Bob Harvey
St Louis at New York Mets
Albert Pujols just about beat the Royals singlehandedly over the weekend, and now the Cardinals slugger sets his sights on Tim Redding and the Mets at Citi Field on Monday.
Have you seen the television commercials that proclaim, "So easy a caveman can do it?" That’s exactly how I feel about suggesting playing the Cardinals tonight against the Mets.
I’ve got two words: Albert Pujols. He is a beast and is literally a one-man wrecking crew. There’s absolutely no truth to the rumor that the Kansas City Royals personally drove him to the airport and made sure he got on the first plane out of town after St. Louis' three-game weekend sweep at Kauffman Stadium.
Pujols, who went to high school in KC, shredded the Royals pitching staff hitting three home runs and driving in 10 runs in the three game series. He hit two homers on Sunday’s 12-5 Cards win, including a grand slam, his third of the year. Prince Albert has slugged eight homers in his last 10 games and teams are struggling to get him out.
Tonight it’s the Mets turn to try and slow down the Cardinals “Big Bird.” But New York starter Tim Redding is probably not the answer. Pujols is hitting .407 against Redding with one homer and five doubles. Overall Redding, is 2-5 with a 5.69 ERA against St. Louis.
New York pitchers have been getting shelled lately. The staff ERA is 5.48 over the last 16 games of which the Mets have lost 10.
St. Louis starter Todd Wellemeyer has been no great shakes either, compiling a record of 6-6 with an ERA of 5.36.
The Cards swept the first three-game series against the Mets in April with the two teams combining for 37 runs. And that was before Albert got really hot. I’ve seen the Cards at +101 to -108. I’m definitely on the Redbirds tonight hoping I can get them at even money or better. It appears the public is on the Under 9½, but I’m waiting (hoping) for a 9 to pop up somewhere later today.
Pick: Cardinals +101
Rocketman
Chicago Cubs @ Atlanta
Play: Atlanta
Chicago Cubs are 482-507 -116.9 units since 1997 after a win. Cubs are scoring only 3.9 runs per game on the road this year and they have a team batting average of .233 away from home. Dempster is 1-3 on the road this year. Vazquez has a 3.41 ERA overall this year and a 2.86 ERA his last 3 starts. Dempster is 2-8 with a 5.23 ERA overall vs Atlanta since 1997. We'll recommend a small play on Atlanta tonight!
COMPS from SportsRumble
MLB Computer Picks
7:10 PM Chicago Cubs (34-31) at Atlanta (32-36) Chicago Cubs +120
10:05 PM Colorado (36-33) at LA Angels (36-31) Colorado Rockies +110
GINA
Monday, June 22nd, 2009 7:10 p.m. est.
St. Louis Cardinals (39-31) at New York Mets (34-33)
(R) Todd Wellemeyer (6-6) vs. (R) Tim Redding (0-2)
Go with the Cardinals! St. Louis will send right-hander Todd Wellemeyer to the hill. Wellemeyer is 0-1 with a 6.97 ERA in three starts and three relief appearances versus the Mets. The right-hander pitched sound in his last start, allowing two runs and six hits, striking out five in 5 1/3 innings of a 4-3 win over Detroit on Wednesday. St. Louis has won Wellemeyer's last 5 road starts. The Mets have dropped four of their last five home games and five of right-hander Tim Redding last six starts. Redding is 2-5 with a 5.69 ERA in 12 career starts against the Cardinals. St. Louis has won four of the last five games versus New York.
St. Louis Cardinals -110
MR. A
Monday, June 22, 2009 7:10 PM EST.
St. Louis Cardinals (39-31) at New York Mets (34-33)
(R) Todd Wellemeyer (6-6) vs. (R) Tim Redding (0-2)
Oddsmakers: New York as a -110 home favorite with the total listed at 9½ 'over'.
St. Louis Cardinals -105
Monday, June 22, 2009 10:05 PM EST.
