SPORTS ADVISORS
NATIONAL LEAGUE
L.A. Dodgers (62-39) at St. Louis (56-48)
The Cardinals gun for a four-game sweep of the Dodgers when they send right-hander Kyle Lohse (4-6, 4.35 ERA) to the Busch Stadium mound against Hiroki Kuroda (3-5, 4.57) and the Dodgers.
St. Louis continued its dominance of Los Angeles with a 3-2, 15-inning victory Wednesday, coming from behind in both the bottom of the ninth and 11th innings to tie the game then winning it on Albert Pujols’ two-out RBI single in the 15th. Not only have the Cardinals taken the first two games of this series by a combined score of 19-3, but they’re now 44-20 in its last 64 meetings with Los Angeles and 27-8 in its last 35 clashes against the Dodgers at Busch. The Redbirds are on additional positive surges of 7-1 at home, 7-1 against the N.L. West, 18-4 against teams with a winning percentage above .600 and 14-2 on Thursday.
L.A. has now lost four in a row for the first time all season and five of its last six. Joe Torre’s squad is also on slides of 1-5 against right-handed starters and 1-5 as an underdog
St. Louis has lost four in a row and eight of nine behind Lohse, including Saturday’s ugly 14-6 setback at Philadelphia, in which the veteran allowed three runs on four hits and three walks in just four innings. It was Lohse’s third start since a stint on the disabled list, and he hasn’t pitched the Cards to a win since May 23.
Lohse is 4-3 with a 3.20 ERA in seven home starts this year, and he’s 1-2 with a 4.95 ERA in five career appearances (three starts) against Los Angeles. Additionally, the Cardinals are 13-6 in Lohse’s last 19 home starts, but they’ve lost six straight games when the 30-year-old has faced a winning opponent.
The Dodgers have come out on top in Kuroda’s last two starts and four of his last six. On Saturday against Florida, he allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits in six innings, with nine strikeouts against just one walk, getting a no-decision in L.A.’s 4-3 walk-off home victory. Kuroda is 3-2 with a 4.99 ERA in six road appearances (five starts) this season, and this will be his first career start against St. Louis.
L.A. is 5-0 in Kuroda’s last five outings against N.L. Central squads, but it has dropped five straight road games against winning teams behind the right-hander.
The Dodgers are on “over” runs of 5-3-1 overall, 10-4 on the road and 12-7 against right-handed starters, but with Kuroda throwing, the under is on streaks of 8-3 overall, 5-0 against winning teams and 14-6-1 on the highway. The Cardinals are on “under” streaks of 10-4 overall, 21-9 at home (7-1 in their last eight at Busch) and 6-1 against the N.L. West. Finally, the under has been the play in eight of the last 12 meetings in this rivalry.
ATS ADVANTAGE: ST. LOUIS and UNDER
AMERICAN LEAGUE
N.Y. Yankees (62-39) at Chicago White Sox (51-51)
The streaking Yankees give the ball to southpaw Andy Pettitte (8-6, 4.67 ERA) to open a four-game weekend set against the White Sox, who will counter with right-hander Gavin Floyd (8-6, 4.24) at US Cellular Field.
New York finished off a three-game set at Tampa Bay on Wednesday with a 6-2 victory, getting eight shutout innings from starter Joba Chamberlain. The Yanks are on hot streaks of 11-2 since the All-Star break, 47-22 overall, 10-4 on the road and 16-2 against right-handed starters, and they’ve also won 16 of their last 21 series openers.
Chicago returns home after concluding a seven-game road trip to Detroit and Minnesota, going 1-6 in that stretch, capped by Wednesday’s 3-2 loss. Despite the rough road trip, the Sox are on upswings of 10-3 against lefty starters and 9-3 at home.
This marks the first series of the season between these clubs. New York has owned this rivalry lately, going 10-3 in the last 13 clashes overall and 5-1 in the last six meetings in Chicago, but the Bronx Bombers are just 1-4 in Pettitte’s last five starts against the White Sox in the Windy City.
The Yankees have followed up a three-game win streak behind Pettitte with losses in three of his last four starts. On Saturday against Oakland, the left-hander allowed four runs on five hits and a walk in 6 1/3 innings of a 6-4 home loss. Over his last four starts, Pettitte has twice allowed six runs, and he’s 0-3 with a 6.37 ERA in that stretch.
