd-worst in MLB), after scoring just ONE run on FIVE hits on Friday and Saturday.

Good luck...Larry 

My 10* Las Vegas Insider is on the Hou Astros at 2:10 ET.

The Blue Jays finished just ONE game behind the Yankees for the AL's second wild-card spot in 2021 and many (most?) think Toronto is "the team to beat'' in the AL East in 2022. The Blue Jays are off to a 10-5 start, after taking the first two contests (4-3 and 3-2) of this three-game series in Houston. The Astros remain the team everyone 'loves to hate.' Houston won the AL West last season with a 95-67 record, capturing the division for the FOURTH time in the last five years. Houston won the 2017 World Series (over the Yankees), lost the 2019 World Series (to the Nats) and then lost it again last season to the Braves. The Astros opened the season winning FOUR of five but have gone 2-7 since. They look to avoid the home sweep here, as well as snapping a four-game losing streak.

Left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (0-1, 3.24 ERA) will start the series finale for the Blue Jays. He faced the Astros six times last season while pitching for the Seattle Mariners, going 1-3 with a 5.64 ERA. He is 1-5 with a 6.00 ERA and 1.56 WHIP in 11 career starts against Houston, his most against any opponent (teams are 4-7). Houston HAS to like its chances here. Right-hander Luis Garcia (1-0, 2.79 ERA) takes the mound for Houston, and he faced the Blue Jays once during his rookie season in 2021, allowing one run on three hits and two walks with eight strikeouts over six innings in a 6-3 road victory. He had a solid rookie season in 2021, going 11-8 with a 3.30 ERA and 1.17 WHIP. Houston has won each of his first two starts this season, with Garcia sporting a 0.93 WHIP and .171 BBA to go along with his 2.79 ERA. NO sweep here!

Good luck...Larry

My 10* 'Signature' LEGEND play is on the Oak A' at 4:10 ET.

The Texas Rangers appeared in back-to-back World Series in 2010 and 2011 (lost both) but continued to be competitive, making the playoffs in THREE of the next five seasons. However, it's been FIVE consecutive losing seasons for Texas since 2017, including the team losing 100-plus games in 2021 (60-102) for the first time since going 57-105 in 1973. The Oakland Athletics had a run of three straight playoff appearances snapped in 2021 with an 86-76 record. The two AL West rivals opened a three-game series last night in Oakland, with Texas winning 8-1. The Rangers moved to 4-9 with the win, while the A's fell to 8-7

The Rangers are averaging 5.31 RPG (2nd-best in MLB) but Texas has been an all-or-nothing team this season. The eight runs Friday gave them eight or more five times this season. They've gone 4-1 in those games. However, they are 0-8 when scoring six or less, and have been held to three or less six times. The Rangers will send left-hander Martin Perez (0-2, 6.75 ERA) to the mound, while the A's counter with Frankie Montas (2-1, 3.63 ERA). This marks Perez's 11th season and while he has three seasons of 10 wins plus had a career-best 13-12 record in 2017 (4.82 ERA and 1.54 WHIP), he remains a journeyman (career record of 63-71 with a 4.72 ERA and 1.46 WHIP). He has allowed six ERs in eight innings in losses to the Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Angels to open this season.

Montas began his career in 2015 but last year was the first season he made more than 16 starts. He was 13-9 with a 3.37 ERA and 1.18 ERA in 32 starts. Montas was Oakland's Opening Dat-y Starter on April 8th in Philly. He pitched poorly in a 9-5 loss, allowing five ERs in five innings. However, he has won back-to-back starts, 4-2 at Tampa Bay and 5-1 at home to Baltimore. He's gone 12.1 innings in the two wins, allowing two ERs (1.46 ERA) on seven hits with a KW ratio of 11-2. Really 'LOVE' Montas here over Perez, who can't expect much help from a bullpen that owns a 4.73 ERA (2nd-worst in MLB).

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Situational Stunner is on the Chi W Sox at 8:10 ET.

The White Sox ended an 11-year postseason drought in 2020 with a wild card appearance. They then ran away with the American League Central title last season with a 93-69 record, winning the division by 13 games. Chicago expected even more in 2022.The Twins, who won World Series titles back in 1987 and 1991, entered last season off back-to-back years of winning the AL Central but IMPLODED in 2021, finishing 73-89, 20 games behind the division-winning White Sox! Chicago opened 6-2 but visits Minnesota for this three-game series on a four-game slide, As for the Twins, they a have started 5-8.

Chicago right-hander Michael Kopech (0-0, 1.00 ERA) is scheduled to make his third start of the season, while the Twins counter with right-hander Bailey Ober (1-1, 3.27 ERA), who also is set to make his third start of 2022. Kopech allowed one run in four innings against the Detroit Tigers in his season debut April 10, and he followed that by allowing one run, which was unearned, in five innings against the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday. Ober earned a victory in his first outing despite allowing four runs in five innings against the Seattle Mariners on April 10. He then took the loss in his second start despite giving up only two runs (both unearned) in six innings against the Boston Red Sox on Sunday.

Kopech has made five career appearances (one start) against the Twins, going 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA and because of his injury history, he's on an early-season pitch count. Ober is 1-1 with a 4.76 ERA in five career starts vs the White Sox (teams are 3-2). It's a small sample size but one has to be impressed with Kopech so far, as opponents have managed only three hits in nine innings for a .107 average (3-for-28). More notably, the White Sox won the 2021 season series 13-6 and outscored Minnesota 123-71. The Twins posted a 1-0 win over the Kansas City Royals on Thursday and are looking to record back-to-back wins for only the second time this season. That AIN'T happening here, as the White Sox snap their four-game skid.

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Las Vegas Insider is on the TB Rays at 7:10 ET.

