10:10 PM MLB [958] SDG PADRES -1.5 +140 ( A BLAIR -R / C REA -R )
08:00 PM SOC [26539] USA DRAW +245 COPA AMERICA soccer
10:10 PM MLB CLE INDIANS vrs SEA MARINERS Alt Runlines [9971] INDIANS -1.5 +175 (ANDERSON/MILEY)
07:10 PM MLB STL CARDINALS vrs CIN REDS Alt Runlines [9956] CIN REDS -1.5 +260 ( M LEAKE/LAMB)
1 unit bet pays 80 ....betdsi line
07:05 PM MLB [953] CHI CUBS -1.5 -130 ( K HENDRICKS -R / J EICKHOFF -R )
08:10 PM MLB [973] WAS NATIONALS -130 ( J ROSS -R / M LATOS -R )
09:40 PM MLB [978] ARI DBACKS -175 ( M MOORE -L / Z GREINKE -R )
10:10 PM MLB [971] TOTAL o9-115 (CLE INDIANS vrs SEA MARINERS) ( C ANDERSON -R / W MILEY -L )
1 unit bet pays 8.20 ....betdsi line
MLB parlays: 8-59, +5.04 units units (risk 1 unit each pick)... winner #1 posted here......winner #2 posted here....winner #3 and nice winner #4... and small reduced winner #5, winner #6 paid 5.07 units...winner #7...and here is winner #8 last night..
Today is Braves' 15th day in a row playing a game...
Leake will be returning to Cincinnati for the first time, to pitch against his old team mates. When Cueto did the same thing earlier this season, when Reds were playing a lot worse than now, he got shelled. Cueto's only bad start of this season. And John Lamb pitched a gem (at Colorado!) in his last outing, saying that he watched film of opposing batters for the first time in his career, and liked how it helped him out.
ripped, cut and pasted, otherwise written by others, from across the internets:
Jerad Eickhoff has looked good for most of his 11 starts this year, but he still has a sharp platoon split with lefties clocking an .856 OPS off of him. With that glaring issue, I'm not exactly looking to start him against the Cubs. First off, that lineup is scary enough for a pitcher without a platoon problem, but you know the Cubs will overload with lefties/switch-hitters to exploit Eickhoff's weakness. Miguel Montero will likely get a start behind the dish and Tommy La Stella could even find his way into the lineup which would give them six of eight from the left side.
Huff will start in place of Nick Tropeano, who is nursing a shoulder injury. Huff, who joined the Angels on a Minor League deal on May 17, has a 5.08 ERA in 388 career innings in the Majors and a 5.40 ERA in 11 2/3 innings in Triple-A this year.
via: RJ Bell
Ali's odds in three title victories:
+700 vs Liston
+400 vs Foreman
-240 vs L. Spinks
Washington Nationals at Chicago White Sox
Pick: Washington Nationals
The White Sox have lost 18 of their past 24 to fall to 29-28, falling 3 1/2 games back of first-place in the AL Central. Chicago returns to U.S. Cellular Field on Tuesday to face the 34-23 Washington Nationals, who lead the National League East by two games over the New York Mets. "It is a tough stretch," Ventura said Sunday, after the Tigers swept Chicago in three games. "But there's nowhere to go but up. I think right now, you take this blow, and you've got to push back. You get a day off, and you go ahead and regroup."
This series opens a nine-game homestand for Chicago, which sends Mat Latos (6-1, 4.02 ERA) to the mound in tonight?s contest. Latos has a good W-L mark but he?s allowed at least four ERs in FOUR of his last six starts. However, he has enjoyed some success against the Nationals, going 4-2 with a 2.53 ERA in nine career starts (teams are a modest 5-4, though), striking out 48 in 53.1 innings. Latos may feel ?under the gun? to produce a quality start, hoping to solidify his role in Chicago's rotation, as the White Sox just acquired veteran right-hander James Shields from the San Diego Padres on Saturday. That move bumped Latos to the role of fifth starter and moved fellow right-hander Miguel Gonzalez to the bullpen. If Latos' recent struggles continue, Ventura could opt to reinstate Gonzalez into the starting rotation.
Washington will counter with right-hander Joe Ross (5-4, 2.37 ERA). Ross is coming off back-to-back games in which he has limited opponents to one earned run over seven innings in each of the two. Ross has never faced the White Sox but the Nats are 7-2 against American League opponents this season, outscoring them 49-29. On a staff with high-profile starters Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg, Ross continues to distinguish himself with a string of consistent solid efforts. Yes, Ross has endured a four-start losing streak but he's permitted two ERs or less in EIGHT of 10 starts this season.