Pettitte is 4-2 with a 3.69 ERA in eight road starts this year, and he’s 11-9 with a 4.48 ERA in 22 career starts against Chicago. With the veteran on the hill, the Yanks are on runs of 5-0 in series openers, 4-1 on the road and 20-7 against the A.L. Central
The Sox are 7-3 in Floyd’s last 10 starts, but they were dealt a tough 4-3 setback at Detroit on Saturday, blowing a 3-2 ninth-inning lead. The 26-year-old right-hander allowed just two runs (one earned) on six hits and three walks over 6 2/3 innings in getting a no-decision. Floyd is 4-2 with a 2.70 ERA in nine home starts this season, and he’s 1-0 despite a bloated 6.75 ERA in three career appearances (two starts) against New York. Behind Floyd, Chicago is on runs of 22-6 at home and 4-0 at home against winning teams.
The under is 9-3-1 in New York’s last 13 games, and with Pettitte pitching, the under is on tears of 37-16-1 overall, 16-5 in series openers, 19-7 on the highway and 8-3 against winning teams. Likewise, Chicago has stayed under the total in 11 straight games overall and four straight against A.L. East foes, and the under is also on stretches for the Pale Hose of 19-7-1 in series openers, 37-16 at U.S. Cellular (4-0 last four) and 5-1 with Floyd starting at home.
Conversely, in this rivalry, the total has gone high in the last four meetings in Chicago, and with Pettitte facing the Sox, the over is on runs of 5-2 overall and 4-0 in the Windy City.
ATS ADVANTAGE: CHICAGO WHITE SOX
DUNKEL
Oakland at Boston
The A's come off an 8-6 win last night and look to build on their 4-1 record in Gio Gonzalez' last 5 starts when their opponent scores 5 runs or more in the previous game. Oakland is the pick (+280) according to Dunkel, which has the A's favored by 1/2 a run. Dunkel Pick: Oakland (+280).
Game 901-902: Colorado at NY Mets
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (Hammel) 15.086; NY Mets (Santana) 16.371
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A
Game 903-904: San Diego at Cincinnati
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Stauffer) 13.922; Cincinnati (Cueto) 12.783
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-155); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (+145); Under
Game 905-906: Washington at Milwaukee
Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Martin) 14.319; Milwaukee (Gallardo) 13.620
Dunkel Line: Washington by 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-260); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Washington (+235); Over
Game 907-908: Atlanta at Florida
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Vazquez) 15.313; Florida (Vandenhurk) 16.366
Dunkel Line: Florida by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-155); 8
Dunkel Pick: Florida (+145); Under
Game 909-910: LA Dodgers at St. Louis
Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Kuroda) 14.362; St. Louis (Lohse) 16.031
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-115); 9
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-115); Under
Game 911-912: Philadelphia at San Francisco
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Lopez) 16.324; San Francisco (Sanchez) 14.848
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-115); 9
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-115); Under
Game 913-914: Kansas City at Baltimore
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Hochevar) 14.435; Baltimore (Bergesen) 14.843
Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Baltimore (-155); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (-155); Under
Game 915-916: Oakland at Boston
Dunkel Ratings: Oakland (Gonzalez) 15.673; Boston (Lester) 15.064
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 1/2; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: Boston (-320); 9
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (+280); Over
Game 917-918: Seattle at Texas
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Olson) 15.284; Texas (Holland) 14.216
Dunkel Line: Seattle by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Texas (-150); 10
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (+140); Under
Game 919-920: NY Yankees at Chicago White Sox
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Pettitte) 16.484; White Sox (Floyd) 15.267
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 1; 8
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-125); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-125); Under
Game 921-922: Houston at Chicago Cubs
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Ortiz) 15.646; Cubs (Hart) 14.931
Dunkel Line: Houston by 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Chicago Cubs (-190); No Run Line
Dunkel Pick: Houston (+175); N/A
Game 923-924: Colorado at NY Mets
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (De La Rosa) 15.896; NY Mets (Niese) 15.582
Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A
WNBA
Phoenix at Atlanta
The Mercury look to build on their 8-1 ATS record in their last 9 overall. Phoenix is the pick (-1 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Mercury favored by 7. Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (-1 1/2).
