*3 Star MLB Totals TKO* Anthony Swarzak isn't a good starting pitcher. The Twins have plugged him into a starting spot since they are badly in need of a starter. Swarzak has a 5.83 ERA in his career against Detroit, and the Tigers bats should get after him in a big way in a game that means a whole lot to them. Detroit's lineup is arguably the best in the majors, and they lit him up for 6 runs a couple weeks ago. Rick Porcello has struggled down the stretch. Porcello has given up at least 7 hits in six straight games. The Tigers bullpen isn't any good either, so once they get into the game the Twins will get more scoring opportunities. This total is set too low. Take the over. 

*3 Star MLB Play of Day* The Kansas City Royals have been a streaky team and I like what I'm seeing out of them the last couple days. Kansas City is getting great starting pitching and this Royals bullpen is the best in the American League right now. If they have a lead going into the 7th they are extremely tough to beat. Cleveland averages just 3.5 runs per game this year against left-handed pitching. The Indians are mathematically eliminated from the AL Central and are virtually eliminated from the AL Wildcard. Cleveland knows they aren't making the playoffs now, and they are likely to be far less motivated than the Royals. Kansas City still has a real shot in the AL Central, and they are live dogs in this spot. Jason Vargas has a sparkling 2.42 ERA on the road this year, and he has a 2.25 ERA in three starts at Cleveland in his career. The team with more motivation and the better pitching staff at plus money here.

Cleveland is 0-7 in their last 7 vs. a team with a winning record. They are 0-4 in their last 4 home games vs. a team with a winning road record. The Indians are 0-4 in Bauer's last 4 starts. They are 0-4 in his last 4 starts vs. the AL Central. They are 0-4 in his last 4 starts on 4 days of rest. A 23-0 angle. Take Kansas City. 

*4 Star MLB Tuesday Total DOMINATION* The Miami Marlins and Philadelphia Phillies meet in a game where both teams have little to play for. Having nothing to play for hasn't stopped Cole Hamels from having an amazing year though. Hamels has been totally dominating for the last few months. For the season, he has a spectacular road ERA of 1.76. Hamels has a career ERA of 2.55 when pitching in Miami (8 starts). Henderson Alvarez is great at home as well. Alvarez has a1.75 ERA at home this year. In his career, Alvarez has a 1.99 ERA against the Phillies (6 starts). Stanton is out of the lineup so the Marlins lineup isn't very good right now. The Phillies have struggled to score all year.

The under is 10-1 in Hamels last 11 games against the Marlins. The under is 7-0 in his last 7 starts in Miami. A 17-1 angle. Take the under. 

*3 Star MLB Total DOMINATION* The Texas Rangers and Houston Astros meet Monday night in Texas. Both of these lineups are awful right now. Texas was putting up a run or two on a nightly basis for a long time before heating up on their west coast swing last week. Nick Tropeano was pretty good in the minors and the Rangers have never seen him before. Derek Holland is pitching lights out since rejoining the Rangers a few weeks ago. Holland has elite stuff. The Astros lineup was weak early this year, and it's much weaker now due to injuries. The temperatures have cooled off in Texas so the ball won't fly nearly as well. Take the under here. 

*3 Star MLB 100% Angle CRUSHER* The Toronto Blue Jays are out of the playoff chase. There's nothing left to play for in Toronto, and I can't imagine them putting too much effort into the remaining games on their schedule. J.A. Happ is inconsistent and once he leaves the game the bullpen is one of the worst in the league. Seattle has one of the very best bullpens in the majors. James Paxton is a very good left-handed pitcher. Toronto has been better of late against right-handed pitching. Seattle has everything to play for while the Blue Jays are ready to be finished for the year.

The Blue Jays are 0-6 in their last 6 as an underdog. They are 0-6 in their last vs. the AL West. They are 0-4 in their last 4 after scoring 2 runs or less. The Mariners are 6-0 in their last 6 vs. the AL East. Seattle is 7-0 in their last 7 when Paxton pitches following a team loss. The Mariners are 4-0 in the last 4 meetings between these two teams. A 33-0 angle. Take Seattle. 

*3 Star MLB Play of Day* The Detroit Tigers have won the first two games in this crucial three-game set. They'll go for the sweep here. Detroit already swept Kansas City in Kansas City once this year. Rick Porcello has pitched very well at Kaufmann Stadium in his career. Jeremy Guthrie has really struggled with this Tigers lineup in his career. Porcello is an underrated pitcher who has been good most of this year. I really like the Tigers experience edge in this series. Detroit is used to playing in spots like this, while the Royals aren't used to it at all. The Tigers are 6-1 in Porcello's last 7 road starts against Kansas City. The Royals are a streaky team, and they are slumping right now. The price is cheaper because the books know they'll get some money from bettors who want to back the anti-sweep side. In my opinion, that makes the Tigers cheap here. Take Detroit. 

*3 Star MLB 100% Angle CRUSHER* The Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies meet Saturday afternoon at Coors Field. Day games at Coors Field have been notorious for high scoring affairs for a very long time. The ball travels extremely well here during the day. Trevor Cahill has been struggling in his last few starts. He has a 6.59 ERA in his last 3 outings. This isn't the place you want to go when you are struggling. Eddie Butler starts for the Rockies and while he has some potential in the long run, his minor league numbers suggest he isn't ready for the big leagues just yet. Take a look at the recent scores between these two teams when they meet at Coors Field. In the last four meetings, the scores have been 16-8, 12-7, 7-6, and 15-3. A total of 11 looks very scary on the surface, but these teams have been doing it consistently. The Rockies have the worst pen in the league, and Arizona is 23rd out of 30 teams. When the bullpens come into the game, there will be even more scoring opportunities. 

The over is 4-0 in the DBacks last 4 vs. a team with a losing record. The over is 4-0 in the Rockies last 4 home games. The over is 4-0 in the Rockies last 4 vs. the NL West. The over is 4-0 in their last 4 vs. a right-handed starter. A 16-0 angle. Take the over. 

*3 Star MLB Play of Day* The St. Louis Cardinals have been finishing strong every single year over the last few seasons. This is a team that is built for September and October baseball. The Cardinals have let me down a lot this year, and they haven't been as good as I expected. Still, this team is clearly rounding into form right now, and one of the main reasons is the work of the pitcher on the hill for them today. Shelby Miller has been up and down this year, but he's been amazing of late. Miller's last five starts have been nothing short of excellent. Even more impressive, Miller has a career ERA of 2.30 in 7 starts against Milwaukee. The Brewers are falling apart down the stretch and they start Kyle Lohse. Lohse has been awful of late, and in his career he has made 12 starts against the Cardinals and has a 5.12 ERA. 

The Brewers are 1-9 in their last 10 road games. The Brewers are 0-4 in Lohse's last 4 after a quality start last game. The Cardinals are a perfect 7-0 in Miller's 7 starts against the Brewers. A 20-1 angle. Take St. Louis. 

*3 Star MLB Runline Value* The Pittsburgh Pirates are red hot at the right time of the year. The offense has improved a great deal late in the year. Josh Harrison is the single biggest reason why. Now Andrew McCutchen doesn't have to be the only main man coming through with clutch hits on this roster. The Pirates bullpen let them down earlier this year, but they are coming through again down the stretch. Gerrit Cole is a high quality starter, and he'll face a weak Red Sox lineup. David Ortiz may miss this game again, and Pedroia is out for sure. Boston has nothing to play for and the Pirates have a lot to play for. Brandon Workman is on the mound for the Red Sox. He has started 14 games this year for Boston. The Red Sox have lost 10 of those 14 games by at least two runs. That's a pretty amazing statistic. With a weakened Red Sox lineup, I think the Pirates have a very good chance of winning by two or more here. Take Pittsburgh -1.5. 

*3 Star MLB Late Night BAILOUT* The Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres are both bad teams this year, but I see a huge pitching advantage for the visiting Phillies and that's why I'm suggesting a play on the Phillies moneyline. Cole Hamels has been great all year. Hamels has an ERA well under 2 on the road. Hamels is from San Diego, so he'll be pitching in front of the hometown crowd. He has been awesome in the past in San Diego with a 1.85 ERA in seven career starts. Eric Stults is a below average pitcher, and the Padres have had tons of trouble winning games that he starts.

The Phillies are 4-0 in their last 4 as a favorite. They are 5-0 in Hamels' last 5 starts at San Diego. They are 7-0 in his last 7 starts overall vs. San Diego. The Padres are 0-5 in their last 5 games during game 3 of a series. They are 1-12 in Stults' last 13 starts during game 3 of a series. A 33-1 angle. Take Philadelphia. 

*4 Star MLB 100% Angle CRUSHER* Kerwin Danley is behind the dish in this one and the under is 39-9-3 in his last 51 behind the plate. The Oakland A's are in a horrible slump right now. Oakland is fighting hard to even find their way to the playoffs after dominating the AL West for the majority of the year. Oakland's offense has been the primary problem. Derek Holland pitches for the Texas Rangers in this one, and he's been great against Oakland in his career. Holland has been amazing in his only 3 outings of the year this year since returning from an injury. Jeff Samardzija has been very good all year, and the Texas Rangers offense is terrible right now. I see a very low scoring game here.

The under is 4-0 in the Rangers last 4 road games vs. a righty. The under is 5-0-2 in Holland's last 7 games as an underdog. The under is 3-0-2 in his last 5 as a road dog. The under is 3-0-1 in his last 4 vs. a team with a winning record. The under is 4-0 in Oakland's last 4 vs. a starter with a WHIP of 1.15 or lower. The under is 6-0 in Danley's last 6 Wednesday games behind the plate. A 25-0 angle. Take the under. 

*3 Star MLB Moneyline Value* The Washington Nationals clinched the NL East and partied last night. It's typically dangerous to back a team the night after they clinch. The Braves offense has been horrible of late, but their past history is great against Gio Gonzalez. He may be the guy to get their offense going again, at least for the night. In fact, Atlanta has won eight straight games when Gonzalez has started against them. Alex Wood is throwing the ball extremely well right now, and the Nationals are likely to sit a couple good players for this game. Look for Atlanta to bounce back after two losses to start this series with a win here. Take Atlanta. 