Expect his luck to turn, right here. As for Latos, the bullpen may be ?calling!?
Washington at Chicago
Play: Washington -125
Chicago right-hander Mat Latos' house of cards has finally started to crumble as the soft-tosser has yielded 23 earned runs on 45 hits in his last 31 2/3 innings of work. Latos owns a 5.06 ERA and 1.72 WHIP in five evening starts and a 4.08 ERA and 1.46 WHIP in five home starts in 2016. Latos' underlying metrics match the regression of his surface statistics: 5.29 FIP, 5.29 xFIP, 5.30 SIERA, 4.98 K/9, 3.38 BB/9, 1.45 HR/9 and a 4.1% K-BB%. In the month of May, the 28-year- old posted a woeful 6.41 ERA, 6.31 FIP and a 5.47 xFIP.
Meanwhile, Washington right-hander Joe Ross has been a pleasant surprise this season, garnering a 2.52 ERA and 1.15 WHIP over ten starts. Ross also owns a 1.80 ERA and 1.05 WHIP on the road, a 2.57 ERA and 1.09 WHIP at night and a 2.29 ERA and 1.11 WHIP over his last three outings. Ross toes the rubber knowing that first baseman Ryan Zimmerman has been reinstated from paternity leave and is expected to be back in the lineup tonight.
Technically speaking, the White Sox are a money-burning 5-16 in their last 21 games overall, including 2-7 in their last nine games versus teams with a winning record, 1-9 in their last ten versus right-handed starters and 1-8 in their last nine following a loss. In contrast, Washington is a profitable 39-19-1 in its last 58 games following a day off, 7-2 in its last nine games versus American League Central foes, 8-3 in its last 11 road games and 5-0 in its last five road games versus teams with a winning home record.
With Washington standing at 4-0 in the last four meetings in this series, take the Nationals and invest with confidence.
------
What lefty John Lamb figured out on Wednesday had less to do with what he did so well on the mound during his career-high seven innings for a 7-2 Reds victory over the Rockies. It's was what Lamb did leading up to the start.
Lamb put more effort into his preparation. For the first time in his career, he admitted, he watched video.
"I shared with [Dan] Straily that for the first time in my career at this level, I felt like I was prepared out there. I watched video on the opponents and them failing, and it gave me a little bit more hope and optimism moving forward with my stuff," Lamb said. "That's the fully open and honest version of why I would hope nights like tonight could continue to happen."
Lamb allowed one earned run and six hits with one walk and two strikeouts. Watching video was the suggestion of pitching coach Mark Riggins. Previously, Lamb relied on his own stuff and focused on attacking hitters, which was something he learned in the Royals' system.
"That's something that was almost taught at a developmental level in the Minor Leagues, that you just go out there and be the best version of yourself and let the chips fall where they may," Lamb said. "I know through the ups and downs here, and failure mostly, I know that I've got to do a little more than that."
Tampa Bay at Arizona
Play: Arizona -160
Tampa Bay arrives in town with a scuffling offense that is averaging 4.2 runs per game this season (.241 AVG.; .303 OBP), including 3.8 runs per game versus right-handed starters (.229 AVG.; .291 OBP). The Rays now face a surging Zack Greinke, who is coming off a solid month of May wherein he posted a 3.82 ERA, 3.55 FIP and 3.30 xFIP . The talented right-hander displayed better control while also improving his strikeout percentage and home run rate.
While Greinke's 4.29 ERA and 1.23 WHIP doesn't inspire much confidence, his 3.34 FIP and 3.52 SIERA are more accurate indicators of how he has performed in 2016. Indeed, both his swinging strike rate and strikeouts are similar to prior years, as is his walk rate. A more encouraging sign is the fact that Greinke is getting batters to chase more pitches outside of the zone this season. The 32-year-old also toes the rubber in excellent form with a 2.14 ERA and 0.81 WHIP over his last three starts.
Meanwhile, Tampa Bay southpaw Matt Moore enters tonight with a 5.46 ERA and 1.51 WHIP, including a 6.33 ERA and 1.96 WHIP on the road and a 6.48 ERA and 1.92 WHIP over his last three outings. Moore owns a 4.80 FIP and 4.23 xFIP in 2016, together with a subpar 1.72 HR/9 rate. The lefty is also growing frustrated with the artificial pitch count placed on him by management, stating the following after his last outing: "It's baseball. This is not Little League with pitch counts or high school where they are trying to keep you healthy and things like that. This is the major leagues - it's time to go."
