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00:00Socks in the Bronx and what a series that we're going to have up on deck this weekend because if we take a look Joe Ranieri and set the table for this, the Toronto Blue Jays are in first place in the AL East up by four games over the Yankees and five and a half games over the Boston Red Sox, which means in layman terms, the New York Yankees have jumped back over the Boston Red Sox. How do you do that? That's impossible. I'll tell you how one team the Red Sox loses three games in a row. One team the Yankees win five games in a row. And now these two teams play each other.
00:29Can the Yankees extend their lead over the Boston Red Sox? Time will tell, but this is the perfect series for the Yankees coming up, playing great baseball, hitting home.
00:38And that's what we've kind of missed over the last couple of seasons, right? It's that, you know, over the last couple of years, Donnie, the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry kind of lost its luster there because the Red Sox were struggling.
00:52We weren't playing meaningful games. Red Sox weren't playing meaningful games this time of year over the last couple of seasons in a rebuild.
01:01And yet, well, here we are in a game that, in a series at the middle to end of August, that's going to mean a lot.
01:08So, you know, baseball is always better off when the Yankees and the Red Sox are relevant towards this time of year.
01:15Oh, no doubt about it. You take a look at Lucas Giolito's statistics on the season, 8-2 overall, 3.63 ERA, 87 strikeouts.
01:23You look at Lewis Heal on the mound, 1-1 so far. Again, coming off that injury, just getting back into the rotation, 5.14 ERA and only 14 Ks on the year.
01:32Once again, limited starts as opposed to Giolito, much more starts.
01:35If you look at the analytical markets here, Joe, over the past 45 days, Lucas Giolito, 470 XF number, and then Luis Heal is sitting at a 424.
01:43So might we get some runs? We'll find out.
01:45But also, it's cooler, Joe, in the Northeast this week.
01:49That's hurricane rumbling up the coast, not really affecting us weather-wise per se, where it's going to be a hurricane in New Jersey and in New York.
01:56But there are windy conditions, but also more importantly, cooler temperatures with a wind blowing in.
02:01Typically, we talk about, Joe, August the 21st in the Bronx, hey, what's it, 92 degrees maybe at first pitch at this point?
02:07It's cooler temperatures tonight to get this series started off, so something certainly to keep an eye on.
02:12But if we are keeping an eye on, again, the betting race in the AL East, we told you the standings here.
02:17Blue Jays, Yankees, Red Sox, Rays, and Orioles, but the betting markets have the Jays here at a minus 340 price, being in first place to hold on and win that division.
02:25Then we have the Yankees at a plus 330, but the Red Sox at a 12-1.
02:29Now, they're only a game and a half back of the Yankees here, not playing great baseball right now, but that is a big price difference between the Yankees and the Red Sox, Joe.
02:37It is a huge difference.
02:39And keep in mind, too, as I'm watching the board get lit up here in real time, Donnie, that there is a serious pros versus Joe's line movement in this game tonight.
02:49On the total, on the total, though, because this opened up eight and a half overnight, and I am seeing a huge amount of volume of tickets on the over by the public.
03:01And yet I'm now seeing seven and a halves popping up in the marketplace, Donnie, which tells me we got the public expecting home runs and runs.
03:11And boy, oh, boy, the guys moving the market are thinking we are going to get some unders here tonight in those chilly temperatures and the wind blowing in.
03:20But I think this series is going to go a long way in deciding whether or not you think there's value on that future prize for the Red Sox to take over the Yankees at some point here.
03:32This is a big series for these two teams heading into the weekend.
03:36It is, and you brought up some very good points because a lot of the times the public is going to weigh into.
03:41And the key notion is always you're only as good as the starting pitcher on the mound the next day, but also did you have to travel the night before?
03:47Are the temperatures in the ballpark that you're playing at differently here?
03:50Now, you might say, well, Donnie, George Steinbrenner Field is the same exact dimensions of, you know, Tampa between the Bronx, New York, and Yankee Stadium.
03:57You would be correct, but you're not bringing 88-degree temperatures, super muggy conditions down there, and no outfield seats, which means that the wind is blowing out in Tampa.
04:06It's really blowing out.
04:07That's not the case in the Bronx.
04:08Now, the wind is blowing in tonight, but with these things change, but most people look at those Yankees lineups and what they did the past couple nights.
04:15It has to continue.
04:16It doesn't happen.
04:17By the way, did you see Atlanta and the Chicago White Sox last night?
