MLB Game Picks - Saturday: May 30, 2015

Another up and down day that saw my picks finish a pick above .500 with an incorrect Pick of the Day. Blah.

Saturday's Picks:

• The Twins over the Blue Jays: Kyle Gibson has his share of very good outings and not so good outings. I never seem to be on top of when each will occur. So I'll probably be wrong with this one again too. Aaron Sanchez goes for the Jays.
• The Rockies over the Phillies: This is my reverse Aaron Harang theory. Since Harang always messed me up last year, I pick him every time to win now. But in this case, if last night's game shows a Troy Tulowitzki getting hot, then the shortstop can carry this team all by himself for a while. Jorge De La Rosa starts for the Rockies.
• The Orioles over the Bay Rays: I'll take Wei-Yin Chen over Erasmo Ramirez just about any day of the week.
• The Brewers over the Diamondbacks: Jeremy Hellickson got mad at me and had a good outing last time out (about time!). Can he repeat it? I'll believe it when I see it. I like Kyle Lohse at home.
• The Astros over the White Sox: Two words: Dallas Keuchel. Two more words. Jose Quintana
• The Mets over the Marlins: I have often said that Jon Niese was better than people thought. Then he goes out and throws three stinkers in a row. Come on, Jon, I can't keep defending you until you have a good game. Tom Koehler goes for the Marlins.
• The Nationals over the Reds: Now that we have Strasburg out of the way, the Nats can start another win streak. Gio Gonzalez should be better than Raisel Iglesias and last longer.
• The Cubs over the Royals: This pick was dumb yesterday and is probably dumb today. But I like the Tsuyoshi Wada match up against the Royals' hitters. Yordano Ventura might really make the pick look stupid.
• The Cardinals over the Dodgers: Say what you want about the money the Dodgers spent, but their offense has been kind of toothless lately. So I like Michael Wacha here to continue his win streak. Carlos Frias has had two good starts and one disaster thus far.
• The Giants over the Braves: It does not appear that the Giants will lose another game this season. That's just how it seems. Tim Lincecum over Williams Perez.
• The Tigers over the Angels: I don't have a lot of confidence in either Jered Weaver or Shane Greene at this point. But somebody has to win the game.
• The Yankees over the Athletics: Sooner or later, the Yankees have to win a road game. Today might be the day as it will be Nathan Eovaldi versus Jesse Hahn. The Yankees have done a nice job so far of making this awful A's team look mighty good.
• The Mariners over the Indians: Another game where I don't like either pitcher to win. Roenis Elias versus Shaun Marcum. :::shrug:::
• The Padres over the Pirates: I do like Tyson Ross at home. Charlie Morton against Justin Upton will be a key match up.

And the Pick of the Day

• The Red Sox over the Rangers: Wade Miley goes for the Red Sox. Chi Chi Gonzalez goes for the Rangers. Chi Chi?

Yesterday: 8-7, May: 198-172, Season: 365-337, Picks of the Day: 29-23

MLB Game Picks - Friday: May 29, 2015

Short schedules always frighten me because this is little margin for error. Therefore, I am happy to finish at 5-3. Of the three incorrect picks, on one, I am kicking myself. On the other, I am kicking the manager and the other was a battle between two good pitchers and I picked the wrong one.

The latter I don't mind. But I KNEW I should pick the Red Sox yesterday. I had a strong feeling that Eduardo Rodriguez was the real deal. Heck, I even picked him up on my fantasy team. Dumb. 

As for kicking the manager, the Yankees NEVER should have lost that game last night. With the game on the line, Joe Girardi brought in David Carpenter.

Why is that a bad thing? Because the A's have a .767 OPS against right-handed pitching but only a team .611 OPS against left-handed pitching. David Carpenter is right-handed. The Yankees have four left-handed relievers and one of them, Chasen Shreve, was very effective after Carpenter gave up the winning runs (inherited runners Sabathia put on base). Stupid.

