At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays UNDER the total.  Despite a very late night and 18 innings of baseball on Monday, the Blue Jays had something left on Tuesday evening.  The Jays' bats were still very much alive as they piled on the runs against L.A.'s pitching and evened the series at two games apiece.  Tonight's match-up is a rematch of the pitchers we saw in Game 1:  Blake Snell and Trey Yesavage.  Snell didn't have anything to prove in his first three post-season starts but now he does.  After looking as close to unhittable as a pitcher can look in starts against the Reds, Phillies, and Brewers, the 32-year-old southpaw got knocked around pretty good in Game 1 of this series which the Jays went on to win easily, 11-4.  That start was in Toronto and no doubt Snell is looking forward to redeeming himself back at Dodger Stadium tonight in Game 5.  In seven regular season starts here this season, Snell went 5-1 with a ridiculous 1.17 ERA with 48 strikeouts in 38 1/3 innings.  Take the UNDER.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Seattle Mariners over the Toronto Blue Jays. We have arrived at a Game 7 between the Mariners and Blue Jays -- the second seventh game of an ALCS in the past three years. While the momentum maybe seems to have shifted to Toronto, Seattle should not be counted out (just like they could not be counted out of the AL West race). George Kirby had back-to-back All Star-caliber seasons in 2023 and 2024 but took a step back this past season -- mainly due to injury. But all of the 27-year-old RHs disappointment of 2025 can be erased with a strong showing tonight resulting in a Seattle victory and the first trip to the World Series for the M's. Kirby just needs to pitch like he did at the end of September when he went 2-1 with a 2.08 ERA in his last three regular season starts with an incredible 31 strikeouts and one walk in just over 17 innings. And that included a 10 strikeout performance against the Dodgers -- who the Mariners will be seeing in the Series if they are able to win tonight. Take Seattle. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays 'under' the total. These two teams will play one more time tonight for the privilege of meeting the Dodgers in the World Series. For the most part, runs have been pretty hard to come by for both teams, which is to be expected with the pitching staffs these clubs possess. Even last night in Game 6, after Logan Gilbert got knocked around early on, the M's bullpen performed brilliantly only allowing one run on four hits in the final four innings. But the Mariners hitters will have their work cut out for them as well as Shane Bieber takes the mound for Toronto. The 30-year-old RH was outstanding in Game 3 in Seattle, going six innings while allowing two runs on just four hits with eight strikeouts and one walk. In fact Bieber has not allowed more than two earned runs in any of his previous five starts, including his two this post-season. The under is 3-1 in Kirby's last four starts going back to September 26. Take the 'under.' As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:00 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Blue Jays over the Seattle Mariners. The Mariners finally got their bats going at home in Game 5 and took advantage of some sub-par Toronto relief pitching to come back from a 2-1 deficit and win the game going away, 6-2. But it was mission accomplished for the Jays as they took two of three on the west coast and now they come back to Canada only needing to win at home in order to get to their first World Series since 1993. Toronto is 57-29 (+20.9 net games) at home this season, so there's much reason for the Jays to be optimistic.  Usually when a 21-year-old pitcher goes from A level Minors to the Majors in the same season, he finds out very quickly just how deep the water is. But in the case of the Jays' Trey Yesavage, his promotion to the Bigs in mid-September proved to be no problem. After getting the call, the young RHP proceeded to go 1-0 with a 3.21 ERA in three starts covering 14 innings with 16 strikeouts. Then Yesavage pitched a gem in his first post-season start, throwing 5 1/3 no-hit innings with 11 strikeouts and one walk in Game 2 of the ALDS - a 13-7 Blue Jays blowout of the Yankees. Take Toronto. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:00 pm, our selection is on the Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays 'under' the total. After the first-ever Mariners home win in an ALCS game on Friday night, this series shifts back to eastern Canada for Game 6 (and Game 7 if necessary). Waiting for one of these teams are the Los Angeles Dodgers who easily dispatched of the Milwaukee Brewers in a four-game sweep. The Game 6 pitching match-up will be a repeat of Game 2 with Mariners veteran RH Logan Gilbert going up against Toronto's rookie RH Trey Yesavage. The M's hitters got to the 22-year-old early in Game 2 as the youngster was obviously nervous in his first Championship Series start. Expect Yesavage to be much better prepared tonight and don't be surprised if we see a repeat of his dominant performance against the Yankees in Game 2 of the ALDS. The Mariners bats finally got going late in Game 5 but for the most part the Jays pitchers have been keeping Raleigh, Rodriguez, and Suarez quiet in this series as the M's have only managed a .216 team batting average over the five games. Take the 'under.' As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:30 pm, our selection is on the Seattle Mariners over the Toronto Blue Jays.  The Jays managed to earn an extremely important Game 3 victory here in Seattle last night.  And while things still don't look great for them, at least they have shifted some of the momentum in this series.  But the problem for the visitors tonight is the depth of the Seattle rotation.  We are at Game 4 in a series and the Mariners have Luis Castillo -- who could be a #1 starter on quite a few MLB Clubs -- heading to the mound.  The 32-year-old RH had another solid season, going 11-8 with a 3.54 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 32 starts covering just under 181 innings.  And he beat Toronto on April 20.  The Jays will go with veteran RH Max Scherzer who hasn't pitched in the post-season since 2023 but who had a disastrous end of the regular season, going 0-3 with a 10.20 ERA in four September starts.  More bad news for the Jays tonight:  the Ms have won each of the last six games that Castillo has stepped on the mound for them (five starts and one relief appearance including two playoff games).  Take Seattle.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Seattle Mariners over the Detroit Tigers. With the Toronto Blue Jays waiting in the wings, this series shifts back to Seattle after the Mariners blew an early 3-0 lead on Wednesday night. The Detroit bats finally broke out in Game 4, leading the Tigers to a 9-3 blowout victory before in front of their home fans. Tonight will be the final game of the series and it will feature each team's ace as LH Tarik Skubal goes to the hill opposite RH George Kirby. The main difference between the two coming into this deciding match-up is that Kirby has one more day of rest than Skubal. Kirby pitched Game 1 on October 4 and Skubal started Game 2 one day later.  And, ironically, each one's team lost the game by identical 3-2 scores. Skubal's worst numbers of the season were when he pitched on four days' rest (3-2 with a 2.58 ERA in eight instances vs. 6-3 and 2.01 when pitching on five days' rest). Kirby benefited from his home ballpark in the regular season, logging a 3.38 ERA in 12 starts here (vs. 5.16 in 11 starts on the road). Take the Mariners.