At 9:40 pm, our selection is on the Atlanta Braves over the Arizona Diamondbacks.  The Braves lost last night, 7-5, and are now 1-29 their last 30 when giving up 4 or more runs.  The good news, then, for Atlanta tonight is that its ace, Max Fried, will be on the mound.  And the Braves' opponents have only scored 4+ runs in two of Fried's last 10 starts.  Over this stretch, Fried's ERA is 2.54.  And on the road this season, he has a 5-2 record, with a 2.90 ERA.  Brandon Pfaadt will start tonight for Arizona, and he's not fared well at night, with a 2-4 record, and a 5.06 ERA this season, and a 2-6 record, with a 6.10 ERA last year.  In contrast, his ERA in his daytime starts is significantly better, at 4.17.  Pfaadt has faced the Braves once in his career.  That was earlier this season at Truist Park.  Atlanta scored 5 runs in his 5 2/3 innings, and won that game, 9-8.  Take Atlanta.  Good luck, as always....Al McMordie.

At 2:10 pm, our selection is on the Kansas City Royals over the Cleveland Indians.  You can't argue about Lugo's numbers as the 34-year-old RH has a League high 10 wins (to go along with just two losses) with a 2.29 ERA and 1.05 WHIP with 95 strikeouts and 110 innings.  Lugo would be 11-2 if he had any run support in his last start when he shut out the Marlins over six innings, allowing just two hits while punching out eight and walking two.  But maybe the reason to like Lugo the most today is his 1.80 ERA in six afternoon starts this season (vs. 2.57 in 11 starts under the lights).  Lugo wasn't at his best in his other start this season vs. the Guardians in Cleveland so this also is a chance for him to get some revenge.  Despite the loss here last night, the Royals are 6-2 in the last eight meetings with the Guardians.  Take Kansas City.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 6:35 pm, our selection is on the Baltimore Orioles over the Cleveland Guardians. After getting swept by the Astros and losing the first two games of this series, the Orioles have now lost five games in a row for the first time this season. The O's will send RHP Grayson Rodriguez to the mound tonight for his 14th start of the season. The 24-year-old has followed up his successful freshman season with an even better sophomore campaign. In 13 starts covering 75 1/3 innings, Rodriguez is 8-3 with a 3.82 ERA. Gray-Rod's only other career starts vs. the Guardians was a good one as he threw five innings against them last September, allowing two earned runs on five hits with seven strikeouts in a 5-2 loss in Cleveland. Rodriguez doesn't have to duplicate those numbers tonight to get a victory as he's been on the winning end in nine of his 13 starts this season. Take Baltimore. As aLways, good luck...Al McMordie

At 12:10 pm, our selection is on the Seattle Mariners over the Tampa Bay Rays.  George Kirby will make his 4th career start vs. the Rays this afternoon.  And he was solid in his previous three, as his career ERA vs. Tampa is 2.79, with a sparkling 0.77 WHIP.  Kirby's in very good form, as his ERA over his last five starts is 1.74.  In contrast, Ryan Pepiot's ERA over his last five outings is 5.61 (and 7.07 over his last three).  Finally, in Kirby's career, the Mariners have gone 25-10 with him on the mound, and priced as a favorite of -150 (or less).  Take Seattle.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 6:35 pm, our selection is on the Baltimore Orioles over the Cleveland Guardians.  The O's suffered their 4th consecutive loss last night, a 3-2 defeat in which they only mustered five hits.  We'll take Baltimore this evening, as it's a stellar 69-48 (+28.4 net games) after scoring 2 runs or less in its previous game.  And it's 51-27 (+21.0 net games) vs. southpaw starters.  Cleveland's Logan Allen has been atrocious under the lights, as his ERA in 11 nighttime starts is an ugly 6.49, with a 1.59 WHIP.  That doesn't bode well for the road team.  Nor does the fact that the Orioles' starter, Cole Irvin, as a 2.97 ERA in seven home starts this season.  Take Baltimore.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:15 pm, our selection is on the New York Yankees over the Atlanta Braves.  With the Yankees having lost four straight series to the Dodgers (47-31), Royals (42-35), Red Sox (40-36), and Orioles (49-26), followed by a blow-out loss in the first game of this series against the 41-31 Braves, it begs the following question:  is the 2024 version of the boys in pinstripes just an average team which has benefited by beating up on sub-.500 teams through the first half?  We will find out some more this evening, as New York sends out veteran RH Marcus Stroman to face 41-year-old Charlie Morton.  At age 33, Stroman is having a resurgence of sorts with a 6-3 record and 3.08 ERA in just under 85 innings so far.  Stroman lost his last game at Fenway last Sunday.  But prior to that, he went 3-0 in four straight starts while the Yanks won all four of those -- and against pretty good teams in the Royals, Twins, Giants and Padres.  For his career, Stroman is 4-3 with a 2.61 ERA in eight regular season starts vs. Atlanta covering 38 innings.  Take the Yankees.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 1:10 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Twins over the Tampa Bay Rays.  Minny's 6-game win streak ended in extra innings last night, as Tampa prevailed, 3-2.  We'll take the Twins to bounce back this afternoon, as Tampa has struggled vs. righties this season, going 23-32 (minus 15.0 net games), compared to 12-7 (plus 3.5 net games) vs. lefties.  The Twins are also a solid 103-57 (plus 11.7 net games) as a home favorite, while Tampa is a terrible 47-71 (minus 16.2 net games) as an underdog.  Finally, Minnesota has clobbered losing teams this season, going 26-8 (+15.5 net games).  Take the Twins.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 9:40 pm, our selection is on the Kansas City Royals over the Oakland A's.  The A's snapped their 9-game losing streak last night, with a 7-5 victory vs. Kansas City.  