‘Desperate’ ChiSox Host Red-Hot Rangers in MLB Series of the Week

Cashing in on MLB baseball likely won’t get much easier than it will this weekend when the Chicago White Sox host the red-hot Texas Rangers in a three-game set that is this week’s BetOnline MLB Series of the Week.

As usual, baseball bettors everywhere will get the insight they’ll need in order to make a plethora of bankroll-boosting wagers on this series matchup all weekend long, so let me get started.

Game 1
Friday, Aug. 19, 8:10 PM ET at U.S. Cellular Field
Radio: TEX: 103.3 ESPN CWS: WSCR 670, WRTO 1200
TV: TEX: TXA-21 CWS: WCIU

Analysis: Texas had its six-game winning streak snapped in Thursday’s 2-1 loss to the Angels but they will be taking on a ChiSox team that has dropped two straight coming into tonight’s matchup.

Not only will the Rangers be looking to get back in the win column in  a big way tonight, but they’ve posted a scorching 7-1 record in their last eight road games that could spell trouble for Chicago tonight.

However, Chicago will have ‘desperation’ on its side as they currently sit in third place in the AL Central just four games behind division-leading Detroit.

Tonight, the Rangers will hand the ball to left-hander Matt Harrison (10-8, 3.19 ERA) while Chicago counters with right-hander Jake Peavy (5-5, 4.69 ERA).

Matt Harrison (10-8, 3.19 ERA) had pitched at least six innings in 11 consecutive starts  but got smacked senseless in allowing six runs against Oakland on Sunday. Nevertheless, the young hurler has won five of his last seven starts and has posted a fine 2-0 record with a 3.04 ERA in four career starts against Chicago.

White Sox veteran Jake Peavy (5-5, 4.69 ERA) allowed four runs against Kansas City in his last start but tossed eight shutout innings against Minnesota in his previous start. Peavy has made two career starts against the Rangers while going 0-1 while with a 7.71 ERA.

The Pick: I know the Texas Rangers are the better ballclub here, but I think desperation, combined with the fact that Jake Peavy is still one helluva’ pitcher, will give the Rangers their second consecutive loss tonight.

The Rangers will almost certainly be exhausted after playing a night game in Los Angeles on Thursday and flying into the Windy City around 5:00 AM ET on Friday.

I like the ChiSox for the narrow SU home win here.

MLB Pick: Chicago Money Line Win

Game 2
Saturday, Aug. 20, 7:10 PM ET at U.S. Cellular Field
Radio: TEX: 103.3 ESPN CWS: WSCR 670
TV: TEX: FSSW CWS: WGN

Analysis: Right-hander Alexi Ogando (12-5, 3.33 ERA) takes the mound for Texas in this Game 2 matchup, but that may not be such a good thing for the Rangers and their betting backers.

Ogando has been smacked around to the tune of 10 earned runs over his last two starts covering just nine total innings. Despite getting a win over the Angels on Monday, Ogando has allowed at least three earned runs in four of his last five starts overall. Ironically, the young hurler did manage to throw a five-hit shutout against Chicago in a 4-0 victory. on May 23

White Sox left-hander John Danks (5-9, 3.95 ERA) took a no-hitter into the sixth inning the last time out before eventually allowing two earned runs on four hits in six innings to get the win over Kansas City. Danks had also allowed four earned runs in each of his previous two starts but is also 6-1 in his last seven home starts.

The Pick: Once again MLB betting enthusiasts, the Chicago White Sox are not a better ballclub than the Texas Rangers, but I’m going with them to take the second game in this series by getting a solid effort from John Danks and tagging Alexi Ogando just enough to make a narrow, one-run win stand up for the Money Line win!

MLB Pick: Chicago White Sox Money Line Win

Game 3
Sunday, Aug. 21, 2:10 PM ET at U.S. Cellular Field
Radio: TEX: 103.3 ESPN CWS: WSCR 670
TV: TEX: FSSW CWS: CSN

Analysis: Texas left-hander Derek Holland (11-4, 4.23 ERA) limited the Angels to three earned runs in his last start to get the win after getting saddled with a pair of no decisions in his previous two starts. The really good news for the Rangers and their betting backers is the fact that Holland has compiled a perfect 5-0 record with a 2.63 ERA over his last eight starts, including a stellar 6-2 mark with a 3.39 ERA on the road this season. Holland has held the opposition to two runs or less in three of his last five starts overall.

Veteran White Sox’ right-hander Gavin Floyd (10-10, 4.66 ERA) allowed five earned runs on five hits in just 5.2 innings of an 8-7m loss to Cleveland the last time out.

Floyd has also allowed at least three earned runs in each of his last three starts, including a whopping 10 earned runs against the Yankees on August 3.

While Chicago has gone 5-1 in the right-hander’s last half-dozen starts, I’m going to urge  MLB gamblers to back the Rangers as they pound the snot out of the mediocre Floyd to avoid the sweep!

Texas is 7-1 in their L/8 road games and 4-1 in their L/5 road games against a team with a losing record and I just don’t see them losing this contest! Play the mighty Rangers to get the emphatic Run Line win over Chicago in this one!

MLB Pick: Rangers Run Line Win

Red Sox Looking to Stretch Narrow Lead in AL East at Lowly Mariners’ Expense

The Boston Red Sox (72-44 SU, 59-57 RL, 55-53-8 O/U) have the best record in the American League. Unfortunately, they’re just one game ahead of the New York Yankees in their own division, the perennially-powerful AL East as they both steamroll toward the stretch run of the 2011 MLB regular season.

The BoSox will look to increase their lead over the Yankees and the rest of the AL when they travel across the country to take on the lowly Seattle Mariners (50-66 SU, 54-62 RL, 48-58-10 O/U) in a three-game set that gets underway with tonight’s series opener.

Before I get started, let’s take a look at some of the key statistics for both ball clubs.

The Red Sox are leading all of baseball in hitting with a collective .281 batting average while Seattle is ranked dead last with a .229 team batting average.

However, when it comes to pitching, the Mariners surprisingly have a better team ERA than Boston. The Mariners rank eighth in pitching with a 3.62 team ERA while Boston ranks 17th with a 3.91 team ERA.

Red Sox first baseman Adrian Gonzalez leads the AL in hitting with a .348 batting average while Jacoby Ellsbury ranks 13th (.314) and Dustin Pedroia, 20th (.309).

Ichiro Suzuki leads the Mariners in hitting with a career-low .268 average. And just two players have reached double digits in home runs this season with catcher Miguel Olivo currently sitting at 18 long balls and first baseman Justin Smoak totaling a dozen.