*4 Star MLB Run Line Value* The Pittsburgh Pirates are closing the season playing terrific baseball. Francisco Liriano has pitched a shutout in his last two starts. He'll face a Boston Red Sox lineup that will be without Pedroia and probably without Ortiz as well. Boston has packed it in for the season and they are ready to be done. Pittsburgh is still fighting to catch St. Louis in the division, and they are in position for a Wildcard berth at least right now. Clay Buchholz is hit or miss, and the Pirates lineup has really stepped up of late. The run line is very cheap here. I like Pittsburgh's chances to win big in this matchup. Take Pittsburgh -1.5. 

*4 Star MLB Late Night BAILOUT Total* Jake Peavy and Josh Collmenter have both been dealing of late. Peavy has a 2.29 ERA since joining the Giants, and he hasn't allowed more than three runs in any of his last seven starts. Collmenter has a 0.93 ERA in his last three starts. He has a 3.31 ERA against San Francisco in his career, and his ERA against them this year is 1.00. Collmenter has been much better at home this year as well. Both of these pitchers are fully capable of putting up a bunch of zeros. Arizona's lineup is extremely weak right now, and Morse and Pagan are both questionable for the Giants. Look for solid outings from both starters in this one. Take the under. 

*5 Star MLB TOP Play of the Month* The Detroit Tigers have arguably the best offense in baseball. Ricky Nolasco has had a horrible season, and he has been struggling a lot down the stretch. For the year, Nolasco has a 5.64 ERA. The Tigers offense has been hot of late, scoring at least 6 runs in five of their last eight games. I see the Tigers getting to Nolasco early in this game. Minnesota's offense has been far better at home than on the road this year. The over is 42-28 in the Twins home games this season. Rick Porcello has been giving up loads of hits of late,  and he isn't working as deep in games. The Tigers bullpen is atrocious, and the Twins have torched them all year. The sooner the Tigers bullpen gets into this game, the more likely it is that we see a very high scoring game. Both teams should have lots of chances with runners on base in this contest. A total set this low in a battle between these teams makes no sense to me. 

The over is 4-0 in the Tigers last 4 games. The over is 4-0 in their last 4 with a total of 7 to 8.5 runs. The over is 3-0-1 in their last 4 road games vs. a team with a losing record. The over is 5-0 in their last 5 vs. a starter with a WHIP of 1.30 or higher. The over is 3-0-1 in their last 4 as a road favorite. The over is 4-0 in the Tigers last 4 on grass. The over is 4-0 in their last 4 vs. a righty. The over is 7-0 in the Twins last 7 home games vs. a righty. The over is 6-0 in their last 6 as a home underdog. The over is 4-0 in their last 4 during game two of a series. The over is 6-0 in their last 6 with a total set at 7 to 8.5 runs. The over is 7-0 in Nolasco's last 7 home starts as an underdog of +110 to +150. The over is 5-0 in Nolasco's last 5 following a quality start. The over is 5-0 in the last 5 meetings between these two teams. The over is 6-0-1 in the last 7 meetings between these two in Minnesota. A 73-0 angle. Take the over big! 

*3 Star MLB Moneyline Value Play* The Baltimore Orioles are a terrific team, but I think they are a candidate for a team that might start coasting right now. They have a massive lead in the division, and they are unlikely to catch the Angels for the best record in the American League. It appears they are locked into their playoff spot. Toronto is fighting hard to keep touch in the AL Wildcard. The Blue Jays lineup has gotten much healthier of late, and they are producing at a much higher rate again. Drew Hutchison is as streaky of a pitcher as you will ever find, but his stats against the Orioles are nothing short of amazing. In six career starts against Baltimore, Hutchison has an ERA of just 1.13! He'll be up against Ubaldo Jimenez here, and his home ERA is north of 5.5 this year. The Blue Jays have a lot more to gain, and they have a pitching advantage. Take Toronto. 

*3 Star MLB Play of Day* The Atlanta Braves hopes of making a run at the NL Wildcard are getting more and more remote, but this is a team that plays well at home and they still have a slight chance. They have been great against Washington at home in the past couple years. As good of a pitcher as Stephen Strasburg is, he has really struggled against Atlanta. Strasburg has a 6.99 ERA in seven career starts in Atlanta. Ervin Santana has been awesome at home this year for the Braves. Now that they are getting healthy, the Braves bullpen is once again one of the best in the majors. The Braves as an underdog against a pitcher they have hit hard in the past is too much for me to pass up. 

The Braves are 8-0 in Santana's last 8 home starts. The Braves are 5-0 in Santana's last 5 starts during game one of a series. The Nationals are 0-4 in Strasburg's last 4 during game one of a series. Washington is 0-4 in Strasburg's last 4 starts vs. the Braves. A 21-0 angle. Take Atlanta. 

*4 Star MLB 100% Angle CRUSHER* The Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics are in the middle of a race for an AL Wildcard spot. Both of these teams have the same strengths and weaknesses. They both have a very good starting rotation and an excellent bullpen. They also both have suspect offenses that have been particularly bad of late. Chris Young is a totally different pitcher at home, and Jon Lester is a big game pitcher who is throwing it well right now. I was very surprised to see 7 as the line on this game. This is in a pitcher's park and it's a crucial game for both teams. 

The under is 4-0 in the A's last 4 games. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 on the road. The under is 6-0 in their last 6 vs. the AL West. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 after allowing 2 runs or less last game. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 during game three of a series. The under is 3-0-1 in Lester's last 4 starts vs. a team with a winning record. The under is 6-0-1 in the Mariners last 7 games. The under is 3-0-1 in their last 4 with a total set at 7 to 8.5. The under is 6-0-1 in their last 7 vs. the AL West. The under is 7-0 in the Mariners last 7 games when Young pitches as a home underdog of +110 to +150. The under is 4-0 in Young's last 4 starts vs. the A's. A 51-0 angle. Take the under. 

*3 Star MLB Totals TKO* The Milwaukee Brewers offense has been struggling in a big way of late. That's the primary reason this team has been floundering down the stretch. Milwaukee needs to win these games, but the offense isn't performing well under the pressure. The Cincinnati Reds offense has been poor ever since Joey Votto went down with an injury. Jay Bruce is slumping and Devin Mesoraco is cooling off a bit as well. Mike Leake and Matt Garza are both quality pitchers who can get the job done. The home plate umpire here is a solid strike caller which helps as well. Take the under. 

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* The Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians are playing a key series this weekend. Detroit's Justin Verlander starts this one. Verlander has been struggling in a big way over the past couple months. In his career, the Indians have hit Verlander better than just about any other team in the league, and now that he is already pitching poorly, I expect Cleveland to hit him well this game. Trevor Bauer has some poor history against the Tigers as well. Bauer allows too many base runners, and teams like the Tigers will typically make you pay for that kind of thing. 

The over is 4-0 in the Indians last 4 vs. a team with a winning record. The over is 5-0 in Verlander's last 5 as a home favorite. The over is 5-0 in his last 5 home starts with the total set at 7 to 8.5 runs. The over is 5-0 in his last 5 home starts vs. a team with a winning record. The over is 4-0 in Bauer's last 4 starts vs. the Tigers. The over is 4-0 in Verlander's last 4 with HP umpire Layne behind the dish. A 27-0 angle. Take the over. 

*3 Star MLB Runline Value* The Oakland A's are in a major swoon right now. Oakland is an awful 4-23 in their last 27 games as an underdog. This is a team that could miss the playoffs after having the best record in the majors for the majority of the year. They are a big underdog here because they are up against Felix Hernandez. King Felix has awesome numbers (2.58 career ERA in 34 starts) against Oakland. This Oakland lineup is struggling in a big way now, and I don't see them turning it around against Hernandez. Sonny Gray has normally been very good against the Mariners, but Gray is wearing down in a big way of late. In his last 7 games he has allowed 6 hits or more in every game except one (the weak White Sox lineup). The Mariners got to him for 6 runs last time around. I think Gray is hitting a wall after pitching far more than he ever has before. While I'd prefer to have the moneyline here, at -155 or higher I can't justify taking it. I recommend taking a chance on the run line at this large underdog price. Take Seattle -1.5. 

*3 Star MLB Late Night BAILOUT* The Seattle Mariners and Oakland A's meet in a really important series for both teams. Oakland was coasting in this division not that long ago, and now they are 10 games behind the Angels and needing to hang onto a Wildcard spot. Oakland could still miss the playoffs altogether unless they get it turned around. The A's have their offense to blame. The offense has been terrible of late. Paxton is a very underrated pitcher for the Mariners, and I expect him to keep this offense quiet. Jason Hammel is a streaky pitcher, but he's been throwing it well of late. Seattle's offense has struggled the majority of the year. A big ballpark and two struggling offenses along with two elite bullpens. I like this to be a low scoring contest. Take the under. 

*3 Star MLB 100% Angle CRUSHER* The Texas Rangers offense is a total disaster right now. It's Adrian Beltre and a bunch of minor leaguers. Alex Wood is on a major roll of late, and it's hard to see that changing against this Texas lineup. Atlanta's offense has really let them down all year long, and they'll be up against a good pitcher in Derek Holland here. Holland has missed all season until September, but he is in midseason form. He has allowed just one run in his first two starts. Both of these pitchers are capable of shutting down the opposition. It's a cool night in Texas and that helps the under as well since the ball won't carry as well.

The under is 6-0 in the Braves last 6 interleague road games vs. a team with a losing record. The under is 3-0-2 in their last 5 as a road favorite. The under is 3-0-1 in Wood's last 4 starts as a road favorite. The under is 3-0-2 in Wood's last 5 road starts. The under is 3-0-1 in his last 4 starts following a quality start. The under is 3-0-1 in his last 4 starts with a total set at 7 to 8.5 runs. The under is 4-0-2 in Holland's last 6 starts as an underdog. A 25-0 angle. Take the under. 

*3 Star MLB Total DOMINATION* The Milwaukee Brewers have been in a major funk of late. They did win last night behind a great pitching performance from Wily Peralta. I give them a good chance in this one with Mike Fiers pitching as well, but the moneyline is too high for my liking. Instead, I suggest a play on the under. Mike Fiers is a guy I've liked a lot for a long time. He should have been in the Brewers rotation a long time ago. Fiers has a deceptive delivery that takes time to get used to. He has an ERA of less than 2 at home this year. Nate Eovaldi pitches against him, and Eovaldi is a youngster with electric stuff. The Brewers offense hasn't been taking advantage of scoring opportunities of late. Two young pitchers with high quality stuff here. Take the under. 

