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At 6:35 pm, our selection is on the Baltimore Orioles minus 1.5 runs over the Toronto Blue Jays.  Chris Bassitt will start tonight for Toronto -- his first game vs. the O's in 2024.  Last season, Bassitt made two starts vs. Baltimore and was shelled.  He gave up 12 runs in nine innings.  And Baltimore won each game by an aggregate score of 15-8.  The Birds will hand the ball to Corbin Burnes, who faced Toronto twice this season.  In those two games, the Blue Jays scored just 2 runs over 13 innings, and the aggregate score in those games was 12-4.  For Burnes' career, in three starts vs. Toronto, he's 2-0, with a 2.18 ERA.  And Burnes has done his best work at Camden Yards in this, his first year with the Orioles.  At home this season, Burnes is a superb 5-2, with a 2.03 ERA.  Meanwhile, Bassitt's career ERA at Camden Yards is 6.88.  Take the Orioles minus 1.5 runs.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 4:10 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Dodgers minus 1.5 runs over the Kansas City Royals.  In Tyler Glasnow's career, he's been favored 15 times at home between -175 and -250.  And his teams have gone 15-0 in those games.  Glasnow's also been perfect against the Royals in his career, with a 1-0 record in four starts, and a 1.88 ERA.  And his teams won all four of those games.  The Dodgers have excelled in interleague games, going 53-27 (+9.2 net games), while the Royals have gone 28-49 (minus 10.3 net game) vs. the National League.  We'll lay the 1.5 runs with the Dodgers on Sunday afternoon.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 6:40 pm, our selection is on the Philadelphia Phillies minus 1.5 runs over the Milwaukee Brewers.  Zack Wheeler will toe the rubber for the Phils this evening, and his career ERA in 9 starts vs. Milwaukee is a stellar 2.68, with a WHIP of 1.07.  In contrast, Bryse Wilson's career numbers vs. the Phillies are ugly (7.84 ERA in 3 starts with a 2.03 WHIP).  Philly lost a rare game at home last night to St. Louis in extra innings, but it is still 24-9 (+11.4 net games) at Citizens Bank Ballpark this year.  And Wheeler's home ERA this season is 1.77 with a 0.83 WHIP.  Lay the 1.5 runs with Philly.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:10 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Dodgers minus 1.5 runs over Colorado.  The Dodgers are 5.5 games ahead of the Padres in the race for the NL West division crown, while the Rockies are in last place, 13.5 games behind L.A.  For the season, the Dodgers rank #4 in run differential, as they've outscored their foes by 79 runs this season.  That bodes well for Los Angeles today, as Colorado is 1-18 on the road vs. foes that have a run differential of at least 1 run per game.  And the Rockies are 8-52 as an underdog of +200 (or higher).  Even better:  the Rockies' Cal Quantrill has been horrible in his career starts vs. Los Angeles, with an 0-3 record, a 9.42 ERA, and 1.95 WHIP.  But rather than lay a big price greater than -300, we're going to lay 1.5 runs instead.  Take Los Angeles.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 4:10 pm, in Game 1 of the double-header, our selection is on the Los Angeles Dodgers minus 1.5 runs over the New York Mets.  The Dodgers' march to their eighth World Championship hit a bit of a speed bump over the weekend.  L.A. went into Cincinnati for what should have been a relatively easy three-game series against the Reds but instead it was Cincy that came away with a sweep.  The Dodgers will try to re-group on Tuesday in Queens as they begin a three game series against the 22-30 Mets.  Tyler Glasnow will get the start in Game 1.  And Glasnow has a 3-0 record, and a 0.90 ERA in three daytime starts this season, including a 10-0 shutout win over these Mets back on April 21.  Additionally, Los Angeles is 18-6 following 2 games where they had 0 home runs.  Take the Dodgers minus 1.5 runs.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie

At 10:10 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Dodgers minus 1.5 runs over the Arizona Diamondbacks.  The Dodgers had their 4-game win streak snapped last night when they lost, 7-3, to the Diamondbacks.  Tonight, they'll hand the ball to Tyler Glasnow, who has a 6-2 record with a 2.90 ERA and 0.90 WHIP this season.  The Dodgers have been installed as a huge favorite, and they're 291-92 (+59.3 net games) as a home favorite, priced at -200 (or higher).  Meanwhile, Arizona is an awful 22-93 (minus 44.1 net games) as a road underdog of +200 (or higher).  But rather than lay a big price with the Dodgers, we're going to lay 1.5 runs in this game.  L.A. has won seven of Glasnow's 10 starts this season and, importantly, six of its seven wins were by 2+ runs.  Indeed, of Glasnow's last 21 wins when he started, 20 of the 21 were by 2+ runs, so I have no issue with laying the 1.5 runs tonight.  And especially because Glasnow's mound opponent will be Ryne Nelson, who is 2-3 in seven starts with a 7.06 ERA and a 1.87 WHIP.  And when Nelson has started, and the Diamondbacks have lost the game, 11 of the last 12 losses were by 2+ runs.  Take the Dodgers minus 1.5 runs.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:10 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Dodgers minus 1.5 runs over Colorado.  The Rockies won last night, 2-1, which was L.A.'s second straight loss.  But Los Angeles generally bounces back off low-scoring games, as it's 33-5 at home after scoring less than 3 runs.  Even better:  it's 48-16 behind its southpaw, Julio Urias, who has gone 10-1 with a 1.12 ERA over his last 13 outings.   Urias will be opposed by Colorado's Ryan Feltner, who will be making his 21st career start.  The Rockies have gone 6-14 in his other starts, including 2-9 on the road, and 0-8 in games where the Over/Under was less than 9 runs.  Feltner's ERA since August has been 6.29, and he's made just one quality start over his last 13.  Take Los Angeles minus 1.5 runs.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 4:10 pm, in Game 1 of the Double Header, our selection is on the New York Mets minus 1.5 runs over the Washington Nationals.  The only pennant race left in the Majors could come down to the final day.  The Mets surely can't be happy with their getting swept over the weekend by the Braves.  Those three losses (combined with Atlanta's loss yesterday) puts Atlanta up by 1.5 games with an elimination number of just one.  But the good news is that the Braves have to play a pesky Marlins club while the Mets are at home facing the team with the worst record in baseball -- Washington.  So there's certainly reason for optimism in Queens.  Veteran RH Carlos Carrasco will start things off for the home team this afternoon.  After a very good month of July, the 35-year-old has been very inconsistent in August and September.  Carrasco can certainly put the poor starts he's had recently out of everyone's mind with a quality outing tonight.  He's done by far his best work this season at Citi Field.  In 16 starts here covering 87 innings, Carrasco is 9-3 with a 3.52 ERA vs. 6-4 and 4.57 in 12 starts on the road.  Take the Mets minus 1.5 runs.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:10 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Dodgers minus 1.5 runs over Colorado.  Tony Gonsolin will make his return from the Injured List tonight.  And all Gonsolin has done this year is go 16-1, with a 2.10 ERA and 0.86 WHIP.  And the Dodgers are 22-4 his last 26 starts (dating back to last season).  Jose Urena will get the ball for Colorado tonight.  For the season, in 16 starts, Urena has a 5.40 ERA and 1.62 WHIP.  And, dating back to last year, Urena's teams (Brewers, Rockies) have lost 16 of his last 23 starts, including a 13-0 loss to the Dodgers the last time Urena faced them on July 28.  Take Los Angeles minus 1.5 runs.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 3:35 pm, our selection is on the Seattle Mariners minus 1.5 runs over the Oakland Athletics.  If there's a better rookie starter in the American League than the Mariners' George Kirby, you'd be hard pressed to find him.  The 24-year-old RHP is 7-4 with a 2.98 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 123 strikeouts and just 15 walks in just under 118 innings.  With the seasons that Julio Rodriguez and Adley Rutschman are having, there is no chance Kirby will win the AL Rookie of the Year, but if there was an award for best first-year starter, then Kirby would be a shoe-in (the Twins' Joe Ryan and Braves' Spencer Strider are second-year rookies).  