But winning 1 of 10 games doesn't inspire confidence.  We'll take Kansas City to bounce back off that loss, as it will hand the ball to Cole Ragans tonight.  Ragans has had 10 quality starts of 15 this season.  His ERA is 3.24, and his WHIP is 1.15.  And over his last 6 outings, his ERA is a spectacular 1.94, and his WHIP is 0.97.  Ragans has made 3 career starts vs. the A's, and his teams have won all 3 of those games.  Oakland will counter with Luis Medina, who has a 5.87 ERA and 1.49 WHIP this season.  The A's have lost 16 of his last 20 starts.  And Oakland is also an ugly 30-82 (minus 22.9 net games) vs. AL starters with WHIPs of 1.20 (or less), and 22-59 (minus 22.0 net games) as a home underdog of +125 (or greater).  Take KC.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:10 pm, our selection is on the Seattle Mariners over the Texas Rangers.  Andrew Heaney will get the start for the defending champions, and he's 1-7 in 12 starts this season (Texas is 2-10 in those games).  Heaney will match up against Luis Castillo.  Castillo's home ERA this season is a solid 2.95, with a 1.12 WHIP.  And Seattle has won his last four home starts in a row.  Both pitchers will be working on an extra day of rest.  But that's not necessarily a good thing for Heaney, as the Rangers have lost his last 7 starts when he pitched with an extra day or two of rest.  Also not very good are the Rangers' bullpen statistics on the road (6.73 ERA; 1.69 WHIP), especially compared to its very good numbers at home (2.79 ERA; 1.04 WHIP).  And, given Heaney's average innings pitched is 4.8 on the road, Seattle should see a lot of the Rangers' bullpen tonight.  Finally, the Mariners are 24-11 (+10.0 net games) at home this season (compared to 16-20, minus 4.8 net games, on the road).  Take the Mariners.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:10 pm, our selection is on the Milwaukee Brewers over the Toronto Blue Jays.  There's no question the Brewers' starting rotation is a bit of a mess right now.  In fact, Milwaukee recently did something you don't see very often -- if at all -- when it used the same starter -- an opener named Jared Koenig -- in back-to-back games on June 3 and 4 against the Phillies.  That didn't work too well (the Brewers lost both games).  Colin Rea has been used twice as the long reliever when the Brewers have used an opener this season but now he is back in the rotation and will get his 11th start tonight at home against the Jays.  The 33-year-old has been bright spot as a starter this season so it seems a bit odd that Milwaukee would want to use him in long relief.  In his 10 starts, Rea is 3-2 with a 3.86 ERA and he has a 3.07 ERA at home this season (vs. 3.93 on the road).  This will be the first meeting of these two teams this season.  The Brewers are 12-3 in Rea's last 15 nighttime starts and they're 6-0 in his last six when he's had at least seven days between starts.  Take Milwaukee.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the New York Yankees over the Los Angeles Dodgers.  Los Angeles won Game 1, 2-1, in 11 innings on Friday night.  That loss snapped New York's eight-game win streak, but the Yankees still have the most wins (45) in baseball.  We'll take New York to bounce back on Saturday night.  Southpaw Nestor Cortes will get the start for the Yankees, and he's been exceptional at home this season with a 3-1 record and 1.12 ERA (compared to 0-3, 6.17 ERA on the road).  And that dovetails with his results over the last 3 seasons, as the Yankees have gone 22-9 at home with Cortes, but have gone 12-13 in his 25 road starts.  New York is a solid 344-233 (+30.9 net games) following a game where they scored 1 run or less.  Take the Yankees.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:10 pm, our selection is on the Chicago White Sox over the Boston Red Sox.  The Southsiders have lost 14 straight games, and will turn to their best pitcher -- Garrett Crochet -- to stop that streak tonight.  Crochet has a 3.49 ERA (2.50 at home), with a superb 0.93 WHIP.  And he's given up 2 runs or less in each of his last seven starts, with a 1.35 ERA in those 7 outings (The White Sox are 4-3 in those games).  Boston has gone just 6-11 (-6.8 net games) this season vs. lefty starters (compared to 26-20 (+6.8 net games) vs. righties).  And the White Sox are 57-38 (+28.1 net games) after allowing more than 6 runs in three straight games.  Take Chicago.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 3:35 pm, our selection is on the Seattle Mariners over the Oakland A's.  Bryan Woo is off to a great start this season.  In 5 starts, he has a 1.30 ERA and a microscopic 0.57 WHIP.  And Seattle is a perfect 5-0 in those starts.  This will be Woo's second game against Oakland in 2024, and he shut out the A's over 4 1/3 innings back on May 10 (Seattle won, 8-1).  In Woo's career, he's made 3 starts vs. the A's, and did not give up a run over the 15 1/3 innings he pitched.  Seattle won all three of those games (by a combined score of 20-1).  The A's are a poor 7-15 (minus 6.8 net games) as a home underdog this season (and 54-110 (minus 25.3 net games) the past 3 seasons, while Seattle is 52-28 (+9.6 net games) as a road favorite.  Take Seattle.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 12:20 pm, in Game 1 of the double-header, our selection is on the Atlanta Braves over the San Diego Padres.  Reynaldo Lopez will be making his 8th start, and his stats through his first 7 rank among MLB's best.  Lopez has a 1.34 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP.  And at home, his numbers are a spectacular 0.77 ERA with a 1.07 WHIP.  Not surprisingly, the Braves have won all four of his home starts this season (and his teams are 8-1 his last nine home starts).  Dylan Cease has also been strong (2.45 ERA; 0.78 WHIP).  But Atlanta is a super 23-7 at home vs. NL starting pitchers with a 1.15 (or better) WHIP.  And it's 34-17 off back to back losses.

