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.

At 5:05 pm, our selection is on the Philadelphia Phillies over the New York Mets. After another loss to the Mets yesterday, this is a must-win situation for Philadelphia. The Phils will turn to southpaw Ranger Suarez tonight to keep their post-season hopes alive. The 29-year-old was the Phillies' best starter in the first half of the 2024 regular season but an injury derailed him right after the All-Star break and it took him a while to get back on track. He showed some signs of his earlier self in September. And the extra time off that Suarez has had -- he hasn't pitched since September 27 -- should help him tonight as he goes out to even this series. And Suarez pitched very well against the Mets this season, going 2-0 with a 2.30 ERA in three starts covering just under 16 innings. Take the Phillies. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:38 pm, our selection is on the Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees 'under' the total.  Game 1 of the ALDS was a back-and-forth affair with five lead changes before the Yankees finally prevailed, 6-5.  Game 2 is tonight, back in the Bronx, and it will feature a pair of southpaw starters who have been pretty stingy lately.  Carlos Rodon finished the season with a career-high 16 wins.  And although his overall ERA of 3.96 in 32 starts doesn't jump off the page at you, the 31-year-old really turned it up in the second half.  In 12 starts after the break, Rodon went 7-2 with a 2.91 ERA.  He also flourished at home this season, going 9-2 with a 3.11 ERA in 14 starts here at Yankee Stadium.  LH Cole Ragans of the Royals broke out in a big way this season, going 11-9 with a 3.14 ERA in 32 starts with 223 strikeouts in 186 1/3 innings.  He shut down the Orioles in Game 1 of the Wild Card series, throwing six innings of shutout, four-hit ball with eight strikeouts in a 1-0 victory.  The under was 13-2 in Ragans' 15 road starts during the regular season.  And the under has also cashed his last 7 starts, overall.  Take Game 2 under the total.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 3:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Mets over the Milwaukee Brewers.  Welcome to MLB Final Sunday.  It's the only day of the MLB Season when every game begins at the same time.  While the Wild Cards in the American League are settled, the situation in the National League comes down to today and possibly even Monday when the Mets and Braves play a double-header.  But, for today, the Mets will be wrapping up their series in Milwaukee against the Brewers, who have already punched their ticket with another NL Central division pennant.  New York will send LH David Peterson to the mound for the 21st time this season, as they look to snap their 3-game losing streak.  The veteran southpaw is having a breakout campaign, going 9-3 with a 3.08 ERA in 20 starts covering 114 innings.  This will be Peterson's first start of 2024 against the Brewers.  And he has done his best work on the road this season.  In 11 starts away from Queens, Peterson is 5-1 with a 2.88 ERA (vs. 4-2 and 3.35 in nine starts at Citi Field).  And New York is a solid 23-17 (+7.0 net games) on the road off a loss.  Take the Mets.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie. 

At 6:40 pm, our selection is on the Philadelphia Phillies over the Chicago Cubs.  The Phillies have clinched another post-season appearance and they could have clinched another division title as well with a win over the Mets last night but that didn't happen.  So now, with their Magic Number at one, the Phils only need a win over the Cubs today -- a seemingly easier task than they had on Sunday.  They'll send one of their best to the mound tonight in RHP Aaron Nola.  The 31-year-old is not the ace of the staff anymore and that's likely fine with him as he's still one of the top starters in the league.  In 31 starts this season, Nola is 12-8 with a 3.54 ERA and 1.17 WHIP with 183 strikeouts in just over 188 innings.  This will be Nola's first start of the season vs. the Cubs, but for his career, he has a 6-2 record against them in nine starts covering just under 56 innings.  Nola has done his best work at home this season as he is 6-4 with a 3.31 ERA and 1.07 WHIP in 16 starts here at Citizens Bank.  Additionally, the Phillies are 24-10 (+8.2 net games) their last 34 at home with Nola on the mound.  Take the Phillies.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 6:35 pm, our selection is on the Baltimore Orioles over the San Francisco Giants.  Hayden Birdsong will get the start for San Francisco, and he's lost his last five decisions.  Even worse, the Giants are 0-7 in his last seven starts, and 0-5 in his five career interleague starts.  Dean Kremer will toe the rubber for the Birds, and the Orioles have gone 30-18 (+11.8 net games) in his 48 career home starts.  Kremer also has a 2.76 ERA over his last three outings, and is 1-0 in his career vs. the Giants with a 3.00 ERA.  Take Baltimore.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the Cleveland Guardians over the Tampa Bay Rays.  