The Red Sox have won four World Series titles since 2004. Boston struggled to a 24-36 record in the 2020 season but surprised most by going 92-70 and reaching the ALCS before losing 4-2 to the Astros. The Tampa Bay Rays entered the current season off three straight postseason appearances, winning the AL East in both 2020 and 2021. We are 15 days into the current season with Boston checking in at 6-7 and Tampa Bay at 7-6. Toronto leads the AL East at 8-5 and the Yankees are tied with the Rays at 7-3. The Red Sox and Rays meet for the first time in 2022, with a three-game series which starts Friday night in St. Petersburg, Fl. Michael Wacha (0-0, 0.96 ERA) will make his third start of the year for the Red Sox, while Corey Kluber (0-0, 1.86 ERA) will do the same for the Rays.

Wacha made a big 'SPLASH' for the Cards back in 2013 as a rookie and then went 17-7 in 2015. However, from 2016-2021 he's gone just 37-34, while battling injuries. Corey Kluber won 18 games three times and 20 games once for the Indians from 2013 thru 2018, capturing an AL Cy Young award in 2014 and 201=8. However, arm problems have limited him to just 24 starts from 2019-2021 (he was 7-6 with a 4.40 ERA). However, both have looked sharp in their first two starts this season (see above). That said, while Klueber is 4-4 with a 3.91 ERA in 11 career starts against Boston (teams are 6-5), Wacha has lost all three of his starts against the Rays, posting an 8.16 ERA and 1,75 WHIP. The Rays have been an excellent home team these last three playoff seasons, going 120-71 (.628) and I'll back them here with Kluber looking as if he's fully recovered.

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Oddsmaker's Error is on the Mil Brewers at 7:05 ET.

The Milwaukee Brewers opened 2022 as favorites to win the NL Central, having made the playoffs in each of the last four years. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Phillies opened the season having failed to make the playoffs in each of the last 10 years! Even with Christian Yelich off to a slow start (.195 BA with one HR after the opening two weeks, the 8-5 Brewers will look for their fifth consecutive victory when they open a three-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday. Philadelphia is 5-8 and already in last-place in the NL East, 4 1/2-game behind after playing only 13 games.

The Brewers will hand the ball to Freddy Peralta (0-1, 11.57 ERA), while the Phillies counter with Ranger Suarez (1-0, 5.87 ERA). Short and sweet. No reason to give up on Peralta after two bad outings, as he was 10-5 with a 2.81 ERA and 0.97 WHIP (195-56 KW ratio) last season in 27 starts (Brewers were 18-9). Suarez has been with the Phillies since 2018 and has been used mostly in relief, as entered this season with just 15 starts in his 83 appearances. He's made two starts in 2022, lasting only 7.2 innings, while allowing five ERs in 11 hits for a 5.87 ERA and 1.96 WHIP. He shouldn't last long and bullpen help should NOT be expected, as Philadelphia's  4.97 bullpen ERA is the second-worst in MLB. Milwaukee gets that FIFTH straight win at a 'bargain price!'

Good luck...Larry

Larry's 9* Late Show play is on the Sea Mariners at 9:40 ET.

The Texas Rangers appeared in back-to-back World Series in 2010 and 2011 (lost both) but continued to be competitive, making the playoffs in THREE of the next five seasons. However, it's been FIVE consecutive losing seasons for Texas since 2017, including the team losing 100-plus games in 2021 (60-102) for the first time since going 57-105 in 1973. Seattle finished second in the American League West with a 90-72 record in 2021, just two games out of a wild-card berth. That extended Seattle's postseason drought to 20 years, as the Mariners last made the playoffs back in 2001, when the team won 116 games, tying a MLB record for most wins in a single season. The Rangers and Mariners complete a three-game series tonight in Seattle, with the Mariners having won the first two by scores of 6-2 and 4-2. Texas is now 2-9 to open the season, while Seattle has moved to 7-5.

Taylor Hearn (0-1, 4.70 ERA) will start the series finale for the Rangers, while Marco Gonzales (1-1, 3.00 ERA) gets the nod for the Mariners. Hearn made 42 appearances (11 starts) for Texas last season, going 6-6 with a 4.66 ERA. This marks his 3rd start of 2022 (Rangers have lost the first two). He is 0-3 with a 6.20 ERA in 12 career appearances against Seattle, including three starts (6.00 ERA and 1.78 WHIP in those starts). Gonzales allowed three HRs and six runs (just two ERs) in his 2022 debut but was sharp in his second start, allowing one run on four hits over seven innings in an 11-1 victory against Houston last Friday. Gonzales has gone 46-30 since 2018 and in the last two seasons has gone 17-8. Seattle is 22-14 in his 22 starts, giving him a moneyline record of +$1,067. He has made 16 career starts (team is 8-8) against Texas (8-6 with a 3.64 ERA and 1.15 WHIP).

Both Ray (6 IP / 2 runs) and Gilbert (6.2 IP / 0 runs) have held the Texas bats in check the first two games, as the Mariners have won FIVE of their last six games, while the Rangers have lost FIVE straight. Gonzales should handle the Texas bats again tonight, so why won't Seattle complete the three-game sweep. After all, the Rangers have lost SEVEN straight to the Mariners and 18 of their past 20 in Seattle!

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Situational Stunner is on the Mia Marlins at 6:40 ET.

The Marlins joined the National League in 1993 and entering the COVID-shortened season of 2020, had made the [postseason just TWICE. However, the Marlins would capture the World Series each time, in 1997 over the Indians and in 2003 over the Yankees. The Marlins overcame all sorts of team COVID issues to end a 16-year postseason drought in 2020 but the 2021 team finished 67-95. The St Louis Cardinals have a LONG history of winning and have been a playoff team in 15 of the 21 seasons this century (won World Series titles in 2006 and 2011). The Cards and Marlins opened a three-game series in Miami on Tuesday, with St Louis winning the first two by scores of 5-1 and 2-0. The 7-3 Cards go for a series sweep in Miami on Thursday against the 4-7 Marlins with the starting pitchers expected to be Jordan Hicks (1-0, 0.00 ERA and Pablo Lopez (1-0, 0.87 ERA).