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs 'under' the total. With a Cubs victory in Game 3 on Wednesday to stay alive in this series, the two teams will meet again tonight at Wrigley Field with each sending their #1 starter out to the mound. For the Brewers, that means Cy Young candidate RH Freddy Peralta and for Chicago it means veteran LH (and first-year Cub) Matthew Boyd. Both Peralta and Boyd are coming off very successful campaigns with each making the NL All Star team back in July while winning at a better than .600 win percentage with over 150 strikeouts (Peralta with over 200). So the runs could be a little hard to come by tonight as the Cubs face a must-win situation and the Brewers try hard not to blink knowing that an extra day of rest could be critical against either the Dodgers or Phillies. The under is 4-1 in the Cubs' last five home games and 16-8 in their last 24 home games against Division opponents. Take the 'under.' As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 6:05 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Dodgers over the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies' bats finally came alive and they managed to salvage Game 3 in L.A.  But for Game 4, they face a potential problem and that problem is named Tyler Glasnow. Few pitching staffs are as deep as the Dodgers' which affords them a talent like Glasnow to be able to go in a fourth game of a series. Sure, the 32-year-old has a well-documented history of injuries (Glasnow has never started more than 22 games in a season) but when he's healthy, the big RH has some of the best stuff in the League. And Glasnow is healthy right now -- although the Dodgers will probably limit him to no more than five innings tonight -- which should give the hot L.A. bats enough time to build a comfortable lead. L.A. has also finally found its closer in 23-year-old Japanese rookie Roki Sasaki so a late lead should be safe tonight. Glasnow went 3-2 with a 2.77 ERA in 11 starts here at home this regular season (vs. 1-1 and 4.08 in seven road starts). Take the Dodgers. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 5:05 pm, our selection is on the Chicago Cubs over the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers went with a bullpen strategy out of the gate on Monday night in Game 2 at home. The strategy, although risky, worked and now Milwaukee heads to Chicago with a 2-0 series lead. They come back with a true starter today in RHP Quinn Priester while the Cubs counter with veteran RH Jameson Taillon. The 33-year-old had 11 wins in the regular season but that was only with 23 starts as Taillon made two separate trips to the IL in 2025. He's healthy and pitching as well as he ever has towards the end of the campaign. In fact, since Taillon came off the IL the second time, he went 4-1 with a 1.57 ERA with only 24 hits allowed in 34 1/3 innings in six starts between August 19 and September 27. And Taillon kept the good times rolling in the Wild Card series with four innings of two-hit, shutout ball in Game 3 against the Padres, which the Cubs won, getting them to the NLDS. Chicago is 39-18 (plus 24.0 net games) off back-to-back losses the past two seasons.  And Taillon has a career 3.33 ERA in 21 games (20 starts) vs. the Brewers. Take the Cubs. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 3:05 pm, our selection is on the Detroit Tigers over the Seattle Mariners.  Casey Mize will toe the rubber for the Tigers this afternoon.  And he's been strong in the daytime, as Detroit has gone 22-13 in his 35 daytime starts (+13.4 net games).  Seattle has burned money the last two seasons in its road games (75-87, minus 19.3 net games) and is also 80-93 (minus 20.9 net games) the last three seasons on the road vs. righties (but profitable vs. lefties).  We'll take Detroit to level this series at 2-games apiece.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Yankees over the Toronto Blue Jays. The Blue Jays' offense exploded on Sunday and Game 2 was over by the fourth inning. Down 0-2, the Yankees and the series now head to the Bronx where the boys in pinstripes are faced with a must-win Game 3 that, if nothing else, will be in front of a raucous, pro-New York crowd. The Yanks will send LHP Carlos Rodon to the mound tonight. The 32-year-old was in this same situation just six days ago as the Yanks lost Game 1 of the Wild Card series to the Red Sox and Rodon took the mound for a must-win Game 2 in which the Yankees prevailed. Rodon is likely happy that this game is at Yankee Stadium where he has a 23-10 career record and 3.40 ERA in 40 games covering just over 230 innings. The last time he faced the Jays here was August 2024 when he threw 5 1/3 solid innings in an 8-3 Yankee romp. Take New York. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Chicago Cubs over the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers opened a can of whoop-ass on Saturday in Game 1 of this series, which was pretty much over in the second inning. The extended layoff that Milwaukee had to endure -- it hadn't played a game since September 28 -- didn't seem to matter. The final score was 9-3 behind some solid pitching -- led by ace Freddy Peralta -- and 13 Brewers hits. There have been plenty of Japanese stories in this season's playoffs, most of which have had to do with the Dodgers.  Tonight, the Cubs are hoping to write another one as Shota Imanaga takes the mound for Game 2. The 32-year-old southpaw had a second-straight solid MLB campaign with nine wins and a 3.73 ERA for Chicago. He pitched in Game 2 of the Wild Card series, although it wasn't as a starter as the Cubs went with an "opener" in that one and Imanaga came in when Andrew Kittredge departed after one inning. Imanaga got the win the last time he was in this ballpark, back on July 30, going five innings in a 10-3 Cubs victory.  The Cubbies are 48-24 (+20.6 net games) off a loss this season (and 92-57, +31.5 net games, off a loss the past 2 seasons).  And they are 145-108 (+28.6 net games) vs. righties the past two years (compared to 33-42 (minus 16.8 net games) vs. lefties.  Take Chicago.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 4:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Yankees over the Toronto Blue Jays. Game 1 of the ALDS north of the border was no contest as the Blue Jays erupted for 10 runs, pulling away to an easy 10-1 victory over the Yanks. Toronto might have wanted to save some of those runs for tonight as New York will be back to the top of its rotation which means 19-game-winner Max Fried. The 31-year-old southpaw had a Cy Young-caliber season as, in addition to those 19 victories, Fried posted a 2.86 ERA with 189 strikeouts in 195 1/3 innings. And Fried has plenty of post-season experience from his last seven seasons in Atlanta with the Braves. In Game 1 of the Wild Card series against the Red Sox, Fried threw one of his gems, holding Boston scoreless on four hits in 6 1/3 innings with six strikeouts and three walks. The Yanks lost that game but they won each of Fried's last six of the regular season, including all five in the month of September. Fried is 4-1 with a 2.70 ERA in seven career starts here at Rogers Centre. Take New York. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 1:05 pm, on Tuesday, our selection is on the Detroit Tigers over the Cleveland Guardians.  After an epic meltdown in which the Tigers ceded first place in the AL Central to the Guardians and almost didn't make the playoffs, wouldn't it be ironic if they won the first playoff series against the very same Cleveland club?  Well, Detroit is in a great position to do just that, having saved its reigning Cy Young-winning starter (and likely Cy Young again this season), Tarik Skubal for the first game of this series.  You could say the Tigers are "built" for a short series such as this with LH ace Skubal a strong favorite to lead them to victory this afternoon and then -- presumably -- a 14-game winner in Casey Mize waiting in the wings for Game 2 on Wednesday.  And it sure doesn't hurt their chances today that Skubal has dominated the Guardians the past two seasons.  In 2024, he won his only start against them, throwing seven innings of one-run ball.  Then, this season, he really out-did himself, posting a 0.64 ERA in four starts vs. Cleveland with 40 strikeouts and five walks in 28 innings.  Detroit is 21-10 (+6.1 net games) as a road favorite with Skubal, while the Guardians are a poor 16-27 (minus 8.2 net games) as a home underdog the past two seasons.  Take Detroit.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie

At 12:40 PM, our selection is on the Cincinnati Reds over the Pittsburgh Pirates.  The Reds lost, 4-3, in 11 innings last night, and are 1 game behind the New York Mets with 4 games to play.  One piece of good news for Cincy:  it owns the tie-breaker with either the Mets or Diamondbacks, so it doesn't need to have a better record than either to advance to the Playoffs.  Nick Lodolo will get the start this afternoon.  And the Reds have gone 25-15 (+7.1 net games) with Lodolo in his home starts.  He made one previous start vs. the Buccos this season, and tossed six innings, and allowed just one run and four hits, while striking out seven.  Pittsburgh is a poor 25-52 (minus 19.2 net games) on the road this season, and 28-37 (minus 6.9 net games) in the daytime.  Cincy, on the other hand, has excelled in the afternoon, with a 33-24 record (+10.3 net games).  Take the Reds.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Houston Astros over the Athletics. The Astros didn't do themselves any favors on Tuesday, losing the first game of this series to the A's who are probably thrilled to be playing the role of spoiler right now. Fortunately for Houston, their destiny is within their control.  So, if they win their five remaining games, they will reach the post-season. The 'Stros will go with ace RH Hunter Brown tonight on four days of rest, which shouldn't be a problem based on the last two times he's done that. Brown has been fantastic this season with a 12-8 record, 2.30 ERA, and 1.00 WHIP in 30 starts covering 180 1/3 innings (he's also reached 200 strikeouts for the first time in his career). Perhaps the only unknown going into his 31st start tonight is how he will handle the temporary Sacramento ballpark as his other two starts against the A's this season came at home. It shouldn't be problem, however, as Brown has been equally as good on the road in 2025 as in Houston (7-2 with a 2.29 ERA vs. 5-6 and 2.30). Take the Astros. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:40 pm, our selection is on the San Diego Padres over the Cincinnati Reds.  The Reds scored two runs in the top of the 9th inning last night to defeat the Padres, 4-2, and even this 3-game series at 1 game apiece.  We'll take San Diego behind Nick Pivetta on Wednesday night to win the rubber match of this series.  The Reds are a relatively light-hitting team, as they're in the bottom half of the Majors with a .246 batting average.  And they're tied for 9th worst in baseball in slugging percentage, at .392.  The Padres have had great success vs. such teams, as they're 80-42 (+24.2 net games) vs. NL opponents with a sub-.400 slugging percentage.  And they're 104-71 (+14.1 net games) vs. NL opponents with a batting average of .255 (or worse).  The Reds' All-Star pitcher, Andrew Abbott, is having a terrific season, with a 2.88 ERA and 1.14 WHIP.  However, the wheels are starting to come off a bit, as he's given up 3 earned runs or more in four of his last six starts (5.14 ERA).  In contrast, Nick Pivetta has given up 2 earned runs or less in 11 of his last 13 starts (2.13 ERA).  San Diego is a solid 50-36 (+17.7 net games) vs. strong NL pitchers with WHIPs at 1.25 (or below).  Take the Padres.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. 

At 6:40 pm, our selection is on the Kansas City Royals over the Cleveland Guardians. On the last day of the trade deadline, the Royals and Padres completed a minor deal that sent Freddy Fermin to San Diego in exchange for righthanded pitchers Steven Kolek and Ryan Bergert. With injuries to many of their best starters (Bubic, Ragans, Marsh, Lugo, Falter) the Royals have inserted both Kolek and Bergert into their rotation with very good results. Kolek is 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA in two starts.  Meanwhile, Bergert has converted from swing-man to full-time starter without missing a beat, going 1-1 with a 2.43 ERA in six starts since the trade. Bergert will get his seventh start with KC tonight and it comes against a Guardians team which is only 0.5 game behind the Royals after Sunday's games. This will be the first time the Guardians hitters have seen Bergert who has a 1.74 ERA in two starts here at Kauffman Stadium with 13 strikeouts in 10 1/3 innings. Take Kansas City. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 6:40 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Blue Jays over the Cincinnati Reds. If Jose Berrios can get three more starts in 2025, he'll have 30 starts for the seventh time in his career. Not only will it be seven times in his career, but it will mean he's reached that mark in seven consecutive seasons in which there was a full slate of games (2020 was shortened due to COVID). In fact, Berrios has never been on the IL or missed a start in his career. That kind of performance is unheard of in this day and age of multiple injuries, especially for a starting pitcher. But these days, the veteran RH has other goals on his mind as the Blue Jays try to hold on and win the AL East for the first time in a decade. He'll get start number 28 tonight against a Reds team he's faced four times previously. While his overall numbers vs. Cincy are not that dominant, in his only previous start here at Great American Ball Park, Berrios thew 5 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while striking out eight. Toronto has won 13 of his last 16 starts, and his teams are 33-22 (+6.3 net games) in his Interleague starts.  Take the Blue Jays. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:10 pm our selection is on the Houston Astros -1.5 runs over the Colorado Rockies. In the last two seasons, we’ve seen Hunter Brown go from promising young prospect to a legitimate AL Cy Young contender. The 26-year-old is having a phenomenal campaign in his third MLB season, posting a 10-5 record with a 2.36 ERA and 1.01 WHIP in 25 starts covering 149 innings. This will be Brown’s fourth career start vs the Rockies and it’s safe to say this is the worst version of that team he has faced. In his previous three starts against Colorado, Brown is 2-1 with a 3.12 ERA and 1.04 WHIP with 22 strikeouts and four walks in just over 17 innings. And two of those starts were at Coors Field, so Brown is no doubt pleased that tonight he gets to face a 37-94 Rockies club here in Houston. Brown has a 2.27 ERA in 11 games at home this season. The 'Stros are 7-1 in the last eight meetings with the Rockies going back to July of 2023.  And Colorado is 25-51 (minus 23.8 net games) on the run-line vs. winning teams.  Take Houston -1.5 runs. As always, good luck…Al McMordie

