Game Picks - Tuesday: June 19, 2012

This game picker did a lot around the house yesterday and despite going to bed early, this old man was feeling it and overslept. So the picks are late today. Sorry about that. But it was a good day yesterday as the picks went 7-2. The only two blemishes were understandable. The Indians - Reds game came down to which team would score more runs and the wrong team did. The other incorrect pick was the Astros over the Royals. And the question there was: Why did the Royals' manager leave Louis Coleman out there to die?

Tuesday brings us back to a full slate of games. The picks:

• The Braves over the Yankees: All streaks have to end some time. This seems like the day the Yankees will lose. Tim Hudson will silence the Yankee bats and Hiroki Kuroda will give up a couple of homers.
• The Reds over the Indians: A real tough game to call. Mike Leake and Josh Tomlin are both just as capable at throwing good games as of throwing clunkers. It could be a 3-2 game just as easily as another 10-9 game.
• The Phillies over the Rockies: Cole Hamels continues his march toward a big contract and Josh Outman continues to make his last name a baseball oxymoron. The Rockies are not a good road team.
• The Twins over the Pirates: Scott Diamond bounces back from his bad start against the Phillies while Kevin Correia gives up enough runs for the Twins to take the game.
• The Tigers over the Cardinals: A real terrific match up of Lance Lynn and Justin Verlander. The feeling here is that Verlander is going to be amped up to show the youngster who the better pitcher really is and will completely shut the Cardinals down. Lynn is great but won't be able to match Verlander.
• The Bay Rays over the Nationals: David Price should be able to shut down the Nats' lineup and the Rays will find a way to score a few off of Chien-Ming Wang.
• The Mets over the Orioles: Johan Santana is great at Citi Field and should hold the Orioles down. Tommy Hunter is doing okay for the Orioles but Ike Davis, now looking a lot like the real Ike Davis, will be a factor.
• The Astros over the Royals: Going with some great deal of hesitance with Wandy Rodriguez in this one over Luke Hochevar, the most confusing pitcher in baseball.
• The White Sox over the Cubs: Jake Peavy seems like the best pick at U.S. Cellular Field even though the Cubs' offense is hot. Travis Wood is a lefty that could give the White Sox some problems. But the White Sox win.
• The Blue Jays over the Brewers: How can you pick a game where the Blue Jays are pitching a minor league pitcher, Jesse Chavez, and the Brewers don't even know yet who is going to pitch? Hate games with a TBO!
• The Diamondbacks over the Mariners: The Mariners go again with Erasmo Ramirez (ugh) while the Diamondbacks pitch Daniel Hudson. Hudson has to be the pick here.
• The Dodgers over the Athletics: Brandon McCarthy goes for the A's despite being shut down a couple of times already this season with shoulder pain. That does not bode well for picking the A's. Meanwhile, Aaron Harang is a pitcher built for big ballparks and The Coliseum is certainly that.
• The Angels over the Giants: The match up of C.J. Wilson against Barry Zito seems to favor Wilson. But Zito can always have a surprisingly good game. Doubtful though.
• The Rangers over the Padres: Are you kidding? A pick for Scott Feldman? Is this picker out of his mind? Maybe. But the Rangers score more runs against Edinson Volquez. 

And the Game of the Day!

• The Red Sox over the Marlins: A little home cooking for the Red Sox should do the trick here, especially with the way Clay Buchholz has been pitching. Mark Buehrle will yield enough runs to swing this one the Red Sox way.

Yesterday: 7-2

Week: 15-8

Month: 137-102

Season: 539-443  really want to get to 100 games over!

Games of the Day: 45-28