Sports Picks & Predictions

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

10-unit Play Take #968 Baltimore Orioles over Los Angeles Angels (7:05pm EST) AMERICAN LEAGUE GAME OF THE YEAR. The Baltimore Orioles have been atop the American League East for most of the season, but they still aren't getting much respect in the betting markets. Manager Buck Showalter has consistently helped the O's exceed expectations over the last few seasons and they've been a great team to back because of it. Once again they're undervalued as a smallish favorite over a last place Angel's team. Most bettors are afraid of backing the Orioles starting pitchers, but they don't realize that they don't need great starting pitching to win games. The O's have a tremendous offense, they play above average defense and boast one of the best bullpens in baseball. They just need their starters to keep them in the game, and that's exactly what they've done so far in 2016. At home, Baltimore has been an absolute force to be reckoned with. They enter today's action at 31-14 in Camden Yards and have put up some crooked numbers along the way. The Halos are playing for the future and will be sellers when the deadline comes in a couple of weeks. Los Angeles does have a small edge as far as starting pitchers go in this matchup, but the O's dominate in every other department. Lay the small price with the O's in our Game of the Year.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #968 Houston Astros over Oakland A's (8:10pm EST) We've been riding the Houston Astros quite a bit lately and there's no reason to stop now. The Stros are 29-11 over their last 40 contests, including a current 14-3 hot streak the last couple of weeks. Today they start a series against the lowly A's, who come into today's game 16.5 games out of first in the AL West. Oakland players know that their team is going to be a seller come the trade deadline, so it's tough to imagine them being particularly focused right now. The All-Star break is just a few days away and some of these guys are probably looking forward to some time off. Houston, on the other hand, clearly doesn't need a break as they're the hottest team in baseball right now. The A's have the pitching edge in today's game (Rich Hill versus Doug Fister), and that allows us to pick up a reasonable price on a hot team at home. Houston has been one of the better home teams in baseball the last couple of seasons and we'll call their number again today.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #926 Toronto Blue Jays over Kansas City Royals (7:10pm EST) It's difficult to go against the defending champs because they seem to have a way of surpassing expectations and consistently winning games they shouldn't. But the Kansas City Royals do have a pretty big chink in their armor - they aren't very good on the road. Kansas City is just 16-27 away from home this season versus 27-11 at home. Last season wasn't as extreme, but it's clear that the Royals have some big advantages playing in Kaufman Stadium. It's one of the biggest outfields in baseball and they have excellent outfield defenders who can get go get em out there. They also don't bring much in the way of home run power offensively, so the stadium plays to their strengths in that regard as well. Today they go into the Rogers Center, which is about as diametrically opposite as you can get. Balls fly out of that stadium and whoever hits the most home runs usually walks away victorious. The Blue Jays are starting to swing the bats much better and is one scary team right now for opponents. Toronto will have a big edge on the mound today with Aaron Sanchez going up against Edinson Volquez. Sanchez is 8-1 with a sparkling 3.08 ERA and a strong 8.2 strikeout rate. Volquez, on the other hand, comes in struggling with a 4.80 ERA and 1.43 WHIP on the season. Over his last three outings, Volquez has a hideous 10.29 ERA. The price is a little steeper than we usually like, but all signs point to an easy Toronto win today.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #924 Seattle Mariners over Baltimore Orioles (10:10pm EST) We rode the Seattle Mariners yesterday to an easy victory and we'll look their direction once again today for many of the same reasons. The Orioles are having a great season, but almost all of their damage has been at home in Camden Yards. They are 18 games over .500 at home versus three games under .500 on the road. Safeco Field isn't built for power hitters, which is what Baltimore brings. The M's have a more balanced lineup that can manufacture runs when needed. The pitching matchup today is decidedly in the M's favor as James Paxton takes the hill against Tyler Wilson. Paxton has shown amazing stuff since being called up a month ago. He's increased his velocity significantly and is striking out 10.6 batters per nine innings. Paxton has been a bit unlucky with only a 65% strand rate and .415 BABIP, but his peripheral statistics are pointing to a future ERA under the 3.00 mark. He won't be flying under the radar for long, so we'll take Seattle here.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #914 Toronto Blue Jays over Cleveland Indians (7:10pm EST) The Blue Jays offense hasn't hit its stride yet in 2016, but a trip to Colorado may have them headed in the right direction. The Jays scored 24 runs in three games in Colorado and now head back home to take on the red hot Indians. Toronto has one of the better home field advantages in baseball, but has actually played the fewest amount of home games in the AL so far this season. R.A. Dickey makes the start for the Jays and he's given most of the Indians hitters' problems in the few times they've faced him. Carlos Carrasco goes for the Tribe and he's coming off of a complete game shutout against the Tigers last time out. He threw 117 pitches in that game (his season high), so we could see a bit of a hangover against a difficult lineup. The Indians have won 12 games in a row and that has forced linesmakers to inflate this line a little bit. I don't like going against extreme streaks, but getting a plus price at home is too good to pass up for Toronto. Play the Jays.

10-Unit Play. Take #971 Baltimore over San Diego (3:40 p.m., Wednesday, June 29) Baltimore is looking to complete a quick 2 game sweep of the Padres as Yovani Gallardo returns to a National League Park where he has spent most of his career. Gallardo hasn't been great on the road so far this year as he owns an ERA of 9, but he has faced 3 lineups (Kansas City, Boston, Texas) that are more formidable than the Padres. The Orioles have won 6 games in a row and they will be facing Christian Friedrich who has gotten knocked around at Petco Park. Friedrich is 2-1 with a 5.57 ERA at home this season and he allowed 6 runs over 6 innings in his last start at home in a 7-5 loss to the Nationals. Baltimore has averaged 7 runs per contest in their 6 game streak and I think they will be able to produce again tonight. The Orioles are 4-1 in their last 5 inter league games versus a left handed starter while the Padres are 1-5 in their last 6 inter league games versus a right handed starter. I like Baltimore to get out of town with another win under their belt.

Best of Luck - Strike Point Sports

10-unit Play Take #926 Kansas City Royals over Houston Astros (8:15pm EST) The defending world champs take on the red hot Houston Astros tonight in what should be a really good game. Kansas City still doesn't get much respect after going to the World Series for two straight seasons. They are on pace for 87 wins this season and are right in the hunt for a playoff spot in the AL once again. Yet they are underdogs at home versus a team they've played better than so far in 2016. In addition, the Royals are an outstanding 25-8 at home this season. That's the best home record in baseball and it's pretty clear why they are so dominant in Kaufman Stadium. The big spacious outfield is a big advantage for the Royals who play the best outfield defense in the majors. Edinson Volquez gets the ball for Kansas City tonight and he's probably been their most consistent starting pitcher over the last two years. He's not going to go out and dominate, but he almost always keeps his team in the game. That's all you need when you have one of the best bullpens in baseball. On the other side is left-hander Dallas Keuchel for the Stros. It's been a really tough year for Keuchel, who took home the AL Cy Young award last season. He enters today's action with a robust 5.32 ERA in 15 starts. The Astros have been one of hotter teams in the league of late, but if anything that is making this line even more out of whack. The value is definitely with the Royals here and that's where we'll go with our Game of the Week.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #953 San Diego Padres at Cincinnati Reds (7:10pm EST) Two bad teams go at it tonight in Cincinnati, but that doesn't mean it isn't a good betting opportunity. The Padres come in at just 30-43 on the season, but they've clearly played better baseball over the last three weeks. They're 10-10 over their last 20 contests, which have featured some pretty good teams. It seems like the comments from their owner saying what an embarrassment they are, have sparked the team in some way to play better. I'm not sure how long it will last, but for right now it seems like a confident bunch. Christian Friedrich gets the assignment on the hill today and he's really looked comfortable in the San Diego rotation. He's made seven starts and has a tidy 3.15 ERA. He's coming off of his worst start of the season last time out versus the Nationals, but I think he bounces back with a good effort against the Reds. Cincinnati is clearly a peg below, as they've been outscored by a whopping 103 runs through 72 games thus far. A lot of the veterans are struggling on this team and it's trickling down to the entire roster. Joey Votto has been banged up a bit and he might not play today, which would be a huge loss in the lineup. Pitching has been the biggest problem for the Reds, and today's starter John Lamb hasn't helped matters. He comes in at 1-4 with a 4.75 ERA and 1.52 WHIP in nine starts. Lamb has flashed some signs of brilliance at times, but he just hasn't been consistent from start to start or inning to inning for that matter. The Pads are swinging the bats pretty well lately, so I expect them to give Lamb problems today. San Diego is the better team overall and they're playing better baseball at the moment.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #980 San Francisco Giants over Boston Red Sox (10:15pm EST) A great interleague series gets underway in AT&T Park as the Giants host the Red Sox starting on Tuesday night. These are clearly two of the best teams in baseball, but they certainly do it in different ways. The Red Sox mash teams to death with their amazing lineup and hope that the pitching is just good enough to keep the opponents at bay. The Giants utilize a more steady approach that combines a good pitching staff, solid defense and a balanced lineup. Both approaches have obviously worked out well, but I think the Giants' success is a bit more sustainable as they don't rely on one particular facet of the game to win, and they have some of the intangibles that other teams covet. Today we have a pitching matchup of Rick Porcello and Albert Suarez. Porcello is having a nice comeback year for Boston, but he's regressed a bit in his last few outings. Porcello has a 5.79 ERA over his last four starts and has struck out just 16 batters in 23.1 innings of work. Suarez isn't a highly-touted prospect, but the Red Sox have never seen him and he doesn't have much of a track record to gauge yet. The Giants should have a decent home edge in this one, as Boston doesn't come often to visit. Value with San Francisco here.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #965 New York Yankees over Baltimore Orioles (7:05pm EST) After a very slow start to the 2016 campaign, the New York Yankees are finally playing like their fans expect. The Yanks are 16-11 since May 5th and finally have a healthy squad at full strength. Several hitters have missed time this season along with closer Aroldis Chapman. Nathan Eovaldi goes for the Yankees tonight and he's quietly putting together a really nice season. He's 6-2 with a 3.71 ERA and 1.17 WHIP in 10 starts thus far. Even more impressive, Eovaldi is striking out a career-high 8.5 batters per nine innings and he's cut his walk rate significantly from last season. Eovaldi has even increased his groundball rate a couple of ticks in 2016. There are rumors that Eovaldi is being coveted by other teams if the Yankees decide to look towards the future at the trade deadline, but there's no way they are parting with such a powerful arm. Over his last three outings, Eovaldi has a sparkling 1.00 ERA and 0.78 WHIP so he's definitely found his groove. He'll have his hands full with a tough Baltimore lineup tonight, but I think Eovaldi is up for the challenge.

The O's have exceeded expectations so far in 2016 and I don't think they can continue to play at this type of pace. Their starting rotation has been much better than anticipated, but we're already starting to see some regression there. Chris Tillman is one of those guys that came out guns a blazing, but we've seen him come back down to earth of late. Tillman has walked nine guys over his last three outings and had his second-worst outing of the season last time out in Cleveland. The Yankees are one of the few teams that Baltimore doesn't have an advantage against in the late innings if the game is tight. The trio of Dellin Betances, Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman can be counted on if the Yanks have the lead after six innings. Take New York as our big 10-unit MLB play today.

10-unit Play Take #904 Miami Marlins over Pittsburgh Pirates (7:10pm EST) Two aces go at it on Tuesday night but there's one who definitely stands out in this matchup. Jose Fernandez had a slow start to his 2016 campaign, but he's finally gotten into a nice rhythm with four great starts in a row. Over his last four outings, Fernandez is 4-0 with a sparkling 1.00 ERA and 1.00 WHIP to go along with 43 strikeouts. Fernandez has also been amazing at home throughout his career and the Marlins are a spectacular 25-2 over his last 27 starts in Miami. There's no question he's amongst the best pitchers in the game and he's getting even better.

On the other side is Gerrit Cole, who is putting together another really good season in Pittsburgh. Cole is 5-3 with a 2.53 ERA in nine starts, but his peripheral numbers are weaker this season. His strikeouts are down 15% from last year, he's walking 40% more batters, and his groundball rate is way down. He's been lucky to get out of quite a few jams this season, but eventually the numbers are going to catch up to him. Miami has a bigger edge on the mound than meets the eyes, and there's plenty of value at this price. Take the Marlins at home.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #970 Oakland A's over Detroit Tigers (4:05pm EST) Two unproven starting pitchers square off today in Oakland as the A's host the Tigers. Matt Boyd has just been called up for his first start in 2016. He pitcher for the Blue Jays and Tigers last season and looked completely lost on the mound for the majority of his starts. Boyd posted a 7.53 ERA and was really plagued by the home run ball, yielding an unheard of 2.7 per nine innings. The A's have some pop in their bats and could knock Boyd out of this one early on with the long ball. Left-hander Jesse Hahn gets the ball for Oakland in his fifth start of the season. Hahn has put together two very good seasons at the big league level but has had a tough time staying healthy and keeping his spot in the rotation. His numbers this season aren't great so far, but he's managed a 4.07 ERA and I think the best has yet to come for this 26-year old. The Tigers struggle with southpaws, so Hahn will be in the driver's seat for today's start. If this game is close late, I also give a big edge to the Oakland bullpen. They have several guys to call on, while the Tigers have struggled finding consistency amongst their arms. I like Oakland to get the win today at home at a reasonable price.

