Big Al McMordie Sports Picks & Handicapper Review

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Seattle Mariners over the Texas Rangers.  The Rangers offense has been simply abominable, and that's with slugger Joey Gallo in the lineup almost every day.  But yesterday, Texas shipped Gallo off to the Yankees for a bundle of prospects, so imagine how anemic the Rangers run production is going to be the rest of this season?  And there's still time to trade more quality players, and RHP Kyle Gibson is a hot commodity and could easily be dealt before today's 4:00 pm deadline.  It's tough enough when the Texas lineup is facing an average or below-average starter, but RH rookie Logan Gilbert is looking like anything but that right now.  The former #14 overall draft pick (2018) is 4-2 with a 3.81 ERA and a 5.15 K:BB ratio in 12 starts for the M's covering 56 2/3 innings.  He's likely licking his chops for start number 13 tonight against what will be a depleted batting order.  Seattle is 16-5 in the last 21 meetings with Texas while the Rangers are 6-18 in their last 24 vs. teams from the AL West (their own division).  Take the M's.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:15 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Cardinals over the Minnesota Twins.  This is an action play for us today -- Please do not list pitchers.  With the MLB trade season upon us, there are still plenty of quality players -- especially pitchers -- rumored to be moving before today's 4:00 deadline.  The Twins had been scheduled to hand the ball to Jose Berrios, but he's off to Toronto.  No one is clamoring over LH Wade LeBlanc of the Cardinals however.  The 36-year-old has already switched teams multiple times in 2021 and he is scheduled to get his seventh start of the season tonight.  Since signing with St. Louis in mid-June, LeBlanc has done some good work, posting a 3.45 ERA in nine games -- including five starts -- covering 28 2/3 innings.  He'll try to add to those solid numbers with a start against a Twins team that has already begun dismantling itself.  Interleague play of this type has not been kind to the Twins who are 2-12 in their last 14 games vs. an NL left-handed starter (and 11-25 their last 36 vs. lefties, overall).  Even worse:  on the road, when priced between +125 and -125, the Twins are a horrid 9-21.  Take St. Louis.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the Boston Red Sox over the Tampa Bay Rays.  The Max Scherzer sweepstakes have come and gone and the stud starter won't be heading to Boston or San Diego as many people thought he might.  There's still time for the Sox to land a starter (as of this writing) but it's unlikely it would be anyone near the caliber of Scherzer, who (along with teammate Trea Turner) will now play for a loaded Dodgers squad.  That's good news for LHP Martin Perez who gets his 21st start of the season tonight.  Admittedly, Perez hasn't been very good through most of his campaign in Boston, so far.  But thanks to the Sox offense, he has a winning record at 7-6.  This will be Perez's first start of the season vs. the Rays since his opening start on April 6 -- a game won the Red Sox, 6-5.  Boston's done very well this season with these intra-division match-ups as the Sox are 29-11 in their last 40 games vs. teams from the AL East.  Boston is also 5-2 in the last seven meetings with the Rays and 18-9 (+14 games on the moneyline) in its last 27 games as a road underdog.  Take the Red Sox.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie