Monday’s MLB Picks
Our team of writers and handicappers hand out their MLB picks and predictions for Monday, May 25.
Washington Nationals at New York Mets, 7:10PM ET
The New York Mets can’t be pleased with a 5-5 road trip after winning their first three games, but they’ll hope for more consistency when they return to Citi Field.
Finding the Washington Nationals in the visitors’ dugout should be a good start.
The Mets return home from their 10-game trip Monday night for the first of three with the last-place Nationals, whose 10-game homestand couldn’t have gone much worse.
New York (23-20) won three games in San Francisco from May 14-16 to start the swing, and it had come out on top in 11 of 13 games heading into its series finale against the Giants. But the Mets were shut out on getaway day at AT&T Park and totaled just 19 runs in concluding their trip 2-5.
They stopped a four-game slide by taking the first two in Boston over the weekend, but a pitching staff that had allowed 17 runs in its previous six contests was lit up Sunday, surrendering eight extra-base hits in a 12-5 loss.
MLB Free Pick: NY Mets – View Game Matchup | Best Line: -175 SPORTSBETTING
Florida Marlins at Philadelphia Phillies, 7:05PM ET
With three straight losses, Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Jamie Moyer has struggled in his bid for career win No. 250. The 46-year-old southpaw, though, again goes for the milestone victory Monday night at Citizens Bank Park against the Florida Marlins, a team he has dominated in his career.
Since picking up his 249th victory April 26 in a 13-2 win over the Marlins, Moyer (3-4, 7.62 ERA) is 0-3 with a 10.80 ERA in four starts. His ERA and opponents’ batting average of .351 are among the worst in baseball.
The veteran lefty, though, pitched relatively well in his last start – walking just one and yielding three runs in six innings – but Philadelphia (24-18) lost 5-1 to Cincinnati on Wednesday.
MLB Free Pick: Philadelphia – View Game Matchup | Best Line: -120 SPORTSBETTING
Atlanta Braves at San Francisco Giants, 4:05PM ET
Atlanta’s Brian McCann credits his new glasses for his improvement at the plate. He was already hitting pretty well against the San Francisco Giants before the change.
McCann and the Braves look to win a season-high fourth straight Monday afternoon when they open a three-game series at San Francisco.
Atlanta (23-20) begins this seven-game road trip after completing a 6-3 homestand, capped by a three-game sweep of Toronto over the weekend. The Braves improved to 12-5 since May 6 with a 10-2 victory Sunday.
McCann homered twice in the win – the fifth multihomer game of his career and first since July 25. The catcher went 6 for 10 over the weekend and is hitting .396 (19 for 48) in 14 games since getting new glasses to combat blurred vision.
MLB Free Pick: Atlanta – View Game Matchup | Best Line: -140 SPORTSBETTING
Posted: 5/25/09 11:00AM ET