Buster Sports
Twins at Tigers
Play: Over 10
These teams opened the series last night with the Tigers winning 1-0. Both teams had 3 hits in the opener and with the starting pitchers tonight we will see many more hits and many more runs. Anibal Sanchez starts for the Tigers and he has had a terrible year. He was demoted to the bullpen at the end of May and he has made 3 starts since. In those 3 starts he has a 10.80 ERA with a WHIP of 1.980. At home as a starter this year he sports a lofty 6.87 ERA with a WHIP of 1.719. As for the Twins starter Tommy Milone, he has had his share of trouble as well this year. On the road Milone has a 5.90 ERA with a WHIP of 1.78. Look for the Tigers to get a bunch of runs against him tonight. Backing our selection is the fact that the OVER is 10-2-1 in Sanchez's last 13 home starts vs. a team with a losing record and also the fact that the OVER is 8-2-1 in the Twins last 11 games after allowing 2 runs or less in their previous game.
Stephen Nover
Twins +1.5 -150
It's easy to rip the Twins. Sure they've been one of the most disappointing teams in baseball. But they have won six of their last 10 and if given 1 1/2 runs would be 15-4 in their last 19 games.
What makes the Twins attractive here is a chance to go against Anibal Sanchez, who is 5-10 with a 6.75 ERA. Whatever talent Sanchez once possessed is gone. He's only in the Tigers' rotation out of desperation because Jordan Zimmerman and Daniel Norris are each injured. Sanchez has surrendered 12 earned runs during his two July starts spanning 8 1/3 innings.
Tommy Milone, Sanchez's mound opponent, is in much better form winning his past two starts allowing three earned runs in 11 innings. Milone is 3-1 lifetime versus the Tigers in seven outings with a 3.86 ERA.
Bruce Marshall
Royals +136
The Royals are at home and that means something this season, especially against the Indians, as the host team has now won 8 in a row this season after KC's 7-3 win on Monday. At 30-13 at home, the Royals are worth a look at this price, even with pong reliever Brian Flynn making his first start of the season. For the Tribe, there is concern for starter Danny Salazar, who had to miss the All-Star Game due to elbow problems.
Chris Jordan
My free play is on the Philadelphia Phillies, over the Miami Marlins, and in this one I want you to list Vince Velasquez over Jose Urena.
It's an odd matchup, because neither are necessarily threats in a normal situation, or against many teams. But timing is everything, and I think this is a good spot to take Velasquez, who has dominated at times, despite experiencing the "dead arm" he had been experiencing in his past couple starts.
Really, I'm thinking more along the lines of siding against Urena, who is filling the open spot in the rotation temporarily. It will be Urena’s first start of the season after posting a 7.52 ERA in 16 bullpen appearances prior to being sent down in June.
Take the Phils and list both.
5* PHILADELPHIA
Gabriel DuPont
Complimentary play, I look to improve on my 85-73 run with free picks: Atlanta at Cincinnati (9.5-over, +100)
The STORYLINE in this game today - Let's head to Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati for my free winner tonight, as I love the Over in the Atlanta-Cincinnati game. Believe me, with the pitchers who are going in this one, this one should be in double digits by sixth inning.
The X-FACTOR in making this choice on this game - I could talk about either pitcher, but the biggest key is home starter Cody Reed. I know the organization has made a commitment to this left-handed rookie, but that commitment has him trying to learn things at the Major League level. And things haven't been easy for Reed, as he hasn't pitched more than five innings and has a 9.68 ERA in four starts since his seven-inning debut.
BOTTOM LINE is - Now, let's talk Tyrell Jenkins. He has thrown more than 50 pitches just twice since moving to Triple-A Gwinnett's bullpen on May 29, and given this is on the road, he could get hit hard. Since every MLB wager on a run line or total auto-lists pitchers, I want you to be sure the two pitchers on your ticket, when making this play, are Reed and Jenkins. If they are not the pitchers of record when making your play, disregard this play.
5* Braves-Reds Over
Jeff Benton
Your Tuesday freebie is the Yankees over the Orioles.
New York hasn't been getting too much offense lately, but neither has Baltimore.
Last night the Yanks used their vaunted 7-8-9 relievers to secure the 2-1 win over the O's as they moved to within 7 1/2 games in their division, and also back to the .500 mark.
After pitching out of the bullpen before the break, look for the added rest to rejuvenate the arm of Nathan Eovaldi tonight, as he opposes Vance Worley who goes for the pitching starved Orioles.
I say the Yankees make it 2 for 2 tonight in the Bronx over their division-rivals.
Play is on New York in this near-pick spot.
3* N.Y. YANKEES
Brad Wilton
Tuesday comp play is the Tigers over the Twins.
Detroit took Monday's opener, 1-0.
When you have the worst record in the American League, it's really not difficult to pick against the Twins, and that is what I shall do again tonight when Tommy Milone and Anibal Sanchez toe the rubber at Comerica Park.
Sanchez may be winless in the month of July, but he does have the fact that his team has won ALL 7 season series meetings between the teams on his side.
Milone has boosted his trade value by turning in some quality starts his last few trips to the hill, but with a chance to move to 8-0 in the season series, look for the Tigers to beat back the A.L. doormats once again.
Play is on the Tigers to get the win.
2* DETROIT
Scott Delaney
My free winner for today is on the Boston Red Sox on the Run Line, as they host the San Francisco Giants.
This is more about the Crimson Hose taking advantage of a slumping Giants team that is on the road, and likely a bit tired after opening the second half of the season in San Diego, losing all three to the lowly Padres, traveled cross country yesterday and now takes on one of the hottest hitting teams in the league.
This is going to be trouble.
For the season, the Red Sox rank No. 1 in the bigs with a .289 batting average, while the Giants rank 11th with a .261 clip. But the telling numbers are the Red Sox at home (.303) and Boston in the month of July (.309). In contrast, the Giants are hitting .234 this month and .257 on the road.
I don't see Frisco hanging with the Red Sox offensively in this one.
5* RED SOX -1.5
JACK JONES
St. Louis Cardinals -1.5 +102
The St. Louis Cardinals hung 10 runs on the San Diego Padres yesterday in an 8-run victory. I look for them to swing the bats well again today and put up another big number to beat the Padres by multiple runs.
The Cards clearly have the edge on the mound behind Carlos Martinez, who is 8-6 with a 2.85 ERA and 1.155 WHIP in 17 starts this season. Martinez has posted a 2.77 ERA in two career starts against the Padres as well.
COlin Rea is 5-3 with a 4.80 ERA and 1.413 WHIP in 16 starts this season, including 2-1 with a 4.94 ERA and 1.710 WHIP in six road starts. Rea has never beaten the Cardinals going 0-1 with a 6.00 ERA and 1.778 WHIP in two career starts against them.
San Diego is 4-28 (-20.2 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +175 to +250 over the last three seasons. It is losing in this spot by an average of 3.0 runs per game. St. Louis is 22-7 (+12.1 Units) against the money line vs. teams outscored by opponents by 0.5 or more runs/game on the season this season. It is winning by 3.4 runs per game in this spot.
ARI ATARI
Rangers vs. Angels
Play: Angels -118
The Rangers have lost 10 of 13 while the Angels have now won 8 of 10. LA has scored 18 runs in their last 3 games and look to build on another advantageous situation. Lohse has a 4-5, 6.28 ERA in 12 starts against the Angels and he's nowhere near 100% as he debuted for the season last Tuesday and allowed 6 runs in 5 innings. No play if Lohse is scratched. Lincecum is also getting back into a groove with 3 runs allowed in his last start spanning 5.2 innings. Take the Angels for a smaller play.