The Marlins might have reached their lowest point of the season Saturday with a 7-1 loss. After the game, third baseman Hanley Ramirez, for the first time in his career, initiated a players-only meeting. The Marlins then went out Sunday and shut out the Blue Jays 9-0. Miami played well last night until the 9th inning and they fell apart. I expect them to bounce back tonight.
Run support has been lacking lately for Lohse, who has gotten four total runs in his last 3 starts while pitching at least seven innings each time. Zambrano, who spent his first 11 major league seasons pitching in the NL Central with the Cubs, is 12-6 with a 3.40 ERA in 31 appearances against the Cardinals, including 3-0 with a 3.11 ERA in his last six starts. Lets play MIAMI to bounce back here at home on Tuesday night.
10* NL GAME OF THE MONTH

Before their series with STL, the Royals won 8 of 9 and playing good ball. Now, the Rays head into Kansas City for a series with the Royals and we're backing KC in tonight's contest. Tampa arrives here after taking a doubleheader in Philadelphia yesterday and had to travel, so they will be very tired after playing in the heat all day on Sunday. I like KC here at home to get the win over the Rays on Monday night. 10* AL GAME OF THE WEEK

There has been no hotter pitcher than R.A. Dickey this year as he has thrown back-to-back 1 hitters. However, the Mets are not hitting the ball too well right now. Both pitchers are work horses and this game should be close going into the later innings, but my edge goes to the Yankees bullpen who is tops in the majors. New York is a better hitting team and getting CC Sabathia at a pick'em price is very rare. Play the NY Yankees in Sunday night ESPN Baseball. 5*

Lowe (7-5, 4.30 ERA) has had his ERA increase more than two full runs over his last six starts, in which he's 1-4 with an 8.13 ERA. He allowed seven runs - the third time he's given up at least that many during that stretch. The right-hander, who had a 2.05 ERA after beating Minnesota on May 15, is 0-7 with a 7.75 ERA in his last eight starts versus the NL as has looked awful. Carlos Lee is hitting .364 with two homers and four doubles lifetime against Lowe. Lee doubled twice and drove in two runs while Jose Altuve, Jordan Schafer and J.D. Martinez all homered in Saturday's win for Houston (29-42), which had scored one run combined while dropping its previous three games. Martinez, a .230 hitter on the season, is batting .333 over his last five.
JA Happ (5-7, 5.15) ended a four-start losing streak by allowing two runs and a season-low four hits in six innings of a 9-7 win over Kansas City on Monday, Cleveland is hitting a major league-worst .216 against left-handers, with Shin-Soo Choo batting .183 versus southpaws as it seems all the numbers point to the Astros here.
5*

Max Scherzer's potential to be one of baseball's most dominant pitchers was on full display in his latest start, Scherzer struck out 15 Pirates during a May outing in Detroit, a performance he'd love to replicate as he tries to build on his lengthiest outing of the season Saturday at PNC Park.
The Pirates aren't a powerhouse at the plate and will start Brad Lincoln. He is 0-2 with a 10.03 ERA in three starts - all on the road - since entering the rotation for the injured Charlie Morton, and he's failed to make it through five innings in any. Lincoln may not be in the rotation much longer with Jeff Karstens (shoulder) nearing a return, and he didn't help his case Sunday at Cleveland. The right-hander gave up four runs and eight hits and was lifted with one out in the fourth inning. Miguel Cabrera has gone 0 for his last 12 but I look for him and the rest of the Tiger bats to get plenty of runs and hits this afternoon.
10* GAME OF THE YEAR!

I like Detroit Tigers in this afternoon game. The Detroit 2-3-4 hitters went 0-12 last night and this Jacob Turner kid is very solid. The Tigers usually hit the ball well in game days too.
Jake Turner is a big, hard-throwing right-hander with promising command and secondary pitches, Turner holds the formula for a long and successful major league career. His groundball tendencies make him a premium prospect and keep his floor high. He bears a striking resemblance

Pittsburgh looks to match a season high with its fourth straight win when it hosts struggling Minnesota on Wednesday night.
The Twins are 0-6 in their last 6 interleague road games versus a team with a winning record and simply do not hit on the road.
The Pirates and Bedard are very tough at home where Bedard has a 2.20 ERA at road and the Pirates have won 8 of 9 at home in Interleague play. Eric Bedard is 4-0 on the money line in his last 4 starts versus the Twins. Pittsburgh at home behind their strong pitching and defense get the call on Wednesday evening as our play of the day. 5*

I really like the LAA tonight. Matt Cain off his perfect game and Pujols hits him well going 8 for 14 against him. Of the 17 pitchers to throw a perfect game in MLB history, only 5 won their next start. Cain will take the mound for the first time since making history last week, visiting a Los Angeles Angels team that's been stellar on the mound as well recently. The Angels have won four straight against the Giants, and are hot right now. The Angels are on a 18-6 with 6 straight home wins versus NL opponents. 10* Interleague Game of the Week!

With Jered Weaver set to rejoin the rotation next week, Santana needs a good outing to solidify his spot. The Angels first 5 batters were 0-19 last night at the plate and the Angels always bounce back after getting shutout. The D-Bax are just 7-16 vs. teams with a winning record and the Angels have been one of the leagues hottest teams the last 30 days. I like Ervin Santana in home night starts as his ERA is 3.01 for his career. 5* PLAY OF THE DAY.

The Phillies have lost 3 of the last 5 road starts that Worley has made and are really struggling to score runs. Blue Jays rookie right hander Drew Hutchison will be on the mound for the Jays. Hutchison has had a good start to his career with a record of 5-3 an ERA of 4.66, BAA of .259, and WHIP of 1.34. He has been particularly good when pitching at the Rogers Center giving up 7 runs in 4 starts over 26 innings with a 2.42 ERA. He has never faced the Phillies in his career. The Blue Jays hope that Jose Bautista can keep his recent strong play going as he has hit .304 with 4 HR and 7 RBI in the past 7 days. Colby Rasmus continues to hit well out of the two hole for the Jays with 2 HR, 4 RBI, and a .250 average over the same time frame. The Jays were just swept by the NL East leading Washington Nationals and I look for the team to come out swinging against the Phillies and get back on the winning track at home. 5*

When the Brewers send Shaun Marcum to the hill against the Royals in the wrap up of their three-game series in Kansas City Thursday evening Milwaukee will do so knowing Marcum is in strong KW form with 23 strikeouts and 5 walks in his last three starts. Marcum also sports a super- sharp 1.76 ERA in five career starts against the Royals while owning a 2.84 ERA away from home this season.

The Royals are 8-21 in their last 29 home games and 17-36 in their last 53 interleague games. This is a Milwaukee offense that is 10th in baseball in runs scored and 11th in slugging. The Brewers are 53-24 in their last 77 games versus teams with a losing record. They beat the teams they are supposed to beat and they should take care of business Thursday night! 10*

The Marlins fell short to the Red Sox 2-1 yesterday and this is a great opportunity for them to bounce-back here at home today. Dubront was picked off relatively easily by the Nationals in his last start and considering the Marlins are sound and making adjustments with their hitters and are coming off a bounce-back, I like them here to do well.
The Red Sox are 2-5 in their last 7 interleague games as an Underdog and the Marlins are a sound 9-2 in their last 11 games versus a left hander.
PLAY MIAMI. 5*

Zack Greinke faces his former team for the first time Tuesday night when the Milwaukee Brewers visit the Kansas City Royals.

Milwaukee traded for Greinke (7-2, 3.13 ERA), the 2009 AL Cy Young Award winner, prior to the 2011 season.


The right-hander won his last road start, giving up one run in six innings of a 6-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 31.
Greinke is looking to win his third straight start. He followed the victory over the Dodgers by striking out a season-high 12 and giving up two hits in seven innings of an 8-0 win against the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday.




Milwaukee should feel good about its chances given the Royals' struggles in interleague play. Kansas City (24-34) was swept at Pittsburgh over the weekend, scoring seven runs while going 4 for 29 (.138) with runners in scoring position over the weekend.
Sunday's 3-2 loss was its fourth straight defeat overall.
KC is starting Mendoza on the mound and the right-hander has made five starts this season and is 1-2 with a 6.08 ERA.
We'll take the BREW CREW behind Greinke Tuesday night. 10* PITCHING MISMATCH.

The RedSox aren't hitting and now lose their DH in Miami.
Beckett is coming off one of his best outings of the year.

The Marlins are batting .197 during their losing streak, going 5 for 50 with runners in scoring position and need to produce tonight!

The Marlins (31-29) will turn to Johnson (3-4, 4.56) to snap their slide. Like his counterpart, the right-hander has pitched well lately - going 3-1 with a 2.95 ERA over his last six starts - but got little support in his last outing.I really like Miami here at home to get the win and end their losing streak against the RedSox. 5*

The last time Tim Lincecum faced the Texas Rangers, he was dominant while clinching the San Francisco Giants' first World Series in 56 years. He hasn't come close to being that effective lately. Lincecum (2-6, 5.83 ERA) is in one of his worst stretches of his six-year career. Lincecum hasn't won in seven starts, going 0-4 with a 5.90 ERA. Another loss will match the longest losing streak of his career, when he dropped all five starts from Aug. 5-27, 2010.
The TEXAS BATS should explode against him.

Texas starter Ogando was 13-8 with a 3.51 ERA in 31 games - 29 starts - last year, but was moved to the bullpen in 2012. Ogando has faced San Francisco twice, allowing one hit in 3 2-3 innings out of the bullpen during the World Series. Look for Texas to get the win here at a nice price over a struggling Lincecum.
10*

I'm not falling into the trap tonight as SF has beaten Texas 14 straight times at home.
This Rangers team is head and shoulders better than the Giants.
Texas has a powerhouse offense, first in runs, OBP, batting and slugging, and faces aging and soft throwing lefty Barry Zito, who has walked 28 in 66 innings, a poor ratio. He may be 18-5 in his career against Texas, but that was against the old Rangers. The Giants have never faced Harrison and thats another advantage for Texas.
10* GAME OF THE WEEK!

RA Dickey is having a great year, but this line is out of wack. The right-hander is 5-0 with a major league-best 1.45 ERA in six starts since the beginning of May, and is sporting a 0.39 ERA with 30 strikeouts and one walk in winning his last three.
However the Mets bats are in the tank and they are having major defensive problems.The Nationals have beaten the Mets 8 of the last 9 games and I like them as a home underdog this afternoon.
5*

The Phillies fell short 1-2 yesterday and look to bounce-back behind the arm of Kendrick who has been a big lift for this team that has Halladay on the shelf. Kendrick has also been a solid fantasy pick up as well as he has put together 4 straight quality starts including helping his team win 3 out of those 4.
With Capuano a big shaken up from his Coors Field start I wouldn't be surprised if he struggles a little bit here as he is 0-2 with a 2.87 era which although is a good era the Dodgers similar to yesterday have had trouble scoring without Kemp and other injuries.
The Dodgers are 3-7 when facing a pitcher with a WHIP greater than 1.30 and the Phillies are 17-5 with Cousins behind the Plate. 5* PHILLIES

The Phillies come off a tough 5-1 loss on Sunday in a game where they only had 6 hits and their 3-4 batters were 0-7 at the plate. Clayton Kershaw is 0-4 and has an era of over 5 lifetime against the Phillies and does not like this ballpark. Combine that with Worley who comes off the disabled list and is looking to get back in a groove. The Phillies are 7-0 in Worley's last 7 starts against the National League West. The Phillies are also 9-3 in their last 12 games at home when Worley starts. Look for the Phillies to get the victory on Monday night. 10* NL GAME OF THE WEEK.

Porcello comes in with a 3-4 record and a 5.21 ERA. Porcello has one win over the Royals but here

Capuano is 7-1 but this is one field he does not like, as he is 0-3 with a 4.58 ERA in his last three starts at Coors Field. The Rockies routed Houston at home yesterday and they could very well do the same to the Dodgers here. The Colorado Rockies are finally starting to swing the bat well and obviously Coors is a huge advantage.
Rockies lefty starter Outman is making a spot start in an audition essentially for the Rotation, look for the Rockies to do well here at home for these reasons. The Dodgers are 1-6 in their last games vs. a left hander on the road and the Rockies are 4-0 in their last 4 games as a home favorite and Outman had very good stuff when with the Oakland A's.
10* WISEGUY PLAY!

The Milwaukee Brewers have now won three straight and will have their ace on the hill Thursday night in Zack Greinke (5-2, 3.66 ERA) on the hill tonight. Zack Grienke entered his last start against the Diamondback with a 1.76 era over his last 7 starts and did not last past the 3rd inning where he ended up giving up 7 runs and off his worst outing of the year. Grienke had been phenomenal prior to that start and we fully expect a big performance from him tonight! Now, Grienke is on the bounce-back and with the Dodgers having Kemp sidelined once again on the DL it puts their offense in a bit of a flux and I like the idea of Grienke coming up big tonight. The Brewers are 27-6 in Grienke' last 33 starts as a favorite and the Dodgers are 3-8 in their last 11 games as a home underdog. 10* NL Oddsmaker Mistake of the Month on the MILWAUKEE BREWERS
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Ian Kennedy is 5-2 record with a 2.09 era for the DBacks and I like him here to do well against the Giants and Lincecum who has a 7-6 record with a 3.18 era against the DBacks. Lincecum has not put together a quality start per his last 5 efforts as we went against him in his last outing.
D-Backs Kennedy has a history of pitching well against the Giants, I like the DBacks to do well here on the road today. The Giants are 1-6 in Lincecum's last 7 starts against the NL West and the DBacks are 21-6 in Kennedy's last 27 starts against the NL West.
PLAY ARIZONA as our 5* BEST BET PLAY OF THE DAY

Miami's Sanchez is 7-0 with a 2.10 ERA in 18 career starts against Washington. Miami is the hottest team in May and I really like the way they are playing right now. The right-hander is off a terrible game where he gave up a season-high five runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings of a 14-7 loss to San Francisco on Thursday.
The Nationals are 0-5 in Jackson's road starts this year, and Jackson is 1-3 with a 7.17 ERA in five career appearances against the Marlins. The Marlins are 12-3 in their last 15 games as a small favorite.
5*

Arguably the hottest hitter in baseball, Cabrera will look to continue his roll Monday when the Giants open a seven-game homestand against the Diamondbacks.

Cabrera, whose .369 average ranks second in the NL, went 9 for 18 in the four-game series against the Marlins. He's batting .426 with 17 RBIs this month.


Barry Zito is 2-2 but off his worst outing of the season lasting just 3 innings. He allowed the first six batters to reach base in a 40-pitch first inning and wound up allowing eight runs - four earned - five hits and four walks. Look for Zito and the Giants to bounce back at home on Monday afternoon. 5*

The Braves have lost 5 straight games, while the Nats have won 4 of their last 5 games.

