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What a fantastic opener today between the Phillies and Braves as that worked out great in every way betting wise. Let's hope for similar here with Boston facing elimination after the biggest shutout playoff loss in franchise history. The Sox go from facing Cam Schlittler to Max Fried, who is 4-1 with a 1.68 ERA in eight career starts vs. Boston (including playoffs), allowing two ER or fewer all. As it is, the Red Sox are averaging the fewest runs per game (2.84) & have the worst batting average (.214) in MLB since Sept 1. Pitcher Sonny Gray is coming off his best season, but he was a shrinking violet under the pressure of New York City when he pitched for the Yanks.

Playoff games are usually low-scoring and decided by a run. Tuesday was bizarre. I expect normalcy to return starting with this matinee. Also don't think the Phillies should be favored, so I'll take the gift. How do you de-flatline mentally less than 24 hours after what happened? Don Mattingly used All-Star closer Jhoan Duran two innings, so now he's probably not available. Today's starter Cristopher Sanchez has been great in 2026 but not nearly as good away, in the day or in September overall (too many innings?). Tyler Mahle has been great for the ATL since coming over via trade. An ideal scenario is a Phillies one-run win so we see a winner-take-all Thursday between these bitter rivals.

Nice break for the Yankees in that they didn't end up having to play at all Sunday with their home game getting canceled due to weather. Meanwhile, the Red Sox had to spend Saturday night in Florida for today's meaningless Cubs game. It's not clear if Aaron Judge will go, and this clearly would rise if so, but I will back lock AL Cy Young winner Cam Schlittler regardless. He has a 0.74 ERA and .174 OBA in four starts this year against Boston. Last year, Schlittler pitched the clinching Game 3 of the AL WC series against the Red Sox and threw eight shutout innings with 12 strikeouts at Yankee Stadium.

I have underestimated the Pale Hose all season and maybe I am again here, but they have almost no playoff experience on the roster and probably the worst pitching staff of any club still standing. They also were well under .500 away. Houston is certainly mediocre but has been here many times before. Feels like a game in which Yordan Alvarez or Jose Altuve has the winning hit. Both teams are using openers, which is kinda sad from an old-school Jack Morris 10-inning World Series start or the like.

Meaningless game but seems a pretty fair price on Seattle, which might want to send out Manager Dan Wilson a winner -- reports are he's not going to be brought back after this disappointing campaign. Front office might have an overhaul, too. It's ace Logan Gilbert for the M's, and they are playing pretty much everyone. Pretty bad Angels lineup sans Mike Trout even if he's not close to what he used to be. Can still easily win a game by himself. Pitcher Yusei Kikuchi is 1-3 with a 5.36 ERA in nine road outings.

I lost about 25 cents waiting on lineups. I was really curious if San Diego would care at all having locked itself into the No. 1 WC spot on Saturday. The answer is the Dads don't care much with Fernando Taris Jr. and Jackson Merrill among those sitting today. All hands on deck for the Snakes as they must win and have the utterly gagging Phillies lose to get that final WC spot. And the Phils well may lose at home to the ultra-professional, AL-best Rays who never seem to not try to win.

Atlanta will turn around and host an opponent TBA Tuesday in the NL Wild-Card Round, so I'd expect at least a few key guys to rest Sunday -- although these aren't the old days where rosters would mega-expand starting Sept. 1 so they can't just play a lineup of scrubs . But I can see the likes of Ronald Acuna and Matt Olson getting a breather as long as they have no contractual reasons to go (incentives, etc.). And no point in using any key reliever to save them all for Tuesday -- most were used Saturday. Miami's Janson Junk has given up one earned or zero in six of his last seven outings, although he doesn't go deep. The Fish can use every pitcher.

The AL West comes down to the final day. Houston wins it and hosts my White Sox on Tuesday with a victory. That the Astros didn't have to use any key relievers Saturday (just two total pitchers overall) in a blowout of the lousy Athletics certainly helps today. Texas takes it with an Astros loss and Rangers win at Minnesota. I'd prefer to face the Rangers but the Pale Hose in the playoffs this season is all gravy anyways. All but two MLB games start in the 3ish window to prevent any funny business or scoreboard-watching.

All I ever ask for is tell me a team/player motivation. If I still lose on a motivated such, I can completely accept that. Don't likey but I accept it. Can't win them all. The Stros got me Friday and probably got many others. But now we are at potential AL West clinching time because Texas lost Friday as well. I do not trust the Rangers tonight at Minny or be in the same boat here. The AL West is like an all-skate; you know what I mean fellow roller skaters from the 80s/90s. What an awful division.

Super-respect to Rays manager Kevin Cash as he's playing most his key guys even though Tampa Bay is locked into the AL's top seed. But the sliding Phillies are playing for their postseason lives now just a game up on surging Arizona. So this will be treated like a World Series Game 7 by Don Mattingly -- it's basically a bullpen day behind Aaron Nola, who won't be out there more than a couple of innings on short rest; his O/U outs total is only 6.5. All hands on deck I'd imagine to avoid a possible must-win scenario Sunday. The Snakes would win any tiebreaker.

Hey if the books keep wanting to give me this I will take it. L.A. is now locked into its playoff seed so this truly is a ridiculous moneyline price (around -335). I have not been great at MLB for a while but I absolutely love this again (won Friday). Can I honestly name more than five Giants who probably start today? No, it's like the Triple-A Isotopes lineup at this point (I haven't seen Simpsons in forever, shocked I pulled that). But now the Dodgers are in cruise control -- ask your granddad what that is in his old Buick. Which also had ashtrays everywhere. Being a kid in the 1970s was very cancerous ..

Feel as if sorta obligated here. I am from Michigan and my Mom utterly worships Justin Verlander. Almost Kirk Gibson-level. It's the final start of his HOF career today for the Tigers so she made me promise to do something -- she mentioned a "no-hitter" which clearly means doesn't follow my job very closely and is living in the San Junipero past. I'll take three no-hit innings Mom ... in a meaningless game, you'd think the Tigers want to send him out a winner.

This is a stupid number and I'll tell you why: The Dodgers have no reason to care (Tarik Skubal pitching or not). They will be the NL's No. 2 seed. The Giants will just have glee beating their richer and better southern rivals. I honestly love this. Don't understand why L.A. would bother much or why the books are offering me this number so cheaply. I will say that I am writing this during Thursday games so some things might change very slightly after. But jumping the lines is my specialty.

I am batting 1.000 on road teams this year, but it felt weird betting an away Astros squad last night in Sac-Town. Worked out nicely. It's like you order some take-out Lo Mein and there's a random chicken nugget in there and not sure if you should eat it; I always do and often regret it. I am all about motivation as a bettor. And it's just all on the visitors' side, and they are starting ace Hunter Brown. If he dominates, and I think he moderately will, the Stros could win the AL West tonight depending on what Texas does. I really enjoy this time of year in MLB because if I lose that's on me. I know which teams are trying or not.