Kirby will try for his eighth win this afternoon and he certainly doesn't need any more incentive than being part of a team which is in the heat of a post-season race.  The M's are currently in a battle with the Jays and Rays for the top Wild Card spot, with less than three games separating them.  Kirby may be a first-year rookie, but he's already had three solid starts against the A's, posting a 1-0 record with a 2.50 ERA in 18 innings vs. Oakland.  Take the Mariners minus 1.5 runs.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 1:40 pm, our selection is on the New York Mets minus 1.5 runs over the Washington Nationals.  Just when things looked like they were going great for the Mets, last night their ace, Max Scherzer, left the game early against his former team with what was described as side fatigue.  Even worse:  the Nats' hitters went nuts and embarrassed New York at home.  But the Mets are still in first place, so they will look to move past that game and bounce back against a bad DC team this afternoon behind RHP Carlos Carrasco.  The 35-year-old looks like a solid candidate for Comeback Player of the Year.  In 23 starts covering 126 1/3 innings, Carrasco is 13-5 with a 3.92 ERA.  Carrasco has already faced the Nationals three times this season, with some pretty sparkling results.  In just over 17 innings, Carrasco is 2-0 with a 1.56 ERA and 1.04 WHIP vs. Washington.  His last start against them was five innings of shutout, four-hit ball right here at Citi Field in a 5-0 Mets victory on June 1.  Despite their win here last night, the Nats are still just 7-20 in their last 27 games in Queens.  Take New York.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 6:35 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Blue Jays minus 1.5 runs over the Pittsburgh Pirates.  The Buccos acquired 24-year-old Johan Oviedo in the trade which sent Jose Quintana to the St. Louis Cardinals.  This will be Oviedo's first start with Pittsburgh, but he was 0-9 in his 19 career starts with St. Louis (which went 4-15 in those games).  Including relief appearances, Oviedo was 2-9 in his stint in St. Louis, with a 4.65 ERA.  It's hard to imagine his results will be better in a Pirates uniform, given the Pirates' lack of offense (463 runs, #28 MLB).  And, certainly, Oviedo's first test as a Pirate is against a difficult opponent, as Toronto's offense ranks #7 in baseball, and his mound opponent is also one of MLB's best.  Some players are sorry to see the month of August come to a close while others are glad it's September.  Count Blue Jays ace Alek Manoah among the latter group.  Although his ERA was a solid 3.34 last month, Manoah managed just one win and the Blue Jays went 1-4 in his five August starts.  That makes them 1-5 in his last six trips to the mound when you add on his last start of July.  But Manoah is still a very dangerous starter and he's built for the long haul so don't be surprised if the big RH finishes the season very strong -- and the Jays follow suit.  He can get things started tonight with this trip south to Pittsburgh to begin a three-game set against the 49-81 Pirates.  It will be Manoah's first start against the Bucs as he's normally used to much tougher competition (Yankees, Rays, Red Sox, etc.).  In four career inter-league starts, Manoah is 2-1.  Additionally, Toronto went 5-0 in Manoah's September starts in 2021 and it's also 9-4 this season when Manoah goes on five or six days' rest.  Take the Jays minus 1.5 runs.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 2:10 pm, our selection is on the Milwaukee Brewers minus 1.5 runs over the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Zach Thompson will get the start for the Pirates this afternoon.  Thompson is 0-6 in his last 10 starts, and he's 2-15 in his last 31 starts.  Even worse, the Bucs have lost 23 of those 31 games.  His ERA this season is 5.40, and it's 6.58 over his last three outings.  And his career ERA vs. the Brewers is 6.62.  Milwaukee will counter with Freddy Peralta, who was understandably rusty when he returned from the injured list on August 3.  The Brewers didn't let him go past 5 innings in his first three starts, but he went 6 innings in each of his last two games, and allowed 2 runs over those 12 innings, including a 6 IP, 0 ER performance last Friday.  