04:20What did we get, 20 runs the night before?
04:22One to nothing last night?
04:23And we didn't even have great pitchers, per se, on the mound.
04:25They're name-brand pitchers on the mound because things change up.
04:28But that's some good stats Joe's bringing along.
04:30Public's loving the over.
04:32The Sharps are saying, not so fast.
04:34Drop that number down because an 8.5 to a 7.5 is a really big jump here.
04:38World Series odds, by the way, Joe, Dodgers still the favorites, plus 330.
04:42It doesn't matter if Otani's getting blown up or they're losing in Colorado.
04:44Probably by the Brewers, Phillies, Tigers, Blue Jays, and those Yankees at a 10-1 price.
04:49Same price as the Jays.
04:50How about that?
04:52There is literally value all over that board except with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
04:58And again, Donnie, when's the last time we got a back-to-back World Series champion?
05:03Yeah.
05:05I don't know.
05:05Was it the Phillies?
05:06I'm going to say Phillies, even though it wasn't the Phillies.
05:08How about that?
05:08That's my answer.
05:09Now we're number two people coming up next on the early line.
05:12Get right here on the grid, baby.
05:14It's lively in these streets on the early line.
05:16It's what we do.
05:17It's a Thursday.
05:17We're preparing you for football tonight, for football this weekend, for Major League Baseball.
05:21Anything you need, which includes bullets flying through offices in training facilities for the Kansas City Chiefs,
05:27you come to the right place.
05:28It's the early line.
05:29It's Donnie Wrightside.
05:30It's Joe Ranieri.
05:30Now we'd like to welcome in Tom Vecchio here, my counterpart on Pro Baseball today,
05:35each and every Sunday, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., to get down with all the latest Major League Baseball breakdowns.
05:40A lot of fun to be had.
05:42Tom Vecchio, it's a Thursday.
05:43How are we feeling, brother?
05:44I'm doing good.
05:46A little bit earlier than usual today.
05:48We've got a lot to get to.
05:49College football starting this weekend.
05:51Donnie, know you'll be doing the show.
05:53As of now, I kind of lean Clemson.
05:56Minus three and a half, at least two, over the weekend.
06:00Clemson.
06:00We'll see what happens.
06:01That first game that's going to start off top 25 action in Dublin, Ohio.
06:05We'll all be watching.
06:06That comes on just directly after Swartz Grid's college football today with Donnie Wrightside and Joe Lisi.
06:11But that's neither here nor there, Tom.
06:13We've got to get talking about Major League Baseball.
06:14You know me.
06:15I'm a Phillies fan.
06:17Can you answer the Philadelphia Phillies guaranteeing every day double-digit strikeouts for their pitchers and everybody in line, including Max Kepler, now going off?
06:26What's in the water in Philadelphia?
06:28You know, honestly, maybe it's the Zach Wheeler injury where it's like a rallying moment for them, right?
06:35Where you lose your pitcher.
06:37And listen, Chris Sanchez has been awesome this season, you know, kind of without this.
06:40But it's like, okay, we've got to step up.
06:43We have a chance to just secure the division.
06:45You know, we've got a good team coming in here with the Mariners.
06:47And we're looking at 15, 20 hits day in and day out, pitchers stepping up, you know, Duran with the foot.
06:54He got hit, but then he's back.
06:55Like, you're just having all the pieces fall into place.
06:58And they're playing their best.
06:59And they're not fully healthy.
07:01So, technically, further down the line, they're going to be getting better as the season comes to a close.
07:08Well, between the Yankees and the Phillies, we should be able to get 40 hits a game, 30 runs, and everything else here.
07:16But different ballpark, different atmosphere tonight in the Bronx with the Yankees and the Red Sox.
07:23What are we going to get in this game tonight?
07:26You know, as a Yankees fan, I like the way that they're playing.
07:30Winning games is good.
07:30A part of me wants to take the Red Sox, at least a plus money in some of these games, just for at least some type of emotional hedge, I guess.
07:37But I'm not expecting Luis Hill to be out there for a long duration.
07:42And this will have a true playoff-type environment.
07:44So, any early trouble, I think pitchers are going to get pulled quickly on both sides, really.
07:50So, let's go to Luis Hill, under five and a half strikeouts, minus 138.
07:54It's a little bit of juice on this one, but I really do like it.
07:56He's only had three starts so far, three, seven, four strikeouts from him.
08:01Again, I just don't expect him going super deep into the game when it's all said and done.
