Comps
MLB
Pittsburgh at CUBS (-140) Karl Garrett
The G-Man's comp play saw "no action" last night, as the Braves scratched Buddy Carlyle in mid-afternoon. So, still on a 17-8-1 free play run my last 26 selections.
Early baseball action today, as the G-Man has to go against the slumping Pirates who have now lost 3 in a row with yesterday's 3-2 setback at Wrigley.
The Cubs enter today's action with just one loss in their last four games, and Sweet Lou's team is on an 8-3 roll their last 11 ball games.
Tom Gorzelanny is making his second start against the Cubs this month, and he was shelled for 7 runs in just 2 frames 12 days ago, but escaped with a no-decision. Gorzelanny's last 8 innings of work against Chicago have seen 13 runs corss the plate.
Jason Marquis will counter, and the veteran righty has a pair of no-decisions to show for his season thus far, and an over 5 ERA.
With the Cubbies having won 5 of the last 7 series meetings in the Windy City, the G-Man is going to lay some wood with the home team this afternoon.
2♦ CUBS
Pittsburgh (+125) at CHICAGO CUBS Michael Cannon
Take the Pirates for the road win over the Cubs this afternoon in Wrigley.
The Bucos will send Tom Gorzelanny to the mound and the left-hander is coming off a solid start over the Reds last Sunday when he limited them to one run over 6 1-3 innings in the Pirates' 9-1 win.
That came off a disatrous home opener against these same Cubbies when Gorzelanny allowed seven runs in just 2 1-3 innings.
I expect the Pirates ace to make a statement this afternoon in Wrigley that that game was just a mirage.
Jason Marquis will start for the Cubs and I expect the Pirates offense to break out for more than the two runs they scored in yesterday's loss. Marquis is just 5-5 in his career against the Bucs.
Take the Pirates at the solid plus return for the win.
3♦ PITTSBURGH
Colorado (even) at HOUSTON Bobby Maxwell
The Rockies are going for their fourth straight win and in less than 24 hours they wrapped up a 2-1 22-inning victory over the Padres in San Diego and then went to Houston and beat the Astros 11-5. Today, they will get the job done again against Houston and this is starting to look like the team we remember from last season.
After the marathon in San Diego, the Rockies scored six in the first inning in Houston en route to the easy win.
The Astros are just 7-10 on the season and been outscored 21-7 in their last two games. Wandy Rodriguez (1-0, 2.33 ERA) goes for Houston who is decent at home and horrible on the road. Meanwhile the Rockies have Aaron Cook (1-1, 3.79) on the mound. He held the D'Backs to three runs in six innings of a 13-5 win in Arizona.
Cook is 3-0 with a 3.99 ERA in seven career games against Houston and with the way the Rockies are playing, look for that to improve to 4-0. The bats are working and this team can certainly score some runs. Let's go ahead and back Cook and Colorado tonight.
3♦ COLORADO
Colorado at HOUSTON (-115) Drew Gordon
Despite the Rockies sudden offensive surge, we know better than to go against Wandy Rodriguez at Minute Maid Park. Since 2007 the Astros southpaw is 7-3 with 2.63 ERA in 17 home starts, and there's little reason to believe that'll change tonight. He's continued to have success there this season, going 1-0 with a miniscule 0.63 ERA in two home starts, including limiting a solid Marlins offense to just 1 run over 7 solid innings Sunday.
Granted, the Rockies Aaron Cook has also pitched well this season, but mind you, his only loss came on the road, at St. Louis, where he got knocked around for 4 runs over 6 innings. Both pitchers have solid numbers against their opponent tonight, but after getting shellacked yesterday, I expect the Astros to come out swinging in this one.
Also, its hard to ignore the Rockies futility in Houston, going 6-20 over their last 26 meetings there! Guys, you've got an Astros team looking to bounce back, behind one of their best arms at Minute Maid Park, against a Rockies team that had traditionally sturggled in Houston... What more can you ask for?! As a small side note: Think the Rockies offense is red-hot? Well, the fact their batting only .204 against lefties doesn't exactly instill fear in Rodriguez tonight!
Take Houston behind Rodriguez over Colorado and Cook in this MLB match up.
