MLB Game Picks - Sunday: May 24, 2015

As good as Friday was for picking baseball games, Saturday was just as bad on the flip side. Everything that went right on Friday went wrong on Saturday. There were three extra-inning games. They all went against me. Matt Harvey was rocked. CC Sabathia was rocked (thanks also to bad defense). The Rays and Cardinals lost pitching duels. It was a bad, bad day. Oh, and for the thousandth time, Stephen Strasburg pooched the bed for me.

But we keep on going. Sunday's picks:

• The Blue Jays over the Mariners: Two young pitchers in this one with all kinds of talent struggling to find their way. Which one will perform? I'm going with Aaron Sanchez at home and the Jays are due to win a game. Taijuan Walker is the other young gun.
• The Tigers over the Astros: Anibal Sanchez is really struggling. But if he can figure some things out, he can get lots of strikeouts today. Roberto Hernandez is Roberto Hernandez.
• The Orioles over the Marlins: The Orioles might be a little upset about the pine tar thing last night. Frankly, the whole things is ridiculous since every pitcher does it. Some are just better at hiding it. Miguel Gonzalez over Tom Koehler.
• The Indians over the Reds: Raisel Iglesias isn't exactly mowing down MLB hitters and gets his second start of the season. I'd prefer to go with Trevor Bauer, which is saying something since Bauer is inconsistent at best.
• The Angels over the Red Sox: I went back and forth on this one so it will probably be wrong. First, Wade Miley isn't as good as the Yankees made him look. Secondly, the Red Sox have trouble with left-handed pitching which is what Hector Santiago is. But, the Red Sox beat a lefty yesterday.
• The Braves over the Brewers: Mike Foltynewicz was folty his last time out. But he should do better this time at home. My big problem here is that Jimmy Nelson was great his last time out against the Tigers. hmm...
• The Mets over the Pirates: Funny how the Mets and Yankees crashed and burned at the same time. Jon Niese is still a good pitcher though and Francisco Liriano is about as reliable as a Ford Pinto.
• The Phillies over the Nationals: The Phillies are also suspect against lefty pitchers, but Gio Gonzalez hasn't been very good thus far. And I can't pick against Aaron Harang because he kills me when I do.
• The White Sox over the Twins: This one is a complete toss up. Jose Quintana is a quality pitcher. Kyle Gibson has his moments. I have no idea which team will win this game.
• The Royals over the Cardinals: Whenever I pick aces lately, it doesn't work out for me. And the odds are that a pitcher who is 6-0 is going to lose some time, right Michael Wacha? I don't want him to, but...he might be bettered today by Yordano Ventura, who I don't like at all because of his demeanor.
• The Cubs over the Diamondbacks: I just can't get myself to pick a team that pitches Jeremy Hellickson. Jason Hammel goes for the Cubs.
• The Dodgers over the Padres: The Giants sweep the Dodgers. The Dodgers sweep the Padres. And baseball goes round and round. Carlos Frias, like Bolsinger, has saved the Dodgers so far. I like him over James Shields today.
• The Rockies over the Giants: The thought of Tim Hudson at Coors is a bit frightening for me. So I'm not going there. Chad Bettis has been decent enough for the Rockies in his two starts. I'll go that way.
• The Yankees over the Rangers: No wonder baseball fans complain about the Yankees being on national television so much. This isn't exactly a marquis match-up between these two teams right now or the two pitchers, Chris Capuano and Yovani Gallardo. But that's what the nation will get tonight. Oh goody.

And the Pick of the Day is:

• The Athletics over the Rays: I'm going back to my guy, Sonny Gray to take the A's over the Rays, all of which rhymes of course. You don't want to expose Erasmo Ramirez for too long because the ceiling will cave in eventually.

Yesterday: 5-11, May: 157-133, Season: 321-298, Picks of the Day: 25-21

MLB Game Picks - Wednesday: April 8, 2015

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

Wednesday's picks:

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

And the Pick of the Day:

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

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

MLB Game Picks - Friday: September 19, 2014

Derek Jeter hit a home run. That being the case, everything else that happened was icing on the cake. And it was good icing as the picks went 7-3. I didn't have to worry about Jered Weaver as the Angels won with most of their stars sitting down. I had to laugh though when I finally broke down and picked Kyle Kendrick and he got his butt kicked. Heh.

