MLB Game Picks - Sunday: May 26, 2013

Saturday was of to a decent start. The Braves won the suspended game to push Friday's total to 10-5. Then Saturday's games started at a 7-4 pace. There were obvious errors in those four incorrect picks including the Game of the Day Rays losing to the Yankees on the strength of another Fernando Rodney blown save. And that Blue Jays' pick was not so hot. But 7-4 was not a bad pace. Every pick after that came in wrong. Felix Hernandez looked like Joe Saunders. The Cardinals' John Gast left the game hurt in the second inning. The Padres kicked Wade Miley's rear end. And Drew Storen kicked away the game for the Nationals. Not a good day.

Sunday's picks:

• The Orioles over the Blue Jays: Two slugging teams with the Orioles always coming up on top. Toronto's Chad Jenkins beat the Red Sox for his first Major League win. Can he beat the Orioles too? I do not think so. Then again, Miguel Gonzalez is no great shakes either except when he pitches against the Yankees.
• The Tigers over the Twins: Max Scherzer is impressive and should shut down the Twins. Mike Pelfrey can have a good game occasionally. The Tigers always confuse me.
• The Reds over the Cubs: Two pitchers in Matt Garza and Johnny Cueto making their second starts back from the disabled list. Garza is probably pitching for the scouts on other teams. Cueto to get back to being the ace of the Reds. The Reds have to be the pick.
• The Red Sox over the Indians: Judging on how it has rained up here for six straight days (and is raining again today), it is remarkable that this series has gotten both games in so far. Felix Doubront is not my favorite pitcher. But Corey Kluber is not either. The Red Sox at home in perhaps a high scoring game.
• The Nationals over the Phillies: I have been waiting and waiting for Cole Hamels to start pitching well. Watch it be today over my favorite, Stephen Strasburg. That would be the dark cloud expectation. But if logic were to dictate, this is the right pick.
• The Bay Rays over the Yankees: I cannot believe that the Yankees have gone to their personal place of hell and have won the first two games there. I cannot believe it so much that I cannot get myself to pick them again today despite CC Sabathia pitching. But then again, maybe all these scrub Yankees have not figured out they are supposed to lose there. Alex Cobb for the win.
• The Angels over the Royals: I hate winning streaks and losing streaks. How long do they last? When do you pick against it? The Angels have won seven straight. Jerome Williams has been a big reason why. The Royals keep losing. How long will that last? Wade Davis is just okay. Angels win their eighth.
• The White Sox over the Marlins: The match up of Alex Sanabia and Dylan Axelrod makes me want to spit. See what I did there? Neither team is very good on offense. Either pitcher in this one can ralph. So the blind pick is the White Sox.
• The Athletics over the Astros: Another what-the-heck game. Bartolo Colon and his 90% fastballs against Dallas Keuchel. Yes, good luck picking that one. The A's are the better team, so that has to be the pick.
• The Brewers over the Pirates: You cannot pick too many times against Yovani Gallardo at home. I got away with it last time. But he is too good there to keep doing so. This series has gone back and fourth all weekend and I hate picking against Wandy Rodriguez. But again, Gallardo is the difference and should even get a meaningful hit.
• The Giants over the Rockies: The inside the park homer is the most exciting play in baseball and when it wins a game in walk-off style, even more so. The Giants win those kinds of games. But they can also win easily as Matt Cain should win big today over Jon Garland. Garland has been a mild surprise, but is a BABIP pitcher.
• The Diamondbacks over the Padres: I still do not like Patrick Corbin following Wade Miley in the D-backs rotation. But there he is and he has not lost this season. Jason Marquis is also having a very good season. I have to go with Corbin.
• The Dodgers over the Cardinals: Fantastic match-up here of Clayton Kershaw and Shelby Miller, two of the top arms in the National League. I need to watch this one as it will be fun. Kershaw has more experience but the Cardinals have the better hitting team.
• The Mariners over the Rangers: You are going to make this mistake for two days in a row, William? Well, yeah, because of Hisashi Iwakuma. I believe in him that much. I think he is so much better than Nick Tepesch.

And the Game of the Day!

The Game of the Day is also ESPN's Sunday Night Game of the week:

• The Braves over the Mets: While this pick is not a solid endorsement for Julio Teheran, it is a ringing indictment about Shaun Marcum. The Braves should score seven or eight against him. If they do not, then something went very wrong with their strategy.

Yesterday: 7-8

Last week: 50-42

Month: 189-143

Season: 418-307

Games of the Day: 35-19