The Washington Nationals got the best of the slumping Atlanta Braves in the opener of a three-game set between the top two teams in the NL East on Friday night.
Ryan Zimmerman went 2 for 4 with three RBIs and Ian Desmond and Rick Ankiel each also drove in a pair Friday as Washington (27-18) earned its fourth win in five games, beating Atlanta (26-21) 7-4 to extend its division lead to two games. The Nationals improved to 10-1 when scoring at least six runs.Washington throws Strasburg (4-1, 2.21 ERA) Saturday afternoon..

While the hard-throwing right-hander has lost both of his starts against Atlanta with a 4.35 ERA - his highest against any opponent he's faced more than once in his career.

He reminds me of Kerry Wood in his prime and Justin Verlander hybrid.


Owner of the highest ERA among NL qualifiers, Minor (2-4, 6.96) - who has also been taken deep a league-worst 12 times - has had an especially rough time in recent weeks.

The left-hander dropped to 0-3 with an abysmal 10.46 ERA over his last five starts after allowing four homers and four walks in six innings of Monday's 4-1 loss at Cincinnati.

Minor is 1-2 with a 4.02 ERA in three starts against the Nationals and Washington is at full strength.
I like the HOTTER team with the better pitcher on the hill. 5*

We have a tale of two aces today, but only one of them has looked like himself lately. Josh Johnson

Seattle's Kevin Millwood is off a rare complete game 2 hitter his last outing and that is the classic letdown spot. He has also struggled at SAFECO FIELD. Millwood has been saddled with a hefty 5.92 ERA, 1.63 WHIP, and .322 BAA in 16 lifetime starts at this venue. His poor outings in the Emerald City have continued in 2012 as a member of the Seattle Mariners. Millwood has been tagged for 16 earned runs, 25 hits, and 8 walks in three starts, spanning just 14 1/3 innings. Seattle also doesn't score much at home.
Texas starter Scott Feldman owns a lifetime 3.54 ERA & 1.22 WHIP in nine starts against Seattle. The Rangers are on a 47-20 run against the AL West and they're on a 30-13 run against Seattle. I really like the Rangers this afternoon to take care of business.
10* AL GAME OF THE MONTH!

The Chicago Cubs come off a tough loss yesterday to the Astros as they had Garza on the mound and although he has pitched great for them this year he struggled in that start. Travis Wood should do very well here. Keep in mind that Wood pitched a quality start in his last effort that helped the Cubs win and of course, he is aware that he is on a short leash which will enable him to pitch well today. Combine that with Happ coming off a brilliant start in his last effort giving up no runs in 6 innings and this is a let down spot for him as prior to that he had given up 10 runs in 10 innings to Pittsburgh and St. Louis. I like the Cubs to bounce-back here. 5*

Milwaukee's bats awoke yesterday for 17 runs and I expect the hot bats to continue on Monday night. Madison Bumgarner has given up 8 runs in his last 13 innings which has yielded back to back losses. He had won his lats 5 starts prior to that. It seems hitters are adjusting to his pitches and he makes his second start against Milwaukee after he gave up just 1 run in 7 innings against them at home in his last start. This is a revenge spot for the Milwaukee hitters and the Giants are 0-4 in Bumgarner's last 4 starts as an Underdog and the Brewers are 11-5 in Wolf's last 16 starts as a favorite. Lets roll with the Brew Crew tonight! 5* PLAY OF THE DAY

Cleveland's Derek Lowe is coming off a complete game shutout and a brillant performance and this is a classic letdown spot. Look for the Miami Marlins to bounce back after getting shutout with only 3 hits. Josh Johnson pitched very well in his last 2 starts. The Indians have never seen Johnson so thats an advantage to him. The Marlins are a PERFECT 5-0 this year after scoring 2 runs or less in their previous game. Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen said. 'He's our ace and he is heating up. The right-hander is 6-2 with a 3.38 ERA in 13 career interleague starts. Hanley Ramirez had one of three hits Saturday for the Marlins (21-19), who dropped to 13-5 in May. The Miami third baseman is batting .367 in his last 13 games versus AL opponents. PLAY THE MIAMI MARLINS as our Interleague GAME OF THE WEEK!

Ricky Romero makes his first start at home in three games and coming off a rough last outing, where not only did he receive his first loss, where he lasted only 5.1, gave up 3 earned runs, he did not strike out one batter for the first time this season as well. Romero was visibly upset in the dugout in a scene that made the highlight reels, so we expect him to respond with a solid performance back at the Rogers Centre where he is 3-0 this season in 5 starts. He is very good at bouncing back after poor outings. Romero is 25-11 with a 3.49 ERA at Rogers Centre in his career and this is the first game on turf for the Mets in 3 years! Play the Blue Jays at home. 5* BEST BET

KC start Hochevar bounced back from a horrid home outing his last time out, scattering three hits and one walk in seven innings of Saturday's 5-0 road victory over the Chicago White Sox. He had great command and control in that game and looks for it to continue this afternoon as he is finally at full health.
Baltimore counterpart Brian Matusz is 2-4, with a 5.50 ERA and is 1-2 with a 5.29 ERA in three road outings in 2012. Kansas City after a slow start is hitting the ball and has won six of eight overall despite Wednesday's defeat. I like the ROYALS here at home on Thursday afternoon.
10* AL GAME OF THE WEEK.

There is just about a zero percent chance that Josh Hamilton will hit four home runs again. Baltimore is a very good baseball team and will bounce back at home this afternoon at 4pm EST! Rangers starter Lewis has never pitched particularly well vs. Baltimore. Lewis has made three starts against the Orioles since the start of 2010, going 1-2 with a 5.03 ERA. Mark Reynolds is 3 for 6 with a pair of homers off Lewis. Wei-Yin Chen (2-0, 2.76) takes the mound for the Orioles following the worst of his five major league starts. After giving up four runs over 18 2-3 innings in his previous three outings, the rookie left-hander allowed four - three earned - and five hits with three walks in five innings at Boston on Friday. He wasn't helped by a defense that committed three errors in that game. Wei-Yin Chen has been good this year and I'll back him at home this afternoon with the Orioles. 10* GAME 1

The Houston Astros will not be a factor in the playoff race this year, but they are playing good ball right now and will have a chance at a rare sweep today. The Mets have really struggled to put up runs in the first two games and a few key players are banged up. The Houston staff has held them to just 3 runs in each of the first two games. It won't get easier for them today as they face the Ace of this staff in Wandy Rodriguez. Wandy is 2-2 with a 1.72 ERA in his 5 starts so far, while at home he is 1-1 with a 1.47 ERA. Wandy also has 1 day start on the year and it was a 12-0 shutout over the Dodgers. The Astros get a shot at a rare sweep and the Astros have huge edges on the mound, in the pen and motivational as well. Look for them to complete the sweep here. 10* NL GAME OF THE WEEK

Jake Westbrook is 34-years old and in 11 seasons in the majors his career ERA is 4.30. With 10 walks and seven strikeouts in 20.2 frames this season, Westbrook has not only been lucky with an unsustainable 86% strand rate but he

Boston is hitting the ball now that they are away from home winning 3 straight and playing relaxed with no pressure on them.
The WhiteSox are off a loss in Oakland and had to travel last night from California to Chicago and Humber is throwing in his 1st game since his No-Hitter. Its gonna be tough to pitch here at home after his Perfect Game and all the emotions.
The RedSox will work the pitch count and pick him apart and get another win on the road.
10* PLAY ON THE BOSTON REDSOX!

