Jr Tips
NY YANKEES vs. FLORIDA MARLINS
The Yankees (37-29) had won 22 of 32 before dropping the final two games of their home set against struggling Washington this week.The Nationals had the worst ERA - and record in the majors entering the series, but New York only managed two runs in the last two games, with Alex Rodriguez running his hitless streak to 15 at-bats. He is 3 for his last 36 (.083), and Derek Jeter was held out of the starting lineup for the second straight day in Thursday's 3-0 loss due to an ankle injury., although he did pinch hit. Andy Pettitte (6-3, 4.52 ERA) will try to help NYY avoid its second three-game slide in the last 10 days, but the left-hander has had problems with efficiency lately as he has only completed five innings in three of his last four starts. For the Marlins, rookie Sean West (2-1, 3.00) will look for his third straight victory in his fifth major league start. The 6-foot-8 left-hander allowed four hits, four walks and four runs in 5 2/3 innings at Toronto on Saturday in a 6-5 win and threw eight innings, allowing two hits, to beat San Francisco 4-0 in his last home start. A rising pitcher they have never seen before is tough to face when the bats are struggling and the Yankees will need to score at least 5 rund to win with Pettitte on the mound.
TAKE FLORIDA+130
LT Profits
New York Yankees -1.5
Both the New York Yankees and the Florida Marlins has to wait out rain delays in their getaway games yesterday, but while the Yankees still finished up at a reasonable time, the Marlins game was not officially rain-shortened until very late.
Thus, there should be a lot of bleary eyes in the Florida lineup tonight, nit that they have played well at home even when fully alert this year, as they are just 15-19 while getting outscored by an amazing -1.23 runs per game in their own stadium. A lack of fan support may be part of the problem, but a more direct cause has been the struggles of the pitching staff, especially the bullpen.
The entire Florida staff has a 4.87 ERA at home, a figure that has been inflated by awful work by the bullpen, which has a collective 5.74 ERA in the Miami sunshine. This is bad news for the young Fish starter tonight Sean West. Now West has good numbers to this point at 2-1 with a 3.00 ERA and 1.03 WHIP, but his stamina is still questionable after just five starts, and the Yankees easily own the best offense he will have faced to this point in his young career.
Sure, the Bronx Bombers were anything but after losing two out of three games to the pathetic Washington Nationals, but you know that they did not have a pleasant flight last night and we expect their hitters to come out breathing fire tonight. As for their starter Andy Pettitte, he has had a propensity for alternating good and bad outings, and if that pattern holds, he is in line for a quality effort tonight.
Besides, Pettitte has pitched much better on the road this season, where he is 3-1 with a sparkling 2.59 ERA. When you combine his fine road form with tired Florida bats and a Yankees offense in an ornery mood, we look for a multiple-run win by the Bombers tonight.
Pick: Yankees -1.5
Jimmy Boyd
1 Unit on Boston Red Sox -143
Despite Matsuzaka's struggles, I'll back the Red Sox at home tonight where they are 23-9 on the season because I don't think Kawakami gives the Braves any edge on the hill. He is 1-3 with a 5.81 ERA on the road this season. The Red Sox have taken 8 of the last 10 in this head-to-head interleague showdown. And on top of that, the Braves come into the series in a historical letdown spot. The Braves beat Cincy 7-0 yesterday and history tells us that that spells disaster today as Atlanta is 0-13 against the money line in road games after a win by 6 runs or more over the last 2 seasons, losing in these spots by an average of 2.2 runs per game. Lastly, plays on all teams with a money line of -100 to -150 (BOSTON) - with a team on base percentage of .350 or better on the season (AL), after allowing 2 runs or less 3 straight games, are 38-7 since 1997. Bet the Red Sox for 1 Unit.
GINA
Cleveland Indians at Chicago Cubs
Chicago sends Rich Harden (4-3, 4.53) to the mound. The right-hander 1-0 with a 3.43 ERA in four career starts versus Cleveland, but hasn't faced Cleveland since 2006. The Cubs are 8-3 in Hardens last 11 home starts. The Indians counter with Cliff Lee (4-6, 2.88 ERA), Cleveland is just 2-5 in the lefthander’s last 7 road starts, but Lee has pitched outstanding in interleague starts, going 12-2 with a 3.18 ERA in 20 interleague games.
Go with the Indians with Cliff Lee at the helm in his Wrigley Field debut. The southpaw has been lucrative to backers in interleague play.
