*3 Star Phillies/Giants GUARANTEED Winner* It is Roy Halladay vs. Tim Lincecum Part II. Lincecum and the Giants won the first battle, and I like the fact that they are home dogs in this one. Roy Halladay may well be the best pitcher in the league right now, but he hasn't fared well against the Giants. In his career against San Francisco he is 0-3 with an ERA above 7. He has allowed 33 hits against them in just 25 and 2/3 innings. Tim Lincecum is 3-1 in his career against the Phillies, and he has an ERA of just above 3. Lincecum is almost never an underdog, especially at home. This is a guy who won back to back Cy Young awards after all. The Phillies have been having serious trouble hitting the baseball of late, and I just don't think they'll snap out of it against Lincecum. I look for this to be a tightly contested game, but I'll take the home underdog to finish this one off. The public is betting on the Phillies because they know the Phillies must win this one, which has given us a nice value on the Giants moneyline.

*3 Star MLB Wednesday Play of the Day* The Philadelphia Phillies are down 2-1 in this series, and they are planning on sending out Joe Blanton. Blanton pitched well in the second half of the season, and I think he has a good shot at pitching well against a fairly light-hitting Giants offense. Madison Bumgarner is the starter on the other side, and I think he is being overlooked by a lot of people right now. Bumgarner has amazing stuff and he has the attitude to pitch well despite his inexperience in the playoffs. What about the stats? The under is 8-1 in Bumgarner's last 9 starts at home. The under is 13-4 in the Giants last 17 home games. The home plate umpire is Wally Bell, who called 64.3% of pitches a strike this year, which is one of the highest rates of all the umpires. The pitchers should get the edges on Wednesday, and I think this one will stay under the posted total.

*3 Star Tuesday MLB Play of the Day* The Giants took game one, but the Phillies bounced back in a big way in game two. Cole Hamels takes the mound in this one for Philadelphia against Matt Cain for San Francisco. I really like the way Hamels has been pitching down the stretch this year. His outing in Cincinnati in the NLDS was absolutely tremendous. Hamels had his best year as a pro this year, and he seems to have command of all his pitches right now. Hamels is only 26 years old, but this will be his 12th playoff start. Hamels has a 6-3 record and a 3.36 ERA in the playoffs. Matt Cain is only making his second playoff start, and the Giants are just 1-4 in his last 5 against the Phillies. I like Hamels in the pitching matchup. There is no debating that Philadelphia has the much stronger lineup in this series. What about the home field advantage for the Giants? Well the Phillies are 22-5 in their last 27 road games, so they have proven they can win on the road. I like the Phillies ML a lot in this game.

*3 Star Monday MLB Play of the Day* It will be Andy Pettite vs. Cliff Lee in Game Three on Monday evening. Lee has been great against the Yankees and Pettite has been great in the playoffs. We are getting even money on the over 7.5 here because of their great track records. Why do I like the over? The wind is expected to be howling out to center field at 15 to 20 mph in this. Both Pettite and Lee often give up a lot of fly balls. Both of these offenses are very strong, and it would only take one or two big innings to get to this total. Jim Reynolds is behind the dish and he is one of the biggest "over" umpires in all of baseball. The over is 56-32 in his 88 games behind home plate the last three years. Reynolds won't be doing the pitchers any favors in this one, and I think these lineups will put some runs on the board. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB Play of the Day* The Braves fell apart at the end of Game Three, but the under still cashed in. Madison Bumgarner will face Derek Lowe in Game Four. Bumgarner is only 21 years old, but he has amazing stuff. Bumgarner has proven his toughness on the road all year long. In 10 road games this year Bumgarner has a record of 6-3 and an ERA of 1.91. Derek Lowe started twice in the regular season against the Giants and was 2-0. He gave up just one run in Game One, and I believe he will pitch will again. The Braves struggle mightily against pitchers they haven't faced before, and Bumgarner fits that billing. These two lineups are probably the weakest lineups remaining in the playoffs and both bullpens are tremendous. I like the under here.

*3 Star MLB Play of the Day* The Braves and Giants hit the ball a little more in Game Two, but I think there is a solid chance Game Three is a low scoring game once again. Jonathan Sanchez has quietly been brilliant for the Giants this year. Sanchez has been at his best on the road, as he has an ERA of 2.86 on the year. Tim Hudson has been superb at home all year for the Braves, and he gets the ball in this one. Hudson has a 2.48 ERA at home in 2010. The under is 15-7 in Hudson's last 22 starts overall and the under is 6-1 in Sanchez's last 7 starts overall. Both bullpens are solid and these are probably the two weakest lineups in the MLB playoffs. A solid under umpire also helps our cause in this one. I think the under is the play here!

*3 Star Braves/Giants Guaranteed Winner* The Giants started off this series with a 1-0 victory last night. I think we can count on there being more than one very low scoring game when these two teams meet. Both teams have a great pitching staff, but lack in the hitting department. Matt Cain is a very good number two pitcher, and the under is 4-0 in his last four starts against Atlanta. Tommy Hanson has been pitching brilliantly of late, with an ERA of 0.48 in his last three starts. For the season, Hanson actually pitched better on the road than he did at home. Paul Nauert is a nice under umpire behind the plate. The under was 19-12 in his 31 games behind the dish this year. The under is 7-2 in Atlanta's last 9 and 13-3 in San Francisco's last 16. This is a low number, but it deserves to be. Take the under here and expect another pitcher's duel.

*3 Star MLB Playoff Bookie Crusher* The New York Yankees will send Andy Pettite to the hill tonight. Pettite started the season on fire, but ended by having some injury trouble and struggling. It is the postseason now, and Pettite knows how to win. Pettite is 18-9 with a 3.90 ERA in the postseason. He owns the most postseason wins in the history of baseball. Carl Pavano had a good year, but I'm not sure he is ready for this Yankees lineup. New York is the type of team that can make you pay for every mistake you make. Is the home field advantage really a good thing for the Twins? The Twins are 0-9 in their last 9 home playoff games. The Yankees are 7-1 in their last 8 games in Minnesota, and Pettite is 4-0 in his last 4 starts against Minnesota. I like the Yankees at this short price.

*3 Star MLB Playoff Opener Winner* The playoffs are finally here and it is time for teams to win or go home. Cliff Lee and David Price are two of the best pitchers in baseball right now, and I fully expect them to bring their "A" game on Wednesday afternoon in Tampa Bay. Price has been superb at home, and the under is 15-5-1 in his last 21 home starts. The Rangers have struggled all year against left handers and this is a very tough test for them. Cliff Lee showed how good of a postseason pitcher he can be last year when he looked absolutely amazing every single game for the Phillies. I think he'll be ready for this one and give the Rays lineup all sorts of trouble. Game One favors the pitchers to start with in my opinion because of the jitters of playoff baseball, and with these two pitchers going, this could be a very low scoring game. I like the under here.

*3 Star MLB Finale Play of the Day* The Mets and the Nationals will square off in the season finale for both of these teams. Mike Pelfrey and Livan Hernandez have both had strong seasons on the mound. Pelfrey has been terrific at home. Pelfrey has a 10-3 record and a 2.92 ERA at home this year. He has four straight quality starts. Livan Hernandez has been an under machine this year. The under is 24-7 in Hernandez's 31 starts this season. The under is 4-0 in his last 4 starts against the Mets as well. We have a bit of an under umpire here and the wind is expected to be blowing in from center field at about 10 mph. The trends look great here and the two lineups should be pretty weak with guys like Beltran, Bay, and Zimmerman missing. I like the under here.

*3 Star MLB Play of the Day* The Reds and Brewers will face off in a quite meaningless game for both teams on Saturday afternoon. The Reds are in the playoffs and won't have home field advantage, while the Brewers will be done after Sunday's game. This is expected to be a cool breezy day in Cincinnati, with the wind blowing in toward home plate. Homer Bailey will be pitching for Cincinnati, and he has been solid against the Brewers throughout his career. The under is 5-1 in Bailey's last 6 against Milwaukee and 9-3 in his last 12 starts overall. Chris Capuano has quietly been pitching very well of late. He has five straight quality starts and the under is 4-1 during that time. I expect the Reds to rest some of their regulars in this one and both pitchers should pitch well. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB Play of the Day* The Padres and Giants are playing a pivotal three game series in San Francisco. One thing I know well about these two teams is they are built on terrific pitching. Matt Cain is on the hill for San Francisco and he has been superb of late. Cain has an ERA of 0.82 in his last three starts. For the year, Cain has an amazing WHIP of just 0.95 at home. Clayton Richard is pitching for the Padres. Richard has been very good this year, and he has fared well against the Giants. He has four starts against the Giants this year and the most runs he has allowed has been two. The under is 4-0-1 in Richard's last 5 against the Giants. The under is 4-1-1 in Cain's last 6 against the Padres. The under is 20-8-1 in the last 29 meetings between these two. Take the under here.

*3 Star MLB Play of the Day* The Cincinnati Reds clinched their first playoff berth on Tuesday. The team rested all of its starters Wednesday and they will likely rest some of them on Thursday. Brett Myers is on the hill for Houston. Myers has been excellent all year long. Myers has an ERA of 2.89 for the season. Bronson Arroyo is the starter for Cincinnati in this one. Arroyo has a 2.65 ERA in his last three games. Arroyo has owned Houston in the past. The Reds are 6-0 in his last 6 starts against them and the under is 7-1 in his last 8 starts against the Astros. The under is 6-2 in his last 8 home starts. The under is 18-7-3 in Myers' last 28 starts overall. The Astros have a light hitting lineup and the Reds will be resting some key players. It sounds like a great time to take the under.

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* The Atlanta Braves are in the thick of the wild card race right now. They need to win every game at this point, so you know they'll be putting everything into this game. The Braves are 43-17 in their last 60 home games. Derek Lowe has been pitching brilliantly of late. Lowe has an ERA of 0.95 in his last three starts and the Braves are 17-8 in his last 25 home starts. On the other side, the Florida Marlins are a beat up bunch right now. Their star, Hanley Ramirez, will miss this game due to injury. At this point their lineup is full of youngsters. On the mound Florida will have Andrew Miller. Miller has an ERA of 11.81 in his last 3 starts and the Marlins have lost his last four starts. This is a major pitching mismatch and the team that needs it more should win comfortably here. Take the Braves run line.

*3 Star Tuesday Total Domination* The Orioles have been playing much better baseball since Showalter took over. Brad Bergesen has been looking like a whole new pitcher over the last couple months. In his last five starts he has allowed just six earned runs. David Price is pitching for the Rays and he has been superb all year, especially at home. The left hander has an ERA of 2.11 at home on the season. The under is 18-7-1 in the Orioles last 26 road games. The under is 4-1 in Bergesen's last 5 road starts. The under is 4-0 in Price's last 4 home starts. I expect Price to shut down the Orioles and Bergesen to escape with minimal damage. I like the under in this one.

*3 Star Monday MLB Play of the Day* The Angels and the Athletics are both fairly light hitting teams, especially of late. The under is 19-5-3 in the Angels last 27 games overall. The under is 16-7 in Oakland's last 23 road games. Ervin Santana will be pitching for the Angels, and he has been great in his last few starts. Santana has an ERA of 1.85 in his last three starts and the under is 13-5 in his last 18 starts against Oakland. Brett Anderson is on the hill for Oakland, and he is dealing right now as well. Anderson has a 1.77 ERA in his last three starts and he will be facing an Angels team that hits just .242 against left handed pitchers. I like the matchup here and I think this will be a pitcher's duel. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB Play of the Day* The Tampa Bay Rays are red hot right now and they have pulled out to a game and a half lead over the Yankees in the AL East. James Shields was beaten up in his last start in New York, but this time he'll be at home and against a much weaker lineup. On the year he has a solid 4.34 ERA at home and the Rays are 5-1 in his last 6 home starts. Lucas French will start for Seattle, and he has had trouble on the road. French has a 5.80 ERA on the road and the Mariners are just 1-6 in his last 7 road starts. Seattle is a very bad road team. They have lost 43 of their last 60 road games. The Mariners are 1-8 in their last 9 meetings with the Rays. I expect the Rays to take care of business once again on Sunday. Take the Rays -1.5.

*3 Star MLB Total Domination Play* The White Sox are out of the race in the AL Central, which should mean they'll start playing a lot of inexperienced youngsters to give them a chance. The Angels are on a big run of under games lately. The under is 10-2-1 in their last 13 home games, and 20-7-2 in their last 29 games overall. Scott Kazmir was awful earlier in the year, but he has pitched pretty well of late as he has gotten better control of his pitches. John Danks has pitched well historically against the Angels. The under is 6-2 in his last 8 starts against the Angels, including a game in which he pitched a shutout earlier this year. All signs point to the under being the play in this one!

*3 Star MLB Run Line Play of the Day* The Tampa Bay Rays have now won three straight, and they have taken the lead over the Yankees in the AL East. They know it is important for them to try to get home field advantage in the American League, so expect them to be playing all out in this one. The Seattle Mariners are a horrific road team. The Mariners have gone a miserable 23-53 on the road this year. Matt Garza has struggle of late, which is why we are getting such a good value. Garza's struggled have come primarily against the Yankees, and this Mariners team doesn't have even close to the lineup the Yankees do. The Rays are 21-8 in Garza's last 29 home starts. Expect the Rays to get the job done on Saturday evening.

*3 Star Run Line Play of the Day* Mark Rogers, a highly touted prospect for the Brewers, will make his major league starting pitching debut on Friday night. Rogers throws 100 mph on his heater quite frequently and has a very good curve. The Marlins offense is hurting badly now that Hanley Ramirez will be out the rest of the year. On the other side, Andrew Miller is pitching for the Marlins. Miller has been absolutely horrible of late. His ERA is 14.81 in his last three starts. The Marlins are just 1-4 in his five starts this year. The Brewers have a nice lineup with Weeks, Hart, Fielder, Braun, etc. and I think they'll put up a lot of runs again on Friday. I like the Brewers run line here.

*3 Star Rivalry Showdown Winner* The Yankees are now just 1/2 game ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East. Josh Beckett is pitching for Boston, but I actually think that should be considered a bad thing for Boston. It has been a long time since Beckett has pitched well against New York. In his last five starts against the Yankees he has allowed at least 5 runs in every single game. Andy Pettite has been great against Boston, as the Yankees have won four straight against Boston with him on the mound. The Yankees are quite healthy right now, while Boston is missing a whole lot of their lineup. I think the Yankees get the best of this one. Take the Yankees -1.5 here.

