Sports Picks & Predictions

4 Unit Play. Take #954 Chicago -145 over Miami (2:20p.m., Saturday, April 20 MLB.tv) The Marlins are one of the worst teams in the league and fading them at this price is too good to pass up. Javier Assad has been outstanding thus far in 2024 with a 2.16 E.R.A. to go along with a 0.96 WHIP. Jesus Luzardo has struggled thus far despite a high strikeout rate. He has given up 5 home runs in 20 innings of work and has a 1.55 WHIP. Florida is 4-16 on the season and Chicago is 6-1 at Wrigley Field. Do not mind laying price since the Cubs are just a better team in every facet of the game.

10 Unit Play. Take #955 St Louis over Miami (6:40p.m., Thursday, July 6 MLB.tv) The Cardinals are one of the most disappointing team this season. It has not been due to their offense, as they have a strong lineup from top to bottom. Just feel they will not get swept by Miami, as two of the first three games were down to the wire. Both of tonight’s starting pitchers are similar, but the difference will be Jack Flaherty’s experience and the momentum he built off of his last start. Despite losing 4 straight games in Miami, the Cardinals are still 38-18 in their last 56 games at LoanDepot Park. St. Louis is 4-0 in game 4 of their last 4 game series that they have played.

10 Unit Play. Take #904 Chicago over St Louis (7:40p.m., Monday, May 8 MLBN) The Cardinals still have name recognition from the bettors, but they are not any good this season. Their pitching has been terrible, and they appear to have a manager in over his head. The Cubs have a major edge in pitching tonight, as Marcus Stroman has been electric this season with a 2.18 E.R.A. Miles Mikolas has been hit hard this season, giving up 7 home runs to go along with a 5.79 E.R.A. St. Louis is 3-13 in their last 16 games following a win in their previous game. Chicago is 4-1 in their last 5 home games.

10 Unit Play. Take #978 Seattle over Milwaukee (4:10p.m., Wednesday, April 19 MLB.tv) The Mariners do not want to get swept by the Brewers at home. Milwaukee grinded out the victory last night in extra innings, but they still have major issues with starting pitching injuries and look for the Mariners to close out the series on a high note. Both pitchers have struggled in 2023, but Eric Lauer has given up a bunch of home runs this season, 4 in just over 15 innings of work. Seattle is 9-1 in their last 10 home games against left-handed starters. The tables get turned today and Seattle wins the finale of this 3 games series.

10 Unit Play. Take #917 Los Angeles over Boston (7:10p.m., Friday, April 14 Apple TV+) The Red Sox just got swept by the Rays giving up a bunch of runs in 3 of those games. Now they return home to face another strong offensive team in the Angels. This is a make-or-break year for the Halos and so far things have gone well with a 7-5 record. Patrick Sandoval has been outstanding this season with a 1-0 record and a 1.64 E.R.A. The Angels are 4-1 in their last 5 road games. Boston is 18-39 in their last 57 games following a loss in their previous game.

10 Unit Play. Take #954 New York over Cleveland (1:07p.m., Friday, October 14 TBS) The Yankees offense is just too strong for Cleveland to win this game let alone series. New York doubled the output of Cleveland in home runs hit during the regular season. Nestor Cortes can hold his own on the mound as well, as I feel he is the ace of the Yankee team. He is 12-4 this season with a 2.44 E.R.A. to go along with a 0.92 WHIP. Shane Bieber will have to pitch close to a shutout to have Cleveland won this game and I do not think he will be able to against this New York lineup. The Guardians are 0-6 in their last 6 road playoff games. New York is 55-18 in their last 73 games against AL Central teams.

7 Unit Play. Take #915 Cleveland over Boston (7:10p.m., Thursday, July 28 MLB.tv) Boston is just not a good team at the moment. They are missing two key players from their everyday lineup and their pitching staff is just not very good. They are coming off a bad loss last night and expect another loss tonight against a team that just does not strike out much. Cleveland has the edge in pitching tonight and look for them to win 3 of 4 in this series. Cleveland has won 7 of their last 10 games. Boston is 1-5 in their last 6 home games.

10 Unit Play: Take #967 Cleveland over Boston (7:10pm., Wednesday, July 27) The Red Sox are struggling now and there is a lot of talk about trading away their best players come the deadline. Cleveland is playing well now and has a line-up full of hitting that do not strike out much. Nathan Eovaldi has been pounded of late and tonight should be no different. Getting Cleveland at this underdog price is too good to pass up. Boston is 1-6 in their last 7 games.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

10 Unit Play. Take #977 New York over Boston (7:08p.m., Sunday, July 10 ESPN) The Yankees will look to win 3 of 4 from the Red Sox in this series at Fenway Park. New York will start Jameson Taillon, and he has been outstanding this year going 9-2 with a 3.63 E.R.A. He was hit hard last time out but look for him to rebound, as Boston is still without Rafael Devers. New York is 10-3 in their last 13 games against Boston. The Yankees are 24-8 in their last 32 games following a loss in their previous game.

10 Unit Play. Take #977 Toronto over Seattle (10:10p.m., Friday, July 8 MLB.tv) The Blue Jays have struggled on this west coast trip but should be able to right the ship tonight behind Ross Stripling. He has faced a bunch of hard-hitting teams of late but should find things easier tonight against Seattle. Toronto needs to right the ship and look for it to start tonight in game two of this series. Toronto should be able to get to George Kirby, as he was hit hard in his second to last start. The Blue Jays are 19-8 in their last 27 games against AL West teams. The Mariners are 7-15 in their last 22 games against American League East teams.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

10 Unit Play. Take #953 Milwaukee over Pittsburgh (7:05p.m., Thursday, June 30 MLB.tv) Both teams traveled yesterday so the Pirates do not have that advantage going for them. Milwaukee is the much better team and they have dominated Pittsburgh winning 39 of the last 52 games. Both of tonight’s starting pitchers have struggled, but this is a fade against JT Brubaker, as he is 1-7 on the season and does not get much run support to speak of. Milwaukee has won 5 straight road games. Pittsburgh is 1-5 in their last 6 games. Finally, the Pirates are 21-69 in their last 10 games against divisional teams.

10 Unit Play. Take #927 Cleveland Guardians over Colorado Rockies. (8:40p.m., Wednesday, June 15 MLB.tv) The Rockies have not been playing well of late, especially at home and don't look for anything to change tonight. The Guardians have been playing well and looking like the team they were supposed to be. The Guardians are putting Konnor Pilkington on the hill and his 3.57 ERA against the Rockies' Austin Gomber and his whopping 6.17 ERA. We wouldn't expect the Rockies to finish within 4 runs of the Guardians tonight. Cleveland’s confidence continues to build, and we expect them to be a different team after the All-Star break. Cleveland has won 5 of their last 6 games. Colorado has lost 5 straight home games.

10 Unit Play. Take #972 St Louis over Toronto (7:45p.m., Monday, May 23 MLB.tv) The Cardinals fattened up their record over the weekend sweeping the Pirates and will enter this game with confidence having scored 18 runs yesterday. The have Miles Mikolas on the mound tonight and he has been solid this season with a 1.68 E.R.A. and a 0.99 WHIP. He has thrown a ton of quality starts this season and look for another one tonight. The Blue Jays have faced bad teams the last week and were still only able to go 4-2 at home against Seattle and Cincinnati. They have not been the same team since their hot start and look for that to continue on Monday. Toronto is 1-6 in their last 7 road games. St Louis is 10-4 in their last 14 interleague games as a favorite.

10 Unit Play. Take #965 Toronto over Tampa Bay (7:10p.m., Friday, May 13 MLB.tv) The Blue Jays are in freefall at the moment having lost 4 straight games and now sit at 17-15 on the season. They have the right person on the mound to right the ship in Kevin Gausman, he the Jays have won his last 4 starts. He is 3-1 on the season with a 2.13 E.R.A. and a WHIP of 1.00. The Blue Jays are 22-7 ATS in their last 29 games following a loss. Tampa Bay has been beating up on losing teams of late, as they are just 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games against teams with a winning record.

8-Unit Play: Take 926 MIAMI MARLINS OVER MARINERS (6:10pm E, Saturday, April 30)

The Miami Marlins have been playing like a team on a mission, and they are. They hitting, running, and fielding as well as any team in baseball. Unless something really goes array, they should handle the Marlins with no problem today and give us a good payday in return.

10-Unit Play: Take 952 MIAMI OVER CARDINALS (6:40pm E, Tuesday, April 19)

Wainwright got off to a good start this year, but they got to him in his second start and that's the way we see most of the year going. The Marlins have to win games like this if they're going to compete at the end of the year and we think they will.

10-Unit Play: Take 934 WHITE SOX OVER ASTROS (9:34pm, E, Sunday, October 10) HOU: Garcia. CHW: Cease

LaRussa had to make a tough choice today, as to who he was going to start for the White Sox, Rodon, or Cease? Rodon was the correct pitcher in the rotation, but he liked the feel of starting Cease and, we have to say, when Tony LaRussa has a feeling, history proves it's usually a good one. What that also means is that two great pitchers are available tonight, too. The White Sox will come out hungry, aggressive and will pull out all the stops to win this game. This will be a fun to watch?.and to win!

ALL THE BEST OF LUCK!

DOC'S MLB

10-Unit Play: Take 937 NY YANKEES OVER RED SOX (8:08pm, E, Tuesday, October 5) NYY: Cole. BOS: Eovaldi The Yankees seem to have found their offense and if they can get Garrett Cole back in stride, this should not be a close game. If Cole gets through the first 5 innings without much damage, we feel the bullpen and Yankees bats will take care of the rest.