At 1:35 pm, our selection is on the Baltimore Orioles over the Seattle Mariners.  The Orioles will look to bounce back off last night's 4-3 loss to the M's.  The good news for Baltimore is that RHP Corbin Burnes will be toeing the rubber this afternoon.  And Burnes has been a model of consistency this season, as he's pitched between 5 and 7 innings, and given up 3 runs or less in all nine of his starts.  For the season, his ERA is 2.68, and his WHIP is 1.00.  It doesn't get much better than that.  George Kirby's ERA this season is almost a full run higher, at 3.58.  And the Mariners have lost his last 3 starts to Baltimore (4.18 ERA), and 9 of his 11 road starts, when priced as an underdog (minus 6.7 net games).  Take Baltimore.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 6:35 pm, our selection is on the Baltimore Orioles over the Toronto Blue Jays.  There's no doubt that Baltimore's trade for Corbin Burnes in the off-season was one of the biggest acquisitions of this past winter.  And through his first five starts it seemed the 29-year-old RH could do almost nothing wrong -- and the Orioles as well when he was out there.  Burnes went 3-0 in those first five while the O's went 5-0.  But Baltimore has lost Burnes' last three starts as the team has managed just two total runs in those games (and been shut out in the last two of them).  So although he's still been pitching very well, Burnes has hit a bit of a rough patch due to a lack of run support.  Perhaps a start against the Blue Jays -- the second of his career -- will turn things around.  Teams tend to score runs in bunches against Toronto lately.  In the Jays' last six games they've allowed a total of 40 runs (almost seven per game).  Toronto is 4-12 this season as an underdog.  And Burnes won his only previous start vs. Toronto, allowing three runs on five hits in 7 2/3 IP in a 5-4 Milwaukee victory in 2022.  Take the O's.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 6:45 pm, our selection is on the Baltimore Orioles over the Washington Nationals.  Baltimore was shut out, 3-0, by the Nationals last night.  We'll take the Birds to bounce back on Wednesday evening, as they're 9-2 off a loss this season.  Even better:  Kyle Bradish has made two career starts vs. Washington, and has yet to give up a run in 14 innings (8 hits, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts).  Baltimore has gone 8-1 as a road favorite with Bradish on the hill, and is 75-46 (+33.3 net games) vs. lefties.  Take the Orioles.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 6:35 pm, our selection is on the New York Yankees over the Baltimore Orioles.  Last night, the Pinstripes were shutout, 2-0, by the Grayson Rodriguez and three Orioles' relievers.  Tonight, the Yankees will look to bounce back, and I believe they will.  New York is 4-0 this season (and 118-70, +26.3 net games) following a game where it failed to score a run.  And it's 638-435 (+54.9 net games) after not scoring 3+ runs in its previous game.  The pitching matchup this evening will be Dean Kremer for Baltimore vs. Nestor Cortes for New York.  Cortes has made seven career starts vs. Baltimore, and has an ERA of 1.73 and a 0.88 WHIP in those seven games.  In contrast, Kremer has a 5.04 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP in nine career starts vs. the Yankees.  Take the Yankees.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:10 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Dodgers over the New York Mets. The Dodgers went all out and spent a lot of money to nab the off-season's biggest prize import from Japan in Yoshinobu Yamamoto. And when the 25-year-old RHP promptly went out on March 21 in Korea and lasted only one inning, getting blasted by the Padres, you could hear the collective gasp from across the Pacific Ocean. But the three subsequent starts back here in the U.S. seem to demonstrate that Yamamoto will be just fine and one can discount that start in Korea. Meanwhile, a year ago there were thoughts of a Mets team that could possibly vie for a division title and more. Now, however, this appears to be club that is adrift and struggling to find what used to make it click so frequently. LHP Sean Manaea came to NY from San Diego and looked very good this spring -- and also in his first two starts. But the old Sean Manaea showed up in his last start as he allowed eight runs (six earned) on nine hits in just 3 2/3 IP in a loss to the Royals. Even worse: in six career starts vs. the Dodgers, his ERA is a sky-high 8.10. Los Angeles is 52-21 (+20.4 net games) off a loss, including 9-2 off a shutout loss. Take the Dodgers. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 1:35 pm, our selection is on the Cleveland Guardians over the Boston Red Sox.  The Red Sox held the Guardians scoreless yesterday.  But that shutout win was an anomaly for the Red Sox, as they've given up six or more runs in six of their last nine games.  For the season, the Guardians are 9-3 on the road, and are hitting .261, and averaging 5.7 rpg.  In contrast, at home this season, the Red Sox are a poor 3-6, and are hitting just .201, and averaging 3.4 rpg.  Likewise, the home/road pitching stats favor Cleveland.  The Red Sox have a 4.07 ERA at Fenway Park this season, while the Guardians' road ERA is a spectacular 2.36.  We'll take Cleveland as an underdog this afternoon.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie

At 3:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Yankees over the Toronto Blue Jays.  It's been an ugly start for RHP Kevin Gausman of the Jays.  He's made three starts, and is 0-2 with an 11.58 ERA and a 1.92 WHIP.  His worst start was 11 days ago against these Yankees.  The Blue Jays lost, 9-8, and Gausman was responsible for six runs (five earned) in 1 1/3 innings pitched.  Then he followed up that game with another dismal effort at home vs. Colorado (3 2/3 IP, 6 R, 10 H).  Gausman is back home this afternoon, but he's burned money at home, with his teams going 16-18 (minus 19.5 net games) in his starts, including 0-5 his last five vs. division rivals.  Marcus Stroman will toe the rubber for the Pinstripes, and he's given up just four earned runs over 17 innings (2.12 ERA; 1.05 WHIP).  Even better:  in 2 career starts vs. the Blue Jays, he has a 0.82 ERA and 0.81 WHIP, including six scoreless innings 12 days ago.  Take New York.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Arizona Diamondbacks over the Texas Rangers.  The offensive outburst that many felt the Rangers were capable of finally came forth on Tuesday in Game 4 of the World Series.  And it came forth like a dam break.  By the end of the 3rd inning, Texas already had a 10-0 lead and the Rangers cruised from there.  But the night was not without some bad news for the team from the Lone Star State.  Outfielder Adolis Garcia, arguably the Rangers' post-season MVP, tried to play last night after exiting Game 3 with a side injury but he was ruled out of action for the remainder of the series.  The series returns to the #1 starters tonight as RHs Nathan Eovaldi and Zac Gallen take center stage in this must win game for the home team.  That "home" part is important for Gallen who was nearly unstoppable at Chase Field in the regular season.  In 16 starts here covering 102 innings, Gallen was 12-3 with a 2.47 ERA and 1.03 WHIP vs. just 5-6 and 4.42 in 18 starts on the road.  Needless to say, this is his biggest home start by far.  Take the Diamondbacks.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 5:05 pm, our selection is on the Arizona Diamondbacks over the Philadelphia Phillies.  So much for NL "small ball."  The Phillies have dominated their opposition in this post-season, not by getting on base and stealing second or bunting players over.  They've done it by way of the long ball -- 19 in their eight post-season games so far.  Many of those have been of the solo variety, but that hardly matters when you're sending balls over the fence as often as they are.  That could change with a trip to the Desert.  The Phillies won't be in their homer-friendly ballpark tonight but instead in a place where the long ball doesn't happen nearly as often.  They'll also be facing a starting pitcher that they've never seen before in 25-year-old rookie RH Brandon Pfaadt.  Pfaadt doesn't have numbers that jump off the page at you, but guess what else he doesn't do?  He doesn't give up home runs when pitching at Chase Field (only one long ball in his last five starts here).  And Pfaadt shut down the Dodgers in his only NLDS start against them (4 1/3 IP, 2 H, 0 ER).  Take the D-Backs.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Dodgers over the Arizona Diamondbacks.  In one of the biggest shockers of the MLB post-season, Dodger legend and future Hall-of-Fame pitcher Clayton Kershaw lasted just 1/3 of an inning in Game 1 of this series on Saturday night as the Diamondbacks rolled to an easy 11-2 victory.  If Saturday night was Dodger pitching past and present then tonight will be the future as 24-year-old RH Bobby Miller takes the mound in what is pretty much a must-win situation for the NL West champs.  Miller had a fantastic first season in the Majors, going 11-4 with a 3.76 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in 22 starts covering just over 124 innings.  In two starts this season vs. Arizona covering 12 innings, Miller is 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA.  Since the beginning of August, the Dodgers have won eight of Miller's 11 starts, including two victories against this D-Backs team as well as wins against the Braves, Brewers, Mariners, and Giants.  Prior to the loss in Game 1, the Dodgers won five straight vs. Arizona.  Take Los Angeles.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 6:05 pm, our selection is on the Atlanta Braves over the Philadelphia Phillies.  Despite having the most potent offense in the National League -- including the best player in OF Ronald Acuna -- the Braves were completely shut down by the Phillies in Atlanta in Game 1 of the NLDS on Saturday.  Philadelphia's pitching and defense completely dominated Game 1 despite a solid outing from Braves ace Spencer Strider.  Now the Phils will try to take a 2-0 series lead behind #1 starter Zack Wheeler who was dominant in his Wild Card series start last Tuesday.  But that was against the Marlins and now he'll be going up against a lineup that is an order of magnitude more dangerous in the Braves.  Atlanta will go with LH Max Fried.  Since the 29-year-old southpaw returned from an early season injury he's been one of the best starters in the game.  In nine starts since August 4, Fried went 6-0 with a 2.79 ERA with 55 strikeouts and 12 walks in just under 52 innings and the Braves are 8-1 in those starts and 11-3 in his 14 starts this season.  Take Atlanta.