Moore posted a woeful 7.36 ERA, 5.93 FIP and 5.04 xFIP in the month of May and now facing an Arizona lineup batting .277 with a .433 SLG and .768 OPS versus left-handed starters. From a technical standpoint, Greinke's teams are 30-9 versus hitters who strikeout 7+ times per game and 94-36 as home favorites, including 63-17 as favorites priced at -150 or higher. The Rays are a money-burning 1-7 in Moore's last 8 starts, including 0-4 in his last four road outings. With Arizona standing at 7-3 in the last ten meetings in this series, including 4-1 in its last five at home, take the Diamondbacks and invest with confidence.
--
Over in the Indians-Mariners game with Cody Anderson and Wade Miley all set to serve them up!
Anderson is making the start for Carlos Carrasco, and his last start comes back on May 23rd. Anderson hasn't done all that much to impress, as he stands at just 1-3 with a 6.81 ERA for his time on the hill this year!
The Over has cashed in 9 of the last 11 times Anderson has made the start for the Tribe.
Wade Miley counters, and has totally lost his way for Seattle, as Miley enters this one with 18 runs allowed over his last 18-plus innings pitched!
Each of Miley's last pair of starts, and 4 of his last 5 starts overall have ended up sailing Over the total too.
These teams opened with an Under last night at Safeco Field, but that was the first Under in the last 8 games played in the Emerald City for the M's.
Back to normal tonight as the runs add up.
Cleveland +108 over SEATTLE
Wade Miley would like to forget the first time he faced the Indians this season, as he allowed nine hits and and four BB?s in just 3.2 innings. We're not going to forget that. Miley's recent form has been terrible too, allowing 18 earned runs over his last three starts. In four home starts this season, he is 2-1 with a 5.40 ERA and 1.20 WHIP. The Mariners have lost four in a row and eight of 11. Their only three wins over that span came against the Padres. They were even swept at home by the Twins recently and now this stiff, Wade Miley is favoured over one of the hottest teams in the league.
Cleveland has won six in a row but the market will pay more attention to Cody Anderson?s poor results. Anderson brings his two demotions (this year) to Triple-A and a 6.81 ERA into this start. However, what the numbers do not reveal are the hidden skills of this hard-throwing righty. Anderson throws strikes. He has a 67% first-pitch strike rate and a high percentage of overall strikes. He also brings 95 MPH heat with late life. Anderson has been ruined by an incredibly low 57% strand rate this year. This is a kid on the verge of a breakout. He went 7-3 with a 3.05 ERA in 91 innings last year for Cleveland. A Strong showing in AAA (1.89 ERA in 71 IP) netted his late June call-up, where he continued to roll. He also dominated spring training this season. Cody Anderson is coming off a five-hit performance in seven innings at U.S. Cellular Field. That had to feel pretty good and it also had to give him his confidence back. Now we get him at a bargain price against the reeling Mariners.
Washington -1? +129 over CHICAGO
Joe Ross has been both lucky and good so far in 2016. He's done a nice job of limiting the walks, having not issued more than two in any game. Ross had a 5.6 K?s/9 rate in April, but got it up to 7.6 in his six May starts, all of which he induced double digit swinging strikes in. He has a 21% swing and miss rate on his slider, which he throws more than one-third of the time. Ross keeps the ball on the ground at a nice 47% rate, therefore, the long ball probably won't be much of an issue for him. Ross has dodged some bullets, as he currently ranks sixth among National League starting pitchers in strand rate. He'll have a difficult time maintaining his current rate, which will inevitably lead to more runs crossing the plate. Still Ross is off to an excellent start in 2016, and his combination of swing-and-miss stuff, solid control, and a ground ball tilt make him a worthy investment here against a laboring Chicago team.
Mat Latos is 6-1 while Kevin Gausman of the Orioles hasn?t won a game this season. It?s just a reminder that the baseball gods do not give a flying f**k about numbers or who emerges victorious. What we know for sure is that Latos has 31 K?s in 56 innings. What we know for sure is that he misses few bats and that the ball is put in play on him almost every time he faces a batter. Mat Latos does not have one redeeming quality but he gets guys out because the ball is hit right at people. If that happens again here, so be it but we wouldn?t bet on it. The stash of pixie dust that Latos was using to escape his shaky peripherals is about to be cashed in.
