My 8* play is on the TB Rays at 6:40 ET.

The Rays clinched their third division title in franchise history with Wednesday's 8-5 win over the Mets at Citi Field. The AL East crown was the first for Tampa Bay since its 96-win 2010 campaign. The team also won it in 2008, a season in which the Rays advanced to the World Series against the Phillies But lost in five games. Those Philadelphia Phillies come to Tropicana Field for a three-game weekend series. The Phillies were 27-25 after taking the first three of a four-game home series against the Blue Jays but a 6-3 Sunday loss stretched into a four-game slide when the Phils lost the first three of a four-game series at last-place Washington. Philly did salvage the final game of that series but the team is 28-29 and may have to win all three games here vs the Rays, a team looking to lock down the AL's best record.

The Phillies send Vince Velasquez (1-1, 5.46 ERA) to the mound to face the Rays' (2-2, 4.64 ERA). The Phillies are hoping to see a repeat performance from Velasquez, who allowed just one run over six innings in Saturday's 3-1 win over Toronto. However, I think I'll file that one under "wishful thinking!" Entering that contest, Velasquez was still searching for his first win of 2020, in his EIGHTH start of the season. He owned a 6.46 ERA, 1.69 WHIP and .292 BAA over his first seven starts of 2020. Fact was, the Phillies had gone 0-7 in his 2020 starts. Where Saturday's effort came from, I don't know!

Morton went 14-7 (2017) and 15-3 (2018) for Houston and then 16-6 for Tampa Bay last season, after signing as a free agent. He has NOT pitched well in eight starts here in 2020 (1.36 WHIP and BAA to go along with his 4.64 ERA) but he seems to be getting back in form, as this his fifth start since returning from the injured list (3.86 ERA and 17-5 KW ratio in four starts). The Phillies 'shot themselves in the foot' in Washington and the Rays are zeroed in on claiming the AL's No. 1 seed. Velasquez will NOT get in their way.

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Ultimate Underdog is on the Oak A's at 9:40 ET.

The Dodgers have won the NL West for the EIGHTH consecutive season and also have clinched the NL's No. 1 seed. LA hosts the Oakland A's Thursday night in the "rubber" game of this series, before welcoming the Angels to Dodger Stadium over the weekend for a three-game, season-ending series. The 34-21 A's have clinched the AL West title (first time since 2013) but still have an outside shot at catching the TB Rays for the AL's top record (sit two games back with four left / Rays have just 3 remaining games). Clinching the AL's second-best record.

Thursday's pitching matchup will feature Oakland's Mike Fiers (6-2, 4.67) and LA's Walker Buehler (1-0, 3.86 ERA). I've regularly played on Fiers this season and why not? It's true that his overall numbers are off in 2020 (1.39 WHIP and .278 BAA to go along with his 4.67 ERA), after he set career highs in wins (15), starts (33) and innings pitched (184.2) last year in his first full season in Oakland. However, the A's are 8-2 in his 10 starts in 2020.Surprised? You shouldn't be if you've been paying attention. Since Fiers joined Oakland in August of 2018 (from Detroit), he has made 53 regular season starts for the A's, who have gone 39-14 (.736) in those contests! 

Here's the rub with Buehler. He made 30 starts for LA in 2019, going 14-4 with a 3.26 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and .223 BAA. However, he's had a difficult 2020, making only SEVEN starts in which he's been able to earn just ONE win. That said, he has yet to lose and the Dodgers are 6-1 in his starts, as he's posted a 3.86 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and outstanding BAA of .187. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts says he intends to use Clayton Kershaw and Buehler as his starters in next week's opening round of the playoffs but has not named a third starter. The key being, can Buehler prove he is up for the task? Otherwise, the Dodgers will have two playoff rotation vacancies. Buehler last pitched Sep 8 at Arizona, lasting just 2.2 innings and leaving with continued finger issues. 

Buehler comes off the injured list to make this start, testing the blister on his right index finger that has placed him on the disabled list twice in the last 4 1.2 weeks. It will be his first career outing against Oakland. Meanwhile, getting back to Fiers, he's made six appearances (five starts) against the Dodgers in his career, going 4-1 with a 2.00 ERA. What a great price on Fiers. Take it!

Good luck...Larry

My 10* PERFECT STORM is on the Tex Rangers at 8:05 ET.

The Houston Astros' sign-stealing allegations were expected to be front and center in MLB 2020 but COVID-19, forcing an abbreviated 60-game schedule, pushed that narrative to the 'back-burner.' Houston came into the current season off THREE straight 100-win years from 2017-2019 in which it appeared in two World Series (won in 2017 and lost in seven games in 2019), Houston stumbled at the start of 2020 by beginning 7-10 but an eight-game winning streak got them to 15-10. However, the team has gone 13-18 since it was 15-10 and enters Thursday 28-28. The good news for Houston is that the second-place finisher in each division is guaranteed a playoff spot. Houston' currently owns a 2 1/2-game lead over the Angels for second in the AL West with just FOUR games The Astros squandered an opportunity to clinch a postseason berth on Wednesday and put themselves in a position to face a stressful four-game weekend series in Arlington. That said, the Texas Rangers are just 19-37 on the season and if the Astros can't seal down a playoff spot against them, Houston doesn't deserve a playoff appearance. Remember, the Astros can also clinch a spot with some 'help' (losses) by the Angels. The Angels don't play tonight but then cap their season with three games at Dodger Stadium (Dodgers own MLB's best record but have also clinched the NL's No 1 seed, so have little motivation).

The Rangers have a brand-new beautiful stadium in Globe Life Field but have gone just 13-13 at home this season (no fans surely didn't help). However, Texas does own a MAJOR pitching advantage in this first game of the series, as Lance Lynn (6-2, 2.53 ERA) takes the mound against Houston rookie Cristian Javier (4-2, 3.33 ERA).Javier has made 11 appearances in 2020, including nine starts. His ERA is 3.55 and his WHIP is 1.01 in those nine starts (team is 6-3) with 42 Ks over 45.2 innings. Javier has shown promise but I don't believe he's up to the task of besting Lance Lynn, especially considering that Houston has scored more than three runs just FOUR times over its last 16 games (over five series)!

Lance Lynn is a nine-year veteran, who has logged 1,400-plus innings over 258 appearances (234 starts) with a 104-70 record (3.53 ERA) in his career. Lynn was a solid part of the St Louis rotation from 2012 to 2017. He missed the entire 2016 season due to injury but in those other five seasons, he won 71 games. He signed a FA deal with Minnesota in 2018 and was a flop, going 7-8 with a 5.10 ERA. He was traded during the season to the Yankees and went 3-2 with a 4.14 ERA. Texas took a chance on him in 2019 and he responded by winning a team-high 16 games. Here in 2020, he's been the LONE bright spot of the Texas rotation. However, after allowing just eight ERs in his first seven starts (with an 0.86 WHIP and .156 BAA against to go along with a 1.59 ERA), he struggled in his next two outings. He lost BOTH games, allowing nine ERs over 12 innings (6.75 ERA). However, Lynn has logged seven innings in each of his previous three starts, going 2-0 with a 2.14 ERA and 21 strikeouts while limiting opposing batters to a .189 average during that stretch.

Look closely at Lynn's 2020 numbers, compared to his lifetime ones. His 2.53 ERA is a FULL run lower (3.53), his WHIP is 0.96 (1.29 LT) and his BAA is .184, 59 points better than his LT mark (.243). Lynn went 10-1 (3.50 ERA) at home last season and is 5-1 (1.88 ERA) at home here in 2020, holding opponents to .161 BAA. This small home dog 'BARKS' loudly in this one.

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Interleague Game of the Year is on the TB Rays at 7:10 ET.

The NY Yankees were the preseason favorites to represent the AL in the World Series, as well as a strong favorite to win the AL East. However, as the Yankees dealt with significant injuries all season, the 'steady as she goes' Tampa Bay Rays enter tonight's game at Citi Field with the Mets needing just ONE more win to celebrate a division title 10 years in the making. The Rays inched close to the AL East title and delivered another damaging blow to the Mets' postseason hopes Monday night as six Tampa Bay pitchers combined on a four-hitter in a 2-1 victory. That win, coupled with the Yankees' 11-5 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays, have the Rays on the verge of winning their third division title in franchise history (have previously won the AL East in 2008 and 2010). Meanwhile, the Mets could win their final SIX and still not make the postseason field.

Taking the mound for tonight's contest will be Tampa Bay's Blake Snell (4-1, 3.05 ERA) and New York's Seth Lugo (2-3, 4.34 ERA). Snell won the AL's Cy Young award in 2018, going 21-5 with a 1.89 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and .178 BAA, He was Tampa's Opening Day starter for the 2019 season and defeated Justin Verlander and the Houston Astros. 5–1. However, he was placed on the injured list on April 16 after breaking a toe on his right foot while moving furniture in his bathroom and missed two starts. He returned but on July 25 it was announced that Snell would undergo arthroscopic surgery to remove loose bodies from his left elbow. Due to multiple trips to the disabled list, Snell finished with a 6–8 record  last season (4.29 ERA / 1.27 WHIP / .241 BAA). Snell's been healthy this season, going 4-1 (3.05 ERA / 1.15 WHIP / .220 BAA) in 10 starts, with the Rays going 7-3 in those starts.

Squaring off against Snell will be Seth Lugo, who made all 61 of his 2019 appearances out of the bullpen, posting a 2.70 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and .192 BAA (he had six saves and 21 holds). He's made 165 career appearances but just 36 starts and this marks his sixth start of 2020. He's lasted a modest 17 innings in his first four starts and while his ERA was 2.65, the Mets are just 1-3. The Mets won his most recent start (9/17 at Philly) 10-6 but they didn't win because of Lugo. In fact, he allowed eight hits and SIX runs while getting just FIVE outs, before the Mets came back for the win.

The 24-30 Mets are losing at the worst possible time. They enter Tuesday leading the majors in batting average (.273) and on-base percentage (.351) but they've scored THREE runs or fewer in six of their last nine games, losing all SIX of those games. Monday loss not only ensured the Mets of their third non-winning season in the last four years but it also dropped them three games behind the Philadelphia Phillies in the race for the National League's final wild-card spot and with three other teams, the Milwaukee Brewers, San Francisco Giants and Colorado Rockies, to hurdle in between. As noted above, the Mets' playoff hopes are on 'life-support! Meanwhile, expect the Rays to 'party like it's 2010 after this one!

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Weekly Wipeout is on the Cin Reds at 6:40 ET.

The Cincinnati Reds beat the Milwaukee Brewers 6-3 last night, moving closer toward a postseason berth. It marked Cincy's EIGHTH win in nine games. Both teams are in the mix for a playoff spot, either as a wild card or by finishing second in the NL Central. Right now, 28-27 (.509) Cincinnati is one game ahead of Milwaukee for third place in the division and is also in a near-dead heat with St Louis (26-25, .510) for second-place in the division, which comes with a playoff guarantee

Tonight's pitching matchup features Brett Anderson (3-3, 4.38 ERA) and Sonny Gray (5-3, 3.94 ERA). Anderson had an 'easy go of it' in his most recent start, as the Brewers routed the Cardinals 18-3 last Tuesday. He pitched six solid innings, allowing two ERs on five hits. The Brewers lost his first three stars this season but have gone 4-1 in his last five. That said, he's no more than a journeyman. He's made 196 career appearances (184 starts) with just THREE winning seasons (7-6 in 2010, 10-9 in 2015 and 13-9 in 2019), posting a 62-64 record (4.06 ERA and 1.34 WHIP).

Cincy's Gray put together a pair of 14-win seasons for the Oakland A's in 2014 and '15 (2.91 ERA over those two seasons) but struggled the next four seasons from 2016-18 with the A's and Yankees going 26-32 with a 4.59 ERA, before revitalizing his career with the Reds in 2019 (11-8, 2.87 ERA in 175.1 innings, allowing just 122 hits while striking out 205). Gray was one of the best pitchers in the majors through the end of August, going 5-1 with a 1.94 ERA, a 55-15 KW ratio and a BAA of just .180. However, he got 'blown up' in his first two starts of September vs St Louis and the Chicago Cubs, allowing 11 runs, 11 hits, and six walks, while striking out five in just four innings. Only three days after his most recent start on Sep 10, he was placed on the injured list with a mid-back strain. However, he returns to the mound tonight and his back is apparently healthy enough.

Gray has made eight career starts against the Brewers, posting a 2.56 ERA, as his teams have gone 6-2. Let me also point out Milwaukee's recent roads (as I did last night in winning 6-3 with the Reds), as Milwaukee enters this contest having won just TWICE in its last 10 road games. No reason to think the Brewers will win here!

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Ultimate Underdog is on the Sea Mariners at 9:10 ET. 

The Seattle Mariners, who have been displaced the last five games because of poor air quality due to wildfires in the Pacific Northwest, will return to Seattle to play host to the Houston Astros on Monday night. The 23-30 Mariners went 1-4 as the "home" team in San Francisco and San Diego but now get a chance to finish their eight-game homestand at home. Seattle' season will be over at the end of the week but the Mariners have a chance to make the Astros 'sweat a little,' as Houston looks to close in a playoff spot by finishing in second-place in the AL West. Houston owns a FOUR-game lead over Seattle for second place and as each team has just seven games remaining, Houston's 'magic number' is two.

Houston's lead over Seattle is actually FIVE games, as the Astros owns the tiebreaker (no time for one-game tiebreakers this season). The starting pitchers are Lance McCullers (3-2, 4.87 ERA) for Houston and Marco Gonzales (6-2, 3.49 ERA). Let me get these three stats out of the way first, before making a case for Gonzales and Seattle. No. 1 is, the Astros are 24-2 against the M's over the past two seasons. No. 2 is that McCullers is 7-2 with a 2.95 ERA in 13 career starts against Seattle (Astros are 10-3) and No. 3 is that Gonzales is going 0-5 with a 6.61 ERA in seven career starts vs Houston (team is 0-7). In fact, Gonzales took the loss on Opening Day in Houston, as he allowed four runs (three earned) over 4.1 innings of an 8-2 Seattle loss.

Right now you may be asking, "What the hell are we doing playing Seattle, Larry?" Fair enough but here's why. Since that July 24 start, Gonzales has gone 6-1 (3.26 ERA) over 52.1 innings with a KW ratio of 59-4! As for McMullers, he's pitched well at home in five starts (3-0 with a 1.45 ERA and .159 BAA) but look what's happened in his four road starts. He's lasted just 12.2 innings, allowing 19 ERs for a 13.50 ERA, while opponents have batted .393 against him (those are NOT typos!). Houston will clinch it's playoff berth this week but NOT tonight! Take the 'juicy' price on the home dog!

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Situational Stunner is on the Cin Reds at 6:40 ET.

The 27-27 Cincinnati Reds and 26-26 Milwaukee Brewers remain in contention for a postseason spot entering the final week of this uniquely condensed 2020 regular season. The Reds have won SEVEN of eight as they welcome Milwaukee to Cincinnati for this 3-games series with the Brewers having won a season-high four straight to reach .500 for the first time since Aug 19. Cincinnati is 4-3 against the Brewers, with all of those games coming at Milwaukee. 

The Brewers will go with Brandon Woodruff (2-4, 3.45 ERA),Monday's game, while the Reds counter with Luis Castillo (3-5, 3.03 ERA). Woodruff had a breakout season in 2019, making the All Star team. He posted his 11th victory in his first start after the All-Star break but then suffered an oblique strain that sidelined him for nearly two months. He made just three starts (including a wild card game vs the Nats) after returning on Sep 17. Of note was that the Brewers were a MONEY-MAKING 18-4 in his 22 regular season starts in 2019. However, the Brewers are just 5-6 in Woodruff's 11 starts in 2020, despite the fact that he's allowed three ERs or less in 10 of those 11 starts.

Castillo started strong in 2019 with an 11-4 mark and enjoyed his first All-Star selection (was 8-3 with a 2.29 ERA at the break). His 11th win came on August 5 but he won just FOUR of his last nine starts (Reds were just 4-5 in those games). However, his 15 wins were fifth-best in the NL and his 226 strikeouts tied for 12th in strikeouts per nine innings (10.7). Castillo will be getting his first start against the Tigers. Castillo set the bar high on the heels of his breakout season in 2019, claiming before the season that he'd like to capture the National League Cy Young Award in 2020, However, didn't earn his FIRST win of 2020 until his eighth start of the season. He was 0-5 with a 4.10 ERA in those games (Reds were 1-6).

As Castillo takes the mound tonight, he's turned his season around this month. He's won all three of his September starts, allowing just three ERs in 22 innings (1.23 ERA) with 24 Ks. The Reds currently own the No. 8 playoff spot in the NL but also have the Cards well within the sights for second in the NL Central (one game back), a finish that would guarantee them a playoff berth. The Reds finish the season with three games in Minnesota. meaning this three-game set will be the team's final three home games of the season (playoffs or not). The good news tonight is that Castillo's in excellent current form (see) and that Milwaukee's recent four-game winning streak came at home, while the Brewers have won just TWICE in their last nine road games.

Good luck...Larry

My 8* Las Vegas Insider is on the Chi Cubs at 7:08 ET.

The Minnesota Twins won the AL Central title in 2019 with a 101-61 record, the franchise's first 100-win season since the 1965 season (lost a seven-game World Series to the Dodgers and Sandy Koufax). The Twins opened the current season 10-2 but a 10-14 stretch left them a modest 20-16 at the end of August. Minnesota opened September 10-2 but lost THREE of four to open the week in Chicago against the White Sox but after losing 1-09 in Wrigley on Friday, the Twins rebounded with an 8-1 victory last night, clinched a playoff berth for the second year in a row along with securing the team's third postseason appearance in the last four years.

The Cubs looked to be in good shape for a wild card berth with a month left in the 2019 season (led the Brewers by five games) but Chicago lost FIVE of seven to Milwaukee in late August and early September, before completely 'imploding' by losing 10 of its final 12 regular season games (Cubs would finish FIVE games back of the final NL wild card spot). Chicago hardly looks like a team ready to 'IMPLODE' down the stretch in 2020. The Cubs hired David Ross on October 24, 2019,as their manager to replace Joe Maddon, signing him to a three-year contract. It's his first major league managing gig and Ross has done an excellent job. The Cubs get set for the "rubber match" of this three-game series (tonight on ESPN) at 31-21, which gives them a 4 1/2-game lead on the second-place Cards and a 5 1/2-game lead over both the Reds and Brewers. The Cubs haven't clinched a playoff just yet but they are about to.

Getting the starts in this series final will be Jose Berrios (4-3, 4.15 ERA) of Minnesota and Yu Darvish (7-2, 1.86 ERA) of Chicago. Berrios went 14-8 in 2019, matching his career-high win total (was also 14-8 in 2017), en route to earning his second straight All-Star berth while reaching 200 innings for the first time in his four-year career. However, his 2020 season has been so-so. The Twins are just 5-5 in his 10 starts. Particularly troubling and relevant to this game is that in Berrios' five home starts, he owns a 2.67 ERA and .168 BBA but a 5.76 ERA and .311 BAA in his five road starts! 

Yu Darvish has been a HUGE bust since Texas traded him during the 2017 season to the Dodgers (ineffective pitching and injuries). However, he's among the front-runners for this year's NL Cy Young award, as the Cubs are 8-2 in his 10 starts and to go along with his sub-2,00 ERA, he owns a 0.84 WHIP 979-12 KW ratio) and a .205 BAA. Is it it worrisome  that he is coming off two winless starts? Not really, as he's posted a respectable 3.46 ERA during that time while allowing five ERs on 11 hits in 13 innings (also 16 Ks). Darvish has only faced the Twins three times in his career but owns a 1.77 ERA, with 25 strikeouts in 20.1 innings. As for Berrios, his lone start vs the Cubs came back in 2018, when he took the loss after giving up six runs on six hits in 4.1 innings (that's a 12.46 ERA!). ONE start means nothing but his outing vs the Cubs did come at Wrigley, which brings back into play his 5.76 ERA and .311 BAA in his five road starts here in 2020. Cubs win! Cubs win!

Good luck...Larry 

My 8* Situational Stunner is on the StL Cards at 4:05 ET.

The Cards won the NL Central in 2019 (91-71) and advanced to the NLCS, before getting swept by the soon-to-be World Champion Nationals. The Cards were hit with a severe COVID-19 outbreak right after the start of the season and were off the field for 17 days. However, they come into Sunday (next Sunday, Sep 27 is the end of the regular season) at 25-24, ONE game better than the Reds and Brewers. All three teams are trying to nail down second-[place in the NL Central (guaranteed playoff berth) or get one of the NL's two wild card spots Sunday concludes a five-game series at PNC Park with the Pirates and marks the Cards' 15th game over the last 11 days, a stretch that began back on Sep 10 with a doubleheader with the Tigers. St Louis lost the opening game of this series to Pittsburgh but have won the last three, including a sweep of Friday's doubleheader The Cards HAVE to be more than a little tired but they are fortunate that the Pirates are the opponent, as Pittsburgh owns MLB's worst record (15-37, .288), which translates to a 115-loss season for a 162-game season.

St Louis was no-hit through six innings on Saturday but a five-run seventh was enough for them to escape with a 5-4 win (note: it's sure nice playing the Pirates). Taking the mound this afternoon will be Jack Flaherty (3-2, 5.52 ERA) for the Cards, while the Pirates counter with Joe Musgrove (0-5, 5.74 ERA). Flaherty is off a VERY good season (11-8, 2.75 ERA / 0.97 WHIP / .192 BAA) and a quick glance at his ERA in 2020's seven starts would give one pause. However, a closer look reveals that entering his last start (last Tuesday at Milwaukee), he owned a 3.08 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and .196 BAA, So what happened? He just got 'torched' by the Brewers in that one, allowing nine ERs in just three innings (Brewers won 18-3).

However, the fact that Flaherty is 5-1 with a 1.94 ERA in eight career starts vs the Pirates (team is 6-2), should provide some confidence in playing on St Louis in this one. What's more, Pittsburgh starter Joe Musgrove is not only winless in six 2020 starts (team is 1-5 / 5,74 ERA and 1.54 WHIP), he is 1-7 with a 6.75 ERA in eight career starts against the Cards (an 88% "go-against!"). Cards pick up the "much-needed" win here and then are off to KC for three games (Royals are just 21-31), before playing FIVE games in four days with Milwaukee to wrap up the current season.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* PERFECT STORM is on the Chi White Sox at 1:10 ET.

The Chicago White Sox were just 72-89 last season, finishing 28 1/2 games back of the division-leading Twins in the AL Central. However, as the saying goes, what a difference a year makes. Chicago did have some high expectations entering 2020's shortened season but opened only 10-11. It was then that the White Sox 'turned on the juice' and as they meet the Reds in the rubber match of this three-game series on Sunday, have gone 24-7 since Aug 16. The White Sox already know they're headed to the postseason (first time since 2008) but the 26-27 Cincinnati Reds still have work to do and time is running out.  have been in playoff mode just trying to get there themselves. The White Sox ended the Reds' longest winning streak of the season, last night, snapping Cincy's six-game run with a 5-0 shut out. The Reds are 15-10 since Aug 27 and are just ONE game behind the Cardinals for second place in the NL Central (ALL 2nd-place teams get a playoff berth). The Reds are also very much alive for one of the NL's two wild card spots but they have PLENTY of competition.

Dylan Cease (5-2, 3.20 ERA) will take the mound for the White Sox in the series finale, while the Reds will give Michael Lorenzen (2-1, 4.56 ERA) his second straight start. Cease has not gone more than 6.1 innings in any of his 10 starts this season (Chicago is 6-4) but look at his improvement across the board from his 14 starts in 2019. He went just 4-7 (team was 6-8 ) with a 5.79 ERA, and 1.55 WHIP. His ERA is down to 3.20 this season (that's a 2 1/2-run improvement!) and his WHIP is down to 1.38.

Cincy's Lorenzen made his first 15 appearances of 2020 out of the bullpen, before making his first start of 2020 (and first start since 2018) this past Tuesday at Pittsburgh. He gave up only a single run on four hits while striking out six without a walk over five innings of a 4-1 victory. First, let me note that over this 15 relief appearances of 2020, he had allowed 12 ERs over just 20.2 innings for a 5.23 ERA. Secondly, should ANYONE be impressed with a win over Pittsburgh?  For the record, Pittsburgh owns MLB's worst record  (15-37, .288), which translates to a 115-loss season for a 162-game season.

The Reds may yet earn a playoff berth but they won't 'get any help' (meaning a win) here. Chicago SS Tim Anderson is staring down a second straight batting title (won last year at .335 and is hitting .366 in 202, two points back of the Yankees' LeMahieu) and 1B Jose Abreu has posted MVP-like numbers (.330, 18 HRs and 52 RBI).

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Game of the Week is on the Tor Blue Jays at 6:05 ET.

The Philadelphia Phillies swept Friday's doubleheader against the Toronto Blue Jays, 7-0 and 8-. It was the team's first doubleheader sweep since Sep 9, 2012 against the Colorado Rockies (That's quite a long stretch). The twin bill win moved the Phillies above .500 at 26-25, leaving them just a half-game back of the Marlins for second [place in the NL East. ALL 2nd-place teams get into the postseason plus two wild card spots are also available. That current race is a mad scramble, with FIVE teams hovering at just above .500 or right at .500.

The doubleheader loss was Toronto's FIFTH consecutive defeat (Blue Jays were swept by the New York Yankees from Tuesday-Thursday). Suddenly, the Blue Jays have seen their record dip to 26-25.Toronto opened the week a season-best SIX games over .500 (26-20) and back on the morning of Sep 8, sat 24-18, three games ahead of the 21-21 Yankees for second-place in the AL East. However, the Yankees beat Toronto 7-3 on Sep 9, the first of NINE straight wins. The Jays are 2-7 during that same span and are now FOUR games back of New York. Toronto has just NINE games left and its wild card hopes are good but the Jays NEED to get back on the winning track.

The Blue Jays will hand the ball to Hyun Jin Ryu (4-1, 3.00 ERA) while the Phillies counter with Vince Velasquez (0-1 with a 6.46 ERA). Ryu went 14-5 (2.32 ERA) with the Dodgers last season, the THIRD time in five full seasons with LA that he won 14 times. Ryu was signed as a free agent in the offseason and has been one of MLB's better offseason acquisitions. He got off to a slow start in July's two starts, allowing eight ERs on 13 hits in nine innings (8.00 ERA) but since Aug 1, the Jays are 7-1 in his eight starts (Toronto is 8-2 in his 10 starts, overall). He allowed five ERs in a Sep 7 start vs the Yankees but Toronto came back to win that game, 12-5. In his other SEVEN starts since Aug 1, he's allowed only FIVE earned runs in 40 innings for a 1.13 ERA and a 46-8 KW ratio. Yes, his FA signing was a "good one!"

In stark contrast, Velasquez is still searching for his first win of 2020, in his EIGHTH start of the season. Just a thought, he could hardly expect to pick up too many "Ws" when he owns a 6.46 ERA, 1.69 WHIP and .292 BAA over his first seven starts of 2020. Fact is, the Phillies have gone 0-7 in his 2020 starts. Bottom line is, Velasquez is no more than a journeyman. He's made 129 career appearances (104 starts) with a 4.74 ERA , 1.38 WHIP and .259 BAA. How bad has 2020 been. His ERA is 1.72 HIGHER than his career average, his WHIP is .31 higher and his BAA .33 points higher. What's NOT to like about Ryu over Velasquez in this one?

Good luck...Larry

My 10* "signature" LEGEND Play is on the Chi Cubs at 8:15 ET.

The Minnesota Twins won the AL Central title in 2019 with a 101-61 record, the franchise's first 100-win season since the 1965 season (lost a seven-game World Series to the Dodgers and Sandy Koufax). The Twins opened the current season 10-2 but a 10-14 stretch left them a modest 20-16 at the end of August. Minnesota opened September 10-2 but lost THREE of four to open the week in Chicago against the White Sox (note: White Sox clinched a playoff berth with Thursday's win). The 31-21 Twins remain in excellent shape for a playoff berth as they travel about eight miles north to Wrigley Field to take on the Chicago Cubs.