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 6:05 pm, our selection is on the Atlanta Braves over the Philadelphia Phillies.  The Braves come into this game having tied the 2019 Twins' record for 307 home runs in the regular season.  Certainly, the Braves are the favorite to win the World Series, and we'll back them in this Game 1 behind Spencer Strider.  This season, Strider made 12 starts vs. division rivals, and the Braves won all 12.  Meanwhile, the Phillies were 3-6 in Ranger Suarez's nine starts vs. National League East division rivals.  Take Atlanta.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Miami Marlins over the Philadelphia Phillies.  Heading into the season, you figured that if the Marlins made it to the playoffs, they would almost certainly lead off with RH Sandy Alcantara.  But the reigning NL Cy Young went on the IL in early September and so the Fish turned to LH Jesus Luzardo last night in Game 1 of the Wild Card series.  After a tough loss, Miami will turn to another southpaw tonight in Braxton Garrett.  Meanwhile, Phils RH Zack Wheeler was dealing for the home team -- not surprising given his career 2.78 ERA in the post-season.  Tonight they will turn to RHP Aaron Nola -- an ace in his own right when he's on.  The problem is that the 30-year-old hasn't been particularly good in October/November as Nola owns a 4.91 ERA in five post-season starts (all in 2022).  Another potential issue tonight is Nola's career numbers vs. the Marlins.  In 23 starts vs. Miami, Nola has an almost incomprehensible 5-10 record despite a decent ERA (3.53).  And this season Nola went 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA in three starts vs. the Fish.  Take Miami.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 3:05 pm, our selection is on the Texas Rangers over the Tampa Bay Rays.  The Rangers took 4 of 6 from the Rays this season, and I like them as an underdog in Game 1 of this season.  Jordan Montgomery has given up 2 earned runs over his last 27 innings (0.66 ERA), and his strikeout to walk ration over this stretch is 22:5.  In contrast, Tyler Glasnow's last four starts have been ugly:  14 runs over 20 1/3 innings, with a strikeout to walk ratio of 28:13.  Over the last three seasons, the Rangers have gone 5-5 here in Tampa, with an average price of +155.  We'll take the underdog Rangers this afternoon.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:10 pm, our selection is on the Chicago Cubs over the Milwaukee Brewers.  The Braves have captured the top prize in the NL (best record) but they simply can't stop winning despite having nothing else to play for until the NLDS.  They did it again on Thursday, beating the Cubs at home behind -- what else -- great pitching and timely hitting.  Now the Cubs need to win more than ever as the Marlins came back to beat the Mets last night which means Chicago is currently on the outside looking in on the Wild Card race.  They will face another team with nothing to play for in the Brewers tonight in Milwaukee.  There's probably nobody they'd rather have on the mound to start this crucial game than veteran RH Kyle Hendricks.  Despite an overall 6-8 record, the 33-year-old has logged a very solid 3.66 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 23 starts covering just under 133 innings.  In 33 career regular season starts vs. the Brewers covering 188 innings, Hendricks is 10-8 with a 3.40 ERA and 1.14 WHIP and he's 3-3 with a 3.03 ERA on the road this season (vs. 3-5 and 4.16 at home).  Take Chicago.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Blue Jays over the New York Yankees.  The Blue Jays have been blanked two straight games by the Pinstripes, with Gerrit Cole throwing a complete game, 2-hit shutout last night.  Toronto generally bounces back off poor offensive games, as it's 39-22 (+11.5 net games) after scoring less than 2 runs, and also 42-30 (+9.6 net games) after scoring less than 2 runs in back to back games.  Chris Bassitt will toe the rubber for the Jays tonight, and he shut out the Yankees over 7 innings in his lone 2023 start vs. New York -- a 3-0 Toronto victory.  Luke Weaver will get the start for New York, and he's 1-9 in his last 10 decisions on the road (dating back to 2020).  This season, he's 1-4 with a 6.38 ERA and a 1.66 WHIP away from Yankee Stadium.  Take Toronto.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:07 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Blue Jays over the New York Yankees.  Despite having everything to play for, the Blue Jays couldn't score a run against the Yankees last night and now the AL Wild Card race is even tighter.  These two will go at it again tonight in Toronto with likely AL Cy Young Gerrit Cole going to the mound for the final time this season.  Toronto's Jose Berrios, on the other hand, isn't in line for a post-season award, but he has a chance to shine tonight, and be a difference-maker.  With the Jays' post-season chances hanging in the balance, I look for the 29-year-old veteran RHP to turn in a quality start in what just might be the biggest game of his career.  Berrios is 11-11 with a 3.58 ERA overall this season but here at Rogers Centre he is 6-5 with a 3.11 ERA in 14 starts (vs. just 5-6 and 3.97 in 17 on the road).  Toronto is 40-20 after scoring less than 2 runs, including 15-6 off a shutout loss.  Take the Jays.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.  

