MLB – Colorado Rockies at San Francisco Giants

Colorado Rockies vs. San Francisco Giants – July 4 at ATT Park

The San Francisco Giants are the hottest team in the month of June and are just two games in back of the Cubs for the best record in the National League. The Colorado Rockies needs to put together a consistent pitching rotation at Coors Field to truly compete for the NL West pennant. The ballgame between the Colorado Rockies and San Francisco Giants is scheduled to take place Monday, July 4, 2016, at 4:05 p.m. ET at ATT Park. The ballgame will be broadcast on ESPN.

The San Francisco Giants pitching staff has gotten the team out to a great first half. The Giants need to concentrate on picking up the pace on the offense. The Giants will send ageless wonder Jake Peavy to the mound. He continues to pitch in this league but he doesn’t have his stuff anymore. Peavy has a 4-7 record for this season and a 5.33 ERA. San Francisco has won five of his eight home starts where his ERA is his best at 4.36.

The Colorado Rockies will send Eddie Butler to the mound for this ballgame. Butler hasn’t looked good no matter where he has pitched this season. He has a 1-2 record at home this season with a 9.85 ERA. He has been a little better on the road with a 1-3 record and a 4.55 ERA. For his nine starts with the Rockies, the opposing team is hitting him with a .320 batting average. Butler has  given up 16 ERs and 5 home runs in his last three starts.  One bright spot for Butler is back on May 8 at AT&T, he threw six innings of shutout ball against the Giants. However Top Sports Blog believes Butler will not effect the Giants offense in their own ballpark once again. We have seen these teams play some high scoring games the last seven of 10 times they played by the bay.  We fully expect another high scoring game with the edge favoring the Giants.

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Germany vs. Italy in Euro 2016

Germany to play Italy in Euro 2016 quarterfinal

The Germany national football team is the top team at Euro 2016 and the World Cup holder. They are also the huge favorites in this match.  The Italy national football team is picking up some steam in this competition. The Italians beat Belgium and Spain, but the task isn’t getting any easier in the quarterfinals against Germany. The fixture between Germany and Italy is scheduled to start on Saturday, July 2, 2016 at 3:00 p.m. ET. This matchup from the Nouveau Stade de Bordeauxin Bordeaux will be broadcast on ESPN.

Italy, comonly known as  Azzurri, were the better team against Spain for the full 90 minutes. Azzurri did suffer a 1-0 loss to Ireland, but the match was meant nothing to Italy so we consider that result rather harmless. There is plenty of offensive talent on both of these teams, but its the defense that deserves a lot of credit. Italy has only allowed just that one goal to Ireland in this tournament.

Germany looked to be in good form against Slovakia in the Round of 16. The German defender Jerome Boateng opened up the scoring in the 8th minute against the Slovaks. The Germans continued to score in the 43th and 63rd minutes for a 3-0 victory. The only stumble for the Germans was a scoreless draw against Poland. Germany has yet to give up  a goal at Euro 2016. Top Sports Blog thinks the matchup will end up being rather cautious. If German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon are in good form, then neither team may find the back of the net. There isn’t a lot that separates these teams at this point and the match could end up a draw at the end of 120 minutes.

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MLB – New York Mets at Washington Nationals

New York Mets at division rival Washington Nationals on Wednesday

The final game of a three game series between the New York Mets and the Washington Nationals is set to be played out on Wednesday night. Pitcher Steven Matz of the New York Mets goes against Max Scherzer of the Washington Nationals. The duel between the New York Mets and Washington Nationals will take place on Wednesday, June 29, 2016, at 7:05 p.m. ET at Nationals Park. The game will be televised on ESPN2.

The New York Mets took two straight games from the and  thought Terry Collins’s squad was getting their form back. After that, the Mets only managed to split a four game series against Atlanta over the weekend. The Mets pitcher Steven Matz has complained of elbow stiffness after each of his last three starts. Last time out against the Atlanta Braves he allowed nine hits and 6 ER and failed to pitch through the fifth inning. He routinely reached the 7^th inning earlier in the season, but has  only reached the sixth twice in his last five starts. He’s pretty good on the road with a 4-2 record and a 3.38 ERA.  He has allowed 48 hits through 42.2 innings pitched.

The Washington Nationals returns home from its longest road trip of the season. They won the first two games over the Padres in Petco. After that, the Nats lost seven straight and pulled out a 3-2 win in Milwaukee on Sunday. The Nats pitcher Max Scherzer has been pretty good at home where he has a 3-2 record and allowed 24 hits through his 35 innings. Top Sports Blog can’t help but think that the Washington Nationals are going to be motivated for this game. They want to add a little more separation between them and the Mets. Look for Scherzer to show up in this game and lead his club for the win.