The Cubs looked to be in good shape for a wild card berth with a month left in the 2019 season (led the Brewers by five games) but Chicago lost FIVE of seven to Milwaukee in late August and early September, before completely 'imploding' by losing 10 of its final 12 regular season games (Cubs would finish FIVE games back of the final NL wild card spot). Chicago hardly looks like a team ready to 'IMPLODE' down the stretch in 2020. The Cubs hired David Ross on October 24, 2019,as their manager to replace Joe Maddon, signing him to a three-year contract. It's his first major league managing gig and Ross has done an excellent job. The Cubs come to the park Friday night looking for their FIFTH straight win. 30-20 Chicago enters this series with a 5 1/2-game lead atop the NL Central. 

Getting the start in Friday's opener will be Rich Hill (2-1, 3.81 ERA) for the Twins and Kyle Hendricks (5-4, 3.29 ERA) for the Cubs. Hill's been "around the block," as this is his 16th season. He owns a 63-43 career record with a 3.82 ERA and 1.23 WHIP. He had a pretty good stint with the Dodgers from 2016-19, going 30-16 with his ERAs ranging from 1.83-to-3.66 and his WHIPs from 0.79-to-1.13. He battled arm woes for most of 2019 and he signed a one-year deal with Minnesota in the offseason. He was outstanding in his Minnesota debut back on July 29, holding the visiting Cardinals to two hits and a walk over five innings in a 3-0 victory. He threw 68 pitches, 41 for strikes. However, he then went on the IL for three weeks, He returned on Aug 19 and the Twins lost his next FOUR starts (5.06 ERA). His most recent start was a MAJOR improvement, as he allowed just two ERs in five innings of an 8-4 home win over Cleveland last Saturday.

It seems hard to believe that Kyle Hendricks has already been with the Cubs for five-plus seasons. He's accomplished quite a bit in his time with Chicago, starting Game 7 of the World Series in 2016, a season in which he owned the lowest ERA in all of MLB (2.13). He has never finished a season with a WHIP higher than 1.19. Hendricks made his first-ever Opening Day start back on July 24 and threw a CG, three-hitter in a 3-0 victory over Milwaukee (9-0 KW ratio). That said, the 2020 season has NOT been smooth sailing (he was just 3-4 with a 4.09 ERA through August) for Hendricks. However, he enters this game in terrific form, going 2-0 with a 1.66 ERA and 17-2 KW ratio in three September starts (Cubs are 3-0)!

I'm "all over" Hendricks and Cubs in this one, as Chicago comes in off back-to-back, walk-off wins against the Cleveland Indians, which followed consecutive victories against the Milwaukee Brewers by a combined score of 16-2. Cubs win! Cubs win!

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Division Game of the Month (NL East) is on the Phi Phillies at 7:05 ET.

The Philadelphia Phillies played SEVEN games over a five-day span (Sep 10-14) with the Miami Marlins, losing FIVE of the seven games. That left 23-23 Philly and 1 1/2 games back of the 24-21 Marlins for second-place in the NL East as of Tuesday morning.  However, despite playing without outfielder Jay Bruce, first baseman Rhys Hoskins and catcher J.T. Realmuto, the Phils beat the Mets 4-1 Tuesday night (note: starter Jake Arrieta suffered an apparent hamstring injury on Tuesday). Coupled with Miami's 2-0 home loss to Boston, the 24-23 Phils were now just a half-game back of the 24-22 Marlins. Philly's three-game series with the Mets continued Wednesday evening, with the 21-27 Mets hoping to avoid a FOURTH straight loss. 

Jacob deGrom's balky hamstring forced an untimely exit Wednesday night after just two innings (three runs allowed on four hits). The New York Mets fell behind 4-0 but erased that four-run deficit to rally for a 5-4 victory. That Philly loss coupled with Miami's 8-4 win over Boston, means the 25-22 Marlins are back to a 1 1/2 game lead over the 24-24 Phillies for second place in the NL East. New York is not officially eliminated from the playoff field but with just 11 games remaining, the Mets' season remains on 'life-support.'

The 'rubber match' of the three-game series is set for Wednesday, with Seth Lugo (2-3, 2.63 ERA) taking the mound for the Mets and Aaron Nola (5-3, 2.40 ERA) getting the nod for Philly. Lugo made all 61 of his 2019 appearances out of the bullpen, posting a 2.70 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and .192 BAA (he had six saves and 21 holds). He's made 164 appearances but just 35 starts but this marks his fifth start of 2020. He's lasted a modest 17 innings in those four starts and while his ERA is 2.65, the Mets are just 1-3.

Nola is considered Philly's 'ace.' Throw in the fact that he's 7-1 with a 3.13 ERA in 13 career starts vs the Mets (Phils are 9-4) and Nola over Matz is the logical play. Now, let's win it! He's made nine starts in 2020 and in September, posting a 1.33 ERA with a 29-4 KW ratio. Nola is 1-1 with a 2.19 ERA against the Mets this season but in his career is 8-2 (team is 10-5 in his 15 starts), posting a 3.00 ERA and 1.10 WHIP. The Phillies have four games with Toronto coming up Fri-sun (doubleheader tomorrow) and the 26-22 Jays are a tough opponent fighting for a postseason spot. Last thing Philly needs is a loss here (heading into that series), after blowing a four-run lead last night. I'm backing Nola in a "big way!"

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Weekly Wipeout is on the NY Mets at 7:05 ET.

The Philadelphia Phillies played SEVEN games over a five-day span (Sep 10-14) with the Miami Marlins, losing FIVE of the seven games. That left 23-23 Philly  1 1/2 games back of the 24-21 Marlins for second-place in the NL East as of Tuesday morning.  However, despite playing without outfielder Jay Bruce, first baseman Rhys Hoskins and catcher J.T. Realmuto, the Phils beat the Mets 4-1 Tuesday night (note: starter Jake Arrieta suffered an apparent hamstring injury on Tuesday). Coupled with Miami's 2-0 home loss to Boston, the 24-23 Phils are now just a half-game back of the 24-22 Marlins. Philly's three-game series with the Mets continues Wednesday evening, with the 21-27 Mets hoping to avoid a FOURTH straight loss. New York is not officially eliminated from the playoff field but with just 12 games remaining, the Mets' season is currently on 'life-support.'

The Mets will hand the ball to Jacob deGrom (4-1, 167 ERA), while the Phillies counter with ex-Met Zack Wheeler (4-0, 2.47 ERA). DeGrom is trying to become just the third pitcher, after Hall of Famers Greg Maddux and Randy Johnson, to win three straight Cy Young Awards. This marks his 10th start of 2020 and his current 1.67 ERA is lower than in each of his last two Cy Young-winning seasons and that goes the same for his 0.87 WHIP and .173 BBA, as well. The difference in 2020 has been deGrom has gotten run-support in his starts this season, with the Mets going 7-2 in his starts (they were under .500 in each of his last two seasons).

Wheeler signed a $118 million free-agent contract after completing last season with the Mets and is living up to the high expectations expected of him. He's 4-0 with a 2.47 ERA in eight starts (Phils are 6-2), having allowed two ERs or less in SIX of his eight starts this season, allowing a modest three ERs in each of the other two. Wheeler takes the mound after missing several extra days with a torn fingernail on the middle finger of his pitching hand. Wheeler suffered the bizarre injury putting his pants on. "You can't make this stuff up," Phillies manager Joe Girardi said. Hard to argue with that.

Wheeler's faced his ex-teammates twice so far in 2020 and the Phillies have won both games (he's 1-0 with a 3.46 ERA). However, the third time will NOT be the charm, as deGrom has dominated the Phillies In his career, going 8-1 with a 2.16 ERA in 16 starts (Mets are 13-3), Blowout Alert. 

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Situational Stunner is on the StL Cards at 5:10 ET (Game 1).

Milwaukee welcomed the Cards to Miller Park for a Monday doubleheader, as the teams began a five-games series over three days. For the Cards, Monday kicked off a 13-game road trip over the next 10 days (three scheduled doubleheaders). By the end of the trip, the Cards' pitching staff will surely be tested. The Cards lost Game 1 of Monday's doubleheader (2-1 in eight innings) but won 3-2 in nine innings in the nightcap. However, after two low-scoring one-run contests, it was all Milwaukee in Tuesday's single game, as the Brewers won 18-3. As the teams get set for a second doubleheader in three days, the 21-22 Cards are barely holding on to second-place in the NL Central, a half-game up on the Reds and one game up on the Brewers. The division's second-place team gets a playoff berth but the other two teams are right in the mix for the NL's two  wild card spots.

 The Game 1 starters are Adam Wainwright (4-1, 2.91 ERA) for St Louis and Brandon Woodruff (2-3, 3.40 ERA) for Milwaukee. St Louis converted Wainwright to a starter in 2007 and over the next seven seasons, he twice won 20 games and two other times won 19 games. During those four seasons, (2009, '10, '13 and '14), he twice finished second in the Cy Young voting and twice finished third. Injuries limited him to less than 10 starts in TWO of the next four years (2015-18) but at 37, he made 31 starts in 2019. He won five decisions last September to finish with his most victories (14) since winning 20 in 2014. Wainwright drew the season's second start on the strength of the throwing program he maintained during the pandemic shutdown. Wainwright's been excellent this season, allowing three ERs or less in SIX of his seven starts (Cards are 5-2). He's pitched at least six innings in all but one start, the exception being a five-inning effort in a doubleheader game (7 innings). 

Woodruff had a breakout season in 2019, making the All Star team. He posted his 11th victory in his first start after the All-Star break but then suffered an oblique strain that sidelined him for nearly two months. He made just three starts (including a wild card game vs the Nats) after returning on Sep 17. Of note is, the Brewers were a MONEY-MAKING 18-4 in his 22 regular season starts in 2019. The Brewers are just 5-5 in Woodruff's 10 starts in 2020, despite the fact that he's allowed three ERs or less in NINE of those 10 starts.

Woodruff has only c-faced the Cards twice in his career (he is 2-0 with a 3,37 ERA) but Wainwright has made 37 career starts vs Milwaukee, going 17-10 with 2,51 ERA (teams is 23-12 in his starts). He's been very good at Milwaukee, going 7-4 with a 2.68 ERA in 20 career games (16 starts) and since 2014, he is 3-0 with a 2.02 ERA in six starts at Miller Park. Want more "good stuff" on Wainwright. The 39-year old's 2020 ERA is 2.91 (career in 3.38), his  2020 WHIP is 1.01 (career is 1.23) and his 2020 BAA is .212 (career is .252). HUGE game here for the Cards, as the pitching staff will really be stretched out the next seven days.

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Daytime Dominator is on the Oak A's at 3:10 ET.

Full, detailed analysis by 9:00 ET Wednesday morning.

My 10* PERFECT STORM is on the SD Padres at 9:10 ET.

The LA Dodgers entered 2020's 60-game MLB season having won the NL West the previous SEVEN years. They were overwhelming favorites to do so again and were expected to be the NL's representative in the World Series. LA has not disappointed, as despite losing FIVE of their last eight, the Dodgers still own MLB's best record (33-15), as well as MLB's best run-differential (plus-98). That said, the Dodgers now find themselves in a 'dogfight' with NL West rival San Diego, which has won EIGHT straight, as well as 21 of its last 26.

The teams opened a three-game series at Petco Park last night, with the Padres winning 7-2. They handed three-time Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw (three ERs allowed in 6.1 IP) only his SEVENTH loss in 28 career decisions against San Diego plus also got four runs on five hits in a span of just 11 batters against the Dodgers' top-ranked, NL bullpen. San Diego's Dinelson Lamet outdueled Kershaw on Monday (allowed one run in seven innings with 11 Ks) and r-the Padres hand the ball to their best starter for tonight's game, Zach Davies (7-2, 2.48 ERA). The Dodgers counter Tony Gonsolin (0-1, 1.57 ERA).

Gonsolin has thrust into a key role in the Dodgers' injury-riddled rotation. He has yet to earn a win but in six appearances (five starts / Dodgers are 3-2), has given up six runs (five earned) on 18 hits and six walks with 28 strikeouts over 28.2 innings for a 0.84 WHIP and .178 BAA to go along with his sub-.2.00 ERA. As for Davies, his best season was back in 2017 with Milwaukee (17-9, 3.90 ERA) but he went just 12-14 over 44 starts in 2018 and 2019. He was traded to San Diego this past offseason and the Padres are VERY happy. Davies has a decision in all NINE of his starts (7-2), never allowing more than three ERs in any outing. Along with his excellent ERA (2.48), he owns a superb 0.96 WHIP, while holding opponents to a .191 BAA.

Gonsolin and Davies squared off against each other back on Aug 12 at Dodger Stadium in a game won by the Dodgers 6-0. It was one of the TWO losses suffered by Davies, who gave up just two runs on four hits and two walks with five strikeouts in seven innings. Gonsolin allowed three hits and a walk with eight strikeouts over 4.2 innings but took a no-decision. Since that loss to LA, Davies has ripped off FIVE straight wins, allowing just eight ERs over 31.2 innings for a 2.27 ERA. I woke up this morning to this tweet from ESPN' Alden Gonzalez, " The Padres have won 8 in a row and are 1 1/2 games behind one of the greatest Dodgers teams in history for first place in the National League West. Amazing." Well put Alden. I'll 'ride' Davies in this one as a small home underdog.

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Pitching Mismatch of the Month (NL) is on the StL Cards at 7:40 ET.

The Cards won the NL Central in 2019 (91-71) and advanced to the NLCS, before getting swept by the soon-to-be World Champion Nationals. The Cards were hit with a severe COVID-19 outbreak right after the start of the season and were off the field for 17 days. However, they open the new week (two weeks to the end of the regular season) 20-20 and in second place in the NL Central, FOUR games behind the division-leading Chicago Cubs and two games ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers won the NL Central title in 2018 (swept Colorado 3-0 in the NLDS before losing the NLCS to the Dodgers in seven games) and then won 89 games last year to earn a wild card spot, where they blew a 3-0 lead in losing to the Nats.

Milwaukee welcomed the Cards to Miller Park for a Monday doubleheader, as the teams began a five-games series over three days (Weds doubleheader on tap, as well). For the Cards, Monday kicked off a 13-game road trip over the next 10 days (three doubleheaders are scheduled). By the end of the trip, the Cards' pitching staff will surely be tested. I played the Cards in Game 1 yesterday and got an excellent effort from Kim (seven scoreless innings) but after the Cards took a 1-0 in the 8th, the Brewers won it with two runs in the bottom of the innings. Game 2 went 'extra-innings' as well (remember, doubleheaders are 7-innings TY), with the Cards prevailing 3-2 in nine innings.

The top two teams in each division earn a spot in the postseason and despite winning just four games in their last 10 and trailing the first-place Chicago Cubs by four games, the 21-21 Cardinals still find themselves in decent position to make the postseason. Milwaukee's loss in the second game dropped them to , the team's SIXTH loss in its last nine contests. Since a 19-0 win at Detroit on Sep 9, the Brewers have scored a total of just SEVEN runs in five games!

Jack Flaherty (3-1, 3.08 ERA) takes the mound for the Cards and the Brewers will counter with Brett Anderson (2-3, 4.64 ERA). Flaherty is off a VERY good season (11-8, 2.75 ERA / 0.97 WHIP / .192 BAA) and in six starts (Cards 4-2) in 2020, owns a 3.08 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and .196 BAA (second verse, same as the first). Anderson was scratched from a scheduled start this past Saturday against the Cubs due to a right hip issue but is said to be fine. The problem for Milwaukee is, he's really just a journeyman. He's made 195 appearances (183 starts) in his 12 years (for six teams), going 61-64 with a 4.07 ERA. Flaherty's getting his arm strength back from the team's 17-day COVID-forced 'hiatus' and he's my bet here.

Good luck...Larry

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

The Indians won the AL Central from 2016-18 but despite 93 wins in 2019, lost out to the Twins, who won 101 games for the first time since they won 102 games on their way to the 1965 World Series (lost that one in seven games to Sandy Koufax and the Dodgers). Cleveland and Minnesota were expected to vie for the AL Central title again in 2020 but there were some who warned, "Watch out for the White Sox!" At first glance that seems silly, as since winning the 2005 World Series, the White Sox have made just ONE postseason appearance (2008) and over the previous three seasons (2017-19), had finished 35, 29 and 28.5 games out of first-place, respectively. However, a quick check of the AL Central standings Monday morning reveals the 30-16 White Sox atop the division with the 30-18 Twins just one game back. As for the Indians, they are 26-21,  4 1/2 back of Chicago.

The first and  second place teams in each division make the playoffs, so it's fair to say that as the Twins and White Sox open a four-games series in Chicago on Monday night, "it's a big deal!' The Twins own a 4-2 edge against the White Sox this season but Chicago is surely 'feeling the love' and momentum from going 20-5 since the team was just 10-11 back on the morning of Aug 16.Chicago has outscored opponents 164-79 during its recent tear. The Twins opened 10-2 but were only 20-16 through the end of August. However, they head to Chicago having won 10 of 12. Getting the starts in this opening game will be  Jose Berrios (4-3, 4.40 ERA) of Minnesota and Dylan Cease (5-2, 3.33 ERA) of Chicago.

Berrios went 14-8 in 2019, matching his career-high win total (was also 14-8 in 2017), en route to earning his second straight All-Star berth while reaching 200 innings for the first time in his four-year career. However, his 2020 season has been so-so. The Twins are just 5-4 in his nine starts but there is good news. The first piece of good news is that he's won his last two outings (3.27 ERA) and the second piece is his career DOMINATION of the White Sox. This will be his third starts of 2020 against Chicago (both Minnesota wins) and he'll enter this game 12-2 with a 2.69 ERA in 16 starts against the White Sox (109 Ks in 103.2 innings), with the Twins winning 14 of those 16 starts (that's an 88% winning situation).

Cease made 14 starts last season for Chicago (rookie year), going 4-7 with a 5.79 ERA and 1.55 WHIP (team was 6-8 in his starts). He struggled in his first start of 2020 (2.1 IP / 7 hits / 4 ERs) but in SIX August starts, looked pretty good. He allowed a modest eight ERs over 33.2 innings in that span, posting a 2.14 ERA. He's made two September starts, going 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA. I like Cease but while he hasn't started against Minnesota this season, he's 0-2 with a WHOPPING 16.71 ERA in two career starts against the Twins.  Considering Berrios' career mark against Chicago, the Twins are the 'easy' pick. Now, let's win it!

Good luck...Larry

 My 9* Daytime Dominator is on the StL Cardinals at 5:10 ET.

The Cards won the NL Central in 2019 (91-71) and advanced to the NLCS, before getting swept by the soon-to-be World Champion Nationals. The Cards were hit with a severe COVID-19 outbreak right after the start of the season and were off the field for 17 days. However, they open the new week (two weeks to the end of the regular season) 20-20 and in second place in the NL Central, FOUR games behind the division-leading Chicago Cubs and two games ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers won the NL Central title in 2018 (swept Colorado 3-0 in the NLDS before losing the NLCS to the Dodgers in seven games) and then won 89 games last year to earn a wild card spot, where they blew a 3-0 lead in losing to the Nats.

Milwaukee welcomes the Cards to Miller Park for a Monday doubleheader, as the team begins a five-games series over three days (Weds doubleheader on tap, as well). For the Cards, Monday kicks off a 13-game road trip over the next 10 days (three doubleheaders are scheduled. By the end of the trip, the Cards' pitching staff will surely be tested. Getting the nod in Game 1 on Monday will be the Cards' Kwang Hyun Kim (2-0, 0.83 ERA) and the Brewers' Josh Lindblom (1-3, 6.06 ERA).

Kim played in the KBO from 2007-2019, winning MVP honors in 2008 and was part of four championship teams (2007, '08, '10 and '18). He signed a two-year contract worth $11 million on December 17, 2019 with St Louis. Kim will make the fifth start of his first season in the majors, with his last outing coming when he pitched five scoreless innings on Sep 1 against the Cincinnati Reds. In his four starts, he's 2-0 (team is 3-1) with an 0.87 ERA and 0.87 WHIP.

Lindblom has quite a story. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2nd round of the 2008 MLB draft and made his major league debut in relief on June 1, 2011. He then spent time with Philly, Texas and Oakland through 2014, before playing in the KBO in 2015 and '16. He signed with Pittsburgh in 2017 but pitched just four games, before returning to the KBO. He went 15-4 (2.98 ERA) in 2018 and 20-3 (2.50 ERA) in 2019, winning the MVP. That was enough for him to sign a three-year deal with the Milwaukee Brewers. He opened the season making seven straight starts but his last two appearances were out of the bullpen. The Brewers were 3-1 in his first four starts but 0-3 in his last three, as he allowed 15 hits and nine ERs over just 13 innings (6.23 ERA).

The St Louis pitching staff may be 'gassed' by the end of this 13-game, 10-day road trip but in today's first game of the doubleheader, I'm "all over" Kim and the Cards.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* PERFECT STORM is on the Tor Blue Jays at 3:07 ET.

The Mets pounded the Blue Jays 18-1 on Friday but Toronto bounced back Saturday to win 3-2. That sets up the "rubber" match of this three-game series on Sunday afternoon. The regular season ends in two weeks (Sunday, Sep 27) and both teams are fighting for a postseason berth. Toronto's Saturday win allowed the Blue Jays (25-20) to maintain a half-game lead for second place in the AL East (third-place New York Yankees are). As for the 21-25 Mets, they are two games out of a National League wild-card spot.

New York sends rookie David Peterson (4-1, 4.26 ERA) to the mound, while Toronto counters with veteran Hyun Jin Ryu (3-1, 3.19 ERA). Peterson had some shoulder inflammation in mid-August and spent the minimum 10 days on the injured list. He's returned to make three appearances, earning a win as a reliever over the Baltimore Orioles Sep 2, pitching four scoreless innings. However, in his two starts, he's lasted just six innings while allowing eight ERs (12.00 ERA).

Ryu went 14-5 (2.32 ERA) with the Dodgers last season, the THIRD time in five full seasons with LA that he won 14 times. Ryu was signed as a free agent in the offseason and has been one of MLB's better offseason acquisitions. He got off to a slow start in July's two starts, allowing eight ERs on 13 hits in nine innings (8.00 ERA) but had a red-hot August. He allowed one run or less in all five of his August starts, posting a 1.29 ERA, with Toronto going 4-1. He took a no-decision in that lone team loss, a game the Rays won 2-1 in 10 innings. He open2d Sep with another no-decision but again pitched well (6 IP / 1 ER) and Toronto won 2-1. He tool the mound on :Labor Day the Yankees and allowed six hits (3 HRs) and five ERs in five innings but the Jays came back to win 12-7.

The Jays are a MONEY-MAKING 7-2 in his nine starts and Toronto got more good news on Saturday, as shortstop Bo Bichette (sprained right knee) returned to Toronto's lineup from the injured list. He went 1-for-4 in his first game since Aug 15.Bichette missed 27 games, and his return should help a team that recently lost Teoscar Hernandez (oblique strain) and Rowdy Tellez (knee strain). Bichette is batting .354/.382/.646 with 5 HRs and 13 RBI. I'm backing Toronto and RYU.

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Ultimate Underdog is on the Tex Rangers at 2:35 ET.

Oakland and Texas wrap up a three-day, four-game series on Sunday afternoon. The first-place A's (29-16) have moved closer to the AL West title with two wins in the first three games of the series, making them 4-2 this season at the Rangers' new home. Meanwhile, the 16-30 Rangers reside in last place in the division and as the saying goes, "they're playoff chances are slim and none, with Slim having just left town!"

However, as far as this game is concerned, the pitching matchup favors the Rangers, as Oakland's Frankie Montas (3-3, 5.73 ERA) goes up against Texas ace Lance Lynn (5-2, 2.52 ERA).The Dodgers traded Montas to the Oakland Athletics prior to the 2016 season but he did not get a call to the majors in 2016. He then appeared in 23 games for the A's in 2017 (all in relief). Montas reverted to being a starter, beginning the season at the AAA level. He appeared in 13 games (11 starts) with the A's during the season, compiling a 5–4 record with a 3.88 ERA. However, he started the 2019 season 9–2 with a 2.70 ERA in 15 games (all starts), but was then suspended 80 games without pay for testing positive for a banned substance. Montas opened the current season 3-1 with a 1.57 ERA but after dealing with some back tightness, returned to the rotation to make his first start in nine days back on Aug 18. It's fair to say he showed a little 'rust,' allowing nine ERs on six hits (two HRs) in just 1.2 innings of a 10-1 loss. His next two starts were also 'ugly,' as he allowed 13 hits, five walks and nine ERs in eight innings. That gave him a 16.76 ERA over a  three-start run. Montas did bounce back this past Tuesday, winning 4-2 (7 innings) at Houston, allowing two ERs in five innings.

Lance Lynn is a nine-year veteran, who has logged 1,400=plus innings over 257 appearances (233 starts) with a 103-70 record (3.54 ERA) in his career. Lynn was a solid part of the St Louis rotation from 2012 to 2017. He missed the entire 2016 season due to injury but in those other five seasons, he won 71 games. He signed a FA deal with Minnesota in 2018 and was a flop, going 7-8 with a 5.10 ERA. He was traded during the season to the Yankees and went 3-2 with a 4.14 ERA. Texas took a chance on him in 2019 and he responded by winning a team-high 16 games. Here in 2020, he's been the LONE bright spot of the Texas rotation. However, after allowing just eight ERs in his first seven starts (with an 0.86 WHIP and .156 BAA against to go along with a 1.59 ERA), he struggled in his next two outings. He lost BOTH games, allowing nine ERs over 12 innings (6.75 ERA). However, Lyn was "back in form" this past Tuesday, beating the Angels 7-1 (7 IP / 4 hits / 1 ER). Look closely at Lynn's 2020 numbers, compared to his lifetime ones. His 2.52 ERA is a FULL run lower (3.54), his WHIP is 0.98 (1.29 LT) and his BAA is .182,  61 points better than his LT mark (.243). went 10-1 (3.50 ERA) at home last season and is 4-1 (2.00 ERA) at home here in 2020. This home dog 'BARKS' loudly in this one!

Good luck...Larry

 My 10* PERFECT STORM is on the StL Cardinals at 8:15 ET.

There were more than a few that tabbed the Cincinnati Reds as a 'dark horse' to challenge for the NL Central title in 2020 and at least, be a STRONG contender in the expanded playoff-field. However, the 20-25 Reds sit in fourth-place in the NL Central, 5 1/2 games back of the division-leading Cubs. The Cards won the NL Central in 2019 (91-71) and advanced to the NLCS, before getting swept by the soon-to-be World Champion Nationals. The Cards were hit with a severe COVID-19 outbreak right after the start of the season and we're off the field for 17 days. However, the Cards have kept their postseason hopes alive, as they currently find themselves three games off the division pace but also right in the thick of the playoff field. St Louis is currently in second-place in the NL Central and ALL three 2nd-place teams get a postseason berth, plus the two teams with the next best records (winning percentage!) earn wild card spots.

The Reds took last night's game 3-1, as Luis Castillo suddenly found his 2019 form, pitching a two-hit CG. Cincy manager David Bell has opted to schedule rookie Tejay Antone (0-1, 2.49 ERA) for the start on Saturday, skipping over Anthony DeSclafani, who has failed to last more than 4.1 innings in his past four starts. That CAN"T be a bad idea, as DeSclafani (1-2, 7.20 ERA) is 0-1 with a 10.13 ERA in two starts against the Cardinals this season. As for Antone, he's made eight appearances (three starts) in 2020, allowing just one ER in each of his three starts (2.03 ERA / team is 1-2). Getting the nod for St Louis is Dakota Hudson (2-2, 3.19 ERA). He made 26 relief appearances for the Cards in 2018 but 32 of his 33 appearances in 2019 came in a starting role. He and Flaherty help lead the Cards to the NL Central title, with Hudson going 16-7 with a 3.35 ERA. A closer look reveals that the Cards went just 3-5 in his first eight stars but then with 19-5 over his last 24!

The Cards lost Hudson's first three starts of 2020, despite him posting a 1.84 ERA. However, they've won his last three, even though his ERA in that span is 3,71. However, the bottom line is that he owns a 0.77 ERA in two starts against the Reds this season (13-2 KW ratio) and is 4-0 with a 2.82 ERA in seven career appearances (six starts / Cards are 5-1) against the Reds.

Good luck...Larry

My 8* Las Vegas Insider is on the Col Rockies at 8:10 ET.

The Los Angeles Angels may have MLB's best player in Mike Trout but they will almost assuredly be sitting out the postseason again, even with an expanded 16-team field. LA owned the AL's worst record on the morning of Sep 3 at 12-25 but suddenly ripped off FIVE straight wins. However, the 'euphoria' hasn't lasted, as after Friday night's 8-4 loss at Coors Field, LA checks in at 18-28, 6 1/2 games back of the AL's final wild card spot. The Colorado Rockies are 21-23 and have no chance to catch the first-place Dodgers and little chance to catch the second-place Padres but the NL wild card race in a mad-dash and the Rockies are 'still breathing,' as of now.

The Angels will hand the ball to Jaime Barria (0-0, 3.38 ERA) and the Rockies counter with Kyle Freeland (2-1, 3.60 ERA). Barria made 26 starts for LA in 2018 and went 10-9 with a 3.412 ERA (he led the team in wins that season). However, he split time between the minors and majors in 2019, making a more modest 19 appearances (just 13 starts) with "the big club." He was AWFUL, going 4-10 with a 6.42 ER and 1.44 WHIP. He wasn't in the starting rotation at the beginning of this season but found an opening thanks to the club's pitching problems. He's only made four appearances (two starts), with the Angels being the losing team in THREE of his four appearances.

Freeland went 11-11 (4.10 ERA) as a rookie in 2017 and then had a breakout 2018 season. He was 17-7 with a 2.85 ERA, as the Rockies went 23-10 in his 33 starts. However, he was AWFUL in 2019, going 3-11 with a 6.73 ERA & 1.58 WHIP with Colorado going 8-14 in his 22 starts. So what's up in 2020? Freeland has pitched at least six innings in SEVEN of his nine starts, allowing no more than three runs in each of those seven. Freeland comes in off an excellent start his last time out (Labor Day), pitching six scoreless innings vs the Padres. However, he took a no-decision in a game Colorado lost 1-0.

Freeland is the more steady pitcher and as noted, Colorado can still see a 'light at the end of the tunnel.' That's a luxury the Angels don't have, as Mike Trout is just over two weeks away from becoming a "full-time father!"

Good luck...Larry

My 8* Weekend Wipeout is on the LA Dodgers at 8:15 ET.

After a rare Friday off day for both teams, the Los Angeles Dodgers will host the Houston Astros for a brief two-game series starting in the first meeting between the teams since an emotionally-charged matchup on July 29.The Astros beat the Dodgers in the 2017 World Series but when Houston's sign-stealing was revealed, in quite naturally left the Dodgers (and Yankees) with some bitter feelings. That led to July 29th's flare-up. 

Now on to Saturday's contest. The Houston Astros visit Dodger Stadium "in a funk." The Astros opened the 2020 season having won THREE straight AL West titles, while winning 101, 103 and 107 games, respectively from 2017-2019. However, the Astros ;limp' into LA having lost 13 of their last 20 games. They are 22-23 overall, SEVEN games back of the first-place A's and barely holding on to a postseason berth.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers own MLB's best record (32-13) and also own the best run-differential of any team at plus-98. However, the Dodgers are facing some starting pitching concerns. Walker Buehler went on the 10-day injured list because of recurring blister issues and fellow right-hander Dustin May left Thursday's outing with a left foot contusion after he was hit by a line drive. Considering that the Dodgers also shipped right-hander Ross Stripling to the Toronto Blue Jays at the Aug 31 trade deadline, they are suddenly short some arms with the stretch drive to the regular season having already arrived.

Taking the mound tonight will be a pair of left-handers, Framber Valdez (3-3, 3.61 ERA) of Houston and Julio Urias (3-0, 3.86 ERA) of LA. Valdez had looked solid this season, BEFORE his last outing on Se6 at the Angels. He pitched seven innings but allowed EIGHT earned runs in the 9-5 loss. Valdez gave up three runs on four hits over 4.1 innings to the Dodgers on July 28 and took the loss. It's his only career appearance vs LA. Urais is making his ninth start of 2020 and is 3-3 (team is 4-4). A closer look reveals that in his three road starts, his ERA is 5.40 and opponents are batting .300. However, in his five starts in Dodger Stadium, his ERA is 3.16 and his BAA is .229. He has never faced the Astros.

"Grudges" aside, LA is just the WAY better team right now, as Houston's slumping and after being MLB best road team over the last three seasons (157-86, .646), Houston owns one of MLB's worst road record at 6-17 (.261). Why would Houston's 'luck' change here in LA, where the Dodgers are 15-7, after going 59-22 at home in 2019. Dodgers win "with room to spare!"

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Weekly Wipeout is on the StL Cardinals at 8:15 ET.

There were more than a few that tabbed the Cincinnati Reds as a 'dark horse' to challenge for the NL Central title in 2020 and at least, be a STRONG contender in the expanded playoff-field. However, after the Reds lost to the Chicago Cubs 8-5 last night (in a game that dragged past midnight because of a rain delay at the outset), the 19-25 Reds sit in fourth-place in  the NL Central, 6 1/2 games back of the decision-leading Cubs. The Cards won the NL Central in 2019 (91-71) and advanced to the NLCS, before getting swept by the soon-to-be World Champion Nationals. The Cards were hit with a severe COVID-19 outbreak right after the start of the season and we're off the field for 17 days. However, the Cards have kept their postseason hopes alive and coming off of a doubleheader split against the Detroit Tigers on Thursday, find themselves three games off the division pace but also right in the thick of the playoff field. St Louis is currently in second-place in the NL Central and ALL there 2nd-place teams get a postseason berth, plus the two teams with the next best records (winning percentage!) earn wild card spots.

The Cards host the Reds for this three-game weekend series, which begins a 13-game stretch against NL Central foes. FIVE games in three days against Milwaukee (two DHs) comes next (Mon-Wed) and then FIVE games in four days with Pittsburgh (1 DH) follows Thu-Sun. The Reds will send Luis Castillo (1-5, 3.95 ERA) to the mound tonight, while the Cards will counter with Adam Wainwright (4-0, 2.68 ERA).

Castillo started strong in 2019 with an 11-4 mark and enjoyed his first All-Star selection (was 8-3 with a 2.29 ERA at the break). His 11th win came on August 5 but he won just FOUR of his last nine starts (Reds were just 4-5 in those games). However, his 15 wins were fifth-best in the NL and his 226 strikeouts tied for 12th in strikeouts per nine innings (10.7). Castillo will be getting his first start against the Tigers. Castillo set the bar high on the heels of his breakout season in 2019, claiming before the season that he'd like to capture the National League Cy Young Award in 2020, Sorry Luis! He FINALLY got his FIRST win of 2020 in his last outing, in his EIGHTH start of the season. Castillo allowed two runs on seven hits while striking out eight in six innings as the Reds beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-2. He had posted a 4.09 ERA through his first seven starts of 2020, with the Reds losing SIX of those seven.

St Louis converted Wainwright to a starter in 2007 and over the next seven seasons, he twice won 20 games and two other times won 19 games. During those four seasons, (2009, '10, '13 and '14), he twice finished second in the Cy Young voting and twice finished third. Injuries limited him to less than 10 starts in TWO of the next four years (2015-18) but at 37, he made 31 starts in 2019. He won five decisions last September to finish with his most victories (14) since winning 20 in 2014. Wainwright drew the season's second start on the strength of the throwing program he maintained during the pandemic shutdown. The Cards won Wainwright's first three starts of 2020 (2.00 ERA) but he then took a no-decision in a 5-4 StL loss (7 IP / 4 ERs) on Aug 25. Wainwright turned back the clock with a complete game on his 39th birthday as the Cardinals beat the Cleveland Indians 7-2 on Aug 30 (Wainwright threw a four-hitter for his 23rd career complete game and first in four years)! He then held the Cubs to two runs on six hits and one walk in 6.1 innings of a 4-2 victory last Saturday (Aug 5).

I have NO idea why this is basically a pick'em game! Castillo has been a bust, while Wainwright has built off his strong September finish of 2019 (Cards are 10-2 in his regular season starts since Sep 1 of 2019). Also of note, the Cards own a plus-27 run differential on the season, while the Reds are minus-27. This game is rated a toss-up? I just DON'T get it!

Good luck...Larry

My 10* PERFECT STORM is on the Cin Reds at 8:15 ET.

Full, detailed analysis by 9:00 ET Thursday morning.

My 9* Situational Stunner is on the Oak A's at 3:40 ET.

The Houston Astros opened the 'unique' 2020 season (60-game schedule) having won THREE straight AL West tiles (101, 103 & 107 wins) and two World Series appearances (win in 2017 and lost in 2019). The Oakland Athletics had won 97 games in both 2018 and 2019 but each time, lost in the winner-take-all wild card game. Here's where the AL situation as of Thursday morning, Sep 10. Houston opened just 7-10 but an EIGHT-game winning streak got them to 15-10. Houston was six games over .500 through games played Sep 3 (21-15) but then suffered a four-game sweep at the Angels over Labor Day weekend and have lost THREE of the first four here in Oakland in this five-game series, The 22-22 Astros are now 5 1/2 games back of the A's as the teams meet Thursday afternoon in Oakland. The A's opened 22-10 but then saw SIX games postponed from Aug 27 through Sep 3, losing both ends of a doubleheader to the Astros on Aug 29, the only games the team played during the above-mentioned eight-day span. Oakland returned to the field on Sep 4 and lost TWO of three to San Diego, before taking THREE of four vs Houston, with Thursday's series final going today.

Houston and Oakland square off today at 3:40 ET in the series finale, with the 26-15 A's leading the 22-22 Astros by 5 1/2 games. Both teams know that if the A's win, the Astros will be 6 1/2 games back of the A's with just 18 to play. Houston wasted a big-time effort from rookie Luis Garcia in his first big-league start on Wednesday (five scoreless innings while allowing just ONE hit) but the A's would come back from a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2 on a walk-off single in the 9th. Houston is hoping for a similar effort from another young right-hander tonight, Jose Urquidy (0-0, 4.91 ERA). That may be asking "too much," as Urquidy has made just 10 career appearances (eight starts), with a 4.03 ERA.

Seam Manea win 12 games in back-to-back seasons for Oakland in 2017 and 2018 (no-hit the Red Sox on 4/21/18) but was limited to just FIVE starts in 2019 after rehabbing from shoulder surgery that took place in Sep of 2018. However, he made his 2019 season debut in September and went 4-0 with a 1.21 ERA and 0.78 WHIP (30 Ks in 29 .2 innings. Big things were expected in 2020 but he flopped in his first four starts, going 0-2 (team was 1-3) with a 9.00 ERA. However, the late 2019 Manaea has emerged in his last four starts, going 3-0 (team is 40-0) with a 2.21 ERA.

Manaea has not had much luck vs Houston in his 12 career starts (he's 2-5 and the A's are 3-9) but note his ERA of 3.48 points to the fact that the Astros have not exactly 'lit him up!' The Astros were MLB's best road team from 2017-2019, going 157-86 (.646) but that was THEN and this is NOW. Houston is 6-16 (.273) on the road in 2020, ranking them among MLB's worst road teams this season. Meanwhile, the A's opened the current season having gone 102-60 (.630) in home games the last two seasons and are playing even better (percentage-wise) here at home in 2020, going 17-7 (.708). More road woes again here for Houston.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Game of the Week is on the NY Yankees at 6:37 ET.

Before the start of the 2020 season was postponed in March, the Dodgers and Yankees were favored to meet in the 2020 World Series. Following the announcement of a 60-game season, the World Series title odds were released by various sportsbooks. At Bovada, the Dodgers and Yankees were co-favorites at +375. The adjusted season win totals for the 60-game season (teams must play 59 games) had the Dodgers at 37 wins and the Yankees at 36.5. So where do we stand as of the morning of Sep 9? The Dodgers own MLB's best record (31-12) and lead the NL West by 4 1/2 games, with their .721 winning percentage putting them on pace to win 43 games. As for the Yankees, they are a hard-to-believe 21-21, 6 1/2 games out of first and barely holding on to the AL's final wild card spot. The team's .500 record naturally projects to a 30-win season. Who'da thunk it!

The Yankees opened 9-2 and were 16-6 through Aug 17, before losing SEVEN in a row. a 4-1 stretch followed but New York has now lost SEVEN of eight, including FIVE straight. Doing the math, since the team's 16-6 start, the Yankees are 5-15. Meanwhile, The Blue Jays were not allowed to play their home games in Toronto, so they relocated to Buffalo for their home games. Coming off a 67-95 (.414) season in 2019 (36 games behind the first-place Yankees), NOTHING was expected of Toronto in 2020. However, the Blue Jays were 7-11 around the same time the Yankees were 16-6 but have gone 17-7 since Aug 17. The Jays have won the first two contests of this three-game series and look to complete a sweep tonight. Toronto is currently 24-18, just 3 1/2 games back of the Rays and THREE games up on the Yankees)

Taking the mound on Wednesday will be New York rookie Deivi Garcia (0-1, 338 ERA) and Toronto veteran Tanner Roark (2-1, 5.74 ERA). Garcia made his major-league debut on Aug 30 with six innings in a no-decision against the New York Mets in which he allowed four hits and one unearned run while striking out six (Yankees won 5-2). He then allowed four runs and five hits on Friday in 4.2 innings to take the loss against the Baltimore Orioles. Roark spent his first six seasons in Washington before being traded prior to the 2019 season. He split last year between Cincinnati and Oakland while reaching double digits in victories for the FOURTH time in the last six seasons. He's made seven starts in 2020 and while he's just 2-1, it should be noted that the Jays have won SIX of his seven starts. However, the question to be asked is why?

Roark entered the current season 74-64 in his career with a 3.71 ERA. Here in 2020, his ERA is 5.74, his WHIP 1.79 and his BAA is an 'ugly' .317. Comparing his 2020 stats to his career numbers find that his 2020 ERA is about TWO full runs higher than his career ERA (3.76), his 2020 WHIP is 0.54 higher than his career (1.25) and that brutal .317 BAA is 64 points higher than his career BAA. Yes, Judge and Stanton remain out but I see the remaining Yankee bats should have little trouble getting to Roark, whose current 2020 season has been a 'mirage." Take the rook!

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Ultimate Underdog is on the Tex Rangers at 8:05 ET.

The Texas Rangers welcome the LA Angels to Arlington Tuesday night for the opener of a three-game series. Texas enters on a SIX-game losing streak and at 13-27, pretty much has resigned itself that its season will end in late September (currently sits 7 1/2 games out of a playoff position). The Angels may have felt the same way back on the morning of Sep3, as they were just 12-25. However, LA has won FIVE in a row since Sep e, including a four-game home sweep of the Astros. The Angels are now 17-25 and are 4 1/2 games back in the postseason race.

Tuesday's pitching matchup features LA's Andrew Heaney (3-2, 3.89 ERA) squaring off against the Rangers' Lance Lynn (4-2, 2.67 ERA). Heaney was the Angels' Opening Day starter but had failed to last at least six innings in any of his first six starts, with an ERA of 5.52 (Angels went 1-5 in those starts). However, he's turned things around his last two outings with back-to-back wins in which he's allowed just one ER over 14.2 innings (0.61 ERA). His ERA on the season has dropped from 5.52 in those first six starts to 3.89. 

Lance Lynn is a nine-year veteran, who has logged EXACTLY 1,400 innings over 256 appearances (232 starts) with a 102-70 record (3.55 ERA) in his career. Lynn was a solid part of the St Louis rotation from 2012 to 2017. He missed the entire 2016 season due to injury but in those other five seasons, he won 71 games. He signed a FA deal with Minnesota in 2018 and was a flop, going 7-8 with a 5.10 ERA. He was traded during the season to the Yankees and went 3-2 with a 4.14 ERA. Texas took a chance on him in 2019 and he responded by winning a team-high 16 games. Here in 2020, he's been the LONE bright spot of the Texas rotation. However, after allowing just eight ERs in his first seven starts (with an 0.86 WHIP and .156 BAA against to go along with a 1.59 ERA), he's struggled in his last two outings. He's lost BOTH games, allowing nine ERs over 12 innings (6.75 ERA).

The Angels enter on a five-game winning streak with Heaney posting an 0.61 ERA in his last two starts, while the Rangers come in on a six-game slide, with their ONLY pitcher of note struggling in his last two (6.75 ERA). Is the obvious play on LA? Maybe but I have little faith in Heaney recent two-game surge plus the Rangers have hit him well, as Heaney owns a 5.28 ERA in 11 career starts vs Texas, including a loss this season when he allowed five runs and eight hits in just 3.2 innings back on Aug 9. Lynn went 10-1 (3.50 ERA) at home last season and is 3-1 (2.17 ERA) at home here in 2020. This home dog 'BARKS' loudly in this one!

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Daytime Dominator is on the Min Twins at 3:15 ET.

The 17-16 St Louis Cardinals host the 26-17 Minnesota Twins in an interleague doubleheader on Tuesday. Both teams won their respective Central Division titles last season, St Louis in the NL and Minnesota in the AL. Both are currently in second-place in those divisions, St Louis 2 1/2 games off the pace in the NL Central while Minnesota is just ONE game back in the AL Central. The Cards opened 2-3 but a COVID-19 outbreak sidelined the team for 17 days. The Cards' schedule will be jammed-packed down the stretch but enter this three-game series having won SIX of nine. The Twins opened the season 10-2 and were still 20-12 the morning of Aug 25, when they went on a SIX-game losing streak. However, Minnesota is back on track entering this contest, having won SIX of its last seven.

The Starting pitchers for Game 1 of this twin-bill will be Jose Berrios (3-3, 4.29 ERA) and Carlos Martinez (0-1, 14.73 ERA). Berrios went 14-8 in 2019, matching his career-high win total (was also 14-8 in 2017), en route to earning his second straight All-Star berth while reaching 200 innings for the first time in his four-year career. However, he's had a disappointing current season, as the Twins are just 4-4 in his eight starts. That said, Berrios looked like his "old self" in his last outing, recording an 8-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox. He allowed just one run on three hits in six innings, while striking out EIGHT batters.

 Carlos Martinez is yet another example of St Louis turning a reliever into an effective starter. From 2015 through 2017 Martinez had seasons of 14-7 (3.01 ERA), 16-9 (3.04 ERA) and 12-11 (3.64 ERA), while making 92 starts. However, he was in and out of the starting rotation in 2018, going 8-6 with a 3.11 ERA in 33 appearances (18 starts). He returned to the bullpen full-time in 2019 (all 48 appearances were in relief), going 4-2 (3.17 ERA) with 24 saves. He was back in the starting rotation at the start of this season but was HAMMERED in his season debut, allowing six ERs on seven hits in just 3.2 innings in a July 28 start at Minnesota.

Here's the rub. Martinez was one of the StL players to be sidelined with COVID-19 at the end of July and this marks his first start since recovering. He returns to the club after training at the team's alternate training site in Springfield, Mo., under the guidance of minor league pitching coordinator Tim Leveque and longtime Cardinals coach Jose Oquendo. How will he do? He can't be worse than his only other start this year, against these same Twins (see above for a reminder). I sure wouldn't want to trust him here, as the Twins have recovered nicely from their six-game slide and I expect them to ruin Martinez's return debut.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* PERFECT STORM is on the Arz D'backs at 8:05 ET.

The San Francisco Giant began the 2020 season off years of 64-98, 73-89 and 77-85 from 2017 through 2019. They finished 29 games back of the Dodgers last season and the Giants' three World Series titles (in 2010, 2012 and 2014) felt more like 20 years ago, not 6-10 years ago. The Arizona D'backs went 85-77 in 2019 and while no one expected the D'backs to contend with LA for the NL West title (after all, Arizona finished 21 games back of the Dodgers in 2019), an expanded playoff field in 2020 gave the Arizona faithful hope in this shortened 60-game schedule. However, after opening 13-11, Arizona lost EIGHT in a row (from Aug 19-26), before snapping its losing skid with a 7-4 win at home against the Giants on Aug 27. The D'backs then promptly lost FIVE in a row, before winning 6-5 in San Francisco on Friday. However, the D'backs lost Saturday and Sunday and enter Monday's series finale just 15-26, a WHOPPING 14 1/2 games back of the division-leading Dodgers. As for the Giants, they were only 8-16 on the morning of Aug 17 but they've won 12 of 17 since. They are now 20-21 and FIVE games better than the D'backs but more importantly are 4 1/2 games back of the second-place Padres. ALL second-place teams earn a playoff spot and while the Giants probably can't catch San Diego, they are certainly capable of earning one of the NL's two wild card spots. 

Taking the mound Labor Day evening will be  Zac Gallen (1-0, 1.80 ERA) of Arizona and Kevin Gausman (2-2, 4.43 ERA). Yes, Gallen has just that one decision in EIGHT starts here in 2020 but a closer look reveals that he's been Arizona's most effective starter all season. He's NOT allowed more than two ERs in ANY of his eight starts this season (team is 5-3 in those starts), posting an 0.94 WHIP and .182 BAA against to go along with his sub-.2.00 ERA. Gausman is in his eighth big league season and the Giants are his FOURTH team (career record of 49-65, with a 4.30 ERA). He's made eight appearances so far in 2020 (seven starts), with the Giants going 2-5 in his seven starts. He has no real history to speak of vs the D'backs, going 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA in four games (three starts / teams are 1-2 & his ERA is 3.57). 

This is the final meeting of the season between these two NL west rivals, with the Giants having won SEVEN of the first nine. Add to that, the fact that the Diamondbacks have lost 15 of their last 17 games and one may ask, "Why play Arizona?" The reason is Zac Gallen who owns the major league record with 23 starts allowing three or fewer ERs to begin a career. Not bad, huh? D'backs are WAY better than their record and get the "W" in this one. 

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Game of the Week is on the Hou Astros at 4:10 ET.

The Houston Astros came to Anaheim on Friday with a modest 21-15 record. After all, the Astros had won THREE straight AL West titles, while winning 101, 103 and 107 games, respectively from 2017-2019. However, the Astros were two games back of the A's in 2020 and hoped to pick up some ground against the Angels, with a FIVE-game series at Oakland looming Monday-Thursday. And why shouldn't the Astros have been thinking that way? The Angels entered 2020 off FIVE straight non-playoff seasons, with 2019 being the worst of the bunch, as LA finished 72-90 (.444), a WHOPPING 35 games back of the Astros. In fact, that .444 'winning' percentage was looking pretty good to the 2020 Angels on Friday morning, as they sat 13-25 (.342), 11 games back of the division-leading A's.

So where are we as of Sunday morning? The Angels take the field on Sunday looking for a FOUR-game sweep of the Astros. LA won Friday night 6-5 in 11 innings and then in Saturday's doubleheader, came from behind twice in their last at-bats to win 10-9 and 7-6 in those seven-inning contests. As Vince Lombardi once famously yelled, "What the hell is going on out there?" Taking the mound for Sunday's series finale will be Houston's Framber Valdez (3-2, 2.58 ERA) and LA's Jaime Barria (0-0, 2.63 ERA).

Neither pitcher has much MLB experience but Valdez has looked solid this season, making seven appearances, including six starts. The lone relief appearance turned into a 6.1-inning effort at LA back on Aug 2, when he allowed just one unearned run in the game the Astros won 6-5 in 11 innings. He faced the Angels again on Aug 24 (in Houston) and allowed four ERs over seven innings but easily got the win in an 11-4 Houston victory. Barria made 26 starts for LA in 2018 and went 10-9 with a 3.412 ERA. However, he made a more modest 19 appearances in 2019 (just 13 starts) and was awful, going 4-10 with a 6.42 ER and 1.44 WHIP. He's made just three appearances in 2020, the first two in relief. His first start came on Aug 31 at home vs Seattle, when he took a no-decision (4.1 IP / 5 hits / 1 ER) in a 2-1 Mariners win.

This play really isn't about the starters, although I do believe Valdez ( gives Houston the edge over Barria. Note that Valdez is 4-2 in his career against Los Angeles with a 3.20 ERA in eight appearances, including four starts (Astros are 3-1 and his ERA is 2.74). With FIVE games in four days with the A's looming Monday-Thursday, the LAST thing Houston needs is to get swept by the Angels. After THREE straight one-run losses, Houston gets off the schneid and wins here!

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Oddsmaker's Error is on the Oak A's at 4:10 ET.

The Padres won Game 1 of this three-game series against the A's in Oakland 7-0 on Friday night but the A's rebounded nicely on Saturday, winning 8-4. The rubber match is set for Sunday. The 24-17 Padres know it's VERY unlikely they'll catch the 30-11 Dodgers in the NL West (sit SIX games back) but with ALL second-place teams in each division assured of a playoff spot (plus two wild cards), the Padres are almost a 'lock' to be playing postseason baseball for the first time since 2006. As for the A's, they lead the Astros by 3 1/2 games in the AL West and barring a total collapse, are headed to the postseason for the THIRD straight season.

Squaring off in Sunday's contest will be LA's Garrett Richards (1-2, 4.63 ERA) and Oakland's Mike Fiers (4-1, 4.86 ERA). Richards spent eight years with the Angels, before signing a two-year deal with San Diego. However, Tommy John surgery caused him to miss almost ALL of 2019 (made just three September appearances). Here in 2020, he's been AWFUL at home (7.82 ERA / team is 1-3) but very good  on the road (2,82 ERA / team is 3-1). However, it's hard for Richards to match Fiers' numbers since coming to Oakland. His overall numbers are off in 2020 (1.43  WHIP  and .282 BAA to go along with his 4.86 ERA), after he set career highs in wins (15), starts (33) and innings pitched (184.2) last year in his first full season in Oakland. However, the A's are 6-1 in his seven 2020 starts. 

Should we be surprised? Here's the rub. Since joining Oakland in August of 2018 (from Detroit), Fiers has made 50 regular season starts for the A's, who have gone 37-13 (.740) in those contests! Want more? The A's are 22-4 in Fiers' 26 home starts at Oakland Coliseum (that's an 85% winning percentage), where the A's have gone 14-5 (.737) in 2020, after going 52-29 and 50-31 the previous two seasons. With that record, just how are the A's an underdog (or pick'em) in this situation? The A's have the Astros coming to town for FIVE games in four days beginning on Labor Day and a win here would be a nice way to lead into that VERY important series. Once again, Fiers "gets the CA$H!"

Good luck...Larry

My 10* PERFECT STORM is on the SF Giants at 9:15 ET.

The San Francisco Giant began the 2020 season off years of 64-98, 73-89 and 77-85 from 2017 through 2019. They finished 29 games of the Dodgers last season and  the Giants' three World Series titles (in 2010, 2012 and 2014) felt more like 20 years ago, not 6-10 years ago. The Arizona D'backs went 85-77 in 2019 and while no one expected the D'backs to contend with LA for the NL West title (after all, Arizona finished 21 games back of the Dodgers), an expanded playoff field in 2020 gave the Arizona faithful hope in this shortened 60-game schedule. However, after opening 13-11, Arizona lost EIGHT in a row (from Aug 19-26), before snapping its losing skid with a 7-4 win at home against the Giants on Aug 27. The D'backs then promptly lost FIVE in a row as they opened a four-game series in San Francisco last night. While the D'backs sat 14-24 prior to last night's game, the Giants could actually 'sniff' a possible playoff berth at 18-20.

