Charlie Sports
mlb. st. louis @ houston under 8' runs ( 500* ).
mlb. florida @ san diego under 7' runs (30*)
mlb. cleveland-130 (20*)
mlb. florida-130 (20*)
mlb. washington-145 (10*)
mlb. tampa bay-140 (10*) free play
Jack Jones
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15* Red Sox/Rangers UNDER 9
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This line is high for a couple of teams struggling to score runs, especially when you consider the two pitchers on the mound. First, Josh Beckett pitched some of his best ball this season in his last 3 starts, earning a 2.78 ERA and 0.79 WHIP over that stretch. Tommy Hunter, tonight's starter for the Rangers, is relatively unknown, but he's been great for Texas since being called up. He's only 1-1 in 4 starts this year, but over that span he has a 2.35 ERA and 1.30 WHIP, including a 1.53 ERA and 1.13 WHIP over his three most recent starts. These teams are normally offensive powerhouses, however, they've both been flat on offense over the past week, a trend I expect to continue with a pair of pitchers going tonight that have pitched really well of late.
Chris Jordan
300♦ PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (LIST Blanton and Harden) - I had the Cubs as my free play last night, and boy was that a mistake. The Phils didn’t just win their ninth straight; they devoured the contending Cubs with an impressive display of power, an impressive display of defense and an impressive outing by short-term starter Rodrigo Lopez, who will likely make way for Pedro Martinez next month. Winning for the 13th time in 14 games, the Phils put a 10-spot on the board after pounding out nine hits.
It doesn’t get any easier today, for Chicago, as I believe the defending World Series champs re geared to move to .500 at home for the first time this season. The National League East-leading Phillies have won six in a row and are 10-1 at Citizens Bank Park this month after last night’s 10-1 shellacking of Chicago in the series-opener. At home, the Phils are batting .300 with 18 home runs and averaging almost seven runs this month.
I could go on and on, up and down the lineup, with this team. Raul Ibanez is batting .348 (8 for 23) with three homers and nine RBI in his last six games, Ryan Howard has stroked two home runs in his last three games against the Cubbies and Shane Victorino is batting .428 with 3 runs scored in his last two games … you get the point. Tonight the red-hot Phils take a crack at Rich Harden, who is 1-2 in his last three starts with a 7.62 ERA.
Tonight we’ll get a stellar performance from Joe Blanton, whose last start was washed away with a postponement in Florida. He didn’t mind, as the Marlins jumped out to an early lead. Tonight he regroups and continues to pitch well. He’s 2-0 in his last three starts, and brings in a stifling 1.83 ERA from those outings. I’ll take Philly here.
300♦ BOSTON RED SOX RUN LINE (With Beckett over whomever) - Boston, arguably the best all-around team in the bigs, is mired in a (gasp!) three-game skid, while the Rangers are looking for their third-straight win. Good thing Boston has ace Josh Beckett toeing the slab tonight. The Sox will need that pitching prowess tonight, since they’ve scored six total runs during their losing streak. Nevertheless, they’re tied for fifth in the league with 110 home runs, so at any time expect a breakout game. I think it’ll be tonight.
When you have a team like the Rangers, an explosive team that leads all of baseball with 139 home runs, you need a guy like Beckett – who can command both his 2- and 4-seam fastballs to both sides of the plate and who can mix in a two-plane curveball and highly regarded changeup – to keep aggressive hitters off-balance.
The dominating right-hander finished his first half with a stunning three-hit shutout of Kansas City last Sunday, and since the beginning of May, the Cy Young-candidate is 9-1 with a 2.14 ERA in 13 starts, with opponents hitting .204 against him.
I’m not listing Tommy Hunter, as I’m not too concerned about him despite Boston’s rather bleak performances against rookie hurlers, but I will tell you last August the BoSox pounded him for nine runs in 1-2/3 innings at Fenway Park. True, it was part of a brief stint in the majors for Hunter, but Boston still blasted him and that’s a positive sign mentally for a team that needs a breakout ball game.