*3 Star TGIF Total Domination* Brett Myers has been one of the best pitchers in the National League this year. For the year, Myers has an ERA of 2.76. In his last three starts his ERA is just 0.43. Myers has not allowed more than 3 runs in a game since August 7th, a span of eight starts. During that time he has pitched three shutouts. On the other side, James McDonald is quietly pitching very well for the Pirates. McDonald has pitched a shutout in two of his last three starts and he has allowed just two home runs in 54 innings this year. The Astros and the Pirates are both teams with a weak offense, especially now that both teams have many injuries. The under is 14-3 in Houston's last 17 road games. The under is 13-3-1 in Myers' last 17 road starts. The under is 4-1 in McDonald's last 5 home starts. The under is the play here.

*3 Star Late Night Bailout Play* Cliff Lee went through a brief period where he was very hittable, but now that his back is healthy again he looks like the dominant Cliff Lee once again. In his last two starts he has allowed one earned run in both games, while pitching the Rangers to two wins. Dallas Braden has hit a rough patch of late. Braden has an ERA of 7.56 in his last 3 starts. The Athletics are 0-5 in Braden's last five starts. In addition, Braden has been beaten in both of his starts against Texas so far this year. I like Cliff Lee to outpitch Dallas Braden and the Texas Rangers to win this one.

*3 Star Tantalizing Total Play* This is a matchup of two pitchers that are absolutely struggling in a huge way right now. Talbot has struggled all year at home and he is battling a nagging injury right now. On the year Talbot's ERA at home is 6.37. The Royals have been hitting the ball well lately and the over has cashed in nine of their last ten games. Sean O'Sullivan starts for the Royals and his ERA is 11.57 in his last three starts. He hasn't had a quality start in the last month. The over is 5-0 in the Indians last five games as well. We have two teams who are hitting very well and two pitches who are struggling in a big way, so I love the over in this one.

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* Felix Hernandez is on the hill and that usually means two things: the opposition won't score many runs, and the Mariners won't put many on the board to support Felix. The under is 16-4-2 in Felix's last 22 starts overall. In his last 8 games on the mound he has given up 0 earned runs five times and allowed only one earned run 2 times. The Blue Jays bats have cooled down a bit and the under is 4-1 in their last 5 overall. These get away days are usually solid under plays, and Mike Estabrook is a very solid under umpire behind the plate. I think this will be a low scoring game and the under is the way to go here!

*3 Star Major League Mismatch* Where is the mismatch in this game? The mismatch in this one is on the pitcher's mound. Wandy Rodriguez has been pitching extremely well for the past few months, and Jason Marquis has struggled in a big way. In his last ten starts Rodriguez has allowed three earned runs or less in every single game, including seven games where he has allowed one earned run or less. Jason Marquis has an ERA of 8.86 at home this year, and he is coming off a start against Philadelphia where he allowed 6 runs in 1/3 of an inning. The Nationals are just 2-9 in Marquis' last 11 starts. The Astros are 6-1 in Rodriguez's last 7 starts against Washington. The Astros continue to fly under the radar playing solid baseball of late, and Wandy is a very good pitcher. I'll take the Astros here.

*3 Star MLB Totals Terrorizer* The Colorado Rockies offense is absolutely on fire of late. The over is 6-0 in the Rockies last 6 games and they are averaging 7.3 runs per game during that span. Troy Tulowitzki is the hottest hitter in baseball and Carlos Gonzalez continues to tear it up. Joe Saunders is on the hill for Arizona and he hasn't been very good of late. He allowed 7 runs in 2 and 1/3 at Colorado just ten days ago. The Diamondbacks tend to put up some nice offensive numbers at home, so I expect some runs out of them as well. We all know the DBacks bullpen is absolutely horrendous, so if Saunders is gone early then the Rockies should do even more damage. Take the over here.

*3 Star MLB Bookie Basher* The Yankees and Rays are playing a crucial series in the Bronx this week. In Tuesday evening's game it will be Shields vs. Hughes on the mound. Shields has struggled of late, with a 6.32 ERA in his last three starts overall. On the road Shields has an ERA of 5.40 for the entire year. The over is 6-2 in Shields' last 8 road starts. Phil Hughes started the season great for the Yankees, but he has tailed off as the season has gone along. Hughes has strangely been much worse at home this year. Hughes has an ERA of 4.88 at home this year. In his last 15 starts at home the over is 12-3. These two teams tend to play high scoring game when they get together. The over is 11-4 in the last 15 meetings and 5-0 in the last 5 at Yankee Stadium. Take the over here.

*5 Star MLB Tuesday Top Play* I firmly believe the Phillies are now the best team in the National League. Roy Halladay has been solid all year long and the Phillies will have a huge pitching advantage in this one. It is the rookie Mike Minor pitching the Braves, and he has an ERA of 9 in his last three starts. Halladay has an ERA of 2.24 at home this year and he has allowed just one run in his two starts against the Braves this year. If the pitching mismatch isn't enough, this Phillies team has a much better offense than the Braves, and they are finally getting healthy! I expect the youngster to struggle and Halladay to be in form in this one. I love the value on the Phillies run line in this one!

*3 Star MLB Monday Major Value Play* The Philadelphia Phillies may have looked bad a few months ago, but they have things rolling now. A lineup with guys like Utley, Howard, Victorino, Polanco, Ibanez, etc. is not one that the opposing pitcher is going to want to see. Jair Jurrjens has been solid all year at home, but very poor on the road. Jurrjens has a 6.34 ERA in his last 3 starts and a 5.81 ERA on the road this year. Cole Hamels is pitching as well as anyone in baseball right now. Hamels has allowed just one run in his last four starts. The Phillies are 41-15 in their last 56 overall and I think this is a terrific value on the run line. Take the Phillies -1.5.

*3 Star MLB Run Line Play of the Day* Francisco Liriano is on the mound and that is great news for the Twins chances to win this one. The Twins are 10-1 in his last 11 starts and 6-0 in his last 6 home starts. The Twins are the hottest team in the AL right now, and they have won 39 of their last 53 games overall. Brett Cramer is a great story, but I don't think he can keep up with Liriano in this one. The Athletics don't have the lineup that the Twins do. Oakland is just 2-6 in their last 8 games against Minnesota. I like Minnesota to win this one by a comfortable margin. Take the Minnesota run line.

*3 Star MLB Total Dominator* Joe Blanton is pitching for the Phillies and he has been an over machine this year. The over is 9-1-1 in his last 11 home starts. Blanton has an ERA of 6.45 in his career against the Nationals and the over is 21-7-2 in his last 30 starts overall. The Nationals are starting youngster Yuneski Maya. Maya has plenty of potential, but this Phillies team has really started to hit the ball of late. The Phillies have the best offense in the NL and they are rolling of late. Maya doesn't have a big strikeout pitch and I think the Phillies will get to him in this one. I like the over in this game.

*3 Star MLB Run Line Play of the Day* The Tampa Bay Rays lost last night to the Angels and it cost them first place in the AL East for the time being. On Saturday they'll send their ace out to the mound. David Price has an ERA under 1 in his last three starts and the Rays are 19-7 in his last 26 starts at home. The Angels have struggled all year against left handers. Joel Pineiro is starting for the Angels, and he is coming off a long layoff and the disabled list. He has an ERA of 6.67 on the road. Tampa Bay needs this game far more than the Angels do, and I think they'll bounce back nicely in this one. Take the Tampa Bay run line in this one!

