The set-up: The Mets have lost the first two of this three-game series in Arizona against the Diamondbacks, 7-3 and 5-4. They have now lost six straight, while allowing opponents to average 7.8 runs during the team's slide. In contrast, the Diamondbacks have won five of their last seven and have upped their home record in 2017 to an impressive 17-8. That's quite an improvement for a team which was a woeful 33-48 at home in 2016, while going 69-93 overall, in finishing 22 games back of the division-winning Dodgers in the NL West.

The pitching matchup: Matt Harvey (2-3 & 5.63 ERA) will take the mound for New York up against Arizona's Patrick Corbin (3-4 & 4.17 ERA). New York's pitching staff is a mess right now and Harvey has posted a 10.43 ERA while losing three straight. He returned form a team suspension last Friday at Milwaukee and was reached for five runs on seven hits and five walks in five innings by the Brewers. Good news for the Mets comes in that Harvey is 3-1 with a 3.20 ERA in four career starts against Arizona. Corbin finished April with a 2.29 ERA but has allowed 12 runs in 10 innings this month, although he picked up the win with a six-inning effort against Pittsburgh on Friday. Unlike Harvey, Corbin has struggled against this opponent, going 0-3 with a 6.64 ERA in four career starts against the Mets (D'backs are 1-3).

The pick: Harvey's off three bad starts but note that he opened the 2017 season 2-0 with a 2.84 ERA in his four starts. He has pitched well vs. Arizona in his career and let's not write off "the Dark Knight" just yet. However, I'll admit it's stupid nickname. As for Corbin, he was a putrid 1-8 with a  5.57 ERA at Chase Field last year but he is 3-1 with a 2.45 ERA in five starts at home here in 2017. Make the Under an 8* play.

The set-up: The Astros opened this four-game, home-and-home IL series with the Miami Marlins by taking Monday's contest, 7-2. Yuli Gurriel led the way with a grand slam, Houston's third in May, which sets a franchise record for one month. The 27-12 Astros own MLB's best record, are now 13-6 on the road and have won each of their three interleague games. Meanwhile, the Marlins are headed in the opposite direction. After opening the season at 10-8, the Marlins have gone 4-15 since, and have not won consecutive games since April 22-23. Houston owns an eight-game lead in the AL West, while Miami occupies the basement in the NL East at 14-23. The Marlins are already 10 games back of the Nationals in the division and the team's winning percentage of .378 is better than only San Diego, which is 15-25 (.375).

The pitching matchup: Dallas Keuchel (6-0 & 1.69 ERA) takes the mound for Houston and Tom Koehler (1-1 & 5.60 ERA) for Miami. Keuchel will try to become MLB's first seven-game winner, after he beat the Yankees 3-2 last Thursday. It was his shortest outing of the year (aix innings) but he tied a season high with nine strikeouts and walked only one. He is tied for the MLB lead in innings pitched (58 2/3) and his ERA is third overall among qualified hurlers. The 2015 American League Cy Young Award winner allowed two unearned runs over seven innings in his only previous start against Miami, a game in which he took the loss. Koehler has finished as many as six innings only twice in his first seven starts of 2017 and has fallen shy of that mark three straight times, including a no-decision against St. Louis on Wednesday in which he gave up four runs in 5 1/3 innings. He threw a season-high 99 pitches in that outing but for the first time in 2017, didn't allow a HR. He has won his only prior start against the Astros, although his ERA in that game was 5.40!

The pick: Houston is 15 games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2005 season (89-73) and Keuchel has regained his 2015 Cy Young form. As noted above, the Marlins are in a 4-15 funk which includes a 1-6 mark on their current homestand,. Miami has managed just six runs in its last three games, going 2 of 21 (.095) with RISP. I see little reason to think that the Marlins will 'touch' Keuchel. The Under is a 10* play.

The set-up: Kevin Pillar’s walk-off homer gave the Blue Jays a 3-2 win on Sunday over Seattle, Toronto's fifth victory in a row and seventh in eight games. Toronto had played in both the 2015 and 2016 ALCS but lost 11 of 13 to open the 2017 season. However, the Blue Jays are now 15-10 since that ugly start and open this two-game interleague home series against the Atlanta Braves with a 17-21 mark. Atlanta was not able to complete a three-game sweep in Miami on Sunday, falling 3-1. The Braves sit at 13-21 (already 9 1/2 games back of the Nats in the NL East) and only the 14-25 Gianst own a worse winning percentage in MLB.

The pitching matchup: Bartolo Colon (1-4 & 7.22 ERA) gets the start for Atlanta, opposed by Toronto's Mike Bolsinger (0-1 & 3.18 ERA). Atlanta signed Colon as a free agent and he's been a big disappointment. He gave up five first-inning runs and eight overall in 5 2/3 innings Tuesday at Houston, extending a stretch during which he has surrendered 36 hits and an OPS of 1.099. His lone win this season came when he allowed just one hit in seven innings against San Diego back on April 16. However, he has yielded seven or more hits in each of his four starts since (36 hits & 23 ERs in 21 IP). Colon has posted a 10-6 record and 4.25 ERA in 26 career starts against Toronto (teams are 15-11). Bolsinger makes his second start of the season after losing his debut against Cleveland on Tuesday, when he gave up two runs on three hits and four walks in 5 2/3 innings. He is 8-17 with a 4.57 ERA in 38 games over four major-league seasons but had posted a 1.46 ERA in four starts for Triple-A Buffalo before joining Toronto. Bolsinger has made two career starts against Atlanta as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers, going 1-1 with a4.22 ERA.

The pick: Since earning his lone win of 2017 (4/16), Colon owns a 9.55 ERA in four starts. As for Bolsinger, he's nothing more than a journeyman. The play here is a 10* on the Over.

The set-up: Milwaukee placed Ryan Braun on the 10-day disabled list prior to Friday's game with the Mets but the Brewers haven't missed him, winning 7-4 on Friday (team had four HRs) and last night, used 16 hits (just one HR) and an eight-run 5th to win, 11-4! The 20-17 Brewers will attempt to complete a sweep of the visiting Mets and post their sixth victory in seven contests Sunday. The Mets are heading in the opposite direction, as after winning five of their previous six, the Mets have dropped three straight to find themselves three games under .500 (16-19).

The pitching matchup:Jacob deGrom (2-1 & 3.80 ERA) gets the ball for the Mets and will be opposed by Milwaukee's Wily Peralta (4-2 & 5.30 ERA). DeGrom settled for a no-decision on Monday against the Giants, despite posting his fourth double-digit strikeout performance in five outings with 11 (he did give up three runs, including two HRs, in six innings). He ranks second in the National League with 60 strikeouts but he also is among the NL leaders in walks with 19, including 14 over his last four starts. He's made five career starts against the Brewers, going 3-1 with a 2.32 ERA (Mets are 4-1). Peralta came out of the gate strong in 2017, winning his first three starts while posting a 2.65 ERA, . However, he's 1-2 in his last four, allowing 16 ERs on 27 hits and eight walks over 18 2/3 innings (team is 2-2 and his ERA is 7.71!). Peralta won his only home start versus the Mets last season after allowing three runs in five innings to improve to 4-2 with a 3.53 ERA in six career starts against them.

The pick: The Brewers are 20-17 and that's no small feat, as it's the first time the team has been three games over .500 since September 27, 2014. Milwaukee ranks third in scoring among all teams (5.19 per) and the team's 60 HRs are tops in the majors but deGrom has handled this lineup well. After scoring 18 runs on 28 hits these last two games, look for Milwaukee to struggle here. The Under is an 8* play.

The set-up: The San Francisco Giants had two starting position players return to the lineup Thursday but they still wound up on the losing end of a 3-2 game. Denard Span went 4-for-5 with a double and a solo HR after missing about three weeks with a shoulder sprains and hortstop Brandon Crawford (groin) went 1-for-4 from the cleanup spot in his return from the disabled list. With the defeat, San Francisco fell to a major league-worst 12-24 record and have now lost all four meetings with the Reds in 2017. The Reds have won seven of their last eight overall and sit at 19-15, a half-game back of the first-place Cards in the NL Central.

The pitching matchup: Scott Feldman (2-3 & 3.76 ERA) takes the mound for the visiting Reds Friday night up against the Giants' Johnny Cueto (4-2 & 4.50 ERA). Feldman is hoping to duplicate his effort against San Francisco from last Sunday, when he recorded his fifth career complete game and third career shutout. He allowed four hits with one walk and five strikeouts while throwing 119 pitches. Feldman is 2-4 with a 2.78 ERA in seven career games (five starts / 2-3 with a 2.64 ERA) against the Giants. Cueto was out-dueled by Feldman last Sunday, when he took the loss while allowing four runs (two earned) with a season-high 10 strikeouts over seven innings. Cueto has pitched into the seventh inning in four of his seven 2017 starts but has received zero runs of support in two of his last three outings. Cueto is 0-1 with a 6.00 ERA in his previous two outings covering 12 innings against his former team (Giants are 1-1).

The pick: Expect Cueto to be "on his game here" against his ex-teammates but that lack of support is an issue. The Giants rank 29th in runs (3.25 per), 26th in BA (.229), 29th in OPS (.634) and 30th in HRs (25). Make the Under an 8* play.

The set-up: The Dodgers out-hit the Rockies Thursday 14-12 in the first contest of a four-game series at Coors Field. However, Colorado won the game 10-7, moving 2 1/2 games up on LA in the NL West. The loss snapped the Dodgers' season-high five-game winning streak, while the victory was the seventh in nine games for Colorado, which is off to the best 36-game start in franchise history at 23-13

The pitching matchup: Clayton Kershaw (5-2 & 2.40 ERA) will start for LA and Yyler Chatwood (3-4 & 4.74 ERA). Kershaw defeated San Diego in his last start, striking out nine in 7 1/3 innings while giving up just one run and five hits. This marks his third start of 2017 vs. Colorado, having split two decisions. The loss came back on April 8 at Coors, when Kershaw served up three HRs, allowing back-to-back HRs for the first time in his career. He's 19-6 with a 3.15 ERA in 34 career starts vs. Colrado (Dodgers are 25-9). Chatwood is coming off an excellent last outing, in which he allowed one run on two hits over seven-plus innings of a 5-2 victory against Arizona. It was a sharp turnaround from his previous three starts, when he surrendered 14 runs on 19 hits in 16 1/3 innings. Chatwood is 4-6 with a 3.52 ERA in 11 career starts versus the Dodgers (teams are 4-7).

The pick: The teams pounded out 26 hits and scored 17 runs on Thursday. Expect a different result here. Kershaw has limited opposing batters to a .210 average with a 53-7 KW ratio over 48 2/3 innings (0.92 WHIP). In 34 career starts vs. Colorado, Kershaw has limited Rockies hitters to a .220/.283/.329 slash line. Make the Under an 8* play.

The set-up: The Kansas City Royals opened their four-game series at Tampa Bay this past Monday on an eight-game road losing streak. However, the Royals won 7-3 on Monday and then again on Tuesday, 7-6 in 12 innings. KC's good fortune turned on Wednesday though, as the Rays enjoyed their best offensive outburst of the season. Tampa Bay's Colby Rasmus capped a three-hit performance with a grand slam in a 12-1 rout, a game in which Tampa Bay's lineup pounded out 16 hits. The teams wrap the series with a Thursday afternoon contest.

The pitching matchup: After allowing 12 runs and 16 hits in Wednesday's loss, Kansas City turns to Jason Vargas (4-1 & 1.19 ERA), who will be matched against Tampa Bay's Jake Odorizzi (2-1 & 2.88 ERA). Vargas is a 34-year-old lefty who leads all MLB pitchers in ERA, having allowed just six ERs and only seven walks in 37 2/3 innings this season to post an 0.98 WHIP while limiting the opposition to a .217 batting average. Vargas owns a 4-5 mark with a 3.11 ERA in 11 career appearances versus Tampa Bay (10 starts / teams are 4-6), although his last win at Tropicana Field came back in August 2013. Odorizzi has permitted just one earned run and struck out six in back-to-back solid outings since coming off the disabled list. The 27-year-old received a no-decision after a five-inning performance at Miami on May 1 before picking up the win five days later after yielding just one run again, on three hits in seven innings of a 6-1 rout over Toronto. Odorizzi entered the majors with Kansas City in 2012 but has struggled in his career against the Royals, posting a 1-3 mark with a 5.40 ERA in four outings..

The pick: Current form of Vargas (all season) and Odorizzi (two starts since coming off the DL) seems to point to an over but as noted (see above), Odorizzi has struggled against the team he began his career with. As for Vargas, injuries limited him to just 12 starts the previous two seasons and while he's been "lights out" so far in 2017, isn't he pitching "over his head?" After all, he does own a career 4.09 ERA in 222 career appearances (202 starts). Make the Over an 8* play.

The set-up: The Kansas City Royals opened their four-game series at Tampa Bay on an eight-game road losing streak but have won the first two contests, 7-3 on Monday and then, in a 12-inning game on Tuesday, 7-6. Mike Moustakas hit a solo HR in the 12th to provide the margin of victory for the Royals, who rallied from a four-run deficit. KC now has a chance to clinch its first series win since sweeping a three-game set from the LA Angels back on April 14-16. Tampa Bay has lost three straight to drop three games below .500 for the first time this year, at 13-16.

The pitching matchup: Jason Hammel (1-3 & 5.53 ERA) will get the nod for the Royals and Chris Archer (2-1 & 3.57 ERA) for the Rays. Hammel is coming off his best start of the season, which resulted in his first victory in a Kansas City uniform. He limited Cleveland to one run on three hits over six innings in a 3-1 win on Friday. However, Hammel has sure not pitched the way KC had hoped, when the Royals signed him to a FA deal in February. Prior's to Friday's win, he had lasted only three innings in each of his previous two starts and even after a good effort vs. the Indians, he's got an 'ugly' 5.53 ERA, a 1.70 WHIP and opponents are hitting .288 against him. Hammel, who spent the first three seasons of his career with Tampa Bay, is 2-2 with a 4.26 ERA in six starts against his former team (teams are 3-3). Archer registered a season-high 11 strikeouts against Toronto on Friday but did not factor in the decision after allowing three runs in six innings. He is now win-less in his last four starts and while his numbers aren't all that bad, the Rays have now lost his last three starts, after winning his first four. Hardly inspiring confidence for tonight's game is the fact that Archer has yet to defeat Kansas City in his career, going 0-4 with a 5.63 ERA in five starts (Rays are 1-4).

The pick: Last night's 12-inning game could (should?) prove chaotic for each team's pitching staff, tonight. The Royals and Rays combined to use 15 pitchers last night, with all but one available reliever appearing. Neither starter much confidence heading into tonight and the bullpens just may be spent. Make the Over a 10* play.

The set-up: The Mets are going through a 'soap opera' with pitcher Matt Harvey but have a chance to make it a three-game sweep of their series with the Giants this afternoon, which would move them above the .500 mark for the first time since April 19. While the Mets sit at 16-16, losses on Monday and Tuesday at Citi Field leave the Giants at 11-13, owners of MLB's worst record. The Mets won 4-3 (Monday) and 6-1 last night, as the reeling Giants have dropped five in a row. This marks San Francisco's final contest of its nine-game road trip and the team has managed only nine runs on 23 hits during its five-game skid.