08:05The Red Sox offense has been struggling as of late, but, you know, traditionally, they do hit well at Yankee Stadium.
08:11So, despite the struggles that they've had, if you told me Hill goes out there five innings, only two runs, and he ends up with three or four strikeouts, that's what I'm kind of expecting.
08:20I do expect the pitch count to kind of get away from him, and he'll just get pulled early.
08:24Tommy Boyle, let's get down to Florida here, St. Louis and Tampa Bay.
08:29Here's always some of the stuff that I love.
08:31Sonny Gray is listed at number one on my card today for the past 45 days with XFIP here to 2.81.
08:37But his ERA is a 6.17.
08:39It's hard to wrap your head around.
08:41The best pitcher on the card has a 6 ERA, but that's what analytics tell you.
08:45Now, I'll also tell you this.
08:46Joe Boyle, he's got a 553 ERA since July 1st and a 520 XFIP number.
08:51He's not stopping anybody tonight.
08:53Now, you look at both of the lineups tonight.
08:55They're not that great.
08:56But, again, does it have to be great when it's 85-degree temperatures and a wind blowing out in Tampa where the ball flies here tonight?
09:02What are you looking at between St. Louis and Tampa?
09:05I'm just looking at runs.
09:06And, you know, we saw from Tampa, obviously, some late heroics from them to tie things up last night.
09:11They got some runs across the board in the past two days against the Yankees, who I think we can say have a better pitching staff.
09:17It may not be great overall, but it is a better pitching staff compared to the Cardinals.
09:21And, as you said, with Sonny Gray, Sonny Gray got blown up last week by the Yankees.
09:26If you look over his last six, seven starts, we'll get multiple games of six, eight earned runs allowed.
09:32Sure, there's a couple games there with only one earned run.
09:34He is the best pitcher on today's slate when it's all said and done.
09:38His ERA is through the roof.
09:39His XFIP is significantly better.
09:41I would say at this point it's like we're waiting for him to turn the corner.
09:44But it's also the end of August, and he is approaching some high innings.
09:49So, I don't want to say he's running out of gas at this point.
09:51If this was May or June and he had a bad stretch of starts, I would say let's just trust Sonny Gray.
09:57This game probably falls under.
09:58He probably racks up the strikeouts.
10:00But it's the end of August.
10:01I really don't see that coming through when it's all said and done.
10:03So, if we know Joe Boyle is going to give up three or four runs, if you tell me Sonny Gray gives up only three, I'm not surprised.
10:09But at that point, we are pushing towards the over, and I think we're on pace for it.
10:13So, give me some more runs tonight.
10:16Gotcha.
10:17Runs.
10:17I love it.
10:18Now, are we expecting a total and utter collapse by Milwaukee, Tom, now that they've lost three in a row to the Cubs and have another one this afternoon?
10:29I don't.
10:30I'll be honest.
10:31I was typing out the Brewers' money line when I was sending picks to Tommy, our producer behind the scenes.
10:38I was typing out Brewers' money line.
10:41Too many times, man.
10:41And then I was looking at it, and I'm like, listen, Quinn Priester's on the mound.
10:44And as long as I saw before, it was plus money on the Brewers at that point.
10:48You know, Imanaga on the other side, Quinn Priester.
10:50I'm like, do I want to go with the Brewers?
10:52I think I may end up on the Brewers when it's all said and done.
10:55But this is just circumstantial.
10:57You know, last night, Mizorowski back on the mound, a ton of wind blowing in.
11:01The total barely goes over.
11:03I don't see the Brewers losing this series.
11:05I don't want to say outright, obviously, but in this fashion, to the Cubs.
11:10So give me the Brewers to bounce back today.
11:12Give me that plus money.
11:13It's actually going to be a lower-scoring game to 6.5-12 with more wind blowing in today.
11:16I think we fall under, and the Brewers come away with the wind.
11:19And the momentum that the Cubs thought they had is going to be kind of stamped out as the series comes to an end.
11:24We just had my partner in crime on Sunday morning's Major League Baseball show, known as Pro Baseball Today, right here on the Sports Grid Network, Tom Vecchio.
11:32And we were talking about this series between Milwaukee and Chicago.
11:35Joe Ranieri, this is an interesting one because we were talking early in the week, like, what's going to happen?
11:40Hey, could we see 20-plus wins in a row for the Brewers if they just roll into Chicago and continue to blast away?