Game 601-602: San Antonio at Sacramento
Dunkel Ratings: San Antonio 106.598; Sacramento 110.961
Dunkel Line & Total: Sacramento by 4 1/2; 144
Vegas Line & Total: Sacramento by 2; 147
Dunkel Pick: Sacramento (-2); Under
Game 603-604: Connecticut at Indiana
Dunkel Ratings: Connecticut 113.424; Indiana 112.714
Dunkel Line & Total: Connecticut by 1; 140
Vegas Line & Total: Indiana by 5; 144
Dunkel Pick: Connecticut (+5); Under
Game 605-606: Washington at New York
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 108.554; New York 113.151
Dunkel Line & Total: New York by 4 1/2; 142
Vegas Line & Total: New York by 3; 147 1/2
Dunkel Pick: New York (-3); Under
Game 607-608: Phoenix at Atlanta
Dunkel Ratings: Phoenix 116.194; Atlanta 109.229
Dunkel Line & Total: Phoenix by 7; 190
Vegas Line & Total: Phoenix by 1 1/2; 188
Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (-1 1/2); Over
CFL
Montreal at Edmonton
The Alouettes look to build on their 10-4 ATS record in their last 14 road games. Montreal is the pick (-6 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Alouettes favored by 14. Dunkel Pick: Montreal (-6 1/2).
Game 401-402: Montreal at Edmonton
Dunkel Ratings: Montreal 123.326; Edmonton 109.449
Dunkel Line: Montreal by 14; 51
Vegas Line: Montreal by 6 1/2; 54 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Montreal (-6 1/2); Under
Vernon Croy
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Oakland Athletics vs. Boston Red Sox
Play: Under 9.5
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Take the Boston Red Sox Under 9.5, This pick falls into one of my top MLB systems and both of these starters have pitched solid lately. Jon Lester (9-7, 3.79 ERA) has an ERA of just 1.83 since May.31 which leads all AL starters and opponents are hitting just .202 against him over his last 10 starts. Gio Gonzalez (2-2, 7.75) is coming off his best start of the season holding a very powerful Yankees line-up to just 1 earned run and 2 hits over 6.7 innings and that was in New York where the balls have been flying out this season. The O/U is 0-8 for the Red Sox in their last 8 home games against a lefty starter and the O/U is 1-7-1 in Lester's last 9 starts after a quality start in his last outing. With the first 3 games in this series going over the posted total I look for a pitchers dual here Thursday afternoon. Take Under 9.5 Thursday afternoon.
Frank Jordan
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Philadelphia Phillies vs. San Francisco Giants
Play: San Francisco Giants
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San Francisco won on Wednesday 1-0 in ten inning as they swept the Pirates. Now the other Pennsylvania team comes in and the Giants have a new addition as they got Freddie Sanchez from Pittsburgh. Philadelphia got shutout 4-0 in Arizona as they made a trade of their own picking up Cliff Lee from the Indians. In this one look for Jonathan Sanchez to continue to pitch well as the Giants win at home over Philadelphia. Play San Francisco
Cajun Sports
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Philadelphia Phillies vs. San Francisco Giants
Play: Philadelphia Phillies
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The Phillies travel to The City by the Bay for a four-game series against the host San Francisco Giants with the first game set for Thursday night at 10:15PM Eastern Time. The Phillies are 40-21 (+16.5) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons and 20-9 (+13.9) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record this season. Philadelphia will face a Giants defense that has only allowed 3.7 runs per game this season. That is not a concern as we see the Phillies are 51-26 (+25.7) when facing NL teams allowing 4.3 or less runs per game on the season the last 2 seasons. Philadelphia will send right-hander Rodrigo Lopez to the bump with his 3-0 record and ERA of 3.09. The Giants will counter with Jonathan Sanchez who is 3-9 with an ERA of 4.92 this season. Both teams have played well in the home/road situation with Philly going 31-15 for +18.8 units on the road while the Giants are 33-15 at home for +16.7 units. The runs scored differential favors the Phillies here with a 5.5 runs per game average on the road and the Giants only average 4.6 runs per game at home. The differential increases when comparing them against each teams starter with the Phillies averaging 5.5 runs per game against left-handed starters and the Giants are averaging 4.0 runs per game when facing right-handed starters. On the technical front we see that the Phillies are 22-5 their last 27 games as a road favorite and 9-2 their last 11 when installed as a road favorite of -110 to -150. The Giants are 7-19 the last 26 starts by Sanchez when he is an underdog and 6-22 overall in his last 28 trips to the bump. We will back the champs here as they grab a victory in game one over the Giants on Thursday night.
