Record: 25-36, -2.76
Crazy game yesterday. Today I will play the Dodgers at Philadelphia.
The Dodgers go with Randy Wolf(11-7, 3.23) who had a good season. In his first playoff appearance he allowed 2 runs in 3.2 innings but that was a home game. On the road he has been better all season. His numbers against the Phillies are average at 1-1, 4.42, but he only started 3 times against them. The Phillies send Joe Blanton(12-8, 4.05) whose numbers look well, but at the end of the season he struggled playing very inconsistent. That's why he came from the bullpen in the postseason so far. He allowed 2 runs in 3.2 innings through 2 outings. He is good against LA with 1-0, 2.88, however.
Blanton should be out of sync having played inconsitent at the end of the season, then coming from bullpen and now starting again. I would say LA has the better starter today as well as the better bullpen. So far Philly won by the better starting pitching with Hamels and Lee but today they probably don't have that edge. The Dodgers should be very motivated and concentrated as they were badly blown out yesterday in an 11-0 loss. This is probably their last chance because being down 1-3 should be too much.
With that said I think this series should be more intersting as the ALCS where the Yankees lead 1-0 in game 3 again at the moment, so I'll take the Dodgers at 2.08 or +108 with 3 units. Good Luck.
DG
Posts mit dem Label baseball werden angezeigt. Alle Posts anzeigen
Posts mit dem Label baseball werden angezeigt. Alle Posts anzeigen
10/19/2009
10/06/2009
Intermission
Record: 23-33, -2.66
Not good so far. The next few days and weeks we will have fewer picks because we have football only at the weekends and baseball with limited games as postseason starts. Basketball will start in late october, then you will get nearly a pick per day again. I don't know anything abaout NHL so I will leave it out. Summary so far:
If you followed my baseball picks only you would have bet 82 unit and gone 15-26 with a loss of 10.95.
If you followed my NFL picks you'd have bet 26 units for 4-6 and minus 4.06 units.
If you followed my College Football picks you'd have gone 4-1 betting 13 units for a profit of 12.35.
So college football was a good plus while baseball was really bad. NFL will go to the plus side, I'm sure with that.
Stay tuned. Yours,
Doctor Gonzo
Not good so far. The next few days and weeks we will have fewer picks because we have football only at the weekends and baseball with limited games as postseason starts. Basketball will start in late october, then you will get nearly a pick per day again. I don't know anything abaout NHL so I will leave it out. Summary so far:
If you followed my baseball picks only you would have bet 82 unit and gone 15-26 with a loss of 10.95.
If you followed my NFL picks you'd have bet 26 units for 4-6 and minus 4.06 units.
If you followed my College Football picks you'd have gone 4-1 betting 13 units for a profit of 12.35.
So college football was a good plus while baseball was really bad. NFL will go to the plus side, I'm sure with that.
Stay tuned. Yours,
Doctor Gonzo
10/02/2009
Play on Seattle
Record: 22-29, -1.14
Second pick will be on Seattle who will play against Texas.
Seattle goes with Ian Snell(7-10, 4.86) who came over from Pittsburgh and went 5-2, 4.17 ERA for Seattle since then although he changed to the better AL. He doesn't go too many innings but those 5 or six he usually goes are mostly solid, with 2 or 3 exceptions (for Seattle). His main problem remains that he walks too many, but as long as he performs like he did lately I'm still fine with it. He is also 2-1 with a 1.20 ERA against Texas. The Rangers send Brandon McCarthy(7-4, 4.47) who played well over the season but in his last few starts he was very inconsistent and Texas lost all of his last 3 starts. He is surprisingly better at home(hitting ballpark) as he went 3-3, 5.79 on the road. Against Seattle he is also bad at 1-2, 6.46.
Seattle played well lately, they swept Oakland this week and they are a good home team with a 46-32 record. Texas blew its postseason chances but they had enormous problems with scoring during September as two of their best hitters are injured. Yesterday they showed a sign of life beating the first place Angels but I don't think they have any motivation here in Seattle.
So I will put 2 units on Seattle at 1.92 or -108. Good Luck.
DG
Second pick will be on Seattle who will play against Texas.
Seattle goes with Ian Snell(7-10, 4.86) who came over from Pittsburgh and went 5-2, 4.17 ERA for Seattle since then although he changed to the better AL. He doesn't go too many innings but those 5 or six he usually goes are mostly solid, with 2 or 3 exceptions (for Seattle). His main problem remains that he walks too many, but as long as he performs like he did lately I'm still fine with it. He is also 2-1 with a 1.20 ERA against Texas. The Rangers send Brandon McCarthy(7-4, 4.47) who played well over the season but in his last few starts he was very inconsistent and Texas lost all of his last 3 starts. He is surprisingly better at home(hitting ballpark) as he went 3-3, 5.79 on the road. Against Seattle he is also bad at 1-2, 6.46.
Seattle played well lately, they swept Oakland this week and they are a good home team with a 46-32 record. Texas blew its postseason chances but they had enormous problems with scoring during September as two of their best hitters are injured. Yesterday they showed a sign of life beating the first place Angels but I don't think they have any motivation here in Seattle.
So I will put 2 units on Seattle at 1.92 or -108. Good Luck.
DG
Play on San Diego
Record: 22-29, -1.14
First pick for tonight will be on San Diego hosting the San Francisco Giants. Probably there will be a second pick tonight.
San Diego sends Kevin Correia(12-10, 3.89) who will play against his former teammates. He has ahd a nice season so far, especially in his last few starts. In September he was able to drop his ERA from 4.50 to 3.89 and his last two games were great going 7 scoreless innings last week and posting a 6-hitter in his last outing. He also plays here in the best pitcher park against one of the lesser hitting teams of the Giants. Against them he is 3-1 with a 3.50 ERA. He will be opposed to Barry Zito(10-13, 4.10) who played a nice season but his form goes the other way than Correia's as he's risen his ERA to over 4 again. His last two games show that decline as he went 4.1 and 4 innings allowing 4 and 3 ERs. He is also below average against San Diego at 3-6 with a 4.32 ERA.
One of the main reasons for the pick is San Diego finishing strong. They went 17-9 during September behind good pitching but they also hit well mostly. Here in PETCO Park they even have a winning record at 41-37. San Francisco on the other hand blew their postseason chances in September going 13-14. They are the best home team in the NL at 52-29, but on the road they are nothing special. The Padres also had a day of rest yesterday.
Looks like good odds for San Diego at 1.80 or -125 so I will put 3 units on them. Good Luck.
DG
First pick for tonight will be on San Diego hosting the San Francisco Giants. Probably there will be a second pick tonight.