11:45That didn't happen.
11:46Now the Cubs are looking to win this series here.
11:48It's Quinn Priester versus Shota Imanaga, the left-handed pitcher for the Chicago Cubs.
11:52This game's going to start at 2.20 in the afternoon.
11:54And I don't know, like, some people say, like, hey, we can have climate change because the government, like, controls the wind and the air and the weather and stuff like that.
12:02Is it the wind to ever blow out anymore in Chicago?
12:04Every single day, I'm like, okay, where's that total?
12:07Oh, it's 7.5 or less.
12:08We got 6.5s out there today.
12:10Stop the madness.
12:11Priester Imanaga, what do we see today?
12:13Apparently no offense.
12:15Yeah, well, that's, I mean, 6.5 now is kind of crazy.
12:20A Priester, though, is actually one of the better ground ball pitchers in baseball.
12:25He gets nearly a 60% ground ball rate here, which explains why his ERA is so low as well.
12:31And you got to love it.
12:33Imanaga is kind of the same way.
12:34These aren't guys that are going to get barreled a lot and guys lifting the ball in the air, not that it matters with the wind blowing in.
12:43So I get why the price, from a total perspective, is where it is.
12:49But listen, they have done a great job of winning a lot of Priester starts here.
12:53I think now is the time, if you're going to jump back on the Brewers bandwagon, I think now might be the time to do it here at this kind of price.
13:03If you'd have said this five days ago, Donnie, that we could get the Brewers at this price with an opportunity to win the game with Priester on the mound, I'd take it here.
13:13I think if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
13:16You know, this losing streak, congrats to the Cubs.
13:19But again, I think the Brewers bounced back in a big way this afternoon.
13:24Milwaukee and Chicago, by the way, it is a favorite towards Chicago here today.
13:27Opened up overnight around that minus 142 price, Joe, but it is backtracking here.
13:30We're as low as minus 126 out there in Vegas, minus 130 is at BetMGM, Bet365.
13:35So that is going backwards, but still, you're right.
13:37A plus money price for the Milwaukee Brewers as we enter into today's action.
13:41And that game will start also in the afternoon at 220.
13:44Let's stay in the afternoon, 961-962.
13:46Texas with a win over Kansas City yesterday.
13:49Now we see a favorite overnight of Patrick Corbin taking on Michael Lorenzen.
13:52It was Texas, but now we're seeing a shift over to a favorite towards Kansas City with Michael Lorenzen.
13:57They had a 210 start out in Kansas City, a total that is listed at nine.
14:01It's one of those games that, like, I do think I'll probably be involved some way, shape, or form yesterday.
14:05But when the people talk about, like, hey, Bad Beach, we like to talk about them and have it.
14:09Joe, I had a three-and-a-half team total in Kansas City last night.
14:11They hit a three-run home run to start the game with the first three runners on base.
14:14The very next batter walked.
14:16So I had three runs on the board in the bottom of the first inning and a runner on base.
14:20They didn't score the rest of that game yesterday, which was painful and cost them the victory over Texas.
14:26They respond back today.
14:27How are you looking to play this game between Corbin and Lorenzen?
14:30Well, I'm looking to, you know, finally, consistently fade Patrick Corbin in some way, shape, or form.
14:38I think the wheels are starting to come off here, Donnie.
14:40Not to mention that Kansas City, who has, I believe, the fewest home runs in Major League Baseball as a team,
14:48and yet their six games in which they have won five of six, they have out-home run the Texas Rangers 14-3.
14:56It's absolutely crazy here.
14:58I think that continues.
15:00I think Kansas City in the bats, I'm going to back them in the first five here, Donnie,
15:05because once again, I think Patrick Corbin, he's running out of gas.
15:09I think the first five over is worth a look, but I like the Kansas City Royals to bounce back early in this one.
15:16Yeah, we'll see what happens in that one, but you're right.
15:19Like, usually, you know, the ebbs and flows of Major League Baseball, Joe.
15:22You struggle a little bit to play the day before.
15:23You blast out with seven the next day.
15:25They should win this game.
15:26And Lorenzen, by the way, his last, doesn't have a lot of innings pitched.
15:29A 3.32 XFIP number to 172 ERA.
15:31We'll see if he holds up, but you're right about Patrick Corbin.
15:34Sometimes, hey, resurgence of his career.
15:35What a great season.
15:36Now we're starting to see that Patrick Corbin that we saw for the past couple years.
