MLB Game Picks - Wednesday: June 17, 2015

Yesterday looked so good. Despite being totally wrong about the Yankees / Marlins game (ahem), I finished at 10-5. But that dang Pick of the Day did me in again. I have struggled mightily with that this year, more so than any other year. And the Tigers had the lead too. They simply couldn't hold it.

Wednesday's picks:

• The Orioles over the Phillies: While I have some reservations on Ubaldo Jimenez, I have more about Kevin Correia against the Orioles lineup right now. I hope he knows how to duck.
• The Yankees over the Marlins: The Yankees are different animals at home than on the road. They are nearly a .600 team at home. My one concern is Michael Pineda. I have questions about his health right now and he hasn't looked good. Jose Urena goes for the Marlins.
• The Nationals over the Bay Rays: The series moves to Washington and they clubbed the Rays yesterday. I know. I am picking Jordan Zimmermann again. Woe is me. The Nats win behind him and against Matt Andriese.
• The Blue Jays over the Mets: The Blue Jays get their DH back and that should help. Drew Hutchison should be better than Jon Niese.
• The Braves over the Red Sox: Joe Kelly has been gruesome. He is the Red Sox' Eovaldi. Alex Wood is solid and the Red Sox lose the DH.
• The Indians over the Cubs: This game seems about even, so I ma going with the home team. It will be Shaun Marcum against Tsuyoshi Wada.
• The Reds over the Tigers: David Price has been so good. But he might be out-gunned by Johnny Cueto tonight. Todd Frazier is going bananas at the plate.
• The Brewers over the Royals: I can't see anything good coming out of a Joe Blanton start and Mike Fiers has been much better of late.
• The Pirates over the White Sox: The Pirates don't have to worry about which outfielder to start today because they have the DH. Jeff Locke should be better than John Danks, which isn't hard to do.
• The Cardinals over the Twins: The Twins' slide continues as the St. Louis Hackers...I mean Cardinals prevail with Carlos Martinez on the mound. Tommy Milone goes for the Twins. That's quite the story in St. Louis...and quite embarrassing.
• The Astros over the Rockies:  I don't know what to do with this one. The last time I picked against Brett Oberholtzer, he threw a gem. But he is pitching in Coors. At the same time, Kyle Kendrick has been dreadful at home, just dreadful.
• The Diamondbacks over the Angels: I just have a feeling the D-backs will get to Hector Santiago. Chase Anderson is usually solid.
• The Athletics over the Padres: I am pretty sure that Jesse Chavez, who has come on strong lately, will be better than Odrisamer Despaigne.
• The Mariners over the Giants: Madison Bumgarner usually comes up big against another ace. He's had the best of the duels with Kershaw, for example. But he is in the home of Felix Hernandez. One swing might determine the outcome of this game.

And the Pick of the Day:

• The Dodgers over the Rangers: Clayton Kershaw is back in beast mode and my feeling is that Yasiel Puig will have a big day against Wandy Rodriguez.

Yesterday: 10-5, June: 116-105, Season: 494-454, Picks of the Day: 37-33

MLB Game Picks - Friday: June 12, 2015

I picked terribly yesterday. Picture the old knight in the Indiana Jones movie: "He chose...poorly."  Yes, I did. Looking back, I picked way too many visiting teams to win. No matter how bad a team is, home is always an advantage. According to Baseball-reference.com, home teams win 53.4 percent of the time. That is a pretty significant difference. So if I pick six out of nine visiting teams to win, then I am setting myself up for disaster. And disaster it was.

