MLB Game Picks - Saturday: April 11, 2015

Another day. Another unsuccessful day as the picks slipped below .500 again. What a terrible time I'm having here. I was 6-2 at one point yesterday and it all went downhill from there.  I am very happy for Brandon Morrow who pitched very well.  That was fun.

Since I am not having any fun, I'll get right to the picks for Saturday:

• The Red Sox over the Yankees: I don't believe in Adam Warren as a starter. I think the Red Sox will kill him and then who will be left to relieve? I'm not sure how ready Joe Kelly is either. But the Red Sox at least have an offense.
• The Reds over the Cardinals: Michael Wacha will probably pitch pretty well. But Johnny Cueto will pitch even better. Think how good Cueto must be to pitch as well as he does with half his games in that bandbox.
• The Twins over the White Sox: I really wonder about how well Jeff Samardzija is. I cannot remember the last time he pitched a good game. Mike Pelfrey is even riskier, but gee, the White Sox are digging a hole so far.
• The Athletics over the Mariners: I love me some Sonny Gray. He is my super good luck charm. J.A. Happ somehow keeps his career going, year after year.
• The Tigers over the Indians: Super great match-up between David Price and Corey Kluber. When both pitchers cancel each other out, go with the better team. The Tigers are the better team...again...so far...
• The Marlins over the Bay Rays: The battle for Florida continues and I have to go with the Marlins again. At home and with the better team, the only question is Jarred Cosart. Chris Archer seems to have lost a bit of his mojo.
• The Blue Jay over the Orioles: Ubaldo Jimenez could get beat up pretty good in this one. The Blue Jays' offense is killer. A lot will depend on Aaron Sanchez, a big-time arm who is very young.
• The Nationals over the Phillies: The Nationals have had a lackluster start. Good old Doug Fister to the rescue. Cole Hamels was not good his first time out. But that should be an anomaly and not the norm.
• The Braves over the Mets: Here we were wondering how bad the Braves were going to be and they came out this season gangbusters. Julio Teheran is very good and Dillon Gee has been in and out of good health. The Braves roll.
• The Pirates over the Brewers: Will the Brewers win a game this season? I'm not so sure. They sure look awful. But the law of averages starts to weigh heavy and they have to win sooner or later. With Jimmy Nelson on the mound, it probably won't be today. Vance Worley goes for the Pirates.
• The Rangers over the Astros: Yovani Gallardo did not have a good start his first time out. But I still like him better than Roberto Hernandez. The Rangers are at home. Seriously, this game could go either way.
• The Rockies over the Cubs: The Rockies are on fire and the last time I picked against Kyle Kendrick, I paid for it. Jason Hammel is pretty reliable, but things aren't going well for the Cubs so far. Of course, everything could blow up in Coors.
• The Padres over the Giants: James Shields makes his second National League start and I think he will pitch well today against the Giants. Madison Bumgarner is a tough cookie though. I'm still going with the Padres.
• The Royals over the Angels: Jeremy Guthrie and Jered Weaver will have a slow ball contest. Can you say, "wily?"  The Royals are flying high, so that's the pick.

And the Pick of the Day

• The Dodgers over the Diamondbacks: Archie Bradley makes his MLB debut today for the D-Backs. He was a number one pick and was born in the 1990s. From what I see, he has command issues. Clayton Kershaw should bounce back nicely from his opening start and win this one.

Yesterday: 7-8, Season: 26-35, Picks of the Day: 1-4

MLB Game Picks - Friday: April 10, 2015

I am off to such a brutally bad start. Man, I couldn't pick Al Capone out of a lineup of women at this point. At least I did finally get a Pick of the Day correctly. But other than that, I was terrible.  Again.

At least everyone is playing new teams today. Perhaps that will help. I need to believe in something! Heh. Without further ago...