Cleveland Indians -105
Karl Garrett
St. Louis -110 at KANSAS CITY
Tonight on the diamond, go with the Redbirds over the Royals.
St. Louis did lose last night, but the Cards took 2 of 3 off the AL Central front-running Tigers, and they have won 5 of their last 8.
Kansas City has followed their 5 game winning streak with a pair of ugly home losses to Arizona, losing by identical 12-5 margins the last 2 nights. With Kyle Davies and his 3-6 mark with a 5.14 ERA, there could be another dozen or so runs on the Kauffman Stadium scoreboard before this one is through.
Brad Thompson hasn't done much for Tony LaRussa's team, but the Cards did take 2 of 3 in May from the Royals, and they have won 4 of the last 5 series meetings dating back to last year.
Go with St. Louis to open the weekend with the "W".
4♦ ST. LOUIS
Sports Gambling Hotline
White Sox -115 at CINCINNATI
We are on an 11-4 comp play run the last 15 days.
Tonight in interleague baseball, we like the White Sox to bounce-back from their blown 5-1 lead at Wrigley yesterday, and pound Bronson Arroyo and the Reds.
The ChiSox have still won 3 of their last 4, and tonight's starter Jose Contreras has been damn near unhitable since coming back from injury. In his 2 return starts to Ozzie's rotation, the righty has worked 16 scoreless innings while allowing just 3 hits!!!
With Cincy getting shutout yesterday, 7-0, you can count on Conteras throwing up another 6 or 7 scoreless against the Reds tonight.
Cincinnati has now lost 5 of 7, and starter Bronson Arroyo is 0-2 over his last 3 starts, working 17-plus innings, while allowing 23 hits, and 12 earned runs to cross.
Mark us down for a play on the Pale Hose to hand the Red Legs another setack.
Play on Chicago.
5♦ WHITE SOX
Scott Delaney
There’s nothing spectacular here, as we’re simply siding with the better pitcher and the odds that are stacked in our favor. See, when Thompson starts, the Cardinals win. In his 27 career big league starts, the Cards are 19-8.
Whether or not Thompson is truthful in saying the winning record is in place because his teammates bring the bats when he pitches, the fact remains the Redbirds win when he’s toeing the rubber.
The Las Vegas-based product prefers starting, and now that he has a few starts under his belt this season, he’ll be in a groove in time for this series. He comes in off an excellent appearance in Cleveland so pitching on the Interleague road shouldn’t bother him one bit.
Take the Cardinals tonight.
1♦ ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
Matt Rivers
For Friday take the Rangers by the Bay.
Sure things aren't 100% perfect here for the visiting Rangers as they lose one of their bashers with this being an Interleague game on the road but Texas still has way too many quality righthanded bats to not smack around the old man Randy Johnson.
The Big Unit has shown some flashes of still having it at the age of 45 or whatever but he has also shown some flashes of his age and today is up against a red hot and powerful Texas lineup that is in first place for a reason. In case anybody hasn't noticed Ron Washington's team has actually been getting solid pitching and doesn't appear to be fading away anytime soon.
Scott Feldman has been great this season, relatively speaking. The righty certainly is not going to win the Cy Young award but take away one poor start and he has pretty much hurled quality start after quality start. Now he is up against a mediocre at the very very best offense in these Giants.
San Francisco has won a lot more than they have lost at home but things seemed to just come crashing down as they were swept at home by the Angels on Wednesday. Bruce Bochy's squad just completely blew that last 3-1 8th inning lead and game with Tim Lincecum on the hill and the bottom line Giants are just not a good team at all without Lincecum or Matt Cain starting.
Kinsler, Young, Byrd, Davis and others are too powerful, even in this road Interleague spot, to not get their hacks in on the Big Unit and wreak some havoc.
If the Giants win this game they will do so by a tight run or two margin as their offensive is fairly anemic. Meanwhile the Rangers have a huge upside and can win this thing by 8 runs. So sure I'll back the visitors here!
