MLB Game Picks - Friday: September 20, 2013

The great start to this picking week has stumbled in the last two days and I just broke even yesterday in the twelve games that were played. Congrats go to the Dodgers and Don Mattingly for clinching their division yesterday (even though I did not pick them to win) and no, I did not think it was classless to go for a dip in that pool. I think some panties are worn too tightly. And congrats to the Boston Red Sox for clinching the playoffs. They will clinch the division in short order. Going from 93 losses a season ago to 93 wins this season is quite the accomplishment.

This coming week is going to be even more difficult to pick games as clinched division winners will rest people and who knows what will happen then. Let's see if it affects today's Dodgers pick as we take a look at Friday:

• The Braves over the Cubs: The Braves want to get their own clinching done and will push forward until that happens. Then they won't have to hear about last year's collapse any more. Scott Baker continues his comeback attempt with the Cubs and Paul Maholm goes for the Braves (which is my only concern for this pick.
• The Pirates over the Reds: This game features a great, on-paper, pitching match-up as Mat Latos and Francisco Liriano go for their respective teams. Latos has seen his strikeout totals go down in his last four starts and his hits against go up. He may be tired. Liriano has been terrific.
• The Indians over the Astros: Would it not be something if Terry Francona got his guys the wildcard and had to face the Red Sox in the playoffs? I really like Brett Oberholtzer but the Indians like lefties and should win behind Zach McAllister.
• The Nationals over the Marlins: If Jordan Zimmermann wins this start and his last one next week, he could reach twenty wins for the season. I would like that. Jacob Turner has had a tough time of it for the last month for the Marlins.
• The Phillies over the Mets: Daisuke Matsuzaka actually pitched really well his last time out, but it was against the Marlins. Philadelphia doesn't have a much better offense than Miami's but enough to make a difference. Besides, Cole Hamels is pitching.
• The Yankees over the Giants: What a weird series to be taking place this late in the season. And the pitching match-up is full of angst as CC Sabathia goes against Tim Lincecum. This game could go either way. If Girardi starts Vernon Wells again against a right-handed pitcher, forget it.
• The Bay Rays over the Orioles: The Orioles go into a must game with Jason Hammel. If he beats David Price, I will be one surprised game picker. But surprise seems to be my middle name. Have you noticed Price's walk rate? 1.4 per nine, which is really impressive!
• The Red Sox over the Blue Jays: The Red Sox are not going to rest until they clinch the division. That means that Jon Lester and his offense behind him should pound Esmil Rogers into submission.
• The Rockies over the Diamondbacks: What is it about the D-backs and their fans that get some upset about any perceived slight by the other team? Gosh, is it why Barry Goldwater came from that state? It makes it really hard to like them and pick them. Jhoulys Chacin over Randall Delgado.
• The Cardinals over the Brewers: Did you know that Johnny Hellweg's full name is Johnny Hellweg? Why would parents give a guy a name that means he never grows up? He is right-handed so that means the Cardinals pound him. Shelby Miller with the win.
• The Rangers over the Royals: This is a game that could go either way. Both are playing for a wild card. The Rangers have a better chance at it. Martin Perez over Ervin Santana.
• The Athletics over the Twins: Bartolo Colon wins another one. Why the heck not. The A's need to clinch so they will keep playing hard. Andrew Albers is trying to hang on to the big league dream.
• The Angels over the Mariners: Matt Shoemaker makes his Major League debut for the Angels after toiling six yeas in the minors. His Triple-A numbers are skewed by playing in the PCL. But it appears he has excellent control. I will pick him over the Mariners and Erasmo Ramirez.
• The Padres over the Dodgers: I would imgaine that the Dodgers will be hung over after their little pool party. Expect a lot of fillers to play. Edinson Volquez will not be on the playoff roster I hope. Robbie Erlin goes for the Padres.

And the Game of the Day:

• The Tigers over the White Sox: The Tigers want to clinch and Max Scherzer needs to get to twenty wins. That would make it a win/win. The White Sox are just playing out the string and cannot even play spoilers here with Andre Rienzo starting.

Yesterday: 6-6

Week: 40-29

Month: 143-121

Season: 1285-1016

Games of the Day: 97-69

MLB Game Picks - Wednesday: September 4, 2013

The first two days of September were brutal and awful, but at least I picked the Game of the Day correctly. Yesterday was much better but the Game of the Day was wrong. Der. I thought sure the Orioles would beat the Indians. Where did that Ubaldo Jimenez come from? I called the Yankees - White Sox game dead on with Chris Sale looking good early and then the Yankees winning it late. I also correctly called Homer Bailey over the Cardinals despite a good performance from Michael Wacha.

