Rocketman
St Louis @ Kansas City
Play: Kansas City -108
St Louis travels to Kansas City to take on the Royals in Game one of this 3 game series. St Louis is scoring only 2.8 runs per game in inter-league play this year. Vin Mazzaro is 3-1 with a 2.57 ERA overall this year, 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA in his one start at home this season going 6 innings and 2-1 with a 1.80 ERA his last 3 starts. Mazzaro is 1-0 with a 3.71 ERA in all his starts vs St Louis in his career. St Louis is 6-13 last 19 games on the road when they face a left handed starter. St Louis is 5-12 last 17 road games. St Louis is 0-6 last 6 games when the play in Game 1 of a series. Kansas City is 6-0 last 6 inter-league games when they are a favorite. Kansas City has won 7 of their last 9 games overall. Kansas City gets the job done. We'll recommend a small play on Kansas City tonight!
Teddy Covers
Twins @ Reds
Pick: Reds -1.5
The Twins have lost each of their last three series; outscored 17-5 in their three game set at Pittsburgh earlier this week. Their lineup is slumping again, managing only 16 runs scored in their last seven games. Their pitching staff is nothing short of a disaster area – opponents have scored 8, 7, 9, 6, 5, 6, 4, 7, 1 and 9 runs against them in their last ten games, while the Twins starters, as a group, have recorded a grand total of two outs past the sixth inning during that entire span. That leaves an overworked bullpen behind struggling Minnesota starter Nick Blackburn this evening, opening the door for a big Reds blowout!
Blackburn would have the worst ERA among full time major league starting pitchers if he had enough innings to qualify. But he’s been knocked out of the box so early so often that he’s averaged less than five innings per start, saving him from that ignominy. Blackburn pitches to contact, with only 24 strikeouts compared to 19 walks this year, and he’s allowed at least four earned runs in five of his last six trips to the hill – even weaker offensive teams like the Phillies, Royals and Mariners have lit him up. After getting swept in Cleveland earlier this week, matching their longest losing streak of the season, look for Cinci’s potent lineup to hammer Minnesota pitching all night long this evening!
Reds starter Homer Bailey has thrown six quality starts in his last seven trips to the hill, including an eight inning, one run gem against the Mets in his last outing. A former #1 pick who has struggled repeatedly making the transition from Triple A to the majors, Bailey finally seems to be living up to his enormous potential, with career lows in ERA, WHIP and batting average against so far this season. And despite Aroldis Chapman’s struggles over the past two weeks, this Reds bullpen trumps the Twins ‘pen by a wide margin, a rested, quality unit that is quite capable of slamming the door shut, allowing us to maintain the margin that we need to cash this Run Line bet! Take the Reds Run Line.
Jeff Alexander
NY Mets +130
The Mets enter this series with plenty of momentum on their side after sweeping Baltimore, and they'll be out for blood as they try to avenge a 3-game sweep at Yankee Stadium earlier this month. The Mets also swept Tampa Bay on the road in their previous interleague series so they are 6-0 in their last 6 interleague games and 4-0 in their last 4 interleague home games. We'll make a value play on the Mets as they aren't getting the respect they deserve here.
Ross King
Chicago Cubs vs. Arizona D-Backs
Play: Arizona D-Backs
Arizona looks to hand Samardzija his third consecutive loss tonight and with the Cubs yet to win a series this season outside Chicago i think Arizona is more than likely to get the job done.Lets factor in Arizona is playing great baseball at home recently and the Cubs are currently 10-26 on the road and currently versus left handed starters a terricle 3-15.