*4 Star MLB Trend Perfection Play* The Los Angeles Angels are rolling right now. This offense is firing on all cylinders. They might be the best lineup in baseball. Kole Calhoun is a very underrated leadoff hitter, and Mike Trout is the best hitter in the bigs. Cory Rasmus isn't a particularly good pitcher, but he doesn't have to be against this Texas lineup. Texas is fielding a lineup with Adrian Beltre in the middle and a ton of minor league players around him. The Rangers can't seem to hit no matter who is throwing it these days. Texas is 16-42 in their last 58 home games. The Angels have the best record in baseball. Nick Martinez has an ERA above 5, and his ERA at home is even higher. This looks like a game where the Angels will simply be able to outslug the Rangers. 

The Angels are 7-0 in their last 7 road games. The Rangers are 0-7 in their last 7 Thursday games. Texas is 0-9 in Martinez's last 9 starts with a total set at 9 to 10.5. They are 0-6 in his last 6 home starts as an underdog. They are 0-4 in his last 4 starts vs. the AL West. They are 0-6 in Martinez's last 6 home starts vs. a team with a winning record. The Angels are 3-0 in the last 3 games between these two teams. A 42-0 angle. Take Los Angeles -1.5. 

*3 Star MLB Totals TKO* The Marlins have been playing better than expected and the Brewers are totally falling apart. Milwaukee needs a win in the worst way. Wily Peralta has pitched his best in his career at the end of the season. Cosart has been absolutely dealing of late for the Marlins. Because of the high scoring games between these two teams of late, the posted total here is elevated a little more than it should be. Dan Bellino is a solid under umpire behind the plate, and that should help both of these pitchers. I expect a close low scoring contest in Milwaukee Wednesday night. Take the under. 

*3 Star MLB Major MISMATCH* The Oakland A's got the offense going last night in Chicago. Oakland is up against a White Sox team that has the worst bullpen in baseball. Chris Bassitt gets the start here for Chicago. While he is a decent prospect, I don't trust him to go deep into the game, and the White Sox pen has been getting shelled down the stretch. Jeff Samardzija has been throwing it well with Oakland, and he'll face a White Sox lineup that is very weak right now. Oakland's bullpen is one of the best in the majors. I don't see a spot here where Oakland doesn't have a big advantage. Look for a lopsided game. Take Oakland -1.5. 

*3 Star MLB Total Domination* John Lackey's velocity has been down a bit in recent starts, which has to concern the Cardinals a bit. He hasn't pitched terribly, but he has allowed at least 7 hits in his last three outings. Alfredo Simon is struggling in the 2nd half of the season. Simon still has some numbers that make him a candidate for continued regression, and he faces a Cardinals offense that is hitting the ball much better of late. Since Molina has come back the offense has been hitting the ball the way everyone expected them to all season long. The heat and humidity in Cincinnati Wednesday night will be a big boost here too. The ball can really fly well at Great American Ballpark in these conditions. Take the over. 

*4 Star MLB Play of Day* The Cincinnati Reds scoring 9 runs in last night's game was an aberration in my opinion. As someone who watches the Reds on an almost daily basis, I can assure this Reds offense is a mess right now. Cincinnati will probably score a few here with the ball flying well at GABP, but I don't see them outscoring St. Louis. Alfredo Simon is headed south in a big way in the second half of the season, and he labored in his last outing against St. Louis. The Cardinals offense is hitting the ball better than they have at any other point in the season right now. In last night's loss, the Cardinals collected 14 hits. The Cardinals have the better offense and the better bullpen. They also have the more reliable starting pitcher. 

The Cardinals are 8-1 in their last 9 as a favorite. They are 4-0 in Lackey's last 4 starts as a favorite. They are 4-0 in his last 4 after the team scored 5 runs or more. The Reds are 0-4 in Simon's last 4 after giving up 5 runs or more last game. A 20-1 angle. Take St. Louis. 

*4 Star MLB Early Bird Special* The Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves finish out their series on Wednesday afternoon. The weather will be warm for this one, and I expect that to help the ball carry. Aaron Harang started the year on fire, but he is laboring in a big way down the stretch. I certainly expected that at some point since Harang was pitching so much better than expected, and it seems he is wearing down now. The Nationals start Stephen Strasburg here, and he has been hit hard by Atlanta throughout his career. Strasburg has an ERA of 4.62 in his career against Atlanta. With a weakening Harang and Strasburg up against a team that hits him well, a total of 7 is too low.

The over is 5-0 in Harang's last 5 road starts. The over is 5-0 in his last 5 starts on 4 days of rest. The over is 4-0 in his last 4 starts as a road underdog. The over is 4-0 in his last 4 road starts with a total of 7 to 8.5 runs. The over is 4-0 in Strasburg's last 4 starts vs. Atlanta. The over is 3-0-1 in Strasburg's last 4 starts with Marty Foster behind the dish. A 25-0 angle. Take the over. 

*3 Star MLB Major MISMATCH* The Los Angeles Angels have the best record in baseball, and they are gaining steam as they go down the stretch. The Texas Rangers are playing abysmally of late, and this is the ultimate team who can’t wait for the final day of the regular season. Texas is 16-40 in their last 56 home games, so there is no home field advantage for these Rangers. Alex Rios and Shin-Soo Choo are both out for the year now, and they were the only two veteran reliable hitters in the Rangers lineup. The Angels have a terrific lineup and the Rangers have a bunch of minor leaguers mixed with long-term major league backups. Hector Santiago has been pretty good of late. Colby Lewis has a 7.17 ERA at home this year, and he has been torched by the Angels. Los Angeles has the much better bullpen as well. They are much better in every aspect of the game.

The Angels are 5-0 in their last 5 road games. They are 4-0 in their last 4 after scoring 5 or more runs in the last game. The Rangers are 0-5 in Lewis’ last 5 following 7 days or more of rest. They are 0-5 in Lewis’ last 5 starts during game one of a series. The Rangers are 1-10 overall in their last 11 during game one of a series. The Angels are 9-1 in the last 10 meetings between these two. A 38-2 angle. Take Los Angeles. 

*3 Star MLB 100% Angle CRUSHER* The St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds are headed in two completely different directions right now. I’ve been saying all year long that St. Louis is a better team than they are showing, and they are finally starting to show it on the field. St. Louis is a dangerous team with their pitching depth and improving offense. Yadier Molina is the guy that makes this team go, and since he has been back and healthy this team has been much better. Cincinnati looks like a team ready to head into the offseason. Cincinnati’s offense badly misses Joey Votto, especially since both Brandon Phillips and Jay Bruce are in a terrible slump. Mike Leake isn’t nearly as good at home as he is on the road, and Leake was torched in his last outing. Leake has a 4.75 career ERA against the Cardinals. Michael Wacha will be allowed to pitch a little deeper into this game and he has dominated Cincinnati in the past.

The Cardinals are 8-0 in their last 8 games as a favorite. They are 6-0 in their last 6 when they score 5 runs or more the previous game. They are 4-0 in their last 4 as a road favorite. The Reds are 0-4 in their last 4 Tuesday games. They are 0-4 in Leake’s last 4 vs. the NL Central. The Cardinals are 6-0 in their last 6 vs. the Reds.  A 32-0 angle. Take St. Louis. 

*3 Star MLB Total DOMINATION* The Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves have played in a bunch of low scoring games this year. It makes sense too. These are two offenses that have struggled for the majority of the season. Both of these offenses are good against left-handed pitching, but have been poor against right-handed pitching (especially Atlanta). Jordan Zimmermann and Ervin Santana have both been throwing the ball really well over their last few starts. Both bullpens are excellent and they have plenty of depth. Look for a close low scoring affair here. Take the under. 

*3 Star MLB Totals TKO* Sonny Gray appears to have hit a wall late in the year. After pitching extremely well early in the season, Gray has been roughed up of late. Since the All-Star break, he has a 4.24 ERA. He allowed 6 runs in just five innings at home against Seattle in his last outing. Hector Noesi has a 4.79 ERA at home this year. Noesi has pitched a bit better of late, but I still don't trust him. He also doesn't go deep in the game very often, and the White Sox bullpen is the worst in baseball right now. This total is set too low given the struggles of these starting pitchers. Take the over. 

*3 Star MLB 100% Angle CRUSHER* The Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals have been division rivals over the past few years. Cincinnati is well out of the race this year, but the Cardinals have tons left to play for. St. Louis' bats have finally started to heat up of late and I believe the return of Yadier Molina has been the spark. The Cardinals do have a solid lineup, and I expect them to get to Dylan Axelrod. Axelrod had a career ERA of over 5 coming into this year, and his advanced metrics suggest he has been very fortunate so far this season. Shelby Miller has been up and down all year, but he has an ERA over 5 at Cincinnati. Miller has been much worse on the road in his young career than at home. 

The over is 3-0 in the Cardinals last 3 games. The over is 3-0 in the last 3 meetings between these teams. The over is 5-0 in Miller's last 5 as a road favorite. The over is 4-0 in his last 4 road starts overall. The over is 4-0 in his last 4 starts vs. a team with a losing record. The over is 6-0 in his last 6 road starts with the total set at 7 to 8.5 runs. A 25-0 angle. Take the over. 

*3 Star MLB Play of Day* The Washington Nationals are a better team than the Atlanta Braves. It really doesn't make much sense that Washington has struggled with Atlanta so much on a head to head basis in the past two seasons. Washington is going to win this division, and with less pressure on them in this series, I expect Washington to play better. Doug Fister has a career 1.80 ERA against the Braves. Mike Minor has a 4.64 ERA in his career against Washington. The Nationals offense is better against left-handed pitching, while the Braves have been bad all year against right-handed pitching. The price here is a little shorter than it should be.

The Braves are 0-6 in Minor's last 6 after the team scored 2 runs or less. The Braves are 0-4 in his last 4 following a team loss. Washington is 4-0 in their last 4 as a -110 to -150 favorite. The Nationals are 6-1 in their last 7 when Fister starts on 5 days of rest. A 20-1 angle. Take Washington. 

*3 Star MLB Play of Day* The Chicago White Sox are ready for the offseason. They are slumping in a big way down the stretch, and they traded some key players away in the past couple weeks. There isn't much to like about this White Sox team right now. Cleveland is back in the AL Wildcard hunt, and they are hungry to get a sweep off the weakened White Sox. Chicago is just 3-14 in their last 17 games in Cleveland. Carlos Carrasco has suddenly started throwing the ball like the Tribe expected him to all season, and he has very good stuff if he can keep his command. Scott Carroll is a guy who really shouldn't be in the majors. He has an ERA above 5, and he has proven over and over again that he just isn't good enough. The White Sox lineup is very weak at the bottom, and their bullpen is the worst in baseball now. This game means far more to the Indians. Take Cleveland -1.5. 