300♦ L.A. DODGERS RUN LINE (Based on any pitchers going) - Had some folks question my play on the Dodgers last night. Once we built the lead I was confident, and truth is, the game was out of hand more than the score indicated. It was the blowout I anticipated. And now that the Jason Schmidt-hurdle is out of the way, and the dodgers were able to break out with a nice little offensive surge, I’m looking for the overall performance for win number four in a row.
Once again, based on the price of this game, it’s easy to see what the oddsmakers are telling us about the Dodgers – they’re deservedly steep favorites. This time around we’re going to lay the run line, which I don’t mind laying with a team that continues to defy all naysayers by winning ball games however it can.
After last night’s setback, Cincinnati has lost 11 of 15 since July 3. And as I said last night, with things heating up in the National League, these are the types of series the Dodgers need to win handedly.
I’ve got the momentum on my side with L.A., the team boasting the best record in baseball, as it’s now won eight of nine meetings going back to last season. Going back even further, the Dodgers have won 22 of the last 28 meetings, while the Reds are on a 3-9 slide in their last 12 as an underdog and have lost 10 straight at Chavez Ravine. Lay the run line tonight, as the Dodgers dismantle the visiting Reds.
Doc
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3-Unit Play Take Chicago Cubs +120 over Philadelphia Phillies
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3-Unit Play Take Arizona Diamondbacks +145 over Colorado Rockies
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3-Unit Play Take Chicago White Sox +120 over Tampa Bay Rays
Karl Garrett
30 DIMER - MILWAUKEE BREWERS (Looper over Vasquez)
This Milwaukee team is puzzling, as clearly they are a better team than the Pirates, but last night they let a chance to gain ground in their division pass them by, as Pittsburgh roughed them up pretty good.
The Brewers have now lost 9 of their last 12 on the road.
That is going to change tonight, as I fully expect Braden Looper to handle this lineup, and I also fully expect the Brewers bats to get it going against rookie Virgil Vazquez who is on an 0-3 run since winning his debut.
In Vasquez' last 3 starts, he has allowed 12 runs on 18 hits, in just 13-plus innings of work. Chances are, Virgil ain't gonna be around too long in this start.
Braden Looper counters with a 2-0 mark his last 3 starts, and he did pitch the Brewers to an April win over the Pirates.
In fact, last night's loss was Milwaukee's first of the season in 6 games against the Bucs.
Pittsburgh is still just 4-8 their last 12 games.
Gotta expect a Milwaukee bounce-back win this evening in the Steel City.
JEFFERSON-SPORTS
ANGELS-128 gm1
The Hammer
PRIVATE INVESTORS CLUB MONEY LINE WINNER
Colorado w/Cook -143 8:40 EST
Speculating Sports
Tuesday's selections are highlighted by our NL GAME OF THE YEAR, as well as two additional selections. We went 2-0 last night including an easy winner with Colorado as our Run Line GAME OF THE MONTH, a big payout of +150. The White Sox also cashed for us as well. We are now 5-2 over the last 3 days and we're keeping the hot streak going tonight.
Chicago Cubs at Philadelphia 7:10pm EST
Selection: PHILADELPHIA -131
Profile: Philadelphia is absolutely red hot right now, evident by their 9 game win streak, and their 10-1 win last night over Chicago. One of the biggest keys in handicapping baseball is to back hot teams, while fading cold teams. The Phillies bats are on fire right now, and I look for them to continue their hot hitting in this game. The oddsmakers know that Rich Harden is due for a bad game here based on this number. Harden was priced very high last year and early this year, but the oddsmakers are telling us something with Philadelphia and Joe Blanton being priced at -131. Harden's velocity is down and, he hasn't had his usual dominating stuff. He is able to get by against weaker hitting line-ups, such as Washington and Pittsburgh. However, St. Louis, Milwaukee, Detroit, and Cleveland all hit him fairly hard. What's even worse for Chicago and Harden is that Philadelphia hits righties very hard, especially lately. The Phillies are hitting well over .300 as a team against them recently, and they hit almost 40 points better against them than lefties at home. Meanwhile, Philadelphia's starter, Joe Blanton, has pitched very well lately, and he has done it against the best line-ups in baseball. Over his last ten starts Blanton has shut down Boston, Tampa Bay, and the LA Dodgers. In addition, he has only allowed 7 earned runs in his last 5 starts at home. Look for Blanton to shut down the struggling Cubs line-up while the Phillies hit Harden enough for the win.
