Just two games out of first in the NL Central, the Pirates open a four-game set with the struggling Diamondbacks, making it a perfect time for Pittsburgh to take the top spot in the division standings. Arizona is 14 games out of first in the NL West and has nothing left to play for this season except to spoil other teams’ chances at making the playoffs. Can Arizona do some damage to the Pirates’ playoff chances? This would be a good series to do so, but we like Pittsburgh in the opener.
Pirates hand Locke the ball to open series
With four games on tap in the desert this weekend, the Pirates will start the series with lefty Jeff Locke. Locke is 2-2 with a 3.54 ERA this season. Locke needs to rebound badly from his previous start. He allowed 10 hits, three of them home runs, and will need to focus more on pounding the strike zone to keep the ball in the yard tonight. Pittsburgh cannot afford to mess around in this series. Anything less than three wins should be unacceptable.
Diamondbacks playing out the string as season heads into August
Who would have thought that the Diamondbacks would be looking towards the off-season this early in the summer? We certainly did not see it coming until they opened the year with 18 losses in their first 23 games played. Arizona could look considerably different on the field tonight if they move some major pieces of their roster prior to this afternoon’s trade deadline.
How easy is it to bet against the Diamondbacks? Well, they have just 47 wins this season and are double-digit games out of first in both the NL West and the NL Wild Card races. We will bet on MLB action at BetOnline.ag tonight. We will bet 15 percent of our bankroll on the Pirates and the -112 money line as they grab the series opening victory.
Chris Wassel
AA, AAS
CURRENTLY
Sports Writer and Journalist
RESIDES IN
Rahway, NJ
EDUCATION
Union County College, Montclair State University
EXPERTISE
Business, Writing, Sports, Food, Grilling, Olympics, Injuries, Politics, and more
Summary
Member of FSWA, FSGA, and a variety of Sports Betting Groups.
Works on injuries for a variety of sites. Edits articles from NASCAR to football and beyond.
Occasionally runs sites like mynhltraderumor.com and Full Press Hockey/Bets.
Does a podcast for Full Press Hockey and a few other sports too.
Experience
Chris Wassel has 20+ years of sports journalistic experience in various disciplines.
His ability to play sports is well documented. Most people in the business just write. However, Chris will race cars and even a super Moto bike from time to time. There is that fitness and hiking/cycling aspect too.
Chris has climbed mountains from Mount Washington to Mount San Jacinto in Palm Springs, California. For those that do not know. Chris also dabbles in food eating contests and challenges. Having a unique background with friends including Joey Chestnut and Casey Webb, Chris has the ability to eat a whole 16-pound turkey or a 32 inch meat lover's pizza.
Since 2013, Chris does focus on things like fitness, fishing, and sports. One would be surprised that Chris runs, hikes, and rock climbs. There are even those occasional mini-triathlons. One truly can pack a lot in a small package. Chris can lift things over his body weight with ease. Also, if there is a NASCAR rain prop, Chris can tell you if there will be a Monday race.
Throughout his career, Chris has worked at a wide range of places from Amazon to USA Today to a variety of rumors and fantasy sports sites.
Finally, Chris has been nominated for quite a few awards from the Fantasy Sports Writers Association for Hockey Writer Of The Year. Also, there have been a number of high-stakes fantasy trophies and rings that Chris sports in his house.
Education
Chris received an Associates from Union Country College for business and accounting. Chris did sports journalism work at Montclair State University covering the hockey, baseball, and football teams.
Quote from Chris Wassel
"Shut up and play.”