At 4:10 pm, our selection is on the Seattle Mariners over the Oakland A's.  Logan Gilbert will get the start for Seattle this afternoon, and will be pitching with an extra day of rest.  This season, when starting with regular rest, Gilbert's ERA is an elevated 5.78.  But with extra rest, Gilbert's ERA is 2.98.  Gilbert has also been better at home this season (2.22 ERA compared to a 6.23 road ERA), and in the daytime (3.60 ERA vs. 4.08 ERA).  Oakland has struggled as an underdog of +150 (or more), going 11-26 (minus 7.1 net games) this season (and 65-157 (minus 34.1 net games) its last 222.  Take Seattle.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 1:10 pm, our selection is on the Houston Astros over the Detroit Tigers. In the clash of two of the division leaders in the American League, it's the Tigers that have dominated so far, shutting out the Astros in the first two games of this series. This afternoon, in the series finale it will be Framber Valdez of the 'Stros going up against veteran Charlie Morton of the Tigers. The 41-year-old Morton came to Detroit from Baltimore at the trade deadline and has been sufficient as a back-of-the-rotation starter for the Tigers. But Valdez is a 31-year-old southpaw ace for Houston with an 11-6 record and 3.01 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 24 starts covering 152 1/3 innings. In eight career appearances against the Tigers (seven starts), Valdez is 2-2 with a 2.49 ERA and 1.19 WHIP with 43 strikeouts and 16 walks in 47 innings. In six games here at Comerica Park (five starts), Valdez is 2-1 with a 2.38 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in 34 innings. Take the Astros. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 6:45 pm, our selection is on the Seattle Mariners over the Philadelphia Phillies.  The Mariners lost the "Little League Classic" last night, 7-3, to the New York Mets, while the Phillies outlasted the Nationals, 11-9.  Logan Gilbert will get the ball for the Mariners this evening, and he's led them to wins in seven of his last 10 starts.  This game has been installed near "Pk'em."  And, in Gilbert's career, when the Mariners were priced between +125 and -125 with Gilbert on the hill, they've gone 43-20, +25.3 net games on the moneyline.  Seattle is also 48-29, +20.1 net games with Gilbert vs. winning opposition, and 42-29, +13.1 net games on the road.  Ranger Suarez will toe the rubber for the home team today.  Unfortunately, Suarez is 1-4 in his last six starts.  And he's allowed 11 earned runs across 11 innings in his last two outings.  Seattle is a solid 33-24, +7.2 net games, off a loss this season (and 6-1 its last seven off back-to-back losses).  Take Seattle.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. 

At 1:40 pm, our selection is on the Cincinnati Reds over the Milwaukee Brewers. Like the Energizer Bunny, the Brewers just keep on going. Last night they beat the Reds here in Cincy for their 14th straight win which broke their previous franchise record of 13 straight, set in 1987.  Dating back to the start of the 11-game win streak they had back in July, the Brewers are now an incredible 29-4 in their last 33 games.  Pretty soon, the Cubs will have to start planning on a Wild Card strategy as they are falling too far behind in the NL Central -- the Division they dominated almost the entire first half of the season.  But the Reds have their secret weapon going to the mound this afternoon and, in fact, LHP Andrew Abbott is not much of a secret anymore. The 26-year-old may have been little more than an afterthought back in the Spring, but with an 8-3 record, 2.41 ERA, and 1.11 WHIP in 21 starts, Abbott is now widely considered one of the most effective southpaws in the National League if not the entire Majors. What better way to put a stamp on his season than to end Milwaukee's streak today.  We cashed our MLB Interleague Game of the Year earlier this season when the Seattle Mariners and Logan Gilbert snapped the Brewers' 11-game win streak.  And we'll look for a similar outcome this afternoon, as Abbott and the Reds should snap the Brewers' current streak.  Take Cincinnati.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 1:10 pm, our selection is on the New York Mets over the Cleveland Guardians.  The Mets have been neck-and-neck with the Phillies for almost the entire season.  There are plenty of reasons for their success, with the signing of Juan Soto being at the forefront, for obvious reasons.  But you also have to wonder where New York would be this season without LHP David Peterson.  The veteran southpaw might only have seven victories to his credit.  And he isn't flashy and doesn't strike out a ton of batters (only 105 in 127 innings).  But Peterson has posted a 2.83 ERA and the Mets are 12-9 in his 21 starts heading into this afternoon.  That "afternoon" part could be huge because in six daytime starts this season, Peterson has a 2.25 ERA (vs. 3.07 in 15 starts under the lights).  Another area he's excelled this season?  How about a 1.90 ERA in four starts against American League teams.  Take the Mets.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 2:10 pm, our selection is on the Chicago Cubs over the Milwaukee Brewers. After a rookie campaign that took many people by surprise with a 15-3 record, 2.91 ERA and All-Star selection, the question for Shota Imanaga going into this season was, "can he repeat?" The answer to that question may be "not exactly," but the 31-year-old Japanese RHP has still been very good this season even if he's taken a small step backwards from 2024. There's also been leg injuries this season which have limited Imanaga to 14 starts so far, but no doubt the Cubs are counting on their star down the stretch. This afternoon he'll be trying to help his team avoid a Brewers sweep as Milwaukee goes for three in a row here. Imanaga is coming off his worst start of the season as he allowed seven earned runs on 12 hits in just three innings last time out. That "afternoon" part may be key for him today as, since coming to Chicago, Imanaga has thrived during the day with a 2.73 ERA in 16 starts vs. 3.12 in 27 starts under the lights.  Finally, Chicago is 31-13 (+17.3 net games) off a loss this season (and 10-2 off back-to-back losses).  Take the Cubs. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Seattle Mariners over the Athletics. The Mariners made one of the first significant deals of the MLB trade deadline when they acquired slugging 1B/OF Josh Naylor from the Diamondbacks. And there's a good chance the M's aren't done.  Indeed, they may strike another deal with Arizona as it's no secret that the D-Backs are shopping 3B Eugenio Suarez.  And that pending free agent would look awfully good in the middle of Seattle's lineup -- if only for the next two-plus months. But first things first, and tonight with the red-hot Rangers breathing down their neck the M's will send out RHP Luis Castillo for his 22nd start of the season. The 32-year-old is having another solid -- and healthy -- season as Castillo is 7-6 with a 3.30 ERA with 107 strikeouts in 120 innings. Castillo obviously has never pitched in the A's temporary home in Sacramento, but over his career he is 4-3 with a 3.28 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in eight starts against them covering 46 2/3 innings. This will be his first start against the A's since the opening series back in March. Take Seattle. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 4:10 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Dodgers minus 1.5 runs over the Minnesota Twins.  Last night, the Twins put up 10 runs on the Dodgers, in a 10-7 triumph.  Los Angeles has now lost 11 of its last 14 games.  I like L.A. to get back into the win column on this Wednesday.  But rather than lay the big moneyline price, we'll lay 1.5 runs, instead.  Tyler Glasnow gets the start for the Dodgers this afternoon, and his teams have gone 22-5 (+7.7 net games) as a favorite of -200+ (and have also been profitable in those games on the run-line).  Glasnow also has been much better in his daytime starts (25-17, +5.9 net games) than at night (46-39, minus 10.4 net games).  He will be opposed by the Twins' Chris Paddack, whose teams have won just five of 24 games when installed as a road underdog with Paddack on the mound (and have lost 10.9 net games on the run-line in those outings).  And Paddack's teams have also underperformed in his daytime starts, including 16-22, minus 8.0 net games on the run-line.  We'll lay the 1.5 runs with Los Angeles.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. 