The pitching matchup: Matt Cain (2-1 & 4.70 ERA) takes the mound for the Giants and Tommy Milone (1-0 & 6.43 ERA) gets the start for a troubled New York rotation. Cain was tagged for a career high-tying nine runs on 10 hits and six walks (which also matching a career worst) in losing 13-3 to the Reds last Friday. That was quite a drop-off, as he had allowed just three ERs over his previous four starts (23 innings with a 1.17 ERA), going 2-0 (team was 3-1). Cain is 6-6 with a 3.61 ERA in 15 career starts against the Mets (Giants are 8-7). Tommy Milone split his six appearances with Milwaukee between the rotation and bullpen to open the 2017 season but was waived after giving up four runs on six hits in a two-inning relief stint on April 29. The left-hander will make his New York Mets debut Wednesday afternoon and will be pitching for the first time in 12 days. He's only faced the Giants once in his career, back on May 29, 2013. He allowed four runs over five innings in that one but he got the win as the Oakland A's won 9-6 win at AT&T Park.

The pick: Of course, Milone is a wild card but the good news for him is that the Giants are just not hitting. As for Cain, his last outing was a 'nightmare' but as noted, he was outstanding in his previous four turns. Make the Under an 8* play.

The set-up: The Nats haven't bested the Orioles in a Beltway Series since going 4-2 back in 2007. The 2017 edition hasn't stared well for the Nats either, as Baltimore rode three HRs to a 6-4 victory on Monday night. Baltimore is now riding a five-game winning streak and sits at 21-10, just a half-game back of the NY Yankees in the AL East (Yanks own MLB's best record at 21-9). Washington fell to 21-11 with a second straight loss, following a four-game winning streak. However, there was good news for Washington, as Bryce Harper returned to the Nationals' lineup on Monday after missing the previous three games with a groin injury and went 2-for-3 with a home run, boosting his season batting average to .385.
The pitching matchup: Max Scherzer (4-2 & 2.66 ERA) will take the mound for the Nats and Ubaldo Jiménez (1-1 & 6.58 ERA) for the Orioles. Scherzer is coming off an excellent outing, striking out 11 and allowing just two hits and one run (on a solo HR) over seven innings of 4-2 Thursday win vs. Arizona last Thursday. It marked the third win in Scherzer's last four starts and he'll take a 5-3 (3.62) LT record against Baltimore into this contest (teams are 5-5 in his 10 starts vs. the Orioles). Jimenez was skipped for his last scheduled start after the Orioles were forced to use him out of the bullpen the previous day. He had turned in two straight dismal starts, lasting 3 1/3 innings in each and giving up a combined 10 runs, but he did toss three scoreless innings in that relief stint. Jimenez owns a solid 6-2 record and 2.24 ERA in nine career starts against the Nationals (teams are 6-3).

The pick: Jimenez should gain some confidence from that recent relief stint, as well as from his strong career mark against the Nationals. Meanwhile, Scherzer comes in on a nice roll plus dominated the Orioles with eight scoreless innings of two-hit ball when he last met them (August of 2016). The Under is an 8* play

The set-up: Mike Trout (.355, 8 HRs & 21 RBI) is in the midst of a 17-game hitting streak but has missed the Angels' last two contests with tightness in his left hamstring. They hope to have him back on Monday as they visit the Oakland Athletics for the opener of the third series between these two American League West rivals already this season. The Angels lost 5-3 at home to the Astros on Sunday to fall a game under . 500 on the season (16-17), while the A's won on both Saturday and Sunday over the Tigers (each time in walk-off fashion) to give them a 14-17 record. The Angels are 5-2 against the Athletics this season, splitting a season-opening four game series in Oakland but then sweeping a three-game set at home from April 25-27.

The pick: This is the third go-round for these pitchers in 2017, with the first two games ending with game-ending totals of six and three runs. Deja vu all over again, so make the Under a 10* play.

The set-up: The Braves were coming off a 68-93 season in 2016 but players and fans alike were looking forward to 2017, if for no other reason than the team was opening a new home stadium, SunTrust Park. However, Atlanta is just 11-17 to open the season and after starting 4-0 in its new stadium, the Braves have dropped seven of their last eight games at home. The Cards missed the postseason in 2016 for the first time since 2010 and started slowly in 2017 at 3-9. However, they have won 12 of 17 games since, including the first two of this three-game series in Atlanta, 10-0 on Friday and 5-3 last night. St. Louis goes for its first series sweep on the road this year when the Cards cap a three-game set at SunTrust Park with Braves on Sunday afternoon.

The pitching matchup: Michael Wacha (2-1 & 3.23 ERA) takes the mound for the Cards and R.A. Dickey (3-2 & 3.94 ERA) for the Braves. Wacha gave up a season-high four ERs in six innings of a no-decision against Milwaukee this past Monday but note that he's off to a solid start in 2017, lasting at least six innings while walking two batters or less in all five of his starts (has 28 Ks in 30 2/3 innings). He owns 3.12 ERA in three career games versus Atlanta but is 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA in one start. Unlike the 25-year-old Wacha, Dickey will be making the 375th appearance and 275th start of his career. He's looking for a third straight win but although he has held opponents to a .248 average, six of the 19 hits he has allowed over the last four starts have been HRs. Dickey owns a 4.09 ERA in seven career appearances against St. Louis. That includes five starts in which he's 3-1 with a 4.26 ERA (teams are 4-1).

The pick: The Cards have now won five straight in Atlanta dating back to Turner Field last season and Wacha is beginning to show signs of the pitcher we saw back in the 2013 postseason (4-1 & 2.64 ERA) and 2015's regular season (17-7). As noted, Dickey hasn't given up many hits lately (19 in his last 24 innings) but six have left the park. Expect him to clean that up here and I'll make the Under a 10* play.

The set-up: Neither the Diamondbacks nor the Rockies contended in 2016 (Colorado was only 75-87 and Arizona even worse at 69-93) but the Rockies are currently atop the NL West at 18-12, with the D'backs just a half-game back at 18-13. Arizona closed the gap to a half-game with last night's 6-3 win in Coors, led by Paul Goldschmidt's two HRs and season-high five RBI.

The pitching matchup: A pair of left-handers take the mound on Saturday night, Patrick Corbin (2-3 & 2.29 ERA) for Arizona and Tyler Anderson (1-3 & 7.71 ERA) for Colorado. Corbin allowed just two hits over 6 1/3 scoreless innings in a no-decision against Colorado last Sunday and is 5-2 with a 4.48 ERA in 13 career starts against them (team is 10-3). Corbin comes in on a roll, having allowed just four ERs over his last three starts (1.86 ERA), while striking out 23, against just four walks, in 19 1/3 innings. Anderson has to be happy that April is over. The team actually split his six starts last month, despite him posting a 7.71 ERA, 1.58 WHIP and .303 BAA. He gave up a season-high six runs in five innings (allowed three HRs) but escaped with a no-decision against Arizona in his last start on April 29. Speaking of HRs, he's allowed nine in his 30 1/3 innings this season. Anderson has three no-decisions against Arizona but has posted a 7.80 ERA and 2.09 WHIP in those outings (team is 1-2).

The pick: The over may be tempting to some but Corbin comes in pitching very well plus Anderson is not as bad as he's pitched so far. In fact, he allowed three ERs or less in 10 of his 12 home starts last season. Make the Under a 10* play.

The set-up: The Toronto Blue Jays have played in the last two ALCS matchups but have opened the 2017 season with the worst record in MLB at 9-19. The Blue Jays are still waiting he left side of their infield, 3B Josh Donaldson and SS Troy Tulowitzki, to return from injuries, as they head to Tampa for a three-game series with the 15-15 Rays. Donaldson (calf) has been sidelined since April 13 while shortstop Tulowitzki (hamstring) has been out since April 21, but both could return early next week. The Rays beat Miami 5-1 on Thursday and have won three of their last four games, allowing just four runs in those three victories. The Blue Jays took two of three from the Rays last week in Toronto, allowing just one run in each of the victories.

The pitching matchup: Francisco Liriano (2-2 & 3.97 ERA) opens the series for Toronto, opposed by Tampa's ace, Chris Archer (2-1 & 3.43 ERA). Liriano beat the Rays last Saturday in Toronto, allowing just one run on four hits over five innings. The 33-year-old vet has had control issues this season, walking 15 batters in 22 2/3 innings but has allowed only one HR. He's 3-3 with a 5.49 ERA in 12 career appearances (11 starts / teams are 5-6) versus the Rays. Archer is win-less in his last three outings (0-2 with a 4.74 ERA / team is 1-2) but in his most recent start (April 30), he allowed just one ER on four hits in a no-decison against the Blue Jays (Toronto won 3-1). He is 6-4 with a 3.06 ERA in 21 career starts against the Blue Jays (Rays are 12-9).

The pick: These teams have seen a lot of each other so far, with the Rays taking three of four from Toronto in an early series at Tropicana Field and the Jays winning two of three when they played at Rogers Centre last weekend. Toronto's recovered from a 1-9 start to go 8-10 its last 18 but the Jays are only 6-11 on teheroad, allowing 5.9 RPG. Meanwhile, the Rays are 10-5 at home, where they have averaged 5.20 RPG. Make the Over a 10* play.

The set-up: The Rockies lost 2-0 (13 inn.) on Sunday and then opened a three-game series in San Diego with the Padres on Tuesday with a 6-2 defeat. However, those Colorado bats woke up Wednesday night at Petco, pounding out 14 hits in an 11-3 win. Ian Desmond was the hitting star, going 3-for-5 with two HRs and three RBI. The loss ended San Diego's modest three-game winning streak and note that San Diego has now lost three of its last four home games, leaving them just 6-5 at home. The teams square off in the rubber game of this series with 17-11 Colorado sitting atop the NL West and the 12-17 Padres 5 1/2 games back of the Rockies, ahead of only the 11-18 Giants in the division.

The pitching matchup: Kyle Freeland (3-1 & 2.93 ERA) takes the hill for the Rockies and Luis Perdomo (0-0 & 4.96 ERA) for the Padres. Freeland hopes to redeem himself after being pounded by San Diego back on April 12 in just the second start of his major-league career. He lasted only 4 2/3 innings in that outing, allowing six runs on eight hits and three walks en route to his first loss, 6-0. However, Freeland has been superb since, posting a 2-0 record while allowing only two runs over 17 innings in three starts, two of which were on the road. In fact, taking away that start vs. San Diego, Freeland is 3-0 with 1,17 ERA in four starts, with the Rockies going 4-0. Perdomo is coming off his best outing of the season, although he settled for a no-decision at San Francisco last Friday. He allowed three runs (one earned) and struck out five without issuing a walk over six innings. The effort marked his second start since returning from a stint on the disabled list due to shoulder inflammation. Perdomo made two starts and two relief appearances against Colorado as a rookie last season but did not fare well, going 0-2 with a 6.62 ERA.

The pick: Yes, Freeland has been terrific save his start against the Padrers but it's San Diego he gets again here. He may just have trouble with them once more. As for Perdomo, he's made just three starts in 2017 and before his solid effort last Friday, had allowed 11 hits, four walks and eight ERs over just 10 1/3 innings (6.97 ERA). I noted above his poor record in four appearances against Colorado in 2016 (see above) and will add that his two starts last season were AWFUL, as he lost both with an ERA of 8.18! The Over is an 8* play.

The set-up: The red-hot Angels pushed across two runs in the 11th inning for a 6-4 triumph in Tuesday's opener of the three-game set at Seattle. LA has now won seven of eight, as Albert Pujols recorded three hits on Tuesday, including the tie-breaking double in the 11th inning. Mike Trout extended his hitting streak to 15 games, matching his career best. It was LA's 11th comeback win of the season and the 15-13 Angels are now 4-0 against the Mariners this season. Los Angeles is 15-13 (3 1/2 back of Houston), while Seattle falls to 11-16, tied with Texas at the bottom of the AL West, seven games back of the Astros.

The pitching matchup: Ricky Nolasco (2-2 & 4.13 ERA) will take the mound for LA and Hisashi Iwakuma (0-2 & 4.15 ERA) for Seattle. Nolasco has won back-to-back decisions, including a victory over Oakland last time out in which he allowed one run and three hits in 5 2/3 innings. Nolasco settled for a no-decision against Seattle back on April 8 (LA won 5-4), when he gave up two runs and four hits over six frames, and is 1-4 with a 4.33 ERA in six career starts versus the Mariners (teams are 2-4). Iwakuma remains winless in five starts to open the 2017 season and even more troubling, he has lasted less than six innings in each of his last three outings. He had a career-best 16 wins last season but a KW ratio that was more than 7-to-1 in 2014 (154-21!), is nearly even this season (12 strikeouts, 11 walks). Iwakuma is 9-5 with a 2.76 ERA in 20 career appearances (19 starts / Seattle is 11-8) against the Angels. He gave up one run and two hits in six innings of a no-decision back on April 9, a game LA won 10-9 with a seven-run 9th!

The pick: The Angels are rolling (7-1 run) and I won't stand in their way here. However, I don't much trust Nolasco, who has had ERAs of 5.38, 6.75 and 4.42 in each of the last three seasons. He kept the ball in teh park against the Athletics in his last start but the veteran had served up seven HRs over his first four starts, allowing 27 hits over 22 2/3 innings with a 4.76 ERA. The Mariners have averaged 5.10 RPG at home and have allowed 4.20. The Angels have averaged 5.40 RPG in their last five wins and that makes the Over an 8* play.

The set-up: The Angels used a sweep of the Mariners from April 7-9 to open the season 6-2, the team's best eight-game start in 43 years. However, they then lost 10 of 12 to quickly go from division leader to 5 1/2 games behind Houston in the West. The Angels did get back on track last week though, with a 6-1 stretch to end April. The Angels enjoyed their first off-day in three weeks on Monday and now visit their AL West rivals, the Mariners, for the opener of a three-game set in Seattle. The Mariners capped a mostly forgettable first month of the season on Sunday, by wrapping up a 4-6 road trip through Oakland, Detroit and Cleveland with a 12-4 loss to the Indians. The Mariners opened the season 2-8 and begin May at 11-15.

The pitching matchup: Matt Shoemaker (1-1 & 4.73 ERA) gets the ball for Seattle and James Paxton (3-0 & 1.39 ERA) for the Mariners. Shoemaker picked up his first victory of the season Wednesday versus the Athletics (in his fifth start), allowing two runs on seven hits and a pair of walks over five innings. He has struck out 20 in 17 1/3 innings over his last three appearances and permitted two runs or fewer four times but he has managed only one quality start. Shoemaker is 4-4 with a 4.35 ERA in 11 career stats against Seattle (team is 7-4). Paxton did not allow an earned run in his first three starts of 2017 but then allowed five at Oakland on April 20. However, he regained his dominant form Wednesday at Detroit, allowing only four hits while striking out nine in seven scoreless innings to win for the third time in his last four turns. He has posted a 39-6 KW ratio for the season. Paxton is 3-2 with a 2.17 ERA in seven career starts against the Angels (team is 4-3).

The pick: Paxton's been superb so far (just that one hiccup) and some think he's finally about ready to fulfill his potential. I'm not one of them and also note that Shoemaker's worst effort of the season came against Seattle back on April 9, when he was ripped for seven runs (six earned) in just 4 1/3 innings. Seattle has averaged 6.22 RPG at home to open 2017. Make the Over a 10* play.

The set-up: A series between the Cubs and Red Sox was expected to draw a lot of interest and the atmosphere at Fenway Park has been electric for the first two games. The Red Sox won 5-4 on Friday night and the Cubs bounced back with a 7-4 Saturday afternoon. Now, it's a the rubber match of this series Sunday night on ESPN. The 13-10 Cubs are looking to win their fourth straight series, while the 12-11 Red Sox are attempting to avoid their third consecutive series loss.

