Wednesday MLB Picks
Our team of writers and handicappers hand out their MLB picks and predictions for Wednesday April 15.
Baltimore Orioles at Texas Rangers, 8:05PM ET
Prior to last week, Kris Benson hadn’t pitched in the majors since he was a member of the Baltimore Orioles in 2006.
Hoping to revive his career with the Texas Rangers, Benson faces his former club for the first time while trying to help his new team avoid a sixth straight loss, and a sweep by the visiting Orioles on Wednesday night.
Benson (0-1, 12.60 ERA) returned from a two-year absence following a rotator cuff injury by allowing seven earned runs and 10 hits in five innings of a 15-2 loss at Detroit on Friday.
"I didn’t do it well and it cost us the game,” said Benson, who went 11-12 with a 4.82 ERA in 30 starts for Baltimore in 2006. "Obviously it wasn’t too good."
Signed to a minor league contract by Texas in February, the No. 1 overall draft pick in 1996 will again try for his first win since Sept. 21, 2006.
That could be a tall order for the right-hander as the Rangers (3-5) look to avoid being swept in consecutive series after taking a three-game set from Cleveland at home to open the season.
MLB Free Pick: Baltimore – View Game Matchup | Best Line: -105 SBG Global
Florida Marlins at Atlanta Braves, 7:10PM ET
The best record in the major leagues doesn’t belong to the New York Yankees and their mammoth payroll or to the Boston Red Sox or to the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies.
It belongs to the Florida Marlins.
To continue that hot start, the Marlins could use a strong outing from the once-heralded Andrew Miller as they continue their three-game road series against the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday night.
Miller, however, will have the difficult task of trying to outduel the Braves’ Derek Lowe, who so far has lived up to billing as his team’s ace.
The Marlins (6-1) have carried over last season’s surprising 84-77 finish with their best start since 1997, when they began their first championship season at 8-1. After scoring 31 runs in its first four wins, Florida has relied on its talented, young pitchers in its past two victories.
After Josh Johnson threw a complete game Sunday against the New York Mets for his second straight victory, Chris Volstad moved to 2-0 by allowing one run on three hits Tuesday night in a 5-1 series-opening win over Atlanta.
MLB Free Pick: Atlanta – View Game Matchup | Best Line: -170 SBG Global
San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers, 10:10PM ET
Even without Manny Ramirez putting up gaudy numbers like he did last season, the Los Angeles Dodgers are still finding plenty of ways to score.
The Dodgers look to continue their surge and win their fourth straight Wednesday night when they continue a three-game series against the struggling San Francisco Giants, who are trying to avoid losing their fourth in a row.
After carrying Los Angeles (5-3) to the NL West title in 2008 with a .396 batting average, 17 home runs and 53 RBIs in 53 games with the team, Ramirez is batting .304 (7-for-23) with a .529 on-base percentage, but has no homers and four RBIs.
While Los Angeles is waiting for its slugger to heat up, the team has been getting contributions from others in the lineup.
In Monday’s home opener, Orlando Hudson hit for the cycle and Andre Ethier drove in four runs with a pair of homers as the Dodgers pounded out a season-high 15 hits in an 11-1 win over the Giants (2-5). Los Angeles is outscoring its opponents 25-4 during its three-game winning streak.
MLB Free Pick: Los Angeles – View Game Matchup | Best Line: -145 SBG Global
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Posted: 4/15/09 10:44AM ET