10-unit Play Take #911 San Francisco Giants over Colorado Rockies (8:40pm EST) No one is hotter than the San Francisco Giants are right now. The Giants are 13-1 over their last 14 games with their lone loss coming against Jake Arrieta and the Cubs. After a slow start, all of the new parts are melding together nicely and this is looking like a team built to make yet another World Series run. Much like the overall club, Matt Cain struggled early on but has figured it out lately. Over his last three starts, Cain has a 1.71 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in 21 innings of work. Those starts were against the Blue Jays, Diamondbacks and Cubs, so he was certainly tested and passed with flying colors. Today he has another tough assignment pitching in Coors Field against the Rockies offense. Colorado is off to a better than expected start, but I don't think they can sustain it as their pitching is overachieving. Tyler Chatwood is one of those guys throwing much better than his career numbers. He comes in at 5-3 with a 3.02 ERA in 9 starts. However, his home/road splits are amongst the worst in all of baseball on the home side. On the road Chatwood has a sparkling 0.53 ERA, but at home in Coors he owns a horrid 6.65 ERA. It's tough to understand how the red hot Giants are underdogs in this one, so we'll go that direction here.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #964 New York Yankees over Toronto Blue Jays (7:05pm EST) Good spot today to the play the Yankees as they are at home versus the Blue Jays on Tuesday night. Nathan Eovaldi goes for the Yanks and he's had electric stuff so far in 2016. His ERA doesn't reflect it yet, but Eovaldi is throwing the ball extremely well with a healthy 45-10 K-BB ratio to go along with a strong 55% groundball rate. Those numbers will serve him well in Yankee Stadium, especially against a tough Jays' lineup. Toronto sends knuckle-baller R.A. Dickey to the mound today. Dickey is just 2-5 with a 4.50 ERA and nothing really stands out in his peripheral numbers. Yankees Stadium isn't the ideal place for him either as the home run ball has gotten him far too many times. The Yankee bats are finally coming around and that's more than the Blue Jays can say at the moment. Somehow Toronto is ranked just 7th in runs scored in the AL after demolishing big league pitching last year when they led the majors by a wide margin. On the surface this line looks about right, but a deeper dive shows the Yanks are the right side.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #908 Colorado Rockies over Arizona Diamondbacks (8:40pm EST) Every MLB team has played at least 30 games so far and now is about the time that we can start to get a decent gauge on what each team has going for it. One team that has caught my eye so far is the Colorado Rockies. They're only 15-16 overall, but the Rockies are playing much better baseball than they have the last couple of seasons. One of the main reasons is the improvement in their pitching staff. Today's starter Tyler Chatwood is one of a few Rockies pitchers who have made some nice strides in 2016. He comes in with an excellent 2.15 ERA and 1.12 WHIP in six starts. Chatwood didn't allow a single run over his last two outings, including an eight-inning masterpiece last time out versus the Padres. He allowed just three hits and a walk while striking out seven. Chatwood's game also fits well into Coors Field, as he likes to keep the ball down in the zone. His groundball rate is current at a very nice 52% on the season. He'll face an Arizona lineup that has been struggling a bit without their spark plug in A.J. Pollock.

The D-Backs did just sweep the Braves after dropping six straight, but Atlanta is the worst team in the sport right now. Archie Bradley will toe the rubber for Arizona, and he looked horrendous in his only outing of the season on April 18th against the Giants. Bradley couldn't make it through the 5th inning, and walked four batters while striking out just two in allowing five earned runs. He'll have his hands full against a Rockies lineup that is even more dangerous this season with the red hot rookie Trevor Story. The 23-year old shortstop is second in the NL in home runs, behind only teammate Nolan Arenado. The Rockies as a team are third in the NL in runs scored. Colorado also one of the better home field advantages in baseball. They're off to a slow start (4-8) in Coors Field this season, but it's early on. Take the Rockies to earn the victory today.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #909 Philadelphia Phillies over Miami Marlins (7:10pm EST) No one expected much from the Philadelphia Phillies this season. They are in the midst of a challenging rebuilding effort which has the eyes on the future of the franchise. So after coming out of the gates fast, many have dismissed the hot start by the Phils. However, I think they have some staying power given the nice core they've developed and could be well ahead of schedule. Odubel Herrera and Maikel Franco don't get much national attention, but they certain to be future All-Stars in this game. I also really like their starting rotation overall. Aaron Nola, Vincent Velasquez and Jerad Eickhoff all have high ceilings and should anchor the staff for years to come. Today's starter Jeremy Hellickson is the elder statesmen at age 29. He doesn't have the stuff the other guys at the top have, but he keeps the team in the game and doesn't make many bad mistakes. It's also extremely encouraging to see his strikeout rate up at 9.5 per nine innings right now - a huge increase from last year's 7.5 rate. He'll face a Marlins lineup that is without their energy guy in speedster Dee Gordon. Without a good table-setter at the top, guys like Giancarlo Stanton just aren't as dangerous. Hellickson should be plenty of run support today as the Marlins are trotting out Tom Koehler to the mound in today's matchup. Koehler has been atrocious in five starts this season, amassing a 7.25 ERA and 1.93 WHIP in 22.1 innings of work. He's struggled with his command and has pitched his worst with runners on base. The Phils don't have a particularly balanced lineup, but even they should be able to get to Koehler today. Take Philadelphia as our Game of the Week selection.

10-unit Play Take #958 Colorado Rockies over Los Angeles Dodgers (8:40pm EST) The Colorado Rockies were picked by many to bring up the rear in the NL West this season. But so far the Rockies have held their own and there's reason to believe they can sustain their success. One of the biggest reasons why is shortstop Trevor Story, who leads the majors with eight home runs after virtually coming out of nowhere. Adding him to the order with Carlos Gonzalez and Nolan Arenado make this lineup one the scariest in the league for opposing pitchers. Left-hander Scott Kazmir will face that lineup today in Coors Field, and the forecast says the wind will be blowing out. Kazmir has struggled mightily in his first three starts with the Dodgers, posting a 6.43 ERA and 1.43 WHIP in 14 innings of work. He's given up three home runs already this season, and that's a huge problem that isn't likely to go away in Coors. Colorado sends youngster Jon Gray to the bump in his first outing with the big club this season. Gray started nine games for the team last season and pitched fairly well despite a poor ERA. He struck out nearly a batter an inning and that's important in a spacious park where hits fall in everywhere. The Rockies had the day off yesterday to prepare for this game, which is important for getting some guys rested up. Meanwhile, the Dodgers had to travel in from Atlanta after an extra innings in against the Braves. Colorado finds a way to win today's matchup. Take the Rockies as our April Game of the Month.

10-unit Play Take #929 Houston Astros over Milwaukee Brewers (7:10pm EST) The Houston Astros made a blockbuster move in the offseason when they traded five prospects to the Phillies in return for flamethrower Ken Giles. Many tabbed Giles as the missing link to this Astros team, especially after they blew a late lead in the ALDS against the Royals last year. However, another great move by the Astros they got far less attention was the signing of Doug Fister. The veteran starter had a down year with the Nationals last season posting a 4.19 ERA in just 103 innings of work. Part of the problem was injury issues that led to a dip in his velocity. This spring with the Astros, Fister was injury-free and his velocity was back to pre-2015 levels. That's great news for Houston who was able to nab Fister at a bargain one-year deal for $7 million. Today he'll make his Astros debut in Milwaukee against the Brewers. Milwaukee is in the process of rebuilding and it's definitely going to get worse before it gets better. Their two best players, Ryan Braun and Jonathan Lucroy, are getting shopped around after unloading power threat Khris Davis to the A's a month ago.

Wily Peralta goes for the Brewers in this one and he'll have his hands full against a powerful Astros lineup. Houston hit the second most homers in the majors last season, just two behind the potent Blue Jays club. Miller Park is known for home runs, so Astros hitters have a great chance to hit some dingers in this series. That includes young superstar Carlos Correa, who has already blasted three home runs in his first three games of the 2016 campaign. I think the Astros will be a little too much for Peralta too handle, and Fister should be pitching with a nice cushion most of the game. Take Houston as our MLB Game of the Week.

10-unit Play Take #973 Boston Red Sox over Chicago White Sox (8:10pm EST) It's been a terrible season once again for the Boston Red Sox. This will be their third last place finish in four years, and it's caused a management shakeup in the process. The simple reason that this team failed is that their big free agent signings just didn't come though. One of their acquisitions was left-hander Wade Miley. A solid middle-of-the-rotation arm for the Diamondbacks, Miley was counted on for consistency and innings in Beantown. But for nearly the entire season, it's been Miley's inconsistency that has plagued him. However, over his last four starts, Miley has seemingly turned a corner. He has posted a respectable 3.33 ERA and 1.07 WHIP to go along with a strong 24-5 K-BB ratio over that span. Now that the pressure is off, I think Miley is comfortable and has found a nice groove.

The White Sox season has pretty miserable as well, as they could never find their identity. The offense, or lack thereof, has been a huge source of problems throughout the 2015 campaign. Their 14th in the AL in runs scored, ahead of only the Rays. But their defense has been even worse, and their bullpen hasn't been pretty either. The starting pitching has been the only positive for the White Sox this season, and today's starter Jose Quintana certainly fits that bill. He's been rock solid once again with a 3.60 ERA, although his numbers are down a bit from last season. With the way Miley is throwing right now, you have to give him the edge in this matchup. In analyzing the rest of the team, the Red Sox are a bit better team overall as well. As a result, this line is about 10-15 cents too high. Take Boston as our Game of the Week.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #970 Los Angeles Angels over Chicago White Sox (10:05pm EST) The Los Angeles Angels hadn't been playing well lately. But it appears all they needed was a visit from the Chicago White Sox to get back on track. The Halos have taken the first two games of the series, and they half two left versus Chicago. Wednesday's matchup features two pitchers that aren't exactly having banner seasons - Jered Weaver and Jeff Samardzija. Weaver has battled some injury issues, so he could be given somewhat of a pass with his 4.78 ERA. Samardzija, on the other hand, has the same 4.78 ERA but has been healthy all season. In fact, Samardzija is seemingly in the midst of his worst stretch of his entire career right now. Over his last three starts, the tall right-hander is 0-3 with a 12.92 ERA and 1.89 WHIP. That's about as ugly of a stat line as you'll see for a starting pitcher. Both teams have struggled offensively this season, but the Angels clearly have more potential given that Mike Trout and Albert Pujols are still in the middle of their lineup. The bullpens may play an important role in this one as well, and we'll give the nod to Los Angeles there as well. Playing at home, it's hard to understand why the Angels aren't bigger favorites here. Take Los Angeles.

10-unit Play Take #928 Los Angeles Angels over Baltimore Orioles (9:05pm EST) Ubaldo Jimenez has had some unbelievable pitching performances throughout his career, as well as some absolute duds. In fact, his career has been marred by inconsistency. He looked like he might be turning a corner this season, but Jimenez is back to his old tricks once again. Up until his last four starts, Jimenez had an ERA in the low 3's with no blowups. But over his last four outings, he has an abysmal 10.61 ERA and 1.71 WHIP. He may eventually snap out of this funk, but now is the time to fade Jimenez. The Angels have been swinging the bats better of late, and I like their pickups before the trade deadline. David Murphy, Shane Victorino, and David DeJesus aren't stars, but collectively they add quite a bit of firepower to the offensive attack - especially considering who they replaced. Garrett Richards will take the ball for the Halos. He's been rock solid once again in 2015 after a breakthrough season last year. The Angels shouldn't need a huge effort from Richards, as the offense should do most of the work against Jimenez today. This line about 10-15 cents too low, so take Los Angeles as our Game.

10-unit Play Take #953 Los Angeles Dodgers over Pittsburgh Pirates (7:05pm EST) It's not often that you are going to get Clayton Kershaw at a price this low, and especially not when he's in the midst of a scoreless innings streak of 37. After a slow start to the 2015 season by his standards, Kershaw is now looking better than ever. The Dodgers as a team have also been playing really good baseball, winning six of their last seven heading into this series. Pitching has been the key during the run, as the starters are going deep into games and the bullpen is shutting the door. The Pirates are a formidable opponent for sure, but they've benefitted somewhat from one of the easiest schedules in baseball thus far. They're also a bit banged up at the moment with Josh Harrison and Jordy Mercer on the disabled list. They brought in Aramis Ramirez from the Brewers, but I'm not sure that's much of an upgrade from what they already had. Gerrit Cole gets the ball for Pittsburgh and he's having a tremendous season. He checks in at 14-5 with a 2.29 ERA in 21 starts. This should be a fun one to watch, but you can't pass up the best pitcher in baseball at this kind of price the way he's throwing it right now.