*3 Star TGIF MLB Play of the Day* The Reds and Astros will kickoff their weekend series with their best pitchers pitching. Wandy Rodriguez has been absolutely dealing for the Astros of late, and Johnny Cueto has had a very good year for the Reds. Rodriguez gave up just one hit in his last game against Cincinnati, and Cueto shut out the Astros in his last start against them. The under is 5-0 in Rodriguez's last 5 home games against the Reds. Wandy hasn't given up more than 3 runs in any of his last 10 starts and his ERA is just 1.71 in his last 3. Cueto has a spectacular ERA of 1.89 in his last three starts as well and the under is 4-0 in his last 4 starts overall. The under is 24-6 in the Astros last 30 games overall. All signs point to the under behing a great play here.

*MLB Play of the Day Guaranteed Winner* The Mets are 73-73 on the year, but they are an impressive 43-27 at home. The Pirates are 7-45 in their last 52 road games, and they currently lay claim to the worst team in baseball award. Pittsburgh is just 5-17 in their last 22 games in New York. Mike Pelfrey will pitch for New York, and although he has been inconsistent on the year, his numbers at home are still fabulous. Pelfrey has an ERA of 2.89 at home and the Mets are 11-5 in his last 16 home starts. Charlie Morton is on the hill for Pittsburgh, and Morton has been struggling mightily of late. Morton is 0-7 on the road this year and his ERA is an astronomical 11.38! The Pirates are a miserable 2-15 in Morton's last 17 road starts. Add it all up and I think we've found a terrific value on Mets run line in this one!

*3 Star MLB Total Domination Play* In the last four games the Giants have played, three of those games have finished with a final score of 1-0. That really is an amazing stat and it shows both how well they are pitching and how poorly they are hitting. Matt Cain is the Giants best starter, and he has shut down LA the last couple times he has faced them. Chad Billingsley is starting for the Dodgers and the under is 8-1-1 in his last 10 starts overall. The under is 9-4 in the last 13 meetings between these two teams. I think Wednesday night's meeting will once again be a pitcher's duel. Take the under here.

*3 Star Run Line Play of the Day* Clay Buchholz has been tremendous for the Red Sox this year. He was awful in his last outing at Oakland, but I fully expect him to bounce back nicely in this one. Buchholz has a 2.53 ERA for the year and Boston is 13-4 in his last 17 road starts. David Pauley is on the mound for Seattle. The Mariners have lost 5 of his last 6 starts at home and they are 0-4 in his last 4 starts overall. I think Seattle will have trouble getting much of anything off Buchholz and I think Boston will get several runs off of Pauley. The Red Sox -1.5 is a great value play here.

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* The Houston Astros are staying under the radar of everyone, including the books, but they are winning a lot of games of late. Happ is on the hill Wednesday for Houston and David Bush for the Brewers. Happ is a good left hander that pitches especially well at home. Bush is horrific on the road. In fact, the Brewers are just 18-38 in his last 56 road starts. The Brewers are sliding right now, having lost seven of their last eight road games. The Astros on the other hand, are 17-6 in their last 23 games overall. Take the Astros run line at a big plus money number!

*3 Star MLB Moneyline Mania* The Houston Astros are quietly playing some solid baseball over the last month or two. The Astros are only six games under .500 after a horrific start to the season. Bud Norris is on the hill in this one, and the Astros are 8-1 in his last 8 starts overall. They are actually 5-0 in his last 5 home starts. Chris Capuano pitches for the Brewers and they are just 6-20 in his last 26 starts. He has pitched better of late, but not well enough to justify being even money in this one. I think the Astros are the value play with a pitching advantage and the momentum going into this game.

*3 Star MLB Run Line Play of the Day* The Phillies are playing terrific baseball right now. They have finally gotten healthy and they are getting great efforts from their pitchers of late as well. Cole Hamels has been the hottest starting pitcher in all of baseball of late. Hamels has not allowed a run in his last three starts. The Marlins are starting Adalberto Mendez, who has never started in the major leagues. Mendez's numbers were only fair in Triple A and I suspect he'll find it tough sledding when he faces the best offense in the National League on Tuesday night. I like the Phillies run line in this one.

*3 Star Total Domination* Shawn Hill looked decent in his first start as a Blue Jay last week, but I am very skeptical that he will be able to stick around in the major leagues for too long. Jacob Arrieta has an ERA of 5.40 at home and I think the Blue Jays bats will get to him quite a bit in this one. The wind will be blowing out slightly throughout the game. The over is 4-1 in Toronto's last 5 road games and it is also 4-1-2 in Arrieta's last 7 home starts. I'm not overly impressed with either pitcher and I think the scoreboard will light up quite frequently in this one. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB Guaranteed Cash* The Rockies have now won ten straight. No doubt this team someone finds another gear in the month of September and gets on these amazing streaks. I have backed this team frequently in recent days, and I'm not stopping just yet. Jeff Francis is just off the DL to start for Colorado in this one. He hasn't pitched well against San Diego in the past, but he generally fares well at home. The Padres are starting young left hander Cory Luebke. Luebke looks like a very good pitcher, but he has yet to go on the road, and making your first start at Coors Field can be extremely difficult. The Padres are 4-13 in their last 17 games, while the Rockies are 17-4 in their last 21. I'm taking the hot team who knows how to win in September. The run line has great value here.

*3 Star MLB Run Line Play of the Day* The Rockies are absolutely the hottest team in baseball right now. Chacin has been a very solid pitcher for this team, and his ERA is just 1.96 in his last 3 starts. Ian Kennedy has pitched very well of late, but he has struggled on the road this year. I think the Rockies will get to him in this one. The Rockies have won nine straight games and they are nearly unbeatable at home. I like the value at plus money on this run line play. Take the Rockies -1.5 in this matchup!

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* The Reds are getting closer and closer to putting themselves back into the playoffs once again for the first time since 1995. The Pirates are horrible on the road, as evidenced by their ridiculous 8-44 record in their last 52 games on the road. Brian Burres is starting, and he has never lasted long as a starting pitcher in the major leagues because his stuff just isn't that great. Johnny Cueto has had the Pirates number in the past, and he pitches for the Reds on Sunday. The Reds are 7-1 in his last 8 starts against the Pirates. The Reds are 8-3 in Cueto's last 11 starts at home. I think the Reds get to Burres and Cueto pitches well here. Take the Reds -1.5.

*3 Star MLB Total Domination Play* The Blue Jays are not a team that you want to face if you are struggling with your control and keeping the ball in the ballpark. Jeff Niemann has a 20.70 ERA in his last three starts, which is almost unheard of. The over is 6-2 in the Jays last 8 games and the over is 6-0 in the Rays last 6 games. As you might expect with his troubles, the over is 5-0 in Niemann's last 5 starts as well. Mike Reilly is behind the dish, and his small strike zone makes him the friend of an over bettor. The over is the value play in this game between two teams with strong lineups! Take over 9.

*3 Star Bookie Crusher Deluxe* I must admit it scares me a little bit to bet on an under that is set so low, but I still think this play has a lot of value. If you take a close look at the numbers of the two starters, this has a very solid chance of staying under 6.5. Trevor Cahill has been unhittable at home this year, with an ERA of 1.71. The under is 13-2-1 in his last 16 home starts. Clay Buchholz has been amazing all year for the Red Sox. The under is 4-0 in his last four starts overall. Both of these teams have some very key hitters down with injuries right now, so the pitchers should have even more of an edge than normal in this one. Take the under 6.5 here.

