With the Cubs and Brewers winning yesterday, the NL Central is closer than ever, and I love it. There’s almost nothing like coming down to the final months of the season with every game meaning the world to the potential October picture, and I hope this thing stays tighter than a jar of peanut butter at a squirrel convention. Let’s take a look at the odds once again, care of Bovada.
After giving Boston hope of winning the division, it’s quickly slipping away as the Red Sox (-1.5 +140 RL, -135 ML) have dropped the first two games of their series against the Rays (+1.5 -160 RL, +115 ML). Andrew Cashner (10-5, 4.18 ERA) seeks to keep the Sox in the wild card race against the newly bolstered Tampa Bay side, who will start Brendan McKay (1-1, 3.72 ERA). I’ll take the Red Sox to cover the money line here with the under, and I expect they’ll be pretty happy no one got shipped out at the trade deadline and reward the team for it (O/U 10.5).
The Cubs (1.5 -145 RL, +132 ML) themselves up to 0 games back with their shutout, 9 hits allowed performance against the Cardinals (-1.5 +125 RL, -127 ML) on Wednesday. The Cards will go with Jack Flaherty (4-6, 4.17 ERA) today against lefty Jon Lester (9-6, 3.63 ERA). Flaherty has been excellent lately, so I expect St. Louis to pull back ahead with the moneyline pick and the under here (O/U 8.5).
Finally, the late game will see the middling Padres (+1.5 -115 RL, +173 ML) visiting the league leading Dodgers (-1.5 -105 RL, -203 ML) in a series that could end their Wild Card hopes. San Diego swept the Dodgers the last time they were in LA, and the Dodgers are looking cold right now, so Joey Lucchesi (7-5, 4.12 ERA) will be looking for his second win against the division leaders here today against Clayton Kershaw (9-2, 2.85 ERA). That doesn’t look like a great matchup for Lucchesi, and he was awful against the Dodgers a year ago, so I’d expect the Padres to fall here. Dodgers for the Runline, moneyline, and the under (O/U 8.0).
Tonin’s record yesterday: 6-3
Tonin’s record this season: 27-17