15:39Like, please, no, don't take him out of baseball.
15:41He is a great fade.
15:42We'll see if that continues today.
15:43San Francisco and San Diego, 4-10 start afternoon action.
15:47Verlander versus Cease, a heavy favorite for San Diego to minus 188, the minus 190 price.
15:52They pounded San Francisco last night.
15:54San Francisco can't hit, so they probably can't hit Cease today either, Joe.
15:58Well, you know, which Cease do we get?
16:00One that walks 19 guys in three innings?
16:03Or what, you know, what are we going to get here?
16:05Either which way, it does feel like a pretty good underspot.
16:10Verlander pitched really well.
16:12His last time out, just they couldn't score any runs for him.
16:15And he's pitched great against the Padres.
16:17Under for me here in this one.
16:20Yeah, great move to get to Evers.
16:21Really spiked that season there for the San Francisco Giants as we look forward to the future.
16:26They just can't hit.
16:26Same story every single year.
16:27Home away, doesn't matter.
16:29Padres were the better team last night.
16:30Padres gained a game on the Los Angeles Dodgers because the Dodgers lost in Colorado.
16:34We'll see if that changes.
16:35We have two more games on deck that we're going to talk about next.
16:37The Athletics and the Twins to start the day.
16:40And then also, don't the Dodgers.
16:42They bounce back with Kershaw on the mound.
16:44Come on back with your early line and find out next.
16:46You want afternoon action in Major League Baseball?
16:48We got it here, Joe Ranieri.
16:50And I'm talking about Minnesota and the Athletics.
16:52He talked about the Athletics last night heading into extra innings.
16:54A 2-2 tie after they had a 2-0 lead in that game.
16:57Two-run home run last night.
16:58But I believe it was Langoliers that put one opposite field into the right field seats
17:01to give the Athletics the victory.
17:03And me, my best bet here on the show in our Bye Bye Bye Bye segment,
17:06which we will have at the end of the show.
17:07We're going to go 2-0.
17:08Don't you worry about that.
17:09But if we look at the game today, it's Perkins versus Urania.
17:12Two bad pitchers on the mound.
17:14Roughly a pick-em in any direction.
17:15You see that price point right there of a minus-134?
17:17They're gone.
17:18They're minus-115s, minus-120s, depending where you're shopping.
17:20But a nine-and-a-half total.
17:22Early afternoon action in Minnesota.
17:24Two bad pitchers.
17:26Do we get more fireworks than the six runs we saw yesterday in extras, Joe?
17:29It's kind of crazy when you think about it, though.
17:32But the hottest team in the American League now for a while is the A's.
17:38They've won 16 of their last 24, Donnie, which is kind of crazy when you think about it.
17:44And now they're on the verge of sweeping the Twins, who, let's face it, just, you know,
17:49they gutted this team.
17:51They've been playing for next year, and we have known that here.
17:54So, yeah, I mean, losing five of their last six, but they did get Jose Urena.
18:00Okay.
18:01Yeah, I think the A's-bats continue here.
18:03I don't think there's any reason to keep fading them.
18:06The A's, yes.
18:07Are they a great team?
18:08No.
18:08Are they better than a lot of the bottom feeders?
18:11I think they are.
18:12I like the A's.
18:14And it's a team that's played together the whole year, Donnie.
18:16They're all young, and they're all hungry.
18:18So, I'll take the A's.
18:20Yeah, we'll see if they can do it again today.
18:22The clutch performances yesterday.
18:23I think both of those teams use a lot of their bullpen in that extra inning game.
18:26We'll see if that bears today, where it's like, hey, starters, help us out.
18:29But these aren't the starters.
18:30I can tip you, like, Urania is a bad starter.
18:32Perkins, he just threw five innings the last game out, three earned runs before that.
18:35Sixth inning, which wasn't bad.
18:36Still three earned runs to start before that.
18:38Three innings and four earned runs.
18:40So, we're not looking at shutdown pitchers on the mound today.
18:42We'll see how much fun we can have in Minnesota to start that day.
18:45Mile-high matchup here.
18:46The Dodgers looking to bounce back.
18:47They'll send Clayton Kershaw, the lefty to the mound, going up against Chase Dollander.
18:51Total in this game, listed at 11.5 to 12.
18:53Depending on where you're shopping at.
18:54And another monster favorite for the Dodgers today.
18:57As high as 250 in the marketplace now.
19:00Yeah, don't expect Otani in the lineup after he got drilled in the thigh.