The Angels are 6-10, and Albert Pujols is homerless and is running in first gear and they are wondering, just maybe we made a mistake as he isn't getting any younger and looks lost at the plate in the tougher American League! They do send out one of their better pitchers in lefty CJ Wilson who 2-1 for a team that is 6-10, and has a 2.37 ERA and 1.37 WHIP. Still his wins are over Minnesota and the Yankees, while he lost to Oakland. His problem is that the Angels allow 5.7 runs per game on the road. For TB, Jeremy Hellickson will take the mound, with a 2-0 record, 3.26 ERA, and has had two great outings against the Blue Jays & Yankees and one bad one vs. The Red Sox (most of the damage against the bullpen). Hellickson won one of those games because of the TB offense, and Wilson went for 112 pitches vs. Oakland in his last "6" inning performance. TB is 5-1 at home, and LAA are 2-4 away + TB scores 5.3 r/g at home and LAA surrender 5.7 r/g on the road. TB is tough at home and likes to run and steal bases. They'll take advantage of those opportunities and cash in for us tonight.

When Kansas City sends Bruce Chen to the mound against the Blue Jays in the finale of this four game series the Royals will do so knowing Chen is in commanding form with 14 strikeouts and 2 walks this season. He is also 5-2 in his seven career team starts against Toronto. With that look for Morrow to fall to 0-3 in his career team starts in this park tonight. Look for KC to get their first home win and also avoid the 4-game sweep on Monday night. 5*

Boston got embarrassed last night at home and RedSox pitching game up 6 HR's and 21 hits.
The Rangers lit up Jon Lester for seven runs in just two innings of work and continued the explosion by nailing the bullpen as well. The last time the Texas Rangers put up a big number runs against Seattle on April 9th, Texas put up just one the next night and that was against a mediocre pitcher. That is not the case Wednesday.

Josh Beckett got his season off to a very rough start in Detroit as he allowed seven runs in just 4.2 innings as he allowed 5 home runs. That is very uncharacteristic as he allowed just 21 home runs all of last season over 30 starts. Beckett was great at home last season with a 2.71 ERA and 1.08 WHIP.

The Red Sox are hitting .350 against left-handed pitching at home so I look for the RedSox to bounce back against Holland and Beckett to keep the Rangers in check.
10* BOSTON REDSOX.

The Dodgers (9-1) are the hottest team in baseball to start the season as they have now won six games in a row after their 5-4 win versus San Diego on Sunday. A closer look though shows they played 2 of the worst teams in baseball with the Padres and Pirates.
Billingsley was 11-11 last season with a subpar 4.21 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP. Additionally, Billingsley was much more effective at home last season with his 3.07 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and .241 opponent's batting average -- but he saw these numbers skyrocket to a 5.34 ERA, 1.58 WHIP and .285 opponent's batting average when on the road.

Milwaukee (4-6) counters with Gallardo who rebounded from a rough opening effort by scattering five hits and just one run in his seven innings of work in Chicago against the Cubs. Gallardo enjoyed an outstanding 2011 campaign with a 17-10 record along with a 3.52 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP. The right-hander was even better at home last year where he sported a 3.00 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and .237 opponent's batting average which was significantly better than his 4.05 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and .253 opponent's batting average when on the road. The Brewers provide Gallardo plenty of run support at home as well as they have now won a decisive 35 of their last 52 home games with Gallardo on the hill.
This is the Dodgers first road game of the season and I don't expect Billingsley or Kemp to play as well in chilly Milwaukee tonight as temps will be in the low 40's.
BIG 10* NL GAME OF THE MONTH on the BREW CREW.

After a highly productive weekend at the plate where they scored 31 runs, the Red Sox look for their first four-game sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays since 2006 in Monday morning's annual Patriots' Day game. Tampa Bay has dropped four straight for the first time since opening last season with six consecutive losses.
Shields gave up six runs over five innings in his opening-day start against the Yankees, but bounced back by holding the potent Tigers to two runs over eight in a 4-2 win Wednesday. Look for Shields to be focused in this early 11am EST start Monday morning and the Rays to provide him with some runs against this young pitcher. The Rays are 13-5 in their last 18 games in game 4 of a series if they are down 0-3 or 1-2, so let's roll with Tampa Bay in this game. 10* TAMPA BAY RAYS

The Reds only had 2 hits on Saturday and their top 4 hitters went 0-15 combined. The last time the team swept the Reds (3-6) in four games was July 20-23, 1989. I expect the Reds to avoid this sweep today and play much better. The Cincy Reds will also welcome back 2B Brandon Phillips to their lineup. Detwiler has a 3.50 ERA in three career starts against the Reds, but hasn't gotten a lot of support while going 0-3. He pitched six innings in each of those outings. Phillips, who's 4 for 9 lifetime against Detwiler, struck out in a pinch-hit appearance Friday. Mike Leake will oppose Detwiler coming off a start that went well for five innings. Leake gave up a two-run shot to David Freese that was the difference in a 3-1 loss in his last outing. Leake is 3-1 with a 3.00 ERA in four starts against Washington. Look for the Cincinnati Reds to get the win here on Sunday and avoid the 4-game sweep. 10* Oddsmaker Mistake Play

The Redsox busted out their bats at home yesterday and I beleive this will carry over into this afternoons game. THis Tampa team has a 11.82 road bullpen ERA. Today the Redsox have T. Buchholz making the start and he has a 1.81 era vs Tampa and has been solid going 18+ innings allowing just 3 earned runs. Look for Boston to give Tampa starter Hellikson a tough time here today as he'll be a little shellshocked after taking a ball off the head on Wednesday.
10* MLB GAME OF THE WEEK!

The LA Angels offense has only looked good in one game this year and the middle of their lineup is really struggling. The Yanks throw Hiroki Kuroda, who allowed 8 hits, 4 walks and 4ER in just 5.2 innings of work in his opening start. Ervin Santana had a rough start in his opener, allowing 5 ER on 7 hits and 2 walks in 5.2 innings of work and will be taking on a Yanks squad that has scored 5 or more runs in 5 of their 6 games, with all of those games on the road and now they will be at home where they scored 5.77 rpg and hit .273 last year. Look for the Yanks to be pumped after a pair of extra inning wins and their offense to be clicking as the temps will be nice in NYC this afternoon. Play the NY Yankees in their home opener. 5*

The Giants went 13-5 against the Rockies last year and I expect the Rockies to change that this year. Colorado has speed, power, and veteran players and their entire lineup is tough. Madison Bumgarner always starts slow in April and I expect more offensive fireworks for the Rockies this afternoon.Combine that with Bumgarner pitching a lifetime .300 or worse against the majority of the Rockies lineup.
Jamie Moyer will look to bounce-back this year from a rough start to the year which wasn't all his fault as the Rockies made 4 errors and increased his pitch count. I expect a much better effort behind him defensively here. 10* HEAVY HITTER PLAY on the COLORADO ROCKIES this afternoon.

The Yankees are 14-5 their last 19 versus the yardbirds.
Nothing like getting healthy after an 0-3 sweep at Tampa Bay, then making a stop in a city where you have dominated for years. It seems the Yankees always win when they visit Camden Yards, and last night was no exception as the Yanks picked up their first win of the 2012 season at the expense of Baltimore.

New York is an impressive 47-15 the past 62 meetings with their division-rival, and the Yankees have cashed in with 19 wins in their last 26 games played at Camden Yards.