I was quite surprised when both extra-inning games went my way. That hardly ever happens. The Cardinals won despite the team's entire fan base getting mad at Mike Matheny. And the Indians gutted it out to win their game after blowing the lead late in the game.

Friday's picks:

• The Dodgers over the Cubs: Clayton Kershaw is going to win his 20th game. The Dodgers will find a way to score enough runs off of Edwin Jackson and more accolades will follow for the Dodgers' lefty.
• The Orioles over the Red Sox: The Red Sox get their DH back, which should make things a bit easier. But otherwise, things are really sad for the Red Sox these days. The O's are on the other end of the emotional spectrum and Kevin Gausman has been much better than Allen Webster.
• The Pirates over the Brewers: The Brewers are officially sunk after last night's loss in extras to the Cards. Well, maybe not officially, but they might as well be. Yovani Gallardo hasn't had a great season and that's part of the problem. I'll go with Jeff Locke instead.
• The Yankees over the Blue Jays: The Yankees have one more chance this season to beat up on Mark Buehrle, a guy who just loves to pitch in Yankee Stadium. Not. Hiroki Kuroda needs to have a good night against the tough Blue Jays' lineup though.
• The White Sox over the Rays: Jose Quintana has had a brilliant season and is only 8-10. He did win his last start, however with 14Ks. That was impressive. Jeremy Hellickson goes for the Rays.
• The Nationals over the Marlins: I have to go with Doug Fister even if he only goes five or six innings. Tom Koehler is tough at home though.
• The Mets over the Braves: The Braves stopped hitting. The Braves stopped winning. The Braves are a sad, sad team this month. Facing Zack Wheeler will not improve things and Julio Teheran won't get any support.
• The Rockies over the Diamondbacks: This is a series that is too close to call. I got it wrong yesterday, but that is to be expected when you can't figure out what to do. Picking between Jordan Lyles and Chase Anderson is impossible too.
• The Twins over the Indians: The Indians are not hitting. Phil Hughes has had a very good season. Trevor Bauer is unpredictable and 1+1+1 equals a Twins win.
• The Tigers over the Royals: I wish it weren't so, but the Tigers always come through in times like this and the Royals usually do not. Justin Verlander sounds like a better pick than Jason Vargas anyway.
• The Cardinals over the Reds: I heard that John Lackey was upset that he had a turn skipped over. Well, then, pitch better, Big Fella. He is a good guy I am told, but boy, what a hot head. Meanwhile, David Holmberg is a lefty that might give the Cards some trouble.
• The Athletics over the Phillies: The A's keep losing, but not when Jon Lester pitches. Lester should get some consideration on the CYA ballot. David Buchanan will try to match Lester and might even be capable of doing so.
• The Angels over the Rangers: Some of the regulars should be back in the lineup. Hector Santiago is better than his record and, despite his win his last time out and the movement of his pitches, Lisalverto Bonilla just doesn't have enough command for my tastes.
• The Padres over the Giants: Tim Hudson looks old and tired and is dealing with minor injuries. He will not have a winning record for the first time in his illustrious career. Odrisamer Despaigne is hard to predict though.

And the Game of the Day:

• The Mariners over the Astros: Taijuan Walker has been brought back cautiously but he has pitched well when given the opportunity. He should beat the Astros and Brad Peacock. The M's are still in a good spot for the wild card and only one game back.

Yesterday: 7-3, Sept.: 144-102, Games of the Day: 98-63 (+6), Season: 1274-1036

MLB Game Picks - Tuesday: August 26, 2014

Here in the late stages of August, things are falling apart for my game picking like a Nicki Minaj outfit and I have had three malfunctions in the last four days. The Game of the Day feature is on a losing streak of three days and the schedule only gets tougher from here.