10-unit Play Take #912 Chicago Cubs over San Francisco Giants (8:05pm EST) A big series gets underway in Wrigley Field as the Cubs host the Giants in the first of four games. These teams are separated by just a half game in the wild card race as we enter the final third of the season. This matchup couldn't have come at a better time for the Cubs as they've won six of seven. They also manage to avoid Madison Bumgarner in this series as he pitched yesterday. Thursday's matchup will feature Chris Heston versus Jason Hammel. Both hurlers are having very good seasons, but each has struggled of late. I give a slight edge to Hammel today, as I think he can right the ship sooner than the rookie. Heston may be hitting the proverbial wall that first year pitchers often times do. He's thrown 130.2 innings this season, and the Giants probably want to limit him to 180 or so this season. Chicago's offense has been swinging the bats well, so I think they could bounce Heston early from this one. Take the red hot Cubs at home to win the first game of this important series.

10-unit Play Take #929 Seattle Mariners over Colorado Rockies (8:40pm EST) Once again the American League is beating up on the National League. Coming into today's action, the AL leads the NL by 11 games in interleague play. While the top teams in the NL are certainly holding their own, it's the bottom feeders that have really struggled against the AL. The Rockies are a miserable 2-13 against AL teams this season, including an 8-7 loss to the Mariners last night. These two squads will go at it again on Tuesday as Vidal Nuno and Jonathan Gray square off. This will be the first start of the season for both of these young hurlers. Nuno has made 21 appearances out of the bullpen for Seattle, and has posted an impressive 2.02 ERA. Going through the lineup multiple times is obviously a lot tougher than throwing one inning at a time, but Nuno does have plenty of experience as a starting pitcher. He's been pitching as a starter all through the minors and broke into the league as one in 2014 making 28 starts. He has good stuff has really improved in the area of putting guys away this season. He has a strong 9.6 strikeout rate per nine innings and is walking just a hair over two batters per nine. Pitching in Coors is no easy task, but I expect Nuno to hold his own for at least six innings today. Gray makes his big league debut in this one for the Rocks. He has been one of the top pitcher's in Colorado's system for a couple of years, so there will be lots of eyeballs on the youngster. Gray has great stuff but he couldn't really put it all together at Triple-A this season. He had a 4.33 ERA in 21 games and struggled with his command frequently. I trust Nuno over the rookie, and this Mariners team is the better team all around. Take Seattle at a gift of a price.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #921 Seattle Mariners over Minnesota Twins (2:10pm EST) Mike Pelfrey is back. After impersonating a good pitcher earlier this season, Pelfrey is finally throwing up beach balls for his opponents to hammer. Over his last five starts, the 31-year old has a bulky 6.84 ERA to go along with a lousy 12-9 K-BB ratio. On the season, Pelfrey is striking out just 4.3 batters per nine innings. That's not going to get it done at the big league level, and it's somewhat surprising that he's still in the Twins rotation. This isn't the same last place team that can let guys work through their problems. They are currently in a wild card spot in the AL and have to give themselves the best chance to win. But we're betting that the Mariners can take advantage. They send Hisashi Iwakuma to the mound for his ninth start of the season. Injuries have hampered the right-hander, but his peripheral numbers have been solid despite a high 5.10 ERA. Iwakuma knows how to pitch and should have few problems with a weak Twins lineup. This is a big mismatch on the mound and I think the M's get the victory here.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #957 Chicago Cubs over Milwaukee Brewers (7:10pm EST) The Brewers have been playing good baseball of late, but all of that momentum is gone after the team unloaded several key veterans before the trade deadline. Gone are Carlos Gomez, Mike Fiers and Aramis Ramirez, which has the Brew Crew in full rebuild mode. The Cubs send Kyle Hendricks to the mound for this one and he's quietly been one of the best back of the rotation starters in the National League. Hendricks carries a 3.81 ERA into this game, and is getting better in each start. Over his last six outings, the right-hander has a 2.43 ERA to go along with a 34-8 K-BB ratio. Take the Cubs to win their fourth straight today.

10-unit Play Take #928 Houston Astros over Arizona Diamondbacks (8:10pm EST) For some reason not everyone is a 100% believer in the Houston Astros just yet. They've led the AL West for virtually the entire 2015 season and outscored their opponents by over 70 runs this season. Still they aren't getting priced like a legitimate contender. Add in a couple of big trades before the deadline, bringing in Carlos Gomez, Mike Fiers and Scott Kazmir. Still, no respect. The fact is, this Astros team might have a better shot in winning the American League than anyone else. They don't really have any glaring weaknesses, and most of their roster is very young and improving by the day. One guy who isn't young is today's starter Scott Feldman. One of the grizzled veterans, Feldman has been solid but unspectacular over the last few seasons. He won't go out and win the game all by himself, but he's also not going to lose it for you either. The Astros offense has had a nice boost after calling up the highly-touted Carlos Correa, and the addition of Gomez should being a similar spark. They'll face a Diamondbacks team that is certainly overachieving in 2015. Nobody expected Arizona to be hovering around the .500 mark this late in the season. I think we'll see them tail off a bit down the stretch, however, as the team eyes the future of the franchise. This line is almost 20 cents too low, so Houston is a huge 7-unit selection for us.

10-unit Play Take #966 Boston Red Sox over Chicago White Sox (7:10pm EST) Neither of these teams is going to be playing into October this season, but that doesn't mean we can't find some value in the matchup. From an offensive standpoint, the Red Sox are clearly the better of two teams. They've scored roughly 70 runs more than the White Sox on the season and have more proven bats in their lineup from top to bottom. It also appears that Adam LaRoche will miss tonight's game for Chicago due to personal issues. On the mound, Jeff Samardzija and Wade Miley will duel it out. Both pitchers have struggled this season, but Samardzija is slightly better in looking at the numbers overall. However, the White Sox have really struggled in 2015 against left-handers. In fact, they are batting just .226 against lefties with a .269 OBP. That gives Miley the nod, and we'll also give Boston the check mark when it comes down to the bullpens. Throw in defense, intangibles and home field advantage, and it's hard to understand why Boston isn't a bigger favorite today. The White Sox have won five straight games, but that's not something to put too much stock into on the baseball diamond. Take Boston here.

10-unit Play Take #980 Kansas City Royals over Pittsburgh Pirates (8:10pm EST) We'll play Kansas City once again today after picking up the win yesterday 3-1 over Pittsburgh. The betting markets seem to have these teams rated fairly evenly, and I couldn't disagree more. The Royals play in a much tougher league and their numbers are better across the board in every category except for starting pitching. However, the pitching matchup in this one actually favors the Royals, as Edinson Volquez squares off against Charlie Morton. Volquez has fit in nicely in his first season in Kansas City, with an 8-5 record and 3.28 ERA in 19 starts. Having a superb defense behind him has surely boosted Volquez's confidence. Morton checks in with a 4.34 ERA despite pitching against a pretty weak schedule of opponents in his 10 starts. Should this game come down to the bullpens, the Royals surely have the advantage as they still have the best 7-8-9 combination in the late innings. Kansas City gets the money in this one.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #928 Kansas City Royals over Pittsburgh Pirates (8:10pm EST) It's not often you're going to see the American-league leading Royals as an underdog at home. Yes they're going up a tough pitcher in Gerrit Cole, but nobody has performed better against ace pitchers than the Royals have this season. They make a ton of contact and are rarely dominated via the strikeout. The Pirates are certainly a good baseball team, but one thing to point out about them is their weak schedule to this point. They've played one of the softest schedules in all of baseball to this point, and now will face an extremely tough schedule the rest of the way. The Royals send Jason Vargas to the hill in this one, who is mediocre at best. But Kansas City doesn't win games because of their starting pitching. It's their offense, bullpen and defense and really carries the load. Take Kansas City.

10-unit Play Take #968 Kansas City Royals over Pittsburgh Pirates (8:10pm EST) The Kansas City Royals host the Pittsburgh Pirates in the opener of a series that should be very entertaining. These two teams play similar brands of baseball, despite playing in different leagues. It's just that the Royals do it a little bit better than the Pirates do. Kansas City has the best record in the American League - five games better than the next closest team. That's impressive given how tough the league is this season without any really bad teams (Seattle at 42-50 has the worst record). The Royals have made their bettors nearly 20 units of profit this season, which is tops in all of baseball. Given that their starting rotation is mediocre at best, they don't attract as much money in the betting markets as some of the other top teams. That case applies to tonight's matchup, as Yordano Ventura pitches for the Royals against A.J. Burnett of the Pirates. Burnett is clearly having the much better season, but there are eight other guys on the field. Ventura has one of the best defenses in all of baseball behind him and an even better bullpen to close things out. Kansas City has also made major strides offensively this season, providing a lot more power than a season ago. The Pirates have been inconsistent at the dish, and it's worth noting they they've played one of the softest schedules up to this point. Put it all together, and the Royals are the superior team and should get a W in this one.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #913 Chicago Cubs over Atlanta Braves (5:05pm EST) The Chicago Cubs have finally arrived and there's still room on the bandwagon before the betting markets fully adjust. The Cubs have one of the youngest teams in the big leagues and they are getting better every day. I expect a big second half from this squad, assuming the offense can become a bit more consistent. The starting rotation has been the strong point of this squad and today's starter Jake Arrieta certainly has played a big role in that capacity. Arrieta is probably a top five starter in the National League, but he doesn't always get priced that way. The right-hander is 10-5 with a 2.66 ERA and 0.99 WHIP in 18 starts this season. One of the least talked about aspects of this Cubs team is their outstanding defense, which ranks tops in baseball as far as efficiency. That makes their pitchers even better and gives them a huge extra edge on the diamond.

I wouldn't be surprised to see this Atlanta Braves team fall apart in the second half of the season. They exceeded expectations in the first half, but they can't expect to get the same kind of production from guys like Cameron Maybin and Kelly Johnson. The same can be said of today's starting pitcher Shelby Miller. He enters today's game with a 2.38 ERA, but his peripheral numbers point to an ERA in the mid-3's at best. The patient Cubs lineup should be able to get some good swings on Miller in this one. The Cubs are the better team in every facet, including in the starting pitcher matchup. And one final note, the Braves are missing their best player in Freddie Freeman, who is currently on the disabled list with a wrist injury. Take the Cubs to get the job done as our Game.

10-unit Play Take #980 Texas Rangers over San Diego Padres (8:05pm EST) The San Diego Padres were set up to fail by General Manager A.J. Preller, and the bottom has officially fallen out with the team dropping to ten games under the .500 mark coming into today's action. They've also dropped six straight games. Expect things to get even uglier in the second half, as the Pads may be sellers at the trade deadline. San Diego has the edge on the mound in Saturday's game in Arlington (James Shields over Colby Lewis), but I give the Rangers the check mark in every other area. Bad NL teams such as the Padres haven't fared well in AL parks this season, so that's another big advantage for Texas. Take the Rangers in this one.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #956 New York Mets over Arizona Diamondbacks (7:10pm EST) Noah Syndergaard is a star in the making, but he certainly isn't getting priced like it yet. The Mets are at home playing against an inferior team, and yet the price is reflecting just a small edge on the mound. Syndergaard comes in with a 3.38 ERA and 1.16 WHIP while striking out 9.1 batters per nine innings. He's getting more and more confident in each start and that's scary given how effective he's pitched already. Chase Anderson had a nice start to his 2015 season, but things have fallen apart for him recently. Over his last three starts, the young righty has a 7.64 ERA with only nine strikeouts and six walks. The D-Backs have certainly exceeded expectations so far this season, but I don't think they can keep it up offensively. We'll see some regression from this team in the second half of the season. The Mets have also been amazing at home this season at 29-15 - the best mark in all of baseball. This is an easy handicap. Take the Mets today.