Despite not playing their best ball since the break, the Guardians still hold a solid lead over the Royals and Twins in the AL Central.  This four game set against non-division foes Tampa is super critical before Cleveland gets a final four games vs. Minnesota next week.  A big part of the Guardians' success has been the play of starter Tanner Bibee.  The 25-year-old RH has essentially been the number one man in the rotation since ace Shane Bieber went down with an elbow injury two starts into the season.  Bibee is 11-7 with a 3.56 ERA and 1.13 WHIP in 28 starts with 166 strikeouts in 154 innings coming into tonight.  Bibee's only other start against the Rays was last August when he threw seven quality innings, allowing two runs on seven hits with five strikeouts and no walks in a 9-2 Cleveland victory.  The Guardians are 6-3 in Bibee's nine starts since the All Star break.  Take Cleveland.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9:40 pm, our selection is on the San Diego Padres over the Seattle Mariners.  Yu Darvish will get the start tonight at Seattle, and his road ERA is 1.59 this season.  This will be his first start vs. the Mariners in 2024, but in 2023, he held Seattle to 0 earned runs over 6 innings.  And in 2022, he blanked the Mariners over 8 innings.  He also made exactly one start vs. Seattle in 2021, and the Mariners did score, but only 1 run over 7 innings.  So, he's held the Mariners to 1 run over 21 innings in his last 3 starts vs. them.  Meanwhile, George Kirby has a career 12.27 ERA vs. San Diego.  Take the Padres.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Yankees over the Kansas City Royals.  The Royals are riding high right now coming off of perhaps their best series of the season as KC swept the Twins over three games this weekend, outscoring Minny by an aggregate scor- of 11-2.  Together with their win in the last game of the Cleveland series, the Royals have now won four straight.  But there is no rest for the weary as KC must travel to the Bronx to take on the Yankees tonight in the first of three.  After a rough patch heading into All Star weekend, New York southpaw Carlos Rodon has really turned things around since the break.  In eight second-half starts covering 45 1/3 innings, Rodon is 5-2 with a 3.18 ERA and 1.08 WHIP with 60 strikeouts and 16 walks.  Rodon looks to keep it rolling tonight in his 29th start of the season.  The veteran LHP has plenty of experience against the Royals from his time with the White Sox and he'll look to duplicate his start against them earlier this season when he allowed one run on five hits in seven innings in a 4-2 Yankee victory on June 10.  Take New York.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 2:10 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Twins over the Toronto Blue Jays.  The Twins suffered their worst loss of the season last night, falling behind the Blue Jays 11-0 by the third inning and going on to an embarrassing 15-0 defeat.  They will regroup at home this afternoon in an attempt to take this series with Toronto before heading to Tampa next week.  Bailey Ober will go to the mound today for his 26th start of the season.  Like his team coming off one of their worst losses, the 28-year-old RH comes into this afternoon off of one of the worst outings of his professional career, as Ober allowed nine runs in two innings to the Braves last Monday.  But going into that game, Ober had been on quite a roll, throwing quality starts in 11 straight outings going back to his June 16 victory over the A's here at Target Field.  In four career starts vs. the Jays, Ober is 2-2 with a 3.05 ERA and 0.82 WHIP with 26 strikeouts and only three walks in just under 21 innings.  Take the Twins.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 6:40 pm, our selection is on the Philadelphia Phillies over the Atlanta Braves. The battle for supremacy in the NL East was expected to be a barn-burner this season between the Phillies and Braves. But injuries to many of Atlanta's players -- including stars like Ronald Acuna, Ozzie Albies, and Spencer Strider -- have turned a two horse race into a one-and-a-half horse race. Still, you would have to say that with all those injuries, Atlanta is hanging in there better than most would expect. The two clubs will begin a huge four-game series tonight at Citizens Bank Park with LH Cristopher Sanchez taking the hill for the home team for the 26th time this season. Although he has struggled a bit since the break, the 27-year-old southpaw has pitched better of late, posting quality starts in three of his last four outings. And Sanchez has been superb here at home where he has logged a 7-3 record with a sparkling 2.18 ERA in 13 starts covering 86 2/3 innings (vs. 2-6 and 5.43 in 12 starts on the road). Take the Phillies. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 1:10 pm, our selection is on the Kansas City Royals over the Cleveland Guardians.  The Royals' big home match-up with the NL's Phillies over the weekend didn't go so well.  After taking the first game, 7-4, KC got throttled in the next two, 11-2 and 11-3.  