JEFF BENTON
You probably dont know it, because Washington gets so little publicity, but Nationals right-hander Tim Redding has been terrific this season. Hes 6-3 with a 3.16 ERA, posting a quality start in four of his last five starts all Washington wins. In fact, you take away a stinker against the Marlins (7-3 loss in which he allowed six runs in 5 1/3 innings) and Redding is 3-0 with a 1.46 ERA (four runs allowed in 24 2/3 innings), and he lasted 6 or 6 1/3 innings in each outing.
Redding is also 2-0 with a 3.18 ERA in two daytime starts, and last year he faced the Brewers once and beat them 7-2, yielding both runs on just five hits and a walk in six innings.
Heres another thing you probably don?t realize: Prior to last nights loss, Washington had won three straight games against the Milwaukee. And the Nats 21-29 record this year (12-14 at home) isnt that much worse than the Brewers? 23-26 mark (11-17 on the road). Throw in the fact that the Brewers are just 3-11 in their last 14 as a visitor and theyve won consecutive road games just once in their last 18 outings on the highway, and Ive got no problem backing Redding and the Nats here.
3* WASHINGTON NATIONALS
JAKE TIMLIN
Sunday selection is the New York Mets
After backing Colorado over the past two days its now time to go with the Mets as they take advantage of the Rockies injuries today. After all despite the fact that Colorado has a slight edge on the hill with Cook pitching today its whats not behind Cook today what matters. You see after yesterdays game the Rockies now have Barmes, Hawpe and Tulowitzki on disabled list with Atkins, Holliday and Taveras hurting and listed as day-to-day. That is 6 of the Rockies 8 starters either out or hurt which is too big of a hurdle to over come on the diamond. So helped out by injuries and that fact that the Mets are playing for their managers job look for New York to head back to the Big Apple a winner after they roll past Colorado on the road.
All New York!
MATT RIVERS
For Sunday take the Red Sox in Oakland
No I do not expect another Jon Lester no-hitter but the lefty is a quality hurler who should be just fine against what is still an extremely offensively challenged Oakland squad.
No doubt the A's got out of the gates a lot quicker than most anticipated but this team is still what they are, a weak offense that will be involved in a bunch of close low scoring games thanks to pretty good pitching.
Joe Blanton is not bad at all and the righty could hold his own today but the Red Sox are clearly the superior team with the far more potent offense led by Big Papi, Manny, Ellsbury, Lowell and others and unless Blanton is at the top of his game there is no reason to believe that the punch and judy A's will be able to outslug the big bad Red Sox, even at home.
Lester could have a bit of a letdown today I guess but I'm not so sure that the Oakland Coliseum, with all of the vast foul territory, and the A's lineup are capable of wreaking that much havic against the southpaw.
Not a very steep price for the 95 or so win Red Sox with a solid hurler against an extremely mediocre Oakland group.
TONY WESTON
A few days ago we went with the Pirates over the Cubs and got hammered. Today, were flipping that as were going with the Cubs over the Pirates. And today, we?re getting that win.
The teams have played each other 11 times this season with the Cubs holding a 9-2 advantage. In five games played in Pittsburgh the Cubs are 4-1.
Taking the mound for Chicago today is Ted Lilly, who is 5-1 his last six starts. He?s also 2-0 his last two road starts.
Itll be another win for Lilly and another win for the Cubbies against the Pirates.
Take Chicago on the road today.
3* CUBS
LT Profits
Cincinnati Reds +120
The Cincinnati Reds have taken two of the first three games of this four-game set vs. the hitless San Diego Padres, and we look for the Reds to win the series today.
Greg Maddux of the Padres is obviously not what he used to be, and he has become more hittable than ever lately, allowing 30 hits in 21 innings over his last four starts. Had did not go beyond six innings in any of those outings, and what was supposed to be a San Diego strength, the bullpen, has struggled with a collective 4.47 ERA, ranking 26th in baseball. Do not expect Maddux’s stamina to suddenly improve today vs. this left-handed laden Cincinnati lineup.
Now Reds starter Matt Belisle may not be much, but he has allowed three runs or less in two of his last three starts, and truth be told, the San Diego offense can make any half-decent pitcher look like the second coming of Cy Young. The Padres are hitting a miserable .237 as a team overall, and they have actually been worse at home, batting a pathetic .223 here.
As a result, San Diego has lost 27 of their last 37 games overall, and we look for their struggled to continue here.
Pick: Reds +120
Chicago White Sox
The Los Angeles Angels have taken the first two games of this series, but we are looking for the Chicago White Sox to avoid the home sweep in the ESPN Sunday Night Baseball game.
Chicago’s Jose Contreras is having a fine year with a 3.17 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in 59.2 innings, and he is in peak form right now. Contreras has allowed exactly one run in each of his last three starts while allowing a grand total of just 14 hits in 20 innings. Furthermore, he is working on an amazing streak of 10 consecutive Quality Starts against the Angels, and he has allowed exactly one earned run in four of his last six starts against them.
One of those outings came this year in Anaheim, where he allowed only four hits in seven innings of a 6-1 White Sox victory. Also, should Contreras be in need of relief, Chicago ranks eighth in the Major Leagues with a 3.31 bullpen ERA. Comparatively, the Angels rank 28th with a 4.55 pen ERA.
Now John Lackey has certainly been sharp in his first two starts off of the Disabled List, allowing two runs in 14 innings. However, he is simply running into a hot pitcher here, and if both starters keep their respective opponents in check and this becomes a battle of the bullpens, the advantage would surely be with the White Sox. Besides, Lackey has been just average in his last four starts vs. the White Sox, allowing a total of 13 earned runs in 28 innings.