Let's see if I learned anything. Friday's picks:

• The Cubs over the Reds: Heh. Now I am all messed up because I don't want to pick Johnny Cueto because he is not at home. Jason Hammel is pitching very well for the Cubs though and that's my pick.
• The Yankees over the Orioles: I am now worried about the Yankees' bullpen with their closer on the DL. So although I like Michael Pineda much more than Ubaldo Jimenez, the pick has me big time worried.
• The Pirates over the Phillies: It never ceases to amaze me that Kevin Correia somehow always manages to find a job in baseball. But he's back. I will go with Jeff Locke though. Which is my point.
• The Tigers over the Indians: Two very good pitchers square up here in David Price and Danny Salazar. I give the edge to Price because he will go deeper into the game.
• The Mets over the Braves: If Bartolo Colon was pitching on the road, I would take the Braves here because Alex Wood is very good at preventing runs. But at home, Colon can seem to have some really good moments.
• The Rays over the White Sox: This pick is not so much a support of Matt Andriese, though he did pitch well against the Yankees. Rather, it is my long distrust of John Danks as a Major League pitcher.
• The Marlins over the Rockies: Uh...one of these pitchers has to win. Kyle Kendrick is not somebody I ever like to pick. But, Jose Urena hasn't exactly been lighting it up for the Marlins either. Ick. Christian Yelich appears to be over his slump. That helps.
• The Blue Jays over the Red Sox: The Red Sox starting pitching continues to be a problem and I don't see Joe Kelly being able to stop the steamrolling Blue Jays. The key is Drew Hutchison having a good night though.
• The Rangers over the Twins: Is it just me or doesn't it seem that Wandy Rodriguez pitches every other day for the Rangers? I'm not that big on picking him. But Tommy Milone doesn't seem any more appetizing.
• The Mariners over the Astros: You always have to pick Felix Hernandez. The guy is having a phenomenal season. That seems like a much smarter play than Brett Oberholtzer.
• The Nationals over the Brewers: The Nats offense is still a bit of a sputter outfit. Getting Denard Span back helps. Jordan Zimmermann is hard to count on lately. Mike Fiers can't seem to find last year's magic.
• The Cardinals over the Royals: Jaime Garcia traditionally pitches well at home. Yordano Ventura has a history of hitting Cardinal players so that bad blood will need to be watched. This rivalry has become must-see baseball.
• The Angels over the Athletics: One of the few picks from yesterday that worked out. I'm not a big fan of Hector Santiago. But he is pitching better this year than Jesse Chavez.
• The Dodgers over the Padres: Clayton Kershaw is hitting his stride and I don't think tonight will be different. Odrisamer Despaigne has not been very good.

And the Pick of the Day:

• The Giants over the Diamondbacks: Madison Bumgarner against Chase Anderson at Bumgarner's home park? Yes. Give me some of that please.

Yesterday: 3-6, June: 73-71, Season: 451-424, Picks of the Day: 35-30

MLB Game Picks - Saturday: June 6, 2015

How can you start a night at 5-0 and end up and 7-8? Somehow, that's how my picking day went. How disheartening! But nothing is more disheartening than hearing about that woman in Boston that got injured with a piece of shattered bat last night. How awful and she was sitting there with her husband and son. Gosh, that is bigger than anything else that happened and more important. Let's all pray that she will recover from this injury!

Saturday's picks:

• The Nationals over the Phillies: The Nats are starting a rookie named Joe Ross and he is making his MLB debut. His MiLB numbers look good, so I am going with him. He was born in 1993. Gosh. Jason Hammel goes for the Phillies.
• The Blue Jays over the Astros: Is this where the Astros come back to earth? We've all been waiting for it while hoping the Cinderella story continues. I think Drew Hutchison makes a better pick than Brett Oberholtzer.
• The Twins over the Brewers: J.R. Graham has been a cracker (sorry, I had to) in long relief for the Twins, so it's not stretch for him to start a game. He throws strikes, therefore, I like him. Matt Garza will never be in my good graces after his quote about pitching for the Cubs.
• The Royals over the Rangers: MLB.com does not list pitchers for this game, but Yahoo says it will be Yordano Ventura versus Wandy Rodriguez. If that is indeed the pitching line, I have to go with the Royals.
• The Red Sox over the Athletics: I think Joe Kelly will put it together this game. And the Red Sox score often against Jesse Chavez. That's my pick and I'm sticking to it.
• The Indians over the Orioles: Matt Wieters came back in a good way, eh? And Adam Jones broke out of his slump last night. Normally, that would be good enough for me. But Danny Salazar is a special talent who can, on any given night, shut down anyone. Ubaldo Jimenez goes for the O's.
• The Rockies over the Marlins: This pick did not work out too well last night. But I'll try again. Chris Rusin has been very good in his two appearances. But both of those were away. How will he do at home in Coors? I assume it will be better than David Phelps.
• The Reds over the Padres: Another pick that was way wrong last night. But what the heck. Michael Lorenzen over Andrew Cashner.
• The Pirates over the Braves: I like that Jeff Locke is a lefty against Atlanta and I don't like the mess that is the Braves' bullpen. Unless Julio Teheran can go a complete game, I go with the hot Pirates.
• The Tigers over the White Sox: The Tigers are in a real funk right now. But David Price should help that and should shut down the White Sox. Meanwhile, the Tigers' sluggish offense should get to John Danks.
• The Yankees over the Angels: All the odds here seem to be stacked against a Yankee win. Adam Warren does not strike fear into any heart and Garrett Richards is a stud. But the Yankees have beaten studs all season.
• The Mets over the Diamondbacks: Chase Anderson is pretty good for the Diamondbacks, but there is some kind of charm in watching Bartolo Colon pitch (and bat). So I'm going with Shrek here.
• The Dodgers over the Cardinals: The Cardinals hardly ever lose. But perhaps today against Clayton Kershaw, that might change. Jaime Garcia has been surprisingly effective thus far.
• The Mariners over the Rays: Felix Hernandez got off track when his home mound got muddy against the Yankees. But he should be back to his old self tonight against the Rays. Alex Colome has been up and down.

And the Pick of the Day:

• The Giants over the Phillies: I cannot pick against Madison Bumgarner. It's just not in me to do so. Severino Gonzalez is good and can only hope to keep up.

Yesterday: 7-8, June: 35-32, Season: 413-385, Picks of the Day: 32-27

MLB Game Picks - Monday: June 1, 2015

The month of May ended with a slight whimper as the final day produced a boring 8-7 result. The AL East continues to be as mediocre as my picking, the Nationals got swept. A way-three-dimensional, forty-two year old pitcher won his eighth game. Josh Hamilton had a good thing happen to him. And the Twins continue to win. It's a crazy game.

A new month is a fresh slate. Monday's picks:

• The Nationals over the Blue Jays: It happens a lot that a good team getting swept usually means trouble for the next opponent. Since  the Blue Jays are already struggling, that doesn't bode well for them. Jordan Zimmermann is coming off of three straight good starts and R.A. Dickey is always an adventure.
•  The Cubs over the Marlins: I really miss Jose Fernandez. I hope he comes back soon and at a semblance of his old self. I bet the Marlins do too when they have to shuttle guys like Jose Urena out there instead. Jason Hammel goes for the Cubs.
• The Red Sox over the Twins: Lost in all this losing by his team, Clay Buchholz has quietly gotten better and that should continue tonight. Mike Pelfrey was supposedly squeezed out of the rotation during Spring Training and now looks like one of their best pitchers.
• The Orioles over the Astros: The one thing you know here is that Brett Oberholtzer is going to give up a lot of hits. How many of those base runners score will make the difference in the outcome. Ubaldo Jimenez goes for the O's.
• The Cardinals over the Brewers: The last time I picked against Jaime Garcia, he won. But I'm still not a believer. But I do believe in his team and they just keep winning. Mike Fiers goes for the Brewers who have to be dragging today.
• The Dodgers over the Rockies: I hate when Clayton Kershaw has to pitch in Coors Field. Anything can happen there. But then again, Kyle Kendrick isn't having any fun there either.
• The Diamondbacks over the Braves: The Braves had a whooshing comeback yesterday against the Giants, which was impressive. I'm going with the D-backs though because I like Archie Bradley a lot. Alex Wood is decent though.
• The Angels over the Rays: The Rays are playing well and Alex Colome has been good for the five innings he can pitch. The answer for me is Garrett Richards who is as overpowering as a pitcher can be.
• The Mets over the Padres: Jacob deGrom has been fairly consistent if you throw out his start against the Yankees. He'll also benefit from a big ballpark. Andrew Cashner finally won a game and can be overpowering. So we'll see.
• The Mariners over the Yankees: A very interesting game as Michael Pineda returns to his original home in Seattle. Too bad he has to go up against Felix Hernandez, who has been unbeatable. The Yankees can't seem to win on the road. Edge: King Felix.