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Seattle Mariners over the Houston Astros.  Houston blew out Seattle, 5-1, last night to move to 1.5 games ahead of the Mariners in the chase for the final playoff spot in the American League.  Seattle will turn to RHP George Kirby tonight, as it looks to close the gap between the teams.  The Mariners have been solid as a favorite of -150 (or less), as they've gone 71-44 (+15.9 net games), including 9-2 at home behind Kirby.  And Kirby has been sensational vs. the powerful Astros lineup, as he has a 1.53 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in his three career starts.  He has faced Houston just once here, at home, and it was his best performance, as he scattered six hits over seven scoreless innings.  The Mariners are a super 52-34 (+22.2 net games) after scoring less than 3 runs.  Take Seattle.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 6:40 pm, our selection is on the Cincinnati Reds over the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Rookie southpaw Andrew Abbott will get the start for the Reds, who are looking to bounce back from a collapse Wednesday against Minnesota.  The Reds led 3-2 before the Twins erupted for three runs in the 9th off closer Alexis Diaz.  With that loss, Cincy is a 0.5 game back of the Cubs and Marlins in the chase for the final Wild Card berth.  Tonight, Abbott will be working with extra rest, and the Reds are 5-1 in his starts when he's pitched with an extra day or two of rest.  Even better:  in Abbott's lone start vs. the Buccos this season, he struck out 9, against 0 walks, and Cincy cruised to a 9-2 win.  Pittsburgh has yet to name a starter, but Luis Ortiz is the likely candidate.  In his previous start, he was ineffective, and gave up six hits and a season-high six walks in just 4 2/3 innings, and the Bucs lost, 6-3, to the Yankees.  For the season, Ortiz has a 5.16 ERA and a 1.73 WHIP.  The Reds are 4-1 this year vs. NL starters with a WHIP at 1.65 (or worse), and 41-25 (+20.2 net games) vs. losing teams.  Meanwhile, the Pirates are 29-51 (minus 7.5 net games) vs. winning teams (compared to 43-30 (+18.7 net games) vs. non-winning teams).  Take Cincinnati.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 3:40 pm, our selection is on the San Francisco Giants over Arizona.  The Giants are now 3 games behind the Cubs for the final Wild Card berth, so the pressure is definitely on in the final 11 games of the season.  Tonight, San Francisco will turn to its ace, Logan Webb, who has a 3.45 ERA and 1.06 WHIP on the season.  Webb has been terrific vs. Arizona in his career, as he has a 2.62 ERA and 1.12 WHIP in 9 starts vs. the Diamondbacks.  Merrill Kelly got bombed in his last outing, as he gave up 7 runs in five innings.  And that was the 2nd time in his last four starts that he surrendered 7 runs in 5 innings.  Take San Francisco.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the Chicago Cubs over the Arizona Diamondbacks.  The Cubbies will look to snap a 4-game losing streak tonight, and avoid a series sweep at the hands of the Diamondbacks.  Chicago will hand the ball to rookie LHP Jordan Wicks, who has been brilliant in his four starts this season.  Wicks has allowed just five runs over 22 2/3 innings, for a 1.99 ERA.  And, most importantly, Chicago is a perfect 4-0 in his outings.  Ryne Nelson will oppose Wicks, and he's made 26 starts for the D-Backs this season.  Arizona has won just 11 of those 26 starts, and his ERA is an ugly 5.53.  At home, it balloons to 8.59, while it's 9.00 over his last three starts.  The D-Backs are 3-10 his last 13 home starts, including 0-5 his last five.  Take Chicago.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 4:10 pm, our selection is on the Seattle Mariners over the Los Angeles Dodgers.  Yesterday, the Mariners and Dodgers were scoreless through 9 innings, and Los Angeles prevailed, 6-2, in extra innings.  The Mariners will look to bounce back off that loss on this Sunday, and will turn to RHP Logan Gilbert.  In interleague games this season, Gilbert is 7-1 in 11 starts, with a 2.79 ERA and 0.97 WHIP.  Even better, when Seattle's lost its two previous games, it's gone 54-40 (+23.40 net games).  And it's a stellar 71-50 (+29.4 net games) after scoring less than three runs.  Take the Mariners on Sunday.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 2:10 pm, our selection is on the Houston Astros over the Kansas City Royals.  The Astros will look to bounce back off 2 losses to start this series, and will send southpaw Framber Valdez to the mound this afternoon.  Valdez is a big favorite vs. Royals' RHP Jordan Lyles, and understandably so.  Lyles carries a 6.33 ERA into this game (and 8.24 in the daytime), and the Royals have won just five of his 28 starts.  Meanwhile, Valdez has a 1.67 daytime ERA and Houston is 11-2 with Valdez as a road favorite priced at -175 (or more) in his career.  