*3 Star Guaranteed Moneyline Winner* Don't look now, but the Houston Astros are playing some very good baseball of late. The Astros are 16-5 in their last 21 home games and they have climbed their way back pretty close to .500 on the season. J.A. Happ has been a very nice acquisition for this team. Happ has had six quality starts in a row now for Houston. The Dodgers struggle mightily against left handers, so Happ should fare well against LA. The Astros have won it with pitching and defense over the last few weeks and I fully expect them to do that again on Friday evening. Take the Astros moneyline in this one.

*3 Star Run Line Play of the Day* The Cincinnati Reds have lost five straight games. The lead over the Cardinals has fallen to five games. No doubt the Reds are fading in September, but going home to face the Pittsburgh Pirates should be just what the doctor ordered for this team. Paul Maholm is on the mound for Pittsburgh and he has a 5.43 ERA on the year. Homer Bailey is pitching for the Reds. Bailey has shutout the Pirates in his last two starts against them, so he definitely feels comfortable against Pittsburgh. How bad is Pittsburgh on the road? The Pirates are actually 9-45 in their last 54 road games. This is a team that has a terrible rotation, bad defense, and a very weak lineup. The Reds should bounce back nicely in this one. Take the Reds -1.5.

*3 Star Thursday Total Domination Play* The Texas Rangers and the Toronto Blue Jays are both hitting the baseball very well right now. The over is 5-0 in Toronto's last 5 games overall and 4-0 in Texas' last 4 games overall. Colby Lewis starts for the Rangers and his ERA is over 9 in his last three starts. The Rangers have lost eight of his last nine starts. On the mound for the Blue Jays is Shawn Hill. Hill hasn't been able to stay in the majors in his earlier stints with other teams and he has an 8-16 lifetime record with an ERA above 5. I think both teams will be hitting the ball hard again on Thursday night. The trends say over and so does the pitching matchup. Take the over in this one.

*3 Star Run Line Play of the Day* Gio Gonzalez has quietly been absolutely amazing in the last few months. Gonzalez has given up a grand total of five earned runs in his last six starts. On the year he has a 2.59 ERA at home. The Athletics are 13-1 in Gonzalez's last 14 starts when they are favored and they are 4-0 in their last 4 home games when he starts. Lucas French has been pitching well for Seattle, but that has been at home. On the road French has an ERA over 5 and the Mariners are 1-5 in his last 6 road starts. The Mariners are just 22-49 in their last 71 road games and I think Gonzalez will shut them down on Wednesday night. Take the Athletics -1.5.

*3 Star Underdog of the Day* The Houston Astros have been playing very good baseball of late. Brett Myers has been one of the most underrated pitchers all year long. The Astros are 8-3 in his last 11 starts and 5-2 in his last 7 road starts. The Cubs have played better of late, but they are just 2-6 in Randy Wells' last 8 starts overall and 1-4 in his last 5 home starts. The Astros are 6-2 in their last 8 games at Wrigley Field, so they don't have any problems winning in Chicago. I think the Astros are a great value here and they are my underdog play of the day!

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* The Yankees have lost three straight games and they have let their AL East lead dwindle down over that time period. Losing two straight at home to the Orioles is not something you would expect from the Yankees. Ivan Nova is on the hill for Game Three in this series and he is a bit an unkown for New York, but he has pitched fairly well. Brad Bergesen is pitching for the Orioles and he has been terrible on the road this year. Bergesen has a road ERA of 5.31 and the Orioles are just 4-14 in the last 18 games he has started on the road. The Yankees are still light years ahead of this Orioles team in talent and they know they need to win this game. I think they'll win it handily. Take the Yankees -1.5.

*3 Star Late Night Bailout* The Seattle Mariners are 21-49 in their last 70 road games. On Monday, Brett Anderson shut them down. Tuesday they'll face another very good left hander in Dallas Braden. The Athletics are 4-0 in Braden's last 4 starts as a favorite and 4-0 in his last 4 starts against the Mariners. This Seattle team is lacking offensive firepower in a big way and Doug Fister is just not very good on the road. Fister has a road ERA of 5.10. The Mariners are 0-5 in Fister's last 5 starts. The Mariners are 0-6 in their last 6 games at Oakland. I think the Athletics will take this one again by a comfortable margin. Take the Oakland run line here.

*3 Star Crush the Books Play* The Marlins and Phillies will meet on Tuesday evening in a key game for the Phillies. The Phillies have gotten healthy and this lineup is as tough as you'll find in the National League. Chris Volstad is pitching for the Marlins and his road ERA this year is 5.79. The over is 4-1-1 in his last 6 starts overall. Joe Blanton is starting for the Phillies and the over is 19-7-2 in his last 28 starts overall. The umpire here is a solid over umpire and the wind is expected to be blowing straight out to center at about 15 mph. I like the over in this one.

*3 Star Total Dominator* The Nationals have started absolutely crushing the baseball of late. In their last five games they have scored: 10,5,9,8, and 13 runs! Both teams have a starting pitcher making their MLB debut in this game. The bad news for these pitchers is Jim Reynolds is the umpire behind the dish for this one. Reynolds is the top over umpire in all of baseball over the last few years, and he'll definitely pinch the strike zone. A total set this low with two first-time MLB starting pitchers and an umpire that pinches the zone is a great formula for an over. Take the over 8.5 here.

*3 Star Moneyline Guaranteed Winner* The San Francisco Giants are right in the thick of the playoff race right now. They were able to take two out of three from their rivals, the LA Dodgers, over the weekend. Madison Bumgarner is on the hill for San Fran in this one and he is likely their future ace. Bumgarner has been great away from home this year and the Giants are 5-1 in his last 6 road starts. The Diamondbacks have been playing better of late, but I think the odds have moved too much in their favor because of their temporary increase in production. Kennedy was beaten up in his last home start against the Giants and I think the Giants are the value play in this game. Take the Giants moneyline.

*3 Star Run Line Play of the Day* The Seattle Mariners have played their last ten games at home, but now they must go to the road to face the Athletics. Brett Anderson is a solid left handed pitcher that should be tough on the Mariners in this initial game of their road trip. Oakland has been great home this year, with an impressive record of 40-28. On the other hand, the Mariners are just 21-45 away from home. Jason Vargas has pitched very poorly of late. I think the A's have the edge in all aspects of this game. Take the Oakland run line in this one.

*3 Star Early Bird Special* The Kansas City Royals are 5-17 in their last 22 road games. The Minnesota Twins are 55-25 in their last 80 home games. The Royals will start youngster Sean O'Sullivan, who has a 5.50 ERA on the year. The Twins have Kevin Slowey on the hill, and the Twins have a great 24-9 record in his last 33 home starts. The Twins are one of the hottest teams in all of baseball and they just swept the first place Rangers this past weekend. The Royals lineup is quite weak right now and they are at a clear disadvantage in the pitching department in this game. Take the Twins -1.5 here.

*Sink the Books Play of the Day* Both of these teams are hitting the baseball well right now. Detroit has scored at least 6 runs in each of their last three games and Kansas City is averaging more than 5 runs per game in their last four games. Armando Galarraga has been pitching well of late, but he has struggled mightily on the road this year. The over is 6-1-1 in his last 8 road starts and his road ERA is 5.86. Kyle Davies is pitching for the Royals and he hasn't been very good all year long. Davies has an ERA of 5.23 for the year and the Tigers torched him for 7 runs less than two weeks ago. The over is 9-2-1 in the last 12 meetings. How about the weather forecast for Sunday? The wind is forecast to be blowing out at 20 mph, with gusts of 25 mph. The pitching matchups and the data point the over being a great value here. Take over 9 in this one.