And the Pick of the Day:

• The Pirates over the Giants: The Giants have lost two in a row. Whut!? Ryan Vogelsong is 4-2 despite (or in spite) of me picking against him every time. He just seems like a rally waiting to happen. On the other hand, good things happen for the Pirates when Gerrit Cole pitches.

Yesterday: 8-7, May final: 211-188, Season: 378-353, Picks of the Day: (29-25)

MLB Game Picks - Saturday: May 16, 2015

The picks struggled to finish a game above .500 yesterday, but I'm okay with that. They were way down after the Yankees got trounced and I think it was like 2-6 at that point. Bartolo Colon had his clunker. I should have gone with the Orioles. But the day finished with a flourish of correct picks to go 6-1 for the late games to save the day. I had a big day in my fantasy league too.

Saturday's picks:

• The Marlins over the Braves: Yeah, I know. This pick did not work out yesterday. But I like it today despite Mat Latos starting. Alex Wood goes for the Braves.
• The Twins over the Rays: Trevor May has surprised me. Heck, the Twins period have surprised me. I'm going with them again today as Alex Colome is coming off a bad start against the Yankees.
• The Tigers over the Cardinals: I got this one right yesterday and I think the Tigers will score another ten runs (for the third straight day) against Tyler Lyons and company. Besides, David Price is pitching today.
• The Cubs over the Pirates: I hate to pick against Gerrit Cole right now. But the Cubs have been hot and Jon Lester is coming on to be what they expected.
• The Diamondbacks over the Phillies: The Phillies are winning too many games lately. That has to end. Jerome Williams is as good a pick at making that happen as anyone. And Archie Bradley looks really good at times.
• The Orioles over the Angels: Ubaldo Jimenez has resurrected himself and I like his chances at home. The Angels go with Matt Shoemaker who hasn't gelled into last year's form yet.
• The Brewers over the Mets: The Brewers have gotten hot since the managerial change (maybe sometimes it works) and the Mets have skidded a bit. Jacob deGrom has been spotty and (heaven help me) I'm going with Matt Garza.
• The Yankees over the Royals: This is probably the Yanks' best chance this series with Danny Duffy pitching. CC Sabathia will need a good BABIP day though.
• The Reds over the Giants: Assuming there will be no more fires today except in the Reds' bats against Ryan Vogelsong, the Reds should win this one behind Mike Leake.
• The Astros over the Blue Jays: The key question in today's match-up is which pitcher, Marco Estrada or Scott Feldman will give up more homers than the other. I'm thinking Feldman will give up less.
• The Indians over the Rangers: If Danny Salazar pitches like he is capable, the Indians should win. If not, woo boy, this pick is going to be embarrassing. Colby Lewis goes for the Rangers.
• The Nationals over the Padres: The Nats are mashing right now and Max Scherzer is pitching. I suppose Andrew Cashner could put his impressive stuff together for a start, but I'm not going to pick that way.
• The Mariners over the Red Sox: Will Felix Hernandez continue is really impressive pitching? Probably. Can Rick Porcello keep up with him and make it a bullpen game? Maybe. We'll see.
• The Dodgers over the Rockies: Zack Greinke has not lost this season and he makes a great one-two punch with Kershaw. Jorge De La Rosa has not pitched well for the Rockies.

And the Pick of the Day:

• The White Sox over the Athletics: It's hard to believe that the A's are ten games under .500 right now. Wow. One of their big problems as a team is the inability to hit left-handed pitching. They have a .544 OPS against lefties this season. John Danks is no great shakes. But he is a lefty. Jesse Chavez goes for the A's.

Yesterday: 8-7, May: 100-80, Season: 264-245, Picks of the Day: 21-17