MLB Game Picks - Thursday: October 3, 2013

I love Nick Swisher, I do. But his performance in the Wild Card Game last night against the Rays was so reminiscent of past post seasons for him. His first few times up, he had a strikeout and then grounded the ball right into the teeth of the shift when there were no fielders from second base to third. Then, when he had a man on first and third, instead of embracing or understanding the situation, he took three "swing-for-the-fences" swings to strike out when, again, all he had to do is put the ball in play on the left side of the infield.

It was that lack of a plan that sunk the Indians all night. Asdrubal Cabrera basically had the same sort of night as Swisher. Now contrast that with how the Cardinals score runs. That team has a plan and work it to perfection. When there are men on base, they hit the pitch to the opposite field or where it is pitched and just move the line along.

It was sad to see the Indians go home. We always root for the Cinderella team...the underdogs. And in the American League, there are none left.

Speaking of the Cardinals, tonight starts their NLDS against the Pirates, who still qualify as a Cinderella team. Unfortunately, I think the clock is going to strike midnight soon.

The picks:

• The Cardinals over the Pirates: First off, Adam Wainwright was built for these sort of games. He is really hard to beat at home. In three NLDS starts in his career, he has a K/9 rate over twelve. Yes, that's right, over twelve. He pitched well against the Pirates this season. He will be faced by A.J. Burnett. Burnett has been flat out nasty down the stretch. But again, the Cardinals approach to hitting will have a better chance of hitting Burnett's curve than most teams would. With Wainwright having the edge on the mound and the Cardinals having home field and a better offensive club, I cannot see the Cardinals losing this game.
• The Dodgers over the Braves: It took a lot of courage for the Braves to leave Dan Uggla off the NLDS roster. But it was the right call. Now the Braves don't have to worry about what to do with him. Now they have to figure out what to do with Clayton Kershaw. Kershaw is the best pitcher in baseball. If he is on and the Dodgers can score a few runs, they cannot be beat. The question is if Kris Medlen can match zeroes with him. Medlen was great down the stretch and has gotten through his early season struggles. If Medlen can match zeroes, I will take the Braves' bullpen over the Dodgers' version. But I have to think the Dodgers can score two or three and Kershaw holds the Braves to one or none.

Yesterday: 1-0

Week: 12-6

Post Season: 2-1

Season: 1376-1069

MLB Game Picks - Saturday: September 14, 2013

After doing this every day now for four months, the incorrect picks are starting to pile up on my psyche. And September has been particularly difficult. Teams that are fighting for the playoffs and division titles lose to teams like the Cubs and Brewers. Ace pitchers don't come through. Games are turned on one stupid pitch (like a low pitch to Jarrod Saltalamacchia--the only place you cannot pitch him) or one stupid play. Bullpens implode (hello Braves and Yankees). And when two teams out of the playoff picture play, who knows what will happen. It all gets frustrating.

The season has two more weeks to go and I will slog through it. I just hope I have a good string of days to brighten my outlook. Let's start with today:

