MLB Picks and Predictions for Friday April 10
Our team of writers and handicappers hand out their MLB picks and predictions for Friday April 10.
New York Yankees at Kansas City Royals, 4:10PM ET
This offseason wasn't nearly as trying as last year's for Andy Pettitte, though it was still fairly turbulent. At least a breakout game by the New York Yankees may have taken some pressure off his season debut.
Pettitte might get Yankees fans to further forget about his negative publicity and dreadful finish to last season - as well as the team's poor start - by helping spoil the Kansas City Royals' reopening of Kauffman Stadium on Friday.
New York (1-2) gave up 17 runs and 23 hits in starting the season with back-to-back losses to Baltimore, a team widely expected to post its 12th consecutive losing season. The Yankees avoided the sweep with an 11-2 victory Wednesday, as Nick Swisher had a homer with five RBIs while fellow newcomer Mark Teixeira added two hits and his first home run.
MLB Free Pick: NY Yankees | Best Line: -165 SBG Global
Houston Astros at St. Louis Cardinals, 8:15PM ET
The Astros aren't expecting Mike Hampton to duplicate the dominance from his first stint with Houston but feel if he can revive his career and stay healthy, the club will have success.
Hampton is expected to make his first appearance with the Astros in a decade Friday night in the opener of a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium.
The last time Hampton (3-4, 4.85 ERA) pitched for Houston (1-2), the right-hander went 22-4 with a 2.90 ERA to finish second to Randy Johnson in the 1999 NL Cy Young Award voting.
He then was traded to the New York Mets and spent only the 2000 season with them before Colorado signed Hampton to what is considered one of the worst free-agent contracts in history. He inked an eight-year, $121 million deal and went 21-28 in two seasons with the Rockies. He was acquired by Atlanta in 2003 and had two decent years before injuries began piling up.
Hampton missed most of 2005 with five stints on the disabled list, then was out all of 2006 (elbow surgery) and all of 2007 (torn flexor tendon). The 36-year-old left-hander has 141 career victories, but just eight in the past four years.
MLB Free Pick: St. Louis | Best Line: -135 SBG Global
New York Mets at Florida Marlins, 7:10PM ET
The Florida Marlins eliminated the New York Mets from the playoff race on the final day of the last two seasons, despite having fallen out of contention long before that.
If the Marlins keep swinging the bats like they did in their opening series of 2009, they might be playing for their own postseason fate in September.
The Marlins look to continue their strong start at the plate Friday night when they host the NL East rival Mets in the opener of a three-game series at Dolphin Stadium.
Florida (3-0) opened the season with a three-game sweep of Washington, totaling 26 runs and batting .313 during its first 3-0 start since 1997 - when the franchise won its first World Series.
The Marlins, who have never been 4-0, got a tiebreaking three-run double from Dan Uggla during a four-run fifth inning as they capped the sweep with a 6-4 victory Wednesday.
MLB Free Pick: Florida | Best Line: +105 SBG Global
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