Dwayne Bryant
Philadelphia at Arizona
Play: Under 8.5
Arizona's Zack Greinke has a low 4.9 BB%, an impressive 3.11 xFIP, and has K'd 111 batters in just 97 1/3 innings. The Phillies have averaged just 2.6 runs in 11 road day games against righties. Arizona has averaged 4.1 runs in seven home day games against righties. The D'backs have never faced Nick Pivetta, and that should give the Phillies righty an advantage early in this contest. Pivetta also averages better than a K per inning, which is always a plus when betting Unders. Arizona's pen has been solid at home, and is in great current form. The Phillies pen is awful, and that relegates this play to 1% free play status.
Harry Bondi
CHICAGO WHITE SOX (+150) over NY Yankees
Their is just no way to back the Yankees right now, particularly at this inflated price. Bombers have lost 6 in a row and 10 of their last 12cand while the White Sox have also been bad, we’ll take almost anybody at +150 against New York right now. Another BIG DOG Winner.
Bob Balfe
Cubs / Nationals Over 10
The Cubs are tops in the league in slugging percentage against left handed pitching and the Nationals are tops in the league in slugging percentage against right handed pitching. The Nationals have really been hitting the ball well and should plate at least a touchdowns worth of runs tonight in a very high scoring game.
Bruce Marshall
Colorado at San Francisco
Pick: Colorado
Precedent suggests taking the Rockies tonight against the collapsing Giants. Though Colorado staggers into AT&T park after being swept by the rampaging Dodgers, so did the Mets over the weekend before registering a sweep over the Giants, now at an hard-to-believe 27-52 this season. Rocks rookie German Marquez has yet to falter, and has allowed just 3 runs over his last 14 IP. This plus price on Colorado is hard to overlook considering SF's current losing streak of five games and losses in 12 of its last 13.
3G-Sports
Baltimore vs. Toronto
Play: Toronto -152
The Toronto starting pitching is just strong enough - and their overall defense and power are actually pretty decent. Ranked 14th in the majors with 98 HRs and a middling 4.37 ERA as a team. Toronto needs to keep up their solid field play - with their best, Justin Smoak and Russell Martin. The O's will continue to struggle all year long - they haven't been able to get their pitching on track with just a 5.10 ERA on the year. And Baltimore has been far less than stellar with a bad road record and their play has been even worse. Baltimore will be in some trouble vs a home team like the Jays. The BLUE JAYS Get the win here at home. Prediction:
Andre Ramirez
Yankees vs. White Sox
Play: Yankees -151
Rookie Jordan Montgomery makes his 14th start of the season for the Yankees. He is 5-4 with a 3.74 ERA, a 1.246 WHIP, 26 walks and 71 strikeouts over 74.2 innings of work this season. Montgomery picked up a victory his last time out, which came Wednesday at home against the Angels. He threw 5.2 innings, allowing two runs on five hits with two walks and five strikeouts as the Yankees rolled to an 8-4 win. Montgomery is 2-0 with a 3.93 ERA, a 1.15 WHIP, four walks and 18 strikeouts over 18.1 innings of work in his last three starts. He beat the White Sox in his lone career start against them, which came at home April 17. Montgomery allowed three runs on seven hits with two walks and four strikeouts over six innings in a 7-4 Yankees win. This marks his first career outing at Guaranteed Rate Field.
David Holmberg gets the call for his 15th appearance and sixth start of the season for the White Sox. He is 1-1 with a 2.84 ERA, a 1.042 WHIP, 11 walks and 20 strikeouts over 31.2 innings of work this season. Holmberg made a relief appearance against the A’s Friday night, not factoring in the decision. He threw a scoreless inning in a 3-0 Chicago loss. Holmberg is 1-1 with a 3.55 ERA, a 1.42 WHIP, four walks and 11 strikeouts over 12.2 innings in his last three starts. In his 29th major league appearance and his 18th start, he faces the Yankees for the first time in his career. Holmberg has no record with a 2.77 ERA and a 0.923 WHIP over 13 innings in six career appearances, two starts, at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Chris Jordan
My free play for Monday is on the San Francisco Giants over the Colorado Rockies.
Quite frankly, I'm not sure what has been uglier, the way the Giants have been losing all season, or the way the Rockies have played the past week. Both are ugly, but I'm going to put my money on the home team in this one, as the Rockies continue this dreadful road trip after a rough weekend in Los Angeles.
Less than one week ago, Colorado was sitting atop the National League West. Now it is in third place, 4 1/2 games back of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The good news for them is the San Diego Padres are 19 1/2 games back of L.A. The bad news is the Giants, who are 24 1/2 games back of the Dodgers, are looking for a way to catch fire.
Playing a downtrodden team like Colorado is the way.
During a five-game skid that began in Denver, the Rockies have been outscored 48-15. And it doesn't get any better, as they play three here and then head to Phoenix for three with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
This is Colorado's seventh game in as many days, and it will be mentally and physically drained.
Take Frisco and don't list pitchers.
2* GIANTS
Brad Wilton
Monday's comp play comes in the "Freeway Series", as I play the Angels and the searing Dodgers to hold Under in their series opener from Chavez Ravine.
This is the opener of a 4 game set with the first pair in Los Angeles, and it happens to catch the Halos flying from Boston back to LA, and with it I suspect a tired bunch of Angels.
I think the bats will be a little drained for Mike Scioscia's club, and I see the Under being the play.
The Angels did play their last pair in Beantown Under the total, while the Dodgers played 2 of their 3 over the weekend at home against division-rival Colorado Under the total.
Both Ricky Nolasco and Rich Hill have had issues when up on the bump, as both have ERA's in the high 5's for their last 3 efforts, but I see the travel factor coming into play for the Angels tonight, and I also see a bit of a "letdown" factor after facing a tough division opponent also being a factor from the Dodgers perspective.
This Monday series lid-lifter to stay just Under the total.
2* L.A. ANGELS-L.A. DODGERS UNDER
Jeff Benton
Monday comp play is the Dodgers to open their Freeway Series with the Angels with a 2 runs or more win.
The Angels upset the Red Sox yesterday, but that game was in Boston. Taking into account the long flight back, and the fact the Halos will now have to deal with the hottest team in baseball bar-none, I don't see it ending well in the series opener for Mike Scioscia's club.
The Dodgers are riding a 10-game winning streak, and they have won 16 of their last 17 games overall!
Rich Hill may not be having the best of seasons at just 4-3 with an ERA of 4.72, but that sure looks better than his counterpart Ricky Nolasco's numbers, as Nolasco stands at 2-9 with an over 5 season ERA. Nolasco has not won since April 27th, and he sure as hell is not going to win tonight.
Not much to think about in this one. You ride the Dodgers until they get cooled off, and that will not happen tonight.
Dodgers on the Run Line.
5* L.A. DODGERS -1.5
Eric Schroeder
My free winner for Monday is on the Over in the Texas Rangers-Cleveland Indians showdown at Progressive Field in downtown Cleveland.
Texas arrives in Cleveland after a confidence-building win over the New York Yankees as a +230 underdog. After opening a 7-0 lead, the Rangers hung on for a 7-6 win, and will now look to attack Indians starter Carrasco, who may be 3-0 with a 1.53 ERA in his last three starts, but struggles against the Rangers.
The right-hander is 2-3 with a 5.35 ERA in his career against Texas, which has been desperate for better hitting on the road.
Meanwhile, the Indians hand the ball to Hamels, who toes the slab after a stint on the disabled list, and will be pitching for the first time since April 26. Hamels, who has been out with a strained right oblique, is 1-2 with a 4.94 ERA in five career starts versus the Indians, who rank 10th in the league with a .275 batting average in June.
This one soars tonight.
1* Rangers-Indians Over
OC Dooley
Angels +205
In part due to drug testing which limits the length of many careers, we have seen a wave of young and inexperienced pitchers at the major league level. But in this case we have a VETERAN underdog hurler Ricky Nolasco who is way overdue to come out on top since his last victory was almost exactly TWO MONTHS ago to the day. It should be considered the Angels WON 2 of 3 games at Fenway Park during the weekend even though Boston was honoring franchise icon David Ortiz. The American League entrant from the city of Los Angeles also has an ABOVE .500 record ever since superstar Mike Trout succumbed to his first career injury. Of course due to a massive 16-1 current tear the oddsmakers were forced to "over price" the Dodgers whose starting pitcher Rich Hill has NOT recorded a single out this campaign past the initial 5 innings. Arguably the Dodgers are in an emotional letdown spot after just sweeping an opponent (Colorado) who not all that long ago was a first-place entrant in their Division