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00:00The playoff picture around Major League Baseball. Outside of the National Football League,
00:05it is our focus. The October stretch run here to end out September. Again, less than 20 games
00:11remain for every club around Major League Baseball. About 17, 18 games left for most teams.
00:18We start, Joe, in the National League and what the postseason outlook is as of this moment. Now,
00:24the Dodgers have the best record alongside the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phils walking it off
00:30yesterday. Thank you, Cody Clemons. The Dodgers actually got beat at home by the Chicago Cubs,
00:3610-4, despite Shohei Otani stealing another base. So that's the battle for the top spot
00:41in the National League that we'll look at in just a moment. But we expect
00:45both L.A. and Philadelphia to earn the opening round by end of the division series. That was
00:51not always the case, but Milwaukee has trailed off a little bit. Both L.A. and Philadelphia,
00:57three and a half games clear of the Brew Crew. The most compelling component, though,
01:02of the National League playoff picture, not the division races where every divisional leader
01:08is up substantially, it's that wild card chase. The Padres and the D-backs in front,
01:14and now the Mets, a full game up on the Atlanta Braves for that third and final spot. But the
01:21Mets not all that far behind either San Diego or Arizona. The three teams that occupy the three
01:27wild card positions at this momentary separated all by just a game and a half.
01:34It's kind of crazy, and I will remind everyone what we watched a year ago, Ben, with Arizona,
01:42where, hey, none of us were talking about the Diamondbacks. And then slowly but surely in the
01:47August and September, they were the hottest team in Major League Baseball, and they rode that right
01:53to a National League championship here while other teams kind of ran out of gas and the
01:59injuries started to catch up with them. It feels like the Padres, the Diamondbacks, and the Mets
02:05are doing just that, and it feels like the teams that are already at the top of their division
02:12leaderboards, they might be worried about injuries, or even better yet, maybe slowing out of
02:18steam and played their best baseball then already. They played it back in May and June and July and
02:26not now. So I think it's going to be absolutely wild. So what's really fascinating, the Padres
02:33and the Diamondbacks, by far the two hottest teams following the All-Star break. Up until
02:38August 25th, Arizona was 26-8 from the All-Star break in August. Up until August 27th, the Padres
02:47were 26-9 since the All-Star break back in Arlington. Now they've cooled off just a little
02:54bit, at least by those relative standards. The Padres in their last 11 games are 5-6. Oh man,
03:01they're a game below 500. In the last 11 games for Arizona, they're 4-7. Again, they are going
03:09to be playoff teams more than likely, but with Atlanta behind New York by only a game for the
03:15third and final spot, and now with the Mets and the D-backs and the Padres separated by only a
03:22game and a half, all four of those teams just a two and a half game distinction for the three
03:28wildcard positions. Rene, there was a thought earlier this summer, or at least before we got
03:34to September, that we would see the Padres and the D-backs well clear of whoever won that third
03:40and final National League wildcard spot. Now they're not separated by all that much.
03:47It's coin flip down the stretch, isn't it here? But as good as you've mentioned it,
03:53after the All-Star break the Padres and Arizona have been, the Mets team might just have them beat
03:59by the time we get to the end of the regular season. I don't particularly think it's going
04:03to be close. I think the Mets could very well, the way the schedule lines up. Is it hard to think
04:09that they're the number one wildcard team when it's all said and done? Because I don't think
04:14that is. I don't think the Cubs are done as far as I'm concerned. So it's a matter of who wins the
04:19top wildcard spot. I would not be shocked if it's the Mets. Yeah, the Cubby's still five games back
04:25of New York for what would be that third and final spot. All of the division prices around
04:30the National League are off the FanDuel Sportsbook because of the substantial advantages the Dodgers,
04:35the Brewers, and the Phillies have. You mentioned the Braves, who have made the postseason every
04:40year since 2017 in MLB. Every year has been via winning the National League East, more than likely
04:47their sixth season streak of winning the division comes to a close. What is really interesting as
04:53well is the top spot in the National League. The Dodgers a minus 220 favorite, despite having the
04:59same exact record as the Phillies right now. But in the season series, six matchups between these
05:05two teams, it was all Philadelphia. They won five of six. The tiebreaker could lead to home field
05:12advantage throughout the NL playoff picture. More around the American League coming your way next
05:17here on The Early Line. From the National League to the AL, the playoff picture in the American
05:23League live right here on this Tuesday on The Early Line on SportsGrid. All season long,
05:29all summer long, all September long, it would seem, Joe and Harry, the most fascinating battle
05:35in terms of playoff positioning in the AL. Who's going to win the American League East?
