Jim Feist

The Colorado Avalanche look to put this Stanley Cup away at home tonight in game five. They are up 3-1 after winning at Tampa in game four, 3-2 in OT. If you watched the OT, Colorado dominated. They had fresh legs and it showed. Colorado had eight days off before the Stanley Cup finals compared to just three by Tampa Bay. This Colorado team is too fast and strong for St Louis, especially on fresh legs. If it wasn't for the Tampa Bay goalie, the Rockies could have blown game four open. He has stopped 12 of 13 Colorado break aways in the series and made amazing saves in game four. Only two players on this Colorado team have been on a Stanley Cup champion. All that being said, I believe Colorado wins it tonight and they score big again. I won't lay the big price with the Avs but I will take the OVER.

All of a sudden the NY Mets have to look over their shoulder because here comes Atlanta. The Braves have shaved the lead in the NL East to 4-games. It doesn't help their cause that the Mets have lost two straight games. Now they open a three-game series at Miami. The Mets will start Taijuan Walker today. Walker is 5-2 in his 11 starts with a 2.88 ET. Walker has been very good in his last two starts, allowing two total runs over 12 2/3 innings with 19 KO's and just two walks. Meanwhile Miami has won three straight games and will send their best pitcher to the hill in Sandy Alcantara. Alcantara is 7-2 in his 14 starts with a 1.72 ERA and an even better 1.36 home ERA. How consistent has he been? How about allowing two runs or fewer in 13 of his 14 starts this season. This looks like a dead under play to me today.

The Boston Red Sox look for their fifth straight win as they had to Cleveland tonight for a three-game series. The Red Sox are still way back of the Yankees in the AL East. However, they are just a half game from second place. Nick Pivetta will start today for the Sox with a 7-5 mark in his 14 starts and a 3.31 ERA. He's pitched well of late, allowing two total runs in three of those four starts. The Cleveland Guardians are have closed to within three-games of first place Minnesota. Cal Quantrill will start today for the Guardians. Quantrill is 4-4 in his 12 starts with a 3.77 ERA. Quantrill got hit hard last start, allowing five runs and 10 hits over five innings. I'll take the Red Sox here today.

The Philadelphia Phillies opened their four game set with the Padres by winning on Thursday, 6-2. That snapped a Phillies three-game losing streak. The Phillies will have Aaron Nola on the hill tonight with a 4-4 record in his 14 starts and a 3.11 ERA. He's been even better on the road with a 2-3 record in seven starts and a 2.25 ERA. Nola has allowed just two total runs over his last three starts (22 Innings). The San Diego Padres are 1/2 game back of the Dodgers in the NL West. Mackenzie Gore will start for the Padres tonight. Gore is 4-3 in his 10 starts with a 3.86 ERA. Gore has been hard in his last two starts, allowing 14 runs and 14 hits over his last 6 2/3 innings. I'll take the road team here tonight. Play Philadelphia.

All of a sudden the NY Mets have to look over their shoulder because here comes Atlanta. The Braves have shaved the lead in the NL East to 4-games. It doesn't help their cause that the Mets have lost two straight games. Now they open a three-game series at Miami. The Mets will start Taijuan Walker today. Walker is 5-2 in his 11 starts with a 2.88 ET. Walker has been very good in his last two starts, allowing two total runs over 12 2/3 innings with 19 KO's and just two walks. Meanwhile Miami has won three straight games and will send their best pitcher to the hill in Sandy Alcantara. Alcantara is 7-2 in his 14 starts with a 1.72 ERA and an even better 1.36 home ERA. How consistent has he been? How about allowing two runs or fewer in 13 of his 14 starts this season. I'll take the Marlins with Alcantara as your free play of the Day.