San Diego sends Kevin Correia(12-10, 3.89) who will play against his former teammates. He has ahd a nice season so far, especially in his last few starts. In September he was able to drop his ERA from 4.50 to 3.89 and his last two games were great going 7 scoreless innings last week and posting a 6-hitter in his last outing. He also plays here in the best pitcher park against one of the lesser hitting teams of the Giants. Against them he is 3-1 with a 3.50 ERA. He will be opposed to Barry Zito(10-13, 4.10) who played a nice season but his form goes the other way than Correia's as he's risen his ERA to over 4 again. His last two games show that decline as he went 4.1 and 4 innings allowing 4 and 3 ERs. He is also below average against San Diego at 3-6 with a 4.32 ERA.
One of the main reasons for the pick is San Diego finishing strong. They went 17-9 during September behind good pitching but they also hit well mostly. Here in PETCO Park they even have a winning record at 41-37. San Francisco on the other hand blew their postseason chances in September going 13-14. They are the best home team in the NL at 52-29, but on the road they are nothing special. The Padres also had a day of rest yesterday.
Looks like good odds for San Diego at 1.80 or -125 so I will put 3 units on them. Good Luck.
DG
10/01/2009
Play on Cle/Bos over 9.5
Record: 22-28, +0.86
Today's play will be on the over between the Boston Red Sox and the Cleveland Indians. The line is at 9.5 at the moment.
The Red Sox go with Jon Lester(14-8, 3.52) who played another great season. He has won a lot of games lately, but his form seems to go downwards now. In his last two games he allowed 3 homers and first he went six innings with 3 ERs on 10 hits, last weekend he went only 2.1 innings with 5 ERs on 8 hits and 3 walks. He is 2-0 in 5 starts against Cleveland but his ERA of 4.76 isn't good at all. Cleveland sends rookie Carlos Carrasco(0-3, 9.00) who lost 3 of his 4 starts while his team lost all four. He never allowed less than 4 ERs and only once went more than 5 innings. Not a guy you should count on.
The Indians have come back lately going 4-2 in their last 6 and they averaged 4.8 runs during their last 5 games although they were scoreless in the second game yesterday. I think they should score some runs as Boston's bullpen has had a lot of work lately. Boston with its great 52-25 home record should score tonight, too. They need their offense going shortly before playoffs against the Angels start. They lost 6 straight being swept by the Yankees and here at home against Toronto. They should also show their fans something as they lost 0-12 yesterday. They should be able to do so as they played a much better pitcher in Halladay yesterday.
I expect a high scoring affair putting 2 units on the over 9.5 at 2.00 or +100. Good Luck.
DG
Today's play will be on the over between the Boston Red Sox and the Cleveland Indians. The line is at 9.5 at the moment.
The Red Sox go with Jon Lester(14-8, 3.52) who played another great season. He has won a lot of games lately, but his form seems to go downwards now. In his last two games he allowed 3 homers and first he went six innings with 3 ERs on 10 hits, last weekend he went only 2.1 innings with 5 ERs on 8 hits and 3 walks. He is 2-0 in 5 starts against Cleveland but his ERA of 4.76 isn't good at all. Cleveland sends rookie Carlos Carrasco(0-3, 9.00) who lost 3 of his 4 starts while his team lost all four. He never allowed less than 4 ERs and only once went more than 5 innings. Not a guy you should count on.
The Indians have come back lately going 4-2 in their last 6 and they averaged 4.8 runs during their last 5 games although they were scoreless in the second game yesterday. I think they should score some runs as Boston's bullpen has had a lot of work lately. Boston with its great 52-25 home record should score tonight, too. They need their offense going shortly before playoffs against the Angels start. They lost 6 straight being swept by the Yankees and here at home against Toronto. They should also show their fans something as they lost 0-12 yesterday. They should be able to do so as they played a much better pitcher in Halladay yesterday.
I expect a high scoring affair putting 2 units on the over 9.5 at 2.00 or +100. Good Luck.
DG
9/30/2009
Play on Cleveland
Record: 21-28, -0.02
Today I will play the first game between the Indians and the White Sox.
We see Fausto Carmona(4-12, 6.62) for Cleveland who had a terrible season and was up and down all year long. His last start against Baltimore was one of his better performances picking up a rare win. Against Chicago he is below average at 3-3 and a 5.05 ERA. The good thing is he usually pitches some innings but even if he doesn't the Indians bullpen should be rested as they didn't play yesterday and on Monday Laffey went more than 7 innings. The White Sox send Carlos Torres(1-1, 5.91) and the rookie has been better from the bullpen so far. He had a good start at the Cubs but the others were average to really bad. Today he gets another chance to start against the team he suffered 4 ERs in 3.1 innings this year. So the bonus of never being seen by the Indians doesn't work here. He averaged only 4.1 innings in his starts.
The Indians lost 15 of 16 during September but have come back winning 3 of 4 recently. They lost 6-1 on Monday so the break yesterday should be fine for them. The White Sox have had a bad stretch as well but we first have to wait if it is over since they won just that Monday game. The Indians are also slightly better at home than Chicago on the road, so at least here they should be competitive. I will put a unit on the Indians at 1.88 or -112. Good Luck.
DG
Today I will play the first game between the Indians and the White Sox.
We see Fausto Carmona(4-12, 6.62) for Cleveland who had a terrible season and was up and down all year long. His last start against Baltimore was one of his better performances picking up a rare win. Against Chicago he is below average at 3-3 and a 5.05 ERA. The good thing is he usually pitches some innings but even if he doesn't the Indians bullpen should be rested as they didn't play yesterday and on Monday Laffey went more than 7 innings. The White Sox send Carlos Torres(1-1, 5.91) and the rookie has been better from the bullpen so far. He had a good start at the Cubs but the others were average to really bad. Today he gets another chance to start against the team he suffered 4 ERs in 3.1 innings this year. So the bonus of never being seen by the Indians doesn't work here. He averaged only 4.1 innings in his starts.
The Indians lost 15 of 16 during September but have come back winning 3 of 4 recently. They lost 6-1 on Monday so the break yesterday should be fine for them. The White Sox have had a bad stretch as well but we first have to wait if it is over since they won just that Monday game. The Indians are also slightly better at home than Chicago on the road, so at least here they should be competitive. I will put a unit on the Indians at 1.88 or -112. Good Luck.