10-Unit Play: Take 954 MIAMI MARLINS OVER PHILLIES (7:10pm E, Friday, October 1) PHI: Suarez. MIA: Alcantara

The Marlins have very little chance of making the Playoffs this year and the Phillies, who are bitter rivals, are A big reason for that and they have NOTHING to play for. The Marlins want to beat them and beat them bad, tonight. That's exactly what we expect.

10-Unit Play: TAKE 961 SAN DIEGO PADRES OVER CARDINALS (8:15pm E, Friday, September 17) SD: VELASQUEZ. STL: Mikolas

The Cardinals are a good team, but in our book, they don't match up with the Padres. No incentive needed, as both teams are fighting for Playoff spots. If anything, that puts pressure on the weaker team: St. Louis. We're surprised the Cardinals are even favored.

10-Unit Play: Take: 971 MINNESOTA TWINS OVER ASTROS (8:10pm E, Friday, August 6) MIN: Ober. HOU: Greinke

We said yesterday that Minnesota can score against anyone, and they did. The Astros are taking them lightly and they shouldn't. The Twins have a bunch of sluggers and Minute Maid is a small park, to them. Greinke has proven he can taken down early. The Twins are good at that.

10-Unit Play: Take 964 BOSTON RED SOX OVER NY YANKEES (7:10pm E, Friday, July 23) BOS: Rodriguez. NYY: Cole Garret Cole is a darn good pitcher, but the Red Sox have revenge on their minds and the Yankees aren't listing an offensive lineup that's going to scare anyone. Never any need for extra incentives for these two, so we're taking the Red Sox to lead, then add on, at home. Look for them to get to Cole in the first and second innings.

10-Unit Play: Take 954 PITTSBURGH PIRATES OVER BREWERS (7:05pm E, Friday, July 2) MIL: Houser. PIT: Brubaker

The Pirates are running out of things to play for, but one of those things is when the first place Brewers come to town. They have Brubaker on the mound against Houser and have been playing surprisingly good ball lately. Look for them to surprise Milwaukee tonight.

10-Unit Play: Take 968 BALTIMORE ORIOLES OVER CLEVELAND (7:05pm, E, Friday, June 4th) CLE: Mejia. BAL: Akin.

Baltimore is playing like a new team since they found their way out of that 15-game losing streak. For a while, it looked like they'd never win again. Now it seems everything is going their way. With Akin on the mound and fans in the stadium, they have something to prove. The Indians are coming in thinking this is a lock - they'd better watch their locks - they just might get tomahawked by the time this night is over.

10-Unit Play: Take 926 BOSTON RED SOX Over MIAMI (7:10pm E, Friday, May 28th) Boston: Perez. Miami: Poteet

The Boston Red Sox 30-20 this season and the Miami Marlins are 24-26 and both pitchers have good ERAs. That tells us a lot, but let's dig a little deeper. You know how much we like slugging, in our predictions and this is a good one: The Red Sox are slugging .445 to lead the Major Leagues, led by Rafael Devers, with 29 extra base hits and 14 home runs. We like Boston to run away with this first game of the series.

10-Unit Play: Take 928 PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES +105 Over BOSTON (7:15pm E, Saturday, May 22nd)

On paper, it looks like Boston should beat the Phillies easily. Howard has twice the ERA than Eovaldi and the Phillies are coming into this game on a 3-game losing streak. The latter is exactly why the Phillies win today: 1st (and this not very scientific, we understand): When it comes to sports betting, if it looks too good to be true, it usually is. And 2nd (these are the real reasons): these teams don't like one another and Philadelphia is a tough place to play any sport. Look for Bryce Harper to explode, today, and bump up his .524 Slugging Percentage and add a few to his 15 extra base hits. He may even, possibly, add a couple to his 7 home runs. Also, look for Andrew McCutcheon, at lead off, to have a great day (he is WAY underrated). The Phillies will break their losing streak in a big way today (Philadelphia fans might insurrect, if they don't!). PHILLIES WIN BIG!!

10 Unit Play. Take #911 Chicago (NL) over Detroit (7:10 p.m. Wednesday, August 26)

The Cubs and Tigers both got off to great starts to their seasons but have had their struggles recently. Fortunately for the Cubs, they are still in first place in their division while Detroit is in fourth. Jon Lester will be on the mound for Chicago tonight and he has not been particularly good in his past couple of starts, allowing 13 earned runs and 6 home runs. However, those games were at Wrigley Field where the wind can bring any pitcher to their knees. Lester has made two starts on the road this year and he has been outstanding, winning both contests allowing 1 earned run on 3 hits over 11 innings. Michael Fulmer will take the ball for Detroit and it has been a rough go for him as he is still working his way back from Tommy John surgery last season. Fulmer has made four starts while being on a 3-inning limit and has allowed 12 earned runs and 6 home runs across 11.1 innings. These teams have split the first two games of this series scoring 10 runs apiece and I think the Cubs are going to win this game and take the series. Look for a bounce back from Lester and look for Fulmer's struggles to continue.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-Unit Play. Take #965 San Diego over Texas (9:05 p.m. Monday, August 17)

The Padres have only played their divisional foes so far in their 23 games this season, so playing against anyone outside of their division is welcomed. San Diego will be familiar with Texas' scheduled starter Jordan Lyles, who made 13 appearances for the Fathers during the 2017-2018 season. No surprise this season Lyles is getting knocked around allowing 11 eared runs over his last three starts spanning 14.1 innings. The Padres have lost their last 5 games and I think facing Lyles is going to be the cure they need. Zach Davies will be on the bump for San Diego and he has allowed 2 runs or less in three of his four starts. Padres need a win and I think they get it here.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-Unit Play. Take #906 Colorado over Arizona (3:10 p.m. Wednesday, August 12)

When your struggling as a pitcher the last place you want to pitch at is Coors Field, and that is the position Luke Weaver is in. Weaver has an ERA over 12 on the season and he hasn't made it past the fourth inning in any of his three starts. He will have his hands full with Charlie Blackmon who is batting .500 on the season and brings a 15 game hitting streak into today's matchup. Antonio Senzatela will be on the bump for the Rockies and he has been solid in his three starts this year. Senzatela has won all three games partly because he has had great run support with his offense providing him with over 8 runs a game, but he has allowed fewer than one hit and inning as well. I like the Rockies to win this game and take the series.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-Unit Play. Take #972 Colorado over Arizona (8:40 p.m. Tuesday, August 11)

Kyle Freeland has been dealing so far this season and I don't see any reason why that will change in this matchup. Freeland has gone at least 6 innings in each of his three starts allowing a total of 5 earned runs, all Colorado wins. Zac Gallen has failed to record a win or loss in his three starts so far this season, having pitched well not allowing more than 2 earned runs over those contests. However, he was hit hard by Colorado last year yielding 14 hits over 10.1 innings in two starts and I think the Rockies will deliver at Coors Field. Charlie Blackmon is swinging a hot stick this season leading the Rockies with a .484 average and 19 RBI's. I like the Rockies to get the win tonight after losing game 1 of this series.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-Unit Play. Take #954 Toronto over Washington (4:05 p.m. Thursday, July 30)

Toronto needed a front line starter for their pitching staff so they signed Hyun Jin Ryu in the off season after he went 14-5 with a 2.32 ERA over 29 starts for the Dodgers last year. Ryu was great in his home starts, but he won't be pitching in the friendly confines of Dodgers Stadium or even Toronto for that fact. The Blue Jays will be playing their home games in Buffalo, NY, but Ryu has dominated the Nationals wherever he has faced them. In three starts against the Nationals last season, two of which were in D.C, Ryu allowed 3 earned runs on 13 hits over 19.2 innings with his team winning all three contests. Washington has been struggling at the plate without having Anthony Rendon (left in free agency), Ryan Zimmerman (opted out), and Juan Soto (Covid) in their lineup and I think that will continue tonight. Erick Fedde will make another start filling in for Stephen Strasburg, he lasted just four innings against the Yankees in his first start allowing 2 runs on 4 hits. I think the Jays win today and take three of four from the defending champions.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-Unit Play. Take #955 Arizona over NY Mets (7:10 p.m. Wednesday, September 11)

The Diamondbacks and Mets are separated by just a 1/2 game in the standings sitting 2 1/2 and 3 games out of the second Wild Card spot respectively. The Mets have won the first two games of this series in low scoring contests, but I think Arizona will get the job done tonight. Robbie Ray will be on the mound for the D'backs and he has always pitched well on the road. Ray has been stellar when facing the Mets in his career going 2-0 with a 0.82 ERA over four starts. Steven Matz has pitched well recently for the Mets but he hasn't had much luck when facing Arizona in his career. Matz is 1-1 with a 4.76 ERA across four starts which includes a 7-1 loss on June 2nd when he allowed 5 earned runs (2 home runs) over 6 innings. I like Arizona to get the win in this one.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-Unit Play. Take #917 Tampa Bay over Texas (8:05 p.m. Tuesday, September 10) The Rays are leading the American League Wild Card race but Oakland and Cleveland are right on their heels waiting for them to slip up. With the way Ryan Yarbrough has pitched on the road this season I don't see Tampa Bay losing this contest. Yarbrough is 9-1 with a 2.42 ERA this year on the road through 67 innings pitched (5 starts) while holding opposing hitters to a .174 batting average. Lance Lynn will be on the bump for Texas and he has been solid for most of the year, but he hasn't been as sharp lately. The Rangers have lost the last 6 games Lynn has started and he has allowed 3 earned runs or more in three of his last four starts. Tampa Bay has won five games in a row and I think they keep building to the playoffs with a win tonight.