Take Houston.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 9:40 pm, our selection is on the Chicago Cubs over the Arizona Diamondbacks.  Justin Steele is a leading contender for the NL Cy Young Award, as he has a 16-3 record, with a 2.49 ERA.  In his last start (last Saturday) vs. this Diamondbacks club, he was once again brilliant, as he gave up just one run over seven innings.  He's now made three career starts vs. Arizona, and has a 1.00 ERA with a 0.77 WHIP.  The Cubs did lose that game, 3-2, which snapped a 9-game win streak by Chicago in Steele's starts.  We'll take Chicago tonight, as Steele has a spectacular 0.43 ERA and 0.81 WHIP over his last three outings, while his mound opponent -- Brandon Pfaadt -- has a 6.92 ERA and 1.69 WHIP in his last three starts.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Blue Jays over the Texas Rangers.  With their hopes of winning the AL East all but vanished, the Blue Jays must now focus on nailing down one of the three Wild Card spots.  But with their losses to the Rangers the last two nights, that opportunity could be slipping away as well in the ultra-competitive American League playoff race.  They'll try to turn this series around tonight as the Rangers and Jays each send a lefty to the mound in this third of four games against each other this week.  For Toronto, it will be Japanese veteran Yusei Kikuchi who will get his 29th start of the season.  Kikuchi has been very solid if not spectacular in his second season with the Blue Jays.  In just under 149 innings, the 32-year-old southpaw is 9-5 with a 3.57 ERA and those nine victories represent the most he's had in his five seasons in the Majors.  No doubt he'd love to get to double-digit wins tonight and he has a good chance to do that as in five career games vs. Texas (four starts), Kikuchi is 3-0 with a 3.48 ERA and 0.82 WHIP.  Take Toronto.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:40 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Twins over the Tampa Bay Rays.  Last night, the Twins lost, 7-4, as a home underdog to the Rays and Tyler Glasgow.  Tonight, Minnesota will be favored behind RHP Joe Ryan.  We'll back the home team, as the Twins are a solid 43-22 (+14.6 net games) at home when favored by -150 or less.  Even better:  Ryan has a 2.40 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in his last 3 outings, and is profitable as a favorite in his career starts (26-16), while unprofitable as an underdog.  Finally, Tampa has burned money this season as a road underdog (8-14, minus 5.2 net games).  Take the Twins to snap their 2-game losing streak.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 2:20 pm, our selection is on the Chicago Cubs over the Arizona Diamondbacks.  The Cubs have lost the first three games of this series, and will try to salvage one game with a victory this afternoon.  Kyle Hendricks will toe the rubber for the home team today, and his teams have gone 55-27 with him on the mound when priced as a favorite of -150 or less, including 27-7 at home.  The Cubs are 7-2 in day games with Hendricks, and 71-41 when priced from -125 to -175, while Arizona is an awful 56-93 (minus 10.1 net games) as an underdog priced from +125 to +175.  Take the Cubbies.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Texas Rangers over the Oakland A's.  This past Tuesday, Nathan Eovaldi made his return from the injured list, and it didn't go well, to say the least. Eovaldi didn't make it out of the 2nd inning, with 4 runs allowed in 1 1/3, and the Rangers went on to lose, 14-1, to rival Houston.  Eovaldi will look to bounce back this evening against the Oakland A's, who took Game 1 of this series on Friday.  That was the floundering Rangers' 4th straight loss, overall, so there's now an air of despration in Arlington.  The good news is that Eovaldi shut out this A's team earlier this year (8 2/3 innings, 0 runs, 3 hits, 1 walk, 12 strikeouts).  His career ERA is 2.97 vs Oakland.  The A's are 0-7 off an upset division win if they were a +130 (or greater) underdog in that victory.  Take Texas.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Blue Jays over the Kansas City Royals.  The Blue Jays are barely in the Playoffs, going into Friday's games, as they're a half-game ahead of the Texas Rangers.  So, with just 22 games to go, Toronto knows it can't afford to lose games to division cellar-dwellers like Kansas City.  The Blue Jays are, of course a heavy favorite.  But given that the Royals are 21-67 (minus 25.0 net games) as an underdog priced from +175 to +250, I have no problem laying the big price.  Even better:  Yusei Kikuchi will get the start for the Blue Jays tonight, and he's given up just 5.14 hits and 1.55 walks per start.  For the season, he has a 3.63 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP, and the Blue Jays have won 17 of his 27 starts.  