The pitching matchup: Kyle Hendricks (2-1 & 4.50 ERA) goes for Chicago and Boston will counter with Eduardo Rodriguez (1-1 & 3.12 ERA). Hendricks won the NL ERA title last year in his most recent start, looked much more like that pitcher than in his first three starts (11 ERs in 16 innings for a 6.19 ERA). He pitched six scoreless innings Tuesday at Pittsburgh, allowing four hits and two walks in a 1-0 victory. Hendricks never has faced the Red Sox and is 2-3 with a 3.94 ERA in nine career interleague starts. Rodriguez allowed nine hits and seven walks in his first two starts of 2017 (six ERs in 10 1/3 innings for a 5.23 ERA) and pitched out of the bullpen on April 19th. However, he was outstanding in his return to the rotation last Sunday at Baltimore, holding the Orioles to one hit over six scoreless innings with seven strikeouts. Actually, Rodriguez is holding opponents to a .172 average but he served up three HRs in his first two starts of the season.

The pick: Rodriguez looked good in his last outing but he also allowed a career worst-tying five walks against the Orioles. In fact, Rodriguez has walked a team-worst 12 batters (17 1/3 innings) through four games (three starts) this season. That doesn't bode well vs. the dangerous Chicago lineup. Yes, Hendricks was sharp in his last outing but his first three (6.19 ERA) leave some questions still to be answered. Make the Over a 10* play.

The set-up: Mike Trout and Albert Pujols each homered in LA's 6-3 Friday victory and the Angels will take a five-game winning streak into the middle contest of their three-game series against the host Texas Rangers on Saturday. Trout and Pujols are the two biggest reasons for LA's recent success. Trout has reached base safely in 24 of 25 games this season and is batting .372 with four HRs, seven RBI and 11 runs during his eight-game hitting streak. Pujols is batting .371 with a HR and 10 RBI during his 12-game hitting streak plus moved past Ken Griffey Jr. and into 14th all-time with 1,838 RBI ,one shy of Ted Williams for 13th (pretty sweet company, huh!). While the Angels are now 13-12, Texas, AL West champs in 2016, are just 10-13 and in last-place, five games back of first-place Houston.

The pitching matchup: Jesse Chavez (2-3 & 4.13 ERA) will take the mound for the Angels, opposed by Texas ace Yu Darvish (2-2 & 3.03 ERA). Chavez allowed one run, four hits and four walks while striking out seven in six innings of a 2-1 victory over Toronto on Monday. He currently owns the lowest ERA among regular Los Angeles starters and has recorded two straight quality starts, including a 3-0 setback at Houston on April 17. Chavez is 2-4 with a 6.00 ERA in 17 games (four starts / 5.24 ERA, going 2-2) versus Texas after allowing five runs in 4 1/3 innings of an 8-3 loss on April 12. Darvish allowed two runs, five hits and one walk while striking out eight in Sunday's 5-2 victory over Kansas City. He pitched eight innings for the first time since 2014 prior to Tommy John surgery. Darvish is 8-2 with a 3.48 ERA in 14 starts against Los Angeles (Texas is 11-3), after striking out 10 over seven scoreless innings of an 8-3 road victory on April 13.

The pick: Angels' starting pitchers have surrendered fewer than three runs in 13 of their last 14 games and as noted, currently owns the lowest ERA among regular Los Angeles starter. It's hard to ignore Darvish's excellent career numbers vs. LA (see above) plus both Darvish and Chavez are coming off strong starts heading into this second of a three-game series at Globe Life Park. Make the Under a 10* play

The set-up: The 10-12 Texas Rangers avoided a series sweep and snapped a two-game skid with a 14-3 win over Minnesota Twins on Wednesday night. They now welcome the LA Angels to Globe Life Park for a three-game weekend series. The Angels are coming off a 2-1 home win Thursday night over the Oakland A's, giving them a four straight wins and five of seven, to reach 12-12 on the season.

The pitching matchup: Tyler Skaggs (1-1 & 4.44 ERA) gets the nod in the opener for LA, opposed by the Rangers' Nick Martinez (0-0 & 1.29 ERA). Skaggs has pitched well in his last two starts, blanking Kansas City on four hits over seven innings in a no-decision on April 16 and following up by allowing just two runs and seven hits in seven frames of a win over Toronto. That's quite an improvement over his first two 2017 starts, when he allowed five ERs in each outing (8.71 ERA). He escaped with a no-decision against Texas earlier this month, despite allowing five runs on eight hits in five innings. That outing leaves him 2-1 with a 6.20 ERA in five career starts versus the Rangers (Angels are 3-2). Martinez will be making just his second start of 2017, in place of the injured A.J. Griffin (ankle). He defeated Kansas City 2-1 on April 22nd, allowing just one run on four hits over seven innings for his 14th career victory. Martinez is 2-3 with a 2.51 ERA in eight career appearances (six starts / Rangers are 2-4 in those starts with a 2.92 ERA) against the Angels.

The pick: Actually, both teams come in playing fairly well, as both enter the series having won five of seven. Skaggs has had two straight good outings, in keeping with an LA starting staff which has now not allowed more than two earned runs in 12 of its last 13 games, compiling a 2.10 ERA in that span. Martinez looked sharp in his 2017 debut (see above), so the Under is a 10* play.

The set-up: The St. Louis Cardinals and Toronto Blue Jays will try to complete a three-game IL series, after getting rained out Wednesday, by playing a doubleheader on Thursday. The Jays won 6-5 (11 innings) on Tuesday but last night's game was rained out. Wednesday's scheduled starters (Latos and Martinez) will go in Game 1 with the second game following. Toronto entered the series ranked 29th in the majors in scoring but eked out a 6-5 victory in 11 innings Tuesday night. The win gets Toronto to 6-14, after opening 1-9. The Cards are just 9-11 and already are "looking up" at their hated rivals, the Chicago Cubs.

The pitching matchup: Casey Lawrence (0-2 & 7.56 ERA) will start Game 2 for Toronto and Adam Wainwright (1-3 & 6.27 ERA) takes the hill for St. Louis. Lawrence gave up a grand slam to Andrelton Simmons in the third inning of his first career start this past Saturday against the LA Angels, taking a 5-4 loss. He allowed five runs on eight hits in 6 1/3 innings before exiting after 97 pitches. Lawrence walked just three batters on Saturday after issuing five free passes in two combined innings of relief against Tampa Bay on April 8-9. Wainwright hit a two-run HR in Friday's 6-3 win over Milwaukee to help him snap a three-game losing skid. He also pitched well in the victory, striking out a season-high nine in five innings to subdue the Brewers. That said, Wainwright has not looked like the Wainwright of old, with that 6.27 ERA, a 1.93 WGHIP plus opponents BAA of .366!

The pick: Lawrence has shown little so far and Wainwright is a shell of his former self. Throw in that Wainwright also struggled in his lone career outing versus Toronto, allowing three HRs in four innings of a 5-0 loss back on June 24, 2010, and the Over is a 10* play

The set-up: The Twins opened this three-game series at Texas having lost six of their previous seven games but have beaten the Rangers 3-2 (Mon.) and 8-1 (Tue.). These back-to-back losses for Texas has but a sudden halt to the four-game winning streak the team had when it opened the new week. Texas now looks to avoid getting swept in Arlington by the Twins for the first time in 41 years on Wednesday night! However, more trouble may be looming for the Rangers, as the Twins have now won seven of the last eight meetings between the teams dating to last season.

The pitching matchup: A pair of left-handers take the mound tonight at Globe Life Park, Hector Santiago (2-1 & 2.19 ERA) for Minnesota and Cole Hamels (1-0 & 2.77 ERA). Santiago continued his string of strong outings this season on Friday, recording his third straight quality start, earning a 6-3 win over Detroit. He has a 17-4 KW ratio through four starts, with an 0.97 WHIP and ,217 BAA. He's made 17 starts against the Rangers in his career, going 7-4 with a 4.15 ERA (teams are 10-7). Cole Hamels is off his best performance this season on Friday, allowing one run on three hits in eight innings of a 6-2 win over Kansas City. Not that Hamels had pitched all that poorly in his first three, but Texas had lost each of those three starts. That's quite a change from last season, when the Rangers were 24-8 in Hamels' 32 starts (plus-$1469, which ranked 4th-best among all starters). He's faced the Twins just five times in his career without much success, going 1-1 with a 6.92 ERA (teams are 2-3).

The pick: Santiago is off to a great start for the Twins in 2017 and Hamels finally looked like his "old self" in his last outing. Make the Under a 10* play.

The set-up: The Brewers won 11-7 last night in the series opener against Reds, as Eric Thames hit two HRs. Thames now has 10 HRs, matching the team record for April, and the Brewers still have five games left this month. Seven of his HRs have come against Cincinnati, which has lost four of five meetings with Milwaukee. The Reds fell to 10-10 with the loss and the Brewers pulled within one game of .500 with the win (10-11).

The pitching matchup: Scott Feldman (1-1 & 2.38 ERA) will take the mound for the Reds on Tuesday, opposed by the Brewers' Zach Davies (1-2 & 8.24 ERA). Feldman pitched mostly but this marks his fifth start of 2017 and while the team is just 1-3 in his four starts, he's pitched reasonably well (1.19 WHIP along with that 2.38 ERA). He has made five career starts versus the Brewers, going 2-2 with a 3.46 ERA (teams are 2-3). Davies lost his first three starts a year ago but finished 11-7 with a 3.97 ERA. However, he's off to another slow (or should I say, brutal?) start here in 2017. He's allowed 18 ERs over 19 2/3 innings through his first four starts, giving him not only an awful 8.24 ERA but a 1.98 WHIP, with opponents batting .345 against him. He's 1-2 with a 4.28 ERA in six career starts vs. the Reds (team is 2-4).

The pick: It was an 11-7 slug-fest on Monday (teams combined for 18 hits and there were five errors in the game, as well) but as noted, Feldman has acquitted himself well in this year's starting rotation. As for Davies, there is no way to go but up and as also noted earlier, he recovered from last year's poor start to pitch well, as the team was 15-9 over his final 24 starts, after Milwaukee lost his first four. The Under is an 8* play.

The set-up: The Washington Nationals beat the Mets 6-3 last night art Citi Field on ESPN, giving them a sweep of that three-game series. The sweep extended the team's winning streak to seven straight. Washington began its winning streak with a home victory over Philadelphia before registering three-game sweeps on the road against Atlanta and the New York Mets. At 13-6 and in first-place in the NL East, the Nats now head to Colorado on Monday for a four-game series in Coors Field against the Rockies, who are also a first-place team, leading the NL West at 13-5. The Rockies have won six of their last seven contests and are coming off their first three-game home sweep of San Francisco since May 2002. Colorado outscored the Giants 20-3 over the final two contests and improved to 6-3 at Coors Field to open the 2017 season.

The pitching matchup: Jacob Turner (1-2, 6.57 ERA in 2016) will make his 2017 debut for Washington and will be opposed by Colorado's Tyler Anderson (1-3 & 7.32 ERA) who is not exactly off to a great start this season. Turner was drafted ninth overall by Detroit in 2009 but has not lived up expectations. He's 12-27 with a 5.09 ERA in the majors with four different teams, spending the 2016 season with the White Sox. He signed a minor-league contract during the offseason with Washington and is being called up from Triple-A Syracuse to make his Washington debut (he owns a 2.61 ERA in three starts for Syracuse). Anderson has had all sorts of early-season struggles, as he has surrendered four or more runs in each of his first four starts, losing the last three. He has yet to complete six innings and lasted five on Wednesday, when he yielded four runs (two ERs) on six hits in a setback against the Dodgers in Los Angeles.

The pick: At first blush, this may look like an over with two shaky starters. After all, Washington is MLB's second-highest scoring team at 5.17 RPG (is also averaging 5.11 RPG on the road) and as always, Colorado puts runs on the board at home, averaging 4.89 RPG in its nine home games so far. However, a closer look reveals that the Rockies had averaged a modest 3.00 RPG in their first six home games, prior to scoring 26 runs in sweeping the Giants at Coors this past weekend. As for Colorado's Anderson, he's found Coors to be a friendly park, posting a 3.36 ERA in 13 home starts during his brief career. Let's add that the Colorado bullpen which finished the 2016 season with a MLB-high ERA of 5.13, opens the week with the NL's lowest ERA, at 2.76. Make the Under a 10* play.

The set-up: The Yankees exploded for 11 runs in the final four innings to earn an 11-5 win on Saturday at Pittsburgh. The Pirates won 6-3 on Friday night, so the teams get set for the rubber match of this three-game IL series on Sunday afternoon from PNC Park. The Yankees are off to a solid 11-6 start, while the Pirates have yet to get going, sitting at 7-10.

The pitching matchup: Jordan Montgomery (1-0 & 4.22 ERA) makes his first career start against the Pirates while Ivan Nova (1-2 & 2.25 ERA), the ex-Yankee, will face his former team for the first time. Montgomery picked up his first career win in his second career start on Monday, when he held the Chicago White Sox to three runs and seven hits in six innings. Montgomery struck out seven over 4 2/3 innings in his debut on April 12 but had just four last Monday, while inducing eight groundouts on Monday. Nova struggled for the Yankees in 2015 and the first half of 2016 before coming over to Pittsburgh. He had made 118 starts with the Yankees but was having trouble sticking in the rotation with a 5.07 ERA at the time of the trade. However, with the Pirates, he posted a 3.06 ERA in 11 starts, going 5-2 (team won seven of his first eight starts, before losing his last three). He gave up fewer home runs, fewer walks and in general seemed to much more closely resemble the pitcher he had been early in his career, when he won 16 games for the Yankees in 2011.

The pick: Montgomery will face a Pittsburgh lineup that has totaled 11 runs in the first two games of the series but that's after managing just three in the previous three games. I wouldn't be surprised if Nova was sharp against his ex-teammates and will make the Under

The set-up: The San Francisco Giants are off to a slow start to the 2017 season (just 5-9), as they visit Kansas City to take on the 6-6 Royals in this two-game IL series. However, the Giants are getting some good news, as four-time All-Star catcher Buster Posey is expected to be activated from the DL on Tuesday. Posey was beaned by a fastball in a game against Arizona on April 10 and will likely serve as the team's DH as he eases his way back into action. "It gives him three more extra days (counting Thursday's off day)," manager Bruce Bochy told The San Jose Mercury News of Posey (team-leading .333 batting average). Kansas City has been streaky in the early going of 2017, and comes in on a four-game winning streak, following a three-game slide, which was the second such skid of the season for the Royals. This marks the Giants' first return to Kansas City since the 2014 World Series.

The pitching matchup: Matt Cain (1-0 & 4.82 ERA) gets the nod tonight for San Francisco and Kansas City hands the ball to Jason Hammel (0-1 & 6.52 ERA). Cain had a shaky 2017 debut (allows six hits and four ERs over 4 1/3 innings against the Padres) but earned a 6-2 win against Arizona on Wednesday. He allowed just one run on five hits in as many innings. The Giants are hoping Cain can be the team's fifth-starter, coming off a two-year span in which his ERA is 5.77 and WHIP is 1.52. Cain is 1-0 with a 3.28 ERA in his lone start against the Royals. It's early but Jason Hammel has stumbled out of the box after signing a two-year, $16 million deal in offseason, a move designed to shore up KC's starting rotation after the death of Yordano Ventura. Hammel's allowed 13 hits and seven ERs over 9 2/3 innings, with a 6.52 ERA, 1.97 WHIP and .333 opponents BA! However, despite going winless in 11 career appearances against San Francisco (10 starts / teams are 4-6), he has pitched reasonably well against them with a 3.17 ERA.