*3 Star MLB Play of Day* The St. Louis Cardinals had a nice winning streak going, but they lost 6-2 last night. The Brewers had lost 9 straight games before winning that game last night. I'm not convinced that one night will tell us too much about how things are going to go in the coming days and weeks. Milwaukee is a team that is spiraling downward, and the Brewers don't have many guys who have been in this type of situation before. St. Louis is full of veterans who have been in the pennant race many times, and as I have said for quite some time, I do expect the Cardinals to finish on top in the NL Central. Lance Lynn has been amazing against Milwaukee in his career. In almost 55 innings against Milwaukee in his career, Lynn has a 2.47 ERA. Even more impressive, Lynn has a sparkling 1.85 ERA in 34 innings at Miller Park. Kyle Lohse has been inconsistent of late, and several Cardinals players have hit him well. Take St. Louis. 

*4 Star MLB 100% Angle CRUSHER* The Milwaukee Brewers are totally falling apart. Ryan Braun just isn't hitting the ball of late, and you have to wonder if there is an injury that we don't know about there. The Cardinals pitching staff has been on fire of late. St. Louis sends John Lackey to the mound for this one, and Lackey is an above average pitcher. Mike Fiers is a pitcher I've liked for a long time. I think Fiers should have been in the Brewers rotation all year. Fiers has a deceptive delivery and unless you have seen him recently it's very tough to pick up on quickly. While the Cardinals have been playing well of late, their offense has still been in a slump. Look for both starters to pitch well here.

The under is 4-0 in the Cardinals last 4. The under is 5-0 in the Cardinals last 5 road games vs. a team with a winning home record. The under is 6-0 in Fiers' last 6 starts as a home favorite of -110 to -150. The under is 5-0 in Fiers' last vs. a team with a winning record. The under is 4-0 in his last 4 home starts overall. The under is 4-0 in his last 4 home starts vs. a team with a winning record. A 28-0 angle. Take the under. 

*3 Star MLB Moneyline CASH* The San Francisco Giants have been up and down all year long. You could say the same thing about the Detroit Tigers. I do think the Tigers have a higher upside though, and the Tigers have been great in interleague play. San Francisco starts Jake Peavy here, and several guys in this Detroit lineup have hit Peavy hard in the past. Rick Porcello is an underrated starter, and I like how he has been throwing deep into the game. The Giants had an off day on Thursday, but they are just 3-7 in their last 10 following a day off. The Giants are 9-24 in their last 33 vs. a team with a winning record. They are 24-71 in their last 75 interleague road games. The Tigers are an amazing 64-19 in their last 83 interleague home games. Take Detroit here. 

*3 Star MLB Play of Day* The Baltimore Orioles are far better than many give them credit for being, and one of the main reasons is their much improved bullpen. When you have guys like Darren O'Day and Zach Britton pitching lights out in the 8th and 9th innings it can really shorten a game. The Cincinnati Reds offense is a disaster right now. Without Joey Votto this team just can't seem to string together big innings. Jay Bruce is in a major slump and Brandon Phillips doesn't appear completely healthy. Mike Leake has pitched extremely well of late. He has a 1.61 ERA in his last 3 outings. Chris Tillman has a 2.50 ERA at home this year. Tillman is throwing the ball very well lately. The under is 21-9-2 in Tillman's last 32 home starts. Take the under in this one. 

*3 Star MLB Total DOMINATION* Justin Verlander isn't the same pitcher he used to be, and even when he was dominating most teams he had a tough time against the Cleveland Indians. A lot of the guys in this Indians lineup seem to see the ball well against Verlander. Danny Salazar has a ton of potential, but his lack of command has hurt him against top lineups this year. Detroit has scored at least 7 runs in 5 of their last 11 games, so their offense is really clicking right now. Once Verlander leaves here, the Tigers bullpen is very capable of giving up runs in bunches too. Take the over. 

*3 Star MLB Dog of the Day* King Felix shouldn't be an underdog very often. Felix Hernandez is one of those pitchers that can dominate in a way that very few can. Hernandez has been lights out against the Oakland Athletics all throughout his career, and he has been at his best when pitching in Oakland. Seattle is rolling right now, and they are playing great on the road. Oakland is in a hitting funk, and it's hard to get out of something like that against Felix Hernandez. I think Seattle should be a small favorite here. The Mariners are 13-3 in Hernandez's last 16 starts in Oakland. Take Seattle. 

*4 Star MLB Play of Day* The Washington Nationals are a high quality team. Washington has a very good rotation and a very good bullpen. The Nationals offense is coming around thanks to hot hitting from Denard Span and increased production from Bryce Harper of late. The Dodgers start Carlos Frias. Frias will be making his first major league start here. Frias has been nothing more than ordinary in the bullpen and his minor league stats aren't very impressive. Jordan Zimmermann is one of my favorite pitchers to back, and he gives Washington a major pitching edge in this game. Solid price on this one. Take Washington. 

*4 Star MLB Total Value* The Colorado Rockies and San Francisco Giants have been piling up the runs in this series, and I don't expect that to change in this finale. Coors Field becomes a launching pad during day games, and the temperature is expected to be in the low 90's for this one, which means the ball will be flying extremely well. Ryan Vogelsong has been torched at Coors Field in the past. The Rockies can still score runs at home. Bergman starts for Colorado and his stats suggest he probably shouldn't be in the bigs right now. The bullpen behind him is the worst in the NL. Expect a lot of runs in this one. Take the over. 

*3 Star MLB 100% Angle CRUSHER* The St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates meet in the series finale on Wednesday afternoon. St. Louis has gotten some momentum going of late as their offense has finally started heating up. This team has been a major underperformer on the year as a whole, and the offense has been the main reason. If the offense continues their recent pace, this team will be dangerous. Shelby Miller is in a sophomore slump, and he has  4.98 ERA in his career against the Pirates. Edinson Volquez has a 5.50 ERA in 7 career starts at St. Louis. It will be a hot day which will help the ball carry here too.

The over is 7-0 in Volquez's last 7 road starts. The over is 5-0 in his last 5 as an underdog. The over is 4-0-1 in his last 5 starts during game three of a series. The over is 5-0 in his last 5 road starts with a total set at 7 to 8.5 runs. The over is 4-0 in his last 4 road starts vs. a team with a winning record. The over is 4-0 in the Cardinals last 4 games. The over is 7-0 in their last 7 home games vs. a righty. The over is 4-0 in their last 4 as a home favorite. The over is 6-0 in Miller's last 6 vs. the NL Central. The over is 4-0 in his last 4 on 4 days of rest. The over is 5-0 in his last 5 during game 3 of a series. The over is 4-0 in his last 4 on grass. The over is 4-0 in his last 4 starts when the total is set at 7 to 8.5 runs. A 63-0 angle. Take the over. 

*3 Star MLB Late Night BAILOUT* The Oakland Athletics offense has been in a major slump of late. Without Yoenis Cespedes in the middle of the lineup, it seems the A's aren't the same offense. James Paxton is an impressive youngster who I think will fare well in his first career start against Oakland. A tricky lefty like Paxton is tough to pick up right away, and in this case I see the advantage going to the pitcher. Sonny Gray has struggled a bit of late, but if there were ever a team he could bounce back against its the Mariners. In 32 and 2/3 inning in his career against Seattle, he has allowed only 4 earned runs. Both teams have a great bullpen as well. Take the under here. 

*3 Star MLB Moneyline Value* The Tampa Bay Rays continue to fight down the stretch. There is almost no way the Rays will be back in the postseason this year, but with a manager like Joe Maddon there aren't going to quit. Toronto is a team I've circled as one who is likely to struggle down the stretch. The Blue Jays bullpen is bad to start with and they are totally worn down right now. The Rays bullpen has improved as the season has gone along. Jeremy Hellickson has a solid 3.06 ERA in his career against Toronto. R.A. Dickey has struggled this year, and the Blue Jays defense is poor as well. The price is a good one here. Take Tampa Bay. 

*4 Star MLB Play of Day* The Miami Marlins host the New York Mets in the second game of this series on Tuesday night. Jon Niese starts for the Mets, and Niese has been laboring in recent starts. He hasn't been nearly as sharp as he was earlier this year, and I wonder if he is wearing down a bit. Brad Penny isn't worthy of a big league starting spot, but the Marlins are thin right now so he's getting a start. David Wright has a .600 career batting average against Penny in 20 at bats. Both of these defenses are terrible as well, so unearned runs would come as no surprise in this contest.  Toby Basner is a solid over umpire, which works to our advantage here. This total is too low for these pitchers.

The over is 8-0-1 in the Mets last 9 road games vs. a team with a winning home record. The over is 6-0-1 in Niese's last 7 starts following a quality start in his last start. The over is 3-0-2 in Niese's last 5 starts overall. The over is 3-0 in his last 3 vs. the NL East. The over is 2-0 in his last 2 vs. a team with a losing record. The over is 5-0 in the last 5 meetings between these two. The over is 5-0-1 in Niese's last 6 road starts in Miami. The over is 2-0 in Penny's last 2 vs. the Mets. A 34-0 angle. Take the over. 

*3 Star MLB 100% Angle CRUSHER* The Baltimore Orioles have really impressed this year, and the Orioles are a team I've made solid money backing this season. Phil Hughes is a pitcher I've made money backing the under with, and I'm going to play the under again in this one. Hughes has been lights out on the road most of this season, and the Twins bullpen is pretty solid. Baltimore's Kevin Gausman has a lot of talent and this Minnesota lineup isn't very good right now. The Orioles bullpen is elite. While Baltimore has hit the ball well against Hughes in the past, Hughes is a totally different pitcher this year than he has been in the past. 

The under is 6-0 in Hughes' last 6 following a team loss. The under is 4-0 in Hughes last 4 as an underdog. The under is 6-0 in his last 6 road starts with a total set at 7 to 8.5 runs. The under is 4-0-1 in his last 5 road starts vs. a team with a winning record. The under is 5-0 in Hughes' last 5 starts after the team allowed 5 runs or more last game. The under is 5-0 in Gausman's last 5 after the team allowed 5 runs or more. The under is 5-0 in his last 5 when his opponent scored at least 5 runs in their last game. A 35-0 angle. Take the under. 