19:04They had an insult to injury there as pitching yesterday, where he gave up five runs.
19:11But, in typical Dodger fashion, they have, over the years, dominated this Rockies team.
19:17But, again, coming off of that sweep of the Padres, it felt like a letdown spot, Donnie,
19:22in this series.
19:23And that's kind of exactly what we have gotten.
19:26I like Kershaw to be able to bounce back in this spot.
19:29I like the bats to bounce back here.
19:32It's, I'm not laying the 250, but I might consider a alternate run line.
19:38Maybe lay two with the Dodgers at a pretty good price.
19:41Ooh, how about this?
19:43Letdown spots we always talk about, Joe.
19:45Mid-afternoon game.
19:46New York Mets and the Washington Nationals.
19:48Nationals knocked off the Mets last night.
19:49Sean Minaya, the lefty, is going to go on the mound today.
19:52Taking on Mackenzie Gore.
19:54The total in this game, also, seven and a half.
19:56So, you've seen that bumped up now.
19:57You see the graphic about to pop up.
19:58That's an eight.
19:59We're now seeing also eight and a halves in the marketplace.
20:02And a current live favorite of minus 130 to minus 134 for the New York Metropolitans today.
20:08Can the Mets pick up a victory today?
20:10They need, you can't go farther back.
20:12Phillies aren't playing today.
20:13You need the Mets to get a victory to get a half game back.
20:15Man, just when you think the Mets have figured something out, they throw up all over themselves
20:20yesterday.
20:21But I had mentioned it earlier.
20:23Nimmo left that game early yesterday.
20:25No word on whether or not he's going to be in the lineup here today.
20:29And he's a pretty big part of what they are doing.
20:32But they also can't hit lefties here, Donnie.
20:35We know this.
20:36The Mets have struggled here in the second half against lefties.
20:40And this is one of the better ones in Mackenzie Gore.
20:43I don't trust the Nats to score a ton of runs either.
20:46But this has got a first five under to me.
20:49I don't like either bullpen, obviously.
20:52So, I'll take less runs early in this game.
20:55Under four, four and a half in the first five for me.
20:58Yeah, you're going to have to keep an eye on some of those starting lineups that come out
21:01for this afternoon.
21:02I believe it's a getaway day.
21:02I don't think they're going to be playing any more baseball games.
21:04So, teams looking to get out of town.
21:06We'll see how that protrudes.
21:07But also understand this.
21:08The Mets do need victories.
21:09You can't let the Phillies get a seven or eight game lead by the end of August and try
21:12to track them down in September.
21:14We take a look at Houston and Baltimore.
21:15Houston got at a dodge in Detroit with a massive offensive performance of two runs.
21:21The reason we joke around, they didn't score the previous three games.
21:23It looked like for a while, they might not score in game number four against Detroit.
21:27Well, they did.
21:27But they still took the loss.
21:29And they're still in first place.
21:30Why?
21:30Because the Mariners can't get out of their own way right now.
21:32Alexander and Young on the mound.
21:34Not two good pitchers.
21:35But a total that's listed at eight and a half to nine, depending on where you're shopping at.
21:39And roughly a pick-em.
21:40It's hard to look at Houston and say, you want to back them.
21:43But they are a pick-em today for a reason.
21:45Because Young isn't that good.
21:46He's had a good start.
21:47I don't know if it's his last start of the start before.
21:48He was sensational against the same Astros team.
21:51But he can't be sensational against the Astros again.
21:54Or can he, Joe?
21:55Six days ago, Donnie, he carried that perfect game into the eighth inning.
21:59And then he screwed it up himself in that spot there.
22:03But there's nothing in his metrics that tells us that anything is going to change here.
22:10He kept them off balance all day.
22:12But the reality is, this is an injury-riddled Astros team that doesn't have a lot going on for it right now offensively.
22:21The lineup is banged up.
22:23They can't score.
22:24They got an 85 WRC plus over the past month.
22:28That's second to last in Major League Baseball.
22:31There's no reason to think that Brandon Young can't have success against this banged-up lineup again.
22:37And you got the O's playing inspired baseball with a lot of young guys coming up.
22:41So, yeah, Baltimore for me.
22:45How about that?
22:46Balty out here.
22:46It's hard to back Houston just because they're in such a doldrum right now.
22:49It's either they're going to break out of it by scoring double-digit runs.
22:52Or they'll be like, hey, man, we got our one or two runs.