The D'backs beat the Giants 6-5 last night and the two teams continue their four-game series tonight at Oracle Park, as Madison Bumgarner (0-3, 9.35 ERA) takes on Trevor Cahill (0-0, 2.51 ERA). Bumgarner needs no introduction, as he opened the 2020 season with a 119-92 record (3.13 ERA) in 11 seasons (286 starts) with the Giants. He also owns three World Series rings (2010, 2012 & 2014), along with a World Series MVP in 2014 (two wins and one save / 0.43 ERA, 0.48 WHIP and 17-1 KW ratio). Bumgarner went 9-9 with a 3.90 ERA in 2019 for the Giants. He signed a five-year contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks, worth $85 million back on December 17, 2019, Things haven't gone well for the former World Series MVP. He made his Diamondbacks debut as a Opening Day starting pitcher and after going 0-3 in four starts (team was 0-4 and he owned a 1.56 WHIP and .282 BAA to go along with his near-10.00 ERA), was placed on the disabled list on August 10, 2020.

Trevor Cahill began his career with Oakland, where he pitched from 2009-11. He was terrific in 2010 (18-8, 2.97 ERA) but from 2012 through 2019, he pitched for SEVEN different teams (including a second stint with Oakland) with VERY little success. Cahill signed a one-year, $9 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels prior to the 2019 season and had a career worst 5.98 ERA while being demoted to the bullpen. He signed a major league contract with the San Francisco Giants on Feb 26, 2020. He began the season sidelined with a fingernail injury but was put on the major league roster right before a game with Houston on Aug 21. He was only expected to throw about 50 pitches and was pulled after 55, walking four in just 1.2 innings. However, he's remained in the starting rotation and while he hasn't pitched 'deep into any of his last three starts (3.1 innings to 5.1 innings), he's allowed just four ERs on seven hits over 12.2 innings for a 2.84 ERA.

Let me note that the Giants have won all THREE of Cahill's last three starts and his teams have won THREE of his four career starts vs the Giants. Meanwhile, Bumgarner comes off the IL to face the team he starred for from 2009-2019. His fastball has lost its zip (topped out at 85-87 MPH) in his last outing vs the Padres back on Aug 9, when he allowed four HRs and six ERs in just two innings. In his previous start (Aug 4 vs Houston), he allowed EIGHT runs (seven earned) on seven hits (two HRs) in just 4.1 innings. The saying is, "You can't go home" and Bumgarner learns that lesson tonight.

Good luck...Larry 

My 9* Rivalry Game of the Month is on the StL Cards at 5:10 ET (Game 1 of doubleheader).

The Brewers, Cards and Cubs have been "the usual suspects" in the NL Central in recent years. The Brewers won the division in 2018 (made it to NLCS but lost in seven games to LA) and in 2019 earned a wild card berth. The Cubs had a late-season collapse in 2019, ending a four-year postseason run (2015-18) which included division titles in 2016 and 2017, when the Cubs won their first World series title since 1908! St Louis is well-familiar with winning, as the Cards captured a World Series title in 2006 and then again in 2011. That 2011 season was the first of FIVE straight playoff appearances for the Cards but while the team posted winning seasons in each year from 2016-18, St Louis failed to reach the postseason. That changed in 2019, as the Cards won the NL Central with a 91-71 record and advanced to the NLCS where they ran into the red-hot Nationals and got swept.

The Yankees/Red Sox and Dodgers/Giants have to be considered MLB's top-two rivalries but don't tell that to Midwest fans, who know all about rivalry series when the Cards and Cubs square off. These two longtime and bitter rivals are playing a five-game series at Wrigley Field this Labor Day weekend (Fri-Mon). The series opened last night with Chicago winning 4-1, as the 23-15 Cubs opened a 4 1/2 game lead in the NL Central over the 14-15 Cardinals and 18-19 Brewers (18-19). The series continues with a Saturday doubleheader, with the Cardinals serving as the home team for the second half of the twin-bill. In fact, the Cubs and Cardinals are playing their entire 10-game season series in Chicago this season due to the rescheduling of COVID-19 postponements." Addressing that situation, Cardinals manager Mike Shildt told reporters, "That's just one of those deals. I just look at the games as a game. It's clearly an anomaly that I'm sure -- well, I'm not sure of anything some days. Be careful what you say will never happen again because as soon as you think something won't happen, it will pop up. So it's obviously very different." That quote pretty much sums up the state of sports here in 2020.

The Game 1 pitching matchup features St Louis veteran Adam Wainwright (3-0, 2.65 ERA) going up against Chicago rookie Adbert Alzolay (0-0, 0.00 ERA). St Louis converted Wainwright to a starter in 2007 and over the next seven seasons, he twice won 20 games and two other times won 19 games. During those four seasons, (2009, '10, '13 and '14), he twice finished second in the Cy Young voting and twice finished third. Injuries limited him to less than 10 starts in TWO of the next four years (2015-18) but at 37, he made 31 starts in 2019. He won five decisions last September to finish with his most victories (14) since winning 20 in 2014. Wainwright drew the season's second start on the strength of the throwing program he maintained during the pandemic shutdown. The Cards won Wainwright's first three starts of 2020 (2.00 ERA) but he then took a no-decision in a 5-4 StL loss (7 IP / 4 ERs) on Aug 25. Then this past Sunday, Wainwright turned back the clock with a complete game on his 39th birthday as the Cardinals beat the Cleveland Indians 7-2 Sunday, snapping a four-game skid. Wainwright threw a four-hitter for his 23rd career complete game and first in four years!

Cubs manager David Ross has had to improvise with starting pitcher Tyler Chatwood shelved by forearm strain, The Cubs had hoped to plug Jose Quintana into his rotation slot but Quintana went on the 10-day injured list with a left lat muscle strain. Instead, the Cubs promoted top pitching prospect Adbert Alzolay to start the first half of Saturday's doubleheader (note: Ross expects to use a series of relievers to get through Game 2). Alzolay faced the Cardinals on Aug 19 and held them to one unearned run on two hits in five innings of a doubleheader game. He struck out six batters and walked only one in a 4-2 victory.

Wainwright is 16-13 with a 4.15 ERA in 50 career outings against the Cubs, including 41 starts (team is 24-17). Meanwhile, Alzolay has six career appearances (three starts) with 12.1 innings pitched "under his belt." I had Wainwright last Sunday and will back him again in this one!

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Ultimate Underdog is on the SD Padres at 9:40 ET.

The Oakland A's were 22-10 on the morning of Aug 27th but sat out that Thursday game with the Rangers. They then moved to Houston for an important three-game series with the Astros but the two teams sat out Friday's game in protest, forcing a Saturday doubleheader. The A;s would lose both ends of that doubleheader and then pitcher Daniel Mengden tested positive for the coronavirus, forcing a postponement of Sunday's final. The A's then postponed a three-game series with Seattle Mon-Thu but are now "safe to return to play." However, as they welcome the Padres to Oakland on Friday, the team begins a stretch of 14 games in 11 days! Oakland is 22-12, two games up on Houston in the AL West.

The 23-16 Padres come to Oakland with a whole new cast of characters, including starter Mike Clevinger, reliever Trevor Rosenthal, catchers Jason Castro and Austin Nola, designated hitter Mitch Moreland and outfielder Greg Allen, all acquired via trade in the days leading up to the Aug 31 deadline. Clevinger started last night for San Diego at the LAA and took a hard-luck 2-0 loss, although he pitched well (6 IP / 2 ERs). "It's the most exciting team in baseball right now," Clevinger gushed of the new-look Padres shortly after joining the club. "It's kind of the place to be right now."

Zach Davies (5-2, 2.61 ERA) gets the ball for San Diego, while Oakland counters with Jesus Luzardo (2-1, 3.74 ERA).Davies' best season was back in 2017 with Milwaukee (17-9, 3.90 ERA) but he went just 12-14 over 44 starts in 2018 and 2019. He was traded to San Diego this past offseason and the Padres are VERY happy with the way he's pitched. Davies has a decision in all SEVEN of his starts (5-2) and along with his excellent ERA (2.61), he owns a superb 0.90 WHIP, while holding opponents to a .189 BAA. Luzardo pitched just 12 innings (six relief appearances) in 2019 but this season has made seven appearances, including five starts. He is far from outstanding but he's been solid, as the A's are 4-1 in his starts. However, he hasn't pitched in 11 days since suffering his first loss of the season, 3-2 at Texas last Monday. Meanwhile, the A's haven't played since losing both ends of a doubleheader at Houston last Saturday. That's NOT a great 'daily double' when facing Davies and a San Diego team 'smelling' a playoff berth for the first time since the 2006 season. I'm taking the 'juicy' price with Davies.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Situational Stunner is on the Cle Indians at 7:10 ET.

The Cleveland Indians won THREE straight AL Central titles from 2016-18 but despite winning 90-plus games for the fourth consecutive season in 2019, the Indians' 93 wins left them EIGHT games behind the AL Central champion 101-61. The Indians opened the current season just 5-6 and sat 10-9 through Aug 12. However, Cleveland has won 13 of 18 since and currently leads the AL Central by a half-game over the White Sox and 1 1/2 over the Twins. The Brewers, Cards and Cubs were "the usual suspects" heading into this year's 60-game schedule. Milwaukee won the division in 2018 (lost the NLCS to LA in seven games) and last year earned the NL's second wild card spot but blew a three-run lead at Washington in losing that winner-take-all game, 4-3 The Brewers have not been over .500 ALL season and currently are 17-19, leaving then in third-place in the division, 4 1/2 games out of first.

The Cleveland Indians hope to create some breathing room in the top-heavy AL Central on Friday when they begin a three-game series against the visiting Milwaukee The Brewers have won FOUR of their last six contests heading into this opener of a five-game road trip. Friday's game continues a stretch of seven straight interleague contests for Milwaukee. Taking the mound will be Milwaukee's Corbin Burnes (1-0, 2.78 ERA) and Cleveland's Carlos Carrasco (2-3, 3.75).

Burness was a rookie in 2018 and went 7-0 with 2.61 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in 300 appearances (middle reliever). However, he made 32 appearances last year (four starts) going 1-5 with his ERA and WHIP ballooning to 8.82 and 1.84, respectively. He's regained his 2018 form in the first half of this season, as in seven appearances (4 starts), he's 1-0 with a 2.78 ERA and 1.08 WHIP. Burnes, struck out a career-high 10 batters and scattered three hits over six scoreless innings in a 9-1 win over Pittsburgh last Friday (team is 2-2 in his four starts).

Carrasco was coming off back-to-back strong seasons entering 2019, having gone 18-6, 3.29 ERA and 17-10, 3,38 ERA, respectively. He took the mound back on May 30, 2019 against the Chicago White Sox but only days later, was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia, a blood disorder that threatened his life. He spent the next three months battling leukemia before returning in September to pitch out of the bullpen. He made 11 appearances, allowing 18 hits and 11 ERs in 15 innings (6.60 ERA). However, Carrasco and the Indians beat KC 9-2 on July 27 of this season, as he won his first start in 423 days! His first three starts of 2020 went well, as he allowed just five ERs over 18 innings (6 IP in each), for a 2.50 ERA and had 23 Ks in those 18 innings. As for his next three starts? NOT so good. He has lasted more than 4.1 innings in any of them, allowing 10 ERs over 12 innings for a 7.50 ERA. He has 16 Ks in those 12 innings but he's also allowed NINE walks!

However, Carrasco scattered two hits and struck out six in six scoreless innings of a 2-1 (12 inn.) victory for Cleveland at St. Louis last Saturday. That's the kind of pitching the Indians need from Carrasco, with Clevinger traded to San Diego. Some good news here is that he has won both of his career starts vs the Brewers, posting a 1.69 ERA and 0.94 WHIP. The Brewers are just NOT the same team in 2020 that they were in 2018 and 2019.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Division Game of the Month (AL Central) is on the Chi White Sox at 8:05 ET.

The Indians won the AL Central from 2016-18 but despite 93 wins in 2019, lost out to the Twins, who won 101 games for the first time since they won 102 games on their way to the 1965 World Series (lost that one in seven games to Sandy Koufax and the Dodgers). Cleveland and Minnesota were expected to vie for the AL Central title again in 2020 but there were some who warned, "Watch out for the White Sox!" At first glance that seems silly, as since winning the 2005 World Series, the White Sox have made just ONE postseason experience (2008) and over the previous three seasons (2017-19), had finished 35, 29 and 28.5 games out of first-place, respectively. However, a quick check of the AL Central standings Thursday morning reveals the Indians (23-14), White Sox (22-15) and the Twins (22-16) are all bunched together at the top of the division, separated by just 1 1/2 games. As for the Royals, who welcome the White Sox to KC for a four-game series beginning tonight, you'll find them in last-place at 14-23. That's NINE games back of Cleveland, which just beat KC Tuesday and Wednesday (10-1 & 5-1), after the Royals took the opener of that series 2-1 on Monday.

The Royals were just in Chicago last weekend, losing TWO of three to the White Sox, dropping them to 1-5 against them on the season. This four-game series will complete the season series between the two teams. Taking the mound will be Chicago's Dylan Cease (4-2, 3.00 ERA), going up against KC's Danny Duffy (2-2, 4.11 ERA). Cease made 14 starts last season for Chicago (rookie year), going 4-7 with a 5.79 ERA and 1.55 WHIP (team was 6-8 in his starts). He struggled in his first start of 2020 (2.1 IP / 7 hits / 4 ERs) but in SIX August starts, has looked pretty good. He's allowed a modest eight ERs over 33.2 innings in that span, posting a 2.14 ERA. Cease started last Saturday against the Royals in Chicago and while he allowed just one ER and one hit, he walked SIX batters and after 93 pitches was removed after 4.1 innings (Chicago would lose, 9-6). However, back on Aug 2 in KC, he allowed just two ERs over six innings of a 9-2 White Sox win over the Royals.

KC's Danny Duffy is in his 10th season with the Royals. He made his debut in 2011 when the Royals lost 91 games but he was there when they went to back-to-back World Series in 2014 and 2015, winning it the second time. However, he's now a part of another rebuild. KC lost the first three times he took the mound in 2020 (Duffy was 0-2 with a 4.11 ERA) but the Royals then won his next three starts (Duffy was 2-0 with 3.86 ERA). Duffy also pitched (like Cease) in last weekend's series between the two teams, lasting 5.2 innings while allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits in a 6-6 KC loss (he took a no-decision).

Duffy's seen plenty of the White Sox over his career, making 24 starts against Chicago while going 10-6 with 4.12 ERA (KC is 15-9). Duffy has started 188 of his 216 career appearances but checks in 62-63 for his career. He's made 20-plus starts in SEVEN of his previous nine seasons but has produced just ONE winning record in that span, going 12-3 with a 3.51 ERA in 42 appearances (26 starts). However, even in that season (his best as a major-leaguer, he poste a 5.50 ERA in six September starts, as the Royals went 1-5!) He's really nothing more than a journeyman and he's facing a young pitcher with real potential in Cease, who also owns the advantage of pitching for the MUCH better team! 

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Late-Breaker is on the SD Padres at 7:10 ET.

Mike Clevinger was the biggest name to change teams at the trade deadline, as the Cleveland Indians sent him to the San Diego Padres this past Monday. He'll make his San Diego debut tonight in Anaheim against the Angels, the team that selected Clevinger in the fourth round of the 2011 Major League Baseball draft (more later). The 23-15 Padres are FIVE games back of the LA Dodgers in the NL West but with an expanded postseason field, the Padres are "looking good" for reaching the playoffs for the first time since the 2006 season. Meanwhile, the LA Angels are currently 12-25, the owners of the AL's worst record. Mike Trout is now less than a month away from being a full-time father.

Clevinger never reached the big leagues with the Angels and had elbow reconstruction surgery in 2013. He was traded to the Cleveland Indians on May 18, 2016. He made 17 appearances (10 starts) for Cleveland in 2016 but went just 3-3 with a 5.220 ERA. However, from 2017-19, he was 38-18 with a 2.96 ERA. Big things were expected for him in 2019 but he made just four starts (1-1, 3.18 ERA) for the Indians in 2020, as his season was interrupted because he was placed on the restricted list by the Indians for breaking COVID-19 protocols in early August.

Taking the mound for the Angels will be Andrew Heaney (2-2, 4.62 ERA). He is coming off his best performance of 2020in his last outing, allowing just one run on four hits over 7.2 innings with 10 Ks in LA;s 3-2 win last Friday vs the Mariners. Heaney was the Angels' Opening Day starter but had failed to last at least six innings in any of his first six starts, with an ERA of 5.52 (Angels went 1-5 in those starts).

The Angels are a 'MESS' and Heaney is nothing more than a journeyman pitcher (22-28 with a 4.45 ERA in 88 career appearances / 84 starts). Meanwhile, the Padres are a playoff-caliber team in 2020 , as the team's plus-50 run differential ranks SECOND to only the Dodgers among NL teams (it's 3rd-best among all 30 MLB teams!). Clevinger HAS to be excited about his opportunity for a fresh start with a new team and his debut comes against the team that originally drafted him. The fact that Clevinger is 4-0 with a 2.94 ERA in six career starts (team is 5-1) is just "icing on the cake!" Late-Breaker on the Padres.

Good luck...Larry

My 8* Las Vegas Insider is on the Min Twins at 8:10 ET.

The Minnesota Twins entered last night's game with the White Sox on a SIX-game losing streak. After opening 10-2, the Twins had fallen to 20-16, 2 1/2 games back of the first-place Whit Sox and 1 1/2 back of the second-place Indians. However, after falling behind 2-0 in the top of the first last night, the Twins shut out Chicago over the final eight innings to snap their six-game slide, 3-2. It was just Chicago's THIRD loss in its last 15 but coupled with Cleveland's 10-1 on Tuesday, the White Sox woke up this morning tied with the Indians for the AL Central lead, with the Twins 1 1/2 games back. 

The rubber game of this three-game series is set for tonight, as Jose Berrios (2-3, 4.75 ERA) takes on Reynaldo Lopez (0-1, 9.00 ERA). Berrios went 14-8 in 2019, matching his career-high win total (was also 14-8 in 2017), en route to earning his second straight All-Star berth while reaching 200 innings for the first time in his four-year career. However, he's had a disappointing start to the current season, as the Twins are just 3-4 in his starts, while he's got  a 1.47 WHIP to go along with his near-5.00 ERA. Lopez has made just three starts in 2020 but while the White Sox have won two of them, it's HARD to ignore that the one loss came vs Minnesota back on July 26 when he got just TWO outs before being pulled after allowing FOUR runs.  

That 'ugly' effort v]can hardly be seen as a surprise, as Lopez is 1-5 with a 6.48 ERA in eight career starts vs Minnesota (team is 2-6). In STARK contrast, Berrios has dominated the White Sox in his career, going 11-2 with a 2.76 ERA in 15 career starts (Twins are 13-2, making this an 87% winning situation). 

Good luck...Larry

My 10* PERFECT STORM is on the Was Nationals at 7:05 ET.

The Philadelphia Phillies have opened this four-game series with the Washington Nationals with a pair of wins. The Phils won 8-6 on Monday and then 6-0 on Tuesday, a victory that moved them above .500 at 16-15. They continue this series again tonight tied with the Marlins, THREE games back of the division-leading Atlanta Braves. As for the defending champs, the Nationals have now lost EIGHT of 10 and find themselves in last-place in the NL East (12-21), EIGHT games back of the Braves.

Taking the mound tonight will be Max Scherzer (3-1, 3.86 ERA) for the Nats, while the Phils counter with Zach Wheeler (3-0, 2.58 ERA). comes off his best outing of 2020, allowing six hits and one run over six innings with an 11-0 KW ratio. Scherzer said he adjusted his mechanics. "Made a tweak," he said about Friday's effort. "I saw some video where my hands were lower. I raised my hands and kind of squared up my shoulders and kept my left shoulder from rolling forward. And I felt like I was in a better direction. And I felt like that really allowed me to really just be able to execute high fastballs with a lot more ease."

As for Wheeler, he is living up to the high expectations that came when he signed as a free agent in the offseason. He showed plenty of promise with the Mets these last few years and so far has opened 3-0 with a 2.85 ERA in six starts (Phils are 4-2). He's allowed two ERs or less in FIVE of his six starts this season, allowing a modest three ERs in the other one.

The Phils are playing better ball at the moment but Wheeler hasn't fared well against the Nationals in his career, going 5-10 with a 5.01 ERA in 18 starts (team is 7-11). In STARK comparison, Scherzer is 11-3 with a 2.62 ERA in 20 career starts against the Phillies, with his teams going 16-4 (note: he's 5-0 with a 2.40 ERA at Citizens Bank Park). Washington, behind Scherzer, is the play!

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Weekly Wipeout is on the Tor Blue Jays at 6:40 ET.

The Miami Marlins were the first team to have a major COVID-19 outbreak and did not play a game from June 27 through August 4. Miami has since had THREE more games postponed due to the virus on other teams, yet currently find themselves at 16-15, just THREE games back of NL East leaders Atlanta (not bad for a team which was an NL-worst 57-105 in 2019). As for the Blue Jays, they lost a three-game series in Philadelphia due to COVID-19 concerns on the Phillies and then joined the Red Sox in protesting an August 27th game. The Blue Jays were not allowed to play their home games in Canada and didn't begin 'hosting' games at Buffalo's Sahlen Field until August 11, Through it all, Toronto is a respectable 18-16 but the Jays are stuck in the AL East, which features the 25-12 Rays and 20-14 Yankees.

Wednesday's pitching matchup features Toronto left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu (2-1, 2.92 ERA) going up against Miami rookie right-hander Sixto Sanchez (1-0, 2.25 ERA).Ryu went 14-5 (2.32 ERA) with LA last season, the THIRD time in five full seasons with the Dodgers that he won 14 times. Ryu was signed as a free agent in the offseason and has been one of MLB's better offseason acquisitions. He got off to a slow start in July's two starts, allowing eight ERs on 13 hits in nine innings (8.00 ERA) but had a red-hot August. He allowed one run or less in all five of his August starts, posting a 1.29 ERA, with Toronto going 4-1. He took a no-decision in that lone team loss, a game the Rays won 2-1 in 10 innings.

Sanchez is a 22-year-old rookie who has pitched in two major league games (none against Toronto), and he has been impressive both times. His four-seam fastball averages 98.6 and his sinker averages 97.6 mph. That said, we still know little about Sanchez, while Ryu has a 56-34 career record and a 2.98 ERA since arriving in the majors back in 2013. He also has had excellent success vs Miami, going 3-1 with a 2.23 ERA in five career starts (teams are 4-1). Greta spot for Toronto to win, as the Jays get the sad-sack Red Sox for FIVE games from Thursday through Sunday. 12-24 Boston is tied with the LAA Angels for the AL's worst record and the Blue Jays have a GREAT opportunity to close the gap in the AL East this week. First things first. Toronto wins tonight!

Good luck...Larry

My 10* PERFECT STORM is on the Chi White Sox at 8:10 ET.

The Indians won the AL Central from 2016-18 but despite 93 wins in 2019, lost out to the Twins, who won 101 games for the first time since they won 102 games on their way to the 1965 World Series (lost that one in seven games to Sandy Koufax and the Dodgers). Cleveland and Minnesota were expected to vie for the AL Central title again in 2020 but there were some who warned, "Watch out for the White Sox!" On first glance that seems silly, as since winning the 2005 World Series, the White Sox have made just ONE postseason experience (2008) and over the previous three seasons (2017-19), had finished 35, 29 and 28.5 games out of first-place, respectively.

However, a check of the AL standings on the morning of Sep 1 finds the 22-13 White Sox atop the division, one game up on the Indians and 2 1/2 games up on the Twins. Chicago beat Minnesota 8-5 last night, giving the White Sox 12 wins in their last 14 games (Chicago was just 10-11 in game played through ). In stark contrast, the Twins opened the current season 10-2, before going a modest 10-8 over their next 18 games. The Twins seemed 'stuck in neutral' during that span (Aug 6-24) but things have fallen apart for Minnesota, recently. Last night's defeat made it SIX consecutive losses for the Twins.

The teams play the second contest of this three-game series tonight, as Michael Pineda (0-0, 0.00 ERA) takes on Dallas Keuchel (5-2, 2.70 ERA). Pineda will make his 2020 debut on Tuesday night. Pineda made his MLB debut with Seattle back in 2011 but was traded to the Yankees in 2012. Injuries kept him sidelined until 2014 when he made 14 starts, going 5-5 with a 1.89 ERA and 0.83 WHIP. However, from 2015-17, he was just 26-26 with an ERA of 4.56. Tommy John surgery sidelined him in July of 2017. Pineda signed a two-year, $10 million contract with the Minnesota Twins in December of 2017 but would not pitch at all in 2018 due to a torn meniscus in his right knee.. He was 11-5 (4.01 ERA) for Minnesota in 2019 but his season was cut short when he received a 60-game suspension for testing positive for hydrochlorothiazide. This marks ho=is first start since Sep 6 of last season. What to expect? Who knows?

Keuchel won the Cy Young award in the AL during the 2015 season (20-8, 2.48 ERA) but over the next three seasons was a modest 35-28 (3.99 ERA) for an outstanding Houston team. He was a free agent in 2019 but couldn't find a taker until Atlanta signed him on June 7, 2019 him to a one year $13 million deal. Was he worth it? You make the call! He went 8-8 with a 3,75 ERA in 19 regular season starts (team was 10-9). Atlanta then lost BOTH of his postseason starts. I was skeptical of Keuchel coming into 2020 but he's proved me wrong. He has a decision in each of his seven starts (see above) and enters this contest off THREE straight wins during which he's posted a 2.29 ERA. I'll back him here against the 'free-falling' Twins, who start can only counter with Pineda, who HAS to be considered an unknown quantity at this time. Keuchel owns a 1.04 WHIP in 2020 (best WHIP came in his Cy Young-winning season of 2015 at 1.02) and his BAA of .204 is a career-low! 

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Division Game of the Month (NL Central) is on the Cin Reds at 6:40 ET.

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

My MLB 10* Game of the Month is on the NY Yankees at 7:05 ET.

The NY Yankees were the clear favorite to represent the AL in the 2020 World Series before this 60-game season began on July 23, while the LA Dodgers held a similar position in the NL. As the month of August comes to a close, the Dodgers have "held up their end" with a MLB-best 26-10 record, FIVE games better than any NL team (note: LA's plus-90 run-differential is 48 runs better than any MLB team). As for the Yankees, they opened 8-1 and were 16-6 in games played through Aug 17 but suddenly lost SEVEN in a row. New York has rebounded to win THREE in a row over the weekend, edging the Mets on Saturday when the Yankees won 2-1 on a wild pitch in the 9th and then sweeping a doubleheader on Sunday (both games were won in the 8th-inning of scheduled seven-inning games).

Coming to the Bronx on Monday for a three-game series are the Tampa Bay Rays. The 24-11 Rays currently own the AL's best record and enter this series having won 18 of their last 21 contests, giving them a 3 1/2 lead over New York in the AL East. The two division rivals have already played SEVEN times, with the Rays taking SIX of them (won 3 of 4 at Tropicana Field from Aug 7-9 and swept a 3-game series at Yankee Stadium from Aug 18-20). Taking the mound in the first contest of this three-game series will be Tampa Bay's Tyler Glasnow (1-1, 5.14 ERA) and New York's Gerrit Cole (4-1, 3.51 ERA).

Glasnow opened the 2019 season 5–0 with a 1.75 ERA, earning him American League Pitcher of The Month honors for April. However, after straining his arm against the Yankees on May 10, Glasnow went to the 10 Day IL. He went to the 60 day IL on May 26, before returning in September to make four starts. He did not get past the fifth inning in any of them, finishing the 2019 season with a 6–1 record and a 1.78 ERA in 60.2 innings (0.89 WHIP and .186 BAA) over 12 starts (Rays were 10-2). However, he made two starts in the playoffs against the Astros, losing both while posting a 7.71 ERA. He's made six starts in 2020 and his ERA has ballooned to 5.14 and his WHIP is up to 1.36 (Rays are 4-2).

Cole was brilliant in his two seasons with the Astros (208 and 2019), going 35-10 with 602 Ks in 412.2 innings. His WHIP in 2018 was 1.03 and in 2019 was 0.89 (BAA was .198 in 2018 and .186 in 2019). He famously signed a $324 million contract with the Yankees on December 16, 2019, the largest contract in major league history for a pitcher. Cole has continued his excellent pitching in 2020 with the Yankees (0.95 WHIP with a 53-8 KW ratio and a .204 BAA). However, Cole entered his last start (Aug 26 in Atlanta) trying to become the first AL pitcher to win 21 straight regular-season decisions. The all-time record is 24 by Carl Hubbell, followed by Roy Face (22). Cole, Roger Clemens, Jake Arrieta and Rube Marquard were tied at 20. Cole allowed five ERs in five innings, taking a 5-1 loss. He also saw his streak of 28 consecutive regular-season starts with a loss end (Clemens holds the record with 30 straight!).

In this COVID-19 shortened season of 60 games, division rivals play each other 10 times. With SEVEN meetings already in the books (remember, Rays lead the series 6-1), this three-game series will be the final regular season games between the Rays and Yanks. Pretty safe to say that this is a "must-win" series for the Yankees and which pitcher would you want on the mound if you were facing this scenario? Key Yankee regulars are getting back on the field and who better to take the mound in Game 1 of this series than Cole?

Good luck...Larry

 My 10* PERFECT STORM is on the StL Cards at 2:15 ET.

The Cleveland Indians won THREE straight AL Central titles from 2016-18 but despite winning 90-plus games for the fourth consecutive season in 2019, the Indians' 93 wins left them EIGHT games behind the AL Central champion 101-61 Minnesota Twins (101-61). The Indians opened the current season just 5-6 but Cleveland's won 11 of its last 14 and at 21-12 now sit atop the AL Central. The Twins opened the current season 10-2 but have gone just 10-12 after that hot start and at 20-14, now find themselves 1 1/2 games back of the Indians (don't forget the White Sox, who are 20-13).

The St Louis franchise is well-familiar with winning, as the Cards captured a World Series title in 2006 and then again in 2011.That 2011 season was the first of FIVE straight playoff appearances for the Cards but while the team posted winning season in each year from 2016-18, St Louis failed to reach the postseason. That changed in 2019, as the Cards won the NL Central with a 91-71 record and advanced to the NLCS where they ran into the red-hot Nationals and got swept. A COVID-19 outbreak had the Cardinals away from the playing field from July 31 through Aug 14. The Cards returned to play on Aug 14 and went 8-5 through their first 13 games but enter this contest having lost FIVE of six, including FOUR straight (Cards sit 11-13).

The teams conclude their three-game series this afternoon, after the Indians won 14-2 on Friday (20 hits) and then with the two teams accounting for only NINE hits (Cleveland had five), the Indians eked out a second straight win in St Louis 2-1 in 12 innings. Taking the mound on Sunday will be Aaron Civale (3-3, 3.15 ERA) for Cleveland and Adam Wainwright (2-0, 2.88 ERA) for St Louis. Civale made 10 starts for Cleveland in 2019 (his first) and posted a 2.34 ERA and 1.04 WHIP. However, he had little to show for it, going 3-4 (Indians went 5-5). Civale has pitched well again in 2020, posting a 3.15 ERA and 1,03 WHIP but still checks in at only 3-3.

St Louis converted Wainwright to a starter in 2007 and over the next seven seasons, he twice won 20 games and two other times won 19 games. During those four seasons, (2009, '10, '13 and '14), he twice finished second in the Cy Young voting and twice finished third. Injuries limited him to less than 10 starts in TWO of the next four years (2015-18) but at 37, he made 31 starts in 2019. He won five decisions last September to finish with his most victories (14) since winning 20 in 2014. Wainwright drew the season's second start on the strength of the throwing program he maintained during the pandemic shutdown. The Cards won Wainwright's first three starts of 2020 (2.00 ERA) but he took a no-decision in his last outing, a 5-4 StL loss (7 IP / 4 ERs).

I like the veteran Wainwright to keep the Cards from getting swept at home by the Indians, going up against the 25-year-old Civale. The Indians have surged into first-place in the AL Central but the teams' hitting woes remain an issue. Cleveland was hitting just .217 as a team entering this series and while the Indians explode for 14 runs on 20 hits in Friday's romp, it was 'back to usual Saturday, getting just FIVE hits in 37 ABs (.137), The TWO runs were enough to beat St Louis yesterday, although the Cards missed some great scoring opportunities in extra-innings to score. "PERFECT" spot for the veteran Wainwright to lead the Cards to a win.

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Pitching Mismatch of the Month (IL) is on the Tex Rangers at 7:05 ET. 

The LA Dodgers arrived in Arlington, Tx with MLB's best record (24-9) and its best run-differential plus-86). I read Friday morning on ESPN.com (Buster Olney) that those numbers translated into a 117-win season and a plus-422 run differential over a 162-game schedule. However, the Rangers, who entered last night just 11-19, came away with a  6-2 win. It's Game 2 of this three-game set and a win tonight (or Sunday) would give the Rangers their first series win since they took TWO of three from Colorado (Aug 14-16). 

The 24-10 Dodgers and 12-19 Rangers are hardly comparable teams but I'm backing the Rangers tonight because of the pitching matchup (or should I say, pitching mismatch). LA's Ross Stripling (3-1, 5.46 ERA) will take the mound going up against Lance Lynn (4-0, 1.59 ERA) of Texas.

This is Stripling's fifth season with the Dodgers and he entered 2020 with a 20-24 record (3.51 ERA) over 136 appearances (52 starts). He's been a regular part of LA's starting rotation so far and the Dodgers have won FIVE of his six starts, despite his 5.46 ERA and 1,42 WHIP. I guess it helps when one pitches for a team leading all of MLB in runs scored (190) and HRs (63). 

Moving over to the Texas side of tonight's pitching matchup, we find nine-year veteran Lance Lynn. He's logged almost 1400 innings over 254 appearances (230 starts) with a 102-68 record (3.52 ERA in his career). Lynn was a solid part of the St Louis rotation from 2012 to 2017. He missed the entire 2016 season due to injury but in those other five seasons, he won 71 games. He signed a FA deal with Minnesota in 2018 and was a flop, going 7-8 with a 5.10 ERA. He was traded during the season to the Yankees and went 3-2 with a 4.14 ERA. Texas took a chance on him in 2019 and he responded by winning a team-high 16 games. Here in 2020, he's been the LONE bright spot of the Texas rotation. He's only allowed just eight ERs in his seven starts with an 0.86 WHIP and .156 BAA against to go along with that 1.59 ERA. Note that in his career, opponents have batted ,243 against Lynn, so he's nearly 100 points below that here in 2020! The Rangers were 10-1 in Lynn's home starts in 2019 and 3-0 in his four home starts here in 202 (team is 4-0). Texas enters this game 15-5 in Lynn's 20 home starts since he became a Ranger.

What is notable about this particular start? It just might be the last for Lynn in a Rangers' uniform. He is rumored to be one the most likely players to be traded by Texas before Monday's deadline (Texas currently sits five games out of a playoff position). "No team wants to be dismantled as we get going here," Lynn said, according to MLB.com, after he beat Oakland 3-2 this past Monday. "We played well for a stretch, and then we played really bad. We didn't all come here to lose and not make a run at the playoffs. That's what we are all about." I will NOT pass on Lynn at this 'juicy' price! 

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Situational Stunner is on the StL Cardinals at 1:15 ET.

The Cleveland Indians won THREE straight AL Central titles from 2016-18 but despite winning 90-plus games for the fourth consecutive season in 2019, the Indians' 93 wins left them EIGHT games behind the AL Central champion 101-61 Minnesota Twins (101-61). The Twins opened the current season 10-2 but have gone just 10-10, since. The Indians opened 5-6 but after a 14-2 win at St Louis on Friday night, have caught the Twins atop the AL Central at 20-12 (Cleveland's won 10 of its last 13).

The St Louis franchise is well-familiar with winning, as the Cards captured a World Series title in 2006 and then again in 2011.That 2011 season was the first of FIVE straight playoff appearances for the Cards but while the team posted winning season in each year from 2016-18, St Louis failed to reach the postseason. That changed in 2019, as the Cards won the NL Central with a 91-71 record and advanced to the NLCS where they ran into the red-hot Nationals and got swept. A COVID-19 outbreak had the Cardinals away from the playing field from July 31 through Aug 14. The Cards returned to play on Aug 14 and went 8-5 through their first 13 games but enter this contest having lost FOUR of five, including THREE straight (Cards sit 11-12).

Saturday's starting pitchers will be Cleveland's Carrasco (2-3, 4.50 ERA) and the St Louis' Jack Flaherty (2-0, 1.98 ERA). Carrasco was coming off back-to-back strong seasons entering 2019, having gone 18-6, 3.29 ERA and 17-10, 3,38 ERA, respectively. Carrasco took the mound back on May 30, 2019 against the Chicago White Sox but only days later, was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia, a blood disorder that threatened his life. He spent the next three months battling leukemia before returning in September to pitch out of the bullpen. He made 11 appearances, allowing 18 hits and 11 ERs in 15 innings (6.60 ERA). However, Carrasco and the Indians beat KC 9-2 on July 27, as he won his first start in 423 days! His first three starts of 2020 went well, as he allowed just five ERs over 18 innings (6 IP in each), for a 2.50 ERA and had 23 Ks in those 18 innings. As for his last three starts? NOT so good. He has lasted more than 4.1 innings in any of them, allowing 10 ERs over 12 innings for a 7.50 ERA. He has 16 Ks in those 12 innings but he's also allowed NINE walks!

The Cards' Flaherty made just six appearances (five starts) back in 2017 but joined the rotation full-time in 2018, going 8-9 with a solid ERA (3.34) and WHIP (1.11). He was superb in 2019, despite a modest 11-8 record over 39 appearances (33 starts). His ERA was 2.75, his WHIP 0.97 and his BAA was .192. Like most (all?) St Louis starters, Flaherty is still building arm strength since the team's 17-day COVID-19 shutdown. However, he's 2-0 in three starts (Cards are 3-0) in 202, posting a 1.98 ERA, 0.73 WHIP and .160 BAA.

Neither starter has a history against their opponent (one start for each pitcher), so I'm going with "current form." Carrasco may just not be back to 100% (he sure hasn't looked that way his last three), while arm strength or not, Flaherty's numbers are TERRIFIC. My bet says Carrasco wishes those Cleveland bats had saved some of those runs (14) and hits (20) from last night's game. Sorry, it doesn't work that way. The Cards are the play.

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Situational Stunner is on the SD Padres at 8:40 ET.

The San Diego Padres are coming off a 70-92 season in 2019 (36 games back of LA) but they are hoping that a shortened 60-game season (and an expanded playoff format) would allow them to break a drought of 13 consecutive non-playoff years, as well as NINE straight losing seasons. San Diego opened 6-2, went 5-5 in its next 10 but then lost FIVE in a row. However, the Padres have rebounded to win EIGHT of their last 10 and are back in "playoff position" at 19-14. The Colorado Rockies were just 71-91 in 2019 (35 games back of the Dodgers) but surprised all by opening 11-3, However, at 12-5, Colorado would lose 10 of its next 11 games, including SEVEN in a row from Aug 17-23. The Rockies welcome the Padres to Coors Field having won THREE in a row at Arizona, missing a chance at a four-game sweep when Thursday's game was postponed due to the many protests all sports are dealing with. Colorado is back above .500 (16-15) but will be tested in this four-game home series with San Diego.

Friday's pitching matchup features two starters that have each pitched VERY well in 2020, Zach Davies (4-2, 3.03 ERA) of San Diego and Kyle Freeland (2-1, 2.87 ERA) of Colorado. Davies' best season was back in 2017 with Milwaukee (17-9, 3.90 ERA) but he went just 12-14 over 44 starts in 2018 and 2019. He was traded to San Diego this past offseason and the Padres are VERY happy with the way he's pitched. Davies has allowed more than two ERs in just two of his six starts (both times he allowed only three ERs) plus owns a superb 0.84 WHIP, while holding opponents to a .183 average.

Freeland went 11-11 (4.10 ERA) as a rookie in 2017 and then had a breakout 2018 season. He was 17-7 with a 2.85 ERA, as the Rockies went 23-10 in his 33 starts. However, he was AWFUL in 2019, going 3-11 with a 6.73 ERA & 1.58 WHIP with Colorado going 8-14 in his 22 starts. So what's up in 2020? Freeland has pitched at least six innings and allowed no more than three runs in each of his SIX starts this season. Colorado won his first four starts but have lost his last two (3.75 ERA in those two team losses).

I feel as if Davies owns a slight edge over Freeland but what is more important to me here is, the overall play of the two teams. While the Padres come in having won EIGHT of their last 10, the Rockies had lost SEVEN straight before winning three in a row over an Arizona team that currently owns an EIGHT-game losing streak. Note: Colorado's three wins over the D'backs in Arizona all came by just ONE run! "The Price is Right" on San Diego in this one.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Game of the Week is on the Phi Phillies at 7:05 ET. The Phillies decided not to play the finale of their three-game series against the Nationals on Thursday, just a few hours before the first pitch. After the unexpected day off, the Phillies will begin a three-game series against the visiting Atlanta Braves on Friday, looking for a FOURTH straight win. This marks the final regular-season series between the two NL East rivals, with the Braves owning a 4-3 edge in the series so far. Atlanta has won the NL East in each of the last two seasons and is coming off an impressive sweep of a doubleheader against the NY Yankees, 2-1 and 5-1 on Wednesday. The Braves had a regularly scheduled day off on Thursday and enter Friday looking for their third straight win and fifth in six games. The Braves are currently 18-12, two games up on the 14-12 Marlins and four up on the 12-14 Phillies. 

Tonight's starting pitching matchup is a 're-hook' from last Friday night, when Philly's Zack Wheeler (3-0, 2.76 ERA) squares off against Atlanta's Robbie Erlin (0-0, 5.14 ERA). Neither pitcher earned a decision last Friday in Atlanta's 6-5 win. Wheeler is living up to the high expectations that came when he signed as a free agent in the offseason. He's pitched into at least the sixth inning in ALL five of his 2020 starts, including a seven-inning effort (allowed five hits and two ERs) last Friday in Atlanta. Erlin's in his 7th season and has made a modest 111 appearances (just 40 starts) and will take a 13-20 career mark (4.60 ERA) into this contest. Erlin was released by the last-place Pittsburgh Pirates three weeks ago and selected off waivers by Atlanta on Aug 7. After one relief appearance, he's made back-to-back starts, pitching four scoreless innings against Miami on Aug 16, before going four innings again vs Philly last Friday (allowed two ERs). 

Wheeler seems poised to fulfill his high expectations, while Erlin is the VERY definition of a journeyman. I REALLY like Wheeler in this quick turnaround! Good luck...Larry

My 10* PERFECT STORM is on the Cin Reds at 5:10 ET (Game 1).

The Brewers, Cards and Cubs are typically "the usual suspects" in the NL Central but more than a few were touting the Reds as a 'sexy' pick in that division in the shortened 2020 MLB season. However, the Cubs have been atop the division since Opening Day and at 18-11, are three games up on the 10-9- Cards, who have missed so many games due to a COVID-19 outbreak. The Brewers and Reds were each 11-15 when they opened this four-game series at Miller Park on Monday but Milwaukee has won 4-2 (Mon) and 3-2 (Tue), moving to 13-15 (4 1/2 games back of the Cubs), while the Reds have dropped to 11-17, 6 1/2 games back of Chicago. These division rivals meet in the third contest of this four-game series tonight with the Reds now just 2-6 on their 10-game road trip, while the Brewers come in off consecutive home victories for the first time in the 2020 season (opened the series on a season-high FOUR-game losing streak).

Gray (4-1, 2.21 ERA) gets the nod for Cincy and Milwaukee counters with Adrian Houser (1-2, 3.72 ERA). Gray put together a pair of 14-win seasons for the Oakland A's in 2014 and '15 (2.91 ERA over those two seasons) but struggled the next four seasons from 2016-18 with the A's and Yankees going 26-32 with a 4.59 ERA, before revitalizing his career with the Reds in 2019 (11-8, 2.87 ERA in 175.1 innings, allowing just 122 hits while striking out 205). Gray has done a nice job in 2020, considering the fact that the Reds are floundering at 11-17. To go along with his 2.21 ERA, he owns an 0.98 WHIP (51-13 KW ratio) and an opponent's BAA of .176. 

Milwaukee's Houser opened the season with just 44 career appearances (18 starts) and a record of 6-7 (3.63 ERA). He allowed just ONE run over 12 innings while going 1-0 in his first two 2020 starts (0.75 ERA) but in his three starts since, has allowed 11 ERs on 20 hits over 17 innings (5.82 ERA). Gray's shortest outing of 2020 came at Milwaukee back on Aug 9 when he lasted  5.1 innings, allowing four runs, six hits and three walks during a 9-3 loss to the Brewers. It's the only blemish on his record and I 'LOVE' him to bounce back here, against the struggling Houser. 

Good luck...Larry

My 8* Weekly Wipeout is on the Oak A's at 8:05 ET.

The Texas Rangers snapped an eight-game losing streak with their 3-2 win over the Oakland A's on Monday (BTW...Texas with Lynn was my Ultimate Underdog Play). However, the A's made it NINE losses in their last 10 games for the Rangers last night, with a 10-3 rout of Texas. The teams play the third game of this four-game series on Wednesday, with Oakland owning the AL's best record (21-10) and Texas 'limping along' at 11-18. Oakland owns a four-game lead over the three-time defending division champion Astros, while the Rangers are already NINE games back at the season's mid-point. It seems like 'light years' ago that Texas played in back-to-back World Series but actually it was 2010 & 2011. The Rangers entered this 60-game season off THREE straight losing seasons (223-263, .486) and will likely finish even worse this season, as their 11-18 mark gives them a winning percentage of only .379.

Taking the mound tonight will be Oakland's Mike Fiers (3-1, 5.81 ERA), opposed by Texas lefty Kolby Allard (0-2, 7.82 ERA). Fiers is making his seventh start of the year and even though his numbers are off from 2019, the A's are 5-1 in his six starts (more in a bit). He set career highs in wins (15), starts (33) and innings pitched (184.2) last year in his first full season in Oakland but his ERA is too high in 2020 (5.81), as is his WHIP (1.55) and BAA (.305). However, he faces a VERY poor Texas team, while pitching for the team with the AL's best record. His mound opponent is the untested Allard, who in four starts has lasted just 12.2 innings while allowing 11 ERs on 17 hits. To go along with his 'ugly' 7.00-plus ERA, he has a 1.82 WHIP and an opponent's BAA of .315. Allard didn't make it out of the first inning in Seattle last Friday, allowing four runs in a 7-4 loss. He will either open the game on the mound or be the bulk pitcher in an opener strategy.

Want more? When Fiers takes the mound, the A's usually win. Here's the rub. Since joining Oakland in August of 2018 (from Detroit), Fiers has made 49 regular season starts for the A's, who have gone 36-13 (.735) in those contests! Any reason NOT to play the A's and Fiers?

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Division Game of the Month (AL Central) is on the Min Twins at 7:10 ET.

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

My 10* PERFECT STORM is on the Mil Brewers at 8:10 ET.

Full, detailed analysis by 9:00 ET Tuesday morning.

My 9* Pitching Mismatch of the Month is on the Cin Reds at 8:10 ET.

The Brewers, Cards and Cubs are typically "the usual suspects" in the NL Central but more than a few were touting the Reds as a 'sexy' pick in that division in the shortened 2020 MLB season. The Cubs have been atop the division since Opening Day and at 17-10, are three games up on the 9-8 Cards, who have missed so many games due to a COVID-19 outbreak. The Brewers are 11-15, as are the Reds, Both sit 5 1/2 games back of Chicago, as the division rivals open a four-game series at Miller Park on Monday night. Cincinnati has gone 2-4 to start a 10-game road stretch, while Milwaukee returns home trying to halt a season-high FOUR-game losing streak

Taking the mound for the Reds will be Trevor Bauer (3-0, 0.68 ERA), while the Brewers counter with Brett Anderson (1-2, 3.71 ERA). Let me cut right to the chase! Anderson's in his 12th season and sports a 60-63 record with a 4.05 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and .274 BAA. Can you say journeyman? He pitched rather poorly in his first three starts of 2020 (team was 0-3 and he posted a 4.91 ERA) but he's off his first win of the season last Wednesday, allowing just one run over six innings of a 9-3 win at Minnesota.

Turning to Bauer, he had a decent run with Cleveland from 2016-18, going 41-23 with a 3.57 ERA but his 'bark' has always been bigger than his 'bite!' He was traded from Cleveland to Cincy last season and in 10 starts went 2-5 with a 6.39 ERA (Reds were 3-7). That said, Bauer's big mouth was at it again, as he talked about how eager he was to begin the 2020 season for the Cincinnati Reds. Well, so far, he's backed up his words. He leads all of MLB in ERA (0.68), owns an 0.57 WHIP (41-7 KW ratio) and has held opponents to an .093 BA. I'm "all over" Bauer here up against Anderson!

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Ultimate Underdog at 8:05 ET.

The Oakland Athletics just completed a brief five-game homestand 4-1 and now sit 20-9 overall, giving them the AL's best record (A's have won 10 of their last 11 at home). However, the A's take to the road on Monday to begin a 10-game road swing, starting with four games at Globe Life Field in Arlington against the Rangers. As for the Rangers, they return home after a disastrous five-game road losing trip to San Diego and Seattle, extending what is now a season-worst EIGHT-game losing slide. Texas sits 10-17 and already find themselves NINE games back of the first-place A's in the AL West. Then again, considering Texas finished 29 games behind the division-winning Astros in 2019 (as well as 19 games behind second-place Oakland), it wasn't as if the Rangers were expecting to be playing postseason baseball this October.

The ONLY thing favoring the Rangers in this contest is the pitching matchup, as Oakland's Jesus Luzardo (2-0, 3.67 ERA) squares off against Lance Lynn (3-0, 1.37 ERA) of Texas. Luzardo made six relief appearances for Oakland last season and in 12 innings posted a 1.50 ERA and 0.67 WHIP. He's made four starts for the A's in 2020 and the A's have won all four. he's had just one poor start, allowing six ERs in just 3.1 innings at San Francisco on Aug but Oakland won that game 8-7 (10 innings), In his other three starts, he's allowed just two ERs over 17 innings (1.06 ERA).

Luzardo's been pretty good but he's only pitched 39 innings in his career. In stark contrast, Lance Lynn is in his 9th season, logging almost 1400 innings over 253 appearances (229 starts) with a 101-68 record (3.52 ERA). Lynn was a solid part of the St Louis rotation from 2012 to 2017. He missed the entire 2016 season due to injury but in those other five seasons, he won 71 games. He signed a FA deal with Minnesota in 2018 and was a flop, going 7-8 with a 5.10 ERA. He was traded during the season to the Yankees and went 3-2 with a 4.14 ERA. Texas took a chance on him in 2019 and he responded by winning a team-high 16 games. Here in 2020, he's been the LONE bright spot of the Texas rotation. He's only allowed six ERs in his six starts with an 0.81 WHIP and .146 BAA against to go along with that 1.37 ERA. Note that in his career, opponents have batted ,243 against Lynn, so he's nearly 100 points below that here in 2020!

OK, it's still Oakland (an excellent team) vs Texas (a poor one0 but in three home starts, the rangers are 23-0 with Lynn owning a .106 ERA and .123 BAA. That may sound familiar? He went 10-1 at home for the Rangers in 2019. I'm backing Lyn n and 'taking the price,' as I expect Texas to snap that EIGHT-game losing streak tonight. You with me?

Good luck...Larry

My 10* PERFECT STORM is on the Min Twins at 7:10 ET.

The Cleveland Indians won THREE straight AL Central titles from 2016-18 but despite winning 90-plus games for the fourth consecutive season in 2019, the Indians' 93 wins left them EIGHT games behind the 101-61 Twins. Minnesota won the AL Central in 2019, finishing 101-61. It was the franchise's first 100-win season since 1965, a year the Twins lost a seven-game World Series to Sandy Koufax and the LA Dodgers. Minnesota's lineup scored the second-highest run total in the majors (939), while leading all teams in HRs (307 represented a major league record!) and RBI.

The Twins opened 10-2 in 2020 (including taking three of four in Minnesota vs the Indians) but were a more modest 13-8 by Aug 15. However, the Twins have won SIX of eight as they head to Cleveland for this three-game series with the Indians. Cleveland was just 10-9  through Aug 12 but will take a 17-11 record into this series, just 1 1/2 games back of first-place Minnesota. The Twins and Indians have had two of the best pitching staffs in all of baseball so far during this abbreviated season. The Indians entered Sunday second in MLB with a team ERA of 2.73, while Minnesota was fourth with a 3.46 team ERA.

Taking the mound tonight will be Minnesota's Kenta Maeda (3-0, 2.27 ERA), while Cleveland will counter with Aaron Civale (3-2, 2.91 ERA). Maeda had solid success as a starter in his first two seasons with the Dodgers (won 29 games), but was moved to the bullpen last season. Note that he excelled in relief in last year's run to the World Series but the trade to Minnesota gives Maeda the opportunity to return to a full-time starting role. Maeda made his main mark with the Dodgers in the bullpen in the playoffs. Only former teammate Kenley Jansen has made more postseason appearances over the last four seasons and Washington closer Sean Doolittle is the only pitcher with more than 10 postseason games to have a better ERA than Maeda's bullpen ERA of 1.64. However, Maeda made it clear in an interview with the Minneapolis Star Tribune prior to the season that he prefers a starting role. 

He's been proving his point in five starts this season, going 3-0 (team is 4-1, with that lone loss coming when Maeda left with a 5-3 lead but the bullpen coughed up three runs in the 8th and 9th). Maeda takes the mound with not only a 2.27 ERA but an 0.63 WHIP (33-6 KW ratio) and a .128 BAA. Civale made 10 starts for Cleveland in 2019, going 3-4 with a 2.34 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and .216 BAA (Indians were just 5-5 in his starts). His numbers are strong again this season, with a 2.91 ERA, an 0.97 WHIP and a .236 BAA. However, I'm not sure he's up to matching the red-hot Maeda, plus the Indians are a modest 7-6 at Progressive field so far this season. I'll 'ride' Maeda again in this one!

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Weekend Wipeout is on the Oak A's at 4:10 ET.

The Oak A's opened the 2020 season by hosting AL West rival, the LA Angels. The A's won three of the four games but then lost THREE in a row. However, the A's quickly turned things around and had gone 15-4 since ending that three-game slide. The A's were 18-8 on the season when they welcomed the Angels to Oracle Park for a three-game series on Friday night. The Angels have taken quite a different path than A's in the 2020 season. The Angels entered this weekend series having lost SEVEN of their last eight and  a "check in the mirror" revealed their record to be the exact inverse of the A's, at 8-18.  Oakland won 5-3 on Friday but the Angels earned a 4-3 victory at Oakland on Saturday, snapping their four-game losing streak plus ending Oakland's nine-game home winning streak (more in a bit).

The teams get set to play the rubber match of this three-game series on Sunday and the A's are 19-9, while the Angels again check in with the EXACT inverse record at 9-19. The Angels will send right-hander Dylan Bundy (3-2, 2.48 ERA) to the mound, while the A's will counter with right-hander Frankie Montas (2-2, 4.74 ERA). I'm not sure what to make of Bundy, who's looked decent in 2020. However, I well-remember the pitcher who has gone 8-16 with a 5.45 ERA and 7-17 with 4.79 ERA in 2018 and 2019, respectively (pitching for the Orioles).