*3 Star MLB Moneyline Winner* Carl Pavano has been a very pleasant surprise for the Minnesota Twins this year. The Twins are 11-5 in his last 16 starts. On the other hand, the Rangers are just 1-7 in Colby Lewis' last 8 starts overall. The Rangers are also 0-4 in their last 4 meetings. Marquez is the umpire here and the home team has fared extremely well when he has been behind the dish in the past couple of years. The Twins are 52-25 in their last 77 home games. I like the Twins in this one.

*3 Star MLB Total Dominator* The under has been a masterful play when Trevor Cahill is on the mound of late, especially at home. The under is 12-3-1 in his last 16 home games. The under is 21-8-1 in the Athletics last 30 games overall. The Angels will have Jered Weaver on the hill. The under is 5-0-1 in his last 6 road starts and 9-2-1 in his last 12 starts against Oakland. The under is also 5-1 in the Angels last 6 games overall. Both offenses are struggling and both pitchers have great numbers against the opposing team. The umpire is favorable for an under as well. The under is the play in this afternoon game.

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* The Yankees are really on a roll right now. This Yankees team has won seven straight games and they are really crushing the baseball right now. The Blue Jays have Mark Rzepczynski on the hill in this one, and the Yankees teed off on him in their last meeting. He has had serious control issues of late, walking 12 batters in his last 3 starts. With an umpire behind home plate with a small strike zone on Saturday, I suspect he'll have trouble once again. The Yankees offense is in the zone right now and I fully expect them to light up the scoreboard in this one. I like the Yankees runline in this early game.

*3 Star Big Play* The Philadelphia Phillies have gotten healthy and that is bad news for the rest of the National League. The Phillies are now 6-1 in the last 7 games and sit just two games back of the Braves in the NL East. A lineup with Utley, Howard, Victorino, Worth, Polanco, Rollins, Ibanez and company is definitely the best lineup in the National League. Cole Hamels is on the hill and he has been solid all year. Hamels has a 3.09 ERA at home this year. Chris Capuano starts for the Brewers and he has struggled mightily this year. Capuano has an ERA of 7.71 in his last three outings. The Brewers are a horrific 7-19 in his last 26 starts overall and 6-22 in his last 28 road starts. The Brewers don't have anything to play for right now, but the Phillies do, and they are the better team too. Take the Phillies -1.5.

*3 Star Early Bird Special* The New York Yankees had a little bit of a slump early in August, but they sure have been waking up nicely in the last few games. They have been taking it to Oakland in this series. CC Sabathia is on the mound in this series finale and he is 10-0 at home so far this year. The Yankees are 21-5 in their last 26 home games that Sabathia starts. Braden has pitched well for the A's, but the Yankees really can put a hurting on left handers. This year the Yankees are averaging over 6 runs per game against left handed pitchers. Also, the Athletics are just 1-10 in their last 11 games in New York. Braden is good, but Sabathia is extremely hard to beat at home and the Yankees lineup is much stronger than Oakland's. Take the Yankees -1.5.

*3 Star Run Line Play of the Day* The Reds are really on a roll right now and Chris Narveson just hasn't impressed me at all this year. The Reds took it to the Brewers 10-2 in Narveson's only start against them earlier this year. Johnny Cueto has been solid all year long, so I think the Reds have the large upper hand in the pitching matchup. The Brewers have a strong middle of the lineup, but the Reds are better from the top to bottom. The Reds are 10-1 in the last 11 meetings between these two teams and they are 7-3 in Cueto's last 10 home starts. I like the value on the run line here. Take Cincinnati -1.5.

*3 Star MLB Totals Terrorizer* Mat Latos has quietly had an absolutely terrific year. He really is worthy of Cy Young consideration. In Latos' last 10 starts he has allowed a total of 11 runs! He has been the ultimate picture of consistency this year for the Padres. On the other side, Barry Enright has been brilliant in his short stint with Arizona thus far in 2010. Enright has an ERA of just 2.44 for the year and has been good in every start this season. The under is 4-1 in his last 5 home games. The under is 4-1-1 in Latos' last 6 games overall. This appears to be a very nice spot for the under with two pitchers who really have their act together right now! Take under 8 here.

*3 Star Early Bird Special* Freddy Garcia has gotten amazing run support from the White Sox this year, which is the only reason he is 11-5 on the season. If you take a look at Garcia's numbers, they aren't impressive. Garcia has a WHIP of 1.44 and his strikeout to walk ratio is just 1.93 after being 3.08 last year. Simply put, he doesn't appear to have the strikeout pitch going. Carrasco is a prospect for Cleveland that has struggled in AAA this year, and had an ERA of 9 last year in his short time in the major leagues. He hasn't been in good form of late. The over is 10-4 in the White Sox last 14 overall and 8-0 in Garcia's last 8 starts. It doesn't hurt that the wind is expected to be blowing out at 10-15 mph. The over is the play here.

*3 Star Dog of the Day Play* The Houston Astros are always worth a look when Wandy Rodriguez is pitching at home. The Cardinals are currently on a terrible slide and Wandy might just be getting them at the right time. The Astros have hit Carpenter some in the past, and with Wandy on the mound at home it might not take many runs to win this one. This is one of those games that seems like a toss up, but the oddsmakers have given us Houston at +145. Take the live dog here and go with the value!

*3 Star Total Domination Play!* Hurricane Earl is spinning slightly closer to south Florida and while it isn't expected to make a direct hit, it will cause some weather changes. What does this have to do with this game? The weather forecast is calling for steady wind of 15 mph with gusts of 20-25 mph in from center in this one. We have a great under umpire behind the dish in Jim Wolf as well. These two factors combined with the fact that Anibal Sanchez has been brilliant at home this year make the under look very enticing. Sanchez has an ERA of just 2.69 at home this year and he has allowed just 6 runs in his last four starts. The under is the play in this one.

*3 Star Run Line Play of the Day* The Yankees are a much better team than Oakland. New York had cooled off a bit in recent weeks, but it seems their bats have gotten going again in the last couple days. Mazzaro has lost his last two starts against New York and I don't think he will fare well here on the road. If you look down the lineup at both teams, there is just no way Oakland should be able to keep up with this Yankees lineup. I like the Yankees to run away with this one. Take the Yankees runline here.

*3 Star SMASH the Books winner* Pat Misch is on the hill for the Mets and he has been solid this year, but his track record against Atlanta is terrible. In 12 and 1/3 innings pitched against the Braves in his career he has allowed 22 hits and 14 runs. On the other side the Braves will start right hander Jair Jurrjens. Jurrjens has been amazing at home this year. On the year Jurrjens has an ERA of 1.81 at home. The Braves are a perfect 7-0 in his last 7 home starts. The Braves are also 4-1 in last 5 starts against the Mets. The Mets are a horrific 24-52 in their last 76 meetings in Atlanta. The Braves are the better team and they have a nice home field advantage here. I like the Braves -1.5 in this one.

*3 Star Total Dominator* Clayton Richard is great at home and Cole Hamels has been solid all year long. The two left handers should have a good old fashioned pitchers duel in San Diego. The wind is expected to be blowing in at about 10 mph here and the home plate umpire is very favorable for the under. The under is 16-5 in Hamels last 21 starts. The under is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings between these two teams. This game means a ton to both teams and I fully expect both pitchers to bring their best stuff in this one. Take the under.