At 4:10 pm, our selection is on the Philadelphia Phillies over the San Diego Padres.  Last night, the Padres handed Philly its second straight loss.  We'll take the Phils to bounce back this afternoon, as they're a stellar 45-25 (+8.3 net games) as a favorite this season, as well as 40-22 (+8.6 net games) when favored with Cristopher Sanchez on the hill.  Meanwhile, Nick Pivetta's teams are a putrid 34-56 (minus 9.3 net games) as an underdog when he toes the rubber.  Finally, Philly has excelled vs. righty starters (106-69, +16.7 net games) compared to lefties (45-42, minus 12.7 net games).  Take the Phillies.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 1:35 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Rays over the Boston Red Sox.  The Rays lost a tough one on Saturday, getting a complete game dose of Garrett Crochet -- the Red Sox ace and one of the best starters in the game.  But Tampa's pitching was pretty darn good too as the combination of Shane Baz and Edwin Uceta allowed just one run on five hits the entire game -- a 1-0 loss.  They'll send out another very good young starter this afternoon at Fenway Park in RH Ryan Pepiot.  The 27-year-old is 6-6 with a 3.32 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in 19 starts covering 108 1/3 innings.  Pepiot was part of the trade that sent Tyler Glasnow and Manny Margot to the Dodgers and it's beginning to look like the Rays got the better of that deal.  Pepiot has really stepped it up lately as in his last nine starts, going back to May 25, he is 4-1 with a 2.60 ERA with 60 strikeouts and 18 walks in 52 innings.  And Pepiot is 3-2 with a 2.31 ERA in six afternoon starts this season (vs. 3-4 and 3.80 in 13 starts under the lights).   Take the Rays.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 1:10 pm, our selection is on the Chicago Cubs over the Minnesota Twins.  Last night, the Cubbies fell for the 2nd straight game in Minneapolis, and will look to bounce back this afternoon.  The good news for Chicago is that it is 27-10 off a loss this season, including 7-2 off back to back losses.  More good news:  Colin Rea will toe the rubber for the road team, and in his career, his teams have won 56 of his 90 starts (+28.4 net games), including 24-13 (+17.1 net games) on the road.  Chris Paddack will square off vs. Rea, and the Twins have won just two of his last nine starts.  His teams have also dropped 22 of 31 games when he's been installed as an underdog.  Take Chicago.  Good luck as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:10 pm, our selection is on the Houston Astros over the Cleveland Guardians. The Guardians won the second game of this series on Tuesday, 10-6, and that means tonight they will go for the sweep in Houston. This is not what you would call a marquee pitching match-up for the final game of the series as the Guardians send 26-year-old RH Slade Cecconi out to face 28-year-old southpaw Brandon Walter. The Stros have always been one of the better teams at picking pitchers off the scrap heap and turning them around but even they likely didn't see this stat coming from Walter: 33 strikeouts and two walks in 34 2/3 innings. His ERA is 4.15 so it's not like we're talking about the second coming of Pedro Martinez, but Walter has still surpassed pretty much any expectations anyone had of him coming into this, his rookie second season. He'll get a well-deserved seventh start of the season tonight and it will be his second against Cleveland. In two starts here at home this season, Walter is 1-0 with a 1.42 ERA and 0.87 WHIP in 12 2/3 innings. Take the Astros. As always, good luck...Al McMordie

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the San Francisco Giants over the Athletics. With their move to Sacramento -- and then eventually Las Vegas -- you can't really call these meetings between the A's and Giants a Bay Series anymore. But it's still quite a rivalry, nonetheless, and will continue to be so almost certainly. It was the A's who drew first blood in the first meeting of the season last night as they blasted the Giants here at Sutter Health Park. San Francisco will look to answer tonight with its ace, Logan Webb, going to the mound for his National League-leading 19th start of the season. The 28-year-old righthander is having another strong campaign, going 7-6 with a 2.61 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in an NL-leading 113 2/3 innings. In seven career starts vs. the A's, Webb is 3-2 with a 3.61 ERA and 1.18 WHIP and he has a career 3.69 ERA in 42 inter-league starts. Webb has logged quality starts in each of his last seven trips to the mound going back to the end of May. Take San Francisco. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 4:10 pm, our selection is on the New York Yankees over the New York Mets.  What looked like a very comfortable lead atop the AL East Division less than a month ago has turned into a tenuous situation to say the least.  With the Yanks having lost 15 of their last 21 games, the Blue Jays have ascended to the top spot while the pesky Rays are tied with New York for 2nd/3rd place. The Mets took the first game of this Subway Series and that's saying something as they were on their downward spiral until recently. The Yankees will look to answer this afternoon with Carlos Rodon, who will likely be in the All-Star Game in Atlanta in a little over a week. The veteran southpaw is 9-5 with a 2.95 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in an American League-leading 18 starts covering 106 2/3 innings. And no pitcher loves these Subway match-ups more than Rodon, who is 3-0 with a 1.15 ERA in three career starts vs. the Mets covering 15 2/3 innings. Take the Yankees. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 4:10 pm, our selection is on the Seattle Mariners over the Pittsburgh Pirates.  There is no better proof in the Majors that if a starter can keep his walks down, then he can be successful overall than the Mariners' Bryan Woo. In his breakout 2024 campaign, the 24-year-old RH walked an average of 1.0 hitters per nine innings -- one of the lowest walk rates in the League. And not surprisingly, Woo finished the season with a 9-3 record, 2.89 ERA, and 0.90 WHIP. He's doing essentially the same thing this season, although the walk rate has risen slightly to 1.5. This year Woo is 7-4 with a 2.93 ERA and 0.97 WHIP in 16 starts covering 101 1/3 innings. He's well on his way to being chosen for his first AL All Star squad and he'll get another chance to prove himself this afternoon against a team which is red-hot, with 6 straight wins.  But the Bucco's are 7-14 (minus 7.3 net games) vs. the American League this season, 12-29 (minus 11.6 net games on the road), including 6-19 (minus 7.3 net games) as a road underdog of +150 (or more).   The Mariners, meanwhile, are 17-6 (+8.4 net games) in Bryan Woo's 23 home starts in his career, including 13-2 (+10.4 net games) when the Mariners are off a loss.  Take Seattle.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Yankees over the Toronto Blue Jays. Clarke Schmidt had a rough outing in his last start against the A's last Saturday (6 IP; 4 ER). But in his prior three starts, the 29-year-old Yankees RH starter had been almost unhittable, shutting out the Royals, Angels, and Orioles over a total of 20 2/3 innings. Overall, Schmidt is having a solid season so far, going 4-4 with a 3.09 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in 13 starts covering just under 76 innings. Start number 14 will come tonight in Toronto as the Yankees try to avoid being swept by the Blue Jays, who have won the first three games of this series. In seven career appearances against the Jays -- including four starts -- Schmidt has a 2.78 ERA with 23 strikeouts in 22 2/3 innings. This will be Schmidt's second start vs. Toronto this season as he faced the Jays on April 27, allowing one run on one hit in five innings with six strikeouts in a 5-1 Yanks win. Take New York. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9:40 pm, our selection is on the Seattle Mariners over the Kansas City Royals. After starting a full season worth of games since he came into the Majors in 2021 (including a league-high 33 in 2024), Mariners ace Logan Gilbert finally saw some time on the IL this season. The 28-year-old RH missed almost two months due to a strained elbow flexor and is now recovered and back in the Seattle rotation. He's had three starts since coming off the IL and although he hasn't been the dominant pitcher we've gotten used to, Gilbert is getting stronger with each start and should be able to take a step forward tonight in his 10th trip to the mound. It certainly doesn't hurt his chances that the Royals have had MAJOR issues putting runs across the plate in 2025. In fact, KC's 282 runs scored has it ranked 30th out of 30 in the Majors so far this season -- a problem that doesn't seem to be getting any better lately. Gilbert has a 2.35 ERA in six starts here at home this season vs. 6.00 in three starts on the road. Take the Mariners. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9:40 pm, our selection is on the San Francisco Giants over the Arizona Diamondbacks. You'd be hard-pressed to find a more reliable and consistent starter over the past four seasons than the Giants' Logan Webb. And the 28-year-old RH is having another outstanding campaign, going 7-5 with a 2.52 ERA in a league-leading 17 starts so far in 2025. His 5.22 K:BB ratio is the best number he's had since his 2023 season in which he finished second in the NL Cy Young. Webb will get start number 18 tonight and it will come against a Diamondbacks team which he's recently had a lot of success against. In his two starts vs. Arizona last season, Webb held the D-Backs scoreless on just six hits over 13 innings with eight strikeouts and two walks and one of those starts was here at Chase Field. This will be Webb's sixth start of June and so far this has been one of the best months of his career as he is 2-0 with a 1.85 ERA and 0.97 WHIP in five starts covering 34 innings. Take the Giants. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 3:45 pm, our selection is on the San Francisco Giants over the Miami Marlins. Hayden Birdsong is a 23-year-old RH pitcher for the Giants in his second year in the Majors. The former Eastern Illinois standout was drafted in the 6th round in 2022 and he made his debut in the big leagues exactly one year ago today with a start against the Chicago Cubs right here at Oracle Park. Birdsong was used exclusively out of the rotation last season, but this year he campaign as a reliever until Justin Verlander landed on the IL. On May 20th, Birdsong made his first start of the season and he hasn't pitched out of the bullpen since as he's allowed three runs or less in five of his six starts coming into this afternoon. This will be Birdsong's second career start against the Marlins as he beat them just 25 days ago in Miami, allowing one run on five hits in 5 1/3 innings for his third victory of the season. Birdsong is 2-0 with a 2.73 ERA in nine games -- three starts -- at home this season and that's more than a run lower than he's tallied on the road (1-1 with a 3.91 ERA).  The Giants are also 15-2 in their daytime home games this year.  Take San Francisco. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:40 pm, our selection is on the Seattle Mariners over the Minnesota Twins. Bryan Woo's role in the Mariners rotation has changed quite a bit this season. Normally Seattle's #4 or 5 starter, the 25-year-old RH has been forced into what is basically the #2 slot -- behind Luis Castillo -- due to first-half injuries to Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, and Bryce Miller. Now Gilbert and Kirby have returned and this should help Woo considerably -- not to mention the Mariners overall. Not that Woo has been doing poorly, in fact just the opposite. In 14 starts covering 89 1/3 innings, Woo is 6-4 with a 3.12 ERA and 0.94 WHIP. He'll get start number 15 tonight against a team that he threw a quality start against less than a month ago (May 30). And he's looking for some revenge as, despite allowing just three runs in 6 2/3 innings in that one, the bullpen imploded and the Twins went on to take a 12-6 victory. Woo comes into tonight off his best start of the season, as he one-hit the Red Sox over seven shutout innings last Tuesday. Take the Mariners. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 2:20 pm, our selection is on the Seattle Mariners over the Chicago Cubs. Over the last three or so seasons (roughly since the acquisition of Luis Castillo from the Reds), the Mariners have consistently had one of the best -- and most reliable -- starting pitching staffs in the League. But that run has hit a bit of a speed bump in 2025. Three of their top starters, outside of the aforementioned Castillo and Bryan Woo, -- Bryce Miller, George Kirby, and Logan Gilbert, have all been battling injuries in the first half of the season. As a result, a team that should probably be at least 10 games over .500 is struggling to stay above that mark right now. Gilbert has been limited to just seven starts all season, but he's returned to action for now and is slated to get his eighth start this afternoon against the Cubs. When Gilbert is right, he's one of the best in the League and the M's are certainly hoping for a return to that form. The 28-year-old RH has been an inter-league machine in his career, going 13-8 with a 2.98 ERA and 0.93 WHIP in 28 starts vs. teams from the National League. Take Seattle. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 2:15 pm, our selection is on the Cincinnati Reds over the St. Louis Cardinals.  Sometimes, it's easy to tell when a pitcher's breakout season is about to occur.  Not so with the Reds' Andrew Abbott.  Sure, the 26-year-old had put in two solid seasons in 2023-2024 with an 18-16 record and ERA under four runs.  That would have hardly portended that he would become one of the most dominant southpaws in the league this season.  But so far, that is exactly what has happened as Abbott is 6-1 with a 1.84 ERA and 1.01 WHIP in 12 starts covering just over 68 innings (the Reds are 9-3 in those 12 starts).  And, oh by the way, he also has a complete game shutout to his credit.  Abbott will go back to the hill this afternoon against the Cards in St. Louis and that last part is important as in his last three road starts, Abbott has been nearly flawless, allowing no runs on eight hits in 21 innings with 21 strikeouts and only two walks.  This will be Abbott's second start of the season vs. St. Louis, and for his career he is 2-0 with a 1.69 ERA in two previous starts here at Busch Stadium.  Cincy is also 18-11 (+11.8 net games) in his 29 career road starts.  Take the Reds. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Yankees over the Anaheim Angels.  The Yankees return home to the Bronx this evening after ending a 6-game road trip on a 3-game losing streak.  The Yankees lost to rival, Boston, by scores of 2-1, 4-3 and 2-0 over the weekend.  We'll take New York to bounce back on this Monday, as it is 26-13 (+10.1 net games) off back to back losses, and 35-16 (+8.4 net games) when priced at home between -150 and -200.  The Angels are a poor team being outscored by 0.88 runs per game this season.  And the Yankees' Clarke Schmidt has been very profitable in his career vs. bad teams outscored by at least 0.5 runs per game (17-5, +8.0 net games, compared to 17-27 (minus 15.1 net games) otherwise).  Take the Yankees.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. 