Like St Louis has done many times before with its pitching staff, the Cards are turning Hicks from reliever to starter. He has made 114 major-league relief appearances but ZERO starts. Hicks has 20 major-league saves and a 3.52 career ERA. He opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID concerns and lasted just 10 innings in 2021 before an elbow injury ended his season in early May. Hicks has pitched twice in relief for a total of four innings in 2022, but StL manager Oliver Marmol feels this is the right time to put him into the rotation. Miami's bats have been stifled by Wainwright (5.2 IP / 5 hits / 1 ER) and Mikolas (5 scoreless innings / 4 hits) but let's see how they fare here against someone making his first major league start.

Hicks draws a tough mound opponent in Miami's Lopez, who has grown the previous two seasons. In 31 starts, he's allowed 139 hits in 160 innings with a 174-44 KW ratio and a 3.26 ERA. He's been excellent in his two starts this season, both Miami wins. He's pitched 10.1 innings, allowing just one ER on seven hits with an 8-3 KW ratio. His ERA is 0.87 and his WHIP is 0.97. He's made two career starts against the Cards (Marlins are 0-2) but he's allowed a modest four ERs on seven hits with an 11-3 KW ratio (2.563 ERA and 0.73 WHIP). Miami avoids the home sweep behind the pitching of Lopez.

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Getaway Day of the Week is on the Oak A's at 3:35 ET.

The Baltimore Orioles began the 2022 season on a streak of FIVE straight losing campaigns, having lost 100-plus games in THREE of the four full seasons. The Oakland Athletics had a run of three straight playoff appearances in 2021 with an 86-76 record. The teams began a four-game series in Oakland on Monday, with the A's winning the first two (5-1 and 2-1) but the Orioles earned a 1-0 victory on Wednesday. Wednesday's win was Baltimore's first on the road this season (1-5) and one should take note that Baltimore has scored just one run in all THREE games of this series. The Orioles are averaging 2.00 RPG, LAST in all of MLB. The 2022 A's won't remind anyone of the Canseco and McGwire teams but they are averaging 4.62 PPG (ranks 8th).

Right-handers Tyler Wells (0-1, 6.35 ERA) of the Orioles and Paul Blackburn (1-0, 1.80 ERA) of the A's are the expected starters. Wells made 44 appearances last season (zero starts), going 2-3 with a 4.11 ERA. He made two starts in 2022, lasting only 5.2 IP with a 6.35 ERA and 1.76 WHIP (Orioles are 0-2). Blackburn has been around since 2017 but entered the current season with a modest 30 appearances (27 starts). He's opened this season with two solid outings, allowing just two ERs over 10 innings (1.80 ERA) with a 10-1 KW ratio (0.90 WHIP). Blackburn won't remind anyone of Dave Stewart but he should have little trouble with this 'punch-less' Orioles team.

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Las Vegas Insider is on the TB Rays at 7:40 ET.

The Tampa Bay Rays entered the current season off three straight postseason appearances (the team has won the AL East in both 2020 and 20210). Meanwhile, here's how one preseason magazine summed up the Cubs' situation heading into 2022. "Highly successful early in the 20th century, followed by 100 years of mediocrity, then a six-year burst of winning and now back into the abyss." The Rays and Cubs play the "rubber match" of their three-game series tonight at Wrigley. The Cubs won 4-2 on Monday but Tampa Bay rebounded to win 6-5 last night. The 6-6 Rays will send Drew Rasmussen (0-1, 5.00 ERA) to the mound, while the 6-5 Cubs counter with Marcus Stroman (0-1, 6.00 ERA).

Rasmussen was not credited with the win in his first start of 2022 (Rays beat the Orioles 5-3 back on April 9) but he kept his record perfect at 3-0 with a 2.15 ERA in 11 career starts, extending his run without a loss to the 15th-longest in major-league history. That streak ended last Friday in Chicago, as the White Sox won 3-2. Rasmussen did not pitch all that poorly, allowing three ERs in five innings. This will be his first start vs the Cubs. The Cubs are counting on Stroman this season and he pitched well in his Chicago debut on April 10, allowing just one run on two hits against Milwaukee (took a no-decision in a 5-4 Brewers win). He did NOT fare well last Friday at Coors Field, allowing five ERs in four innings in which he took the loss in a 6-5 Colorado win. Stroman has a lengthy history against the Rays, but it isn't a good one. He's 5-7 with a 4.57 ERA and 1.41 WHIP in 15 starts (teams are 7-8).

A "W" would allow the Rays to finish 3-3 on a trip that started with three games against the White Sox. More importantly, since opening the season on April 8, the Rays have not had a day off. They will get one Thursday and another Monday sandwiched, around a three-game home series against the Boston Red Sox. The Rays are just a better team than the Cubs in every aspect of the game and I say, Cubs Lose! Cubs Lose!

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Game of the Week is on the Sea Mariners at 9:40 ET.

The Texas Rangers appeared in back-to-back World Series in 2010 and 2011 (lost both) but continued to be competitive, making the playoffs in THREE of the next five seasons. However, it's been FIVE consecutive losing seasons for Texas since 2017, including the team losing 100-plus games in 2021 (60-102) for the first time since going 57-105 in 1973. Seattle finished second in the American League West with a 90-72 record in 2021, just two games out of a wild-card berth. That extended Seattle's postseason drought to 20 years, as the Mariners last made the playoffs back in 2001, when the team won 116 games, tying a MLB record for most wins in a single season. Texas has opened the current season 2-7 and after a Monday "off day," will open a three-game series Tuesday night in Seattle against the Mariners, who have started 5-5.