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MLB: Los Angeles Dodgers at Pittsburgh Pirates

Los Angeles Dodgers at Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday

The Pittsgurgh Pirates is looking to turn around their team on Saturday night at home against a Los Angeles Dodgers. The Los Angeles Dodgers is now six games back of the NL West leading Giants. The matchup between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Pittsburgh Pirates will take place on Saturday, June 25, 2016, at 7:15 p.m. ET at PNC Park. The game will be broadcast on FOX.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are struggling right now and will be sending Jeff Locke to the mound against the Dodgers. One of the main reasons why the Pirates are slipping is due to a pitching staff that gives up runs in bunches. Locke has an overall 5.44 ERA. He is best at home with a 4-1 record and a 3.26 ERA. Look for some runs to get put on the board in this one with the Dodgers doing most of it.

The LA Dodgers who has one of the best pitching staffs in baseball will be sending Kenta Maeda to the mound.  Kenta Maeda is from Japan and has fit in very nicely as Clayton Kershaw’s compliment. He is 6-4 overall and has a 2.64 ERA. Maeda is very good on the road where his record is 4-0 with a 2.14 ERA and .185 batting average against.Top Sports Blog is a believer in Maeda’s stuff in this one and he has received an average of 6.3 runs per game to work with over the course of his 33.2 innings pitched away from Chavez Ravine.  Teams that haven’t seen his stuff yet have really struggled with him. We think Pittsburgh is going to have trouble with Maeda the first couple times through the order.

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MLB – Washington Nationals at Los Angeles Dodgers

 

Stephen Strasburg leads the Washington Nationals to square off against Clayton Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers

The Washington Nationals has been in good form on the road as of late by taking the series from the Cubs. This series with the Cubs gives them huge self-confidence after getting swept in Wrigley earlier in the season.  The Los Angeles Dodgers have been big underachievers and now trails the Giants by six games in the NL East. The game between the Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers is set to take place on Monday, June 20, 2016, at 10:10 p.m. ET at Dodger Stadium. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.

The Los Angeles Dodgers will send Clayton Kershaw to the mound. This will be  one of the best pitching matchups of the season. He has been pitching great this season and dominating professional hitters. He has three shoutouts in his last nine starts. In his last his last 21 innings, he has given up 13 hits and 4 ER.  The Dodgers have won six of his seven home starts.  Kershaw is 9-2 with a 2.09 ERA through 12 career starts against the Nats. The Dodgers has given Kershaw an average of 4.4 runs per game to work with.

The Washington Nationals will send Stephen Strasburg to the mound.  Stephen Strasburg is healthy and possesses the stuff to be considered as the best of the best. So far he is putting forth the most dominant first half of his seven-year career. In the 14 games that Strasburg has started, he has a perfect 10-0 record and has only given up 75 hits through 93 innings. He has been best on the road where he’s 5-0 and allowed a total of 9 ER in over 38 innings of work. The Dodgers has given Strasburg an average of 6.7 runs per game to work with this season. Top Sports Blog believes that it’s going to be an extra-long night for both offenses. Runs should be hard to come by in the early innings, and we give the Nats an edge in this one.

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MLB – Pittsburgh Pirates at Chicago Cubs

Pittsburgh Pirates and rookie pitcher Jameson Taillon take on Chicago Cubs at Wrigley on Sunday

The Chicago Cubs will take on the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field in a nationally televised night game live on ESPN. The Cubs currently have a 10-game lead over the Cardinals in the National League Central. The Cubs and Pirates have met six times this year with the Cubs winning five of them.  The Cubs will be the favorite when they square off against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday Night’s ESPN showdown. The game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Chicago Cubs will take place on Sunday, June 19, 2016, at 8:05 p.m. ET, at  Wrigley Field. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are now 33-31 for this year.  The Pirates are 15-16 on the road and 12-14 in the National League Central division. The Pirates needed something to turn around their season after losing five straight games. They got it with rookie pitcher Jameson Taillon.  Taillon took a no-hitter into the seventh inning to shut down the Mets and pitch the Pirates to a must needed win and stop their five-game losing streak. Top Sports Blog recognizes that rookie Jameson Taillon has been sensational in his first two starts and believes that he will come up big again against the Cubs.

The Chicago Cubs have an impressive record so far at 44-19. Even more impressive, they are 22-8 at home. The Cubs are 18-6 in the National League Central division. The Cubs will send Kyle Hendricks to the mound against the Pirates. He is 4-6 this season with a 3.05 ERA. He lost his last Monday to the Washington Nationals where he gave up four runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings. It was the first time in six starts he allowed more than five hits. Hendricks needs to work on how many batters he walks if he wants to improve his record against a potent Pirates offensive attack.

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England vs. Wales in Euro 2016

England meet Wales in Lens for Group B clash on Thursday

England and Wales are two Group B rivals that will face off on Thursday after two contrasting opening games. Few fixtures between these two will be as important as this one coming up on Thursday morning. England is favored and needs all three points after only drawing against Russia on Saturday. Wales has a slight chance to get the three points which could win them this group if Russia and Slovakia draw in a match played on Wednesday. The matchup between England and Wales will take place on Thursday, June 16, 2016, at 9:00 a.m. ET at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis in Lens, France. The fixture will be broadcast on ESPN.