Wei-Yin Chen will make his major league debut for Buck Showalter's club. Chen is a pitcher who had success over seas and will try to bring that to America. I think nerves are going to get to him tonight going against the Yankees of all teams.
Freddy Garcia will take the ball for New York, and he had a very impressive Spring. Freddie Garcia dominated Baltimore last year and I expect him to win again tonight as the Yankees look to build on their first win of the season. 10* AL GAME OF THE WEEK

Westbrook has changed a lot over the break including his delivery, diet and the list goes on as he had a sound spring training. As compared to Homer Bailey who had over a 7 ERA in the Cactus League. Westbrook has done decent career wise with a 4.39 ERA lifetime whereas Bailey has a 5.64 ERA lifetime. This is a big spot for Westbrook and the fact that he is not the primary weapon for this team will be a big weapon for St. Louis as he takes the bottom rung rotation and that will give this team an edge against most teams' 4th starter.
The Cardinals are 4-1 in Westbrook's last 5 starts as a road underdog and the Reds are 5-11 when Bailey starts against a team with a winning record. 10*

The Twins were not a good baseball team last year and early on in the first week it looks like they are going right back down that same road again. Minnesota is now out of their pitching rotation as they will start Swarzak for Hendricks. Baltimore is an improved team and I think they are going to be fighting the Blue Jays this season to try to top the usual Redsox or Yankees for the playoffs. Baltimore has a lot of HR power and should get another big win today. Take the Orioles here at home on Sunday afternoon. 5*

Arizona has been the real deal for sometime as they have a crop of pitchers that is solid. Ian Kennedy is their ace and why shouldn't he be as he finished 4th in the Cy Young ballot last year as he won 21 games, and he has been dominant against the Giants going 3-0 against them with a 1.22 ERA. Combine that with at least 4 batters in the Diamondbacks lineup that bat at least .269 or better against Lincecum, don't be a bit surprised if Arizona does well today against Lincecum who has been up and down on opening day starts typically. 10* NL GAME OF THE WEEK

There is a lot of talk swirling around that the Blue Jays may be ready to tangle with the perennial powers of the AL East this season as their pitching and lineup looks tough. Ricky Romero is their ace and this Toronto team always has a good shot at winning. Romero is coming off a great season where he went 15-11 with a 2.92 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and .216 opponents batting average. Pretty impressive numbers, especially in a tough AL East Division.
While spring training doesn't really show much for some pitchers, it is noted that Justin had a rough spring. In 18 innings of work spread out across 5 appearances Justin allowed 23 hits and 18 earned runs for an ERA of 9.00. Opponents were batting .315 against Masterson, and his WHIP was up to 1.56. Take note that dating back to last season the Jays are 11-2 in Romero's last 13 starts and 8-0 in his last 8 starts as a favorite. The Jays cruised through spring training with a 24-7-1 record and we

Look for the Cardinals to stay alive at home in the World Series with the win in Game Six.

If the rain holds off long enough for these teams to get the game in, I like Jaime Garcia back at home where he has gone 9-5 this year with an ERA of 2.45. Garcia's turn in Game Two at home last week was as solid as could be - 7 scoreless innings pitched, 3 hits allowed, no runs and 7 strikeouts in a no-decision.

This series has gone back-and-forth, and I just don't see Texas winning three in a row to clinch their first-ever World Series title. I like the Cardinals to hold off elimination in this one tonight.
5*

In what may be his final start with the Rangers, CJ Wilson will try to put an end to his postseason struggles but I dont see that happening as he opposes Carpenter.Wilson is 0-5 with a 6.18 ERA in seven playoff starts since last year, including 0-3 with a 7.17 ERA in four this year.

The left-hander set a career high with 16 regular season wins, but hasn't won at all since topping Oakland on Sept. 11th. He looks wore out and I beleive his arm needs a few months of rest. He doesn't have any speed on his pitches and his control is off.

For STL we have Chris Carpenter who thrives in the postseason, going 8-2 with a 3.10 ERA in 13 career outings. The Cardinals have won all four of the right-hander's starts in the 2011 playoffs, and he's posted a 2.25 ERA while getting credit for the wins in the last three. I like the better pitcher here to continue to dominate the hitters he faces and STL to get the win. 5*

Just like we saw in last year

The Cards were 10 1/2 games back of the NL

Matt Harrison has won 14 of the last 16 games when playing in the 2nd half of the season and he has also won 9 of the last 11 day games. The teams are now on their 4th starters in the series, and with this being the third straight day of action, those bullpens are starting to get a little overworked.
Harrison can go more innings than Porcello and the Texas bats will get to him.
As for Rick Porcello, his season ERA is in the high 4's, and his work at home this season shows an ERA approaching 6.
Our 10* Baseball Playoffs Game of the Week is on the Texas Rangers this afternoon.

Doug Fister is a very solid pitcher who loves pitching at home.
He has won 4 consecutive home games when the total posted is between 8.5 and 10 runs and he has also won 4 of the last 5 games when playing as a favorite of -125 to -175. Doug Fister has won 2 consecutive games vs. AL West Division Opponents and he is 3-0 over the last 3 starts with an ERA of 0.39.
Look for the Detroit bats to come alive tonight at home and not leave runners left of base.
5* DETROIT TIGERS

The New York bats got a huge confidence boost when they hit around in the 8th, and it will carry over tonight back at home. Ivan Nova has not lost since June 3rd, and he showed balls-of-steel on Saturday when he worked deep and recorded the win in Game 1 of this series.

The Tigers will bring Doug Fister for Detroit (2nd yr) is 11-13, 2.83 ERa (4th AL) with a 1.06 WHIP (6th AL). He had a tough first outing in this series, taking over being rocked for "7" hits, "6" runs in 4.2 innings, and taking the loss. He is young and its gonna be tough for him in NY tonight! Tha Yanks are home, have the better bullpen and Mariano Rivera is available for "2" innings! Yankees are 9-1 in Novas last 10 starts as a favorite of -151 to -200. Tigers are 1-4 in their last 5 playoff road games.
TAKE THE YANKEES
5*

Roy Oswalt likes to set the tone early and attack hitters.
He

The Rangers have now won four straight postseason games in Tampa vs the Rays. Matt Harrison gets the nod for Texas and one can

After a long, wet weekend in the Bronx, the Detroit Tigers left with a split and home-field advantage in what has become a best-of-three affair in their AL division series against the New York Yankees.
A rematch of aces will help decide which club will have the edge after the pivotal Game 3.

The Tigers' Justin Verlander opposes the Yankees' CC Sabathia on Monday night in a showdown that was stopped short in the series opener.

Verlander has gone 4-3 with a 3.97 ERA in 10 career starts versus New York. The Tigers have lost his last three outings against the Yankees - two this season.
There is one big key in tonight's game and that's home plate umpire Gerry Davis. He has a tight strike zone and Vanderland does not like him while CC loves him.

With umpire Gerry Davis behind the plate, Sabathia has history on his side. In 7 career starts with Davis calling balls and strikes, Sabathia is 6-0 with a 2.19 ERA, while Justin Verlander has a huge 6.57 ERA and .314 batting average allowed in two career starts with Davis. Look for the Yankees lineup to take advantage and the Yankees to go up 2-1 in the series.

10* MLB Playoffs Game of the Year.

Phil Humber has been lights out during the day this year, and the WhiteSox are going to want to win for their manager Ozzie Guinen who manages his last game.
Jose Bautista is being pitched around more and more without other solid hitters around him. Thames has cooled, Kelly Johnson isn

Javier Vazquez is contemplating retirement with his 14th major league season coming to an end, even though he can finish the year by matching a career best by winning his sixth consecutive start.

Vazquez will try to tie that mark while extending a franchise record as the Florida Marlins meet the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night.

Vazquez has posted a 0.25 ERA in his previous five outings and hasn't allowed a run in the last three. He defeated wild card-leading Atlanta 4-0 on Wednesday, giving up two hits in seven innings. Vazquez is (12-11, 3.77 ERA), who hasn't given up a run in 25 innings - a Marlins record for starting pitchers.


