Today marks the half-way point of the season for a number of teams. The Mariners, Dodgers, Giants, and Padres all hit the milestone today. With eight teams in each league making the playoffs, the Dodgers and Padres can pretty much play .500 the rest of the way and earn a slot. The Giants are just three games under .500, so they have to turn it up a notch. The Mariners are nine games under .500, tied with Boston for the worst record in the AL, so they will need to go on a tear.

The White Sox visit the Cubs as the Windy City Series continues. The White Sox pounded the Cubs for seventeen runs in the first two games, against Jon Lester and Kyle Kendricks. Today, Dylan Cease takes the mound against Yu Darvish. Note that Hendricks, Lester, and Darvish are 1-2-5 respectively in the NL in walks allowed per 9 IP (BB/9). The White Sox are not a team that looks for walks; they walk in just 7.1% of their plate appearances, fourth lowest in the majors. They are up looking for pitches to hit, and the Cubs pitchers are providing them. Cease owns a 3.16 ERA despite allowing six home runs in 25 2/3 innings. Part of that is four of his thirteen runs allowed were unearned.

Zack Greinke and the Astros take on the slamming Padres and Adrian Morejon. (Or as Chris Berman might say, “Adrian ‘I gotta a fever, and the only prescription is’ Morejon!) Greinke and Max Fried of the Braves are the only two ERA qualifiers not to allow a home run this season. Can Greinke stop the Padres? Morejon serves as an opener and in three start in his career allowed and allowed three earned runs in seven innings

Enjoy!