At 7:15 pm, our selection is on the New York Yankees over the Boston Red Sox. If last night's game is any indication, this series is going to be a good one, perhaps hearkening back to Yankee-Red Sox clashes of old. Yankee skipper Aaron Boone didn't get to see the walk-off win by the Sox in the 10th inning from the field as he was ejected after a heated argument with the umps in a game that Boston really needed. Tonight, New York will send Carlos Rodon to the mound for his 15th start of the season. The veteran LHP is having an All-Star-caliber season, with an 8-4 record and 2.87 ERA and 0.95 WHIP in just under 85 innings. After battling injuries for years -- including 2023 in his first campaign with the Yanks -- Rodon is healthy for the second straight season and paying huge dividends. In five career starts here at Fenway Park, Rodon has a very nice 3.72 ERA with 41 strikeouts and 10 walks in 29 innings. And this season he has done his best work on the road with a 4-1 record and 2.61 ERA in six starts away from the Bronx (vs. 4-3 and 3.09 at home). These two pitchers (Rodon and Hunter Dobbins) matched up in the Bronx last week, and Boston won, 11-7.  We'll take New York and Rodon to avenge that defeat. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 2:20 pm, our selection is on the Chicago Cubs -1.5 runs over the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Matt Boyd will get the start for Chicago.  He's in terrific form, with just 3 earned runs allowed across his last three starts (19 IP).  In Boyd's career, his teams have gone 23-11 as a favorite with him on the mound, and 25-17 (+9.3 net games) vs. division rivals (including 24-18 (+7.3 net games) on the run-line).  This season, the Cubs are +8.2 net games on the run line as a favorite, while the Buccos are -11.4 net games on the run-line.  And Pittsburgh is an awful 10-23 (-8.1 net games) on the road this season, including 0-5 vs. lefties and 1-7 vs. division foes.  Take Chicago -1.5 runs.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.  

At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the Detroit Tigers over the Chicago Cubs.  Tarik Skubal -- last year's Cy Young Award winner -- will match up against Ben Brown on this Friday night.  Skubal is having another great campaign, and especially here at Tigers Stadium, where he is 4-0 (in 6 starts) with a 1.83 ERA and a 0.71 WHIP.  Brown, meanwhile, has struggled on the road, where his ERA is 5.88 in five starts.  This will be a tough match-up for the Cubs against the American League's best southpaw, as Chicago is a wallet-busting 23-27 (minus 9.9 net games) vs. lefties.  The Tigers have excelled at home this season, with a 21-8 record, including 4-0 their last four.  We'll back Skubal and the Tigers tonight.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Yankees -1.5 runs over the Cleveland Guardians.  Max Fried will get the start for the Pinstripes this evening as he looks to continue a sensational start to 2025.  Fried is 7-1 with a 1.92 ERA and 0.97 WHIP in 12 outings.  This is a favorable match-up for Fried, as Cleveland is 3-9 vs. lefties this season (and 4-8 vs. lefties on the run-line).  And the Guardians are a dreadful 3-10 on the run-line with Slade Cecconi in his nighttime starts, while Fried's teams are 73-50 (+23.2 net games) on the run-line in his nighttime starts.  The Yankees have outscored their opponents in Fried's six home starts this season by an aggregate of 50-18.  Take New York -1.5 runs.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 9:45 pm, our selection is on the San Francisco Giants over the San Diego Padres.  We played on the Giants last night, and lost an extra innings affair, 1-0.  The Giants' starter, Logan Webb, tossed 8 innings of shut out ball, but got no run support, and the home team fell in 10 innings.  We'll come right back with San Francisco tonight with Landon Roupp on the mound vs. Ryan Bergert.  Roupp has given up just one earned run over his last three starts, across 16 innings.  And when he last faced the Padres at home in San Francisco (Sept 15, 2024), he gave up 0 runs in 5 innings.  The Giants are 17-9 (+6 net games) off a loss this season, including 5-1 off a shutout loss.  And they're 27-15 vs. righties (+10.5 net games), including 15-4 at home.  The Padres, meanwhile, are 9-10 on the road vs. righties, and 7-8 (minus 2.4 net games) on the road off a win.  Take the Giants.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 9:45 pm, our selection is on the San Francisco Giants over the San Diego Padres. Since 2021, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more consistent MLB starter than Logan Webb. In the last 4+ seasons, the Giants veteran RH has averaged over 30 starts (the only season he didn't have at least 30 was 2021 when he was added to the rotation full-time), and he's amassed a combined 55-40 record with a 3.14 ERA and 1.15 WHIP. That's why, when Webb drops two straight decisions, we are quite surprised. But we also know that it's likely only a blip and that Webb will shake it off as he always does and go back to being, well, Logan Webb. So far in 2025, Webb is tied for the lead in the National League with 12 starts and has won five games with a 2.82 ERA, with 84 strikeouts and 17 walks in 73 1/3 innings. Start number 13 will come tonight against a very good Padres club, but Webb should be up to the task. In 15 previous outings vs. San Diego, Webb has a solid 3.26 ERA. Meanwhile, the Padres' Stephen Kolek's career ERA vs. the Giants is 6.00 in four appearances. The Giants are 47-28 (+7.9 net games) with Webb at home. Take San Francisco. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 6:10 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Dodgers over the Cleveland Guardians. After winning the first game of the big weekend series in New York on Friday, the Dodgers proceeded to drop the next two to the Mets, scoring just three total runs in the process. Now they travel to Cleveland for the first time since 2023 for this Memorial Day match-up with the Guardians. It's obviously early in the season still, but if you had to name a top pitcher in the NL for 2025, you would likely say it's the Dodgers' Yoshi Yamamoto. The 26-year-old RH from Japan hasn't missed a start and he leads all starters with a 1.86 ERA and a 5.4 hit rate. Yamamoto has also punched out 68 batters in 58 innings. And although he plays in one of the best pitcher's parks in the league in Dodger Stadium, Yamamoto has done just as well on the road as he has at home with exactly the same amount of innings (29). The Dodgers are 4-1 in the last five meetings with the Guardians going back to August of 2023. Take Los Angeles. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 6:45 pm, our selection is on the New York Mets over the Boston Red Sox.  The Mets signed RHP Kodai Senga to a five-year contract when he came over to the Majors from Japan in 2023.  He rewarded them right away with an All-Star campaign that season which featured a 12-7 record with a 2.98 ERA in 29 starts.  