Seattle ranks 29th in the majors in home runs with just 69 wile ranking dead last in every other significant offensive category.

Boston is first in batting average, runs per game (5.44), OPS (.809) and second in home runs (141).

Okay, let’s get started with a look at each game in the three-game set.

Game 1
Friday, Aug. 12, 10:10 PM ET at Safeco Field
Radio: BOS: WEEI 850, WWZN 1510 SEA: 710 ESPN
TV: BOS: NESN SEA: ROOT SPORTS

When the Red Sox get to Seattle the will get to see a team in the midst of a massive overhaul up close and personal.

On Wednesday, Seattle trotted out a lineup that featured a whopping five rookie position players in right fielder Casper Wells, left fielder Trayvon Robinson, first baseman Mike Carp, second baseman Dustin Ackley and third baseman Kyle Seager.

The Mariners will hand the ball to another one of their prized rookies when right-hander Blake Beavan (3-2, 2.83 ERA) takes the mound opposite Boston right-hander John Lackey (10-8, 6.14 ERA).

Beavan has been nothing short of outstanding since joining the M’s, holding the opposition to three runs or less in each of his first six big league starts while lasting at least 6.1 innings each time out.

While Beavan has been surprisingly consistent for the Mariners’ Boston’s John Lackey has pitched more like a nervous rookie in this his 10th season in the big leagues.

Lackey has allowed at least three earned runs in each of his last three starts while allowing at least four runs in four of his last 10 starts overall. Lackey got a win over the Yankees in his last start but has allowed five runs or more in three of his last 10 starts.

The Pick: I like the way the mariners played on Wednesday to snap a three-game losing streak and I believe they are going to show up in this contest and surprise the powerful BoSox.

John Lackey has been mediocre at best this season while Seattle rookie starter Blake Beavan has been as cool as the other side of the pillow every time out.

I smell a big upset here so I say play the Mariners to pick up the narrow home win.

Game 2
Saturday, Aug. 13, 10:10 PM ET at Safeco Field
Radio: BOS: WEEI 850, WWZN 1510 SEA: 710 ESPN
TV: BOS: NESN SEA: ROOT SPORTS

On Saturday, Boston right-hander Josh Beckett (9-4, 2.17 ERA) takes the mound looking to continue his impressive pitching. The veteran hurler has allowed two runs or less in two consecutive starts and five of his last seven starts overall. Beckett held the Yankees to one run in six strong innings on Sunday.

The Red Sox will get to face Seattle staff ac right-hander Felix Hernandez (10-10, 3.31 ERA) in this one.

Hernandez held the Angels to two runs in his last start but couldn’t get the run support he needed in a narrow loss, but the 2010 Cy Young award winner has allowed two runs or less in three straight starts, including a masterful performance against the Yankees in which he gave up one run in seven overpowering innings.

Could it be the Mariners will take two in a row from the BoSox? I think they could, but I’m just not confident enough in their bullpen to make that pick. I like the Red Sox to get the narrow road win, but I also believe the best play is to take the Under here.

Game 3
Sunday, August 14, 4:10 PM ET at Safeco Field
Radio: BOS: WEEI 850, WWZN 1510 SEA: 710 ESPN
TV: BOS: NESN SEA: ROOT SPORTS

On Sunday, veteran knuckle baller Tim Wakefield (6-4, 4.92 ERA) will try to get career win No. 200 for the fourth time after allowing three earned runs in each of his last trio of starts.

Young left-hander Charlie Furbush (1-1, 7.20 ERA) got smacked around in his last start as the Texas Rangers pounded him for seven runs (six earned) in just four innings. The rookie hurler allowed seven hits and four walks en route to getting tagged with the loss.

I like the Red Sox to take this series finale and get Tim Wakefield his long-awaited 200th career win by smacking around Charlie Furbush and getting another solid performance from their veteran knuckle baller.

The 2011 MLB All-Star Game and Home Run Derby in 82nd Annual Mid-Summer Classic

BREAKING NEWS: Roy Halladay of the Philadelphia Phillies and Jered Weaver of the Los Angeles Angels will be the men on the mound when Tuesday’s All-Star game gets underway.

Baseball fanatics everywhere that enjoy wagering on the annual MLB All-Star Game and all of its star-studded happenings will be in all their glory when the festivities for the 82nd annual MLB Mid-Summer Classic get underway this week.

On Sunday, July 10, the Taco Bell All-Star Sunday kicks off at Chase Field with the XM All-Star Futures Game at 6:00 PM ET followed by the Taco Bell All-Star Legends & Celebrity Softball Game at approximately 9:30 PM ET.

The real action for MLB bettors gets underway on Monday, July 11, at 8:00 PM ET with the Gatorade All-Star Workout Day at Chase Field featuring the State Farm Home Run Derby.

One day later, on July 12, 2011, the 82nd annual MLB All-Star game gets under way at 8:00 PM ET.

Okay, with all of the particulars out of the way, let me get started with my expert MLB breakdown on both events, starting with Monday’s Home Run Derby.

MLB Home Run Derby Monday, July 11, 8:00 PM ET
Chase Field: Home of the Arizona Diamondbacks
TV: ESPN

Participants

Beloved Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz (.301, 17 HR, 49 RBI) and Milwaukee Brewers’ power-hitting first baseman Prince Fielder (.299, 21 HR, 69 RBI) will serve as captains of the American League and National League for this year’s event.

The two most recent winners of the yearly Home Run Derby will head up their respective ‘teams’ in this year’s new format. As part of the new Home Run Derby, both past champions picked three other participants to compete on their teams.

NL
Milwaukee Brewers teammate, second baseman Rickie Weeks (.277, 15 HR, 34 RBI), will join Fielder, the 2009 Derby winner, on this year’s team, along with St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Matt Holliday (.316, 10 HR, 40 RBI) and Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp, who is tied for the National League lead with 22 home runs.

AL
Joining Ortiz, the 2010 Derby winner, will be Red Sox first baseman and teammate Adrian Gonzalez, (348 batting, 16 HR), MLB Home Run leader, Toronto Blue Jays outfielder/third baseman Jose Bautista, (27 home runs) and last but not least, New York Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano (.294, 14 HR).

While the odds for this year’s Derby weren’t posted at the time of this writing, baseball betting enthusiasts should know that this will be Ortiz’s fifth career Derby and the third for both Fielder (2007, 2009) and Holliday (2007, 2010). Adrian Gonzalez will make his second appearance (2009) while this year’s event will be a first for Bautista, Cano, Kemp and Weeks.

