OC Dooley
Phillies +130
I am aware that lowly Philadelphia is on a 2-8 current slide when A.J. Burnett has been their starting pitcher however he has special MOTIVATION this evening. To make a long story short Burnett not only thrived but gave a much needed veteran influence to what then was a “green” Pittsburgh pitching staff. The Pirates chose not to bring Burnett back into the fold even at the trade deadline. In addition when arguably their best starting pitcher Garrett Richards went down to season-ending injury the Angels chose not to acquire the services of Burnett whose career is winding down. For those who have followed Philadelphia they have actually WON three recent “series” against playoff competition including the first place Washington Nationals. Outfielder Ben Revere has actually CHALLENGED what is still a veteran clubhouse to make history in an unlikely but still probable run at one of the postseason Wildcard berths. The fact of the matter is that statistically the Phillies BULLPEN has been one of the best in the National League for the better part of a month and I predict that Burnett tonight will provide a rare “quality” start out of the rotation. Getting back to Ben Revere the Phillies speedster recently completed a five game stretch going 12-for-23 with a homer along with 8 RBI, four extra-base hits and a pair of stolen bases