His ERA over his last three starts is 1.69, and his WHIP is 0.87.  And his seven career starts vs. Pittsburgh, his ERA is 2.09.  It's true that Thompson is well-rested, with nine days off in between this start, and his previous outing.  But the Bucs are 0-7 in his starts when he was well-rested with at least 7 days off.  Take Milwaukee minus 1.5 runs.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 12:05 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Dodgers minus 1.5 runs over the Miami Marlins.  The Marlins managed to score a huge upset over the best team in baseball on Saturday.  Of course it took a complete game from their ace -- and Cy Young candidate -- Sandy Alcantara, in a 2-1 Miami home victory.  The problem for the Marlins is that they only have one Sandy Alcantara on their staff and he won't be available today.  The Dodgers will send their 20-game winner from 2021 -- Julio Urias -- to the mound for his 25th start of the season.  Urias won't win 20 games this year, but the 26-year-old LHP is having another outstanding campaign.  In 24 starts, covering just under 134 innings, Urias is 13-7 with a 2.36 ERA and 0.96 WHIP, with a 4.81 K:BB ratio (130 strikeouts and 27 walks).  The Mexican southpaw has been much better on the road this season than in L.A.  In 11 home starts, Urias is 5-3 with a 2.64 ERA.  However, in 13 road starts, he is 8-4 with a 2.13 number.  Despite their loss yesterday, the Dodgers are still 5-1 in the last six meetings with the Marlins.  Take Los Angeles minus 1.5 runs.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the New York Mets minus 1.5 runs over the Colorado Rockies.  The Mets were swept in a two-game subway series by their American League counterparts in the Bronx and then had the day off on Wednesday.  They return back to Queens tonight for the first of four against the Rockies, and they're 8-2 this season off back to back losses.  It's only been four starts, but RH ace Jacob deGrom has looked like the best pitcher on the planet again and that's scary considering he still likely doesn't have all his arm strength back.  Start number five comes against a team that can be dangerous at home but probably won't be able to offer much resistance here at Citi Field.  The Rockies are a dreadful 24-64 (minus 28.4 net games) as road underdogs vs. righties, while the Rockies are 0-6 with Ryan Felter in games with Over/Under lines less than 9 runs, and 1-6 in his starts as a road dog.  Meanwhile, this season, deGrom is 2-1 with a 2.31 ERA in 23 1/3 innings with 37 strikeouts and only one walk (how's that for a K:BB ratio!).  And in nine lifetime games vs. the Rox (all starts), deGrom is 5-1 with a ridiculous 1.17 ERA and 0.77 WHIP in just over 61 innings.  Take New York minus 1.5 runs.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:40 pm, our selection is on the San Diego Padres minus 1.5 runs over the Washington Nationals.  Last night, Josh Hader had yet another meltdown for his new team, as the MLB saves leader (29) allowed 3 runs without retiring a batter.  His ERA is 13.50 since joining the Padres.  And it's an unsightly 5.06 on the season.  I would be surprised if Hader was used tonight, given he also pitched Thursday night.  And that's probably a good thing for San Diego, at this point.  Joe Musgrove will get the start for Bob Melvin's club, and he's been a stopper for San Diego the last couple of seasons, as San Diego is 19-11 off a loss with Musgrove on the mound, including 7-1 this season.  Washington, meanwhile, is a poor 12-32 its last 44, including 3-9 off a win.  And it's 51-76 (minus 19 net games) its last 127 off a win.  Take San Diego minus 1.5 runs.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:10 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Dodgers minus 1.5 runs over the Miami Marlins.  If someone had told you at the beginning of the season that two of the Dodgers would be leading the NL in Wins, you probably would have thought, Walker Buehler and Julio Urias ... or maybe Buehler and Clayton Kershaw.  You certainly wouldn't think those two leaders would be Tony Gonsolin and Tyler Anderson.  But sometimes this game throws you curveballs and the success of the bottom end of the Dodger rotation this season is certainly one of those.  