10-unit Play Take #958 Milwaukee Brewers over Atlanta Braves (8:10pm EST) It wasn't a bad first half of the season for the Braves at 40-42. That's far better than most had projected before the season. But I expect a much different second half of the season in Atlanta. They have been aided by one of the easiest schedules up to this point, and they have won more than their share of tight games. The Braves are in rebuilding mode and their team knows it. That means we'll probably see a different focus with this team in the second half. Their best player, Freddie Freeman, is currently on the disabled and that's a huge loss for a team that has trouble offensively. The Brewers had an atrocious first two months of the season, but they have been playing much better recently. They've won eight straight games and have been a wrecking ball at the plate. During that stretch, the Brew Crew has averaged 7.3 runs per game and has scored at least four runs in every contest. Despite the big difference in ERAs, I give Milwaukee the edge on the mound in this one with Kyle Lohse over Matt Wisler. The Brewers are cranking on all cylinders right now and should keep the streak alive here.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #927 Los Angeles Angels over Texas Rangers (7:05pm EST) The Los Angeles Angels are finally finding their rhythm and that could be bad news for an AL West that is seemingly wide open at the moment. C.J Wilson takes the mound for them on Sunday against the Rangers. Texas has struggled against left-handed pitching this season, so Wilson should fare well. Colby Lewis toes the rubber for the Rangers and he's putting up mediocre numbers once again in 2015. Albert Pujols is the hottest hitter in baseball and has the Angels offense in a nice groove. They pounded the Rangers 13-0 on Saturday night and I expect some of that to carry over into Sunday's game. Take the Halos here.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #970 Kansas City Royals over Minnesota Twins (8:10pm EST) There couldn't be a better fit for Chris Young than the Kansas City Royals. The soft-tossing, pitch-to-contact style that Young has survived with plays right into the hands of the best defense in baseball. The Royals just love snagging grounders and chasing down fly balls, and they happen to rate as the best in the game at doing just that. Young doesn't have pretty peripheral numbers, but he comes in with a 2.71 ERA and 0.99 WHIP in 69.2 innings of work. While he isn't likely to sustain numbers quite that good, Young will continue to flourish in a Royals uniform. He'll face a bad Minnesota Twins lineup that is 11th in the AL in OPS. The Twins are in a tailspin as they're 8-14 over their last 22 games overall. Everyone knew that they were playing over their heads during the first two months of the season, but this team is even worse than that. Minnesota is right there with the White Sox as the worst team in the American League when you starting breaking down all of the numbers. They have a bad starting rotation, a below average lineup and play horrible defense. Add it all up, and this team is going to continue to slide for the rest of the 2015 season. Take Kansas City at a very reasonable price today.

10-unit Play Take #968 Detroit Tigers over Chicago White Sox (7:05pm EST) The Chicago White Sox have no shot in 2015 and I think the players on the team know it. They have made far too many mental errors this season and their lineup just has too many holes to make up for it. The starting pitching has a couple of bright spots, but the usually reliable Jose Quintana hasn't been as sharp as previous years. The southpaw is just 3-7 with a 3.92 ERA and 1.35 WHIP in 14 starts this season. The White Sox fielders aren't doing their pitchers any favors either, as they rank at the very bottom in several defensive categories. The Tigers crush lefties, so Quintana is certainly going to have his hands full in this one. The Tigers go with Anibal Sanchez, who seems to be regaining his form after a slow start to the 2015 campaign. In his last three starts, Sanchez is 3-0 with a 1.14 ERA and 0.80 WHIP to go along with a 19-4 K-BB ratio. Detroit is the much better team and I think they get the victory tonight behind a red hot Sanchez.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #920 Tampa Bay Rays over Toronto Blue Jays (7:10pm EST) This one is all about Chris Archer, who is virtually an auto-play right now. The 26-year old right-hander is 8-4 with a 2.18 ERA and 1.00 WHIP and has been the best pitcher in the American League thus far. His slider is the most devastating pitch in baseball at the moment. He'll face a very tough Blue Jays offense today, but I don't think Archer will be intimidated one bit. He pitched against Toronto twice this season and hasn't given up a run in 14 innings of work, while striking out 18 batters in 14 innings. That's very impressive against the best lineup in the league. This line is a bit higher than we usually like to play, but there's still value on the Rays here.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #928 Seattle Mariners over Houston Astros (4:10pm EST) You can count on the Seattle Mariners making a big run at some point in the near future, and we might be seeing the beginning of it already. The M's have won three of four and are just too talented of a team not to get back into contention in the American League. Today's starter J.A. Happ has been really solid in his first season with the Mariners, and particularly so at home. He owns a scant 1.88 ERA and 1.12 WHIP in 3.81 innings in Safeco Field this season. He'll go up against a dangerous Houston Astros lineup on Sunday afternoon, but one that will be missing their leader. Jose Altuve is the energizer at the top of the lineup and he has been nursing a hamstring injury for over a week now. It's doubtful he'll be in action on Sunday and if he is will probably be limited. The Astros send rookie right-hander Vincent Velasquez to the hill. Velasquez put up some great numbers in Double-A before being called up, but in looking at his first two starts he doesn't appear quite ready for the big leagues. He put up a 4.66 ERA against two bad offenses and has struggled with his control. He'll need some Triple-A seasoning to get become an effective major leaguer, and I'd be surprised if he's not there in the coming weeks. For now the Mariners can take advantage. Play Seattle.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #907 New York Mets over Atlanta Braves (7:35pm EST) There aren't too many major league hurlers throwing the ball better than Jacob deGrom is right now for the Mets. Over his last six starts, deGrom is 4-0 with a 0.97 ERA and 0.67 WHIP. His K-BB ratio is equally as impressive at 53-5 during that span. That's being locked in and I don't think there's anything a weak Braves lineup is going to be able to do to stop deGrom from continuing his conquest of the National League. To make matters worse for Atlanta, Freddie Freeman is nursing a wrist injury and may be out of action for this one. Matt Wisler will make his big league debut for the Braves after spending the early part of the season in Triple-A. He wasn't particularly good in the minor leagues, so this promotion is a bit puzzling. In 12 starts, Wisler managed a 4.29 ERA and only struck out 6.8 batters per nine innings. Last season in Triple-A for the Padres, Wisler had a robust 5.01 ERA in 22 starts. The Mets are missing a couple of key bats in their lineup, but that shouldn't matter tonight with the rookie Wisler out there. They also shouldn't need many runs with the way deGrom is pitching. Take the Mets here.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #961 Tampa Bay Rays over Washington Nationals (7:05pm EST) Tampa Bay is looking to take three of four games from the Washington Nationals this week and I think they have a great chance to do it. Chris Archer is hands down the hottest pitcher in baseball and the front-runner for the AL Cy Young early on. He's 7-4 with a 2.00 ERA and 0.94 WHIP to go along with an elite 11.3 strikeout rate. Believe it or not, he's been even better over the last month or so. His slider might be the best pitch in baseball and it's amazing to think that Archer is still getting better at age 26. The Nationals don't have much experience against Archer, so he'll certainly have the leg up today. Doug Fister gets the nod for the Nats in his first start back from the disabled list today. He has been dealing with a forearm issue, so there's no telling if there are going to be any lingering effects. The team will probably play it safe and limit his pitch count lower than usual, so that could mean the Nats bullpen gets exposed today. I like how this Rays team is defying all odds and continuing to win despite all of the major injuries they have suffered this season. They lead a tough AL East division and are 11-4 over their last 15 contests. Take the Rays today.

10-unit Play Take #928 Seattle Mariners over San Francisco Giants (10:10pm EST) Great pitching matchup on Wednesday night as two of the very best in the game square off. Madison Bumgarner and Felix Hernandez meet up in Safeco Field in Seattle in what will be must see TV. I give Hernandez the slight edge overall, as he's posted better numbers throughout his career and in the 2015 season. I also think King Felix comes into tonight's game with a little extra motivation than usual. In his last start, he has the worst outing of his entire career giving up nine runs and eight hits in 0.1 innings of work. It doesn't get much worse than that, so I expect King Felix to come back with a vengeance against the Giants tonight. All great pitchers bounce back after a terrible outing, and he's one of the best. The M's have really been disappointing overall this season at 29-36 overall. The pieces are all there, so I think it's just a matter of this team finding their groove and playing a bit looser. Their stock is probably the lowest you'll see it all season, so now's the time to buy. For the Giants, they've kept their heads above water but aren't playing very good baseball either. Now Hunter Pence is back on the disabled list and he's the one of the leaders on the club. I think the Seattle is the better team, have the better pitcher and are playing at home against a team playing in unfamiliar territory. Take the M's here.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #968 Miami Marlins over New York Yankees (7:10pm EST) The Miami Marlins struggled out of the gates this season, but they are playing their best ball of the season right now. The Fish have won 10 of 17 and their pitching has been the key during their run. Today's starter David Phelps has been an unexpected contributor in the rotation, but has filled in admirably. The offense is also picking it up with Giancarlo Stanton leading the league in home runs with 23. He's the most dangerous hitter in baseball and the guys around him have certainly benefitted. The Yankees have dropped four of five and just don't look like a contender for the long haul. Injuries are always going to surround this veteran team, and that's the case right now. Jacoby Ellsbury is disabled right now, along with closer Andrew Miller. Those are two important pieces that will be missed. The Marlins are home underdogs in this one and that seems generous. Take Miami.

We have a big interleague mismatch on the slate here as the Los Angeles Angels host the Arizona Diamondbacks. Based on records alone, the line on this game seems about right or perhaps even a tad high. But as a handicapper, we're more worried about the future than we are about the past. The Diamondbacks aren't going to hover around the .500 mark very much longer, as there are plenty of holes on this team to drag them down. The pitching staff is the biggest problem and particularly the bullpen. There really isn't anyone you can really trust to be automatic and they've hinted at shuffling closers on several occasions. Today's starter Robbie Ray has been good in limited work, but I'm not sure he' s a good fit in Arizona with his extreme fly ball tendencies. Veteran Jered Weaver gets the call for the Halos today. It's been a rough season for the right-hander so far, but I think he figures out a way to right the ship. His stuff has declined, but his success has never really been about the quality of his stuff. I'm also confident that a struggling Los Angeles offense eventually figures it out. They are near the bottom in many of the AL hitting categories, but when you have guys like Mike Trout and Albert Pujols that shouldn't last much longer. Take the Angels here.

The Minnesota Twins may be in the beginning of a freefall. After owning the best record in the AL, they've dropped six of seven and starting to revert back to the team we're all familiar with. Mike Pelfrey gets the ball in this one. He's put together a fantastic season at 5-2 with a 2.28 ERA, but his peripheral numbers just don't support it. He's only striking out 4.6 batters per nine innings and is stranding 83% of his baserunners. Those are huge red flags and point to regression going forward. The Rangers are also having a surprising winning season at 31-29, but injuries are starting to curtail any efforts to make them a contender. No team has endured as many health issues as the Rangers over the last two years, but this team is still battling. Rookie Joey Gallo has added as a nice spark and the team is 16-6 over it last 22 games overall. They are better than the Twins in just about every phase of the game and should be higher favorites in this one. The play is Texas.

If you're making a list of the worst free agent signings of the offseason, the Rockies signing of Kyle Kendrick looks pretty foolish right about now. The veteran right-hander could barely hold onto a job in Philadelphia, so it wasn't hard to figure out he was going to struggle pitching in Coors Field. But to be honest, Kendrick has been horrible wherever he has pitched this season. He comes in 2-7 with a 6.16 ERA and 1.41 WHIP in 12 starts and has seen his strikeout rate plummet to 4.4 per nine innings. At this point, the Rockies should probably look at other options, but after giving him $5.5 million in the offseason that's probably not going to happen. So we'll just look to take advantage and today is a great opportunity to do that. The Marlins are just small favorites at home in this one with youngster Jose Urena on the hill. I like what Urena has brought to the table from a stuff perspective and I think he has the chance to be a staple in  the Marlins rotation going forward. I also think the Marlins are playing a bit looser now that new manager Dan Jennings has been here a few weeks. They're not going to be contenders, but I do think they have a lot of good young talent that's not going to just roll over. Take Miami.

10-unit Play Take #969 Kansas City Royals over Minnesota Twins (8:10pm EST) We cashed a ticket with the Royals last night and we'll go there again on Wednesday. Kansas City is miles better than Minnesota, but the fast start by the Twins has really distorted people's reality. The starting pitchers in this game, Edinson Volquez and Kyle Gibson, are rated similarly so the line on this game infers that the Royals are just slightly better than Minnesota. That clearly isn't the case as the Royals are better in every single phase of the game. Take Kansas City today.

10-unit Play Take #919 Kansas City Royals over Minnesota Twins (8:10pm EST) There isn't much not to like about this Kansas City Royals team. They play baseball the right way and do a lot of the little things that other teams miss the boat on. They run the bases well, play extraordinary defense and are good at moving runners along to set up scoring chances. Their bullpen been one of the best in the league for the last two seasons and their offense is much improved over last season. Their starting pitching is the one weak link, but they have can get by with one of the best defenses in the league backing them up. The Royals defense was built for guys like today's starter Chris Young. He's a contact pitcher that relies on his teammates, and it's worked beautifully so far. In 12 games this season, Young owns a 2.56 ERA and 0.99 WHIP between the bullpen and rotation. He's throwing harder than he has in years and his strikeout rate is up as a result. He'll get a Twins team with a weak lineup that has played over their respective heads in 2015. No team has been luckier than Minnesota has in 2015, so I expect some major regression from them going forward. They might be better than everyone thought they were coming into the season, but this isn't a team that is going to contend for the playoffs when it's all said and done. The Royals are the far better team and we get a steal of a price on them in this one.