The pick: KC's starting pitchers have a 0.63 ERA, allowing two runs and 13 hits over 28 2/3 innings during the team's four-game winning streak and now it's Hammel's turn to start "pulling his own weight." He faces a San Francisco lineup which has been very mediocre, batting .237 (17th). As for that KC lineup, it ranks 29th in BA (.210) and runs scored (3.17 per). Make the Under a 10* play.

The set-up: The Red Sox opened the 2017 season with consecutive wins over the Prates, before the third game of that series was rained out. However, after last night's 10-5 home loss to the Rays, Boston is just 5-5 to start the season. Tampa Bay's win snapped a three-game slide and the Rays get set for the second of this three-game series at 6-5.

The pitching matchup: Jake Odorizzi (1-1 & 4.50 ERA) will take the hill for Tampa Bay and Chris Sale (0-1 & 1.23 ERA), who is still looking for his first win with Boston, takes the mound for the Red Sox. Odorizzi limited the Toronto Blue Jays to two runs on two hits in six innings to pick up his first win of 2017 last Sunday. However, it's not good news that seven of the nine hits he has allowed so far in 2017 have gone for extra bases, including three HR. Odorizzi has faced Boston 13 times, going 3-3 with a 4.13 ERA (teams are 8-5). Sale has yielded eight hits in 14 2/3 innings while recording 17 strikeouts through the first two starts, along with a 1.23 ERA and 0.68 WHIP (.157 BAA). However, the Red Sox didn't score until the 12th inning in his team debut and were limited to just one run in his second appearance last Monday at Detroit. Sale was 2-0 with a 1.69 ERA -- 16 strikeouts and no walks -- in two starts against the Rays for the White Sox last season, including a two-hit shutout April 15. Lifetime, he is 4-2 with a 2.25 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 55 innings against Tampa Bay.

The pick: Boston is just not giving Sale any support and I wouldn't want to bet on it happening here, even though Odorizzi is hardly a "shut-down" pitcher. Meanwhile, Sale is an impressive 48-19 with a 2.70 ERA in his career before the All-Star break and owns a 2.76 mark all-time at Fenway. The Under is a 10* play.

The set-up: The defending AL Champs have lost five of their last six outings. The Indians three-game sweep of the Rangers in the season's first week seems like a long time ago, as the Indians get set to host the 6-3 Detroit Tigers in a three-game series which opens tonight. The Indians gave up five runs in the first inning of Thursday's 10-4 loss to the Chicago White Sox and have now allowed at least five runs in five of their first nine contests. The Tigers lost 11-5 in Thursday's series finale against Minnesota but had won five of their previous six games. “I know it’s a sour note to end the homestand on a loss,” Detroit manager Brad Ausmus told reporters, “but if we’re going to win series, we’ll be in great shape. I’ll take series wins the rest of the way. If that happens, we’ll be in the playoffs.” The Tigers are playing better than the Indians at the moment but are well aware that they lost 14 of 18 games against the Indians last season, getting outscored 106-71.

The pitching matchup: Lefty Daniel Norris (0-0 & 4.26 ERA) takes the mound for Detroit, up against Cleveland righty Trevor Bauer (0-1 & 6.35 ERA). Norris failed to earn a decision in his season debut, allowing three runs on seven hits and three walks with a pair of strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings in a 7-5 loss to Boston last Sunday. Norris made 14 appearances (13 stgarst) for the Tigers in 2016, going 4-2 with a 3.38 ERA (team was 8-5 in hsi 13 starts). Norris has made three career starts against Cleveland, going 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA (teams are 2-1). Bauer pitched four scoreless innings in his first start of the season against Arizona last Saturday, but left the game after 5 2/3 innings having given up four runs on seven hits and three walks to take the 11-2 loss. He won a career-high 12 games last season (12-8 & 4.26 ERA) and did strike out seven without allowing a walk against the D'backs. He's made nine career starts against Detroit, going 3-3 with a 6.99 ERA (Indians are 3-6).

The pick: Norris has had success in limited action against the Indians but also note that he finished last season well, going 3-0 over his final seven starts (Tigers were 6-1). He also pitched well on the road in 2016, going 3-0 with a 2.81 ERA in six starts (team was 4-2). When healthy, Bauer is a solid pitcher and I look for good efforts from both of these starting pitchers. The Under is an 8* play.

The set-up: The Cleveland Indians opened the season with an impressive three-game sweep at Texas, one which included two late-inning comebacks. However, they then moved on to Arizona and the pitching staff was ripped for 21 runs, as the Indians lost all three games. Cleveland will play in front of its fans late this afternoon for the first time since Game 7 of the 2016 World Series, hoping for a better result. The Indians host the rival Chicago White Sox on Tuesday in the first of a three-game series. Chicago is batting only .238 as a team and fought through some tough weather conditions against Detroit (rained out twice at home vs. the Tigers), to open 2-3 despite playing all games so far at home.

The pitching matchup:James Shields (1-0 & 1.69 ERA) takes the mound for Chicago and Carlos Carrasco (1-0 & 3.18 ERA) for Cleveland, with both pitchers coming off wins in their 2017 debuts. Shields split last season between San Diego and Chicago, going 6-19 with a 5.85 ERA. The two teams were 9-24 in his 33 starts and his moneyline mark of minus-$1403 was better than only Ervin Santana (minus-$1450) and Chris Archer (minus-$1553). So much for the moniker, "Big Game James!" His WHIP was 1.60 and he struck out 81 fewer hitters than the previous season in the same number of starts (33). However, he allowed just one run and two hits over 5 1/3 innings to beat Detroit 11-2 last Thursday. Shields is 4-6 with a 4.02 ERA in 18 career starts against Cleveland (teams are 9-9). Carrasco missed the 2016 postseason when he was hit by a line drive that broke his right hand on Sept. 17 and while he was bothered by elbow swelling in spring training. He's been a solid pitcher for the Indians these last two seasons with 55 starts (Cleveland is 33-22) and 366 strikeouts in 330 innings. Carrasco shook off those elbow issues in the spring to win his season debut, allowing two runs on four hits with seven strikeouts and one walk over 5 2/3 innings last Tuesday in Texas (Indians won 4-3). He needs one victory to even his career record at 46-46 and hopes to improve at home after allowing 13 HRs and posting a 4.29 ERA at Progressive Field in 2016. However, Carrasco went 0-1 with a 5.09 ERA in three starts against the White Sox last year and is 3-9 with a 5.73 ERA in 16 career starts against Chicago (teams are 5-110.

The pick: For all of Shields' woes last year, let's note that he had won double-digit games every season since 2007 before last year's implosion. In fact, entering ther 2017 season, Shields led all major-league pitchers with 330 starts and 2,169 innings pitched since 2007. He was also fourth in that span with 208 quality starts and sixth with 1,873 strikeouts. He pitched well in his 2017 debut and expect another solid outing here. As for Carrasco, he will be on the mound at Progressive Field for the first time since Sep. 17 of last year, which became the last start of his season. His lifetime mark against Chicago is poor but the White Sox aren't hitting so far in 2017, batting only .238 to open the season. This is Chicago's first road game. The Under is an 8* play.

The set-up: The Phillies scored 12 first-inning runs in Saturday's home contest against the Nationals and cruised to a 17-3 victory. Philadelphia hosts Washington in the rubber game of this series (Nats won 7-6 Friday night), looking to even their record at 3-3 (a Nats loss and 3-2 Washington would fall to .500).

The pitching matchup: Stephen Strasburg (1-0, 2.57 ERA) takes the mound for Washington and Jeremy Hellickson (1-0, 1.80 ERA) does so for Philadelphia. Strasburg has said his new mindset in now focused on inducing groundballs instead of always going for the strikeout. He held Miami to two runs over seven innings in Monday's 4-2 win (had a modest three Ks) and has enjoyed success against Philadelphia in his career, going 8-2 with a 2.37 ERA in 17 starts (Nats are 13-4). Hellickson limited Cincinnati to one run in five innings on Monday, generating eight groundouts compared to one strikeout. However, in 2016, his first season with the Phillies, Hellickson made four starts against the Nationals and went 1-2 with a 5.09 ERA. He's 1-3 with a 5.67 ERA in six career starts against the Nats (teams are just 1-5).

The pick: It was the Phillie bats which exploded on Saturday but with Hellickson's poor career numbers vs. the Nats, expect it to be Washington's turn to 'light up' the scoreboard on Sunday. Make the Over an 8* play.

The pick: The Twins will take the field Saturday afternoon in Chicago trying to win five straight games to start a season for the first time since 1968. Mejia did pitch well this spring but it was only in limited innings. This Minnesota pitching staff has pitched over its head in the early going and I will make the Over a 10* play in this one.

The set-up: The Tigers were rained out twice this week at Chicago but the teams did manage to play two of the three games of the series (Tigers won 6-3 Tuesday but lost 11-2 on Thursday). The Red Sox opened their season with 5-3 and 3-0 (12 inn.) wins over the Pirates in Fenway but then got rained out yesterday, when the were trying to complete a three-game sweep. The postponement prompted a rotation reset. Eduardo Rodriguez, who was scheduled to start against the Pirates, will go Saturday in Detroit, keeping knuckleballer Steven Wright in line to make his season debut Friday. Boston also placed both shortstop Xander Bogaerts and reliever Matt Barnes on the bereavement list and put reliever Robbie Ross Jr. on the disabled list with a flu bug that kept right fielder Mookie Betts out of the lineup in Wednesday's 3-0 win over Pittsburgh.

The pitching matchup: Steven Wright (13-6 & 3.33 ERA in 2016) squares off against vs. Michael Fulmer (11-7 & 3.06 ERA). The Red Sox went 15-9 (plus-$339) in Wright's 24 starts last year. Wright is 0-1 with a 10.00 ERA in two starts against Detroit (team is 0-2). His worst start of the year came at home against Detroit on July 26, when he gave up eight runs and nine hits in 4 2/3 innings.Fulmer won the AL's rookie-of-the-year in 2016, as the Tigers were 19-7 in his 26 starts and his plus-$1292 moneyline mark ranked 6th-best among all MLB starters. He allowed three runs in 7 2/3 innings at Boston on July 27 before tying season highs by giving up six runs and 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings in a rematch at Comerica Park nearly a month later (0-1, 6.07 ERA and team was 1-1).

The pick: Both of these guys have some ugly numbers (Wright vs. Detroit and Fulmer vs. Boston) but both are small sample sizes. Overall, Wright boasted a sparkling 2.09 ERA away from home in 2016 and allowed just one run in 13 1/3 innings during Grapefruit League play. Fulmer started slow start in 2016 (6.52 ERA through the first four) but over his his last 22, had a 2.58 ERA! The Under is an 8* play.

The pitching matchup: The Tigers will send lefty Matthew Boyd (6-5 & 4.53 ERA in 2016) to the hill up against Chicago's James Shields. Shields split last season between San Diego and Chicago, going 6-19 with a 5.85 ERA. The two teams were 9-24 in his 33 starts and his moneyline mark of minus-$1403 was better than only Ervin Santana (minus-$1450) and  Chris Archer (minus-$1553). So much for the moniker, "Big Game James!" He's been forced to wait two extra days for his initial shot at redemption. The veteran right-hander says that he has been able to "work out a few kinks" in the bullpen earlier this month, as he expects (hopes?) to have a better season in 2017. Could it get any worse? Detroit originally planned to start Jordan Zimmermann on Wednesday but instead will give the ball to Matthew Boyd, who notched a 2.10 ERA in 25 2/3 spring innings. “This spring I’ve grown as a pitcher,” said Boyd and he's hoping for better results against the White Sox than in previous starts (Boyd is 0-1 with a 5.04 ERA in four starts, as his teams are 1-3).

The set-up: Shields completely fell apart last season, when his WHIP was 1.60 and he struck out 81 fewer hitters than the previous season in the same number of starts (33). However, he had won double-digit games every season since 2007 before last year's implosion. In fact, Shields leads all major-league pitchers with 330 starts and 2,169 innings pitched since 2007. He is also fourth in that span with 208 quality starts and sixth with 1,873 strikeouts. He's no Kershaw but he's WAAAY better than he showed last season. Make the Under a 10* play.

The set-up: The Oakland A's host the LA Angels on Monday, as the two AL West foes open the season with a four-game series. The A's made three consecutive playoff appearances (2012-14) but have lost 94 and 93 games each of the last two years, giving them back-to-back last-place finishes in the division. The Angels won the division in 2014 (98 wins was a MLB-high!) but were just 74-88 last year, missing out on the playoffs for the sixth time in the last seven seasons. That was preceded by making the postseason in six of eight seasons, beginning back in 2002 when the team won the World Series.

The pitching matchup: Ricky Nolasco (2016: 8-14, 4.42 ERA in 2016 with Minnesota and LA) will face Oakland's Kendall Graveman, who is coming off a 10-11 (4.11 ERA) season. Nolasco will be making the fourth Opening Day start of his career, in his first full season with the Angels. He went 4-6 with a 3.21 ERA and one shutout in 11 starts after being acquired from Minnesota but went 3-0 while allowing just one unearned run over his last three outings of 2016, including an eight-inning effort against Oakland. Nolasco is 3-2 with a 3.38 ERA and a shutout in seven career starts versus the Athletics (teams are 4-3). Graveman gets the nod for his first career start on Opening Day, after working a team-high 186 innings last season. He was winless in his final six starts of 2016 (0-3 with the team going 1-5) but allowed three runs or fewer four times in that span. Graveman has pitched well in six career starts against the Angels, posting a 1-1 record and 3.38 ERA with one complete game (team is 3-3).

The pick: When one thinks "Opening Day starters," the names of Nolasco and Graveman don't readily come to mind. However, both pitched well down the stretch last season and I'm making the Under a 10* play.

The set-up: The Cubs staved off elimination in Game 5 with a 3-2 win and then sent this series to a deciding Game 7 with a 9-3 win in Game 6, last night. The Chicago bats had been quiet all series (10 runs scored in the first five games) but Chicago scored three times in the top of the first, aided by a badly misplayed fly ball to right-center, which turned into a two-run double for Addison Russell. Russell then hit a grand slam in the fourth to break it open. These two long suffering franchises are now, fittingly, headed for a Game 7. Surprisingly, home teams are just 18-19 all-time in World Series game 7s and if the Cubs win, they end a 108-year drought, while if the Indians win, they end a 68-year drought. How great is this? The pitching matchup: Kyle Hendricks (1-1, 1.31 ERA), the MLB leader in ERA this regular season (2.13) takes the mound for Chicago and Corey Kluber (4-1, 0.89 ERA), the most dominant starter of the 2016 postseason will get the ball for Cleveland. "This is the ultimate dream," Hendricks said. "You dream of getting to the World Series, winning the World Series. When you're out in your backyard as a kid, playing Little League at the field with your friends, this is the moment you dream about, Game 7, 3-2, two outs, something like that, bottom of the ninth. But it's always Game 7 of the World Series." Hendricks won 16 regular-season games and took a no-decision in Game 3 of the World Series when he allowed six hits and two walks in 4 1/3 scoreless innings. Chicago manager Joe Maddon wants to ride his starter in the deciding game but explained to his entire pitching staff that all hands will be on deck. Jon Lester and John Lackey are definitely available in relief. However, after using closer Aroldis Chapman for eight outs in Game 5 and going to him in the seventh inning again in Game 6, Maddon might need to be creative to finish the seventh game. For the Indians, Kluber is looking to cap one of the best-ever postseason pitching performances leading the Indians to a win in Game 7. Kluber is 4-1 with an 0.89 ERA this postseason, including 2-0 with an 0.75 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and a 15-1 KW ratio in the World Series. The pick: Hendricks may be young but he’s one helluva pitcher and the Cleveland lineup has struggled all postseason, entering this game batting .217 as a team while averaging just 3.36 RPG. Meanwhile, Kluber has been impersonating Bob Gibson or Sandy Koufax this Worlds Series plus is backed by the one-two relief duo of Miller (17.0 IP / 0.53 ERA / 0.71 WHIP / 29-4 KW ratio) and Allen (1.2 IP / 0.00 ERA / 1.03 WHIP / 22-4 KW ratio), who are both fresh. The Under is a 10* play.