22:54We're happy with that with another loss.
22:56But also understand this.
22:57They're lucky the Mariners aren't playing great baseball right now because Houston is playing worse baseball.
23:01But if you both lose, nobody loses any ground on that same day.
23:05Let's take a look at the nightcap tonight.
23:06The St. Louis Cardinals in town to take on Tampa Bay.
23:09We're just happy, I guess, the Yankees and their fan base and their belongings have moved on because that's their spring training home.
23:16They hit a lot of home runs against them.
23:18St. Louis comes to town fresh off a terrible performance against the Marlins yesterday.
23:22Gray versus Boyle.
23:23Total of eight and a half and a slight favorite here to the St. Louis Cardinals.
23:26Yeah, it's both of these teams, right?
23:30If we thought after the first half of the season, Donnie, like we were pleasantly surprised.
23:34Could the Cardinals and the Rays make a run?
23:38But yeah, no, it doesn't look like they're going to.
23:41They're on life support right now.
23:44So both these teams need to get something going.
23:47To me, it's all about the offense.
23:49Do we trust the offenses in this one?
23:53Sonny Gray's been great at home, not necessarily on the road.
23:57I think Tampa's got a slight edge in this one here, Donnie.
24:00I really do.
24:01I like St. Louis just because of the pitching matchup.
24:04But again, it's just odd.
24:05Like Sonny Gray's got a six ERA, but an unbelievably little exit.
24:08Like something has to give tonight in that environment.
24:10And then take a look at Boyle, who's just bad on both sides to me.
24:14It's not a great team in the Cardinals.
24:15The Cardinals aren't going anywhere.
24:16How much life is going to be in that building?
24:18There'll be 10,000 fans watching.
24:19We just want to see that ball travel a little bit.
24:22I look at that eight and a half, and I just think it's like a setup.
24:24Like you want to take the over eight and a half, Joe.
24:26It's like, yeah, it makes some sense.
24:28High ERAs, and we wind up somehow with a three to two game because the Yankees are on the
24:32other side bashing home runs left and right.
24:34It's Contreras.
24:35It's, you know, Newt Bar, as opposed to that you're bashing out home runs with Aaron Judge
24:40and the boys there and like Giancarlo Stanton.
24:41But that's the Major League Baseball card today, Joe.
24:44Game number one, once again, starts at 110 this afternoon.
24:47And the night game at 735, and away you go into a full Friday slate.
24:51So Major League Baseball card, handicapped, checked and ready.
24:54The final segment of the show today, you know what we do.
24:57It's bye, bye, bye.
24:58We're going Major League Baseball.
24:59We're going 2-0 today.
25:00But I think it's a pretty good card where there are angles with not a lot of great pitchers,
25:04which is always a good sign if you want some runs.
25:07Yeah, no, getaway days are always interesting.
25:09And we've got a couple of teams here, though, that you can feel the pressure starting to mount.
25:15You got to start racking up some wins this time of year, especially, Donnie, when you're supposed to win
25:20and you're a favorite, like the Mets.
25:23You got to get it done here.
25:25This is a big game for them.
25:26And Milwaukee, got to stop the bleeding here.
25:30Can't win 14 and then lose eight straight.
25:33Yeah, heavy favorite, by the way, out in Colorado for Clayton Kershaw.
25:36Why is that big again?
25:37Look, you just had a great series against the Padres.
25:41Don't slip back.
25:42You get another Padres victory today.
25:44You get another Dodgers loss in Colorado.
25:46And now we're starting to look at that vice grip tightening here as we get to the final weeks of August
25:50into the month of September.
25:52But, again, a good Major League Baseball card.
25:54Not a lot of great pitchers here.
25:55And also, Boston and New York starting it off tonight at 7-15.
25:58That's something to watch.
25:59You sweep that series, get out of town, people.
26:02You'll be making your way up the standing.
26:05Bringing down the house on the early line.
26:06It's how we do it.
26:07It's a Thursday.
26:08And, boy, oh, boy, did we set the table.
26:09We've got some U.S. Open tennis talk squeezed into here.
26:12We had Tom Vecchio giving out some plays this morning.
26:14We covered the NFL in its doubleheader tonight that you will be watching,
26:17as well as Major League Baseball.
26:19The entire card has been handicapped all the way through.
26:21But this is the part of the show that we love to reach out to the public
26:24and see where they're going in our Fade the Public poll.
26:35Fade them.
