Well it took about three weeks, but August is back to .500! With some selective plays we’ve chipped our way back all the way to an even record in August. Of course, .500 isn’t good enough to churn out a profit betting on sports. But when you start the month 0-4, you’ll certainly take it. The Marlins blew out the Rockies on Friday to run the winning streak to four. Now, I’m putting the streak on the line with “The Mentor.” Kyle Lohse makes his return to the rotation for the Brewers on Monday.
Free Pick
I think we’ve found win number five in a row out in San Diego, where the Brewers will take on the Padres. Eric Stults gets the start for San Diego and has been progressing toward what his expected numbers probably look like ever since that great year he posted in 2012. Stults has struggled to a 6-13 record with a 4.53 ERA, but it isn’t all bad for the lefty. Stults has actually thrown really well as of late, putting together three quality starts in his last four outings. The only one that didn’t result in a quality start was his last time out against the Dodgers, when Stults allowed one run in five innings – hardly a tough outing. Over the stretch, Stults has given up four earned runs in 24.2 innings. 
Stults will probably have to be pretty darn good to beat Kyle Lohse tonight, though. The leader of Milwaukee’s staff returns from an ankle injury that has subsided and gave him a little time to get a short break down the home stretch of an 162-game season. Because the injury doesn’t really leave any questions about the state of his arm, I expect Lohse to throw a great game in a spot where his right arm should feel extremely rested. It also doesn’t hurt that he gets the chance to go up against the Padres, who rank last in just about every major offensive category. Lohse throws strikes (1.92 BB/9) and will force San Diego to string hits together. That’s proven to be a pretty effective approach against the league’s worst offense. Milwaukee finally won a game yesterday to snap a three-game losing streak and will feel some sense of urgency to take care of the Padres with the Cardinals hot on their heels.
Free Pick: Milwaukee (-130)
YTD: 32-23-2 +4.31
eric stults • kyle lohse • milwaukee brewers • san diego padres