The Indians bats have been on fire over the last week. The top of their order is really hitting the ball. Cardinals starter John Lackey is coming off his best start of the season against the Cubs on May 7th. He struck out a season-high 10 and allowed one run in 7 2-3 innings. I expect him to come back down to earth after throwing a gem. Look for the Indians and Corey Kluber to take care of business and get the win at home on Wednesday evening.  5*

The Orioles are 1-7 during Game 1 of a series, as well as an 0-5 run on the road. Chris Tillman has struggled with a (6.23 ERA). He has walked 15 in 26 innings. The Yankees are 5-2 at home and 9-2 vs. the American League East. Starter Nathan Eovaldi (2-0, 3.81 ERA) has been sharp, walking 6 in 28 innings as well as 22 Ks. Eovaldi picked up the win Saturday, allowing two runs on seven hits and a walk over 6.2 innings, striking out two. The team is 3-0 his last three starts, so grab the Yankees at home here over Baltimore.

In baseball play the TB Rays here on Saturday night. In the Kentucky Derby take Carpe Diem at 7-1 odds. John Velasquez is going to ride him in the Kentucky Derby, choosing him over Materiality. He is 4 for 5 lifetime, finishing second in the Breeder’s Cup Juvenile last year to Texas Red. Todd Pletcher is his trainer so we have that on our site as well. This horse is flying under and like him in the #2 spot.

Right-hander Shelby Miller will toe the rubber for Atlanta, bringing a 2-0 record to the hill with a 1.69 ERA over three starts. Miller will be matching pitches with Phillies right-hander David Buchanan, who has struggled in each of his first three starts going 0-3 with a whopping 9.22 ERA Despite last night's 1 run loss the Braves have flourished in Philadelphia winning 8 of their last 11 trips into the City of Brotherly Love and Shelby Miller in great form has a 6-1 Team Start Record in April. Philadelphia doesn't help itself here sending Buchanan to the mound. Phillies have lost 5-of-6 at home w/Buchanan after a team win the previous effort and the hurler is winless in twelve starts dating back to last season with Phillies 1-11 over the span. Take the Bravos on Saturday.  5*

The Yankees are finally starting to hit and play some defense. We all knew their middle relief pitching would be solid. In nine road starts with New York, Sunday starter Michael Pineda has 41 strikeouts and two walks over 43 innings. Rays: Longoria is 0 for 11 with two walks and four strikeouts against Pineda. Look for the Yankees to complete their first road sweep (three games or more) against the Rays since 2005.  5*

Julio Teheran has quietly evolved into one of baseball's premier pitchers, fresh off back-to-back 14-win seasons, having posted a terrific 2.89 ERA last year. He has allowed two earned runs or fewer in three of his past four Interleague starts. Teheran has given up only two earned runs in 12 innings of work this season. Helping Teheran's cause is the fact that the Braves are off to a strong start as a team, exceeding expectations, so far at least. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays have been an early disappointment, with their offense fizzling since returning home from a season-opening road trip. Things aren't going well for the Jays and to make matters worse, they lost Jose Reyes to injury last night and only had 4 hits. Atlanta gets another bat in the AL statium and I'll back the Underdog in this one with the Braves.  5*

 Chris Archer will be on the hill for the Rays, and he's coming off a stellar performance on the road in Miami. Archer tossed seven scoreless frames, allowing only one hit in a 2-0 win over the Marlins. He is 1-0 with a 1.84 ERA in five starts at Rogers Center since 2012.
Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Bautista are a combined 6-for-42 with six strikeouts versus Archer lifetime.
Lastly, the Rays have won 9 of the last 10 when Chris Archer starts on the road. Play TB here on Thursday evening. 5*

This looks as if it could be a VERY long year for the Yankees. MLB’s most successful franchise has now missed the postseason in each of the last two years, after going to the playoffs 17 of 18 seasons from 1995 through 2012. This team is old and cannot hit. The Yanks are batting just .225 as a team, look for that to continue. Baltimroe starter Norris faced New York for the first time last year and posted a 2.74 ERA in winning all four starts. Norris made 14 starts vs AL East opponents in 2014, going 9-1 with a 2.85 ERA. I'll take Baltimore here at home tonight.  10*

5*

10*

The Angels Weaver is 6-1 with 1.12 ERA last seven team starts in this series; and Weaver 13-4 home career team starts during April. KC Starter Guthrie has struggled with a 6-11 away record with his starts during April. With Weaver off an opening day loss after a super spring camp (1.03 WHIP), should bounce back big at home on Saturday night.  5*

The Reds and Joey Votto have been hot while Cards starter Wacha has not pitched well in the beginning of the season. He is an ugly 0-7 in road games in the first half of the season over the last 2 seasons. The Reds are a solid 28-14 in home games against division opponents over the last 2 seasons. Plus, Reds starter Johnny Cueto is a near-perfect 11-1 in home games during the day game over the last 2 seasons. I am backing the Reds who have played very well off to a 4-0 start sweeping the Pirates and winning the first game of this 3-game set last night.  5*

The DetroitTigers have a very tough lineup and I like them against the Indians this afternoon.

 Detroit looks good this year beating Minnesota by a combined score of 22-1 in a three-game sweep. The Tigers also broke the American League record with 24 shutout innings to begin the season.
The Indians have lost nine of Zach McAllister's last 11 starts. Alfredo Simon was 15-10 with a 3.44 ERA at Cincinnati last year and a lot of the Cleveland hitters haven't faced him. I'm backing the Tigers in a pick'em they look to extend their run to 7-1 in Cleveland and get the win in the Indians home opener. 5*

One of the best stories of camp, Wojciechowski pitched well all spring and earned a spot in the rotation and will be making his Major League debut.

 I’ve never had a problem backing what amounts to sight unseen pitchers as it’s often the hitters who have trouble figuring things out and pitchers have the advantage.

Bauer remains a real puzzle. The stuff is unquestionably there. But the results have not been what most were expecting out of Bauer, and this spring was basically his career in microcosm, even in games that didn’t count.
He throws a lot of strikes but usually right down the middle and that spells BAD NEWS against an aggressive Astros team.

The Indians haven’t hit much thus far and I like the Astros this afternoon to get us the cash.10*

I think this is a major pitching mismatch with Chen going against an inexperienced Nathan Karns, who at 27 years of age only has 24 innings logged in the bigs, allowing a whopping 24 hits, 17 HR, 10 BB in his only five starts between Washington & Tampa Bay. Plus, his last start in Spring training was a nightmare.

 O's starter Wei-Yen Chen has proven skills. He is coming off his best year in the Majors (16-6, 3.54 ERA) & looked sharp this spring. Believe O's have slight edge in bullpen & offense and I'll back them tonight to get the win. 5*

The Oakland A's ace is Sonny Gray and the A's are definitely worthy of a second look in this spot. After going 5-3 with a 2.67 ERA as starter in 2013, Gray would go 14-10 with a 3.08 ERA last season. Gray was particularly effective at home with a 3.01 ERA. This is a tough spot for Rangers' starter Yovani Gallardo, who comes over from the Brewers and now faces some tougher AL hitting. Gallardo was 12-10 with a 4.18 ERA in 2013 and just 8-11 with a 3.51 ERA last season; and note that Gallardo was just 3-9 with a 3.97 ERA in all night games last year. I'll back the A's at home here Monday night. 5*

The Giants are 17-5 in ace Madison Bumgarner's last 22 road starts. KC loves to run but he's a lefty great at holding runners on. San Francisco has the better offense ranked 13th in slugging1 and 2th in runs scored and plenty of experience. I beleive KC with this layoff will be rusty and the Giants get to add another bat to their lineup playing in the AL park with the DH. Play the SF GIANTS tonight in game 1 and for the series.  10* GAME OF THE YEAR!

