MLB Game Picks - Saturday: September 20, 2014

The Game Picks are on a nice little roll. After last night's 13-2 tally, the picks aer 30-10 for the last three days. The only two incorrect picks from yesterday were the Orioles, who obviously do not have any urgency right now, losing to the Red Sox in extras and the Rangers pouncing on the equally devoid of urgency Angels. In the former game, David Ortiz did his thing with a homer in the tenth with a man on, his second homer of the day.

Clayton Kershaw won his 20th game, which is cool. The Royals continue to fall flat against the Tigers when it counts. The Cardinals rode a good performance by John Lackey while his former partner, Jon Lester was doing his thing to keep the A's in the hunt. And Derek Jeter had two more hits in his final homestand.

Saturday's picks:

• The Royals over the Tigers: I am really questioning myself here. James Shields is pitching for the fourth time against the Tigers this year. His peripherals are excellent in those four games but nearly every base runner he's put on has scored somehow. That's unlucky and it reverses today against Max Scherzer. This is the Royals' best chance to win a game this series.
• The Cubs over the Dodgers: Roberto Hernandez better not be on the Dodgers' post season roster. I don't see him winning today as Felix Doubront has gotten his mojo back with the Cubs.
• The Athletics over the Phillies: Drew Pomeranz has come a long way and should be fine against the Phillies. The A's are very familiar with Jerome Williams and that will help their offense.
• The Yankees over the Blue Jays: As always, it all depends on how well the pitchers do. Marcus Stroman has been great at times, but he is young and a guy the Yankees can push into pitch count trouble. Chris Capuano has to be so fine to be good that it's stupid. I think the Yankees are going to roll in Jeter's last homestand.
• The Diamondbacks over the Rockies: Ugh. These two teams again. And the pitching match-up. Blech. Trevor Cahill has been awful. And in Eddie Butler's first start, he wasn't treated very kindly. This could go either eay.
• The Orioles over the Red Sox: Chris Tillman is a quality pitcher and I have a feeling that the Orioles' offense will have a fun day off of Rubby De La Rosa and that's what he gets for having four names.
• The Pirates over the Brewers: Matt Garza has been very good in three of his last four starts. But even if he is good today, tha bullpen will need to get nine outs and I don't see it. Edinson Volquez has had a very solid season.
• The Rays over the White Sox: The Rays' offense hasn't been doing much, but they at least get their best bats in the lineup against Hector Noesi and thus have a chance. Whether they win the game or not depends a lot on Chris Archer, who has not been sharp in the second half.
• The Twins over the Indians: I have picked consistently against Trevor May since he had such an odious start to his big league career. But he has been coming on strong and it is time to switch gears. The problem is that the same can be said for T.J. House.
• The Mets over the Braves: Gosh, the Braves. Jon Niese should be able to hold down a nonexistent Braves' offense and will scratch enough off of Mike Minor to continue to keep the Braves in free fall.
• The Mariners over the Astros: While I still don't believe in Chris Young, especially away from his home park, the Astros have been posing little resistance. Dallas Keuchel has had a decent year though.
• The Marlins over the Nationals: Jordan Zimmermann will only go five or so innings and then the Marlins can win the game if Jarred Cosart pitches as well as I think he will at home.
• The Giants over the Padres: It's one thing to beat a beat-up, old Tim Hudson. It is another to do the same thing against a young arm like Yusmeiro Petit. He will shut the Padres down and the Giants will get just enough against Andrew Cashner.
• The Angels over the Rangers: The Angels have been lollygagging around since they clinched. I think the offense will have a fun day against Colby Lewis and Jered Weaver gets his 18th win.

And the Game of the Day:

• The Cardinals over the Reds: The Cardinals are still hoping Michael Wacha can gather it together before the playoffs start. Today will be watched closely. The Cardinals should jump on Mike Leake for four or five runs.