But last year was a lost season as shoulder and calf injuries limited Senga to just a single start.  Now 33-years-old, Senga is back and having his best season in the Majors so far.  In eight starts, Senga is 4-2 with a ridiculous 1.02 ERA and 1.17 WHIP with 42 strikeouts in just over 44 innings.  He'll try to keep it going tonight against the Red Sox, a team he's faced only once before (July of 2023).  Senga is on quite a roll at home this season (only one ER in 20 1/3 innings) but he's been pretty incredible on the road as well with a 1.50 ERA in 24 innings away from Citi Field.  The Mets swept this series last season, taking all three meetings by a combined score of 19-6.  Take New York.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:40 pm, our selection is on the San Diego Padres over the Seattle Mariners.  As regional match-ups go, this one is a great west-coast meeting of two of the best teams in their respective leagues.  Although the Padres have a better record than the M's, they have to contend with the Dodgers in the NL West so it's Seattle which is sitting prettier thanks to some very mediocre competition over in the AL.  Tonight, the Pads will send RHP Nick Pivetta to the mound for his ninth start of the season.  The 32-year-old is having a super season in his first campaign in San Diego as the Pads signed him to a very team-friendly four-year deal back in February.  In eight starts covering just over 44 innings, Pivetta is 5-2 with a 3.05 ERA and 1.06 WHIP with 49 strikeouts and 14 walks.  But if you think that's impressive, check out Pivetta's numbers at his new home, Petco Park, this season: 4-0 with a 1.42 ERA and 0.63 WHIP in four starts covering just over 25 innings.  Take the Padres.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:40 pm, our selection is on the Kansas City Royals over the St. Louis Cardinals. In the last two seasons, Cole Ragans has emerged as one of the elite strikeout pitchers in the League. After a mini-breakout in 2023 in which he went 5-2 with a 2.64 ERA in 12 starts, Ragans put it all together last season in a full slate (32 starts). Although the 27-year-old RH saw his ERA rise to 3.14 in 2024, Ragans won 11 games and struck out 223 in 186 1/3 innings (a career-best 10.8 Ks per nine) while finishing fourth in the AL Cy Young. This season, Ragans has seen his ERA rise a bit more but the strikeout rate is even higher with the Florida native punching out over 14 per nine while lowering his walk rate as well (2.9 per nine). Ragans will get his ninth start of the season tonight and it will be his sixth at home. This is the first meeting of these two in 2025.  Last season, the Royals took three of four meetings with the Cards in the "I-70 Series." In 22 career inter-league games (15 starts) Ragans is 5-2 with a 3.35 ERA with 117 strikeouts in just under 97 innings. Take Kansas City. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:15 pm, on Saturday, our selection is on the Kansas City Royals over the Baltimore Orioles.  Kris Bubic will get the start for the Royals this evening.  And he's compiled a strong 2.50 ERA through his first six starts (36 IP) this season.  This will be the 2nd time he's faced the Birds this season, and he allowed just 1 run over 6 2/3 innings back on April 6, in a 4-1 Royals win.  In his career, the Royals have gone 10-3 with Bubic, when priced as a favorite of -150 (or less).  And the Royals are 56-27 (+23.9 net games) vs. losing teams.  Take Kansas City.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the Arizona Diamondbacks over the New York Mets.  Corbin Burnes was the hottest free-agent starter not from Japan this off-season.  And, although Baltimore tried to retain the 30-year-old former Cy Young winner, Burnes wanted to be closer to his home so he signed with the Diamondbacks.  His first five starts in an Arizona uniform has not exactly been the stuff of $200 million aces, as he has a 4.05 ERA, and has yet to notch a win (Arizona is 2-3 in those starts).  The veteran RH will make his third career start at Citi Field, and Burnes has a solid 1-0 record, and 2.31 ERA in 11 2/3 innings here previously.  Burnes has actually been better on the road throughout his career (31-17; 2.94 ERA) than at home (29-20; 3.48 ERA).  And his teams have gone 21-13 (+7.2 net games) on the road in his career when he's faced winning teams.  Take Arizona.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Texas Rangers -1.5 runs over the Athletics.  The Rangers knew in December 2022 when they signed dual Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom to a free agent contract that they were getting a former ace that had MAJOR injury problems over his last three seasons with the New York Mets.  And indeed, in his first two seasons in a Texas uniform, deGrom pitched a total of just 41 innings over nine starts.  But they say good things come to those who wait, so maybe -- just maybe -- this is the season that deGrom produces solid numbers as a full-time starter for the Rangers.  So far, so good, as the now-36-year-old RHP has made five starts and pitched to a 3.33 ERA and 1.07 WHIP with 26 strikeouts and seven walks in 27 innings.  He's yet to win his first game, but perhaps that will happen tonight as the Rangers host the Athletics for the second time in this series.  Even though he's only made nine career starts here, deGrom seems to really like Globe Life Field with a 2.87 ERA and 0.89 WHIP in 47 innings in his new home ballpark.  Take the Rangers -1.5 runs.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 1:35 pm, our selection is on the Boston Red Sox over the Seattle Mariners.  The Red Sox will hand the ball to southpaw Garrett Crochet this afternoon.  Two starts ago, he dominated the White Sox, and carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning.  And then, this past Saturday, in a second start vs. Chicago, he tossed six scoreless innings.  For the season, Crochet has a 1.13 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and a 35:10 strikeout-to-walk ratio.  The Mariners will start Bryan Woo.  Unfortunately, they've won just five of 14 road games vs. winning teams with Woo on the hill.  Take Boston.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 1:05 pm, our selection is on the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Guardians 'over' the total.  Pretty much everything that can be said about Tarik Skubal's pitching has been said.  The presumed AL Cy Young winner was brilliant this season going 18-4 with a league-leading 2.39 ERA and 228 strikeouts.  But what may not be as well-known is how the Tigers support their 27-year-old southpaw ace at the plate.  In fact, in Skubal's last 12 regular season starts, the Tigers scored six or more runs six times.  With everything on the line today, Cleveland will go with its own lefthander in Matthew Boyd.  The 33-year-old has been very good since joining the Guardians in June but he's heading into uncharted waters today in this winner-take-all matchup.  The over is 11-6 in Skubal's last 17 starts as a road favorite.  Take the 'over.'  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.