05:41When the Yankees started to stumble, the Orioles never took advantage. And that's still where
05:46things are for Baltimore. They trail the Yanks by a game and a half now for that top spot in the
05:52American League East division. The Yankees winning yesterday, 10-4 at home over Kansas City. Baltimore
05:58getting blown out in Boston by the Red Sox. The Sox winning 12-3 in the final in Fenway. So now
06:05a game and a half lead for the Yankees atop the American League East. And a four-game in front
06:11of the Guardians for the Yankees for what is the best record in the AL. The Yankees a game and a
06:18half lead in the American League East. The Guardians up by three and a half in the American
06:22League Central. And the Astros still a four-game lead in the American League West. The Mariners
06:29not necessarily out of it at this moment as we are only three games back for Seattle and Detroit
06:37and Boston who's not on that list of the third and final American League wildcard spot as the
06:43Twins are on a little bit of a slide right now riding a four-game skid. Yeah, and this is going
06:50to be kind of the best of the rest, right? I mean, the Guardians had such a great first half, Ben,
06:57and we've seen teams do this before where they've had Philadelphia did it in the National League
07:03here. They had such successful first halves, took advantage of easy schedules, and they're kind of
07:10riding that to the end. The Guardians have not been good since the All-Star break either here,
07:14but you mentioned it. The Twins didn't start great. They seem to have figured it out, but injuries
07:20continue to be a concern there. The Royals, quite honestly, have been the most consistent team of
07:26any of them in that division, which is kind of laughable. I think Baltimore, two things have
07:32happened, the injuries with the pitching staff, and they have somewhere along the line morphed
07:37into a home run or bust type team that never wins in the postseason, and I think that very young,
07:45very inexperienced Baltimore is going to be around over the next couple of years, like it or not,
07:50but this year I think it's the Yankees to lose the American League East as well as the American
07:56League pennant. When you look at the odds right now in the American League East division, minus
08:02260 for New York, plus 200 for Baltimore, the two will end the season at least in their second to
08:09last set against one another, and that could also decide who earns the top overall seed in the
08:16American League as well, because the Yankees are a minus 190 favorite to be the number one seed in
08:22the AL, the Guardians plus 310, but Baltimore still has life in that market, Joe, plus 390.
08:29Yeah, listen, anything that we, it's so funny for the Yankees being in first place having one of the
08:36best records, right, in Major League Baseball. Doesn't it feel like they have been the most up
08:40and down, inconsistent team that we have, and I think all of that stems from which Aaron Judge
08:46and which Soto show up, and do they show up together? Because you're not beating the Yankees,
08:51but if they don't, the Yankees are very beatable with that pitching staff, unfortunately.
08:56So when you look at the season series between these two teams, it was all Baltimore to start.
09:01They won five of the first seven. Recently they played right before the all-star break
09:06when the O's could have ran away at sea with the American League East against a slumping New York
09:11team, and the Yanks rallied to win two of those three games. So the Orioles still have the season
09:18series advantage at this moment. They've won six of ten, and again, the second-to-last set of the
09:23year between these two sides in the Bronx inside Yankee Stadium to end out their second-to-last
09:30series of this season. How critical will that set be? There is no doubt, though, Joe, the team
09:37that loses the American League East is going to factor into the postseason race. The Orioles three
09:42games in front of the Royals, who are now two and a half games in front of Minnesota. The Twins on a
09:48four-game slide. Again, they still have a three-game cushion in front of the Mariners, in front of the
09:54Red Sox, who have not been great since the all-star break. But how about those Detroit Tigers?
10:00If you want some optimism for a team that is under year number two of the management of A.J. Hinch,
10:06with a guy who is going to run away with the American League Cy Young Award in Tarek Scouble,
10:11and some exciting young bats, Riley Green, Matt Vierling, some others there for Detroit. This
10:18Tigers team, Joe, they've won 18 of their last 26 games. 18-8 since August 10th. Because on August
10:27the 10th, suffering yet another loss, Detroit was eight games below .500 at 55-63. Now two games
10:34north of that winning mark at 73-71. Is there any chance the Tigers, the Mariners, the Red Sox
10:43could rally here with less than 20 games remaining
10:46in this MLB campaign to storm all the way back and earn a playoff bid?