08:00 PM SOC [26539] USA DRAW +245 COPA AMERICA soccer
10:10 PM MLB CLE INDIANS vrs SEA MARINERS Alt Runlines [9971] INDIANS -1.5 +175 (ANDERSON/MILEY)
07:10 PM MLB STL CARDINALS vrs CIN REDS Alt Runlines [9956] CIN REDS -1.5 +260 ( M LEAKE/LAMB)
1 unit bet pays 80 ....betdsi line
07:05 PM MLB [953] CHI CUBS -1.5 -130 ( K HENDRICKS -R / J EICKHOFF -R )
08:10 PM MLB [973] WAS NATIONALS -130 ( J ROSS -R / M LATOS -R )
09:40 PM MLB [978] ARI DBACKS -175 ( M MOORE -L / Z GREINKE -R )
10:10 PM MLB [971] TOTAL o9-115 (CLE INDIANS vrs SEA MARINERS) ( C ANDERSON -R / W MILEY -L )
1 unit bet pays 8.20 ....betdsi line
MLB parlays: 8-59, +5.04 units units (risk 1 unit each pick)... winner #1 posted here......winner #2 posted here....winner #3 and nice winner #4... and small reduced winner #5, winner #6 paid 5.07 units...winner #7...and here is winner #8 last night..
Today is Braves' 15th day in a row playing a game...
Leake will be returning to Cincinnati for the first time, to pitch against his old team mates. When Cueto did the same thing earlier this season, when Reds were playing a lot worse than now, he got shelled. Cueto's only bad start of this season. And John Lamb pitched a gem (at Colorado!) in his last outing, saying that he watched film of opposing batters for the first time in his career, and liked how it helped him out.
ripped, cut and pasted, otherwise written by others, from across the internets:
Jerad Eickhoff has looked good for most of his 11 starts this year, but he still has a sharp platoon split with lefties clocking an .856 OPS off of him. With that glaring issue, I'm not exactly looking to start him against the Cubs. First off, that lineup is scary enough for a pitcher without a platoon problem, but you know the Cubs will overload with lefties/switch-hitters to exploit Eickhoff's weakness. Miguel Montero will likely get a start behind the dish and Tommy La Stella could even find his way into the lineup which would give them six of eight from the left side.
Huff will start in place of Nick Tropeano, who is nursing a shoulder injury. Huff, who joined the Angels on a Minor League deal on May 17, has a 5.08 ERA in 388 career innings in the Majors and a 5.40 ERA in 11 2/3 innings in Triple-A this year.
via: RJ Bell
Ali's odds in three title victories:
+700 vs Liston
+400 vs Foreman
-240 vs L. Spinks
Washington Nationals at Chicago White Sox
Pick: Washington Nationals
The White Sox have lost 18 of their past 24 to fall to 29-28, falling 3 1/2 games back of first-place in the AL Central. Chicago returns to U.S. Cellular Field on Tuesday to face the 34-23 Washington Nationals, who lead the National League East by two games over the New York Mets. "It is a tough stretch," Ventura said Sunday, after the Tigers swept Chicago in three games. "But there's nowhere to go but up. I think right now, you take this blow, and you've got to push back. You get a day off, and you go ahead and regroup."
This series opens a nine-game homestand for Chicago, which sends Mat Latos (6-1, 4.02 ERA) to the mound in tonight?s contest. Latos has a good W-L mark but he?s allowed at least four ERs in FOUR of his last six starts. However, he has enjoyed some success against the Nationals, going 4-2 with a 2.53 ERA in nine career starts (teams are a modest 5-4, though), striking out 48 in 53.1 innings. Latos may feel ?under the gun? to produce a quality start, hoping to solidify his role in Chicago's rotation, as the White Sox just acquired veteran right-hander James Shields from the San Diego Padres on Saturday. That move bumped Latos to the role of fifth starter and moved fellow right-hander Miguel Gonzalez to the bullpen. If Latos' recent struggles continue, Ventura could opt to reinstate Gonzalez into the starting rotation.
Washington will counter with right-hander Joe Ross (5-4, 2.37 ERA). Ross is coming off back-to-back games in which he has limited opponents to one earned run over seven innings in each of the two. Ross has never faced the White Sox but the Nats are 7-2 against American League opponents this season, outscoring them 49-29. On a staff with high-profile starters Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg, Ross continues to distinguish himself with a string of consistent solid efforts. Yes, Ross has endured a four-start losing streak but he's permitted two ERs or less in EIGHT of 10 starts this season.