Best of Luck - DOC's Sports

10-Unit Play. Take #903 Cincinnati over Miami (7:10 p.m. Tuesday, August 27)

The Reds have not lost to the Marlins in four games this season and I don't think that will change in tonight's game. Luis Castillo has owned his former team the three times he has faced them going 2-0 with a 0.39 ERA which includes two starts at Marlins Park. Caleb Smith will be opposing Castillo and he has had a rough August going 1-3 with a 5.66 ERA. Neither of these teams have a shot at making the playoffs so I lean towards the better team with the better starting pitcher. I like the Reds to keep their wining streak alive against the Marlins. 

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-Unit Play. Take #954 Philadelphia over Pittsburgh (7:05 p.m. Monday, August 26) The Phillies wasted an opportunity to gain some ground in the Wild Card race by losing two of three to the last place Marlins over the weekend, but I think they will take it out on the Pirates tonight. Jason Vargas has pitched well for Philadelphia for the most part in his four starts, but doesn't have much to show for it. I think Vargas is going to pick up his first win for his new ballclub and it will help that Bryce Harper is going to return from the paternity list. Joe Musgrove hasn't been very good in four August starts as his ERA is 7.71 over those contests and I think he is catching the Phillies at the wrong time. I like Philadelphia in this one.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-Unit Play. Take #901 Washington over Pittsburgh (7:05 p.m. Monday, August 19)

The Nationals are playing some of their best baseball of their season winning nine of their last twelve and I think they will keep it rolling in this one. Joe Ross has had a great three game stretch run, winning all three starts and allowing just one run over 18 innings. Two of those starts were on the road and I think he can limit a Pirates team that has struggled to build any momentum this season. Trevor Williams has an ERA over 6 at home this season and he has allowed 11 earned runs over his last two starts. I don't think this bodes well for Pittsburgh as the Nationals have been swinging the bats really well and I like Washington to pick up the win.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-Unit Play. Take #908 Atlanta over NY Mets (7:20 p.m. Thursday, August 15)

The Mets went on a serious run over the past couple of weeks and took advantage of playing against some of the weaker teams in baseball, but it has been a different story facing the Braves. Atlanta took the first two games of this series against New York and I think they are going to complete the sweep tonight. Julio Teheran has pitched really well over his last 7 starts going 2-1 with a 1.91 ERA allowing more than 2 earned runs just once. Teheran is notorious for pitching better at home than on the road and his ERA is a run and a half lower at home this season. Marcus Stroman will be on the bump for the Mets and he has allowed 7 earned runs on 16 hits over 10.1 innings in his first two starts for New York. I think Stroman is going to have a difficult time navigating the Atlanta lineup that is playing well right now.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-Unit Play. Take #956 Philadelphia over Chicago (NL) (7:05 p.m. Wednesday, August 14)

Philadelphia and Chicago both have playoff aspirations and are separated by 3 games in the standings so these games are very important. The Phillies won last night and with the way Aaron Nola has pitched at home this season I think they will take game 2 of this series as well. Nola is 5-1 with a 3.07 ERA across 15 starts at home this season and he has won the last two starts there. Cole Hamels hasn't been as sharp on the road as he is when he pitches at home this season and he wasn't at his best when he faced the Phillies on May 22nd only lasting 4 innings while allowing 3 runs on 9 hits. I like the Phillies in this one.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-Unit Play. Take #928 Seattle over Detroit (10:10 p.m. Friday, July 26) No one is going to make the mistake of saying this is going to be a great pitching matchup as both of the starting pitchers have had their share of struggles. Daniel Norris hasn't picked up a victory since May 12th and has an ERA just under 6 over 12 starts. Additionally, Norris has never beaten the Mariners going 0-2 with a 5.79 ERA in 5 career starts and I think Seattle's offense will carry the momentum they have built up in the past couple of games. Yusei Kikuchi will be on the mound for the Mariners and he has won just once in his last 10 starts, but he has never faced the Tigers so I think that will be an advantage he will be able to exploit. I think Seattle keeps their winning streak going and gets the win.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-Unit Play. Take #955 San Diego over NY Mets (7:10 p.m. Tuesday, July 23) The flight home from San Francisco was going to be grueling enough for the Mets, but the fact that they dropped a third game out of four to the Giants on the way out had to make the flight even worse. Things aren't going to get any easier when they show up to the ballpark tonight when the Mets have to face Chris Paddack who has been lights out recently. Paddack has allowed 2 earned runs over his last 19.1 innings which has resulted in three wins for the Padres. Paddack shut out the Mets earlier this season over 7.2 innings allowing just 4 hits in a 4-0 win and I think he will deliver a similar performance in tonight's contest. Jason Vargas will be on the mound for New York and he picked up a win his last time out, but that was more because his offense backed him up with 14 runs. Vargas has allowed 12 earned runs over his last three starts spanning 16.1 innings and I think the San Diego offense will do some damage against him tonight. I think the Dads in this one.

Best of Luck - Strike Point Sports

10-Unit Play. Take #912 Arizona over Milwaukee (8:10 p.m. Saturday, July 20)

Most of the time I wouldn't have a lot of faith in Gio Gonzalez but I have even less confidence in him now that he is making his first start since May 27th due to arm fatigue. I also think the Diamondbacks have the advantage in this one with Zack Greinke being on the mound. Greinke was not at his best his last time out when he yielded 5 runs over 6 innings at St. Louis in a 5-2 loss, but I think he will fare better at home against the Brewers who he hasn't faced this season. The Brewers bullpen will be counted on tonight as Gonzalez won't last long but they used 4 relievers in last nights contest so I think that will be a factor as well. These teams split the first two games of this series and are separated by just a 1/2 game in the standings and I like the home team to pick up the win. 

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-Unit Play. Take #908 San Francisco over St. Louis (10:05 p.m. Saturday, July 6)

There have been plenty of rumors that Madison Bumgarner could be traded before the trade deadline so this could be an audition of sorts for him. He will be facing a Cardinals team that hasn't been playing their best ball and will be without one of their best players as Marcell Ozuna is still on a rehab assignment. Miles Mikolas will be pitching for St. Louis and he hasn't been able to recapture his pitching form that led him to 18 wins last season. The Giants lost last night's contest but I think they are going to bounce back in this game and even up the series.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-Unit Play. Take #919 Cleveland over Detroit (7:10 p.m. Friday, June 14) Game of the Week. Cleveland came in with high expectations again this season but have scuffled due to injuries and inconsistent play. Playing against the Tigers could help turn things around and give them some momentum as the All-Star break nears. The Indians took two of three games from Detroit earlier this season and I think they will win this matchup. Adam Plutko has been sharp in two of his three starts allowing two runs or fewer and I think he can limit a Tigers team that ranks in the bottom of most offensive categories. Ryan Carpenter has been brutal when pitching at home this season going 1-3 with a 10.53 ERA over four starts allowing 7 home runs across 19.2 innings. I like the Indians to take the first game of this series.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-Unit Play. Take #912 Arizona over San Francisco (9:40 p.m. Friday, May 17)

This is the first time these two National League West Rivals will be meeting each other this season with Arizona 5 games up on San Francisco in the standings. The Giants will get their first look at rookie right hander Merrill Kelly which I think is an advantage for Kelly. Kelly has been up and down in his first season with the D'backs but he has been better when pitching at home where his ERA is 3 runs lower than it is on the road. Jeff Samardzija has faced the Diamondbacks plenty of times in his career and has an ERA over 4 in those matchups. He has been prone to giving up home runs on the road this season allowing 6 in 20.1 innings pitched with an ERA of 4.43 and with the way Arizona has been swinging the bats I think some balls could leave the ballpark in this one. I like the D'backs to take the first game of the season between these two.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-Unit Play. Take #910 Minnesota over LA Angels (7:40 p.m. Monday, May 12)

The Twins have been getting some great efforts by their starting pitchers recently and I expect Jose Berrios to deliver another solid performance in tonight's matchup. Berrios has won his last five starts going at least 6 innings in each of those and he has been filthy at home this season winning all four starts behind a 1.98 ERA. Nelson Cruz probably won't be in the lineup tonight for the Twins as he left last night's contest with a wrist injury, but Minnesota has been getting contributions all throughout their lineup this season and I think they can have success against Los Angeles starter Tyler Skaggs. Skaggs hasn't been very effective on the road this season as he is 1-3 with a 6.38 ERA across four starts and Minnesota is 6 games over .500 at home on the season. The Twins are 7-1 in the games Berrios has started this year and I think they will find a way to get it done in this matchup as well.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-Unit Play. Take #927 Milwaukee over LA Angels (10:05 p.m. Tuesday, April 9) With the starts that Christian Yelich and Mike Trout are off to they both could be winning another MVP award. Trout's Angels got the win in the first game of this series last night but I think Yelich and the Brewers bounce back in this one to even the series. Freddy Peralta will be on the mound for Milwaukee and he fired 8 scoreless innings while striking out 11 against the Reds his last time out and I think he can have similar results in this one. Matt Harvey is still trying to figure things out in his new digs, but he has never been good against the Brewers as he is 1-3 with a 6.39 ERA in 6 career starts against Milwaukee. I think the Brewers get it done in this one.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-Unit Play. Take #914 N.Y. Yankees over Boston (7:35 p.m. Monday, October 8)

One of the most heated rivalries in all of sports heads back to the Bronx for Game 3 all tied up at one game a piece. The team who grabbed the early lead were the winners in game 1 and 2 as Boston took an early in game 1 and New York did the same in game 2. I think the Yankees will get the lead early in this game and are going to take a 2-1 edge in the series. Luis Severino will be on the mound for the Yankees tonight and he has been great when pitching at home all season as he went 10-2 with a 2.74 ERA in 15 starts. Severino dominated the Red Sox in three starts (Yankees won all three games) in the Bronx going 2-0 allowing just 3 runs on 14 hits over 19.2 innings not allowing any home runs. Nathan Eovaldi will have the ball for Boston and he has pitched the Yankees tough this season, but he has done his best work when he was pitching at home. Eovaldi went 2-6 with a 5.14 ERA in 13 starts on the road this season with his ERA being a full 3 runs higher as compared to when pitching at home. He went 0-1 with a 3.38 ERA in two starts in Yankee Stadium allowing 5 earned runs on 10 hits over 13.1 innings, and it will be unlike any atmosphere he has ever pitched in seeing how this will be his first career postseason start. You could feel the momentum start to swing at the end of Game 1 towards the Yankees and I think they will keep riding that tonight and pick up the win.