2♦ HOUSTON
San Diego at ARIZONA (-110) Chris Jordan
Play the Snakes tonight against the Friars, as we saw the bats get going against Greg Maddux last night, and it will carry over to tonight.
I know the Padres had a legitimate excuse, after they played 22 innings the night before, caught a 2 a.m. flight and played roughly 12 hours after settling into their hotel. But trust me, the hangover continues, and this is pure value against Chris Young.
San Diego's prize right-hander is 0-1 on the road with a lofty 18.00 ERA after getting drilled in Los Angeles his last time out. He's also 0-3 in his last four starts against the Diamondbacks, allowing 16 earned runs over 19 innings.
The Padres can't catch a break, and we'll see them falter tonight in the desert.
4♦ DIAMONDBACKS
Jimmy The Moose
Game: Los Angeles Dodgers at Atlanta Braves Apr 19 2008 3:55PM
Prediction: over
Reason: Billingsley is on the mound this afternoon and brings an ERA of 5.59 into this game. The Dogers have played the over in 5 of their last 7 games. The over is 7-1 in their last 8 games vs. left-handed starters. The over is 5-1-1 in Billingsley's last 7 starts vs. a team with a losing record. The over is 11-4-1 in Atlanta's last 16 games played on Saturday's. The over is 8-2 in the Dodgers last 10 trips to Atlanta. The over is 21-8 in the last 29 meetings overall between the clubs. Play the over
Alex Smart
Colorado Rockies @ Houston Astros Under 9.0
Reason: Wandy Rodriguez (1-0, 2.33), the Houston Astros starter , has been solid in his teams rotation, and remains among the NL ERA leaders. The southpaw breaking ball specialist, has been his best, at home in Minute Maid Park, allowing just 1 ER , in 14 1/3 innings of solid work, while garnering an extremely stingy 0.63 ERA. Rodriguez is 3-1 when starting against the Rockies with an ERA of 3.77 and a WHIP of 1.323 His pitching opponent , Aaron Cook(1-1, 3.79) the Rockies , righty starter, has also been solid this year, and remains one of the top options in his team pitching rotation. Cooke is backed, by a bullpen that owns a 2.45 road ERA and 1.21 WHIP. Cooke is 3-0 when starting against the Astros along with an ERA of 3.38 and a WHIP of 1.39. Considering the pitching matchup, I expect these two capable hurlers will help keep this contest to stay on the low side of the number. Final notes & Key Trends: Under is 6-1 in Rockies last 7 games vs. a left-handed starter. Under is 10-4 in Rodriguezs L/14 home starts. Play under
Locksmith Sports
1 Unit on Mariners +134 (listing Washburn and Santana)
Washburn has given the Angels their fair share of problems and that?s why we?re backing him here showing sensational value. The Mariners are 5-2 in Washburn?s last 7 starts vs. the Angels. The M?s are also 17-6 against the money line vs. a very bad bullpen whose ERA is 5.00 or worse over the last 2 seasons. This has been an area where the Mariners have taken advantage of the Angels recently and we expect it to continue. The Mariners are a very impressive 6-1 in their last 7 games as a road underdog of +110 to +150. Take Seattle and cash in another nice underdog winner.
Jim Feist
NY Mets @ PHI Phillies
Take "PHI Phillies"
NY starter Oliver Perez is kind of an all-or-nothing pitcher on the mound ? lots of strikeouts, or lots of walks. His last start he walked 3 in 4 innings. He takes on a Philadelphia lineup that knows how to be patient at the plate. The Phillies rank 5th in the NL in on base percentage after ranking second last season, when they won the division. Perez is 1-3 lifetime against Philadelphia, walking 40 in 48 innings. Philadelphia is not an easy park to pitch in, and the Phillies have won 4 of their last 6 home games. Play the Phillies!
Dave Cokin
Brewers @ Reds
Play: Reds -130
Sensational Cincy rookie Johnny Cueto got knocked around some last start, and that's going to happen on occasion. But the hard throwing righty looks like he's going to be on more than off. Jeff Suppan gets the call for Milwaukee in this Saturday clash, and he's been roughed up by several of the Reds probable starters. The numbers haven't quite caught up to Cueto just yet, so I see some decent value in laying the reasonable spot here with the Reds.