Colorado Rockies (36-33) at Los Angeles Angels (36-31)
(R) Aaron Cook (6-3) vs. (R) Matt Palmer (6-0)
Oddsmakers: Los Angeles as a -130 home favorite with the total listed at 9 'over'.
Los Angeles Angels -130
Tom Freese
Colorado Rockies at Los Angeles Angels
Prediction: Under
Colorado is 19-7-1 UNDER their last 27 Interleague games and they are 13-6 UNDER as road dogs. The Rockies starter Aaron Cook has allowed 5 runs total in his last 3 starts. The Rockies are 5-2-1 UNDER their last 8 games and they are 19-8-2 UNDER vs. winning teams. The Angels Matt Palmer has allowed just 27 runs in his 9 starts this year the Angels are 6-3 UNDER in 9 starts made by Palmer. Los Angeles is 7-3 UNDER their last 10 home games vs. winning teams. PLAY ON 'UNDER' (Palmer vs. Cook)
John Ryan
San Francisco Giants at Oakland Athletics
Prediction: Oakland Athletics
Ai Simulator 3* graded play on Oakland as the host SF in IL play slated to start at 10:05 EST. Supporting this graded play is a system that has gone 120-46 making 50.1 units since 2003. The average play has been a -153 favorite. Play on home favorites with a money line of -110 or higher stranding 6.9 or less runners on base per game on the season facing an opponent with a cold starting pitcher whose WHIP >= 2.000 over his last 3 starts. Oakland is in a great role noting they are 69-29 (+27.9 Units) against the money line in home games vs. a starting pitcher with poor control (more than 2.75 BB's/start) since 1997; 14-4 (+10.4 Units) against the money line in home games versus a starting pitcher whose gives up 5.5 or less hits/start over the last 2 seasons. SF not in a good role for a win noting they are just 18-38 (-20.5 Units) against the money line after 6 or more consecutive home games over the last 3 seasons. Oakland starter Cahill has pitched well this season sporting a 3.89 ERA and allowed a 260 BA. Even better in home games posting a 3.67 ERA and a 253 BA. In 4 June starts he has posted a 2.63 ERA and 222 BA. Take Oakland.
VEGAS EXPERTS
Chicago Cubs at Atlanta Braves
Chicago starter Ryan Dempster has had trouble with the Braves in his career and carries a 2-8 win/loss record with a 5.23 ERA. Dempster has not played well on the road in the first half of the season and has a 3-12 TSR over the past two seasons. The Cubs are putting up just 3.9 runs per ballgame on the road this season and have a 13-18 record away from Chicago. The Cubs are just 2-9 as an underdog this season. Go with Atlanta.
Play on: Atlanta
Nick "BookieKiller" Parsons
ANA (-130) vs COL
Two of baseball's hottest teams will kick off a three-game set Monday night at Angels Stadium as the surging Rockies try to win for the 17th time in 18 games. Aaron Cook (6-3, 4.23 ERA) made his 2009 interleague debut in his latest start, and won his third consecutive outing. Cook gave up three runs and eight hits over seven innings Wednesday in a 5-3 victory over the Rays, and tying him with Jason Jennings(notes) for the Rockies franchise lead in wins with 58. Los Angeles, meanwhile, will be trying to avoid losing three straight for the first time since being swept at Texas from May 15-17. The Angels took the series opener from the crosstown rival Dodgers on Friday, but fell in the final two games. The Angels should feel good about their chances of bouncing back with Matt Palmer (6-0, 4.13) on the hill. Palmer has won just once in his last five outings after winning his first five starts, but he was solid Wednesday at San Francisco, allowing three runs over 6 1-3 innings. LA is 13-6 (+5.9 units) at home when the total is 9 or 9 1/2; play on the ANGELS!
Ron Raymond
OAK (-145) vs SFG
When OAKLAND team played as home team as a Favorite - Vs Non Conference Opponent - 1st game of a series; The A's are 27-4 SU in this role.