Yesterday: 13-2, Sept.: 157-104, Games of the Day: 99-63 (+7), Season: 1287-1038

MLB Game Picks - Saturday: September 6, 2014

I'm not having a good morning. I was really tired last night and went to bed way early for me. I woke up to get the puppy from his room and he had pooped and peed all over it. Happy Saturday, William! Then I got to the picks from yesterday and there were four extra-inning games. Three of them went against the picks. Besides that, the Orioles and Yankees were shut out.

The final ugly tally was a 6-8 day with one suspended game to be finished today. So it could actually get worse depending on how that turns out. Oh, and the Astros beat the A's. You can't predict ball.

Saturday's picks:

• The Orioles over the Rays: This could be wrong again if The Emoticon, Drew Smyly, has a good day. Kevin Gausman certainly has the ability to shut the Rays down. Perhaps the O's know they are so far ahead that it matters little.
• The Giants over the Tigers: You have two great left-handed aces going here in Madison Bumgarner and David Price. They are even in my book. So if they cancel each other out, the Giants' bullpen is slightly better than the Tigers'. This game is too close to call.
• The Athletics over the Astros: For the first time all season, I don't know what to do with Scott Kazmir. He has fallen apart and his old control issue is back. Was it just a couple of bad games? Will he put it back together? Can the A's muster any offense these days? Scott Feldman hopes not.
• The Yankees over the Royals: I don't know why I am doing this. Yesterday should have discouraged me enough on the Bronx team from ever picking them again. But I like Brandon McCarthy at Yankee Stadium in a day game. Of course, Danny Duffy is very impressive these days. I am probably throwing this pick away.
• The Nationals over the Phillies: Tanner Roark had a bad game his last time out in Seattle. I still trust him more than A.J. Burnett. But the Nats' defense and bullpen leave a lot to be desired. Every game the Phillies win here down the stretch adds to Amaro's delusion.
• The Cubs over the Pirates: Felix Doubront has gotten a new life in Chicago. He was so far south in the Red Sox' doghouse. I think he can beat Francisco Liriano with those young bats behind him.
• The Reds over the Mets: Johnny Cueto should not allow the Mets to pile up runs again like yesterday. Dillon Gee has been disappointing. The Reds can't hit these days though. By the way, I called that Granderson homer yesterday.
• The Indians over the White Sox: What do you do when a pitcher has been god-like most of the year and suddenly loses three in a row? Do you stick with Corey Kluber or bail? I don't know, frankly. Carlos Quintana never gets a break and his quality has gone down a bit now. Cleveland at home is what I am basing this pick.
• The Twins over the Angels: Oh what the heck, let's go with Phil Hughes. The Twins took the Angels to extra-innings before losing yesterday and Hughes is their stopper. Corey Rasmus starting for the Angels forces their bullpen to come up big.
• The Braves over the Marlins: I simply cannot rely on Nathan Eovaldi to pitch well to pick the Marlins. Yeah, Stanton is killing the ball right now as are some of his teammates, but Eovaldi sours me. Alex Wood is going for the Braves.
• The Cardinals over the Brewers: First let me say that A.J. Pierzynski is such a jerk that it still angers me that he got a job after the Red Sox let him go. Him saying something on the way back to the dugout is typical of the kind of jerk he is. He is an embarrassment to the Cardinals. Lance Lynn over his old buddy, Kyle Lohse.
• The Red Sox over the Blue Jays: Clay Buchholz seems to be back to the star pitcher he once was. For now... J.A. Happ seems to be running out of tricks to keep what was a promising season going. My only problem here is that Buchholz's recent success does not include his home appearances where he is routinely awful.
• The Mariners over the Rangers: Regression has been calling Chris Young's name. Nick Martinez has been awful. So the final score here could be double-figures for both. Ugly game to pick.
• The Rockies over the Padres: Jorge De La Rosa just got an extension to his contract and thus should be a happy man. He has weathered Coors Field just about better than anyone. Joe Wieland is young (24) and gets his first big league appearance since 2012. I like him a lot because he has great control. But it is too bad he has to start his rebirth at Coors.

