JOHN MARTIN
Brewers vs. Braves
Play: Brewers -101
The Milwaukee Brewers are leading the NL Central right now thanks to an underrated staff and lineup. And now Jimmy Nelson gets the ball coming off a complete game in which he struck out 10 and allowed only one unearned run in a 2-1 win over the Padres. Nelson is now 5-3 with a 3.28 ERA in 14 starts this year. The Braves go with Mike Foltynewicz, who is 4-5 with a 4.12 ERA and 1.42 WHIP in 13 starts. The Braves are already without 1B Freddie Freeman and 3B Adonis Garcia, and they could be without 2B Brandon Phillips and LF Matt Kemp, who are both questionable tonight. Milwaukee is 7-0 in road games after scoring 4 runs or less in five straight games over the last three seasons.
MARK FRANCO
Angels vs. Red Sox
Play: Angels +158
Rick Porcello, the American League Cy Young Award winner last year, will have a more modest goal when the Boston Red Sox host the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night in the opener of a three-game series. A 22-game winner in 2016, Porcello attempts to avoid becoming the first pitcher in the major leagues to reach 10 losses this season.
The Angels have played .500 ball in 20 games in June, but they pushed across 22 runs in taking two of three at Yankee Stadium to open their eight-game road trip. Los Angeles DH Albert Pujols, a .324 hitter in 38 games versus Boston, had a pair of RBI singles in Thursday's 10-5 win over the Yankees.
PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels RH Alex Meyer (3-3, 3.52 ERA) vs. Red Sox RH Rick Porcello (3-9, 5.05)
Meyer was masterful against Kansas City in his last outing, matching a season high with nine strikeouts while blanking the Royals on two hits over six innings. The 6-9 Meyer has not allowed more than three earned runs in seven straight starts, although he failed to get through five innings in two of them. Meyer keeps the ball in the park, giving up three homers overall and one in his last six turns.
Porcello took it on the chin again last time out, giving up seven runs on 10 hits over six innings at Houston to drop to 0-4 over his last five starts. The New Jersey native has yielded at least eight hits in eight consecutive starts and surrendered six home runs over his last four turns. Porcello is 5-6 with a bloated 6.26 ERA against the Angels and must be wary of Pujols (8-for-23) and Kole Calhoun (6-for-12).
LARRY WALLACE
Brewers vs. Braves
Play: Brewers -105
Jimmy Nelson this year is 5-3 with a 3.28 ERA. Also, in his last 3 starts he is 2-0 with a 3.05 ERA. Foltynewicz this year is 4-5 with a 4.12 ERA. The Brewers are 5-1 in their last 6 games on the road. The Braves are 2-5 in their last 7 games at home against a team with a winning record.
Jack Brayman
Now on an 11-5 run with my complimentary plays. Let's head to Los Angeles for tonight's freebie, as I like the Dodgers on the Run Line, as they'll get things done against the Colorado Rockies.
On the heels of concluding their six-game road trip by sweeping the Cincinnati Reds, the Los Dodgers opened a nine-game homestand with an impressive sweep of the New York Mets. L.A. scored a 10-6 win over the Mets on Monday, backed it up with Tuesday night's 12-0 blowout, took Wednesday night's contest, 8-2 and then finished off the series with last night's 6-3 victory.
Tonight I'll back the Dodgers, who are now 1 1/2 games in front in the National League West, having supplanted the Rockies atop the division. Los Angeles has won seven straight and 13 of 14. And by doing so, it has seized momentum at the right time, heading into the All-Star Break.
Colorado lost its last two games - at home versus the Arizona Diamondbacks - by a combined final of 26-8.
Play Los Angeles on the run line.
5* DODGERS -1.5
Jeff Benton
Friday comp play is the Over in the Orioles-Rays contest.
Here is a stat for you, Baltimore pitching has allowed 5 runs or more in 19 straight games this season!
Not surprisingly, the Over stands at 13-5-1 in those 19 games.
Tampa Bay has also been trending Over the total, in fact, the Rays are 11-2-1 Over the posted price in their last 14 games played.
It will be Ubaldo Jimenez and Chris Archer to the mound, and both starters have also seen the Over be the play more often than not when they start, as the Over is 7-2 when Jimenez starts, while it stands at 9-6 when Archer toes the rubber this year.
Series numbers show the Over at 6-3-1 the past 10 meetings.
Have to side with the Over numbers tonight.
O's-Rays land Over the total.
5* BALTIMORE-TAMPA BAY OVER
Chris Jordan
Sticking with the same series I was in last night, only switching sides with the freebie tonight, as I like the Chicago Cubs laying a cheap price to the Miami Marlins And in this one I want you to specifically list the scheduled starting pitchers: John Lackey and Jose Urena.
This is a pitching rematch from June 7, when Lackey got tagged for seven hits and five earned runs over six innings of work. He's actually struggled all month, with a 1-2 mark and 4.50 ERA, but he's also coming in after a quality start at Pittsburgh. The veteran right-hander twirled six innings and allowed just two hits while giving up a mere one run. He'll be ready to exact revenge in this one.
I know Urena has won four straight decisions in his last six starts, and I realize over his last three outings, he's 2-0 with a 2.65 ERA. But make note he's worked five innings in five of his last six starts, and his bullpen has been clutch. Tonight he'll get an angry lineup that just put an 11-spot on the board last night, in a 10-run rout.
Take the Cubs, and list both.
4* CUBS
Eric Schroeder
My free winner for Friday night is on the Seattle Mariners over the Houston Astros, as the two open their weekend series in the Pacific Northwest. I scored with the M's the last four nights, and tonight I'm rolling with them again.
Have you seen the resiliance and clutch play by the Mariners of late? Two nights back everyone marveled over the possibility of Detroit's Justin Verlander twirling a perfect game, he unraveled in the sixth inning, and the Mariners came from behind to eventually win.
Last night in the final game of a four-game set, and the Mariners took full advantage of the struggling Tigers, as Robinson Cano stroked a pair of home runs and a career high-tying six RBI, in a 9-6 victory to complete a four-game series sweep.
Seattle, now in second place in the American League West, is 24-13 at home. And while the M's rank ninth in the league with a .265 batting average, they have a chance to gain some ground on the Major League-leading Astros.
Let's stick with Seattle tonight for my free selection.
3* MARINERS
Brad Wilton
Friday night comp play is the Tigers over the Padres.
Detroit has been limping along with losses in each of their last 6 games, but tonight's change of venue to Petco Park will be just what the Motown Cats need to end their skid, as Michael Fulmer takes the hill against Dinelson Lamet.
Fulmer has lost his last pair of starts, and 4 of his last 5 overall, but he has turned in his best work on the road this season where he is 3-3 with a 2.30 ERA.
San Diego was off yesterday, as they come back home having picked up a win to close their series out in Chicago against the Cubs, but have dropped 3 of their last 4 overall.
"Due Theory" applies tonight for lowly Detroit.
Back Le Tigres.
1* DETROIT
OC Dooley
Phillies +180
These pair of sides are going in opposite directions at Arizona riding a current 12-2 tear while lowly Philadelphia is on a 2-13 skid. However one can argue the Diamondbacks are in an emotional "letdown" spot this evening on the heels of winning a critical series at Colorado where the offense put up 26 runs in the past two days alone. A bigger issue is SHORT TERM REVENGE as the Phillies lost 3 home games to the Snakes just last weekend and tonight are going with a pitcher (Mark Leiter Junior) whose father used to pitch in the big leagues. The sheer odds of the Phillies achieving are much higher this evening as opposed to Saturday when Arizona is slated to go with one of baseball's best "strikeout" hurlers Robbie Ray. Horrible teams like Philadelphia (underdog of between +175 and +250) have won 59-PERCENT of the time the past five seasons (24-17) immediately following a "margin" victory of 4+ runs