Kansas City is a horrible 8-34 on the road vs. starters who give up 5.5 (or less) hits per start, and are also 35-88 (minus 34.6 net games) on the road vs. pitchers who give up less than 1.75 walks per start.  Take Toronto.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 6:40 pm, our selection is on the Seattle Mariners over the Cincinnati Reds.  The Mariners dropped their 3rd straight game yesterday, as they fell, 7-6, to the Reds.  This evening, they'll turn to Logan Gilbert to stop the slide, and he's in great form.  He has a 1.83 ERA and 0.96 WHIP over his last three outings.  And his strikeout to walk ration was 19:2 in those three games.  Gilbert has won his last seven decisions, and the Mariners are 9-2 in his last 11 starts.  That bodes well for the Mariners.  As does the fact that Gilbert's mound opponent will be rookie RHP Lyon Richardson.  In his debut, on August 6 vs. the Nationals, Richardson did something no other MLB player had done in the last 50 years.  And that was to give up two home runs on his first two career pitches!  Richardson's ERA is 6.75, and his WHIP is 1.75, so I expect Seattle's bats to generate runs today.  The Mariners are 11-2 their last 13 behind Gilbert when they've plated more than 3 runs.  And they're 31-14 on the road (+19.6 net games) with Gilbert on the hill.  Take Seattle.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 6:35 pm, our selection is on the Milwaukee Brewers over Pittsburgh.  The Buccos came back from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Milwaukee, 4-2, on Monday.  That was the Brewers' 2nd straight loss, and we'll take the Brew Crew to bounce back this evening.  Brandon Woodruff will get the ball for Craig Counsell's men and, dating back to last year, he's 7-1 his last eight decisions (covering 12 starts), and the Brewers are 10-2 in those 12 games.  Milwaukee is 35-25 off a loss, including 8-1 off an upset loss to a division foe.  Take the Brewers.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 6:35 pm, our selection is on the Milwaukee Brewers over the Pittsburgh Pirates.  It may be hard to believe that Corbin Burnes hasn't won a game since July 20.  But that doesn't mean that the 2021 NL Cy Young winner hasn't been effective.  In the month of August, Burnes had a 3.98 ERA and the Brewers won three of his five starts.  He would be the first to admit however that the previous month was much better for him as Burnes went 4-1 with a 1.85 ERA during July.  But regardless of that, Burnes has an excellent chance to get September going with a bang as his first start of the month will be against the 63-74 Pirates.  In 22 regular season games against Pittsburgh (10 starts) covering 75 2/3 innings, Burnes is 7-1 with a 3.33 ERA and 1.04 WHIP.  And those seven wins represent the most that Burnes has had against any team in the Majors.  Perhaps more important is the fact that in 11 career games at PNC Park -- 5 starts -- Burnes is 4-1 with a 3.38 ERA and 0.94 WHIP.  The Brewers are 8-3 in the last 11 meetings with the Pirates going back to last August.  Take Milwaukee.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie

At 2:35 pm, our selection is on the Texas Rangers over Minnesota.  Last night, the Twins won in extra innings vs. Texas, and will look to complete a 3-game sweep this afternoon.  Minnesota will send Kenta Maeda to the mound today, and he's not been pitching well, as he has given up 12 earned runs in his last three starts, covering 13 innings (8.31 ERA, 1.69 WHIP).  For the season, Maeda's ERA is a subpar 4.69, while his mound opponent today (Jon Gray) has a 3.60 ERA and 1.19 WHIP.  The Twins are a wallet-busting 29-56 (minus 22.2 net games) as an underdog of +150 (or less), including 21-40 on the road.  And Minny is also 1-8 behind Maeda this season in his daytime starts.  And Maeda's teams are a dreadful 21-32 (minus 23.9 net games) in his career in the afternoon.  Take the Rangers.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:10 pm, our selection is on the Atlanta Braves over the Los Angeles Dodgers.  The 2 best teams in baseball will kick off a big 4-game series tonight at Chavez Ravine.  Spencer Strider will get the start for Atlanta while Lance Lynn will make his 6th start for Los Angeles after being acquired last month from the White Sox.  Strider is having a brilliant season for the Braves.  He leads all of MLB with 236 strikeouts, and ranks 3rd among starters in batting average against (.204), and 6th in WHIP (1.06).  Overall, Strider's W/L record is 15-4, and the Braves have won 21 of his 26 starts.  Understandably, Strider's favored on the road tonight.  But it's also the least amount he's been favored by all season.  Strider's in the best form of his career, as he has a 0.43 ERA and 0.61 WHIP over his last three starts.  Atlanta is 168-79 (+34.7 net games) as a favorite, and also 102-51 (+24 net games) their last 153 as a road favorite.  Take the Braves.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.