*4 Star MLB Play of Day* The Miami Marlins and New York Mets meet early Monday for a Labor Day afternoon game. Zack Wheeler and Henderson Alvarez are two youngsters that I like quite a bit. Wheeler has really come into his own of late, and Alvarez has been amazing at home all season. Wheeler's numbers against Miami really stand out as nothing short of amazing. In five career starts against Miami, Wheeler has a 1.04 ERA. He has allowed a grand total of four runs against them in 34 and 2/3 innings. At Miami, Wheeler has allowed just two runs in 22 innings for an ERA of 0.82. Alvarez has a 1.46 ERA at home this year. Neither of these offenses are particularly impressive.

The under is 4-0 in Alvarez's last 4 games with a total set at 7 to 8.5 runs. The under is 3-0-1 in the Marlins last 4 vs. the NL East. The under is 8-1-1 in the last 10 meetings between these two in Miami. A 15-1 angle. Take the under. 

*3 Star MLB Totals TKO* The Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox are two offenses that have been stuck in neutral of late. Clay Buchholz totally shut down the Rays yesterday, and Buchholz has been struggling badly this year. The Red Sox lineup is very weak at the bottom of the order right now. Drew Smyly is a guy I've been high on this year, and he's been throwing it very well of late. De La Rosa is up and down, but I see him having success against a Rays lineup that strikes out quite a bit. Both bullpens have been throwing it well of late. Take the under in this one. 

*3 Star MLB Underdog Special* The Atlanta Braves aren't worthy of being this big of a favorite. Atlanta has been inconsistent all season, and those who have played big underdogs against the Braves in Atlanta this year have made some pretty good profits. Nate Eovaldi has an ERA of less than 3 in ten career starts vs. Atlanta. Alex Wood has an ERA of 5.26 against the Marlins. Miami is much better against left-handed pitching, and the Braves are much worse against right-handed pitching. This one sets up well for a play on the underdog. I think this price is at least 20-25 cents off where it should be. Take Miami. 

*3 Star MLB Bookie CRUSHER* The Washington Nationals are a team I'm high on. Washington is playing good baseball right now, and they are capable of making some real noise in the postseason. They have a strong rotation, a good bullpen, and a lineup that is improving. I like Hisashi Iwakuma, but he looked horrible in his last outing and he is a streaky pitcher. Tanner Roark continues to throw the ball well. Washington is the better overall team and we're getting too big of a number here for me to pass up. I expected this line to be around +115. Strong value play on the underdog here.

Washington is 4-0 in their last 4 vs. the AL West. They are 5-0 in their last 5 vs. a pitcher with a WHIP of 1.15 or lower. They are 4-0 in their last 4 vs. a team with a winning record. They are 6-0 in their last 6 when their opponent scores 2 runs or less last game. They are 4-0 in Roark's last 4 on 5 days of rest. The Mariners are 0-5 in Iwakuma's last 5 as a home favorite of -110 to -150. A 28-0 angle. Take Washington. 

*4 Star MLB 100% Angle CRUSHER* The New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays play in the series decider on Sunday afternoon. New York managed one measly hit yesterday. History shows the Yankees actually bounce back well from a poor offensive outing (at least in 2014). Toronto has been terrible at winning series' of late. The Jays are 6-15 in their last 21 during game 3 of a series, and many of those games have been series deciding games. The Yankees offense hits lefties much better than righties, and many of these Yankees hitters have hit J.A. Happ hard. Brandon McCarthy has pitched well since becoming a Yankee, and the Yankees have the motivational edge.

New York is 4-0 in their last 4 after scoring 2 runs or less last game. They are 4-0 in their last 4 after allowing 2 runs or less last game as well. The Yankees are 4-0 in McCarthy's last 4 starts as a favorite. The Blue Jays are 0-5 in their last 5 following a win. They are 0-5 in Happ's last 5 with the total set at 7 to 8.5. They are 0-5 in Happ's last 5 overall. A 27-0 angle. Take New York. 

*4 Star MLB Play of Day* The New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays are two teams headed in completely different directions right now. New York is making a strong push and is now in decent position in the AL Wildcard race. Toronto has faded badly and sits at .500 on the year after leading the AL East for a very long period of time this year. Toronto's pitching woes have finally become too much to overcome. Drew Hutchison starts here, and his ERA at home this year is 5.88. Hutchison has allowed 6 runs or more in four of his last eight starts. Hutchison has an ERA of 5.91 in his career in day games. How about against the Yankees? Hutchison has an ERA of 5.81 in 5 starts against them. There are plenty of reasons to fade Hutchison. Michael Pineda is throwing it well since getting healthy again. New York is cheap in this spot.

The Yankees are 7-2 in their last 9 games. The Blue Jays are 1-4 in their last 5 games. The Blue Jays are 3-7 in Hutchison's last 10 home starts. Take New York. 

*4 Star MLB Total DOMINATION* Justin Verlander isn't the pitcher he used to be. Verlander's ERA isn't far from five, and he has been laboring through all of his starts of late. Scott Carroll isn't a big league quality pitcher. Carroll has an ERA of 5.05 and it isn't a fluke at all. He just doesn't have good enough stuff. The White Sox offense is plenty good to score some runs here, and the Tigers should hit Carroll hard. Carroll has allowed five runs or more in six of his last 10 starts. Also important to note that these two bullpens are the worst in the majors in the past month. If we get to the bullpens early, I really like our chances of cashing this one.

The over is 4-0 in the Tigers last 4 road games. The over is 5-0 in the Tigers last 5 as a road favorite. The over is 7-0 in the Tigers last 7 vs. the AL Central. The over is 4-0 in their last 4 road games vs. a team with a losing record. A 20-0 angle. Take the over. 

*4 Star MLB 100% Angle CRUSHER* The New York Yankees have been playing solid baseball of late. New York is right in the thick of the Wild Card race. Toronto is playing some bad baseball of late, and barring a red hot stretch at the end of the year the Blue Jays are likely out of it. The Blue Jays offense is great from #1 through #5 in the order, but the bottom of the order is really bad. The Yankees offense has more depth. Mark Buehrle has some horrible career numbers against the Yankees. In his career he is 1-12 with a 6.19 ERA against the Yankees. Nearly everyone on this Yankees roster has hit him hard in the past. New York has been much better against lefties all year. At plus money, it's a strong value play.

The Blue Jays are 0-7 in their last 7 during game one of a series. They are 0-6 in their last 6 Friday games. They are 0-4 in their last 4 following a win. They are 0-5 in their last 5 following an off day. A 22-0 angle. Take New York. 

*3 Star MLB Play of Day* Here we have a game between two teams who are headed in completely different directions. The Indians are making a playoff push and the White Sox are skidding in a big way. Corey Kluber is mowing down the opposition and the Chicago White Sox are a strong fade of mine down the stretch. Kluber should fare well against the free swinging White Sox bats. Kluber has a 2.79 ERA in his three career starts in Chicago. Hector Noesi pitches here for the White Sox and he isn't any good. Noesi has an ERA of almost 5, and his ERA against Cleveland is just above 5.

The Indians are 4-0 in their last 4 after their opponent scores 5 runs or more last game. They are 5-0 in Kluber's last 5 starts during game 2 of a series. They are 4-0 in Kluber's last 4 starts on a Wednesday. The White Sox are 0-7 in their last 7 games. They are 0-4 in their last 4 home games. They are 0-7 in their last 7 vs. a team with a winning record. They are 0-5 in their last 5 after scoring 5 runs or more last game. They are 0-4 in their last 4 games vs. a right-handed starter. A 40-0 trend. Take Cleveland -1.5. 

*3 Star MLB Runline Value* The Philadelphia Phillies have won 5 of their last 6 games, but all that does is give us some value on the Washington Nationals in this game. Doug Fister starts for the Nationals, and he has a stellar 1.64 ERA against the Phillies in his career. Kyle Kendrick starts for Philadelphia. He has allowed 4 runs or more in 7 of his last 9 starts and he is a guy that virtually never gets past the sixth inning. Kendrick has a 5.00 ERA in 24 career starts against Washington and most of the guys in the Nationals lineup have hit him really well. The Nats have lost the first two in this series. I expect them to bounce back here in a good spot and with a huge pitching advantage. Take Washington -1.5. 

*3 Star MLB Total DOMINATION* The under was my play in last night's meeting between these two AL East teams, and I'm going to go with the under for the second night in a row. Kevin Gausman is quickly improving on the mound, and the Tampa Bay Rays offense isn't very good. Drew Smyly has been a tremendous acquisition for the Rays. Smyly has thrown 14 innings in his career against Baltimore and only allowed one run. The under has been a big winner at home for the Orioles this year, and the under has been very good when Tampa Bay is on the road this year as well.

The under is 4-0 in the Rays last 4 following a loss. The under is 4-0 in Smyly's last 4 starts. The under is 5-0-1 in Baltimore's last 6 Wednesday games. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 following a win. The under is 4-0 in Gausman's last 4 when the Orioles opponent scores 2 runs or less in the previous game. A 21-0 angle. Take the under. 

*3 Star MLB Oddsmaker ERROR* The Los Angeles Dodgers are a short favorite here against an Arizona Diamondbacks team that has nothing to play for and is missing their star hitter (Goldschmitt). Trevor Cahill has pitched better of late, but many of those starts have been against subpar offenses. Several Dodgers hitters have hit Cahill well in their careers. Roberto Hernandez has pitched better than I expected so far this year, and he faces a weak Diamondbacks lineup. The Dodgers have a massive advantage offensively in this contest. The Diamondbacks are 0-8 in Cahill's last 8 Tuesday starts. They are 1-7 in their last 8 as an underdog. Arizona is getting too much credit from the oddsmakers in this one. Take the Dodgers. 

*3 Star MLB Moneyline CASH* The St. Louis Cardinals are a team I've been high on all year. I'm still high on them in general, but this is a bad matchup for them. Gerrit Cole has a 1.93 ERA in two starts against St. Louis this year. Cole is healthy again and he is one of the better young pitchers in the game. Lance Lynn is great at home, but he struggles on the road. Lynn has a career ERA of 2.75 at home and 4.32 on the road. That is one of the biggest home/road splits you'll see from a guy who has been around quite a while. The Pirates have torched him too. Lynn has a 5.19 ERA in 5 career starts at PNC Park and a 4.88 ERA in 11 career starts overall against St. Louis. Look for the Pirates to even up this series after dropping last night's game. Take Pittsburgh. 