10:52Listen, you got to give them credit, Ben. Go back even further. Since July 1st, they're 35-25.
10:58That's the best record in the American League alongside the Houston Astros. Now, the Astros,
11:04it helped the Astros get in that division, obviously, to claw their way to the top here.
11:09It's put Detroit, what, three games out now of that wildcard spot. If that's going to keep
11:16happening, if they're going to make this push, then their team ERA over this since August 1st,
11:22Ben, has been the best in Major League Baseball. The pitching has been over the top,
11:28led by Tarek Scouble. The bullpen has been absolutely outstanding. If you get great
11:34pitching down the stretch, and you still have those young hitters being able to drive in runs
11:39like they have been doing, and this isn't an anomaly, Ben, it's not like they've gone over
11:43in a nice seven-game stretch here. They've been doing it since July 1st, and nobody seems to have
11:48noticed. If the pitching holds up, the Tigers are very much in play for a wildcard spot.
11:55It would be crazy to see that rally out of Detroit. It would be a very fun thing. The Astros,
12:01by the way, a hefty favorite to win the American League West. They have a four-and-a-half game lead
12:07in front of the Mariners. Seattle has won four of its last five to make it respectable,
12:13but Houston, since the All-Star break, 27-20, they have just kept pace in front of the M's,
12:19minus 3,000, the price on the Astros. So, Joe, let's go big picture. We compare the two top
12:24teams in the American League East that, for most of this MLB season, had the two best prices to
12:30win the American League pennant. But now the Astros have moved in front of the O's by 20 cents.
12:37They're a dollar behind the pinstripes. The Yankees, plus 2.20, the Astros, plus 3.20,
12:42the Orioles, plus 3.40. The Yankees, of course, have failed to win an American League pennant
12:48since their last World Series in 2009. The Astros, a very different story. They have at least played
12:56in the American League Championship Series seven consecutive seasons, even after the cheating
13:03scandal came to a close. You said the Yankees are atop the American League. Who is that team you
13:09think would rival the Yanks for the pennant right now? Well, you have to go Houston, not because I
13:17think this is an exceptional Houston team. I think Houston has a little bit of luck rolling in them
13:22that they're stuck in a division in which everyone else, they're the best of the rest,
13:26is really how I put Houston here. They're winning despite of themselves here. But that experience
13:35matters, Ben, this time of year. They understand what it takes. Just get into the playoffs, right?
13:40And then anything can happen. They know how to win a short series. They know what this is all about.
13:46So from an experience standpoint, yeah, I would favor them over the Orioles here. And then would
13:53we all be shocked if it came down to Houston and the Yankees? I don't think we'd be shocked at all.
14:00Wouldn't that be a very fun time, a rematch of the American League Championship Series from
14:05a few years back in the ALCS once again between the Astros and the Yanks. Quickly here, Henry,
14:13any of the three teams more than likely from the AL Central that will get into the postseason
14:18you could see making a run or if you had to pick one of them?
14:22I don't see any. The only one would be the Guardians because of the bullpen.
14:26I don't trust either of the other two. They don't have the pitching.
14:30Listen, I love the Royals. They've already gone over their preseason win total that I bet it's 73
14:34and a half. So they have my heart, but I kind of agree with you. Live right here on this Tuesday
14:40on the early line, we welcome in now our MLB insider, the host of Newswire and a college
14:46football aficionado, Craig Misch. Live right here on this Tuesday on TEL. Craig, less than 20 games
14:53left for all 30 clubs around Major League Baseball. The hunt for October is firmly on. Every day has
15:01an impact on the playoff race. We're glad for your insight on this Tuesday. Yeah, great to be back
15:07with you guys here on the show. Great to see Joe Ranieri in the house here with me. I almost had
15:11to call Joe on Friday for some tech support, but we got through it. He was busy here.
15:19Yeah, he's too busy. Joe's a man of many talents. You know that Joe has an AI Joe too. He works
15:28like eight jobs. That's right. He does. Listen, that's correct. Joe Ranieri, don't stop. That's
15:33for sure. One of the hardest working men at the Spiz Grizz. That is for sure. But Craig, as we go
15:40all around MLB today, as we often do, I think this is Ranieri's first time
15:45seeing this lovely animation. It's time for Daily Basis.
