Scott Delaney
My free play for Tuesday night is on the Detroit Tigers, laying the run line to the Chicago White Sox in American League Central Division action.
We're going to see a huge blowout for a couple reasons, but first and foremost because these Tigers are on a roll right now and I don't know if Chicago has the horses to stop Detroit.
While the Tigers have won six in a row, the Sox are 17-23 against the American League Central, including 8-20 against teams other than the Twins.
And since the Tigers have won five straight against the Sox at Comerica Park, I'm thinking Detroit will go off offensively tonight.
Look, Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera is 9-for-21 with four walks, four home runs and nine RBIs in his last six games and he'll be chomping at the bit to get his team off on the right foot tonight, prompting an extension of this winning run.
Lay the run line with Chicago.
4* TIGERS -1.5
Gabriel DuPont
Complimentary play, I look to improve on my 94-77 run with free picks: ATHLETICS at Angels (-145).
The STORYLINE in this game today - A good ol' fashioned western showdown begins in Anaheim tonight, as the Athletics and Angels renew their American League West rivalry at Angel Stadium. And to start things off, I think a play on the Halos are in order here. Oakland comes in mired in a three-game losing streak, and the Angels have nothing to lose at this point.
The X-FACTOR in making this choice on this game - Now follow me here, as I will get confusing for a moment. I am not insisting on listing pitchers, cause you could throw anyone on the hill for the Angels tonight and I would side with them. But the fact Matt Shoemaker is on the hill is a major key for me in this game. The 29-year-old right-hander boasted a 2.39 ERA over his previous 12 outings, and had struck out 93 batters in 83 innings, but then was battered his last time out. Something tells me he is going off in this game.
BOTTOM LINE is - And get this, to add on with Shoemaker, he has had some success against the A's, especially this season. He yielded one earned run across 12 innings in two starts and is 3-2 with a 3.63 ERA in nine career appearances (eight starts) against them. Again, don't list either pitcher, cause I don't care who goes. You're just at a bigger benefit with Shoe on the hill.
4* ANGELS
Jeff Benton
Your Tuesday freebie is the Over in the Yankees-Mets game from Citi Field.
Last of a pair from Queens, then the teams will hit the Bronx for the next pair. Last night, Over the total in extra-innings as the Yankees made it 3 straight Overs, and Overs in 4 of their last 6 overall after a long Under stretch.
The Mets have now played 3 straight Overs, and Overs in 4 of their last 6. The Over in the Subway Series also stands at 4-2 the last 6 showdowns.
It's Tanaka and de Grom, and both have clearly been Under pitchers when they step to the mound, but with a total so low, and the teams showing a little surge in their Over marks lately, I will look for a big inning from each tonight, and the Over to be the play once the 9 innings are in the books.
Yankees-Mets Over the total.
2* N.Y. YANKEES-N.Y. METS OVER
TONY GEORGE
Royals vs. Rays
Play: Under 7½
Well you have 2 pitchers on the hill tonight that are in decent form, and two teams who simply are in a slump offensively. KC batting as a team at .196 their last 5 and they have not been able to right handers worth a damn at .160 as a team the last 5, and the D Rays are not lighting up the scoreboard either, they got blanked 3-0 last night by the Royals who have now beat them 4 times in a row, and the D Rays are batting .190 as a team in their last 5 games. That is just ugly. With Ventura giving up only 15 hits his last 3 starts for KC, and Andreise having a 2.62 ERA on the season and a decent right hander, I do not expect many runs tonight.
AARON TOLLER
Red Sox -168
David Price has had his ups and downs in his 1st year with Boston but seems to be turning the corner. Wade LeBlanc your never quite sure what your going to get out of him. I'll take a streaking Boston team here on the road.
CAJUN SPORTS
Yankees vs. Mets
Play: Under 6.5
The Yankees and Mets are playing an interleague two and two which began on Monday night with the visiting Yankees getting a 6 to 5 victory over their cross town rivals. The Yankees have gone 4-13 Under since mid-July. The Mets are 12-18-1 Under at home and 7-17 Under when installed as a favorite and 5-11 Under when installed as a home favorite. The Yankees will send Masahiro Tanaka to the bump with his 7-3 SU record and his ERA of 3.16 on the season. He has been the ace for the Yankees this season and the Under has gone 4-9 Under his last thirteen trips to the hill. The Under has cashed in eight of Tanaka’s last eleven road starts. The Mets will send Jacob deGrom to the hill with his 6-5 SU record and a solid ERA of 2.56 this season. deGrom and his Mets teammates have cashed the Under in five of their last six at home. Our BbTPR Index projects a game total average of 3.49 runs. The BbMM projects a game total differential of -3.31 runs against a game total range of 6.0 to 8.5. With solid support for the low side we will play this one to fall well below the posted total on Tuesday night. Under
Scott Rickenbach
Giants / Phillies Under 7.5
Madison Bumgarner is seeking revenge for a 3-2 loss to the Phillies in late June. That game easily stayed under the total and I expect more of the same Tuesday. Each of Bumgarner’s last 4 starts have stayed under the total and, overall, it has been a run of 11-3 to the under in his last 14 starts. The Giants southpaw has allowed 2 earned runs or less in 15 of his last 19 starts. He’ll be opposed by the Phillies Zach Eflin Tuesday. Eflin is off of a rare rough outing. Prior to a poor start at Miami, the Phils right-hander had compiled a stellar 2.08 ERA in his last 7 starts. At home this season Eflin has a 2.61 ERA and a 0.87 WHIP and all 3 starts have stayed under the total. The under is 11-3 in Phillies Tuesday games this season and Philadelphia is 13-8 to the under in their games against left-handed starters this season. The under is 15-7-1 in the Phils last 23 games overall. As for the Giants, they also have been trending under as well. San Francisco is 13-4 to the under in their last 17 games overall. Both these clubs were off yesterday and the Giants are 7-3 to the under this season when playing after a day off. Also, the Giants are off of a win Sunday and the under is 38-22 this season in SF games when they are off of a victory.