Texas can score (5.44 RPG ranks 2nd) but its pitching staff owns a MLB-worst 6.19 ERA (starters' ERA is 6.96). Jon Gray (0-0, 6.75 ERA) will take the mound for Texas and Seattle will counter with Robbie Ray (1-1, 4.73 ERA). Gray spent his first seven seasons with Colorado and from 2016-19, reached double digits in wins. However, in 2020 and 2021, he was 10-16 with a 5.03 ERA. Gray signed as a free agent in the offseason and started on Opening Day in Toronto for the Rangers. He retired the side in order in the first three innings but ran into trouble in his fourth and final inning, giving up three runs. He was placed on the 10-day injured list after that game because of a blister on his right middle finger and makes his return here. Seattle signed reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray (13-7 with a 2.84 ERA in 32 starts in 2021) away from the Toronto Blue Jays to a five-year, $115 million contract in the off season. Ray triumphed in his Opening Day start, limiting host Minnesota to one run on three hits in seven innings but he took the loss last Wednesday at Chicago, giving up six runs in 6.1 innings to the White Sox in a game delayed by rain.

Looking a little closer, FOUR of those runs came in the second inning during a downpour. "It was a little muddy. It wasn't the greatest conditions," Ray said. "But we're professionals and I'm not wanting to make excuses. After that second inning, I told myself, ‘Get as deep as you can into this ballgame and just don't crush the bullpen. The Mariners pulled within a run before losing 6-4. "Robbie really competed his tail off," Mariners manager Scott Servais said. "He really settled down to give us a chance to get back into the game." I have to like Ray (and Seattle) over Gray (and Texas) in this one!

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Weekly Wipeout is on the StL Cardinals at 6:40 ET.

The Marlins joined the National League in 1993 and entering the COVID-shortened season of 2020, had made the [postseason just TWICE. However, the Marlins would capture the World Series each time, in 1997 over the Indians and in 2003 over the Yankees. The Marlins overcame all sorts of team COVID issues to end a 16-year postseason drought in 2020 but the 2021 team finished 67-95. The St Louis Cardinals have a LONG history of winning and have been a playoff team in 15 of the 21 seasons this century (won World Series titles in 2006 and 2011). The Cards are 5-3 and will open a three-game series tonight in Miami against the 4-5 Marlins.

The Cardinals will hand the ball to 40-year-old right-hander Adam Wainwright (1-1, 3.48 ERA), while Miami counters with lefty Jesus Luzardo (0-0, 1.80 ERA) who has just 25 career starts (9-11 with an ERA of 5.25 and WHIP of 1.40). Wainwright went 17-7 with a 3.05 ERA last year and received Cy Young Award votes for the fifth time in his career, finishing seventh in voting. He finished 3rd in 2009, 2nd in 2010, 2nd in 2013 and 3rd in 2014. Wainwright is 6-2 with a 3.08 ERA in 14 career appearances (12 stars / team is 9-3). He was terrific in 2021 and like the "Energizer Bunny," keeps on going. As for Luzardo, he is coming off a career-high 12-strikeout performance last Tuesday of a no-decision against the Los Angeles Angels, allowing two hits, one walk and one run. However, we saw NONE of that last season, as he struggled with the Oakland A's and Marlins, combining for a 6-9 record and a career-worst 6.61 ERA. Blowout Alert on the Cards!

Good luck...Larry

The 3rd pick of my STP is a 9* on the Hou Astors at 4:10 ET.

The Houston Astros remains the team everyone "loves to hate." Houston won the AL West last season with a 95-67 record, capturing the division for the FOURTH time in the last five years. Houston won the 2017 World Series (over the Yankees), lost the 2019 World Series (to the Nats) and then lost it again last season to the Braves. Seattle finished second in the American League West last season with a 90-72 record, just two games out of a wild-card berth. That extended Seattle's postseason drought to 20 years, as the Mariners last made the playoffs back in 2001, when the team won 116 games, tying a MLB record for most wins in a single season.

The teams opened a three-game series Friday, with Seattle crushing the Astros 11-1 but then Houston responded Saturday with a 4-0 win, as Justin Verlander pitched three-hit ball over eight innings for his first win since July 2020. The rubber match is Sunday, as Jose Urquidy (1-0, 1.80 ERA) takes on Matt Brash (0-1, 3.38 ERA). Urquidy made his 2022 debut last Sunday, earning a win by allowing one ER (over 5 IP) in Houston's 4-1 victory over the Angels. Brass was charged with the loss Tuesday against the White Sox after allowing two runs on four hits with six strikeouts and one walk across 5.1 innings. It was not just his 2022 debut, but his MLB debut as well. He skipped the Triple-A level and earned a spot in Seattle's 2022 rotation.

It was a promising effort from the 23-year-old but he'll be tested again here, vs the defending AL champs. This is just Urquidy's 4th season but he's already played in three consecutive postseasons. He made 20 starts for Houston in 2021, going 8-3 with a 3.62 ERA (Astros went 14-6 in his starts). Looking more closely, he allowed just 87 hits in 107 IP with a 90-19 K/W ratio (finished with an 0.99 WHIP). Take the Astros to win on Sunday.

Good luck...Larry

The 2nd play of my STP is a 9* on the Cle Indians at 1:40 ET.

The Giants' franchise has been around since the late 1880s and has a rich history. Jumping ahead to this century, the Giants won THREE World Series titles in a five-year span from 2012 through 2014 (won in 2012, 2014 and 2016) but entered the 2021 season off four straight losing years. However, the Giants surprised all by going a MLB-best 107-55 and ending the Dodgers' streak of EIGHT consecutive NL West titles, although they lost 3-2 to the Dodgers in the NLDS. Cleveland began a new era in 2022 (no longer the Indians, now the Guardians). Cleveland lost to the Cubs in the 2016 World Series (led 3-1, before losing the final three games) and followed with THREE more postseason appearances in the next four years (exception was in 2019 when the team won 93 games). However, Cleveland would go just 80-82 in 2021 and looks for a bounce-back season in 2022.

