Sunday’s MLB Picks
Our team of writers and handicappers hand out their MLB picks and predictions for Sunday April 19.
Arizona Diamondbacks at San Francisco Giants, 4:05PM ET
The best years of Randy Johnson’s remarkable career came with the Arizona Diamondbacks, as the towering left-hander became the face of one of baseball’s youngest franchises while leading them to their lone World Series title.
In Johnson’s first two starts with the San Francisco Giants, he’s shown few reminders of the dominant pitcher he once was.
The struggling five-time Cy Young winner will face the Diamondbacks for the first time in his 22-year career on Sunday as the Giants look to take two of three from Johnson’s former team.
Johnson (0-2, 11.42 ERA) became one of the game’s premier pitchers in Seattle, but his most successful seasons came in Arizona, where he went 103-49 with a 2.65 ERA from 1999-2004, taking home four NL Cy Young awards and leading Arizona to a World Series win in 2001.
Following a two-year stint with the New York Yankees, Johnson returned to the Diamondbacks (4-7) in 2007, and after an injury-plagued season he bounced back to go 11-10 with a 3.91 ERA in 2008.
MLB Free Pick: Arizona – View Game Matchup | Best Line: +115 SBG Global
Florida Marlins at Washington Nationals, 1:35PM ET
Although the Florida Marlins have the major leagues’ best record and the Washington Nationals have the worst, their first two meetings in this weekend series have gone extra innings. Once there, the Marlins have shown why they’re atop the standings.
After rallying for another come-from-behind victory, red-hot Florida looks to win its seventh in a row and complete a three-game road sweep of the Nationals on Sunday.
Things weren’t looking good for the Marlins (10-1) on Saturday after Austin Kearns hit a first-inning grand slam and the Nationals (1-9) led 6-2 after two innings. For the second straight game, though, Florida’s Jeremy Hermida provided the heroics.
Hermida hit a two-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning to tie the game at 6, then added a three-run shot in the 11th to give the Marlins a 9-6 victory.
He also won Friday’s series opener for Florida with an RBI infield single in the 10th inning.
MLB Free Pick: Florida – View Game Matchup | Best Line: -140 SBG Global
Cleveland Indians at New York Yankees, 1:05PM ET
New York Yankees fans weren’t happy after an embarrassing, lopsided loss. Their mood is unlikely to improve when they see who the Cleveland Indians are starting Sunday.
The Indians will send Carl Pavano – a bust with the Yankees for four years – to the mound as they try to capture this four-game set.
New York (6-6) allowed 14 runs in the second inning of a 22-4 loss Saturday. It was the most runs for the Indians since they beat New York 22-0 on Aug. 31, 2004, at the old Yankee Stadium. The 22 runs also tied the Yankees’ record for most allowed in a home game.
"I haven’t seen this many big innings in a long while,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "We expected pitching to be a strength and sometimes it has been. But at other times not."
Yankees fans will probably turn their boos towards Pavano (0-2, 16.71 ERA), who was a bust for New York after signing a four-year, $40 million contract in 2005. Pavano endured an injury-plagued tenure with the Yankees, going 9-8 with a 5.00 ERA in 26 starts over the four seasons.
MLB Free Pick: New York – View Game Matchup | Best Line: -250 SBG Global
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Posted: 4/19/09 2:10 AM ET