I will take solace in a much better day and know that to rescue this week, I will need more good days to pull it out of the mire. So here goes. Wednesday's picks:

• The Mets over the Braves: I am not quite sure why the Braves are starting Kameron Loe unless they have somehow fixed his flaws in a hurry since they obtained him. They have a huge lead in the division, so I guess no biggie. The pick then goes to Dillon Gee who has been stingy with runs lately.
• The Astros over the Twins: Yeah, this did not work out yesterday, but I do not quite believe in Liam Hendriks even if he did beat the Rangers his last time out. Looking at that game, it was truly a BABIP game with at-em balls. Jordan Lyles is not a more savory pick, however.
• The Cubs over the Marlins: I went back and forth on this one. Brian Flynn makes his MLB debut for the Marlins and had great numbers in the minors this season. It looks like he can go deep into games too. The flipper for me was that Jeff Samardzija should strike out ten Marlins today.
• The Rangers over the Athletics: Every single time I have picked Yu Darvish to win, he has not. And he has had some trouble with the A's before. But come on now. The guy is a beast and should win every game he pitches. Perhaps Jarrod Parker will have something to say about it. It is a big game.
• The Blue Jays over the Diamondbacks: This pick worked out for me yesterday and picking Mark Buehrle has also worked out really well lately. I am not sure about him pitching in the dry air of Arizona, but we'll see. He will go against the sometimes tough, Randall Delgado.
• The Giants over the Padres: Tim Lincecum was brilliant last time. I remember because I picked against him. He goes against Eric Stults, a pitcher that confuses me to no end.
• The Indians over the Orioles: I thought Zach Britton was going to be a star. But like so many other Orioles young pitchers, he never panned out. For the O's to start him when they are fighting for their lives seems a bit dicey to me. I would much rather go with Zach McAllister. Hey! Look at that! A Zach attack.
• The Yankees over the White Sox: CC Sabathia has not come through for the Yankees for quite some time. He needs to show up tonight. For the White Sox' part, they give Erik Johnson his MLB debut. Johnson will not go deep in the game. His minors' numbers indicate that. He does not strike out people and he can be wild at times. He also gives up a lot of hits.
• The Nationals over the Phillies: It is really hard after all these years to pick against Roy Halladay. But his last start showed that he is not all the way back yet. Jordan Zimmermann has sort of put it back together after a rough patch and the Nats are hitting much better lately.
• The Red Sox over the Tigers: Both teams start their weakest starters in Ryan Dempster and Rick Porcello, so it seems the two cancel each other out. That said, the Red Sox have the better bullpen and are the home team. So they are the pick.
• The Cardinals over the Reds: This series has gone the Reds' way so far. And Bronson Arroyo has been very effective. I don't really know how, but he has. That said, the Cardinal bats should come alive in this one and they have a chance IF Shelby Miller has a good game.
• The Royals over the Mariners: Taijuan Walker looks fabulous and his MLB debut went really well. He was economical and tough to hit. But, he only went five innings and his team had jumped out with a lead. Ervin Santana can hold down Walker's team for the five or six innings he will pitch and then the Royals win late against the Mariners' bullpen.
• The Rockies over the Dodgers: I cannot believe the Dodgers picked up Edinson Volquez. They must think they can straighten him out. That is going to take a huge iron because Volquez has been the worst starting pitcher in baseball. And his first Dodgers' start is in Coors? Oy. Jorge De La Rosa is my pick.
• The Angels over the Bay Rays: I have long not been a Jeremy Hellickson fan despite how he always seemed to win to belie his less than wholesome peripherals. But the wins have stopped coming now so the law of averages has caught up a bit. All that said, it will take a great game by Jered Weaver to beat the Rays.

And the Game of the Day:

• The Pirates over the Brewers: I am picking a lot of visiting teams today and I do not like that very much. But this is how they look, so all fear aside, I carry on. Francisco Liriano has been amazing except for a few bum starts. I do not see one of those latter starts here. And I do not see Wily Peralta hanging with him.

