Drew Gordon
Milwaukee at FLORIDA -115
Two pitchers going in opposite directions, and while the Brewers are coming off a strong 3-game sweep of the Reds, I'm not convinced that translates very well tonight in South Florida.
While there's no doubt the Fish are struggling since starting the season red-hot, it isn't because of their pitching staff, and definately isn't because of lefty Andrew Miller. The young southpaw has started to show some of the promise the Marlins envisioned when they traded for him, allowing 4 earned over his last 13 innings (2 starts), striking out 13 in the process! He's been the victim of some pretty shoddy run support, but things are looking better for him in this match up.
Herein lies the problem for the Brewers, as Jeff Suppan continues to give up home runs like their going out of style, allowing 3 against the Cards in his last one, upping his total to 12 allowed on the season! That's bodes well for the free swinging Marlins, who knocked one out of the park in each of the last 4 times they've seen him. Also, while his 3-1 record on the road is good, his 4.54 ERA away is nothing to write home about. Out-pitching Andrew Miller, who's just starting to "get it," will be a lot easier said than done tonight.
Finally, neither team is swiging the bats particularly well, but with the Brew Crew batting just .246 against lefties on the road, their backers should be worried matching up against Miller, especially since they've never seen him. It's no secret the Marlins have been struggling, but after going 4-3 over their last 7 games, thanks to their pitching staff posting a 2.66 ERA over that span, I say they get back on track at home in support of their young southpaw in this one.
Small play on Florida behind Miller over Milwaukee and Suppan in this MLB match up.
1♦ FLORIDA
Free Selection from Totals4U
Monday's free selection:
Baltimore/Seattle under 9
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Free Selection from Arthur Ralph Sports
270 - 177 run 60 %
15-6 run --- MON pick Chicago White Sox
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EZWINNER'S FREE SELECTION
Game: Oakland A's @ Chicago White Sox
(916) Chicago White Sox -$134
(Listing Colon and Cahill)
I look for the White Sox starting pitcher Bartolo
Colon to have a quality outing. In his last three
starts Colon's ERA is only 1.32. Oakland's starting
pitcher Trevor Cahill is 0-3 in his last three starts
with and ERA of 6.32. I look for the Chicago bats
to due some damage to Cahill in this game.
Lay the juice with the White Sox.
2009 Free Selections Record 81-67 (54.7%)
8)
WUNDERDOG
Milwaukee at Florida
Pick: Florida -110
The Brewers come off a sweep of Cincinnati, but let's not forget prior to that they had lost five of six. The Marlins have been trading wins and losses for six games now and they are off a loss. Andrew Miller goes for Florida and he's been solid overall and quite good at home where's posted a 3.00 ERA. In his last three starts overall he allowed just six earned runs in 18 innings. Over the past three seasons, the Brewers are just 9-29 on the road vs. a starter that allows under six hits per game. I like Florida to get it done here.
Scott Rickenbach
New York Yankees Money Line (-) @ Cleveland
The Yankees are pricier than I like to use as a guaranteed pick. However, that doesn't mean that there is not value with the Yankees even in this price range. The fact is that the Indians are dealing with a ton of injury issues right now and they also are at a pitching disadvantage in this one. Yes, Jeremy Sowers put up good numbers in relief in his last outing. However, that came against the Rays in a game where Tampa Bay was already up huge. That totally changes the mindset of the hitters and that is a completely different situation from what he faces today
Tonight, Sowers makes his start against the Yankees and he faces hitters that aren't relaxing in a blowout! The Yanks will be focused at the plate and they will do damage against the southpaw Indians hurler who is now over-rated after his most recent outing. As for the Yankees Joba Chamberlain, he should enjoy plenty of success in shutting down an Indians lineup that is riddled by injuries right now. Consider a small play on the New York Yankees on the money line on Monday.
Nelly
Seattle - over Baltimore
Baltimore does not travel well with just seven road wins all season long. The Orioles will face cross country travel to Seattle and in this lefty-lefty pitching match-up the Mariners should have a big edge. Seattle owns ten wins this season against left-handed starters and Rich Hill has not proven he can keep a job in the big leagues after three marginal outings. Hill has control problems and he will not be able to deep into this game against a patient Seattle lineup. That leaves a lot of opportunities for problems in a terrible Orioles bullpen. Seattle has excelled in relief pitching and although the Mariners offense has not been overly productive they will face a travel-worn Orioles team that could be in tough shape for this match-up. Jarrod Washburn has not put together a lot of wins but he has six quality starts this season and his overall numbers have him as one of the better pitchers in the AL so far this season. A big situation edge and pitching edge should carry the Mariners to victory tonight.