James Patrick Sports
Indians vs. Twins
The Tribe sends Jake Westbrook to the mound to match pitches with the Twins Blackburn in a nationally televised game on Saturday afternoon. We expect some offense by both teams in this game and our Saturday selection is the Tribe-Twins OVER the TOTAL in Big League action.
Greg Daraban
San Diego 8-9 at 966 Arizona 12-4
Young vs Gonzalez SDG really struggling with the bat. Just one run in the last 29 innings.
AZ crusing along in first place. SDG must prove they can score.
Take Arizona
Black Magic Sports
1 Unit on Baltimore Orioles +137
(Listing Kennedy and Burres)
The Yankees are 6-15 (-15.5 Units) against the money line in road games against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons. Brian Burres is the Orioles? best starter and he has pitched well against the Yankees in the past. New York features so many dominant left-handed hitters that they really struggle when facing a left-handed starter. Burres has allowed less than 2 runs in two of his three career starts against the Yankees. Ian Kennedy is really struggling for the Yankees if his 8.74 ERA on the year is any indication. With the way the Yankees struggle against lefties, the Orioles are a solid choice as a good-sized underdog Saturday.
Black Widow Sports
1* on Yankees/Orioles U 10.5
(List Kennedy and Burres)
This total has been set far too high with two of the best pitchers on each staff going head-to-head tonight. Brian Burres has had some good success against the Yankees with a 4.86 lifetime ERA in 3 career starts. Burres is now the Ace of the Orioles staff after Bedard left to free agency. Burres will contain the Yankees today. Ian Kennedy will have his best start of the season for the Yankees as he faces his easiest opponent of the year. Baltimore is scoring just 4.1 runs per game against righty starters this season. The Yankees are scoring a mere 4.1 runs per game in road games. The Yankees are 19-6 UNDER (+12.0 Units) in road games vs. an AL team with an on base percentage .320 or worse over the last 2 seasons. Take the UNDER 10.5 runs here.
Jeff Alexander Sports
1 Unit on Arizona Diamondbacks -112
(listing Young and Gonzalez)
Young has really been struggling. He definitely doesn't have the stuff that made him an All-Star after a solid start last season. We'll fade him here to pick up an easy win. The Padres are 0-7 in Young's last 7 starts vs. a team with a winning record, 0-7 in Young's last 7 road starts, and 1-7 in Young's last 8 starts vs. the National League West. The Padres are also 0-4 in Young's last 4 starts vs. the Diamondbacks and a terrible 25-54 in their last 79 meetings in Arizona. The Diamondbacks are 11-2 in their last 13 overall
Tony Mathews
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Atlanta Braves
Los Angeles/Atlanta OVER
Explanation: We expect a high-scoring game as the Los Angeles Dodgers face-off against the Atlanta Braves in Saturday's MLB contest.
The Los Angeles Dodgers will use starting pitcher Chad Billingsley. Chad Billingsley has struggled so far this season which is shown by his 5.59 ERA. We see Chad Billingsley having another bad start today. This means the Atlanta Braves will be able to score many easy runs.
The Atlanta Braves will use starting pitcher Chuck James. Chuck James is 0-1 to start the season with a 18.00 ERA (giving up 6 runs in only 3 innings). We don't see things getting any better for Chuck James tonight. To say the least, the Los Angeles Dodgers should have no problem scoring many runs today.
These teams are all about offense in their meetings. In fact, the Over is 21-7 in the last 28 meetings between these teams.
Take the Los Angeles Dodgers/Atlanta Braves Over
John Fina
Selection: San Francisco Giants -110
Today the San Francisco Giants will be on the road as they take on the St. Louis Cardinals. We will side with the San Francisco Giants. The San Francisco Giants will be sending to the mound the much better starting pitcher. The San Francisco Giants will send to the mound Tim Lincecum. Tim Lincecum is a Perfect 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA (giving up only 4 runs in 16 innings pitched). To say the least, we see Tim Lincecum pitching another solid game today. On the other hand, the St. Louis Cardinals will send to the mound Joel Pineiro. Joel Pineiro is already 0-1 with a 14.73 ERA on the season (pitching only 3.2 innings while giving up 6 runs). We see Joel Pineiro having another bad start today. As you can see, the San Francisco Giants hold a huge advantage at the mound. To say the least, there is a lot of value with the San Francisco Giants today! Take the San Francisco Giants
MATT FARGO
Washington Nationals @ Florida Marlins
PICK: Florida Marlins
REASON FOR PICK: Washington was able to take the opening game of this series on Friday thanks to a three-run seventh inning but that is where it ends. It was the Nationals second victory in their last 14 games so it is obvious this team is not playing very well. The offense put up six runs last night but came in scoring two runs or fewer in five of their previous six games. Washington is hitting a dismal .223 on the season including .207 over its last 10 games and has won just once in in its last eight on the road.
