MLB Game Picks - Sunday: October 6, 2013

I picked both home teams to lose yesterday and they both won. Oof. I thought that David Price would be much better than he was. Give credit to the Red Sox. They had a good plan against him to attack him early in the count and it worked to perfection. The Tigers - Athletics game could have gone either way. Justin Verlander and Sonny Gray were equally brilliant with Gray lasting an inning longer (eight innings). That inning seemed to make a difference as the Tigers needed their bullpen to be great for the last two innings and it was anything but. Austin Jackson took a Golden Sombrero as he went zero for four with four strikeouts.

All the series are tied at one game each except for the Red Sox, who have a commanding 2-0 lead with Clay Buchholz lined up for Game Three. The two National League games are on tap today. 

The picks:

• The Pirates over the Cardinals: The Cardinals have struggled all season against left-handed pitching and you do not get a much better lefty than Francisco Liriano. Meanwhile, the Cardinals go with Joe Kelly, which is a bit of a surprise considering the other choices they had like Shelby Miller and Michael Wacha. Don't get me wrong, Kelly is very capable of pitching a great game. The Pirates fans have really rocked that home stadium and if the play-in game was any indication, will be a huge factor in this game, especially if the Cardinals' offense doesn't quiet them down early. My only worry in this game is a Liriano meltdown, which occur from time to time. But if he is on, the Pirates win.

• The Dodgers over the Braves: Having Hyun-jin Ryu pitch at home the right call for the Dodgers. His ERA at home is 2.32 and is a run and a half higher on the road. I do not think that Ryu is untouchable. He can be had by a team with a good plan and good execution. I just wonder if the Braves are that kind of team. Ryu did pitch against the Braves twice earlier in the season. He did not get a decision but he pitched well with a 2.13 ERA. The Braves go with Julio Teheran who is quite capable of shutting the Dodgers down too. He pitched well down the stretch, going 7-3 with a 3.47 ERA in his last ten games. I am going with the Dodgers at home.

Yesterday: 0-2

Post season: 6-5

Season: 1380-1073