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10-Unit Play. Take #956 Chicago (NL) over Pittsburgh (8:05 p.m. Tuesday, September 25) The Cubs and Pirates could not have played each other any tougher this season as they have played 16 times with both teams winning 8 games. Two of Chicago's wins belong to Mike Montgomery who is 2-0 with a 2.63 ERA against the Pirates this season as he has won both of his starts against them while also making a relief appearance against them early in the season. The Cubs don't have much room for error with just a few games left in the season as the Brewers are just a game and half behind them for the division lead. I think Chicago wil get the job done tonight against Chris Archer who hasn't put it all together for the Pirates since being acquired before the trade deadline. I think the Cubs bounce back after dropping the first game of this series last night to pick up the win.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-Unit Play. Take #965 Tampa Bay over Toronto (7:05 p.m. Wednesday, September 5)

Tampa Bay is one of the hottest teams in baseball right now and are not giving up on the playoffs. The Rays have won 13 of their last 15 games and are 7 games behind Oakland for the second wild card spot. Tyler Glasnow has not only made the adjustment of switching teams and leagues but he has also made a nice transition from reliever with the Pirates to a starter for Tampa. Glasnow has made 6 starts for the Rays allowing just one run in four of those as he is still in search of his first win for his new club. Aaron Sanchez has made two starts since returning from the disabled list and has allowed 11 runs over 8.1 innings and I think he will struggle in this matchup as well. This season can't get over soon enough for the Blue Jays as they have lost seven of their last nine games and have traded away many players. Tampa has won nine of the eleven matchups against Toronto this season and I think they will finish off the sweep in this series with a win tonight.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-Unit Play. Take #904 St. Louis over Washington (8:10 p.m. Monday, August 13)

The Nationals had a major meltdown last night losing on a walk off grand slam and I think that is going to carry over into tonight's matchup. Miles Mikolas has been St. Louis best pitcher this year going 12-3 with a 2.74 ERA and he hasn't lost in his last 7 starts. Mikolas hasn't faced the Nationals this year and I think he will be able to keep them off balance. Tommy Milone will be making his fourth start for Washington. He was knocked around in his last start by the Braves allowing 7 runs on 10 hits and I think he will have his hands full with the Cardinals lineup that is playing with a lot of confidence right now. I think St. Louis gets it done tonight to kick off their homestand.

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10-Unit Play. Take #967 Boston over Toronto (7:05 p.m. Wednesday, August 8)

Boston is the first team in the majors to reach 80 wins with 11 of them coming at the hands of Toronto and I think they will add to both of those totals tonight. Boston was powered to victory last night with three run home runs from JD Martinez and Mitch Moreland while Jackie Bradley Jr added a two run shot of his own. Mike Hauschild picked up his first major league victory his last time out but I think he will have different results against the Red Sox in this matchup as Boston is on a roll right now. Brian Johnson struck out 11 Yankees over 5 innings in a 15-7 win his last time out and he is 2-1 with a 2.57 ERA in seven starts this year. Boston has won their last 5 games and I think they will pick up another win tonight.

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10-Unit Play. Take #903 Philadelphia over Cincinnati (6:40 p.m. Saturday, July 28)

The Reds finally beat the Phillies last night for the first time in five tries this season, but I think that will be short lived as Philadelphia has the edge in this one. Vince Velasquez will be pitching for the Phillies and he has never faced the Reds in his career which I think gives him an advantage. Velasquez has been dynamite on the road in his last 5 starts allowing just 4 runs spanning 29.1 innings and I think he will keep it rolling in this one. Matt Harvey will be pitching for the Reds and he owns an ERA over 5 in five starts he has made at Great American Ballpark since he was acquired from the Mets. There will be additional pressure and scouts watching Harvey today as he is a potential trade candidate before the trade deadline as Cincinnati does not view him as part of their long term plans. I like the Phillies to continue their success against the Reds and win this game.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-Unit Play. Take #909 LA Dodgers over Atlanta (7:35 p.m. Thursday, July 26)

Los Angeles and Atlanta have nearly identical records and both are in battles in their respective divisions who will send veterans to the mound. Rich Hill has never taken a loss in eight appearances against the Braves in his career, as he is 4-0 with a 2.04 ERA and I think he will deliver tonight. Anibal Sanchez has been more than the Braves could have asked for this year going 5-2 with a 2.76 ERA, but I just can't see him continuing to pitch this well especially against the Dodgers lineup. The Dodgers took two of three from the Braves in early June and I think they start this series off with a win.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-Unit Play. Take #951 LA Dodgers over Philadelphia (7:05 p.m. Monday, July 23)

The rich just keep getting richer as the Dodgers were able to complete a deal over the All-Star break to bring in Manny Machado. Machado has adjusted well and is off to a good start with his new club as he has batted 5-13 (.385) through his first three games. LA will take on the first place Phillies after taking two of three from the Brewers and with Ross Stripling taking the mound, I like their chances to pick up the win. Stripling, fresh off his first All-Star appearance holds an ERA of 2.01 through 13 starts this year, and he beat the Phillies on May 30th when he allowed one run over seven innings while striking out nine in the 8-2 victory. Zach Eflin's last loss came at the hands of the Dodgers and Stripling when he allowed 5 runs over 4 innings on May 30th and he will be coming off the disabled list for this start so I he could be a little rusty. I like L.A. in this one.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

8-unit Play Take #903 Milwaukee Brewers over Cincinnati Reds (1:10pm EST) The Reds are getting a lot of attention after a recent red hot 12-3 run. But they're still in last place and miles from where the Brewers are. Matt Harvey is slated to go for the Reds here and I don't think he's going to survive the season in the starting rotation. He's put up a horrible 5.28 ERA in 2018 and things are just as bad as they were with the Mets. Milwaukee goes with Freddy Peralta here. The young hurler is 3-0 with a 1.59 ERA and 0.71 WHIP in his first four major league starts. Not bad for a 22-year old. This is a colossal mismatch and I have the line almost 30 cents higher. Play Milwaukee in our National League Game of the Year.

10-unit Play Take #918 Chicago White Sox over Detroit Tigers (8:10pm EST)  On only the Tigers could starter Mike Fiers find a job this season. The 32-year old right-hander has had a tough go of it the last couple of seasons and he hasn’t been very good for Detroit this season either. He’s 5-3 with a 4.01 ERA, but Fiers is striking out just 6.7 batters per nine innings and he’s seen a considerable drop in his groundball rate as well. I’m selling high on this Tigers team right not as well. Detroit is only four games below the .500 mark right now and that’s a far cry from where they’ll be come season’s end. Miguel Cabrera is now lost for the season and there are just too many holes in the lineup and pitching staff to continue counting on veterans past their prime. The White Sox, meanwhile, has been playing better after a very rough start to the 2018 campaign. Chicago is 6-4 in its last 10 games and there’s marked improvement from some of their youngsters. The White Sox are a couple of years away from contending, but they’ll continue to get better as the season goes on. Take the White Sox on Friday.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

10-unit Play Take #926 Tampa Bay Rays over Seattle Mariners (4:10pm EST) Blake Snell is no long a future MLB ace - he already is one. The 25-year old southpaw is 7-3 with a 2.36 ERA and he's still getting better. Snell has one of the best curveballs in the game and has the pitching acumen of a cagey veteran. On Saturday he'll go up against the Seattle Mariners. What a season it has been for the first place M's. They're 40-23, but they're run differential is barely ahead of the amount of games they are above the .500 mark at just +23. Clearly, Seattle has had plenty of good fortune to get to this point. I'm worried about the lineup continuing to produce without Robinson Cano. There are several guys hitting above their abilities and that's not going to last all season. Felix Hernandez goes in this one and I think he's closer to hanging it up than people think. King Felix has a 5.33 ERA and his peripherals continue to deteriorate. At this point he's just hurting his team. Take Tampa in our Saturday big play.

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10-unit Play Take #905 Chicago Cubs over Pittsburgh Pirates (7:05pm EST) The Chicago Cubs haven’t hit their stride yet in 2018. But they’re still sitting in second place in the NL Central and have the best run differential in the National League by a pretty healthy margin. The offense has been terrific thus far and the bullpen has been lights out as well. It’s the starting rotation that has been the biggest problem in Chicago, but that won’t be an issue on Wednesday. Kyle Hendricks gets the ball for the Cubs and he’s rock solid once again with a 3.16 ERA in 11 starts. He isn’t flashy but he doesn’t walk many and knows how to induce weak contact. The Pirates counter with Joe Musgrove, who will make just his second major league start this season. Musgrove was terrific in his debut with the Pirates last time out versus the Cardinals. He went seven innings without allowing a run and issues just five hits and a walk. I think too much emphasis is being placed on that one start, however, as the line for this game is about 10-15 cents too low. Take the Cubs on the road as small favorites here.