The loss was the second straight for the Marlins but prior to getting blanked by John Smoltz, they had won eight of their previous 11 games so this can hardly be called the start of a slump. During that previous run, Florida had averaged 5.4 rpg including eight rog in the sweep at Washington last week. Despite that loss last night, the Marlins have won 10 of the last 14 in this series and getting a price like this against a team with just two wins over the last two plus weeks is just too good to pass up.
Shawn Hill will be making his first appearance this season but there is some concerns for sure. He has been bothered with tightness in his pitching forearm and anything dealing with the arm is never a good sign. Hill was a bright spot on this pitching staff last season but despite 16 starts, he walked away with just four wins. He did not pitch this spring and his lone pouting in the minors was horrible as he pitched six innings in Columbus on Sunday and gave up five earned runs on nine hits against Charlotte.
Burke Badenhop will be making just his second Major League start and while the first was nothing to write home about, it was not a complete disaster. He tossed five innings against the Astros while allowing four runs on seven hits and a walk but his command was good and if not for two bad pitches that resulted in home runs, it could have been a solid outing. He threw 84 pitches and 53 went for strikes and he now faces a much tamer lineup than the first one in Houston. Play Florida Marlins 1.5 Units
JAKE TIMLIN
Saturday selection is the San Francisco Giants.
Afternoon baseball I like for the Giants to get at least one series win today. Yep even against the red hot Cardinals I look for the Giants get the win all thanks to Tim Lincecum who lets face it is the Giants best option on the mound. I mean thanks to Lincecum posting a 2-0 record with a 2.25 ERA this season as the Giants have won all three of his starts there is something special about the righty as he is responsible for half of the Giants wins this season. Well thanks to Lincecum having won his last two starts against the Cardinals, including a 7-4 victory just one week ago and against the same Cardinals pitcher in Pineiro look for history to repeat its self as San Francisco steals one on the road. All San Francisco behind Lincecum this afternoon!
JEFF BENTON
For Saturday, well stay on the diamond and play the DBacks in a virtual pick-em game against the Padres.
Theres no question that in terms of overall talent, the Padres rate the pitching edge in this one with Chris Young opposing Edgar Gonzalez. But theres also no question that as solid as Youngs stuff is, hes terrible when he goes on the road and hes not very good against the DBacks. Consider: Last year, Youngs ERA was nearly three times higher on the road (4.52) than at home 1.69), and in his very first road start this year a week ago at Dodger Stadium, a pitcher-friendly ballpark, no less he lasted just three innings, allowing seven runs on seven hits and four walks in an 11-1 defeat. Now he goes up against the highest-scoring team in baseball, one that?s batting better than .325 at home
Now look at what Young has done in his last four outings against the DBacks: 4 innings pitched (IP), five runs allowed, 9-1 loss; 4 1/3 IP, five runs allowed, 8-7 loss; 6 IP, one run allowed, 5-4 loss; 5 1/3 IP, six runs allowed, 7-4 loss. Thats right: San Diego is 0-4 in his last four efforts against the Snakes. What?s more, the Padres are 0-7 in Young?s last seven road starts!
As for Gonzalez, hes nothing special, but then again, neither are the Padres? hitters, who have been held to two runs or fewer in six of their last eight games, including scoring a total of three runs the last three nights. And in his one start against San Diego last month, Gonzalez was terrific, going seven innings and allowing one run on six hits and no walks in an 8-2 road win.
Add to all of that the fact the Padres, with last night?s 9-0 loss, are now 25-55 ? not a misprint! in their last 80 games at Chase Field in Arizona, and Ill back the home team here without any issue whatsoever!