Yesterday: 9-6

Week: 20-25

Month: 20-25

Season: 1162-920

Games of the Day: 88-62

MLB Game Picks - Friday: August 30, 2013

I am so bored with myself. Six straight days of mediocre, blah picking will do that. The week is only six picks above .500. Most of the days are above .500, but only slightly or barely. And yesterday was no different. Heck, I know you cannot predict what will happen in a baseball game. The mighty Red Sox can lose a game as Jon Lester was not quite as good as Chris Tillman. Yovani Gallardo can come back from the disabled list and be completely lights out. The poor pitching Angels can pitch a shutout against the Rays with Jason Vargas no less.

But still. Mediocrity day after day can get to you after a while.

Friday's picks:

• The Phillies over the Cubs: The Cubs will play their traditional Friday day game at home and those will be a lot more fun when the team is better. Jeff Samardzija is good enough to hold down the Phillies, but his team will not score against Roy Halladay, who is back and a welcomed sight (except in Chicago).
• The Yankees over the Orioles: I only pick the Yankees because they are at home where they have a better chance to win. All the Bronx team can really do at this point is act as spoilers. There are too many wildcard teams ahead of them. CC Sabathia over Miguel Gonzalez.
• The Nationals over the Mets: The Nationals are hot right now and the Mets are also playing pretty well. And Dillon Gee has been pitching better than Jordan Zimmermann has. But a hot Nats' lineup is much more imposing than a hot Mets' lineup.
• The Pirates over the Cardinals: The Cards have trouble against lefties. Francisco Liriano has been one of the hottest lefties in the game this season, even though he was humbled a bit in his last start. Shelby Miller can shut the Pirates down though. This game and this series will be interesting.
• The Blue Jays over the Royals: Mark Buehrle gets scoffed at pretty regular. But year after year, he is solid enough to make his mark. And he has been very good in the last month and a half. He can quickly shut down the Royals with an assortment of junk. Ervin Santana was pitching great, but has seemed to hit a wall lately.
• The Tigers over the Indians: The Tigers really spiked the Indians the last time they played and that was at the Indians' home park. This one is in Detroit. Rick Porcello goes against Zach McAllister which should be a pretty even pitching match-up.
• The Red Sox over the White Sox: I am hesitant to pick the Red Sox with Ryan Dempster on the mound. Despite his killer Harry Carey imitation, he has not pitched well this season. But this is the Red Sox we are talking about against the White Sox. Hector Santiago throws left-handed and that is the only reason he has a chance against the Red Sox. It sure seems like the Red Sox get more home games than anyone else.
• The Braves over the Marlins: Two young pitchers here. Julio Teheran goes for the Braves and the young phenom, Jose Fernandez, goes for the Marlins. If this game was in Miami, I would pick Fernandez every time. On the road, I will go with the Braves.
• The Angels over the Brewers: The Angels lose the DH in this series, but they really haven't had much of one since Albert Pujols went down anyway. Jered Weaver should win though the Brewers have been pesky lately. Wily Peralta goes for them.
• The Mariners over the Astros: This is a very exciting day for the Mariners and their fans as Taijuan Walker and his cool name and reputation takes the mound and makes his MLB debut. The #5 prospect in baseball has a big arm and his minor league numbers are a bit inflated because of the PCL. Brad Peacock goes for the Astros.
• The Reds over the Rockies: Bronson Arroyo pitching at Coors Field is a little frightening. But considering he is facing Jeff Manship, most reservations disappear.
• The Diamondbacks over the Giants: I really do not know how to pick this game. Tim Lincecum is so unpredictable and I don't like his chances in the desert air. Randall Delgado seems to have a better chance to me. But the D-backs have disappointed me all season.
• The Bay Rays over the Athletics: I get to rhyme this one if I say, "The Rays over the A's." But the good David Price better show up to make this prediction come true. Jarrod Parker is better at home though and that makes the pick more complicated.
• The Dodgers over the Padres: The Dodgers at home is always a good pick, even more so when Hyun-jin Ryu is pitching there. Eric Stults is going for the Padres. The Dodgers do need to just get over themselves about Puig though.

And the Game of the Day:

• The Rangers over the Twins: This seems like a mismatch, which is always frightening to me for some reason. Yu Darvish should completely dominate this game and Liam Hendriks is a 4-A kind of pitcher.

Yesterday; 5-4

Week: 35-29

Month: 222-169

Season: 1125-882

Games of the Day: 85-60   -2

MLB Game Picks - Tuesday: August 13, 2013

My apologies that this is late. I have bronchitis or something and slept in with a Nyquil coma. I woke up to find that yesterday was not a bad day with seven out of eleven correct. I came out on the wrong side of the Danny Salazar vs. Andrew Albers rookie shootout. I should have picked Chris Sale and the Marlins were just a dumb pick. And what do you know: Cole Hamels won a game. Oh well.