But there's no time to think about that right now as perhaps the biggest series the Royals have left on the schedule is staring them in the face in the form of four games in Cleveland against the Division-leading Guardians which starts with a day-night doubleheader.  A sweep in this series for the visitors, as unlikely as that is, would put the Royals in first place.  And they'll lead off with their ace RH Cole Ragans.  The All Star is once again among the League leaders in strikeouts as the 26-year-old has punched out 183 batters in just 152 1/3 innings.  Here's some good news: Ragans' ERA is over a run lower on the road this season (2.70 in 11 starts) than it is at home (3.83 in 15 starts).  And Ragans has been a machine during the day with a 2.30 ERA in 10 afternoon starts vs. 3.94 in 16 under the lights.  Take the Royals in Game 1.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9:40 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Twins over the San Diego Padres.  Bailey Ober will get the ball tonight, and make his 24th start of the season.  Ober got his 2024 campaign off to a slow start.  After 13 starts, his ERA was 5.13.  But he's thrown 10 straight quality starts since, and has lowered his season ERA to 3.49.  In those last 10 starts, the Twins have gone 8-2, including 5-0 his last 5 outings.  And his ERA over this stretch was 1.87.  Ober's mound opponent tonight will be Martin Perez.  The veteran lefty has a 4.62 ERA on the season, and a 1.49 WHIP.  And in his career vs. the Twins, he is 0-4, with a 5.40 ERA.  Take Minnesota.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:10 pm, our selection is on the Boston Red Sox over the Houston Astros.  This is a critical stretch for the Red Sox, with series against AL Contenders (KC, Houston, Baltimore) along with last season's World Series Champs.  The Sox took two of three from the Royals and Rangers before splitting a four-game set over the weekend with the O's.  In between Kansas City and Texas, they were swept by this Astros club at home so they are looking for some revenge over the next three days down in Houston.  They start tonight with their ace RH Tanner Houck going to the hill for his 25th start of the season.  Houck is 8-8 with a 3.01 ERA and 1.16 WHIP with a 127 strikeouts in 145 innings.  And he also has a complete game shutout to his credit this season (April 17 vs. the Guardians).  Houck has thrown back-to-back quality starts coming into tonight -- 12 2/3 combined innings with three ER on 10 hits -- and one of those was against this Astros club 10 days ago.  Take the Red Sox.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:40 pm, our selection is on the Kansas City Royals over the Minnesota Twins.  Seth Lugo will toe the rubber tonight for the Royals.  This will be his 3rd start this season vs. the division rival Twins.  In his first two, he allowed just one earned run and 8 hits over 12 innings.  For his career, Lugo's ERA in 6 appearances vs. the Twins is 1.73.  Additionally, Lugo is 8-2 on the road this season, with a 2.37 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP.  Take Kansas City.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the Kansas City Royals over the St. Louis Cardinals. Round one of the latest edition of the battle for bragging rights in the Show Me State went to the visiting Cardinals, 8-5. For the second game, the Royals will send veteran RHP Michael Wacha to the hill for his 21st start of the season. It's a chance for Wacha to beat his former team as the 33-year-old was drafted by the Cards in 2012 and spent his first seven MLB seasons in St. Louis before moving on. And he's showing little sign of wearing down as Wacha is 8-6 with a 3.55 ERA in 114 innings coming into tonight. In his three previous starts against the Cardinals (one with KC and two with the Padres), Wacha is 3-0 with a 3.12 ERA in just over 17 innings. In 42 career inter-league games (40 starts), Wacha is 16-11 with a 3.69 ERA with 192 strikeouts in just over 229 innings. Wacha is also 7-2 with a 3.33 ERA in 14 starts covering 81 innings here at Kaufmann Stadium. Take the Royals. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Dodgers over the Oakland A's.  Jack Flaherty will make his first start for Los Angeles after being acquired from Detroit at the trade deadline.  This season, the veteran righty has a super 2.95 ERA with a 0.95 WHIP.  And over his last 8 starts, his ERA is 1.77, with a WHIP of 0.78.  Mitch Spence will oppose Flaherty, and Spence has been pedestrian in his rookie season.  His ERA is 4.47, with a WHIP of 1.29.  Take Los Angeles to snap its 3-game losing streak tonight.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:15 pm, our selection is on the Baltimore Orioles over the Cleveland Guardians.  Joey Cantillo will get his second start for Cleveland after making his debut last weekend vs. Philadelphia.  Cantillo was ineffective in that first start, as he gave up three runs in 3 1/3 innings.  He had trouble finding the plate, as he had 3 bases on balls.  And he also gave up 2 home runs.  Zach Eflin will start for the Orioles.  He's 5-4 with a 3.65 ERA in his 13 nighttime starts this season.  Take Baltimore.