15:52Yes. Missed opportunity to put Leecey's voice in there and really spook Ranieri
15:58and have him ask what the heck is going on. Maybe we'll do that next week or Thursday or Friday.
16:06Craig's not here on Friday. All right. Maybe not here on next Tuesday as well. We'll talk to you
16:10tomorrow, Craig. All right. So let's start with Craig's favorite topic each and every day to lead
16:14off a Major League Baseball discussion, and that's the New York Yankees. A 10 to 4 win yesterday
16:19up in the Bronx over the Royals. Jason Dominguez gets the call up. The top prospect for the pin
16:26stripes. One for four at the dish. He scores a run. Austin Wells records four RBIs. And the
16:32Yankees, Craig, now have a game and a half advantage in the American League East. What do
16:38you make of the Yankees, the call up of Dominguez, and where this roster feels right now entering the
16:43end of September? I know we're not going to remember this next year, but this is a friendly
16:48reminder. When the Yankees lose three games in a row in May, June, or July, the sky is not falling.
16:54They may end up having the best record. I mean, really, the overreaction that I see every day for
16:59the Yankees. There's no team like this in baseball. But, you know, last night, great win for them. You
17:04know, I thought they did a good job getting through the first five innings, did Kansas City,
17:08but their bullpen really gave it up. And Tyler Wells has been really good. I mean, how many
17:12catchers are batting fourth or fifth in any lineup in baseball? Wells has done a really nice job for
17:16them. So, yeah, I mean, the Yankees are headed toward the playoffs. The Orioles have fallen back
17:20a little bit. And so, barring a disaster from New York, and really, where would that come from? Maybe
17:25only their bullpen in the ninth inning. Beyond that, the Yankees look like they've got a stranglehold
17:30for now on the division. And I still think Kansas City's got a great shot to make it, too. But great
17:34to see two teams that could play each other in the postseason this week. I'm guessing, Greg, that it's
17:41the Yankees, American League East, to lose here at this point. But how concerned are you with Baltimore?
17:47Really, just even heading into the playoffs at this point, because they do finish, I think,
17:53what, second to last series against one another here. But by that point, it could be over, no?
17:58Yeah, you know, it's funny, Joe. When Donnie's on the show, along with Ben, we talk about this at
18:02the trade deadline, Ben, right? Like, the Orioles are never going to push their chips all the way
18:06in, ever, at the trade deadline. This is just not the way they're going to operate. They're very happy
18:10winning 88 to 93 games, somewhere along those lines, and sort of recognizing that the postseason
18:15is a tournament. A lot of Orioles fans aren't happy with that. They probably wish they should
18:19have done a bit more. But this is just the way they're going to do business. They're going to
18:23develop prospects. They're going to get them to the next level, call them up, you know, have them
18:27for five, six years. And then, inevitably, some of them, they keep. Some of them, they let go. So,
18:32look, Santander's been carrying them. I believe he hit his 40th home run last night, if I'm not
18:36mistaken. He'll be a free agent at the end of the season, too. But the Orioles have enough prospects
18:40in the minor that they'll call up there. But I just don't see them ever making mega trades to,
18:47you know, to sort of put themselves over the top. If you think about it, guys, even the trade that
18:51they acquired Corbin Burns and Joey Ortiz has done a great job for Milwaukee, that was not really a
18:56blockbuster trade when you consider the fact that Burns is a free agent at the end of the year, too.
19:01The O's have lost three straight. They are just 16 and 19, or 17 and 19, rather, excuse me,
19:07since the start of August. Mediocre baseball here in the second half. What a story it has been
19:14for one great college baseball pitcher that was supposed to revolutionize Major League Baseball.
19:20Kumar Rocker gets his call up today. He will start and make his MLB debut for the Rangers.
19:26Craig, it's been a wild story for Rocker since he left Vanderbilt. Can you detail the story a little
19:33bit for some that do not know and what your expectation is for him today in Arlington?
19:38Yeah, I mean, it's pretty simple. When you get drafted, you don't have to sign with the team
19:44they get drafted with in baseball. You know, simply put, Rocker, you know, was drafted by the
19:48Mets. The Mets felt like he was injured after they signed him. And, you know, no one really
19:53knows specifically if the Mets went back on the deal or Rocker's camp wasn't happy with the deal.