The Dodgers traded Montas to the Oakland Athletics prior to the 2016 season but he did not get a call to the majors in 2016. He then appeared in 23 games for the A's in 2017 (all in relief). Montas reverted to being a starter, beginning the season at the AAA level. He appeared in 13 games (11 starts) with the A's during the season, compiling a 5–4 record with a 3.88 ERA. However, he after started the 2019 season 9–2 with a 2.70 ERA in 15 games (all starts), before being suspended 80 games without pay for testing positive for a banned substance. Montas opened the current season 3-1 with a 1.57 ERA but after dealing with some back tightness, returned to the rotation to make his first start in nine days back on Aug 18. It's fair to say he showed a little 'rust,' allowing nine ERs on six hits (two HRs) in just 1.2 innings of a 10-1 loss.  However, reports are that Montas is just fine.

I noted above that the A's had their nine-game home winning streak snapped on Saturday but that still give s them a 12-4 home mark in 2020. No surprise there, after going 52-29 and 50-31 the previous two seasons at home. As for the Angels, they are 4-10 (.286) away from Anaheim, on pace to do even worse than last year's 34-47 (.419) road mark. A's get back to winning at home, taking this one "with room to spare!"

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Late-Breaker is on the Hou Astros at 4:10 ET.

The Houston Astros came to San Diego's Petco Park on an EIGHT-game winning streak but the Padres welcomed Houston to town having followed a five-game slide with a four-game winning streak of their own. Something had to give and entering Sunday, it's the Astros who have 'broken.' The Padres ended Houston's eight-game winning streak Friday night with a 4-3 win and then clobbered the Astros 13-2 Saturday night, homering SIX times (note: Padres have become the only team in history with five grand slams in a six-game span!).

The Padres go for the three-game sweep and a 7th straight win in Sunday's finale, while the Astros look to regroup off last night's shellacking. Zach Greinke is 1-0 this season after FIVE starts. He deserves much better, as he has a 1.84 ERA, an 0.89 WHIP and a .208 BAA. He has allowed only six runs on 22 hits over 29.1 innings with a KW ratio of 25-4. How is it that Houston is just 2-3 in his starts?

The Padres counter with the 21-year-old Adrian Morejon, who will be making just his second start this season. He made his first appearance of 2020 this past Tuesday in Texas, throwing three scoreless innings. The Padres will likely use at least three relievers Sunday because Morejon is not stretched out.

Yes, the Padres are POUNDING' the ball but Greinke surely won't back down. He owns a 13-3 career record against the Padres with a 2.37 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP (161-32 KW ratio) in 25 starts (teams are 18-7). The Padres have a career .202 batting average with a .244 on-base percentage and a .319 slugging percentage in those Greinke starts. He's been even tougher against the Padres at Petco Park, where he owns a 2.24 ERA, a 0.91 WHIP and a .198 opponents batting average in 15 starts.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Game of the Week is on the Phi Phillies at 7:10 ET.

The Atlanta Braves have won the NL East in each of the last two seasons and despite some SIGNIFICANT injuries here in 2020, enter Saturday 15-11 and atop the division once again. We are approaching the halfway point of his shortened 60-game season and as Yogi once said, "it gets late early out there." The Phillies are 9-13 and while they are just four games back, they should heed Yogi's advice.

Atlanta regulars Acuna, Albies and Markakis are all on IL, while key starters Soroka and Hamels are out for the season (so is "King Felix"). Atlanta used its best starter in Friday's 11-2 win, as Fried pitched five innings of one-run ball to move to 4-0 with a 1.32 ERA (0.97 WHIP and .188 BAA). However, the Braves will hand the ball to Robbie Erlin for tonight's game. Erlin's in his 7th season and has made a modest 110 appearances (just 39 starts) and will take a 13-20 career mark (4.60 ERA) into this contest. Erlin (0-0, 5.40 ERA) was released by the last-place Pittsburgh Pirates three weeks ago and selected off waivers by Atlanta on Aug 7. After one relief appearance, he started against Miami this past Sunday and threw four scoreless innings, striking out five and allowing only one hit in a 4-0 win. Anyone really expecting a similar outing?

Philadelphia counters with Zach Wheeler, who is living up to the high expectations that came when he signed as a free agent in the offseason. He showed plenty of promise with the Mets these last few years and so far has opened 3-0 with a 2.81 ERA in four starts (Phils are 3-1). Wheeler defeated the Mets this past Sunday, his team for the previous seven seasons. He went seven innings, allowing two runs on six hits, one walk and four strikeouts in the win. He's pitched into at least the sixth inning in ALL four of his 2020 starts for the Phillies. Wheeler over Erlin sets up my Game of the Week play on the Phillies.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* PERFECT STORM is on the Oak A's at 9:40 ET.

The Oak A's opened the 2020 season by hosting AL West rival, the LA Angels. The A's won three of the four games but then lost THREE in a row. However, the A's quickly turned things around and have gone 15-4 since ending that three-game slide. The A's are currently 18-8 and remain 2 1/2 games up on the Astros in the AL West, despite Houston's current eight-game winning streak. The Angels have taken quite a different path than A's in the 2020 season. The Angels lost for the SEVENTH time in their last eight games last night (10-5 in SF against the Giants) and can now look in the mirror and see that their record is the exact inverse of the A's, at 8-18. I noted in going against the Angels last night with the Giants, that the team's 8-17 record represented the worst 25-game start in Angels history, I believe it's safe to say that LA's 8-18 start represents the worst 26-game start in team history.

Any reason for LA to start winning here? Andrew Heaney was initially scheduled to start Thursday's game for LA but he was pushed back until tonight. Heaney (1-1, 4.74 ERA) was the Angels starter on Opening Day but things have not gone well for him or the club in his starts. The Angels are 1-4 in Heaney's five starts. He pitched reasonably well in his first three outings (2.35 ERA) but he's allowed nine ERs on 13 hits over his last two starts over just 9.1 innings (8.68 ERA).

Mike Fiers (2-1, 5.96) will start Friday for the A's, making his sixth start of the year. His numbers are off in 2020 (1.48 WHIP  and .302 BAA to go along with his near-6.00 ERA), after he set career highs in wins (15), starts (33) and innings pitched (184.2) last year in his first full season in Oakland. However, the A's are 4-1 in his five, 2020 starts. Hard to say I'm surprised. Here's the rub. Since joining Oakland in August of 2018 (from Detroit), Fiers has made 48 regular season starts for the A's, who have gone 35-13 (.729) in those contests! Want more? The A's are 21-4 in Fiers 25 home starts at Oakland Coliseum, where the A's have gone 11-3 (.786) in 2020, after going 52-29 and 50-31 the previous two seasons. The Angels 'limp in' with a 3-9 road record this season and as mentioned above, with SEVEN losses in their last eight overall games. By the way, LA's pitchers are allowing 7.5 RPG during that eight-game span. Oakland is the pretty easy choice. Now let's win it!

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Situational Stunner is on the Chi Cubs at 8:15 ET.

My 9* Situational Stunner is on the Chi Cubs at 8:15 ET.

It's a "Windy City Showdown" at Wrigley Field tonight, as the 15-11 White Sox take on the 18-8 Cubs in the first of three games. The White Sox were just 10-11 through Aug 15 but enter this contest on a FIVE-game winning streak, outscoring their 'victims' 38-11. SS Tim Anderson is batting .476 (10-for-21) with four HRs and seven RBI during the White Sox's five-game winning streak and in his nine games since returning from the injured list (right groin strain), the defending AL batting champ (.357) is hitting .417 (15-for-36).

The Cubs jumped out to a 13-3 start but enter this contest just 5-5 over their last 10 games. The Cubbies did well to survive playing FIVE games in three days vs the cards (mon-Wed), winning THREE times. The Cubs had a much-needed day off yesterday, which should help a 'stretched-too-thin' pitching staff.

Taking the mound tonight on the North Side will be two lefties, Dallas Keuchel (3-2, 3.07 ERA) and Jon Lester ((2-0, 2.74 ERA). Keuchel won the Cy Young award in the AL during the 2015 season (20-8, 2.48 ERA) but over the next three seasons was a modest 35-28 (3.99 ERA) for an outstanding Houston team. He was a free agent in 2019 but couldn't find a taker until Atlanta signed him on June 7, 2019 him to a one year $13 million deal. Was he worth it? You make the call! He went 8-8 with a 3,75 ERA in 19 regular season starts (team was 10-9). Atlanta then lost BOTH of his postseason starts.

Meanwhile, the 36-year-old Lester has bounced back from a difficult 2019 season in which he posted a 4.46 ERA in 31 starts (it marked his highest since 2012). Lester is in the final season of a six-year, $155 million deal signed with Chicago prior to the 2015 campaign. He got off to a strong start in 2020 (his "contract year"), having not allowed more than one run in any of his first three starts against the Cincinnati Reds, Pittsburgh Pirates and Cleveland Indians. In the process, he posted a 1.06 ERA, an 0.65 WHIP and .117 BAA. However, that all changed last Sunday, when he allowed five ERs on nine hits over six innings of a 6-5 loss at home to the Brewers.

I'm not backing off Lester after ONE bad outing and will note that he's 11-6 with a 4.02 ERA in 19 career starts against the White Sox, with his teams going 13-6 (Lester beat the White Sox in both of his starts against them in 2019, producing a 3.00 ERA). Cubs win! Cubs win!

Good luck...Larry

My 10* PERFECT STORM is on the SF Giants at 9:45 ET.

The Los Angeles Angels and San Francisco Giants conclude their four-game, home-and-home series tonight at Oracle Park. The Angels won 7-6 to open the series on a walk-off HR in the 9th on Monday in Anaheim but the Giants rebounded with an 8-2 Tuesday and then won 7-2 last night at home. Both teams find themselves in postseason jeopardy, as the Angels are 8-17 (nine games back in the AL West) and the 10-16 Giants are eight games back in the NL West. LA's 8-17 record represents the worst 25-game start in Angels history, one made more critical by the fact that 2020 features a 60-game season.

Andrew Heaney was initially scheduled to start Thursday's game for LA but he's been pushed back until Friday. Jose Suarez will get the nod instead, making his first appearance of the 2020 season. Kevin Gausman (0-1, 4.21 ERA) will start for the Giants and he's looking for his first victory this year. This is clearly NOT a marquee pitching matchup! Suarez  was 2-6 with a 7.11 ERA in 19 games (15 starts) as a rookie for the Angels in 2019 last season. He also had an 'ugly' 1.64 WHIP and .304 BAA to along with his 7.00-plus ERA. Gausman is in his eighth big league season and the Giants are his FOURTH team (career record of 47-64, with a 4.30 ERA). He's made five appearances so far in 2020, including four starts (Giants are 0-4).

Gausman is not the typical pitcher I back with a 10* play but he's got a solid 1.17 and an excellent KW ratio (34-5). Meanwhile, a look back at Suarez's 2019 season reveals that the Angels were 1-11 in his final 12 appearances of the season (nine starts / three relief appearances). Let me add that the LONE win came in a relief appearance by Suarez, as the Angels lost all NINE of his starts in that closing stretch. Gausman's no Gerrit Cole but he'll do in this instance! One last reminder, LA's 8-17 record represents the worst 25-game start in Angels history!

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Daytime Dominator is on the Col Rockies at 3:10 ET.

The Houston Astros opened the current season by taking THREE of four from Seattle (no big deal in that) but then went on to lose NINE of their next 13 games. A 7-6 loss in 10 innings against the Giants on Aug 11 left them just 7-10. All of sudden, what's going on with the Astros, became a familiar refrain.  Houston has answered that refrain by winning SEVEN in a row and now sits 14-10, 2 1/2 games back of the 17-8 A's in the AL West.

While a strong year was expected in 2020 for Houston, the same couldn't be said of Colorado. The Rockies went 71-91 in 2019 (leaving them 35 games back of the LA Dodgers) but Colorado was an early season surprise, opening 11-3. However, the Rockies will take the field today having lost EIGHT of 10s, including the first three of this four-game, home and home series with the Astros. The Rockies lost both Monday and Tuesday in Houston by scores of 2-1 but returned to Coors Field last night, only to lose 13-6.

Thursday's starting pitchers will be Houston rookie Cristian Javier (2-1, 2.91 ERA) going up against Colorado ace, German Marquez (2-3, 2.25 ERA). Javier is facing the Rockies for the first time but has looked very good, so far. He's made five appearances (four starts) in 2020, posting an 0.83 WHIP (21-7 KW ratio) and .153 BAA. Marquez was Colorado's Opening Day starter and he has pitched like an ace but he doesn't have the record of one. He has yet to allow more than two ERs in an outing, while posting a 1.09 WHIP (30-8 KW ratio) to go along with his 2.25 ERA.

The Rockies have hit a rough patch (see above) but in the seven games before Wednesday, Rockies starters had allowed just 15 ERs and only once allowed more than three in an outing, before Ryan Castellani gave up five runs in 5.2 innings last night. Javier has pitched well but he visits Coors Field for the first time and I expect the Colorado bats to 'wake up.' Also, I'm counting on Marquez to continue his solid pitching in 2020. The Rockies are the play.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* PERFECT STORM is on the SFG at 9:45 ET. 

The Los Angeles Angels and San Francisco Giants will continue their home-and-home series, heading north to the Bay Area for two games (Wednesday & Thursday), after splitting two games (Monday and Tuesday) in Anaheim. The Angels won 7-6 to open the series on a walk-off HR in the 9th, while the Giants rebounded with an 8-2 win last night. Both teams find themselves in postseason jeopardy, as the Angels are 8-16 (eight games back in the AL West) and the 9-16 Giants (nine games back in the NL West.

Taking the mound for the Angels will be Patrick Sandoval (0-2, 3.94 ERA), while the Giants counter with Johnny Cueto (1-0, 4.62 ERA). Sandoval is not only looking for his first win in 2020, he's looking for his first-ever major league win. The left-hander has made 12 starts (and one relief appearance) going back to last season and sports a record of 0-6 with a 4.72 ERA (Angels are 4-8 in his 12 starts). Cueto comes in off two 'interesting' starts. He carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning against the Dodgers on Aug 8 but it was broken up when Kike Hernandez led off the inning with a triple to left that Hunter Pence lost track of in the Dodger Stadium twilight (Giants would hold on to win, 5-4). He then went seven strong innings against the A's on Aug 14 (two ERs allowed), leaving with a 6-2 lead. However, the A's scored FIVE in the top of the 9th to send the game into extra innings, where Oakland won 8-7 (10 innings).

Isn't Cueto due for some "good luck?" I'll note that he's 2-0 with an 0.86 ERA in three starts in his career vs Oakland. I already mentioned that Sandoval's yet to earn a win in his first 12 major leagues starts while that steak will surely end some time, why would it end here? It already ranks as the longest stretch without a victory for a starting pitcher to begin a career in Angels history. Don't expect things to change here in start No. 13, as the Angels are 3-7 on the road to open the current season.

Good luck...Larry

My 8* Las Vegas insider is on the Min Twins at 8:10 ET.

Kenta Maeda threw eight no-hit innings before Eric Sogard led off the ninth with a soft liner just out of reach of shortstop Jorge Polanco. Maeda also had a stretch between the third and fifth innings where he struck out a team-record eight consecutive batters but he didn't even get a decision after the Brewers rallied for three runs in the ninth. The Twins finally got the 'W," 4-3 in 12 innings. The Twins moved to 16-8 (.667) with the win, tied with A's and just percentage points behind the NY Yankees (16-7, .696) for the AL's best record. Meanwhile, the Brewers fell back under .500 with the loss (10-111) and are 4 1/2 games back of the 15-7 Cubs in the NL Central.

The Brewers will go with left-hander Brett Anderson (0-2, 4.91 ERA) in the second of this three-game series, while the Twins will counter with veteran left-hander Rich Hill (1-0, 0.00 ERA, who will come off the injured list to make just his second start of the season. Anderson is in his 12th season and is the definition of a journeyman. His 0-2 record this season (Brewers have lost all three of his starts) makes him 59-63 (4.06 ERA) for his career. His lifetime WHIP is 1.34 and it's a poor 1.64 this season. 

Hill's been "around the block as well" (this is his 16th season) but owns a 66-42 record with a 3.80 ERA and 1.22. He had a pretty good stint with the Dodgers from 2016-19, going 30-16 with his ERAs ranging from 1.83-to-3.66 and his WHIPs from 0.79-to-1.13. He battled arm woes for most of 2019 and he signed a one-year deal with Minnesota in the offseason. He was outstanding in his Minnesota debut back on July 29, holding the visiting Cardinals to two hits and a walk over five innings in a 3-0 victory. He threw 68 pitches, 41 for strikes. However, as noted above, he would go back on IL after that start.

The Twins have no reason to rush him back, so I have to assume he is ready to go. He's made NINE career starts against the Brewers (3.48 ERA) and while he's a modest 3-1, his teams have won EIGHT of the nine (89% winning situation). That's good enough for me to play the Twins (also the WAY better team) in this one!

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Late-Breaker is on the Atl Braves at 7:10 ET

The Washington Nationals have hardly played like defending champions. Last night's 7-6 Monday loss in Atlanta to the Braves, typifies the team's season-to-date. Washington took a 6-3 lead into the bottom of the 9th at Atlanta in the opener of this three-game series last night but walked off a loser, when the Braves hit a pair of two-run HRs in the ninth to overcome that three-run deficit (Adam Duvall hit the first one and Dansby Swanson the a walk-off one. The loss drops the Nats to 8-12 (and into last-place), four games back of the 14-10 Braves (Atlanta has won back-to-back NL East titles).

The Nats look to recover from last night's loss and will send Austin Voth (0-2, 3.21 ERA) to the mound in search of his first career win against the Braves (more later). Voth will be opposed by veteran Atlanta pitcher Josh Tomlin (0-1, 1.59 ERA), who will make his start of the 2020 season. Voth's made 16 career appearances (13 stars) and is just 3-4. However, he's pitched well, posting a 3.86 ERA with a 1.13 WHIP and a .224 BAA. Three of those starts have come in 2020 and while his ERA is 3.21, his WHIP 1.07 and his BAA .226, the Braves are 0-3.

Tomlin spent most of his career as a starter with Cleveland (2010-17) but morphed into a swingman for Cleveland in 2018 and then had 50 relief appearances for Atlanta in 2019. Tomlin has been the Braves' most versatile and dependable reliever in his one-plus seasons with the Braves. He's been excellent in eight relief appearances in 2020, posting a 1.59 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and a .154 BAA and will make his first start since 2019 in this one. Tomlin's LONE start for Atlanta came back on Sep 25 of last year, when the Braves were setting up their rotation for the playoffs (he permitted one run in three innings as Atlanta won 10-2).

Getting back to Voth, he has nothing to show for his four career appearances (including three starts) against the Braves. He has a 2.70 ERA, allowing only five runs in 16.2 career innings against Atlanta. In those three starts, he has a 2.87 ERA but is 0-2 and the Nats are 0-3. I just don't like much about Washington this season and "upon further review," I'm backing the veteran Tomlin.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Oddsmaker's Error is on the NY Yankees at 7:05 ET.

The Yankees/Red Sox rivalry is arguably MLB's most intense but that rivalry will be taking a 'hiatus' in the 2020 season. New York just completed a four-game sweep of Boston (Fri-Mon) and it was hardly noteworthy, as the Yankees moved to 16-6, while the Red Sox fell to 6-17, 10 1/2 games behind New York in the AL East (Yanks are 7-0 vs the Red Sox this season). The Yankees are currently on a SIX-game winning streak and will welcome the Tampa Bay Rays to the Bronx on Tuesday, for a three-game series.

The Rays are 14-9 (2 1/2 games out of first-place) and took THREE of four from the Yankees at Tropicana Field from Aug 7-9) In fact, the Rays are 9-2 in their last 11 games, a stretch that began with a 1-0 win over the Yankees in their first meeting (Aug 7). The bad news for New York (and I guess the good news for the Rays) is that the Yankees will be playing without three of their stars in this series. Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge, and DJ LeMahieu are all on the injured list. Stanton injured his left hamstring running the bases in Tampa Bay back on Aug 8, the Yankees cited the artificial turf as a cause of Judge's right calf injury and LeMahieu is sidelined for at least two weeks after suffering a sprain in his left thumb Saturday.

The first game of this series has a 'deja vu' look to it, as the pitching matchup is the same as in Game 1 of that series at Tropicana field from Auf 7-9. The Rays send lefty Blake Snell (1-0, 2.08 ERA) to the mound, while the Yankees counter with Masahiro Tanaka (0-0, 2.31 ERA). The Rays are 3-1 in Snell's first four starts but he pitched a total of just EIGHT in his first three outings (went just three innings in the Aug 7 game vs the Yankees). he pitched five scoreless innings last Wednesday, earning his first win of the season (TB beat Bos, 9-5). As for Tanaka, he's pitched a total of just 11.2 innings in his three starts, with the Yankees winning TWO of the three (he pitched five scoreless innings in that Aug 7 game opposite Snell).

Snell is 3-6 with a 4.23 ERA in 17 career starts against the Yankees (Rays are 8-9) but while he's 2-1 with a 1.86 ERA in six starts at home, he's 1-5 with a 5.82 ERA in 11 starts and at New York. Tanaka is 10-4 with a 3.07 ERA in 19 career starts against the Rays, with the Yankees going 13-6. What's more, the Yankees were 8-2 at home against the Rays last season and are 35-13 against the Rays at home in the past five seasons!  So why is this game a pick'em? 

Good luck...Larry

My 10* PERFECT STORM is on the SD Padres at 9:05 ET.

The Padres now take on the Rangers for a four-game home-and-home series, beginning tonight at Globe Life Field Arlington. As for the Rangers, they return home from Colorado where they won two of three against the Rockies. Although Texas had its four-game winning streak snapped Sunday afternoon (lost 10-6), the Rangers are still 7-2 over their last nine games after a 3-8 start. However, it seems like a 'lifetime ago' that Texas went to back-to-back World Series (actually, it was 2010 & 2011), as the Rangers began this 60-game, 2020 season off THREE straight losing seasons, playing .459 baseball.

 Monday's starting pitchers are the Padres' Zach Davies (2-2, 2.78 ERA) and the Rangers' Jordan Lyles (1-1, 6.06 ERA). Davies' best season was back in 2017 with Milwaukee (17-9, 3.90 ERA) but he went just 12-14 over 44 starts in 2018 and 2019. He was traded to San Diego this past offseason. He's just 2-2 in his four starts but has deserved better. He's got an impressive 0.84 WHIP (18-3 kW ratio) and a .198 BAA, to go along with his 2.78 ERA. This will be Davies' 116th major league start but the first of his career against the Rangers. Jordan Lyles has pitched for SIX teams since beginning his career in 2011. He was just 5-7 with a 5.36 ERA for Pittsburgh in 2019, when he was traded to Milwaukee. Why would the Brewers want him? After all, at the time of the trade, his career record was 36-59 (5.29 ERA). However, Lyles was brilliant down the stretch for the Brewers, going 7-1 with a 2.45 ERA in 11 starts Milwaukee was 10-1). In the 'world' of baseball these days, he used the brief stretch to get a two-year, $16 million deal with the Rangers. Should we really be surprised that he's got a 6.06 ERA and 1.65 WHIP in four appearances (three starts) for Texas, so far?

Lyles pitched for the Padres in 2017-18 and was 3-7 with a 5.53 ERA in 13 appearances (five starts). He is 3-4 with a 4.76 ERA in 14 career appearances (10 starts / 4-6 with a 5.05 ERA) against San Diego. San Diego is just 4-8 in its last 12 games (currently on a five-game slide) and has fallen below .500 for the first time in 2020. However, in a  scheduling quirk, all 23 of their games thus far have come against rivals from the NL West. An interleague series may be "just what the doctor ordered." The Padres have scored only 13 runs in their five-game skid but facing Jordan Lyles should cure that. Plus, Davies is pitching great. Padres snap their slide, here!

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Weekly Wipeout is on the Chi White Sox at 8:10 ET.

Detroit left-hander Matthew Boyd (0-2, 10.24 ERA) gets the ball for the Tigers, while Chicago counters with left-hander Gio Gonzalez (0-1, 6.61 ERA). Boyd has not pitched more than five innings in any of his four starts in 2020 and is coming off a loss to the White Sox last Wednesday afternoon. Boyd allowed  seven ERs on seven hits in just 4.2 innings of a 7-5 loss. It shouldn't have been a surprise, as he's 4-7 with a 5.08 ERA in 15 career starts against the White Sox (Tigers are 5-10).

Gio Gonzalez is in his first season with Chicago and after four appearances (three starts), has a 2.08 WHIP and .351 BAA to go along with his plus-6.00 ERA. Gonzalez began his career with Oakland and put together two strong back-to-back seasons in 2010 (15-9, 3.23 ERA) and 2011 (16-12, 3.12 ERA). he was traded to Washington prior to the 2012 season and had a "Career year" in 2012, going 21-8,2.89 ERA. He remained a solid member of the Nats' rotation the next five years (2013-2017) but was traded to Milwaukee during the 2018 season. Injuries limited him to just 19 appearances (17 starts) for the Brewers in 2019 and he signed a one-year deal with the White Sox prior to the 2020 season.

Gonzalez had his best outing in his last start, coming within one out of notching his first victory as a member of the White Sox on Tuesday against the Tigers. He held them to two ERs in 4.2 innings of an 8-4 Chicago win in Detroit. Gonzalez has a decent pedigree (something Boyd does not) plus the Chicago bullpen has been a big plus for the team.  Jimmy Cordero has allowed one of 33 inherited runners to score (going back to the end of last season), while Matt Foster (10.2) and Ross Detwiler (11.1) extended their respective season-opening scoreless innings streaks on Sunday. Chicago wins this one "with room to spare!"

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Situational Stunner is on the SD Padres at 4:10 ET.

The San Diego Padres are coming off a 70-92 season in 2019 (36 games back of LA) but they are hoping that a shortened 60-game season (and an expanded playoff format) will allow them to break a drought of 13 consecutive non-playoff years, as well as NINE straight losing seasons. The Arizona Diamondbacks went 85-77 last season but that still left them 21 games back of the Dodgers in the NL West, as well as four games out of the NL's last wild card spot. Arizona does not expect to end LA's 'hold' on the NL West (Dodgers have won seven straight division titles) but with MLB expanding its postseason field from 10 to 16 teams, the D'backs entered the season feeling as if a playoff berth was MORE than realistic. 

These two NL West foes opened the current season with the Padres winning THREE of four at Petco Park and the schedule had the two teams back in San Diego for a three-game series this past weekend. The Padres won that series 2-1 but after opening a four-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers with two wins at Dodger Stadium Monday and Tuesday, they were outscored a combined 17-2 on Wednesday and Thursday. Meanwhile, the D'backs took two of three in Colorado (Mon-Wed), scoring 32 runs in the process.

The Padres opened this series 11-9, 2 1/2 games better than the 8-11 D'backs but Arizona finally got a chance to play San Diego in its home park (Chase Field).  The D'backs won 5-1 on Friday and then almost blew a 7-1 lead by allowing FIVE runs in the last two innings, before holding on for a 7-6 win. All of a sudden, the 10-11 D-backs can pass the 11-11 Padres with a win in the series finale on Sunday. Taking the mound for San Diego will be Garrett Richards (1-1, 3.74 ERA) and for Arizona, it will be Robbie Ray (1-2, 10.59 ERA).

Richards spent eight years with the Angels, before signing a two-year deal with San Diego. However, Tommy John surgery caused him to miss almost ALL of 2019 (made just three September appearances). Here in 2020, he's had two good and two not-so-good starts. One of the good ones was his 2020 debut at home vs the D'backs, when he pitched five scoreless innings, allowing just one hit (no-decision). That should come as a surprise as he's 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA in five career starts against the Diamondbacks (team is a more modest 3-2).