He is also 9-3 in his last 12 team starts during September and 4-2 in his MLB career teams starts in against the Nats, including 1-0 at home.
Washington's John Lannan (10-13, 3.73) has gone 0-2 with a 5.40 ERA versus the Marlins this season, and is 1-2 with an 8.00 ERA in four career starts at Sun Life Stadium.
Lets play the FLORIDA MARLINS here at home on Tuesday night!
10*

The New York Yankees are no strangers to tight playoff races down the stretch, so it wasn

The Atlanta Braves seem to be falling apart at a less than opportune time.

After failing to close out the opener of this three-game road set, the stumbling Braves try to regroup against the Florida Marlins on Tuesday night.

The Braves (87-67), who seemed to have the NL wild card all but secured with an 8 1/2-game lead Sept. 4, sit just 2 1/2 ahead of St. Louis following another disappointing defeat. Atlanta suffered its seventh loss in 10 games Monday, falling 6-5 as closer Craig Kimbrel surrendered a two-run, walk off homer to Omar Infante with two outs in the ninth.

Kimbrel retired the first two batters before Chipper Jones lost Emilio Bonifacio's chopper to third in the lights, allowing Infante to come to the plate.

Gonzalez may choose to pitch around Mike Stanton in this one after the slugging right fielder hit home runs No. 33 and 34 on Monday, tying Miguel Cabrera for second place on the Marlins' single-season list.

Anibal Sanchez (8-8, 3.62 ERA), who has thrived since giving up five runs over a career worst-tying 1 2-3 innings of a 6-2 loss to Atlanta on Aug. 10, will look to add to the Braves misery.

After matching a career high with 11 strikeouts en route to throwing a one-hitter during a 3-0 victory at Pittsburgh on Sept. 10, Sanchez yielded two runs and four hits in six innings of a 3-1 loss at MLB-leading Philadelphia on Thursday. He is 2-2 with a 2.25 ERA in his last six starts, limiting opponents to a .199 average.Look for the Braves bats to struggle again and the home Marlins to fish their way to another win on Tuesday night. 5*

The good news for the Boston Red Sox is that Josh Beckett will be back on the mound trying to continue his recent success against the Tampa Bay Rays. TB has beaten the Sox 6 straight games, but I expect that streak to end tonight!




Josh Beckett (12-5, 2.49 ERA) takes the mound for the first time since Sept. 5, when he left with a sprained right ankle after allowing three hits and striking out six in 3 2-3 innings of a 1-0, 11-inning loss at Toronto.

Beckett, 3-0 with a 3.04 ERA in four starts since he lost at Seattle on Aug. 13, has not allowed a run in 21 straight innings versus Tampa Bay dating to 2010. The right-hander has yielded just two hits over 17 innings while going 1-0 in two starts this season against the Rays.

He's also 5-0 with a 2.47 ERA in his last eight outings against Tampa Bay at Fenway.


James Shields' last loss came at Fenway, where he is 1-8 with a 6.99 ERA in nine career starts with a poor history at Fenway Park.
David Ortiz had two of Boston's six hits Thursday after missing Wednesday's 5-4 loss to Toronto with back spasms. Ortiz is batting .302 (13 for 43) with eight doubles and three homers lifetime against Shields. The RedSox big hitters combined to go 0-13 last night(Pedroia, Crawford, Gonzalez, and Ellsbury).
THE BOSTON REDSOX get back on track with a Big WIN ON FRIDAY NIGHT behind their ace.
10* Home Cooking Hammer Play

I expect the Tigers winning streak to end on Wednesday afternoon. Brad Penny starts for the road team today and he has not pitched well on the road this season. Penny has also been roughed-up in his last three outings, allowing 15 earned runs and 29 base runners in just 15 IP.



The Tigers haven't won 12 straight since a team record-tying 14-game run July 31-Aug. 14, 1934, but Brad Penny (10-10, 5.19 ERA) is not the best candidate to help his team accomplish that feat.

The right-hander is 3-4 with a 6.89 ERA over his last nine starts and has allowed 19 runs - 15 earned - over 15 innings in his last three outings.

Going for the WhiteSox is Axelrod who was 6-1 with a 2.27 ERA in 15 starts for Triple-A Charlotte before being recalled last week.

Alex Rios will try to help his rookie teammate by continuing his success against Penny. The outfielder is 13 for 21 with five doubles versus the right-hander in his career and 4 for 9 with one double this season.The Tigers have never seen this young pitcher and I like the WHITESOX here at home to get the win.
10* AL GAME OF THE MONTH

Bruce Chen had a solid year for KC in 2010, winning 12 games while losing just seven, posting a 4.17 ERA in 37 appearances (23 starts / team was ). He won a career-best five consecutive starts to end the month of August (2.81 ERA in the streak) but then gave up five ERs on eight hits over six innings during a 5-4 defeat to Cleveland to open September this past Friday. He looks to get back to his winning ways here in Oakland, as the Royals look to sweep the A

Yovanni Gallardo gets the start tonight and did not fare well last week against the Cards. I expect more of the same tonight at STL at home will be too tough.

Gallardo is 1-6 with a 5.79 ERA in 10 career starts versus St. Louis, and was lit up for eight runs in 4 2-3 innings of an 8-4 loss Thursday.

All eight runs scored via the long ball, as Gallardo gave up a career-high four homers including two to Pujols, who's 12 for 25 against Gallardo and has taken him deep four times.
STL keeps their slim playoff hopes alive with a win on Tuesday night.

5*

Shaky starting pitching and the lack of a No. 1 arm has plagued the Chicago Cubs for much of the season.

Wells (6-4, 5.06 ERA) was at his best during Monday's 7-0 victory at San Francisco, throwing a two-hitter with a season high-tying seven strikeouts to outduel Tim Lincecum in his first career complete game.
Expect him to come back down to earth on Sunday afternoon.


Wells looks to slow down former Cub Derrek Lee, who came off the 15-day DL (fractured left wrist) Saturday and hit a grand slam off Carlos Marmol with two outs in the ninth, giving Pittsburgh a 7-5 victory. The grand slam was the 12th of Lee's career - tied for the fifth most among active players.

Since being traded to Pittsburgh from Baltimore on July 30, all of Lee's home runs (three) and RBIs (eight) have come against Chicago.



Pittsburgh goes with Charlie Morton (9-8, 3.74) in hopes of completing its first three-game sweep at Wrigley Field since May 5-7, 2000.

Andrew McCutchen, who left Friday's 3-1 win after he was hit by a pitch on his left hand, returned to go 1 for 3 with two walks Saturday, extending his streak of reaching base against the Cubs to 30 games.

McCutchen is 8 for 16 lifetime against Wells and I really like the Pirates chances to get this 3-game SWEEP on Sunday. 10*

Cleveland won in its last at-bat when Jack Hannahan drove home Cord Phelps, who appeared to be tagged out but was called safe, in the 16th inning for a 4-3 victory Wednesday night. I think the umpires owe the A's a few calls here on Thursday afternoon.
Oakland will avoid the 4-game sweep here with one of their best pitchers in Gio Gonzalez (11-11, 3.35 ERA), who has allowed five runs - three earned - over 30 1-3 innings while going 4-0 in five starts against them. The left-hander has given up two runs and struck out 20 in 19 2-3 innings while going 3-0 at Progressive Field.

On the flip side Hideki Matsui, 9 for 14 with a home run versus Carmona, had one of 12 hits Wednesday for the A's (60-76), who went 1 for 14 with runners in scoring position and believed the game should have extended past the 16th.
Play the OAKLAND A's in this early 12 Noon ET start on Thursday.
10* AL GAME OF THE WEEK

Ted Lilly tries to close out a strong August by lifting the Dodgers to an eighth win in nine games Wednesday afternoon against the Padres, who have totaled nine runs during a six-game losing streak.