10-unit Play Take #906 Cincinnati Reds over San Diego Padres (7:10pm EST) We've pointed out on several occasions why the San Diego Padres won't be a contender unless they make more moves. They have a porous defense, a subpar infield and their rotation is overrated. They've been hovering around the .500 mark for most of the season and that's probably the ceiling for this team. Tyson Ross gets the ball for them today and he's been struggling with his control a bit this season. His walk rate is 30% higher than last season and he just doesn't look as comfortable on the mound. He'll go up against an underrated Reds lineup today. Cincinnati doesn't rate as one of the top offenses, but part of the reason is because they have been terrible with runners in scoring position. Once that normalizes, the Reds have the potential to be an upper echelon offense. Raisel Iglesias will go today and he's been better than his 5.11 ERA indicates. Take Cincinnati here.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #951 Chicago Cubs over Washington Nationals (7:05pm EST) Big pitching edge for the Cubs today against the Nationals in D.C. Since coming to Chicago, Arrieta has emerged as one of the top five pitchers in the National League. But interestingly enough, he's still not getting priced like an elite pitcher. Maybe others need to see him dominate for longer to believe it, but Arrieta has made all of the adjustments and his numbers are amazing in a Cubs uniform. In his 35 starts over the last two seasons he has a 2.72 ERA and 1.02 WHIP to go along with a strong K-BB ratio. He'll go up against a Nationals lineup that has been pretty inconsistent this season. They rely far too heavily on Bryce Harper to fuel the offense and are lacking a guy to support him in the lineup. Gio Gonzalez takes the mound for Washington. He's struggled of late with a 6.64 ERA in his last four outings. Part of the problem has been the horrible defense behind him, which has cost them several runs during that stretch. The Nats have the lowest rated defense in the NL and I don't see that changing any time soon. That terrible defense is what's holding the Nats back from being a truly elite team. It's just too hard to win in today's baseball without a balanced overall team that can catch the ball. Take the Cubs and Arrieta as an underdog here.

10-unit Play Take #964 San Francisco Giants over Pittsburgh Pirates (10:15pm EST) The San Francisco Giants enter tonight's contest on a red hot run after a slow start to the 2015 campaign. They are 21-9 over their last 30 games and have one of their main cogs back in Hunter Pence. One of the guys that kept the team afloat when they were struggling earlier on was today's starter Chris Heston. With the injury to Matt Cain, Heston's contributions over the first two months have been priceless. The 27-year old right-hander is 5-3 with a 3.86 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in 10 starts. He's coming off of one of his best performances of the season in his last outing, pitching 7.1 shutout innings against the Braves. The Pirates are starting to play better ball of late too, and they have a savior in their own right in starter A.J. Burnett. The veteran hurler is 5-1 with a 1.81 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in 10 starts. But unlike Heston, I don't think Burnett has earned his numbers this season. He's been extremely fortunate to strand 84% of baserunners and his home run rate is ridiculously low at 0.28 per nine innings. Neither of those numbers is sustainable, so it's just a matter of time for Burnett's ERA to climb closer to the mid-3's level. The Pirates have struggled away from home at just 11-15 this season. The Giants, meanwhile, check in at 16-11 in AT&T Park this season. This line is far too low, so we'll take San Francisco.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #909 New York Mets over San Diego Padres (10:10pm EST) Great matchup in San Diego to start off the week as Jacob deGrom and Andrew Cashner duel it out. The Mets have simmered a bit after a red hot start to the 2015 season. They are just 8-12 in their last 20 contests and begin a seven-game road trip out West. But it's been a successful first two months overall - especially considering that they've been playing short-handed most of the way. The Padres have been sputtering all season long after making some huge waves in the offseason. They come in at 25-27 and haven't been able to put together more than three wins in a row at any point. As we've mentioned several times previously, this San Diego isn't constructed very well and I don't think they are going to be contenders unless they make more moves. Their defense is horrendous and they have one of the worst infields in baseball. I have much more faith in the Mets to stay in contention as they are better-rounded and have pitchers you can count on to keep you in the game. DeGrom is developing himself into one of the best in the NL. He won NL Rookie of the Year and recorded a 2.69 ERA last season. This year he checks in with a 2.71 ERA and has seemingly alluded any sophomore slump. Cashner has always been on verge of breaking through as an ace, but injuries have played a huge role in keeping him back. He has put up decent numbers this season, but remember that half of his outings are in Petco Park and he pitches in a friendly NL West. The Mets are the better team and have the better pitcher on the mound today. Value is on the Mets here.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #954 Cincinnati Reds over Washington Nationals (1:10pm EST) The Cincinnati Reds go for the 3-game sweep over the Washington Nationals on Sunday afternoon. This Reds team struggled coming into this series, but they've shown that they still have some nice pieces on their roster. Their lineup has the potential to be an above-average one, but the problem this season has been the pitching staff. The starting rotation has been largely inconsistent and the bullpen has been vulnerable to some huge blowups. I think that will be less of a concern today as right-hander Michael Lorenzen toes the rubber for the Reds. I like the stuff that the 23-year old possesses and he's posted a nice 3.12 in his six games this season. The bullpen has gotten better as the season has progressed and they still have one of the best in the ninth inning in Aroldis Chapman. The Nationals are playing better after a slow start, but I still don't think the chemistry is quite right on this team. There have been several instances of guys getting into it a little in the clubhouse, and Bryce Harper has been in the middle of a lot of it. Now that Harper is taking over as one of the best players in the game, it will be interesting to see how the team dynamics change. They have all of the talent in the world, but the Nationals have consistently underwhelmed. Take the Reds today as the home underdog as I think they can get the sweep.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #904 Milwaukee Brewers over Arizona Diamondbacks (4:10pm EST) The Brewers are far better than their record indicates and the same can be said of Saturday's starter Kyle Lohse. He checks in at 3-5 with a hefty 5.80 ERA, but all of his peripheral statistics are very close to what they have been for the last five years - a pitcher with an ERA in the high 3's. The Diamondbacks are exceeding expectations so far this season, but I can't see it continuing with so many weak spots in their rotation. Jeremy Hellickson is one of them and he'll get the ball on Saturday versus a capable Brewers lineup. Take Milwaukee to get the job done at home.

10-unit Play Take #930 Los Angeles Angels over San Diego Padres (10:05pm EST) The San Diego Padres made some big moves in the offseason and A.J. Preller received quite a bit of praise from onlookers. While Preller improved a few areas of his team, he also left some glaring weaknesses. The Padres aren't going to be a contender until they can improve their infield, their defense and their depth. The depth issue is a big one right now with Yonder Alonso and Wil Myers on the disabled list. Defensively, they've been one of the worst clubs in baseball - especially in the outfield. The infield is a collection of spare parts that hasn't proven much in the major leagues yet. The starting rotation has also been a bit shaky and Odrisamer Despaigne is one of the culprits. The young right-hander has been filling in for the injured Brandon Morrow, but it's difficult to understand why he's still in the rotation. The 28-year old enters today's action with a robust 6.11 ERA despite pitching half of his games in pitcher-friendly Petco Park. His low strikeout rate is a huge concern at just 4.1 per nine innings, and the Angels should be able to take advantage. Their bats are finally showing some signs of life after a slow start to the 2015 campaign. I also like what I've seen from right-hander Matt Shoemaker in his last few outings. Take the Halos to get the job done tonight.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #980 Los Angeles Angels over San Diego Padres (9:10pm EST) The San Diego Padres were supposed to be contenders this year. At least that's what everyone said after GM A.J. Preller made acquisition after acquisition to reshape the team. I wasn't as impressed with the moves as they created some major defensive liabilities and had nowhere near the depth they needed to contend. They find themselves at 21-24 thru 45 games and are probably fortunate that they aren't worse. Today's starter Tyson Ross has had some real problems with control this season. He's walking nearly 5.0 batters per nine innings and his ERA is over a run higher than last season. He'll have his hands full with a tough Angel's lineup on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball. The Halos haven't put up great numbers on the season, but they are coming around. Jered Weaver is also throwing the ball a ton better than he did earlier this season. He isn't throwing very hard, but he doesn't need to throw with much velocity to be effective. It's all about deception for Weaver and it's served him well throughout his career. The Padres don't make their way to Anaheim very often and that only adds to the advantage for the Angels tonight. Play the Angels as our pick.

10-unit Play Take #907 Chicago Cubs over Arizona Diamondbacks (4:10pm EST) With Jon Lester and Jake Arrieta ahead of him in the rotation, Jason Hammel doesn't get a ton of attention. But he's pitching at an All-Star level right now. Hammel is 3-1 with a 2.70 ERA and 0.92 WHIP in eight starts in 2015. The key to his success has been pinpoint control. He's walking just 1.0 batters per nine innings versus 8.3 strikeouts per nine. That's one of the best ratios in all of baseball and he's increased his groundball rate as well. He'll face a tough Diamondbacks lineup this afternoon, but Hammel has looked especially sharp in his last three outings. He has a 1.23 ERA and 0.77 WHIP in his last three starts to go along with a 22-4 K-BB ratio. Arizona will send right-hander Jeremy Hellickson to the mound to face a much improved Cubs lineup. Hellickson is still trying to get comfortable in a D-backs uniform as he enters with a 1-3 record and 5.52 ERA. The Cubs lineup just continues to get better as their youngsters are developing at a fast rate. This line is about 15 cents too low, so we'll take Chicago.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #920 Tampa Bay Rays over Oakland A's (7:10pm EST) I'm not sure what the Tampa Bay Rays need to do to get gain some respect. Most pundits had this team picked to finish dead last in the AL East before the season, but the Rays now find themselves all alone atop the AL East seven weeks into the season. They have also been doing with without a lot of important pieces that have been on the disabled list. Tampa has the best run differential in their division and is third in the AL behind just the Royals and Astros. Chris Archer gets the ball for them today and he hasn't garnered enough attention from the rest of baseball either. Archer is one of the elite pitchers in the AL and comes in with a 2.47 ERA and 1.01 WHIP in nine starts. His 10.2 strikeout rate is amongst the league leaders and his walk rate and groundball rate have both improved markedly from last season. Maybe most impressive, Archer has only given up one home run in 49 innings since his first start of the season.

The Oakland A's will get the unenviable task of going up Archer tonight. The A's have really struggled to score runs lately and find themselves with the worst record in all of baseball at 14-29. They are clearly a much better record than their record indicates and will eventually turn things around. However, I don't expect the offense to turn things around against Archer. Lefty Scott Kazmir takes the hill for Oakland. He's been steady since joining the A's last season, but his last four starts haven't been pretty. He's 0-2 with a 5.64 ERA and 1.52 WHIP over those four outings and has given up four home runs. Tampa Bay can load up their lineup with right-handers and should be able to take advantage of a struggling southpaw. Take Tampa Bay as our 7-unit May Game.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #909 Los Angeles Dodgers over San Francisco Giants (10:15pm EST) Two veterans enjoying strong seasons meet up on Wednesday night. Brett Anderson gets the ball for the Dodgers and comes in with a 3.50 ERA and an impressive 65% groundball rate. He's also walking only 1.5 batters per nine innings this season. Anderson is right at his career ERA and there's no reason to believe he can't sustain this success as long as he stays healthy this season. The same can't be said of the Giants' Lincecum. He's doing it with smoke and mirrors so far in 2015. His 2.43 ERA isn't supported by his peripheral numbers including a hideous 4.2 walk rate per nine innings and his lowest strikeout rate of his career at just 7.1. It won't be long before Timmy has his ERA back in the 4's as his control isn't getting any better. The Dodgers own an advantage over the Giants in every area on the diamond, so this line is definitely a bit too low. Let's take the Dodgers in this one.

10-unit Play Take #902 New York Mets over St. Louis Cardinals (7:10pm EST) The New York Mets are coming off a pair of wins by scores of 5-1 and 14-1 against the Brewers. They sit atop the National League East and have the best home record in baseball at 15-4. That's where they will be today with their ace Matt Harvey taking the hill. Harvey is 5-1 with a 2.31 ERA and 0.92 WHIP in seven starts this season and is still getting better. The Cardinals counter with veteran John Lackey, who doesn't look as sharp as he did in Boston. Lackey's strikeout rate is down considerably and he's walking more batters than he did the last two seasons. The Cardinal bats have been quiet of late as they've scored a total of just 11 runs in their last five games. Somehow the Cardinals find themselves at 25-12 on the season, but I don't see them staying anywhere near that level. Take Harvey and the Mets at home today in a reasonable price range.

10-unit Play Take #969 Tampa Bay Rays over Minnesota Twins (2:05pm EST) Three strong forces are in our favor in today's matchup between the Tampa Bay Rays and Minnesota Twins. First off, Chris Archer is quietly developing into one of the elite pitchers in all of baseball. He comes in with a strong 2.59 ERA and 1.03 WHIP to go along with an impressive 10.7 strikeout rate per nine innings. It won't be long until Archer is priced like one of the top pitchers in baseball, so now is the time to pounce on him. The Rays are also being undervalued as a team this season because of their low expectations. They were picked by most to finish dead last in the AL East and have been above the .500 mark for the entire season. No organization is better at doing more with less than the Rays so this isn't a huge surprise to me. The Twins have been quite a story so far in 2015, but I'm not a believer that they can continue their success. None of their underlying numbers support their team record and this squad isn't much different than the team that won 72 games last season. They will eventually fall down to their usual spot in last place in time, so we should find value fading them in the meantime. All signs point to Archer and the Rays today.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #906 Philadelphia Phillies over Arizona Diamondbacks (7:05pm EST) The last time Archie Bradley took the mound he took a 100+ mph liner in the face. It was an ugly scene and he's lucky that he just had to endure a short 15-day trip to the disabled list. Today he'll make his first start since that accident and nobody is going to blame the rookie if he has some jitters on the hill. Bradley is a highly-touted prospect who has gotten a ton of attention, so there is value to be had going against him in his rookie season until he starts to figure things out. The Phillies aren't a team that everyone is rushing out to bet on, so there are some places you can also find value betting on them. Jerome Williams isn't going to set the world on fire with his stuff, but he is experienced and knows how to keep major league hitters off balance. As bad as the Phillies are overall, they are still a respectable 10-10 at home this season. I think they get the best of Bradley and the Diamondbacks today.