The set-up: The Cubs bats went silent in last year’s NLCS against the Mets, as Chicago got swept 4-0. However, it was supposed to be different here in 2016, as the Cubs were MLB’s best team in the regular season and were appearing in their first World Series since 1945, looking to win their first title since 2008. That hasn’t been the case though, as the Cubs got shut out twice in the first three games of this series and then last night lost 7-2, as the Indians took a commanding 3-1 lead in the 2016 World Series. The Cubs are batting .204 as team and have scored a total of just two runs in their three losses. Cleveland pitching has been phenomenal all postseason (1.68 ERA / 1.05 WHIP / 120-31 KW ratio / .206 BAA) and it’s continued  here vs. the Cubs. The Indians haven’t needed to score much (had scored a modest 35 runs through their first 11 postseason games) but last night scored a postseason single-game high of seven runs, led by a solo HR from Santana (which tied the game in the second) and then a three-run HR in the 7th by Kipnis, sealed the deal. The pitching matchup: Trevor Bauer (0-1, 5.00 ERA) takes the ball for the Indians, up against Chicago’s (2-1, 1.69). Bauer lasted just 3 2/3 innings while allowing two runs and six hits in a Game 2 loss (Cleveland’s only one of the Series so far) and has been the lone weak spot of Cleveland's starting rotation. In his three starts (one in which he left in the first inning because of a bleeding finger), he’s lasted just nine innings, allowing 12 hits (two HRs), four walks and five ERs for a 5.00 ERA. Kluber (5), Tomlin (3) and Merritt (1) have started nine games, pitching 50 innings while allowing 33 hits and six ERs for a 1.08 ERA. Lester has a 1.69 ERA in the 2016 playoffs with 21 strikeouts and five walks plus his postseason resume includes 20 games (18 starts) with a 2.60 ERA. Lester might (should?) win the NL’s Cy Young award this year and is exactly the pitcher the Cubs want on the mound tonight, in this win-or-go-home game. Clearly, Bauer is Cleveland's weakest starter right now but can we expect these Chicago bats to break out, as the pressure of “ending the curse” seems to have been too much for the talented but very young team? Will the Cubs win and send this series back to Cleveland? Maybe, but I’d rather make an 8* play on the Under.

The set-up: The Indians won Game 1 behind the outstanding pitching of Kluber, Miller and Allen, while a lineup which has struggled for most of this year’s postseason, came through with six runs on 10 hits. However, Arrieta took a no-hitter into the 6th-inning of Game 2 for the Cubs and Chicago’s bats came alive. After getting shut out while being held to four hits and striking out 15 times as a team in Game 1, the Cubs had nine hits and the five runs were more than enough to even the series, as Cleveland was held to four hits and one run in Game 2. With the series tied at one-all, it moves to Wrigley Field for the next three games. The pitching matchup: Josh Tomlin (2-0, 2.53 ERA) will get the ball for the Indians and Kyle Hendricks (1-1, 1.65 ERA) for the Cubs. Kluber has lived up to his role as ace of the staff (0.74 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 29-7 KW ratio in four starts), butTomlin has delivered exactly what Cleveland had hoped for, allowing a total of just three ERs in his two postseason starts, giving them 10 2/3 solid innings (2.53 ERA) before handing things off to the team's dominant bullpen. Tomlin was 13-9 in the regular season, as the Indians went 19-10 in his starts, with his plus-$864 moneyline mark ranking 15th among all MLB starters. He now looks to make it three-for-three in the postseason, after beating Boston and Toronto. He has never faced the Cubs. Kyle Hendricks led all MLB starters with a 2.13 ERA, going 16-8 overall and putting himself in Cy Young Award contention, along with teammate Jon Lester and Washington’s Max Scherzer. He was struck by a line drive on his right forearm in the fourth inning of an NLDS Game 2 and was forced to leave leading 4-2 (Cubs won 5-2). He was outdueled 1-0 by Clayton Kershaw in Game 2 of the NLCS against the Dodgers but then came back to win Game 6 of that series, as the Cubs clinched it with a 5-0 win (this time, outpitching Kershaw). The pick: Hendricks was 9-2 with a 1.32 ERA in 15 home regular season games this season (including 14 starts) and now owns a 1.65 ERA in three playoff starts, all at Wrigley. No reason to think he won’t continue his excellent pitching against a Cleveland lineup which has scored a total of only  34 runs in 10 postseason games in 2016, while batting only .210. Meanwhile, Tomlin’s delivered for the Indians in his two previous starts and this potent Chicago lineup hasn’t exactly been tearing the cover off the ball this postseason, batting a combined .223. Neither Miller nor Allen pitched in Game 2, so with two days off, can be expected to provide the Indians with as much as four innings of work. Remember, the two have pitched a combined 22 1/3 innings this postseason without allowing a single run (39-7 KW ratio). The Under is a 10* play.

full analysis soon

The set-up: With Arrieta and Bumgarner taking the mound last night, a 6-5 final wasn’t expected but then again, it did take 13 innings. The score was 3-3 Chicago (Arrieta had hit a three-run HR off Bumgarner), before the Giants rallied for three runs in the 8th, followed by Bryant’s two-run HR in the 9th that sent the game into extra innings. The bullpens were busy last night with Chicago using six relievers and San Francesco using five. The victory by the Giants was the team's 10th consecutive win when facing elimination, an amazing run. The pitching matchup: John Lackey (11-8, 3.35 ERA) starts for the Cubs and Matt Moore (13-12, 4.08 ERA) for the Giants. The Cubs mark the fourth team that Lackey has pitched for in the postseason. He’s won WS-clinching games for the 2002 Angels (as a rookie) and again for the 2013 Red Sox. He’s made 23 career postseason appearances (20 starts), going 8-5 with a 2.54 ERA. Lackey has faced the Giants more often in the playoffs (four times) than the regular season (three),  going 2-1 with a 3.62 ERA against the Giants in those opportunities (includes six starts with his team going 3-3). Moore was acquired at the trade deadline from the Tampa Bay Rays and has never faced the Cubs. He does have postseason experience, having gone 1-1 (4.41 ERA) in four games, including two starts, for the Rays. The pick: Lackey’s a “gamer” and a veteran of situations like this, as he makes his 21st postseason start, the most among active pitchers. He pitched well down the stretch going 2-1 over his last five (Cubs were 4-1), including winning his last two with a 2.25 ERA. Moore was 4-1 in his last five starts, which including a horrific three-out effort in LA in which he allowed six ERs. However, in his four wins, he posted a 1.95 ERA (32 Ks in 27 2/3 innings), including the Giants’ wild card-clinching 7-1 win over those same Dodgers on the final day of the regular season. Classic pitchers duel anticipated. The Under is a 10* play.

The set-up: The Washington/LA Dodgers matchup is the only one of the four LDS to be tied one-all, after Sunday’s 5-2 Washington win. The Nats rode Jose Lobton's three-run HR and Daniel Murphy’s two RBI to the victory. Los Angeles stranded 12 baserunners in Sunday’s loss (went 1-of-9 with RISP) and needs others to step up outside of Corey Seager and Justin Turner. Seager has homered in each contest of the series and Turner is 4-for-6 with a HR, extending his playoff hitting streak to seven games. The series now switches to LA, without a day off because of Saturday’s rain out. The pitching matchup: Gio Gonzalez (11-11, 4.57 ERA) gets the start for Washington and Kenta Maeda (16-11, 3.48 ERA) for LA. Gonzalez is 3-1 with a 1.69 ERA in five career starts (Nats are 3-2) against the Dodgers with current players on the Dodgers' postseason roster combined for a .163 average (23-for-141) against him. Maeda made 32 starts in his first season in the majors and overall, performed well. Maeda will be facing Washington for the first time and went 7-5 with a 3.22 ERA in 15 home starts (Dodgers were 9-6). The pick: The Dodgers finished the regular season 53-28 at home, the second-best mark in the NL. That includes sweeping a three-game series with the Nats in LA from June 20-22. However, rather than choosing a side, I look for a game which will easily surpass this posted over/under number. Gonzalez struggled in five September, posting a 7.43 ERA while completing more than five innings just once. As for Maeda, he’s lasted seven innings in just TWO of his 32 starts in 2016 (the last came way back on July 10). After posting a 2.95 ERA before the All Star break, his post-break ERA was 4.25, as he allowed 12 hits, three walks and eight ERs over his final two starts (over just 6 2/3 innings for a 10.80 ERA). The Over is a 10* play.

The set-up: The Blue Jays won their two regular-season games in October, after struggling to an 11-16 record in September. Doing the math, the Blue Jays averaged an AL-worst 3.69 runs RPG in their 29 September-October games. The Blue Jays then went to extra-innings tied 2-all with the Orioles min Tuesday’s wild card game, before winning 5-2 on a three-run HR in the 11th. So, there was little to expect the kind of offensive surge seen late Thursday afternoon in Game 1 of Toronto’s ALDS matchup with the Rangers. The Blue Jays jumped all over Texas ace Cole Hamels, who gave up six hits and seven runs (six earned ) in just 3 1/3 innings. When all the dust had settled, it was a 10-1 Toronto victory, as the Jays pounded out 13 hits, including two HRs and Tulowitzki’s three-run triple. Toronto starter Marco Estrada did his part as well, allowing one run and four hits in 8 1/2 innings. The loss means that Texas is now a hard-to-believe 1-10 all-time at home in ALDS matchups. That’s truly a head-scratcher, as most will remember that the Rangers advanced to back-to-back World Series appearances in 2010 and 2011. The pitching matchup: J.A. Happ (20-4, 3.18 ERA) takes the hill for Toronto and Yu Darvish (7-5, 3.41 ERA) for Texas. Happ is coming off the best season of his career (previous best was him going 12-4 with a 2.93 ERA for the Phillies in 2009), finishing as one of MLB's three 20-game winners. He also posted a career best in strikeouts (163). Happ owns a 4.82 ERA in eight career postseason games, including one start at Colorado on October 11, 2009 in which he yielded three runs and five hits over three innings while with Philadelphia. Yu Darvish missed the entire 2015 season while he was recovering from Tommy John surgery, so he was a spectator last year when the Texas Rangers lost to the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALDS. However, is fully healthy now, as he hopes to help the Rangers win their first-ever World Series. Darvish is 3-2 with a 2.45 ERA in seven career starts against the Blue Jays but did not face them this year. The pick: Going back to opening of this report, let me remind all that the Blue Jays averaged an AL-worst 3.69 runs RPG in their 29 September-October games, before winning the wild card game 5-2 (11 innings) and then Game 1 of this ALDS matchup, 10-1. Darvish finished his injury-shortened 2016 season strong, allowing fewer than two runs in three of his final four outings, including allowing just one ER in 13 innings over his final two starts. Happ, like Darvish, finished strong down the stretch, posting a 2.35 ERA over his final five regular season starts, going 3-0 (team was 4-1). The Under is an 8* play.

The set-up: The Baltimore Orioles and the Toronto Blue Jays are familiar foes, as these AL East rivals have met 19 times this regular season. The teams finished the regular season with identical 89-73 records but the Blue Jays won 10 of the 19 meetings. That one-game edge is the reason this one-game, winner-take-all wild card game is being played at Rogers Centre instead of Camden Yards. The Blue Jays outscored the Orioles in the 19 head-to-head meetings this season (97-81) and owned an edge in HRs, 29-28 (note: Baltimore all of MLB with 253 HRs). The Blue Jays were 6-4 against the Orioles in the games played here in Toronto. The pitching matchup: Chris Tillman (16-6, 3.77 ERA) starts for Baltimore and Marcus Stroman (9-10, 4.37) takes the mound for Toronto. Tillman spent some time on the DL this season but was Baltimore biggest winner (16) and its biggest money earner, as the Orioles were 22-8 in his starts (plus-$1452), the fifth-best mark among all starters. Tillman is 5-10 (5.18 ERA) in 24 career starts against  Baltimore with the Orioles going 10-14. Stroman takes the mound having not won since August 14. He was 0-5 in six September starts (Blue Jays were 0-6) and in six career starts against them is 2-3 (5.84 ERA) with the Blue Jays going 2-4. The pick: The Blue Jays won their two regular-season games in October, after struggling to an 11-16 record in September.Doing the math, the Blue Jays averaged an AL-worst 3.69 runs RPG in their 29 September-October 29 games. Yes, Stroman was 0-5 in September (Orioles were 0-6) but he owned a respectable 3.41 ERA in those outings. He may just find this struggling Toronto lineup to his liking. As for Tillman, he owns a 3.63 ERA in four starts against Toronto this year, including posting a 2.38 ERA in two starts at Rogers Centre. The under is a 10* play. 

analysis posted very shortly (10*)

The set-up: Houston opened its final seven-game homestand last Thursday against the Angels just one game out of the second AL wild card spot. However, the Astros lost the first three games, before winning 4-1 on Sunday. Houston then lost 4-3 in 11-innings Monday to the Mariners, dropping them 3 1/2 games out of the final wild card spot and with just five games left. The Mariners moved 1 1/2 games ahead of the Astros in the AL wild-card race but they were still two games behind the Orioles, who were idle on Monday. The Astros won 8-4 Tuesday night, moving them within 2 1/2 games of the Orioles (5-1 losers at Toronto). That Baltimore loss allowed Seattle to remain within 1 1/2 games of the Orioles, despite Tuesday’s defeat. However, time is running out on both the Mariners and the Astros, as the teams cap a three-games series Wednesday afternoon in Houston.  The pitching matchup: James Paxton (5-7, 3.72 ERA) takes the mound for Seattle and Doug Fister (12-12, 4.42) does so for Houston. Paxton is 0-2 with a 4.74 ERA over three career starts against the Astros (Seattle is 0-3). He comes off ending a five-start winless streak by allowing just one run on five hits while striking out nine over seven innings against Minnesota in his last outing. Fister was first selected by Seattle back in the 2006 draft (seventh round) and makes his eighth career start against the Mariners (he’s 4-2 with a 4.64 ERA with his teams going 4-3). The pick: Paxton is 0-2 versus Houston this year (posting a 6.00 ERA) and Fister limps in winless over his last six outings (he’s 0-3 and the team 0-6), with a 9.35 ERA, after allowing six or more ERs in three of the starts. The Over is a 10* play.

The set-up: The Rangers lost 8-3 last night at home vs. the Brewers and that allowed the idle Red Sox (who currently own an 11-game winning streak) to move a half-game ahead of them for the AL’s best record. More bad news came Monday with Cleveland’s 7-4 win and the Rangers are now just a half-game up on the Indians. If Texas falls behind both teams, its ALDS matchup would come on the road, as would its potential ALCS matchup. I noted Monday that while Milwaukee’s 30-46 road record is among the worst in MLB, the Brewers have now won 11 of their last 16 on the road. The pitching matchup: Jimmy Nelson (8-15, 4.50 ERA) goes for Milwaukee up against Texas’ A.J. Griffin (7-4, 4.94 ERA). Nelson leads the National League in losses and enters this game having posted a 5.82 ERA over his last three starts, while giving up five HRs during that stretch. Griffin lasted just 1 2/3 innings in his last outing, leaving him winless over his last three starts, posting a 9.24 ERA during the stretch. The pick: Looking at just the starting pitchers would cause one to play the over. However, the Texas bats have been extremely quiet, scoring just 28 runs over the last nine games (that’s 3.11 per game!). As for Milwaukee, despite the team’s 8-3 win last night, the Brewers enter tonight’s game having scored just 26 runs over their last eight games (3.25 per game). The Under is a 10* play. 