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Graded Selection: 2* Philadelphia Phillies 4 San Francisco Giants 3
Red Dog Sports
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Kansas City at Baltimore
Play Under 8.5
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KC has played 22 unders, 8 overs and 2 pushes in their last 32 on the road. The Orioles have 13 unders, 3 overs and a push in their last 17 overall. Bergeson for the Orioles has 0 overs and 3 unders in his last 3 with an ERA of 3.38. These two have combined for 86 overs and 103 unders this season. Look for another under on Thursday.
KING CREOLE
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Colorado Rockies @ New York Mets
PLAY: UNDER
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This play was on our WEDNESDAY night card, but the game was rained out. It's dependent on both of the SAME starting pitchers (Hamel vs Santana)... and Home Plate Umpire SAM HOLBROOK, who was scheduled to go last night. Check the Home Plate Umpire assignments 45 minutes before the game and play accordingly. If HOLBROOK goes, we will elevate the rating of this play to 2** STATUS. If they skip over Holbrook and make DAN IASSOGNA the Home Plate Umpire, then the game is a PASS....
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Here's part of our breakdown from last night:
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SAM HOLBROOK will be working the game at Citi Field in Game Three of the Mets / Rockies series. This is a series in which the UNDER has gone 7-1-1 in the last 9 meetings. Holbrook enters with an overall record of 7-13 O/U (65% Under) on the season. In the 'what have you done for me lately' department, we note that he has gone a PERFECT 0-4 O/U in his last 4 games (only 5.5 runs per game)... and 1-7 O/U in his last 8 games. He has one of the larger strike percentages on the season (63% Strikes). And his K/BB ratio of 2.2 to 1 (15.3 strikeouts per game / only 7 walks per game) is an indicator that there won't be a lot of extra base runners. He'll be aided by a Mets ace (JOHAN SANTANA) that has a home ERA of 1.86 on the year (and 70% Under). And his counterpart (JASON HAMMEL) has a road ERA of 1.93 on the year (and 1-6 O/U record).
BIG AL
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New York Yankees vs. Chicago White Sox
Play: New York Yankees
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Former Yankee Jose Contreras was originally slated to start this game but an injury to Bartolo Colon moved Contreras up to the Wednesday start and now the Sox will move righthander Gavin Floyd up one day to start in this one. Yankee lefthander Andy Pettitte has been in the Majors 15 seasons and he goes from facing a starter that is a year older than him in Contreras to now facing somebody who is 11 years younger. Both of these starters have the same record at 8-6, but Pettitte has won his eight games with an ERA more than 1/2 run higher than Floyd, a testament to the excellent run support that the Bombers usually provide for the veteran southpaw. This is especially true when Pettitte pitches on the road, as in his last five starts away from Yankee Stadium in 2009, his pin-striped teammates have scored a total of 35 runs and they are 4-1 in those games. Floyd hasn't faced the Yanks this season, but in the last two years, he's made three appearances against them and it hasn't been pretty as Floyd has a 6.75 ERA in 16 innings. Heading into this series, New York has won 10 of the last 13 meetings, including five of the last six played in Chicago. Take the Yankees.
Bob Harvey
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Col Gm1 vs. Mets Gm1
Play: Mets Gm1
The Mets despite all the injuries and front office buffoonery are winning. They’ve won four straight heading into today’s double-header. A sweep would also give the Mets a new record for most consecutive victories at Citi Field. The Rockies would appear to be ripe for the taking considering they’ve lost 20 of their 22 road games in the series.
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Johan Santana will face Jason Hammel in the opener at 9:10 Pacific and New York backers can get Santana at a discount price of -137. Granted he’s not having a Cy Young type season but when he’s on, he’s still one of the most intimidating pitchers in the league.