We look for the White Sox to scrape together a couple of more run off of Lackey than we expect the red-hot Contreras to give up, and for the Chicago bullpen to seal the deal.
Pick: White Sox +100
John Ryan
Texas Rangers vs. Cleveland Indians
Play: Texas Rangers
Supporting this graded play is a system that has gone 38-29 and has made 37.7 units since 1997. Play on AL road dogs in May with a money line of +150 or more team with a high on-base percentage of >=.350 and is now facing a team with a bad bullpen sporting a WHIP >=1.550. CC Sabathia has turned things around from what was a horrid start to the 2008 season, but the Indians bullpen is in complete disarray. They sport a 8.15 ERA and a 2.207 WHIP over their past 7 games. Plus, Indians bats are anemic batting just 231 and scoring 4.1 RPG on the season. Over their past 7 games they are batting 202 and scoring just 3.1 RPG. Led by Josh Hamilton, Texas is one of the hottest offensive teams in the AL batting 343 with OBP of 389 and scoring 7.3 RPG over their past 7 games. Texas starter Mathis is making his second start of the season after being roughed up in his first start. Knowing that he is facing one of the weakest offenses in baseball will provide him with enough confidence to pitch very well today. Texas is 7-2 (+8.0 Units) against the money line in road games versus AL teams allowing 4.2 or less runs/game on the season this season; 8-3 (+10.3 Units) against the money line in road games versus a bullpen that averages less than 2.75 innings per game over the last 2 seasons. Cleveland is 4-11 (-10.0 Units) against the money line versus a poor bullpen whose ERA is 4.50 or worse this season.
Tom Freese
Game: Los Angeles Angels at Chicago White Sox
Prediction: Los Angeles Angels
The Angels are 18-5 with John Lackey on the mound if they allowed 2 or less runs in their last game and they are 13-4 in the last 17 road starts made by Lackey. Los Angeles is 14-6 their last 20 games vs. AL Central teams. Chicago is 7-18 vs. AL West teams and thy are 3-8 off a loss in their last game. The White Sox are 2-7 when Jose Contreras pitches on Sunday. PLAY ON LA ANGELS (Lackey vs. Contreras)
Matt Fargo
Game: St Louis Cardinals at Los Angeles Dodgers
Prediction: St Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals have now won three straight and six of seven after another dominating pitching performance last night. St. Louis has now allowed three runs or less in five straight games, giving up an average of just 1.8 rpg over that span. The Dodgers meanwhile have lost two straight and the offense has been able to do nothing in these first two games of this series. Todd Wellemeyer takes the hill and he is coming off yet another solid performance as he has now allowed two earned runs or fewer in four consecutive starts. He has a very strong 1.16 WHIP on the season and he has allowed no home runs over his last five outings. He goes against Clayton Kershaw who is making his Major League debut. He has not pitched above Double-A and he faces an offense that is hitting .304 over its last 10 games including .314 against lefties. Play St. Louis Cardinals 1.5 Units
Larry Ness
Game: Kansas City Royals at Toronto Blue Jays
Prediction: Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays have won 15 of their last 23 games, including NINE of their last 12 to climb above .500 (26-25). They've beaten the Royals in each of the first two games of this four-game series by scores of 7-1 and 6-0. KC has now lost six straight games, getting outscored 39-13. It's actually even worse than that, because KC scored eight runs in an 11-8 Thursday loss at Fenway, meaning the team has only been able to push across just five runs total, in its other five games. It's been a complete "team effort" (or lack thereof) for the Royals, as during their slide they are batting just .187, while KC's starters have a 6.56 ERA, allowing the Red Sox and Blue Jays to bat a combined .326! What should change this afternoon? Nothing! The Blue Jays send Dustin McGowan to the mound and while he's struggled on the road in '08 (5.91 ERA in six starts), he's pitched well at home, posting a 2.10 ERA in four starts. He's facing a slumping KC lineup which on the season is just 12-20 vs right-handers, averaging a puny 3.8 RPG. The Blue Jays will get to face Gil Meche, who has not pitched nearly as well for KC as he did last year. Although just 9-13 in 2007, Meche had a solid 3.67 ERA. He's done much worse this year, entering this game 3-6 with a 5.58 ERA in 10 starts (team is 4-6). He'll be facing a Toronto team which has thrived in day games this year, going 11-2 on the year, including 8-2 here at the Rogers Centre. Take Toronto.
Stevie Y
Kansas City Royals vs. Toronto Blue Jays
Play: Toronto Blue Jays
Stevie Y is all over the Toronto Jays today as they put up some heavy runs on the board yesterday & they are starting to score in bunches!!!
Off a huge Early Grand slam yesterday to take the 4-0 lead & they never looked back, The Jays sweep these Pathetic Royals easy today.... Toronto 6 Kc Royals 4
Indian Cowboy POD
LA Lakers +5
Winners Inc. Guaranteed Selections
5000* BASEBALL BLOWOUT WINNER
San Diego w/Maddux -131
JB Sports
3* San Antonio Spurs
Larry Ness
Daytime Delight (2-0 this week)
Atlanta Braves
15* Pitching Mismatch GOW (26-15 run)
San Diego Padres
Las Vegas Insider (19-7-1 playoff run)
San Antonio Spurs
Ben Burns
MLB 4* SD Padres
NBA 5* Lakers/Spurs Over 192
NBA 4* Spurs