Lilly (8-13, 4.43 ERA) posted a 5.02 ERA during a dreadful first four months, but he's been an entirely different pitcher in August.

The left-hander made three quality starts in four outings this month heading into Friday's game against Colorado, but he was 0-3 as he'd received no runs of support in any of those losses.


Ethier is 8 for 15 through the first five games of the Dodgers' homestand, and 6 for 8 since Sunday's comments that he didn't want to finish the season because of a sore right knee.

Lilly certainly has the chops to keep San Diego's offensive woes going. He's 2-1 with a 2.11 ERA in four starts against the Padres in 2011.
SD is just awful and I like the Dodgers to pick up another win here on Wednesday afternoon.
10* MLB Game of the Month

The SF Giants are going the wrong way fast losing 7 of their last 11 games. The Cubs have also won 3 in a row over the Giants and playing some good ball.

The Giants are last in the NL in runs scored with 454 and batting average (.237), while only scoring 10 runs and batting .184 over their last six games. The Giants are averaging a major league-low 2.6 runs per game since August 4.
Garza is the much better pitcher and we are getting some great underdog value here. 5*

Pineiro has had just 1 good outing his last 4 and now had 8 days rest and might be rusty while the Angels played late last night in Texas, while Mariners starter Beavan is 1-0 with a 1.88 ERA in two matchups with Los Angeles and gave up one run over eight innings during the victory in Anaheim earlier this month.
Ichiro Suzuki, riding an 11-game hit streak, is 5 for 11 versus Pineiro. Rookie third baseman Kyle Seager, hitting .500 during a nine-game run. 5*

With a 5-3 win over Los Angeles last weekend, Colorado snapped a string of 17 consecutive Sunday losses. The Rockies play the Dodgers again this Sunday and I like Colorado who will hit this young rookie pitcher.

Eovaldi will try to contain Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez, who combined to go 6 for 10 and drive in all six runs Saturday for the Rockies. Tulowitzki, who homered twice, has six of his 28 home runs and 19 RBIs while batting .377 against the Dodgers this season.

Gonzalez has at least one RBI in a club-record 11 straight games, and is batting .393 (22 for 56) with eight homers and 26 RBIs during a 14-game hitting streak. He's 25 for 56 (.446) with 13 RBIs in 14 games versus Los Angeles in 2011.
Our 10* NL GAME OF THE WEEK is on the COLORADO ROCKIES Sunday evening.

Mets have lost 6 of their last 8 and are not looking good.

The Mets are only 25-32 at home while Milwaukee has won eight of 10.
Shaun Marcum (10-3, 3.50 ERA) takes the mound Friday and has been terrific in road starts, going 5-1 with a 2.35 ERA over his last 11.

The right-hander is unbeaten in his past eight outings overall after going 7 2-3 innings in Sunday's 2-1, 10-inning victory over Pittsburgh.

Marcum was outstanding in his only career start versus the Mets on June 7 but didn't get a decision, giving up two hits in six scoreless innings of a 2-1 win.




The Mets, though, have lost seven of 10 at home as they give the ball to Mike Pelfrey (6-9, 4.58).who is 0-1 with a 5.11 ERA over two career home starts against the Brewers.

Lets play the BREW CREW as a 5* pick.

The Texas Rangers have won 5 in a row while the LA Angels have dropped 4 straight.

L.A. has been outscored 15-7 in the first two games and aside from being mentally demoralizing it also heavily taxed the pen.

The Rangers are flying. They

The Giants have not beaten the Braves this season, going 0-4 following last night's 5-4 loss. Starter Jonathan Sanchez has struggled in six career games started against the Braves, Sanchez is 1-3 with a 5.63 ERA with a 1.4 WHIP.has really struggled of late with a 7.90 ERA his last three starts and overall San Francisco has lost 7 of 11. The Braves have now won six of eight. They are 91-45 as a favorite of -125 to -175 since the start of last season, including 64-27 at home.

Brian McCann has been activated off the DL and Chipper Jones bat is on fire with 11 hits in his last 24 AB

Rick Porcello is a perfect 3-0 in his 3 starts against the Twins this season (17+ innings pitched, 14 hits allowed, and just 5 runs surrendered).

Detroit and Minnesota have met nine times already this season, and the Tigers have won eight of those nine meetings. Overall, the Tigers are 12-1 the last 13 times these division rivals have met, and they are also 10-1 the last 11 times these teams have played in the Motor City.

Minnesota has won just one of their last nine games, and starter Francisco Liriano has allowed 20 hits and 15 earned runs his last 18 innings of work and has had control problems.

PLAY THE TIGERS. 5*

Dan Haren in four career starts at Rogers Centre has posted a whopping 7.20 ERA and has not pitched well here.
He'll now face a Blue Jays team that's among the majors' best with 77 home runs and will face Jose Bautista and Colby Rasmus who return to their lineup after getting Saturday off. Bautista is 3 for 8 with a homer off Haren, while Rasmus has three hits - including a home run - in 13 at-bats against the right-hander.

the Blue Jays will give the ball to Brett Cecil (4-5, 4.31).

The left-hander has given up three runs or fewer in each of his last four starts, but has an 0-1 record in his last two.
I like Toronto at home here on Sunday afternoon. 5*

The Reds are the defending National League Central champs, and still might have a chance in the blurred division that's included three other contenders this season. Though the Padres are 11-5 the last 16 times these two have hooked up, the Reds have won two of three this season, and have been home splitting a series with the Rockies the past four days. They capped their four-game set with yesterday's 2-1 win, their second straight in as many days.
San Diego, on the other hand, will be playing its eighth road game in as many days. Granted, the Pads have won five of the first seven and six of eight overall, but I don't think after trips to Pittsburgh (for three games) and four in Queens with the Mets, that the Padres will be ready for tonight's opener. I simply think fatigue will have set in for this opener, and the Reds are at home at an advantage. Look for the Reds' offense to take over in this one, and set the tone early.

5*

Matt Cain (9-8, 3.00 ERA) gets the start for the Giants. Cain was a tough-luck loser last Saturday after giving up two runs off three hits over eight frames of work in the 2-1 setback vs. the Phillies: Cain has been the victim of poor run support as his ERA attests too; he's 2-3 over his last six starts despite a 2.56 ERA in that span. They enter Friday trailing first place Arizona by a game in the NL West, but are now facing a Marlins team that has lost seven straight, all at home. Opponents are scoring 5.4 rpg while hitting .291 during Florida's skid while the offense is averaging only 3.0 runs/game. Marlins starter Ricky Nolasco has an 0-6 team start record at home this season and I love the Giants here to get back on track. PLAY SAN FRAN.
5*

Phillies Worley continues to recover from a bruise as a result of taking a line drive off his leg during Friday's game against the Giants and from what I heard is really suffering.
Billingsley was effective in his latest outing Friday, allowing three runs in six-plus innings of a 7-4 victory at Arizona. It was a vastly improved effort and he had great control and a good fastball.

He also has a good cutter, slider and a little two-seamer and some change-ups.

Play the LA DODGERS this afternoon as a 5* BEST BET.

The Blue Jays starting pitcher Brett Cecil has been pitching very well for Toronto. He has been lights out since coming back up from the minors.
Cecil has posted a 2-0 record in his last three starts with an ERA of just 1.64 in those games. In his career, Cecil has also pitched well against the A's posting a record of 2-0 with an ERA of just 2.40.

In 6 starts totaling just 35 innings, A

San Diego comes to Citi Field having won 4 straight, while New York has lost 6 of their last 7 contests.