Since this is late, let's get right to Tuesday's picks:

• The Yankees over the Angels: Jason Vargas has not pitched since mid-June and the Yankees are a little better set up to hit lefties with Soriano and A-Rod. It all depends on CC Sabathia and if he can pull himself out of this slump he is in.
• The Giants over the Nationals: If I had to go head to head with Madison Bumgarner and Gio Gonzalez, I would have to pick Bumgarner. This could go either way though as both are capable of shut down outings.
• The Red Sox over the Blue Jays: Ryan Dempster has been brutal at times this season and he faces a lineup with power, which is scary. But the bottom line for me is that the Red Sox should hit Todd Redmond even harder, especially the second or third time through the order when Redmond has shown weakness.
• The Braves over the Phillies: Ethan Martin has had two big league starts. One was terrible and the other decent but with a lot of base runners. The Braves should feast on that. Kris Medlen is the question mark here. But Medlen should be better than Martin.
• The Bay Rays over the Mariners: Erasmo Ramirez is 3-0. That's great! Uh. No. His ERA sits at 7.13 and his WHIP at 1.50. He is the poster boy of those who say wins are meaningless. Chris Archer should come out on top here. But the Rays are in a tailspin of sorts.
• The Reds over the Cubs: The last time I picked Jeff Samardzija to win, he got bombed. Today I pick against him and he will win, just watch. I have to go with Homer Bailey and the Reds in this one.
• The Twins over the Indians: These are two teams I just cannot figure out this season. I always seem to get the wrong. Before, the only time the Twins won was when Samuel Deduno pitched. Then I picked him to win and he lost. Sigh. I am picking Sam Deduno again against Zach McAllister.
• The Tigers over the White Sox: I am still convinced that Hector Santiago and Jose Quintana are the same guy. Has anyone ever seen them at the same time? Max Scherzer has to be the pick. Too bad all his wins don't mean anything.
• The Royals over the Marlins: Jose Fernandez is not quite the same pitcher on the road as he is at home. At home, he is a lock. On the road, not so much. And Bruce Chen...Bruce freakin' Chen never seems to lose with his whiffle ball stuff.
• The Cardinals over the Pirates: This is the Cardinals' big chance facing the Pirates at their home park. And they start off on the right foot with their ace, Adam Wainwright, on the mound. Charlie Morton has been good for the Pirates. I do not really know how, but he has.
• The Rockies over the Padres: I have kicked this one to death in my mind. Do I really want to pick the Rockies when Jeff Manship is pitching? I mean, even his name is ridiculous. It is like Grace Slick started yet another band and called it Jefferson Manship. You know? Anyway, I am picking him anyway because who knows what will happen at Coors Field and Eric Stults never gives me any love anyway.
• The Orioles over the Diamondbacks: The Orioles seem to have the kind of offense that can exploit a younger pitcher of talent like Randall Delgado. And Miguel Gonzalez is probably one of the better pitchers than nobody ever hears about.
• The Athletics over the Astros: It is only fair that the A's get some Astros love since the Rangers had them all weekend. Bartolo Colon over Jordan Lyles and his Wagoneers.
• The Dodgers over the Mets: The future debate of Rookie of the Year lies here in this match up of Matt Harvey against Hyun-jin Ryu. As much as I dread picking against Harvey, who is the better of the two in my opinion, Ryu is pretty unbeatable at home and I like that he has cut down on his walks and has only walked one in his last three starts. This should be fun to watch.

And the Game of the Day:

• The Rangers over the Brewers: I know the old saying goes that on any given day...yada yada. But the Rangers should never lose to the Brewers. Ever. Alexi Ogando has not exactly been slinging the ball effectively, however, and Marco Estrada has been better. I am still going with the Rangers.

Yesterday: 7-4

Week: 18-8

Month: 99-60

Season: 1002-773

Games of the Day: 77-51    +2

MLB Game Picks - Friday: August 2, 2013

The picks yesterday ended up seven of eleven, which is not bad. But they could have been nine of eleven if Jonathan Papelbon had done what he was supposed to do and then the Phillies could have scored in the bottom of the ninth when they had the bases loaded with nobody out, and, if the Mariners' bullpen could have gotten six outs after Felix Hernandez gave them a 7-1 lead after seven. What fiascoes. What ineptitude.