DG
9/29/2009
Play on Boston RL
Record: 21-27, +1.98
Not much time today. In short: I like the Red Sox tonight who can seal their wild card spot with a win. They should do so winning easily with Clay Buchholz(7-3, 3.21) on the mound. He plays great ball right now winning 6 of his last 8 while his team won all of those 8 games. He is also 3-2 with a 2.35 ERA against Toronto. Ricky Romero(12-9, 4.28) who starts for the Jays started great but in his last ten Toronto lost 8 and only once he allowed less than 3 ERs rising his ERA from 3.66 to 4.28 during that span. He is also 0-3 in four starts against Boston with a 8.83 ERA.
No question for me that Boston will win this one big to celebrate the playoff spot. For sure they don't want to let the champagne become bad after they had to keep it in the fridge yesterday. A play on Boston on the run line is the choice at 1.89 or -111 with 2 units. Good Luck.
DG
Not much time today. In short: I like the Red Sox tonight who can seal their wild card spot with a win. They should do so winning easily with Clay Buchholz(7-3, 3.21) on the mound. He plays great ball right now winning 6 of his last 8 while his team won all of those 8 games. He is also 3-2 with a 2.35 ERA against Toronto. Ricky Romero(12-9, 4.28) who starts for the Jays started great but in his last ten Toronto lost 8 and only once he allowed less than 3 ERs rising his ERA from 3.66 to 4.28 during that span. He is also 0-3 in four starts against Boston with a 8.83 ERA.
No question for me that Boston will win this one big to celebrate the playoff spot. For sure they don't want to let the champagne become bad after they had to keep it in the fridge yesterday. A play on Boston on the run line is the choice at 1.89 or -111 with 2 units. Good Luck.
DG
9/28/2009
Play on Toronto
Record: 20-27, -0.49
Today I will play Toronto visiting Boston with a small play.
Of course the pitching matchup goes to Boston who give the ball to Josh Beckett(16-6, 3.78) against Scott Richmond(7-10, 5.32) who will start for Toronto. Richmond played very bad over his last few starts but he showed a little improvement in his last outing getting the win in a 7-3 win over Baltimore when he allowed 3 ERs in 5 innings. Hopefully this turns his performance around and he will be better tonight. Beckett's ERA rised from 3.10 to 3.78 in his last 8 games. He's also only 3-2 in his last 10 with his team going 5-5 in those games.His last start looked good with 2 ERs in 6 innings against Kansas City, but don't forget he allowed 12 hits and a walk, so this 2 ERs seem very lucky. Both pitchers are bad against tonight's opponent. Richmond is 0-1 with a 6.00 ERA, but this was in only 2 starts while Beckett is 3-5 with a 6.62 ERA in 12 starts.
More important is the team performance as Boston was swept in New York over the weekend while Toront won 6 of its last 7. It seems as Toronto still wants to collect some more wins while the Sox could be frustrated after the series against their longtime rivals. Boston will get the wild card so there is no need for them to play on a high level in their remaining games.
Nevertheless the Red Sox are the faves here for sure but with odds of 3.47 or +247 you have to give it a shot with a unit. Good Luck.
DG
Today I will play Toronto visiting Boston with a small play.
Of course the pitching matchup goes to Boston who give the ball to Josh Beckett(16-6, 3.78) against Scott Richmond(7-10, 5.32) who will start for Toronto. Richmond played very bad over his last few starts but he showed a little improvement in his last outing getting the win in a 7-3 win over Baltimore when he allowed 3 ERs in 5 innings. Hopefully this turns his performance around and he will be better tonight. Beckett's ERA rised from 3.10 to 3.78 in his last 8 games. He's also only 3-2 in his last 10 with his team going 5-5 in those games.His last start looked good with 2 ERs in 6 innings against Kansas City, but don't forget he allowed 12 hits and a walk, so this 2 ERs seem very lucky. Both pitchers are bad against tonight's opponent. Richmond is 0-1 with a 6.00 ERA, but this was in only 2 starts while Beckett is 3-5 with a 6.62 ERA in 12 starts.
More important is the team performance as Boston was swept in New York over the weekend while Toront won 6 of its last 7. It seems as Toronto still wants to collect some more wins while the Sox could be frustrated after the series against their longtime rivals. Boston will get the wild card so there is no need for them to play on a high level in their remaining games.
Nevertheless the Red Sox are the faves here for sure but with odds of 3.47 or +247 you have to give it a shot with a unit. Good Luck.
DG
9/25/2009
Play on Detroit
Record: 18-25, -1.13
Second pick for tonight will be on the Detroit Tigers playing in Chicago at the White Sox.
We see Detroit with good chances for a playoff spot and the division title as they play in the worst division in the AL. The are hunted by Minnesota who play a series in Kansas City this weekend and probaly take two or three wins there. So Detroit has to show something here in Chicago. They had a 3-9 stretch but are back now with 4 wins in a row. Their offense scored well, too, in those games. The White Sox went the other direction posting an 8-4 record at the beginning of September but went 1-7 since then losing their last 4.
Last White Sox' win was on Saturday when they sent Jake Peavy(7-6, 4.05) who will start today. He will be matched up against Eddie Bonine(0-0, 5.96) who mostly came from the bullpen this year and only has had two starts so far. One of those starts was against Chicago when he allowed 3 ERs over six innings. The other start was ok, too. I don't expect a great game by him, but he should be decent. I don't expect a good game by Peavy either as he has been injured for a long time and played only one game since then. This Saturday start was a win for him, but he went only 5 innings allowing 3 ERs against a very bad Kansas City team. He said he is not at 100% and that's what you could see on Saturday. Today he will face a much better offense than the Royals'. He also came from San Diego where he pitched in the best pitcher park AND in the worse NL. Now he plays in the superior AL and hasn't got the bonus of a great pitcher park.
Looks to me like the better hitting team should win here which is the Tigers. I thought about playing the over, but I'm not successful in totals, so I'll take Detroit at nice dog odds of 2.59 or +159 with 3 units as well. Good Luck.
DG
Second pick for tonight will be on the Detroit Tigers playing in Chicago at the White Sox.
We see Detroit with good chances for a playoff spot and the division title as they play in the worst division in the AL. The are hunted by Minnesota who play a series in Kansas City this weekend and probaly take two or three wins there. So Detroit has to show something here in Chicago. They had a 3-9 stretch but are back now with 4 wins in a row. Their offense scored well, too, in those games. The White Sox went the other direction posting an 8-4 record at the beginning of September but went 1-7 since then losing their last 4.
Last White Sox' win was on Saturday when they sent Jake Peavy(7-6, 4.05) who will start today. He will be matched up against Eddie Bonine(0-0, 5.96) who mostly came from the bullpen this year and only has had two starts so far. One of those starts was against Chicago when he allowed 3 ERs over six innings. The other start was ok, too. I don't expect a great game by him, but he should be decent. I don't expect a good game by Peavy either as he has been injured for a long time and played only one game since then. This Saturday start was a win for him, but he went only 5 innings allowing 3 ERs against a very bad Kansas City team. He said he is not at 100% and that's what you could see on Saturday. Today he will face a much better offense than the Royals'. He also came from San Diego where he pitched in the best pitcher park AND in the worse NL. Now he plays in the superior AL and hasn't got the bonus of a great pitcher park.
Looks to me like the better hitting team should win here which is the Tigers. I thought about playing the over, but I'm not successful in totals, so I'll take Detroit at nice dog odds of 2.59 or +159 with 3 units as well. Good Luck.
DG
Play on Chicago Cubs
Record: 18-25, -1.13
Today's first play( a second one should follow) will be on the Chicago Cubs who play their second game in San Francisco tonight.
The Cubs go with Carlos Zambrano(8-6, 3.91) opposing Tim Lincecum(14-6, 2.47). Zambrano has played six games now since a minor injury. The first two were bad but since then he has recovered and pitched well although he struggled a bit against Milwaukee last week. He still walks way too many batters as he had 3 or 4 walks in each of his last ten starts with one exception. However his ERA is great with so many walks. His career numbers against SF are good as well at 4-1 and a 3.26 ERA. Additionally, we see his ERA almost 2 runs better on the road than at home. He also has to play for something because the Cubs probably trade him away so he surely wants to show the league his abilities. Lincecum is a Cy Young canditate but probably won't win it because he's got only 14 wins. If he wins his 2, maybe 3 remaining games, he really has a shot on it, although I believe it will go to Cardinal Chris Carpenter. Nevertheless, he has been great all over the year, and his home numbers are better than on the road, and his career numbers against Chicago are very good, too at 3-1, 2.55 ERA. However, his ERA went up a bit over his last few starts and his team went only 4-4 in his last 8. 2 or 3 times he pitched bad, but mostly it is because of lack of run support.
One big point here is the Cubs team as I think. They've played very well of late to at least finish the season with a nice winning record. The Giants go the other direction losing too many games of late, although they had good chances to advance to postseason, but for now it seems very improbable. Maybe they are also a bit frustrated because of that which gives us very nice value on the odds for the Cubs tonight.
So I will play the Cubs as dogs at 2.48 or +148 with 3 units. Good Luck.
DG
Today's first play( a second one should follow) will be on the Chicago Cubs who play their second game in San Francisco tonight.
The Cubs go with Carlos Zambrano(8-6, 3.91) opposing Tim Lincecum(14-6, 2.47). Zambrano has played six games now since a minor injury. The first two were bad but since then he has recovered and pitched well although he struggled a bit against Milwaukee last week. He still walks way too many batters as he had 3 or 4 walks in each of his last ten starts with one exception. However his ERA is great with so many walks. His career numbers against SF are good as well at 4-1 and a 3.26 ERA. Additionally, we see his ERA almost 2 runs better on the road than at home. He also has to play for something because the Cubs probably trade him away so he surely wants to show the league his abilities. Lincecum is a Cy Young canditate but probably won't win it because he's got only 14 wins. If he wins his 2, maybe 3 remaining games, he really has a shot on it, although I believe it will go to Cardinal Chris Carpenter. Nevertheless, he has been great all over the year, and his home numbers are better than on the road, and his career numbers against Chicago are very good, too at 3-1, 2.55 ERA. However, his ERA went up a bit over his last few starts and his team went only 4-4 in his last 8. 2 or 3 times he pitched bad, but mostly it is because of lack of run support.
One big point here is the Cubs team as I think. They've played very well of late to at least finish the season with a nice winning record. The Giants go the other direction losing too many games of late, although they had good chances to advance to postseason, but for now it seems very improbable. Maybe they are also a bit frustrated because of that which gives us very nice value on the odds for the Cubs tonight.
So I will play the Cubs as dogs at 2.48 or +148 with 3 units. Good Luck.
DG
9/23/2009
Play on St Louis
Record: 18-24, +0.87
Today's play will be on St Louis who play in Houston tonight.
The Cardinals send John Smoltz(3-6, 6.22) tonight. After being injured he has started only 13 games this season so far. After a nice start he struggled allowing a bunch of runs, but in his last 5 games he seems to have found his going again lowering his ERA from 8.32 to 6.22 during those 5 games. Although he went just 1-1 in that span his team won 4 of those 5. His career ERA against Houston is also very good at 2.98. He will be opposed to Bud Morris(5-3, 5.07). The rookie played very well in his last 3 starts. In his lone start against St Louis he shut them down over 7 innings. But now they know him a bit better. He piches well, but allows far too many walks, almost one in every two innings.
Should work well for St Louis that came back after losing 5 of six, they now won 3 of their last 4. They are also only two games away from the NL Central title. That gives them a little extra motivation. They own a 43-31 road record which is very good and they scored 18 runs in the first two games against Houston. The Astros team on the other side is the main reason for the pick here. They lost nine in a row and seem to have packed the season in. Firing the coach hasn't worked well, too. Often a team gets a boost when there's a new coach but that wasn't the case here with interim manager Dave Clark losing both being blown out in both games. They will have a day of rest tomorrow where they can get things together for their last ten games. Today they probably want to just get the game over.
With that said the pick will be on St Louis at 1.81 or -123 with 2 units. Good Luck.
DG
Today's play will be on St Louis who play in Houston tonight.
The Cardinals send John Smoltz(3-6, 6.22) tonight. After being injured he has started only 13 games this season so far. After a nice start he struggled allowing a bunch of runs, but in his last 5 games he seems to have found his going again lowering his ERA from 8.32 to 6.22 during those 5 games. Although he went just 1-1 in that span his team won 4 of those 5. His career ERA against Houston is also very good at 2.98. He will be opposed to Bud Morris(5-3, 5.07). The rookie played very well in his last 3 starts. In his lone start against St Louis he shut them down over 7 innings. But now they know him a bit better. He piches well, but allows far too many walks, almost one in every two innings.
Should work well for St Louis that came back after losing 5 of six, they now won 3 of their last 4. They are also only two games away from the NL Central title. That gives them a little extra motivation. They own a 43-31 road record which is very good and they scored 18 runs in the first two games against Houston. The Astros team on the other side is the main reason for the pick here. They lost nine in a row and seem to have packed the season in. Firing the coach hasn't worked well, too. Often a team gets a boost when there's a new coach but that wasn't the case here with interim manager Dave Clark losing both being blown out in both games. They will have a day of rest tomorrow where they can get things together for their last ten games. Today they probably want to just get the game over.
With that said the pick will be on St Louis at 1.81 or -123 with 2 units. Good Luck.
DG
9/22/2009
Play on Colorado RL
Record: 18-23, +2.87
Today I recommend a play on Colorado on the run line hosting the San Diego Padres.
Colorado goes with Jorge De La Rosa(15-9, 4.17) opposing San Diego's Edward Mujica(3-4, 3.36) whose ERA looks better than De La Rosa's, but remember Dan Diego plays its games in the best pitcher park in the league while Colorado has the best hitter park. Mujica also isn't used to start games, he's only had two so far this season. Prior to that he came from the bullpen. In those two starts he dedn't reach the 5 inning mark though he pitched well but again both were in PETCO Park. De La Rosa is 7-2 in his last 10 and in his last four he never allowed more than one run. He walks too many but on the other hand he doesn't allow hits. He's winless against San Diego but that should change tonight as eleven days ago he played them and allowed only a run thrugh seven innings but didn't get the win because his teammates began to score later.
San Diego played well of late, but their last two series were against cupcakes Arizona and Pittsburgh. I can't believe they will even win this one. Colorado had a bad stretch in series at San Diego and San Francisco but came back recently winning 3 of their last 4. Of course they have to defend their Wild Card spot and if they want to keep it they have to win such matchups where the better team send the much better pitcher.
Looks like a big win by more than a run, so I will play on Colorado RL at 1.98 or -102 with 2 units. Good Luck.
DG
Today I recommend a play on Colorado on the run line hosting the San Diego Padres.
Colorado goes with Jorge De La Rosa(15-9, 4.17) opposing San Diego's Edward Mujica(3-4, 3.36) whose ERA looks better than De La Rosa's, but remember Dan Diego plays its games in the best pitcher park in the league while Colorado has the best hitter park. Mujica also isn't used to start games, he's only had two so far this season. Prior to that he came from the bullpen. In those two starts he dedn't reach the 5 inning mark though he pitched well but again both were in PETCO Park. De La Rosa is 7-2 in his last 10 and in his last four he never allowed more than one run. He walks too many but on the other hand he doesn't allow hits. He's winless against San Diego but that should change tonight as eleven days ago he played them and allowed only a run thrugh seven innings but didn't get the win because his teammates began to score later.
San Diego played well of late, but their last two series were against cupcakes Arizona and Pittsburgh. I can't believe they will even win this one. Colorado had a bad stretch in series at San Diego and San Francisco but came back recently winning 3 of their last 4. Of course they have to defend their Wild Card spot and if they want to keep it they have to win such matchups where the better team send the much better pitcher.
Looks like a big win by more than a run, so I will play on Colorado RL at 1.98 or -102 with 2 units. Good Luck.
DG
9/21/2009
Play on San Francisco
Record: 17-23, +1.81
Today we see the Giants visiting Arizona.
Arizona sends Doug Davis(7-13, 4.01) who has had a nice season so far, but in his last few starts he struggled a bit as his ERA rised up. His numbers against SF aren't good at 4-7, 4.46 ERA. He will oppose lefty Barry Zito(10-12, 3.94) who is great posting one of the best ERAs in the league during the last two months. With Zito in such a great form I even don't care about his average numbers against Arizona.
We also see San Francisco playing for something while the D'backs don't. And even if the Giants' chances are far from great they can still make the playoffs with a great run. This can be done best with a start against a team that has packed it in for the season as Arizona seemingly did. As this play is not very strong to me I will only put a unit on that one at 2.06 or +106. Good Luck.
DG
Today we see the Giants visiting Arizona.
Arizona sends Doug Davis(7-13, 4.01) who has had a nice season so far, but in his last few starts he struggled a bit as his ERA rised up. His numbers against SF aren't good at 4-7, 4.46 ERA. He will oppose lefty Barry Zito(10-12, 3.94) who is great posting one of the best ERAs in the league during the last two months. With Zito in such a great form I even don't care about his average numbers against Arizona.
We also see San Francisco playing for something while the D'backs don't. And even if the Giants' chances are far from great they can still make the playoffs with a great run. This can be done best with a start against a team that has packed it in for the season as Arizona seemingly did. As this play is not very strong to me I will only put a unit on that one at 2.06 or +106. Good Luck.
DG
9/18/2009
Play on Toronto
Record: 16-22, +2.87
For tonight I found only one game worth playing which is on the Toronto Blue Jays visiting the Tampa Bay Rays.
Tampa Bay sends one of its best starters in James Shields(9-11, 4.03) who couldn't repeat last season numbers when he was one of the main reasons of the Rays' run to the World Series. However his ERA is not that much worse than last year, but the whole team is too inconsistent. Shield had a good ERA of 3.42 in mid season, gut has lowered it since then, especially in hs last few starts. In his last outing in Boston he was ok (3ERs in 6 innings), but still got the loss there. During his last 10, however, he was far too inconsistent to play him here. Toronto will send Scott Richmond(6-9, 5.03) to the mound who is actually worse than Shields, in his last four starts he allowed 5 or 6 runs in each one of them. But look at his opponents: in his last six he played against the Yankees, the Angels, Boston, Texas, Minnesota and Detroit which are all contenders for playoff spots or better. So he has really been tested during that span.
Tonight he will play against a Rays team that quit playing since their postseason dreams have gone. They lost 11 in a row and then went 2-2 at Baltimore, by far the worst team in the AL East. Toronto's season is over, too, they will post a losing record, but they still want to prove something as it seems. They split each of their last 4 series though they played tough competition, all playoff contenders: Yankees(twice), Minnesota and Detroit. One last point here: if you compare home/road play, you will find a big edge for Tampa Bay, but they play on turf which gives them an advantage against almost all teams. The only other teams playing on turf are Minnesota and -yes- Toronto. So part of that records come from turf play which is egalized here. That also translates on Richmond who is a run better at home(on turf). Should be good for him, too.
All this makes me play Toronto at nice dog odds of 2.67 or +167 with 1 unit. Good Luck.
DG
For tonight I found only one game worth playing which is on the Toronto Blue Jays visiting the Tampa Bay Rays.
Tampa Bay sends one of its best starters in James Shields(9-11, 4.03) who couldn't repeat last season numbers when he was one of the main reasons of the Rays' run to the World Series. However his ERA is not that much worse than last year, but the whole team is too inconsistent. Shield had a good ERA of 3.42 in mid season, gut has lowered it since then, especially in hs last few starts. In his last outing in Boston he was ok (3ERs in 6 innings), but still got the loss there. During his last 10, however, he was far too inconsistent to play him here. Toronto will send Scott Richmond(6-9, 5.03) to the mound who is actually worse than Shields, in his last four starts he allowed 5 or 6 runs in each one of them. But look at his opponents: in his last six he played against the Yankees, the Angels, Boston, Texas, Minnesota and Detroit which are all contenders for playoff spots or better. So he has really been tested during that span.
Tonight he will play against a Rays team that quit playing since their postseason dreams have gone. They lost 11 in a row and then went 2-2 at Baltimore, by far the worst team in the AL East. Toronto's season is over, too, they will post a losing record, but they still want to prove something as it seems. They split each of their last 4 series though they played tough competition, all playoff contenders: Yankees(twice), Minnesota and Detroit. One last point here: if you compare home/road play, you will find a big edge for Tampa Bay, but they play on turf which gives them an advantage against almost all teams. The only other teams playing on turf are Minnesota and -yes- Toronto. So part of that records come from turf play which is egalized here. That also translates on Richmond who is a run better at home(on turf). Should be good for him, too.
All this makes me play Toronto at nice dog odds of 2.67 or +167 with 1 unit. Good Luck.
DG
9/17/2009
Play on Kansas City
Record: 15-22, +0.91
Today we get Greinke as a dog which is always worth a play. KC's season is a mess while Detroit fights for first place in the AL Central.
Zack Greinke(13-8, 2.19) opposes Edwin Jackson(12-6, 3.22) who has good numbers, too, but if you look at his last few starts he struggled worsening his ERA from 2.62 at the beginning of August to 3.22 now. Only once he allowed 2 ERs since then, in his other outings it was more. In his last one against Kansas he pitched six innings and collected 3 ERs on 9 hits and two walks which fits into his career stats vs KC. 3 runs along with one or two against the bullpen should be enough for KC to win this one. Greinke always has to pitch great to get wins, but he does so constantly. In his last three he combined for 24 innings with only one ER, 13 hits and 3 walks. Great numbers for him.
With that said Kansas City should be the play tonight at 1.98 or -102 with 2 units. Good Luck.
DG
Today we get Greinke as a dog which is always worth a play. KC's season is a mess while Detroit fights for first place in the AL Central.
Zack Greinke(13-8, 2.19) opposes Edwin Jackson(12-6, 3.22) who has good numbers, too, but if you look at his last few starts he struggled worsening his ERA from 2.62 at the beginning of August to 3.22 now. Only once he allowed 2 ERs since then, in his other outings it was more. In his last one against Kansas he pitched six innings and collected 3 ERs on 9 hits and two walks which fits into his career stats vs KC. 3 runs along with one or two against the bullpen should be enough for KC to win this one. Greinke always has to pitch great to get wins, but he does so constantly. In his last three he combined for 24 innings with only one ER, 13 hits and 3 walks. Great numbers for him.
With that said Kansas City should be the play tonight at 1.98 or -102 with 2 units. Good Luck.
DG
9/16/2009
Play on Oakland/Texas over 10
Record: 15-21, +1.91
Difficult board tonight. Oddsmakers made some good numbers for tonight as I think. Only possible pick tonight is on the over in the Oakland/Texas game in my eyes.
We saw two blowout wins by Oakland in the first two games of this series. Oakland's offense really hit well. Texas on the other hand badly needs wins to keep hopes for the postseason alive. They didn't show the last two days. But I believe they will come back tonight scoring a lot of runs. They scored only one in the first two games, but that's not Texas. They can hit and they will do so tonight.
They will face Oakland's Trevor Cahill(8-12, 4.74) who had some nice outings in August but his numbers went down steadily in his two September starts where he combined for 8 innings allowing 6ERs, 11 hits and 4 walks. He's okay against Texas at 1-1, 4.15 ERA, but those two games were in Oakland which is a great pitcher park as today he has to play in hitter park in Arlington. Texas goes with Dustin Nippert(5-2, 3.95) who has nice numbers but his status as a starter is always in doubt, probably because he doesn't eat many innings. Sometimes he is a starter, sometimes a reliever. On September 12th against Seattle he came from bullpen and allowed 2ERs on 5 hits and a walk in 2.1 innings. He pitched 20.1 innings against Oakland allowing only 5 ERs,but again we see those numbers coming from games in Oakland where he pitched 14 innings with 1 ER. Surprisingly he is better at home this year, but I wouldn't count on that tonight against the rising Oakland offense. Both bullpens had to work a lot yesterday which will be good for the pick, too.
Looks like a high scoring affair tonight, but as I'm not very successful in picking totals, I will play the over 10 at 2.14 or +114 with only a unit. Good Luck.
DG
Difficult board tonight. Oddsmakers made some good numbers for tonight as I think. Only possible pick tonight is on the over in the Oakland/Texas game in my eyes.
We saw two blowout wins by Oakland in the first two games of this series. Oakland's offense really hit well. Texas on the other hand badly needs wins to keep hopes for the postseason alive. They didn't show the last two days. But I believe they will come back tonight scoring a lot of runs. They scored only one in the first two games, but that's not Texas. They can hit and they will do so tonight.
They will face Oakland's Trevor Cahill(8-12, 4.74) who had some nice outings in August but his numbers went down steadily in his two September starts where he combined for 8 innings allowing 6ERs, 11 hits and 4 walks. He's okay against Texas at 1-1, 4.15 ERA, but those two games were in Oakland which is a great pitcher park as today he has to play in hitter park in Arlington. Texas goes with Dustin Nippert(5-2, 3.95) who has nice numbers but his status as a starter is always in doubt, probably because he doesn't eat many innings. Sometimes he is a starter, sometimes a reliever. On September 12th against Seattle he came from bullpen and allowed 2ERs on 5 hits and a walk in 2.1 innings. He pitched 20.1 innings against Oakland allowing only 5 ERs,but again we see those numbers coming from games in Oakland where he pitched 14 innings with 1 ER. Surprisingly he is better at home this year, but I wouldn't count on that tonight against the rising Oakland offense. Both bullpens had to work a lot yesterday which will be good for the pick, too.
Looks like a high scoring affair tonight, but as I'm not very successful in picking totals, I will play the over 10 at 2.14 or +114 with only a unit. Good Luck.
DG
9/15/2009
Play on San Francisco
Record: 13-21, -3.85
Second pick tonight will be on the Giants hosting Colorado. This is a nice matchup as San Francisco won the series opener yesterday and should be eager to cut down Colorado's lead for the wild card spot. We also see the Giants as one of the best home teams in the league at 47-25. Here, they are also 6-1 for the season against the Rockies. After struggling lately(lost 7 of their last 11) the Giants came back with two wins in a row where they scored really well, so the offense seems to be on a roll. On the other side we see Colorado going the opposite direction. They won 10 of 11 but lost their last three by a combined score of 6-19. So their offense seems to have taken a break right now. Their road record isn't bad at 37-36, but nothing special.
The Giants go with Barry Zito(9-12, 3.99) who has played a nice season so far. In his last few starts his numbers went down a bit but today he plays Colorado against whom he is 3-2 with a 1.92 ERA in his career. He even more liked them this year allowing only one ER in 21 innings. Colorado sends its ace Ubaldo Jimenez(13-10, 3.32) who played great, too, but his last start against Cincinnati was only average. Similar story as with Zito. The final point that convinced me playing SF here was that Jimenez had a sore hamstring. As this is a leg injury it may not affect him too much, but it is/was still an injury. And it made him to stay out two days ago which should have been his regular start, so even if the injury doesn't affect him at all he may still be a bit out of rhythm as his last start was 8 days before instead of six.
With all this said I would have expected even odds and as we see San Francisco as a dog with odds of 2.32 or +132 I will play them with 2 units. Good Luck.
DG
Second pick tonight will be on the Giants hosting Colorado. This is a nice matchup as San Francisco won the series opener yesterday and should be eager to cut down Colorado's lead for the wild card spot. We also see the Giants as one of the best home teams in the league at 47-25. Here, they are also 6-1 for the season against the Rockies. After struggling lately(lost 7 of their last 11) the Giants came back with two wins in a row where they scored really well, so the offense seems to be on a roll. On the other side we see Colorado going the opposite direction. They won 10 of 11 but lost their last three by a combined score of 6-19. So their offense seems to have taken a break right now. Their road record isn't bad at 37-36, but nothing special.
The Giants go with Barry Zito(9-12, 3.99) who has played a nice season so far. In his last few starts his numbers went down a bit but today he plays Colorado against whom he is 3-2 with a 1.92 ERA in his career. He even more liked them this year allowing only one ER in 21 innings. Colorado sends its ace Ubaldo Jimenez(13-10, 3.32) who played great, too, but his last start against Cincinnati was only average. Similar story as with Zito. The final point that convinced me playing SF here was that Jimenez had a sore hamstring. As this is a leg injury it may not affect him too much, but it is/was still an injury. And it made him to stay out two days ago which should have been his regular start, so even if the injury doesn't affect him at all he may still be a bit out of rhythm as his last start was 8 days before instead of six.
With all this said I would have expected even odds and as we see San Francisco as a dog with odds of 2.32 or +132 I will play them with 2 units. Good Luck.
DG
Play on Toronto RL
Record: 13-21, -3.85
First game tonight will be on Toronto visiting the Yankees. Toronto lost 20 of 28 during August and the beginning of September, but since then they have gone a nice 6-5. In their last five they averaged almost 5 runs which is pretty nice and should be more than enough today. New York is at top of the league and they will very probably have the best record heading into postseason giving them home field advantage throughout the playoffs. They had a nice run winning 12 of 14, but they split their last four. Looks like it's time to sit back and peak when playoffs start. There's no value in winning 110 games and then lose in the first round.
Of course they still need some wins to secure first place, but today they face Roy Halladay(14-9, 3.03) who shuts them down frequently. He is 17-6 against them with a 2.83 ERA and also pitched seven complete games against them(5 in his last 9). His ERA went up a bit in his last ten starts, but don't forget the teams he pitched during those 10: Yankees twice, Red Sox twice and Tampa Bay even three times, all of them with potent offenses. He even had 4 complete games in that span. Don't expect too many Yankees runs. His opponent will be Sergio Mitre(3-2, 7.02) who has a winning record despite this ERA. The reasons are: the Yankees offense that gives him a lot of run support, and the fact that he sometimes pitches well, but the he sucks the next game. One of the teams he really doesn't like is Toronto. On September 6th he played the and allowed 11 runs (9 earned) on 11 hits and 2 walks in just 4.1 innings. He played 3 of hs nine games this season against Toronto and the other two were better(how could they be worse!), but still far from good. And for the run support: the Yankees averaged 8.11 runs in Mitre's starts, that's why he is still 3-2. But no question: New York can't do that to Halladay.
With all those facts I believe Toronto will win by more than only one run, not only because of Mitre but the Yankee defense creates some errors at times, too. They usually egalize this by great hitting, but not today. Toronto on the run line at 2.56 or +156 with 2 units is the choice. Good Luck.
DG
First game tonight will be on Toronto visiting the Yankees. Toronto lost 20 of 28 during August and the beginning of September, but since then they have gone a nice 6-5. In their last five they averaged almost 5 runs which is pretty nice and should be more than enough today. New York is at top of the league and they will very probably have the best record heading into postseason giving them home field advantage throughout the playoffs. They had a nice run winning 12 of 14, but they split their last four. Looks like it's time to sit back and peak when playoffs start. There's no value in winning 110 games and then lose in the first round.
Of course they still need some wins to secure first place, but today they face Roy Halladay(14-9, 3.03) who shuts them down frequently. He is 17-6 against them with a 2.83 ERA and also pitched seven complete games against them(5 in his last 9). His ERA went up a bit in his last ten starts, but don't forget the teams he pitched during those 10: Yankees twice, Red Sox twice and Tampa Bay even three times, all of them with potent offenses. He even had 4 complete games in that span. Don't expect too many Yankees runs. His opponent will be Sergio Mitre(3-2, 7.02) who has a winning record despite this ERA. The reasons are: the Yankees offense that gives him a lot of run support, and the fact that he sometimes pitches well, but the he sucks the next game. One of the teams he really doesn't like is Toronto. On September 6th he played the and allowed 11 runs (9 earned) on 11 hits and 2 walks in just 4.1 innings. He played 3 of hs nine games this season against Toronto and the other two were better(how could they be worse!), but still far from good. And for the run support: the Yankees averaged 8.11 runs in Mitre's starts, that's why he is still 3-2. But no question: New York can't do that to Halladay.
With all those facts I believe Toronto will win by more than only one run, not only because of Mitre but the Yankee defense creates some errors at times, too. They usually egalize this by great hitting, but not today. Toronto on the run line at 2.56 or +156 with 2 units is the choice. Good Luck.
DG
9/14/2009
Play on Texas RL
Record: 12-20, -2.67
Second one for tonight will be on the Rangers hosting Oakland. This pick is even stronger than the first one so the stake will be a unit higher.
We see Texas going with Scott Feldman(16-4, 3.46) who's played a big season so far. His ERA at home is 1.1 higher than his overall ERA but that shouldn't be a problem as Rangers ballpark is one of the best hitters parks in the league. Feldman is also in great form as he won his last four games allowing only a run in more than 26 innings of work. He should be very motivated to keep this run going as he still has a shot to achieve the most wins among all MLB pitchers. He's also very good against Oakland at 3-2 and a 3.73 ERA. The Texas team played a great season as well and will be very motivated here, too. They do need wins, especially at home against bad teams like Oakland, because despite this great season they are trailing the Angels by six and the Red Sox by 4(wild card spot). We have a similar situation as with the Dodgers game as they have a weak opponent in the A's while LA play the Yankees tonight and then goes on for the series at Boston, so Texas can cut down their leads if they win 2 of the 3 at the very least against Oakland. They also have two series against the Angels later this month so chances are good for them.
Oakland sends Brett Tomko(4-3, 4.47) who came from the Yankees some weeks ago and started five games for the A's. His performance for the A's was pretty well with a 3.90 ERA. But this will be the first time he plays in a hitter park and if you look at his career stats against the Rangers you see him going 1-3 with a 7.94 ERA. So if you worry about Feldman's home ERA(of 4.56), look at Tomko's numbers in Rangers ballpark where he allows more than a run per inning. The A's have nothing to play for at 64-78 with ten wins behind third place Seattle. Teams that have nothing to play for don't win much on the road. Sometimes they play good at home in front of their fans, but they don't care much about road games.
Look for Texas to win this one big and take the 1.93 or -107 on the run line with 3 units. Good Luck.
DG
Second one for tonight will be on the Rangers hosting Oakland. This pick is even stronger than the first one so the stake will be a unit higher.
We see Texas going with Scott Feldman(16-4, 3.46) who's played a big season so far. His ERA at home is 1.1 higher than his overall ERA but that shouldn't be a problem as Rangers ballpark is one of the best hitters parks in the league. Feldman is also in great form as he won his last four games allowing only a run in more than 26 innings of work. He should be very motivated to keep this run going as he still has a shot to achieve the most wins among all MLB pitchers. He's also very good against Oakland at 3-2 and a 3.73 ERA. The Texas team played a great season as well and will be very motivated here, too. They do need wins, especially at home against bad teams like Oakland, because despite this great season they are trailing the Angels by six and the Red Sox by 4(wild card spot). We have a similar situation as with the Dodgers game as they have a weak opponent in the A's while LA play the Yankees tonight and then goes on for the series at Boston, so Texas can cut down their leads if they win 2 of the 3 at the very least against Oakland. They also have two series against the Angels later this month so chances are good for them.
Oakland sends Brett Tomko(4-3, 4.47) who came from the Yankees some weeks ago and started five games for the A's. His performance for the A's was pretty well with a 3.90 ERA. But this will be the first time he plays in a hitter park and if you look at his career stats against the Rangers you see him going 1-3 with a 7.94 ERA. So if you worry about Feldman's home ERA(of 4.56), look at Tomko's numbers in Rangers ballpark where he allows more than a run per inning. The A's have nothing to play for at 64-78 with ten wins behind third place Seattle. Teams that have nothing to play for don't win much on the road. Sometimes they play good at home in front of their fans, but they don't care much about road games.
Look for Texas to win this one big and take the 1.93 or -107 on the run line with 3 units. Good Luck.
DG
Play on LA Dodgers RL
Record: 12-20, -2.67
Toaday's first play will be on the Dodgers who host the Pirates.
Pittsburgh will go with Daniel McCutchen(0-1, 4.85) opposing Dodger Jon Garland(9-11, 4.23) who came over from Arizona. Garland has had two starts with LA so far which both were well, ironically both were against his former team. For the Dodgers he is 1-0, 3.46 in those two games. Playing here in this big park should improve his numbers. His numbers against Pittsburgh are below average but he's had only 2 games (1 start) against them. McCutchen started his MLB career two weeks ago and had two average outings against Cincinnati and the Cubs.
Tonight, however, McCutchen has to play one of the best offenses in the NL, and LA has been tested lately against San Francisco who own one of the best pitching staffs in the league. They should have no problems to score some runs against the rookie. Plus, LA should be motivated here. They played contending San Francisco over the weekend which could point to a letdown situation, but actually it shouldn't be one as they lost yesterday and in this series against the Pirates they could make a big step towards the division title or the playoffs respectively as their biggest rivals Rockies and Giants play each other the next few days. So this is a big chance for them to get away from them. Pittsburgh's season is over as they will have a losing season and their only goal is to avoid the 100 losses mark. I wrote they will collect some road wins in their last few games, but now it seems they are just looking for some home wins to not lose 100 in the end. They will have some shots at home with remaining series against the Padres and the Reds. They also got a rare road win yesterday, so two in a row seems improbable with their road record of 19-52.
All that makes me play the much better team here in a good situation to win by two or more. I will play the run line at 1.91 or -109 with 2 units. Good Luck.
DG
Toaday's first play will be on the Dodgers who host the Pirates.
Pittsburgh will go with Daniel McCutchen(0-1, 4.85) opposing Dodger Jon Garland(9-11, 4.23) who came over from Arizona. Garland has had two starts with LA so far which both were well, ironically both were against his former team. For the Dodgers he is 1-0, 3.46 in those two games. Playing here in this big park should improve his numbers. His numbers against Pittsburgh are below average but he's had only 2 games (1 start) against them. McCutchen started his MLB career two weeks ago and had two average outings against Cincinnati and the Cubs.
Tonight, however, McCutchen has to play one of the best offenses in the NL, and LA has been tested lately against San Francisco who own one of the best pitching staffs in the league. They should have no problems to score some runs against the rookie. Plus, LA should be motivated here. They played contending San Francisco over the weekend which could point to a letdown situation, but actually it shouldn't be one as they lost yesterday and in this series against the Pirates they could make a big step towards the division title or the playoffs respectively as their biggest rivals Rockies and Giants play each other the next few days. So this is a big chance for them to get away from them. Pittsburgh's season is over as they will have a losing season and their only goal is to avoid the 100 losses mark. I wrote they will collect some road wins in their last few games, but now it seems they are just looking for some home wins to not lose 100 in the end. They will have some shots at home with remaining series against the Padres and the Reds. They also got a rare road win yesterday, so two in a row seems improbable with their road record of 19-52.
All that makes me play the much better team here in a good situation to win by two or more. I will play the run line at 1.91 or -109 with 2 units. Good Luck.
DG
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