And the Game of the Day:

• The Dodgers over the Diamondbacks: I cannot see anything but good things for a game started in L.A. by Hyun-jin Ryu. Chace Anderson will try to battle to keep his team in the game, but the Dodgers should win this one.

Yesterday: 6-8, Sept.: 34-31, Games of the Day: 88-60 (+3), Season: 1164-965

MLB Game Picks - Saturday: April 19, 2014

Wow! I am in a slump. The last two days have gone 10-17. Yuck! I haven't been able to pick a duck from a goose these last two days. I made a joke about Jered Weaver throwing a gem. He threw a gem. I picked the Mets to win!? Really? Of course, had I know they would trade Ike Davis on Passover, I would have known maybe. I stole that joke from Wendy Thurm. Come on, William, buckle down and let's get this right.

Saturday's picks:

• The Cardinals over the Nationals: I have the same situation as I had with Weaver yesterday. Jordan Zimmermann has been terrible thus far. If today is his discovery day, the pick is messed up. Lance Lynn goes for the Cards.
• The Indians over the Blue Jays: The Blue Jays won yesterday and I think Jose Reyes comes off the DL today. But I like Corey Kluber at home over Mark Buehrle.
• The Tigers over the Angels: Mike Trout and Albert Pujols combined for ten total bases yesterday. If that happens again, the pick is dead. But again, I like Max Scherzer at home over C.J. Wilson.
• The Red Sox over the Orioles: The Red Sox should jump all over Bud Norris (though he pitched well last time). My only concern is Felix Doubront who has been all over the place thus far.
• The Royals over the Twins: Bruce Chen at home? Oh yeah, that's a keeper. He has the most amazing home/road splits of all time. Kevin Correia doesn't scare me on this pick.
• The Reds over the Cubs: Tony Cingrani is pitching and I root for Italians. Hey, every prognosticator has their peccadilloes. Edwin Jackson is pitching for the Cubs and even if he does well, his team is not hitting.
• The Athletics over the Astros: Poor Brett Oberholtzer has been pitching so well and is 0-3. Oh, the plight of a pitcher for a bad team. Teams like the A's pick up guys like Scott Kazmir and they just work out. Pretty amazing that.
• The Brewers over the Pirates: This is another Jered Weaver situation. Wandy Rodriguez has not been able to put it together. He has looked terrible. Will today be the day he puts it together? The Brewers best hitters are right-handed, so I don't think it will happen. Matt Garza gets his first Brewers win.
• The Yankees over the Rays: This pick is totally based on the good Ivan Nova to show up. If the bad one shows up. Uh oh. Plus, Chris Archer has had the Yankees' number, but if I pick it that way, it will go the opposite way. Boy, two bad days really plays with your head.
• The Mariners over the Marlins: Roenis Elias will be pretty darned close to his Cuban home in Miami. He's been pretty good. Henderson Alvarez has not been good at all. The Marlins walked off yesterday. Today is a different day.
• The White Sox over the Rangers: The Rangers should have saved some of those runs. They will need them today. Jose Quintana is a good pitcher and Colby Lewis scares me to death.
• The Dodgers over the Diamondbacks: Mike Bolsinger is making his first MLB start. I never like those situations. So I am going with Dan Haren and the Dodgers, especially at home.
• The Rockies over the Phillies: Jordan Lyles is inducing twice as many ground balls as fly balls. That is perfect for Coors. Kyle Kendrick at Coors doesn't sound fun.
• The Giants over the Padres: Tim Hudson was built to pitch in San Diego's park. Eric Stults is a mystery.

And the Game of the Day!

• The Braves over the Mets: Ervin Santana has been very good. Bartolo Colon has not been very good and his back hurts. Not good for the Mets.

Yesterday: 6-9, Games of the Day: 7-8, Season: 141-105

How did that pace thing work out for the Red Sox?