Chen will try to bounce back from a rough start to his 2014 postseason. The Tigers tagged the lefty for five earned runs in 3 2/3 innings during the ALDS. Jeremy Guthrie will make his first postseason start against his former team after a strong finish: 3-1 with a 2.40 ERA in five September starts.Baltimore's bullpen has struggled in this series, with Darren O'Day getting credit for the loss in both the first two games in Baltimore. Billy Butler and Eric Hosmer have owned Chen, with both hitting better than .400 with a combined four home runs and nine RBIs. Take KC here on Monday night to go up 3-0 in the series.  10*

Kershaw is off his worst game of the year and I look for him and the Dodgers to even up the series and send it back to LA for a game 5.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are 13-3 last 16 Kershaw starts as a road favorite of -150 to -200 and the Cardinals are 1-4 last 5 games following a win. Expect Kershaw to be at his best in this elimination game. Lay the juice with LA and get the win!5*

The Pirates are one of the top home teams in baseball. They were 51-30 this year in their ballpark. Pitt was also good against the NL West going 20-12 and they were also one of the teams who are good against Left-Handed starters. Edinson is arguably the hottest of the Bucs' quartet of hot pitchers down the stretch, Volquez has pitched to a 1.78 ERA in his last 12 starts and finished the season with a scoreless streak of 18 innings. This Pirates offense is top 10 in 4 categories including top-5 with batting average and OBP while SF's offense isn't ranked in the top 10 in anything. SF has to travel from West to East coast. Pittsburgh is the better team and have a major advantage playing at home going 12-4 their last 16 at home.  10*

The KC Royals are 2-0 in Shields' two starts versus A's
The Kansas City Royals will send James Shields to the mound in their wild-card game versus the Oakland A's Tuesday, and he's fared quite well versus the American League West club this season.

In his career, Shields has made 15 starts versus the A's and has a record of 6-4. He owns an ERA of 3.82 and has struck out 87 batters in his 103 2/3 innings of work.
 The A's are 4-10 last 14 playoff games and 1-4 last 5 meetings in Kansas City. The Royals are 7-1 last 8 Shields starts against A.L. West teams. This will be the 1st playoff game in KC in 29 years so expect a rowdy home crowd and the Royals have the better bats in their lineup. 5* KC ROYALS.

The Pirates have a lot to play for while going for their first division title since 1992.
Sending Vance Worley to the mound (3-0 with a 2.25 ERA in his last four starts), will help their chances.
Despite not making his first start until mid-June, Worley's eight wins rank third in the Bucs' rotation. Worley, whose homer rate (0.78/9 IP) is one of the best in the Majors, is looking to win four straight for the first time since his rookie year.

While opposing pitcher Mike Leake is 1-2 with a 7.71 ERA over his last 4.
Play the Pitt Pirates on Friday night!

5*

The Indians are 7-1 their last 8 games when favored. We will roll with the Indians on Tuesday night for multiple reasons. For starters, this team did not pick up a run in yesterday's frustrating 2-0 loss to the Royals where they were shutout at home. It Salazar is 6-7 this year with a 4.02 era and he is looking to get to .500 and have a sub 4 era, these are things to note for pitchers and the last time he pitched at home he gave up 6 earned runs to the Angels and this is a big bounce-back spot for him at home. Plus, as good as Ventura is, the Indians have revenge against him from an earlier pair of starts and it is very difficult for a pitcher to beat a team 3 times running. Look for the Indians to do well tonight and get the big win for us!  10*

We are going to roll with Hudson on the road tonight. Hudson is a veteran of veterans if you will in this league and he bounces back as well as nearly anybody and this Giants team knows that they need him to be strong in this stretch run for them to have a decent shot at going far in the playoffs. We like the fact that Hudson gave up 6 runs in just 1 inning of work in his last effort and its a nice opportunity for him to bounce-back against the Padres who come off a big high against the Phillies and Kendrick yesterday. Hudson is on a quality bounce-back here, you have a young pitcher in Despaigne who faces a hungry Giants lineup who has given up 9 runs in 9.3 innings in his last two efforts as the national league sees more pitches and figures him out more and more. Combine that with Hudson coming off 2 of 3 terrible starts, and a difficult stretch for him, he will look to do well in San Diego which is a pitcher's park. The Giants are winning the games they are supposed to as they are 5-1 in their last 6 games when facing a team with a losing record, the Padres are 1-6 with Despaigne faces a team with a winning record and Hudson is 5-2 when he faces a team with a losing record as well. The SF Giants are our 10* MLB Game of the Month. 10*

I look for the Braves to bounce back at home after getting shutout last night. Washington won last night and celebrated after winning the division. The Nationals clinched the NL East with their win against the Braves on Tuesday night. Naturally, the Nats were in a celebratory mood with beer and champagne last night. Look for a few of the Nationals regulars enjoy an evening off tonight and the team’s focus has to be in question after a long night of partying. The Braves go with lefty Alex Wood. He’s surrendered only 13 earned runs in his last nine starts and is really emerging as a major force on the mound for the Braves. Wood has been outstanding against the Nationals in his two seasons with the Braves, going 2-1 over five starts with a 1.48 ERA. The lefty-swinging LaRoche has gone 1 for 15 with a whopping 10 strikeouts against him in that time. It’s also worth noting that the Braves are at least a bit more potent against lefties and they’ll get to face a southpaw tonight as Gio Gonzalez makes the start for the Nats. Take the Atlanta Braves here as our NL Game of the Week.
10*

James Shields is coming off his best start of the season and Rick Porcello has 14 innings of three-run ball in two wins over the Royals this year. The Tigers bats are red hot right now and I love them at home here tonight. The main guys are on FIRE in the batter's box!! Make one mistake and Miggy, Victor, J.D.Mart, Hunter, and a host of others will make you pay. Play the Detroit Tigers here on Winsday night! 10*

Rookie Jacob deGrom toes the rubber in the second game of this three game set for the Mets tonight.
deGrom should have four more chances to improve his NL Rookie of the Year candidacy. The first of them will come against the Rockies, whom he has never faced. The right-hander is 4-3 with a 1.68 ERA in eight starts at Citi Field.
His numbers speak for themselves, his ERA remains below 3.00, he has a 1.20 WHIP and a 112/39 K/BB ratio as well. The Mets snapped the Rockies four game winning streak yesterday, dropping them to just 20-50 in road contests this season. Conversely, the Mets have won seven of ten and will be highly motivated with a slim shot at a wild card still alive. Lay the price and take the NY Mets here on Tuesday night.

