Game Picks - Thursday: August 9, 2012

Wednesday was a seesaw day for the picks that looked like a prize fight all day until the last bell sounded to just barely put the picks over .500. In fact, it looked a lot like the Rangers - Red Sox game where the picks kept getting ahead but couldn't stay ahead until the very end.

Some observations: Is this picker the only one surprised that the Reds would have two of their best pitchers going and still got swept by the Brewers? Doesn't Kevin Millwood sucker us all in to thinking he is a major league pitcher only to go back to sucking? Should a pick be wrong if a different pitcher starts at the last minute like Jeremy Guthrie did for Bruce Chen? Both of Giancarlo Stanton's homers at Citi Field would not have been homers there last year. Is Ryan Vogelsong good or what? And Joe Kelly's base runners finally caught up to him, just as predicted here.

There are only nine games on the schedule today. But that is more than made up by the fact that five of them will be played during the day. Yes! Love day baseball. Here are Thursday's picks:

• The Mets over the Marlins: This game all depends on if R.A. Dickey is on or not. He is 6- 1 at home and was on for his first five innings of his last outing before getting touched up a bit late. This picker's problem with Dickey was just figured out. Whenever this picker thinks, "Dickey," the word association turns that into, "Wakefield." And that's wrong because the two aren't even close. Anyway. Josh Johnson could have a big game and make this pick all wrong anyway.
• The Yankees over the Tigers: Doug Fister has been really good of late and more resembles what he did down the stretch last season. But, and this is a big but, Hiroki Kuroda has been just as good and is particularly effective in day games.
• The Bay Rays over the Blue Jays: Matt Moore is on a tear and would start to get some Rookie of the Year consideration except for some guy out in California. Henderson Alvarez is so meh.
• The Cardinals over the Giants: Adam Wainwright has become an ace again and is among the league's leaders in SIERA. Madison Bumgarner is a great pitcher as well. This one should be fun to watch.
• The Pirates over the Diamondbacks: Going with Wandy Rodriguez at PNC since it is a pitcher's park. The Pirates should score a few off of Joe Saunders.
• The Red Sox over the Indians: Both teams are struggling but the Red Sox are the better team. As usual, the pick depends on which Ubaldo Jimenez shows up today. Either way, Felix Doubront should have a good game.
• The Reds over the Cubs: Mike Leake should have an easy time with the Cubs' lineup while poor Chris Volstad holds on to his memories of when he was a decent big league pitcher. That was not intended to be cruel. But it's true.
• The Nationals over the Astros: Lucas Harrell will again keep the Astros in the game. They always seem to be in the game, which is a credit to them. But Jordan Zimmermann will prevail.

And the Game of the Day!

• The Orioles over the Royals: Will Smith has not proven he can win at the major league level and has a 6.00 ERA. Wei-Yin Chen has had a terrific season and should add on to that fact tonight.

Yesterday: 8-7

Week: 31-27

Month: 63-51

Season: 905-737

Games of the Day: 68-52