When John Farrell took over as the manager of the Red Sox and Juan Nieves came on board as the pitching coach, the early stories out of Spring Training were that the Red Sox pitching, which had crashed and burned in 2012, was going to pick up the pace. I was one that had applauded the notion as the Red Sox pitchers were notoriously slow workers. After the season is all said and done, how did that work out? Did the Red Sox pitchers work more quickly?

No matter what answers are found here, you cannot complain about the results. You cannot improve upon winning the World Series. So give Farrell and Nieves all the credit in the world and nobody can argue with you. All I am interested here is whether their goal was met when it came to pace.

Let's take a look:

Pitcher:  2013, 2012, 2011 (in seconds)

• Jon Lester: 23.2, 23.2, 24.2
• Clay Buchholz: 24.2, 25.6, 26.7
• John Lackey: 22.3, ---, 23.1 
• Felix Doubront: 22.9, 23.9, 27.1
• Franklin Morales: 23.5, 24.2, 25.8

Team: 23.4, 24.1, 24.7  - sixth slowest, first slowest, first slowest

The final results do see a slight quickening of pace for the Red Sox over 2012. After being the slowest pitching staff for two years in a row, they tied for the sixth slowest in 2013. Buchholz and Doubront seemed to get the message the clearest and were markedly improved. Others, not so much. And pitchers like Lackey and Dempster worked with a much quicker pace (both around 20 seconds) before they came to the Red Sox. So take that as you will.

The other story line from Spring Training was pounding the strike zone more. Again, there was only slight improvement:

• First pitch strikes: 60.0% (2013), 59.8% (2012), 59.1% (2011)
• Zone percentage: 44.3% (2013), 44.7 (2012), 45.1% (2013)
• Walks per nine: 3.24 (2013), 3.30 (2012), 3.33 (2011)

As I look at these numbers, I see where Nieves had an effect on two of his starting pitchers and a slight, but largely insignificant improvement on "attacking the strike zone." I guess the moral of the story is not to get too wrapped up in stories out of Spring Training.

The other moral of the story is not to complain about success because the Red Sox had it in abundance.

MLB Game Picks - Friday: September 6, 2013

When I went to bed, the picks stood at 3-1 with the one loss the pie-in-the-sky pick being the Yankees. When I awoke, I found that I had gone zero for the West Coast as all three games out there were wrong. I hate when that happens, especially when one of those picks was the Game of the Day. Oakland lost to the Astros!?

Do you know what I cannot wrap my head around? The Giants are in last place. I am pretty sure I have been picking them all season like they were the World Series Champions. Wait. They are. Whatever. Anyway, the picks are again in the red for the week and the month.

I am hoping I can fix that today. Friday's picks:

• The Brewers over the Cubs: It is difficult to pick who is going to win a game for two teams just playing out the string. Which is going to play more September call ups? Which has packed it in emotionally and which keeps fighting? This pick is based solely on the starting pitchers. Kyle Lohse over Chris Rusin.
• The Braves over the Phillies: Cliff Lee has not won a game in forever. He has been decent, but he has not won. Mike Minor seems like the better pick. The Braves have such a big lead that you wonder how their motivation will be.
• The Red Sox over the Yankees: Nova starting seemed to be the Yankees best chance to win. He was terrible. Andy Pettitte is not someone, at this stage of his career, that can slow down the Red Sox. Felix Doubront always seems to pitch the Yankees well. The Yankees had their chance yesterday and could not get it done.
• The Indians over the Mets: The Indians have a tough challenge against Zack Wheeler, but they should win the game, especially at home. Scott Kazmir should pitch a good game against a team with lefty batters.
• The Reds over the Dodgers: I can see Mike Leake having a better chance of stopping the Dodgers' offense than Chris Capuano stopping the Reds' offense. A lot will depend on if Puig plays. An Aroldis Chapman versus Puig confrontation would have been exciting.
• The Marlins over the Nationals: Jose Fernandez at home in Miami? That is a lock. It has been all season. The only chance for the Nats is for Dan Haren to match him and then win late. I do not see Haren matching him.
• The Royals over the Tigers: They call him "Big Game" James Shields for a reason. He will either rise to that like he has in the past or give up three homers and lose. Those are the two possible outcomes. Anibal Sanchez has this thing about becoming invisible in the second half of a season. He has done it his whole career. Can he break out of it?
• The Blue Jays over the Twins: This is as pick-em a game as there is. Two bad teams. Two so-so to mediocre pitchers. I will give the nod to R.A. Dickey to fool enough Twins to win. Mike Pelfrey should run into a couple of bats.
• The Cardinals over the Pirates: You cannot say that the NL Central has been boring. The three main teams have been battling it out for two weeks now. I see this as a Cardinal win IF Joe Kelly pitches a good game. If he does, the Cardinals should be able to score a few off of A.J. Burnett, who has not been good.
• The Athletics over the Astros: Isn't it just like baseball for the A's to whip the Rangers and then lose the following day to the Astros? Yeah, you cannot predict ball. That said, A.J. Griffin should beat Dallas Keuchel. We are back on track with both A.J.'s pitching on the same day.
• The Rangers over the Angels: I am sure that Mike Scioscia would love nothing better than to knock the Rangers for a loop. And his pitcher, C.J. Wilson (lots of initials today), has been pitching well. But I am still going to go with Matt Garza.
• The Padres over the Rockies: Burch Smith has pitched 12.2 innings of MLB ball. In that time a lot has happened. He has given up 21 hits and five homers to go with seven walks. That is all bad. But he has struck out fifteen. That is good. There is no way he should be picked to win today. But this is a setup and I have been setup all season by such no-brain letdowns. Juan Nicasio goes for the Rockies.
• The Rays over the Mariners: I want so bad to pick Hisashi Iwakuma to win at home. That seems like such a good combination that has served me well. But this is the Rays and this is September and doggonit if they always find a way. Alex Cobb goes for the Rays.
• The Giants over the Diamondbacks: See? I keep picking the Giants like they were the World Series Champions. Yusmeiro Petit has been dominant in his last couple of starts and Patrick Corbin looks like he has hit a wall. Goldschmidt seemed to wake up yesterday though, so that could be trouble.

And the Game of the Day:

• The Orioles over the White Sox: I can sort of see the Orioles having a tough time with John Danks. But I cannot put that together with a loss for the Orioles, not against the roll-over-and-die White Sox. Scott Feldman goes for the Orioles.

Yesterday: 3-4

Week: 33-34

Month: 33-34

Season: 1175-929

Game of the Day picks:  88-64   -3

MLB Game Picks - Sunday: September 1, 2013

A week just ended and a month just ended and neither ended with a good day. The day was only a game under .500, but it was a frustrating day as all kinds of funky stuff happened. Well, that is only partially true. The rest of the reality is that I made some seriously stinky picks such as the Nationals and the Rockies. Both were smoked. The A's beat the Rays again which seriously surprised me. And it makes sense a little bit. The Rays' big pennant drive move was to acquire David DeJesus? D'oh!

How about Ivan Nova though? And Zack Wheeler? I should have stuck with Sonny Gray. And how bad is the Indians' bullpen? Six runs allowed in four innings against the Tigers without Miguel Cabrera!? Ugh.

It was a strange day. And I cannot believe August is over. Where did the summer go? Well, September is still summer for a lot of you. But up here in northern Maine, it is a pretty month but also a month when autumn begins. Sigh.

Sunday's picks:

• The Yankees over the Orioles: The Orioles saved Wei-Yin Chen for the Yankees. That was a little unwise as the Yankees now have right-handed bats like Jeter, Soriano, A-Rod, Reynolds and...yeah, okay...Wells. Andy Pettitte just has to keep the Orioles under four runs.
• The Royals over the Blue Jays: The Blue Jays winning streak ends at two games. But at least they had one. James Shields puts an end to that and J.A. Happ gets beat up a little bit.
• The Tigers over the Indians: Yes, I know Danny Salazar has a real arm. And I also know that Justin Verlander is not the same pitcher this season as he has been. But the Indians have been schmucked by the Tigers all season. Why should today be different.
• The Cardinals over the Pirates: What do you know, Lance Lynn gave up a big inning. Such a surprise. But that is what I get for picking the Cards. And I am picking them again. What is wrong with me? But there is some logic involved. Kris Johnson is a journeyman pitcher for a reason. Yeah, he is a wily lefty. But wily is all he has. Joe Kelly, on the other hand, has a power arm that can shut out the Pirates.
• The Brewers over the Angels: I like Kyle Lohse at home better than I like C.J. Wilson on the road. As strange as it seems, at this point, the Brewers have a better lineup than the Angels.
• The Mariners over the Astros: I kept trying to justify picking the Astros. At the end of the day, the Mariners are on a roll and Hisashi Iwakuma is too inviting to pick against. I like Brett Oberholtzer, but I have to be realistic here.
• The Phillies over the Cubs: I can't believe that Cliff Lee did not win again. Most predictors are predicting the Cubs to win this game. I guess they all feel that Jake Arrieta will pitch well. I have seen too many of his games go awry to believe that. Kyle Kendrick at least is predictable.
• The Rangers over the Twins: The Rangers cannot shake the A's and have to keep winning. The Twins should provide little resistance. Joe Mauer is out with a concussion and Justin Morneau was just traded away. What is left? Travis Blackley should win and Kevin Correia is not someone to realy on.
• The A's over the Rays: The Rays are starting Jamey Wright!? Are you kidding me? They have nobody better in the minors than him? I cannot believe that. They are fighting for the playoffs and Jamey Wright!? I am dumbfounded. A.J. Griffin goes for the A's and he is good at home.
• The Rockies over the Reds: I do not like the thought of Mike Leake at Coors Field. But then again, I feel that way about every visiting pitcher there and am wrong at least half the time. Tyler Chatwood has won his last two home starts and handled the Reds pretty well back in June. His last start against the Braves was a short one though.
• The Dodgers over the Padres: I do not think that the Dodgers and Zack Greinke are going to lose to Tyson Ross and the Padres. That is all.
• The Diamondbacks over the Giants: I have to admit that Yusmeiro Petit is pitching pretty darned well. But Patrick Corbin is a cut above talent-wise. I do not see the Giants hitting Corbin even though Corbin has not been the lock he was earlier in the season. The only thing bad about this pick is that if the starters equal themselves out, the D-backs' bullpen sucks.
• The Braves over the Marlins: Yeah, this one should be a no-brain pick. Young Alex Wood has been great. The Braves are rolling and Nathan Eovaldi and the Marlins should provide little resistance.
• The Mets over the Nationals: The Nats just seem to be rolled over and dead. Yes, Ross Ohlendorf has miraculously won all his starts. But the Mets have Jonathon Niese pitching really well and should be the better team today.

And the Game of the Day:

• The Red Sox over the White Sox: The Red Sox just keep building their division lead. This is their year. And there is no way that Felix Doubront is going to lose today. Andre Rienzo is pretty good, but the Red Sox will be patient and eventually do him in.

Yesterday: 7-8

Last Week: 52-42

Last month: 239-182

Season: 1142-895

Games of the Day: 86-61  +1

MLB Game Picks - Tuesday: August 27, 2013

Monday started bad with the news that Matt Harvey has a partial tear in his elbow. That bites for all baseball fans everywhere. And then the picks went bad which bites for this Fan here. Phil Hughes. The only way to say his name is with a bunch of expletives added. The guy just stinks. Plain and simple. And then the White Sox, who were winners of eight out of ten, lost to the Astros. Cincinnati had the Cardinals down but could not keep them there. Anibal Sanchez politely took himself out of the CYA conversation and on it went.

At least the Game of the Day was right for the second time in a row. Sadly, that is the first time that has happened in weeks.

Tuesday's picks:

• The Nationals over the Marlins: Has there ever been a stranger career than Ross Ohlendorf's? I do not think so. How can a pitcher with that little talent last that long and keep getting shots at the Majors? And then go 2-0? Nathan Eovaldi is no better.
• The Pirates over the Brewers: Jeff Locke has been no lock lately and his season has sort of hit a wall. I am thinking that some home cooking helps and a weaker team like the Brewers does too. But he better pitch well because Kyle Lohse is a smart pitcher who makes the most out of what he does.
• The Yankees over the Blue Jays: Let's try this again shall we? Andy Pettitte has looked a little more like the old Andy in his last two starts and will need to pitch well. J.A. Happ is the kind of pitcher that can either get the Yankees to swing at slop or clobber him. There is no in between.
• The Tigers over the Athletics: This is another pick that did not work out yesterday. Coco Crisp is amazing in small doses. Justin Verlander looked awful his last time out. Perhaps today will be better. I think he will be better than Tommy Milone.
• The Angels over the Rays: This is a scary pick. The Rays win so often at home. But C.J. Wilson is pitching well and his left-hand tosses might throw off Matt Joyce and Loney. Plus, Roberto Hernandez simply is not very good.
• The Red Sox over the Orioles: For those still hoping the Red Sox fall on their faces. Give it up. It is not happening. The Orioles seem to be the favorite of baseball shows down the stretch. But the pitching is not there with the Red Sox and the Rays. Felix Doubront over Wei-Yin Chen.
• The Braves over the Indians: Who like interleague play every day? I do not see a whole bunch of hands raised. The Indians are still relevant in the wildcard race but have a series like this thrown in? Ugh. Two good young pitchers square up and Alex Wood squeaks by Danny Salazar.
• The Mets over the Phillies: Let's try this one again too. Jonathon Niese has been pitching well since coming off the DL. Kyle Kendrick is Kyle Kendrick.
• The White Sox over the Astros: Roger Clemens is pitching! Oh...wait...that is Paul Clemens. Never mind. Unless it is another slugfest like yesterday, Jose Quintana should win this game.
• The Reds over the Cardinals: I keep picking the same mistakes I made yesterday. But this is Mat Latos we are talking about. The guy is a stud. And Joe Kelly is a nice pitcher. But he is not a stud. But that is the same set up as yesterday. And look what happened.
• The Giants over the Rockies: Some dude named Yusmeiro Petit is pitching for the Giants? Who is that? Why have I never heard of him before? He is 29, so he is no spring chicken. So since I do not know him, what am I going to do? Pick him to win, of course. The other option is to pick Chad Bettis. No thanks.
• The Padres over the Diamondbacks: David Holmberg, a 22 year old, former second round draft pick is making his MLB debut and jumping from Double-A. He is a control, BABIP kind of guy from the looks of his stats. But I do not know. Ian Kennedy seems like the better pick here.
• The Dodgers over the Cubs: Poor Travis Wood. Every time he pitches, he gets the best studs in the NL to pitch against. Wood has held his own. But he is just a cut below these guys. Clayton Kershaw is the best pitcher in the game.
• The Mariners over the Rangers: This pick all depends on Derek Holland. If he has one of his nights where he is impossible to hit, the pick will look silly. If he is mortal, then I like Hisashi Iwakuma at home much better.

And the Game of the Day:

• The Royals over the Twins: I do not think I have ever picked Kevin Correia to win a game. Well, maybe I have once or twice. James Shields, on the other hand, I have picked a lot. And sometimes, I have regretted it.

Yesterday: 4-6

Week: 13-12

Month: 200-152

Season: 1103-865

Games of the Day: 84-58   +2