5*

Santiago hasn't gone deep into games and I like the Twins to just out the sticks here at home. The Angels swept the Twins when they met in Anaheim in June and I expect the Twins to be hungry here as the Angels are off 2 losses against the Astros. Kyle Gibson gets the start for the Twins. The Twins will get a solid start from Gibson tonight and will look to take advantage of LA starter Santiago who has lost 7 of 9 on the road and has allowed 8 runs in 11 innings here. With Minnesota 11-2 at home off a home win by 5 or more runs where they scored 10 or more runs. We will take the small home underdog tonight.  10*

Detroit rallied in the ninth to beat Cleveland, 4-2, last night keeping the pressure on the Royals, who maintained their half-game lead in the American League Central. Verlander admitted his throwing shoulder is "kind of fatigued," and I beleive he isn't himself this season. INdians starter Salazar as he's 4-2 with an ERA under three post all star break. The oddsmakers are wanting all the action they can get on the Tigers and begging you to take them making Verlander a rare underdog tonight. Danny Salazar of the Indians tries to insert itself into the thick of the AL playoff picture. The second-year right-hander has been much improved since rejoining the Indians after a stint with Triple-A Columbus. Since July 22, Salazar's first start back from the Minors, his ERA is just 2.84 and he's been a significant boost to the rotation. Detroit is banged up with injuries and catcher Alex Avila left Tuesday night's game after being struck in the mask by a foul ball during the sixth inning. I really like the CLEVELAND INDIANS here on Wednesday night as a 10* PLAY

I like the Mets in this one tonight. Brad Penny has control issues and struggles in the Heat. Mets starter Jon Niese was on his way to potentially his best second-half start Thursday against Atlanta until hitting a wall in the eighth, ultimately allowing three runs in 7 1/3. Niese has allowed three earned runs or fewer in 23 of his 25 starts -- including four consecutive quality starts. His 3.48 ERA is not overly impressive, but it is good enough to be the second-best mark among Mets hurlers with at least 18 starts. I expect he'll give the Mets a good 7 innings here tonight. Jeurys Familia has been a terrific arm out of the New York bullpen in 2014, compiling a 2.13 ERA over 65 appearances encompassing 67 2/3 innings. He is also on pace to make history, as his 16 holds are the second-most by a Mets rookie. Take the NY METS in a pickem situation tonight.  10*

The Oakland A's appear to be  desperate because they need to gain a little confidence here as their manager ripped the entire team on Sunday after they were swept by the Angels. While Oakland has the first Wild Card spot locked up -  they want the division they have owned for much of the season.

Oakland lost four straight to to Anaheim to drop five games behind the Angels for the division lead. Not only that, but the A's have struggled to manufacture runs, averaging barely over a run per game over the last week.

They'll send out Jason Hammel, who is only 9-10 on the season but does own a 3.72 ERA. He's been very good in three of his last four starts and held Houston to one run on three hits over seven innings Tuesday in a blowout win. He was skipped in the rotation for his last start which gives him a full eight days of rest and ready to go on Monday afternoon.

Expect Oakland to jump on Chris Young early and often today as he is very hitable.
PLAY THE A's here as our Monday BEST BET. 5*

Look for the NY Mets to bounce back on Sunday. Phillies starter AJ Burnett allowed one run, three hits and one walk and struck out a season high 12 in seven innings on Monday against the Nationals at Citizens Bank Park. That was rare as he has gone 0-5 with a 7.52 ERA in his previous five starts and pitched awful. I don't think he all of a sudden found his groove. It was a fluke! Mets starter Gee is fresh off one of his better games of the second half, a 6 2/3-inning, two-run effort against the Braves on Tuesday. The right-hander's only better recent start came against these same Phillies on Aug. 9 -- one run on three hits in seven innings. I like the Mets at home behind Gee this afternoon.
10*

Its usually best to fade a team after a long winning streak like the Nationals had. They had 18 hits in a come from behind win on Sunday and now face the Phillies on Monday night. Philadelphia has now won 2 straight series and the offense is clicking. We are getting some nice underdog value tonight with AJ Burnett who has pitched well at home. 5*

STL starter Lynn has pitched six or more innings with two or fewer runs allowed in seven of his last eight outings and became the seventh NL pitcher He is also 2-0 against the Reds this year, and 8-3 at home. The Cardinals are also playing good ball right now, winning 3 straight while the Reds have dropped 4 in a row. The Reds are 1-8 in their last 9 road games vs. a team with a winning record & are 3-13 in their last 16 games as a road underdog. Lets back the STL cards at home here on Wednesday night.  5*

The WhiteSox only had 3 hits last night and their top 4 batters went a combined 1-14. Chicago is tough at home especially in night games. I think they'll bounce back behind Jose Quintana with his 3.14 ERA. The left-hander gave up five runs in 3 2/3 innings of a 5-3 loss in his first start versus Baltimore in 2012, but has yielded four and fanned 23 over 21 innings to go 1-1 in three since. All four runs have come on solo homers, most recently one from Pearce in seven innings of a 4-2 victory June 24. The ball really jumps out of his hand and he has good stuff. Hitters have said that it is tough to get in a rhythm when you don't see the ball behind his back. Quintana went 3-0 with a 1.69 ERA during a nine-start stretch prior to posting a 4.38 ERA while losing his last two. He is back at home where he is more comfortable now.

Orioles starter Tillman hasn't lost on the road but his ERA is close to 5.00 as he gives up a lot of hits and runs and has gotten a few breaks. Look for the Chicago WhiteSox to get the best of him today and get the win at home on Tuesday night.
10*

The Angels starting pitching staff has posted a solid 2.05 ERA in the last 7 games. C.J. Wilson looked good in his last outing while allowing 2 runs in almost 7 innings against the Phillies. Josh Hamilton received a day off yesterday so he should be fresh and ready to go. Both he and teammate Mike Trout have great career numbers at Fenway Park. They’ll be facing Brandon Workman, who is 1-6 with a 4.45 ERA on the season. He leaves most of his pitches up in the zone. That’s a bad combination against an Angel’s lineup that will take advantage of mistakes and tee off on balls up in the zone. The Angels are in a race for the division, a significant edge goes to the visiting squad here tonight as a decent price.  5*

The Yanks are only 4 back in the wildcard race but they have to start winning some games soon.
Kuroda took the loss his last time out Sunday, allowing three runs and five hits in 4 2/3 innings to the Indians, with four walks. The Yankees gave him 2 extra days rest this turn, hoping to get him back on track. He also loves pitching during the day so this day start should help boost his confidence. 5*

I look for the KC Royals to bounce back tonight against Oakland and Kazmir. The Royals pitching gave up 20 hits and 11 runs last night. KC starter Vargas hopes to be sharper in this third time out. Some rust showed in his outings against the A's and Giants but he has very good stuff. He needed 101 pitches to get through five innings vs. the Giants and left in a 2-2 tie but held his own despite some control problems. KC is still in 1st place by 1/2 game and I like them here on Wednesday night to notch another win.  5*

Only once in their last 8 games have the Yankees scored more than 5 runs. Their lineup has no power, while Baltimore is in the top 5 in several offensive categories. The Baltimore Orioles are red hot right now and in 1st place. Baltimore is 50-28 in night games and 29-19 versus the AL East. The last night Yankees starter Greene faced Baltimore he had a season high 9 K's. That wont happen the 2nd time around. The Yankees have now lost 3 in a row and they have only scored a total of 4 runs in 3 games. The Orioles bats are on fire putting up 41 runs in their last 4 games. Take Baltimore to WIN BIG here on Tuesday night!
10*