The set-up: Houston opened its last four-game home series (Thursday-Sunday) with the Angels just one game out of the second AL wild card slot but lost the first three games, before winning 4-1 on Sunday. Seattle won two of three games over the Twins at Minnesota Friday through Sunday and now sits at 82-73. That leaves the Mariners 2 1/2 games back of the final wild card spot and the Astros check in a half-game back of Seattle at 82-74. Do either of these teams have a realistic wild card chance? Probably not and only a three-game sweep by one or the other would give that team at least a “whiff of a chance.” The pitching matchup: Hisashi Iwakuma (16-12, 4.04 ERA) goes for Seattle and Collin McHugh (12-10, 4.61 ERA) will take the mound for Houston. Iwakuma is 35-year-old and won 14 and 15 games in his first two full seasons of 2013 and 2014. He then won just nine games in 2015 (injuries limited him to 20 starts) but has rebounded to win 16 games this year in 31 starts. However, his 4.04 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and opponents BA of .280 are all career highs. McHugh enters on a seven-start unbeaten streak in which he’s gone 5-0 (Astros are 7-0). The pick: Iwakuma is coming off an abysmal outing (six runs allowed on eight hits in 3 1/3 innings of a 10-2 loss to Toronto last Tuesday) but I expect him to rebound here vs. a Houston team which averaged just 3.5 RPG in losing three of four home games to the Angels over the weekend. As for McHugh, he hasn’t lost since August 13 and his ERA is 1.53 over his last three starts. More importantly, he’s dominated Seattle in 2016, going 4-0 with a 1.08 ERA in four outings. The Under is a 10* play.

The set-up: The Blue Jays beat the Rays 3-2 on Monday but Tampa Bay bounced back with a 6-2 win last night. Toronto is now 3-8 since the break but remained two games back of the Red Sox in the AL East, as Boston lost 6-3 to the Orioles. However, Baltimore’s win pulled them into a tie with Toronto for the top wild card spot (those two teams lead the Tigers and Yankees by two games and the Mariners by 2 1/2). The Rays and Jays play an early afternoon at Rogers Centre to decide this series and end the season series between the two clubs. The pitching matchup: Alex Cobb (0-0, 4.09 ERA) will be making his third start in the majors since returning from Tommy John surgery for the Rays and Marco Estrada (8-8, 3.68 ERA) starts for the Jays. Cobb allowed four runs (three earned) on nine hit in a no-decision start against the New York Yankees last Thursday at Yankee Stadium, which came after a September 2 start in Tampa vs. the Jays when he also didn’t factor in the decision while allowing four hits and two runs in five innings of an 8-3 Toronto win. Estrada has lost four of his last five starts, including two straight. His downward trend is becoming an issue, as his ERA is 7.71 in that five-start stretch, quite a drop-off from the 2.95 ERA he posted in his first 20 outings of 2016. The pick: Tuesday’s win by the Rays clinched the season series against the Jays (Tampa leads 10-8), for the eighth time in the past nine years. However, let’s also note that the Rays need to win here to clinch this current three-game series but Tampa Bay is 0-6-1 in its last seven road series and has lost nine consecutive sets in AL parks. The Rays have earned their 61-83 record and the team's road record of 26-43 gives them the worst moneyline mark (minus-$1507) of any of MLB’s 30 teams. As for the Blue Jays, they look like a tired, hurting team these days. That makes the Under is an 8* play.

The set-up: Jon Lester won his 16th game of the season 2-0 over the Astros Friday night but the stage was set for a rubber match to this series on Sunday night with the Astros’ 2-1 win on Saturday afternoon. Houston’s win snapped a three-game skid and leaves them 75-67, 2 1/2 games back of the AL’s second wild card, a race which still includes SEVEN teams! The 90-51 Cubs own a huge 15-game lead over the Cards in the NL Central plus own a 6 1/2 game lead over the Nationals for the NL’s top record.

The pitching matchup: Jake Arrieta (16-6, 2.84 ERA) looks for win No. 17 in tonight’s game, up against Houston’s Mike Fiers (10-6, 4.29 ERA). Arrieta took a tough loss last time out against San Francisco, allowing three runs (two earned) over six innings in a 3-2 setback. However, last year’s Cy Young winner has just two quality starts over his last five outings and has issued 17 walks in 31 2/3 innings over that span.  Fiers hasn’t pitched all that well in his last two starts, allowing 15 hits over just 10 innings but has somehow allowed only five runs (just three have been earned).

The pick: Arrieta will be making his first career appearance against the Astros and excluding the Cubs, Houston is the only team Arrieta has yet to face in his career. As for Fiers, he’s 3-1 with a 1.71 ERA in five games (four starts) all-time against the Cubs. However, expecting a third straight 2-0 or 2-1 game is a stretch. Note that prior to Arrieta’s last outing vs. the Giants, his previous four starts had averaged 13.25 RPG. As for Fiers? His last three starts have seen an average of 14.33 runs scored. The Over is a 10*!

The set-up: The New York Yankees were swept in a three-game series at Tampa Bay in late July. Having already traded Aroldis Chapman to the Chicago Cubs, that sweep convinced GM Brian Cashman to go into sell mode and trade off three other veterans and go with younger players. The teams met again in mid-August and on August 12, Alex Rodriguez had an RBI double in his last game for the Yankees. A-Rod’s exit came a week after Gary Sanchez was promoted and a day before Aaron Judge and Tyler Austin joined the team, as each player homered in their first at-bats. Now, as the Yankees and Rays open a four-game series at Yankees Stadium, New York has remained in the race for both the division and wild-card. The Yankees are 4 1/2 games out of first place and 2 1/2 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for the final wild card spot. Meanwhile, The 59-79 Rays own a better AL record than only the Twins and the team’s moneyline mark of minus-$2536 ranks 29th among 30 MLB teams (again, Minnesota is the only team worse). The pitching matchup: Alex Cobb (0-0, 3.60 ERA) makes his second start since returning from Tommy John surgery for the Rays and veteran C.C. Sabathia (8-12, 4.20 ERA) takes the mound for the Yankees. Cobb’s first outing went well as he retired the final 10 hitters in his five-inning outing against Toronto while allowing two runs and four hits. "I was happy in the fact that I felt back to competitive nature on the mound," Cobb said. "It wasn't being cautious, wasn't thinking about my mechanics or injury possibilities. I was just out there, wanting to get outs and I felt the groove of the game again." Sabathia has had a poor season but has pitched well in recent outings, owning a 2.29 ERA in his last three starts plus has allowed three runs or less in five of his last six outings. The pick: Cobb’s last start in New York was back on September 11, 2014 but he owns a 1.93 ERA in 10 career starts against the Yankees. Sabathia is 14-14 with a 3.79 ERA in 40 all-time starts vs. Tampa Bay (teams are 20-20) but as a Yankee he is 7-13 with a 4.35 ERA in 29 games against the Rays. That doesn’t bode well but his current form is good (see above) and the Yankees have won four in a row and 10 of their last 14 games. Cobb’s a quality and pitcher and looked very good in his first start back and I see a low scoring contest. The under is a 10* play.

The set-up: The Pirates have played in three consecutive NL wild card games, each season finishing behind the Cards, who have won the NL Central each of the last three years. Here in 2016, the Cubs have run away with the NL Central, so both the Cards and Pirates have been left to fight for one of two NL wild card spots. As of Labor Day morning, the 73-63 Giants own the top wild card spot with the 71-64 Cards holding down the second spot, 1 1/2 games back of San Fran. The 71-66 Mets are one game back of St. Louis and the 67-67 Pirates, in the throes of a season-worst six-game losing streak, sit 3 1/2 games back of the Cards. The two division rivals open a three-game series this afternoon at PNC Park and it’s fair to say that the Pirates are getting desperate. The pitching matchup: Adam Wainwright (9-8, 4.53 ERA) will open the series for the Cards with Pittsburgh handing the ball to rookie Chad Kuhl (3-2, 3.70 ERA), who will be making his 10th major league  start. Wainwright has spent the season trying to prove he's still relevant. He opened the season poorly, going 2-3 with a 6.30 ERA in seven starts but then went 7-2 over a 12-start stretch (team was 9-3), while cutting more than two runs off his ERA (was down to 4.15 after a July 16th start). However, he enters this game winless in his last eight starts (he’s 0-3, the Cards are 4-4). Pittsburgh’s Kuhl is winless in his last three starts but he’s allowed three runs or less or in each of his last six starting assignments. The pick: Wainwright has a long history vs. the Pirates, going 14-7 with a 3.75 ERA in 28 all-time starts (Cards are 18-10), while Kuhl faces the Cards for the first time. I like what I’ve seen from Kuhl and believe he’s up to the challenge. The problem is, the Pirates have been shut out three times during their six-game slide and come off a three-game weekend series in Milwaukee in which they plated just four runs. The Under is a 10* play.

The set-up: The Detroit Tigers have taken the first two games of their three-game series with the Chicago White Sox by scores of 4-3 and 8-4. The 71-61 Tigers sit 4 1/2 games out in the AL Central but just one game back for the AL's second wild card spot. As for Chicago, the season is over, as the White Sox are 12 games back in the same division and a 'healthy' 8 1/2 games out in the wild card chase. The pitching matchup:Chris Sale (15-7, 3.14 ERA) will take the mound for Chicago and Justin Verlander (14-7, 3.33 ERA) starts for Detroit. Sale has allowed three or less ERs in six of his last eight starts but has lost five his last six decisions (White Sox are 2-6 in the eight games). It seems like a lifetime ago that Sale was 9-0 with a 1.58 ERA after his first nine starts of 2016. In stark contrast, Verlander opened the season 2-3 with a 6.49 ERA after six starts but enters this contest on a run of nine consecutive quality starts. He's now 14-7 and his ERA has improved by more than three runs per outing! As noted above, while Sale has struggled to win lately, he's also allowed three ERs or less in six of his last eight starts. A look at Verlander's stat sheet and we find the last time the former Cy Young (and MVP) winner allowed more than ERs in game came back on June 26 (that's a stretch of 11 consecutive starts). The Under is a 10* play.

The set-up: The Giants came out of the All Star break with MLB’s best record (57-33) but after last night’s 9-5 loss in LA to the Dodgers, the Giants find themselves two games back of the Dodgers for the NL West lead. San Francisco is now just three games inside the playoff ‘cut line,” which is what happens when a team goes a woeful 11-24 since the break, the worst record of any team in MLB! The Dodgers have caught the Giants, despite the fact that Clayton Kershaw has not taken the mound since June 26. What’s more, starting pitchers Brett Anderson (blister) and Scott Kazmir (neck inflammation) joined ace Clayton Kershaw (back) on the DL, yesterday. The pitching matchup: Johnny Cueto (14-3, 2.90 ERA) takes the mound for San Francisco, opposed by Rich Hill (9-3, 2.25 ERA). Hill has been on the disabled list himself (because of a lingering left middle finger blister), since being acquired from Oakland on August 1. Expectations are high for Hill, who makes his debut for the Dodgers, against the hated-Giants. He was cleared for this start after throwing 78 pitches in a simulated game at the Dodgers’ training complex in Arizona last Thursday. Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman is eager to see Hill face off against the team’s most bitter divisional rival. “What attracted us to Rich at the deadline was his high-end potential,” Friedman told reporters. “We felt that he was a guy who could pitch very well against the best lineups in baseball.” The Giants are 19-6 (plus-$982) in Cueto’s starts this season but Cueto has won just once, over his last seven starts. The pick: However, that win came in his last outing, when he allowed one run over seven innings of an 8-1 victory. In his previous start, Cueto left with a 7-3 lead, only to see the Giants’ bullpen allow five runs in the final two innings of an 8-7 loss. I expect both pitchers to be “on their games” in this one and that makes the under a 10* play.

The set-up: The New York Mets will attempt to earn a split of their four-game series at San Francisco, after winning 9-5 Saturday afternoon at AT&T Park. The Giants had won 10-7 and 8-1 the first two games but a three-HR outburst led the way to yesterday’s victory. Yoenis Cespedes, who returned from a 15-day stint on the disabled list, had two of Saturday’s HRs for the Mets, with the first traveling 457 feet (one foot shy of the being the longest hit at AT&T Park this season!). The Giants will probably go without their hottest hitter and one of their best base-stealers in Angel Pagan on Sunday. He experienced tightness in his right groin while chasing a fly ball in Saturday's game and had to be pulled in the fourth inning. The pitching matchup: Noah Syndergaard (10-7, 2.76 ERA) goes for the Mets and Jeff Samardzija (10-8, 4.24 ERA) for the Giants. With injuries and struggles by a number of New York’s highly-touted starting rotation being the norm in 2016, Syndergaard has assumed the role of ace for this year’s pitching staff. However, Syndergaard has faced the Giants twice and lost both games, allowing eight ERs in 11 2/3 innings and his 6.17 ERA is his highest among teams against which he's started at least twice.Samardzija has struggled even more against the Mets than Syndergaard has against Giants. He has faced New York nine times in his career, three times as a starter, and has come away with an 0-3 record and 8.72 ERA. The record is Samardzija's worst against all opponents and the ERA is his second-highest among clubs against which he has started two more times. The pick: Noting all of the above, Syndrgaard owns an outstanding 2.60 road ERA this season (as well as a solid 1.12 WHIP) and Samardzija is off back-to-back solid outings (2.31 ERA). After three straight “overs” in this series, tonight’s Sunday finale figures to be a much lower scoring game. the Under is a 10* play.

The set-up: Chase Utley returns to Citizens Bank Park for the first time in an opposing uniform as the LA Dodgers visit the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday night in the opener of a three-game series. Utley spent his first 13 seasons with the Phillies until he was shipped to the Dodgers at last year's trade deadline and he’ll return to the City of Brotherly Love with a team that is now just a half-game back of the SF Giants in the NL West, as the slumping Giants fell to 9-19 since the All Star break with an 8-5 home loss Monday against the Pirates. The 56-63 Phillies have never really been in the playoff race at any point this season but bettors are well aware of Philadelphia, as the Phillies rank 4th-best in the moneyline standings at plus-$788 (note: the overpriced Dodgers may be 13 games over .500 but their moneyline mark is minus-$414). The pitching matchup: Rookie Kenta Maeda (11-7, 3.31 ERA) gets the call for LA and Vince Velasquez (8-4, 3.94 ERA) goes for Philadelphia. Maeda enters on a four-start unbeaten streak and looks looks to beat the Phillies and Velasquez for the second time in a span of eight days (allowed three runs over five innings in a 9-3 win on August 9). In contrast, Velasquez is winless in five starts since the All-Star break, including allowing nine runs on 11 hits (both season-highs) over just 4 2/3 innings in that August 9 meeting. However, he does own a 1.72 ERA in nine home starts here in 2016. The pick:  Velasquez suffered a biceps strain that has caused him to miss several starts in June and July but he hasn’t missed any starts lately. As for LA, the Dodgers need Maeda to pitch deep into Tuesday's contest, after their last two starters failed to get through the second inning, taxing the bullpen for 15 1/3 innings Saturday and Sunday. Expect that to happen, as we note that Maeda is an impressive 7-2 with a 3.28 ERA in 11 road starts in 2016 (team is 8-3). Add in Velaquez's 1.72 home ERA this season and I can smell an under on Tuesday. Make it a top-rated 10* play. 