The Pick: I’m going to urge MLB bettors to go with one of three players, starting with Prince Fielder with the big man having smacked 10 home runs in June. I also like MLB home run leader Jose Bautista and sweet-swinging power hitter Adrian Gonzalez.

Now, let’s move on to the annual MLB All-Star Game.

In 2010, the National league beat the American league 3-1 to take an overall lead of 41-38-2 and snap the AL’s seven-game winning streak following the incomprehensible 7-7 tie in 2002, thanks to Bud Selig.

Prior to 2002, the AL had also won five straight All-Star contests to take 12 of 13 prior to last year’s NL win at Angel Stadium. Gifted Atlanta Braves catcher Brian McCann will have a shot to win consecutive all-star MVP awards after taking home last year’s MLB All-Star MVP hardware.

Here is a look at both All-Star starting teams.

AL Starters
Pos – Player
C – Alex Avila, DET
1B – Adrian Gonzalez, BOS
2B – Robinson Cano, NYY
3B – Alex Rodriguez, NYY
SS – Derek Jeter, NYY
OF – Jose Bautista, TOR
OF – Curtis Granderson, NYY
OF – Josh Hamilton, TEX
DH – David Ortiz, BOS

NL Starters
Pos – Player
C – Brian McCann, ATL
1B – Prince Fielder, MIL
2B – Rickie Weeks, MIL
3B – Placido Polanco, PHI
SS – Jose Reyes, NYM
OF – Ryan Braun, MIL
OF – Lance Berkman, STL
OF – Matt Kemp, LAD

This year’s all-star game features several perennial all-stars such as Derek Jeter (12th annual game), Alex Rodriguez (14th), David Ortiz (seventh), Brian McCann (sixth consecutive), Lance Berkman (sixth) while Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Hamilton and Ryan Braun will all make their fourth straight all-star appearance. Only four of this year’s starters started in the 2010 version in Jeter, Braun, Hamilton and Robinson Cano.

Seven players will make their first career all-start starts in Gonzalez, McCann, Curtis Granderson, Alex Avila, Matt Kemp, Rickie Weeks and Jose Bautista. Last year’s voting leaders, St. Louis Cardinals’ first baseman Albert Pujols and Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer will both miss this year’s event.

This year will present an MLB All-Star ‘first’ with the designated hitter being used in an NL ballpark. Texas Rangers skipper Ron Washington will lead the AL while San Diego’s Bruce Bochy will lead the NL.

On Thursday, July 7, the All-Star Game ‘Final Vote’ will be announced with five players in the running for each league squad.

American League Pitching Staff
The AL pitching staff consists of starters Josh Beckett (Red Sox), Gio Gonzalez (Athletics), Felix Hernandez (Mariners), David Price (Rays), James Shields (Rays), Justin Verlander (Tigers), Jered Weaver (Angels) and C.J. Wilson (Rangers). Relievers Aaron Crow (Royals), Brandon League (Mariners), Chris Perez (Indians), Mariano Rivera (Yankees) and Jose Valverde (Tigers) also made this year’s team.

AL Reserves
The 2011 American League backup position players start with catchers Matt Wieters (Orioles) and Russell Martin (Yankees). Up next, are infielders Adrian Beltre (Rangers), Asdrubal Cabrera (Indians), Miguel Cabrera (Tigers) and Howard Kendrick (Angels), followed by outfielders Michael Cuddyer (Twins), Jacoby Ellsbury (Red Sox), Matt Joyce (Rays) and Carlos Quentin (White Sox). Designated hitter Michael Young (Rangers) rounds out the group.

National League Pitching Staff
The National League pitching staff consists of starters Roy Halladay (Phillies), Cole Hamels (Phillies), Cliff Lee (Phillies), Matt Cain (Giants), Jair Jurrjens (Braves), Clayton Kershaw (Dodgers), Tim Lincecum (Giants) and Ryan Vogelsong (Giants); and relievers Heath Bell (Padres), Tyler Clippard (Nationals), Joel Hanrahan (Pirates), Jonny Venters (Braves) and Brian Wilson (Giants).

NL Reserves
The NL’s reserves includes catcher Yadier Molina (Cardinals), infielders Chipper Jones (Braves), Troy Tulowitzki (Rockies), Brandon Phillips (Reds), Starlin Castro (Cubs), Gaby Sanchez (Marlins) and Joey Votto (Reds) and last but not least, outfielders Carlos Beltran (Mets), Jay Bruce (Reds), Matt Holliday (Cardinals), Hunter Pence (Astros) and Justin Upton (D-backs).

The Pick: I’m going to keep my expert MLB All-Star pick here short and sweet by simply saying that I like the NL to win their second straight All-Star contest, mostly because I like their pitching staff a bit more than their AL counterparts.

While all three Philadelphia Phillies and San Francisco Giants starters will almost certainly not appear in this contest, I still expect the NL to get some stellar innings from at least two of each teams’ trio of aces.

Outside of Josh Beckett, David Price and Felix Hernandez, I’m not floored by any of the American League’s remaining starters.

I also like the ‘revenge’ factor here with the NL really going all out to secure home-field advantage in the World Series and stem the onslaught on AL wins that have taken place over the last 14 years.

Go with the NL in another squeaker as the senior circuit’s fantastic starters mostly silence the American League.

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Phillies Look To Dish Out Revenge, Send Message to NL Champion Giants in MLB Series of the Week

The red hot Philadelphia Phillies came into their four-game series against the defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants looking to send a message and dish out some revenge against the team that knocked them out of the postseason a year ago and took two of three from them just last weekend.

After winning Game 1 of their NL showdown 3-0 on Thursday night, thanks to a complete game shutout performance from Cliff Lee, the Phillies enter Friday night’s Game 2 matchup looking to take another step toward completing a sweep over the Giants while further distancing themselves from the rest of the pack in the race for home-field throughout the National League playoffs.

This look at the remaining three games in this four-game set will put avid MLB gamblers on the right path toward cashing in on each of the remaining trio of games in this highly-publicized matchup.

Game 1
Friday, August 5th 10:15 PM ET, AT&T Park
Radio: PHI: WPHT 1210, WUBA 1480 SF: KNBR 680, KIQI, KATD 990
TV: PHI: CSN SF: CSN-BA HD

Philadelphia has won seven consecutive games coming into tonight’s contest while the Giants have dropped six of its last seven games overall.