STL's Shelby Miller is coming off his best outing this season against the RedSox. I expect a letdown tonight. This game features the 62-54 Cardinals versus the 57-60 Marlins. Tom Koehler 7-9 3.80 ERA gets the start for the Marlins, and we are going to back the Marlins at home in this one. This is another one of those games that keeps the lights on in Vegas. The Marlins hold their own on their home field with a 31-28 record, while the Cards are just a .500 team on the road. Koehler is a talented young arm and I look for him to keep the Cards in check and I'll back the home underdog with the Fish on Big Monday.  10*

After getting shutout yesterday, I think the Yankees bounce back with Kuroda who loves pitching in day games. The Tribe will start Carlos Carrasco (3-4, 3.88) who is certainly not Corey Kluber. Carrasco makes his fifth start of the season and first since April 25th. Note that Carrasco struggled in a starting role in 2013, going 0-3 with a 6.95 ERA before getting moved to the bullpen. Carrasco's last two starts against New York didn't go well either, as he gave up 13 runs in 7 2/3 innings to lose both. Overall the Yankees have been dominant in this series and the Indians have struggled on the road all season with a 24-37 record. Take the Yankees here on Sunday afternoon to grab the win.

Indians starter Kluber allowed one run over 7 1/3 innings against the Reds on Monday, ending with seven strikeouts. He is 3-0 with a 0.79 ERA, 35 strikeouts and three walks in his last four starts and he is by far the better pitcher in this matchup. The Yanks scored 10 runs last tonight. I dont see them scoring much this afternoon. TAKE THE INDIANS!  10*

KC is a very good road team while Arizona is terrible at home. The Royals have the better bats in their lineup and also 7-3 their last 10 games. Duffy walked a career-high six Twins and should bounce back with better control and command tonight. He has surrendered two or fewer runs in eight of his last nine starts and i will take the KC Royals at a night price here on Tuesday night.
 10*

Reds starter Latos has struggled with his control lately.
He allowed three runs on three hits, walking a season-high four, hitting a batter and striking out a season-high six in a loss to the Nationals on Sunday. He is 0-3 with a 5.26 ERA in seven career starts against the Marlins

I'm backing the Miami Marlins behind Jarred Cosart who is newly acquired from the Astros. Cosart is 9-7 with a 4.41 ERA. We feel that he will get the job done tonight with his new teamates here in Miami. 10*

Lohse was his usual reliable self vs. Cincinnati on Wednesday, giving up one run on four hits over 6 2/3 innings. He's submitted 15 quality starts in 22 attempts this season and has been the anchor of the Milwaukee rotation. The Rays finally lost a game yesterday, and it’s not unusual for teams to lose a couple or a few immediately following the conclusion of a very long win streak. Kyle Lohse has had a terrific year for Milwaukee, and the Brewers are a robust 15-6 when he takes the mound. The Brewers at a nice underdog price and we'll back them strong here on Monday night. 10*

 Anaheim is a terrific offensive park and Detroit is 4th in baseball in runs scored, second in slugging, third in on base percentage. The Tigers 2 big bats with Cabrera and Martinez combined to go 0-7 last night in the game.
 Starter Rick Porcello (12-5, 3.42 ERA) is on his way to 20 wins. He recently had a three game stretch allowing no runs! He has a 1.16 WHIP and will face the Angels, a team he held to just one run over seven innings the last time he faced them.I'm backing the Tigers this afternoon. 5*

Astros starter Cosart has been consistent this year, throwing at least five innings in all but one of his starts. The team is 11-8 in games he starts. The Miami hitters have never faced Cosart and that benefits him with his pitching style. I like the Astros to even up this series at 1-1 here on Saturday evening. 5*

I like Washington here on Friday night as the Reds enter the weekend series on a 0-6 slide, averaging just 2 rpg. They're also on a 0-8 slide against right-handed starters and will face Tanner Roark tonight. The Washington righty owns a 2.31 ERA & 1.15 WHIP in his last nine starts. Jayson Werth, Dennard Span, Anthony Rendon, and Ian Desmond are all producing strong offensive numbers as of late. Lets back the Nats as our 5* BEST BET Play of the Day. 5*

The Phillies are 12-8 versus the West and Hernandez had the type of first half that may be expected of a No. 5 starter. He pitched OK but consistently had problems pitching past the 6th inning. That is something that needs to improve in the second half and I expect him to do better here at home. Giants starter Petit was named to start against the Phillies in place of Matt Cain who has gone on the disabled list three times this season. Petit is 1-2 with a deadful 5.81 ERA in five starts. Lets back the Phillies here at home on Tuesday night. 5*

San Diego starter Odrisamer Despaigne (2-1, 1.35) looks to continue an outstanding start to his career after limiting opponents to two runs or less while working into the seventh inning in three of his four starts. Seth Smith, Yasmani Grandal, and Will Venable each homered for the Padres in Saturday's 6-0 win, giving San Diego its first 3-homer gamer in more than two months (since May 18). We also know that Mets starter Zack Wheeler wasn't effective in his only start against the Padres this season, allowing four runs over five innings in a 5-0 home loss in June. Take SD here on Sunday afternoon.  5*

The Rockies are terrible on the road. Brett Anderson is on the hill for Colorado tonight, and this is mostly a stance against the veteran lefty. Anderson made his first start off his most recent DL stint last Sunday, and it wasn’t pretty as he got drilled by the Twins. I make Anderson a candidate to get hit hard again tonight.

Charlie Morton will go for the Pirates tonight as he has been impressive at PNC and tonight he gets to face a Rockies whose struggles on the road continue with a 16-31 record dropping 3 in a row. Take the Pirates at home here tonight! 5*

The Rays seek a ninth road win in 10 games Friday night when they face the Twins. Tampa Bay's 44 wins at the break are the club's fewest since winning 34 in 2007. The Rays (44-53) are eight games out of a wild-card spot and 9 1/2 back in the AL East, though their 13-5 record since June 25 is the second-best in the majors. Better production from Evan Longoria could help Tampa Bay gain ground. Longoria's .257 average with 11 homers and 44 RBIs before the All-Star break were well off his first-half totals from last year, when he hit .278 with 18 homers and 52 RBIs. No timetable has been set for the return of Joe Mauer, who has been on the disabled list since July 2 with a strained oblique. Twins starter Gibson struggled in his first career start against Tampa Bay on July 9, 2013, giving up four runs over six innings in a 4-1 defeat. Matt Joyce was 5 for 11 when the Rays won two of three from the Twins in April and has hit .395 with 14 RBIs over his last 12 contest versus Minnesota. The Rays are 6-1 last 7 meetings in Minnesota and have been HOT on the road winning 8 of last 9 road games. The Twins are just 1-4 last 5 home games and 2-5 last 7 Gibson starts against A.L. East teams. Tampa Bay is our 10* AL Game of the Week on Friday night.  10*

The Texas Rangers have been tough at home.
They will have Colby Lewis on the mound who has came around lately after finding out his spot in the rotation was in jeopardy.  Lewis is 2-1 with a 4.94 ERA in his last four starts after a 5-3 win over the Mets on Saturday.