The Dodgers got out of Milwaukee with a four-game split and now it's Anderson's turn to kick off this weekend series with the Marlins.  In 22 games -- 20 starts -- the 32-year-old southpaw is 13-2 with a 2.81 ERA and 1.01 WHIP.  Those numbers earned Anderson his first ever All Star Game appearance last month and he hasn't slowed down since then as he is 3-1 with a 2.32 ERA in five starts covering 31 innings since the break.  Clearly, he loves his new ballpark as Anderson is 7-0 with a 2.30 ERA in 10 games (nine starts) at Dodger Stadium this year.  And he should find success tonight against a Marlins club which has only scored more than 3 runs in one of its last 18 games.  Take Los Angeles minus 1.5 runs.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 12:05 pm, our selection is on the San Diego Padres minus 1.5 runs over the Washington Nationals.  The Nats surprised San Diego last night with a 4-3 win behind Anibal Sanchez, who went 5 innings, and gave up 3 runs to lower his ERA to 7.20.  Still, Sanchez got a no-decision, and remained winless at 0-5.  This afternoon, the Nationals will hand the ball to another starter who has yet to notch a win this season.  Paolo Espino is 0-4 in 31 appearances (11 starts), and has a 4.04 ERA and 1.27 WHIP (but those numbers balloon to 5.14 and 1.40 when only his 11 starts are counted).  Espino will match up against veteran lefty Blake Snell, who has been brilliant in his last four starts (22 2/3 innings; 3 runs).  Washington has struggled vs. lefties, as it's 29-60 (minus 25.7 net games).  And it's also 13-41 (minus 17.7 net games) as a home dog of +125 (or more).  San Diego's last 10 wins were by an average of 4.6 runs per game, and it won by 2+ runs in eight of those 10 games.  We'll lay the 1.5 runs this afternoon.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 2:10 pm, our selection is on the Houston Astros minus 1.5 runs over the Texas Rangers.  The Rangers won, 8-4, in 10 innings yesterday.  But that was an uncommon road victory for the Rangers.  Indeed, Texas is a poor 56-111 (minus 31.5 net games) its last 167 on the road.  This afternoon, the Rangers will face southpaw Framber Valdez.  And to say Texas has been dominated lately by 28-year-old lefty would be an understatement.  Valdez has faced Texas five times since Sept. 17, 2020, and he's 4-0 in those five starts, with an ERA of 1.11, and a WHIP of 0.89.  Texas will also start a southpaw -- Cole Ragans -- and the Astros are 26-11 (+6.2 net games) vs. lefties this season.  Finally, Texas has struggled in daytime affairs, with a 15-25 record (minus 10.1 net games), while Houston has excelled in the afternoon (29-13, +7.4 net games).  Lay the 1.5 runs with Houston.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 2:10 pm, our selection is on the Milwaukee Brewers minus 1.5 runs over the Cincinnati Reds.  The Brewers have hit the skids with five losses in their last six games, including a 5-3 loss to the Pirates the last time Corbin Burnes took the mound.  The Brewers' ace gave up four earned runs in that game over 5 1/3 innings, which was the 2nd-most runs he's given up all year.  But Burnes generally bounces back off bad outings.  Indeed, when Burnes has given up 3 or more earned runs in a game, he's allowed 1 earned run or less his next time on the mound in 10 of his last 11.  In those 11 starts, he's allowed just 11 earned runs over 68 2/3 innings (1.44 ERA) and, importantly, Milwaukee has won nine of those 11 games.  Burnes will match-up against Cincy's Graham Ashcraft this afternoon.  In one prior start this season vs. the Brewers, Ashcraft gave up 6 runs over five innings, in a 7-3 defeat.  Take the Brewers minus 1.5 runs today.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:10 pm, our selection is on the Houston Astros minus 1.5 runs over the Boston Red Sox.  When Cristian Javier takes the mound for the Astros tonight, he may be throwing the ball to another Christian (this one with an 'h' in his name).  On Monday, the Astros made a deal with the team they'll be facing tonight for veteran catcher Christian Vazquez.  The move isn't as much for what Vazquez can do at the plate but rather what he can do behind it.  