...here are today's picks:

• The Blue Jays over the Orioles: Mark Buehrle usually starts out his season pretty well and should be sage enough to keep the ball away from the O's offense. I do have the feeling that the Jays' offense will nail Bud Norris. The Jays are looking mighty impressive.
• The Rangers over the Astros: These two teams will be battling each other all season for the bottom spot in the AL West. That's the way I see it anyway. I like Derek Holland's chances here if he is healthy. Collin McHugh is pretty good himself, however.
• The Rockies over the Cubs: The Rockies are looking good thus far and it is nice to see their stars healthy. The Cubs' offense might get a boost being in Denver. Tyler Matzek goes for the Rockies and Travis Wood goes for the Cubs.
• The Indians over the Tigers: We'll see how it goes, but the Alfredo Simon signing by the Tigers seemed misguided. However, Zach McAllister will have to have a good game against the Tigers' offense. Alex Avila and Jose Iglesias have both started off really well.
• The Twins over the White Sox: I believe Tommy Milone was a very good pickup by the Twins. But the Twins need some answers on offense. I am a bit stunned that Hector Noesi made the opening rotation for the White Sox.
• The Red Sox over the Yankees: Wade Miley is going to be a good starter for the Red Sox. Nate Eovaldi will be good for the Yankees too, but the Red Sox offense is too much better than the Yankees' right now and this will be their first game with the DH.
• The Reds over the Cardinals: The Reds are off to a great start and their offense looks healthy and happy. Jason Marquis just goes on forever. John Lackey will get beat and will look all surly about it.  Heh.
• The Marlins over the Bay Rays: One of these teams has to get off of the deck this weekend in the battle for Florida. I think it will be the Marlins. Dan Haren goes for the Fish and Steve Geltz, who has a big arm and very little experience, goes for the Rays.
• The Mets over the Braves: Jon Niese has always been better than most people think. If he is healthy, he is fine. Eric Stultz had a bad year last year and has to be very fine to win with his stuff. Both lineups are hampered a bit by lefties, but the combo of David Wright and Michael Cuddyer will shine.
• The Brewers over the Pirates: I am very anxious about the Brewers' offense at this point. But I really like Mike Fiers a lot more than I like Jeff Locke.
• The Dodgers over the Diamondbacks: It is a battle of Andersons today as Brett Anderson gets his first start for the Dodgers and faces Chase Anderson of the Diamondbacks. I like Chase better than Brett, but am double-reversing myself on this pick.
• The Angels over the Royals: This is a really tough one. Hector Santiago is a fly ball guy to the extreme (o.44 last year!). Jason Vargas has to be well-located to do well. I like the Angels at home and the Royals will lose a game at some point this season.
• The Mariners over the Athletics: This is a really good match-up pitting Drew Pomeranz against Taijuan Walker. The A's have really straightened out Pomeranz after years of frustration and Walker has been lights out. It could go either way. I like where the M's bullpen is right now compared to the A's.
• The Padres over the Giants: I am really rooting for Brandon Morrow because I am a sucker for comeback stories. Tim Lincecum is a mystery. The Giants haven't looked as dead as people where predicting. The Padres haven't looked as offensive-minded as advertised. Interesting game.

And the Pick of the Day:

• The Nationals over the Phillies. The Phillies are a bad team and facing a lefty is their worst case scenario. Gio Gonzalez had sort of an off year last year and I'm expecting him to bounce back. Jerome Williams usually has about three good starts a year.

Yesterday: 3-6, Season: 19-27, Picks of the Day: 1-3

MLB Game Picks - Thursday: April 9, 2015

Man, I am terrible. My picking season is off to a brutal start. And all I can say is Aaron Freakin' Harang. Sheesh. The Pick of the Day, which tries to pick the most obvious pick to get right, is 0-3. Nice. Well...let's just say that I've started my season like the Chicago White Sox and let's see where it goes from here.