10-unit Play Take #958 Colorado Rockies over Cincinnati Reds (3:10pm EST) This is the game where it hits the fans for Matt Harvey. I’m not a believer that he has all of a sudden figured things out after getting traded to the Reds. His 2.57 ERA with Cincinnati is not indicative of how he’s pitched in his three starts with them. Harvey has a 4.12 xFIP in those games and benefited from a .231 BABIP and 88% strand rate. Now he goes to Coors Field where his low groundball rate is going to hurt him badly. The Rockies are quietly in first place in the NL West despite playing more road games than any team in baseball up to this point. Since they have one of the biggest home field advantages in the game, that bodes well for Colorado going forward. German Marquez gets the ball for the Rockies in this one. He comes in with a 4.62 ERA but that’s mostly due to a couple of poor outings in Coors. The Rockies should be favored by at least 20 cents higher in this one. Take Colorado.

10-unit Play Take #912 Cleveland Indians over Houston Astros (6:10pm EST) The Cleveland Indians have put together a mediocre season up to this point. They're just 24-23 coming into today, although that is good enough for the top spot in the AL Central. But the Tribe are showing some signs of life. They just completely an impressive two-game sweep of the Cubs in which their staff allowed just one run. The bats are also starting to wake up. This team is too good to stay around the .500 mark for much longer. Houston is 32-18 and clearly the best team in baseball. They've won six of seven and have looked impressive in doing so. However, I don't think they are justified laying this price in Cleveland. Charlie Morton has been great at 6-0 with a 1.94 ERA, but his peripherals show that he's been fortunate. He deserves an ERA over 3.00 at this point. Mike Clevinger goes to the mound for the Tribe. Clevinger has been terrific with a 2.87 ERA. He has a tremendous groundball rate and he knows how to pitch to contact. I like Cleveland as the home underdog.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #976 Kansas City Royals over Chicago White Sox (8:15pm EST)  The Kansas City Royals aren’t the same team they’ve been in recent years. They lost their two best players from last year’s roster in Eric Hosmer and Lorenzo Cain. They were also without Salvador Perez for some time, who just came back from an injury. Getting Perez back was big and they still have Mike Moustakas, who is putting up phenomenal numbers so far. Kansas City has the worst record in the American League, but I don’t expect that to continue. That’s because their opponent on Friday, the Chicago White Sox, are worse. Chicago has one of the youngest teams in baseball and there are holes all over the roster. They’re on the right track from a rebuilding standpoint, but it’s going to get worse before it gets better. The Royals have a big edge on the mound here with Danny Duffy going up against Reynaldo Lopez. Duffy has started slow, but he’s one of the more underrated arms in the league. Lopez comes in with a 1.50 ERA in four starts, but he’s been extremely fortunate. He has a 4.23 FIP and a 5.01 xFIP. He’s stranded a ridiculous 91% of runners and has a 7% HR/FB rate – both of which are unsustainable. Take Kansas City here at home.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

10-unit Play Take #963 Oakland A’s over Texas Rangers (8:05 pm EST)  The Texas Rangers are a banged up unit right now. They’re missing their double play combination of Rougned Odor and Elvis Andrus along with a few arms from their pitching staff. They’ve had to plug several guys into the lineup who just aren’t ready and it’s led to a rough 8-15 start to the 2018 campaign. On Monday, Texas lefty Matt Moore toes the rubber against the A’s. Moore has fallen apart in recent years and it’s surprising that he’s still making starts in the big leagues every five days. Moore posted a 5.43 ERA in 2015, a 4.08 ERA in 2016, a 5.52 ERA in 2017 and has started 2018 with a 5.59 ERA. His control has gotten gradually worse and there doesn’t seem to be any signs of hope for the 28-year old. Meanwhile, the A’s are off to a solid 11-11 start and have won six of their last seven overall (including two of three over Boston). Both their pitching and hitting are clicking right now. Trevor Cahill goes for Oakland and he’s coming off of a really nice effort the last time out versus the White Sox (7 innings, 0 runs, 5 hits and 8 strikeouts). Oakland is the right side in Monday’s game.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

10-unit Play Take #930 Los Angeles Angels over San Francisco Giants (10:05pm EST) The San Francisco Giants had big problems scoring runs last season. They finished 14th in the National League in runs scored last year. So they decided to add Andrew McCutchen and Evan Longoria in the offseason in an effort to shore up the offense. It hasn’t worked. The Giants are now dead last in the National League in runs scored and McCutchen and Longoria have played poorly. This is an aging team that has finally hit the proverbial wall in their playing careers. On the other hand, the Angels have been sparked by Shohei Ohtani and the team is off to a great 13-5 start. There are no longer any holes in the lineup and Mike Trout doesn’t have to do it all by himself. Andrew Heaney goes to the hill for the Halos on Friday. Heaney has been injured for the majority of the last two seasons and now he’s as healthy as he has been since 2015 when he posted a 3.49 ERA in 18 starts. He struck out seven batters in five innings of work in his only start this season and I think he’s going to be an asset to the Angels’ rotation. Derek Holland goes for the Giants. Holland doesn’t deserve a spot in a big-league rotation, but when Madison Bumgarner went down with an injury, San Francisco was desperate. Holland has a terrible 4.60 ERA in three starts this season, despite all of them being played in strong pitcher-friendly parks. He won’t last much longer in the rotation. Take the Angels in our MLB Game of the Week.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

10-unit Play Take #925 Boston Red Sox over Los Angeles Angels (10:05pm EST) Two teams off to hot starts will square off in Anaheim as the Angels host the Red Sox. The Angels are an impressive 13-4 to open the 2018 campaign and have a +39 run differential. The Red Sox are even better at 14-2 with a +51 run differential. Much of the success of the Angels is because of phenom Shohei Ohtani. The Halos are 10-1 in games in which he appears as a hitter or pitcher. Without him, just 3-3 overall. Ohtani won't be in the lineup tonight due to a blister problem. The BoSox go with Rick Porcello and he's been amazing this season, going 3-0 with a 1.83 ERA in 19.2 innings of work. Tyler Skaggs has been equally as good for the Angels going 2-0 with a 1.69 ERA in 16 innings. I believe more in Porcello and I think Boston sports the better lineup as well. And with no Ohtani, the Angels are a mediocre bunch. Take the Red Sox tonight.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #910 Arizona Diamondbacks over Los Angeles Dodgers (9:40pm EST)  The Los Angles Dodgers haven’t looked good early on. In their opening four-game series of the season against the Giants, Los Angeles was not able to muster very much offense (shutout in the first two contests). I think some of their struggles are due to the postseason hangover from last year. The Dodgers went all the way to the seventh game of the World Series and teams that play that deep into the season typically start a big sluggish. Arizona had a great 2017 winning 93 games, but were unfortunately overshadowed by the Dodgers spectacular season. I think the D-Backs will be right in the mix again. They made some nice acquisitions brining in Steven Souza, Jarrod Dyson, Alex Avila and Brad Boxberger in the off-season. I’m a big fan of Taijuan Walker, who broke through with his best season of his young career in 2017 with a  3.49 ERA. Take Arizona as the home underdog in this one.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

10-unit Play Take #922 Boston Red Sox over Cleveland Indians (6:10pm EST) Red Sox starter Doug Fister struggled mightily early on but lately he's regained his old form. Over his last four outings, the veteran right-hander has a 3.57 ERA with a 1.14 WHIP and a 15-4 K-BB ratio. The Red Sox have been red hot of late, registering a 10-1 record over their last 11 contests. That included a huge series they just won in Yankee Stadium. The offense has been clicking and they've gotten some great efforts from the starting rotation and bullpen over the last few weeks. Today they play a makeup game against the Indians and the Red Sox and this one should favor Boston. The Indians have to travel up to Boston from Tampa to play this single game, before heading back on the road to Minnesota. It's obviously not an ideal situation for the Tribe, while the Red Sox just go back home from New York to get ready for this one. Cleveland sends Trevor Bauer to the bump today. Overall it's been a tough season for Bauer, but he has pitched much better of late. But today he gets a tougher challenge in Fenway Park against a surging BoSox lineup. I like Boston to get the job done in our MLB Game of the Week.

10-unit Play Take #964 Los Angeles Angels over Baltimore Orioles (3:35pm EST) We notched a winner with the Angels last night and are going back to the well again here tonight. The Orioles are just a different team on the road, and are just 21-34 away from Camden this season. The Angels are quietly still in the playoff hunt, led by superstar Mike Trout. Kevin Gausman gets the ball for the O's today and he's basically been a bust. Big things were expected of the right-hander, but Gausman comes in with a hefty 5.15 ERA. You could assume that a lot of that damage, but he actually has been much worse on the road this season (5.77 ERA). The Angels counter with youngster Troy Scribner. This will be just the second big league start for Scribner, but he's a crafty hurler who knows how to pitch. This price is at least 10 cents off, so we're on the Halos again

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #920 Los Angeles Angels over Baltimore Orioles (10:05pm EST) The Los Angeles Angels have been flying under the radar a bit this season. They're probably not going to be a playoff team (although they are only three games out of the second wild card), but Halos are a respectable 55-58 on the season and that includes missing Mike Trout for over a month. Parker Bridwell gets the ball for them tonight against the Orioles. Bridwell is 5-1 with a 3.20 ERA in 59 innings of work. He doesn't have overpowering stuff, but he induces weak contact and doesn't get himself into too much trouble. The newly-acquired Jeremy Hellickson goes for Baltimore. His numbers in Philadelphia this season were not good, and I don't think coming over to Baltimore is going to help at all. The Angels are a better team right now and the O's have really struggled on the road at 21-33. Play the Halos at home today.

10-unit Play Take #954 Cincinnati Reds over San Diego Padres (7:10pm EST) We're into the dog days of the summer and the San Diego Padres may be a little more gassed than usual for today's game. That's because they played 12 innings yesterday in Pittsburgh and had to jump on a plane to Cincinnati afterwards. To make matters worse, they lost 5-4 on a walk-off home run by Sean Rodriguez, who just returned to the Pirates. The Pads have exceeded expectations this season in the win column, but they do have the worst run differential in baseball by a pretty wide margin. The Reds have been in the NL Central cellar for most of the season, but they've held their own at home (26-30). Take the Reds in today's matchup.