Larry Ness
Colorado Rockies @ Houston Astros
PICK: Houston Astros
The Astros are in a funk (have lost eight of 10) but they did take two of three this past weekend at Pittsburgh. The Astros return to Houston and open a four-game series tonight with the Rockies. Colorado is opening an 11-game trip after missing out on a chance for its first sweep of the season. The Rockies lost 5-2 to the Padres yesterday, after winning the first two games of that series under new manager, Jim Tracy (Clint Hurdle was fired Friday). The Rockies are 11-15 on the road in 2009 and are once again struggling with right-handed starters. The Rockies were 48-67 vs righties in 2008, including an abysmal 22-41 against them on the road. They come into this game at 14-18 vs righties overall, including 8-10 on the road (not as bad as last year). However, while it's hasn't been a good year for Oswalt in 2009 (Houston's starter tonight) he is 6-1 with a 1.84 ERA in nine career starts against Colorado (Astros are 7-2). Oswalt has made 11 starts this season and after losing his first two, has gotten just one decision (a win), since. The other eight games are seven no decisions and a suspended game. Here's a guy who will take a career 130-66 (.663) mark into this game, with a 3.18 ERA. He's 1-2 with a 4.62 ERA in 2009, allowing 68 hits in 62.1 innings, so it's not been a typical Oswalt season (team is 4-6 in his starts). However, his mound opponent tonight, is struggling much more. Cook was an All Star last year (16-9 with a 4.82 ERA / team was 19-13 in his starts) but he's 3-2 with a 4.82 ERA in 10 starts in 2009 (team is 3-7). He's made five road starts with a 5.40 ERA, with the Rockies going 1-4. Cook is 4-0 with a 3.05 ERA in seven career starts vs the Astros (teams are 5-2) but I'm betting that Oswalt finally starts to get things back on track. He's been too good for too not long, not to. Take the Astros.
Dave Price
1 Unit on Seattle Mariners -122
I'll back the M's, who return home after winning 3 of their last 4, against the O's, who head out on the road where they are only 7-15 this season after losing back-to-back games. The M's should have the edge at the plate in this battle of southpaw starters as they are the better hitting team against lefties. The Mariners are an impressive 5-1 in their last 6 home games vs. a left-handed starter while the Orioles are 24-50 in their last 74 games vs. a left-handed starter. Bet the Mariners here.
Jeff Alexander
1 Unit on Milwaukee Brewers +102
The Brew Crew is showing excellent value in the underdog role this evening against a Marlins club that is only 9-14 at home this season. Suppan has been one of the best pitchers in baseball at defying the odds as he is 11-4 against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +150 over the last 2 seasons. Florida will likely struggle to score runs tonight as it is a pathetic 4-11 against the money line in home games against right-handed starters this season, losing by an average score of 3.9 to 6.6 against them. The Brewers are 14-11 on the road this season so we have to take the better team at a bargain price here.
Bettingasabusiness
Pittsburgh (Snell) -105/ NY Mets (Hernandez)
We're going against the shaky Livan Hernandez here who has gotten knocked around several times this season. Hernandez is coming off of a complete game performance giving up 9 hits and 1 walk while striking out 6, but it took 127 pitches to do. Sub par performance today for the 34 year older who should last only 5 or so.
Seattle (Washburn) -1.5 Runs (+160) / Baltimore (Hill)
The Mariners are 0-7 in Jarrod Washburn's last 7 starts including Washburn's most recent outing at Oakland where he went 6 innings scattering 6 hits and allowing no runs but the M's lost again 3-4. There were 2 other games within those 7 Washburn where went 7 innings each and yielded just 1 run each: a 1-3 loss at KC and a 2-3 loss at home against the A's. So of course Washburn and the Mariners have got to be wondering what it will take to win when he starts. The Mariners are coming off a winning weekend series on the road against the Angels where they took 2 of 3 averaging almost 6 runs per game. We feel this momentum will continue at home as the M's finally cash in a quality pitching performance by Jarrod Washburn and often times when a slump like this is finally broken, it is done so in a big way so we'll lay the run and a half to get the hefty +160 payout. We would have to risk twice as much to make the same amount on the money line (-125).
JrTips
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES vs. SAN DIEGO PADRES
The Philadelphia Phillies have the major league's best road record, but they face the San Diego Padres(25-25) who try to extend their 10-game winning streak at Petco Park in the opener of a three-game series.The NL East-leading Phillies (28-20) will try to continue their dominance in San Diego after winning their third straight Sunday over Washington. The Phillies are 12-4 at Petco Park since 2004, and has won 14 of its last 18 in San Diego although the Padres are 17-6 at home, including the franchise's first 9-0 homestand from May 15-24. Adrian Gonzalez leads MLB with 20 home runs. Gonzalez, who batted .364 (4 for 11) with two homers and three RBIs as the Padres took two of three in Philadelphia from April 17-19 is 2 for 8 lifetime against Phillies scheduled starter Joe Blanton, who looks to build off his best start of the season. The right-hander won his second straight start Tuesday, striking out a career-high 11 in seven scoreless innings of a 5-3 win over Florida. Kevin Correia (1-3, 5.11) takes the mound for the Padres after giving up season highs of six runs and nine hits in his last start - a 6-5 loss at Arizona on Tuesday that snapped San Diego's 10-game winning streak. Correia is 1-1 with a 4.60 ERA in one start and seven relief appearances against Philadelphia. Howard is batting .375 with three homers and 14 RBIs in 13 career games in San Diego. He went 5 for 12 with a double, triple and home run in the three-game set against the Padres in April. Utley batted .308 with three homers and six RBIs in that series. The Phillies have had a history of success against the padres and today's struggling starting pitcher Correia which should continue tonight.
TAKE PHILADELPHIA-113
Michael Alexander
NY Yankees vs Cleveland Indians
Play on NY Yankees
The Yankees look to rebound after a tough loss yesterday to the Cleveland Indians. Tonight they will send Joba Chamberlain to the hill tonight sporting a 2-1 mark overall with a very good 2.97 ERA. In addition, when looking at this one consider that Cleveland is 20-33 versus the month line after a one run win over the last 3 seasons while the NY Yankees are 156-93 versus the money line in road games versus an AL Team with an on base percentage of .345 of better since 1997