*3 Star Run Line Play of the Day* To say that Matt Cain has had an amazing amount of success against the Diamondbacks this year is a HUGE understatement. Cain has faced Arizona twice this year and in total he has pitched 17 innings of shutout baseball, allowing just four hits. The Giants have lost three straight and they'll turn to the man who has been their ace this year to stop the bleeding. On the other side, Arizona has Rodrigo Lopez on the mound. The Diamondbacks are just 1-7 in Lopez's last 8 starts and his ERA is 9.42 in his last three starts. I think the Giants salvage one game out of this series behind the arm of Matt Cain as well as some solid run support against a struggling pitcher. This looks like a mismatch. Take the Giants -1.5.

*3 Star Guaranteed Moneyline Winner* Rick Porcello had a good start last time out, but overall he has been very poor this year. Porcello has an ERA of 6.79 on the road this year. The Blue Jays have plenty of people on their team who can make you pay if you make a mistake pitch, and Porcello has struggled to strikeout too many people this year. Brian O'Nora is behind the dish and the home team is 30-12 in his last 42 games. The Blue Jays offense should be enough to help them win this one over a pitcher who is out of form like Porcello. Take the Blue Jays moneyline in this one.

*3 Star Total Domination* Tim Hudson has been great this year, especially at home. Hudson has a 2.28 ERA overall for the year and a 1.87 ERA at home. The under is 4-0 in his last four starts at home. Ricky Nolasco started the seasn slowly, but he has come on nicely of late for the Marlins. The under is 6-2-1 in Nolasco's last 9 games. Nolasco is 10-2 on the road this year with an ERA of just 3.35. The Braves lineup has cooled off of late without Chipper Jones in the middle of the order. The wind is expected to be blowing in about 10 mph. The under looks like a solid play in this one!

*3 Star Late Night Fast Cash* Trevor Bell is naturally a reliever who the Angels are trying to get some starts out of, and the results haven't been good. Bell struggles with control and doesn't have a strikeout pitch. Brad Bergesen is pitching for the Orioles and he has an ERA of 5.98 on the road this year. The wind is expected to be blowing out on a nice warm night in LA, so the ball should carry. The over is 6-2-2 in the last 10 meetings between these two teams. I think both starters are below par here and the scoreboard should light up on Friday night in LA. Take the over!

*3 Star TGIF Totals Terrorizer* The Brewers can really hit the ball, especially at home. James McDonald is not a starter by nature, and he is young. The Brewers are the type of offense that can really feast on a youngster like this. Starting for Milwaukee will be Chris Narveson. Narveson is terrible at home, with a 6.18 ERA. THe over is 5-0 in Narveson's last 5 home games. The Pirates should be able to push across a few runs and I think the Brewers could score a bunch here. The over definitely looks like the value play. Take the over.

*3 Star TGIF Bookie Smasher* Justin Verlander is a very good pitcher, but in his career against the Blue Jays he has been bad. Verlander has an 8.22 ERA in his four starts against Toronto. Shawn Marcum is solid, but his ERA is over 5 in the last three starts. The Tigers bats have been heating up quite a bit in the last week or so. Jerry Crawford, who has the smallest strike zone in the league, is behind the dish. Given the pitcher splits and the great umpire for the over, I think this low number makes the over a great play.

*Thursday's HUGE MLB Play of the Day* As I have stated many times now, the Padres continue to be undervalued by the oddsmakers. Kevin Correia has pitched much better of late, and the Padres are extremely tough at home. The Diamondbacks are just 19-42 on the road this year, and Ian Kennedy has struggled on the road this year. The Padres are 9-0 in their last 9 meetings with the Diamondbacks in San Diego. The fact that San Diego continues to be undervalued just gives us more chances to cash in! Take the Padres -1.5 Thursday!

*3 Star Run Line Play of the Day* The White Sox are far from out of the AL Central race, and they are now at home playing against an inferior opponent. This team knows they need to win now and Mark Buerhle is a good guy to have on the mound in this spot. The White Sox are 36-16 in his last 52 starts and 5-1 in his last 6 starts overall. Brian Matusz has pitched well of late for Baltimore, but he has struggled mightily on the road all year. The Sox have the better pitcher and the better lineup here. I'm taking the White Sox -1.5 in this one.

*3 Star Totals Terrorizer* Randy Wolf has really been in good form of late, and the Dodgers really aren't hitting the ball very well right now. Kuroda has pitched quite well most of the year for the Dodgers, but hasn't received very good run support. Andy Fletcher is behind the plate, and he has one of the top three or four under umpires in the league today. Corey Hart is also injured and may miss this game. I think both pitchers will fare well. The under is a solid value.

*3 Star Guaranteed Moneyline Winner* The Cubs have played well in their first two games under Mike Quade and I think they are in a good spot for a win on Wednesday as well. Jason Marquis is pitching for the Nationals, and I like to fade him. In three starts at home this year Marquis has an ERA of 20.25. He has not made it past the fourth inning in any home start this season. Ryan Dempster has been solid all year long for the Cubs, as evidenced by his 3.56 ERA. The Cubs have the big pitching advantage here and I think at virtually even money this is a nice play.

*3 Star Late Night Bailout* If you have followed my plays this year you know that I've made a lot of cash on the Padres. The books continue to undervalue this team and think they are going to fall apart. Clayton Richard is a good left hander and he is very good at home. The Padres are 11-3 in their last 14 and 4-1 in Richard's last 5 starts. On the other side, the Dbacks are just 27-61 in their last 88 road games and 1-6 in Rodrigo Lopez's last 7 starts overall. The last seven meetings in San Diego have all gone to the Padres. I think the Padres will get to Lopez and get into the horrific DBacks bullpen. Take San Diego -1.5 here.

*3 Star Run Line Play of the Day* The White Sox have cooled off a bit of late, but they get to come home and face the Baltimore Orioles now. The Orioles have been playing better of late, but they are still not a good team at all. Gavin Floyd has had two rough starts in a row, both against Minnesota, but he has been superb at home most of the year. On the other hand, the Orioles are 3-12 in Jeremy Guthrie's last 15 road starts. The White Sox are 32-13 in Floyd's last 45 home starts. The White Sox are also 22-6 in their last 28 home games overall. The White Sox have the better lineup and Floyd is great at home. Take the White Sox -1.5 here.

*3 Star Totals Terrorizer* Rick Porcello simply has not had his best stuff in the last couple of months. The over is 4-1 in his last 5 home starts and he has been giving up way too many hits in his last few starts. Kyle Davies has a 5.30 ERA on the road this year. The best news may be that the home plate umpire is Jim Reynolds. Reynolds is known for having one of the smallest strike zones and being one of the biggest over umpires in the game today. Two pitchers that aren't pitching very well and a small strike zone equals a nice value on the over here!

*3 Star Total Domination* Scott Kazmir has been terrible this year and James Shields has been bad on the road. Both of these teams have shown they can put runs in the board in bunches when given opportunities. Kazmir has a WHIP of 1.60 and Shields has a WHIP of 1.39, so they are both allowing a ton of base runners this year. Kazmir is facing his old club, so he will be fired up, but that could mean he will be wild. Kazmir has allowed 19 home runs already this year and Tampa Bay can definitely hit the ball out of the park. The wind will be blowing out at game time as well. Shields has an ERA of almost 8 in his two starts in LA. I think both of these pitchers will allow too many base runners and the hitters will cash in. Take the over 9 in this game!