Expect his luck to turn, right here. As for Latos, the bullpen may be ?calling!?
Washington at Chicago
Play: Washington -125
Chicago right-hander Mat Latos' house of cards has finally started to crumble as the soft-tosser has yielded 23 earned runs on 45 hits in his last 31 2/3 innings of work. Latos owns a 5.06 ERA and 1.72 WHIP in five evening starts and a 4.08 ERA and 1.46 WHIP in five home starts in 2016. Latos' underlying metrics match the regression of his surface statistics: 5.29 FIP, 5.29 xFIP, 5.30 SIERA, 4.98 K/9, 3.38 BB/9, 1.45 HR/9 and a 4.1% K-BB%. In the month of May, the 28-year- old posted a woeful 6.41 ERA, 6.31 FIP and a 5.47 xFIP.
Meanwhile, Washington right-hander Joe Ross has been a pleasant surprise this season, garnering a 2.52 ERA and 1.15 WHIP over ten starts. Ross also owns a 1.80 ERA and 1.05 WHIP on the road, a 2.57 ERA and 1.09 WHIP at night and a 2.29 ERA and 1.11 WHIP over his last three outings. Ross toes the rubber knowing that first baseman Ryan Zimmerman has been reinstated from paternity leave and is expected to be back in the lineup tonight.
Technically speaking, the White Sox are a money-burning 5-16 in their last 21 games overall, including 2-7 in their last nine games versus teams with a winning record, 1-9 in their last ten versus right-handed starters and 1-8 in their last nine following a loss. In contrast, Washington is a profitable 39-19-1 in its last 58 games following a day off, 7-2 in its last nine games versus American League Central foes, 8-3 in its last 11 road games and 5-0 in its last five road games versus teams with a winning home record.
With Washington standing at 4-0 in the last four meetings in this series, take the Nationals and invest with confidence.
------
What lefty John Lamb figured out on Wednesday had less to do with what he did so well on the mound during his career-high seven innings for a 7-2 Reds victory over the Rockies. It's was what Lamb did leading up to the start.
Lamb put more effort into his preparation. For the first time in his career, he admitted, he watched video.
"I shared with [Dan] Straily that for the first time in my career at this level, I felt like I was prepared out there. I watched video on the opponents and them failing, and it gave me a little bit more hope and optimism moving forward with my stuff," Lamb said. "That's the fully open and honest version of why I would hope nights like tonight could continue to happen."
Lamb allowed one earned run and six hits with one walk and two strikeouts. Watching video was the suggestion of pitching coach Mark Riggins. Previously, Lamb relied on his own stuff and focused on attacking hitters, which was something he learned in the Royals' system.
"That's something that was almost taught at a developmental level in the Minor Leagues, that you just go out there and be the best version of yourself and let the chips fall where they may," Lamb said. "I know through the ups and downs here, and failure mostly, I know that I've got to do a little more than that."
Tampa Bay at Arizona
Play: Arizona -160
Tampa Bay arrives in town with a scuffling offense that is averaging 4.2 runs per game this season (.241 AVG.; .303 OBP), including 3.8 runs per game versus right-handed starters (.229 AVG.; .291 OBP). The Rays now face a surging Zack Greinke, who is coming off a solid month of May wherein he posted a 3.82 ERA, 3.55 FIP and 3.30 xFIP . The talented right-hander displayed better control while also improving his strikeout percentage and home run rate.
While Greinke's 4.29 ERA and 1.23 WHIP doesn't inspire much confidence, his 3.34 FIP and 3.52 SIERA are more accurate indicators of how he has performed in 2016. Indeed, both his swinging strike rate and strikeouts are similar to prior years, as is his walk rate. A more encouraging sign is the fact that Greinke is getting batters to chase more pitches outside of the zone this season. The 32-year-old also toes the rubber in excellent form with a 2.14 ERA and 0.81 WHIP over his last three starts.
Meanwhile, Tampa Bay southpaw Matt Moore enters tonight with a 5.46 ERA and 1.51 WHIP, including a 6.33 ERA and 1.96 WHIP on the road and a 6.48 ERA and 1.92 WHIP over his last three outings. Moore owns a 4.80 FIP and 4.23 xFIP in 2016, together with a subpar 1.72 HR/9 rate. The lefty is also growing frustrated with the artificial pitch count placed on him by management, stating the following after his last outing: "It's baseball. This is not Little League with pitch counts or high school where they are trying to keep you healthy and things like that. This is the major leagues - it's time to go."