In order to win again, Philadelphia will need to get a better performance from right-hander Vance Worley (7-1, 2.33 ERA) after he allowed four runs against the Pittsburgh Pirates the last time out to suffer his first loss of the season. Worley has allowed one home run in each of his last two games.

The good news is that Worley hadn’t allowed more than two earned runs in his previous seven starts and pitched his first career complete game against Frisco just last week in Philadelphia.

Giants’ left-hander Jonathan Sanchez (4-5, 3.81 ERA), will make his first start in over a month when he takes the mound tonight after coming back from biceps tendonitis.

The talented southpaw gave up two runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out five batters in his last rehab start on Wednesday. Sanchez has had some serious issues with his control and rankes third in the NL with 59 walks despite sitting out the better part of the last month.

Analysis: The Phillies have been hitting the ball very well during their seven-game winning streak and I believe they will rudely welcome Jonathan Sanchez back in his return from injury while seeing Vance Worley bounce back from his poor start the last time out.

Philadelphia is 4-0 in Worley’s last four road starts while the Giants have gone 1-4 in Jonathan Sanchez’s L/5 starts as an underdog.

The Pick: Philadelphia

Saturday, August 6th, 4:10 PM ET, AT&T Park
Radio: PHI: WPHT 1210, WUBA 1480 SF: KNBR 680, KIQI, KATD 990
TV: FOX

The Phillies will hand the ball to left-hander Cole Hamels (12-6, 2.62 ERA) while the Giants counter with veteran right-hander Matt Cain (9-7, 3.10 ERA).

Once again, I’m going to urge BetOnline baseball bettors to back the streaking Phillies, mostly because Cole Hamels has been rock-solid all season long and Matt Cain has been far more inconsistent.

Hamels has allowed two earned runs or less in three straight starts and a blistering nine of his L/10 starts overall. The 2008 World Series MVP limited Colorado to two runs on six hits in six innings the last time out.

Matt Cain was smacked around the last time out as he gave up five runs on eight hits and three walks in just 5.2 innings of a 5-2 loss to Arizona the last time out.  Cain did limit Philadelphia to just one unearned run on four hits in seven innings of a 2-1 win on Wednesday.

Once again, I like the Phillies to extract some revenge here by scoring just enough runs – and getting another stellar start from hamels – to pull out the very narrow SU win against the MLB Money Line.

The Pick: Philadelphia

Sunday, August 7th, 4:05 PM ET, AT&T Park
Radio: PHI: WPHT 1210, WUBA 1480 SF: KNBR 680, KIQI, KATD 990
TV: PHI: CSN SF: CSN-BA HD

I’m going to advise MLB gamblers to back the San Francisco Giants in this one, mostly because I believe it will be a near, mirror-image of Saturday’s game 3 contest with one starting pitcher returning from injury to go up against a flat-out No. 1 starter.

Philadelphia veteran right-hander Roy Oswalt (4-6, 3.79 ERA) will make his first start since June 23 after spending the last six weeks on the DL with two bulging disks and lower back inflammation.

San Francisco staff ace right-hander and two-time Cy Young award winner Tim Lincecum (9-9, 2.77 ERA) has been on fire lately in not allowing more than one earned run in four straight starts – until giving up a grand totalof two runs the last time out.

All jokes aside baseball bettors, Lincecum just isn’t giving up many runs these days and also tossed six shutout innings against the Phils last Thursday.

The Giants should be able to put up a few runs off of Oswalt while getting another gem from Tim Lincecum to pull ut the narrow home win against the MLB Moneyline.

The Pick: Philadelphia

Angels Take on Oakland in Key A.L. West Series this Weekend

The A.L. West second place Los Angeles Angels take on the Oakland Athletics in a key series starting Friday, July 15.  The Angels are 1 ½ games behind the Texas Rangers for first place in the A.L. West.  With a record of 50 and 42, the Angels are well ahead of the 39 and 43 Athletics who have little hope of challenging for the West Division title in the second half of the season.

But that doesn’t mean that Oakland is simply going to hand this weekend series over to the Angels.  The Angels must win these types of series against inferior teams in order to keep pace with the Rangers.  The A’s would like nothing better than to prevent L.A. from doing that this weekend.  

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MLB Series of the Weekend

Three games from July 15 to July 17 at O.co Coliseum in Oakland, Califonria

Game 1

When:  July 15 at 10:05 pm EST

L.A. Angels – Dan Haren, 10-5, 2.61 ERA
Oakland Athletics – Brandon McCarthy, 1-5, 3.66 ERA

Analysis:  Dan Haren has been one of the more consistent pitchers in MLB this season.  He’s rarely thrown a bad game.  The Angels have responded to Haren’s abilities lately by winning 6 out of the last 8 times that Haren has stepped onto the mound.  The pitcher is 0 and 2 against the Athletics this season, however, and got belted for 5 runs off of 7 hits, 2 of the hits were homers, in a 1 to 6 Angels lost the last time L.A.’s red team took on the A’s.

Brandon McCarthy’s ERA, like almost all of Oakland’s pitchers in the starting rotation, isn’t horrible, but his team’s offense is.  The A’s average only 3.42 runs per game, twenty-eighth in MLB.  So, even though their pitchers allow only 3.14 runs per game, third in MLB, Oakland pitchers rack up the “L’s”.   

Pick:  Right now, the Angels and Haren are at -135 to beat the Athletics tonight.  That tells me that so far MLB handicappers are putting more stock in the fact that Dan Haren had a horrible time against the Athletics the last time the two teams faced each other than the fact that Haren is pitching so well.  I’m not buying into it.  Haren and L.A. should be at least a -160 favorite in this contest.  I’m going with the Angels to win this game on Friday night.

Game 2

When:  July 16 at 8:05 pm EST

L.A. Angels – Ervin Santana, 4-8, 3.89 ERA
Oakland Athletics – Rich Harden, 1-1, 5.73 ERA

Analysis:  Santana can have moments of brilliance, like when he pitched 9 innings and allowed only 4 hits in a 9 to 0 Angels’ victory over the Atlanta Braves on May 20.  Then again, Ervin can be horrific like when he gave up 6 runs off of 7 hits to the Kansas City Royals in an 8 to 10 Angels’ loss on May 30.

Rich Harden is barely getting back into the swing of things since he’ll be starting for only the third time this season.  In his first foray on the mound, Harden gave up 2 runs off of 4 hits in 6 innings of work.  The Athletics won that game 5 to 4.  In Harden’s last start, Texas belted the A’s for 6 runs.  Rich gave up 5 of those 6 runs in only 5 innings.