(Based on a 1* to 10* rating system)
8* ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
MLB
Pittsburgh at CUBS (-140) Karl Garrett
The G-Man's comp play saw "no action" last night, as the Braves scratched Buddy Carlyle in mid-afternoon. So, still on a 17-8-1 free play run my last 26 selections.
Early baseball action today, as the G-Man has to go against the slumping Pirates who have now lost 3 in a row with yesterday's 3-2 setback at Wrigley.
The Cubs enter today's action with just one loss in their last four games, and Sweet Lou's team is on an 8-3 roll their last 11 ball games.
Tom Gorzelanny is making his second start against the Cubs this month, and he was shelled for 7 runs in just 2 frames 12 days ago, but escaped with a no-decision. Gorzelanny's last 8 innings of work against Chicago have seen 13 runs corss the plate.
Jason Marquis will counter, and the veteran righty has a pair of no-decisions to show for his season thus far, and an over 5 ERA.
With the Cubbies having won 5 of the last 7 series meetings in the Windy City, the G-Man is going to lay some wood with the home team this afternoon.
2♦ CUBS
Pittsburgh (+125) at CHICAGO CUBS Michael Cannon
Take the Pirates for the road win over the Cubs this afternoon in Wrigley.
The Bucos will send Tom Gorzelanny to the mound and the left-hander is coming off a solid start over the Reds last Sunday when he limited them to one run over 6 1-3 innings in the Pirates' 9-1 win.
That came off a disatrous home opener against these same Cubbies when Gorzelanny allowed seven runs in just 2 1-3 innings.
I expect the Pirates ace to make a statement this afternoon in Wrigley that that game was just a mirage.
Jason Marquis will start for the Cubs and I expect the Pirates offense to break out for more than the two runs they scored in yesterday's loss. Marquis is just 5-5 in his career against the Bucs.
Take the Pirates at the solid plus return for the win.
3♦ PITTSBURGH
Colorado (even) at HOUSTON Bobby Maxwell
The Rockies are going for their fourth straight win and in less than 24 hours they wrapped up a 2-1 22-inning victory over the Padres in San Diego and then went to Houston and beat the Astros 11-5. Today, they will get the job done again against Houston and this is starting to look like the team we remember from last season.
After the marathon in San Diego, the Rockies scored six in the first inning in Houston en route to the easy win.
The Astros are just 7-10 on the season and been outscored 21-7 in their last two games. Wandy Rodriguez (1-0, 2.33 ERA) goes for Houston who is decent at home and horrible on the road. Meanwhile the Rockies have Aaron Cook (1-1, 3.79) on the mound. He held the D'Backs to three runs in six innings of a 13-5 win in Arizona.
Cook is 3-0 with a 3.99 ERA in seven career games against Houston and with the way the Rockies are playing, look for that to improve to 4-0. The bats are working and this team can certainly score some runs. Let's go ahead and back Cook and Colorado tonight.
3♦ COLORADO
Colorado at HOUSTON (-115) Drew Gordon
Despite the Rockies sudden offensive surge, we know better than to go against Wandy Rodriguez at Minute Maid Park. Since 2007 the Astros southpaw is 7-3 with 2.63 ERA in 17 home starts, and there's little reason to believe that'll change tonight. He's continued to have success there this season, going 1-0 with a miniscule 0.63 ERA in two home starts, including limiting a solid Marlins offense to just 1 run over 7 solid innings Sunday.
Granted, the Rockies Aaron Cook has also pitched well this season, but mind you, his only loss came on the road, at St. Louis, where he got knocked around for 4 runs over 6 innings. Both pitchers have solid numbers against their opponent tonight, but after getting shellacked yesterday, I expect the Astros to come out swinging in this one.
Also, its hard to ignore the Rockies futility in Houston, going 6-20 over their last 26 meetings there! Guys, you've got an Astros team looking to bounce back, behind one of their best arms at Minute Maid Park, against a Rockies team that had traditionally sturggled in Houston... What more can you ask for?! As a small side note: Think the Rockies offense is red-hot? Well, the fact their batting only .204 against lefties doesn't exactly instill fear in Rodriguez tonight!
Take Houston behind Rodriguez over Colorado and Cook in this MLB match up.