Lewis has now pitched at least 6 innings in his last 3 starts and has a 21K/0BB mark in these starts. This tells me that he has made the proper mechanical corrections and is throwing strikes. Lewis did face the Angels earlier this season and tossed a quality start giving up 2 ER in 5.2 IP and the Rangers got the 5-2 win.

For the Angels, Santiago will be on the rubber who is 0-7 this year and still looking for his 1st win and Rios, Beltre, and Choo have all had success vs. this guy and the Rangers have been hitting left handed pitcher good all season long (.281 BA and 5.2 RPG). I like the Texas Rangers here on Thursday night. 5*

The Tigers pounded out 20 hits and 14 runs last as 5 hitters had 3 hits in the game.

Dont expect that today against Zach Greinke.
In a rotation headed by the torrid Clayton Kershaw, it's Greinke who leads in wins, starts, innings pitched and strikeouts. This is his best season since he won the AL Cy Young Award in 2009.
With Victor Martinez out of the lineup today for the Tigers I like the LA Dodgers to bounce back with a win this afternoon. 10*

The Tampa Bay Rays have finally woke up and are playing good baseball, coming off an 11-game road trip where they posted a 9-2 mark. Tonight they send Jake Odorizzi (4-7, 4.18) to the mound as they face off with James Shields (8-4, 3.93) and the Kansas City Royals. The Rays are finally out of last place in the AL East after winning their third straight game and they'll enter Monday on an 8-1 run, overall. Meanwhile, after winning their 10th straight game on June 18 and taking over first place in the AL Central, the Royals have now dropped 10 of their last 16 and have been overtaken by the Tigers in the division. KC starter James Shields has been knocked around in his last three starts, allowing 13 earned runs and 29 base runners in 19 innings, for a 6.16 ERA & 1.53 WHIP. I like the Rays' starter Jake Odorizzi and what he'll bring tonight. The right-hander has allowed just 7 earned runs and 31 base runners in his last five starts, spanning 30 2/3 IP. Add in Shields' horrible road numbers over his last four starts away from home and we have a play on the Rays. 5*

The Yanks will start Hikoki Kuroda here on Sunday and he has had 3 straght quality starts. Kuroda (5-6, 4.08 ERA) pitched well in his last start, but didn't get the desired result, allowing a pair of runs over eight innings in a loss to Tampa. He won his last start versus Minnesota, tossing five scoreless innings in a win in the Bronx. This should be a good spot for Kuroda, as he's been tough on hitters in day games, with a record of 8-2, 2.86 ERA in the afternoon the last two seasons. Yanks veteran Mark Teixeira is 4-for-8 with a home run and a pair of RBIs lifetime versus Nolasco, while Carlos Beltran is hitting .340 with a home run. Chances are that Kuroda will out-perform his counterpart here this afternoon, and we'll back NY on Sunday.  10* GOW

I see this SF team slowly declining in the National League West power that has dropped into second place. The Giants - who once held the largest division lead in the majors - arrived in San Diego after losing two straight, including Thursday night's 7-2 shellacking in St. Louis, while they've lost nine of their last 11. The Los Angeles Dodgers have methodically been doing their thing, and have ridden an 8-3 win streak into first place thanks to stellar play on the road. The Padres, meanwhile, have won 5 in a row and are suddenly on the rise in the West. They don't stand a chance in catching the Giants anytime soon, but they're playing better and have risen from last place into third place in the division and hungry. Padres have won 5 in a row, and are 4-1 in their last 5 games as an underdog. San Diego has won 6 of their last 8 meetings with San Fran at home. I'll take the Padres at plus money. Take the Padres again here on Saturday evening. I don't care about who is pitching for either team, as this one is about the action and momentum, not to mention a rivalry from the Golden State. Take the Friars here, as they're worth the slim dog price. 5* SAN DIEGO 

The Rockies have been better at home than they have been on the road as their bats are much better in their home stadium. The Rockies will start Jorge De La Rosa (8-6, 4.86 ERA) and he has always enjoyed success at Coors Field, after going 10-1 in Colorado last year, he's 4-2 with a 3.83 ERA in eight starts at home this season. The Dodgers hand the ball to Dan Haren, who has been hit hard by the Rockies in past meetings. Nobody has done more damage than Carlos Gonzalez, who is batting .391 with four home runs versus the veteran, while Tulowitzki has homered 3 times while batting .297 lifetime. Haren is 1-3 with a 10.35 ERA in his last four starts versus the Rockies and I'll back Colorado as a small home dog here. 5*

Yu Darvish got pushed back until tonight thanks to a rainy forecast in Baltimore, and now the Ace of the Rangers staff will be in charge of stopping a 9 game road losing streak this 4th of July Friday.

Darvish is coming into this one off a win, and he has gone a profitable 6-1 in his 8 career interleague starts, with an ERA of 1.32.

Jon Niese counters for a New York team that continues to sink. The Mets come into this one having dropped 7 of their last 8 games overall, including each of their last 4 and they never seem to give Neise any run support.

He hasn't faced the Mets and that gives a HUGE edge to Texas with Darvish on the mound.

My money is on Darvish who was held back the extra day to come on a mission tonight and pitch his team into the winner's circle and end their road losing streak. 10* Interleague Blast

3*

This is a cheap price to lay against the Phillies, who have lost six straight and appear to be back on a downslide. Here we go again with these two teams, in which I've noticed certain things about over the first half of the season. The Phils are mired in their sixth losing streak of three or more games. And during this current six-game, the Phils have been outscored 32-12, scoring more than three runs in just one of the games. In their last 10 games, the Phils are averaging 2.4 runs per game. Philadelphia is just 15-22 against intradivision foes this season, and I just don't see how it will be able to compete here as the Marlins are the better overall team.

I'm backing the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday afternoon. Johnny Cueto has been tremendous in daytime action for a long and this season is no different. He can dominate the Padres again after tossing a complete game shutout in a 5-0 Reds' win back in May. The Padre bats are simply terrible, ranked 30th in runs scored per game, team batting average, and OPS, while ranking 27th in home runs. Take the Reds this afternoon.  5*

This will be the first of a three-game set in Toronto between two teams that can knock the cover off the baseball, and while I expect both teams to do that very thing this afternoon, I expect the Blue Jays to do it a little bit better.

I believe Milwaukee is about to find out what knocking the cover off the ball is really all about as Toronto can hit up and down that lineup. Milwaukee and Toronto have both been spotty at times last month, but I believe July is going to be Toronto's month because of their playing conditions. Over their past three starts, Hutchison has clearly been the better pitcher. Estrada has gone 17 innings over his last three, allowing 20 hits with an ERA of 7.41 and a WHIP of 1.47.