Pick:  Although Harden could go either way in this game, Santana figures to definitely be ultra-efficient.  The last time Ervin faced Oakland, he gave up only 1 run off of 6 hits for a 4 to 1 Angels’ victory.  The Angels are the pick to win this game on Saturday.

Game 3

When:  July 17 at 4:05 pm EST

L.A. Angels – Joel Pineiro, 5-3, 3.90 ERA
Oakland Athletics – Gio Gonzalez, 8-6, 2.47 ERA

Analysis:  The Angels have gone 6 and 0 the last 6 times that Joel Pineiro has stepped onto the mound.  That’s better than good.  That’s awesome!  Of course, the Angels went 0 and 5 in the 5 games before responding to Pineiro’s presence with the winning streak. 

The Rangers destroyed Gonzalez in his last start, securing 7 runs off of 7 hits versus Gio.  Gonzalez only lasted 4 innings, but he had a decent game before the destruction, in a 5 hit, 1 run, 7 inning beauty versus the Arizona Diamondbacks in interleague play.  Which Gio Gonzalez will show up on Sunday?

Pick:  It actually might not matter which Gio shows up for Oakland on Sunday.  The anemic Athletics’ offense has been good against Joel Pineiro in 2 games this season.  The A’s scored 3 runs against Pineiro on May 16 in a 5 to 4 Oakland victory.  The A’s racked up 11 hits and 4 runs against Pineiro on May 26 in a 4 to 3 victory.  I like Oakland’s chances on Sunday and I believe that they’ll take home a “W” in this one.
 

‘Battle Los Angeles’ is MLB Series of the Week as Struggling Dodgers Host San Diego Padres in NL West Showdown

The struggling Los Angeles Dodgers (38-51 SU, 44-38-7 O/U, 37-52 RL) managed to snap their five-game losing streak by routing the New York Mets 6-0 late on Thursday night.

L.A.’s longtime National League West rivals, the San Diego Padres (40-49 SU, 41-44-4 O/U, 48-41 RL) lost their second straight game in a four-game set against another NL West rival on Thursday night by falling to the San Francisco Giants 2-1. Still, San Diego has been red-hot, having won 10 of its last 15 games overall heading into tonight’s series opener.

Starting tonight, both NL West ballclubs will look to hit the annual MLB All-Star break on a positive note when they square off in a three-game series that kicks off at Dodgers Stadium at 10:10 PM ET.

The two California rivals have mostly been headed in different directions this season but that fact should only serve to heighten the excitement that MLB betting enthusiasts have for this longtime NL West rivalry, not lessen it.

First of all, the two teams have split six regular season meetings this year evenly, though the Padres have taken two straight and three of the last four meetings overall, including their emphatic 7-0 road win on May 1st.

Not only that, but this NL West showdown features a pair of 2011 MLB All-Stars, starting with the Dodgers’ Matt Kemp, the co-leader in the National League in home runs (22 HR, .324 BA, 64 RBI) and San Diego’s often overpowering closer Heath Bell (26 saves, 2.43 ERA).

So, let’s forget all about the mess that the Dodgers’ organization has become thanks to the foolhardy actions of owner Frank McCourt and his soon-to-be ex-wife Jamie and let’s concentrate on what lies ahead for both teams in this pre-All-Star break series.

The desperate Dodgers are in last place in the NL West but will have a chance to make up some ground as they will play 21 of their next 24 games against their NL West rivals. Unfortunately, L.A. is just 12-15 against their division rivals this season.

San Diego is in fourth place in the NL West one spot above the Dodgers but has a rock-solid closer in Bell as the right-hander has converted 60 of his last 61 save opportunities since May 29, 2010, including 26 of 27 chances this season.

San Diego Padres at Los Angeles Dodgers

Friday, July 8, 10:10 PM EDT, Dodger Stadium
Radio: SD: XPRS 1090, XEMO 860 LAD: KABC 790, KTNQ 1020
TV: SD: 4 San Diego LAD: PRIME, TWC 858

The Padres will hand the ball to talented starter Mat Latos (5-9, 4.26 ERA) hoping the right-hander can duplicate each of his last two starts in which he has allowed an identical three earned runs. Over his last 10 starts, Latos has limited the opposition to three earned runs or less in seven starts. Unfortunately, Latos has picked up just one win in his last five starts since June 5.

The Dodgers will counter with gifted hurler Chad Billingsley (7-7, 4.15 ERA) and they will stand a good chance of winning if the right-hander can duplicate his last start.

Billingsley tossed a complete-game three-hitter against the Angels on Sunday but ended up as the hard-luck loser after giving up a two-run jack to Russell Branyan in the seventh inning that turned out to be the difference in a 3-1 loss.

The Pick: I like the Dodgers to take the opener in this series behind Billingsley despite the fact that they are just 1-4 in their L/5 games against a right-handed starter and a identical 1-4 in their L/5 home starts. If ever a guy were due for a win, it’s Billingsley in this contest.

Saturday, July 9, 4:10 PM EDT, Dodger Stadium
Radio: SD: XPRS 1090, XEMO 860 LAD: KABC 790, KTNQ 1020
TV: SD: FOX LAD: FOX, TWC 858

While the Padres haven’t officially announced who will start this game for them, it’s likely that veteran right-hander Aaron Harang (7-2, 3.71 ERA) will take the mound looking to record his third straight win after tossing 70 pitches in a Minor League rehab stint Monday. Harang had been on the disabled list since June 10 with a right foot contusion.

Padres’ rookie right-hander Rubby De La Rosa (3-4, 4.31 ERA)  has lost four straight starts and gave up three earned runs on five hits in 7.0 innings of a 5-2 loss to the Mets on July 4.

The Pick: I like the Dodgers to get the solid home win here if Aaron Harang makes the start in this contest. I’m fully expecting the Dodgers to jump all over San Diego’s young starter if (when) he makes a mistake pitch.

San Diego has lost four straight with their young right-hander on the mound while getting outscored 21-5 during the stretch and I expect them to lose to L.A. in this contest.

Sunday, July 10, 4:10 PM EDT, Dodger Stadium
Padres’ right-hander Tim Stauffer (5-5, 2.97 ERA) has won three straight starts coming into tonight’s series opener while limiting the opposition to two earned runs or less in a whopping six consecutive starts.

L.A. right-hander Ted Lilly (5-9, 4.94 ERA) has lost four consecutive starts while allowing at least five earned runs in three of those starts. Prior to his last quartet of starts, Lilly had limited the opposition to two earned runs or less in four straight starts.