Friday's picks:

• The Cubs over the Royals: The Royals lose the DH, which has been very important to their offense. Jake Arrieta gentille Arrieta will benefit from the Royals aggressive swinging and the Cubs will score a few off of Edinson Volquez.
• The Phillies over the Rockies: First, the Phillies have their best pitcher, Cole Hamels, on the mound. Secondly, Chad Bettis is not pick-worthy...at least to me. I like the Phillies at home here.
• The Orioles over the Rays: The Orioles are back home at Camden Yards and that is usually an appealing pick. Miguel Gonzalez is usually good against the AL East. The one problem I see is that Nathan Karns is pitching very well.
• The Reds over the Nationals: I'm not picking Stephen Strasburg again. Never. Ever. Again. Well...at least until he starts winning. Anthony DeSclafani goes for the Reds at home.
• The Red Sox over the Rangers: I don't feel good about either starting pitcher here between Yovani Gallardo for Texas or Steven Wright for the Red Sox. But one of the teams has to win and I'm going with the Red Sox.
• The Diamondbacks over the Brewers: The Brewers lost their hot streak and are back going in the wrong direction. Rubby De La Rosa has been a great pick up for the D-Backs. Jimmy Nelson hasn't put it together yet.
• The Astros over the White Sox: This could be a good one. Lance McCullers Jr. has been pitching well for the Astros, but Carlos Rodon is a real stud prospect for the White Sox. I go with McCullers because he has far better control at this point than Rodon who is walking way too many batters.
• The Blue Jays over the Twins: I like Mark Buehrle in this one. I think he'll have a good game. Trevor May has been inconsistent and you don't want to now be really on against the Blue Jays' offense.
• The Cardinals over the Dodgers: I hate this pick. I hate picking John Lackey for one thing. But he is capable of dominating a game. I also hate picking against Mike Bolsinger who has been terrific for the Dodgers. But this is what my gut is telling me here.
• The Angels over the Tigers: The Tigers are missing Victor Martinez in their lineup. It's still a decent lineup, but not quite the same. The two starters here are hard to pick. Hector Santiago and Anibal Sanchez have had their struggles.
• The Athletics over the Yankees: That was a big loss for the Yankees last night because they get Sonny Gray tonight. I always go with Sonny Gray. I definitely am not feeling Chris Capuano. Although, Capuano is a lefty...hmmm
• The Indians over the Mariners: Robinson Cano is hurting and not himself. Taijuan Walker has not put anything together this year and Trevor Bauer is pitching well.
• The Padres over the Pirates: James Shields just keeps on winning. It's hard to pick against that. Francisco Liriano is such a puzzle. He simply cannot be counted upon.
• The Braves over the Giants: The Braves' bats have gone silent. But they do seem to win behind Mike Foltynewicz. Tim Hudson is pitching at home, which is hard to pick against. But I'm doing it anyway.

And the Pick of the Day:

• The Mets over the Marlins: Matt Harvey should bounce back from his anomalous bad outing. Dan Haren may be able to match zeroes though, if he is on.

Yesterday: 5-3, May: 190-165, Season: 357-330, Picks of the Day: 29-22

MLB Game Picks - Thursday: May 28, 2015

Yesterday was a second straight 9-6 day for this old game picker. That's a decent record and I should be grateful to be above .500. But a ten-correct day is what I consider a good day. Plus, the Dodgers were the pick of the day and lost, so that kind of stinks. The Giants just don't lose. The Astros finally did. The Red Sox lost again. The Yankees swept the Royals after being swept by the Rangers. Go figure. Baseball.