Take the BJays here on Tuesday. 5*

The AL has been hot in these Interleague games. The Indians are set to start Kluber 7-5 3.09 ERA, while the Dodgers send Haren 7-4 3.83 ERA to the hill. We are going to back the road team Indians here as Kluber is a very good strikeout pitcher. Haren has had a solid season, but he wasn't able to make it out of the 4th in his last start and I expect a similar performance here as he gives up a lot of HR's. Cleveland's Kluber has been pretty consistent on the season and has been just about as good on the road as on his home field. The Dodgers have won seven of their last ten, while the Indians are 3-7 over their last ten. The Indians will get us the cash here tonight on the road. Play the INDIANS. 10*

 For the Blue Jays, it's Mark Buehrle bringing a 10-4 record, 2.52 ERA to the mound and hoping history repeats itself as the southpaw earned his very first victory with Toronto in his only game vs Pale Hose last season. Buehrle trades pitches with Jose Quintana. The Chicago lefty carrying a 4-7 record, 3.69 ERA.  The Jays have thrived as a home favorite with Buehrle posting a 14-5 mark including 8-3 as a home favorites off a loss the previous day. Another positive for Toronto backers. White Sox have lost the past five facing a left-handed starter. This being a day game sets the table as White Sox have lost six of seven as road underdog in day games with Quintana as well. Lets play the TORONTO BLUEJAYS on Sunday. 5*

 We had the Reds last night as a 5* winner noting that Cincy has been one of the best road teams in baseball this year while San Fran has been one of the leagues worst at home. That continued on Friday with another Reds win and we expect more of the same tonight as the Cincinnati Reds pitching staff has dominated San Francisco so far this season and tonight they send the National Leagues winningest pitcher Alfredo Simon to the hill. Cincinnati has won nine of its last 11 in San Francisco and its more of the same tonight as the Reds roll!  5*

Cueto tossed eight strong innings against the Jays to earn his seventh win of the season on Sunday, allowing one earned run on seven hits while walking one and striking out eight. In 19 career starts against the Giants, he is 2-1 with a 1.93 ERA. The Reds have won his last 3 starts, and I like them to make it 4 in a row. SFran's Bumgarner is carrying an ERA over 4 on his home field, and I expect the Reds to take him for a few. Bumgarner is coming off a great outing but let's not get carried away as it was Vs the Dbacks in Arizona where the Snakes can't buy a win. Take Cincy here on Friday night.  5*

After the extra innings game last night both teams used up their bullpens. Look for Strasburg to take care of business here this afternoon.
In his last start, vs. Atlanta, Strasburg had his worst performance since mid-April. He got tagged for four runs on nine hits over six innings, but received a no-decision thanks to a game-tying homer from Anthony Rendon in the bottom of the ninth. He'll bounce back with good stuff and he loves to pitch during the day as well.
Play the NATS. 5*

Arrieta has struck out 20 batters over 14 innings in his past two starts, including a career-high 11 in his last outing vs. Miami. I don't see that happening tonight with the Reds. Cincinnati has quietly been putting it together, playing well this month. Starter Homer Bailey has helped lead the surge, with the team 5-1 his last six starts, plus 7-3 his last 10. He's already faced these light hitting Cubs once...and shut them out for 6 innings. Chicago is ranked 26th in runs, 29th in on base percentage and 21st in slugging. The Reds are 6-1 in their last 7 road games vs. A right-handed starter including 21-6 in the last 27 meetings in Chicago. Take the Reds. 10*

The Rays’ Alex Cobb comes in with considerable momentum. Pittsburgh sends the struggling Edinson Volquez (4-6, 4.67 ERA) to the hill; Volquez was shelled in a loss to the Reds on Wednesday, giving up eight earned runs off six hits and three walks over just 2 1/3’s innings of work. Note that Volquez has been particularly shaky on the road this year, a sub-par 1-2 with a 5.08 ERA. The home side counters with Alex Cobb (2-5, 3.48 ERA) whose record is not entirely indicative of his overall play. While he suffered the loss in his last start, Cobb gave up only a single unearned run over seven innings while striking out six vs. the Orioles on Wednesday Cobb is the better pitcher and TB is starting to string some wins together. TAKE TAMPA.  5*

 Erik Bedard has been rocked over his last six starts and he's lasted less than 5 full innings in four of his last five. Dallas Keuchel had won six straight road starts, while posting a 1.42 ERA before his last road outing. I expect a return to form in this one. He'll face a Rays' lineup that's averaging just 2.73 rpg at home against southpaws in 2014. In fact, they have won just 6 of 20 against lefties, overall. And with the way Bedard is struggling, I doubt they'll find enough offense to top the Astros. Houston enters on a 6-1 run on the road with Keuchel and they're on a 14-3 run when he throws on four days rest. Lets take the Astros here on Sunday afternoon. 5*

Chris Young isn't going to overpower you. The KC Royals are RED HOT and should put a lot of balls in play with the combination of speed and power here on Saturday afternoon. Royals starter Vargas just keeps rolling. He's given up three or fewer runs in each of his last five starts. Of his 15 outings this season, 12 of them qualify as quality starts. At Detroit last Monday, Vargas went seven innings and held the Tigers to two runs. PLAY ON KC!  10*

I look for the Detroit Tigers to avoid the 4-game sweep here at home on Thursday afternoon. Sanchez is unbeaten in six outings since his return from the disabled list in mid-May, the last five of them quality starts. He has allowed just 20 hits over 34 2/3 innings in those five starts, walking five and fanning 32. He's been even stronger against Kansas City with an 0.99 ERA in five career starts, winning three and losing 1-0 games in the other two. Sanchez has won both outings against the Royals in Detroit with one run allowed in 16 1/3 innings. No one in Kansas City's regular lineup has homered off Sanchez while he's held Perez (0 for 9), Mike Moustakas (1 for 10), Infante (3 for 18) and Eric Hosmer (3 for 16) in check. The Royals are sending Duffy 4-5 2.83 ERA to the mound who is 1-4 in his career against the Tigers, and you better believe this Tigers team will be motivated to avoid the sweep here. It speaks volumes that the Royals have won the first 3 games convincingly, yet the Tigers are laying 140 here on this game. Look for the Tigers bats to get rolling here led by Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez.  10*

Against Detroit, Sale allowed five hits over seven innings, with one run coming on Victor Martinez's HR, while striking out 10 and not issuing a walk. Sale has struck out 68 and walked just five this season and has a 1.83 ERA at home in seven starts. I like the WhiteSox at home in this spot today as the Cellular Field is a hitters park and Chicago will take full advantage.10*

With Joey Votto and Jay Bruce off the DL the lineup went from one of the League's worst to averaging 5.2 RPG over their L6 coinciding with the return of both sluggers. The Reds as they send their ace, Johnny Cueto (6-5, 1.85) to the mound to face off with the Pirates Brandon Crumpton (2-2, 6.06) The Reds bats have finally decided to wake up as they have won five of their last six games and starting to score more runs. That's good news for Cueto, who despite the NL's best ERA among starting pitchers, is only sporting a 6-5 overall record! We have gone against Crumpton several times with success and he is a guy that seems to leave way too many balls up in the zone. With a Reds team that is hitting the way these guys are, that's a recipe for disaster. Take the Reds tonight in a big way. 10*

The Padres and pitching coach Darren Balsley have done great work with this afternoon’s expected started Ian Kennedy. Kennedy struggled with the Arizona Diamondbacks last season before he was traded at the July 31st deadline to the Padres. The struggles continued for the right-hander after he was traded as he posted an overall 4.91 ERA in 2013. However, Kennedy still possessed good stuff and wasn’t too far removed from the 21-4 record and 2.88 ERA of 2011. Prior to this season Kennedy and Balsley were able to make key adjustments and we’ve seen an uptick in velocity and more of a reliance on the curveball. Kennedy’s strikeouts are up, walks are down, and he’s clearly outpitched (3.02 xFIP) his current 3.63 ERA and 5-7 W-L record. <p>
For the Mets the 33-year-old Daisuke Matsuzaka will be making his fourth start of the season for the Mets. His 2.95 ERA is sparkling, but I seriously doubt that number will hold up in the long run. He still struggles with efficiency with and alarming 28 walks in 39 frames this year. It will be five or six innings of marginal pitching at best for Dice-K, while the Mets’ bullpen continues to be a mess. Take the Padres here on Sunday to end the week with a winner. 5*