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Santana, who has never faced Colorado, is 7-2 with a 1.86 ERA in 10 starts at home. For our purposes today we’ll forget his road struggles. At home he’s been dominant. The Rockies who are facing their first three-game losing streak in nearly two months will send Hammel to the hill. The former Devil Ray prospect is 5-5 with a 4.28 ERA. Where Santana has struggled on the road, Hammel has prospered going 4-2 with a 1.93 ERA in ten games outside the Mile High city.
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Over his last three starts Santana is 2-1 with a 2.18 ERA. In their last 10 games the Rockies are hitting just .232 against lefthanders.
Hamel is 0-1 in his last three outings with a rocky mountain high ERA of 5.52. The Mets are hitting .259 against righties over their last ten games but certainly not a huge advantage.
If this game becomes a battle of the bullpens, the Mets will have the advantage. The NY pen is ranked 6th in the majors with a combined 3.61 ERA and a save-to-blown save ratio of 26-12. The Colorado bullpen is ranked 26th in baseball with a whopping 4.86 ERA.
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The numbers certainly don’t favor the Rockies in the opener of this twin bill and most of the time, the numbers don’t lie.
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Take Santana and the Mets in the opener with a slight lean to the UNDER.
Rob Vinciletti
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Col Gm2 vs. Mets Gm2
Play: Under 8½
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The Rockies are 9-1 to the under when taking on an opponent off a 4+ game winning streak.They come into this one averaging just 3.6 runs on .244 hitting over the past 7 games having significantly cooled down from their torrid stretch before the all-star break.In this series in New York 6 of the 8 games have stayed under, over the past 3 years.The Mets have put together a little winning streak despite all the injuries.However when we look at the pitching matchup tonight its easy to see why runs will be at a premium.The Mets have the best second half pitcher in baseball over the past 7 years going tonight in Johan Santana.In his home starts this year he has an amazing 1.86 era and the Mets have stayed under in 7 of those 10 starts.In his last 3 outings Santana has put rumors of him being injured to rest as he has a solid 2.18 era.The Rockies send rising young star Hammel to the mound tonight and he has been equally impressive in his road starts he has a fine 2.08 era with 6 of his 8 road starts going under the total.Those looking for a big play to unload on tonight I have a 12-0 system play that wins by an average 6-2 score its a big get away play and our teams opponent may want no part of hanging around.For the free play whether game 1 or 2 of the day night double header take the Mets-Rockies under.
DAVE COKIN
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ATLANTA BRAVES / FLORIDA MARLINS
TAKE FLORIDA MARLINS
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Javier Vazquez is having a great year for the Braves and would be a Cy Young contender had he been getting better run support. Nevertheless, I'm going to take my chances against Vazquez here. The Marlins have owned the Braves this season, and with Vandenhurk throwing it pretty well since rejoining the Fish, I like the home team's chances at a very nice price. The Marlins are my free opinion for Thursday.
JIM FEIST
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SEATTLE MARINERS / TEXAS RANGERS
TAKE OVER
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Texas is a strong offensive park, great for home runs. Seattle comes to town with an improving offense, one that just went 4 straight games over the total. Texas has gotten surprisingly good pitching, but not from this starter, lefty Derek Holland (3-6, 6.13 ERA). He has given up 88 hits in 66 innings and 112 base runners in those 66 innings! A good spot for an offensive game, play the Mariners/Rangers Over the total.
Jeff Benton
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Atlanta at FLORIDA +140
Wednesday’s free play on the Mets on the run-line over the Rockies was washed out. So I remain on a 16-6 roll with my complimentary selections in the month of July – including 7-1 with the last eight! For Thursday, I’ll take a shot with the Marlins as a home underdog against the Braves.
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I told you five days ago that I really liked young Florida right-hander Rick Vanden Hurk, and he certainly didn’t disappoint, holding a very strong Dodgers lineup to one run on five hits in five innings. He left with a 3-1 lead, but the Marlins’ bullpen couldn’t hold it and they lost 4-3 in walk-off fashion in the bottom of the night.
Still, Vanden Hurk has been solid in his first two starts (three runs allowed in 11 innings), both in California (L.A. and San Diego). The 6-foot-5 native of the Netherlands, who had a cup of coffee with the Marlins in each of the last two seasons, has also had a lot of success against the Braves. In his three starts against Atlanta over the past two years, he’s given up one run on six hits in 16 innings (0.56 ERA), with the Marlins winning all three games. That includes a 4-0 home win almost exactly a year ago when he no-hit the Braves over five innings, striking out seven.