10-unit Play Take #973 Tampa Bay Rays over Minnesota Twins (8:10pm EST) The Tampa Bay Rays were predicted to finish last place in the AL East by most publications and experts before the season started. Despite suffering through more injuries than any other team, the Rays find themselves at 20-16 thru the season's first six weeks. They are just one game behind the Yankees for first place and still can't get any respect in the betting markets for some reason. They recently lost Alex Cobb and Drew Smyly to season-ending injuries, but the team continues to march on. Jake Odorizzi has taken another step forward in his development and enters today's game with a stellar 2.09 ERA and 0.91 WHIP in seven starts. Like most other Rays' players, Odorizzi doesn't get a ton of attention so we get a little extra value on a guy that is developing into a potential ace. He'll face a Minnesota lineup on Friday that is overachieving early on. The Twins are off to a 19-16 start, but I'm just not buying in. This is the same team that lost 92 games last season without any major additions in 2015. Phil Hughes makes his eighth start of the season in this game and the first seven have been really disappointing overall. Hughes had a huge breakthrough year in 2014 but has taken a couple of steps back this season. His strikeout rate is down significantly and he's been more susceptible to the long ball. Tampa Bay has advantages over the Twins in every department, so we see great value at this price. Take the Rays as our Game of the Week.

10-unit Play Take #956 Cincinnati Reds over Atlanta Braves (7:10pm EST) The Cincinnati Reds are just 16-17 to start the season, but there are plenty of reasons for optimism going forward. First off, the bullpen has been an absolute disaster with a 5.47 ERA this season - worst in the National League. They can only improve from there, and remember they have the best closer in the world in Aroldis Chapman. The offense has also sputtered despite a nice balanced group from top to bottom. Cincinnati is only 10th in the NL in runs scored - another area has room to improve. The starting pitching has been a nice backbone and the Reds have quite a bit of depth there. Raisel Iglesias gets the ball today and he has looked pretty good in Triple-A this season. The Braves have never seen him and that's a big advantage for Iglesias the first couple of times thru the order. Left-hander Eric Stults goes for the Braves in this one. I'm shocked that Stults is still in the league after he couldn't hack it in pitcher-friendly San Diego the last couple of years. The Braves are rebuilding, however, so Stults is likely to stick whether he continues to struggle or not. The records for these two clubs are similar now, but the Reds are likely to improve while the Braves are on the way down. Take Cincinnati at a reasonable price at home.

10-unit Play Take #906 Pittsburgh Pirates over St. Louis Cardinals (7:05pm EST) Big series for the Pirates as they host the Cardinals for three games starting on Friday night. Pittsburgh is off to a slow start and is now eight games behind the streaking Cardinals in the NL Central. It's still very early, but they can't afford to lose much more ground. Francisco Liriano gets the nod for Pittsburgh and he has owned the Cardinals over his career. St. Louis is batting .240 against Liriano in 192 at bats with just four home runs. Liriano comes into today with a sparking 1.95 ERA and 0.90 WHIP in five starts this season. He should have no problems keeping the Cards at bay and that puts extra pressure on Michael Wacha. I don't like what I've seen from Wacha since returning from his injury. His strikeouts are way down and he's been extremely fortunate on several fronts. His BABIP is just .229 and he is stranding 87% of baserunners. Those numbers will regress and his ERA will head up into the high 3's eventually. Good matchup for the Pirates today and that's where our money is.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #960 San Francisco Giants over Miami Marlins (10:15pm EST) This is a really good spot for the Giants on Thursday night versus the Marlins. First off, Miami has to travel cross country after playing in Washington D.C. on Wednesday afternoon against the Nats. You can't get a much longer flight than that in this country, and usually teams get a day off prior to that kind of trip. Meanwhile, the Giants are in the middle of a ten-game homestand and have been playing great ball of late. San Francisco is 10-4 over their last 14 contests and their pitching has been extremely strong during that span.

Tim Hudson will be responsible for keeping it going on Thursday and I like his chances. The Marlins are an aggressive bunch and Hudson is great at keeping those types of hitters off balance. He's a rock solid pitcher that you can always count on to keep you in the game, and this season is no different. Hudson has a 3.78 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in five starts, and four of those have been quality starts. The Marlins counter with right-hander Dan Haren in this matchup. Haren has been pretty good this season, but a lot of his success can be attributed to his eye-popping 97% strand rate. Given that his career mark is 72%, we know that is going to drop and his 2.70 ERA will rise as a result. The Giants are swinging the bats well and are patient enough to wait Haren out and get some good pitches to hit. The Giants are the better team overall, have the better pitcher on the mound and are at home. Throw in the tough travel spot for the Marlins and this price is far too low. Take San Francisco as Game.

10-unit Play Take #927 Oakland A's over Texas Rangers (8:05pm EST) If you're making a list of pitchers currently pitching over their heads, Nick Martinez has to be near the top of the list. He's managed a ridiculous 0.35 ERA despite only striking out 3.8 batters per nine innings and walking 2.8. Regression is in order and the A's offense brings Martinez back down to earth in this one. Drew Pomeranz gets the ball for Oakland and has pitched better than this 4.50 ERA indicates. The A's took the wind out of Texas last night, as they came back from a 5-0 deficit after scoring seven times in the eighth inning. With the Rangers awful start, their team morale can't be good after another deflating loss. Take the A's to grab the victory here.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #954 New York Mets over Washington Nationals (7:10pm EST) The best matchup today is right here as Max Scherzer and the Nationals go up against Matt Harvey and the Mets. Under normal conditions, this line would be pretty accurate. However, there is some cause for concern for Scherzer's thumb as he missed his regularly scheduled start a few days ago. The team is saying all the right things right now, but I'd be surprised if Scherzer is 100%. I'd be even more surprised if he throws more than 100 pitches. That means we could see a few different members of the Washington bullpen, which benefits the Mets. Offensively, both of these teams have scored 95 runs in 22 games this season. The Mets play better defense and their bullpen has been exceptional so far in 2015. Slight edge to the Mets in this one at home, so that's where we'll go with this selection.

10-unit Play Take #909 Toronto Blue Jays over Cleveland Indians (7:10pm EST) It doesn't get much worse than what we've seen from right-hander T.J. House this season. In three starts he is 0-3 with a 12.60 ERA and 2.60 WHIP to go along with a horrid 7-9 K-BB ratio. Cleveland has other options, so I have a feeling this will be House's last start in the rotation for now. The Blue Jays have a lineup loaded with good right-handed hitters and that spells trouble for the struggling House. The promising Daniel Norris gets the ball for the Jays. Norris will definitely have some bumps in the road during this rookie season, but he has tremendous stuff and he's been mostly effective in his four starts thus far. The Indians sports a lot of lefties in their everyday lineup, so they will likely struggle against him. This game is simply a matchup nightmare for Cleveland, so the value lies with Toronto today.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #970 Cleveland Indians over Kansas City Royals (6:10pm EST) The Royals are 14-6 and the Indians are 6-13 to open the young season. But looking at team records in April to make betting decisions is an exercise in futility. We're dealing with a lot of small sample sizes and no team is as good or as bad as it looks right now. Danny Salazar is throwing the ball extremely well right now and we catch him at home laying a very small price due to the records these teams carry into the game. In his two big league starts in 2015 he is 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA and boasts an amazing 14.5 strikeout rate per innings. The Royals don't swing and miss very often, so this will definitely be a matchup of strengths. The Royals send right-hander Yordano Ventura to the hill. Ventura has been involved in several altercations already this season and doesn't exactly have his focus in the right direction. With all eyes on what Ventura will do next, I anticipate some struggles in the short-term. The Indians feature eight left-handed hitters in their lineup, so this is a really good matchup for them at home. With Salazar on the mound they won't need to score many to get a W. Take the Indians as our Game.

10-unit Play Take #923 Seattle Mariners over Texas Rangers (8:05pm EST) The Seattle Mariners are off to a bit of a slow start at 8-11 this season. But that is good news for bettors, as there should be some really nice spots to grab some value on one of the best teams in baseball early on. Today is one of those opportunities as the M's take on the Rangers. The acquisition of J.A. Happ in the offseason didn't grab any headlines, but I think it was a great move by Seattle. Happ was really good in the second half of 2014 and fits in really well in Seattle given his flyball tendencies. So far he has been impressive with a 2.61 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in three starts. He's been pitching to contact a little more and that could help him control his walks and rely on a top flight defense behind him.

The Rangers counter with southpaw Ross Detwiler, who has been absolutely horrific in his first three starts with his new team. He has a 10.95 ERA and 2.59 WHIP in 12.1 innings and is likely on the verge of losing his spot in the rotation. In his three outings, Detwiler has only struck out five batters against seven walks. He has an awful 31% groundball rate and has already allowed five home runs. He has easily been the worst pitcher in baseball so far, and we'll gladly lay this low price to fade him. Take the Mariners to win this one as our Game.

10-unit Play Take #964 Los Angeles Dodgers over San Francisco Giants (10:10pm EST) Tim Lincecum has a 2.00 ERA and 1.22 WHIP after this first three starts of the 2015 campaign. He looks sharp and has more confidence on the mound, but don't let a small sample size override what we've seen from him in the recent past. Over the last three seasons, Lincecum has posted a 5.18 ERA, 4.37 ERA and 4.74 ERA. His strikeouts have declined in each of the last three seasons and he's still walking a ton of batters. The regression this season is coming, and a solid Dodgers lineup should be able to exploit him.

Brett Anderson gets the ball for Los Angeles in this one. He hasn't been able to stay very healthy over the last three years, but when he pitches he is great. He's healthy now and I expect Anderson to have an ERA in the low threes if he can stay off the disabled list. The Giants have really struggled to score runs this season and find themselves at 13th in the NL in runs scored. They really need to get Hunter Pence back in the lineup. He's not only a great catalyst on offense, but a great motivator and team leader. The Dodgers are the much better team at the moment and that's where we'll go today.

10-unit Play Take #972 Tampa Bay Rays over Toronto Blue Jays (6:10pm EST) The Tampa Bay Rays are going to be better than most people think this season. They are almost always better than people think. The Rays are 9-8 on the young season despite being ravaged by injuries in the early going. They continue to get better as guys are removed from the disabled list, with James Loney being the latest removal. Their lineup is underrated and they have a strong defense and bullpen.

Both of today's starting pitchers have been struggling mightily so far in 2015. Daniel Norris and Erasmo Ramirez wish they could have a do-over this year, but I think Ramirez could get things turned around quickly. The Rays are excellent at developing young arms and I am confident they can at least turn Ramirez into a decent back-of-the-rotation starter. Norris is struggling with a dead arm at the moment, so it's a bit surprising that he is making the start today. I wouldn't be surprised if he has a very short outing in this one, as the leash won't be long. The Rays scored 12 runs yesterday and are swinging the bats well. I think they get to Norris early and hold on for a win.

10-unit Play Take #974 Chicago White Sox over Kansas City Royals (8:10pm EST) The Kansas City Royals are coming off a World Series appearance that showed of their unique talents to the entire world. And now they're off to a wonderful 11-4start to the 2015 season. So if you're looking for an opportunity to sell high on the Royals, now is that time. The Royals are definitely a contender again this season, but I don't think they are in the elite category that they are being valued at currently. The starting rotation has some major question marks, starting right at the top with today's starter Yordano Ventura. He was fabulous in his rookie season but I'm predicting a sophomore slump and the early returns have him heading in that direction. Ventura comes in with a hefty 4.80 ERA in three starts and his seen his strikeout rate decrease by over 15%. Kansas City is also missing two of the three guys from its three-headed bullpen monster. Kelvin Herrera is suspended and closer Greg Holland is out with a shoulder injury. The White Sox send ace Chris Sale to the mound in today's game. He just continues to get better at the age of just 26. The Clayton Kershaw of the American League posted a 2.17 ERA last season and is at 2.25 in his two starts in 2015. The Sox are off to a slow start, but they have a nice lineup from top to bottom and made some big upgrades to the bullpen in the offseason. I see some value with the White Sox today.