The Pick: San Diego’s Tim Stauffer is on fire while L.A.’s Ted Lilly is throwing the ball like a wide-eyed rookie that has been overwhelmed at the prospects of pitching in the big leagues.

Make no doubt MLB fanatics, the outcome of this contest is closer to a lock for the Padres than anything else and I fully expect the Padres to cruise to victory behind the underrated Tim Stauffer in this contest.

To review, I’m taking the Dodgers win this three-game series by taking the first two games before dropping the finale.

MLB Mid-Season Report Card – Yankees, Phillies Getting It Done

Baseball fans can be forgiven if they’re feeling a bit of déjà vu at the halfway point of the 2011 MLB Season.  The teams that many figured to get it done in 2011 are getting it done.  Two favorites to win the World Series, Philadelphia and the New York Yankees, are sitting atop their respective divisions.

The proverbial fork that Yankee haters stuck into Manhattan’s team in April and May had to be taken out in June.  As of this writing, the Yankees are 51 and 33 and sit atop the AL East with the best record in baseball.  Their biggest rivals, the Boston Red Sox, have the third best record in the league at 50 and 35 and are only 1 ½ games behind the Yankees in second place in the AL East.

The team with the best record in baseball is the Philadelphia Phillies at 55 and 32.  The Phillies get an A+ for conjuring up the best record in the majors even though closer Brad Lidge has been out since late March and starter Roy Oswalt battled injuries through most of the first half of the season.  The Phillies are playing better this year than last year and they’re proving to have a resilient pitching staff considering the injuries to Lidge and Oswalt.

New York gets an A for maintaining a lead over the rival Red Sox even though that fork was in pretty deep in April.  The Yankees are allowing 3.46 runs per game, that’s ninth in MLB, and the WHIP for the pitchers is at 1.28, tenth in MLB, but New York scores 5.30 runs per game.  That’s first in the majors. 

I’m handing out a B+ to the Boston Red Sox even though they have the third best record in baseball.  The Red Sox were the winter book favorites to win the World Series and although they could still win the AL East, their pitchers, which are supposed to be better than the Yankees’ are allowing 3.95 runs per game, worse than New York, and have a 1.27 WHIP, only .01 better than the Manhattanites.  Still, the B. Sox are only 1 ½ games behind their rivals for the AL East Divisional crown.

The only other team that receives an A in my grades, after the Phillies and Yankees, is the San Francisco Giants.  Granted, the defending champs are only a game ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks in arguably the weakest division in baseball, but they’re doing it with a pitching staff that has yet to really get on track.  The G-Men’s pitchers are allowing 3.26 runs per game, which ranks fifth in baseball.  Once Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum really get it going and Jonathan Sanchez gets healthy, the Giants are going to be ultra-tough, possibly grabbing the top ranking in the pitching category.  San Francisco is already playing above expectations with a 48 and 39 record.

One thing to note is that out of all of the teams mentioned above, only one of them is ranked in the Top 5 when it comes to putting money into the pockets of sports bettors.  That team is, unsurprisingly, the Philadelphia Phillies.  Because of the injury to Lidge and the various injuries to Roy Oswalt, many gamblers believed that Philly was going to tank when it came to making money in the sportsbook. 

Man, they were wrong.  Philly is up +1225 units on the season and are ranked second when it comes to garnering profits for bettors.

Check out grades, with the records, for all 30 teams in Major League Baseball at the halfway point of the season.

AL East

NY Yankees, 51-33, A

Boston, 50-35, C

Tampa Bay, 47-31, C:  Right where they figured to be.

Toronto, 42-45, D:  Barely better than Baltimore.

Baltimore, 36-47, F:  14 ½ games behind the Yankees with no hope of getting close.

AL Central

Cleveland, 45-39, B:  They’re in the lead in the division.

Detroit, 45-42, B:  Only 1 ½ games behind the Indians.

Chicago White Sox, 43-44, C:  One game behind .500?  That’s average for the ChiSox.

Minnesota, 38-46, C:  Will we see another Twins’ second half run in 2011?

Kansas City, 35-51, F:  11 games behind the leaders.

AL West

Texas, 46-41, B:  The second-half battle with the Angels should be interesting.

LA Angels, 46-41, B:  Tied with the Rangers for the lead in the AL West.

Seattle, 43-43, B:  They were supposed to be the cellar-dwellers. 

Oakland, 38-49, D:  Only 8 games behind, but more was expected.

NL East

Philadelphia, 55-32, A+

Atlanta, 51-36, B+:  Playing well, but Philly could pull away in the second half

NY Mets, 44-42, C:  Much, much better than a lot anticipated, but still out of it.

Washington, 44-43, C:  Not bad, but no chance of challenging in the second half.

Florida, 38-48, D:  The worst in the division.

NL Central

St. Louis, 47-40, B+:  After Albert gets going, they’ll be better.

Pittsburgh, 45-41, B+:  Tops in the majors when it comes to making dollars.

Milwaukee, 45-42, B:  They’ll have a shot in the second half.

Cincinnati, 43-44, D:  Playing below expectations so far.

Chicago Cubs, 35-52, F:  Second worst record in the majors.

Houston, 29-58, F:  Worst record in the majors.

NL West

San Francisco, 48-39, A

Arizona, 47-40, B+:  Doubtful that they stay close to the G-Men.

Colorado, 41-45, C:  Ubaldo’s 4.39 ERA and 1.35 WHIP are horrific.

San Diego, 40-47, C:  I expected more, but most didn’t.  So, they get a C.

LA Dodgers, 37-50, D:  McCourt’s financial issues are not an excuse.  

MLB Series of the Weekend: Braves Take on Mets in NL East Showdown

The New York Mets may be over 22 games out of it in the NL East but that doesn’t mean that their weekend series with Atlanta won’t be full of drama.  The Braves are only 6 games away from the Phillies for the lead in the division.  The Braves have a lot to play for.

What do the Mets have to play for?  Pride for one, but they’re also playing for the chance to put a solid beat down on a rival.  Keep reading for previews of each of the games in the MLB Series of the Weekend.

Three games from August 26 to August 28 at Citi Field in Flushing Meadows, New York City, New York.

Game 1

When:  August 26 at 7:10 pm EST

Atlanta Braves – Tim Hudson, 13-7, 3.01 ERA
New York Mets – Chris Capuano, 9-11, 4.71 ERA

Analysis:  Hudson is a -140 favorite in the baseball betting sportsbook to take down Capuano and the Mets on Friday night.  Are the odds justified?  Absolutely.  Hudson has won 5 games in a row including throwing a 7-inning gem against the Mets on August 5th where he gave up only 3 hits and a run.  In 10 games, the man’s ERA has gone from 3.57 to 3.01.  I’d say that’s pretty good.