19:57But essentially, you know, he left, he came back, then the Rangers ended up taking him,
20:02and now they're hoping that Rocker and Jack Leiter are fronting that rotation for many years
20:07to come. Ben, it remains to be seen. It's very hard to tell at this point. You know,
20:11Rocker comes with a lot of fanfare. He's supposed to be very good. But really,
20:14how many guys come up like Paul Skeens? Very few. So I would temper my expectations at least
20:19initially for him. But it is cool to see the Rangers. They're really not back in the race,
20:23so to speak, but they're kind of like hanging around. Any team that wins five, six games in
20:26a row right now can put themselves back in it. We'll see if the Rangers get Rocker and Scherzer
20:31and DeGrom and all these guys back for the end. So, I mean, you're not buying the Mariners today
20:38against the Padres? I don't know. I can't trust the Mariners, Greg. Can you?
20:46Well, I mean, look, you can't bet the Padres today because you don't know what Udarvish is
20:50going to be. He did not look right at all in his last start. So either it's a pass or, you know,
20:56you have to sort of figure it out. I don't know. This is one of those games where I'm a little
21:00nervous about, so probably a pass for me. Udarvish made his first start since the end of May,
21:07just last Wednesday against the Tigers, two and two thirds, four hits, three earned run given up,
21:14including a home run. Greg, Seattle right now with a quick follow-up here, three games out of the
21:20third and final American League wildcard spot. The Twins on a small slide. They've lost four
21:26straight. Is there any hope for Seattle making that postseason push? The Tigers,
21:31they make some noise. How do you see the wildcard race? Yeah, I mean, Twins had a team meeting last
21:35night to sort of get them back in the right direction. But look, this time last year,
21:39guys, the Cubs had like an 85 percent chance to make the postseason. They didn't make it. So
21:44hold on your hats. Still three weeks to go. Two and a half weeks left, three weeks left of this
21:50regular season. It's going to be good. Greg, we'll talk tomorrow. We appreciate the time.
21:57Time for some MLB breakdowns as we get you ready for a full Tuesday slate around the sport. A game,
22:04Joe, that we talked about with Craig Mish. Kumar Rocker makes his long await—hold on a second.
22:11We got a doubleheader? Thursday? It was Thursday? I swear the update that I saw said Tuesday.
22:19Hold on a second. Joe, I might need you to take this one. Thursday? Oh, no. Oh, it's Thursday.
22:25That's my mistake. Listen, hand up. We all make some mistakes. I apologize for the incorrect
22:32information. So Kumar Rocker is going to start Thursday in a series against the Diamondbacks,
22:38starting tonight in Arizona. That is my mistake. Once again, Nathan Evaldi taking on Zach Allen
22:44and the D-backs. You heard Craig Mish say it. The Rangers, the reigning World Series champs,
22:49more than likely, unless they get really hot in their final 17-18 games of this season,
22:54not going to see the playoffs once again, but they're going to be a pesky foe for teams looking
23:01to improve their playoff positioning. That is the Diamondbacks. The D-backs have lost seven
23:07of their last 11, but greater than a dollar and a half favorite today, Joe, at home in downtown
23:12Phoenix. Total, seven and a half for Evaldi and Gallon. How do you line this game up tonight in
23:18the desert? Oh, I think we got some technical difficulties there. I asked them to take it over
23:28for Kumar Rocker when I made my mistake, and they had some technical difficulties in Florida as
23:35well. So again, the Diamondbacks struggling just a little bit here. They've lost seven of the last
23:4111. Joe, you were so offended by me messing up the debut in Major League Baseball for Kumar
23:46Rocker, you needed a beat. I get it. Understandable. Well, the problem was I bet him,
23:51and he's not even pitching tonight. That's the problem. So now I'm trying to get rid of that
23:55here, Ben. We're on. Just get it done. But no, I'm still, I would only look at the Arizona side
24:04in this one here. Gallon at home, obviously issues when he's on the road, and Evaldi starting to get,
24:13starting to see a little, a few more barrels than he did early on in the season here. I do think
24:20Arizona at home, definitely the team that I would look here, because that's a pretty decent price
24:25with your ace on the mound. When they lost their last two games for the Rangers against the