The Giants and Guardians began a three-game series in Cleveland on Friday. Both teams opened 4-2 in 2022 but the Giants played their first six games at home, while the Guardians played theirs on the road. Home has NOT been where the heart is for Cleveland so far, as the Giants go for a series sweep on Sunday, after winning 4-1 and 4-2. San Francisco now owns a four-game winning streak to reach 6-2, while 4-4 Cleveland is looking to avoid a home sweep and get back over .500. Wood (0-0, 4.15 ERA) for San Francisco and Civale (0-0, 5.40 ERA) for Cleveland, will each be making their second starts of the current season. Both pitched this past Monday and each allowed two ERs. Both got no-decisions, as Wood pitched 4.1 innings of a 4-2 loss and Civale just 3.1 innings but in a 10-7 Cleveland win.

This is Wood's 11th big league season and enters with a career record of 63-48 (3.50 ERA). However, I'm no fan. Take away his 16-3 season for the 2017 Dodgers, and you have a pitcher with a LT record of 47-45. Meanwhile, after going 7-10 in 22 starts for Cleveland in parts of 2019 and 2020, Civale made 21 starts for Cleveland in 2021, going 12-5 with a 3.84 ERA and 1.12 WHIP in 21 starts. The team was 14-7 in his starts, giving him a moneyline record of +$681 (15th among all starters). NO sweep here.

Good luck...Larry

The 1st pick of my STP is a 9* on the Was Nats at 1:35 ET.

The Washington Nationals went 65-97 last season (last in the NL East) and the Pittsburgh Pirates finished 61-101, finishing last in the NL Central. The Nats and Pirates conclude a four-game on Sunday, with the Nat looking to salvage a 2-2 split, after Pittsburgh won 6-4 on Saturday (Pirates won 9-4 on Thursday, with the Nats winning 7-2 on Friday). Washington enters 4-6 and Pittsburgh 4-4 (neither are expected to be playoff teams).

The left-handed Patrick Corbin (1-0, 10.80 ERA) gets the start for Washington and Jose Quintana (0-1, 1.69 ERA) will start for Pittsburgh. Corbin lasted just 2.2 innings in a 16-4 loss to the Atlanta Braves last Tuesday, allowing six runs on nine hits with three walks. "I thought command was OK - just looking back on some things. Maybe pitch selection could be something," said Corbin. "But I feel pretty good. I don't know; I'll have to maybe look at this again. I'm not quite sure." Corbin is looking to bounce back from a dismal 2021 season, when he posted a 5.82 ERA in going 9-16 (he also allowed the most HRs in the National League). The left-handed Jose Quintana (0-1, 1.69 ERA) made a strong first impression with his new team last Tuesday. He joined the Pirates as a free agent in November, after going 0-3 with a 6.43 ERA in 29 appearances (10 starts) with the Los Angeles Angels and San Francisco Giants last season. Quintana allowed one run over 5.1 innings in a 2-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs in his one previous start of 2022.

Corbin is BETTER that he's shown so far plus he has enjoyed success against Pittsburgh in recent years. Corbin has made 10 starts (teams are 7-3) vs the Pirates going 4-2 with a 2.99 ERA and 1.06 WHIP. He owns a 0.96 ERA in his last five starts against the Pirates dating to 2018. Both starters have had a few good seasons but have done little lately. Corbin is NOWHERE-near as bad as he's looked in his first two starts and his recent success against the Pirates should bring out his best. Go Nats!

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Division Game of the Month (NL Central) is on the Mil Brewers at 7:10 ET.

The Milwaukee Brewers opened the 2022 as favorites to win the NL Central, having made the playoffs in each of the last four years. However, the St Louis Cardinals are not exactly "also-rans," as they've been a playoff team in 15 of the 21 seasons this century (won World Series titles in 2006 and 2011). The Brewers held on to win the NL Central title last season by going 95-67, while the Cards' late season surge gave them a wild card spot at 90-72. The Brewers won 5-1 on Thursday but the Cards pounded out 14 hits in Friday's 10-1 win. St Louis has dealt with some bad weather and are 4-2, while the Brewers check in at 4-4.

Steven Matz gets the nod for the Cards, making the second start of 2022 for his new team. He never fulfilled his promise as a Met but went 14-7 (3.82 ERA) with Toronto last season in 29 starts. His first start for the Cards came last Sunday, when he lasted just three innings while allowing nine hits and seven ERs! Adrian Houser will start here for the Brewers, coming off a 10-6 (3.22 ERA) season in 2021 (26 starts). He made his 2022 debut Monday at Baltimore, allowing two ERs on four hits over 3.2 innings of a 2-0 Orioles win. Matz has made six starts vs the Brewers, going 4-2 with a 3.41 ERA and Houser has eight career starts vs the Cards, posting a 2,55 ERA (he's 4-2 but the team 4-4).

While Matz went 14-7 for Toronto last season, the Jays were only 15-14 in his starts. In contrast, the Brewers were a money-making 18-8 (+$793 / 11th-best among starters) in his 26 starts. Expect Houser to 'cool off' the St Louis bats and for the Brewers to get to Matz, just like the Pirates.

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Las Vegas Insider is on the Bos Red Sox at 4:10 ET.

The Red Sox have won four World Series titles since 2004. Boston struggled to a 24-36 record in the 2020 season but surprised most by going 92-70 and reaching the ALCS before closing 4-2 to the Astros. The Twins, who won World Series titles back in 1987 and 1991, entered last season off back-to-back years of winning the AL Central but IMPLODED in 2021, finishing 73-89, 20 games behind the division-winning White Sox! The teams meet tonight in Fenway (second contest of a four-game series) with each looking to get to .500 on the season. The Twins won Friday's series opener 8-4, getting them to 3-4, while the Red Sox fell back to 3-4 with the loss. Sonny Gray (0-0, 3.86 ERA) gets the nod for the Twins, while Tanner Houck (0-0, 8.10 ERA) takes the mound for the Red Sox.

