MLB Game Picks - Sunday: August 4, 2013

Ah! For the first time in months, I slept in this morning. I sure needed that. And I woke up this morning to find that I had my second straight 11-4 day to cap off a good week and what has been a great start to August. For the young month, I am 29 of 41. Not bad.

I should have gone with Jake Peavy as his debut with the Red Sox was everything they could have hoped for. I went one day too long with the Mets as they lost in extra innings. I should have gone with the A's over the Rangers and the Mariners beating up on the Orioles was a total surprise. Scott Feldman is no Jake Peavy.

Forgive me for the picks being a little late today, but here they are for Sunday:

• The Tigers over the White Sox: This pick depends on Rick Porcello having a decent afternoon. Andre Rienzo goes for the White Sox for his second big league start. His first was pretty good. The Brazilian Rienzo has a big arm and questionable command. This pick could be trouble.
• The Indians over the Marlins: I have trouble seeing the Indians losing this one. Scott Kazmir has been very good lately (and a great story of perseverance). But Nathan Eovaldi has been pretty decent for the Marlins.
• The Royals over the Mets: I like Zack Wheeler and hate picking against him. But without David Wright, what is left for the Mets? Which means that I doubt they score against Ervin Santana who is throwing the ball brilliantly lately.
• The Reds over the Cardinals: This game has me doing somersaults. Lance Lynn and Mike Leake are both having good seasons and seem just about even to me. The Reds are at home, so that is the way I am going with the pick.
• The Red Sox over the Diamondbacks: Doesn't it seem like the Red Sox have already played 81 games at home this season? Felix Doubront needs to come up big for this pick to fly. Though I feel bad for Brandon McCarthy that yet another comeback attempt has to be against this Red Sox lineup.
• The Pirates over the Rockies: I hesitate to pick A.J. Burnett to win here because he has only won four games all season. But the Pirates are the better team here, especially when they are home. Juan Nicasio goes for the Rockies.
• The Orioles over the Mariners: Joe Saunders pitched for the Orioles and will pitch with a chip perhaps. But he is still Joe Saunders at the end of the day. Wei-Yin Chen needs to have a good day as the Mariners are scoring a bit more these days.
• The Twins over the Astros: My face on seeing the starters for this game was the same as that boy in the cell phone commercial getting instructions for high school from his sister when he sees the slop from the lunchroom. Mike Pelfrey or Brad Peacock. Yuck. Twins because they are the home team.
• The Brewers over the Nationals: The only reason I am picking the Brewers in this game is because of Kyle Lohse. Otherwise, the Brewers have nothing going on. I think Lohse will out-pitch the young, Taylor Jordan, who otherwise has been decent.
• The Dodgers over the Cubs: The Dodgers are ripe for a road loss, especially if Puig sits today with his bruised thumb. But I just can't pick against them the way they are going. Stephen Fife has been okay whenever he has pitched and Carlos Villanueva does nothing to excite me.
• The Angels over the Blue Jays: Extremely torn about this pick too. Mark Buehrle has thrown two games in a row without allowing a run. He has been in total control in each of them. But Buehrle just is not the kind of pitcher who can keep doing that. I don't have much more faith in C.J. Wilson. But we'll see what happens.
• The Athletics over the Rangers: I have gotten each game in this series incorrectly. A.J. Griffin is pretty hard to beat at home and Derek Holland always tantalizes you with his talent but cannot put it together consistently.
• The Padres over the Yankees: Once upon a time (2008), the Yankees started their season with two former first round draft picks in the rotation in Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy. They started that season miserably (an understatement) and Kennedy was eventually traded in the Granderson deal. Kennedy has fallen on hard times after a great season in 2011 and a decent season in 2012. Phil Hughes has never become the starter the Yankees hoped. Kennedy is better than Hughes.
• The Phillies over the Braves: Two lefties face each other in this one as Cliff Lee goes against Alex Wood. I like Lee's chances better, though these Braves have been on an extreme roll of late.

And the Game of the Day:

• The Bay Rays over the Giants: Guillermo Moscoso replaces Barry Zito in the rotation and I do not think it is an upgrade at all. Even so, Roberto Hernandez is pitching for the Rays and old Fausto is their worst pitcher. The Rays get the nod as Fausto has at least been decent lately.

Yesterday: 11-4

Last week: 61-36

Month: 29-12

Season: 932-720

Games of the Day: 72-47