Michael Cannon
Thursday's Plays...
10 Dime ?
PHILLIES (With Eaton as listed pitcher)
Take the Phillies as the big road dog tonight over the Mets.
Look, I know it?s the Mets and they?re playing at home, but Johan Santana isn?t pitching and it?s not like they?re playing the Pirates.
So why the inflated price?
Who knows? Probably because the linesmaker gives this team way too much respect right now.
Realistically speaking, I?m aware that John Maine is a solid pitcher and he?s delivered a 4-0 record against the Phillies in his career, but this is still a kid who?s just three games over .500 for his career and going against a pretty good lineup tonight.
The Phillies can mash with the best of them. Ryan Howard and Chase Utley are two of the better hitters in the National League, so I?m not opposed to backing them in any way tonight.
Then you?ve got Adam Eaton getting the start. Eaton isn?t just some journeyman pitcher when it comes to facing the Mets. The right-hander is 5-0 with a 2.68 ERA in seven career games against New York.
These teams are too even for the price to be this lopsided, so I have no problem siding with Philly.
Take the Phillies at a nice return for the road win.
5 Dime ?
TWINS (With Hernandez and Contreras as listed pitchers)
Take the Twins as the road dog tonight over the White Sox.
The ChiSox suffered their first home loss last night and it wouldn?t surprise me to see No. 2 come tonight.
Jose Contreras gets the nod for Chicago and there?s been concern about his velocity going back to last season. He looked shaky in his first start of the season, allowing four earned runs and walking four in five innings.
His mound opponent, Livan Hernandez, has been excellent for the Twins, going 2-0 with a 3.85 ERA in two starts. He hasn?t walked a batter yet while working seven innings in each of those two starts.
Hernandez is a horse who should be ready to deliver an even longer outing tonight if needed, while Contreras will be lucky to last more than five innings.
Take the Twins as the road dog for the win.