Gray took a no-decision after allowing two runs on four hits and striking out four in 4.2 innings on April 9 in a 4-3 loss against the Seattle Mariners. This is Gray's first season with Minnesota, and he has struggled in his career against Boston, going 1-6 with a 6.98 ERA and 1.50 WHIP in eight career starts (teams are 2-6). Houck is coming off a 1-5 season in 2021 (3.52 ERA and 1.13 WHIP), making 18 appearances, including 13 starts (Red Sox were 7-6). He started against the NYY last Sunday in the season debut of Sunday Night Baseball and allowed six hits and three ERs in 3.1 innings of a game Boston would win 4-3.

Gray won 14 games in 2014 and 2015 for the A's but now, in his 11th season, his career record outside of those back-to-back 14-win seasons is just 54-55. He has just NEVER lived up to expectations. Houck's in the rotation with seven-time All-Star Chris Sale recovering from a right rib stress fracture and while his first start of 2022 was no bargain, I'll back him and the Red Sox. Boston has now lost the opening game in each of its first three series but that means the Red Sox are 3-1 in their other four games. The Fenway faithful get rewarded with a "W" in this one.

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Daytime Dominator is on the TB Rays at 2:10 ET.

The Tampa Bay Rays entered the current season off three straight postseason appearances (the team has won the AL East in both 2020 and 20210). The Rays opened the current season 4-3 and starting last night, will be in Chicago for six days, playing the White Sox (Fri-Sun) and the Cubs (Mon-Wed). The White Sox ended an 11-year postseason drought in 2020 with a wild card appearance. Chicago then ran away with the American League Central title last season with a 93-69 record, winning the division by 13 games. Chicago opened its season 4-2 and improved to 5-2 with a 3-2 win last night in the first contest of this three-game series with Tampa Bays (Rays fell to 4-4 with the loss).

I had Chicago last night (as part of my winning STP) but will jump on the Rays in this one, with Corey Kluber (0-0, 0.00 ERA) facing off against Michael Kopech (0-0, 2.25 ERA). Kluber' has battled arm issues the last few seasons but looks to be healthy now. He won 18 games (three times) and 20 (once) in a five-year span from 2104 through 2018. He won the AL Cy Young in both 2014 and 2018. He's 103-61 with 3.18 ERA in his career. In contrast, Kopech has made only 49 big league appearances (just nine starts). Both pitchers look good in their first starts of 2022, as Kluber was one out away from a win (4.2 IP) in an 8-0 Tampa Bay victory over Baltimore, while Kopech allowed just two hits and one run in four innings of a 10-1 Chicago win in Detroit.

Here's the clincher. Kluber has made 25 career appearances against Chicago, 24 of them starts, going 13-5 with a 2.96 ERA. He has a 6-2 record with a 2.68 ERA in 11 games at Chicago's Guaranteed Rate Field. Kluber has allowed three or fewer runs 17 times in his 24 starts vs the White Sox, two or fewer runs 14 times and one or none 10 times. Good enough for me!

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Oddsmaker's Error is on the Hou Astros at 9:42 ET.

The Houston Astros remain the team everyone "loves to hate." Houston won the AL West last season with a 95-67 record, capturing the division for the FOURTH time in the last five years. Houston won the 2017 World Series (over the Yankees), lost the 2019 World Series (to the Nats) and then lost it again last season to the Braves. Seattle finished second in the American League West last season with a 90-72 record, just two games out of a wild-card berth. That extended Seattle's postseason drought to 20 years, as the Mariners last made the playoffs back in 2001, when the team won 116 games, tying a MLB record for most wins in a single season.

Houston took three of four in its opening series against the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, before splitting two games against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix. The Astros had Thursday off and will wrap up their season-opening, nine-game trip with the three-game set in Seattle. The Mariners opened the season with a pair of one-run wins in Minnesota but Thursday afternoon's 5-1 victory over the host Chicago White Sox snapped a FOUR-game losing streak. It's Seattle home opener and the Marines will send Marco Gonzales (0-1, 9.00 ERA) to the mound, opposed by Houston's Jake Odorizzi (0-0, 4.50 ERA).

Odorizzi showed some promise back with Tampa Bay (2013-17) but he has had just ONE winning season since leaving the Rays and that was in 2019 (15-7 with a 3.51 ERA with the Twins). He was 6-7 with a 4.21 ERA with Houston last season and yielded two runs in four innings during a no-decision against the Angels on April 8 (Astros won 13-6). After Seattle added reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray during the offseason, Gonzales' streak of three consecutive Opening Day starts came to an end. His 2022 season got off to a rocky start on Sunday in Minnesota, when he allowed five first-inning runs -- including a leadoff homer by Byron Buxton and a grand slam by Gary Sanchez -- in a 10-4 loss to the Twins.

Odorizzi remains a little bit of an enigma but he's facing a Seattle team batting .192, while averaging just 3.00 RPG (both numbers rank 28th) plus Houston's bullpen ERA is 1.75. Gonzales has been a money-maker in recent seasons but his first effort of 2022 was a 'nightmare,' as is his lifetime record against the Astros. He's made nine career starts against Houston, going 1-6 with a 5.02 ERA (Seattle is 1-8).

Good luck...Larry

The 2nd pick of my STP is an 8* on the Chi White Sox at 7:10 ET.

The Tampa Bay Rays entered the current season off three straight postseason appearances (the team has won the AL East in both 2020 and 20210). The Rays have opened the current season 4-3 and will visit Chicago over the next six days, playing the White Sox Friday-Sunday and then the Cubs, Monday-Wednesday. The White Sox ended an 11-year postseason drought in 2020 with a wild card appearance. The White Sox then ran away with the American League Central title last season with a 93-69 record, winning the division by 13 games. Chicago is 4-2 to open the 2022 season. The starting pitchers for this series opener will be Drew Rasmussen (0-0, 4.50 ERA) of Tampa Bay, opposed by Chicago's Dylan Cease (1-0, 1.80 ERA).