Chris Capuano is 2 and 6 in his last 8 games.  He’s given up 4 runs or more in each of his last 3 outings and hasn’t pitched more than 6 innings in 7 out of his last 8 starts.

Pick:  Hudson’s an easy pick in this one.  For those who don’t mind more risk, backing Tim and the Braves at -1 ½ +110 might be the way to go.    

Game 2

When:  August 27 at 4:10 pm EST

Atlanta Braves – Jair Jurrjens, 13-5, 2.71 ERA
New York Mets – R.A. Dickey, 5-11, 3.72 ERA

Analysis:  Atlanta appears to have the upper hand on the mound in this game as well.  Jair Jurrjens had a couple of bad games in early August when he gave up a total of 10 runs and 15 hits in back-to-back losses to Washington and San Francisco, but he turned it around in his last outing.  Yes, JJ gave up 8 hits to the Chicago Cubs but he allowed the cubs to hit home plate 0 times.  After a solid 6.1 innings, the Braves marched on to a 3 to 0 victory. 

R.A. Dickey has had some issues lately.  He hasn’t been that bad.  Save for giving up 5 runs to San Diego on August 10th, Dickey has held his own for the most part.  Still, it’s a tough matchup for Dickey since Jurrjens appears to be back in form.

Pick:  I’m inclined to give Dickey and the Mets a shot in this one depending on the baseball odds.  Dickey allowed only 2 runs off of 5 hits to Atlanta on August 5th.  If his teammates can step it up…who knows?  Maybe, R.A. and the Mets pull off the upset.

Game 3

When:  August 28 at 1:10 pm EST

Atlanta Braves – Mike Minor, 4-2, 4.37 ERA
New York Mets – Dillon Gee, 11-5, 4.37 ERA

Analysis:  The ERA’s are exactly the same, but Minor has been on an awesome hot streak.  Well, he hasn’t really, but the Braves certainly have in his starts.  The Braves have won 7 games in a row where Minor has started.  That’s sweet indeed.

Dillon Gee will go into Sunday’s game off of possibly his worst outing of the season.  In 3.2 innings, Gee gave up 7 hits and 8 runs to the Philadelphia Phillies.  The Mets ended up losing 10 to 0 to Philly in that game.  Gee will need to find a way to turn things around.

Pick:  Minor hasn’t been that great lately, he’s barely lasted past 5 innings in 4 out of those last 7 starts.  Not only that, but Minor gave up 7 hits and 4 runs to the Mets on August 7th.  Depending on the online odds, Minor and the Braves might be a play against in this game on Sunday. 

Streaking Mets Look to Extend Struggling Nationals’ Woes in MLB Series of the Week

Despite currently being almost a dozen games behind first place Philadelphia in the NL East, the streaking New York Mets (54-51 SU, 59-46 RL, 58-43-4 O/U) will try to close the gap on their division leaders when they square off against the struggling Washington Nationals (49-55 SU, 55-49 RL, 53-48-3 O/U), in a three-game set that gets underway tonight and is this week’s BetOnline MLB Series of the Week.

Major League Baseball will get the scoop on all three games in what should be a competitive divisional series, followed by my trio of expert MLB handicapping picks on just what baseball diamond betting enthusiasts can expect over the course of the weekend series.

With that said – and tonight’s Game 1 opener just hours away – let’s get down to business.

The Mets have won four straight, including their thrilling 10-9 win over Cincinnati on Thursday that clinched their four-game sweep.

Washington has lost five consecutive games and was swept by the Florida Marlins in their three-game series that ended with Thursday’s 5-2 home loss to their NL East rivals.

New York will be without one of its best hitters after trading veteran outfielder Carlos Beltran to San Francisco on Thursday but has won two straight and four of the last five meetings against Washington while taking five of the eight meetings against their NL East rivals this season.

Game 1
Friday, July 29, 7:05 PM ET at Nationals Park
Radio: NYM: WFAN 660 WSH: 106.7 The Fan, WFED 1500
TV: NYM: SNY WSH: MASN 2 HD

Game 1 kicks off with the return of veteran big league hurler Chien-Ming Wang, once one of the most effective pitchers in the big leagues.

The Nationals’ veteran right-hander hasn’t pitched in the majors in just over two years since making an appearance for the Yankees on July 4, 2009.

Wang, a former, two-time 19-game winner, will make his debut with the Nats after missing the entire 2010 campaign and beginning this season on the 60-day disabled list while rehabbing his shoulder injury. Wang went 2-1 with a 3.14 ERA in six minor league starts this season while striking out 17 and walking four batters in 28.2 total innings.

New York will counter with right-hander Dillon Gee (9-3, 3.75 ERA) looking to stay sharp as he has in each of his last two starts. Gee has also won the only two career starts he’s had against Washington.

Last September, Gee limited the Nationals to one run on two hits in seven innings before tossing 7.2 shutout innings against them on May 19.

Prediction: As much as I’d like to see a Chien-Ming Wang ‘feel-good’ story unfold in this game, I just don’t see it happening as the Mets give the former staff ace a rude welcome back to the majors.

Wang has been solid, but not overwhelming at the minor league level and I suspect it will take him some time to get used to pitching in the majors after a two-year absence. Not only that, but the Mets have to be feeling good about themselves after completing their first-ever four-game road sweep of Cincinnati.

With Dillon Gee going 2-0 with a 0.61 ERA in two career starts against the Nats and Chien-Ming Wang making his first big league starts in just over two years, I like the red-hot Mets to extend their winning ways for at least one more game.

Let’s call this one, Mets 5 Nationals 3.

Game 2
Saturday July 30, 7:05 PM ET at Nationals Park
Radio: NYM: WFAN 660 WSH: 106.7 The Fan, WFED 1500
TV: NYM: WPIX WSH: MASN HD

The Mets will hand the ball to right-hander R.A. Dickey (5-8, 3.74 ERA) in Game 2 while the Nationals counter with veteran right-hander Jason Marquis’ (8-5, 3.95 ERA).

Dickey looked fantastic in limiting Cincinnati to just two earned runs on eight hits in 6.2 innings on Monday after allowing four earned runs in each of his previous two starts. New York has won six of his last seven starts with Dickey going at least 6.1 innings in six of those outings.

Trade rumors are swirling all around Jason Marquis but that hasn’t limited his effectiveness one iota. Marquis took a loss in his last start despite limiting the Dodgers to just three runs on five hits and four walks.