10-unit Play Take #913 Los Angeles Dodgers over San Francisco Giants (10:15pm EST) Two of the best in the game go at it today as Clayton Kershaw and Madison Bumgarner get the ball. Both of them have struggled early on, but there's absolutely no question that they will get back on track sooner than later. But I'd bet on Kershaw getting back to form sooner than Bumgarner. Last season, Bumgarner threw 270 innings including the postseason, so we could be seeing some carry-over effect this season. The Giants also aren't hitting the ball at all right now, as they have average just 2.6 runs per game. The Dodgers are second in the NL in runs scored and have been playing much better defense than they have in the past. All in all, the Dodgers are playing a ton better right now and they have the best pitcher in the world on the hill. You won't see many Kershaw lines this low, so we'll take advantage today.

10-unit Play Take #973 Cleveland Indians over Chicago White Sox (8:10pm EST) This one is all about the starting pitching matchup. Carlos Carrasco is one of the budding aces in the American League after a huge breakthrough season in 2014. He had numbers that rivaled Clayton Kershaw in the second half of last season, and he looked good in his first outing of 2015. If he can stay healthy, I fully expect Carrasco to compete for the Cy Young this season. On the other side is one of the worst starting pitchers in all of baseball - Hector Noesi. It's amazing that the veteran right-hander still has a job after posting ERAs of 5.82, 6.59 and 4.75 in the last three seasons. He'll likely be replaced by rookie Carlos Rodon before long, but in the meantime we'll take this opportunity to fade Noesi. Take Cleveland in this one.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #976 Boston Red Sox over Washington Nationals (1:35pm EST) We'll look to cash in all on three games of a potential sweep for the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday afternoon. We had Boston in the first two and they once again look like the better team in today's matchup versus the Nationals. Gio Gonzalez gets the ball for Washington today and he's going to have his work cut out for him. Boston is near the top in runs scored in the early going this season, and their lineup is built to hammer left-handers. What the Nationals are not built to do is to play in an American League stadium. They've had Clint Robinson in the DH spot for the first two games. He's not exactly a household name and has gone 2-for-9 in the series. The Nats are dealing with a few injuries right now and are nowhere near where they will be in a few weeks. Boston has started the season hot at 6-2 and has scored 17 runs in the first two games of this series. They won't let up tonight, so we'll roll with Boston again.

10-unit Play Take #922 Boston Red Sox over Washington Nationals (6:10pm EST) We'll go back to the well and fade the Washington Nationals once again today. The Nats just aren't 100% right now, and that is going to hurt them even more in interleague games. Jayson Werth came back yesterday, but they are still without Anthony Rendon and Denard Span. Stephen Strasburg takes the hill for Washington against Justin Masterson of Boston. On paper, this is a sizable edge for the Nats. However, Strasburg wasn't sharp in his first start and Masterson pitched a gem. Yes it's only one game, but current form is important for starting pitchers. The Red Sox hold a huge advantage with their superior starting lineup, and that's going to be the difference today. Take Boston as a small home favorite today.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #976 Boston Red Sox over Washington Nationals (3:05pm EST) The Washington Nationals will probably be one of the top teams in the National League by season's end. But right now they are just a mediocre team that is trying to stay afloat until they are healthy. Anthony Rendon, Jayson Werth (may return today) and Denard Span are nursing short-term injuries at the moment. That's three of their top hitters on a team that lacks good depth and is without fourth outfielder Nate McLouth as well. It will be particularly troubling for the Nats today in Boston, as they'll need to find a designated hitter to insert to the lineup as well. For the Red Sox, they'll obviously have David Ortiz in that slot - a huge advantage for them. Rick Porcello will toe the rubber for Boston in the home opener for the Sox. Boston gave Porcello a ton of money after bringing him over from the Tigers, so they must think they can further improve upon what the 26-year old has already done. He already has 76 wins at the major league level and had his best season in 2014 going 15-13 with a 3.43 ERA and 1.23 WHIP. He's shown steady improvement throughout his career, so expect similar numbers again in Boston. Jordan Zimmermann goes for the Nats. He's obviously no easy target, but his velocity was down a touch in his opening start. If he's not right, a dangerous Red Sox lineup should be able to exploit him. Take Boston in this one.

10-unit Play Take #928 Seattle Mariners over Los Angeles Angels (10:10pm EST) If you're looking for the most balanced team in the American League, look no further than the Seattle Mariners. They have a nice balanced lineup, a dominant bullpen, stellar defense and an above average starting rotation. They just missed out on the postseason last year, and this season they are on a mission to get there. Today's starter Hisashi Iwakuma doesn't get much attention, but he's one of the top 10 starters in the American League and has been a rock of consistency in his three years in an M's uniform. Last year he went 15-9 with a 3.52 ERA and that was his worst season. Today he'll get the Los Angeles Angels, who have one of the better offenses in the league. However, the Angels aren't as good against right-handers and they are without one of their big bats in Josh Hamilton.

Matt Shoemaker will toe the rubber for Los Angeles, and I see a huge potential for a sophomore slump from him after putting together a great rookie season in 2014. Shoemaker really struggled in the spring with only 10 strikeouts in 25.1 innings of work. The team hinted at some possible mechanical adjustments for Shoemaker and it didn't sound very good. The Mariners hit right-handers great in 2014 with all of their lefties in their lineup. Now they add a big power bat in Nelson Cruz to the mix, who hit 40 homers last season with the Orioles. He won't hit that many with Seattle, but he provides excellent protection for both Robinson Cano and Kyle Seager in the M's lineup.

These are the two best teams in the AL West, but the Mariners are the better all-around squad and they have the matchup advantages today.

10-unit Play Take #906 San Francisco Giants over Kansas City Royals (8:05pm EST) I have the Kansas City Royals rated slightly ahead of the San Francisco Giants all things considered. But in analyzing tonight's matchup, I give the Giants the edge based on a couple of big factors. First and foremost, veteran Tim Hudson takes the mound for the Giants against Jeremy Guthrie of the Royals. Hudson has pitched 68.1 postseason innings during his career and has registered a very respectable 3.42 ERA against some good hitting teams. Needless to say, a start in the World Series shouldn't faze Hudson very much. Guthrie, on the other hand, is pitching in his first postseason of his entire career. He looked good in the ALCS in five innings of work, but this game is on an even bigger stage and has more pressure. I trust Hudson a lot more and expect him to outpitch Guthrie today. The Giants are also at home for this one and they've been dominant at home in the postseason. They've won four straight home playoff games and nine out of 10 dating back to 2012. The Royals aren't familiar with AT&T as they haven't played there since 2005, which could be a huge advantage for the Giants. I like the Giants to prevail here and make it a 2-1 series lead.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #932 San Francisco Giants over Washington Nationals (9:05pm EST) It's been a tight series between the Washington Nationals and San Francisco Giants and today's Game 4 should be no different. These teams are fairly evenly matched but I give the Giants the edge on the mound today. Gio Gonzalez goes for the Nats and he's put together another solid season at 10-10 with a 3.57 ERA and 1.20 WHIP. He pitched a little better towards the end of the season and he should give a good effort here. Ryan Vogelsong had slightly worse numbers at 8-13 with a 4.00 ERA and 1.28 WHIP this season. But I like the fact that Vogelsong has been here before and succeeded, so the pressure isn't as likely to affect him. Manager Bruce Bochy knows what he's doing and he wouldn't be putting Vogelsong out there if he didn't think he was the best option. Normal starter Yusmeiro Petit will be ready if Vogelsong stumbles, and he's a great backup plan. The line on this game is pretty close to where it should be, but the Giants have proven themselves in big spots like this before and I don't think you can make them an underdog today.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #907 Philadelphia Phillies over Miami Marlins (7:10pm EST) It's been a difficult season for the Philadelphia Phillies on several fronts. This was supposed to be the beginning of a rebuild, but the stubbornness of GM Ruben Amaro has set this team back several years. The team still fought hard in the 2014 season as the veterans played with pride and didn't quit. Cole Hamels is one of the guys that certainly didn't let the organizational disaster affect him on the mound throughout the year. He put together his best season from an ERA standpoint (2.47), but he only has nine wins to show for it due to lack of run support and some bullpen blow ups. He should finish the season strong as other teams take a close look at him for a potential trade in the offseason. Henderson Alvarez makes his 29th start of the season today for Miami. This has been a breakthrough season for Alvarez as he owns an impressive 2.82 ERA and 11 wins. However, his peripheral statistics point to regression as he's been fortunate with a higher than normal strand rate and a weak strikeout rate. The Marlins haven't been the same without their slugger Giancarlo Stanton in the middle of the lineup. Stanton had a great chance of bringing home the NL MVP trophy this season, but with the injury he probably finishes in second place now. Hamels doesn't need any extra edges, but that is a big loss for Miami. We'll go with the Phillies as our Game of the Week selection today.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #905 Cincinnati Reds over Chicago Cubs (8:05pm EST) We have two starting pitchers with different mindsets heading into today's matchup between the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs. For the Reds' Alfredo Simon it's been a breakthrough season in 2014. The 33-year old right-hander has spent most of his career in the bullpen, but was given a shot in the rotation this season with Mat Latos on the disabled list early on. Simon responded in a big way as he enters today's matchup at 14-10 with a 3.48 ERA and also made the All-Star team this season. He's been one of the bright spots for the Reds this year and would like to finish the season strong to hopefully secure a spot in the rotation for next season. Travis Wood, on the other hand, cannot wait for the 2014 campaign to end. The southpaw is having the worst season of his young career at 8-12 with a 5.03 ERA and 1.54 WHIP. Wood lost control of his pitches early on in the season and just never got on track. The Cubs are without their top two offensive weapons in Anthony Rizzo and Starlin Castro, so Wood is going to have to pitch extremely well to give Chicago a chance. I just don't see that happening and I'm much more confident in Simon shutting down the Cubs' bats. This price seems awfully cheap for the better team and much better pitcher. The play is Cincinnati.

This could be the series where the Kansas City Royals stake their claim to the AL Central. They travel to Detroit to begin a crucial three-game series against the Tigers on Monday. The Royals currently hold a two-game lead in the division, so if they can win two of three in this series they will nearly lock things up barring a collapse. The Royals are playing fantastic baseball with a 31-12 record over their last 43 games. Conversely, Detroit is slowly crumbling as they are three games below .500 since the All-Star break. Kansas City has the edge on the mound today with Jeremy Guthrie going up against Justin Verlander. That's something I didn't think I'd ever be saying about two years ago, but Verlander is no longer Verlander. In fact, he's one of the worst pitchers in the AL over the last two seasons. Guthrie is nothing special, but he has looked very good over the last few weeks. The offense is the only area where the Tigers can claim an advantage, and it's a sizable one. However, the Royals more than make up for it with a better bullpen, better team defense and playing more fundamentally sound overall. The Royals do all of the little things to win ball games that the Tigers don't do. On paper, the Tigers have more talent and look the part. But the Royals are the more complete team and I like their chances to win this series. It starts with a win tonight, and we get a great underdog price with the Royals.

Two NL West clubs with different mindsets do battle today in Coors Field. The San Diego Padres have been a completely team in the second half of the season after dismal start to the 2014 campaign. They were 41-54 at the break, but since then they are a very solid 25-20. The biggest part of the turnaround is the fact that they've been hitting the ball really well. That should come in handy today in Coors Field against Franklin Morales and the Rockies. Morales has struggled for most of the season at 5-7 with a 5.46 ERA and 1.64 WHIP. His poor production can't all be blamed on Coors as Morales ha a 5.29 ERA on the road this season in 63 innings. He's a fly ball pitcher, which isn't going to bode well in Denver on most days. The Padres don't have a ton of power, but anyone can hit one out of Coors if they get a good swing on it. All-Star Tyson Ross will toe the rubber for San Diego. The right-hander has established himself as one of the better pitchers in the NL with a 2.60 ERA and 1.17 WHIP in 29 starts this season. The Rockies are a complete mess offensively without their two top hitters out - Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez. This team has really given up on its season once those two were put on the disabled list. They have the worst record in baseball since the beginning of May and have been shining their golf clubs for weeks now. Take the Padres here.

10-unit Play Take #963 Los Angeles Angels over Minnesota Twins (8:10pm EST) The Los Angeles Angels will be happy to head to Minnesota after losing a short two-game series in Houston. The fact is, the Astros are a much better team than the Twins are right now despite similar records. That's because the Twins, like they do every season, have been slowly fading after a decent start. They just don't have the horses on the pitching staff and their offense has not been consistent enough to win them games. Since the All-Star break the Twins are 17-28, which equates to a 100-loss team pro-rated over a full season. They are more focused on next season, while the Angels have their attention on winning the AL West division. The Halos have the best record in baseball and there are no big weaknesses except for a couple of holes in the starting rotation due to injury. Hector Santiago has been considered one of the weak links, but he's currently throwing the ball the best he has all season and I think we'll see another solid effort tonight. Over his last four outings, the left-hander has a spectacular 1.19 ERA and 1.06 WHIP. Confidence has been an issue for Santiago in the past, so he's the kind of pitcher who can continue to build on solid efforts one after another. The Angels offense should have no problem giving him some support today as they've been near the top in run production all season long. Mike Trout is finally going to get that MVP trophy that he has deserved since he broke into the league, and he has a nice supporting cast around him. The Angels are the far superior team and we get a great price on them today.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #912 Kansas City Royals over Minnesota Twins (8:10pm EST) The Kansas City Royals host the Minnesota Twins in the final game of their three-game series in Kaufman Stadium tonight. The Royals are looking for the sweep after a pair of wins in which they allowed just a single run in each. Kansas City is now 26-8 over their last 34 games and has built a 2.5 game lead in the AL Central. They are playing great team baseball with excellent outings from their starting pitchers, near perfect work in the bullpen and timely hits when they need them. Their team chemistry is amongst the best in baseball and it really shows on the field when you watch this team come to work every day. They don't take anything for granted and they have a different hero seemingly every night. Right-hander Jeremy Guthrie makes the start in this one and I have really enjoyed his last few outings. Guthrie isn't a guy I've been high on in the past, but he's on another one of his patented rolls where he transforms into an All-Star caliber pitcher. Over his last four starts he is 3-1 with a 2.82 ERA and has a 17-3 K/BB ratio. The Twins counter with lefty Tommy Milone, who was traded by the A's a month ago. Milone is nothing special and that's why the A's were willing to let him walk even though they like to stockpile pitching. He's nothing more than a mediocre arm that will give you decent innings and keep you in the game. I have the Royals as a much bigger favorite in this one, nearly 30 cents higher. Play Kansas City.