4 UNIT SELECTION
Boston at Texas 8:05pm EST
Selection: TEXAS +151
Profile: This game is a great opportunity to get Texas at a big underdog price. Josh Beckett has no doubt been dominant lately, but I expect him to have a letdown performance here. His performance has been much better at home than on the road this year. He gave up 7 runs at Philadelphia and 5 runs at Baltimore in his last 3 road starts. Beckett has no real motivation to get up for this game, which may prove important in the Texas heat. Texas' stadium is a tough place to pitch if you aren't motivated because of the power line-up that the Rangers have as well as the high temperatures. Texas got a win against Boston on Monday night, so they will bring some momentum into this game. Meanwhile, Rangers starter Tommy Hunter has been pitching better and better this season, and I look for him to be very motivated to pitch against the Red Sox. Boston is only hitting .240 against righties on the road this season, including a recent hitting slump on their current road trip. Take Texas as a large home underdog.
1 UNIT SELECTION
Tampa Bay at Chicago White Sox 8:11pm EST
Selection: TAMPA BAY -130
Profile: Tampa Bay outplayed Chicago in their game on Monday, despite not getting the win. Chicago only won the game because they were able to get a 3 run home run early in the game. However, the Rays have been playing very well lately, and they have a great starting pitching advantage in this game. Tampa Bay's Jeff Niemann has pitched very well lately, allowing only one base runner per inning, while posting a 1.33 ERA over his last 3 starts. Meanwhile, Chicago starter Clayton Richard is in horrible current form, and I look for the Rays to absolutely crush him. They hit lefties very well, averaging almost .280 against them on the road. Meanwhile, Chicago hits righties almost 30 points lower at home than lefties, so Niemann should be able to shut them down. Tampa Bay has been able to play better on the road recently, and I look for them to get the win with a huge advantage in starting pitching.
2 UNIT SELECTION
Al DeMarco
N.L. RUN LINE MISMATCH
LOCK OF THE MONTH
Dodgers
Nick Parsons
A's
KBHoops
5* Pittsburgh UNDER 9.5 **POD**
5* Philadelphia UNDER 9
5* NY Yankees UNDER 10.5
THE PREZ
Cardinals at Astros
Pick: Under 8.5
It's been over 17 innings since Wandy Rodriguez last allowed a run, and he's now allowed one run or less in 12 of his 19 starts. St Louis has registered a .665 OPS against left-handers -- ranking second to last in the bigs and the Cards hit only .225 as a team against Rodriguez, with Albert Pujols going 3-for-20 (.150) against the Houston southpaw. Todd Wellemeyer is 10-1 to the UNDER when playing against a marginal winning team (in the neighborhood of .500) with the average final score under six runs. The Cardinals are 10-1 to the UNDER after 3 straight games where they committed no errors this season and their much improved defense and their lack of pop against southpaws makes tonight's play to the UNDER fiscally prudent. Bob Davidson will call balls and strikes and while inconsistent at times, he rates as pitcher-friendly in the Team Prez umpire rankings.
