ASA
Oakland at Seattle
Pick: Seattle -155
There is a moderate price to lay here to grab the Mariners on the money line in this one but it is truly a good value when you consider the edges here for Seattle. Home field makes a big difference in this match-up as James Paxton toes the rubber for the M's in this one. The southpaw is 4-2 with a 2.68 ERA in his home starts this season. Sean Manaea gets the call for Oakland tonight in the Pacific Northwest. The left-hander only allowed 1 earned run in his last road start but he had luck on his side in that one. Manaea gave up 9 hits in a start that lasted only 5 and 2 / 3 innings at Houston. He also walked 3 in that outing so it was truly a stroke of some good fortune that Manaea allowed an average of 2 guys on base per inning and yet escaped virtually unharmed. We don't expect the A's southpaw to be so fortunate here! Seattle lost to Oakland last night but the Athletics, even including that W, are only 14-27 on the road this season. Overall, Oakland endured a recent 6-game losing streak and there is value tonight with the Mariners at a fair price and now looking to snap their tough 4-game skid. Only once this entire season have the M's lost 5 straight and the 4th and 5th losses of that run came on the road. This is another home game for the Mariners tonight and we expect them to bounce back as they have in this type of situation many times already this season.
Brad Wilton
Friday comp play is the Nats on the Run Line over the pesky Braves.
Atlanta won the series opener last night, 5-2, but I don't think they will be as successful tonight when they have to swing against Max Scherzer and his 1.94 season ERA.
Scherzer has been lights-out of late, allowing no more than 2 earned runs in any of his last 8 starts. In fact, he has allowed just 2 earned runs over his last 29 innings pitched!
Mighty Max has split a pair of season starts this year versus Atlanta, but the way he is throwing right now tells me he will be ready to extend his winning ways on Friday at home.
Atlanta will counter with R.A. Dickey who has also been stingy of late, as he has won 3 of his last 4 decisions. The lone loss in that stretch comes in D.C. back on June 13th when he allowed 8 runs on 8 hits over 5 innings of work.
Count of the Nats bats to reach Dickey tonight, and for Scherzer to keep the Braves off the scoreboard.
Nationals by at least 2 runs.
4* WASHINGTON -1.5
Eric Schroeder
My free winner for Friday is on the Toronto Blue Jays, plus the money, against the Houston Astros. And I don't want you listing pitchers, as it's not important whatsoever.
After the Blue Jays won the opener of the four-game weekend series that will close the first half of the season, a 7-4 win over the American League West leaders, the win streak is at three games. And when Toronto gets rolling at home, it can be dangerous.
We've yet to see the home team domination from the Jays, that we saw in the past, but this is a good spot for them to build momentum.
The Blue Jays, who still haven't gotten to .500 this season, are making a legitimate push heading into the All-Star break, and are playing well enough to give them a push for the rest of the season.
Take Toronto as the free winner.
2* BLUE JAYS
Jeff Benton
Friday freebie is the Brewers over the Yankees.
Milwaukee was on field yesterday in a make-up game against Chicago at Wrigley Field, and the Brewers thumped the Cubbies but good, 11-2!
First-place Milwaukee has now won 4 straight and 7 of their last 8, as the Brew Crew are proving they are for real this season.
Things in the Bronx meanwhile, have turned for the worst, as a combination of injuries has really hamstrung Joe Girardi's team. New York is off another loss on Wednesday, their 16th in their last 22 games.
With so many missing pieces to their roster, not real sure how the oddsmakers can install the Yankees as a favorite this big!?!?!
Yankees starter Jordan Montgomery rates the edge of Junior Guerra, but this price is totally inflated. Not much to think about here, just grab the smoking underdog as the fading favorite drops another as they limp towards the finish line for the first half of the season.
2* MILWAUKEE
Jack Brayman
Wednesday's free winner is on the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Kansas City Royals. And with the line sitting around $2, I'm playing the Dodgers on the Run Line.
Fact is, the Dodgers are playing the best baseball right now, and could beat any other team in the majors. They're dominating teams at the plate, and their pitching staff has been solid.
They're coming into the final weekend of the first half after their ninth series sweep of the 2017 campaign, and momentum is high before everyone heads to South Beach for the All-Star Break.
Sitting in first place in the National League West, Los Angeles moved 5 1/2 games in front of the Arizona Diamondbacks after sweeping the Snakes to start the week.
Now the streaking Royals come to town, and they're going to struggle at Chavez Ravine, in having to hit their pitchers and deal with the hottest team in baseball.
The Dodgers have won three in a row, and 23 of 27. Tonight they roll.
3* DODGERS -1.5
Bob Balfe
Marlins -110
When it comes to batting average the Marlins are one of the best in the National League while the Giants struggle against right handed pitching. Miami has also been the top batting average team in the National League the past week of play. The Giants have been playing a bit better as of late, but dug themselves a hole that will be impossible to get out of after the all-star break.
Harry Bondi
BALTIMORE (-130) over Minnesota
Birds have been awful but even they should be able to beat AA pitcher Felix Jorge. He allowed 3 runs in 5 innings of work in his major league debut last Sunday. Baltimore starter Kevin Gausman is not only coming off his best start of 2017, he has not allowed a run in 13 straight innings of work. Orioles pound Twins.
Ian Cameron
Milwaukee at New York
Play: Milwaukee +180
The Milwaukee Brewers have vaulted to the top of the NL Central division thanks to a recent 7-1 streak. They scored 4+ runs six times during that span and have also blistered southpaws all season long to the tune of over 5 runs per game. They face a lefty tonight in New York’s Jordan Montgomery who has pitched well this season but can at times be prone to the long ball having allowed six over his last four starts. Hitting dingers is what Milwaukee does best with 133 on the year; second only to the powerful Houston Astros (138). But perhaps most concerning for the Yankees is not Montgomery but their problematic bullpen with Dellin Betances, Adam Warren and even closer Aroldis Chapman all struggling to nail things down in the latter innings of late. Milwaukee’s Junior Guerra doesn’t have the type of seasonal numbers that suggest he’ll thrive in an American League park. But the young righty’s stats are somewhat skewed due to a poor start (8 ERs, 4 HRs) at Cincinnati. Outside of that outing, he’s been solid having allowed three runs or less in seven of nine trips to the hill. All of the key arms Milwaukee’s bullpen should be fresh and available after yesterday’s 11-2 romp over the Chicago Cubs and that matters since Guerra doesn’t generally go deep into games. The Brewers are one of the most profitable teams in MLB (+15.2 units) thanks to a near .500 record (25-27) as an underdog. The AL side getting a bit too much respect here as the underdog price is simply too good to pass up.