Gallardo dominated the Pirates his last time out -- four hits and one walk over seven shutout innings. In seven home starts this season, the right-handed ace owns a 4.01 ERA and 1.24 WHIP while fanning more than twice as many batters as he's walked. With the Reds Mat Latos on a pitch count here I like the Brewers to take care of business here at home Saturday evening. 5*

After a profitable 4-3 road trip, the Marlins will be happy to be back home where they are a league best 22-11. Had they not run into Yu Darvish in the final game of their trip, you have to think they would come into this series w/ even more momentum. An additional advantage here is they had yday off while Pittsburgh had a game. I like to back Miami at home where they average 5.1 rpg. If Eovaldi does go, the Fish will be getting a pitcher who has a 2.86 ERA and 0.773 WHIP his L3 starts. He's allowed 3 ER or fewer in 9 of 10 starts.

Meanwhile, it's been a roller coaster for Pirates starter Jeff Locke. The team has lost both, albeit in totally different fashions - 11-10 and 1-0. The latter came Sunday after a month stay on the DL. Pittsburgh is just 12-18 on the road and the Marlins vs. 11-4 record vs lefties looks nice. I love Miami in this spot at home tonight. 10*

10* Teheran has produced a 1.23 ERA in the four starts he's made since allowing a season-high four earned runs on May 14. He takes his MLB-leading ERA into Coors Field, where he allowed one run in seven innings last year. The Braves and Rockies meet at Coors Field in Game Three of this four-game set Wednesday night where Atlanta sends the steady serves of Julio Teheran to the mound. Teheran is in great form with 19 strikeouts and 3 walks his last three starts. The crafty right-hander is also 10-3 with a 1.89 ERA in his thirteen team starts to go along with a super 0.93 WHIP on the season. BRaves should take care of business in a big way tonight!

Saturday was the first time the BJays were shutout at home this season. I expect them to bounce back here on Sunday behind Drew Hutchinson. Hutchison is coming off a gem of a performance against the Tigers, allowing three hits in seven scoreless innings while striking out seven. He earned a no-decision, but he hasn't lost a start since May 11th. STL starter Garcia has good control but gives up a lot of hits and HR's and that spells trouble against this tough hitting Toronto team.
10* Home Cooking Game of the Week

 Taking the PADRES here tonight at home. We will fade the Nats off their 3 games home sweep of the Phillies. Now they are traveling cross country where have lost 9 of their last 12 on the road. One of the other angles I like to look at is teams avenging a shutout loss, and tonight's Nats/Padres game fits on that count. Tanner Roark blanked the Friars at home earlier, and now SD tries to even the score. I like Tyson Ross at home, the Padres have the better pen at the end and the H/A offensive data is actually pretty close. SD is our BEST BET play on Friday. 5* 

4*

The Tigers are scuffling a bit lately, losers of 11 of their last 15 games, including last night's 5-3 loss to these Toronto Blue Jays. Tonight, the Tigers are going to try and right this ship as they send our Rick Porcello (8-2, 3.68 ERA) to oppose Blue Jays knuckleballer R.A. Dickey (5-4, 4.30) who was knocked around pretty good in his last start against the Royals. Porcello is actually tied for second in MLB with his eight wins and trying to bounce back from a shaky start against the A's, which resulted in a 5-4 Tigers win. The Tigers are 6-1 in Porcello's last seven starts as a home favorite and while Dickey has been really tough in Toronto, he hasn't enjoyed the same results on the road. Dickey is 0-3 with a 6.23 ERA in four road starts this season. Detroit Tigers will hit their way to a victory tonight!
10* AL Game of the Week

Miami has been tough at home all season and now take on the slumping Tampa Bay. The Rays have now lost seven in a row, all on the road, and I see them losing again Tuesday. Miami has the most home wins in MLB, now w/ 21. They scored all three runs yesterday in the bottom of the 1st inning and the pitching staff took over from there. Things aren't likely to improve in this Interleague series w/ the loss of the designated hitter. The Rays stand second-to-last in the American League in runs while Miami is second in the National League – and first in home games. Rays are 7-16 in their last 23 games vs. a starter with a WHIP greater than 1.30. Rays are 3-8 in their last 11 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.

Marlins are 7-0 in their last 7 interleague games as an underdog. Marlins are 14-5 in their last 19 games as a home underdog. Take Miami here on Tuesday night. Lastly the Marlins are 4-1 in Alvarezs last 5 starts with 5 days of rest. 10*

Phil Hughes started slow in April, but has turned it around throwing his seventh straight quality start, as he gave up three runs on eight hits over seven innings against the Rangers on Tuesday in a no-decision. The right-hander also didn't walk a batter for his sixth straight outing. When ex-Yankee Phillip Hughes takes on his former mates at Yankee Stadium in the finale of this three-games series at Yankee Stadium Sunday afternoon, he will take the mound in fabulous KW form with 30 strikeouts and ZERO walks and with some extra motivation going against the team who traded him away.
10*

Since posting a 1.99 ERA through six starts, Santana has allowed 16 runs in his last 17 1/3 innings but that was against Interleague opponents. The Braves have a much better lineup and I expect them to win here this afternoon. 10* NL Game of the Week

For the season SF starter Vogelsong has allowed 51 hits and 20 earned runs while striking out 46 over 56.1 innings for a 3-2 record and a 3.20 ERA. San Francisco is 2-5 in their last seven games in St Louis. Garcia is 2-0 with a 0.81 ERA during a three-start stretch against the Giants, and St Louis Cardinals are 15-9 at home and 6-4 in their last 10 games. For the season Garcia has allowed 11 hits and six runs while striking out 12 over 12.2 innings for a 1-0 record and 4.26 ERA. I like the Cards here at home to get the win.  5*

Both teams are riding winning streaks but the BJays are 9-1 their last 10 and on fire. The Rays are set to start Bedard 2-2 2.63 ERA, while the Jays are starting Hutchison 3-3 3.45 ERA. The Jays are on a 6 game winning streak, and we are going to back them as they go for their 7th win in a row. Hutchison is a great young arm, and the Jays are on a roll, and I don't see Tampa as the team to stop them at this point. The Rays are on a 4 game win streak, but are coming off a series with the ice cold and struggling RedSox. Take Toronto here tonight to get the cash!  5*

We are going to go against Wainright and his 7-2 record with a great WHIP. He is coming off a near perfect game and I dont see that against here in Cincy. He threw a one-hitter where he threw 115 pitches, we've got to think if he was ever vulnerable this would be it. He shutout the Reds on opening day in Cincinnati, so there's an extra measure of motivation, aside from being on ESPN tonight. I'm back the underdog Reds here on Sunday.  5*

Boston is in a major slump now dropping 8 in a row. Tampa Bay is tough at home and I like their chances this afternoon. Peavy isn't the guy you want to have there to end a losing streak. He hasn't been sharp walking a guy every other inning. He has giving up a ton of hits and runs lately and I like TB to get us the cash here on Saturday.  5*

The RedSox have lost the first two games of this series, but I think will rebound to take this game on Thursday afternoon.
Toronto’s Edwin Encarnacion had two home runs in yesterday’s 6-4 victory.
Encarnacion is on fire no doubt, but note that he’s just 8 for 39 (.205) off of Red Sox starter Jon Lester (4-5, 2.67 ERA).