Tim Trushel
Yankees Over
The Duke's Sports
Cleveland (-111) for 1.5 Units
The Indians' pitching has been horrible this year, but the reigning CY Young Award winner- Cliff Lee - should go deep enough into this one to give the Tribe a fighting chance. Lee, who is coming off a 1 run complete game win over Seattle, should stay in good form here; after all, Lee has been solid on the road for most of the season; moreover, the Indians are 25-10 on the road w/ Lee vs teams under .500. Furthermore, the Blue Jays have struggled with lefties this month (.236 BA). We'll look for Lee to go deep into this one to avoid the shaky Tribe 'pen. Toronto will counter with Brett Cecil. The inconsistent southpaw is coming off a strong outing @ Baltimore but could easily struggle here. The Indians are batting a healthy .276 vs lefties this month and overdue to get their offense untracked. The Blue Jays are just 1-4 in Cecil's last 5 starts. Cleveland has won 4 of the last 5 meetings in Toronto and we'll take them here.
Jack Jones
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15* Red Sox/Rangers UNDER 9
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This line is high for a couple of teams struggling to score runs, especially when you consider the two pitchers on the mound. First, Josh Beckett pitched some of his best ball this season in his last 3 starts, earning a 2.78 ERA and 0.79 WHIP over that stretch. Tommy Hunter, tonight's starter for the Rangers, is relatively unknown, but he's been great for Texas since being called up. He's only 1-1 in 4 starts this year, but over that span he has a 2.35 ERA and 1.30 WHIP, including a 1.53 ERA and 1.13 WHIP over his three most recent starts. These teams are normally offensive powerhouses, however, they've both been flat on offense over the past week, a trend I expect to continue with a pair of pitchers going tonight that have pitched really well of late.
Jack Jones
15* on Tampa Bay Rays -120
Jump on the Rays over the White Sox with starting pitcher Clayton Richard struggling to get the job done for Chicago. Richard has just 6 decisions in 12 starts this season, but that's only half of the story. He's 1-2 at home on the season with a 7.59 ERA and 1.97 WHIP. If that wasn't enough, then his 11.81 and 1.87 WHIP over his last 3 starts should be. Rays' starter, Jeff Niemann, has been rock-solid in Tampa's rotation, notching an 8-4 record with a 3.55 ERA in 16 starts. Niemann hasn't had any trouble throwing on the road, going 5-2 with a 3.78 ERA in 10 road starts (the Rays are 8-2 in those starts). The Rays have been hot over the last month and Niemann has been a big factor in that success. The Rays have won all 3 of Niemann's last three starts, while he has posted a 1.33 ERA and 1.08 WHIP. Grab the Rays as a medium-sized road favorite.
20* NO Doubt Rout Houston Astros -1.5 +140
It's hard not to love the 'Stros tonight with how poorly the Cardinals have been play, not to mention how well Astros' starter, Wandy Rodriguez has been pitching. Rodriguez is 4-2 this season in 9 home starts (the Astros are 7-2 in those starts) with a 2.21 ERA and 1.08 WHIP. He has been one of the hottest pitchers in baseball this month, earning a microscopic 0.41 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in his last 3 starts, all Houston wins. Meanwhile, the Cardinals are hitting just .231 as a team and scoring just 3 runs per game over their last 7 overall, and have struggled against left-handed starters this season, averaging 3.5 runs per game and hitting only .242. The Cards throw Todd Wellemeyer, and he's not helping their case. Wellemeyer has been very hittable this season, going 7-7 with a 5.58 ERA and 1.69 WHIP so far.
15* on Red Sox/Rangers UNDER 9
This line is high for a couple of teams struggling to score runs, especially when you consider the two pitchers on the mound. First, Josh Beckett pitched some of his best ball this season in his last 3 starts, earning a 2.78 ERA and 0.79 WHIP over that stretch. Tommy Hunter, tonight's starter for the Rangers, is relatively unknown, but he's been great for Texas since being called up. He's only 1-1 in 4 starts this year, but over that span he has a 2.35 ERA and 1.30 WHIP, including a 1.53 ERA and 1.13 WHIP over his three most recent starts. These teams are normally offensive powerhouses, however, they've both been flat on offense over the past week, a trend I expect to continue with a pair of pitchers going tonight that have pitched really well of late.