10-unit Play Take #962 Baltimore Orioles over Detroit Tigers (7:05pm EST) The Baltimore Orioles have won five straight games as they try to get back into the wild card race in the American League. The O's have been dominant at home this season, posting a 33-21 mark (the most wins in the AL). The Tigers roster is depleted after the trade deadline. They traded away JD Martinez along with Justin Wilson and Alex Avila. This line should be about 10-15 cents higher, so we're on Baltimore today.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

8-unit Play Take #916 New York Yankees (-150) over Tampa Bay Rays (1:05pm EST) Yankees' rookie pitcher Caleb Smith has a 8.10 ERA in just 6.2 innings of work, but manager Joe Girardi said that Smith ?earned another turn in the rotation.? The 26-year old throws hard and has some pretty good stuff. He struck out seven batters in those 6.2 innings and has strong strikeout numbers in the minor leagues at every level. This will be his first outing at home. The Yankees are second in the AL in runs scored and at home they have a league-best .833 OPS with 84 home runs (also tops in the AL). Needless to say, this lineup likes to hit here.

Blake Snell of the Rays was supposed to be a potential ace and he still may be at some point. But right now he's a little lost out there on the mound. Snell is 0-6 with a 4.86 ERA and he's walking 5.4 batters per nine innings. Over his last five starts, Snell has issued 16 free passes in just 26.2 innings. His ERA over that span is 6.08 ERA. The Rays as a team are in a slump as well. Tampa is just 2-7 over their last nine contests and all but two of those games were at home. This is a big series for both teams, but I think the Yankees have a pretty big edge in this one. The line is about 20-25 cents short of where it should be, so we're on the Yankees in our AL Game of the Year.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #918 Tampa Bay Rays over Baltimore Orioles (7:10pm EST) It's hard not to respect what the Tampa Bay Rays have done with no superstars on their roster. Manager Kevin Cash utilizes all 25 guys on his squad and they're getting production from a lot of different spots right now. However, they've lost five straight games and really need a win today before things start to unravel. Jake Faria makes his ninth start of his career tonight in Tampa against the O's and he's been great so far in his rookie campaign. He has good stuff and is pitching like a veteran at the tender age of 23. The O's counter with Wade Miley, who has really struggled in 2017. Miley checks in with a 5.58 ERA and has had some major control problems. He's walking 5.4 batters per nine innings and it's gotten worse of late. In addition, the O's have really struggled away from Camden Yards this season (18-30). Take Tampa tonight in our 7-unit MLB Game of the Month.

10-unit Play Take #906 Cincinnati Reds over Miami Marlins (7:10pm EST) It's been a tough season for the Miami Marlins and the frustration finally came on a couple days ago. Giancarlo Stanton voiced his disgust with the team losing a series to the lowly Phillies after a 10-3 thrashing on Wednesday. Stanton commented in the postgame, ?If you can't win a series against the worst team in the league, there's not much going for you, right there.? The Marlins have now dropped five of six and the team is looking to move several players. Pitcher David Phelps was just moved to the Mariners and there are several teams eyeing AJ Ramos. Even several big names like Marcel Ozuna, Christian Yelich and Stanton have been discussed by some teams. Clearly the team isn't very focused right now and it's probably going to get worse before it gets better. The picture isn't too much brighter in Cincinnati, but at least there doesn't appear to be any unrest in the locker room. Take the Reds to get the job done in our MLB Game of the Week.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #957 Cincinnati Reds over San Diego Padres (10:10pm EST) The Cincinnati Reds are playing respectable at 29-33 to open the 2017 season. It's certainly better than they were pegged in the spring, but it doesn't appear that anyone is buying in. The Reds are underdogs in San Diego tonight as they take on probably the worst team in the sport. The Padres are 24-40 and are heading into tonight's game on a 1-7 skid. In fact, the Pads have been getting trounced lately. Over those eight contests, San Diego has been outscored by a combined 68-26. That's about as ugly as it gets, and I'm pretty sure we can mark the Padres down for 100+ losses this season. Two awful pitchers get the ball tonight, but the Reds have the better offense and defense here. Take Cincinnati at a great price in our MLB Game of the Week.

10-unit Play Take #910 Arizona Diamondbacks over Milwaukee Brewers (9:40pm EST) We are over a third of the way through the long marathon of a season, and it's time to declare that the Arizona Diamondbacks are in fact for real. They are 37-25 coming into today's action and have outscored their opponents by 72 runs this season. The Brewers are having a nice season as well, sitting atop the NL Central at 32-29 currently. However, I don't think the Brewers can sustain it long-term. They've had a favorable schedule to date, including far more home games than away games. The Brewers also have some major holes in the starting rotation and in the bullpen.

Today's starter Zach Davies has struggled all season with a 4.69 ERA and 1.55 WHIP over his 12 starts. He's looked a little better of late, but I'm not sure he's ready to be a full-time starter at the major league level yet. Arizona counters with Randall Delgado today. He's making just his fourth start in 2017, working from the bullpen for the most part. Delgado owns a nice 3.24 ERA in 41.2 innings of work and has looked good over his last three starts, giving up just one run in each contest. He's fortunate that Ryan Braun is out of the lineup with an injury, which really changes things for Milwaukee. Arizona can now pitch around Eric Thames and try to let someone else on the roster beat them. The D-Backs head into today's series versus the Brewers on a three-game win streak and I think they extend it here. Take Arizona in our MLB Game of the Month.

10-unit Play Take #978 Seattle Mariners over Tampa Bay Rays (4:10pm EST) Look for the Seattle Mariners to make a run in June. They've played a ton of road games already this season, but they're mostly at Safeco Field this month and play much better their historically. This team also saw a lot of turnover in the offseason and it's taken some time to put all of the pieces together and figure out everybody's role. In addition, the Mariners have fought a lot of injuries in the early going but are mostly healthy now. Tampa Bay is off to a decent start at 29-29, but they are a couple of players short of competing for the postseason in 2017. Given their budgetary restrictions, that's not likely to happen. The Mariners have the edge on the mound today and I think they're the better team as well. Play Seattle here.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #912 Toronto Blue Jays over New York Yankees (7:05pm EST) The Toronto Blue Jays have almost done it. After starting the season with an ugly 1-9 record, the Jays are just one game away from getting to the .500 mark. That's impressive considering that Josh Donaldson has missed the majority of the season and Edwin Encarnacion is in Cleveland. This Jays team still has plenty of firepower and the pitching staff has stepped up its game as well. Today's starter Marco Estrada is 4-2 with a tidy 3.15 ERA and continues to dominate with 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings. Considering he's averaged just 8.2 strikeouts per nine innings over his career, Estrada has definitely figured something out in 2017. He's also walking fewer batters and going deeper into games. Today he gets a true test against a loaded Yankees lineup. However, I'm not sure I'm a long-term believer in the Yankees just yet. They've gotten some off-the-charts kind of production from some places they didn't expect it, so a little regression is probably in order. Give me the Blue Jays at home today.

10-unit Play Take #968 Baltimore Orioles over New York Yankees (7:05pm EST) I'm still not a full believer in the New York Yankees. Their offense can't continue to put up these numbers, and there's trouble looming ahead in the rotation. One of the guys that's been struggling on the mound is today's starter Masahiro Tanaka. He comes in with a 5.86 ERA in 10 starts and hasn't looked comfortable out there. He may be pitching through an injury or may be having trouble with some mechanics. Baltimore's Chris Tillman has also had a really rough time this season (6.17 ERA). As a result, I think this one comes down to which offense can take advantage the most. The O's have been really good at Camden Yards this season and their hitters are built for this park. Value with the Orioles today.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #980 Oakland A's over Miami Marlins (10:05pm EST) The Miami Marlins are off to a brutal 15-28 start. They clearly have more talent than that, but right now things aren't clicking and superstar Giancarlo Stanton has voiced his frustration on a couple of occasions. They'll eventually get it going, but right now we're going to continue fading away. The Oakland A's are a respectable 20-24 in the tough AL West. It's probably the most competitive division in baseball overall. The A's have the edge on the mound today with Jesse Hahn over Jose Urena, and we're taking Oakland today.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #963 Arizona Diamondbacks over San Diego Padres (4:40pm EST) This is just another fade of the San Diego Padres. The betting markets don't think they are a terrible team, which they certainly are. You'll see much higher lines against them as the season wears on, but for the meantime there is value on their opponents. Today's starter Clayton Richard doesn't belong in a big league rotation at this point in his career. Richard is 2-5 with a 4.86 ERA and 1.53 WHIP, despite the fact they half of his starts are in pitcher-friendly Petco Park. Take the Arizona Diamondbacks in today's matchup.

10-unit Play Take #968 Toronto Blue Jays over Atlanta Braves (7:05pm EST) After a horrible 1-10 start to the 2017 campaign, the Toronto Blue Jays have found their groove. The Jays have won five straight and seven of eight games against some pretty good competition. The offense is missing some key guys, but the pitching staff has clearly stepped it up in recent weeks. Today Mark Bolsinger makes his second start of the year for Toronto. He's coming off of a forgettable year with the Dodgers, but Bolsinger was great in Triple-A this season and looked good against the Indians last week. Today he faces a slumping Braves offense. Atlanta has lost eight of 11 and heads to Toronto for a rare series with the Jays. The American League has dominated the National League once again this season, with a 35-21 record thru Sunday. That win percentage equates to a 101-win team over 162 games. Bartolo Colon gets the ball for the Braves and he's been horrific so far in 2017. Colon comes in with a 7.22 ERA and 1.42 WHIP in seven starts. His control isn't as sharp as it's been in recent years and location is the entire key to Colon's game. I look for the red hot Jays to bounce Colon early and gain an early advantage that they should hold onto. Play Toronto in our MLB Game of the Year. 