Thursday's picks:

• The Reds over the Pirates: I don't like the odds for either pitcher in this one. A.J. Burnett always seems to be a couple of pitches away from disaster. And Anthony DeSclafani is a fly ball pitcher in the smallest ballpark in the bigs. Hmm...  I like the place the Reds are in right now and the Pirates seem a bit flat. So that's the way I'm going.
• The Nationals over the Mets: What a big time and exciting match-up as Matt Harvey goes against Stephen Strasburg! That should be a lot of fun to watch. My thought is what happens with the bullpens after the studs are out of the game. Advantage: Nats.
• The White Sox over the Royals: My commenter from yesterday gave the tip that I should pick John Danks today as he always pitches well against the Royals. With the way my picking season has started, who am I to argue? Edinson Volquez is easy to pick against anyway.
• The Astros over the Indians: I have no idea how to pick this one. Asher Wojciechowski makes his MLB debut for the Astros. He's a former first round draft pick (Blue Jays) with a so-so MiLB record. Trevor Bauer is said to be throwing much better, but we'll see. Again, I have no idea. I do know that Wojciechowski just took over as the hardest name to spell in baseball. I wonder if he is related to Steve Wojciechowski?
• The Athletics over the Rangers: Kendall Graveman makes his first MLB start after the A's acquired him from the Blue Jays. That fact and Nick Martinez's overall non-excitement level make that match-up a wash. The A's are clearly the better team right now.
• The Padres over the Giants: Picking against the Giants never seems to be a good idea even if this is supposed to be a down season for them. Yesterday's victory is a case in point. Tim Hudson had the first losing season of his career last year and looked a bit toasted, especially near the end of the season. I'm going with Ian Kennedy.
• The Red Sox over the Phillies: It is hard to think about Justin Masterson pitching after hs season a year ago. And it seemed that all I heard during Spring Training is that he wasn't concerned about getting bombed in his spring outings. That all said, the Red Sox bats have been quiet and should win a high scoring game. David Buchanan pitches for the Phillies and will try to prove me wrong.
• The Yankees over the Blue Jays: CC Sabathia has to keep the ball in the park against the Blue Jays' big bats. And Daniel Norris had a very good spring. I'm going to go with the Yankees at home though and predict that Sabathia surprises people this season.

And the Pick of the Day:

• The Tigers over the Twins: The Twins look awful. I thought they would look better. But not so far. I have a fanboy interest in Shane Greene doing well. I would probably pick him anyway over Kyle Gibson.

Yesterday: 7-8, Season: 16-21, Picks of the Day: 0-3

MLB Game Picks - Wednesday: April 8, 2015

Ugh. The picks sure tanked yesterday. Normally untrustworthy pitchers are throwing gems. But I seriously can't make much of a defense if I chose Mat Latos to win. He was brutal and Jon Hart in Atlanta is starting to look like a genius. Oh well, I need to shake it off and try another day.

Wednesday's picks:

• The Tigers over the Twins: This scares me right off the bat because Ricky Nolasco was terrible last year. By the trend established this week, that means he will pitch a two-hitter. Anibal Sanchez goes for the Tigers.
• The Cardinals over the Cubs: This is the same pitching line that was supposed to happen yesterday but didn't because it became the first game in MLB history to be postponed because of pee. I still think Lance Lynn beats Jake Arrieta, gentille Arrieta.
• The Nationals over the Mets: This is a really fun pitching match-up between Jacob deGrom and Jordan Zimmermann. The latter starts his walk year and that will be interesting. I'm going with the home team because the pitching seems even.
• The Yankees over the Blue Jays: The Jays are a pretty cocky bunch right now and seem to talk smack all the time. R.A. Dickey can be tough as he is back in New York. I'm thinking that Michael Pineda is going to have a great year and it starts tonight.
• The Marlins over the Braves: If I keep picking the Marlins, it has to be correct at some point, right? It's the law of averages? Shelby Miller goes for the Braves in his first start with that team. He had a disappointing season a year ago as his strikeouts went down and his walks went up. Tom Koehler goes for the Marlins.
• The Orioles over the Bay Rays: Jake Odorizzi will no doubt have a better year than last year. But the Orioles are starting hot and should win despite Miguel Gonzalez being on the mound.
• The Pirates over the Reds: Gerrit Cole is one of my picks for guys to really get to the next level in 2015. I like him a lot. Mike Leake is a fifth starter type who will mostly keep you in the game. I like where the Reds' offense is right now though.
• The White Sox over the Royals: Jose Quintana is so much better than people think and I like his chances as a lefty against the Royals. Danny Duffy gets the start for the home team.
• The Indians over the Astros: Carlos Carrasco exploded onto the scene last year and was rewarded with a nice contract. Can he repeat it? We shall see. What I do know is that he is a strikeout pitcher pitching against a strikeout-prone team. Besides, I have little confidence in Scott Feldman.
• The Brewers over the Rockies: I have not been very successful picking the Brewers thus far. But we now start heading into the real iffy part of the Rockies' rotation with Eddie Butler getting the start. I think Wily Peralta will win this one.
• The Diamondbacks over the Giants: With Matt Cain out, the Giants turn to the little-tested Chris Heston. The D-Backs counter with Jeremy Hellickson, who I have never been too high on either. I have no idea...
• The Athletics over the Rangers: I have become a big fan of Scott Kazmir. I love where he has come back from in his career. Ross Detwiler is finally out of Washington, DC and gets his chance to shine. Will he?
• The Angels over the Mariners: The Mariners have had their way this series. And it will be interesting to see if Matt Shoemaker can repeat his success from a year ago when he surprised everyone. There are questions about the health of Hisashi Iwakuma, so we'll see.
• The Dodgers over the Padres: I really wanted the Yankees to resign Brandon McCarthy after what I saw last year. But his contract is too rich for my blood. I do think he will win this one over Andrew Cashner who has had his ups and downs.

And the Pick of the Day:

• The Red Sox over the Phillies: Rick Porcello just got a new deal. It's time for him to earn it. The deal seems a bit rich for a guy not really fully established yet. Aaron Harang goes for the Phillies and he punished me good last year.

Yesterday: 1-6, Season: 9-13, Picks of the Day: 0-2  Bad!

MLB Game Picks - Tuesday: April 7, 2015

Well...I'm not off to a great start this season. It seems like we must have broken a record for Opening Day shutouts. There were a bunch of them! Bartolo Colon and Kyle Kendrick made me eat my words. And I guess I deserved that comeuppance.

But onward we go. Tuesday's picks:

• The Marlins over the Braves: I have no real feel for this one. Mat Latos verses Alex Wood seems like a wash to me. I'll go with the Marlins as the home team. But I was wrong yesterday...
• The Orioles over the Bay Rays: The Rays and Yankees might be the two worst offensive teams in the AL East. Wei-Yin Chen has a proven track record and Nathan Karns is a bit of a package we are waiting to open to see what's inside.
• The Cardinals over the Cubs: The Cubbies looked pretty awful on Sunday night. Jake Arrieta gives them a fighting chance. But I don't think the Cubs will hit Lance Lynn. We've got ten more days of this, Cubs fans.
• The Brewers over the Rockies: This pick could not have been more wrong yesterday. Wow, what a slaughter. Matt Garza does not thrill me. But then again, neither does Jordan Lyles. The Brewers might be a bad team...
• The Giants over the Diamondbacks: I've never had a lot of confidence in Ryan Vogelsong. But there he is year after year with the Giants. My mouth still has a sour taste for Rubby De La Rosa after his season a year ago.
• The Athletics over the Rangers: Jesse "Chaka" Hahn was a good luck charm last year, so I have to go with him. Lucky charms aside, I'll take him any day over Colby Lewis.
• The Mariners over the Angels: The M's made a pretty good opening statement yesterday and James Paxton is another great arm. C.J. Wilson has caught a lot of grief this spring for a guy who has been successful in Los Angeles of Anaheim or something or other.

And the Pick of the Day

• The Dodgers over the Padres: Tyson Ross is good. Zack Greinke is better.

