MLB Picks and Predictions for Thursday April 16
Our team of writers and handicappers hand out their MLB picks and predictions for Thursday April 16.
Philadelphia Phillies at Washington Nationals, 7:05PM ET
The Philadelphia Phillies were going to spend their scheduled off day in Washington at the White House being honored by President Barack Obama as World Series champions. Instead, they mourned the loss of their Hall of Fame broadcaster.
Three days after Harry Kalas' death, the Phillies will try for their fourth straight victory Thursday night against the Nationals - the majors' only winless team.
Kalas, the announcer of the Phillies (4-3) since 1971, collapsed in the broadcast booth shortly before Monday's 9-8 win over the Nationals (0-7). He died at the age of 73 after being taken to a hospital.
"We lost our voice today," Philadelphia president David Montgomery said. "He has loved our game and made just a tremendous contribution to our sport and certainly to our organization."
The Phillies had a color photo of their broadcaster taped inside their dugout during the game with the words "Harry Kalas 1936-2009" written underneath.
MLB Free Pick: Philadelphia | Best Line: -135 SBG Global
Cleveland Indians at New York Yankees, 1:05PM ET
Appropriately, the first official pitch at America's most expensive stadium will be thrown by the pitcher with the richest contract, CC Sabathia.
From Sabathia's fat deal to single-game ticket prices of $2,625, everything about the regular-season opener Thursday at the new Yankee Stadium says wealth or comfort - or both.
Sunshine is forecast for and frail owner George Steinbrenner is expected to be on hand to personally watch New York play Cleveland in the first official game at the house he built - at a price of $1.5 billion.
The Hard Rock Cafe and new steakhouse in the right-field corner figure to be filled, along with the stadium club in left, the sports bar in the center-field batters' eye, the Bleachers Cafe above it, the 67 suites ringing the field and the three clubs and lounges for the spectators in the first nine rows ringing the infield.
Players can drive their cars directly into the granite-and-limestone stadium, relax in the swimming pools or sauna when they arrive, then take batting practice in the spacious indoor cages off the dugout steps. Or they can e-mail from the laptops installed in each of their lockers.
MLB Free Pick: NY Yankees | Best Line: -185 SBG Global
Chicago White Sox at Tampa Bay Rays 7:08PM ET
It's been a little more than six months since the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Chicago White Sox to win the first playoff series in the club's initial postseason appearance.
With both setting their sights on a return trip to the playoffs, they'll meet Thursday night in the opener of a four-game series at Tropicana Field.
In between an improbable run to the AL East pennant and losing to Philadelphia in the World Series, Tampa Bay eliminated Chicago in four games of the best-of-5 division series. The Rays opened it with two home wins after going 6-4 against the White Sox in 2008.
Chicago has lost five in a row - including postseason matchups - at St. Petersburg.
Left-hander John Danks pitched well over 6 2-3 innings to help the White Sox to a 5-3 win over the Rays in Game 3 of the ALDS, and now will try to help Chicago (4-4) bounce back from a 9-0 loss at Detroit on Wednesday.
Danks (0-0, 0.00 ERA), who turned 24 on Wednesday, was scheduled to start Tuesday against the Tigers but was pushed back to open this series against Tampa Bay's left-handed power-hitting lineup. A 12-game-winner last season, Danks is 3-1 with a 2.96 ERA in the regular season against the Rays (4-5).
MLB Free Pick: Tampa Bay | Best Line: +105 SBG Global