*4 Star MLB 100% Angle CRUSHER* The Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays have both been playing solid baseball of late. Both of these teams have been getting good starting pitching and quality relief pitching as well. Alex Cobb is a very good young starter who has been firing on all cylinders of late. Cobb has an ERA of 0.44 in his last three outings. Cobb has shutdown stuff, and the Orioles are now without Manny Machado in their lineup. Cobb's career ERA against the Orioles is a ridiculous 1.89 (6 starts).  Wei-Yin Chen is 13-4 with a 3.76 ERA this season. The Rays offense is below average, and Chen has a solid 3.51 ERA in 11 career starts against Tampa Bay. 

The under is 6-0 in Cobb's last 6 starts. The under is 5-0 in his last 5 starts with a total set at 7 to 8.5 runs. The under is 5-0 in his last 5 vs. a team with a winning record. The under is 4-0 in his last 4 following a quality start. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 games when allowing 5 runs or more last game. The under is 3-0-1 in the Orioles last 4 after scoring 5 runs or more. The under is 4-0-1 in Chen's last 5 starts on 5 days of rest. The under is 5-0 in his last 5 starts overall. The under is 4-0 in Chen's last 4 starts following a quality start. A 40-0 angle. Take the under. 

*3 Star MLB Play of Day* The Milwaukee Brewers have been up and down of late, but this Milwaukee team is still much better than San Diego. The Padres only advantage in this game comes in the bullpen, and it's not as if the Brewers have a bad bullpen. Kyle Lohse pitched poorly in his last few outings, but he has battling an injury then and should be healthy now after a stint on the DL. Lohse is a quality pitcher who hits his spots well. Eric Stults is a guy I like to fade. Stults has pitched better of late, which makes this price cheaper. Obviously, Milwaukee has a huge offensive edge in this game. San Diego's lineup is the weakest in the majors. Too cheap of a price to pass up on the much better team that needs this game. Take Milwaukee. 

*3 Star MLB Moneyline CASH* The Milwaukee Brewers look to avoid the series sweep here, and while it's not necessarily an angle I play all that often, I do like it in this situation. Milwaukee is 8-1 in their last 9 games where they are looking to avoid a three-game series sweep on their home field. This game is really important to the Brewers as well since the Cardinals are now right on their heels. Mike Fiers is a guy I've liked for a long time. He has a very deceptive delivery, so if you haven't seen him lately he's very tough to hit. Vance Worley has been hitting a wall in his recent outings, and the Brewers have a strong pitching advantage in this one. Look for the Brewers to avoid the sweep. Take Milwaukee. 

*3 Star MLB Moneyline Value* The St. Louis Cardinals are closing in on the Milwaukee Brewers. St. Louis is a veteran team that is used to being in these positions toward the end of the year, and I think there is a good chance they'll end up winning the NL Central Division. Justin Masterson has been up and down all season, but I think he has a good opportunity here against a free-swinging Phillies lineup that generally isn't patient enough against a pitcher like Masterson. Jerome Williams has pitched well in his last couple games, but his past tells me he is due for some regression. The Cardinals need this game, while the Phillies are playing out the string. Take St. Louis. 

*4 Star MLB 100% Angle CRUSHER* The Tampa Bay Rays have a lot going for them in this contest. Chris Archer starts for the Rays here, and he has turned into a reliable starter for them. Archer has a 3.17 ERA on the year, and his ERA at Toronto is 2.35. Drew Hutchison starts for Toronto, and he has been shelled of late. Hutchison has a 6.46 ERA at home this year. Additionally, in his career Hutchison has a 7.78 ERA in four starts against Tampa Bay. Three of those four starts have been this year. Hutchison comes into this one throwing it terribly, and he goes against a team that has hit him very hard. Tampa Bay has the much better bullpen as well. Toronto hasn't played well in the past month. 

The Rays are 5-0 in Archer's last 5 road starts. They are 4-0 in his last 4 starts with a total set at 7 to 8.5 runs. The Blue Jays are 0-7 in Hutchison's last 7 during game 3 of a series. They are 0-5 in his last 5 Sunday starts. A 21-0 angle. Take Tampa Bay. 

*3 Star MLB Play of Day* Andrew Cashner has been injured for the past couple months, but reports have been very good out of his rehab and his throwing sessions. When he is healthy, Cashner is one of the best young arms in the game. Cashner faces an injury ravaged Arizona lineup that is an ugly mess right now. San Diego's offense has actually gotten slightly better of late. They certainly aren't good, but they are hitting it a little more. The Padres do have the best bullpen in baseball, and that's a huge advantage in this game. Arizona's bullpen is poor, and Vidal Nuno never goes too deep in a game. Don't be surprised if the bullpens decide this one, and if they do I like our chances. 

The Padres are 8-0 in their last 8 games as a favorite. The Diamondbacks are 0-8 in Nuno's last 8 starts. They are 0-4 in his last 4 home starts. They are 0-6 in Nuno's last 6 as an underdog. They are 0-4 in his last 4 starts with a total of 7 to 8.5 runs. A 30-0 angle. Take San Diego. 

*3 Star MLB 100% Angle CRUSHER* The Seattle Mariners have Chris Young on the hill in this one, and he's been throwing the ball exceptionally of late. The most impressive part to me is that he has been great even when he is on the road (where he has struggled much of his career). Young pitched a gem against one of the best offenses in the majors in Detroit in his last outing. Boston's offense is hurting right now. Mike Napoli and Xander Bogarts are questionable for this one, and even with both of them in the lineup this unit isn't very impressive. Brandon Workman has been underwhelming this season, and he hasn't found any consistency. Seattle has a great bullpen and Boston's pen has been shaky of late. 

The Mariners are 4-0 in their last 4 vs. the AL East. They are 5-0 in Young's last 5 starts. They are 5-0 in his last 5 starts with a total set at 7 to 8.5 runs. The Red Sox are 0-6 in their last 6 vs. the AL West. They are 0-6 in their last 6 games overall. They are 0-5 in their last 5 home games vs. a righty. They are 0-5 in their last 5 as an underdog. They are 0-5 in their last 5 vs. a righty. They are 0-5 in their last 5 vs. a team with a winning record. They are 0-7 in their last 7 home games with a total set at 7 to 8.5 runs. They are 0-5 in Workman's last 5 starts following a team loss. They are 0-5 in Workman's last 5 home starts. They are 0-7 in Workman's last 7 starts overall. They are 0-4 in his last 4 starts after allowing 5 runs or more. They are 0-4 in Workman's last 4 following a quality start in his last outing. They are 0-4 in his last 4 as an underdog. A 82-0 angle. Take Seattle. 

*3 Star MLB Moneyline Value* The Detroit Tigers are a much better team than the Minnesota Twins. While I don't love Robbie Ray being on the mound for the Tigers here, advanced metrics suggest he is better than his current ERA suggests. Ray has been decent in the minors. Minnesota's Tom Milone hasn't been good this year, and the Tigers have several guys in their lineup who have hit him hard in the past. The Twins struggle against lefties, while the Tigers are very good against lefties. Minnesota is 14-37 in their last 51 Friday games. The Twins are 8-20 in their last 28 home games vs. a lefty. The much better team at plus money. Take Detroit. 

*3 Star MLB 100% Angle CRUSHER* The Kansas City Royals roll into Texas playing some great baseball of late. Kansas City has taken the lead in the AL Central with their recent hot streak. What about Texas? Well, they have the worst record in all of baseball. The Rangers are 14-42 in their last 56 games overall. Colby Lewis starts in this one for the Rangers, and I always look to fade him at home. Lewis has a career ERA of 5.3 at home, and this year his ERA at home is an ugly 7.29. Yordano Ventura has electric stuff and this Rangers lineup is much weaker than it has been in the past. Kansas City has the best defense in the majors and one of the best bullpens, and those are two areas where Texas struggles.

The Royals are 5-0 in their last 5 road games vs. a team with a home win percentage of 40% or lower. They are 6-0 in their last 6 during game one of a series. They are 4-0 in their last 4 following a loss. They are 4-0 in their last 4 Friday games. The Rangers are 0-6 in their last 6 during game one of a series. They are 0-4 in their last 4 home games vs. a right-handed starter. A 29-0 angle. Take Kansas City. 

*3 Star MLB Moneyline Value* The Cincinnati Reds are a team in deep trouble right now. They went from a team expected to contend for the NL Central to a team that was injured badly and it has finally caught up with them. They are way out of the playoff race, and now they aren't showing any fight at all. The Braves still have plenty to play for, and they are heating up of late. Two teams headed in different directions here. Atlanta's lineup has some amazing numbers against Mat Latos as well. In all, the Braves lineup has 73 AB's against Latos and have hit .425. Getting the Braves as underdogs is too much for me to pass up. Take Atlanta. 

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* The Baltimore Orioles have the third best record in baseball. I have said this several times lately and I'll say it once again, the oddsmakers aren't giving this team the credit they deserve. This is a very good offense and solid starting pitching staff. The bullpen has become one of the best in the American League in the second half. They aren't getting priced like a team that is one of the best in the majors. Jake Arrieta has been great this year, but the Cubs had to play one and a half games yesterday and the second game didn't end until late. The Orioles are the better rested team, and Kevin Gausman is a solid young pitcher. 

Baltimore is 4-0 in their last 4 road games. They are 4-0 in their last 4 games played on grass. They are 5-0 in their last 5 road games vs. a team with a losing record. They are 6-0 in Gausman's last 6 starts on 4 days of rest. They are 4-0 in his last 4 starts as an underdog. The Cubs are 0-4 in their last 4 as an interleague favorite. A 27-0 angle. Take Baltimore. 

*3 Star MLB 100% Angle CRUSHER* The Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Indians meet on Thursday afternoon in the finale of their three-game series. Both teams send their best starting pitcher to the mound in this one. Phil Hughes is one of the most improved pitchers in the majors this year. Hughes is throwing the ball better than he has at any other time in his career. In his last three games, he has allowed only a single run in each contest. The Indians are without Nick Swisher and David Murphy right now. Corey Kluber has been the best pitcher in baseball outside of Clayton Kershaw in the last couple months. Kluber has allowed two runs or less in 11 of his last 12 starts. He has allowed one run or less in each his last five outings. Minnesota's lineup is very weak right now. This is a get away day game, which means the lineups could be weaker than normal as well. 

