The set-up: The Minnesota Twins were caught from behind and passed by the defending AL Champs (Cleveland Indians) in the AL Central but they have righted the ship with a 13-4 run which has not enabled them to catch the Indians (Cleveland leads the division by 4 1/2 games) but has allowed them to keep their playoff hopes alive. The 65-60 Twins  currently own the No. 2 wild card spot, led by a power surge which has seen them hit 17 HRs in their last six games, while averaging more than two per contest during their 13-4 run. Minnesota hit three HRs in Tuesday's 4-1 victory in Chicago against the White Sox and the five-game series (teams played a doubleheader on Monday) continues tonight at Guaranteed Rate Field. The 48-76 White Sox own the AL's worst record and have been "playing out the string" for quire awhile now.

The pitching matchup: Ervin Santana (13-7 & 3.33 ERA) steps to the hill for the Twins and James Shields (2-4 & 5.72 ERA) for the White Sox. Santana has a chance to match his best win total since 2010 - when he won a career-high 17 - after defeating Arizona his last time out. The Twins are 15-10 (plus-$549) in Santana's 25 starts in 2017, in what has been quite a nice turnaround for the 34-year-old veteran. Santana pitched 15 scoreless innings over two starts versus Chicago in April but was roughed up for six runs and a season-high 10 hits in five innings in a rematch June 20, which left him 11-8 with a 3.68 ERA lifetime against the White Sox in 25 starts (teams are 14-11). Shields entered August with a 6.19 ERA but he's been a bit better this month, tossing back-to-back quality starts (three ERs allowed in both games) before yielding two runs in 5 1/3 innings at Texas on Friday. He held the Twins to one run through six innings in a solid outing earlier this year (Chicago won 3-1) and is 8-8 with a 4.20 ERA in 22 career starts versus Minnesota (teams are 11-11).

The pick: The Twins bats are hot and Shields does own a poor 6.14 ERA in seven home starts this year but I'm going with my "gut" in this one, expecting solid efforts from the two veteran pitchers. Make the Under a 10* play.

The-set-up: The Tampa Bay Rays opened August with three straight wins but until last night's 6-3 win over the Blue Jays, the Rays hadn't won back-to-back games (TB beat Sea 3-0 on Sunday) since that three-game run to open the month. Tampa Bay is 62-65 on the season and is currently four games back in the race for the American League’s second wild card spot but the bigger problem may be that the Rays are one of five teams vying for that spot, not to mention the Orioles, who are just a half-game behind Tampa Bay. The Blue Jays are two games back of the Rays (six back of the No. 2 wild card spot) but are fading out of the AL wild card race with four straight losses to start their road trip, as they continue this three-game series at Tropicana Field.

The pitching matchup: Marcus Stroman (11-6 & 2.99 ERA) has been pitching well and takes the mound tonight for Toronto, squaring off against Tampa Bay rookie Austin Pruitt (6-4 & 5.37 ERA). Stroman comes in off three straight quality starts and six in his last eight games overall (Jays are 5-3), after limiting Tampa Bay to two runs on six hits over 6 1/3 innings last Wednesday in a 3-2 Toronto victory. Stroman is 5-4 with a 4.04 ERA in 10 career starts against the Rays (team is 5-5). Pruitt registered a career-high seven innings last time out against Seattle, but allowed six runs on 11 hits and two walks in his second straight loss. The rookie had strung together three consecutive quality starts before his last game while permitting a modest four runs on 16 hits over 18 1/3 innings combined in that span (1.96 ERA). This will be his first career start vs. Toronto but he is 1-0 with a 4.26 ERA in three previous relief appearances against the Blue Jays

The pick: The Tampa Bay offense has come alive lately (15 runs in its last three games), while the Toronto lineup will face a rookie with a 1.50 WHIP and .302 BAA to go along with his 5.37 ERA. Make the Over an 8* play.

The set-up: The Brewers wasted an excellent pitching effort Monday by Zach Davies (two unearned runs allowed over six innings) in a 2-0 Loss, as Milwaukee's lineup managed just four singles. The loss meant that the Brewers had dropped 10 of their last 11 at AT&T Park but Milwaukee to erased a 3-2 deficit with a two-run seventh inning and won, 4-3 last night.  The Brewers remained 2 1/2 games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs in the NL Central (Chicago won 13-9 at Cincy) and climbed within three of Colorado for the second wild-card spot (Rockies lost 3-2 at KC). The teams play the rubber match of the series this afternoon, with the Giants 'limping along' with the MLB's second-worst record (51-77) and its worst moneyline mark at minus-$3149 ($640 worse than than the Phillies).

The pitching matchup: Matt Garza (6-7 & 4.81 ERA) will take the mound for Milwaukee and Matt Moore (4-12 & 5.54 ERA) for San Francisco. Garza was rocked for the second time in three outings on Friday, when he surrendered eight runs on nine hits (including three HRs) over 4 1/3 innings in an 8-4 loss at Colorado. Garza has made four career starts against San Francisco, going 1-2 with a 4.15 ERA (teams are 1-3). Moore finally ended his nine-start win-less streak (he was 0-5 and the Giants 2-7) this past Friday, limiting Philadelphia to two runs on two hits over 7 1/3 innings in a 10-2 Giants win, his first victory since June 20 at Atlanta. This marks his first career start vs. Milwaukee.

The pick: Garza has just never lived up to expectations after leaving Tampa Bay after going 15-10 in 2010. Garza won 10 games for the Cubs in 2011 but has yet to each double digits in wins in any season since. He's pitched well at home in 2017 (5-2 with a 3.68 ERA with the Brewers going 7-4) but he's been a 'nightmare' on the road, going 1-5 with a 6.38 ERA in eight starts (Brewers are 2-6). There is no avoiding the fact that the Giants are 7-18 in Moore's 2017 starts, giving him MLB's worst moneyline mark at minus-$1259. However, three of his four wins in 2017 have come at home, where his 4.61 ERA at AT&T Park is more than two runs less than his 6.71 road ERA. Let's also remember that the Brewers have lost 36 of their last 57 contests at San Francisco, including 10 of their last 12 Make the Giants an 8* play.