Prior to his most recent start, the veteran right-hander had given up two earned runs in two consecutive starts.

Prediction: With the Washington Nationals going 8-2 in Jason Marquis’ last 10 home starts and 4-1 in his last five starts against NL East ballclubs, I’m going to say the Nats take the middle game in this three-game set.

New York is 1-4 in its L/5 games against its NL East division rivals and just 3-9 in R.A. Dickey’s last dozen starts against teams with a losing record and I like a ‘desperate’ Washington ballclub to get back in the win column in this contest.

Let’s call this one, Washington 4 New York 2.

Game 3
Sunday, July 31, 1:35 PM ET at Nationals Park
Radio: NYM: WFAN 660 WSH: 106.7 The Fan, WFED 1500
TV: NYM: WPIX WSH: WDCW DC-50, MASN 2 HD

Southpaw starter Jon Niese (10-8, 3.97 ERA) got a win in his last start to set a new career high with 10 wins, but he didn’t throw the ball particularly well in allowing five earned runs on six hits and two walks in just 5.0 innings of New York’s 8-6 win over Cincinnati on Tuesday.

Washington right-hander Jordan Zimmermann (6-9, 3.27 ERA) has taken a pounding in each of his last two starts. The struggling starter allowed six earned runs on eight hits – including two home runs – in just 6.2 innings of an 11-2 loss to Florida.

Zimmerman also allowed six earned runs in his previous start while allowing at least four earned runs in three of his last four outings overall. Prior to his recent four-game stretch, Zimmerman had gone 11 consecutive starts without allowing more than two earned runs.

Prediction: Prior to Friday’s series opener, the Mets had won four of their last five road games against Washington. Nevertheless, I’m going to urge baseball bettors everywhere to back the Nationals to win their second straight game over the Mets, mostly by pounding New York’s Jon Niese into submission.

I’m fully expecting a high-scoring affair that also plays Over the set Over/Under Total the O/U number stays under nine combined runs.

I like the Nationals to win this free-for-all so I’m going to say, Washington 7 New York 5.

The Nationals have compiled an impressive 28-21 record at home this season which is an identical seven games over .500 when compared to New York’s 32-25 road record.

So, to review, I like the Mets to take the series opener before Washington bounces back to win the final two games of the BetOnline MLB Series of the Week.

Struggling Cincinnati Takes on Solid Atlanta in Key NL Series

The struggling Cincinnati Reds, who so far haven’t come close to repeating their performance from a season ago that led to the NL Central Division title, take on one of the more solid teams in the NL, the Atlanta Braves, this weekend in a key three game series.

While the Reds have struggled, the Braves have kept pace with arguably the best team in Major League Baseball this season, the Philadelphia Phillies.  Atlanta is at 58 and 41, only 4 games behind the Phillies for the lead in the NL East.

At 48 and 50, the Cincinnati Reds are 4 games behind the Pittsburgh Pirates, yes, that’s right, the Pirates in the NL Central.  Who will show up in this key NL Series over the weekend? 

MLB Series of the Weekend

Three games from July 22 to July 24 at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Game 1

When:  July 22 at 7:10 pm EST

Atlanta Braves – Jair Jurrjens, 12-3, 2.26 ERA
Cincinnati Reds – Bronson Arroyo, 7-8, 5.57 ERA

Analysis:  Tough matchup for Arroyo.  That’s the only way to describe this likely non-pitcher’s duel.  Jair Jurrjens has been absolutely brilliant for the Atlanta Braves this season.  He’s on his way to a Cy Young Award while Bronson Arroyo has struggled.

Jurrjens dominated Cincinnati on May 29 in a 2 to 1 Atlanta victory.  He pitched 8 innings and allowed only 6 hits and a single run.  Arroyo lasted only 3 innings, allowing 9 hits and 5 runs, in a 6 to 7 loss to the Braves on May 28.

Pick:  The Braves and Jurrjens are only -115 on the moneyline to beat the Reds tonight.  My suggestion is that baseball gamblers jump all over that line because the value is definitely there on Jair Jurrjens.  He should dominate Cincinnati again.

Game 2

When:  July 23 at 4:10 pm EST

Atlanta Braves – Derek Lowe, 6-7, 4.37 ERA
Cincinnati Reds – Homer Bailey, 4-4, 3.74 ERA

Analysis:  This should be a very good matchup between two decent, but not spectacular, pitchers.

Lowe can control a game if his stuff is good, but it hasn’t been all that good this season.  The 6 and 7 record speaks to that fact.  The ERA is higher than expected and Lowe’s 1.39 WHIP is horrendous.

Bailey has a 1.17 WHIP and was fantastic in his last trip to the mound.  He dominated the St. Louis Cardinals allowing only 1 run off of 3 hits in 7.1 innings.  If Bailey shows up strong on Saturday, then even Lowe’s best stuff might not help the Braves stay away from an “L”.

Pick:  Lowe was horrible against Cincinnati on May 28, giving up 5 runs off of 7 hits in less than 4 innings.  He figures to be better on Saturday, but Bailey is turning into a solid, solid pitcher for the Reds.  I have to go with Bailey and Cincy.

Game 3

When:  July 24 at 8:05 pm EST

Atlanta Braves – Brandon Beachy, 3-2, 3.75 ERA
Oakland Athletics – Dontrelle Willis, 0-1, 3.38 ERA

Analysis:  So, that’s what happened to Dontrelle Willis!  I’ve been wondering about the former NL Rookie of the Year.  Willis won the award in 2003.  He led the NL in wins in 2005.  Willis has only pitched in two games this season and he’s been decent in both.  Against Milwaukee on July 10, Dontrelle gave up 2 runs off of 4 hits in 6 innings.  Against Pittsburgh on July 18, Willis 2 runs off of 5 hits in 4.2 innings of work.  Cincinnati lost both games, however.

Brandon Beachy is riding a 3 games losing streak for the Braves.  In the last game that he started, against the Colorado Rockies, Beachy gave up 6 runs off of 9 hits in 4.2 innings.  Will he break the losing streak on Sunday?

Pick:  I don’t think so.  I like Beachy.  He’s a decent pitcher, but Willis will be pitching in his third game of the season.  This isn’t 2003 or 2005, but Willis still has a very good arm.  Sunday will also be the first time he’s starting at home.  I have to believe that Willis will bring his best stuff in front of the Reds’ home fans in the third game of this series and that his best stuff will be good enough to hand the Braves another loss.
 

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