Rasmussen was not credited with the win in a 5-3 home triumph over the Orioles last Saturday, after allowing two runs and three hits in four innings. Nonetheless, he kept his record perfect at 3-0 with a 2.15 ERA in 11 career starts, extending his run without a loss to the 15th-longest in major-league history. FYI...The all-time record of 22 was set by Whitey Ford bridging the 1950-53 seasons, and was later tied by Kirk Reuter in 1993-94. Dylan Cease is coming off a 5-2 win in his season debut at Detroit, allowing just two hits and one ER over five innings with eight Ks.

Rasmussen overcame two Tommy John surgeries to secure a spot in the Rays' starting rotation late last season and it is unknown (at least IMO) how his season will play out. As for Cease, he had a breakout season in 2021, going 13-7 with a 3.91 ERA. The Rays and White Sox are two of the AL's best teams but in this early-season series, I favor Chicago. This is Tampa Bay's first road game of 2022 and will face a Chicago team that owned the AL's best home record in 20221 at 53-28. I like what I've seen of Chicago so far, as the White Sox are averaging 4.83 RPG, while the team's ERA is 3.02. Both stats rank 8th in MLB. The play is Chicago.

Good luck...Larry

The 3rd pick of my STP is an 8* on the Cle Guardians at 7:10 

The Giants' franchise has been around since the late 1880s and has a rich history. Jumping ahead to this century, the Giants won THREE World Series titles in a five-year span from 2012 through 2014 (won in 2012, 2014 and 2016) but entered the 2021 season off four straight losing years. However, the Giants surprised all by going a MLB-best 107-55 and ending the Dodgers' streak of EIGHT consecutive NL West titles, although they lost 3-2 to the Dodgers in the NLDS. Cleveland began a new era in 2022 (no longer the Indians, now the Guardians). Cleveland lost to the Cubs in the 2016 World Series (led 3-1, before losing the final three games) and followed with THREE more postseason appearances in the next four years (exception was in 2019 when the team won 93 games). However, Cleveland would go just 80-82 in 2021 and looks for a bounce-back season in 2022.

Both teams have opened 4-2 in 2022 but the Giants played their first six games at home, while the Guardians played theirs on the road. Carlos Rodon (0-0, 1.80 ERA) will get the nod for the Giants, while Zach Plesac (0-0, 0.00 ERA) starts for Cleveland in the team's home-opener of 2022. Rodon has a 7-4 record with a 2.81 ERA in 18 career starts against Cleveland, while Plesac has yet to face San Francisco in his four big-league seasons. Rodon left the White Sox in free agency after seven seasons to join the Giants on a two-year, $44 million deal. He received a no-decision in the Giants' 2-1 loss to the Miami Marlins last Saturday, but he allowed just one run on three hits while striking out 12 in five innings! Plesac didn't get a decision in his season debut on Saturday, despite pitching 5.1 innings of shutout ball on the road at KC (Royals would win 1-0 in 10 innings).

The Indians struggled at the plate in 2021 but after opening 0-2 against the Twins (one run scored on 12 hits), the Guardians took the final two games of its series with Minnesota and then swept its two-game Ohio Cup series at Cincinnati. In winning FOUR in a row, the Indians are averaging 11.0 RPG. I'm "all over" the Guardians as a home dog. Bow-Wow!

Good luck...Larry

The 1st pick of my STP is a 9* on the Was Nationals at 6:35 ET.

The Washington Nationals went 65-97 last season (last in the NL East) and the Pittsburgh Pirates finished 61-101, finishing last in the NL Central. The Nats are in Pittsburgh for a four-game series which began last night. Both teams had struggled at the plate, with Washington averaging 3.71 RPG (20th) and the Pirates averaging 3.60 (21st). However, I used a free play on the OVER (9), noting that both teams have had pitching struggles, as Washington's team ERA was 5.37 (28th) and Pittsburgh's 4.81 (24th). The Pirates won 9-4, evening their record at 3-3, while the Nats fell to 3-4. Washington will send right-hander Erick Fedde (0-0, 3.60 ERA) to the mound, while Pittsburgh will counter with Mitch Keller (0-1, 9.00 ERA).

This is hardly a classic pitching matchup but Fedde turned in a solid season debut against the New York Mets on Sunday. He allowed two ERs on five hits over five innings (also 5 Ks), as he took a no-decision in Washington's 4-2 win. "I think I had all four pitches going," Fedde said. "The cutter up was probably my best pitch. I think being able to mix throughout the whole game was what did it for me." As for Keller, he took the loss in his season debut on Saturday, allowing four runs on six hits over four innings, as the Cards beat the Pirates 6-2. Fedde is making his first career appearance against Pittsburgh and solidified his spot in the rotation after tossing 9.1 scoreless innings in spring training. Keller has never faced the Nationals but here's the 'catch!' He's 2-10 in 22 career starts at PNC Park. The Pirates won Thursday but it's Washington's turn on Friday.

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Las Vegas Insider is on the NY Yankees at 7:05 ET.

The Blue Jays finished just ONE game behind the Yankees for the AL's second wild-card spot in 2021 and many (most?) think Toronto is "the team to beat'' in the AL East in 2022. The Blue Jays scored 20 runs (had seven HRs) in their season-opening three-game series with the Orioles but failed to complete a 3-0 sweep on Sunday when they blew a 5-run lead in a 12-6 loss. Monday marked the start of a stretch where 20 of the next 23 games would come against the Yankees, Astros and Red Sox, whom the Blue Jays were 22-22 against last season. The Yankees began the season with a three-game home series with the Red Sox, winning 6-5 (11 inn.) on Friday and 4-2 on Saturday, before losing 4-3 in the 2022 debut of Sunday Night baseball.

Toronto took Monday's game 3-0 and the Yankees returned the favor with a 4-0 shutout win on Tuesday. Last night, the Jays rode Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s three-HR game to a 6-4 win. The two AL East rivals will complete the four-game series tonight, as Toronto looks to improve to 11-3 in its past 14 visits to Yankee Stadium, while New York hopes to gain a 2-2 split, which would leave the teams tied a 4-3 to open the current season. Kevin Gausman (0-0, 5.40 ERA) will get the nod for Toronto and Luis Severino (0-0, 6.00 ERA) goes for New York.