Wales had a good match in its’ 2-1 win over Slovakia in the opening match in Group B. The Dragons midfielder Gareth Bale who scored a goal in the 10th minute, was the man of the match for sure but he wasn’t alone. The Welsh team were moving the ball up and down the pitch very well. The great defensive play in the dying moments of the match had something to do with the 2-1 victory also. Goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey has a back problem and Danny Ward had to replace him at the last moment. Goalkeeper Danny Ward has never started for the Dragons until now. Ward did pretty good in dealing with what came his way. He allowed one goal to Slovakia, didn’t make any big errors and made one save.

England needs to score early in this match and put this one away.  The Three Lions were in good form heading into Euro 2016. Top Sports Blog thinks if England gets back on track they will finish the job they started and couldn’t complete against Russia. If the Three Lions can find a way to score early that could put doubt into the minds of the Welsh team which has had problems against England over the years.

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United States vs. Paraguay in Copa America

United States vs. Paraguay – Saturday night in the Copa America at Lincoln Financial Field

The United States Men’s National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann used the same Starting XI he used in the opening Copa America match. This team was beaten by Colombia soundly, however they just blitzed Costa Rica with a 4-0 win. Qualification for the last eight of the tournament seems like a given now. They will have to make a point or better against Paraguay on Saturday to finish the job. What’s forgotten is  a win for the Paraguay team will send then into the last eight instead of the United States. Paraguay knows it needs to go for the win, and that’s why a draw is a very unlikely result between these two teams. The USMNT are the favorites to win this match. The match between the United States and Paraguay will take place on Saturday, June 11, 2016, at 7:00 p.m. ET at Lincoln Financial Field. The fixture will be broadcast on FOX Sports 1.

The USMNT played their best match under head coach Jurgen Klinsmann on Tuesday night with a spectacular 4-0 win. Clint Dempsey who is a forward and captain of the team was in good form that night. Midfielder Jermaine Jones scored his first goal in two years for the USMNT. Also, forward Bobby Wood scored a gorgeous goal to put the men’s national team up 3-0 just before halftime. Top Sports Blog believes if the Americans have repeat performance, they’ll surely be into the last eight. However, we still see problems in the midfield and at the back which could get the USMNT eliminated from this tournament. We’ve already seen the Americans get themselves in trouble off of corners and free kicks in this tournament.

Paraguay was really hurt in its hopes of advancing after losing to Colombia, 2-1. Paraguay played well for much of the match, but midfielder Víctor Ayala scored their lone goal. Paraguay isn’t going to score many goals and not having the suspended Oscar Romero won’t help their cause. However, Romero’s likely replacement, forward Nelson Valdez of the Seattle Sounders, can be tremendously dangerous. It’s often up to 38-year-old goalkeeper Justo Villar to keep the team in games. Paraguay’s top goal scorer, forward Roque Santa Cruz, is 34 and will no doubt struggle with a schedule that has Paraguay making two cross-country trips in one week. Opportunities for Paraguay to strike will be there if the Americans don’t play disciplined ball for the full 90 in this one.

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England vs. Russia – Euro 2016 Finals

England open up their Euro 2016 against Russia

England will face Russia in their Euro 2016 Group B opener. England has played well over the course of the last year and a half. Expectations are high and they have to be odds-on favorites in this match. Russia does have the ability to come from behind  if England fails to put this match away.  The match between England and Russia will take place on Saturday, June 11, 2016, at 3:00 p.m. ET at the Stade Velodrome in Marseille. The fixture will be broadcast on ESPN.

The Russians underwhelmed in their first six matches of qualifying going W2-D2-L2 and looked in serious danger of missing out on a play-off spot. Their form has improved dramatically since the sacking of Fabio Capello in favor of CSKA Moscow boss, Leonid Slutsky, last August. Russia won each of their last four group games by an aggregate of 12-1 under Slutsky.  This allowed them to secure automatic qualification to the Euro finals behind Austria and ahead of Sweden. Russia does have forwrd Aleksandr Kokorinwho has scored at least one goal for his team in three straight matches. Kokorin now has 13 goals in 40 matches in his career, and he’s the man who can bust this game open.

England comes into this tournament high on confidence. England were the only team to have progressed into the Euro 2016 Finals with a 10 for 10 winning record in qualifying. The Three Lions have not lost over 90 or 120 minutes in 22 Euro fixtures. Since then, England’s Euro record is W17-D5 in regulation-time and they have reached two quarter-finals and a semi-final through their last four appearances in the tournament finals.

Top Sports Blog is concerned that England’s defense hasn’t always been top notch in these international tournaments. The Brits have allowed eight goals in their last seven matches.  It only takes one moment of lapse at the back to spring Kokorin, a man who is one of the deadliest strikers in the tournament. We think England will win this one.  However, the fact that Russia have scored in each of their last 10 consecutive fixtures leading into the competition indicates that Hodgson’s side’s vulnerable looking defense may be breached in the process. One miscommunication at the back for England, and this goes from three points for England to just one.

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