It will be Tim Stauffer opposing Mike Pelfrey, and while Stauffer comes into this start off a win, he is just 2-3 overall his last 5 starts, and in his last road start he took a pounding - 8 hits, 5 runs, in 5-plus frames in a loss at Philadelphia.

Mike Pelfrey is 1-0 his last pair of starts, working 15 innings while allowing 4 runs to score. He is also 3-1 at home this season with a solid 3.32 ERA at Citi Field.
Look for the Mets to come through at home Monday night. 5*

Duensing was hurt by the long ball against the Angels on Tuesday, surrendering four runs on a pair of homers. I expect the WhiteSox bats to hit him all day.
In all, the lefty allowed five runs on eight hits and two walks over six innings to get pegged with his ninth loss of the year.
Carlos Quentin, given Saturday off after going deep twice in the opener, is 7 for 15 with three homers against Duensing. Quentin is second on the White Sox with 23 homers and 70 RBIs.
5* WHITESOX on Sunday.

The Pittsbuggh Pirates are struggling and their pitching has been terrible from their starters to the bullpen.
Lefty Cory Luebke (3-6, 3.21) of San Diego has been a hard luck hurler this season for the struggling Padres. In fact, the youngster is 1-3 on road, but he has posted a super 2.08 ERA. With the Pirates showing hurler Maholm (6-11, 3.27) hitting the bump,the Pirates have lost his last four starts and show at 1-8 on Saturday

Milwaukee is one of the hottest teams in MLB, after having a 7 game winning streak snapped on Tuesday, they returned to win their next 2 games and are now on a 9-1 winning run.
Meanwhile, the Astros are a painful 19-38 at home this season, 17-38 in their last 55 games following a loss, 16-43 in their last 59 vs. a team with a winning record, and 7-19 in their last 26 vs. National League Central.


The Brewers are on fire offensively, scoring 4 Runs or more in 8 STRAIGHT games, including an 8-1 win over Houston last night, and expect that to continue on Saturday against Houston's Brett Meyers, who has seen Houston post a 1-6 record during his last 7 trips to the mound. 5*

Sanchez, making his first start in more than a month, allowed two runs on seven hits and three walks, striking out five in a rehab start with Triple-A Fresno on Wednesday.
The left-hander is 3-1 with a 2.48 ERA in five regular-season starts against the Phillies. Carlos Beltran is also hitting and I like SF to bounce back after getting shutout on Thursday night. 10* NL GAME OF THE WEEK.

The Cubs have packed in the lost season, particularly on the road, where they have been awful. Going with Rodrigo Lopez for this game is not a plus, with a 5.29 ERA his last three starts and looked aful in his last outing.

McDonald suffered his first loss in nine starts on Saturday and lasted just five innings in the contest. He gave up a season-high 10 hits, largely because he was around the zone so much in an effort to limit his walks.
Pittsburgh righty James McDonald has been throwing well, with a 2.70 ERA his last three starts and a 2-1 record. And the Pirates are 6-0 in McDonald's last 6 starts vs. a team with a losing record. Play the Pirates here on Thursday night. 5*

The Angels return home after a long 10 game road trip in which Santana threw a no hitter 5 days ago. He was electric and its gonna be hard to repeat that performance as he is on an emotional high! He also hasn't fared very well anywhere in recent years against the Twins. Santana is 0-2 with an 8.62 ERA in three outings in the series since 2009.

Joe Mauer has especially given Santana trouble, going 11 for 19 with four doubles and a homer.


Twins starter Duensing had good movement against the Rangers on Wednesday, striking out six and allowing just one run on seven hits over 6 2/3 innings. He's 1-0 with 2.03 ERA in five career appearances against the Angels, and the Twins also welcome back speedy Denard Span their centerfielder to their lineup.
We are getting excellent value tonight with the Twins and a strong lefty on the mound.
10* Underdog GAME OF THE YEAR

The Mets return home after a 10 game road trip.
On a 90-degree night last Wednesday in Cincinnati, Mike Pelfrey threw 108 pitches to record his second complete-game victory of the season. Next up are the Marlins tonight, whom he has not beaten in 14 starts since winning his Major League debut in 2006.
The Marlins have had his number and I like Florida tonight who has won 6 of 8 games and tonight throw Vazquez who comes in looking for his fourth win in five starts.
5*

Miller allowed a season-high nine hits to the Royals on Tuesday, giving up seven runs (five earned), including two homers, but got a no-decision. The Red Sox however have more than enough offense to make up for it. Boston is one of the few teams in the American League to post a winning record on the road this season. Their lineup is very dangerous and I like the RedSox this afternoon on Sunday. 5*

Justin Verlander is a workhorse and always pitches deep into games.
He struggled in his most recent outing, giving up four earned runs in eight innings against the White Sox, but still picked up the win. He wasn't happy and I expect a big effort today from him while opposing Weaver.
5* Detroit Tigers on Sunday.

5*

I like Seattle with Michael Pineda Saturday afternoon.

Seattle (44-61) had a huge weight lifted off its collective chest by snapping a 17-game losing streak with a 9-2 win over the New York Yankees on Wednesday. After a day off, however, the Mariners were unable to build on that victory during Friday's 8-0 loss to Tampa Bay.

One of the rare bright spots has been rookie second baseman Dustin Ackley, who went 1 for 3 in the series opener to raise his average to .302 in 34 games since making his major league debut June 17.

I think we are getting some value with Seattle at home here. 10* Saturday Slammer.

Chien-Ming Wang gets the nod tonight for Washington.
The former Yankees star returns to baseball after a serious shoulder injury that shelved him for more than two years, but that won't keep me from playing the brightest young pitcher on the scene this season: the Mets' Dillon Gee.

New York strolls into the nation's capital after sweeping the Reds in Cincinnati thanks to their fourth-straight win yesterday, a 10-9 victory. And now, with the trade deadline come and gone, Carlos Beltran gone and the Mets seemingly fine with it, they hand the ball to the most pleasant surprise for the team this season.

Gee, who is 9-3 with a 3.75 ERA in 2011.
He's taken on some hefty competition over his last 10 starts, including: the Pirates twice, Braves twice, Rangers, Yankees and Cardinals. Lets play the NY METS on Friday night. 10*

After suffering a 12-4 loss in Tuesday's opener, the Blue Jays shut out the Orioles 3-0 last night. I look for another strong pitching performance tonight from Toronto starter Carlos Villanueva, who has already beaten Baltimore twice this season. Baltimore has lost 7 straight series and the BlueJays are 28-6 their last 34 at home against Baltimore.
Baltimore starter Bergesen has a 10-32 team start record in the underdog role.
PLay the Toronto BlueJays at home Thursday evening.
10*

Livan Hernandez has been a completely different pitcher at home than he's been on the road. Hernandez throws like and Ace in Washington, going 4-2 with a 3.09 ERA and 1.119 WHIP in 10 home starts this year. Javier Vazquez used to be an Ace, but he's clearly washed up. Vazquez is 6-9 with a 5.52 ERA and 1.486 WHIP in 20 starts in 2011. The Nationals have a huge edge on the mound tonight, and we are getting some great value too.
PLAY THE NATIONALS. 5*

If there were ever two pitchers who need to redeem themselves, you will find them matched up tonight. Ricky Nolasco of the Marlins was having a great streak, allowing a low 0.56 ERA in four outings and then Ricky Nolasco (6-7, 4.08 ERA) gets the start for the Marlins.

Nolasco is coming off the worst outing of his entire career in last Wednesday's embarrassing 14-3 loss to the Friars.

It was the shortest outing of his career as well, lasting just 1 1/3's innings: I fully expect him to bounce back tonight in an underdog roll on the road.
PLAY THE FISH!
5*