2♦ HOUSTON
San Diego at ARIZONA (-110) Chris Jordan
Play the Snakes tonight against the Friars, as we saw the bats get going against Greg Maddux last night, and it will carry over to tonight.
I know the Padres had a legitimate excuse, after they played 22 innings the night before, caught a 2 a.m. flight and played roughly 12 hours after settling into their hotel. But trust me, the hangover continues, and this is pure value against Chris Young.
San Diego's prize right-hander is 0-1 on the road with a lofty 18.00 ERA after getting drilled in Los Angeles his last time out. He's also 0-3 in his last four starts against the Diamondbacks, allowing 16 earned runs over 19 innings.
The Padres can't catch a break, and we'll see them falter tonight in the desert.
4♦ DIAMONDBACKS
Jimmy The Moose
Game: Los Angeles Dodgers at Atlanta Braves Apr 19 2008 3:55PM
Prediction: over
Reason: Billingsley is on the mound this afternoon and brings an ERA of 5.59 into this game. The Dogers have played the over in 5 of their last 7 games. The over is 7-1 in their last 8 games vs. left-handed starters. The over is 5-1-1 in Billingsley's last 7 starts vs. a team with a losing record. The over is 11-4-1 in Atlanta's last 16 games played on Saturday's. The over is 8-2 in the Dodgers last 10 trips to Atlanta. The over is 21-8 in the last 29 meetings overall between the clubs. Play the over
Alex Smart
Colorado Rockies @ Houston Astros Under 9.0
Reason: Wandy Rodriguez (1-0, 2.33), the Houston Astros starter , has been solid in his teams rotation, and remains among the NL ERA leaders. The southpaw breaking ball specialist, has been his best, at home in Minute Maid Park, allowing just 1 ER , in 14 1/3 innings of solid work, while garnering an extremely stingy 0.63 ERA. Rodriguez is 3-1 when starting against the Rockies with an ERA of 3.77 and a WHIP of 1.323 His pitching opponent , Aaron Cook(1-1, 3.79) the Rockies , righty starter, has also been solid this year, and remains one of the top options in his team pitching rotation. Cooke is backed, by a bullpen that owns a 2.45 road ERA and 1.21 WHIP. Cooke is 3-0 when starting against the Astros along with an ERA of 3.38 and a WHIP of 1.39. Considering the pitching matchup, I expect these two capable hurlers will help keep this contest to stay on the low side of the number. Final notes & Key Trends: Under is 6-1 in Rockies last 7 games vs. a left-handed starter. Under is 10-4 in Rodriguezs L/14 home starts. Play under
Locksmith Sports
1 Unit on Mariners +134 (listing Washburn and Santana)
Washburn has given the Angels their fair share of problems and that?s why we?re backing him here showing sensational value. The Mariners are 5-2 in Washburn?s last 7 starts vs. the Angels. The M?s are also 17-6 against the money line vs. a very bad bullpen whose ERA is 5.00 or worse over the last 2 seasons. This has been an area where the Mariners have taken advantage of the Angels recently and we expect it to continue. The Mariners are a very impressive 6-1 in their last 7 games as a road underdog of +110 to +150. Take Seattle and cash in another nice underdog winner.
Jim Feist
NY Mets @ PHI Phillies
Take "PHI Phillies"
NY starter Oliver Perez is kind of an all-or-nothing pitcher on the mound ? lots of strikeouts, or lots of walks. His last start he walked 3 in 4 innings. He takes on a Philadelphia lineup that knows how to be patient at the plate. The Phillies rank 5th in the NL in on base percentage after ranking second last season, when they won the division. Perez is 1-3 lifetime against Philadelphia, walking 40 in 48 innings. Philadelphia is not an easy park to pitch in, and the Phillies have won 4 of their last 6 home games. Play the Phillies!
Dave Cokin
Brewers @ Reds
Play: Reds -130
Sensational Cincy rookie Johnny Cueto got knocked around some last start, and that's going to happen on occasion. But the hard throwing righty looks like he's going to be on more than off. Jeff Suppan gets the call for Milwaukee in this Saturday clash, and he's been roughed up by several of the Reds probable starters. The numbers haven't quite caught up to Cueto just yet, so I see some decent value in laying the reasonable spot here with the Reds.