And the thing about the Phillies' game was that Cole Hamels left with a 1-0 lead, 116 pitches thrown and eight shut down innings. You would think Hamels should have had a chance to get three more of his own outs. But the mighty pitch count strikes again. What foolishness.

To give Seattle a little credit, Yoervis Medina did strike out Jonny Gomes with a perfect pitch on the outside corner and was not given the call. But the truth is that the Mariners should not have been in that position in the first place--not with a then five-run lead.

Oh well. Rant over. That is baseball. Friday's picks:

• The Dodgers over the Cubs: Another Friday day game for the Cubs at Wrigley might be a close game as Travis Wood should hang with Hyun-jin Ryu. But the Dodgers will eventually win the game as they are the much better team.
• The Braves over the Phillies: Ethan Martin makes his Major League debut for the Phillies and I am somewhat dubious of the decision. He has a good record in Triple-A and a low hits per nine there. But his control is not there and has averaged five walks per nine in the minors including this year. Kris Medlen for the win.
• The Pirates over the Rockies: The Pirates finally lost last night to the Cards (in a big way) but should bounce back with a win today at home. Gerrit Cole is good. Jhoulys Chacin is good at times. But the nod is to the Pirates.
• The Tigers over the White Sox: It is hard to count on Doug Fister for a win. At least that is my experience. But Hector Santiago is not a fearsome opponent. The White Sox are so bad...
• The Red Sox over the Diamondbacks: Randall Delgado has had quite a few nice outings and could shut down the Red Sox. But there is no way the pick can go that way--not as good as the Red Sox are. Jon Lester had a better outing his last time out.
• The Marlins over the Indians: There are so many questions in this one. Jose Fernandez is dazzling at home. But can his bullpen hold it? Ubaldo Jimenez seems to be back. But is he? Should I pick against the Indians losing streak? I have to go with Fernandez at home. Go kid go.
• The Mets over the Royals: I have been poking holes at Wade Davis all season. And he shut me up a little with a great performance his last time out. Citi Field should be good for him with its length. But for that same reason, I am going with Dillon Gee.
• The Giants over the Rays: Chris Archer looked fantastic against the Yankees. He sure is a cocky kid. But in this match-up, I favor Madison Bumgarner to shut down the Rays' offense.
• The Cardinals over the Reds: Judging from his last start, a little rest did Shelby Miller a lot of good. If he pitches like that again, the Cards will beat Bronson Arroyo. But Miller will need to be that good to win.
• The Twins over the Astros: I really like Jarred Cosart and he will keep this game close early. But that bullpen is ravaged by the trade deadline and Sam Deduno has won a string of games with great outings.
• The Nationals over the Brewers: For most of the season, Jordan Zimmermann has been my guy. But he has thrown like five stinkers in a row leading me to wonder about his arm. But I have not given up on him yet and think he will beat the Braun-less Brewers and Tom Gorzelanny.
• The Athletics over the Rangers: I have not liked what I have seen from Alexi Ogando since he came off the disabled list. He just does not look overpowering anymore. Then again, Tommy Milone is not a stud either. But you have to go with the A's at home even if the Rangers really need to sweep this series.
• The Angels over the Blue Jays: The battle of the disappointing teams continues. I don't like picking Todd Redmond or Tommy Hanson. But one of them has to win.
• The Yankees over the Padres: CC Sabathia has been the worst pitcher on the Yankees' rotation for over a month now. Can he get it together in his home state? Will the Padres get the good Andrew Cashner or the bad one?

And the Game of the Day:

• The Orioles over the Mariners: Can you pick the Mariners after last night's debacle? Does Aaron Harang at Camden Yards frighten anybody but me? Going with Chris Tillman who has put a great string of games together.

Yesterday: 7-4

Week: 39-28

Month: 7-4

Season: 910-712

Games of the Day: 70-47   +1

MLB Game Picks - Friday: July 26, 2013

Thursday was not nearly as good a day as the day before. With a postponement of the game in Boston, eight of the thirteen picks were correct. The Royals beat the Orioles again as Jeremy Guthrie was terrific. Nathan Eovaldi was terrific at Coors against the Rockies and I did not see that coming. Justin Verlander was again very human and his ERA is 3.99 now. Perhaps I should stop picking him. I went with the wrong horse as Mat Latos out-pitched Zack Greinke. And the last incorrect pick happened because Yovani Gallardo had nothing and lost at home, which hardly ever happens.