24:31Guardians just about a week and a half ago, they were 11 games below 500, 60 and 71, almost
24:37inconceivable for a reigning World Series champ. They won 10 of their last 13 from that point
24:43in five of their last six. The Rangers playing better baseball at this moment, won three of four
24:49against the Angels over the weekend. Again, Arizona still a lead over the Mets, one game in front of
24:58New York for that second of three National League wildcard spots. But it is getting a little bit
25:03tighter where we just gave it to San Diego and Arizona and said, we'll figure out that third
25:08and final National League wildcard spot. The Rangers still six games out of wildcard contention
25:14and seven and a half behind the Astros atop the American League West. Do the Mariners have some
25:19life? They're three games back of the wildcard chase. They're four and a half back of the Astros,
25:25probably a wildcard, more likely at this moment. Seattle at home tonight, total is seven as they
25:32host San Diego. We heard about you, Darvish, with Craig Misch, made his return since late May
25:38last week, only won two and two thirds and gave up three earned runs. He makes his second start here
25:45now in September up in Seattle. What do you like? They've won, what, four of their last five,
25:52Seattle. I think they even managed somehow to score in double digits in a couple of those
25:58wins there, especially against the Cardinals there on Sunday here. But Edgar Martinez is their new
26:06hitting coach and all of the reports and all the quotes coming out of the locker room, Ben,
26:10is they love them and they're starting to produce. So whatever changes he's making
26:15seems to be working with this lineup, including Julio Rodriguez, who absolutely loves them.
26:21The big question is, is it too little, too late? This is a seven total. We got seven and
26:27Seattle is notoriously an under team at home here. I'm with Craig. I don't know what to expect from
26:34Darvish, but I do know what to expect from Kirby and Seattle. And this just feels like it's going
26:40to be an under game when it's all said and done. Maybe you Darvish knocked off the rust and he's
26:45feeling better entering this second start in September. You are correct, Joe, four of the
26:50last five victories for Seattle in all four wins, at least six runs, double digits twice, 16 against
26:58Oakland last week, 10 in the finale in St. Louis on Sunday under the arch. The Mets are the hottest
27:06team in baseball. New York has won 10 of its last 11. And because of that, the Amazons now have a
27:12game advantage over Atlanta for the third and final National League wildcard spot. Will the
27:17winning ways continue for a second straight day in Toronto? The Mets are booked as a minus 130
27:24road money line favorite. Yeah, and they're doing it ugly, right? And it's not pretty the way the
27:30Mets are winning, but they're scraping out, you know, their scrappy team, they're getting runs,
27:35they're playing small ball. You know, they are doing the kinds of things that you need to do
27:41in order to be able to make a playoff push here. And to me, if it ain't broke, I ain't fixing it
27:46here. Although the pitching matchup is not great. Didn't the Mets used to have one Chris Bassett on
27:52their team that they had? Yeah, this is going to be an interesting one here tonight. Feels like
27:56an over to me as well. Total is eight up in the six to your point of scratching runs across. It
28:03was Tyrone Taylor and Eddie Alvarez who scored the two game tying and go ahead runs for New York
28:10last night in the eighth in Toronto. Tyrone Taylor scored in a wild pitch and Eddie Alvarez
28:15on a past ball. So we go from the Mets who now have that game lead over Atlanta. The Braves played
28:21since yesterday. It was a makeup from the end of July. They were blank. They only got two hits.
28:27Will there be more offense tonight in the nation's capital against the Nationals? Mackenzie Gore,
28:32Reynaldo Lopez. Total is eight. What's the play here, Jeff? Oh, the play is absolutely give me
28:40the home dog here in Washington plus a run and a half. I will take the run and a half here. No
28:45way do I trust Atlanta's bats here. I do like Mackenzie Gore and I do think they're going to
28:51be scrappy and they are going to have their hands full here Atlanta with this Nats team playing
28:55spoiler. Again, the Braves trying to bounce back. They have not been bad since the start of September
29:04outside of a series loss to Philadelphia, but the Mets have just been that good.