The set-up: The Pirates flew to San Francisco on Sunday night on the heels of taking two of three from the Giants' NL West rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Pittsburgh opens this three-game series at AT&T Park in a four-way race for the NL’s second wild card spot. The Cards lead the Marlins by a half-game, the Pirates by 1 1/2 games and the Mets by 2 1/2. The Giants lead the Dodgers by just one game in the NL West, after Sunday’s stunning 8-7 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. The Giants took a 7-1 lead into the 7th inning with Cueto on the mound. He didn’t make it out of the 7th but SF still led 7-3 entering the 8th. However, the Orioles scored five times in the last two innings to come away with the victory. That game is indicative of the Giants’ struggles since the All Star break, which has seen them go a woeful 9-18. The pitching matchup:  Ex-Giant Ryan Vogelsong (1-2, 2.67 ERA) starts for the Pirates and the newly-acquired (from Tampa Bay) Matt Moore (7-8, 3.99 ERA) gets the nod for the Giants. Vogelsong played seven seasons for the Giants and went 48-49 with a 3.93 ERA over two stints. That includes 2012 and 2014, when he started seven games and went 3-0 in the postseason as the club was winning a pair of World Series. Vogelsong has spent most of the season working out of the bullpen but entered the starting rotation following the trade of Francisco Liriano to the Toronto Blue Jays. He's allowed just one ER in 12 innings over two starts against Atlanta and San Diego, although the Pirates lost both games (5-2 to the Braves and 4-0 to the Padres).Moore is seeking his first win with the Giants after allowing a total of four runs in two starts covering 12 innings since being traded from Tampa Bay for infielder Matt Duffy. Moore has never faced the Pirates. The pick: Vogelsong last faced the Giants as a starter back on August 12, 2004, when he was the losing pitcher for the Pirates in a 7-0 home loss. He expects a warm welcome Monday at AT&T Park but I’m not convinced he’ll have all that much success. As for Moore, while this looks like it’s going to be first fully healthy season since 2012 (his rookie year), it’s hardly been a dominant one. This over/under just feels too low. 10* play on the Over.

The set-up. The Mariners opened a three-game series vs. the A’s last night, entering on a six-game overall winning streak, as well as having won their last seven games in Oakland. However, “the going nowhere” A’s won 6-3, dropping Seattle 7 1/2 games back of Texas in the AL West plus leaving them two back in the race for the AL’s second wild card spot. The 52-64 A’s can only play a spoiler role, the rest of the way. The pitching matchup: Hisashi Iwakuma (13-7, 3.79 ERA) and Kendall Graveman (8-7, 4.29 ERA) square off on Saturday night. Both have become their respective teams’ ace here in 2016. Iwakuma leads Seattle in wins with 13 (no one else owns more than seven!) and makes his team-high 24th start Saturday, at least nine more starts than any other Mariner, including “King Felix.” The Mariners have used 12 starting pitchers this season. Graveman’s eight wins is tops on the A's and he makes his team-high 23rd start (that’s two more than Sonny Gray, who's on the DL, and at least six more than every other Oakland starter). Graveman is the only member of the A's original rotation who is on the active roster and the only one who hasn't spent time on the disabled list. The pick: Graveman is 7-1 with a 3.67 ERA in his past 13 starts (team is 10-3) and he's 4-0 with a 2.25 ERA in his past five home starts, all Oakland wins. However, after opening 1-4 through his first eight starts (team was 3-5), Iwakuma is 12-3 over his last 15 starts, earning a decision in each outing! He’s 7-4 with a .89 ERA in 12 career starts vs. Oakland (team is 7-5). Graveman has allowed 17 hits over 10 2/3 innings in two starts this year against Seattle (5.06 ERA) and this total is too low. 10* on the over.

The set-up: The Mets lost 5-3 to the D’backs last night, failing to follow up Sunday’s win over the Tigers. New York has not won consecutive games since July 7-8. The team is 10-17 since its last "winning streak" and the 57-55 Mets are now 2 1/2 games behind the Miami Marlins in the race for the National League's second wild card spot. Meanwhile, the 46-66 D’backs are dead-last in the NL West (17 1/2 games out) and only the Braves owns a worse record among all NL teams. Good news for Arizona was the return of Zack Greinke came off the DL on Tuesday (1st appearance since June 28), as he posted a quality start (6 IP / 5 hits / 3 ERs) in earning his 11th win. The pitching matchup: Arizona’s Robbie Ray (5-11, 4.83 ERA) will square off against New York’s ageless Bartolo Colon (10-6, 3.46 ERA). The 43-year-old Colon earned his 10th victory in his most recent start last Thursday, allowing one run over 6 2/3 innings as the Mets beat the New York Yankees 4-1. He now owns four seasons of double-digit wins since turning 40. The only other pitchers with many such seasons are Phil Niekro (7), Jamie Moyer and Jack Quinn (6), and Randy Johnson and Nolan Ryan (4). In this start vs. Arizona, he is looking to become the 17th player to beat all 30 teams (note: he has made just two career starts against the Diamondbacks, who began play in 1998). Ray comes into this start battling a rough stretch with losses in three straight starts. He was lit up for six runs (five earned) on eight hits and a pair of walks in six innings against Washington on August 2. His ERA over those three losses is 7.02. The pick: New York’s lineup should have little trouble against Ray and while Colon continues to defy his age,  I don’t see him shutting down the D’backs, either. 10* play on the over. 

The set-up: LA Dodgers pitching ace Clayton Kershaw (herniated disk) went on the 60-day disabled list earlier this week and isn't expected back until September. Bud Norris, who was recently acquired from the Atlanta Braves in a trade, was put on the 15-day DL on Saturday with a mild back strain. The rotation took another hit Saturday before the team’s game with Boston, when newly acquired starter Rich Hill was bumped from his scheduled start Sunday when "remnants" of another blister were found on his middle pitching finger after the left-hander played catch Friday, manager Dave Roberts said. However, the Dodgers took the field and bested the Red Sox 3-0, after losing 9-0 on Friday night. The Red Sox are two games back of first-place in the AL East and just a half-game out in the wild card race. The Dodgers have closed to within two games of the Giants in the NL West and own the NL’s No. 1 wild card spot, four games clear of missing out on the postseason. The pitching matchup: David Price (9-7, 4.30 ERA) gets the start for Boston and replacing Rich Hill for LA will be Brandon McCarthy (2-2, 2.76 ERA). Price was cruising through seven innings in his last outing (no runs thru seven innings) but then surrendered a leadoff HR in the eighth plus allowed three more runs in that inning without recording an out. The former Cy Young Award winner is just 9-7 (4.30 ERA) on the season and the Red Sox are now 11-12 in his 2016 starts, losing $937 at $100 per game (NOT what the team expected). McCarthy, coming off Tommy John surgery, didn’t return to the mound in 2016 until July 3 and has made a modest six starts.  He’s taken the loss in each of his last two, failing to record an out in the fifth inning of either outing. The pick: The Red Sox rank first in all of MLB in runs scored (5.44 per), batting average (.284) and OPS (.817). Coming off a shutout, they should be dangerous. As for Price, his “consistent inconsistency” is giving Boston management fits. The over/under number is too low. 10* play on the over. 

The set-up: The small-market Indians are the team in first-place and Cleveland is also the team which made some trade deadline moves, while the biggest market team of all (NY Yankees), moved quality veterans with a an eye to the future. However, it was the the rebuilding Yankees who struck first in this three-game series, jumping out to leads of 6-0 and 11-4, before walking a way with a 13-7 victory on Friday. The win give the Yanks a 55-54 record but still leaves them 7 1/2 games out in the AL East, as well as 5 1/2 games out in the wild card race. The Indians remain atop the NL Central but Cleveland has lost four of five games (outscored 50-32) and its lead has been to cut to two games over the Tigers. The pitching matchup: Corey Kluber (10-8, 3.27 ERA) takes on CC Sabathia (6-8, 4.15 ERA) in a meeting of former Cy Young winners. Kluber won recently (in 2014), while C.C’s win was back in 2007. Kluber threw seven shutout innings in his last start, an 8-0 victory over the Oakland Athletics. He has now allowed one run or fewer in three of his last four starts, a stretch in which he's lowered his ERA from 3.79 to a season-low 3.27. In contrast, Sabathia is hoping to snap out of a prolonged slump. He has failed to deliver a quality start in seven of his last eight outings, a stretch in which he's gone 1-4 with a 6.85 ERA that has seen his overall ERA has increase from 2.20 to 4.15. The pick: The Indians have stayed at the top of the AL Central for most of the season because of its pitching but as noted, Cleveland has allowed 50 runs over its last five games, with its starters having allowed 30 runs in just 17 1/3 innings! Cleveland’s staff has been solid for most of this season plus Kluber comes in pitching well (1.24 ERA over his last four) but the Yankees lineup has been unfazed by the Indians in 2016, averaging 7.6 RPG in five meetings. Remembering that Sabathia has given up five runs or more in six of his last eight starts and that the Indians rank 4th in runs scored (5.02 per game), the play here is on the over (10*).

The Chicago White Sox will visit Minnesota Twins for the opener of a three-game set at Target Field Friday night. Recent meetings in Minnesota have been low-scoring affairs, and I think that will be the case tonight as well.  Here are my keys to the game:  1. Pitching - The White Sox hand the ball to Jose Quintana (8-8, 2.97 ERA) who has been excellent all season long. He tossed 6 2/3 shutout innings against the Tigers his last start and he has held three of his last four opponents to one run or fewer.  The Twins counter with Ricky Nolasco (4-8, 5.40) who had allowed three earned runs or fewer in each of his three starts in July before getting lit up at Fenway Park his last turn. 2. The White Sox's Bats - Chicago has mustered only one run in each of its last two games and the team is averaging a lowly 3.94 runs per game on the road this season.  3. X-Factor - Quintana has posted a 2.70 ERA in three meetings with Minnesota this season.  Selection: This is a play on [email protected] to go UNDER the total (10*)

The Blue Jays defeated San Diego by a score of 4-2 last night, and we might see another pitcher's duel here in Game 2. Marcus Stroman appears to have his swagger back, and he faces a light hitting Padres lineup. We see an inflated number, and my money is on the total to go under.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Pitching - Stroman (8-4, 4.90 ERA) gave up one run on eight hits over eight innings in a win at Arizona in his last start. He's held the opposition to just three runs on eight hits over his last two home starts. The Padres will counter with former ace Andrew Cashner, who has held opponents to just one run in three of his last four starts.

2. Batter vs. Pitcher - Toronto has hit a combined .148 in previous meetings with Cashner. They managed just four hits while striking out eight times over 27 at bats.

3. X-Factor - The Jays have failed to reach the total in eight of their last nine home games.

Selection: This is a play on the [email protected] to go UNDER the total (10*)

The Atlanta Braves will take on Colorado Rockies for the third contest of a three-game set Saturday night. None of the previous games in the series have been fairly low-scoring affairs, but I think the crowd at Coors Field will see plenty of action over home plate in this contest.  Here are my keys to the game:  1. Pitching - The Braves hand the ball to Matt Wisler (4-9, 4.67 ERA) who's been knocked around for 12 runs (11 earned) in 10 innings through his past two starts, both on the road. Wisler has a 5.23 ERA in eight appearances (seven starts) outside of Atlanta for the season and is likely to struggle at the most hitter-friendly park in baseball. The Rockies counter with 26 year old rookie Tyler Anderson (2-3, 3.43) who will make his eighth start in the big leagues. Anderson is off his worst start of his brief career when he conceded four runs on five hits and three walks in 6 1/3 innings against the Rays here in the Rocky Mountains.  2. Mark Wegner Behind Home Plate - The over is 17-5-2 in Wegner's last 24 games calling the shots and 5-2 in his last seven games involving Colorado. 3. X-Factor - Colorado's bullpen has a 4.97 ERA for the season and Atlanta's is only slightly better with a 4.30 mark.  Selection: This is a play on [email protected] to go over the total (10*)

The Cleveland Indians started the week by scoring a total of 22 runs while taking two of three from their division rival Kansas City. The O's have struggled to score runs since the All Star break but put four on the board in a 4-1 win against the Yankees yesterday. I think we'll see a high-scoring contest between the Birds and the Tribe Friday night.  Here are my keys to the game:  1. Pitching - The Orioles hand the ball to Dylan Bundy (2-2, 3.70) who'll make his second career start in the majors. His first was a forgettable one when he conceded four runs on five hits and three walks with three homers in just 3 1/3 innings at Tampa Bay. Cleveland counters with Trevor Bauer (7-3, 3.36) who's struggled in his two most recent starts, surrendering a total of nine runs (eight earned) on 15 hits and five walks in 11 2/3 innings of work.  2. The Orioles Are Getting Healthy - Baltimore has been hit hard with injuries and illness lately, but Manny Machado who has been knocked out by a virus was back in the lineup Thursday and Mark Wieter and Adam Jones could be back for tonight's contest.  3. X-Factor - The over is 8-2-2 in the Indians last 12 overall. Selection: This is a play on [email protected] to go OVER the total (10*)

Runs came at a premium when the Houston Astros won the opener of a three-game series with the Seattle Mariners 2-1 yesterday. I think we'll see another low-scoring affair Tuesday night as the series at Minute Maid Park continues.  Here are my keys to the game:  1. Pitching - The Astros hand the ball to Dallas Keuchel (5-9, 5.13). The reigning American League Cy Young winner has bounced back from a terrible start to the year and has held opponents to seven earned runs over 19 1/3 innings in his last three starts. Keuchel's season ERA is more than one run lower home in Houston than on the road. The Mariners counter with Taijuan Walker (4-6, 3.29 ERA). He missed a start due to a foot injury but came back strong to hold the Orioles to one run on four hits in 6 1/3 innings of a 5-3 win his last outing. Walker has posted a 2.00 ERA in two meetings with Houston this year.  2. Batter Versus Pitcher -  Taijuan Walker has posted a 3.98 ERA in 10 career starts against the Astros, but he has done well against several of their current big bats. Carlos Correa (2-for-9), George Springer (3-for-13) and Luis Valbuena (2-for-11) have all struggled to solve the right-hander.  3. X-Factor - The under is 9-3-1 in the Astros' last 13 home games vs. a right-handed starter and 5-1 in their last six home games overall.  Selection: This is a play on [email protected] to go UNDER the total (10*)

full analysis soon

Oakland edged out the Angels in with a walkoff hit in the bottom on the ninth in a 3-2 win last night, but I expect more scoring this afternoon. The Athletics are dead last in the AL West, and they've won just three of their last 13 overall. My money is on the OVER.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Pitching - Two time Cy Young winner and World Series champion Tim Lincecum will be back on the mound in the major leagues with the Angels. He's been pitching well in Triple A, striking out eight in seven innings of one-run ball in his last start. He draws a favorable match-up starting opposite a rookie right-hander coming out of the Oakland bullpen for a spot start.

2. Bullpens - Neither starter is expected to go deep into this game, and that means the relief pitchers will likely play a big role. Oakland's bullpen ranks near the bottom of the majors with a combined 4.70 ERA.

3. X-Factor - The Over is 15-7-2 in the last 24 meetings.

Selection: This is a play on [email protected] to go OVER the total (10*)

The Mariners played a 13 inning marathon in Tampa last night, losing by a score of 3-2. I think we'll see another pitcher's duel at "The Trop" here on Thursday afternoon. My money is on the under in Game 3 in St. Petersburg.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Pitching - The Mariners will send southpaw James Paxton to the mound, and he's been sharp in three appearances this season. Paxton (0-2, 2.25 ERA) held the Rangers scoreless through 6.1 innings, fanning seven in a no-decision in his last outing. He has 24 strikeouts in just 16 innings pitched so far. The Rays counter with rookie Blake Snell, who dazzled in his big league debut.