I need to get this ship turned around. Tuesday's picks:

• The Cardinals over the Pirates: Lance Lynn has been a big-time pitcher for the Cardinals this year. Whenever they needed a win, he has come through. His performance tonight will go a long way on deciding which team wins this game. Gerrit Cole is no slouch either.
• The Orioles over the Rays: Alex Cobb has been A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. Wei Yin Chen just keeps winning. Buck Showalter is one of the few managers not intimidated by Joe Maddon and often out-schools him. I have the Orioles here.
• The Nationals over the Phillies: Gio Gonzalez is hard to figure out this season. But if he is on, he will shut down the Phillies. Cole Hamels has been outstanding. But still never gets the support he needs.
• The Blue Jays over the Red Sox: Rubby De La Rosa has not been reliable and I just get the feeling that the Jays will clean his clock tonight. That said, R.A. Dickey never gives me confidence from start to start.
• The Tigers over the Yankees: Rick Porcello is a good match-up against the Yankees because they are easily induced into pounding the ball into the ground with their pull-hitting. Brandon McCarthy still makes me pinch myself because of the great run he is on. This should be another close game.
• The Braves over the Mets: Two guys named Alex pitch tonight and two guys named Wood pitch too. So it is the Alex Alex Wood Wood Night. Dillon Gee has been a disappointment since coming off the DL.
• The Reds over the Cubs: Johnny Cueto versus Travis Wood really sounds like a mismatch. That really bothers me.
• The White Sox over the Indians: Jose Quintana deserves a win. He really does. And with T.J. House as his opponent, he has a chance. If that bullpen can only hold on for once...
• The Athletics over the Astros: There are still deep concerns about the A's without their closer and with a banged up offense. But if Jason Hammel has a reasonably good night, they should beat the Astros and Dallas Keuchel.
• The Dodgers over the Diamondbacks: Trevor Cahill has been significantly better in his last four starts. He's been a totally different guy. That said, the Dodgers should muster up enough offense and win behind Ramon Hernandez and the bullpen.
• The Angels over the Marlins: Nathan Eovaldi totally messes me up. He and Stults of the Padres are my least favorite picks because they always do the opposite of what I expect. The Angels should win this game and Matt Shoemaker has been their stud all season. With Mike Trout and Giancarlo Stanton on the same field, you have the best in baseball in one ballpark.
• The Brewers over the Padres: The Brewers are not folding. That is the first thought. The second is that Jimmy Nelson should enjoy Petco and do much better than his last start in Toronto. Tyson Ross is a good pitcher though.
• The Mariners over the Rangers: For years, the Rangers got fat on the Mariners in the division. The tide has turned and the Rangers are the team looking way up from the bottom of the standings. James Paxton should be dominant and Nick Martinez should yield at least a three-spot.
• The Giants over the Rockies: The Giants are about as unpredictable as a team gets these days. Their offense is so hit or miss that you never know what to expect. The same goes for Madison Bumgarner who never seems to string his dominance over successive games. Jorge De La Rosa is the best of the Rockies' pitchers.

And the Game of the Day

• The Royals over the Twins: The loss to the Yankees last night should just be a momentary blip for the Royals and they get back to their winning ways tonight against the Twins. They should enjoy batting against Ricky Nolasco and Danny Duffy has gotten better and better.

Yesterday: 4-6, August: 189-148, Games of the Day: 78-58 (-3), Season: 1083-897

MLB Game Picks - Wednesday: August 13, 2014

Picking baseball games is like playing golf. You can have several bad holes and really mess it up for a while and then suddenly hit three gorgeous shots and get a birdie. It is the birdie that keeps you coming back for more. After several shanks the past three days, I hit a birdie last night and went 10-3. And there were some tough calls in there.

Of the three I got wrong, you could tell yesterday that I really wanted to pick the Cubs and I did not dare to. I should have. The Cardinals seem to have gone down the same rabbit hole as the Yankees and it is hard to understand. Miami completely beat them and Adam Wainwright. The Tampa - Texas game was correct for six and a half innings until Joel Peralta coughed up the lead and then of course, the pick became incorrect once it went into extra innings.