But it still was not a bad effort. Hey, what do you do when somebody is blatantly ripping off your writing? This Facebook page called What's The Odds blatantly copies and pastes my stuff. There are no attributes or links back here. Whoever it is simply claims my work as his or her own. How low is that? Go ahead and copy this, you sycophant. At least this make sure it has to do some editing in order to use it. Apparently, whoever this is also has a website by that same name but you cannot get to it. So not only is What's The Odds a lowlife thief, but also a lousy programmer.

On this day in 1923, my dad, William R. Tasker, was born. Happy 90th birthday, Dad. I miss you.

Friday's picks:

• The Nationals over the Mets: These two teams play two games today. The first one features Jordan Zimmermann who has really gotten hit hard lately. He has been my guy all season though and I will not give up on him yet. Meanwhile, the Mets are starting Jenrry Mejia, another young pitcher. But this one is 1-6 so far in the Majors and has averaged four innings per start in the minors.
• The Orioles over the Red Sox: The Orioles have had a tough week. But they always seem to play the Red Sox tough and Chris Tillman never loses lately. John Lackey goes for the Red Sox.
• This intellectual property belongs to The Flagrant Fan, William Tasker, at www.passion4baseball.blogspot.com  Copying is not cool.
• The Mets over the Nationals: Every Matt Harvey Day is an exciting day. The Nats had a big win last night, so they could get hot. But they will have to go through Harvey first. Ross Ohlendorf goes for the Nats and I will not make fun of the pick. The guy is 2-0. What an amazing fringe career this guy has had.
• The Yankees over the Bay Rays: CC Sabathia has not been good. He has hardly been an ace. That role has now gone to Kuroda. But perhaps Sabathia can have a good outing. Jeremy Hellickson has had some success against the Yankees and some nightmares. Who knows today.
• The Indians over the Rangers: After splitting with the Yankees this week, I am not very impressed with the Rangers. Their lineup has holes and Martin Perez is still in the rotation and goes today. Corey Kluber goes for the Indians.
• The Blue Jays over the Astros: R.A. Dickey has not had a great year. But he has shown flashes of his old self. He should baffle the Astros while his teammates rough up Jordan Lyles.
• The Tigers over the Phillies: Cole Hamels. Is that enough to write about this game? Cole Hamels is snakebit. Nothing has gone right this season. He was my Cy Young Award pick and he is 4-12. Yeesh. Going with Doug Fister and the Tigers.
• This intellectual property belongs to The Flagrant Fan, William Tasker, at www.passion4baseball.blogspot.com  Copying is not cool.
• The Cardinals over the Braves: It seems like Mike Minor should be better than he is. But after a hot start, he has been really ordinary. The Cardinals, meanwhile, have their ace on the mound with Adam Wainwright. That seems to give the edge to Redbirds.
• The Royals over the White Sox: The White Sox are playing better, but then so are the Royals. And the Royals are a better team. Besides, I feel better picking James Shields than picking Jose Quintana.
• The Rockies over the Brewers: I cannot imagine the Brewers' clubhouse right now. Are they mad about Braun? Are they demoralized? Who knows. They are not that great a team to begin with. And I am thinking that Tyler Chatwood beats Wily Peralta. Picking against Peralta has hurt me in the past.
• The Diamondbacks over the Padres: Every time I have picked against Randall Delgado, he pitches great. Of Eric Stults' 21 starts, I have picked nineteen of them incorrectly. So there you go. Take this pick any way you want.
• The Athletics over the Angels: Forget it. Shrek is pitching. Bartolo Colon is a Cy Young Award candidate. Figure that one out. He never loses these days. Of course, that could end today with a Mike Trout or Mark Trumbo homer. But this is the way you have to go with the pick. Jerome Williams goes for the Angels.
• This intellectual property belongs to The Flagrant Fan, William Tasker, at www.passion4baseball.blogspot.com    Copying is not cool.
• The Dodgers over the Reds: This is a very intriguing and cool series. The Reds took the first one. Today, Clayton Kershaw goes against Homer Bailey. The team that wins will be the one with the hotter pitcher.
• The Mariners over the Twins: No matter how bad things get in Seattle, at least they can throw Iwakuma and Felix Hernandez at you and have a chance to win for sure in two of their five games. The Mariners' offense, meanwhile, should have a Scott Diamond jubilee.
• The Giants over the Cubs: If Matt Cain was Matt Cain, then this pick would not be an issue. But Matt Cain has not been Matt Cain this season. Okay, I will stop repeating myself now. I am going with Matt Cain being Matt Cain. Edwin Jackson goes for the Cubs.

And the Game of the Day:

• The Pirates over the Marlins: The Marlins are going to have culture shock going from hitting happy Coors back to their Grand Canyon ballpark. Jeff Locke has been quite a story for the Pirates. Henderson Alvarez has a story in there somewhere.

Yesterday: 8-5

Week: 56-31

Month: 184-117

Season: 861-653

Games of the Day: 67-43

MLB Game Picks - Sunday: July 21, 2013

Saturday started out a lot like Friday where every correct pick was balanced by an incorrect one. The Yankees winning was a surprise as were the Padres and the Mets. After after ten games were completed, the record stood at 5-5. But every pick for the rest of the day was correct and an extra innings game even went my way. Picking the White Sox over the Braves was probably the best pick of the day. I was proud of that one.

Talk about a weird game. How weird was it that the Mariners scored four runs while only tallying one hit in the game? Erik Bedard got the loss and never gave up a hit in six and a third innings. Two of the Mariners' four runs were scored in the sixth inning on a walk, a walk, a passed ball, a sacrifice fly and a passed ball. Bizarre.

On to Sunday we go. Some high powered pitching match-ups are on tap and it should be a great day of day baseball. The picks:

• The Blue Jays over the Rays: The Blue Jays salvage one game of the series as R.A. Dickey has a good day and Chris Archer leaks enough runs for his team to lose.
• The Mets over the Phillies: I have not yet gotten a game of this series correct. So this is one of those opposite picks. I think Cliff Lee holds back the Mets and is slightly better than the super-powered Matt Harvey. But I am picking the opposite to occur.
• The Pirates over the Reds: The Pirates salvage one game of this series after two straight tough losses. Jeff Locke always seems to pitch well and despite his great stuff and his two no-hitters, Homer Bailey is still just 5-8.
• The Nationals over the Dodgers: The Nats have already lost games in this series started by Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez. And both pitched well too. Today, the Nats face Clayton Kershaw, only the best pitcher in the National League. But...and this is a big but...Jordan Zimmermann is my secret weapon.
• The Braves over the White Sox: The Braves might be one of the most excuse me first place teams of all time. But there they are, still ahead by half a dozen games. Incredible. Mike Minor is a case in point. Nine wins and he seems very beatable at times. Jose Quintana, though, is never a guy I pick and rightly so.
• The Indians over the Twins: Yeah, this is the way I picked it on Friday and Saturday and both were wrong. But I still like Justin Masterson and I still don't like to pick Kevin Correia who seems to pitch every day. But then again, all those Twins' pitchers look alike.
• The Royals over the Tigers: Okay, I give up trying to figure out the Tigers. They are the most frustrating team there is. The Royals are right behind them. This pick is based solely on thinking James Shields has a better chance of being good than Doug Fister does.
• The Marlins over the Brewers: I am getting all jiggy with this pick. Henderson Alvarez is going to pitch a good game. The Marlins will score their first runs this series and Wily Peralta, along with Pena, keeps the Wily name proud.
• The Mariners over the Astros: Every time Felix Hernandez looks ordinary, I think his arm is going to fall off. And then he pitches great. Today will be one of those days. Jordan Lyles will give up more than one hit today.
• The Cardinals over the Padres: The Cards are starting to do it to me again. Two losses to the Padres? Come on boys. Cut that out. But the big horse, Adam Wainwright, is on the mound today and that should be a win against Eric Stults.
• The Athletics over the Angels: You win, Bartolo Colon. I capitulate. Of your twelve wins, I probably picked against you nine times. I am tired of beating my head against the wall. I do not know how you do it. But carry on. Jerome Williams has not looked good in his last three starts.
• The Rockies over the Cubs: I have no idea, really, who is going to win this game. Edwin Jackson is sort of on a good streak. But he is at Coors. Tyler Chatwood has not convinced me yet. So I have no idea. I am going with the home team.
• The Orioles over the Rangers: The Rangers do not seem like a good team to me. They are short in the rotation and in the lineup. The Orioles do not seem to be short on anything. Chris Tillman over Martin Perez.
• The Yankees over the Red Sox: The Yankees play better when I predict them to lose. So this might be dumb. And CC Sabathia never pitches well at Fenway. So why am I picking him then? Because I think the Yankees will score on Ryan Dempster.

And the Game of the Day:

• The Giants over the Diamondbacks: It is just another season in the NL West as the Giants look like crap for most of the season, then hang around as the rest of the division rots and is suddenly in first place on the last day of the season. Madison Bumgarner over Randall Delgado.

Yesterday: 10-5

Week: 10-5

Month: 137-91

Season: 814-627

Games of the Day: 64-41

MLB Game Picks - Tuesday: July 9, 2013

Last night, after the Yankees, the Nationals, the Pirates and the Rangers lost, the picks stood at 1-4. But, thankfully, they rallied and went 7-1 the rest of the way. There were even two extra inning games that went my way. Wow. Things are definitely looking up in July for this old game picker. I still cannot believe I picked Dan Haren though.

The season keeps on barreling on toward the All Star break. Tuesday's picks:

• The Yankees over the Royals: Yes, the Yankees cannot hit. And yes, James Shields likes the challenge of pitching against the Yankees. But CC Sabathia is the difference maker in this game and pushes the pick to the Yankees.
• The Pirates over the Athletics: I had a dream about A.J. Burnett last night. How weird is that? In my dream, the Pirates traded him back to the Yankees. Anyway, that has nothing to do with the pick because Gerrit Cole is pitching and nevermind his last outing. He will shut down the A's. Dan Straily gets the hard luck loss.
• The Orioles over the Rangers: The Rangers are the worst good team this side of the Braves. You cannot count on them at all. Zach Britton versus Martin Perez is a match not made in heaven. Anything can happen.
• The Blue Jays over the Indians: When considering this game, the thought was which pitcher between Josh Johnson and Ubaldo Jimenez could have a really good night. The conclusion to the thought was Josh Johnson.
• The Phillies over the Nationals: Taylor Jordan has not pitched badly, but he has nothing to show for it. The Nats are pretty terrible on offense when facing a left-hander. Cole Hamels is a left-hander. The Nats are very disappointing this season.
• The Braves over the Marlins: If you look at Julio Teheran's season, you can see that he has won every other start. He did not win his last one, so this turn should be the win part of that cycle. Now if I can only remember this next time he pitches so I do not pick him. Henderson Alvarez goes for the Fish.
• The Bay Rays over the Twins: Anything could happen in this game. Two inexperienced pitchers in Chris Archer and Kyle Gibson. This is one of those toss ups where you pick the home team.
• The Cubs over the Angels: The Cubs can showcase Alfonso Soriano as a DH in case anyone is watching. Travis Wood rhymes with Trav is good and Joe Blanton has still won way less games than he has lost.
• The Reds over the Brewers: My bud, @diamondhoggers, is a big Reds fan and he is really thinking this team is in trouble. I still think they are a threat to come on in the second half. Tony Cingrani seems to have a lot of detractors even after pitching well. But I like him. I like him much better than Wily Peralta.
• The Cardinals over the Astros: The Cardinals are over this obsession with Bud Norris, are they not? If not, then they should be. Adam Wainwright is way better and this game should be fairly easy for the redbirds.
• The Dodgers over the Diamondbacks: Ian Kennedy has held his own against the Dodgers over the years. He has a winning record against them but he is not invulnerable at Dodgers Stadium. Meanwhile, Ricky Nolasco has a new lease on life in his first game in his new uniform. Let's see how he reacts to it.
• The Mariners over the Red Sox: Hisashi Iwakuma was the talk of baseball in the first two months of the season. Since then? Not so much. But he is left-handed and pitching at home. That said, he has a chance to shut down the Red Sox. Allen Webster is still inexperienced and even the Mariners have a chance to score against him.
• The Padres over the Rockies: I finally killed my Eric Stults curse in his last start. What I did was a reverse / opposite pick. I thought he was going to win, so I picked him to lose. It worked. Today, I think he will lose, so I will pick him to win. Hey, a picker has to do what a picker has to do. Jhoulys Chacin goes for the Rockies.
• The Mets over the Giants: This pick is really a pick for Dillon Gee more than it is a pick against Barry Zito. I think Zito will be okay in this one. But Gee just seems to win these sorts of games. He is such a fundamentally sound player.

And the Game of the Day!

• The Tigers over the White Sox: As scary as it is to state, this game is a mismatch if I ever saw one. Justin Verlander should dominate and the Tigers should do enough damage to Jose Quintana to make a few runs stand up.

Yesterday; 8-5

Week: 20-8

Month: 70-40

Season: 747-586

Games of the Day: 59-38