10-unit Play Take #916 New York Yankees over Houston Astros (7:05pm EST) The New York Yankees are for real. Not only are they 21-11, but they are backing it up with the best run differential in all of baseball at +55 runs. Much of their damage has been done at home, where the Yanks are an impressive 12-4. Today they're in Yankees Stadium versus the first place Houston Astros. Jordan Montgomery gets the ball for New York and has been impressive in his five starts, posting a 3.81 ERA in 28.1 innings of work. He's also a left-hander, which is a nice advantage at home with the short dimensions out in leftfield. The Astros counter with right-hander Lance McCullers. It's hard not to like what McCullers has done this season. He owns a nice 3.40 ERA and has some exceptional peripherals, including a 10.6 strikeout rate per innings. He's a future ace, but there's going to be some bumps along the way. The Yankees lead the American League in runs scored and will give McCullers all he can handle today. This should be a good, but I think the Yankees come out on top in our MLB Game of the Week.

10-unit Play Take #923 Boston Red Sox over Milwaukee Brewers (8:10pm EST) The Boston Red Sox haven't hit their stride yet in 2017, but they will. The roster is loaded and it's only a matter of time. Meanwhile, the betting markets are treating the Sox like they're an average team. Today in Milwaukee they are an underdog. Kyle Kendrick gets the ball for Boston and he had an excellent audition this spring with a 2.18 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in 33 innings of work. The team has been working with him on his secondary stuff and I think Kendrick could be an asset for this club. The Brewers haven't been hitting as much lately and I think there are potential problems with their bullpen. This series is going to be a good measuring stick for this team, but I think Boston gets this one.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #913 Colorado Rockies over San Diego Padres (10:10pm EST) The Colorado Rockies sit atop the National League West division and I think they have a chance to stay there for a bit. New manager Bud Black has these guys believing that they can win and the everyday lineup will strike fear in even the most confident of pitchers. One of the reasons the Rockies have been successful this season is due to their winning ways on the road. They've really struggled away from Coors Field historically, but they are off to a nice 9-4 road record so far in 2017. Right-hander Tyler Chatwood gets the ball for Colorado today as the team faces the Padres. Chatwood hasn't been sharp so far this season but if he can limit the damage from home runs, he'll be just fine. So far this season he has given up seven home runs in five starts. Some of that is Coors Field (five homers allowed at home and just two on the road), so I think he'll be fine today in San Diego. The Padres go with Trevor Cahill, who came over from the Cubs in the offseason. I think Cahill is much better suited for the bullpen, but he'll get a long look in San Diego. His peripheral numbers are actually quite good right now, but I'll be surprised if he can keep it up. Take the Rockies to get this one.

10-unit Play Take #980 Boston Red Sox over Chicago Cubs (4:05pm EST) Great matchup today in Boston as the Red Sox host the Cubs in a potential World Series dream matchup. I mentioned yesterday how familiarity could be a big issue for the Cubs, who rarely travel to Fenway Park for a game. It's not an easy stadium to adjust to and it definitely impacts the game for unfamiliar opponents. John Lackey will get the ball for the Cubs as he goes up against his old team. Lackey has yet to get comfortable in 2017, posting a 4.88 ERA in his four starts. He's gotten a little wild at times and the home run ball has been an issue. That's not a good combination against a dangerous Red Sox lineup. Boston goes with knuckleballer Steven Wright today. Wright has been horrid so far this season with an ugly 8.66 ERA and 2.09 WHIP, but he will figure it out at some point. Last season he posted a 3.33 ERA and was an All-Star. He'll have a leg up on the Cubs today, who haven't seen a knuckler in quite some time. The Red Sox are 8-4 at home and I think they should be the favorite in this one. It's not often they are an underdog at home. Take Boston in our MLB Game of the Year.

10-unit Play Take #930 Boston Red Sox over Chicago Cubs (7:10pm EST) The Chicago Cubs head into Boston for a rare meeting with the Red Sox. This is a potential World Series matchup and it will get a lot of fanfare over the weekend. Ballpark familiarity could play a big role today as Fenway Park isn't the easiest place to play for opponents - especially for teams that don't see it on a regular basis. The Cubs are favored with Jake Arrieta on the mound against Drew Pomeranz. I don't like what I've seen from Arrieta this season and during the second half of last season. His numbers are solid, but he hasn't been nearly as dominant as he was during his Cy Young campaign. The Red Sox will give him some problems and I think they win as a home underdog today.

10-unit Play Take #904 Milwaukee Brewers over Cincinnati Reds (7:40pm EST) The Cincinnati Reds got off to a hot start to the 2017 season and they're now getting a lot more respect from the betting markets. However, they've cooled off considerably over the last 10 games going 3-7 with some really bad losses. That included three of four losses at home versus the Brewers last weekend. Now they head to Milwaukee to match up against the Brewers once again. Cincinnati is rebuilding for the future, as is Milwaukee. However, the Brewers seem to be much further along in their rebuilding efforts and most of the credit for that goes to the front office. Milwaukee General Manager David Stearns came over from the Astros organization and brought over a similar blueprint for success to the Brewers. They've brought in some underrated players including this year's big surprise Eric Thames. The big slugger spent the last three years in Japan and didn't seem to be getting much interest from other teams despite putting up some huge numbers. The Brewer scouted him extensively and now it appears that Thames could be a perennial All-Star. Smart organizations make these kinds of moves and I think the Brewers are going to be better than people think this season because of it.

I like the pitching matchup today for Milwaukee, as veteran Matt Garza tries to make a strong first impression in 2017 after making a couple of mediocre minor league starts. The Reds counter with rookie Amir Garrett, who comes in with a sparkling 1.83 ERA in his first three starts. Garrett's minor league numbers have been nothing more than mediocre over the last five years, so don't expect him to become a strong starting pitcher out of nowhere. He needs time to develop and the league will start to hit him now that they have some more video to dissect. Take the Brewers at home in our National League Game of the Year.

10-unit Play Take #907 Arizona Diamondbacks over San Diego Padres (9:10pm EST) The San Diego Padres are going to be a good fade candidate all season long. Last season they lost 94 games and their roster this season isn't any better. They had a tough time filling out their rotation over the winter, and that led to signing Clayton Richard to fill a hole. Richard has been alright out of the bullpen over the last couple of seasons, but I'm not confident of his ability to navigate the lineup multiple times. He just doesn't have good enough stuff and his peripheral numbers are already showing it through his first three starts. Richard is striking out just 4.5 batters per nine innings while walking 3.2 batters. He's managed a respectable 3.60 ERA so far, but that will rise in a hurry if he can't improve on the K/BB ratio. The Diamondbacks are to a fast 10-6 start to the season with a nice +15 run differential. This team has the ability to compete for a playoff spot if they stay healthy and get good production from the bullpen. Today's starter Patrick Corbin owns a tidy 2.81 ERA this season, although he has had trouble with his K/BB ratio as well. However, I think Corbin figures it out as he has a great repertoire and just needs to put it all together. Take Arizona in this one.

10-unit Play Take #909 Arizona Diamondbacks over San Diego Padres (10:10pm EST) The San Diego Padres have the worst roster in baseball by far. They are 5-9 to open the season and they currently have the worst run differential in baseball at -23 runs. Don't expect things to get much better for the Pads. Today the linesmakers have this line close to even and that's a gift of a price when the Arizona Diamondbacks have the much better pitcher going. I'm looking for a huge bounce back season from Shelby Miller, who is striking out 10.1 batters per nine innings so far this season. I like Arizona in this one easy.

10-unit Play Take #970 Seattle Mariners over Miami Marlins (10:10pm EST) The Miami Marlins face a tough spot tonight as they travel cross country to Seattle to open a three-game series. This is the longest trip in baseball and they don't even get a day off before embarking in their West Coast roadie. The Marlins are off to a nice 7-5 start to the season, but it's tough to picture them being serious playoff contenders with the holes in their rotation. Today's starter Tom Koehler has a career 4.15 ERA, and half of those games were in pitcher-friendly Marlins Park. Seattle has a potent lineup that has a little more balance this season and I think they'll give Koehler everything he can handle. The Mariners have won three straight games after a dismal opening two weeks. The M's notched an exciting ninth inning rally to beat the Rangers yesterday and complete the sweep. Today they send Ariel Miranda to the hill to make his third start of the 2017 season. Seattle is high on Miranda and his stuff is certainly better than his numbers indicate. He has had a problem with the home run ball, but pitching in Safeco Field should take care of that to a certain extent. We're taking Seattle in our Game of the Month.

10-unit Play Take #920 Tampa Bay Rays over Toronto Blue Jays (7:10pm EST) If you haven't seen Blake Snell pitch yet, you need to watch him. The young 24-year old sports an old-fashioned 12-to-6 curveball that might be one of the better ones in the game already. He has a ton of poise at his young age and is a future ace of Tampa. He'll go up against a dangerous Toronto Blue Jays lineup today. But the Jays aren't the same without Edwin Encarnacion in the middle of the order. They're going to miss him a lot more than people think, as Jose Bautista is on the decline and they can pitch around Josh Donaldson now. Marcus Stroman takes the mound for Toronto and he had that memorable performance in the World Baseball Classic in the championship game. As a result, he might be getting a little bit too much love in the betting markets. Play the Rays today as the home underdog.

