BEN BURNS
MARINERS
Game: Boston Red Sox vs. Seattle Mariners Game Time: 5/26/2008 10:05:00 PM Prediction: Seattle Mariners Reason: I'm playing on SEATTLE. The Red Sox begin the new week with a respectable 31-22 record on the season. That record is a result of their exceptional play at home though, where they've won 10 straight and are an impressive 21-5 on the season. They've been a completely different team on the road. Indeed, they just got swept at Oakland and are now 0-7 their past seven road games and a poor 10-17 on the road for the season. Facing an extremely tough pitcher, who has given them trouble in the past, I expect the Red Sox road woes to continue for another day. Felix Hernandez has shaken off a rare tough stretch by delivering back to back quality starts. In each outing, he tossed six complete innings while allowing just two runs. While he did have his Saturday start pushed back, due to soreness in his leg, Hernandez and trainer Rick Griffin are confident that he'll be just fine. Note that in three career starts vs. Boston, Hernandez is 2-0 (Mariners are 3-0, +3.6 units) with a stellar 2.91 ER and 1.015 WHIP, averaging better than seven innings per start. Like the Red Sox, the Mariners have really struggled on the road. They have won two straight and three of four, here at Seattle, though. They've also gone 9-2 their last 11 home meetings with the Red Sox. While Colon has had success at SafeCo, the Mariners did beat him each of the last two times they faced him. Overall, the last three times he faced the Mariners, Colon allowed 28 hits and 13 earned runs in 21 1/3 innings. (That's a 5.48 ERA.) Look for the youngster Hernandez to outduel the veteran Colon as the Mariners begin the week with a much needed victory and improve to 16-5 their last 21 home games played on a Monday. *Annihilator
YANKEES
Game: New York Yankees vs. Baltimore Orioles Game Time: 5/26/2008 1:35:00 PM Prediction: New York Yankees Reason: I'm laying the price with the NEW YORK YANKEES. These pitchers both have excellent records so far this season. Olson is 3-1, Rasner is 3-0. However, while their w/l records are similar, the rest of their stats are not. Rasner has gone a minimum of six innings in each of his starts, most recently going seven. He has a stellar 1.89 ERA and 0.842 WHIP. Conversely, Olson has a 5.19 ERA and 1.615 WHIP. Rasner and Olson's stats are so different, in large part to last week's game at New York, when they squared off against each other. In that contest, Rasner allowed five hits through seven shutout innings, striking out six while walking just one. Olson, on the other hand, allowed eight hits and six runs in just 2 2/3 innings, walking two while only recording one strikeout. To put his stats for that game another way, he's now 0-1 against the Yankees with a 20.22 ERA and 3.745 WHIP! Including last week's loss in the Rasner/Olson matchup, the Orioles have now lost five straight. The Yankees, on the other hand, have won five in a row. Note that four of those five victories came against left-handed starters too, showing that their earlier troubles against southpaws seem to be a thing of the past. Yesterday's victory was of the "momentum-building variety" as the Yankees rallied for four wins in the bottom of the eighth for a 1-run win. Note that the victory brought them to 8-5 in day games on the season. Yesterday's loss was of the "emotionally-draining" or "deflating" variety for the Orioles, as they lost in the bottom of the ninth. That dropped them to 4-13 in their afternoon games this season and an ugly 43-72 (-24.8) since the start of the 2006 season. Look for the Orioles' daytime struggles to continue, as Rasner outpitches Olson for the second time in less than a week and the Yankees improve to 12-6 their last 18 road games played on a Monday.