Thursday's picks (short schedule):

• The White Sox over the Orioles: Tyler Wilson is getting his first start for the Orioles in this first game of a double-header. That option isn't appealing. But the Chris Sale option? That is always appealing.
• The Rangers over the Red Sox: This is a REAL tough one. Nick Martinez has been terrific for the Rangers after becoming the adopted son of Greg Maddux. But the Red Sox have thrown caution to the wind (and why not!) and have brought up Eduardo Rodriguez to make his first MLB start. This kid is a great prospect with good control.
• The Angels over the Tigers: I don't like the Tigers here because they have Buck Farmer pitching. He certainly hasn't looked ready for prime time. C.J. Wilson hasn't been pitching well either. So we'll see what happens.
• The Yankees over the Athletics: I have been doing well picking against the A's when they face a lefty starter. And then the Yankees have four lefty relievers. Not good for the A's. Kendall Graveman vs. CC Sabathia.
• The Mariners over the Indians: Corey Kluber and James Paxton will throw zeroes all night and then Nelson Cruz will hit a homer. Doesn't that happen every night?
• The Pirates over the Padres: My bias against A.J. Burnett has burned me all season. Okay, A.J., you win. Now don't throw a clunker to jerk me around, okay? Ian Kennedy goes for the Padres.
• The Giants over the Braves: I am fighting with myself on this one. Shelby Miller has pitched so well for the Braves and he has stood me so well in my picks that it's killing me to pick against him. But Charlton Chris Heston has been pitching well for the Giants, who just never seem to lose.

And the Pick of the Day:

• The Orioles over the White Sox: Thus a split. The White Sox are starting Chris Beck who will be making his MLB debut. Mike Wright has done a great job for the Orioles since getting called up.

Yesterday: 9-6, May: 185-162, Season: 352-327, Picks of the Day: 28-22

MLB Game Picks - Wednesday: May 27, 2015

I did not have a bad day yesterday. The Cubs over the Nats was a brilliant pick. There were three games that went into extras and two went for me, one against. That matched my output for the day. I did not expect the Red Sox to lose again or the Astros to win again. But both did. Overall, not a bad day.

Wednesday's picks:

• The Indians over the Rangers: This pick was wrong yesterday showing that I just don't get the Indians. Today, Carlos Carrasco is pitching and he is very good. Will that matter? What has gotten into Colby Lewis this year? Is he really this good?
• The Reds over the Rockies: Where are the stars for the Rockies? Why are they OPSing in the 600s? So weird. Mike Leake strikes me better than Kyle Kendrick does.
• The Pirates over the Marlins: Brad Hand is starting for the Marlins. He has appeared in relief a dozen and a half times. I never know what to do with such things. My mind is cleared up some by seeing Gerrit Cole starting for the other side.
• The Blue Jays over the White Sox: This one sounds like a wreck in the making. Marco Estrada versus Jeff Samardzija. The latter has the bigger talent, for sure. But the Blue Jays can hit! I don't know.
• The Yankees over the Royals: Big Chris Young goes for the Royals. Will he again bamboozle the Yankees like the last time? Will the Yankees adjust? Can Michael Pineda bounce back from a really ugly start? We'll find out together.
• The Twins over the Red Sox: Phil Hughes used to get battered by the Red Sox when he was a Yankee. But pitching at home in Minnesota should help today. Rick Porcello is up and down and hard to count on. Is David Ortiz big poopied out?
• The Mets over the Phillies: I haven't picked a visiting team yet. Oh my. I have to go with Noah Syndergaard over Sean O'Sullivan though, right?
• The Mariners over the Rays: Felix Hernandez has never won a game at Tropicana Field. I think that changes today even though he has a tough opponent in Chris Archer.
• The Brewers over the Giants: The Brewers have cooled off a bit and the Giants keep winning. I think that will hit a bump tonight as Ryan Vogelsong should be more to the Brewers' liking than Bumgarner was. A lot will depend on how Mike Fiers pitches.
• The Tigers over the Athletics: There is a lot to think about in this game. Kyle Ryan has been called up to start for the Tigers. He hasn't been faring well in the minors thus far this season and he will not strike out guys. He has decent control though and most importantly, he is a lefty. The A's do not hit lefties at all. That makes me go with him over Scott Kazmir. The one caveat is that Ryan will not go deep in the game and the Tigers' bullpen is a frightening place.
• The Astros over the Orioles: Picking against the Astros has seemed like a futile thing to do. Collin McHugh is one of my favorite young pitchers. If Ubaldo Jimenez has a good outing, things could change, but I'll go with the Astros.
• The Nationals over the Cubs: The Cubs slowed down the Nats yesterday and Jon Lester goes today, which is the good news. The bad news is that Max Scherzer goes for the Nationals. Did you see where Bryant's homer went yesterday!? Wow.
• The Cardinals over the Diamondbacks: Lance Lynn should come up big in this one and I think he will. Josh Collmenter gives the Cards a different look, but he will bend a little at least.
• The Angels over the Padres: This pick didn't go well yesterday and neither team hit at all until the Padres broke out for four runs in extras. It might be low scoring today too as Garrett Richards faces Andrew Cashner.

And the Pick of the Day:

• The Dodgers over the Braves: Zack Greinke should do what he does, which is win as a Dodger and Alex Wood should allow a couple of runs at least to give the Dodgers the edge in a close game.

Yesterday: 9-6, May: 179-156, Season: 343-321, Picks of the Day: 28-21

MLB Game Picks - Tuesday: May 26, 2015

Memorial Day saw the picks just climb over .500 for the day. There were a number of good picks but just as many surprises that evened out whatever success I had. The Yankees and Mets both broke out of long slumps. One was good for the picks and one was bad.  It was a fun day of baseball.

Tuesday's picks:

• The Orioles over the Astros: I'm still not a Scott Feldman fan and Chris Tillman is starting to get his act back together. I don't think the Orioles are done by any stretch of the imagination.
• The Yankees over the Royals: No, I'm not sold on Adam Warren. But I've never been really sold on Jason Vargas either. I think the Yankees hit big again this game.
• The Pirates over the Marlins: Who and what is Jose Urena!? It sounds like an internal organ. He has three MLB innings thus far and no strikeouts. Color me skeptical. I'll go with Jeff Locke.
• The Cubs over the Nationals: The Nats are due for a loss as it has been a while. And Jordan Zimmermann has been a bit shaky. Kyle Hendricks, however, is pitching real well for the Cubs.
• The Blue Jays over the White Sox: R.A. Dickey has his best knucklers at home because of the controlled environment. John Danks always seems to cough up runs.
• The Reds over the Rockies: The Reds have to win some time and it might as well be today. Michael Lorenzen should be in the rotation full time. Jorge De La Rosa is a pretty good pitcher for the Rockies though.
• The Mets over the Phillies: I haven't been able to pick a visiting team yet and I'm getting the willies. But Jacob deGrom should be better than Jerome Williams.
• The Bay Rays over the Mariners: Okay, here is a visiting team pick. Phew! Alex Colome recovered nicely in his last start and I'll never, ever be a J.A. Happ fan, even if he wins ten in a row.
• The Indians over the Rangers: As good as the Rangers are hitting right now, I think they can be stopped by Danny Salazar. He has been that good. Add that to the fact that Wandy Rodriguez isn't what he used to be and I think you have an Indians win.
• The Red Sox over the Twins: The Red Sox will hit Mike Pelfrey. So it all depends on which Clay Buchholz shows up. I think the good one will show up in a big ballpark.
• The Diamondbacks over the Cardinals: If Jaime Garcia is going to win, it will be at home. But I don't know if he has it in him. Frankly, I think the Cards are fed up with him. I'll go with Archie Bradley instead.
• The Tigers over the Athletics: The A's don't hit lefties. David Price is only lefty, but he is one of the best. Jesse Chavez is not going to keep up. Now I'm going with too many visiting teams!
• The Angels over the Padres: Albert Pujols was not amused as he picked up his game-winning single. Take that, Padres! Matt Shoemaker should be better than Odrisamer Despaigne, a name I can now type without looking!
• The Dodgers over the Braves: Clayton Kershaw is always getting the best of the other team's rotation and that happens again today as he squares up with Julio Teheran. This should be a low scoring game.

And the Pick of the Day:

• The Giants over the Brewers: Madison Bumgarner is one of the best, if not the best this year. He will need to keep Ryan Braun and company inside the park, but he should be able to do that. Matt Garza goes for the Brewers.

Yesterday: 8-7, May: 170-150, Season: 334-315, Picks of the Day: 27-21