10-unit Play Take #967 Tampa Bay Rays over Baltimore Orioles (7:05pm EST) It was inevitable that the Tampa Bay Rays would need to trade away David Price at some point. There's no way a small market team could afford him long-term and he was going to demand somewhere in the $200 million range. But many questioned why the Rays traded him when they did and were even more critical of the package they got back in return for the dominant left-hander. Tampa received major league pitcher Drew Smyly and prospects Nick Franklin and Willy Adames. Most agreed that the prospects weren't of the elite variety and that Smyly was just a middle-of-rotation guy at best. However, the Rays saw something in Smyly that most didn't and they think he can project out as an ace or very close. And so far, Joe Maddon and the staff might be getting him there. In his four starts with Tampa, Smyly has a 1.55 ERA and 0.76 WHIP including a complete game shutout against the dangerous Blue Jays lineup last time out. Could the Rays actually have gotten the better end of this deal? Could Smyly really be an ace in the waiting? Those questions remain to be answered. However, Smyly certainly is throwing the ball well and isn't getting enough attention for it in the betting markets. He'll face another tough opponent in the Orioles today. Baltimore counters with youngster Kevin Gausman, who has been up and down in his first major league season. He's 7-5 with a 3.81 ERA overall, but he needs to be more consistent to reach his full potential. I like this Rays team a lot more than most despite the fact that they are out of contention. One bad run really ended their season, but outside of that they are one of the top teams in the AL. And with Smyly on the hill today, they have no business being an underdog. Take the Rays.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #909 Miami Marlins over Colorado Rockies (8:40pm EST) We've made a killing going against the Colorado Rockies this season and there's no reason to stop now. This is simply the worst team in baseball without their two best players on the field. Since the beginning of May, the Rockies are on an abysmal 28-62 run and they cannot wait for the season to end. The Marlins come into Coors still holding onto hope in the wild card race in the NL. At 63-63, they are just four games from the second wild card spot and that has them motivated day in and day out. I really like the pitching matchup today for the Marlins. Henderson Alvarez takes the hill for Miami and his stuff is very well-suited for the high altitude. He does a great job of keeping the ball on the ground and can bring the heat when he needs to. He's also had one of the lower home run rates in the NL over the last couple of seasons as well. The same can't be said of Colorado starter Franklin Morales. He's a fly ball pitcher that has really struggled with his control in 2014. He enters today's game with a 5.04 ERA and 1.57 WHIP in 28 games, which includes some work out of the bullpen. It's a little surprising that Morales is back in the rotation given Colorado's position. They have several good young arms in the minors, and we should see one or two of them up sooner than later. The Marlins offense has been inconsistent this season, but they are a respectable 6th in runs scored in the NL and have been swinging the bats well lately. They should have no problem getting to Morales and exposing a weak Rockies bullpen. Alvarez is in good form and should hold up his end of the bargain, which should lead to a Marlins victory today.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #977 Kansas City Royals over Colorado Rockies (8:40pm EST) We continue to ride the hot streak of the Kansas City Royals once again today. They are now 21-5 in their last 26 contests and have jumped into first place in the AL Central. Ace James Shields makes the start today in Coors Field against the Rockies. Shields has posted his usual solid numbers at 11-6 with a 3.29 ERA and 1.21 WHIP in 26 starts. He's backed up by a tremendous defense and one of the best bullpens in the league as well. Shields will see a weaker Rockies lineup that is without Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez, both of whom are on the disabled list. Colorado has been absolutely abysmal when they've been without their top two starts over the last few years, and unfortunately they've missed a ton of time. They've been the worst team in baseball since the end of April and the end of the season can't come soon enough for them. Lefty Tyler Matzek makes his 13th start of the season today and it's been tough for him adjusting to major league hitters. He comes in with a 5.50 ERA and 1.54, which isn't entirely due to pitching in Coors. Matzek actually has better numbers at home than he does on the road, although neither set is impressive. With the way the Royals are hitting, they should be able to attack Matzek early and Shields should keep the lead safe. And if it comes down to the respective bullpens, the Royals have another big edge. Take Kansas City as our 10-unit selection.

10-unit Play Take #912 Arizona Diamondbacks over Colorado Rockies (9:40pm EST) The Arizona Diamondbacks host the Colorado Rockies in the first of three games in Chase Field. This season hasn't gone according to plan for either team, but it's not as bad as it seems for Arizona. Since late April, the D-backs are 41-43 despite being dealt quite a few big injury blows. It was the rough start to the season that buried this team, but they've always played hard and haven't given up on the season. The same can't be said of the Rockies however. They are an abysmal 23-55 since late April, which is the worst mark in baseball over that span. Superstar and team leader Troy Tulowitzki was just quoted as saying things need to change with the team because he's tired of losing. The fact he went public with that statement doesn't bode well for team chemistry. Colorado has a talented roster, but something is wrong in the clubhouse and they have had a difficult time keeping everyone on the field at the same time. Today's matchups is lined a little short, with Chase Anderson a small favorite over Tyler Matzek. Anderson has had a solid rookie campaign at 6-4 with a 3.19 ERA and 1.30 WHIP while making half of his starts in a hitter's haven. Matzek, on the other hand, has struggled with Colorado at 2-6 with a 5.31 ERA. It doesn't help that he's a flyball pitcher in Coors Field, but Matzek clearly has some things to work on still and the Rockies are letting him take his bumps and bruises at the big league level. The Diamondbacks should be able to take advantage of that in this one. Colorado has been terrible on the road as usual with a 17-39 mark away from home. Play Arizona.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #912 Los Angeles Dodgers over Los Angeles Angels (10:10pm EST) Great game today in Los Angeles as two of the best teams in baseball square off. This could be a potential World Series matchup between the Dodgers and Angels and we'll see two of their best hurlers taking the mound. Garrett Richards has been quite a story for the Halos in 2014. At 11-4 with a 2.74 ERA and 1.04 WHIP, Richards has to be in the preliminary Cy Young discussion for the AL. But as good as Richards has been, Dodgers' starter Zack Greinke has been just a little bit better. Greinke is also the best home pitcher in baseball over the last several seasons and the Dodgers have taken full advantage. The team is an impressive 20-4 in Greinke's last 24 home starts. Greinke is also coming off of back-to-back brilliant performances against the Braves and Giants. He allowed a total of just one run in those outings while accumulating a 23-2 K/BB ratio. I also give the Dodgers the edge offensively as they have the slightly better lineup top to bottom and Matt Kemp is absolutely scorching the ball at the moment. In the 14 games since the All-Star break (excluding Sunday), Kemp is hitting .356 with four home runs and 13 RBI. He's finally healthy and that makes the Dodgers lineup even scarier than it has been all season. As for bullpens, it's pretty close to a draw as both have had their bumps and bruises this season. Joe Thatcher is on the disabled list for the Halos and that could be huge if Richards doesn't go really deep in this game. The line is far too short, so we'll take the Dodgers as our Game.

The Cincinnati Reds are missing two of their best players in Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips, but this is a fairly deep team that still has a chance to make some noise in the National League. The Reds are going to be relying more on their pitching now, and that puts the pressure on a staff that is capable of handling it. Today's starter Mike Leake doesn't get nearly enough credit for his accomplishments. He comes in with just an 8-9 record, but he holds a 3.53 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in 22 starts. He's improved every aspect of his game in 2014 and it's showed up in his peripheral statistics. Leake has improved his strikeout and groundball rates while simultaneously cutting down on his walk totals. Leake has also been one of the best road pitchers in baseball over the last few years, so that makes him an even more attractive option today as he starts in Miami. The Marlins have been fighting hard to get back into contention, but I just don't think they have the horses. They have a good young nucleus that will be important for the future, but there aren't enough role players around them. Jacob Turner is one of the guys that is still trying to prove himself for Miami. The young right-hander was once a highly-touted arm in the Tigers farm system, but he hasn't been able to make much of an impression with the Marlins. Turner enters today's game with a robust 5.69 ERA and 1.57 WHIP despite some decent secondary numbers. The Marlins are just 2-7 in Turner's last nine home starts overall. Cincinnati has a big edge on the mound and I still like their roster a little bit better overall despite the injuries. Leake should get the job done here, so take the Reds as our Game of the Week.

10-unit Play Take #928 Chicago White Sox over Minnesota Twins (7:10pm EST) Neither of these teams is playing for anything this season, but that doesn't mean we can't find an advantage in this matchup. There isn't much differentiation between the White Sox and Twins overall, but I do give Chicago the edge offensively (especially with Joe Mauer out). But the biggest edge in this game is on the mound. Scott Carroll doesn't have very good numbers on the season, but he's getting better every start. Over his last four outings, the 29-year old has a 2.38 ERA and 1.06 WHIP. Three of those four starts were on the road as well, including his last outing against these same Twins. He pitched six innings in that game while allowing just a single run on four hits and a walk. His confidence is growing and Carroll could be a nice guy to ride down the stretch for bettors. Yohan Pino gets the nod for the Twins. He's had a mediocre season after a career in the minor leagues for eight years. He doesn't offer anything fancy and has a propensity to give up the long ball as well. The White Sox are a swing for the fences kind of team, so they match up extremely well here. Take the home team at a very fair price.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #930 Tampa Bay Rays over Milwaukee Brewers (7:10pm EST) The Tampa Bay Rays are red hot and the price can't be set high enough on their games. The Rays are 21-6 over their last 27 contests and have jumped back into contention in the AL playoff race. Their pitching has been the key as they haven't allowed more than four runs in a game since July 11th. Alex Cobb isn't putting up the type of numbers that everyone expected, but they're certainly still respectable. He's 6-6 with a 3.76 ERA, but he's coming off of his best performance of the season in his last start against the Cardinals. Cobb went seven innings without allowing a run and had 10 strikeouts without a walk. That's the kind of start that builds tons of confidence and should get him back on track. The Milwaukee Brewers have been coasting after getting off to a hot start in 2014. They were 20-7 to start the campaign, but are just 39-41 since then. Matt Garza takes the ball for them today, and he hasn't looked like himself for the most part this season. His strikeout rate is down, walk rate is up and he has been wildly inconsistent from start to start. I'm not sure which Garza we'll see today, but the Rays certainly are familiar with the right-hander from his days in Tampa. It's hard to get in the way of this Rays team right now. The price is a little steep, but I still see value.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #930 Houston Astros over Miami Marlins (8:10pm EST) The Houston Astros and Miami Marlins won't be making a postseason appearance this season, but both squads have quality youngsters and some hope for the future. As far as 2014, I like the way the Astros have steadily improved as the season has progressed. Houston was a putrid 12-27 on May 12th and has gone a respectable 30-33 since then. They still have a long way to go, but with the talent they keep bringing up from the minors it will be sooner than most people think before they are contenders. The Marlins, on the other hand, got off to a quick start this season and have been slowly fading since. Miami is just 9-14 over their last 23 games overall. It will be a battle of left-handers today as Dallas Keuchel battles Brad Hand. Keuchel has had a breakthrough campaign at 9-6 with a 3.29 ERA but is still floating under the radar a little bit. He nearly made the AL All-Star team on a loaded pitching staff. Hand has been fortunate to get a chance in the Miami rotation. He was awful in the bullpen earlier in the season, and has just simply been mediocre since becoming a starter. He has a 4.86 ERA and 1.64 WHIP overall. One big difference between these teams is the divisions they play in. The AL West is clearly the best division in baseball with three teams that would be in the playoffs if they started today. As a result, the Astros have played one of the tougher schedules in baseball. Conversely, the Marlins have played against a mediocre NL East division. If we flip-flopped these teams in the other's divisions, the records could easily be flip-flopped as well. I think Houston is the better team overall and they have the much better starting pitcher on the mound today. Throw in the home field advantage and the interleague edge, and the Astros are the choice here as our Interleague Game of the Year.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports