Free Picks for Thursday, June 15th, 2017 from some of the nations best and worst handicappers
Brad Diamond
Dodgers vs. Indians
Play: Dodgers -125
Getaway game for the hot Dodgers against inconsistent Indians. his is the earliest of starts for this interleague clash on Thursday afternoon. The Dodgers use lefty Hill (3-2, 2.97) against the Cleveland entry of Tomlin (3-8, 5.73). In Hill’s team starts of late, LA has gone a perfect 3-0, while the veteran threw a decent five innings last time out against Cincinnati allowing two hits and one run. RHP Tomlin for the Indians is 1-5 L6 team starts. Recently the White Sox wasted the hurler in 2-2/3 innings crushing for 9 hits and 4 runs. Against LHP this season Cleveland is 11-15, the Dodgers 30-16 versus RHP. Both clubs play well during the day with LA going 14-6, Cleveland 15-8. However, the Indians have been horrid against the interleague teams at 1-12 record. In closing, Cleveland with umpire Guccione calling balls and strikes in interleague action is 1-6, while LA has won six straight and now top the leaderboard in the NL West.
Scott Spreitzer
Orioles vs. White Sox
Play: White Sox +103
Baltimore finally won a game after losing six in a row, but the Orioles still have lost 20 of their last 27 road games, including six of their last seven away games against left-handed starters. Chicago is in sort of a revenge spot because it's the only team that hasn't clobbered Chris Tillman this year. Tillman pitched five shutout innings against the White Sox on May 7 in his first start after coming off the disabled list, but since has allowed 27 earned runs on 42 hits in just 26 1/3 innings. The Orioles have lost Tillman's last four starts by a combined 31-9 score and he gave up nine runs in less than two innings his last outing on Saturday. David Holmberg gave the White Sox five solid innings in a 5-3 win at Cleveland last week. Chicago has won eight of their last 12 home games.
Jesse Schule
Giants vs. Rockies
Play:Rockies -157
The Giants have been terrible in 2017, and they head to Colorado Thursday to take on the division leading Rockies. This looks like a favorable matchup for the home team.
Jeff Hoffman will toe the rubber for the Rockies, and he's off to a hot start this season. Hoffman (4-0, 2.33 ERA) allowed one run on four hits while striking out eight over 6 1/3 innings in a win over the Cubs at Wrigley his last time out. He's struck out a whopping 34 batters in just 27 innings pitched in five appearances.
The Giants hand the ball to Matt Moore, who is 0-4 with a 7.94 ERA in seven starts on the road this season. He's 0-2 with a 10.24 ERA in two starts against the Rockies.
San Francisco's .236 team batting average is better than only the San Diego Padres, and only the Friars have scored fewer runs this season than the Giants.
Ben Burns
Giants vs. Rockies
Play:Rockies -155
I think the home side is worth the price of admission in this spot. Matt Moore has looked better for the Giants of late, but he’s been shaky at best overall with a 2-7, 5.28 ERA record. Moore most recently gave up four runs off seven hits over six innings in a loss to the Twins on Friday (he’s also been at his worst on the road, going 0-4 with a 7.94 ERA). Jeff Hoffman (4-0, 2.33) has a 0.74 WHIP along with 34 strikeouts to just three walks over his 27 innings of work this year for Colorado. This is a pitching matchup which definitely favors the Rockies. But also note that the Giants themsevles have struggled in this spot all year, going just 16-26 (-12.5 units) against right-handed starters, while Colorado is 12-8 (+7.5 units) against southpaws. Consider the home side in this matchup.
Larry Wallace
Nationals vs. Mets
Play: Mets +107
The Nationals are been a slump as of lately by losing 5 out their last 6 games. The Mets are won 5 out of their last 6 games. Gonzalez will have his hands full against this powerful Mets line-up who has hit 26 homeruns in 13 games this month.
Frank Jordan
Washington vs. New York
Play: Washington -112
Washington got spanked by Atlanta Wednesday who put up 13 runs on 16 hits while the Mets put up nine runs on 14 hits on Chicago winning 9-4. These two teams are one and two in the NL East, but having different types of years as the Nationals are 39-26 in first while the Mets are 30-34 in second place a difference of 8.5 games. Washington is 21-12 on the road while the Mets are 16-20 at home. Washington is sending Gio Gonzalez to the mound who is off to a great start with a 5-1 record with a 2.91 ERA with four of those wins coming on the road. Gio Gonzalez is 1-0 against the Mets this year with a win in New York allowing a run on two hits in 6 1/3 innings. In his career Gonzalez is 12-5 in 21 starts and 2.96 ERA. At Citi Field Gonzalez has made 14 starts and has a 1.62 ERA with a 9-1 record. The Mets are going with Steven Matz who is 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA after a seven inning outing allowing just a single run on five hits to the Braves in his first start of the season. Matz has had just two starts against the Nationals and is 1-1 with an ERA of 1.80. Look for a great pitchers duel between these two lefties with runs to be at a a premium and with the game tied at one the Mets pen will give up a pair of runs in the 7th as Gonzalez picks up another win over the Mets 3-1.
Jim Feist
Royals at Angels
Pick: Over
The Kansas City bats have come alive, on a 4-0 run scoring 35 runs. The pitching staff is #19 in ERA and they have to go with a reliever in 25-year old Matt Strahm (4.50 ERA), his first start of the season. He has walked 18 batters in 22 innings. The L.A. Angels are 23-8-2 over the total at home against a team with a losing record. The Angels go with 34-year old Rick Nolasco (2-7, 4.81 ERA), who has a 5.81 ERA at home. The team has lost his last 8 starts.
Jack Brayman
Now on a 6-2 run with my complimentary plays. Today my free play goes right off the bat, no pun intended, as I'm playing the Seattle Mariners over the Minnesota Twins, in a game that starts at 1:10 p.m. eastern.
I want you listing Ariel Miranda over Jose Berrios.
I know Miranda wasn't as sharp as he's been recently, in his last on Saturday against the Toronto Blue Jays, but he'll rebound nicely in this one and neutralize the Twins for a dominating performance. The southpaw allowed a two-run home run and five walks, but he also limited the Jays to two runs over six innings. Miranda steps to the hill with a 3-0 record with a 2.17 ERA in his last six starts.
On the other hand, Berrios also comes in off a rough outing, as he didn't have his best command against the lowly San Francisco Giants. He was solid in allowing just two runs, and struck out eight, but I'm wondering how many he leaves hanging today, against what can be a feisty lineup he's never faced.
Take the road team.
2* MARINERS
Eric Schroeder
My free play for Thursday night is on the Chicago White Sox over the Baltimore Orioles.
The teams opened their series on the South Side, in what was being billed as a matchup of slumping teams. But the Orioles were demoralized in the Bronx over the weekend, and then had to head to Chicago to continue their road trip.
The White Sox returned home after losing two of three in Cleveland, where they concluded an eight-game road trip with a 4-2 loss to the Indians on Sunday.
But the Pale Hose were in a better position to right their ship, and did with victories in two of the first three in this series, after the Orioles finall won and snapped a six-game losing streak last night. Nevertheless, Baltimore has lost six of seven by a combined margin of 66-27.
Not only is Baltimore mired in a six-game slump, but it is also in a 7-16 rut and is batting a meager .253 in June.
In this one, I want you listing ONE pitcher, and that's Baltimore's Chris Tillman, who is in after his worst start of the season in his last outing, as he was tagged for nine runs over 1.1 innings against the Yankees on Saturday, when he saw his ERA sky to 8.01.
Take the White Sox here.
4* WHITE SOX
Chris Jordan
My free play for Thursday is on the Detroit Tigers over the Tampa Bay Rays, and I want you listing ONLY Justin Verlander in this game.
Not a lot of analysis for this one, as I keep it real simple and list Justin Verlander only, at home.
The veteran right-hander threw his standard 100-plus pitches last time out, in what was his first start since leaving a game on June 4 with groin tightness. He hasn’t faced the Rays this season, but make note he is 2-0 with a 1.57 ERA in three previous starts against them.
Take the Tigers, and list Verlander only.
5* TIGERS
Brad Wilton
Thursday's comp play goes on the Yankees and the Athletics to land Under the posted total.
Rookie Jordan Montgomery has been impressive in manager Joe Girardi's rotation, as the southpaw has come on strong with a 1.56 ERA over his last 3 turns through the rotation.
He has allowed just 4 earned runs to cross in his last 4 starts, and the Under is 5-1 for his last 6 starts.
Sonny Gray does not appear to be all the way back from a string of injuries, and does sport an ERA of 6 over his last 3 assignments, but he did strike out 10 in his last start against Tampa Bay.
Oakland has been playing them high of late - 6-0-1 Over their last 7 games - but 6 of the last 10 in this series have landed Under the total.
I will side with the pitching to keep the runs off the scoreboard in the series opener.
1* N.Y. YANKEES-OAKLAND UNDER
Jeff Benton
Thursday comp play on Boston -1 1/2 runs over Philadelphia.
Nothing like playing the Phillies to help you make up some ground in the standings!
After a pair of extra-inning walk-off wins at Fenway Park on Monday and Tuesday, the Red Sox went down to Philly and hammered the Fightin's, 7-3 last night.
Tonight look for them to pull off the 4-game sweep, and do it by another comfortable margin with southpaw Chris Sale on the mound.
The BoSox have won 7 straight interleague games versus the Phillies, and 9 of the past 10 dating back to 2013. 7 of those 9 wins have come by 2 runs or better.
Sale's ERA is a little large at 5.50 for his last 3 starts, but he is 3-0 in those starts, and stands at 8-2 for the year with his team 10-3 when he trots to the mound.
Nick Pivetta owns just one win in his short time up this year, as he stands at 1-3 with a 5.52 ERA. Philadelphia is just 1-5 when he starts this year.
I smell a blowout.
Boston on the Run Line your Thursday freebie.
5* BOSTON -1.5
Rocketman
Red Sox vs. Phillies
Play: Red Sox -1½
The Boston Red Sox travel to Philadelphia to take on the Phillies on Thursday night. Boston is 37-28 SU overall this year while Philadelphia comes in with a 21-43 SU overall record on the season. Chris Sale is 8-2 with a 2.97 ERA overall this year, 3-1 with a 3.63 ERA on the road this season and 3-0 his last 3 starts. Nick Pivetta is 1-3 with a 5.52 ERA overall this year and 0-1 with a 7.20 ERA at home this season. Boston is 11-3 in inter-league play this year where they are allowing only 4 runs per game. Philadelphia is 0-7 last 7 games overall where they are scoring only 2.7 runs per game. Philadelphia is allowing 5.7 runs per game at home this year, 5.5 runs per game at night this season and 7.5 runs per game in inter-league play this year. Boston is 8-1 overall vs Philadelphia the past 3 years. Philadelphia is 0-8 in inter-league play this year. Philadelphia is 10-29 this year when playing at night. Philadelphia is 11-32 this year after a loss. We'll recommend a small play on Boston on the Run line tonight!
BRANDON LEE
Royals vs. Angels
Play:Royals +119
I'm going to take a shot here with the Royals as a dog in Thursday's series opener against the Angels. Kansas City just swept the Giants in a short 2-game set and have won 4 straight overall, outscoring their opponents in their last 4 games by a score of 35-12. The Royals have racked up 10 or more hits in 6 of their last 9 games. I see no reason they can't keep it going at the plate against Ricky Nolasco, who is 2-7 with a 4.31 ERA in 13 starts. The value here with KC and why this is only a free pick, is that the Royals will be sending out Matt Strahm to make his first career big league start. You never know what the nerves will do to a kid in this spot, but based off what we have seen the past two years out of the bullpen, there's reason to be optimistic. In his 44 innings as a reliever, he's posted a 2.86 ERA with an impressive 56 strikeouts.