The under is 6-0 in Kluber's last 6 road starts. The under is 5-0 in his last 5 as a road favorite. The under is 5-0 in his last 5 as a favorite of -110 to -150. The under is 7-0 in Hughes' last 7 starts with a total set at 7 to 8.5 runs. The under is 6-0 in his last 6 starts overall. The under is 4-0-1 in his last 5 home starts vs. a team with a winning record. The under is 4-0 in his last 4 starts as an underdog. The under is 4-0 in Hughes' last 4 home starts. A 41-0 angle. Take the under. 

*3 Star MLB Totals TKO* Betting an under with the Colorado Rockies is always a little scary, but when they don't have Troy Tulowitzki or Carlos Gonzalez in the lineup it isn't quite as scary. Colorado's offense is far from elite right now, and Danny Duffy continues to throw the ball well. Jorge De La Rosa has a 1.98 ERA in 27 and 1/3 innings with HP umpire Jeff Nelson behind the dish. That's an important stat, and De La Rosa has a solid 3.30 ERA at Coors Field this year as well. Kansas City has been inconsistent offensively this year against lefties. The wind will be blowing in and we won't have much heat in this game. I see this staying a little lower scoring than expected. Take the under. 

*3 Star MLB Moneyline Value* Minnesota sends Ricky Nolasco to the hill for this one, and I'm not a fan of Nolasco. He has been getting hit around pretty hard all year. He has an ERA of 5.99, and the Indians have hit him well in the past. T.J. House is an improving youngster who should fare well against this weak Twins lineup. The Twins actually scored 5 runs in the first inning without the Indians recording an out last night. The entire rest of the game the Twins failed to score another run and they lost. Cleveland has the better offense, slightly better SP, and better bullpen. Cheap price on the road team here. Take Cleveland. 

*3 Star MLB Oddsmaker ERROR* I continue to see a lack of respect for the Baltimore Orioles right now. The oddsmakers aren't pricing this team as if they are a contender, and yet they sit 20 games above .500 with the third best record in baseball. The White Sox are a team I've been looking to fade a lot this year, and I see even more reasons to fade them late in the season. Chicago has nothing to play for, and their bullpen is a disaster area right now. Hector Noesi isn't a good starter, and he doesn't go deep into the game normally. It's a recipe for disaster against a strong Orioles offense. Chen has a solid 3.13 ERA in four career starts against the White Sox. 

The Orioles are 4-0 in their last 4 games vs. a team with a losing record. They are 4-0 in their last 4 road games vs. a team with a losing record. The White Sox are 0-5 in their last 5 Wednesday games. They are 0-4 in their last 4 home games vs. a team with a winning road record. They are 1-7 in their last 8 games after allowing 5 or more runs. The Orioles are 4-0 in Chen's last 4 starts vs. the White Sox. A 28-1 angle. Take Baltimore. 

*4 Star MLB Play of Day* The Los Angeles Angels have the best record in baseball. Los Angeles has Mike Trout hitting again after a brief cold stretch, and Albert Pujols has been pretty productive all year as well. Kole Calhoun doesn't get enough credit for how well he has played. Garrett Richards is a guy I'm very high on. He has a much improved ERA this season and advanced metrics suggest it is no fluke. Richards has much better command of all his pitches this year. Clay Buchholz is hit or miss, and after two solid starts I won't be surprised if he goes back to the bad side here. The Angels have a much improved bullpen, which makes me like this more than I would have a few weeks ago.

The Angels are 7-0 in Richards' last 7 road starts vs. a team with a losing record. The Red Sox are 0-4 in their last 4 home games vs. a team with a winning record. They are 0-5 in their last 5 games with a total set at 7 to 8.5 runs. They are 0-5 in Buchholz's last 5 starts. They are 0-4 in Buchholz's last 4 starts vs. a team with a winning record. A 25-0 angle. Take Los Angeles. 

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* James Paxton has pitched very well when he has been healthy this year. He has quieted a couple of good lineups in his last two outings. He'll be up against a weak Phillies lineup here. The Phillies offense has been one of the worst in the league all season long. Cole Hamels has been bringing his "A Game" of late. Hamels has allowed one run or less in five of his last six starts. He also has a 1.66 ERA in day games so far this season. Day games can be good chances to find value on the under on get away days since some stars rest on these days. Another huge plus here is umpire Ron Kulpa. Kulpa is one of the best under umpires in the game and he'll help both pitchers.

The under is 9-0-2 in the Mariners last 11 interleague games vs. a team with a losing record. The under is 5-0 in the Phillies last 5 interleague home games vs. a lefty. The under is 3-0-1 in their last 4 home games vs. a team with a winning record. The under is 4-0 in Hamels' last 4 starts as a favorite of -110 to -150. The under is 4-0 in his last 4 starts with the total set from 7 to 8.5. The under is 7-0-1 in the last 8 meetings between these two teams. A 32-0 angle. Take the under. 

*3 Star MLB Play of Day* The Colorado Rockies are missing Troy Tulowitzki, Carlos Gonzalez, and they'll likely be without Justin Morneau on Tuesday as well. Colorado's bullpen is one of the worst in baseball, and the rotation isn't any good. Tyler Matzek is overmatched in the majors and here he'll face a red hot Royals offense that should pounce. James Shields is a streaky pitcher, but he's throwing it great of late. Kansas City's bullpen has been amazing in the past month. There isn't a single area in this game where the Rockies have the edge. It's a mismatch. 

The Royals are 7-0 in their last 7 interleague road games. They are 6-0 in their last 6 vs. the NL West. They are 6-0 in their last 6 interleague games as a favorite. They are 5-0 in their last 5 during game one of a series. The Rockies are 0-4 in their last 4 Tuesday games. The Rockies are 1-10 in Matzek's last 11 starts. A 38-1 trend here. Take Kansas City -1.5. 

*3 Star MLB 100% Angle CRUSHER* The Baltimore Orioles aren't getting enough credit for the way they are playing right now. Yesterday they knocked off Chris Sale who is the White Sox best pitcher. Today, they'll try to knock off the White Sox second best pitcher. I like Jose Quintana, but he often doesn't pitch deep into games and that's a major problem when you have a bullpen like the White Sox do right now. In the past month, no bullpen in the majors has been worse than the White Sox bullpen. Chris Tillman has been solid of late, and the Orioles bullpen is better than average. The Orioles lineup is on fire of late, and they hit lefties well.

Baltimore is 5-0 in their last 5 road games vs. a lefty. The Orioles are 4-0 in their last 4 Tuesday games. They are 4-0 in Tillman's last 4 after scoring 5 runs or more. They are 4-0 in Tillman's last 4 starts overall. The White Sox are 0-6 in their last 6 during game 2 of a series. The White Sox are 0-5 in Quintana's last 5 home starts vs. a team with a winning record. They are 0-4 in his last 4 starts as a home underdog. A 32-0 angle. Take Baltimore. 

*3 Star MLB Moneyline Value* The Detroit Tigers are in need a of win here. They have fallen behind the Kansas City Royals in the AL Central. While Detroit can still get in the playoffs with a Wild Card spot, I have to believe they want no part of the one game playoff. Max Scherzer has been amazing in the past ten starts. In six of those ten starts, he has allowed one run or less. He hasn't allowed more than three runs in any start during that period. That is some really impressive stuff, and I like his chances vs. a Rays lineup that isn't all that good. Scherzer generally works deep into the game so we won't have to see the Tigers bullpen for too long here. Detroit needs this game and they have their ace on the mound. Take Detroit. 

*3 Star MLB Sunday Night Baseball CASH* The Atlanta Braves have taken the first two games of this series, and the Oakland Athletics have lost four straight games. Jon Lester starts Sunday night for the Athletics, and he has been rock solid all year long. Lester has been at his best in the past two months, and I expect a good performance from him against a Braves lineup that hasn't been very good this year. The Braves bullpen is still solid, but the A's actually have a slightly better pen. One big reason to go against Atlanta here too is Mike Minor. Minor starts this one and he has been terrible this season with an ERA above 5. The A's are looking to avoid the sweep and avoid falling out of first place in the AL West for the first time in a very long time. I think Lester will be the stopper. Take Oakland. 

*3 Star MLB Major MISMATCH* The Los Angeles Angels broke my heart and my clients hearts with a ridiculous 5-4 win on Friday night. The Angels led 5-1 in the bottom of the 8th, but allowed three runs in the 8th and won only 5-4 to make my run line bet on the Angels a loser. That one was really tough to take since it was an ugly throwing error that cost us a winner. I'm going to the Angels in this one. Nick Tepesch has looked better the last couple games, but it will be 95 degrees with the ball carrying extremely well here. The Angels home run hitters should have some success in this one. The Rangers bullpen is very weak too, and the Angels bullpen has been much better since Huston Street was added. Texas' offense isn't the same anymore, and Hector Santiago has been throwing it well of late. Take Los Angeles -1.5. 

*3 MLB 100% Angle CRUSHER* The Chicago White Sox are a team I'm looking to fade down the stretch. Chicago's bullpen problems are as bad as anyone outside of Houston right now. The White Sox also don't have much depth in their starting rotation, which is exactly why they must turn to Scott Carroll here even though he has been dealing with blister issues on his finger. Carroll isn't a good starter to begin with, and this Blue Jays lineup is getting back to full strength now with Adam Lind and Edwin Encarnacion both back in the fold. Hutchison is a hot and cold pitcher, but he has thrown it much better away from home. There aren't many bullpens worse than Toronto's, but Chicago's is definitely worse. Plenty of reasons to like the Jays, who are still fighting for a playoff spot.

The Blue Jays are 5-0 in their last 5 road games with the total set at 9 to 10.5 runs. The White Sox are 0-4 in Carroll's last 4 starts. They are 0-4 in his last 4 home starts. They are 0-6 in their last 6 game when their opponent scores 5 or more runs the day before. The White Sox are 0-5 in their last 5 Sunday games. The Blue Jays are 4-0 in Clint Fagan's last 4 games behind home plate. A 28-0 angle. Take Toronto. 

*4 Star MLB Play of Day* The Tampa Bay Rays fell one game below .500 again with yesterday's tough loss to the New York Yankees. The Rays are on the fringe of Wild Card contention, and they badly need this game if they want to stay in the picture at all. I love the no quit attitude of Joe Maddon's Rays. Maddon is one of the best managers in baseball. The Yankees start Hiroki Kuroda here, and he has a career ERA of 6.07 against the Rays. His ERA is 6.94 at Tampa Bay. On the other hand, Jeremy Hellickson has an impressive 2.95 ERA against the Yankees. Hellickson doesn't issue free passes, and his aggressive style has been paying off of late. 