Ray came to Arizona back in 2015 but except for an excellent 2017 season (15-5, 2.89 ERA & 1.15 WHIP), he's been a mediocre pitcher (career record stands at 48-48 with a 4.25 ERA). Currently,  Arizona would LOVE to see some mediocrity out of Ray, the left-hander is set to make his fifth start of the season, trying to turn his 2020 campaign around. he has battled control and location problems en route to 14 walks in 17 innings of work, posting a 10.59 ERA, 2.12 WHIP and a .310 BAA. His 5-6 (4.40 ERA) career record in 17 starts vs SD (team is 9-8), doesn't bode well, either.

The Padres have lost four in a row (their longest losing streak of the season) but Ray is "just what the doctor ordered," while I expect Richards to give the Padres a strong outing.

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Game of the Week is on the Chi Cubs at 2:20 ET.

The Cubs looked to be in good shape for a wild card berth with a month left in the 2019 season (led the Brewers by five games) but Chicago lost FIVE of seven to Milwaukee in late August and early September, before completely 'imploding' by losing 10 of its final 12 regular season games (Cubs would finish FIVE games back of the final NL wild card spot). The Brewers grabbed the final NL wild card spot, besting the Mets by three games but then 'coughed up' an early three-run lead in a 4-3 loss to the Nationals. Joe Maddon, who guided the Cubs to a long-awaited World Series championship in 2016, decided to cut ties with the club and first-year manager David Ross took over for the Cubs. Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell is in his sixth season with the Brewers and saw his team edge the Cubs for the Central title in 2018 (swept Colorado 3-0 in the NLDS before losing the NLCS to the Dodgers in seven games) plus won 89 games last year.

These teams opened the current season at Wrigley, with the Cubs winning two of three. The teams are back at each other this weekend for a four-game series, again playing in Chicago. The Cubs entered the series 12-3 and won on Thursday to give them a MLB-best 13-3 record. Milwaukee fell to just 7-10 after Thursday's defeat but has rebounded to win back-to-back one-run contests (4-3 & 6-5 in 10 innings). As the two NL Central rivals complete their four-game set on Sunday, the Cubs are 13-5, 4 1/2 games up on the 9-10 Brewers (the Cards are 4-3 in the division, having lost 15 games due to COVID-19 issues). Sunday's starters will be Josh Lindblom (1-0, 5.68 ERA) for Milwaukee and Jon Lester (2-0, 1.06 ERA) for Chicago.

Lindblom has quite a story. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2nd round of the 2008 MLB draft and made his major league debut in relief on June 1, 2011. He then spent time with Philly, Texas and Oakland through 2014, before playing in the KBO in 2015 and '16. He signed with Pittsburgh in 2017 but pitched just four games, before returning to the KBO. He went 15-4 (2.98 ERA) in 2018 and 20-3 (2.50 ERA) in 2019, winning the MVP. That was enough for him to sign a three-year deal with the Milwaukee Brewers. This marks his fourth start of the season for the Brewers but the numbers aren't pretty, as he owns a 5.68 ERA and 1.58 ERA.  

In contrast, the 36-year-old Lester has bounced back from a difficult 2019 season in which he posted a 4.46 ERA in 31 starts (it marked his highest since 2012). Lester is in the final season of a six-year, $155 million deal signed with Chicago prior to the 2015 campaign and he's off to a strong start in his "contract year."  He has not allowed more than one run in any of his first three starts against the Cincinnati Reds, Pittsburgh Pirates and Cleveland Indians, posting an 0.65 WHIP and .117 BAA to go along with that 1.06 ERA. Lester is 5-4 with a 2.97 ERA in 11 career starts vs Milwaukee (teams are 6-5) and he's got 73 Ks in 69.2 innings. 

Current form says Lester over Lindblom and a look at history reveals that while Lindblom has made just 117 major league appearances (only NINE starts) with a 6-8 record (4.23 ERA), Lester made 414 starts with a 3.55 ERA and is closing in on 200 wins (192-108). Oh , by the way, he owns THREE World Series rings, 2007 & 2013 with the Red Sox and 2016 with the Cubs (note: he was the MVP of the NLCS in 2016). The Brewers will try for their first three-game winning streak of the season on Sunday but...Cubs win! Cubs win!

Good luck...Larry

My 8* Weekend Wipeout is on the LA Dodgers at 9:40 ET.

Taking the mound for the second contest of this three-game series on Saturday will be Walker Buehler (0-0, 4.40 ERA) for the Dodgers and Andrew Heaney (1-1, 4.26 ERA) for the Angels. Buehler made 24 appearances (23 stars) for ten Dodgers in 2018 and while he was a modest 8-5, his 2,62 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and .193 BAA got EVERYONE's attention. Although most of his stats were a little higher in 2019 (3.26 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and .223 BAA), he went 14-4 in 30 starts. He's yet to earn a "W" in three starts in 2020 but the Dodgers have won two of his three starts. His ERA is high at 4.40 but his WHIP remains low (1.05) and his BAA is a spectacular .143!

Andrew Heaney pitched seven games for Miami in 2014 but has been with the Angels since 2015. He entered this season 20-26 with a 4.44 ERA. He pitched well in his first three starts of 2020 (2.35 ERA) but  he is coming off his worst start of the season when he allowed five ERs on eight hits in just 3.2 innings last Sunday in a 7-3 loss against the Texas Rangers. It's NOT good news that the Angels have lost THREE of his four starts this season.

Heaney is 1-2 with a 4.56 ERA in four career starts against the Dodgers (Angels are 2-2), while Buehler has faced the Angels just once (a no-decision in 2018 after allowing two runs on six hits in five innings). Not much history for either pitcher but recent and current history conclusively favors the Dodgers. My bet says Buehler is overdue for his first win of the season and it comes tonight, "with room to spare!"

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Division Game of the Month (NL East) is on the Phi Phillies at 6:05 ET.

The Philadelphia Phillies are just 6-9 to open the current season but are just FOUR games out of first place in the NL East. The Braves, who won the division in both 2018 and 2019, are struggling with injuries and are only 11-10, leaving the surprising 9-4 Marlins atop the division. The Phillies 'limped' into their three-game weekend series at home against the Mets off a three-game sweep at the hands of the Baltimore Orioles. However, Bryce Harper singled home Roman Quinn in the bottom of the ninth inning to give Philly a dramatic 6-5 win last night. The Mets have pretty much been 'stuck in neutral,' as after 21 games they are just 9-12 (5-5 their last 10).

Taking the mound in this middle contest of  the three-game set will be Steven Matz (0-3, 8.20 ERA) for New York and Aaron Nola (1-1, 2.79 ERA) for Philadelphia. Matz was 11-10 with a 4.21 ERA last season but 'the skinny' was he was AWFUL away from home (3-8 with a 6.62 ERA and .293 BAA) but terrific at Citi Field (8-2 with a 2.31 ERA and .230 BAA).  However, in three home starts this season, he's allowed 12 ERs on 18 hits (including SIX homers!) in just 15.2 innings for a 6.89 ERA. He's made just one road start and it was 'ugly,' as he allowed five ERs on seven hits over three innings. It hardly inspires confidence that he's 2-4 with a5.56 ERA in six career starts vs the Phillies (Mets are 4-6).

Nola is considered Philly's 'ace.' He had a shaky 2020 debut, losing 5-2 to Miami, when he allowed four ERs on five hits over 5.1 innings. However, in his two starts since, he's allowed just two runs (two solo HRs) on five hits over 14 innings (that's a 1.29 ERA). However, the more impressive stat is that he owns a 22-1 KW ratio in his last two starts and adding in his poor 2020 debut (but a 7-1 KW ratio), Nola has 29 Ks against just two walks on the season. Throw in the fact that he's 7-1 with a 3.13 ERA in 13 career starts vs the Mets (Phils are 9-4) and Nola over Matz is the logical play. Now, let's win it!

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Weekly Wipeout is on the Arz D'backs at 9:40 ET.

The San Diego Padres are coming off a 70-92 season in 2019 (36 games back of LA) but they are hoping that a shortened 60-game season (and an expanded playoff format) will allow them to break a drought of 13 consecutive non-playoff years, as well as NINE straight losing seasons. The Arizona Diamondbacks went 85-77 last season but that still left them 21 games back of the Dodgers in the NL West, as well as four games out of the NL's last wild card spot. Arizona does not expect to end LA's 'hold' on the NL West (Dodgers have won seven straight division titles) but with MLB expanding its postseason field from 10 to 16 teams, the D'backs entered the season feeling as if a playoff berth was MORE than realistic. 

These two NL West foes opened the current season with the Padres winning THREE of four at Petco Park and the schedule had the two teams back in San Diego for a three-game series this past weekend. The Padres won that series 2-1 but after opening a four-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers with two wins at Dodger Stadium Monday and Tuesday, they were outscored a combined 17-2 on Wednesday and Thursday. Meanwhile, the D'backs took two of three in Colorado (mon-Wed), scoring 32 runs in the process.

The Padres are 11-9, 2 1/2 games better than the 8-11 D'backs but Arizona finally gets to play San Diego in its home park (Chase Field). The Padres will send Dinelson Lamet (2-0, 1.61 ERA) to the mound on Friday, while Arizona counters with Merrill Kelly (2-1, 2.29 ERA). Lamet's 1.61 ERA is fourth-best among NL starters who have made at least three starts this season, and he's taken a no-hitter past the fifth inning in each of his last two starts (Padres are 3-1 in his four starts). As for Kelly, he's been Arizona's most consistent starting pitcher in 2020, having gone at least six innings in each of his three starts in 2020. That includes a 3-2 win in San Diego on Aug 8 (one ER in six innings). I'll also note that Lamet beat the D'backs last weekend in San Diego as well, allowing just one run on one hit with 11 strikeouts in 6.2 innings of that 9-5 Aug 9 win.

Both these young pitchers have been excellent so far but remember that Arizona was 15 games better than San Diego last season (I'm pretty sure Arizona will finish the 2020 season with a better record than San Diego, as well). Arizona got a much-needed jolt of confidence by not only taking two of three at Colorado this week but also by scoring 32 runs on 47 hits. Arizona's offense had been pretty much non-existent up to this week, as except for a 14-run outburst in a win over Houston on Aug 5, the D'backs were averaging just 2.8 RPG in their 14 other games, prior to their visit to Coors Field Mon-Wed. The D'backs have to be glad to finally get a home games vs the Padres and they win this one "with room to spare!"

Good luck...Larry

My 10* PERFECT STORM is on the Atl Braves at 7:10 ET.

The Atlanta Braves entered the 2020 MLB season having won the NL East in each of the previous two seasons (90 wins in 2018 and 97 in 2019). Meanwhile, the Miami Marlins opened the new season having not been to the postseason since they won the 2003 World Series, a stretch of 16 seasons (Miami was 57-108 in 2019!). The Braves opened 7-3 and then went 4-3 over theri next seven games. However, Atlanta visits Miami off THREE straight losses, having allowed 28 runs! Miami took two of three at Philadelphia to open the current season but then COVID-19 struck the organization. The Marlins would miss EIGHT games (did not play from July 27-Aug 4) but when they returned to the field of play, won SIX straight games. A three-game skid followed but Miami snapped that losing streak with a 14-11 win in 10 innings Wednesday at Toronto (actually, Buffalo).

With Miami at 8-4 and Atlanta at 11-9, this weekend's three-games series sets up as a battle for first place in the NL East (go figure!). The Braves will start Kyle Wright (0-2, 6.75 ERA) in Friday's game, while Miami will counter with Pablo Lopez (1-1, 1.80 ERA). Wright was the fifth overall draft pick in 2017 but has failed to live up to his potential, so far. The former Vanderbilt star is 0-5 with a 7.41 ERA in 14 career appearances, including seven starts. Lopez has surprised so far in his two starts (see above), after going 2-4 with a 4.14 ERA in 10 starts in 2018 and then 5-8 with 5.09 ERA in 21 starts in 2019 (Marlins were 7-14). 

The Braves are the NL East's best team but this season lasts just 60 games (not 162). They've already lost their best pitcher in 2019 All-Star Mike Soroka (13-4, 2.68 ERA),as he  is out for the season due to a torn Achilles tendon. Superstar left fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. will miss the Marlins series due to a sore left wrist plus second baseman Ozzie Albies (sore right wrist) remains sidelined.  Acuna and Albies combined for 229 runs, 65 doubles, 65 HRs and 187 RBI in 2019. Still, the Braves remain a deep team, featuring 1B Freddie Freeman, outfielders Marcell Ozuna and Nick Markakis plus shortstop Dansby Swanson. 

I'm not ready to call Wright a bust plus this Atlanta team is a much better group than Miami, even without some of its key players (see above). Lopez is familiar with Atlanta, having already faced them five times in his short career. However, while his ERA is a respectable 3.54 vs the Braves, he's 0-3 and Miami has lost all FIVE of his starts. Same old, same old in this one. Good luck...Larry

My 10* PERFECT STORM is on the Min Twins at 7:10 ET.

Minnesota won the AL Central in 2019 by EIGHT games over Cleveland, finishing 101-61. It earned the franchise its first 100-win season since 1965, a year the Twins lost a seven-game World Series to Sandy Koufax and the LA Dodgers. Minnesota's lineup scored the second-highest run total in the majors (939), while leading all teams in HRs (307 represented a major league record!) and RBI. The Milwaukee Brewers entered 2020 after earning the final NL wild card spot in 2019, besting the Mets by three games. However, Milwaukee then 'coughed up' an early three-run lead in a 4-3 loss to the Nationals, who went on to win the World Series). The Brewers had won 96 games in 2018 and made it to the NLCS, losing to the Dodgers in a seven-game series.

Minnesota opened the current season by winning 10 of its first 12 games but then lost FOUR in a row. The Twins snapped their four-game slide 4-2 at Milwaukee on Monday but fell 6-4 last night. At 11-7, the Twins lead the AL Central but three teams lurk within two games. Milwaukee hasn't been above .500 all season and currently sits 7-8, already 4 1/2 games behind the 11-3 Cubs. The teams play the rubber match of the series tonight, as Kenta Maeda (2-0, 2.65 ERA) squares off against Eric Lauer (0-1, 9.53 ERA).

Maeda had solid success as a starter in his first two seasons with the Dodgers (won 29 games), but was moved to the bullpen last season. Note that he excelled in relief in last year's run to the World Series but the trade to Minnesota gives Maeda the opportunity to return to a full-time starting role. Maeda made his main mark with the Dodgers in the bullpen in the playoffs. Only former teammate Kenley Jansen has made more postseason appearances over the last four seasons and Washington closer Sean Doolittle is the only pitcher with more than 10 postseason games to have a better ERA than Maeda's bullpen ERA of 1.64. However, Maeda made it clear in an interview with the Minneapolis Star Tribune prior to the season that he prefers a starting role. He's proving his point, opening with back-to-back wins (1.64 ERA), before the bullpen collapsed in his last outing (Maeda left with a 5-3 lead but the bullpen coughed up three runs in the 8th and 9th).

Eric Lauer (0-1, 9.53 ERA) will be making his first career appearance against the Twins. Lauer struggled in his only start this season against Cincinnati on Friday night, allowing six ERs on five hits and three walks in an 8-3 loss. His only other appearance of 2020 was back on July 26, when he pitched 2.2 scoreless innings in a 9-1 loss to the Cubs. This is Lauer's third season in "the bigs" (1st two with San Diego) and in 55 appearances (53 starts), he's 14-18 with a 4.51 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and a .275 BAA. Minnesota's bats shouldn't have much trouble scoring off him and I sure like what I've seen of Maeda, so far!

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Situational Stunner is on the Cle Indians at 6:10 ET.

Cleveland welcomed the Cubs to Progressive Field last night, having won FIVE of its last six. Cleveland pitchers owned a major-league-low 2.04 ERA and hadn't given up more than five runs in any game this season, while opponents were hitting just .188 on the year.  Starter Adam Plutko was just fine (one ER in 4 IP)  but four relievers allows six ERs on seven hits in five inning. Meanwhile, Lester DOMINATED the Cleveland lineup (see above).

The teams complete a quick two-game series tonight, as Kyle Hendricks (2-1, 3.54 ERA) takes on Carlos Carrasco (2-1, 2.50 ERA). Hendricks has been a solid starter for the Cubs but so far, he seems to be following a similar pattern to last year. Hendricks owned a 2.04 ERA and .206 BAA at Wrigley but a 5.02 ERA and .290 BAA on the road. He's won both of his home starts in 2020 (1.13 ERA & .179 BAA) but in his lone road start, allowed six Ers in just 4.1 innings (12.46 ERA and .368 BAA),

Carlos Carrasco and the Indians beat KC 9-2 back on July 27, as he won his first start in 423 days! Carrasco took the mound back on May 30, 2019 against the Chicago White Sox but days later was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia, a blood disorder that threatened his life. He spent the next three months battling leukemia before returning in September to pitch out of the bullpen. He made 11 appearances, allowing 18 hits and 11 ERs in 15 innings (6.60 ERA). However, the 18-game winner in 2017 looked like his old dominant self against the Royals. Carrasco also pitched reasonably well at Minnesota on Aug 1 but allowed three solo HRs (over six innings) in a 3-0 loss. He then pitched six scoreless innings (allowed just ONE hit) in Cleveland's 13-0 over Cincy last Thursday. Carrasco's comeback has everyone rooting for him and I had him in his easy win over the Reds last Thursday and will 'go to the well' with him again, here!

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Daytime Dominator at 3:10 ET.

The pitching matchup for the rubber match of this series will be Luke Weaver (0-3, 12.19 ERA) and Antonio Senzatela (3-0, 2.65 ERA). Weaver pitched his first three seasons with the Cardinals, making 52 appearances (43 starts) while going 15-17, 4.79 ERA. The Cardinals traded Weaver to Arizona before the 2019 season and while Weaver appeared in just 12 games (all starts), he posted a 2.94 ERA with 69 strikeouts in 64.1 IP. So much for him "finding himself!' Weaver has not pitched past the 4th inning in ANY of his first three starts this season, going 0-3 with a 12.19 ERA, 2.13 WHIP and a .348 BAA (OUCH!). Weaver is 1-1 with a 6.57 ERA in four games (including three starts) in his career against Colorado.

As for Senzatela, let me get "the bad stuff" out of the way. He is 2-5 in 11 career games (seven starts) against the Diamondbacks. He is 2-4 with a 6.25 ERA as a starter against Arizona. He entered this season 27-22 with a 5.33 ERA in his first three seasons with the Rockies but he's opened the current season 3-0 with a 1.18 WHIP and .227 BAA to go along with his solid 2.65 ERA.

Colorado leads all of MLB with a team BA of .277 and owns MLB's hottest hitter in Charlie Blackmon. He had three more hits Tuesday to extend his hitting streak to 15 games and leads the majors with a .500 average. Colorado's pitching has a rough go Monday and Tuesday but team 3.64 ERA ranks 6th-best in MLB, after last year's 5.56 ERA ranked 29th of 30 teams. The Rockies have won ALL five series they have played this season and need a "W" here to keep that streak intact. That's my bet!

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Ultimate Underdog is on the Oak A's at 9:40 ET.

The AL West foes continue their three-game series tonight, as Mike Fiers (1-0, 5.63 ERA) squares off against Dylan Bundy (2-1, 2.08 ERA). Fiers faced the Angels back on July 26, allowing four ERs on seven hits in just four innings, but the A's won 6-4. He is 6-3 with a 4.72 ERA in14 starts against the Angels, but his teams are 10-4. Bundy has been the better pitcher in the early going of 2020. He was acquired from Baltimore in a trade last December and pitched a shutout ball into the seventh inning in his Angels debut, in a 4-1 victory over the Athletics back on July 25 in Oakland. He is coming off the best performance by an Angels starter so far this season, as Bundy threw a complete game, allowing one run on four hits (10-0 KW ratio) in a 6-1 victory at Seattle last Thursday. Bundy is 3-1 with a 4.55 ERA in five career starts against Oakland (teams are 4-1).

Yes, Bundy has the better current form but the A's are a MUCH better team than the Angels plus the bottom line is, Oakland usually wins when Fiers gets the start. Fiers set career highs in wins (15), starts (33) and innings pitched (184.2) last year in his first full season in Oakland. Since joining Oakland in August of 2018 (from Detroit), Fiers has made 46 regular season starts for the A's, who have gone 34-12, 74% in those contests! Good enough for me, especially at this 'juicy' price. The 6-11 team is a solid favorite over the 12-5 one!

Good luck...Larry 

My 10* Situational Stunner is on the Chi Cubs at 7:10 ET.

Taking the mound for Chicago is veteran lefty Jon Lester (1-0, 0.82 ERA). Cleveland was expected to start Mike Clevinger (1-1, 3.24 ERA) but like with Zach Plesac, he was sent home from Chicago for violating team protocols during the trip (he will have to undergo subsequent testing while under quarantine). Lester struggled with his consistency in 2019, going 13-10 and his 4.46 ERA was his highest since 2012. Lester is entering the final season of a six-year, $155 million deal signed with Chicago prior to the 2015 campaign and he's off to a strong start in his "contract year." He's looking for a THIRD consecutive strong outing, after allowing just one ER one run over 11 innings in his first two starts (0.55 WHIP and .103 BAA to go along with his 0.82 ERA!).

Cleveland pitchers own a major-league-low 2.04 ERA and haven't given up more than five runs in any game this season, while opponents are hitting just .188 on the year.  However, Plutko will be making his second start of the season, having thrown six innings of two-run ball against the White Sox back on July 28 (he also threw a scoreless inning in relief against the Cincinnati Reds last Thursday). Pluko began his major league career in 2016 (just two appearances) and takes the mound with just 42 appearances (33 starts) while owning  a 12-10 record and a 4.99 ERA. Don't see him being able to match Lester, who is 8-4 (3.06 ERA) in 19 career starts vs Cleveland (teams are 13-6).

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Las Vegas Insider is on the Col Rockies at 8:40 ET.

The Colorado Rockies went 71-91 in 2019, leaving them a whopping 35 games back of the NL West champion LA Dodgers. The Rockies return to Denver on Monday, off a 5-3 Sunday loss at Seattle. However, the Rockies had won the first two of their three-game set with the Mariners and have won ALL five series they have played this season.  Colorado is 11-4 and off to its best 15-game start since 2013! Arizona is off an 85-77 season (21 games back of LA) but had hopes of making the 2020 postseason, which has been expanded from 10 to 16 teams. So far, NOT so good. The D'backs opened the season losing three of four at San Diego and comes off losing two of three this past weekend against the Padres, again playing in San Diego. Arizona comes to Coors Field 6-10 and last in the NL West.

Before discussing the game's starting pitchers, a little about the teams. The Rockies lead all of MLB with a .261 BA and their pitching staff owns a team ERA of 2.84, which ranks 4th-best. When one considers Colorado's team ERA was 5.56 (29th of 30 teams in 2019), that's QUITE an improvement. In comparison, the D'backs are batting just .211 as a team (amazingly, SIX teams are actually hitting worse!) and Arizona's pitching staff sports a 5.48 ERA (29th of 30 teams)!

Arizona lefty Robbie Ray (1-2, 9.45 ERA) gets the nod tonight at Coors Field, opposed by Colorado's Jon Gray (0-1, 3.31 ERA). Ray has clearly struggled in his first three starts (1.95 WHIP to go along with his 9.45 ERA). He will make his 18th career start against Colorado, going 5-5 with a 5.20 ERA in his first 17 (team is 6-11). Gray also makes his fourth start of 2020 and has deserved much better than to be winless. Colorado's offense has been one of the best in the league but in Gray's three starts, the offense has scored just two runs in each contest, while he was in the game. 

That HAS to change! Opposing hitters are batting just .194 Gray and remember, Arizona is hitting .211 as a team in 2020. What's more, excluding Arizona's 14-run outburst against Houston back on August 5th, the D'backs have averaged a woeful 2.8 RPG in their other 15 games. The Rockies had scored four or more runs in 12 straight games before Sunday's 5-3 loss and my bet says gray gets the support he needs tonight to pick up his first win.

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Division Game of the Month (NL East) is on the NY Mets at 7:10 ET.

The New York Mets finally won their first series of the 2020, taking the final two games of their three-game set with the surprising Miami Marlins. Miami didn't play from July 27 through August 3, after 18 players tested positive for the coronavirus but the the Marlins returned to the field on August 4 and won their first SIX games (reaching 7-1). They missed out on a chance to match the best nine-game start in franchise history on Saturday night, when the Mets hit three HRs in an 8-4 victory. The victory was just New York's THIRD, in a 10-game stretch. New York won again 4-2 on Sunday, as Jacob deGrom moved to 2-0 on the season. The Mets are 3-1 in his starts, with deGrom owning a 2.45 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and .198 BAA.

The Washington Nationals visit Citi Filed to open a four-game series with the Mets on Monday. The defending champs are sure not playing like World Series champs, as the Nats have lost three straight games and were four innings from potentially getting swept by the crosstown Baltimore Orioles (for a 4th straight loss), when their Sunday game was suspended due to rain and a tarp issue (Washington trailed, 5-2, at the time). Nationals currently sit at 4-7, having lost three games due to the COVID-19 related issues of the Marlins

These teams just met in a two-game series in Washington last Tuesday and Wednesday, with the Nats winning 5-3 in the first contest and the Mets rebounding to take the next game, 3-1. Tonight's pitching matchup is a battle of left-handers, as Washington's Patrick Corbin (1-0, 3.00 ERA) takes on New York's Steven Matz (0-2, 5.65 ERA). It's a 're-hook' from last Tuesday's 5-3 Washington win. Corbin allowed three ERs on eight hits over 5.2 innings, while Matz allowed five ERs on seven hits over just three innings.

Corbin had a solid season for the Nats in 2019, going 14-7 with a 3.25 ERA in 33 starts (Washington was 21-12). However, he's just 3-5 with a 4.59 ERA in 15 career games (14 starts / teams are 6-8) against the Mets. Matz is now 1-6 (3.91 ERA) in 13 career starts vs Washington, although the Mets are a more respectable 6-7 in those starts. Matz was 11-10 with a 4.21 ERA last season but here's 'the skinny.' He was AWFUL away from home (3-8 with a 6.62 ERA and .293 BAA) but terrific at Citi Field (8-2 with a 2.31 ERA and .230 BAA).

The Nationals look disinterested so far and I'm not ready to give up on the Mets, just yet. Matz is the play at Citi Field.

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Situational Stunner is on the Cle Indians at 7:08 ET.

The Cleveland Indians won THREE straight AL Central titles from 2016-18 but despite winning 90-plus games for the fourth consecutive season in 2019, the Indians' 893 wins left them EIGHT games behind the 101-61 Twins. Cleveland's 7-1 Saturday win in Chicago over the White Sox, gives the team FOUR wins in its last five games and a 9-7 record (Twins have opened 10-5). The White Sox began this season's 60-game schedule having NOT made the postseason since 2008 (just two winning seasons in that 11-year span). However, the White Sox are a MUCH better team this season and have opened 8-7 (beat Cleveland 2-0 on Friday).

The two AL Central foes meet in the rubber match of the series, tonight. ESPN was set to feature the Chicago Cubs at the St Louis Cardinals but that series was postponed due to the Cardinals' ongoing bout with positive COVID-19 tests. The bright lights of ESPN's "Sunday Night Baseball" will now feature Cleveland at Chicago, with the White Sox last appearing in the Sunday night slot back on May 12, 2013! The pitching matchup is a good one, as Cleveland's Shane Bieber (3-0, 0.83 ERA) squares off against Chicago's Lucas Giolito (1-1, 5.17 ERA).