Yesterday: 7-7, Season: 8-7, Picks of the Day: 0-1

MLB Game Picks - Monday: April 6, 2015

Happy Opening Day! The first game last night from Wrigley Field was fairly entertaining. I couldn't help thinking about what Kris Bryant might have brought to the Cubs' offense that just wasn't long enough to push all those runners home. But that's what the Cubs' decision does. But wait, I let the first happy sentence get muddled up in the second sadder one. Again, Happy Opening Day--which should be a National Holiday!

Here are Monday's picks:

• The Blue Jays over the Yankees: The Blue Jays had long had a bugaboo about playing in Yankee Stadium and their losing streak there carried for a couple of years. Drew Hutchison pitched and lost in some of those. But once the streak was broken, it was broken in a big way. I'm not sure where Masahiro Tanaka is with his stuff right now. The Jays can hit!
• The Tigers over the Twins: David Price is going to have a big year. I'm not sure it will be enough for the Tigers. But it should be enough for tonight as long as the bullpen doesn't blow the game. Phil Hughes was terrific last year, but we'll see what this year brings.
• The Brewers over the Rockies: What does it tell you about these two teams' pitching when the Opening Day pitching match-up is Kyle Lohse against Kyle Kendrick. Yeesh. That's the best you got!? I am going with Lohse at home.
• The Phillies over the Red Sox: The Red Sox sure wanted Cole Hamels. The Phillies sure wanted way too much for him. Now Hamels will beat the Red Sox for sore measure. No DH for the Red Sox. I don't know where Clay Buchholz is any more.
• The Orioles over the Rays: At least this game won't be snowed out. I am concerned about the Orioles' offense. But they will be better than the Rays. Chris Archer is good. Chris Tillman should have an easier time of it though.
• The Marlins over the Braves: Henderson Alvarez was very good for the Fish last season. His FIP did not match his ERA, and he doesn't blow people away. But the guy can pitch. The Braves will have a vagabond-like offense this year though. So, no matter. The only way the Braves win is if Julio Teheran is lights out.
• The Royals over the White Sox: Now that Yordano Ventura is the Royals' Opening Day starter, can we call him, "Ace Ventura?" I think he and the Royals persevere here because I have serious concerns about Jeff Samardzija. He's looked very hitable for quite some time now.
• The Mariners over the Angels: Felix Hernandez is entering his eleventh season and is 29-years-old. Think about that for a second. I seriously think about him breaking down sooner or later. Think Sabathia. But he should be okay tonight against the tough Angels because he is better than Jered Weaver who throws like 84 MPH now.
• The Pirates over the Reds: Everyone keeps talking about the Reds as a .500 or better team. I don't see it. Yeah, Johnny Cueto, who pitches tonight, is very good. The Pirates seem like a much better team. I'm going with Francisco Liriano to shut down the Reds.
• The Dodgers over the Padres: There is a lot of talk about James Shields changing the culture on teams he plays for. But he is facing Clayton Kershaw. Advantage, Dodgers.
• The Indians over the Astros: Corey Kluber just got paid. Now, the big thing is whether he can repeat what he did last year. He was elite last year. Was it a one year thing? We'll find out. He should have no trouble with the Astros. Dallas Keuchel goes for that team.
• The Rangers over the Athletics: This a total hunch pick. I think Yovani Gallardo was a great pickup for the Rangers over the off season. He should have a good night in the Coliseum. Sonny Gray has always been my good luck charm though.
• The Giants over the Diamondbacks: Josh Collmenter had a good year for the D-Backs last year and I might pick him at home except that he is facing Madison Bumgarner. I am a little worried about Bumgarner after last year's post season heroics though.

And the Pick of the Day

• The Nationals over the Mets: Why is Bartolo Colon the Opening Day starter for the Mets? I don't get it. Max Scherzer should have no problem getting his first win with his new team an league.

Yesterday: 1-0, Season 1-0