2♦ Rangers
Free Selection from Arthur Ralph Sports
280 - 183 run 60 % 23-12 run here
FRI PHIL PHILLIES
;D
Alex Smart
Oakland Athletics -133
The A's southpaw starting pitcher Josh Outman (4-1, 3.43 ERA) has made 6 of 7 quality starts this season. I'm expecting another top notch effort from the hurler vs a host Padres team that is batting a lowly .209 at home this season and , 1-5 in inter-league play in 2009, including a lowly long-term 4-20 against record vs AL sides. The Fathers during that ugly span are hitting .238 vs AL and have not won consecutive inter-league contests since the 2007 campaign.Meanwhile, the Padres will see scheduled starter Chris Young miss this contest because inflamed right shoulder, . He will be replaced with Wade LeBlanc a sub par Triple play option at Portland that in a previous stint with the Padres last year went 1-3 along with a bloated 8.02 ERA in five games .I not a big fan of the native of Louisiana and expect he gets his butt handed to him by sometimes by inconsistent Athletics team in this spot. Note: In Portland this season he was 1-4 along with a 4.08 ERA.
Final notes & Key Trends: Athletics are 5-0 in their last 5 inter-league road games vs. a team with a losing record. Padres are 0-6 in their last 6 during game 1 of a series and have lost 4 straight vs a LH starter like Outman .Play on the Oakland A's
VEGAS EXPERTS
Oakland Athletics at San Diego Padres
We like the OVER here tonight as San Diego’s Wade Leblanc will make his first start of 2009. Last season he made four starts allowing 17 earned runs in 18 and 2/3 innings. Three of those starts went OVER the total while the other was a push. Oakland’s Josh Outman has gone UNDER the total five of his last six starts with his last start pushing. That is a trend that is bound to change here tonight. Go with the OVER here
Play on: OVER
Tom Freese
New York Yankees at Florida Marlins
Prediction: Florida Marlins
New York is 3-7 with Andy Pettitte on the mound if they are off a loss in their last game and they are 3-7 their last 10 Interleague games vs. lefty starters. The Yankees are 1-4 their last 5 road games and Pettitte has allowed 12 runs in his last 16 innings of work. Florida is 14-5 after allowing 2 runs or less in their last game and they are 4-0 their last 4 games vs. lefty starters. The Marlins are 5-1 their last 6 Interleague games vs. lefty starters. Starting pitcher Sean West has won his last 2 starts. PLAY ON FLORIDA + (West vs. Pettitte)
Ron Raymond
BOS / ATL Under 10
When ANY MLB Team played as a Home team - Vs NL Conference - Playing on Friday - Vs Non Division Opponent - Coming off a Home loss as a Favorite - Coming off a series win - Coming off a night game; The UNDER is 32-7-2 for the Home Team in this role since 1997.
BEN BURNS
Tampa Bay Rays @ New York Mets
PICK: New York Mets
The Mets lost a heartbreaker last night, as Francisco Rodriguez blew a save in the bottom of the 9th. That was tough, as Rodriguez had previously converted 17 save opportunities while blowing just one. This looks like a solid spot to "bounce back." Note that the Mets are 18-11 at home this season while the Rays are 14-21 on the road and 13-19 on grass. That includes a horrific 3-14 record when playing on the road with a line in the +100 to +125 range.
Fernando Nieve is a bit of an unknown to many but this guy has quietly fared relatively well. Now in his third season, Nieve has a respectable BAA of .244 and 1.33 WHIP so far in his career. He's coming off of a fantastic outing against the Yankees, at the Bronx, making a very impressive debut for the Mets. At home for Friday's game, he'll be hungry for a repeat performance. Note that in 41 career games - six starts - at night, Nieve has a 3.89 ERA and a .236 BAA.
Andy Sonnanstine get the call for the visitors and the Rays right-hander has been very hittable this season. Indeed, he's got a 6.65 ERA and a .308 BAA so far on the year. Sonnanstine had a strong start against the Nationals in his most recent outing and he has enjoyed success in Interleague play. However, prior to the Washington game, he allowed at least five earned runs in four of his last six starts. Additionally, note that Sonnanstine has allowed 13 homers in his last seven starts! His numbers on the road this season are particularly ugly with a 1-6 record and an 8.55 ERA, 1.755 WHIP and a .343 BAA. Facing a hungry Mets team determined to bounce back, I don't expect those stats to get much better tonight. Consider New York
RatedPicks dot com MLB 6/19
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40-22-1 with +47.1 Units past 15 days
(betting 2 units per play, and 4 units per *BP*)
MLB:
Chicago WhiteSox +100
Toronto BlueJays -105
LA Angels +100
Arizona D'backs/Seattle Mariners OVER 8