James Patrick Sports
Indians vs. Twins
The Tribe sends Jake Westbrook to the mound to match pitches with the Twins Blackburn in a nationally televised game on Saturday afternoon. We expect some offense by both teams in this game and our Saturday selection is the Tribe-Twins OVER the TOTAL in Big League action.
Greg Daraban
San Diego 8-9 at 966 Arizona 12-4
Young vs Gonzalez SDG really struggling with the bat. Just one run in the last 29 innings.
AZ crusing along in first place. SDG must prove they can score.
Take Arizona
Black Magic Sports
1 Unit on Baltimore Orioles +137
(Listing Kennedy and Burres)
The Yankees are 6-15 (-15.5 Units) against the money line in road games against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons. Brian Burres is the Orioles? best starter and he has pitched well against the Yankees in the past. New York features so many dominant left-handed hitters that they really struggle when facing a left-handed starter. Burres has allowed less than 2 runs in two of his three career starts against the Yankees. Ian Kennedy is really struggling for the Yankees if his 8.74 ERA on the year is any indication. With the way the Yankees struggle against lefties, the Orioles are a solid choice as a good-sized underdog Saturday.
Black Widow Sports
1* on Yankees/Orioles U 10.5
(List Kennedy and Burres)
This total has been set far too high with two of the best pitchers on each staff going head-to-head tonight. Brian Burres has had some good success against the Yankees with a 4.86 lifetime ERA in 3 career starts. Burres is now the Ace of the Orioles staff after Bedard left to free agency. Burres will contain the Yankees today. Ian Kennedy will have his best start of the season for the Yankees as he faces his easiest opponent of the year. Baltimore is scoring just 4.1 runs per game against righty starters this season. The Yankees are scoring a mere 4.1 runs per game in road games. The Yankees are 19-6 UNDER (+12.0 Units) in road games vs. an AL team with an on base percentage .320 or worse over the last 2 seasons. Take the UNDER 10.5 runs here.
Jeff Alexander Sports
1 Unit on Arizona Diamondbacks -112
(listing Young and Gonzalez)
Young has really been struggling. He definitely doesn't have the stuff that made him an All-Star after a solid start last season. We'll fade him here to pick up an easy win. The Padres are 0-7 in Young's last 7 starts vs. a team with a winning record, 0-7 in Young's last 7 road starts, and 1-7 in Young's last 8 starts vs. the National League West. The Padres are also 0-4 in Young's last 4 starts vs. the Diamondbacks and a terrible 25-54 in their last 79 meetings in Arizona. The Diamondbacks are 11-2 in their last 13 overall
Tony Mathews
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Atlanta Braves
Los Angeles/Atlanta OVER
Explanation: We expect a high-scoring game as the Los Angeles Dodgers face-off against the Atlanta Braves in Saturday's MLB contest.
The Los Angeles Dodgers will use starting pitcher Chad Billingsley. Chad Billingsley has struggled so far this season which is shown by his 5.59 ERA. We see Chad Billingsley having another bad start today. This means the Atlanta Braves will be able to score many easy runs.
The Atlanta Braves will use starting pitcher Chuck James. Chuck James is 0-1 to start the season with a 18.00 ERA (giving up 6 runs in only 3 innings). We don't see things getting any better for Chuck James tonight. To say the least, the Los Angeles Dodgers should have no problem scoring many runs today.
These teams are all about offense in their meetings. In fact, the Over is 21-7 in the last 28 meetings between these teams.
Take the Los Angeles Dodgers/Atlanta Braves Over
John Fina
Selection: San Francisco Giants -110
Today the San Francisco Giants will be on the road as they take on the St. Louis Cardinals. We will side with the San Francisco Giants. The San Francisco Giants will be sending to the mound the much better starting pitcher. The San Francisco Giants will send to the mound Tim Lincecum. Tim Lincecum is a Perfect 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA (giving up only 4 runs in 16 innings pitched). To say the least, we see Tim Lincecum pitching another solid game today. On the other hand, the St. Louis Cardinals will send to the mound Joel Pineiro. Joel Pineiro is already 0-1 with a 14.73 ERA on the season (pitching only 3.2 innings while giving up 6 runs). We see Joel Pineiro having another bad start today. As you can see, the San Francisco Giants hold a huge advantage at the mound. To say the least, there is a lot of value with the San Francisco Giants today! Take the San Francisco Giants
MATT FARGO
Washington Nationals @ Florida Marlins
PICK: Florida Marlins
REASON FOR PICK: Washington was able to take the opening game of this series on Friday thanks to a three-run seventh inning but that is where it ends. It was the Nationals second victory in their last 14 games so it is obvious this team is not playing very well. The offense put up six runs last night but came in scoring two runs or fewer in five of their previous six games. Washington is hitting a dismal .223 on the season including .207 over its last 10 games and has won just once in in its last eight on the road.