29:09They trail by a game looking for the third and final and a wild card spot. More baseball breakdowns
29:15up next. A few more MLB breakdowns to send you into your full slate on this Tuesday late night
29:22at the ravine in Los Angeles. It's the Dodgers playing host to the Cubbies and we've got a
29:28showdown of two Japanese arms on the bump. Shota Iminaga gets the start for Chicago. Yoshi Yamamoto
29:35now back for the Dodgers. LA booked as a minus 164 home money line favorite. It was the Cubbies
29:41winning and plating 10 yesterday against the Dodgers on a Monday night in Los Angeles. Will LA
29:49return the favor tonight? Yeah, I can tell you the big winner here is going to be Japanese television,
29:56which I can't even imagine what must be between Otani, Imanaga, and Yamamoto now back. I guess
30:04the entire country is going to shut down here. What are we going to get from Yamamoto? Anybody
30:09know? I mean, I have a pretty good idea of what we're going to get from Imanaga. I'm going to
30:13keep it simple, Ben. I don't want nothing to do with the bullpens. I will, however, look for that
30:19first five under in this one here and expect that maybe just maybe a good old-fashioned pitchers
30:25duel breaks out on television. And when you look at Shohei Otani, of course, another member of what
30:31Japanese media will be following tonight, he is in the hunt for doing something historic once again.
30:39That is 50 stolen bases and 50 home runs to become the first ever MLB player to do that. He did have
30:45a stolen bag yesterday, albeit in the Dodgers' loss. He has 46 home runs, 47 stolen bases. LA
30:52has 18 games remaining in this Major League Baseball season. You would think he is going to
30:58start a new club, the 50-50 club in MLB history. Yoshi Yamamoto making his return to the starting
31:05staff for the Dodgers, his last outing in the middle of June against the Kansas City Royals.
31:10But when he left, he had a 2-9-2 ERA and a 6-2 record. The Dodgers, all of their injuries,
31:18and I don't want to jinx anything for Los Angeles here, happened earlier in the season. A lot of the
31:23guys starting to get healthy and getting back. 86-58 is the record for LA, tied for the top mark
31:32in the National League alongside Philadelphia. They walked it off yesterday at home, did the
31:38fills in their matchup against the Rays. Ranger Suarez gets the start today, minus 164 for the
31:44field. It was a pretty hefty home favorite against Tampa Joe. Yeah, big time. And neither of these
31:50two teams, I think, can be trusted offensively here. It seems to be a battle for both of them.
31:57And I've got two, Taj Bradley and Suarez can miss some bats. Ben, I got two pretty good strikeout
32:03pitchers here in a spot where it would not shock me if we're going under the same. It was eight,
32:09it's now seven and a half, and I still like the under in this one. Yeah, that total is dropping.
32:15The under has the juice at minus 122. Would not be surprised if we see even more movement on that
32:22total. Total eight and a half tonight up in the Bronx between the Yankees and the Royals. Second
32:27game of this midweek set, the Yanks scored 10 yesterday to knock off Kansas City, 10-4. Marcus
32:33Stroman starts for the Pinstripes, minus 144. The updated number on the money line, Seth Lugo,
32:38who was great early this year and hasn't been all that solid since the all-star break, but better
32:44in his last few starts for the Royals, gets the nod today for Kansas City. Does Casey even up the
32:50set or do the Yankees win the first two? Yeah, it's going to be interesting. Lugo has not been
32:57striking out as many guys, Ben. He's not been missing or getting guys to chase like he did
33:02early on in the season. That's kind of been what the issue with him and over the last month is.
33:07But we all know that Stroman, what, five runs, nine hits, three and two-thirds last time out
33:13against the Rangers. This feels like an over. Call me crazy here, but I think both lineups
33:18will have success scoring runs in this game here tonight. Yeah, it's been really interesting to
33:23see what Seth Lugo has done this year. He has earned a ton of decisions hoping for better today
33:29against New York. Casey entered this set on a four-game win streak after losing seven
33:35in a row. They have lost the first one. We'll see if the Yankees can win this game,
33:39putting themselves in position to sweep in the midweek set over Kansas City. New York snapped
33:44a three-game series losing skid this weekend with a series victory in Wrigley. Led to callers last
33:51week questioning if Aaron Boone was the right guy for the job for New York, despite the fact
33:55the Yankees were still in contention for that number one overall seed. The Yankees have not
34:00swept anybody since the fills at the end of July. Just one more game to show you. A total
34:06nine and a half tonight between the Red Sox and the O's. Boston hammered Baltimore yesterday,
34:1212-3 in the opener of this midweek set. Joe Ranieri, always a pleasure, my friend. Great
34:19to have you here throughout football season on the early line. Joe here Tuesdays and Fridays as
34:26well. The early line returns tomorrow, 8 a.m. Eastern Time, live on a Wednesday on SportsGrid.com.