The last time Lester faced the Jays he gave up four runs over seven innings in his team’s 7-1 loss on April 27th, but note that he was 4-0 with a 2.55 ERA in six starts vs. them last year.
Also note that Jays’ slugger Jose Bautista is just 11 for 57 (.193) vs. Lester with 12 K’s. <p>

Toronto sends Mark Buehrle to the mound this afternoon and
he has struggled against Boston throughout his career, he’s 8-10 with a pedestrian 4.53 ERA in 24 career starts vs. it (note that Dustin Pedroia is 14 for 36 (.389) against Buehrle).
Boston get the win here this afternoon.  10* AL Game of the Month

I like the Braves to win their fifth straight tonight behind Ervin Santana (4-1, 2.76 ERA); Santana is coming off an outing to forget in which he gave up five runs off ten hits in a 5-2 loss at St. Louis on Friday. I expect him to bounce back tonight. Santana has excelled in front of the home town crowd this year posting a 1.66 ERA while winning all three of his starts there.  5*

Brewers starter Gallardo's run support average of 2.89 is one of the worst totals in baseball and now he's taking on the National League East-leading Atlanta Braves, and his run support could struggle again, against Julio Teheran. Yes, Teheran is 0-2 with a 2.92 ERA against the Brewers for his career, including a loss earlier this season at Miller Park, but even more reason to back him, as revenge will be on the brain for this one. Coming off one of their best offensive performances of the year, I look for the Braves to carry that momentum over into Tuesday’s game. The starters are pretty evenly matched, but I think a pretty fair price on a suddenly hot hitting BRaves here tonight.

5*

The Nationals could use a strong effort from Strasburg (3-3, 3.48), who has overcome a slow start to go 2-1 with a 1.89 ERA in his last five outings. While the Nats have a few injuries so do the Reds without Joey Votto. The Nats have won 7 of the last 9 games in this series. Strasburg toes the rubber a winner in 10 of his 14 career team starts in May, while Leake enters 0-3 with a 9.75 ERA in his last three starts in this series. With Cincinnati 0-4 on Monday this year, look for the Nats to improve get the win behind better pitching and a bullpen. Lay the juice and get the win with Washington.

I like the Yankees here again on Sunday in game 1. The Yankees enter today riding a three game win streak and right behind division leader Baltimore in the AL East. Charlie Morton STILL looking for his first win this season against five losses. Morton hasn't pitched badly, posting a 3.22 ERA. The problem has been run support. In Morton's last six starts, the Bucs have scored more than two runs just twice. Hiroki Kuroda will start game one for the Yanks with a 2-3 record and 4.62 ERA. Kuroda gets an extra day of rest here with the Friday game being rained-out. Kuroda loves pitching during the day and I expect a big performance from him this afternoon. I'm on the Yanks here at home on Sunday in game 1. 5*

It was big news in Pittsburgh last season when the Pirates produced their first winning season since 1992, by going an VERY impressive 94-68, which earned them a wild card spot in the postseason.
What a difference a year has made! The Pirates 'limp' into this series with the Yankees with just a 17-23 record and 8 1/2-games back of the 1st-place Brewers in the NL Central.
The Pirates come to New York after dropping two of three at Milwaukee. The Yankees look to move to .500 at home on the season when they open things up against the Pirates. The Pirates are 0-6 in the last 6 meetings in New York & will be facing Phelps who is 7-1 in his last 8 home starts. The Pirates have struggled against right-handed starters and are 3-13 in their last 16 road games vs. A right-handed starter. The Yankees have won 18 straight when allowing three or less runs plus why shouldn't I also add that the Yankees are 7-2 all-time against the Pirates in the regular season, including 6-0 at home! I'm taking the Yankees this afternoon. 10* Game of the Month

Cleveland won 15-4 last night in a game that produced 30 hits, 22 to the Indians' credit. The Jays' offense should be able to surpass the 4 runs they put up last night against Danny Salazar. Salazar has been serving up batting practice on the road thus far this season, posting a 6.46 ERA along with 3 home runs in 15.1 innings.

The Indians are hitting .205 against lefty pitchers! They are almost below the .200 mark, which is atrociously bad. After putting up 15 runs last night I think we see some regression out of their bats tonight. J.A. Happ has been fine other than his last start where he gave up 4 runs in only 2.1 innings pitched. But it was the first game he gave up more than a run. His ERA isn't great with a 4.63, but I think he should be able to handle an Indians team that can't hit a left-handed pitcher to save their lives. Toronto gets the win tonight!  10*

The unbeaten Masahiro Tanaka has been as good -- if not better -- as advertised for the New York Yankees since coming over from Japan. Tanaka (5-0, 2.57 ERA) has baffled big league hitters with his nasty arsenal of pitches. The right-hander has allowed three runs or fewer in each of his first seven starts, and his 8.29 strikeout-to-walk ratio is the third-best mark in baseball. The Mets have struggled to score runs all year at home and I dont see them scoring much here at home. The Yankees are 5-0 in Tanakas last 5 starts & the Mets are 1-5 in their last 6 games vs. a right-handed starter. Look for the Yanks losing streak to end tonight!  10* MLB GAME OF THE WEEK

The Brewers starter Matt Garza has a 2-10 career start mark against the Yanks. Garza has dropped 13 of his last 19 teams starts during the month of May. Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter is hitting .324 (11 for 34) against Garza, and is expected to play after he was rested Saturday with a day game following a night contest. New York's David Phelps (0-0, 3.18) will make his second straight start after his first nine appearances came out of the bullpen. Starting in place of the suspended Michael Pineda, Phelps allowed a run and three hits in 5 1/3 innings of a 4-1 loss to the Los Angeles Angelson Monday. The right-hander is 7-6 with a 4.28 ERA in 24 career starts, but has never faced Milwaukee in any capacity. Mark Reynolds is the only Brewer who has faced Phelps, going 0 for 6 with five walks. The Brewers hitters never faced him and that favors the pitcher. The Yankees are a better team in day games and the Brewers are a little banged up with a few key injuries. I like the Yankees to win here on Sunday afternoon and get the series win as well.
10* MLB Game of the Week

Atlanta has provided at least four runs of support in four of Ervin Santana's five starts. The right-hander is expected to return to the mound after having his last turn skipped to heal a bruised thumb. Since allowing two runs over 21 innings in his first three outings, Santana (3-0, 2.41) has allowed seven runs over 12 2/3 innings in his last two. He gave up three runs with a season-low five strikeouts over six innings before the bullpen blew his one-run lead in a 5-4 loss at Miami on May 1st. Play the Atlanta Braves tonight as they will start to slowly roll ... the Cubs are the medicine that the Bravos need to win. Atlanta is my 5* BEST BET of the day.