The loss was the second straight for the Marlins but prior to getting blanked by John Smoltz, they had won eight of their previous 11 games so this can hardly be called the start of a slump. During that previous run, Florida had averaged 5.4 rpg including eight rog in the sweep at Washington last week. Despite that loss last night, the Marlins have won 10 of the last 14 in this series and getting a price like this against a team with just two wins over the last two plus weeks is just too good to pass up.
Shawn Hill will be making his first appearance this season but there is some concerns for sure. He has been bothered with tightness in his pitching forearm and anything dealing with the arm is never a good sign. Hill was a bright spot on this pitching staff last season but despite 16 starts, he walked away with just four wins. He did not pitch this spring and his lone pouting in the minors was horrible as he pitched six innings in Columbus on Sunday and gave up five earned runs on nine hits against Charlotte.
Burke Badenhop will be making just his second Major League start and while the first was nothing to write home about, it was not a complete disaster. He tossed five innings against the Astros while allowing four runs on seven hits and a walk but his command was good and if not for two bad pitches that resulted in home runs, it could have been a solid outing. He threw 84 pitches and 53 went for strikes and he now faces a much tamer lineup than the first one in Houston. Play Florida Marlins 1.5 Units
JAKE TIMLIN
Saturday selection is the San Francisco Giants.
Afternoon baseball I like for the Giants to get at least one series win today. Yep even against the red hot Cardinals I look for the Giants get the win all thanks to Tim Lincecum who lets face it is the Giants best option on the mound. I mean thanks to Lincecum posting a 2-0 record with a 2.25 ERA this season as the Giants have won all three of his starts there is something special about the righty as he is responsible for half of the Giants wins this season. Well thanks to Lincecum having won his last two starts against the Cardinals, including a 7-4 victory just one week ago and against the same Cardinals pitcher in Pineiro look for history to repeat its self as San Francisco steals one on the road. All San Francisco behind Lincecum this afternoon!
JEFF BENTON
For Saturday, well stay on the diamond and play the DBacks in a virtual pick-em game against the Padres.
Theres no question that in terms of overall talent, the Padres rate the pitching edge in this one with Chris Young opposing Edgar Gonzalez. But theres also no question that as solid as Youngs stuff is, hes terrible when he goes on the road and hes not very good against the DBacks. Consider: Last year, Youngs ERA was nearly three times higher on the road (4.52) than at home 1.69), and in his very first road start this year a week ago at Dodger Stadium, a pitcher-friendly ballpark, no less he lasted just three innings, allowing seven runs on seven hits and four walks in an 11-1 defeat. Now he goes up against the highest-scoring team in baseball, one that?s batting better than .325 at home
Now look at what Young has done in his last four outings against the DBacks: 4 innings pitched (IP), five runs allowed, 9-1 loss; 4 1/3 IP, five runs allowed, 8-7 loss; 6 IP, one run allowed, 5-4 loss; 5 1/3 IP, six runs allowed, 7-4 loss. Thats right: San Diego is 0-4 in his last four efforts against the Snakes. What?s more, the Padres are 0-7 in Young?s last seven road starts!
As for Gonzalez, hes nothing special, but then again, neither are the Padres? hitters, who have been held to two runs or fewer in six of their last eight games, including scoring a total of three runs the last three nights. And in his one start against San Diego last month, Gonzalez was terrific, going seven innings and allowing one run on six hits and no walks in an 8-2 road win.
Add to all of that the fact the Padres, with last night?s 9-0 loss, are now 25-55 ? not a misprint! in their last 80 games at Chase Field in Arizona, and Ill back the home team here without any issue whatsoever!
(Based on a 1* to 10* rating system)
8* ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
