Sports Handicapper Dan Kaiser's Picks & Predictions

The Pittsburgh Pirates will host the Colorado Rockies in a three-game series. The Rockies have lost four in a row and to make matters worse. They have scored a combined 13 runs over those losses. On the season, they have put up 3.77 runs per game. As a team, they have posted a 5.92 ERA. Cal Quantrill will make the start for Colorado. He is 0-3 with a 5.34 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP this season and is  0-1 with a 3.60 ERA in four career appearances against the Pirates. The Pirates are also on a four-game losing streak and have gone 3-13 since mid-April after starting the season 11-5. They have scored a combined five runs in their current losing streak, and put up 3.69 runs per game. The Pirates have a team ERA of 3.80 this season. Marin Perez has given up a run or less in three starts.  He has posted a 1-1 record with a 2.86 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP. Against the Rockies, he is 2-2 with a 3.74 ERA over six starts. The Pirates have the better pitching and the Rockies are just 2-13 on the road this season. Seven of the last nine losses by the Rockies have come by two or more runs. The Pirates are 5-2 in their last seven games against Colorado, with all wins coming by two runs or more.

Play on Pittsburgh. This is a 3% play

The Milwaukee Brewers take on their NL Central rivals the Chicago Cubs with the NL Central  up for grabs. The Brewers were off on Thursday while the Cubs lost on the road in 11 innings to the New York Mets. The Brewers will open the three game series with Joe Ross on the mound while the Cubs will go with Hayden Wesneski. Joe Ross is 1-3 this season with a  5.40 ERA. In last start, he went five innings and gave up seven runs on eight hits. The Cubs’ Hayden Wesneski is 2-0, with a 0.87 ERA so far this season. In his last start, he went four innings and allowed two runs on five hits . Ross is pitching to a 5.40 ERA and a .286 opposing batting average while Wesneski has a 0.87 ERA with a .158 batting average against. The Cubs are 10-3 at home this season and despite their injuries to their pitching staff and everyday players, they find themselves right behind the Brewers in the Central. Take the Cubs to win at home.

Play on Chicago. This is a 3% play.

The Chicago White Sox are one of the worst teams in baseball with a 6-25 record. The St. Louis Cardinals have struggled out of the gate and are just 14-17 this season and in fourth in the NL Central. The Chicago White Sox are putting up just 2.87 runs per game. The Sox will go with Brad Keller for today's start. He has just one outing out of the bullpen this season, going 1.2 scoreless innings against Minnesota  He posted a 4.57 ERA and a 1.92 WHIP with a 3-4 record in 45.1 innings last season with the Royals. He faced the Cardinals in 2022 as a member of the Kansas City Royals and went 6.1 shutout innings with four hits, three walks and a pair of strikeouts. The St. Louis Cardinals are putting up 3.52 runs per game. Sonny Gray gets the start for the Cardinals. He is 3-1 with a 1.16 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP in 23 innings. He has given up zero or one run in three of his four outings. Against the Sox, he has posted a 3.58 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP in 70.1 innings. Neither team is scoring runs and I can’t lay this price on the Cardinals. I am laying a small wager on the White Sox at +1.5 runs and + money.

Play on the White Sox plus 1.5 runa.. This is a 2% play.