At 6:40 pm, our selection is on the Pittsburgh Pirates over the Arizona Diamondbacks.  The Pirates picked up a couple of quality bats at the deadline in IF Isaiah Kiner-Falefa and OF Bryan De La Cruz and that hopefully will translate into more run support for the starters.  There's other good news for Pittsburgh as well as SP Bailey Falter was just activated from the IL and closer David Bednar has pitched pretty well since his activation back on July 12.  If the Pirates' offense does get a boost, then RH Mitch Keller certainly won't mind -- not that he's needed it lately.  Keller's run support has been very good lately as the Pirates have plated 38 runs in Keller's last six starts -- or more than six runs per start.  Not surprisingly, when Keller goes to the mound the Bucs usually win.  In Keller's 14 starts from May through July, Pittsburgh went 12-2.  Keller gets his 22nd start of the season tonight and in four career starts vs. Arizona covering 25 1/3 innings, he's 1-0 with a 2.49 ERA and 0.75 WHIP.  Take the Pirates.

At 6:35 pm, our selection is on the Baltimore Orioles minus 1.5 runs over the Toronto Blue Jays.  Chris Bassitt will start tonight for Toronto -- his first game vs. the O's in 2024.  Last season, Bassitt made two starts vs. Baltimore and was shelled.  He gave up 12 runs in nine innings.  And Baltimore won each game by an aggregate score of 15-8.  The Birds will hand the ball to Corbin Burnes, who faced Toronto twice this season.  In those two games, the Blue Jays scored just 2 runs over 13 innings, and the aggregate score in those games was 12-4.  For Burnes' career, in three starts vs. Toronto, he's 2-0, with a 2.18 ERA.  And Burnes has done his best work at Camden Yards in this, his first year with the Orioles.  At home this season, Burnes is a superb 5-2, with a 2.03 ERA.  Meanwhile, Bassitt's career ERA at Camden Yards is 6.88.  Take the Orioles minus 1.5 runs.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 3:40 pm, our selection is on the Seattle Mariners over the Los Angeles Angels.  Seattle will hand the ball to ace, Luis Castillo, this afternoon.  This will be Castillo's 3rd career start vs. the Angels.  And all he has done in his two prior starts is go 2-0, while tossing 13 scoreless innings, with 11 strikeouts, and just six hits.  At home this season, Castillo has a solid 3.07 ERA with a 1.04 WHIP, and a 5.75 K:BB ratio.  In contrast, away from home, those numbers dip to 4.11 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and a poor 2.17 K:BB ratio.  Of course, even those road numbers for Castillo are better than anything Griffin Canning has done this season.  Canning is 3-10, and his ERA in 20 starts is 5.20, with a WHIP of 1.42.  And, over his last four starts, he's compiled an abysmal 8.00 ERA with a 1.83 WHIP, and a 1.75 K:BB ratio.  The worst part of Canning's season has been on the road, where he's gone 0-8 in 9 starts (the Angels have lost all 9), with a 6.31 ERA (he's 3-2 at home).  And in the daytime, he's 0-6, with a 5.74 ERA (compared to 3-4 at night, with a 4.96 ERA).  Take Seattle.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 9:40 pm, our selection is on the Seattle Mariners over the Los Angeles Angels.  The Mariners will hand the ball to RHP Logan Gilbert tonight.  This will be his 7th start this season vs. a division rival.  And all he's done in the first 6 is compile a microscopic 1.05 ERA and a 0.70 WHIP.  One of those 6 starts was against this Angels team, and he tossed 7 scoreless innings, striking out 9, while allowing just 2 hits and 0 walks.  Gilbert's ERA over his last 8 starts is a stellar 2.26.  Meanwhile, the Angels' Jose Soriano is not in good form, with a 4.80 ERA over his last three outings.  Take Seattle.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.