LT Profits
Colorado Rockies @ Los Angeles Angels
Aaron Cook has regained his All-Star form for Colorado, as he has allowed a total of five runs over his last three starts. With Matt Palmer at 6-0 and with a 3.41 home ERA, go Under tonight.
Aaron Cook for the Colorado Rockies and Matt Palmer of the Los Angeles Angels are both in fine form right now, so we do not see the combined total output of this contest coming near double-digits.
Cook is the Colorado ace, but he was off to a slow start this season. However, has now appear to have recaptured his All-Star form of last season, as he has reeled off three consecutive Quality Starts while allowing a total of only five runs in 21 innings. Cook has one of the bets groundball-to-flyball ratios in baseball at 2.47, and his sinker has gotten progressively better as the season has gone on.
Now we are still a tad skeptical about Palmer, as we do not feel his 6-0 record is a true representation of his ability, but we must admit that he too has gotten better with every start. We felt he was lucky early on as he put too many men on base, but he now has a 2.79 ERA with a much more respectable 1.29 WHIP in his last three starts. He also enjoys pitching in the smog of Anaheim, where he owns a 3.41 ERA this season.
Finally, the Under is 19-7-1 in the last 27 Colorado interleague games and this pitching matchup indicated that this pattern should continue tonight.
Pick: Rockies/Angels Under 9
TheSpread
St. Louis Cardinals at New York Mets, 7:10PM ET
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of St. Louis's last 9 games when playing on the road against NY Mets
St. Louis is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
NY Mets are 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
NY Mets are 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing St. Louis
Pick: NY Mets
Chicago Cubs at Atlanta Braves, 7:10PM ET
Chi Cubs are 4-10 SU in their last 14 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Chi Cubs's last 7 games on the road
Atlanta is 1-7 SU in their last 8 games when playing Chi Cubs
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games when playing Chi Cubs
Pick: Chicago
Colorado Rockies at Los Angeles Angels, 10:05PM ET
Colorado is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Colorado is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
LA Angels are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against Colorado
LA Angels are 5-2 SU in their last 7 games at home
Pick: LA Angels
Free Selection from Arthur Ralph Sports
282 - 184 run 60 % 29-14 run here
Mon Over 9 Cards/Mets
=================================
The Rockies look to build on their 10-1 record
in their last 11 games as a road underdog.
Colorado is the pick (+125) according to
Dunkel, which has the Rockies favored by 1.
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (+125).
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EZWINNER'S FREE SELECTION
(953) Colorado Rockies +$114
(Listing Cook and Palmer)
The Angels thirty year old rookie starting pitcher
Matt Palmer sports a perfect 6-0 record thanks
mostly to good hitting behind him. With an ERA
of 4.11 I expect his win/loss numbers to balance
out. The Angels are facing a very hot Colorado
Rockies team with Aaron Cook on the mound.
Cook has won each of his last three starts,
allowing only five earned runs in 21 innings. I
look for that to continue in this game.
Play on Colorado.
2009 Free Selections Record 88-79 (52.7%)
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8)
Tony George
St Louis Cardinals vs. New York Mets
Play: St Louis Cardinals
Like the bullpen and hitting which is on FIRE for the Cards, which I witnessed in person in Kansas City this weekend as they BURIED my pathetic Royals over the weekend, as they simply lit the plate on fire.The Mets bullpen is in sad shape and starter Redding has a 6.27 ERA this season and expect the hot bats of the Cards to lite him up.
Lenny Del Genio
San Francisco Giants at Oakland Athletics
Prediction: Oakland Athletics
A's have revenge on their minds from a three-game sweep at the hands of their regional rivals earlier this month, but this time around not only is the homefield working to their advantage but so is the pitching matchup. San Francisco?s Jonathan Sanchez is an atrocious 0-6 on the road this year with a 6.60 ERA and over his last three starts (two away, one home) is sporting an even worse 7.71 ERA. Meanwhile, Oakland has won each of Trevor Cahill's last three starts thanks in large part to the righty posting a 2.45 ERA over that span. The A's have been outstanding at home since the inception of Interleague Play, going 73-36 overall. Take Oakland.
Scott Rickenbach
Chicago Cubs @ Atlanta Braves
PICK: Under 7.5
The Braves Javier Vazquez is just 1-4 at home this season but that certainly fits the bill as a "deceiving record". Vazquez has a 0.92 WHIP at home and batters are only hitting .206 against him in Atlanta! He's also registered 63 strikeouts in 46.2 innings of work at home this season. In that same period of time Vazquez has issued just eight walks! Yes indeed Vazquez has been back on top of his game this season and the Cubs, although coming off of a solid home series, have struggled at the plate in recent road games. The Cubs have scored just 33 runs in their last 14 road games and that's an average of less than 2.5 runs per game! Vazquez is capable of holding their bats in check again as the road struggles continue for the Cubs.
The Braves are also likely to struggle at the plate tonight. They're facing Ryan Dempster of the Cubs and he's produced a quality start in six of his last seven outings! Dempster has allowed a total of just eight earned runs while pitching at least six innings in all six of those quality starts. Dempster is holding opponents to a .241 batting average this season and he held them to a .227 batting average last season. The Braves, before yesterday's 6-5 loss, had been held to two runs or less in half of their last 16 games. Dempster handcuffs them here and we foresee a 3-2 type game in this one. Consider a small play on UNDER the total in Atlanta on Monday night.
Drew Gordon
St. Louis -110 at NY METS
I'm now on a 20-6 roll (8-2 L10) with the plays I'm giving away, incl. the Giants (+125) over the Rangers 3-2 Sunday. For tonight's complimentary play, we're looking at the St. Louis/NY Mets match-up.
After the Redbirds destroyed the Royals, and red-hot Gil Meche yesterday, is there any doubt which side you should be on tonight? St. Louis has won 5 of their last 6 games, thanks in large part to stud Albert Pujols, who has been crushing the ball (incl. 2 dingers Sunday)! That's bad news for the Mets, as the Cardinals slugger has punished them in the past (batting .565, with 4 dingers, and 11 RBIs L5 games vs Mets). More of the same tonight, as Tim Redding gets gets thrown to the lions in this one.
Speaking of Tim Redding, not only is Pujols batting .400+ against him in his career, but his 0-2 record and ugly 6.27 ERA are no accident. True, he's been better over his last 3 starts, but we saw another poor effort in his last one at Baltimore. That doesn't bode well vs. a St. Louis offense that crushes righties on the road, averaging 5.8 runs per game in that spot. Think that's bad? Did you know the Redbirds are batting a blistering hot .337 against righties over their last 10 games?! Needless to say, Redding is in BIG trouble Monday!
Opposing Redding is the Cardinals Todd Wellemeyer, who admittingly has had his ups-and-downs this season. However, its important to note, he's been more effective on the road, where he's 3-1 with a 5.16 ERA (Not good by any means, but solid enough backed by red-hot Cards offense). Not to mention, he got a nice win in his last start, allowing 2 runs over 5 1/3 innings against the Tigers Wednesday. Mets have been ho-hum against righties at home, averaging a decent 4.4 runs per game, batting .262 in the process... Not good enough to look any other way but St. Louis in this contest.
Finally, the injuries continue to mount for the Mets, as Beltran is expected to miss this game with knee pain. That's a lineup without Reyes, Delgado, and now Beltran... They may have been able to get away with one or two of those guys out, but all three puts them at a distinct disadvantage versus a resurgent Cardinals offense. In the end, the Cards continue to roll, further exposing Tim Redding and a short-handed Mets club in the process.
Take St. Louis behind Wellemeyer over the NY Mets and Redding in this MLB match up.
2♦ ST. LOUIS