Additional Plays

10-unit Play Take #951 Chicago Cubs over Cleveland Indians (8:05pm EST)  Game 1 of the World Series gets underway as two franchises starved of championships square off. The Cubs were clearly the best team in baseball all season long and I don’t think there was a particularly close second. They have it all – great starting pitching, a deep lineup, a strong bullpen, exceptional defense and a great manager. The Indians clearly have earned their way to this series, but the Cubs are the better team in nearly every phase of the game. The one area where you can say Cleveland has the advantage is the bullpen with Andrew Miller and company (not that the Cubs are chopped liver). However, with today’s starting pitching matchups, the bullpens aren’t going to be as big of a factor as they will be later in the series. Jon Lester and Corey Kluber are two of the best hurlers in baseball and you can probably count on seven innings or so from both of them. And as good as Kluber has been throughout his career, he doesn’t have the resume that Lester does – especially when you look at the postseason. Lester has been a rock in the playoffs throughout his career and this postseason is no exception. The Cubs also introduce a wild card tonight in Kyle Schwarber, who returns from a knee injury suffered in the first week of the season. Adding a hitter the caliber of Schwarber to an already dangerous lineup just doesn’t seem fair, but his power from the left side creates a great matchup against the Indians right-handed heavy pitching. The Indians have been off since last Wednesday and those six days may be enough to throw off their timing a bit. I expect some rust the first few innings and that combined with the better pitcher in Lester and better overall team in the Cubs, the only way to look is Chicago at this price. Take the Cubs.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

10-unit Play Take #978 Atlanta Braves over Minnesota Twins (7:10pm EST)  Two of the worst teams in baseball square off in Atlanta tonight as the Braves host the Twins. It hasn’t been a good season for either club, but these teams clearly haven’t given up. The Braves are 11-8 over their last 19 contests and are playing their best baseball of the season. Atlanta has a lot of quality young talent and they might be a little fresher than some of the more veteran teams at this point in the season. The Twins haven’t been playing that poorly since the All-Star break either, registering a .500 record since then. They too have some good young talent and it’s starting to come along nicely. Ervin Santana gets the ball for Minnesota today as he looks to continue his solid 2016 campaign. Santana comes in with a 3.62 ERA and 1.23 WHIP and has been locked in over the last month or so. The Braves trot out rookie Joel De La Cruz who has put up decent numbers between the starting rotation and bullpen. I don’t see much of an edge on either side in this game, so we’re going with the home underdog Braves today.

10-unit Play Take #902 Pittsburgh Pirates over San Diego Padres (7:05pm EST) It’s been a mediocre season in Pittsburgh, but this isn’t the kind of team that is going to just give up down the stretch. We’re seeing discounted lines for the Pirates lately and today is certainly no exception. They’re at home versus an awful Padres team and are laying only -135. It’s not like San Diego has any kind of advantage on the mound, as Luis Perdomo and Chad Kuhl have been equally unimpressive in their first seasons. We’re keeping this one simple. The Pirates have just been downgraded too far, and this line is too good to pass up. Take the Pirates.

10-unit Play Take #912 San Diego Padres over Philadelphia Phillies (10:40pm EST) Both the Philadelphia Phillies and the San Diego Padres are playing for the future. But it certainly doesn’t appear that the Padres are dogging it the rest of the way in 2016. San Diego is a respectable 9-10 since the All-Star break and just won a series versus the Brewers where they outscored them by a combined 21-9 score. Getting rid of Matt Kemp last week might have been a blessing in disguise for the Pads. Kemp was a terrible defender in the field and didn’t have the kind of clubhouse attitude that you want on a young team. The Phillies have had a solid season overall, but they are in a tough spot tonight. This will be their 10th road game in their last 13 games. They just played back-to-back extra innings games in Philadelphia versus the Giants, and now travel cross country to begin this series. No question, their bullpen is going to be a bit fatigued today as well as some of the position players. Meanwhile, the Padres had a day off yesterday and that’s a pretty big advantage this time of year during the dog days of summer. The Phils have a small advantage as far as the starting pitchers go, but I don’t think that’s enough to justify where this line is at. San Diego should be a decided favorite, so we’ll gladly take the Pads as our Game of the Week.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

10-unit Play Take #966 Baltimore Orioles over Texas Rangers (7:05pm EST) The Texas Rangers made some huge moves at the trade deadline, bringing in Carlos Beltran, Jonathan Lucroy and Jeremy Jeffress. That’s a lot of talent and there’s no question that the Rangers are a better team with the additions. However, I think it could inflate their lines a little bit too much in the short-term. Today they’re favored in Baltimore against an Orioles team that has been amazing at home. In 2016, the O’s are 37-16 in Camden Yards – best in the big leagues. Yes they’re at a disadvantage as far as starting pitchers go in this game, but that’s almost always the case for Baltimore. Yu Darvish and Dylan Bundy go for their respective squads and both have been good in limited action. But if this game is tight late, the O’s have a big advantage in their bullpen. The middle relief is very good and when it comes to closers there might not be a better one in baseball. Zach Britton has a 0.00 ERA since the end of April and is at a miniscule 0.60 on the season. He’s producing an amazing 80% groundball rate to go along with 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings. The O’s also have an edge when it comes to the lineup, so it’s a bit surprising they are underdogs today. Take Baltimore.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

10 Unit Play. Take #927 Boston Red Sox over Los Angeles Angels (9:05 PM, Saturday, July 30)

The Boston Red Sox will look for back to back wins over the Los Angeles Angels when the two teams meet at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, CA on Saturday night. Drew Pomeranz (8-8, 2.84 ERA, 1.12 WHIP) will get the start for the Red Sox and he will be opposed by Hector Santiago (9-4, 4.28 ERA, 1.31 WHIP), who is scheduled to get the call on the hill for the Angels. Boston has posted a 7-3 record in their last ten games following a win and they have gone an excellent 15-7 in their last 22 games where they faced a team from the AL West Division. The Angels, on the other hand, have struggled a bit in here tonight as they have gone just 3-7 in their last ten Game #3's of a series and they have lost 18 of their last 25 games versus a team from the AL East. They are also just 2-6 in their last eight home games where they faced a left handed starter and they are an awful 3-9 in their last twelve games after scoring two runs or less in their previous contest. Throw in the fact that the Sox are a perfect 4-0 in their last four games where they faced a left handed starter and that Pomeranz has held Mike Trout and Albert Pujols to a .100 average (2/20) combined and we'll lay the small price with them here to get the road win in Anaheim on Saturday night.

10-unit Play Take #918 Pittsburgh Pirates over Seattle Mariners (7:05pm EST) The Pittsburgh Pirates have had a challenging season, but they are a scrappy bunch and have managed to get to four games above the .500 mark. They’re squarely in contention and things are looking brighter. One of the more positive signs of late is Francisco Liriano’s last outing versus the Brewers. He struck out 13 batters in 6.2 innings of work – easily his most impressive performance of the 2016 campaign. Overall it hasn’t been a good season for the veteran left-hander, but he’s been a streaky pitcher throughout his career and this could be the beginning of a nice run. He’ll face a Mariners team that doesn’t match up well against southpaws, so Liriano should have the edge. The M’s have been disappointing after a great start to the season. The pitching staff has been the biggest issue and today’s starter Felix Hernandez certainly hasn’t been his usual self. Hernandez has managed a decent 3.23 ERA, but all of his peripherals have slipped including a subpar 7.1 strikeout rate per nine innings. He still knows how to pitch, but King Felix is more hittable than ever. The Pirates also have one of the better home field advantages in baseball and Seattle isn’t very familiar with PNC Park. That’s a subtle edge that is the icing on the cake in this game. All signs point to the Pirates today.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

10-unit Play Take #954 Pittsburgh Pirates over Milwaukee Brewers (7:05pm EST) A quick look at the standings in the NL Central shows the Pirates at just 47-45 on the season with a -2 run differential overall. That's not exactly what Pirates fans expected coming off of three straight playoff appearances. But I think there's still hope for Pittsburgh, as they've addressed some of the issues they had earlier in the season. The bullpen has been shaken up some as well as the starting rotation in an effort to get in some younger talent. One of the guys they promoted is today's starter Jameson Taillon. The young right-hander has been pretty impressive in his five starts, posting a 3.86 ERA and 1.25 WHIP. He has a lively fastball and a plus curveball to go along with it that keeps hitters off balance. Today he gets the struggling Milwaukee Brewers. The Brew Crew is getting ready to unload some assets before the trade deadline and the team knows it. They are just 9-18 over their last 27 games and have been particularly bad away from home. The Brewers are just 16-29 on the road this season, which is the third worst record in baseball. Pittsburgh has one of the best home field advantages in the game and I think they're underpriced today. Play the Pirates.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #928 Los Angeles Angels over Chicago White Sox (9:05pm EST)  James Shields has had a tough 2016 season, but some are pointing to his last three starts as reason for hope. I’m not buying it. Yes Shields has put up a nice 2.21 ERA over his last three outings, but his peripheral numbers tell the real story. He still has major control issues and continues to leave the ball up in the zone. The only thing that has been better in his last few starts is his ability to strand runners. He’s still getting himself into jams, but has been fortunate to escape on several occasions. Since joining the White Sox, Shields has a 7.68 ERA and he’s deserved every bit of it. Today he takes on a mediocre Angel’s lineup, but I’m not sure it matters who he is going up against. Triple-A teams could probably knock Shields out early the way he’s pitching over the last two months. On the other side if Matt Shoemaker, who has turned himself into a really nice starting pitcher this season. Not many hurlers have improved as much as Shoemaker has during the 2016 season. His seasonal numbers don’t show it, but you can see a huge difference in his stuff and the K-BB ratio is vastly improving. Don’t be surprised if Shoemaker is the ace of the staff heading into next season. The White Sox are a team on the decline and I think Shoemaker makes easy work of them today. Take the Halos here.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports