I'm playing on SEATTLE. I won with the Mariners yesterday. At the time, in my writeup for that game, I stated that the Phillies often have an edge on the mound, but that I expected Seattle to have the edge last night and for the "youngster to outpitch the veteran." That proved to be the case, as Seattle's Michael Pineda allowed only two hits and one run while Philadelphia's Roy Oswalt allowed four runs on eight hits. I expect the M's to have an even more significant edge on the mound this evening and for them to hand the Phillies their second straight loss.

Hernandez is simply one of the best in the game and nearly always gives his team a chance to win. Last time out, pitching at Detroit, he tossed eight solid innings. While it wasn't his most dominant effort, he still limited the Tigers to only three runs, en route to earning a 7-3 victory.

In his last home start, "King Felix" held Tampa Bay to only one run on just five hits. He had an impressive 11 K's (with only two walks) and earned the "W" in a 7-1 Seattle victory.

With that victory, the M's are now a profitable 5-1 (+3.2) in his six home starts.

Most starters would be thrilled with Hernandez's numbers (7-5, 3.30 ERA). But as he's the reigning Cy Young Award Winner, people expect more. They should - and, if recent history is any indication, they should get more the rest of the way.

In fact, you may recall that on this date last year, Hernandez was only 4-5 with a 3.61 ERA. Hardly the type of numbers one would expect from an eventual Cy Young winner. I successfully played on Seattle in Hernandez's next start (6/19/2010) vs. Cincinnati though. Felix dominated the Reds, tossing a complete game with 9 K's and one walk. Seattle won 5-1.

That was a sign of things to come. Including that victory, Hernandez would go on to close out the season with a 1.45 ERA the rest of the way.

The fact that Felix dominated the Reds was no surprise, as that's what he's done to virtually all NL opponents in recent seasons. Indeed, he's 7-1 with an interleague-best 1.66 ERA, in 12 games against "Senior Circuit" opponents, since 2008.

Note that Hernandez will have the advantage of starting against the Phillies for the first time. Surely, he'll be "pumped" to prove he can beat the NL's best.

Also, note that the M's are 10-2 all-time in Hernandez's June home starts, 16-4 his last 20 June starts overall.

This could have been quite the pitching matchup, if the Phillies had of been able to go with of their top three starters. That's not the case though, as they'll be sending inexperienced Vance Worley to the mound.

Worley had pitched well in his first couple of starts for the Phillies and has had some success in the minors. However, he got rocked (12 hits, 8 runs in just 3 innings, 5 of them earned) in his last big league start - his only road start - which caused him to be sent back down to the minors - and may well affect his confidence here. While Worley should improve from his previous road outing, against King Felix, I expect him to be "in over his head."

As noted yesterday, the Phillies have struggled on the road recently (now 4-10 L14 road games) and they've also struggled here at Seattle, going 1-6 all-time. With all due respect to the Phillies, given the pitching matchup and Hernandez's dominance in IL play, I feel the price on Seattle is more than fair. *10

I'm playing on Colorado and Detroit UNDER the total. Yesterday's series opener was high-scoring. The teams combined for 19 runs. I don't expect them to get even half that many this evening though.

If you take a look at the combined record (2-13!) of these two starters, you'd think they were two of the worst pitchers around. That's far from accurate though.

Jimenez may be 1-7 but he's still capable of being one of the best pitchers around. Lets not forget that he was 19-8 with a superb 2.88 ERA and 1.15 WHIP last season. The previous year, he had 15 wins with a solid 3.47 ERA.

Jimenez got roughed up (most of the runs were unearned) last time out but still has a super 1.69 ERA and 1.031 WHIP his last three starts. During that stretch, he has 17 K's and only one walk, averaging better than seven innings per start. Two of his last three starts have finished with three or fewer combined runs.

Coke may be 1-6 but he's still got a very respectable 3.69 ERA. His last start finished with a score of 2-1. He allowed just four hits in 6 2/3 shutout innings.

Note that Coke, who is making his first start against an NL opponent, is 2-0 with a terrific 0.55 ERA in 17 career interleague relief appearances.

Each of Jimenez's previous starts vs. the Tigers stayed below the total. They finished with seven and eight combined runs. I look for this one to do the same. *10

I'm playing on ST LOUIS. I haven't played on the Cardinals in quite some time. Good thing, as they've lost seven in a row. While they're fairly heavy favorites, I feel that tonight will prove to be the time to jump in and back the Cards.

Looking to avoid their longest losing streak since 2007, and having fallen out of first place in the Central, the Cards should be highly motivated. As Chris Carpenter noted: "Losing stinks. Nobody wants to lose. But if you sit there and drop your heads and put your tail between your legs, you're not going to be ready for tomorrow."

Carpenter won't be on the mound here, but I do expect the Cards to enjoy quality pitching on the mound.

Westbrook has won his last two meetings with the Royals, allowing only one run and nine hits in 14 innings. That's a 0.64 ERA. Note that he's also held Alcides Escobar (currently on a red hot hitting run for the Royals) hitless. Escobar is hitless in six AB's vs. Westbrook, striking out twice. For his career, Westbrook is 7-3 with a very solid 2.49 ERA in 16 starts vs. the Royals.

On the other hand, Mazzaro got rocked in his lone start vs. St. Louis. In that outing, he gave up four runs in just five innings. That translated to a 7.20 ERA and 1.80 WHIP. This season, while he did pitch well last time out, Mazzaro has an awful 10.80 ERA and 2.35 WHIP, walking 13 batters and only striking out seven.

As for the high price tag, note that the Cards are 40-21 (+6.1) the past few seasons, when listed as home favorites in the -150 to -175 range. That includes a profitable 11-5 (+3) record in that role this season. In fact, that's been one of their best roles. Desperate for a victory, I expect the Cards to bounce back with an important win here. *10

I'm playing on ATLANTA. Had Hanson not been scratched, I was all set to play on the Braves in the opener. I wasn't about to back the Braves with Delgado on the mound though. Good thing, too. As Texas would win that game by a score of 6-2. Today's matchup is far more favorable though and I look for the Braves to bounce back with a big win.

Harrison was drafted by the Braves, so will surely want to pitch well. He's been fairly solid but has dealt with various issues, most recently getting hit by a line drive in the left arm Sunday. The Rangers are only 5-7 in his starts and his 19 K's (vs. 16 walks) in 38 road innings is far from impressive.

Admittedly, Lowe has been rather inconsistent. Last time out, he struggled at Houston. He's capable of dominating though, as we saw in his previous start. In that outing, he limited the Marlins to only two his through 6 2/3 shutout innings. Including a 3-2 victory in that game, the Braves are 7-2 his last nine starts.

While he likely won't have Chipper Jone's bat supporting him offensively, Lowe should be happy that this is an afternoon game. In fact, a closer look shows that he's actually been very consistent when pitching during the day. In five daytime starts, he's got a stellar 2.93 ERA and 1.14 WHIP - much better numbers than he has in the evening.

Lowe isn't the only Brave that enjoys playing during the afternoon. The Braves are 69-54 the past few seasons (14-9, +2.6 this season) when playing during the day. During that span, the Rangers were just 58-60 in their day games.

The Braves are 5-1 (+3.9) in Lowe's six home starts and I expect them to bounce back with a victory here. *10 (Afternoon Best Bet)

I'm playing on SEATTLE. The Phillies are red hot and have the best record in baseball. With guys like Halladay, Lee, Hamels and Oswalt in the rotation, they usually have an advantage on the mound. With one of those "Big 4" going tonight (Oswalt) many recreational bettors will be quick to grab the Phillies at such a "cheap" price. I expect the Mariners to "surprise" quite a few people tonight though and for them to actually be the team which enjoys the edge in the pitching department. Lets take a closer look.

Pineda gets the call for the Mariners. He's still kind of "flying under the radar" but has been among the best pitchers around. He struggled last time out. That was on the road (at Detroit) though. Even with that sub-par outing, he's still 6-4 with an excellent 2.72 ERA and 1.04 WHIP on the season.

Pineda, who will have the advantage of starting against the Phillies for the first time, should be happy to return home. In his last start here, he allowed one run through seven complete innings. For the season, he's 3-1 with a superb 2.06 ERA and 0.992 WHIP, here at Seattle. He's averaging 6.6 innings per start here and has an impressive 40 K's (with only 10 walks) in 39.3 innings pitched here.

While Pineda has been victimized by poor run support in recent games, he doesn't usually need much to work with and I expect the M's to provide him with at least a few runs tonight.

Oswalt has had a very solid career. He's still very capable and deserves respect. That said, he's not as dominant as Halladay or Lee (or Hamels) and he's been relatively mediocre of late. Over his last three starts, Oswalt is just 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA and 1.389 WHIP. For the season, due in part to lack of run support, Oswalt is only 4-4 and the Phillies are a money-burning 5-6 (-3.4) in his starts.

While he gave up only two runs, note that Oswalt lasted just five innings in his last road start. That's been a disturbing pattern, as he's averaging only 5.2 innings in his six road starts.

Scheduling doesn't play as big a role in handicapping baseball games, as it does in more physical sports like football, basketball or hockey. However, I don't think it should be ignored.

After beating the Angels by a score of 3-1 on Wednesday, here at Seattle, the Mariners had yesterday off. Note that the Mariners are a profitable 25-19 (+7.9) the last 44 times that they played with a day off - which is outstanding compared to their record with no rest, during that time period.

On the other hand, the Phillies played at Philadelphia yesterday, after playing a double-header the previous day, and then had to fly all the way across the country to Seattle. Not a huge deal, perhaps - but still worth mentioning.

As hot as they've been at home, the Phillies are just 4-9 their last 13 on the road.

The Mariners are 13-5 their last 18 home games against NL teams and they're also 5-1 all-time against the Phillies - although the teams haven't met for several years. The M's are already 3-0 in IL play this season. With the youngster outpitching and outlasting the veteran, I expect them to improve on those stats tonight. *10

I'm playing on ARIZONA. The Diamondbacks earned an important win last night. Facing the rival Giants, the team they are fighting with in the NL West, they squandered a 1-run lead in the 9th inning. However, they dug deep and rallied to win 3-2 in the bottom of the 10th. BJ Upton hit the first game-ending home run of his career. Not only did the victory pull them closer in the division race, it should give them some added confidence and positive momentum, heading into Inter-league play. After all, they'd previously had real trouble with the Giants - and beating them.

Upton had this to say of last night's heroics and the positive momentum they should bring to the team: "It's awesome, the fact that we'd just dropped two games and to be able to win in that fashion. It's hopefully a little bit of a boost for the team."

There's no question that the Diamondbacks are capable of hitting, particularly here at home. Arizona entered last night's game leading the National League (second in the majors, behind Boston) in extra-base hits. The Dbax entered last night's game averaging 5.1 runs per game at home. Even after having scored only three last night, they're still averaging six runs per game, over their last six.

Tonight, with Daniel Hudson on the mound, the Dbax should also be able to expect high quality pitching. Note that Hudson will face a Chicago team which hasn't hit that well on the road all season and which has scored only one run its last two games (both losses) combined.

Hudson should be fired up for this one, as the White Sox are the team that traded him to Arizona last season. Hudson is off a gem at Florida last time out. He tossed six innings and allowed just one run. He earned the "W," in a 5-1 Arizona victory. He's 1-0 (Arizona is 2-1) in his last three starts with a 2.70 ERA. During that stretch, he has 17 K's and only four walks. The Diamondbacks are 5-2 in his home starts, with Hudson recording 44 K's to only nine walks. Note that Hudson hasn't allowed a home run in either of his last two games and that he's only allowed four for the entire season.

Going back further finds Hudson at 7-1 with a 3.06 ERA in his last 10 games.

Jackson, who was the pitcher traded for Hudson, was also solid in his last start, allowing two runs through six innings. That was at home though, where he's generally much tougher. (Also, Chicago still lost that game, with Jackson recording only one strikeout.) On the road, Jackson is 2-3 (team is 2-4) with a terrible 6.19 ERA and 1.706 WHIP.

Jackson is certainly capable, as he's thrown a no-hitter before. Naturally, he'll want to pitch well here. However, he's not in the type of form that Hudson is and Hudson has definitely been better since the two were dealt for each other. Since the trade, Hudson has gone 14-6 with a 2.83 ERA. Arizona was 16-9 in his starts. Jackson has gone 8-7 record with a 3.83 ERA. Chicago has gone 12-12 in his starts.

While they do have a strong IL record over the years, the lack of a designated hitter may potentially hurt Chicago defensively. The Sox will want to get Adam Dunn's bat in the lineup, by having him play either first base or left field. This prompted Ozzie Guillen to acknowledge: "Obviously he's not a Gold Glover..."

All things considered, with the Diamondbacks currently playing better baseball, given the pitching matchup and with this game being played at Arizona, I feel the price on the home team is more than fair. *10

I'm playing on Washington and St. Louis to finish UNDER the total. The first two games of this series have both produced "double-digits" in runs. Tuesday's opener finished with a score of 8-6. Yesterday's game resulted in a score of 10-0. Washington won both games. I'm not sure whether or not the Nationals will be able to complete the sweep. However, I do feel that we can expect a lower-scoring finale.

Lannan gets the call for the home team and he's been superb lately. Indeed, he's gone 2-0 with a 0.96 ERA his last three starts, allowing just two earned runs in 18 2/3 innings. Lannan's last start finished with a score of 2-1. That was on the road (at San Diego) but his last home start (vs. Philadelphia) also finished with a score of 2-1.

A closer look reveals that Lannan has been outstanding at home all season. In fact, in six home starts, he's got a 1.70 ERA. In 37 innings here (average of 6.2 per start) he's allowed only one home run. Not surprisingly, five of his six home starts have fallen below the total.

Note that Lannan also has a 2.52 ERA and 1.22 WHIP in six starts vs. St. Louis. Five of those six games also fell below the total. His last home start vs. the Cards came late last August. He allowed one run through 7 2/3 innings, outpitching Wainwright, en route to a 4-2 victory.

Lohse hasn't been as sharp as Lannan lately, but he's still having a terrific first half. He checks in at 7-3 with a 2.67 ERA. He's averaging seven innings per start and has seen the UNDER go 7-5-1 in his 13 starts.

A poor recent outing at Milwaukee notwithstanding, Lohse has been particularly sharp on the road. In seven road starts, he's gone 5-1 with an excellent 2.28 ERA and 0.993 WHIP.

Note that Lohse dominated the Nats in his lone start against them this season. In that 4/21 outing, he tossed a complete game 2-hit shutout, earning a 5-0 victory.

I expect a well-pitched affair and with the O/U line having climbed from eight to 8.5, I feel we're also being offered terrific value. *10

I'm playing on OAKLAND. The A's got back on track yesterday, earning a much needed victory. With Gonzalez on the mound for this afternoon's series finale, I expect them to follow it up with another win.

Gonzalez has made back to back road starts and before that his last home start came against the Yankees. He should be very happy to return home to face the Royals.

In 13 starts this season, Gonzalez has a stellar 2.67 ERA. That number dips all the way down to 2.45 here at Oakland. He's got 44 K's in 44 innings here. Note that Gonzalez's career numbers are much better both at home and during the afternoon.

Gonzalez has faced the Royals once so far this season. He got the "W" in that 5/6 outing, allowing just two runs on four hits, through seven innings. The A's are 3-1 in his last four starts vs. the Royals and 1-0 all-time in his home starts vs. KC.

Francis lost his lone start vs. Oakland this season. While he is off a quality outing at LA, he's still 1-3 (Royals were 1-5) with a terrible 6.03 ERA and 1.631 WHIP on the road. For his career, Francis has a horrible 5.05 ERA on the road.

While Francis' teams (KC and Colorado) are now 7-13 his last 20 road starts, the A's are now 14-6 in Gonzalez's last 20 home starts.

With yesterday's victory, the A's are now 11-6 the last 17 times that they were a host in this series. With Gonzalez getting the better of Francis, I expect them to improve on those stats here. *10

I'm playing on Cleveland and Detroit to finish UNDER the total. After a low-scoring (4-0) opener, yesterday's game produced 10 runs. With both teams hitting an identical .248 in 'day' games and a pair of capable starters on the mound, I expect the final score of this afternoon's important finale to more closely resemble the score from Tuesday's opener.

Scherzer shook off a couple of poor outings by tossing a game last time out. He allowed only four hits and one run through seven complete innings. With that result, he's now 4-1 with a very solid 3.20 ERA and 1.263 WHIP in eight home starts. He's averaging 6 1/3 innings in his starts here and has allowed just three home runs in 50 2/3 home innings. At home, he has an impressive 40 K's with only 15 walks. Not surprisingly, five of his eight starts here have fallen below the total.

After his last start, Scherzer noted: "I really just executed better pitches. I was able to keep my slider down in the zone, my fastball down in the zone and a couple balls they hit hard found gloves."

Scherzer's certainly capable of stringing together strong starts. Keep in mind that he began the season by going 6-0 with a 2.81 ERA.

While he struggled at Cleveland, note that Scherzer pitched a gem in his lone career home start vs. Cleveland. In that outing, which came last August, he allowed two runs (only one was earned) on just four hits, through seven complete innings. He had 8K's and the Tigers won 5-2.

The Tigers are well aware that Talbot is also capable. In his last two starts against the Tigers (both last season) Talbot allowed only one run through 12 complete innings. He had 9K's and just two walks in those games, which finished with scores of 4-0 and 2-1.

Speaking of low-scoring games, Talbot has pitched well recently but has got no run support. Literally. The Indians have provided him with ZERO runs his last two starts. Talbot allowed just two runs in each start but went 0-2, suffering 4-0 and 2-0 losses. Those starts came against New York and Texas, so to allow just two runs in each was impressive. Talbot's 1.33 ERA in his three road starts is even more impressive.

Even with yesterday's result, the UNDER remains a healthy 12-6 the last 18 times that the Tigers were a host in this series. I expect those stats to improve here. *10

I'm playing on Baltimore and Toronto to finish UNDER the total. Yesterday's series opener was high-scoring. We should see some much better pitching here though.

Romero has seen the UNDER go 7-5-1 in his 13 starts. He's got a very solid 3.08 ERA and 1.027 at home for the season. Last time out, at KC, he allowed three runs in eight complete innings. He took the loss - but it wasn't his fault; the final score finished at 3-2.

Note that Romero has seen the UNDER go 5-3-1 in nine starts vs. Baltimore.

Arrieta goes for the Orioles and he's been excellent in his two starts vs. the Jays. He's 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA and 1.167 WHIP in those two games, allowing just three runs through 12 innings.

Last time out, Arrieta allowed only two hits through seven shutout innings. The UNDER is 1-0-2 his last three starts, each of them finishing with eight runs or less.

I mentioned that all three of Arrieta's recent starts finished with eight or fewer lines as this O/U line has climbed above the eight mark, which is what it opened at.

The UNDER is a profitable 75-55-4 when the O's have faced a southpaw starter the past few seasons. I look for those stats to improve here and feel that the line move has provided us with outstanding value. *10

I'm playing on the LA DODGERS. The Reds have taken the first two games of this series. The Dodgers haven't been swept here by the Reds in more than seven years though. I look for them to avoid that 'feat' this afternoon.

These same two pitchers, Billingsley and Wood, squared off against each other at Cincinnati, on June 5th. Not only did Billingsley outpitch Wood (Billingsley wasn't great, but Wood was terrible) in that game, but he even had three RBIs, courtesy of a home run and a bases loaded walk. I expect him to also get the better of Wood here at LA.

While he's had some trouble on the road and struggled at Colorado last time out, in six home starts, Billingsley has an outstanding 1.71 ERA. He's averaged seven complete innings per start in those games and has an impressive 43 K's (only 13 walks) in 42 innings here. For the season, he's allowed only six home runs in 14 starts. In his last home start, he limited the Rockies to one run through seven complete innings, earning a 7-1 victory.

It should also be noted that Billingsley has been significantly better when pitching during the day. Opposing batters are hitting a mere .219 against him during the afternoon, as compared to .304 during the evening.

Wood is off a quality start last time out, as he allowed only two runs through eight innings. A closer look reveals that he was "playing with fire" in that game, as he gave up 11 hits and walked three batters. Normally, 14 baserunners would translate to more than two runs. Either way, he's now given up 19 hits and walked eight batters. For the season, he's got a 5.38 ERA and 1.506 WHIP.

Opposing batters are hitting .300 during the afternoon against Wood, who threw a season-high number of pitches last time out.

After facing right-handed starters in six straight games, the Dodgers should be happy to see a southpaw. Including the earlier win over Wood, they're 11-7 against left-handed starters.

The Dodgers are 3-0 in Billingsley's three career home starts vs. the Reds. Billingsley allowed just five combined runs in 18 2/3 innings, striking out 21 and walking only four. LA won by scores of 8-5, 6-2 and 4-1. More of the same this afternoon. *10

I'm playing on SAN FRANCISCO. The Giants got embarrassed (10-2) in yesterday's game. The fact that they were blown out with Lincecum on the mound may have made the loss sting even more. Either way, I expect them to bounce back and salvage the series split.

Sanchez gets the call and he's got a solid 3.51 ERA on the season. At home, his ERA dips to 3.27. In 33 innings here, he's got an impressive 39 K's. The Giants are a profitable 4-2 (+1.6) in his home starts this season and they're 7-2 his last nine starts here, dating back to last September. Since last May of last season, the Giants are 12-6 in Sanchez's last 18 home starts.

While he's admittedly had some control issues of late, Sanchez has still managed to allow three earned runs or less in each of his last three starts. In fact, looking back further and we find that Sanchez has allowed three or fewer earned runs in 10 straight home starts, allowing two or less in eight of those.

While Sanchez has been consistently solid at home, Volquez has consistently struggled on the road. Indeed, in six road starts he's got a terrible 6.56 ERA and 1.885 WHIP. He averaged a mere 3.9 innings in those six games and the Reds were 2-4 (-2).

While he was sharp in his last start, that was at home. Note that Volquez has a terrible 8.31 ERA and 2.077 WHIP in three starts vs. the Giants.

The Giants are 2-0 in Sanchez's two home starts vs. the Reds. They won those games by a combined score of 19-6. I expect them to get it done again here. *10

I'm playing on the LA ANGELS. I won with the Angels yesterday, as they earned a much-needed 7-5 win. That victory snapped a losing streak and now I look for the Angels to build some positive momentum from it.

Los Angeles manager Mike Scioscia had a "closed door pregame meeting" with a few of his stars. Torii Hunter said this: "Man, he cursed us out. It was pretty bad. The words he used in there really hurt our feelings, but it actually pumped us up to keep going. He really cursed me out. It wasn't fun. But I appreciate that meeting. Today we had a lot of fight. We got better swings from everybody and played the game the right way. It was a lot of fun. That's what we have to continue doing."

Chatwood is 3-3 with a 3.79 ERA in 12 starts. At home, he's 2-2 with a very solid 3.22 ERA.

Chatwood figures to have a "score to settle" with the Royals. That's because he just dominated them on 6/1, (at KC) tossing 7 2/3 shutout innings but had to settle for a no-decision. He has a 0.00 ERA and 0.913 WHIP from that outing.

Chatwood figures to get better run support here. Mazzaro has a 5.92 ERA and 1.685 WHIP in three starts vs. the Angels, most recently a 7-4 loss last September. This season, he's got an awful 8.00 ERA and 2.111 WHIP in two starts. Overall, including a relief appearance, Mazzaro has a brutal 17.47 ERA, having given up 22 runs in 11 1/3 innings.

The Royals are 54-71 (-5.6) their last 125 "day" games. During that stretch, the Angels are an outstanding 77-45 (+33.5) when playing during the afternoon. They should pad those stats here. *10 (Personal Favorite)

I'm playing on the LA ANGELS. Many bettors tend to stay off teams that are on extended losing streaks. However, its always been my opinion that winning and losing streaks need to be considered but that each game also needs to be looked at individually. Often, the team on a losing streak will have an advantage and can be had a far more reasonable price than we might find, if not for the skid. Yesterday, I won with the Marlins, a team which was on an 8-game losing streak. Today, I expect the Angels to be the team which snaps their current 6-game slide.

If motivation counts for anything, the Angels figure to be extremely hungry. Not only are they desperate for a victory but they've also already lost the season series vs. the Royals (first time since 2007) and they can't afford to keep losing to this team.

The Angels were beaten by Paulino on June 1st but are now seeing him for the second time in 11 days. Paulino has pitched well so far for the Royals but keep in mind that he's still only made two starts here. He was 0-4 with a 7.36 ERA and 2.05 WHIP in 18 relief appearances this season, while with the Rockies.

Admittedly, Pineiro has cooled off a bit from his blazing start. However, he's still giving his team a chance to win every time that he takes the mound. In fact, he's allowed four earned runs or less in 11 straight starts and 19 of 20. Additionally, he's gone at least six complete innings in six straight starts, going more than six innings in five of those. Looking back further finds that Pineiro has gone at least six complete innings in 19 of his last 20 starts. (The only one that he didn't saw him go 5 2/3 shutout innings, en route to an 11-0 win over Boston on 5/5.)

Speaking of 11-0 victories, Pineiro's last home start vs. the Royals (and only home start as an Angel vs. KC) resulted in an 11-0 victory. Pineiro tossed seven shutout innings. Overall, his teams (LA, STL and Seattle) are 5-2 in his seven career home starts vs. KC. Pineiro went at least six complete innings in all seven of those and at least seven complete innings in each of the last six. He also allowed three or fewer earned runs in ALL seven games. In fact, he allowed just eight total earned runs in those seven games, a span of 50 innings. That translates to a 1.44 ERA!

I expect Pineiro to outlast Paulino in this one and for the Angels to bounce back, improving to 9-3 the last 12 times that they were a host in this series. *10

I'm playing on Oakland and Chicago to finish UNDER the total. Yesterday's series opener was high-scoring. However, I expect a very well-pitched affair this evening.

Gonzalez is only 5-4 on the season but has a very stingy 2.62 ERA. He's made five road starts and has a 2.84 ERA in those games. He hasn't gotten much run support in those games though and that's led to the UNDER going 4-1. Note that Gonzalez has only allowed one home run on the road all season, a span of more than 31 innings.

Gonzalez's last two starts have both fallen below the total. Also, while he hasn't faced Chicago this season, both his 2010 starts vs. the White Sox stayed below the number. His most recent start vs. the White Sox saw him allow just four hits through six shutout innings. He didn't receive a decision but the A's won 3-0.

Danks is a terrible 1-8 on the season. However, that victory came in his last start and he's pitched far better than his record indicates, particularly here at home. In fact, he's got a solid 3.24 ERA in six home starts this season.

Last time out, Danks allowed just one unearned run through 7 1/3 innings. He ended up earning the 3-1 win. Having "gotten the monkey off his back," I look for Danks to follow it up with another strong effort here. The fact that the A's hit only .229 on the road (and average only 3.3 runs on the road) should make things easier.

Danks is 4-1 with a 2.25 ERA vs. Oakland. He faced the A's once earlier this season and allowed just five hits and one run through eight complete innings. I expect a relatively low-scoring affair, with the UNDER improving to 35-24-1 the last 60 times that the A's played on the road with a line ranging in the +100 to +125 range. *10

I'm playing on FLORIDA. The Marlins desperately need a victory and I feel that today's pitching matchup will provide them with the perfect opportunity to get one.

Sanchez checks in with a 5-1 record and a superb 2.97 ERA and 1.157 WHIP.

While he is coming off a strong outing (home game vs. Washington) last time out, Saunders is still 3-5 and still has a 4.31 ERA and 1.438 WHIP on the season.

Saunders made one start vs. Florida this season and he gave up four runs and allowed nine Marlins to reach base (7 hits, 2 walks) in six innings.

Sanchez was much better in this season's lone start vs. the Diamondbacks. He allowed two runs through eight innings, earning a 5-2 victory. Note that he had 8 K's and walked only one.

Over the past few seasons, the Marlins have gone 24-13 (+3.2) when listed as home favorites in the -150 to -175 range. During that stretch, they're also 70-47 (+22.6) against southpaw starters. I expect them to bounce back and improve on those stats here. *10

I'm playing on SAN DIEGO. The Padres have dominated this series here at San Diego. In fact, their 15-5 the last 20 series meetings here, including 13-5 since the Nationals (Expos) moved from Montreal to Washington. That includes a 6-1 mark the last seven meetings here and a 9-2 mark the last 11. I expect them to continue that domination tonight, starting the series with a victory.

The Padres are a highly profitable 9-3 (+7) when Harang starts. Harang has a 3.48 ERA at home for the season and a 2.75 ERA (1.271 WHIP) his last three starts overall. Note that Harang has a 1.93 ERA in his last three starts vs. Washington.

On the other hand, Hernandez is 0-5 with a poor 5.10 ERA and 1.677 WHIP on the road. The Nats are a money-burning 0-7 in those games. Note that Hernandez is 0-2 with a 5.47 ERA in his last four starts against the Padres and 0-5 with a 5.44 ERA at Petco Park.

While neither team typically hits that well (Padres are hitting .231, Nats are hitting .230) the Padres figure to have an edge in the bullpen department. Even after a rare blown save by their closer yesterday, San Diego relievers still have a combined 2.38 ERA and 1.123 WHIP. Washington's bullpen numbers are also solid (3.30 ERA, 1.283 WHIP) but not as good. Note that San Diego's bullpen numbers aren't just a product of pitching at Petco either, as the stats are very similar on the road as to what they are at home.

Overall, the Padres have won 22 of 28 home starts in this series. I expect them to improve on those stats here. *10

I'm playing on St. Louis and Houston to finish UNDER the total. After a high-scoring (7-4) opener, yesterday's game finished with a score of 4-1. I expect another relatively low-scoring affair this evening.

Happ is on an extended losing streak. That hasn't been entirely his fault though. Since his last victory (3-0 win over the Mets on 5/14) Happ has posted a very solid 3.13 ERA. However, the Astros are 0-3 in those games.

Over his last three starts, Happ has a superb 2.65 ERA and 1.118 WHIP. The Astros scored just seven combined runs in those games though. Happ's last two starts both stayed below the total. They had scores of 4-2 and 3-1. For the season, Happ has a 2.70 ERA and 1.173 WHIP at home, averaging greater than six innings per start.

Note that four of Happ's six starts vs. the Cardinals have also fallen below the total.

Lance Lynn goes for the Cards. His ERA from his first start admittedly weren't too good. However, a closer look shows that he retired the first 10 batters which he faced, which is quite impressive. Also, he still only allowed four hits and didn't walk a batter.

Lynn was quoted as saying: "I felt good and it's good to get it under my belt. I need to keep pushing and fighting to get deeper into games."

Lynn, who has solid minor league numbers, knows this is his shot. If he tosses a gem, he may get to stay up. The Astros aren't a great hitting club and he'll have the advantage of seeing them for the first time. I expect him to deliver a decent effort.

The UNDER is 45-27-1 the past few seasons, when the Astros played a home game with an O/U line of 8 or 8.5. I expect those stats to improve here. *10

I'm playing on the NEW YORK YANKEES. The Red Sox put up three in the top of the first inning yesterday and never looked back, eventually earning a 6-4 victory. Today, I expect the Yankees to bounce back with and even up the series.

Burnett had been really struggling on the road for some time. In fact, before his last start, he was 0-5 with a 5.64 ERA in his previous 11 road starts. He changed that last time out though, "getting the monkey off his back" with a solid victory at Oakland. Now, he returns home, where he's been pitching well all season. I look for him to keep the positive momentum going for another start.

Burnett is 5-1 with a very solid 3.63 ERA and 1.142 WHIP at home. He's averaging greater than six innings per start here. His teams are also 5-1 his last six home starts in the month of June.

Burnett has only made one home start vs. the Red Sox, as a member of the Yankees. He tossed 7 2/3 shutout innings in that 8/7/2009 game, leading the Yankees to a 2-0 victory.

The Red Sox won Wakefield's last road start. However, they're still 3-7 his last 10 away from Fenway. They're also 2-5 in his last seven road starts vs. the Yankees, dating back to 2005. Overall, the Red Sox are an ugly 5-11 in Wakefield's last 16 starts vs. the Yankees.

The Red Sox check in with at 5-9 (-5.4) the last 14 times that they played a road game with an O/U line of 10 or 10.5. During that stretch, the Yankees have gone 37-18 when playing a home game with an O/U line of 10 or 10.5. With Burnett getting the better of Wakefield, I expect them to pad those stats here. *10

I'm playing on Pittsburgh and Arizona to finish UNDER the total. Nine of the Diamondbacks' last 12 visits to Pittsburgh have fallen below the total. With a pair of capable starters, both backed by solid bullpens, and facing a pair of weak-hitting lineups, I'm expecting another relatively low-scoring affair in this evening's series opener.

Correia is currently in excellent form. Indeed, he's 3-0 with a terrific 1.80 ERA his last three starts. He's 8-4 with a very solid 3.45 ERA and 1.216 WHIP on the season. Not bad for a guy pitching on the Pirates.

Correia hasn't been beating himself. In his last three starts, he's only walked four batters and he hasn't allowed a single home run.

While he hasn't been all the dominant his last couple of times out, Hudson remains an outstanding 6-1 with a very solid 3.46 ERA in his last eight starts. He's also got a 1.42 ERA and 0.79 WHIP in his lone start vs. the Pirates, a game which stayed below the total.

The Pirates are hitting an awful .219 at home, averaging a mere 3.2 runs per game here. Not surprisingly, the UNDER is 15-10-1 here.

The Dbax haven't hit much better on the road than the Pirates have at home. They're hitting only .239 away from Arizona, averaging just 3.9 runs. They've seen the UNDER go 15-11-1 on the road.

Both teams had yesterday off, so both bullpens come in with a little rest. Note that the Pirates' relievers have a combined 2.93 ERA at home while the Arizona relievers have a combined 2.78 ERA on the road. (Both those ERA's are excellent.)

Speaking of yesterday's "off day," note that the UNDER is a combined 11-3 (5-1 and 6-2) when these teams had the previous day off. I expect more of the same here. *10

I'm playing on CHICAGO. I'm well aware that Danks is winless in the season. Part of that's been his fault. However, he does deserve to have at least a couple of victories, particularly here at home, where he's still got a respectable 3.93 ERA in five starts, averaging 6.9 innings per outing. Danks' recent starts have come at Toronto and at Texas - a pair of venues which can be difficult on starters. In his most recent home outing, he held the Rangers to four hits and two earned runs, through 6 1/3 innings. Danks didn't factor in the decision but the White Sox won 4-3.

Danks figures to be "licking his chops" about the chance to face the Mariners. True, Seattle has been better lately. However, this is still a team which really struggles vs. southpaw starters. Indeed, the M's are just 5-11 (-7) vs. left-handed starters. In those games, they're hitting a mere .215 while averaging only 3.2 runs - an on-base-percentage of only .269. Going back further finds Seattle at an awful 47-77 (-29.2) vs. southpaw starters.

Admittedly, Pineda has been excellent for the Mariners. There's not much he can do when his team doesn't hit though - and he can't be thrilled that his team is taking on another southpaw. In his last start, he Pineda was opposed by a southpaw starter (Matusz) and the M's didn't help him out at all. Pineda pitched well but Seattle still lost 2-1.

The White Sox didn't have to travel yesterday, as they played right here at Chicago. On the other hand, the M's had to travel from the Pacific-Northwest across the country to get here.

Like Danks, Chicago should be happy to see Seattle. The White Sox are 11-2 the last 13 meetings in this series and they're a commanding 12-1 the last 13 times that they hosted the M's. They're also 4-1 in Danks' last five starts against Seattle. Danks went AT LEAST 7 2/3 innings in ALL five of those starts and allowed just five combined earned runs, a span of 39 2/3 innings. That's a 1.13 ERA! I expect Danks to be at his best and for the Sox to bounce back and continue their dominance in this series. *10

I'm playing on KC. The Twins have grabbed the first three games of this 4-game series. This afternoon, I fully expect the Royals to bounce back and avoid the sweep.

Three straight wins will certainly fix a lot of problems. That said, the Twins are still a mess. Prior to this series, they'd dropped 10 of their previous 12 games and were already 0-3 on their 10-game road trip. They're dealing with major injury issues.

The Twins have held the Royals to two runs in each of the first three games. With Brian Duensing on the mound, KC should get significantly more than that here.

Duensing hasn't won since April. He's 0-5 with a terrible 7.39 ERA his last seven starts, all seven of them resulted in Minnesota losses. Last time out, he gave up 11 baserunners (9 hits, 2 walks) and six runs in just 4 2/3 innings.

Surely, Duensing desperately wants to bounce back with a better outing. Confidence is important in pitching though (as it is in everything) and Duensing's confidence level currently isn't very high.

He was quoted as saying: "It's getting to the point where it's not very fun, I'll tell you that much. It feels like every time you come to the ballpark, it's a new day, but with the way things are going, for me personally, it's tough. You used to come to the ballpark and be excited to be here, but now it's really hard."

While Duensing has enjoyed success against KC in the past, the Royals will be seeing him for the third time already this season (they had 10 baserunners in each of the first two games) and the fourth time since last September. In other words, they're very familiar with him.

On the other hand, the Twins aren't nearly so familiar with Francis. Francis opposed Duensing at Minnesota on 4/12 (Royals have since seen Duensing, Twins have not seen Francis since) and was arguably better - neither got the decision. Before that, the Twins hadn't seen him since 2008. Note that both Francis' career starts vs. Minnesota were of the quality variety.

Not surprisingly, Francis is currently in much better form than Duensing. He's 2-0 with a 3.48 ERA his last three starts. In seven home starts, he's got a very solid 3.09 ERA and 1.243 WHIP, averaging 6 2/3 innings per starts.

For the season, the Royals' bullpen stats are far superior than the Twin's bullpen stats.

This will be the first "all southpaw" matchup of the 4-game series, as the Twins have sent right-handers to the mound for each of the first three games. That figures to also favor KC. The Royals are averaging 5.8 runs and hitting .279 vs. lefty starters. On the other hand, the Twins are hitting .251 and averaging 3.3 runs vs. southpaw starters.

The Royals are 13-7 (+3.6) the last 20 times that they were listed as home favorites in the -125 to -150 range and I look for them to bounce back with a convincing victory to avoid the sweep here. *10 (Personal Fav)

I'm playing the NEW YORK METS on the run-line (+1.5 runs). I've won with the Braves numerous times when Jurrjens has pitched and I'm

well aware that he's been enjoying an excellent season. However, nearly everyone else knows about Jurrjens' success now too, particularly with him having just been named the "NL Pitcher of the Month" for May. That's caused the Braves to be favored on the road, despite going up a Mets team which is undefeated on the season with Dillon Gee in the mound. More importantly, that's given us a relatively reasonable price on the home underdog at +1.5 runs, which is what I'll be playing on.

There really aren't too many bad things one can say about Jurrjens right now. Not only is he in excellent current forum, but he's also enjoyed success vs. the Mets. That said, athletes can often be a bit superstitious and Jurrjens' comments about returning to Citi Field leave the impression that he may be a little "nervous" about pitching here.

You may recall that Jurrjens suffered a torn meniscus during a side session last September and that injury stopped him from being able to play in the playoffs.

Jurrjens was quoted as saying: "It's going to be awkward going out there to warm up. Things happen for a reason."

Thoughts like that could potentially throw off a pitcher...

While I won't count on that, I will count on another strong performance from Dillon Gee. He hasn't gotten the publicity of Jurrjens but he's certainly been getting it done. Last time out, he allowed three runs through seven innings, striking out eight and walking only one. The Mets won 7-3. With that result, New York is now a perfect 7-0 (+7.8) in games started by Gee this season.

Gee has been at his best at home, too. In four starts here, Gee is 3-0 with a 2.42 ERA. Not quite as dominating as Jurrjens' numbers - but not that far off either. Note that Gee's got an outstanding 0.774 WHIP his last three starts, meaning he's not allowing many baserunners at all.

Note that Gee is already 1-0 against the Braves this season, beating Hanson at Atlanta. Also, before getting hurt in the warm-up here last September, Jurrjens' previous start here saw him suffer a 3-1 loss. Jurrjens walked four batters in that game, while only striking out three. That gives him 11 walks his last three starts vs. NY.

I do think the Mets have an excellent shot at the outright win. After all, they're 7-0 with Gee on the mound. However, in a game where runs will likely be at a premium, getting an extra run to work with could make the difference, particularly given that the Braves entered this series having played five consecutive one run games. *10 Personal Favorite on NY +1.5

I'm playing on the Jays and Orioles to finish UNDER the total. Yesterday's series opener finished above the total, which continued a streak of "overs" in Toronto games. The Orioles entered the series having seen five of their previous six games finish with eight or fewer runs though, with those games averaging just 6.5 runs. I expect today's game to be of the low-scoring variety.

Romero has been very solid this season and he's currently in excellent form. Over his last three starts, he's got an outstanding 1.71 ERA, averaging a healthy seven innings per start. In his last road start, he went to Yankee Stadium and held the Yankees to one run through seven innings. Including that gem, he's got a 2.65 ERA in five road starts, three of which stayed below the number.

Note that the UNDER is a perfect 4-0 in Romero's four starts here at Baltimore. Last season's lone start here saw Romero allow two runs, but both were unearned. Even still, the final score (4-2) stayed comfortably below the total.

Admittedly, Arrieta's overall numbers aren't nearly as good as Romero's numbers. I expect him to pitch well today though. Arrieta was solid in his last home start. In that one, he allowed just two runs through six complete innings. He gave up only five hits and had seven K's with three walks.

Arrieta was even better in his lone start vs. the Jays. That came last September and saw him limit Toronto to just four hits through six shutout innings. He had 5 K's with only one walk.

The Orioles are hitting just 0.233 against southpaw starter, averaging a mere 3.3 runs in those games. Not surprisingly, the UNDER is 73-53-3 the past few seasons, when they've taken on a left-handed starter. I expect those stats to improve here, as the Jays run of 'overs' comes to an end. *10

I'm playing on the LA ANGELS. The Yankees enter tonight's game on a 4-game winning streak. That winning streak has been due in large part to some dominating starting pitching. However, its the Angels who should have a significant advantage in that department tonight.

Over his past four starts, Ivan Nova has lasted a total of just 18 2/3 innings. (That's an average of just 4 2/3 innings per outing.)

During that stretch, he's allowed a whopping 16 runs (12 of them earned) and 30 hits, walking eight. That translates to an ugly 5.79 ERA and an awful 2.04 WHIP! Those kind of numbers aren't going to cut it, when matched up against LA's Jered Weaver.

Weaver wasn't all that dominant in May overall. However, he closed the month in high style, as he tossed nine innings of shutout baseball last time out, allowing just two hits.

While he hasn't earned a "W" in some time, Weaver is still 6-4 with a superb 2.10 ERA on the season. He's been at his best at home, too.

In four starts here, he's gone 2-1 (Angels are 3-1) with an outstanding 1.82 ERA.

Weaver has an excellent K/W ratio (47 K's and 10 walks here at home) and opposing batters are hitting a mere .197 against him.

The fact that Weaver closed out May with an exceptional performance comes as no big surprise, given his numbers at this time of the year. Indeed, he's 15-5 with a stellar 2.84 ERA in June.

The Angels are 13-7 in Weaver's last 20 home starts. While Nova's been averaging less than five innings per outing recently, Weaver went at least six complete innings in ALL 20 of those starts, going at least seven complete innings in 13 of his last 16 here.

The Angels are 14-6 the last 20 and 20-8 the last 28 times that they hosted the Yankees, including 3-0 in Weaver's home starts against them. All things considered, I feel the price is more than fair. *10 Personal Favorite

I'm playing on KANSAS CITY. Minnesota won big in yesterday's series opener, earning an 8-2 victory. Things still aren't well for the Twins and their fans though. Even with yesterday's result, the Twins are still an ugly 18-37 overall. Injuries have played a significant role. On the other hand, the Royals remain a respectable 19-15 here at Kansas City. I expect them to bounce back with a victory to even up the series here.

Already without Joe Mauer, Francisco Liriano, Joe Nathan, Tsuyoshi Nishioka, Glen Perkins and Kevin Slowey, the injury-riddled Twins have now added Jim Thome and Jason Kubel to the DL.

Manager Ron Gardenhire noted: There's not much we can do about it. Other guys will have to step up. It's not the same team we thought we had in spring training. We'll just have to find ways to win with the guys we've got."

Pavano goes for Minnesota and he's been a big part of the team's problems. Last time out, he gave up 10 hits and five runs, four of them earned. He took the loss as the Twins went down 6-5. That brought him to 2-5 with a poor 5.19 ERA in 11 road starts. The Twins were 3-8 (-4.4) in those games. Pavano has been particularly brutal on the road. Indeed, he's 0-4 with a 7.41 ERA and 1.588 WHIP in six road starts, with Minnesota going 1-5.

Duffy goes for the Royals and he's been getting progressively better in each of his three starts. Last time out, he delivered a quality performance at Texas, cutting down his walks to one in the process.

Manager Ned Yost said this of Duffy: "His last two starts have been excellent. And his last start was by far his best. In his third start against Texas, he was focused, he was determined, he was confident."

While Duffy will have the advantage of facing Minnesota for the first time, the Royals have already rocked Pavano this season. In that "May Day Massacre" they hammered Pavano for 12 hits and 7 runs (6 earned) in 5 1/3 innings. KC won 10-3. With that result, Pavano has a terrible 6.37 ERA in 13 starts vs. the Royals.

The Royals are a solid 13-7 (+3.6) the last 20 times that they were listed as home favorites in the -125 to -150 range. I expect them to build on those stats here. *10

I'm playing on SEATTLE. These are both excellent pitchers and both have been very sharp this season. Shields allowed one less run than Hernandez last time out. He gave up three runs in seven innings. Hernandez also went seven innings, while giving up four runs. Those results may cause some bettors to favor Tampa. However, keep in mind that Hernandez was up against the Yankees, while Shields was up against Cleveland. Also, note that the Rays lost (7-3) Shields' start while the M's won (5-4) Hernandez's start vs. the Yankees. (Both pitchers were dominant in their previous start.)

Basically, while I have great respect for Shields is doing, I feel Hernandez is every bit as capable. Hernandez, the reigning AL Cy Young Award Winner, knows how well Shields has been pitching. He also knows this is his "home turf" and I expect him to be fully fired up to "defend" it and to show that he's still among the best pitchers in the game.

The fact that the M's provided Hernandez with more help (in the last game) than the Rays provided Shields isn't all that surprising, given how hot Seattle has been. Even with a tough 2-1 loss yesterday, the M's are still an impressive 11-3 their last 14.

In fact, many might be surprised to know that, as of today, the M's are actually closer to a playoff spot than the Rays. Seattle is 1.5 games back off Texas in the West. Tampa is 2.5 back of the Yanks in the East, while also trailing Boston.

The Rays were blanked yesterday (3-0) and are 4-8 their last 12 games. Unlike the M's, who played here at Seattle yesterday, the Rays finished yesterday's game and then had to travel across the entire country to get here.

While the Rays haven't seen Hernandez since 2009, the M's got to see Shields a few times in 2010, which could provide them with a slight advantage. The last time they saw him (9/26/2010) the M's scored five earned runs against Shields and won 6-2.

Hernandez also gave up five runs the last time that the faced TB, which was on 8/7/2009. However, a closer look shows that only three of those runs were earned and that the M's still won. His only other 2009 start vs. TB saw Hernandez toss seven shutout innings en route to earning a 1-0 victory for Seattle - that came right here and it was against Shields. Including that result, the M's are a profitable 6-1 (+4.4) in Hernandez's seven starts against the Rays. Hernandez had a superb 2.42 ERA and 1.077 WHIP in those games. Behind another big game from their ace, I expect the M's to be the team which bounces back with an important win. *10

I'm playing on Pittsburgh and New York to finish UNDER the total. With the teams combining for a dozen runs yesterday, two of the first three games of this series have finished above the number. Given the starting pitching matchup, I expect a much lower-scoring affair this afternoon though.

Its not easy to find pitchers with a 2-7 record which have pitched as well as Maholm. Through 11 starts, a span of 70 2/3 innings, he's got a stellar 3.18 ERA and 1.174 WHIP. Averaging better than six innings per outing, he's only given up four home runs. Last time out, pitching at Wrigley, he tossed a complete game 3-hit shutout - and didn't walk a batter. He was so dominant that he needed only 91 pitches for the entire game. That gives him a 2.18 ERA and 0.823 WHIP his last three starts.

Naturally, with those kind of numbers and a 2-7 W/L record, its clear that Maholm has not gotten much run support. The Pirates' offense came through for him last game, a 10-0 victory. However, that was the exception, rather than than norm. In fact, the UNDER is still a highly profitable 9-1-1 in his 11 starts.

While he's got a better W/L record, Pelfrey's overall numbers aren't as good as Maholm's. That's because Pelfrey has struggled away from New York though. At home, he's been excellent. In fact, in five starts here, he's gone 2-0 with a terrific 2.08 ERA and 1.067 WHIP. Last time out, he held a tough Philadelphia team to just four hits, through 7 2/3 innings. He allowed two runs, striking out six and walking only two. In his previous home start, he allowed on run through seven innings, a 2-1 game vs. Josh Johnson and the Marlins. Note that Pelfrey was also very good in both his starts vs. Pittsburgh last season.

Even including yesterday's result, the UNDER is still a solid 30-21-3 in Pittsburgh games. The Pirates have now gone 13 straight games where their starter has allowed two or fewer runs and I expect another well-pitched affair. *10

I'm playing on ATLANTA. The Braves are heavy favorites here. However, given the situation, venue and starting pitching matchup, I feel that the price could easily be higher. Lets take a closer look.

The Braves figure to be extremely motivated for a victory. They've already lost the first two games of the series and they hit the road for a stretch of divisional games after this one. (Note that they don't have to travel all that far, as tomorrow's game is at New York.) The last thing that they need is to get swept by a "mediocre" San Diego team. I'm probably being generous by even calling the Padres mediocre. While they've managed to be successful on the road and so far in this series, they're still currently last in the NL West with a 24-31 record. Either way, the Padres know they play on the West Coast tomorrow. Having already "won the series," they may have the long trip home on the back of their minds.

Note that the Padres are still just 9-24 when playing in the evening.

The pitching matchup of Richard vs. Hanson figures to strongly favor the Braves. Richard is 2-5 with a 4.42 ERA and 1.424 WHIP. The Padres are a money-burning 3-8 (-5.3) in his starts. Take him away from pitcher-friendly Petco Park and his ERA jumps all the way up to 6.00 with a WHIP of 1.545. He's averaging just 5.5 innings in his six road starts and has only 18 K's with 15 walks. Five of his six home runs allowed have come on the road.

On the other hand, Hanson checks in with a 2.80 ERA and 1.072 WHIP. Clearly, he's been much better than his 5-4 record indicates. At home, his numbers dip to an ERA of 2.29 and a WHIIP of 1.019. In six starts here, he's allowed only two home runs and has an impressive 38 K's (only 12 walks) in 35 1/3 innings.

In addition to being the much better pitcher so far this season, Hanson has also had far more success against today's opponent than Richard. Hanson is 3-0 with a superb 1.78 ERA in four starts vs.

San Diego. In his last start against the Padres, he allowed just four hits through seven shutout innings, striking out 10 and walking one. The Braves won 7-0.

On the other hand, Richard is 0-3 with a terrible 7.91 ERA and 2.193 WHIP in three starts vs. Atlanta. The Braves won those three games by a combined score of 23-2, including a 6-1 blowout win when

Hanson and Richard went head-to-head last season. I expect Hanson to again get the better or Richard and for the Braves to bounce back and avoid the sweep. *10

I'm playing on TORONTO. The Indians won yesterday's game. The Jays still closed out May as the "hotter" team though, as they won four of their last five. Even with a win yesterday, the Indians have still dropped five of seven. I expect the Jays to bounce back and close out the homestand with a victory.

Drabek is again in excellent forum and he's typically very tough against teams which haven't faced him before, which is the case here. Drabek has a 2.75 ERA his last three starts, all of them of the "quality" variety. Last time out, he limited the White Sox to three hits through 8 2/3 innings. The Jays are a profitable 8-3 in his starts overall.

Admittedly, Tomlin has been very good overall this season. I successfully played against the Indians in his last start though, stating the following: "...Note that Tomlin doesn't strike out that many batters and that he had a 4.56 ERA last season. Like the Indians, I expect him to start to come back down to earth...." Tomlin proceeded to give up 10 hits, two of them home runs, in six innings. The Indians didn't give him any run support (lost 5-0) in that game and I don't expect him to get much here either.

The Indians' bullpen has been good. The Jays bullpen has been even better. The Indians offense averages 4.2 (.250 avg) runs per game on the road. The Jays average 5.1 (.271 avg) runs per game at home.

The Indians are 20-28 (-5.7) as road underdogs in the +100 to +125 range the past few seasons. During that stretch, the Jays are 35-21 (+11.7) as home favorites of -125 or less. Behind another quality start from Drabek, I expect the Jays to improve on those stats here. *10

I'm playing on OAKLAND. Its true that the Yankees have dominated the A's in recent seasons. Its also true that they won yesterday's series opener. That said, I feel that the A's will have an advantage on the mound tonight and I look for them to bounce back and snap a long skid vs. New York.

The A's are well aware of their recent history with New York and are extremely motivated to beat the Yankees. When asked of yesterday's loss and the A's overall futility vs. New York, Oakland second baseman Mark Ellis responded: "All I can say is we have two more games in this series..

Anderson delivered an absolute gem last time out. He held the Angels to three hits through eight shutout innings. The A's won 4-3. That gives him an outstanding 1.83 ERA and 1.068 WHIP his last three starts. The A's were 2-1 (+1) in those games.

Anderson has only made one home start vs the Yankees. The A's lost that one 3-2 but Anderson was solid, delivering a quality start. I expect him to get better run support here.

Garcia, 6-7 with a 5.30 ERA in 21 starts against the A's, is up in place of the injured Phil Hughes. He's been solid, arguably more so than his 3-4 record indicates. That said, he hasn't been quite as good as Anderson of late. He's 1-2 with a 4.34 ERA his last three starts.

While the Yankees won yesterday afternoon's game, they're just 16-20 (-11.8) when playing at night. The A's have still won five of their last seven. Behind another solid effort from Anderson, I look for them to bounce back and close the month with a victory. *10

I'm playing on TORONTO. Not too long ago, with a tough stretch against teams from the AL East coming up, I suggested that Cleveland was ready to "come back to earth." That's proven accurate, thus far. In fact, with yesterday's 11-1 "blowout" loss, the Indians have now lost five of their last six. They've been outscored by an 18-1 mark their past two games and by a 41-5 margin over the five losses. On the other hand, the Jays are rolling. With yesterday's big win, Toronto has now won four straight. Over that 4-game stretch, the Jays have outscored opponents by a whopping 37-15 margin. I feel that the much "hotter" home team will have the advantage again this evening.

Morrow gets the call for the Jays. Last time out, he put it all together, holding the White Sox to one run on four hits, through seven innings. The fact that Morrow has 48 K's in 39 innings shows what kind of dominating stuff he possesses.

While Morrow is coming off a gem, Talbot got rocked last time out, contributing to one of Cleveland's recent blowout losses. Indeed, he gave up 12 hits, while walking two and striking out only one, and eight runs, in only three innings.

While Talbot isn't probably as bad as that start suggests, keep in mind that this is still his second appearance since missing more than a month with an elbow strain. Also, keep in mind that he's below .500 for his career with a 4.88 ERA and 1.59 WHIP. Not very impressive.

In his lone start vs. the Jays, he gave up three home runs, to go along with four walks. Considering that Morrow has only given up one home run all season, Talbot could well be outclassed again here.

The Indians are just 12-23 (-9.2) the past few seasons, when having given up double-digits in runs in their previous game. During that stretch, the Jays are 15-6 (+5.2) when listed as home favorites in the -150 to -175 range. With Morrow getting the better of Talbot, I expect them to improve on those stats here. *3

I'm playing on the NY METS. I like how this one sets up for the home team. The Mets snapped a losing streak yesterday, closing out their series with the Phillies with a convincing 9-5 victory, banging out 17 hits in the process. Now, they can carry some positive momentum into this series. Of course, "stepping down in class" to face Pittsburgh, which they have dominated, shouldn't hurt either.

After yesterday's game, New York manager Terry Collins had this to say: "It was certainly a bust-out game for us offensively that we needed desperately. I just saw a more relaxed atmosphere."

The Pirates saw a small 2-game winning streak come to an end yesterday, as they failed to sweep the Cubs. They scored two runs in the 1st inning but didn't score another one the rest of the way, and lost 3-2. They only managed five hits the entire way. Even though the distance between Chicago and New York isn't great, the fact that yesterday's game at Wrigley was delayed by more than 2 1/2 hours, made for an extra long and frustrating afternoon, for the Pirates. It also dropped them to 54-135 (-48.3) on the road, the past few seasons!


Admittedly, Morton has been pitching very well. He's not quite as good away from Pittsburgh. For the season, he's got a solid 3.15 ERA and 1.369 on the road. Pretty impressive for a guy who was 2-12 with a 7.57 ERA last season. However, a closer look reveals that he's got 17 K's and 17 walks in those games (not very impressive) and that his road numbers aren't nearly as good as Dillon Gee's home stats.

Indeed, in three starts here, Gee has gone 2-0 with a super 1.89 ERA and 1.105 WHIP.

Also, note that Gee will have the advantage of starting against Pittsburgh for the first time, while the Mets have seen Morton last season. In that start, Morton lasted just five innings and gave up five hits and walked four, striking out only one. He was fortunate to only allow two runs, as evidenced by the high 1.80 WHIP. Still, the Mets won 6-2.

Overall, the Mets are a perfect 6-0 in Gee's six starts. Speaking of "perfect," they're also a perfect 7-0 the last seven times that they hosted the Pirates, winning by a combined score of 49-18. I expect the Mets to continue that dominance for another day. *10

I'm playing on Cleveland and Toronto to finish UNDER the total. After a hot start, the Indians bats have cooled off recently. Indeed, they're hitting less than .230 as a team the last six games, scoring only 14 combined runs. That's an average of only 2.33 runs per game. Yesterday, they were blanked completely, losing 7-0 to Tampa Bay. That's significant as we find the UNDER at 61-35-10 the last 106 times that the Indians were off a shutout loss. That includes a profitable 17-6-5 UNDER mark their last 28 in that situation.

Reyes doesn't have great overall numbers. However, he was very tough in his last start here at Toronto. Facing a struggling Cleveland offense, I feel he'll perform capably again today. In that outing, Reyes allowed just five hits through seven shutout innings, striking out seven while walking only one. In four starts here, he's got 17 K's with only four walks, allowing just one home run in those games.

Reyes, who will have the advantage of facing Cleveland for the first time and who should be highly motivated to finally earn a victory, has the support of a Toronto bullpen which has a stellar 2.65 combined ERA and 1.145 WHIP home.

Carmona allowed four runs last time out, losing 4-2. That's more runs than he would have liked to allowed. However, a closer look at the numbers show some really positive signs. Not only did he pitch eight complete innings, but he held the Red Sox to just five hits. He also had 7 K's with only one walk.

Carmona should be happy to see the Jays. He's 3-0 with a 3.21 ERA in five starts against Toronto. He rarely receives much run support though, as the Indians are providing him with just 3.21 runs per game this season.

The UNDER is 10-6 when the Jays have played a game with an O/U line of eight or 8.5 this season. That includes a 6-4 mark here at Toronto. I expect those stats to improve here, as this one proves lower-scoring than many will be expecting. *10

I'm playing on ATLANTA. After the Reds grabbed Friday's series opener, the Braves bounced back with a 7-6 victory, in 12 innings, yesterday. I feel that result will favor the Braves and I look for them to follow it up with another win tonight.

The Braves jumped out to a 5-0 lead yesterday, only to see the Reds tie the game with five runs in the top of the 4th. Both teams scored one in the 5th and the game stayed tied 6-6 the rest of the way, right up until the bottom of the 12th.

Having blown the lead, a loss in that game could well have had a negative effect on the Braves. However, the fact that they managed the win should allow them to carry the positive momentum/energy into tonight's contest.

On the other hand, that loss figures to be rather deflating for the Reds, as they battled all the way back only to lose.

From a scheduling perspective, the 12 inning game also figures to hurt the Reds more. Prior to this series, the Braves had a day off. On the other hand, the Reds haven't had a day off in ages and played a 19-inning marathon vs. the Phillies, less than a week ago.

Even Dusty Baker acknowledged: "We're beat up right now. That 19-inning game, you're still seeing the effects of that."

While the Reds are now 2-9 their last 11, the Braves have now won 11 of their last 15 at home.

Cueto has admittedly been pretty good. That said, he's only made four starts and 15 K's with 8 walks isn't particularly impressive.

Jurrjens has made twice as many starts (8) and has even better numbers. In fact, he's 6-1 with a superb 1.56 ERA. While he has yet to beat the Reds, he did deliver a "quality start" (3 runs in 7 innings) in his lone home start against them.

Since that time, the Braves are 13-3 in Jurrjens' 16 home starts. He allowed three earned runs or less in all but two of those starts. That includes a 3-0 mark here this season. All things considered, I feel that the price is more than fair. *10

I'm playing on CHICAGO. After a 4-2 loss in Friday's series opener, the Cubs were embarrassed by a score of 10-0 yesterday. Off that humbling setback, today, I expect them to bounce back and avoid the sweep.

The Cubs are a profitable 19-13 the past few seasons, when off a double-digit loss in their previous game. Most recently, after losing 15-5 on 5/20, they bounced back with a 9-3 "upset" victory at Fenway, on 5/21. Including that result, the Cubs are a perfect 4-0 the last four times that they were off a loss of 10 or more runs.

Both starters have poor overall stats but both pitched well last time out. Pitching at home, Dempster limited the Mets to one run through seven complete innings. The Cubs won 11-1. Meanwhile, also pitching at home, Karstens held the Tigers to one run through six complete innings, en route to a 10-1 Pirates' victory.

Unfortunately, for Karstens, today's game isn't at Pittsburgh. He's made three road starts so far this season and has gone 0-1 with a terrible 6.75 ERA and 1.725 WHIP. Lasting just 13 1/3 combined innings in those three road starts, Karstens allowed a whopping six home runs! (Dempster has allowed 6 HRs at home, but has pitched 39 1/3 innings and made 6 starts)

The Cubs are 3-0 in Dempster's last three starts, winning by a combined score of 29-10. They're also 6-1 (+4.8) the last seven times that they were listed as home favorites in the -125 to -150 range. Having been embarrassed yesterday, I expect them to bounce back with a big effort and for them to improve on those stats this afternoon. *10

I'm playing on TAMPA. After the Rays won Friday's opener, the Indians bounced back with a victory yesterday. This afternoon, I expect it to be the Rays which bounce back and close out the series with a victory.

Both starting pitchers have excellent numbers. Masterson's overall numbers (2.50 ERA and 1.171 WHIP) are slightly better than Hellickson's 3.14 ERA and 1.238 WHIP. However, Hellickson's 2.14 ERA and 1.00 WHIP his last three starts are superior to Masterson's 3.37 ERA and 1.172 WHIP over his last three.

While the numbers are fairly similar, I expect Hellickson to have one significant advantage - he'll be starting against Cleveland for the first time, so the Indians are unfamiliar with him.

On the the other hand, Masterson is 1-4 (team is 1-5) with an an ugly 6.62 ERA and 1.613 WHIP in six career starts vs. the Rays. He just faced them on 5/12 and got rocked for five runs in 5 2/3 innings. It could have even been worse, as he gave up eight hits and walked four.

While they didn't win yesterday, the Rays saw Longoria go 2 for 4 with a solo homerun. He'd been slumping, so that's good news for the offense.

In his last start here, Hellickson tossed a complete-game 4-hit shutout. Last start notwithstanding, he's typically received a lot of run support. I expect that to be the case again this afternoon as the Rays bounce back and improve to 29-17 (+5.3) the past few seasons, when listed as home favorites in the -125 to -150 range. *10

I'm playing on SEATTLE. The Mariners won yesterday's series opener and have quietly put together an impressive run. In fact, they're now 8-1 their last nine games. With the reigning AL Cy Young Award Winner on the mound, I expect them to keep on rolling for at least another night.

Winning builds confidence and the M's are "feeling good" right now. As Seattle reliever David Pauley noted: "The way we've been playing lately we've been getting the breaks, we've been getting the big plays, the big hits. It's just rolling. We're playing well, we're playing together as a team and it's the little things that are making a big difference."

Hernandez checks in with a solid 3.01 ERA and 1.094 WHIP. He's got 77 K's in 77 innings, walking 21. He averages 7 2/3 innings here at home and the M's have gone 3-1 (+1.2) in his four starts here. Last time out, he was in top form. He allowed just one run in eight complete innings, striking out 13 and walking 0. He got the "W," the M's won by a score of 6-1. Note that he hasn't allowed a home run his last three games.

Nova's ERA (4.29) is "respectable." However, his WHIP (1.551) is on the high side. Additionally, his recent numbers have been poor. Over his last three starts, he's got a 4.80 ERA. That could be even worse, as his WHIP over that stretch is an ugly 2.00. (That means he's allowing two baserunners per inning, which won't cut it against "King Felix.")

Of course, the Yankees know all about how much Hernandez can dominate. In fact, Hernandez has a 0.51 ERA his last four starts against them - perhaps auditioning for a future big payday? The Mariners were 4-0 in those four games with Felix recording 34 K's in 35 innings. He allowed just two earned runs and Seattle won those games by a combined score of 20-3!

Due in large part to Hernandez's dominance, the M's are an impressive 18-8 (+10.6) the last 26 times that they played a game with an O/U line of seven or less. Behind another quality effort from their ace, I expect them to improve on those stats tonight. *10

I'm playing on HOUSTON. The Diamondbacks rallied for a comeback victory (7-6) in yesterday's series opener. Today, however, I expect the Astros to have the advantage.

Having returned from the disabled list, Duke will be making his first start of the season and first start as a member of the Dbax. That's not necessarily good news for Arizona though. Indeed, Duke was just 8-15 with an awful 5.72 ERA for Pittsburgh last season. Going back further finds him at a dismal 27-53 the past four seasons. He hasn't had an ERA below four since 2005. Note that Duke pitched 5 1/3 innings in his final rehab start at Triple-AAA Reno, on Monday. He allowed five runs on seven hits in that game, so wasn't exactly dominant.

Also, note that Duke is 0-2 with a 4.38 ERA in four starts (five total outings) at Minute Maid Park.

Rodriguez was supposed to go for the Astros but he got scratched. That would have likely been "fine" for Houston, as Rodriguez has pitched well recently. However, I also feel that Bud Norris should be able to "take care of business."

Through 10 starts, Norris has a fairly respectable 3.77 ERA. However, that only tells part of the story. A closer look reveals that he's been terrible on the road but excellent here at home. In four road starts, he's 0-3 with a 6.55 ERA. Opposing hitters are batting a whopping .330 in those games. On the other hand, in six home starts, he's gone 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA. Opposing hitters are batting a mere .196 in those games. Norris has struggled vs. the Dbax but he's only ever pitched one inning against them here at Houston, back in 2009 - his last two starts against them came at Arizona. And, we've seen he's pitched very well here this season.

While they've been rolling recently, most of their success has come at home. The Dbax are still below .500 on the road, including a money-burning 2-8 (-5.6) mark as road underdogs in the +100 to +125 range.

While Duke would love to make a "triumphant return," I expect it to be the Astros which bounce back and even up the series. *10 (Personal Favorite)

I'm playing on ATLANTA. I expect the Braves to have a number of advantages in this one. While they're fairly heavy favorites, I feel that the price could easily be much higher than it currently is. Lets check it out.

For starters, the Reds are 11-14 on the road. The Braves are 14-10 at home. The Braves are also currently playing better baseball. They've won three of four. The Reds have now dropped eight of nine.

In addition to having homefield advantage and being the "hotter" team, the Braves also have the schedule in their favor. While Atlanta had yesterday off, the Reds were busy getting thumped 10-4 by the Phillies. The Reds could have really used the day off too, as they were off a 19-inning marathon the previous day. That game ended at 1:19 am and then they had to play an early game the following day. The effects of those back to back losses still figure to "linger" here. Indeed, the Reds will now be playing their 15th game in 15 days.

After facing the likes of Hamels, Halladay and Lee at Philadelphia, the last thing the Reds needed was to see Tommy Hanson to start this series. Hanson checks in with a 4-0 record and a sparkling 2.09 ERA (44 K's) over his last six outings. In five home starts, Hanson is 3-1 with a superb 2.05 ERA and 0.946 WHIP. In his last game here, he allowed just three hits and one earned run through seven complete innings. He had 10 K's and 1 walk and earned a 3-2 victory.

The Reds have been struggling offensively - no surprise, given some of the pitchers they faced. Bruce has continued to hit well for them though and has helped to carry the load. They may not be able to count on much from him here though. Not only is he hitless vs. Hanson, but he's 1 for 21 with 9 K's, his last six games against Atlanta overall.

Leake, on the other hand, hasn't started in the majors since 5/3. He got rocked for seven runs in 3 2/3 innings in that outing and sent back down to the minors. He's got an ugly 5.77 ERA in six starts this season. Note that Leake allowed eight runs over 7 1/3 innings in two appearances at Louisville. So, he wasn't exactly dominating down there either!

The Braves have been excellent as home favorites of this size. In fact, they're 39-19 (+8.1) the past few seasons, when listed as home favorites in the -150 to -175 range. That includes a 6-1 mark (+4.4) their last seven in that role. With Hanson getting the better of Leake, I expect them to pad those stats, starting the homestand with a solid victory. *10

I'm playing on TAMPA BAY. I played against the Rays in each of their three games at Detroit. I went 2-0 with those three plays. The third was rained out. That postponement wasn't so good for me, as I was already winning 2-0 with the Tigers. It did, however, provide Tampa with a little good fortune though. Additionally, the Rays got to follow it up with a day off yesterday. Now well-rested, back at home and facing a team which they have dominated here, I expect them to get back on track.

Its true that the Indians have gotten off to a very good start. They dropped the final two games of the Boston series by a combined score of 18-4 though. Those losses may well prove to be a sign of what's to come over the next week, as the Indians plays six more consecutive games against teams from the AL East.

Playing here at Tampa has not been kind to the Tribe the past few seasons. Indeed, the Indians are just 2-10 their last 12 visits here. That includes a 1-5 mark last season. Note that the Indians are also a money-burning 12-22 (-8.2) the past 34 times that they allowed double-digits in runs in their previous game.

While the Rays initially may seem "expensive," keep in mind that they were laying a minimum of -195 (and as much as -260) for all six games here last season. Perhaps more importantly, keep in mind that the Rays are an outstanding 71-26 (+28.9) the last 97 times that they were listed as home favorites in the -150 to -175 range.

Admittedly, Tomlin has pitched very well for the Indians. He wasn't particularly "dominant" against the Rays, at Cleveland, a few weeks ago though. That was his first start against Tampa and he gave up six hits and three runs in six innings, which translates to a 4.50 ERA. He didn't factor in the decision. Note that Tomlin doesn't strike out that many batters and that he had a 4.56 ERA last season. Like the Indians, I expect him to start to come back down to earth.

On the other hand, Price "dominated" the Indians at Cleveland this season. In fact, he snapped the Indians' 14-game home winning streak, allowing just two runs on five hits, through eight complete innings. Price had 7 K's and 0 walks in that game. He's now 3-0 with a stellar 2.59 ERA in four starts against Cleveland. Tampa won the 5/11 game by a score of 8-2. The Rays have won Price's last three starts vs. the Indians by a combined score of 20-7.

The Rays are 13-7 in Price's last 20 home starts, including 3-1 his last four here. He threw shutouts of eight or more innings in two of his last four starts here.

The Rays, 6-2 their last eight home games against AL Central teams, can't afford to fall further behind in the ultra-competitive AL East. Behind another strong effort from Price, I expect them to start the series with a victory. *10

I'm playing on COLORADO. The Diamonds are off back to back wins and have taken two of the first three meetings. Today, however, I expect the Rockies to bounce back and salvage the series split.

I successfully played against the Rockies in Mortenson's last start. However, even though Colorado lost (3-2) Mortensen still pitched well. He allowed just five hits and two earned runs through 6 2/3 innings. In six outings this season (3 starts) he now has an excellent 2.17 ERA and 1.034 WHIP.

Manager Jim Tracy said this of Mortensen: "He's been nothing short of terrific."

I played against the Rockies in Mortensen's last start in large part because I didn't expect Mortensen to get much run support. I don't feel that will be much of an issue here though. Not only do the Rockies hit better at home than they do on the road, but they'll be facing a pitcher making just his second start since 2009.

Owings spent all of last season as a reliever for the Reds. He wasn't effective. In 22 appearances, he had an ugly 5.40 ERA and 1.59 WHIP. The previous season, in 2009, he had 26 appearances, 19 of them starts. He was 7-12 with a 5.34 ERA and 1.59 WHIP. In the offseason, he signed a minor-league deal to return to the Diamondbacks organization. He made this season's first appearance with Arizona on 5/21 and proceeded to give up four runs (3 earned) in just 5 1/3 innings. During that stretch, he gave up seven hits, two of them home runs. That was against a Minnesota team which has really struggled, too.

While they did manage a 2-1 victory yesterday, the Dbax entered Wednesday's action hitting only .224 and averaging only 3.4 runs per game on the road. The Rockies, on the other hand, entered yesterday's action averaging 5.0 runs per game at home, hitting .255.

Note that the Dabx are a money-burning 21-36 (-9.3) the past few seasons, when playing a road game with an O/U line of nine or 9.5. During the same stretch, the Rockies are a lucrative 61-30 (+16) when playing a home game with an O/U line of nine or 9.5. With Mortensen getting the better of Owings, I look for the Rockies to improve on those stats here. *10

I'm playing on Chicago and Toronto to finish UNDER the total. The Jays saw all three of their games against the Yankees finish above the total. They're back home now though where three of their last four have finished below the number. I expect a well pitched affair.

Humber has been quite tough for the White Sox. Indeed, in eight starts, he's got an excellent 2.86 ERA and 0.894 WHIP. He hasn't gotten much run support though and as a result the UNDER has gone a highly profitable 7-1 in his eight starts, including a perfect 4-0 in his four road starts. I feel that lack of run support may well again be an issue for Humber here.

The White Sox are averaging a mere 3.6 runs, when playing during the evening, hitting only .236 in those games. Today, they'll face Brandon Morrow. Morrow's numbers admittedly aren't that great yet. However, he's got excellent stuff and is a very highly capable pitcher. The fact that he's got 43 K's in 32 innings shows how dominant he can be. I like that he's only allowed one home run in his six starts, none in his last three.

While the White Sox relievers have a "respectable" 3.89 ERA on the road, the Jays relievers have an excellent 2.83 ERA at home.

While the Sox have struggled to score during the evening, the Jays are hitting a mere .241 vs. right-handers, averaging only 4.2 runs. Those numbers are down considerably from their stats vs. southpaws.

The Sox have seen the UNDER go 27-17-2 the past few seasons, when listed as road underdogs in the +125 to +150 range. That includes a 3-1-1 UNDER mark their last five in that role. During that stretch, the Jays have seen the UNDER go 3-0 when listed as home favorites in the -125 to -150 range. I expect those numbers to get even better after tonight. *10

I'm playing on Washington and Milwaukee to finish UNDER the total. The first two games of this series have each finished above the total, averaging 13.5 runs. I expect a much lower-scoring contest this afternoon.

For starters, note that neither team has hit particularly well during the afternoon. The Nationals, who rarely hit well no matter what the time of day, are hitting only .224 and averaging 3.6 runs, when playing during the afternoon. The Brewers are batting a mediocre .256 while averaging 4.2 runs during the day, stats which are down from their overall numbers at home.

Greinke gets the call. His overall numbers aren't admittedly that great yet. However, his K/W ratio is outstanding (In 21 2/3 innings over four starts, he's struck out 29 while walking only two!) and I believe its only a matter of time before he starts to really shine. Last time out, while he did allow four runs, he had 9 K's and 0 walks. Clearly, he's still capable of dominating hitters.

Facing Washington for the first time should provide an excellent opportunity to do just that. Note that Greinke did once face the Expos (back in 2004) and that he tossed seven shutout innings, allowing only three hits and 0 walks.

Marquis wasn't great last time out but had previously been off back to back quality starts. He faced the Brewers once already this season. In that 4/17 game, he allowed just two runs through seven complete innings, outpitching Gallardo.

Note that Marquis has been better during the afternoon than at night, both this season and during his career. Also, note that he's got a stellar 2.23 ERA in five career starts at Miller Park. I expect a well-pitched affair. *10

I'm playing on Minnesota and Seattle to finish UNDER the total. Yesterday's series opener was "over" by the bottom of the fourth inning. With both starting pitchers currently in excellent form. I'm expect a much lower-scoring affair this evening. (*I also feel that the O/U, which has now climbed from 7.5 to 8 at some shops, is providing us with very fair value.)

While the bats came alive yesterday, keep in mind that the Mariners entered this series hitting a mere .230 and averaging 3.5 runs per game. Not to be outdone, the Twins entered the series averaging 3.4 runs per game, hitting only .232.

Fister goes for Seattle. He's gone eight innings in each of his last two starts, allowing a total of three earned runs in that span.

Unfortunately, for Fister, the Mariners rarely provide him with any run support. That was the case last season and it has been again fairly regularly this season. He last start finished with a score of 2-1. Note that Fister also has a very respectable 3.66 ERA in three career matchups against Minnesota.

With Blackburn on the mound, Fister likely won't get that much help here tonight either. Blackburn has been very solid for the season and he's got a superb 1.71 ERA his last three starts 2-0 and has an even better 1.63 ERA in four starts this month. Last time out, he gave up just one run and five hits through seven complete innings.

Blackburn is also 2-1 with a 3.13 ERA in six career matchups against the Mariners and he held them to only two hits over 8 2/3 shutout innings in his last start against them. Coincidentally, Fister was the opposing pitcher that day. Fister allowed only one run through seven innings - but got no run support - and the final score finished at 1-0. I expect another well-pitched game. *10

I'm playing on PHILADELPHIA. The Phillies are relatively high priced favorites here. However, given how many advantages they should enjoy, I feel that the price could easily be higher. Lets take a closer look.

For starters, the Phillies are currently playing better baseball. Even with a loss yesterday, they've still won two of three and three of five. On the other hand, the Reds have now lost five straight.

Next, the game is being played at Philadelphia. Naturally, that favors the home team. The Reds are 10-11 on the road. The Phillies are 16-9 here at Citizens Bank Park.

The Phillies have also owned the Reds here. In fact, they've won eight straight home games in the series. The Phillies have shut out the Reds in four of the last five overall, winning seven straight.

Additionally, the Phillies have a better starting pitcher and also one who is currently in better current form. Hamels allowed one run in eight complete innings last time out, winning 2-1. For the season, he's 5-2 with a 2.92 ERA. Conversely, Arroyo allowed five runs last time out, losing 5-0. For the season, he's 3-4 with a 4.11 ERA.

Over his last three starts, Arroyo has 10 K's and 3 walks. By comparison, Hamels has 24 K's with just 3 walks in his last three starts.

Also, note that Hamels has also been MUCH better against today's opponent. In fact, he's dominated the Reds while Arroyo has been pounded by the Phillies.

Hamels has allowed only one run in 23 2/3 innings in winning all three of his career home starts against the Reds. That's a 0.38 ERA! The Phillies won those three games by a combined score of 28-1! Overall, Hamels is 7-0 (Phillies are 8-0) with a 0.90 ERA and 0.855 WHIP vs. the Reds.

On the other hand, Arroyo is 1-5 with a 5.32 ERA vs. the Phillies. That includes an awful 8.10 ERA in his last four regular-season starts against Philadelphia, Arroyo taking the loss in each.

Not that they should need any more help, given Hamels' dominance of the Reds, but the Phillies are expecting to get Chase Utley back here, which can only help the offense. Even if he doesn't immediately return and go 3 for 4, his presence alone can provide a boost.

As Raul Ibanez noted of Utley's return: "It's not only what he does for you on the field, but what he does in the clubhouse. It's a big boost for us."

I expect Hamels to get the better of Arroyo and for the Phillies to continue their domination in this series - and all things considered, I feel the price is more than reasonable. *10

I'm playing on BOSTON. The Red Sox entered the series on a big winning streak and they won Friday's opener by a score of 15-5. Yesterday, the Cubs scored eight runs in the eighth inning, en route to earning a 9-3 victory and evening up the series. Tonight, however, I expect the Red Sox to bounce right back and resume their winning ways.

Now 7-1 their last eight, the Red Sox send veteran Tim Wakefield to the mound. Wakefield's numbers (0-1, 5.40 ERA) admittedly aren't very good and he's only made two starts. One was good. The other wasn't.

Wakefield still knows how to pitch though and he typically fares well against National League opponents, who aren't as familiar with his knuckleball. Note that Wakefield is 3-1 with a 3.81 ERA in five career starts against the Cubs and that he's 9-4 against National League opponents over the past five years.

Note that Chicago's Marlon Byrd, who is 4 for 8 lifetime against Wakefield, isn't expected to play, after getting hit by a pitch yesterday. He was replaced by Reed Johnson yesterday - Johnson is 2 for 18 vs. Wakefield.

Wakefield should get some solid run support. For starters, he's backed by a Boston lineup which is averaging 6.28 runs per game, its last seven games.

More importantly, the Cubs' pitching situation is a real mess right now. Already dealing with some injury issues, the Cubs will now be without Garza tonight. That means James Russell is expected to get the "spot start."

Garza was quoted as saying: "I haven't missed a start for anything. This is a first. It stinks. I feel like I let my team down..."

As for Russell, he's 0-4 with a horrific 10.05 ERA in four starts this season. He never lasted through the fifth inning in any of them. Note that the Cubs have lost Russell's two road starts by a combined score of 16-4.

Making matters worse, Russell just pitched three innings out of the bullpen on Friday night!

Even with yesterday's result, the Cubs are still 15-20 in IL play the past few seasons while the Red Sox are still 25-13, during the same stretch. I expect the Sox to bounce right back, improving on those numbers and closing out the series and weekend with a convincing victory. *10

I'm playing on Minnesota and Arizona to finish UNDER the total. The first two games of this series have both finished above the total. In fact, each produced 15 combined runs. However, with a pair of red hot pitchers on the mound, I don't even expect half that many runs in this afternoon's finale.

Hudson takes the mound for Arizona. I was 2-0 in his last start, successfully playing on both Arizona and the "under." Hudson rewarded my trust by allowing just one run through seven complete innings. That gives him a 1.74 ERA his last three starts, all of which stayed below the total. They had scores of 6-1, 3-2 and 6-0. That brings the UNDER to a profitable 7-2 in his nine starts this season.

Liriano's overall numbers remain poor. However, that's due to a slow start. Lately, he's been "on fire." Last time out, pitching at Seattle, he outpitched Feliz Hernandez. Liriano had 9 K's and only one walk and allowed a mere three hits and one run, through seven complete innings. The final score was 2-1. In his previous road start, he threw a "no hitter," earning a 1-0 win at Chicago. Including that result, the UNDER is a perfect 5-0 in his road starts.

The Twins are still only batting .221 on the road and just .229 vs. right-handers. Meanwhile, Arizona is batting just .238 vs. southpaw starters.

Hudson's lone start (back in 2009) vs. Minnesota stayed below the total while Liriano will have the advantage of starting against Arizona for the first time. I expect a well-pitched affair. *10

I'm playing on PHILADELPHIA. I won with the Phillies yesterday and I'm coming right back with them again today.

Cliff Lee gets the call for the Phillies. As you probably remember, Lee helped the Rangers get all the way to the World Series last year, but then left for Philadelphia in the offseason.

Naturally, the Rangers would like to beat Lee. Even Lee noted: "You want to try to beat everyone, especially the guy who didn't come back to your team."

Lee figures to be highly motivated himself though, too. With the game being played here at Philadelphia, I expect the Phillies to again have the advantage.

Including yesterday's result, the Rangers are 8-13 on the road. The Phillies, on the other hand, are 15-8 at home.

Like Lee, Colby Lewis can be very tough. While he's off a great start, note that Lewis has a 2.34 ERA during the day but just a 4.08 ERA during the evening. Lewis is backed by a Texas offense that's hitting only .238 and averaging only 3.7 runs on the road though. Also, while the Phillies bullpen has a combined 2.78 ERA, the Texas relievers have a combined 4.23 ERA.

Lee has made seven home starts since last September, three with Texas and four with Philadelphia. ALL seven were of the quality variety. Facing his former team, I expect him to rise to the occasion and deliver another quality outing and for that to lead to another Phillies victory. *10

I'm playing on Cincinnati and Cleveland to finish UNDER the total. Eleven of the last 19 games in this series have fallen below the number. The UNDER is also 10-6 the last 16 times that the Reds played here at Cleveland. I expect this year's first meeting to also result in a well-pitched affair.

The Indians have hit well so far this season and they began the week by scoring a ton of runs vs. the Royals. However, their bats cooled off significantly the past couple of days. In fact, the Indians only managed two total runs in the two games vs. Chicago. Now, in addition to the fact that they're dealing with some injuries to their offense, the Indians will be facing a red hot pitcher - and seeing him for the first time.

Travis Wood gets the call and he's 2-0 with a superb 1.93 ERA in three May starts. In his last road start, Wood tossed 6 2/3 shutout innings at Houston. He had 6 K's and only walked one batter. Wood earned the "W," in a 6-1 Cincinnati victory, a game which stayed below the total. Overall Wood has been very solid on the road, far better than he has been at home. Also, note that he's only allowed one home run in four road starts, a span of 24 2/3 innings.

Alex White goes for Cleveland. He's only made two starts but both have been of the "quality" variety. Those games finished with scores of 4-3 and 3-2. While will face a Reds' lineup which has also struggled the past couple of days. Cincy hit a mere .219 while losing back-to-back games vs. Pittsburgh. The Reds scored just three combined runs in the series.

Now the Reds take to the road, where they're hitting only .244 as a team. The UNDER is already 4-1-1 in their May road games (average of 6.7 runs per game) and I look for those stats to improve here. *10

I'm playing on LA and San Francisco to finish UNDER the total. Yesterday's series opener saw 13 runs scored, an 8-5 victory for the Giants. Given the current form of the starters, I don't expect to see even half that many this evening.

Billingsley checks in for the Dodgers. His last start resulted in a 1-0 loss. His previous two starts both resulted in 4-1 losses. That certainly hasn't been Billingsley's fault though. Indeed, he's posted a 1.64 ERA and 0.864 WHIP during that stretch. Two of those games came here at LA, which gives him an outstanding 1.24 ERA and 0.655 WHIP here in four starts this season. Those games averaged just four combined runs!

The UNDER is now 6-0-1 in Billingsley's last seven home starts, dating back to the beginning of last September.

Note that Billingsley also has a 5-1 record and 2.56 ERA in eight career starts vs. the Giants here at Dodger Stadium. The UNDER is 4-1-1 the last six of those.

Unfortunately for Billingsley, he's unlikely to get much run support again tonight.

Bumgarner goes for the Giants and he's got a superb 1.80 ERA his last four starts, allowing just five earned runs in 25 innings. He hasn't gotten any run support either though and the UNDER is 4-1 his last five starts, all of which were of the "quality" variety.

Note that Bumgarner's lone start at Dodger Stadium stayed below the total. He allowed one earned run in 5 2/3 innings.

While an O/U line of 6.5 is low, note that the Dodgers entered the series averaging only 2.7 runs per game at home, hitting a mere .235, while the Giants entered the series averaging just 3.7 on the road, hitting .239.

Even with yesterday's result, the Giants have still seen the UNDER go 14-9-2 when playing in the evening. I expect another well-pitched affair. *10

I'm playing on TORONTO. The Rays grabbed yesterday's series opener and they've admittedly played very well on the road. I expect the Jays to have the advantage in this evening's series "finale" though. I respect both starting pitchers and both are very capable. However, the Jays' starter was much better last time out.

Romero gets the call and he's off an outstanding start, his best of the season. He had a no-hitter much of the way and finished by allowing just four hits through 8 2/3 shutout innings. He had 8 K's and the Jays won 2-0.

Davis, on the other hand, wasn't so great last time out. He allowed four runs and lasted just 5 2/3 innings. He gave up seven hits (2 HRs) and issued three walks, while only striking out three.

The Jays are a respectable 22-15 (+1.2) the past few seasons, as home favorites in the -125 to -150 range. The Rays were 18-19 as road underdogs in the +100 to +125 range. Going back further finds them at a money-burning 83-117 (-24.6) their last 200 in that role.

The Jays have really struggled during the afternoon but remain a terrific 16-8 (+11) when playing during the evening. They desperately want to "stay in the race" and to avoid falling below .500. Behind another big game from Romero, I look for them to do just that. *10

I'm playing on Chicago and Cleveland to finish UNDER the total. The Indians have been on quite the "over" roll. However, I expect that streak to come to an end for tonight's opener at Chicago.

Masterson gets the call. He's off a rare rough outing, taking a loss vs. Tampa Bay. I believe that we can cut him a bit of slack though, as he was 5-0 with a 2.11 ERA before that. He's still 2-0 with a very impressive 1.86 ERA in three road starts this season, two of which stayed below the total. Note that he didn't allow a single home run in any of those three games. In fact, he's only allowed one home run in all eight starts combined.

In addition to this season's outstanding stats, Masterson has also dominated the White Sox of late. In his last three starts in this series, he's allowed just three combined runs, one in each start. He was 2-0 with a spectacular 1.33 ERA in those games, the last two of which both stayed below the total.

Note that Masterson is also 1-0 with a stellar 1.84 ERA in three lifetime starts at U.S. Cellular Field.

Peavy gets the call for the White Sox. The one-time Padre ace made his first start last time out. While he gave up four runs, I felt he was solid and believe he can build on that effort. I liked the fact that he didn't walk a batter and didn't allow a home run, over six complete innings.

After that start, Peavy was quoted as saying: "I thought I had pretty good stuff tonight, and plenty of stuff to compete at this level and expect to win. I just didn't catch any breaks, but I'm as excited as I can be to go out there and compete with the boys."

With another low-scoring game here last night, the UNDER is now a lucrative 12-5-1 in games played here this season. Those games averaged less than eight runs (7.7) and I look for another relatively low-scoring affair here. *10

I'm playing on PHILADELPHIA. The Phillies were beaten by a tough left-handed starter yesterday. However, they're still a profitable 70-43 against southpaw starters the past few seasons. That includes a 9-2 record their last 11 against left-handed starters. They're also 13-4 against the Rockies the past few seasons, including 7-2 as a host. I expect them to have the edge in this evening's 'all southpaw' series opener.

True, Hamels did struggle in his only career start vs. the Rockies. However, that came back in 2009 and it was his very first start of the season - and it was at Coors Field. Since that time, he's continued to prove more than capable. In his last three home starts, all of which were of the "quality" variety, Hamels has allowed just six earned runs in 23 innings. That's a 2.35 ERA. During that stretch, he's got an impressive 22 K's to just four walks.

While the Phillies offense has admittedly struggled recently, I expect them to provide Hamels with some solid run support here.

De La Rosa checks in with a solid 5-1 record and he managed a win in his last start. However, he didn't "deserve" the "W" as he gave up five runs on nine hits in just 5 2/3 innings of work. Afterwards, he was quoted as saying: "I was not so good today..." Now, he faces a

Philadelphia team which crushed him in the past. Indeed, he's 0-3 with an awful 11.34 ERA and 2.04 WHIP in four starts vs. the Phillies. That includes a 12.46 ERA his last three starts against the Phillies.

In fact, in two lifetime starts here at Citizen's Bank Park, De La Rosa has allowed 14 runs in 8 1/3 innings. That translates to a 15.12 ERA! The Phillies won each of those games by a minimum of seven, 7-0 and 20-5!

While the Rockies may initially appear to offer good value at this price, keep in mind that they're an awful 16-28 (-6.4) the last 44 times that they were listed as road underdogs in the +125 to +150 range. Going back further finds them at a money-burning 115-204 (-46.7) their last 300+ in that situation.

I expect Hamels to be the better "southpaw" and for the Phillies to bounce back and start the series with a "statement" win. *10

I'm playing on the LA DODGERS. The Brewers took the opener of this 2-game series last night. Tonight, I look for the Dodgers to bounce back and avoid the "sweep."

Tonight' starting pitching matchup features Wolf vs. Kuroda. Both starters have shown flashes of brilliance. However, both have also struggled at times. That said, Kuroda has been a little more "consistent" and is coming off a much better outing, last time out. I expect him to follow it up with another quality effort here.

Two starts ago, Wolf gave up six runs in five innings, suffering a 6-0 loss. Last time out, Wolf was even worse. He gave up 12 hits and five runs in just 3 1/3 innings.

On the other hand, Kuroda was dominant in his last start. He allowed just three hits through seven shutout innings.

That prompted Mattingly to comment: "He can do pretty much what he wants with the baseball, if he's going."

He's had two tough outings. In his other six starts he's gone 4-1 with a superb 1.90 ERA.

Even with yesterday's victory, the Brewers are still just 7-15 on the road.

The Dodgers have enjoyed plenty of success vs. southpaw starters. The price is very reasonable and I look for them to bounce back with a much-needed victory here. *10

I'm playing on OAKLAND. The Angels took two of three from the A's at LA a few weeks ago. Tonight, I look for the A's to start off the series here at Oakland with a victory.

Admittedly, Pineiro has been pitching very well since coming off the disabled list. Its still a limited "sample size" though, as he's made just three starts, two on the road. Going back a bit further finds that he's not always very good away from home. The Angels are 1-1 in his road starts this season, but just 4-7 in his last 11 road starts, dating back to this time last season.

Over that 11-game road stretch, Pineiro has allowed 43 earned runs in 67 innings. That translates to a 5.78 ERA! Note that Pineiro walked four batters in his last road start.

The Angels bullpen has often been a team strength. That hasn't been the case lately though. LA relievers have an awful 7.36 ERA over the last seven games and have blown three saves in their last five chances.

Anderson has struggled in two starts vs. Texas. However, he has a superb 1.65 ERA in six starts against other opponents. In his last game here, Anderson tossed a complete game and allowed just two runs. He didn't walk a batter and didn't allow a home run.

While he doesn't always get much run support, Anderson is very tough here at home. A look at his last 17 starts here shows that he allowed three or fewer earned runs in 15 of them. In fact, he's allowed two or fewer earned runs in 15 of his last 20 starts here. Behind another quality outing from Anderson, I look for the A's to start the series with a victory. *10

I'm playing on ARIZONA. I successfully played on the Padres the last time that they faced Galarraga. However, that 5/6 matchup was being played at Petco Park. Also, the Padres had a starting pitcher going (Stauffer) who had a 1.83 ERA and 0.763 WHIP in his previous three starts. Tonight's game sets up much differently. Not only are the Padres now playing on the road, but they've also got a struggling starting pitcher on the mound.

After getting absolutely hammered last time out, Richard is now 0-3 with a terrible 6.43 ERA and 2.071 WHIP, his last three starts. He's got an even worse 7.97 ERA in four road starts.

In addition to the fact that he was on the road and facing a red hot pitcher, one of the reasons that I played against Galarraga in the 5/6 game was that he'd been giving up a lot of home runs. However, he's managed to improve in that area since, as he's allowed just one "long ball" the past two games. While his numbers still aren't great - they're better than Richard's road numbers - and he's showing signs of coming around. In his last home start, Galarraga allowed three runs through seven complete innings.

The Diamondbacks won 6-5 here last August (8/7) when facing Richard. The Padres' starter lasted just 3 2/3 innings and gave up five runs. Including that result, the Diamondbacks are a commanding 15-5 the last 20 times that they were a host in this series. I expect them to improve on those stats here. *10

I'm playing on Toronto and Detroit to finish UNDER the total. The Tigers saw yesterday's finale against the Royals postponed. That's tough luck for the Jays as it means that they'll have to face Max Scherzer this evening. Not only has Scherzer been excellent vs. Toronto, but he's been practically unhittable at home this season. Scherzer's four home starts this season have averaged a mere 4.75 combined runs and I expect another relatively low-scoring affair this evening.

In four starts here this season, Scherzer is 3-0 with a fantastic 0.96 ERA. He

I'm playing on Boston and NY to finish OVER the total. The first two games of this series have both finished below the total. While tonight's starting pitchers are also capable, I expect the "bats to come to life" this evening.

Even with yesterday's 6-0 Boston win, the Red Sox and Yankees have still combined for a minimum of nine runs in seven of the last 11 meetings here at the Bronx and eight of the last 11 overall. Those 11 games produced an average of 10.7 runs per game.

Note that the Yankees have seen the OVER go 8-6-3 the past few seasons, after getting blanked in their previous game.

Garcia gets the call for the Yankees. While his overall numbers are very solid, a 1.778 WHIP his last three starts shows that he's been allowing far too many baserunners. That could easily catch up with him here, facing a Boston lineup which has started to find its groove.

Note that six of Garcia's last eight starts vs. Boston have produced a minimum of nine combined runs. Those eight games averaged 10.75 combined runs.

Admittedly, Lester can be tough. Also, he's had some success against the Yankees. That said, he got rocked last time out. In that start, he gave up seven hits, (and issued five walks!) en route to allowing five runs in just 5 1/3 innings, at Toronto. That game finished with a final score of 7-6.

As for Lester's success vs. the Yankees, note that six of his last eight starts against New York, including four of his last five, have still produced a minimum of nine runs.

Even with yesterday's result, the OVER is still a lucrative 4-1 the last five times that the Yankees played a home game with an O/U line of either eight or 8.5. I look for those stats to improve tonight. *10

I'm playing on MINNESOTA. The Twins enter this afternoon's game off a tough loss in yesterday's opener and mired in an extended losing streak. While this team appears to be in for a tough year overall, I do expect them to have an advantage here and for them to bounce back with a much needed victory.

Reyes goes for the Jays. We've enjoyed success playing against him in the past. That hasn't really required "picking the best spots," as he's been a great "go-against," almost all the time, these past few years. Indeed, he's 0-12 with a 6.11 ERA in his last 25 starts!

While Reyes will eventually snap that streak, he's hardly an "ace" - and I don't expect him to get much run support here. Not only have the Jays been dreadful when playing the during the afternoon, but Minnesota's Nick Blackburn has really started to pitch well recently.

In fact, Blackburn is 1-0 with a 1.38 ERA in his last two outings. Note that Blackburn also has a stellar 2.33 ERA and 0.879 WHIP in three career starts against the Blue Jays. That includes a 1-0 mark this season. He allowed two earned runs or less in all three starts

Blackburn will face a Toronto team which is just 3-13 (-10.4) when playing during the afternoon, hitting a dismal .204 and averaging only 2.5 runs in those games.

Behind another quality outing from Blackburn, I look for the Twins to bounce back and avoid dropping 7-straight home games for the first time since 2007. *10

I'm playing on MILWAUKEE. To say the the Brewers have owned the Pirates would be an understatement. With a pair of "blowout" wins (4-1 and 6-0) at Pittsburgh last month, they've now beaten the Pirates six straight times. Here at Milwaukee, they've beaten the Pirates six straight times and are a remarkable 28-2 the last 30 meetings in the series. With their ace on the mound and catching the Pirates off a 2.5 hour "rain delay" yesterday, I expect the Brewers to continue their dominance in this series, this evening.

Gallardo's stats admittedly aren't too good yet. However, despite a high 5.04 ERA and 1.48 WHIP here, he's still managed to go 2-0 (Brewers are 3-1) in four home starts. Also, his last outing (at St. Louis) showed that he's still more than capable. Indeed, he limited the Cardinals to one hit through eight shutout innings. Keep in mind that Gallardo was 14-7 with a 3.84 ERA last season, recording 200 K's for the second straight season.

Catcher Jonathan Lucroy said this of Gallardo's last start: "He showed what kind of pitcher he is. He was throwing strikes, getting ahead, and his stuff was just nasty. It was Yovani Gallardo. That's who he is. That's what he does."

McDonald has admittedly pitched well his last few starts. However, two of those came at home and the third was at "pitcher-friendly" Petco Park. Even with the quality start at San Diego, his road stats remain horrible. In four road starts, McDonald has an awful 9.00 ERA and 1.889 WHIP. He's averaged less than five innings per outing and has given up a whopping five home runs in 18 road innings. (*By comparison, Gallardo has gone 25 innings in his four home starts and has allowed just one home run.)

Note that McDonald got rocked in his lone start vs. the Brewers. He gave up six runs in 6 1/3 innings, en route to a 7-2 loss. (That translates to an 8.53 ERA.)

On the other hand, given Milwaukee's dominance of the Pirates, its no surprise to learn that Gallardo has owned the Pirates. He's made 10 starts against them and had gone 6-1 with a superb 1.80 ERA. The Brewers were 9-1 in those games, including 4-0 the last four. They've never lost a home game against the Pirates when Gallardo has been on the mound, going a perfect 5-0. (They won those games by a combined score of 33-9, which is an average score of 6.6 to 1.8 per game.

In fact, Gallardo hasn't allowed a single earned run in his last three starts against the Pirates and the Brewers won those games by a combined score of 28-5! All things considered, the price is more than fair and another "blowout" win by Gallardo's Brewers won't surprise. *10

I'm playing on Chicago and LA to finish UNDER the total. Last night's series opener finished above the total by half a run, an 8-0

victory for Chicago. While I wouldn't go so far as to call that a "bad beat," that was somewhat of a tough loss for those who bet the

'under' as the score was just 4-0 entering the 7th inning. Either way, I expect a lower-scoring contest this evening.

Pineiro gets the call for the Angels. He's made just two starts but he's been superb in each of them. In fact, he's allowed just one run

in 12 2/3 combined innings. In his first start, he held the Red Sox to one run through seven complete innings. Last time out, he limited

the Rays to 0 runs and just three hits, through 5 2/3 innings. That translates to a 0.71 ERA and 0.947 WHIP!

While this is his first start here this season, note that Pineiro is 6-0 with a superb 1.63 ERA in his last 10 outings at Angel Stadium.

Pineiro's excellent form should come as no surprise to Chicago starter John Danks. Thus far, he seems to run into a hot opposing starter

(or at least the starter gets hot when he faced Danks) practically every time he takes the mound. Indeed, Danks has received a mere 3.26

runs per game, in terms of run support.

After last night's gem from Jackson, Chicago starters now have an outstanding 1.37 ERA during the last seven games. With Danks on the

mound, they should get another quality effort tonight. Not only does he have a solid 3.33 ERA in three road starts this season, but

Danks is also 2-0 with a terrific 1.71 ERA in four career starts in Anaheim. Overall, Danks has a 2.56 ERA in nine starts vs. the Angels, the UNDER going 6-2-1 in those games.

In three road starts this season, Danks has 21 K's to just three walks. Therefore, given those stats combined with the lack of run support which he has received, its no real surprise to learn that the UNDER is 3-0 in his three road starts, most recently a 3-0 loss at Detroit.

Even with last night's result, the UNDER is still 11-4-3 here and also 7-2-1 in Chicago's last 10 visits here. Pineiro's lone start against Chicago the last few seasons came last September and resulted in a 2-1 "pitcher's duel." I expect another low-scoring contest. *10

I'm playing on the LA ANGELS. Both teams won yesterday. The Angels did so here at Anaheim though while the White Sox did so at Seattle, also having to play 10 innings. The Angels swept the White Sox at Chicago last month. With Santana on the mound, I expect them to have the edge again in this evening's opener.

The boxscore will show that Santana pitched only four innings last time out. However, that wasn't his fault. In fact, he had a no-hitter going through those four innings and had seven K's already. The only reason he came out of the game was because of a two-hour, 35-minute rain delay.

That gives Santanta a 3.18 ERA and 1.00 WHIP his last three starts. During that stretch, he's recorded 21 K's, while walking only four.

On the other hand, Jackson isn't in nearly as good form. Over his last three starts, he's had 10 walks while striking out only seven.

That's helped lead to an 0-3 record and an ugly 7.13 ERA and 1.811 WHIP.

In four road starts, Jackson is 1-3 with an awful 7.54 ERA and 2.029 WHIP. In addition to his problem with walks, opposing batters hit a whopping .344 against Jackson in those games.

While Santana is 4-3 with a 3.92 ERA vs. Chicago, Jackson is 2-4 with a 4.68 ERA vs. the Angels. Santana made two starts against the Sox last season and he allowed just a single earned run in 15 complete innings.

It should also be noted that the Angels bullpen has been superior to the Sox bullpen.

While the Sox are still just 3-8 their last 11, the Angels have won four of five. I expect them to keep on rolling here and feel the price is more than fair, given the current form of the starters. *10

I'm playing on Philadelphia and Atlanta to finish OVER the total. I waited a bit to post this play, as I felt that the overnight O/U line of 7.5 would likely fall to seven. That's exactly what has happened (at least at many shops) and I'm now ready to jump in and make a play on the OVER.

Even with a couple of low-scoring games here to start this series, games here at Philadelphia are still averaging 8.3 combined runs per game.

Jurrjens brings a very good ERA into tonight's game. He's still given up 16 hits his last two starts though. More importantly, each of his last three starts have still finshed above the total, each producing a minimum of eight combined runs. He made one start against Philadelphia last season (also against Hamels) and it finished with nine combined runs.

Hamels has admittedly been tough lately. He's still got only a mediocre 4.34 ERA in three home starts though and the Braves will be seeing him for the second time in less than a month.

Even with the first two games being low-scoring, 11 of 18 meetings between these teams have still produced at least seven runs and 10 of those 18 games finished with more than seven. In the end, I look for the number to prove to be too low. *10

I'm playing on FLORIDA. The Nationals have grabbed the first two games of this series. However, I fully expect the Marlins to bounce back and avoid the sweep this afternoon.

Sanchez gets the call for the home team. While he's had some trouble on the road, Sanchez has been excellent here at Florida. In three home starts he's gone 1-0 with a 2.29 ERA and 0.966 WHIP. He averaged 6 2/3 innings per start and the Marlins won two of his three starts here.

Going back further and we find that the Marlins are 4-2 in Sanchez's last six home starts and 12-8 his last 20 starts here. Note that Sanchez allowed four earned runs or less in ALL 20 of those starts.

The Nats know all about how tough Sanchez can be. In his last seven starts against Washington, Sanchez is 2-0 with an outstanding 1.50. Going back further finds him at a perfect 5-0 with a 2.34 ERA in 14 career starts vs. the Nats. The Marlins were 10-4 in those games, including 4-0 the last four.

A closer look reveals that Sanchez has allowed two or fewer runs in nine straight starts vs. Washington. In his last four starts against the Nats, Sanchez has allowed a mere three earned runs over a span of 28 innings.

In fact, the Marlins are a perfect 7-0 in Sanchez's seven home starts vs. Washington, winning by a combined score of 36-16.

While Sanchez has excelled at home, Hernandez has struggled badly on the road. Indeed, he's 0-2 (Nats are 0-3) in three road starts, posting a terrible 6.23 ERA and 2.193 WHIP in those games. The Nats are now 4-12 his last 16 road starts. (That includes an 0-3 mark last May.)

Note that Hernandez's teams are just 1-5 his last six starts against Florida. In his starts here last month, Hernandez walked five batters, while striking out only one. That led to him giving up four runs and lasting just five innings.

The Marlins, who haven't lost four in a row all season, are still 12-4 the last 16 meetings in the series. With Sanchez "doing his thing" against the Nats, I expect them to bounce back and snap their skid. *10

I'm playing on Detroit and Toronto to finish UNDER the total. Yesterday's series opener sailed above the number. However, with Romero and Verlander squaring off against each other, I'm expecting a pitcher's duel this afternoon.

Romero gets the call for the Jays. He had his previous start pushed back a couple of days but says he currently feels "great." Of course, that almost always seems to be the case for him here. In three home starts, he's got an exceptional 1.74 ERA and 0.92 WHIP. His last start here finished with a score of 2-0. Romero had 10 K's with just one walk.

Romero made two starts against the Tigers in 2010. Both games stayed below the total.

Verlander averages nearly seven innings per start and already has 51 K's in 48 innings. While he had a bit of trouble with walks (had 8 K's and 4 walks in 6 innings) last time out, he still delivered a "quality start."

Verlander had some trouble with Toronto in the past. However, he "made things right" in two starts against the Jays last season. In those two 2010 outings, he allowed just four runs in 16 complete innings, two runs in eight complete innings in each start. His home start against the Jays on 7/22, which happened to be against Romero, finished with a score of 5-2. His start here at Toronto on 8/27 was even lower-scoring. It finished with a score of 3-2. Naturally, both games stayed below the total.

The Tigers are hitting just .241 against southpaw starters, averaging only 3.8 runs in those games. They also average just 3.9 runs in their day games, hitting only .246.

Meanwhile, the Jays are hitting a mere .214 when playing during the afternoon, averaging just 2.7 runs in those games. Not surprisingly, the UNDER is already 9-3-2 in their day games.

Even with yesterday's result, the Jays have still seen the UNDER go 6-1-1 their last eight. With both starters "doing their thing," I expect those stats to improve this afternoon. *10

I'm playing on Milwaukee and Atlanta to finish UNDER the total. This series has featured three relatively high-scoring games. Today, however, I expect pitching to steal center stage.

Marcum gets the call for Milwaukee. Through six starts, he's gone 3-1 with an excellent 2.21 ERA and 1.064 WHIP. He's averaged better than six innings per start and had 34 K's to just 11 walks.

Marcum has been at his best on the road, too. In four road starts, he's got a 1.09 ERA and 0.973 WHIP. Not surprisingly, three of those four games stayed below the total. A closer look reveals that he's allowed only one unearned run in 20 innings over his last three road starts, going 2-0 while holding opposing hitters to a .167 average.

Marcum is showing no signs of slowing down either. The former Jay has a 1.89 ERA and 0.947 WHIP. Last time out, he tossed seven shutout innings and allowed only three hits. The Brewers won 5-0.

Beachy has been very sharp as well recently, arguably even better than Marcum. In fact, over his last three starts he has the same ERA (1.89) as Marcum and an even better (0.579!) WHIP. Over those three starts, he's allowed only eight hits and four runs through 19 innings. He also has 19 K's to just three walks.

Today, Beach will face a Milwaukee lineup which is hitting only .189 the last seven games, averaging just 2.4 runs.

Beachy has made one start against the Brewers. He allowed just one run on four hits, recording seven K's and walking only one. That translates to a 1.50 ERA and 0.833 WHIP. Not surprisingly, the final score stayed below the total. It was 2-1.

Marcum has also made just one start against today's opponent. It also stayed below the total, a 4-2 Milwaukee victory. Marcum allowed two runs and five hits through six complete innings.

The Brewers, who lost 8-3 and 8-0 yesterday have seen the UNDER go a solid 77-57-3 the past few seasons when off a shutout loss. With both starters in excellent current form, I expect those stats to improve here. *10

I'm playing on KANSAS CITY. After the Royals grabbed a 6-5 victory in the opener, the Orioles bounced back with a 3-2 victory yesterday. This afternoon, I look for the Royals to be the team which bounces back with a win.

Playing the final leg of a 7-game road trip, the O's may be getting a little road weary here. Its already been a winning trip and with division rival Tampa Bay on deck tomorrow, it would be easy to look ahead to the return trip home.

Regardless of whether or not that proves to be a factor, the Orioles have a number of other things going against them.

For starters, they're hitting just .239 when playing during the afternoon this season, averaging a mere 3.6 runs. On the other hand, KC is averaging 6.3 runs in the afternoon, scoring a whopping 6.3 runs in those games.

Baltimore's poor afternoon stats are nothing new. The O's are a dismal 37-59 (-10.3) in day games the past few seasons and their longterm numbers are even worse.

The O's are also awful against southpaws. Indeed, they're 44-76 (-15.7) their last 120 against left-handed starters, including 2-7 (-4.4) their last nine. This season, they're hitting .206 vs. southpaw starters averaging only 3.3 runs in those games.

Baltimore sends Tillman to the mound. To his credit, he held the White Sox to one run last time out. However, he did still allow six hits and two walks in just five innings of work - and he didn't record a single strikeout. Even with a victory in that game, he's still 1-2 with an ugly 6.75 ERA and 1.799 WHIP his last three starts.

Chen, a former Oriole, is 2-0 with a solid 3.55 ERA and 1.421 WHIP in four home starts. The Royals won all four of those games. Chen's teams are 2-0 in his two starts vs. Baltimore. All things considered, a price in the "pick'em range," seems very fair. *10

I'm playing on OAKLAND. The Indians have gotten off to a better start than the A's and they grabbed yesterday's series opener. I expect the A's to be the better team this evening though.

Both teams send red hot starters to the mound. Cahill goes for Oakland and he's 4-0 with a 1.88 ERA. Tomlin goes for Cleveland and he's 4-0 with a 2.45 ERA. Not a significant difference there. However, a closer look reveals that Cahill is 2-0 with a magnificent 0.92 ERA in his three home starts.

Also, Cahill's 33 K's are more impressive than Tomlin's 18. Tomlin has given up five home runs. Cahill has given up only two.

Looking back to last season and we find that Tomlin was 6-4 with a 4.56 ERA in 12 starts last year. On the other hand, Cahill was 18-8 with a 2.97 ERA last season.

Even with yesterday's loss, the A's are still 13-4 the last 17 times that they hosted the Indians. They're also 15-5 in Cahill's last 20 home starts, including 8-2 the last 10. Cahill allowed two or fewer earned runs in eight of those 10 starts, including 0 in five of them. I expect him to get the better of Tomlin tonight, as the A's bounce back and climb back over the .500 mark. *10

I'm playing on the LA DODGERS. I won with the Dodgers in the first game of this series, a 5-2 LA victory. I didn't play yesterday's game; the Cubs bounced back with a 4-1 victory. I'm back on the Dodgers for this afternoon's rubber game though, as I expect them to enjoy an advantage on the mound.

Carlos Zambrano takes the mound for the visitors. Zambrano is still capable and is coming off a quality start in his last outing. He's also got a fairly impressive 3-1 record on the season. That all said, he was rocked by these same Dodgers in his previous start and he's got an ugly 5.60 ERA and 1.528 WHIP on the road, for the season.

While Zambrano has been fortunate to get a lot of run support, he's not likely to receive much this afternoon.

Zambrano's last three starts against the Dodgers have seen the Cubs score just nine combined runs, three in each. The Dodgers won 7-3, 10-3 and 7-3. That brings him to 0-4 with a 7.42 ERA his last five vs. LA.

Ted Lilly gets the call for the home team. While he's had some issues on the road, (including recently at Wrigley) the former Cub loves pitching here at Dodger Stadium. Since being traded from Chicago last July, he's gone 6-2 with a superb 2.23 ERA in nine starts here.

Lilly allowed one earned run or less in five of those nine starts, including each of his last two here this season. The Dodgers won those games by scores of 3-2 and 4-2 with Lilly allowing just a single earned run through 13 complete innings.

One further note about Lilly's time in LA. In all nine starts here since the July trade, he's allowed two or fewer walks.

The Cubs are a money-burning 78-94 (-38.9) the past 172 times that they were off a victory. During the same stretch, the Dodgers are a profitable 96-73 (+11.8) when coming off a loss. With Lilly delivering another solid home start, I expect them to bounce back and improve on those stats this afternoon. *10

I'm playing on DETROIT. The Tigers have really struggled on the road. Not only did they they lose two of three at New York earlier but they just got swept at Cleveland. They're back home now though, where they took three of four from the Yankees last year. Desperate to snap their skid and with their ace on the mound, I expect them to get this series started with a victory.

Verlander gets the nod and he's pitched MUCH better than his 1-2 home record indicates. In three stars here, he's averaging 7 1/3 innings and had a 3.27 ERA to go along with an outstanding 0.864 WHIP.

Dating back to last season, Verlander has now made eight straight quality starts here at Detroit. The Tigers were 6-2 in those games with Verlander allowing just 13 combined runs in 59 total innings. That translates to an average of greater than seven innings per outing and an ERA of only 1.98. Throw in the fact that he had 64 K's (and only 10 walks) and one can see that he's been very dominant here.

Going back further finds the Tigers at an impressive and profitable 15-5 in Verlander's last 20 starts here.

Its also worth noting that Verlander has always been tough at this time of year, as May has traditionally been his best month. Indeed, he's 18-8 with a 2.75 ERA in May, for his career. That includes a 6-0 win vs. the Yankees last May.

Overall, Verlander is 3-1 with a terrific 2.01 ERA in his last four outings against the Yankees at Comerica. On the the other hand, Colon is 0-6 with a terrible 7.33 ERA in his last 10 starts against the Tigers. In his last three starts against Detroit, Colon has gone 0-2 (teams are 0-3) and has allowed 25 hits (6 HRs) and 16 earned runs in 17 2/3 innings.

The Tigers are a lucrative 37-20 (+9.2) the past few seasons, when playing a home game with an O/U line of either eight or 8.5. With Verlander getting the better of Colon, I expect them to bounce back and improve on those stats. *10

I'm playing on ARIZONA. After an 11-2 blowout win by the home team on Thursday, the visiting Cubs managed to take both Friday and Saturday's games, each victory coming by two runs. The Cubs haven't won three road games in a row all season though and this afternoon, I expect the Diamondbacks to bounce back and salvage the series split.

Casey Coleman goes for the Cubs. While he's been quite sharp in his previous few outings, he was downright dreadful in his last start. That came back on 4/22 and saw him allow a season-worst six runs in just 2 2/3 innings.

Coleman's performance prompted manager Mike Quade to say: "I don't think I've seen Casey like that since he got here last year. He looked completely out of sync from the get go. I really haven

I'm playing on Texas and Oakland to finish UNDER the total. After Friday's series opener produced only four combined runs, yesterday's game saw the Rangers and A's combine for a whopping 13 runs. I expect this afternoon's game to be much closer to Friday's, in terms of final combined score.

I successfully played against the A's in Gio Gonzalez's last start. However, that was on the road and Gonzalez's opponent was Jered Weaver. Not only is Weaver one of the hottest pitchers around right now (6-0 with a 0.99 ERA, heading into Sunday) but Gonzalez typically isn't as good away from home. Now, however, Gonzalez is back home and I expect him to come through with another quality outing.

For the season, Gonzalez has a 2.70 ERA. His ERA dips down to a superb 2.37 here at Oakland. Those numbers are no fluke either. Looking back to last season and we find that Gonzalez was 8-3 with a 2.56 ERA at home. Opposing batters hit only .199 in those games. With this being an afternoon game, it should also be noted that Gonzalez's career numbers are much better in the day than they are at night. Last season, he was 7-1 with a 2.17 ERA during the afternoon. Opposing batters hit .192 in those games.

Gonzalez has also enjoyed success vs. Texas. Indeed, he's 3-1 with a 2.27 ERA and 1.29 WHIP in six starts vs. the Rangers. He's allowed two earned runs or less in five of six starts vs. the Rangers, including four straight.

With Harrison taking the mound, Texas should also be able to expect quality starting pitching. Harrison checks in with a 2-0 record and an outstanding 1.20 ERA and 0.867 WHIP in two road starts. Opposing batters are hitting .184 in those games. While he did struggle last time out, Harrison had previously been 3-1 with a 1.88 ERA.

The A's know what Harrison is capable of. In three starts vs. Oakland, Harrison is 3-0 with a superb 1.35 ERA. In his last start here at Oakland, he tossed a complete-game 5-hit shutout.

Even with yesterday's high-scoring game, the Rangers have still seen the UNDER go 7-3-1 on the road and 7-4-1 when playing during the afternoon. Looking back further and we find the UNDER at 100-75-6 the Rangers' last 181 road games. During the same stretch, the UNDER was 56-41-8 when they played during the afternoon. The A's have also been a profitable 'under' team, during the afternoon. The UNDER is now 64-48-5 in their day games the past few seasons. I expect a low-scoring affair. *10

I'm playing on CHICAGO. While I lost with the White Sox yesterday, given the pitching matchup and relatively reasonable price, I'm fully willing to give them another shot today.

Through four starts, Humber has an outstanding 2.70 ERA and 0.986 WHIP. His ERA dips to 2.45 in his two home starts. He's only allowed one home run all year and that was on the road. Humber is showing no signs of slowing down either. In fact, in his last start, he went into Yankee Stadium and limited the Yankees to one hit through seven dominant shutout innings. That hit came in the 7th inning, as Humber had a no-hitter going, up until that point.

The White Sox should be extremely motivated to turn things around today. As yesterday's starter John Danks noted: "We're all putting the work in and there's no reason why it's not going our way. We need to turn around quick."

Its particularly important to take advantage of a Baltimore team which entered the series averaging only 3.5 runs per game on the road, while hitting just 0.238. (Even with yesterday's win, the O's are still a money-burning 58-113 on the road the past few seasons.)

Humber didn't need any run support last time out (won 2-0) but I expect him to get some today.

Tillman checks in with an ugly 6.15 ERA. In two road starts, he's 0-1 with an awful 7.04 ERA and 1.695 WHIP. Bothered by right groin soreness, he's been particularly struggling in his last three starts. During that stretch, he's pitched 13 innings, giving up 13 runs and 21 hits. That's translated to an 0-2 record with a simply terrible 8.99 ERA and 1.845 WHIP. The fact that he missed his last start, due to rain, doesn't figure to help matters.

Asked of his struggles and his groin problem, Tillman responded: "It's a lot disappointing. I'm not happy about it..."

With the Sox desperate for a victory and with Humber in much better current form than Tillman, I expect a victory for the home team. *10

I'm playing on Florida and Cincinnati to finish UNDER the total. Yesterday's series opener produced plenty of offensive fireworks. Today, however, I expect the pitching to steal the spotlight.

Johnson goes for the Marlins and he's simply one of the best in the business. In five starts, he's got a 1.06 ERA and 0.647 WHIP. Over his last three starts, he's 2-0 with an outstanding 0.42 ERA and 0.609 WHIP. In those three games, he's allowed only one earned run and a mere six hits, going at least seven complete innings in each. His lone road start came at Atlanta and saw him allow 0 earned runs on one hit, through 7 1/3 innings. Not surprisingly, that game stayed below the total.

Over the last 12 months, dating back to 4/21 of last year, Johnson has made 13 road starts. He allowed three earned runs or less in 11 of them. In fact, in five of them, he didn't allow a single run.

While Johnson did struggle in his most recent outing against the Reds (a RARE bad outing) he pitched well in both previous games against them. In those two games, he was 1-0 with a 2.03 ERA and had 16 K's with one walk in 13 1/3 innings.

Volquez doesn't have very good numbers, yet. However, he got back on track with a much better performance last time out, holding the Cardinals to three runs. They came on one swing of the bat (3 run HR) in the 6th inning. So, he'd thrown five shutout innings and was one pitch away from an even better result. The fact that Volquez has 31 K's in 28 1/3 innings pitched shows that he's still got excellent stuff. You may recall that he went 17-6 with a 3.21 ERA and more than 200 K's a couple of years ago.

After Volquez's last outing, Dusty Baker said this: "Volquez threw the ball better than he has in a couple of years - under control, throwing strikes and excellent changeup, a good breaking ball..."

Of course, the Marlins know all about what Volquez can do. He's 4-0 with a 1.73 ERA against them. In two starts against the Marlins the last two seasons, Volquez has allowed only one run in 14 innings.

Even including yesterday's 7-6 "slugfest," the UNDER is still 5-2-1 in Florida's eight games played here since the start of the 2009 season. I expect those stats to improve here, as this one turns into a "pitchers duel." *10

I'm playing on CHICAGO. After getting hammered in yesterday's finale at New York, the White Sox should be happy to return home and step down in class to take on the Orioles.

Danks checks in at 0-3. However, he's been MUCH better than that record indicates. Through five starts, he's got a solid 3.27 ERA and 1.303 WHIP. He's averaging 6 2/3 innings per start and has an impressive 33 K's (with 10 walks) in 33 innings. At home, where he's averaging a full seven innings per start, Danks' numbers dip to a 3.21 ERA and 1.286 WHIP.

Over his last three starts, Danks has an excellent 2.57 ERA to go along with a solid 1.238 WHIP. In those games, Danks has 20 K's to only five walks.

While Danks has only received three combined runs of support in the last two games combined, I expect the White Sox to provide him with some offense here.

Through five starts, Arrieta has a poor 4.94 ERA, averaging 5.5 innings per outing. He'll have the support of a Baltimore bullpen which already had a combined 5.25 ERA even before giving up four runs in three innings yesterday.

Danks has pitched well vs. the Orioles in his career and he's allowed just two runs in 13 1/3 innings in his last two starts against them. His lone 2010 start against the Orioles came at Baltimore on 8/6. Danks allowed one run through seven complete innings. He had 5 k's and didn't walk a batter.

Arrieta has made one start vs. the White Sox. That also came last August and it was here in Chicago. It didn't go well. He lasted just four innings and allowed four runs on seven hits with three walks.

The Orioles average only 3.5 runs per game on the road, hitting just 0.238. (They're 57-113 (-19.8) on the road the past few seasons.) Their numbers are even worse against southpaw starters. That's nothing new as they've been terrible vs. left-handed starters for years. Indeed, with another loss yesterday, they're now a money-burning 43-74 (-14.9) against southpaw starters, the past few seasons.

I expect Danks to get the better of Arrieta and to finally get rewarded with a "W." *10

I'm playing on DETROIT. I won with the Mariners in the opening game of this series. I didn't play yesterday's game but that also resulted in a victory for the visiting Mariners. This afternoon, however, I look for the Tigers to take care of business and for them to avoid the sweep.

I won with the M's in Pineda's last start. Therefore, I'm aware that the rookie has been pitching well and that he's capable. However, that was at home and against Oakland. He's still only made two road starts, going 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA. The lone win was at Kansas City though and this figures to be a much tougher venue.

Even with yesterday's loss, the Tigers are still an impressive 109-65 here the past 2+ seasons, earning their backers roughly 25 net units vs. the moneyline. That includes a superb 30-18 (+9.1) mark when playing a home game where the line ranged from +100 to -125.

During the same stretch, the M's are now 69-106 on the road and that includes a money-burning 15-26 (-9.8) record when playing on the road when the line ranged between +100 to +125.

While his overall numbers aren't great, Penny has been outstanding in two home starts. Indeed, he's 1-0 with a 1.88 ERA and 0.8.05 WHIP. The Tigers have won both those games, beating the Rangers and White Sox by a combined score of 14-4. In fact, in his last start here, Penny tossed seven shutout innings and allowed only one hit!

While the Tigers are a respectable 74-62 in day games the past few seasons, the M's are a money-burning 43-62 (-18.7). They're hitting .195 and averaging 2.2 runs in their afternoon games this season. All things considered, with all due respect to Seattle's fine rookie, I feel the price is very reasonable on the home team. *10

I'm playing on MILWAUKEE. After the Reds grabbed Monday's opener by a 9-5 score, the Brewers eked out a 3-2 victory yesterday. I expect the Brewers to have an even more significant advantage for this afternoon's series finale.

After a bit of wildness to start the season (9 walks in first three games) Gallardo has regained his control on the mound. In fact, he's issued just one walk in his last two starts, recording 12 K's in those games. Note that Gallardo, who was 14-7 with a 3.84 ERA last season, is 2-0 with a 3.60 ERA in his three home starts.

Lecure, who saw his last start pushed back due to rain, is 0-1 with a 4.15 ERA in three starts. Note that he was 1-4 with a 4.86 ERA as a starter last season and he was 0-2 with a 6.88 ERA on the road.

While Gallardo is averaging 6.3 innings per start, Lecure is averaging 5.4. Also, note that the Milwaukee relievers have been far more effective at home than the Reds' relievers have been on the road.

Additionally, the Brewers have hit much better at home than the Reds have on the road.

The Brewers are now an excellent 11-4 in Gallardo's last 15 home starts. That includes a 5-0 mark his last five starts here. They won those five games by an average score of 6.1 to 3. All things considered, I feel the price is more than fair. *10

I'm playing on SEATTLE. The Tigers have the better record. However, the Mariners will have the better starting pitcher on the mound and I expect that to provide them with the advantage.

The M's won Hernandez's last start by a score of 1-0. After that start, the Seattle ace was quoted as saying: "I just put it in my mind to pitch the way I know how to pitch. That's what I was doing. Everything was on the corners and my breaking pitches were good. That's all I can do. Throw strikes."

I expect Hernandez, who has a stellar 2.57 ERA and 1.048 WHIP in three road starts, to follow it up with another strong effort here.

Note that the Tigers hitters didn't get a look at Hernandez when they recently played at Seattle. In fact, they only saw him once last season and that was back on 4/16. Hernandez did his "usual thing" in that outing and earned the "W" in an 11-3 Seattle victory. Including that result, he's 6-2 with a 2.68 ERA and 1.158 WHIP vs. the Tigers. He allowed three earned runs or less in eight of those nine starts, including two or less in seven of them.

A closer look reveals that the M's are 6-1 in Hernandez's last seven starts vs. Detroit and that he allowed just four runs in 20 2/3 innings over his last three starts in the series. That's a 1.74 ERA!

Coke has gotten off to a very solid start to the season. However, this isn't a favorable situation for him. Not only is he going up against one of the top pitchers in the game, but he's also going up against the same team he faced in his last start.

Coke's last start game on 4/19 at Seattle. In that outing, he allowed six runs (only two were earned) in just 3 2/3 innings. He gave up six hits and walked four, without recording a strikeout. The M's won by a score of 11-3.

Both teams had the day off yesterday. That's been a more favorable situation for Seattle in recent seasons. Despite their overall poor record during that stretch, the M's are 22-18 (+5.8) the last 40 times that they played with a day off. During the same stretch, Detroit was just 20-28 (-11.1) when playing with a day off.

The M's are 9-4 in Hernandez's last 13 starts and they're 19-9 (+8.6) the last 28 times that they played on the road with a line in the +100 to -125 range. With Hernandez getting the better of Coke, I expect them to improve on those stats here. *10

I'm playing on CHICAGO. Both teams lost yesterday. The Cubs were beaten by the Dodgers. The Rockies were beaten by Florida. While the Rockies had to travel here off yesterday's loss, the Cubs were already here waiting for them. Given the venue and starting pitching matchup, I feel that the Cubs have a much greater chance of being the team which bounces back and grabs today's series opener.

While the Rockies took two of three from the Cubs at Coors recently, the Cubs are 11-1 the last 12 times that they were a host in this series.

Garza gets the call for Chicago. He may only be 0-2 but he's pitched a lot better than that record indicates, at least here at Wrigley. Garza, who won 15 games last season, leads the majors with an average of 12.4 strikeouts per nine innings. Although he struggled at Coors Field, he's got a superb 2.08 ERA in his two starts here at Wrigley. He didn't get the decision in his last start. However, he pitched six shutout innings and the Cubs won by a score of 2-1. He now has 21 K's with only three walks here at Wrigley.

Garza was quoted as saying: "Personal wins don't matter. If I don't win a game all year, but we win my games it doesn't bother me one bit."

That's the "proper" thing to say, but surely Garza does indeed care about getting his first "personal win." I expect him to deliver another solid performance.

While Garza was outstanding last time out, Rogers got rocked in his last start. I played against him in that one and he gave up eight runs (3 HRs) in three innings. He's got a 6.75 ERA on the season and his only good start came vs. the Pirates.

Although they got off to a hot start away from Colorado this season, they've cooled off now. Note that the Rockies are still just 81-94 (-11.3 ) their last 175 road games.

The Cubs have gone a respectable 30-20 (+2.6) the last 50 times that they were listed as home favorites in the -125 to -150 range. With Garza determined to get his first victory and his teammates motivated to get him one, I expect the Cubs to improve on those stats and continue their home dominance in this series. *10

I'm playing on SAN FRANCISCO. I lost with the Giants yesterday as Hudson got the better of Lincecum. Today, however, I'm willing to give them another shot.

The Braves, who have now won the first two games of the series, would love to complete the series sweep. After all, the Giants are the defending World Champions and were the team that knocked Atlanta out of the playoffs last year. That said, the Braves have NEVER swept a series at AT&T Park and they'll have a rookie on the mound this afternoon.

Beachy is off a strong outing last game, earning a 10-1 win over the Dodgers. Keep in mind that was his first ever career victory though, in seven career starts. The Braves are just 2-5 in those games.

Sanchez has been dealing with the flu but is expected to be fine. He's coming off a very solid season and the Giants are already 3-1 in his four starts. That includes a 2-0 mark at home. The Giants are now an impressive 12-5 in Sanchez's last 17 starts.

Sanchez has allowed three earned runs or less in all four starts this season and in 14 of his last 15, dating back to last year. The only time that he allowed more than three runs, he allowed only four - and that was at Texas, in the playoffs.

Including this year's two victories, the Giants are 5-0 in Sanchez's last five home starts and 14-6 his last 20 here.

While his overall numbers aren't great against them, Sanchez did dominate the Braves the last time he saw them. In that October playoff game, he allowed just two hits and one earned run, through 7 1/3 innings. He had 11 K's and 1 walk and the Giants won by a score of 3-2. I expect him to deliver another quality performance, as the Giants bounce back and avoid the sweep. *10

I'm playing on TORONTO. After the Jays won Friday's opener by a score of 6-4 (in extra innings) the Rays returned the favor with a 6-4 victory of their own yesterday. I expect the Jays to have the advantage in this afternoon's series finale.

Romero is off a poor outing. However, we can cut him some slack as he had a superb 1.66 ERA in his previous three starts. Also, keep in mind that his last start was at Fenway. In two starts here at Toronto, Romero is 1-0 and has a commanding 1.32 ERA and 0.952 WHIP. He averaged 6.8 innings in those two starts, didn't allow a home run and had 12 K's to just 2 walks.

Admittedly, Romero didn't fare too well vs. the Rays overall last season. However, he did pitch well against them on this exact date (4/24) last year, allowing two runs through seven complete innings - and I feel that he's more than capable of duplicating that performance this afternoon.

Note that Romero has allowed three earned runs or less in 15 of his last 18 home starts, going at least six complete innings in 14 of those games.

Shields is off a great game. That was at home though. He's got a 7.50 ERA on the road. That's nothing new for Shields. For his career, Shields has a 5.04 road ERA, as compared to a much better 3.53, when pitching in St. Petersburg.

Given those stats, its not that surprising that Shields has had far more success against the Jays in Florida, than he has in Canada. Indeed, Shields is 5-2 with a very solid 3.38 ERA in nine career home starts against the Jays. However, he's 1-3 with an ugly 5.87 ERA in six games in Toronto. Note that he had a terrible 12.00 ERA in two outings here last season.

Yesterday's result notwithstanding, the Jays' home record past few seasons is much better than the Rays road record. The Jays are a respectable 22-14 (+2.6) the last 36 times that they were listed as home favorites in the -125 to -150 range. Behind a quality "bounce back" effort from Romero, I expect them to improve on those stats here. *10

I'm playing on SAN FRANCISCO. When he's on his game, Lincecum is right there among the very best pitchers in the game. I backed the Giants in Lincecum's last start and the Giants' ace was certainly "on his game." Lincecum took a no-hitter into the 7th inning of that game. He ended up allowing only three hits and one run, while striking out 10, through 7 2/3 innings. Not surprisingly, San Francisco won by a score of 8-1. The Giants were only -120 for that game, which I felt was extremely fair.

Now 2-1 with an outstanding 1.67 ERA and 0.889 WHIP on the season, this afternoon Lincecum will be facing one of his favorite opponents. I expect him to deliver another strong effort. While we're laying a little more, with the game now being played at San Francisco and given Lincecum's dominance of the Braves here, I feel that the price on the Giants is again very reasonable.

Lincecum is an impressive 7-2 with a 2.47 ERA and 1.032 WHIP for his career vs. the Braves. The Giants were 7-2 (+5.1) in those games. He's been particularly dominant against the Braves here in San Francisco. Indeed, Lincecum is a perfect 5-0 in five home starts vs. the Braves. During that 38-inning span, he's allowed just six runs and only 23 hits, while striking out 45. That translates to a 1.42 ERA. The Giants won those five games by a combined score of 18-7.

There's nothing "wrong" with Tim Hudson and he's had some recent success vs. the Giants. That said, he's not in Lincecum's class. He's also off back to back losses and he allowed nine runs in 12 innings in those game. The Braves are now just 4-7 his last 11 road starts.

The Giants entered the series with a 110-65 (+28.2) mark at home the past few seasons and having won 10 of 13 as a host in the series. After dropping yesterday's series opener, I expect them to bounce back with a victory here. *10

I'm playing on DETROIT. The White Sox earned a big and much-needed win yesterday. They've still lost seven of their last eight though and tonight they'll be facing a very stingy starting pitcher. I expect them to return to their recent losing ways.

Verlander may only be 1-2 but he's still been pitching well. In four starts he's got a solid 3.41 ERA and an excellent 1.069 WHIP. He's averaging better than seven innings per start and has 27 K's to just 10 walks. In his lone home start, Verlander allowed two runs on six hits, in nine innings - but took the loss. That translates to a 2.00 ERA and 0.778 WHIP.

Buehrle, on the other hand, is 1-0 in two road starts but has an awful 7.36 ERA and 1.727 WHIP in those games.

While the Sox played yesterday, the Tigers had an off-day. Now they return home where they've gone an outstanding 106-63 (+25) the past 2+ seasons. That includes a 24-12 (+4.8) mark as home favorites in the -150 to -175 range.

During that stretch, the Tigers are also 59-44 (+13.8) vs. southpaw starters.

Buerhle has had a great career and he's got quite good overall numbers vs. the Tigers. However, the Sox are still just 5-6 his last 11 starts here at Detroit and I don't expect him to get much run support here.

Even with a hard-luck loss last time here, the Tigers are still a terrific 16-4 in Verlander's last 20 home starts. In his last six starts here, Verlander has allowed a mere seven combined runs. He's allowed four earned runs or less in 16 straight home starts, three or less in 15 of those and two or less in 13 of them. He's also averaged better than eight innings per start, his last five starts here.

The Tigers are a perfect 5-0 in Verlander's last five starts vs. Chicago. They won those games by a combined score of 27-9. Verlander gave up only eight earned runs in 41 2/3 innings. That's a 1.96 ERA. Behind another quality effort from Verlander, look for the Tigers to start the series with a victory. *10

I'm playing on SEATTLE. I won with the A's a couple of days ago. That 5-0 victory marked their third straight victory. They followed it up with a loss yesterday though and I expect them to be at a disadvantage again tonight.

The A's aren't a particularly good hitting team but they often have an edge on the mound. I don't expect that to be the case here though.

Felix Hernandez may only be 1-2 thus far, but he's proven to be one of the top pitchers in the game. He should be extremely determined to get things turned around and I expect him to deliver a big performance.

Note that Hernandez had a 2.06 ERA and 0.97 WHIP in 16 starts here last season, going 8-4. He had 119 K's in 118 innings here, walking a mere 25. He averaged greater than 7 innings per start here. The previous season, Hernandez was 19-5 with a 2.49 ERA. Clearly, he can pitch.

Also, note that even though he struggled here last start, the Mariners still managed to win the game. They're now 7-1 in Hernandez's last eight home starts, including a perfect 5-0 his last five here. Going back further finds the M's at 14-6 his last 20 home starts. Hernandez allowed two or fewer earned runs in 16 of those games and he's now gone at least six complete innings in 13 straight here.

When asked of the slow start, Hernandez was quoted as saying: "It will be fine. It's just the beginning of the season. We're trying hard. We're trying to do the best we can. We've just got to keep working hard, just keep trying to hit and pitch. That's all we can do."

McCarthy has admittedly gotten off to a solid start. He's not in Hernandez's class though and he's also got a 6.93 ERA in five starts vs. Seattle.

While the M's certainly aren't a great hitting team, they're still averaging 4.7 runs per game at home (hitting .243) which is better than Oakland's 3.6 runs per game on the road.

Including a 6-2 victory at Oakland on 4/1, the M's are 11-3 in Hernandez's last 14 starts vs. the A's. I expect them to start the series with a victory. *10

I'm playing on OAKLAND. With three straight wins over the Jays, the Red Sox have finally started to play better. I expect their current win streak to come an end in tonight's series opener at Oakland though.

Like their guests, the A's have also been playing better baseball of late. They've won back to back games and are now 6-3 their last nine. After scoring 11 runs over the weekend, manager Bob Geren noted: "Big offense, up and down the lineup. Great win going into the off-day. Just a nice way to finish off the weekend."

While the Red Sox played in the East yesterday afternoon, (and then traveled to the West Coast) the A's had yesterday off. Note that Boston remains winless (0-6) on the road. In six road losses, the Red Sox have hit a mere .181 while averaging only 2.7 runs. They may have a difficult time scoring again tonight, as they'll be up against a tough Oakland starter.

Anderson gets the call for the A's. While he's 0-1 through three starts, he's pitched much better than that record indicates. In fact, he's got a stellar 2.29 ERA to go along with a solid 1.22 WHIP. He's averaging 6 2/3 innings per start and has 13 K's to only two walks. In his lone home start, he allowed a single earned run on five hits, striking out five while walking only one.

Anderson has enjoyed success against Boston in the past. In five starts against the Red Sox, he's gone 3-1 (A's are 4-1) with a 2.61 ERA and 1.129 WHIP. That includes a 3-0 mark (with 24 K's) his last four against Boston.

I still respect Lackey, as he's had plenty of success in the past and as he also has an excellent record against Oakland. In fact, I even won with Boston in his last start. However, that was thanks to the Boston offense and not Lackey and one can't deny that he's struggled so far this season. In fact, in two starts, he has a 15.57 ERA and 2.422 WHIP. Granted, that's a very small sample size and those two games came against the Yankees and Rangers. However, that doesn't excuse him for allowing 15 earned runs in 8 2/3 innings. Note that opposing batters are hitting .395 against him.

Note that Lackey also hasn't pitched in 10 days, as his last start was rained out and the Sox just decided to skip his turn in the rotation.

Even pitching coach Curt Young acknowledged: "Ten days feels like a long time when you're a starting pitcher like that..."

The A's have won four of the last five in the series, one of those victories coming when Anderson beat Lackey last September. Looking back further finds the A's at 13-7 the last 20 times that they were a host in this series. All things considered, I believe the price is very fair. *10

I'm playing on the CHICAGO CUBS. Off a 4-5 road trip, the Cubs should be happy to return to Wrigley. They should be even happier to have Carlos Zambrano on the mound.

While Zambrano has admittedly been a little "fortunate" to be undefeated so far this season, it takes more than "luck" to have gone 10-0 with a superb 2.35 ERA in his last 14 starts. That's exactly what Zambrano has done, dating back to his last loss, which came way back in June.

While the Cubs should be happy to see "Z" on the mound, Zambrano should be happy to see San Diego. Indeed, he's 7-2 with a superb 2.37 ERA in 12 starts against the Padres. Last season, he went 1-0 in two starts against them, allowing a single run over 13 innings.

Stauffer gets the call for the Padres. He's 0-2 against the Cubs and 0-1 with a 4.80 ERA on the season. That ERA could be even worse, as his 1.867 WHIP shows that he's allowing nearly two baserunners per innings. (He's given up 23 hits and five walks in 15 innings.)

While Zambrano has gone at least 5 2/3 innings in all three starts, Stauffer has failed to complete a full five innings in each of his last two starts.

The Padres, who won yesterday afternoon, are 1-5 (-4.6) when off a victory. They're also 1-6 when playing under the lights.

On the other hand, the Cubs, who lost yesterday afternoon, are 4-3 (+1.5) when playing under the lights and 6-1 off a loss.

Yesterday's loss notwithstanding, Chicago manager Mike Quade likes the direction of his team. He was quoted as saying: "...But as far as effort - our guys are playing and getting after it. I'm very optimistic about this club getting better."

Zambrano got the better of Stauffer last September and I look for him to do it again here. *10

I'm playing on LA and St. Louis to finish UNDER the total. The first three games of this series have all produced double-digits in combined runs. I expect to see much better pitching in this afternoon's finale.

Carpenter gets the call for the Cardinals. Admittedly, he's off to a poor start. However, as Carpenter noted: "...I'm not going to concern myself a whole lot with it. Get ready to go on Sunday."

Of course, its easy to cut Carpenter a little slack, based on many years of excellence. It also helps that Carpenter is 6-1 with a superb 2.21 ERA and 1.082 WHIP in nine starts against the Dodgers. He made two starts against LA last season and allowed only 10 hits and one run through 15 complete innings. That translates to a 0.60 ERA. Note that he had 11 K's and only one walk in those games. Last year's lone start here at LA resulted in a 1-0 game.

While its still a very small sample size, note that Carpenter has a 2.08 ERA during the day but a 18.00 ERA at night!

Like Carpeneter, Billingsley has also gotten off to a poor start. Like Carpenter, he's also capable of pitching much better. Of course, Billingsley is almost always much better at home than he is on the road. His lone home start saw him allow a respectable three runs and five hits through six innings.

Including this season's result, Billingsley has now allowed three or fewer earned runs in 14 of his last 20 home starts. He allowed four or less in 17 of those 20. It should also be noted that he went a minimum of 5 2/3 innings in 19 of those 20 starts.

The UNDER is 5-1-1 in Billingsley's last seven starts here and six of those finished with seven or fewer combined runs. His last home start vs. the Cards came in 2009 and saw him allow two runs through six very solid innings. (He gave up only 3 hits and didn't walk a batter.)

Also, with this being an afternoon start, note that Billingsley's career daytime stats are much better than his evening stats. Last season, he had a 4.23 ERA at night but a 0.94 ERA during the day!

As a team, the Cards have seen the UNDER go 67-52-6 (56.3%) the last 125 times that they played during the afternoon. With both starters determined to improve, I expect those stats to improve today. *10

I'm playing on the LA DODGERS. The Cardinals come in as the hotter team and they've taken the first two games of this series in convincing fashion. As the baseball saying goes, however, "momentum is the next day's starting pitcher..." In this case, I expect the Dodgers to have an edge on the mound and I look for that to ultimately be the deciding factor in the game.

While the Cards' bats have admittedly been hot, the majority of their recent success has come against right-handers. They're just 1-2 vs. southpaw starters, hitting .221 in those games. In fact, dating back to last season, the Cards are an ugly 6-14 their last 20 against left-handed starters. They'll be facing a good one tonight.

Kershaw gets the call and he's off to an excellent start. Through three outings, he's gone 2-1 with a 1.37 ERA. In those three games he has an impressive 24 K's to go along with only four walks. Kershaw began the season by outpitching Lincecum. That was his only home start and he tossed seven shutout innings, allowing only four hits. He had 9 K's and 1 walk.

His next start was his "worst" and he allowed just three runs in six innings, at Colorado. He had 8 K's with one walk but didn't receive any run support. Last time out, Kershaw "bounced back" to again toss 6 2/3 shutout innings.

Note that he's 2-1 with an excellent 2.95 ERA in seven career outings against the Cardinals. He allowed three earned runs or less in six of those seven starts including all four here at LA. The Dodgers were 3-1 in those games, including 2-0 the last two. In his lone start against the Cards here last season, Kershaw outpitched Wainwright en route to earning a 4-3 LA victory.

McClellan is off a solid start for the Cards. However, the 11 baserunners (4 walks, 7 hits) that he allowed in six innings (1.833 WHIP) last time out doesn't bode well for him vs. a hungry LA lineup. Note that McClellan is a converted reliever and this will be just his third start.

The Cards enter the weekend with a dismal 6-16 (-8.2) record the last 22 times that they were listed as road underdogs in the +125 to +150 range. During the same stretch, the Dodgers were an outstanding 38-19 (+12) when listed as home favorites in the -125 to -150 range.

Even with losses in the first two games, the Dodgers are still 5-2 the last seven times that they hosted the Cards. They're also now 5-1 in Kershaw's last six starts. Kershaw has allowed two earned runs or less in 12 of his last 20 starts here. I expect him to continue his strong start, outpitching and outlasting McClellan en route to a much-needed victory for the home team. *10

I'm playing on San Diego and Houston to finish UNDER the total. I won with the 'under' when these teams faced each other yesterday, while also cashing with Houston in the same game. The score was 0-0 until the bottom of the 6th inning, when Houston scored the only run of the game. The Padres would finish with a mere three hits. While today's 'under' likely won't be quite that "easy," I do expect another relatively low-scoring affair.

Harang, a San Diego native, sure seems to be happy to be with the Padres. After a few tough years with the Reds, he's started out 2-0 with a stellar 1.50 ERA for the Padres. True, it helps to pitch at San Diego, where both those starts came. Winning builds confidence though (always important) and Harang should have plenty of it against Houston, a team he fared well against last season. In two 2010 starts against the Astros, Harang allowed just three runs in 13 innings.

San Diego manager Bud Black said this of Harang: "He's been extremely motivated to get back to a level of performance that he was accustomed to for a number of years there in Cincinnati..."

Harang may not get much run support. As mentioned, the Padres managed a mere three hits yesterday. The Padres were 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position and that was after they were just an awful 2 for 22 in that situation in their previous series vs. the Reds.

For the season, the Padres are now averaging 3.0 runs per game overall and they're hitting a dismal 0.185 on the road.

AJ Happ goes for Houston and he's coming off an excellent start. In facet, he held the Marlins to only four hits and one run through 7 2/3 innings, which translates to a 1.17 ERA.

Afterwards, Happ was quoted as saying: "I was trying to get ahead of hitters and pitch aggressively. More or less just have some conviction with what I'm throwing and be aggressive with it..."

Happ also delivered a dominant performance in his lone start vs. San Diego. That came in 2009 when he was with the Phillies. He allowed only four hits through seven shutout innings, en route to a 5-1 victory.

Including yesterday's result, the Padres have now seen the UNDER go 49-31-5 the last 85 times that they played a game with an O/U line of either eight or 8.5. During that stretch, the Astros have seen the UNDER go an even more profitable 40-21-1 when playing a home game with an O/U line of either eight or 8.5.

With the UNDER also at 4-0 in San Diego's games against southpaw starters (those games averaged only 4.4 combined runs and none produced more than six runs) I'm expecting another low-scoring affair. *10

I'm playing on OAKLAND. I won with the Tigers yesterday afternoon. For the second straight day, they earned a late home win vs. Texas. Its a whole different day now though and Detroit is now thousands of miles away. Instead of facing Bush, a mediocre pitcher making his first start of the season, as they were yesterday, the Tigers are now facing a talented pitcher who is already in top form. The Tigers are a money-burning 12-25 (-8.9) as road underdogs in the +125 to +150 range the past few seasons. I expect them to struggle again here.

Regulars will recall that I successfully played on Gio Gonzalez numerous times last season. Gonzalez isn't "flying under the radar" as much this year, as last. That said, I've already won with him this season and I feel that he's offering solid value once again.

Gonzalez closed out last season with seven innings of shutout ball and he's picked up right where he left off. In two starts so far, Gonzalez is 2-0 with a 0.69 ERA. I played on the A's in his first start and they won by a score of 7-1.His next start resulted in a 1-0 Oakland victory.

Note that Gonzalez was 8-3 with a 2.56 ERA at home last season, as compared to 7-6 with a 3.92 ERA on the road. Opposing batters hit only .199 against him here last season. Not surprisingly, the A's are 7-1 in Gonzalez's last eight home starts and 11-3 his last 14.

Having made three appearances, two out of the bullpen, Coke is 0-2 with a 4.00 ERA. His lone start came at home against KC (about as easy a matchup is there is) and the the Tigers lost. That was against a southpaw (Chen) and the Tigers really struggled to get hits. For the season, they're 1-2 in games vs. left-handed starters, averaging only three runs per game while hitting a mere .215.

With the Tigers off to a slow start, note that the A's are a highly profitable 71-51 (+19.7) against teams with a losing record. They're off a momentum-building win of their own, having rallied for three runs in the 9th yesterday and then three more in the 10th. The A's are 11-5 the last 16 times that they hosted the Tigers. Behind another strong effort from Gonzalez, I expect them to keep on rolling for another day. *10

I'm playing on DETROIT. After getting blanked 2-0 in Monday's opener, the Tigers responded with a 5-4 victory in yesterday's game. Having finally cooled off the Rangers and with an expected edge on the mound, I expect Detroit to grab this afternoon's rubber game.

The Tigers, now 105-63 (+23.8) at home the past 2+ seasons, send Max Scherzer to the mound. Scherzer got roughed up in his first start, although he did still manage to earn the victory. That was at Yankee Stadium though. His second start came here at home and he was far better. In fact, he allowed just one run through six complete innings, en route to picking up up a 5-2 victory.

Note that Scherzer was 8-4 with a stellar 2.99 ERA at home last season. The Tigers are 9-4 his last 13 starts here. Scherzer went at least six complete innings in 12 of those 13 starts, and threw 5 2/3 shutout innings in the other. He allowed four earned runs or less in all 13 of those starts and three or fewer in 11 of them.

Note that Scherzer won't have to face Josh Hamilton, as the reigning AL MVP got hurt yesterday. Hamilton hit 359 with 32 home runs and 100 RBIS last season and he's already hitting .333 again this season.

Bush goes for Texas. After going just 8-13 for Milwaukee last season, Bush made the Rangers as a long reliever. He hasn't even pitched yet this season (had a poor 5.14 ERA in 5 spring training games) and is only getting the start because both Colby Lewis and Matt Harrison were used in Saturday's doubleheader in Baltimore.

Bush has seen long struggled on the road and has seen his team drop eight of his last 12 away starts. For his career, he's been a .500 pitcher at home but has gone a terrible 23-35 with an ugly 5.27 ERA on the road.

Bush is also 0-2 with an awful 11.37 ERA in four games - three starts - lifetime against Detroit. That's his worst ERA against any opponent. The three starts (all losses) saw him have a 12.19 ERA and 2.321 WHIP! On the other hand, Scherzer is 2-0 with a stellar 2.25 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in three starts vs. Texas. In his lone home start against the Rangers last season, he tossed seven shutout innings and allowed only four hits. The Tigers won that one by a score of 4-1 and I look for them to do it again here. *10

I'm playing on HOUSTON. While the Astros have gotten off to an ugly start to the season, this evening's game should provide them with an excellent opportunity to earn an important victory.

Myers may still be winless, but he's been superb. His two starts have come at Philadelphia and Cincinnati, both often tough venues for pitchers. However, he's got a stellar 2.03 ERA and 1.125 WHIP, averaging nearly seven innings per start.

After his last start, manager Brad Mills commented: "How good was Myers again? You've got to love the way he battled all the way through."

Myers should get some better run support here, as he'll be opposed by a pitcher making his first major league start, James Russell. Russell's in the starting rotation (for now) to take injured Andrew Cashner's turn. However, he's not expected to make more than 50 pitches.

In addition to taking on a first-time starter, Myers will also be facing his favorite opponent. I say that as he's absolutely owned the Cubs. He was 3-0 with a 1.21 ERA against them last season and is now 8-0 with a 2.12 ERA in his last nine starts against them. For his career, he's 10-2 (teams are 11-2) with a 2.22 ERA and sparkling 0.935 WHIP in 13 starts against them.

Note that Myers went greater than six complete innings in ALL 13 of his starts against the Cubs. He allowed two earned runs or less in 11 of those 13 starts and three and four earned runs in the other two.

Not surprisingly, most of the Cubs have some pretty poor numbers against him. Starlin Castro is 2 for 12 lifetime against Myers. Aramis Ramirez and Alfonso Soriano are a combined 14 for 67 (.209) with 24 strikeouts against him. Meanwhile, Carlos Pena is 0 for 5 against Myers. To name just a few.

With Myers currently in fine form and the Astros badly needing a victory, I feel the near-pick'em price is extremely fair. I expect Myers to outpitch and outlast Russell and look for that to lead to a much-needed Houston win. *10

I'm playing on SEATTLE. Admittedly, the Mariners have been struggling. Their recent results have worked in our favor here though, as they've kept the price on this "pitching mismatch" to a reasonable level.

Hernandez gets the call for the M's and he's among the best around. True, he did lose his last game. However, that was at Texas and he still only allowed two earned runs through seven complete innings. Now, he's back in the pitcher-friendly Pacific-Northwest, where he really tends to dominate. In his other start this season, he tossed a complete game and allowed just five hits (0 walks) and two runs. Seattle won by a score of 6-2.

Now, Hernandez makes his 2011 home debut, where he absolutely dominates. In his last seven starts here, Felix has allowed a mere five combined runs, including 0 in four of those games, over 54 2/3 innings. For starters, that's nearly eight innings per start. Even better, that translates to a simply superb 0.82 ERA. Not surprisingly, the M's were 6-1 in those games.

Going back further and we find that Hernandez has gone greater than six innings in 12 straight home starts, while allowing three earned runs or less in all 12 of them. In fact, in 11 of those 12 starts, he went a minimum of seven complete innings while allowing two or fewer earned runs or less in ALL 11 of them.

Hernandez will face a Toronto lineup that just struck out 15 times against Jered Weaver yesterday, while getting only one run on four hits. In his lone start vs. the Jays last season, Hernandez allowed just one earned run and only two hits through eight complete innings. He was a "hard-luck loser" on that day though, dropping a 1-0 decision. While the M's bats aren't exactly "on fire," Hernandez should still receive considerably more run support here - and he generally doesn't need much.

Litsch is fortunate to have a 3.94 ERA in three starts vs. Seattle, as he has an ugly 1.875 WHIP in those games. (That means he's allowed nearly two baserunners per inning.) He's given up 10 hits in each of his last two starts against the M's and the Jays are 0-3 in his three career starts against them.

Litsch was mediocre in his lone start this season and that was at home vs. Oakland. Now, he's on the road - and the Jays are 4-11 his last 15 road starts. Note that he lasted less than six innings in nine of those starts, too. I mention that as the Jays bullpen has been seeing some work lately, given Saturday's 14 inning affair. All things considered, I believe the price is very reasonable. *10

I'm playing on DETROIT. The Rangers bring the much better record to the table. However, I feel that the Tigers are favored for good reason.

Verlander gets the call and he's 1-0 with a solid 3.86 ERA and superb 0.929 WHIP in two starts, both of which came on the road. In 14 innings, he's already got an impressive 17 K's. Last time out, he beat the Orioles. With that victory, the Tigers are now 6-2 his last eight starts.

Note that Verlander's victory over the O's marked the 10th straight start, dating back to last August, that Verlander had pitched a minimum of six complete innings. In fact, he averaged a whopping 7.4 innings per outing, over that 10-game stretch.

Now Verlander pitches at Detroit, where he really dominates. Dating back to last August, the Tigers are a perfect 5-0 his last five home starts.

During that stretch, Verlander allowed a mere five combined runs through 38 innings. That translates to a stellar 1.18 ERA. Looking back a bit further finds the Tigers at 10-1 in Verlander's last 11 starts here and 17-3 his last 20 starts here. It doesn't get much better than that.

Of course, the Rangers know all about how dominant Verlander can be. They're just 1-7 against him. In those eight starts, Verlander was 6-1 with a 2.37 ERA and 1.115 WHIP. That includes a 5-0 record with a superb 1.66 ERA in his last six starts against Texas.

Verlander's last four home starts vs. Texas saw the Tigers win by a combined score of 24-9.

Admittedly, Ogando has also been impressive. However, he's only made one start - and that came against Seattle, the weakest-hitting team in the majors. This figures to be a much tougher matchup.

Given the Tigers' awesome record when Verlander pitchers at home, given Verlander's fantastic stats vs. the Rangers and given the fact that the Tigers are 12-2 the last 14 times that they were a host in this series, I believe the current price is more than fair. *10

I'm playing on Boston and New York to finish UNDER the total. The first two games of this series have both been high-scoring. I expect tonight's finale to be much lower-scoring.

While he's still winless, Sabathia has been superb in his first two starts this season. Last time out, in his lone "evening" start, he allowed just two hits over seven scoreless innings. For the season, he has a 1.38 ERA and has 13 K's with three walks. Opposing batters are hitting just .178 against him, 0.87 under the lights.

Keep in mind that Sabathia was 21-7 with a 3.18 ERA last season, including a 1-0 record with a 1.80 ERA in his final two starts against the Red Sox. The previous season, he was 19-8 with a 3.37 ERA. He's now 157-88 with a 3.56 ERA for his career. In other words, he's a proven winner, both in the short and the long-term.

Sabathia has seen the UNDER go 6-4-1 his last 11 against the Red Sox and he's allowed three or fewer earned runs in six of his last seven starts against them.

Beckett, who had a 10-1 home record in 2009 but who struggled in 2010, is hoping for and expecting a big "bounceback" season. He wasn't great in his opener, allowing three runs in five innings. However, I feel he's capable of better. Playing a very important game for his team and knowing he's matched up against one of the best around, I look for him to rise to the occasion here.

Note that in Beckett's final spring training start, he put it all together, allowing just one hit through five shutout innings. While that's admittedly a lot differently than a regular season game vs. the Yankees, the point is that he's recently tasted success.

While he had struggled with the Yankees last season, Beckett has still allowed three earned runs or less in nine of his last 15 starts against them.

Beckett's first 2011 start resulted in a 3-1 loss. Including that result, dating back to last season, the UNDER is 6-3 his last nine starts. I look for this one to also prove lower-scoring than expected. *10

I'm playing on BOSTON. I won with the Red Sox yesterday and I'm coming right back with them today. Often, when a really good team has been struggling, all it takes is one big win to "get the ball rolling." Yesterday's victory should be just what the Red Sox needed to get going. Of course, playing at Fenway also helps.

As Dustin Pedroia, who had three hits and his first homer, noted:

I'm playing on BOSTON. I was happy to see the Red Sox get blanked yesterday, as I had a play on the 'under.' While nobody expected them to be 0-6 to start the season, the Red Sox remain a very talented team, one with a lot of pride. Playing their home opener and facing their arch-rivals, I expect them to elevate their game and finally enter the win column.

Lackey goes for the home team. Admittedly, he didn't fare very well in his first start. He remains a very capable and competitive pitcher though and has pitched in his share of "big games." He's also got a 3.20 ERA vs. the Yankees, since joining Boston and his teams (Boston and LA) are a combined 7-2 his last nine "home" starts vs. New York. In his two starts at Fenway, vs. the Yankees last season, he allowed a mere two runs through 13 2/3 innings, striking out 13 while walking four.

Hughes goes for the Yankees and he got roughed up for five runs in four innings in his first start. That puts him at 0-1 with an awful 11.25 ERA. While he had some success against them last season, Hughes is still a poor 1-3 with an ugly 5.70 ERA and 1.633 WHIP in six lifetime starts against the Red Sox.

Lackey's teams are 6-2 in his April 'home' starts since 2006. Overall, the Red Sox and Angels are 14-6 his last 20 home starts. I look for him to get the better of Hughes today and for the Red Sox to reward the home faithful with a much-needed win. *10

I'm playing on the PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES. The Mets got grabbed yesterday's series opener, as they beat up on Cole Hamels. Through four games, both teams are now 3-1. Today, the second game of the series, features Pelfrey vs. Blanton. While the Phillies are still medium-sized favorites, this is the "cheapest" that we'll see them in the series. Yesterday, with Hamels on the mound, they were much larger favorites - and with Halladay slated to go tomorrow, that'll certainly be the case again for the finale. That said, I believe that today's matchup provides us with the best value.

Blanton hasn't had the kind of longterm success that Philadelphia's "Big 4" (Halladay, Lee, Hamels, Oswalt) has had. Therefore, he doesn't get much attention. Those guys have all been "aces" though and Blanton is actually a very capable pitcher, in his own right. Indeed, he's arguably among the best "5th starters" around.

Blanton's coming off an extremely solid spring, one which saw him go 2-1 and record a 3.19 ERA and 1.19 WHIP, over 31 innings. During that stretch, he walked only four batters, striking out 18. Anxious to prove that he deserves to be in the same rotation as the other four, I expect him to get off to a strong start.

Note that Blanton enters the season having allowed four earned runs or less in 16 straight starts, dating back to last July. He went a minimum of six complete innings in 13 of those starts. The Phillies are 10-2 his last 12 starts and 10-1 his last 11 home starts.

Blanton's teams are also a perfect 4-0 in his home starts (3 at Philly, 1 at Oakland) vs. the Mets. Blanton went a minimum of seven complete innings in ALL four of those games and he allowed only four combined runs. His teams won those four games by a combined score of 17-7, including a 2-0 shutout victory where Blanton got the better of Johan Santana.

Pelfrey had won his first game in five straight seasons. That didn't happen this year though, as he got rocked in his first start, giving up five runs, four hits and four walks in 4 1/3 innings. He's likely going to have to wait for that victory as this is clearly no easy venue. Note that the Mets are only 6-12 in Pelfrey's last 18 starts, 7-13 his last 20 on the road. In fact, they're only 1-7 his last eight road starts.

I actually played against Pelfrey in his lone start at Philadelphia in 2010 and it ranked among my easiest winners of the entire season. Pelfrey got rocked and the Phillies won 10-0. It may not be quite that "easy" this time, however, I expect the end result to be the same. *10

I'm playing on MILWAUKEE. Off to an 0-4 start, things are already starting to get desperate in Milwaukee. With Gallardo on the mound, I expect them to finally break through with a victory this evening.

Gallardo is off a quality start in his opener and he had a very solid spring. Keep in mind that he went 14-7 with a 3.84 ERA and 200-to-75 strikeout-to-walk ratio last season.

While Gallardo's 2011 debut was an afternoon affair, this is an evening start. A closer look at last year's stats reveal that Gallardo was only 3-5 with a 4.24 ERA during the day but 11-2 with a 3.62 ERA at night.

Admittedly, Lowe was very sharp in his opener - and he's certainly still capable. That said, keep in mind that he was 6-7 with a 4.30 ERA on the road last season and 7-9 with a 4.26 ERA when pitching during the evening.

While Lowe has fared well vs. Milwaukee, Gallardo has been arguably even better vs. Atlanta. He's made four starts against the Braves and has a stellar 1.27 ERA and 0.953 WHIP in those games. In each case, he allowed two earned runs or less (0 in two of them) while pitching at least six complete innings. (He averaged better than 7 innings in those games, which is noteworthy, given Milwaukee's early season bullpen issues.)

Overall, the Brewers have been a more profitable team "under the lights" than the Braves the past couple of seasons. During that stretch, Atlanta was -14.3 net games vs. the moneyline. Milwaukee was +7.3.

Gallardo has made six home starts in the month of April the past few seasons. In three of those games, he went a minimum of six innings and allowed 0 runs.

After dropping yesterday's game, Milwaukee second baseman Rickie Weeks noted: "We know we