Dave Price
Houston Astros +1.5 -120
Houston has lost 12 in a row, but I like its chances of ending the skid today. It has played the Pirates to 1-run games each of the past 2 days, and I believe it has the edge on the mound today with Harrell, who's 5-1 with a 1.89 ERA at home this season. The Astros have lost his last 4 starts, but 3 of those losses came by a single run. And, he has only given up 1 earned run in each of his last 3 starts. Pittsburgh's McDonald hasn't been as sharp, he has given up at least 5 runs in each of his last 3 starts. Bet Houston on the run line.
Jack Jones
Oakland A's +100
The Oakland A's are showing great value today as an underdog to the Baltimore Orioles. With the way they're playing right now, they should not be a dog against any team. Oakland has won 18 of its last 21 games overall.
As is the case with most of Oakland's staff, Travis Blackley is one of the most underrated starters in the game. He is 3-2 with a 3.13 ERA and 1.061 WHIP in nine starts this season, including 2-1 with a 2.35 ERA and 1.043 WHIP in five road outings.
The A's are 8-0 in their last 8 games as a road underdog. Oakland is 11-1 in its last 12 vs. AL East foes. The A's are 4-0 in Blackley's last 4 starts vs. a team with a winning record. The Orioles are 0-5 in their last 5 games as a home favorite. Bet the A's Sunday.
DOM CHAMBERS
For my free selection, let’s go with the Detroit Tigers to beat the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Tigers start Doug Fister, and he has been giving the Tigers some good outings.
Overall, he has a bad record, going 4-7 with a 4.03 ERA. He has had some bad luck this season.
In his last three games, he has been on fire. He is 2-1, but he has a 2.05 ERA. HE gave up only one run against the Angels and Orioles and only three runs to the Indians. He lost that game only because the Tigers failed to give him some run support.
I am expecting the Tigers to provide some run support in this game.
Brett Cecil starts for the Blue Jays. He has been getting lit up. In his last three starts, he is 0-2 with a 6.06 ERA. He has given up 12 runs in 16 1/3 innings.
The Tigers have lost three of their last four games, but I am expecting a bounce-back game from the Tigers to avoid the sweep by the Blue Jays.
The Tigers need to stop the bleeding for the race in the A.L. Central.
In this spot, take the better team with the better pitcher.
2* TIGERS
MATT RIVERS
Call it deja-vu, call it whatever you want, but I am using the same free play for Sunday that I used on Saturday, and that is the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees to go Over the posted total.
I told you yesterday that even though CC Sabathia was on the hill, the game would see runs scored, and I am telling you tonight that we will see more runs scored with Doubront and Kuroda going.
The teams have played eight times this season, and six of those eight have climbed over the total, including four straight.
In fact, the Over in this series in games played at Yankee Stadium stands at 7-1-1 the past nine times the teams have clashed in the Bronx.
It will be Felix Doubront and Hiroki Kuroda on the hill, and Doubront has allowed 10 runs to score his last 17-plus innings of work, while Kuroda's last start versus Boston on July 6th saw six earned runs on ten hits in just under six innings pitched.
The bats be boppin' one more time tonight, as Boston and New York make it five straight series Overs, and Overs in seven of the nine overall meetings this season.
4* OVER
Craig Davis
Free play run is 49-34 coming into Sunday.
Today's free play is on the LA Dodgers, on the road, over rival San Francisco.
The Giants lead the Dodgers in the West Division, but only by a slim margin... so small that if L.A. wins tonight, they'll be all alone in first place. In fact, they're shooting for the first series sweep of the Giants for the first time in two years.
Clayton Kershaw takes the hill for the Dodgers having lost twice already this season to Ryan Vogelsong. Well, ironically, he gets to face him again.
This series appears to be headed in the complete opposite direction from last month when the Giants outscored a Dodgers' team without some of its big guns during a three-game set.
15 runs and 25 hits in the first two games of this series... that's what the Dodgers have done. And that's not taking into account any of their pitching.
Kershaw clearly hasn't been his dominant self this year like he was a year ago. But still, we know what he's capable of and we've seen it a few times this year. Oh, and how about a 1.45 ERA in his career against the Giants?
Take the Dodgers as your free play of the day.
2* L.A. DODGERS
JEFF BENTON
Your Sunday freebie is the Dodgers to sweep the Giants.
Los Angeles has gotten a definite boost with the trade for Hanley Ramirez, as Ramirez had a pair of hits and three runs batted in in yesterday's 10-0 shutout of Frisco.
The Dodgers have won six of their last nine games, and starter Clayton Kershaw is on a mission after getting rocked by the Cardinals his last time out. Kershaw has also lost to the Giants and Vogelsong twice in two matchups earlier this season.
The Giants have dropped three straight and four of their last six overall. A loss today by the home team, and they fall into a tie with the Dodgers for first place in the West standings.
Los Angeles is "feeling it" right now, and Kershaw is not losing a third matchup against Vogelsong and the Giants.
Take L.A.
3* L.A. DODGERS
WUNDERDOG
Detroit at Toronto
Pick: Toronto +135
Detroit's recent struggled has lead to a 1-4 mark in their last five, dropping them to second place in the AL Central. They face Toronto again here to cap this series and I look for the Blue Jays to get the sweep. Toronto has won six of their last eight games thanks to an offense that has produced 5+ runs in six of those eight games. On the season, the Jays are averaging 5.2 runs per game. The reality of this has struck Detroit during this road stretch: it's hard to win on the road. Brett Cecil has been below average and Doug Fister average, but Fister is still 1-5 on the season away from home as his team fails to give him the run support he needs. Today he'll need a lot. In the road favorite role this year, the Tigers are just 14-18, including 4-10 as a favorite of -125 to -150. Take the plus odds on the Jays here.