Gausman was nothing more than a journeyman prior to last season, when he was a key part of a San Francisco starting rotation that helped the Giants go from FOUR consecutive losing seasons to a MLB-best 107 wins. Gausman was 14-6 with a 2.81 ERA and 1.04 WHIP (Giants went 21-12 in his 33 starts). This marks Gausman's 10th season and including a no-decision in his first start of 2022 (5 IP / 3 ERs), his career record is 64-72 with a 4.03 ERA. Severino was a dominant 14-6 (2.98 ERA & 1.04 WHIP) in 2017 and then 19-8 (3.39 ERA & 1.14 WHIP) in 2018 but it has been 'crickets' since then. He did not pitch at all in 2020 and began this season having made only seven appearances (three starts) since the start of 2019. Severino gave up two runs on five hits in three-plus innings in New York's 4-2 win over the Boston Red Sox on Saturday.

Gausman is 5-5 with a 3.81 ERA in 18 starts against the Yankees Teams are 11-7), while Severino is 5-3 with a 4.04 ERA in 11 career starts vs the Blue Jays (Yanks are 7-4). It's obviously VERY early but the LAST thing the Yankees want to see is for the Blue Jays to win THREE of four in the Bronx. I still believe that Gausman is no more than a journeyman and I'm backing Severino and the Yanks in this one.

Good luck...Larry

my 9* PERFECT STORM is on the Atl Braves at 8:10 ET.

The Braves entered last season having won THREE straight NL East titles but the Braves were still under .500 (52-55) through Aug 1. However, a 36-18 surge to end the season gave them a FOURTH straight NL East title. The Braves then won just the franchise's second World Series crown since moving to Atlanta in 1966. The San Diego Padres ended a 13-year playoff drought in 2020's 60-game season and were expected to contend for the NL West title in 2021. However, the Padres would finish 79-83, 20 games behind the first-place Giants. 

As the Braves and Padres get set to open a four-game weekend series in San Diego, both teams have reached the midpoint of season-opening schedules that have them playing games on 14 straight days before their first day off. That said, while the 4-3 Padres will be celebrating their home opener, the 3-4 Braves are going on their first road trip. Charlie Morton (1-0, 3.38 ERA) gets the nod for the Braves, while the Padres counter with Joe Musgrove (0-0, 3.00 ERA).

Musgrove, who threw the first no-hitter in Padres history just over a year ago, gets the honor of pitching the team's home opener on Thursday. His 11 wins, 3.18 ERA and 31 starts were San Diego's best marks in what was a disappointing 2021 season. However, let me note that 2021 was the first winning year he's had in his six MLB seasons. He opened his seventh big league season by allowing two runs on five hits with eight strikeouts in six innings in Arizona (a 5-2 SD win with Musgrove settling for a no-decision).

Morton turned his career around beginning in 2017. Excluding the COVID season of 2020, he has gone 49-22 in the last four full seasons, playing on  teams that have played in THREE World Series (winning twice) in that span (with Houston in 2017, with Tampa Bay in 2019 and with Atlanta in 2021). Morton allowed two runs on two hits and a walk in 5.1 innings against the Cincinnati Reds on April 8, earning a "W" in Atlanta's 7-6 victory.

Musgrove is just 2-1 with a 5.52 ERA in six career starts vs Atlanta (teams are 3-3), while Morton has dominated the Padres with a career 6-1 record (2.09 ERA & 1.04 WHIP0 in nine career starts (teams are 7-2). He has allowed the Padres only 35 hits and 23 walks while striking out 52 in 56 innings plus he's 3-0 with a 2.08 ERA in three starts covering 17.1 innings at Petco Park. Let's back the defending champs in this one.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Division Dominator (AL West) is on the LA Angels at 8:05 ET.

The Angels are coming off a 77-85 season and the franchise's only World Series title came back in 2002. It seems like even more than two decades to Angel fans, as the team has missed the postseason 11 times in the last 12 years (got swept 3-0 in a 2014 ALDS).The Angels feature not only Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon but also the defending American League MVP Shohei Ohtani. Trout and Rendon missed most of last season because of injuries, with Trout playing in just 36 games and Rendon in 58. Trout didn't play at all after May 17, while Rendon's last game was July 4. Ohtani hit 46 HRs with 100 RBI (also 26 SBs) plus went 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA, striking out 156 batters in 130.1 IP.

The Texas Rangers appeared in back-to-back World Series in 2010 and 2011 (lost both) but continued to be competitive, making the playoffs in THREE of the next five seasons. However, it's been FIVE consecutive losing seasons for Texas since 2017, including the team losing 100-plus games in 2021 (60-102) for the first time since going 57-105 in 1973. The Angels open a four-game series tonight in Arlington at 3-3, while the Rangers have opened 1-4. The starters will be Shohei Ohtani (0-1, 1.93 ERA) and Dane Dunning (0-0, 5.40 ERA).

Dunning first full season in the majors was 2021 and he made 27 appearances (25 starts) for Texas last year, going 5-10 with a 4.51 ERA and 1.44 WHIP. Dunning's first start of 2021 was decent, as he gave up three runs and five hits in five innings in Toronto, getting a no-decision in a 4-3 Blue Jays victory. Dunning has made three career starts vs the Angels, going 1-2 with a 7.71 ERA and 1.58 WHIP. Ohtani pitched 4.2 innings in the Angels' season-opener, allowing four hits, just one  ER and nine Ks! Ohtani has struggled at the plate (,160 BA, without a HR or RBI) but I will back him here on the road, against a team he's gone 3-0 against in four career starts (Angels are 4-0), posting a 2.86 ERA and 1.14 WHIP.

Good luck...Larry