Moore posted a woeful 7.36 ERA, 5.93 FIP and 5.04 xFIP in the month of May and now facing an Arizona lineup batting .277 with a .433 SLG and .768 OPS versus left-handed starters. From a technical standpoint, Greinke's teams are 30-9 versus hitters who strikeout 7+ times per game and 94-36 as home favorites, including 63-17 as favorites priced at -150 or higher. The Rays are a money-burning 1-7 in Moore's last 8 starts, including 0-4 in his last four road outings. With Arizona standing at 7-3 in the last ten meetings in this series, including 4-1 in its last five at home, take the Diamondbacks and invest with confidence.
--
Over in the Indians-Mariners game with Cody Anderson and Wade Miley all set to serve them up!
Anderson is making the start for Carlos Carrasco, and his last start comes back on May 23rd. Anderson hasn't done all that much to impress, as he stands at just 1-3 with a 6.81 ERA for his time on the hill this year!
The Over has cashed in 9 of the last 11 times Anderson has made the start for the Tribe.
Wade Miley counters, and has totally lost his way for Seattle, as Miley enters this one with 18 runs allowed over his last 18-plus innings pitched!
Each of Miley's last pair of starts, and 4 of his last 5 starts overall have ended up sailing Over the total too.
These teams opened with an Under last night at Safeco Field, but that was the first Under in the last 8 games played in the Emerald City for the M's.
Back to normal tonight as the runs add up.
Cleveland +108 over SEATTLE
Wade Miley would like to forget the first time he faced the Indians this season, as he allowed nine hits and and four BB?s in just 3.2 innings. We're not going to forget that. Miley's recent form has been terrible too, allowing 18 earned runs over his last three starts. In four home starts this season, he is 2-1 with a 5.40 ERA and 1.20 WHIP. The Mariners have lost four in a row and eight of 11. Their only three wins over that span came against the Padres. They were even swept at home by the Twins recently and now this stiff, Wade Miley is favoured over one of the hottest teams in the league.
Cleveland has won six in a row but the market will pay more attention to Cody Anderson?s poor results. Anderson brings his two demotions (this year) to Triple-A and a 6.81 ERA into this start. However, what the numbers do not reveal are the hidden skills of this hard-throwing righty. Anderson throws strikes. He has a 67% first-pitch strike rate and a high percentage of overall strikes. He also brings 95 MPH heat with late life. Anderson has been ruined by an incredibly low 57% strand rate this year. This is a kid on the verge of a breakout. He went 7-3 with a 3.05 ERA in 91 innings last year for Cleveland. A Strong showing in AAA (1.89 ERA in 71 IP) netted his late June call-up, where he continued to roll. He also dominated spring training this season. Cody Anderson is coming off a five-hit performance in seven innings at U.S. Cellular Field. That had to feel pretty good and it also had to give him his confidence back. Now we get him at a bargain price against the reeling Mariners.
Washington -1? +129 over CHICAGO
Joe Ross has been both lucky and good so far in 2016. He's done a nice job of limiting the walks, having not issued more than two in any game. Ross had a 5.6 K?s/9 rate in April, but got it up to 7.6 in his six May starts, all of which he induced double digit swinging strikes in. He has a 21% swing and miss rate on his slider, which he throws more than one-third of the time. Ross keeps the ball on the ground at a nice 47% rate, therefore, the long ball probably won't be much of an issue for him. Ross has dodged some bullets, as he currently ranks sixth among National League starting pitchers in strand rate. He'll have a difficult time maintaining his current rate, which will inevitably lead to more runs crossing the plate. Still Ross is off to an excellent start in 2016, and his combination of swing-and-miss stuff, solid control, and a ground ball tilt make him a worthy investment here against a laboring Chicago team.
Mat Latos is 6-1 while Kevin Gausman of the Orioles hasn?t won a game this season. It?s just a reminder that the baseball gods do not give a flying f**k about numbers or who emerges victorious. What we know for sure is that Latos has 31 K?s in 56 innings. What we know for sure is that he misses few bats and that the ball is put in play on him almost every time he faces a batter. Mat Latos does not have one redeeming quality but he gets guys out because the ball is hit right at people. If that happens again here, so be it but we wouldn?t bet on it. The stash of pixie dust that Latos was using to escape his shaky peripherals is about to be cashed in.