Vazquez will add much-needed experience calling games for Houston's solid rotation -- both the veterans and youngsters.  Javier falls into the latter category and the 25-year-old RH is likely to get a boost from having Vazquez as his backstop.  The 'Stros also improved their lineup with the addition of veteran 1B/DH Trey Mancini from the Orioles.  One reason I like the Astros tonight is that the Red Sox hitters haven't faced Javier before, and I've always believed that favored the pitcher.  Additionally, the Astros are 59-27 this season as a favorite, and 13-4 in Javier's17 starts as a home favorite (including 6-0 when priced from -175 to -250).  Take Houston minus 1.5 runs.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 3:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Blue Jays minus 1.5 runs over the Detroit Tigers.  There are certainly plenty of players you can point the finger at for the lower-than-expected performance of the Blue Jays to date.  But Ross Stripling isn't one of them.  The 32-year-old RHP has done everything you would expect a #5 starter to do -- and then some.  In 22 games -- including 14 starts -- Stripling is 5-3 with a 3.10 ERA and 1.10 WHIP, with a 4.13 K:BB ratio.  But Stripling's numbers are even more impressive when you look what he's done only when he's been in the starting role.  In his 14 starts, Stripling is 4-3 with a 2.94 ERA and 1.04 WHIP -- far above what you'd expect from the guy at the bottom of your rotation.  He'll get the second start of his career against the Tigers this afternoon, and Stripling can only hope that this one goes as well as the first one.  Back on June 12, Stripling threw six innings of near-perfect ball in Detroit and came away with an easy 6-0 Jays victory.  Despite their win here last night, the Tigers are still just 2-12 in their last 14 games vs. the AL East.  The Blue Jays have won eight of their last 12 games by 2+ runs, while Detroit has lost 12 of its last 18 games by 2+ runs.  Take Toronto minus 1.5 runs.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 3:10 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Dodgers minus 1.5 runs over the Washington Nationals.  We didn't see Andrew Heaney in a Dodgers uniform for very long, but what we saw looked pretty darn good.  The 31-year-old former Marlin-Angel-Yankee made two starts for the Dodgers before going on the 10-day IL with shoulder soreness.  Then he came back and made a return start but immediately went back on the IL on June 24 -- again for his shoulder -- and Heaney hasn't made an appearance since.  But in those three starts, Heaney went 1-0 with a 0.59 ERA with 23 strikeouts and four walks in 15 1/3 innings.  He's finally ready to pitch again and no doubt the Dodgers look forward to having the veteran LH back in their rotation -- (they should also be getting Dustin May back from his shoulder surgery soon).  Heaney must certainly be looking forward to contributing to his team's playoff push as he has never pitched in the post-season despite being in the league for eight seasons.  The Nats are 1-10 in Patrick Corbin's last 11 starts vs. teams with a winning record, while his ERA over his last three starts is a woeful 7.87.  Take the Dodgers minus 1.5 runs.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Blue Jays minus 1.5 runs over the Kansas City Royals.  Toronto's Charlie Montoyo became the third MLB Manager to be relieved of his duties this season when the Jays fired him earlier this week (joining Joe Girardi (ex-Phillies) and Joe Madden (ex-Angels).  Bench coach John Schneider has stepped in for now and he has already won his first game, beating the Phillies on Wednesday.  Since going 8-1 with a 1.67 ERA in his first 12 starts, All Star RH Alek Manoah has won just one of his five starts since while seeing his ERA climb to 2.34.  But Manoah has faced winning teams (Red Sox, Mariners, Brewers, and Yankees) in four of those five outings.  Start number 18 will come tonight and Manoah will step down in class to face the 36-53 Royals.  In two career starts vs. KC, Manoah has yet to allow a run as he has logged 13 innings while surrendering just eight hits and four walks with eight strikeouts.  Despite the Royals victory on Thursday evening, the Jays have won five of the last eight meetings vs. Kansas City.  Take Toronto.