26:36And maybe the public's looking to fade the Boston Red Sox.
26:38Or maybe Joe Ranieri.
26:39They're looking to fade the New York Yankees.
26:41But if you went to our SportsGrid account on X today at SportsGrid,
26:44will the Yankees sweep the Red Sox in the Bronx was the question that we asked to the public.
26:48A resounding no.
26:50And I agree with that.
26:51It's hard to sweep a team as is.
26:52It's even harder to sweep a really good baseball team, which they both are.
26:55And it's even harder to do that, Joe, over a four-game set that's going to take place this weekend.
27:0082% of the public said, ah-ah, ain't going to be no sweep by the Yankees over the Boston Red Sox in the Bronx.
27:07No, I mean, that's a big ask for the Yankees.
27:11But I will say this.
27:13The Yankees all year long have been a team where they either lose a lot of games in a row, Donnie,
27:18or they win a lot of games in a row.
27:22And right now they're on a pretty good winning streak.
27:24So would they win two, maybe the first three games of the series?
27:28I wouldn't bet against that or them winning the series outright altogether.
27:34I'll tell you what the people are betting against, Joe, as you said.
27:37Pros versus Joe's on the total of this game.
27:38Eight and a half listed.
27:39Hey, can we get a lot of runs in the Bronx today?
27:41Maybe we don't, but it should be a playoff atmosphere this weekend for a four-game set
27:45in the Bronx between the New York Yankees and those Boston Red Sox.
27:49But now it's time to get to the news of the day.
27:51And what is that?
27:52That's not Hot Topics.
27:53It's bye, bye, bye, people.
27:56Send them out with a dubstep.
28:03Send them out with winners.
28:04Leave them wanting more, Joe.
28:06That's what we do.
28:06Yesterday, as a team, one and one on the card yesterday.
28:09Milwaukee came up a little bit lame.
28:11Extra innings, the athletics helped us out.
28:13So I'm going to ask you this question.
28:14Where are you going with your money tonight for the people out there so we can cash in?
28:18Yeah, well, I'm going to go back to Baltimore here, Donnie, because we just watched this
28:26six days ago.
28:27We watched the rookie, Brandon Young, almost throw a perfect game against the same Houston
28:34Astros.
28:36And listen, you've got two teams, unfortunately, going in different directions right now.
28:40You've got an O's team that has won six of their last seven.
28:44They're playing inspired baseball.
28:46They've got a lot of young guys, big prospects that they've called up, and it's working.
28:51You've got Brandon Young coming in here in a hobbled shell of themselves offense for Houston.
28:58I like the O's to do it again, but I like them early this time.
29:03I like Baltimore in the first five.
29:05I think they get to Anderson before this Houston lineup gets to Brandon Young again.
29:12I don't know that we're going to get a ton of runs in this game, but I like the chances
29:16of the O's playing in front in this one.
29:19Bye, bye, bye.
29:21For me, I'm going to go down to Tampa tonight.
29:23We're going outdoors and keeping it at George Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, and that's a game
29:26between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Tampa Bay Rays.
29:30Now, for me, it's going to be simple.
29:32I like analytics.
29:32That's what I like to use.
29:34I have a pitcher today in sunny gray that has analytics of an XFIP number of 2.81 over the
29:39past 45 days.
29:40I then see Joe Boyle at a 520 here, so I have a difference between a 520 XFIP, which
29:45is off the charts terrible, and a 281 XFIP here for sunny gray, which is very good.
29:50Now, the ERAs do differ, but I'm just trusting the smart people, Joe, the analytical crowd,
29:54the guys that have the pocket protectors with the pens.
29:58That's where we're going today on this.
29:59I'm taking sunny gray.
30:00And by the way, you see that price point about the pop-up on the screen, minus 115?
30:04Catch a little steam this morning, Joe.
30:06Minus 122s, minus 120s in the marketplace.
30:08We got some CLV already on those cardinals here.
30:12The people are digging sunny gray, and I know you're not actually, but that's okay.
30:16It's no big deal.
30:17Well, listen, I got it.
30:19Sunny gray obviously should have the advantage on the mound for him here, Donnie.
30:24So I got, I think it's a coin flip game.
30:27Both teams have shown, you know, sometimes it's hard to score some runs in big spots here,
30:33but I think if sunny gray does his job, they got a pretty good chance of actually winning
30:37this game.
30:37Who wins more home runs, Donnie?
30:39That's who's going to win the game.
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