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So why is Vanden Hurk a sizeable underdog for a reason tonight? Because he’s facing Javier Vazquez, who has been tremendous all season. The veteran righty has a 2.98 ERA overall, a 2.57 ERA in his last three starts (all wins) and a 3.17 ERA on the road. However, his overall record remains just 8-7, and the Braves are only 10-10 in Vazquez’s 20 starts. That means two things: Atlanta’s offense isn’t supporting him with many runs (despite scoring 16 in his last two starts, they’re still averaging less than 4.5 runs per game behind Vazquez); and the bullpen isn’t helping out either.
Case in point: Back on April 14 in Atlanta, Vazquez had a strong outing against Florida, allowing three runs on five hits and a walk while fanning 12 in six innings … however, he lost, 5-1. In fact, going back to 2003, the Marlins have won five straight games against three different teams with Vazquez starting. Also, his last two starts in Miami didn’t go well, as he gave up a combined nine runs in 12 innings, with Florida winning both games.
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Finally, the Marlins come into this game the hotter team. They’ve won three in a row and seven of eight – including the first two games of this series – while Atlanta has followed up a four-game winning streak by losing four of its last six. In the end, as good as Vazquez has been, I don’t think the Braves can be trusted to lay this kind of price on the road, especially considering their past offensive struggles against Vanden Hurk the last two years. Take the plus money with the host.
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3♦ FLORIDA
Dominic Fazzini
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Atlanta at FLORIDA +140
The Angels’ easy 9-3 victory on the Indians on Wednesday gave me three consecutive wins on my complimentary selections. What’s to stop me from making it four straight? Absolutely nothing.
Marlins right-hander Rick VandenHurk (1-0, 2.45 ERA) has pitched well since being recalled from Triple-A New Orleans. He has allowed three runs and 10 hits in 11 innings over two starts, including one run and five hits in five innings against the Dodgers in his last outing.
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VandenHurk faces the Braves today, and he has been effective in his last three starts against them, going 2-0 with a 0.56 ERA. In his last outing vs. Atlanta, just over a year ago, he didn’t allow a hit in five scoreless innings, while striking out seven.
Braves starter Javier Vazquez (8-7, 2.98) has been red hot in his last six outings, going 4-1 with a 1.99 ERA, and has won his last three starts. In his last outing, he allowed four runs and seven hits with nine strikeouts in seven innings in a 9-4 win over Milwaukee.
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While Vazquez has been sharp lately, he has struggled in recent starts against Florida. The hard-throwing right-hander is 0-4 with a 6.95 ERA in his last four outings vs. the Marlins, and 6-6 with a 4.67 ERA in 17 career starts.
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Florida is 5-2 in its last seven meetings with Atlanta, and 5-1 in its last six games vs. right-handers. I expect those trends to continue today. Take the Marlins in this one.
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2♦ FLORIDA
Bobby Maxwell
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N.Y. Yankees -125 at CHICAGO WHITE SOX
Tonight, it's an American League FREE winner as I hand you an easy play on the Yankees visiting the Windy City to take on the White Sox.
New York is absolutely on fire, having just taken two of three from the Rays in Tampa and now they head to Chicago to meet a White Sox club that lost six of seven on a road trip. I'm loving the Yankees at this price tonight.
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Andy Pettitte (8-6, 4.67 ERA) goes for the Yankees, and even though he's struggled a bit lately, he's still 4-2 in his road starts this year and 11-9 in 22 starts against the White Sox. With the veteran southpaw on the mound, New York is on runs of 4-1 on the road, 20-7 against the A.L. Central and 5-0 in series openers.
Chicago sends Gavin Floyd (8-6, 4.24) to the mound as they return home from a seven-game road trip to Detroit and Minnesota that saw them go 1-6, including a 3-2 loss in Minnesota on Wednesday. Floyd has a 6.75 ERA in three career appearances against the Yankees.
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New York has dominated the White Sox lately, winning 10 of the last 13 and five of the last six in Chicago. The Yankees are also on positive streaks of 47-22 overall, 10-4 on the road, 16-2 against right-handed starters and 16-5 in series openers.
Love Pettitte in this situation with a red-hot offense behind him. Play New York.
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2♦ N.Y. YANKEES