2. Evan Longoria - The veteran leads Tampa in home runs (16), batting average (.278), as well as RBIs (40). He left last night's game with an injury, and his status is in doubt for the series finale.

3. X-Factor - The under is 21-8-1 in Tampa's last 30 home games.

Selection: This is a play on [email protected] to go UNDER the total (10*)

The Marlins scored five times in the top of the first inning in last night's win at PETCO, and they may get off to another fast start here in the series finale Wednesday afternoon. The Padres turn to a struggling pitcher, and their defense hasn't done them any favors either. San Diego's fielding percentage of .981 ranks 28th in the major leagues.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Pitching - With Tyson Ross on the DL and James Shields traded to Chicago, 23 year old right-hander Luis Perdomo is getting a shot in the rotation. So far it's been nothing short of a disaster, as he's conceded 10 runs on 18 hits over 10 innings in two starts since coming out of the bullpen. He wasn't exactly effective as a reliever either, posting an ERA of 10.17 in nine appearances in the month of April.

2. San Diego's Bullpen - The Padres relief pitchers have posted an ERA of 4.68 so far this season. The only two teams that rank worse are Cincinnati and Texas, and at least they have the excuse of pitching in a hitter's park.

3. X-Factor - The Marlins have gone over the total in seven of their last 10 on the road, and the OVER is 6-2 in Nicolino's last 8 starts overall.

Selection: This is a play on the [email protected] to go OVER the total (1st 5 innings).

The Reds have defeated Oakland by an identical 2-1 score in each of the first two games in this series. With both teams turning to the back end of the rotation in the series finale, I expect to see a lot more offense today. My money is on the over for the 1st five innings of play.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Pitching - Oakland will send Kendall Graveman to the mound, and the 25 year old has been getting hit hard lately. Graveman (2-6, 5.49 ERA) was roughed up in a 6-5 loss to Houston in his last outing, surrendering five runs on seven hits in 4.1 innings. He's a woeful 1-3 with a 7.71 ERA on the road in 2016.

2. Fielding - The Reds rank dead last in the majors with a fielding percentage of .978. Oakland isn't much better, ranking 25th overall.

3. X-Factor - The over is 14-6-2 in Reds last 22 home games versus a right-handed starter.

Selection: This is a play on [email protected] to go OVER (1st 5 innings)

The Cincinnati Reds failed to continued their recent surge with a 7-6 win in the opener of a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday. Their bats have been on fire lately, and I think we'll see another action-packed contest involving the Reds tonight.  Here are my keys to the game:  1. Pitching - The Reds hand the ball to the struggling Alfredo Simon (2-5, 8.94). He was lucky to receive the decision last start despite surrendering four runs on five hits with three home runs in seven innings of an 11-4 win at Colorado. The Cardinals counter with Jaime García (4-5, 3.48 ERA). The southpaw has posted a 3.50 ERA over 19 career appearances (17 starts) against the Reds, and I don't like his chances of improving on that number tonight.  2. Cincinnati's Bats - The Reds have scored a total of 48 runs in their past five games. Their .614 slugging percentage here in June is the best mark in the majors for the month by quite some distance.   3. X-Factor - Billy Hamilton is on fire with three three-hit games in his last eight appearances.  Selection: This is a play on [email protected] to go OVER the total (10*)

The St. Louis Cardinals wrapped up the weekend with a pair of wins against the Giants in which they outscored their opponent 13-7. The Cincinnati Reds have heated up in recent games, and I think we'll see plenty of action over home plate early in Tuesday's match-up.
 
Here are my keys to the game:
 
1. Pitching - The Reds hand the ball to John Lamb (1-3, 5.58) who recorded his first win of the season his last start while holding the Rockies to one run in seven innings. He had allowed 16 runs in 13 2/3 frames in his past three starts prior to that performance. The Cardinals counter with Mike Leake (4-4, 3.82 ERA) who has done well in recent outings, but a return to Great American Ballpark might bring out some bad memories. Leake posted a 4.31 ERA in 86 appearances there while with the Reds between 2010-2015.
 
2. Cincinnati's Bats - The Reds had scored a total of 33 runs over four straight victories prior to a 10-9 defeat in the series finale of a three-game set against the Nats on Sunday. Their .597 slugging percentage here in June is the best mark in the majors for the month.
 
3. X-Factor - The Cardinals' Jhonny Peralta is expected to make his season debut after injuring his thumb in Spring Training.
 
Selection: This is a play on [email protected] 1st 5 Innings OVER (10*)

The Atlanta Braves are tied with the Minnesota Twins for the worst record in baseball this season. Runs have not come easy for the team, but the pitching match-up in Monday's series-opener against the San Diego Padres combined with a low number makes me believe we'll see enough runs to push this game over the total. 
Here are my keys to the game: 
1. Pitching - The Padres hand the ball to Christian Friedrich (2-1, 2.53), The left-hander was rewarded with the win his last start despite surrendering four runs (three earned) on nine hits and four walks in five innings against Seattle as he was provided with plenty of run support in the 14-6 victory. He has posted a 7.36 ERA in five career relief appearances against Atlanta which counters with Williams Perez (2-1, 3.86 ERA). Perez has split two career starts against the Padres while allowed five runs (four earned) on 11 hits over 13 1/3 frames. The 25 year old conceded four runs in 5 2/3 innings his last outing.  
2. Previous Meetings - The over is 39-13-3 in the last 55 meetings in San Diego and 6-2 in the past eight overall. 
3. X-Factor - The Padres' bullpen has a 4.94 ERA on the season and Atlanta's a 4.40 ERA, both among the worst marks in the majors. 
Selection: This is a play on [email protected] to go OVER the total 1st 5 innings (10*)

The Cincinnati Reds have among the worst records in baseball this season, but they've made some noise lately entering Sunday riding a four-game winning streak. The Washington Nationals can't be happy at all about the prospect of getting swept by the Reds, and I think we'll see plenty of action over home plate today.  Here are my keys to the game:  1. Pitching - The Nats hand the ball to Tanner Roark (4-4, 2.70 ERA) who has pitched pretty well lately. The right-hander has however served up home runs in four straight outings, and Brandon Phillips is 3-for-6 with a homer off Roark in previous meetings. Cincinnati counters with Jon Moscot (0-3, 7.13) who will make his second start since returning from the disabled list. Moscot was lit up for seven runs on eight hits with four (!) home runs in just two innings of a 17-4 loss at Coors Field in his comeback.   2. Trends - The over is 5-2-1 in the Nats last eight overall and 6-1-2 in the Reds'. Over is 17-5-4 in Cincy's last 26 games following a win and 6-1 in Washington's last seven following a loss. 3. X-Factor - Cincinnati has scored 31 runs over its four-game win streak.  Selection: This is a play on [email protected] 1st Half OVER (10*)

The Cincinnati Reds ended an 11-game skid with a 7-6 win against the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday. Each of the last four meetings have gone over the total and I think we'll see the two teams run up the score early in Sunday's contest.  Here are my keys to the game:  1. Pitching - The Reds hand the ball to Brandon Finnegan (1-3, 3.97 ERA) who surrendered five runs (three earned) on seven hits with three home runs in five innings of a 13-7 loss against Milwaukee on May 7 without factoring in the decision. The Brewers counter with Jimmy Nelson (4-3, 2.92 ERA) who tossed opposite Finnegan in that contest. Nelson lasted only five innings as well over which he was torched for six runs (five earned) on eight hits. 2. Poor Fielding - Only the Cardinals have committed more errors than the Reds' 41 this season. Milwaukee is also among the 10 worst in that category with 31 errors in 49 games. 3. X-Factor - Jay Bruce was 2-for-5 in Saturday's contest and he's 7-for-17 with three doubles and a pair of homers off Nelson.  Selection: This is a play on [email protected] 1st 5 innings to go OVER the total (8*)

The Brewers won Game 1 of this home series versus Cincinnati by a score of 9-5. I expect to see another slugfest Saturday, as two struggling pitchers take the mound in Game 2. My money is on the over for the first five innings of play.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Pitching - The Reds send Alfredo Simon to the mound, and he looks like he might be in danger of losing his spot in the rotation. Simon (1-5, 10.16 ERA) was torched for five runs on nine hits and three walks in a loss to Seattle in his last start. Before that he gave up 10 runs on 14 hits in just 4.1 innings in a loss to Cleveland. The Brewers counter with Chase Anderson, who hasn't been that much better.

2. Batter vs. Pitcher - Jonathan Lucroy was 2-for-4 with a home run last night, and he's 7-for-12 with a pair of home runs lifetime versus Simon.

3. X-Factor - The over is 8-3 in Simon's last 11 road starts.

Selection: This is a play on the [email protected] 1st 5 innings OVER (8*)

The Cubs handed the Giants a lopsided loss in the series opener in San Francisco last night, and I think we could see another slugfest here in Game 2 Saturday. Chicago ranks third in the major leagues in runs scored, and those big bats should be able to take advantage of a struggling San Francisco starter.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Pitching - Matt Cain will get the call for the Giants, and he's coming off a solid outing. Cain (0-5, 5.87 ERA) allowed one run on seven hits over seven innings in a no decision at Arizona in his last outing. He's 0-3 with a 5.40 ERA at home this season, and he's 0-2 with a 5.48 ERA in his last four starts against the Cubs.

2. Batter vs. Pitcher - The over is 11-4-2 in Matt Cain's last 17 starts, and the Giants have lost his last four starts versus Chicago.

3. X-Factor - These teams have gone over in seven of the last 10 meetings, and the over is 8-3-1 in the Cubs last 12 road games.

Selection: This is a play on the [email protected] to go OVER the total (10*)

The Reds won Game 1 of this home series versus Pittsburgh by a score of 3-2, but I think we should see more offense here with a couple of struggling pitchers on the mound in Game 2. Before yesterday's game, Cincinnati had gone over in five of seven during this home stand.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Pitching - Juan Nicasio will get the call for the Pirates, and he's been brutal on the road. Nicasio (3-3, 3.16 ERA) gave up four runs on eight hits and three walks in just 4.1 innings in a loss to the Cubs in his last outing. He's 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA on the road. The Reds hand the ball to Alfredo Simon, who has already lost twice to the Pirates this season.

2. Batter vs. Pitcher - Brandon Phillips comes in swinging a hot bat, he's hitting .321 with five home runs and nine RBIs over the last seven days. The Reds second baseman is 5-for-11 with a home run lifetime versus Nicasio.

3. X-Factor - Nicasio is 0-2 with a 5.15 ERA in his last three starts versus the Reds.

Selection: This is a 10* play on the [email protected] to go OVER the total (1st 5 innings).

The San Francisco Giants will be looking to deny the Colorado Rockies a split in this four-game series at AT&T Park on Sunday afternoon. The Giants pulled off an 13th inning win yesterday, but several factors would suggest that we will see more action over the plate today.  Here are my keys to the game:  1. Pitching - The Giants hand the ball to Jeff Samardzija (4-1, 3.32) who is coming off his best start in a Giants uniform when he tossed eight innings of one-run ball at Cincinnati on Tuesday. The Shark was not quite as successful his last outing in San Francisco when he conceded five runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings on April 27. Samardzija has made two day starts in 2016, giving up a total of eight runs in 11 innings. The Rockies counter with Eddie Butler (0-1, 6.75 ERA) as the 25 year old is set to make his third start of the year. Butler surrendered five runs on four hits with a pair of homers in a 6-3 loss at San Diego his last start.  2. Taxed Bullpens - The Rockies used six relievers in yesterday's contest while the Giants asked five pitchers to come out of the bullpen in yesterday's marathon game. Hardly ideal for today as both teams bullpens rank in the bottom third of the majors.  3. X-Factor - The over is 13-3 in the Giants last 16 overall and eight of their past 10 home at AT&T Park have gone over the total. Selection: This is a play on [email protected] to go OVER the total (8*)

The Cincinnati Reds are coming off a 7-4 win over San Francisco in the final game of a three game set at home, and they will host Milwaukee in Game 1 of a new series tonight. Cincinnati hit four home runs in last night's game, and three of the Reds last four games have seen the total reach double-digits. I expect to see another slugfest in Cincinnati tonight.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Pitching - The Reds send Alfredo Simon to the mound, still in search of his first "W" of the season. Simon (0-3, 13.50 ERA) gave up three runs on six hits and four walks over just four innings in a loss to the Pirates in his last start. The Brewers will counter with 28 year old right-hander Chase Anderson, who is 1-3 with a 5.55 ERA so far. Anderson was lit up for six runs on nine hits over 4.1 innings in a loss to Miami in his most recent appearance.

2. Batter vs. Pitcher - Milwaukee's catcher Jonathan Lucroy was 4-for-11 with a home run and four RBIs in three games against the Angels, and he's had no troubles hitting Simon. Lucroy is 6-for-10 with a pair of home runs lifetime versus the veteran.

3. X-Factor - The Reds bullpen owns a major league worst 6.44 ERA so far this season.

Selection: This is a 9* play on the [email protected] to go OVER the total (1st 5 innings)

10* play on UNDER Rockies/Diamondbacks.

The Arizona Diamondbacks are a half a game back of first place San Francisco in the NL West, and only a half game up on the Colorado Rockies. Arizona lost Game 1 of this home series versus the Rockies by a score of 9-0, but we should see a much different outcome with Arizona sending it's ace to the mound in Game 2. 

Here are my keys to the game: 

1. Pitching - Zack Greinke will get the nod for the home team, and he's coming off a shaky performance. Greinke (2-2, 6.10 ERA) gave up seven runs on 11 hits over 6.2 innings in a win over St. Louis in his last start. The veteran has seen plenty of Colorado in recent seasons, and he's 6-2 with a 3.21 ERA in his last 11 starts against them. 

2. Batter vs. Pitcher - Colorado slugger Nolan Arenado hit a home run in Game 1 of this series, but he's struggled against Greinke. Arenado is 5-for-27 (.187) with three strikeouts lifetime versus the former Dodger. 

3. X-Factor - The Rockies will send Chris Rusin to the mound, and they've failed to reach the total in six of his last eight starts. 

Selection: This is a play on the [email protected] to go UNDER the total (10*)

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

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

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

Here are my keys to the game:

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

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

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

Selection: This is a play on [email protected] to go OVER the total (10*) 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here are my keys to the game:

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

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

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

Selection: This is a play on the [email protected] to go OVER the total (10*) 

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

Here are my keys to the game:

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

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

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

Selection: This is a play on the [email protected] to go UNDER the total (10*) 

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

Here are my keys to the game:

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

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

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

Selection: This is a play on the [email protected] to go UNDER the total (10*) 

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

Here are my keys to the game:

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

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

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

Selection: This is a play on the [email protected] to go UNDER the total (10*) 

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

Here are my keys to the game:

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

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

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

Selection: This is a play on the [email protected] to go UNDER the total (10*) 

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

Here are my keys to the game:

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

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

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

Selection: This is a play on the [email protected] to go UNDER the total (10*) 

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

Here are my keys to the game: 

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

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

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

Selection: This is a play on the [email protected] to go UNDER the total (10*) 

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

Here are my keys to the game:  

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

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

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

Selection: This is a play on  [email protected] to go over the total (10*)

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

Here are my keys to the game: 

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

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

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

Selection: This is a play on the [email protected] to go UNDER the total (10*)

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

Here are my keys to the game:  

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

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

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

Selection: This is a play on [email protected] to go over the total (10*)

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

Here are my keys to the game:  

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

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

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

Selection: This is a play on [email protected] to go over the total (10*)