Bieber is looking to claim a FOURTH straight win. He enters Sunday with a major league best 35 strikeouts, the third-most in history through three starts. He has walked just THREE batters, while allowing only 12 hits over 21.2 innings (0.69 WHIP to go along with his 0.83 ERA and .160 BAA). Giolito had an 'ugly' 2020 debut, allowing seven ERs over just 3.2 innings of a 10-5 loss to the Twins. However, he has recovered from that rough outing on Opening Day, by holding Cleveland and Milwaukee to two runs on eight hits in 12 combined innings over his last two starts (1.50 ERA with 15 Ks).

Giolito posted a horrific 6.13 ERA in 2018 but turned things around in a big way last season, going 14-9, 3.41 ERA (he made the last year's All Star team). He opened the 2020 season as Chicago's ace. However, he currently can't match Bieber and I'm not ready to put Chicago in the same class of Cleveland, as a team. The Indians take the rubber game, as Bieber moves to 4-0!

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Game of the Week is on the TB Rays at 1:10 ET.

The New York Yankees had a SEVEN-game winning streak (July 26-Aug 3) but will face the Rays on Sunday in the final contest of this four-game series, having lost FOUR of six. The Rays opened the season 4-1 (all games at home) but then lost FIVE in a row (all on the road). The Rays returned home and split two games with Boston and have now taken TWO of three to New York (loss came vs Gerrit Cole, who is 0-4).

The pitching matchup for the series finale will be New York's James Paxton (0-1, 13.50 ERA) and Tampa's Charlie Morton(1-1, 5.52 ERA). 2019 was Paxton's first with the Yankees and ended July just 5-6 with a 4.72 ERA. However, he then went 10-0 over his final 11 regular season starts (NYY were 11-0), posting a 1.05 ERA in five September starts. His 29 starts, 18 wins and 251 Ks were all career highs (held opponents to a .210 BA). Paxton was recovering from a back injury when MLB was shut down back in March but New York said he was fully recovered when play began in late-July. Then again, maybe not. He pitched just ONE inning in his season debut at Washington on July 25 (allowed five hits and three ERs) and in his second start (Aug 2 vs Boston), made it through just three innings while allowing five runs (three earned) on seven hits.

Morton turned his career around after signing with Houston in 2017, going 29-10 in 2017-18. That got him a two-year, $30 million deal with Tampa Bay and Morton went 16-6, 3.05 ERA in 2019 for the Rays. He made his second All Star team last year plus set career highs in wins (16), ERA (3.05), innings (?194.2) and in strikeouts (240). He also led all major league pitchers in HRs/9 innings pitched, at 0.694.[29]. However, Morton allowed six ERs (4 IP) in his first start of 2020 and was better in his second, allowing two ERs over five innings. He then looked more like himself this past Tuesday against Boston, when he allowed one run in 5.2 innings Tuesday. He gave up a HR to Mitch Moreland in the second inning and then retired nine of the last 10 hitters (Rays won, 5-1).

The Yanks got bad news on Saturday, as Giancarlo Stanton tweaked his hamstring on a slide at second base during New York's 5-3 loss in yesterday's second game of the doubleheader. Here's the rub. The Rays are at home this season, giving them a 22-5 record in their last 27 regular-season home games! Paxton is pitching on six days' rest but is he really healthy? He has yet to complete three innings in each of his first two starts. As for Morton, he is 2-0 with an 0.77 ERA in two starts against the Yankees at Tropicana Field, where New York has lost SIX of its last seven!

Good luck...Larry

My 8* Weekend Wipeout is on the SD Padres at 9:10 ET.

The San Diego Padres are coming off a 70-92 season in 2019 (36 games back of LA) but they are hoping that a shortened 60-game season (and an expanded playoff format) will allow them to break a drought of 13 consecutive non-playoff years, as well as NINE straight losing seasons. The Arizona Diamondbacks went 85-77 last season but that still left them 21 games back of the Dodgers in the NL West, as well as four games out of the NL's last wild card spot. Arizona does not expect to end LA's 'hold' on the NL West (Dodgers have won seven straight division titles) but with MLB expanding its postseason field from 10 to 16 teams, the D'backs entered the season feeling as if a playoff berth was MORE than realistic. 

These two NL West foes opened the current season with the Padres winning THREE of four at Petco Park and the schedule has the two teams back in San Diego for a three-game series this weekend. Zach Davies retired the first 13 Arizona batters he faced last night and took a perfect game into the fifth before giving up consecutive one-out singles. The Padres would claim the victory 3-0, as they moved to 4-1 vs the D'backs this season, San Diego is 8-6 overall, 2 1/2 games back of the surprising Colorado Rockies. As for the D'backs, they are 5-9 (last in the NL West), with a record better than only the 3-11 Pirates in the NL. Not EXACTLY the start hoped for.

Merrill Kelly (1-1, 2.63 ERA) gets the start Saturday night for Arizona, while Chris Paddack (2-0, 2.65 ERA) is set to make his fourth start of the season for San Diego. Kelly took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning at Texas on July 28 and he was 3-1 with a 3.71 ERA in five starts against San Diego in 2019 (D'backs were 3-2), including winning his MLB debut on April 1, allowing three runs in six innings of a 10-3 victory. The Padres are 2-1 in Paddack's first three starts of 2019, with both wins coming at home. That's NO surprise as in his one-plus seasons in the majors, Paddack has seen the Padres win

My 10* Division Game of the Month (AL East) is on the NY Yankees at 6:40 ET.

The NYY began the 60-game 2020 MLB season as strong favorites to capture the AL East (won 103 games in 2019) and win the AL pennant (Yanks were co-favorites with the Dodgers to win the World Series). The Tampa Bay Rays won 96 games to finish seven games behind the Yankees in 2019 (earned a wild card spot) and were seen as a potent challenger to the Yankees in the AL East for the originally scheduled 162-game season Even when the 60-game season was announced, the Rays were still considered a formidable challenger to the Yankees. However, while the Yankees opened 8-1 and sit 9-3 as this four-game series with the Rays opens on Friday (DH scheduled for Saturday), Tampa Bay has lost SIX of seven since a 4-1 start (Rays are currently 5-7, FOUR games back).

Tampa Bay's pitching was an expected strength and the Rays own a 3.63 ERA (9th-best in MLB). However, Tampa Bay's offense has been a HUGE problem, as the Rays enter this series with a .211 team batting average, a .303 on-base percentage and have not scored more than five runs in any game since July 27 (that's an eight-game stretch).The Yankees have homered in a team-record 12 straight games to start the season and in preparation for this series, did not start Aaron Judge (.302 / 7 HRs / 17 RBI) and DJ LeMahieu (leads the AL with a .429 BA) in yesterday's game.

Taking the mound will be New York's Masahiro Tanaka (0-0, 3.38 ERA), who will make his second start since returning from a mild concussion sustained in a simulated game July 4. He will likely be on a pitch count after allowing two runs on four hits and throwing 51 pitches in 2.2 innings during Saturday's 5-2 win over Boston. Blake Snell (0-0, 5.40 ERA) gets the nod for Tampa Bay. Snell has not thrown more than 53 pitches in either of his first two starts (Rays are 1-1 in his starts).

Snell won the Cy Young award in the AL in 2018 (21-5, 1.89 ERA and 0.97 WHIP) but went just 6-8 in a 2019 season that saw injuries limit him to just 23 starts (he was 6-8, as his ERA climbed to 4.29 and his WHIP rose to 1.27). Who knows if Snell will ever regain his 2018 form? Meanwhile, Tanaka enters his seventh season for New York, going 75-43 (.636) his first six seasons (3.75 ERA and 1,13 WHIP). He's 10-4 with a 3.20 ERA in 18 career starts against Tampa Bay (Yanks are 13-5), while posting a 1.79 ERA in his last eight starts against the Rays. Meanwhile, Snell is 3-6 with a 4.41 ERA in 16 career starts against the Yankees (Rays are 7-9). Yanks grab the win!

Good luck...Larry

My 8* Las Vegas Insider is on the Hou Astros at 7:15 ET.

The Houston Astros entered the current season off THREE consecutive 100-win seasons (101, 103 & 107) from 2017-19. They made it to the World Series in 2017 and 2019, winning it all in 2017.Of course, the team's sign-stealing story was MLB's 'hottest' topic as the season was expected to open in late-March but then COVID-19 pushed it to the 'back burner.' Houston is just 6-5 to open the current season, after losing 14-5 last night in Arizona. The Arizona bats 'came alive' in the fourth inning, as 14 batters came to plate with the D'backs scoring NINE runs. Arizona trailed 4-0 before that incredible outburst and looked headed for a SIXTH loss in seven games. However, the 4-8 D'backs can now win this three-game series by taking the rubber match tonight.

Former D'back Zack Greinke (55-29 with Arizona from 2016 to 2019) was slated to start the series finals but the Astros adjusted their starting rotation, as manager Dusty Baker has opted to go with rookie right-hander Brandon Bielak (2-0, 1.69 ERA). The Diamondbacks will send Zac Gallen (0-0, 2.70 ERA) to the mound for Thursday's game. Bielak has already won TWICE in the majors, but both "Ws" have come in relief. This marks his first-ever ML start. Gallen started with Miami in 2019 (1-3, 2.72 ERA in seven starts) but then came to Arizona via a trade (2-3, 2.89 ERA in eight starts). He has yet to get a decision in two starts in 2020 but Arizona has won BOTH of his outings.

Don't expect another one inning, nine-run outburst in this one. I will happily go against a team after it has scored 14 runs on 16 hits the game before, especially this Arizona team, which was averaging 2.64 RPG over its first 11 games of 2020! BTW, MLB's best road team the last three seasons has been Houston, which has gone 157-86 (.646).

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Battle 4 Ohio is on the Cle Indians at 6:10 ET.

The Cleveland Indians entered the 2019 season having won THREE straight AL Central titles but their 93 wins left them EIGHT games back of the 101-61 Minnesota Twins. The Indians opened the current season 4-2 at home and then took the first contest of a four-game series at Minnesota on Thursday, moving to 5-2. However, the Indians then lost the last three games of their series at Minnesota, getting outscored 10-2. Cleveland lost the first contest of its four-game, home-and-home series with Cincinnati Reds 3-2 on Monday but has rebounded to win the last two, 4-2 and 2-0 (Indians are currently 7-6). The Reds entered the current season off SIX consecutive losing seasons (averaging a modest 69.7 wins per season) but Cincinnati (at +230) was listed as co-favorites to win the NL Central with the Cubs. The team's starting pitching rotation of Luis Castillo, Sonny Gray, Trevor Bauer, Wade Miley and Anthony DeSclafani looked VERY good on paper, plus the addition of Mike Moustakas and Nicholas Castellanos was great news to Joey Votto and the Reds' offense (NL using the DH was also great news). However, the Reds were just 2-5 before winning both ends of Sunday's seven-inning doubleheader at Detroit. 5-7 Cincinnati hopes to split its four-game, "Battle 4 Ohio" with the Indians, by taking Thursday's finale

Taking the mound will be Luis Castillo (0-1, 4.50 ERA) for the Reds and Carlos Carrasco (1-1, 3.75 ERA) for the Indians. Castillo started strong in 2019 with an 11-4 mark and enjoyed his first All-Star selection (was 8-3 with a 2.29 ERA at the break). His 11th win came on August 5 but he won just FOUR of his last nine starts (Reds were just 4-5 in those games). However, his 15 wins were fifth-best in the NL and his 226 strikeouts tied for 12th in strikeouts per nine innings (10.7). Castillo's only two starts in 2020 have come against the Tigers. He gave up five runs and eight hits over six innings of a 7-2 loss to the Tigers back on July 25 but then allowed just one run while striking out 11 over six innings on July 31 against Detroit (note: Reds have lost both starts).

Carlos Carrasco and the Indians beat KC 9-2 on July 27, as he won his first start in 423 days! Carrasco took the mound back on May 30, 2019 against the Chicago White Sox but days later was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia, a blood disorder that threatened his life. He spent the next three months battling leukemia before returning in September to pitch out of the bullpen. He made 11 appearances, allowing 18 hits and 11 ERs in 15 innings (6.60 ERA). However, the 18-game winner in 2017 looked like his old dominant self against the Royals. He allowed two runs and five hits before he was lifted after allowing a leadoff double in the seventh. Carrasco retired the first 10 Royals he faced and finished with 10 Ks! Carrasco also pitched reasonably well last Saturday at Minnesota but allowed three solo HRs (over six innings) in a 3-0 loss.

I had Minnesota in that one, backing Kenta Maeda. My closing comments in that one was that "Carrasco's comeback has everyone rooting for him but I'm not one of them in tonight's contest. I'll root for Carrasco some OTHER time!" That "other time" is tonight! Carrasco may have a less-than-impressive 4.05 ERA in five starts against the Reds but he's 3-0 and the Indians are 5-0. That follows nicely with the fact that the Indians are 20-7 vs the Reds since the start of the 2015 season!

Good luck...Larry

My 8* play is on the Sea Mariners at 9:40 ET.

The Angels won last night in Seattle, 5-3. Mike Trout returned to the LA lineup and homered in his first at-bat since the birth of his first child. The win makes the Angels 4-7 and they continue their three-game set in Seattle tonight, sporting a 4-7 record. Seattle opened its season 4-4 but last night's defeat was the team's FOURTH in a row, as the Mariners fell to 4-8.

The Angels will give right-hander Julio Teheran his first start of 2020,after missing the opening of the season because of a positive test for COVID-19. Teheran has spent his first NINE big-league season with the Braves, where he went 77-73 with a 3.67 ERA and 1.21 WHIP. He's made just one career start vs Seattle (0-1, 9.00 ERA). Seattle left-hander Marco Gonzales has gone 29-22 the last two seasons with Seattle, including 16-13 in 2019, when Seattle was just 68-94.

The 'key' here is that Gonzales is 6-1 with a 3.82 ERA in 13 career starts against the Angels, with Seattle going 9-4!

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Underdog of the Month (IL) is on the Mil Brewers at 8:10 ET.

The Milwaukee Brewers opened the 2020 season with six straight road games, going 3-3. The Brewers returned home for a three-game home series with the Cardinals but positive COVID-19 tests but some Cardinals saw that series postponed. A four-game, home-and-home series with the White Sox has so far seen the Brewers lose the first two games at Miller Park, The Brewers now head to Chicago for two games. The White Sox reside in the ASL Central with Last year's champs (Twins won 101 games) and the Indians, who had won three straight AL Central titles before the team's 93 wins last season left them EIGHT games behind the Twins. The White began this season's 60-game schedule having NOT made the postseason since 2008 (just two winning seasons in that 11-year span). However, the White Sox are a MUCH better team this season and have opened 7-4.

Adrian Houser (0-0, 1.80 ERA) will take the mound for Milwaukee and Dallas Keuchel (2-0, 3.38 ERA) is set to get the ball for Chicago. Houser made 35 appearances last season but just 18 starts (6-7, 3.72 ERA overall). He hopes (expects) to be part of this year's starting rotation and he looked good in his 2020 debut, allowing just one ER at Pittsburgh on July 27, settling for a no-decision that the Brewers won 6-5 (11 inn). Dallas Keuchel won the Cy Young award in the AL during the 2015 season (20-8, 2.48 ERA) but over the next three seasons was a modest 35-28 (3.99 ERA) for an outstanding Houston team. He was a free agent in 2019 but couldn't find a taker until Atlanta signed him on June 7, 2019 him to a one year $13 million deal. Was he worth it? You make the call! He went 8-8 with a 3,75 ERA in 19 regular season starts (team was 10-9). Atlanta then lost BOTH of his postseason starts.

The Chicago White Sox signed Keuchel to a three-year $55.5 million contract on December 30, 2019. He's opened 2-0 (3,38 ERA) but I just don't buy Keuchel being a "team ace" these days. As for his record against the Brewers, he's 0-4 record with a 8.75 ERA in five career starts against them (teams are 1-4). The Brewers have not started well but entered this season having averaged 90.3 wins per season the last three years, making the postseason in each of the last two. Remember, while Chicago is improved, the White Sox have just TWO winning seasons (no playoff appearances) in their last 11 years. Also note that Chicago has gone exactly 6-14 in each of the last three seasons in IL play. Houser scattered one run and two hits in 4.2 innings in a 77-pitch exhibition tune-up two days before Opening Day at Guaranteed Rate Field (July 22). That's a good omen and I'm taking the underdog Brewers.

Good luck...Larry

My 9* play is on the Tor Blue Jays at 7:10 ET.

Full, detailed analysis by 11:00 ET Wednesday morning.

My 8* play is on the TB Rays at 6:40 ET.

The Rays opened the season 4-1 (all at home) and then lost FIVE in row, all away from home. However, with Austin Meadows back from the COVID-19 injury ( 2-for-4 with an RBI triple), the Rays beat the struggling Red Sox 5-1 last night. The Rays now look to complete a two-game sweep of the Red Sox, before hosting the New York Yankees in a pivotal four-game weekend series beginning Friday. Boston lost its FOURTH straight on Tuesday and sits at 3-8.

Martin Perez (1-1, 5.06 ERA) gets the nod for Boston and Ryan Yarbrough (0-1, 1.54 ERA) for Tampa Bay. Perez spent his first seven seasons with Texas, going 2-7 with a 6.22 ERA in his final year with the team (2018). He signed with Minnesota in 2019 and made 32 appearances (29 starts), posting a 10-7 record with a 5.12 ERA and owned MLB's highest WHIP among starters at 1.52. Boston signed him as a FA in December and he was thrust into the No. 2 role in Boston's tattered starting rotation due to injuries and trades. Yarbrough has been the Rays' most effective starter this season, although he took the loss in his last outing in Atlanta, despite holding the Braves to two runs on two hits over 6.1 innings in. Yarbrough is 3-1 with a 4.84 ERA lifetime in nine games (three starts / team is 2-1) against the Red Sox. Meanwhile, Perez is an 'ugly' 0-4 with a 7.62 ERA in eight career starts vs Tampa Bay (teams are 1-7). He is 1-3 with an 8.39 ERA in five games (four starts) at Tropicana Field.

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Pitching Mismatch is on the Mil Brewers at 8:10 ET.

The White Sox were a dark horse pick by some in the AL Central. Chicago stumbled out of the gate 1-4 but after last night's 6-4 win at Milwaukee in the opener of a four-game, home-and-home set, the White Sox have now won FIVE in a row to reach 6-4. The 3-4 Brewers saw their weekend series with the Cards canceled due to positive COVID-19 tests of some St Louis players and last night was the team's first game since last Wednesday.

Tonight's pitching matchup features Chicago's Lucas Giolito (0-1, 6.52 ERA) and Milwaukee's Brandon Woodruff (1-1, 1.59 ERA). Giolito posted a horrific 6.13 ERA in 2018 but turned things around in a big way last season, going 14-9 with a 3.41 ERA (made the All Star team). Giolito recorded just 11 outs while allowing SEVEN runs in an Opening Day loss to visiting Minnesota but rebounded last Wednesday at Cleveland, scattering four hits, two walks and six strikeouts in six shutout innings (White Sox won, 4-0). This marks his first appearance vs Milwaukee.

Woodruff had a breakout season in 2019, making the All Star team. He posted his 11th victory in his first start after the All-Star break but then suffered an oblique strain that sidelined him for nearly two months. He made just three starts (including a wild card game vs the Nats) after returning on Sep 17 but one must acknowledge that the Brewers were a MONEY-MAKING 18-4 in his 22 regular season starts in 2019! Woodruff has been sharp in two 2020 starts, allowing two ERs in five innings of a 3-0 loss to the Cubs, before pitching 6.1 scoreless innings while allowing just one hit with 10 Ks in a 3-0 win vs Pittsburgh. He retired a career-best 17 in a row at one point against the Pirates.

Like Giolito, Woodruff has never faced his opponent (White Sox) but considering the Brewers have won 19 of Woodruff's 24 starts since 2019, one HAS to take note. Meanwhile, Giolito is 1-6 with a 6.96 ERA in 10 interleague starts. It's Woodruff over Giolito tonight in a BIG way!

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Weekly Wipeout is on the Was Nationals at 7:05 ET.

The 4-7 NY Mets snapped a five-game slide with a 7-2 win last night in Atlanta, as Jacob deGrom pitched six innings (two ERs / 10 Ks) in earning his first win of 2020. New York visits the nation's capital tonight to open a two-game series with Nationals, who are 3-4 and have waited FIVE days to return to action. The Nationals haven't played since last Thursday, when they beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-4. Washington's weekend series against the Miami Marlins was postponed after 18 uniformed members of the Marlins tested positive for the coronavirus. Tonight's pitching matchup is a battle of left-handers, as New York's Steven Matz (0-1, 3.18 ERA) squares off against Washington's Patrick Corbin (0-0, 1.42 ERA). Here's the 'skinny' on Matz. He was terrific at Citi Field last season, going 8-2 with a 2.31 ERA and .230 BAA but  AWFUL away from home, going 3-8 with a 6.62 ERA and .293 BAA. He's also just 1-5 (3.41 ERA) in 12 career starts vs Washington, although the Mets are a more respectable 6-6 in those starts. Corbin didn't factor into the decision in his season debut July 26, when he allowed just one run in 6.1 innings in the Nationals' 3-2 loss to the Yankees. Corbin had a solid season for the Nats in 2019, going 14-7 with a 3.25 ERA in 33 starts (Washington was 21-12). He's just 2-5 with a 4.46 ERA in 14 career games (13 starts / teams are 5-8) against the Mets.  Washington had an intrasquad scrimmage Saturday and more good news came in the fact that the Nats welcomed back Juan Soto. His positive coronavirus test was announced hours before the Opening Day game against the New York Yankees on July 23. Soto said he never displayed any symptoms and believed his result may have been a false positive. He was allowed to return after testing negative twice last week, following clearance from the D.C. Department of Health. Soto (21-years-old) batted .282 in the regular season in 2019, adding 34 HRs and 110 RBI. He then hit five HRs with 14 RBI in the playoffs, while helping the Nationals to their first championship in franchise history. His return is a BIG deal, with Anthony Rendon leaving in FA for the Angels. Corbin gives Washington a solid effort, while Matz once again struggles away from home. New York's winning streak ends at ONE! Good luck...Larry

My 10* PERFECT STORM is on the TB Rays at 6:40 ET.

The Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox are still looking to establish their identity as they prepare to open a two-game series Tuesday at St Petersburg, Fl. Boston began the 2020 by losing two of three at Fenway to the Orioles (54-108) and then split a four-games series with the Mets, followed by losing all three at Yankee Stadium. Boston heads to South Florida just 3-7, already leaving them 5 1/2 games back of the MLB-best 8-1 Yankees. The Rays opened 4-1 but have promptly lost FIVE in a row, including getting swept in a three-game series at the Baltimore Orioles this past weekend (see above). 

Boston's Nathan Eovaldi (1-0, 2.45 ERA) is set to take the mound opposite Tampa Bay's Charlie Morton (0-1, 8.00 ERA). Boston starters own a league-worst 6.69 ERA but Eovaldi has been the lone bright spot, as the Red Sox have won both of his 2020 starts. Morton turned his career around after signing with Houston in 2017, going 29-10 in 2017-18. That got him a two-year, $30 million deal with Tampa Bay and Morton went 16-6, 3.05 ERA in 2019 for the Rays. He made his second All Star team last year plus set career highs in wins (16), ERA (3.05), innings (194.2) and in strikeouts (240). He also led all major league pitchers in HRs/9 innings pitched, at 0.694.[29]. However, Morton allowed six ERs (4 IP) in his first start of 2020 but was better in his second, allowing two ERs over five innings. 

Eovaldi owns a 2-4 record with a 5.45 ERA in eight career appearances (six starts / teams are 2-4 ) against the Rays, while Morton is 5-1 (4.40 ERA) in 11 career starts vs Boston (teams are 8-3). I noted Boston's overall pitching woes at the top but that's hardly Boston's only issue! The Red Sox own a .210 team BA with new additions Manuel Margot (3-for-30), Hunter Renfroe (6-for-33) and Yoshitomo Tsutsugo (6-for-30) among those really struggling. Morton gets his first win of 2020 in this one. Good luck...Larry

My 9* Division Game of the Month (NL West) is on the LA Dodgers at 9:10 ET.

My 10* Situational Stunner is on the Cin Reds at 6:40 ET.

The Cleveland Indians entered the 2019 season having won THREE straight AL Central titles but their 93 wins left them EIGHT games back of the 101-61 Minnesota Twins. The Indians opened the current season 4-2 at home and then took the first contest of a four-game series at Minnesota on Thursday, moving to 5-2. However, the Indians then lost the last three games of their series at Minnesota, getting outscored 10-2. Cleveland now opens a four-game, home-and-home series with Cincinnati Reds, with the first two contests being played in Cincinnati.

The Reds entered the current season off SIX consecutive losing seasons, averaging a modest 69.7 wins per season. However, Cincinnati (at +230) was listed as co-favorites with the Cubs in the NL Central. The team's starting pitching rotation of Luis Castillo, Sonny Gray, Trevor Bauer, Wade Miley and Anthony DeSclafani looked VERY good on paper, plus the addition of Mike Moustakas and Nicholas Castellanos was great news to Joey Votto and the Reds' offense (NL using the DH was also great news). However, the Reds opened 1-4 and were just 2-5 before winning both ends of Sunday's seven-inning doubleheader at Detroit.

Zach Plesac (0-0, 0.00 ERA) gets the start for Cleveland, while Cincinnati will counter with Sonny Gray (2-0, 0.71 ERA). Plesac made 21 starts as a rookie, going 8-6 with a 3.81 ERA (Indians went 13-8 in his starts). He had a strong season debut (last Wednesday), allowing three hits with 11 Ks without a walk over eight scoreless innings, although the Indians fell 4-0 to the Chicago White Sox when they scored four runs in the top of the 9th. Plesac has faced the Reds just once, allowing four runs on five hits in 5.1 innings of that 7-2 loss in Cleveland last season

Gray put together a pair of 14-win seasons for the Oakland A's in 2014 and '15 (2.91 ERA over those two seasons) but struggled the next four seasons from 2016-18 with the A's and Yanks going 26-32 with a 4.59 ERA, before revitalizing his career with the Reds in 2019 (11-8, 2.87 ERA in 175.1 innings, allowing just 122 hits while striking out 205). Gray has allowed just ONE earned run, four hits and three walks while striking out 20 over 12.2 innings in beating Detroit and the Chicago Cubs to open 2020. Gray is a modest 4-4 with a 3.61 ERA in 10 career starts vs the Indians (teams are 5-5).

Recent history favors the Indians, as they've beaten the Reds in SIX straight, as well as winning 10 of their last 11 in Cincinnati. What's more, the Indians have averaged 7.1 RPG and hit 23 HRs over that 11-game span. However, that was THEN and this is NOW! Cleveland arrives in Cincinnati having lost FOUR of five, while scoring a grand total of just FOUR runs! Cleveland is batting only .147 as a team in that five-game span, going 2-17 (.105) with RISP. The Cleveland bats now face Sonny Gray (see above), who after allowing just one hit and striking out 11 batters in last Wednesday's win over the Cubs, has made 35 straight starts while allowing six or fewer hits!

Good luck...Larry

My 8* Weekend Wipeout Winner is on the Oak A's at 9:10 ET.

Oakland's lost THREE in a row and will send Mike Fiers (0=0, 9.00 ERA) to the mound while the Mariners, winner of THREE straight, counter with Yusei Kikuchi (0-0, 12.27 ERA). Fiers set career highs in wins (15), starts (33) and innings pitched (184.2) last year in his first full season in Oakland. Since joining Oakland in August of 2018 (from Detroit), Fiers has made 44 regular season starts for the A's, who have gone 32-12 in those contests! Kikuchi's rookie season did not go well, as he made 32 starts and went 6-11 with a 5.46 ERA and 1.52 WHIP. His 2020 debut also went poorly, as he allowed five ERs in just 3.2 innings vs the Astros, although Seattle came back to earn a 7-6 win.

The A's are the MUCH better team and Fiers has been a HUGE moneymaker for the A's since coming to the team (see above). Oakland snaps its three-game slide and wins "with room to spare!"

Good luck...Larry