At least I got a birdie today and can't wait for my next shot again. Wednesday's picks:

• The Reds over the Red Sox: I liked what I saw in Anthony Ranaudo when he pitched against the Yankees. The only thing about it was that he was facing the Yankees, who are terrible. So it is hard to gauge how good he is. That said, I'm going with Mike Leake, a more proven entity.
• The Twins over the Astros: I've flip-flopped the picks on this series so far and got them both correct. Let's see if I can go three for three. I like Kyle Gibson over Brett Oberholtzer.
• The White Sox over the Giants: Jose Quintana remains the best pitcher with a losing record in baseball. Either he gets no run support or the bullpen blows up his victories. The Giants are reeling and Jake Peavy has been even more snake bit than Quintana. Which one will have more bad mojo?
• The Indians over the Diamondbacks: The rain out yesterday allowed the Indians to bypass T.J. House. Instead they will go today with Trevor Bauer in the first game who goes against Andrew Chafin, making his MLB debut. Chafin was a #1 round draft pick in 2011 whose minor league numbers look ordinary.
• The Indians over the Diamondbacks: Frankly, I don't know why the D-backs bypassed Josh Collmenter with the rain out. He is infinitely more reliable than either Chafin or Vidal Nuno who is pitching the second game. I will go with Josh Tomlin.
• The Padres over the Rockies: The Padres have been on a nice roll and the Rockies on the opposite. Ian Kennedy should win this one. Tyler Matzek keeps on pitching and never seems to have his record change. It's weird.
• The Orioles over the Yankees: This is the Orioles' year. It just seems written down already somewhere. Chris Tillman gets the start and will look infinitely easy to hit but the Yankees will not hit, at least not when it counts. Big Michael Pineda is back for the Yankees, but how long will he last and what will he have? And can he pitch without pine tar?
• The Pirates over the Tigers: The Tigers are starting Buck Farmer. He raises deer apparently. No, seriously, he is a fifth round draft pick in 2013 who has only logged 32 outings in the minors so far, none above Double-A. His numbers look good. But I'll go with Vance Worley, which looks safer.
• The Dodgers over the Braves: The Dodgers' lead in the NL West has grown to six games and they are starting to run away and hide. Hyun-jin Ryu is as steady as it gets with only one bad outing in his last ten. Ervin Santana has had a pretty good year himself.
• The Marlins over the Cardinals: Trading for Justin Masterson was a mistake for the Cardinals. Perhaps he will figure it out some time this year. Or perhaps not. Either way, the Cardinals do not have time to find out. Nathan Eovaldi is good at home.
• The Cubs over the Brewers: Yeah, I'm going for it. I like Kyle Lohse, but not as much at Wrigley Field. The Brewers are the best team in their division, but are a little weaker against lefties. Tsuyoshi Wada has made five big league starts and four of them have been very good.
• The Rays over the Rangers: The Rangers are playing a little bit better these days. But their pitching is still the problem. Miles Mikolas is not winning. Chris Archer, on the other hand, is very good. Keep Peralta out of the game and the Rays win.
• The Royals over the Athletics: The A's broke the Royals streak last night and could do so again with Scott Kazmir on the mound. The one problem is that Kazmir has been touched up in his last two starts. Has he hit a wall? Jason Vargas is a lefty. That's about all the good I can muster. But that is good enough to win in MLB.
• The Angels over the Phillies: With A.J. Burnett and Jered Weaver pitching tonight, this game feels like a high-scoring affair. If it is, the advantage goes to the Angels. Burnett should have retired.
• The Mariners over the Blue Jays: I simply cannot pick against Hisashi Iwakuma at home. He is killer there (and pretty much everywhere else too). R.A. Dickey could have a nice outing, but you never know.

And the Game of the Day:

• The Nationals over the Mets: It's hard to pick against Shrek Bartolo Colon. After all, the guy has won 200 big league games. But he has clunkers too and you never know what you will get with him. Jordan Zimmermann is a stud.

Yesterday: 10-3, August: 90-74, Games of the Day: 70-54 (+1), Season: 984-821