*3 Star Total Play of the Day* The Diamondbacks are my favorite team in the majors to play an "over" with. This is a team that plays in a hitter friendly ballpark and has the worst bullpen in the majors by a huge margin. Hudson has been good in his first few starts with the DBacks, but I feel like he is due for a bad game, and he isn't likely to be around past the sixth inning or so. Chacin has good stuff, but is inconsistent at this point. These two teams haven't scored much in the first two of the series, but I think that changes here. Take the over.

*3 Star Moneyline Play of the Day* I have always liked to fade the Brewers when Manny Parra is on the mound, and I think this is a good spot to do so. Jon Garland has an ERA of under 1 in his last three starts. The Padres have lost two straight to the Brewers, and I think they'll badly want to get one win from this weekend series. The Padres are 5-2 in Garland's last 7 starts and the Brewers are 0-4 in Parra's last four starts. The Padres like to hit against left handers, so I'll think they put up enough runs to salvage a game in this series. Take the Padres ML.

*3 Star Sunday Spectacular* The Phillies are starting to get healthy, which is bad news for the best of the National League. A team with Rollins, Utley, Howard, Victorino, etc. is going to be quite successful. Roy Oswalt has improved in his last three starts for the Phillies and should do well against this Washington lineup. Scott Olsen has an ERA of 10.95 in his last three starts and I just don't think the Phillies are a good team for him to be facing right now. The Phillies may have struggled with their offense the last couple days, but I think they'll light up the scorebard Sunday. Take Philly -1.5.

*3 Star Saturday Sizzler* The Padres continue to be undervalued by the books, so we continue to get opportunities. Kevin Correia is pitching much better of late and the Padres are 16-5 in his last 21 road starts. Chris Narveson is on the mound for the Brewers and his ERA is over 6 at home. The Padres have won 10 of their last 11 games and are proving they are definitely a force to be reckoned with in the post season. They are a much better hitting team against a left hander starter. The play here is on the Padres because of the great value we are getting.

*3 Star Total Dominator* Max Scherzer has been excellent of late and the Indians lineup shouldn't be able to do much with his amazing stuff. In his last 10 starts Scherzer has allowed just 15 runs total, and in his last 3 starts he has an ERA of 1.35. The under is 8-3 in his last 11 starts overall. Joel Tomlin has started out his career with the Indians very nicely, and the under is 4-0 in his first four starts. Tomlin has very good stuff and can keep the batters guessing. The Tigers bats have gone much colder of late. The under is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings between these teams as well. The under looks like the play here. Take under 8.5.

*3 Star Early Bird Special* The Minnesota Twins are playing some amazing baseball right now. The Angels are playing terribly on the road, winning only 6 of their last 24 road games. Trevor Bell has pitched very badly for the Angels. In fact, the Angels have lost all three of his starts this year and his ERA is 6.43 during that time. On the other side, Kevin Slowey is coming off his 7 inning no hitter. The Twins are 24-8 in his last 32 starts at home. The Twins have the better lineup and a much better pitcher in this one. I like the value on the run line here. Take the Twins -1.5.

*3 Star TGIF Bookie Smasher* Andy Fletcher is behind home plate in this one, and that is great news for the under. The under is 11-5 in his last 16 games behind home plate and he is historically one of the best under umpires in the game. The Orioles have played much better of late since Buck Showalter took over, and the main reason is they are pitching much better. The under is 12-5-1 in their last 18 games. C.J. Wilson is pitching for the Rangers and the Orioles have had serious trouble hitting left handers this year. Baltimore is averaging just 3.01 runs per game against left handers. This looks like a great spot for the under in this one.

*3 Star Break the Books Play* The Cincinnati Reds have won the first two in this series, and I think they have a very good chance of sweeping the Diamondbacks. Joe Saunders started well with Arizona, but he is extremely inconsistent. The Reds offense is on a roll right now, and if Saunders isn't around long, then the Reds get to batter the horrific DBack bullpen once again. Travis Wood is on the hill for the Reds and I think he is a heck of a young pitcher. The lefty has great control and is a real battler out on the mound. The Reds are 4-0 in Wood's last 4 starts. The Reds are also 7-0 in their last 7 games at Arizona. Take the Reds to finish off the sweep here.

*3 Star Total Play of the Day* Carl Pavano has been very good all year for the Twins, which is one of the main reasons they are at the top of the AL Central Standings. Mark Buerhle has pitched very well on the road this year, and the Twins aren't nearly as good offensively against left handers. The under is 7-3 in Buerhle's last 10 starts against Minnesota. This game is extremely important to both teams, and I think these pitchers will bring their best stuff and the defenses will be solid. I like the under here.

*3 Star Early Bird Special* I have decided that based on what I have seen from Rick Porcello this year that he should be faded. The Yankees are not a team you want to be facing when you are struggling and trying to fight your way out of innings. Porcello is giving up hits at the rate of 1.25 per inning, which is terribly high. His ERA on the road is also up around 6. The Yankees may be without ARod, but they still have plenty of thunder in the lineup with Tex,Cano,Granderson and company. Hughes has been pitching well of late and the Yankees are 17-5 in his last 22 home starts. Take the team with the better pitcher and the better lineup on the run line here. The Yankees -1.5. is the play.

*3 Star Early Bird Special* The Cardinals have been in a bit of tailspin of late and they have let the Reds get back out to a two game lead in the NL Central. Adam Wainwright should be the right person to stop this streak in its tracks. Wainwright has Cy Young quality numbers so far this year and his ERA at home is a ridiculous 1.22. He is 11-0 at home on the year and the Cardinals are 36-15 in his last 51 home starts. Randy Wolf isn't particularly strong on the road, with an ERA of 5.18. The Cardinals hit left handers well and I think they'll be amped up for this one. Take the team with the much better pitcher and more motivation. The Cardinals run line is the play here.

*3 Star Late Night Bailout* The Reds are a much better team than the Diamondbacks, so anytime I can get them at this short of a price I will be interested. Bronson Arroyo tends to get better and better as the year goes along, and he has done just that this season. The Reds are 5-1 in his last 6 road starts and the Reds have also won their last 5 games in Arizona. Hudson has looked good so far in Arizona, but I still give the Reds the edge on the mound. The Reds definitely have a better lineup and defense, so the Reds are the value play here. Take the Cincinnati moneyline.

*3 Star East Coast Special* Jered Weaver has had a terrific season and the Boston Red Sox lineup is severely hurting right now. Without Youk, Ellsbury, and Pedroia they lose a lot of their pop. Clay Buchholz has been outstanding all year long for the Red Sox, and in his last 3 starts his ERA is just 1.54. The under is 21-8-4 in Weaver's last 33 games overall. Weaver and Buchholz are both pitching their best baseball of the season right now, and I think this has a good chance of becoming a pitcher's duel. Take under 8 here.

*3 Star Bookie Basher* The Yankees look like they will be a little short handed as Alex Rodriguez and Nick Swisher both left with injuries on Monday. The under is 6-0 in Justin Verlander's last 6 starts, and in his career against the Yankees he has pitched well. Sabathia has been great, especially at home. Bill Miller is behind the plate in this one and he has the highest percentage of called strikes in the major leagues, so that will definitely help the under. These two offenses struggled Monday, and I think they will once again on Tuesday. Take under 7.5.