Tampa Bay is 4-0 in their last 4 games when their opponent allows 2 runs or less last game. They are 10-1 in Hellickson's last 11 Sunday starts. The Yankees are 0-4 in Kuroda's last 4 starts vs. the Rays. They are 0-4 in Kuroda's last 4 starts as an underdog. The Yankees are 0-5 in their last 5 road games vs. a right-handed starter. The Yankees are 1-9 in Kuroda's last 10 road starts vs. a team with a losing record. A 36-2 angle. Take Tampa Bay. 

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* The Detroit Tigers offense is one of the best in baseball. Chris Young is a pitcher I've backed many times this year and played the under with many times this year as well, but Young is much better at Safeco than he is on the road. This Tigers lineup can get to the best of pitchers, and Young isn't as good as his ERA appears. Opponents have a batting average on balls in play against him of just .224, which is just absurdly low. Robbie Ray has a lot of room for improvement when it comes to command, and Seattle is hitting with confidence right now. This number is a little too low. Take the over. 

*3 Star MLB Total DOMINATION* The Texas Rangers offense hasn't been particularly good of late, but I do think they'll get to Matt Shoemaker some here. It will be in the upper 90's at gametime here, and that really makes the ball fly well in Arlington. Shoemaker has an ERA over 6 on the road this year. Colby Lewis has an ERA over 7 at home this season. The Angels offense demolished Lewis in his last home outing against them. I expect to see several balls leave the yard in this one. The Angels have a team that is capable of scoring in bunches and hitting multiple homers in this kind of environment against a pitcher like Lewis. The over is 5-0-1 in Lewis' last 6 home starts vs. the Angels. The over is 4-0 in Shoemaker's last 4 road starts. Take the over. 

*3 Star MLB 100% Angle CRUSHER* The Kansas City Royals are playing tremendous baseball right now. Kansas City's success has been led by amazing bullpen work and great starting pitching, but one thing that is often missed in their success is their amazing defense. Kansas City saves more runs defensively than anyone else in the league. The Twins have nothing to play for now, and they would prefer to just see this season end. Kansas City has dominated the Twins in the past couple seasons. Yordano Ventura is a phenom, and his stuff is electric. The Twins offense is scuffling of late. Phil Hughes is much improved, but he has struggled at home. In addition, his career ERA is 5.63 against the Royals. Cheap price on the much better team.

The Royals are 5-0 in their last 5 road games. They are 4-0 in their last 4 road games vs. a right-hander. They are 6-0 in their last 6 after scoring 5 runs or more last game. They are 5-0 in their last 5 road games with a total set at 7 to 8.5 runs. They are 6-0 in their last 6 vs. a team with a losing record. The Royals are 4-0 in Ventura's last 4 starts. They are 5-0 in his last 5 starts vs. the AL Central. They are 4-0 in his last 4 starts following a quality start. They are 4-0 in their last 4 road games vs. a team with a losing home record. A 43-0 angle. Take Kansas City. 

*3 Star MLB Moneyline Value* The Kansas City Royals have been red hot of late. Kansas City is 18-4 in their last 22 games. The Royals have gotten tremendous starting pitching and amazing bullpen work of late. In the past few weeks, no bullpen in baseball has pitched better than this group. While I am aware of the potential for a "let down" game here from Kansas City coming off their series win over Oakland, I see plenty of reasons to back them. Ricky Nolasco has struggled all year, and he's coming off an injury and looked shaky in his rehab outing in Single A. Danny Duffy has a spectacular 2.03 ERA in his career against Minnesota. It's even more impressive at 0.61 at Target Field. I projected this line at -155, so plenty of line value here. Take Kansas City. 

*3 Star MLB 100% Angle CRUSHER* The St. Louis Cardinals offense has underperformed all year long. I continue to be confused by why this team isn't hitting any better than they are. I don't see them getting it going today though against one of the better young pitchers in all of baseball, Tyson Ross. Ross has thrown the ball extremely well of late, and his stuff is electric. Lance Lynn is a much better pitcher at home, and this Padres offense is still dead last in the majors in runs scored. John Tumpane has a slightly bigger strike zone than the average umpire, which helps us as well.

The under is 5-0 in the Cardinals last 5 home games. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 home games vs. a right-handed pitcher. The under is 6-0 in their last 6 games as a favorite. The under is 4-0 in Lynn's last 4 Friday starts. The under is 6-0 in his last 6 starts as a favorite. The under is 7-0 in Lynn's last 7 home starts. A 32-0 angle. Take the under. 

*5 Star MLB TOP Play of the Month* The Texas Rangers are a sinking ship and their ship is going down fast. I don't like what I'm seeing out of this team at all. Ron Washington is one of the worst managers in the league, and I don't think this team is putting forth their best effort on a nightly basis anymore. Texas starts Nick Martinez in this game. Martinez has a 5.22 ERA, and advanced metrics actually show that he is fortunate that number isn't even higher. The Angels offense is dangerous and in the Texas heat in this hitter's ballpark I expect them to put up quite a few runs. On the other side, Garrett Richards is one of my favorite guys to back. Richards is a fast improving starter with great stuff and his command has improved a ton this year. Richards threw a shutout at Texas a few weeks ago against a similar Rangers lineup. Richards has been great away from home this year (1.91 ERA). I think this game gets ugly. 

The Angels are 5-0 in their last 5 road games vs. a team with a home win percentage of 40% or lower. They are 5-0 in their last 5 games with the total set at 9 to 10.5. The Angels are 4-0 in Richards' last 4 starts with the total set at 9 to 10.5 runs. They are 6-0 in Richards' last 6 road starts vs. a team with a losing record. The Rangers are 0-4 in Martinez's last 4 home starts. The Rangers are 0-7 in Martinez's last 7 starts vs. a team with a winning record. They are 0-7 in his last 7 starts with the total set at 9 to 10.5 runs. The Rangers are 0-4 in their last 4 during game one of a series. The Angels are 4-0 in their last 4 at Texas. They are 7-0 in the last 7 meetings between these two. A 53-0 trend. Take the Los Angeles Angels -1.5 big! Play of the Month 

*3 Star MLB Moneyline CASH* The Tampa Bay Rays have a chance to get back to the .500 mark tonight. That's important to this team because it wasn't terribly long ago that this team had the worst record in the majors. Joe Maddon's team fights extremely hard and they are still in the Wild Card race right now. In fact, this is a huge series for their Wild Card hopes since the Yankees are just ahead of them in the race. Brandon McCarthy has pitched well for the Yankees, but I trust Alex Cobb much more than him. Cobb has excellent stuff and has finally found his groove of late. The Rays have the better bullpen here as well. This is a rare sell out in Tampa Bay too. The Rays get this game. Take Tampa Bay. 

*3 Star MLB Totals TKO* The Miami Marlins and Arizona Diamondbacks meet on Friday night, and I'm not impressed with either of these two starters. Trevor Cahill has pitched better of late, but he has thrown it well against poor offenses. The Marlins have actually been pretty good offensively at home this year. The Marlins start Brad Hand who isn't a major league starter in my opinion, and the fish bullpen has been overworked the last few days. Hand isn't a guy who will go deep in the game. The DBacks bullpen isn't good at all, and they have been overworked lately as well. While neither offense is elite, a total of just 7.5 with this kind of pitching setup is too good for me to pass on. Take the over. 

*3 Star MLB Major MISMATCH* The San Diego Padres have been playing surprisingly well of late. Still, this is a team with a really bad offense and starting pitching problems. Yonder Alonso is one of their best hitters and he went on the DL with an injury yesterday. St. Louis has underperformed all year, but they are a much better team than San Diego. Eric Stults has an ERA above 5 on the road, and I always look for chances to fade him. John Lackey had a horrible start in his last outing, but this is a good chance for him to bounce back against the worst offense in baseball. The moneyline is too expensive here, but the run line is a very good value at a big plus money number. Take St. Louis -1.5. 

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* The Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs meet in the fourth game of this series Thursday afternoon. The Cubs have won back to back games and have a chance to win this series 3-1. Edwin Jackson takes the hill for them though, and he's had an awful season. Jackson is very hittable, and this Brewers lineup has been solid all year. Braun is expected to miss this game. If he were playing I would have rated it higher, but even without him the Brewers offense is better than the Cubs offense. The Brewers start Mike Fiers here, and I like this youngster. Fiers has a deceptive delivery and the Cubs haven't seen him in a long time. Milwaukee has a big bullpen edge. The Brewers salvage a split here. Take Milwaukee. 

*4 Star MLB Play of Day* The Kansas City Royals and Oakland Athletics meet in the series finale in Kansas City on Thursday afternoon. Kansas City is playing as well as anyone in baseball lately, and it's largely due to great starting pitching and amazing bullpen work. James Shields has been on point of late. In addition, Shields has an ERA of less than 2.5 in day games so far this year. Oakland's Jeff Samardzija has been rock solid this year, and the A's bullpen is terrific as well. With two quality starters, two good bullpens, and a get away day afternoon start time there are plenty of reasons to expect a low scoring game. 

The under is 4-0 in Shields's last 4 starts overall. The under is 4-0 in his last 4 starts with a total set between 7 and 8.5 runs. The under is 7-1 in the Royals last 8 games vs. a starter with a WHIP of 1.15 or lower. A 15-1 angle. Take the under. 

*3 Star MLB Oddsmaker ERROR* The Oakland Athletics are the best team in baseball right now. While the Kansas City Royals have been hot, they certainly have more flaws than Oakland. The Royals lineup is very inconsistent, and their starting rotation isn't terrific. Jason Vargas has an ERA well above 4 at home this year, and I think this patient Oakland lineup will take advantage of the fact that he allows a lot of baserunners. Scott Kazmir is a great story, and he has very high quality stuff. The A's deserve to be a bigger favorite than this against a hot and cold Kansas City team. Take Oakland. 

*3 Star MLB Play of Day* The Washington Nationals are a much more complete team than the New York Mets. Washington has a better offense, a better bullpen, and a better starting pitcher going in this one. While I do respect Bartolo Colon, Jordan Zimmermann is a guy who has made me a lot of money in the past few years. The Nationals are 23-4 in their last 27 games against the Mets in New York, so they feel right at home here. Washington is finally hitting their stride, and the Mets are out of the race. Plenty of reasons to like the Nationals in this contest. Take Washington.