• The Reds over the Brewers: Johnny Hellweg has only struck out four batters in his sixteen-plus innings of work. His strikeout to walk ratio is 1:3. Oops. I will go with Homer Bailey and those Reds better start staving off the Nationals for that last wildcard spot.
• The Rangers over the Athletics: Like the Red Sox and Yankees above, Oakland is clearly the better of these two teams. And it has been shown over and over. The only reason to pick Texas here is for Yu Darvish. And he is never a lock to win either. Bartolo Colon goes for the A's.
• The Orioles over the Blue Jays: Picking the Blue Jays yesterday was bloody stupid. I should get my fingers pinched for that one. How cool is it that Chris Davis has hit 50 homers? Chris Tillman should win this one over Esmil Rogers, who is quite capable of giving up a few bombs to the O's.
• The Mets over the Marlins: The Mets and Marlins play two today. Oh goody. The Mets will win both games I think. The first features Henderson Alvarez and his nearly 22 second pace against Daisuke Matsuzaka and his 26 second pace. Bring your sleeping bag.
• The Mets over the Marlins: In the second game, Carlos Torres should bounce back from his last bad start and beat Justin Turner, who has thrown several stinkers in a row now.
• The Pirates over the Cubs: This is what should happen. There is no guarantee that it will. Scott Baker was either lucky or very good his first start back from oblivion. If he can repeat that, the Pirates are in trouble. Gerrit Cole will need to be very good.
• The Nationals over the Phillies: The Nationals are trying to make a late push and have come a long way. Will they be able to catch the Reds? That is a deep long shot. The Phillies would love to foil it and they have Cole Hamels on the mound. The trouble with that for the Phillies is that Gio Gonzalez is going for the Nats and he is peaking down the stretch.
• The Tigers over the Royals: It was a nice thought, Royals, but I don't think it is going to happen. You have to beat the Tigers and you did not yesterday. Of course, you never know with Doug Fister who goes from brilliant to putrid from start to start. Ervin Santana is not nearly as good as he was in the first half.
• The Angels over the Astros: I would love to pick Brett Oberholtzer just because I like typing his name. I like his name nearly as much as Ross Ohlendorf (who won his surprise start yesterday). But Jered Weaver is going for the Angels and, nah. I cannot do it.
• The Indians over the White Sox: I am glad I am not the only one. Even the guy on the MLB Network said that the White Sox are playing without passion or even trying. So good luck, Andre Rienzo. Ubaldo Jimenez goes for the Indians.
• The Braves over the Padres: Kris Medlen has been pitching well for two months now and finally has his record over .500. Robbie Erlin has pitched two good games in a row. But I do not expect that streak to go to three.
• The Bay Rays over the Twins: This game is dangerous because it looks like such a lock for the Rays. Matt Moore should never lose a game like this. And Andrew Albers will cough up a few.
• The Cardinals over the Mariners: James Paxton had a very good debut with great control and he is a lefty, which the Cardinals hate. But the Cardinals find a way to win and the M's find ways to lose. Michael Wacha is going to have a dominant game.
• The Diamondbacks over the Rockies: This pick did not work out last night, but should today. Wade Miley hasn't been a rock, but he has been decent in the second half. Roy Oswalt again comes back from the dead. Nothing good can come from that.
• The Dodgers over the Giants: The Giants got the better of the Dodgers last night. But I think tonight will be different. The Dodgers will get to Tim Lincecum and Ricky Nolasco has been the bomb for the Dodgers.

And the Game of the Day:

• The Red Sox over the Yankees: The Red Sox are so much better than the Yankees that it is palpable. Yeah, the Yankees can steal a game here or there, but gosh, the difference is striking. No way CC Sabathia pitches a good game. He never does at Fenway. Jon Lester has a better that double chance at winning.

Yesterday: 7-8

Week: 44-38

Month: 94-85

Season: 1236-980

Games of the Day: 93-67   +2

MLB Game Picks - Monday: September 9, 2013

How bad is the Game of the Day feature this year when a team breaks an eight-game losing streak just to foil it? Pretty bad. And, of course, that outcome and the final outcome of last night's game of the Reds versus the Dodgers and Clayton Kershaw put a damper on what was otherwise a good picking day.

There are eleven games on the schedule and some of them have great impact on the wildcard chase. Monday's picks:

• The Indians over the Royals: This is not a stunning endorsement for Ubaldo Jimenez. The only reason I pick him is that the best way to get to Jimenez is patience and the Royals are not a patient club. They are fifth in the AL in batting average, but only tenth in on-base percentage. Ervin Santana has not been rock solid lately either. Big game for both.
• The Orioles over the Yankees: First, Chris Tillman is as close to an ace as the Orioles have. Second, the Orioles are home. Third, CC Sabathia just cannot seem to avoid giving up five or so runs nearly every game he pitches.
• The Braves over the Marlins: It took Kris Medlen a long, long time to reach the .500 mark. But he has won six of his last eight starts and his last two in a row. As long as the Braves score a few off of Henderson Alvarez, they should win.
• The Reds over the Cubs: These are the games you have to look out for. The Reds have had two big series in a row and had a great time winning most of those games (including a sweep of the Dodgers). So you would expect them to beat the Cubs. Again, a pick fraught with danger. Bronson Arroyo and Travis Wood are the starters.
• The Angels over the Twins: Jered Weaver should have little trouble with the Twins' lineup. That said, the Angels need to score some runs off of Pedro Hernandez.
• The Nationals over the Mets: Carlos Torres has been fantastic in his two starts for the Mets. He has walked only one batter in 13.2 innings. But the Mets would need to score and I don't think they will against Gio Gonzalez today. If Gonzalez is off, this pick could blow up in a hurry.
• The Rangers over the Pirates: Good golly, don't I hate picking Yu Darvish to win. Every time I do it blows up in my face. And the Pirates are a great team. The outcome will depend on how well Gerrit Cole pitches and if the Rangers can get a lead before the Pirates' bullpen comes in and takes over.
• The Tigers over the White Sox: The Tigers have their hands full with Chris Sale. But that poor bloke can't seem to buy a win with that team behind him. Max Scherzer as an opponent does not help. This will be close and perhaps Miguel Cabrera makes the difference.
• The Mariners over the Astros: Two of my favorite young pitchers go in this one with Taijuan Walker and Jarred Cosart. Neither have struck out as many batters as I thought they would. That should change in this game though. This is a toss up and I am going with the home team.
• The Rockies over the Giants: Jhoulys Chacin has had a good season. And the last time he faced the Giants was at home and he allowed only one hit. He got hit a bit hard by the Dodgers his last time out though. Tim Lincecum was very good in his next to last start and very bad in his last start. So he is hard to predict.

And the Game of the Day:

• The Dodgers over the Diamondbacks: Did you know that Ricky Nolasco's real first name is Carlos? Anyway, old Carlos sure is having a good time in Dodgers' blue. He has a 1.65 in his four starts in Dodgers Stadium. That seems like a good pick to me even if faced by Randall Delgado.

Yesterday: 10-5

Week: 10-5

Month: 60-52

Season: 1202-947

Games of the Day: 89-66   -2

MLB Game Picks - Thursday: August 29, 2013

These game picks are laboring right into Labor Day Weekend. It was a struggle just to finish barely over the .500 mark. Of course, it did not help that some of the best pitchers in the league, Felix Hernandez, Hiroki Kuroda and Adam Wainwright all clanked yesterday and were hit hard. It also does not help that Kirk Gibson continues to place Heath Bell in meaningful situations. The Yankees have thrashed the Blue Jays all season, have many weapons back in their lineup and lost two of three in Toronto. Ah the life of a game picker. You cannot predict ball.

There are nine games on the Thursday schedule. Four of them are day games. And these are the picks:

• The Tigers over the Athletics: Okay, so I have picked the Tigers for each of these games and have been wrong for each. But there is a stubborn streak in me. Bartolo Colon is coming off the disabled list. That could be good news for the A's. Or it could be bad news. Max Scherzer should be bad news for the A's. But then nothing about this series has been in the should category.
• The Bay Rays over the Angels: At first, I thought that this was an easy Angels win as the Rays are starting Jake Odorizzi. But then I saw that the Angels were starting Jason Vargas. This will be a high scoring game with the Rays winning late.
• The Royals over the Twins: I do not know what I was thinking picking the Twins yesterday. That was dumb. Really dumb. I will not be dumb today (which means that I probably will be). Sam Deduno is the only Twins pitcher with some life in his arm. But he might not be enough. Bruce Chen has lost two in a row though. So who knows.
• The Mets over the Phillies: I will be honest. I have no idea which team is going to win this game. The Mets are starting Carlos Torres, a guy who has been in the bullpen for most of the season. The Phillies are starting Ethan Martin who has looked terrible at times and decent at times. I will go with the hometown Mets. But that is a poor reason and is all I have.
• The Nationals over the Marlins: Remember when Gio Gonzalez was going to be one of the pieces that drove the Nats to the World Series? Yeah, that did not happen. But he still has enough talent to beat the Marlins. Tom Koehler has been pretty good though.
• The Pirates over the Brewers: I hate to pick against Yovani Gallardo. He has been great since coming off the disabled list. But he is not at home and I think Gerrit Cole is going to shut down Gallardo's teammates. Marlon Byrd. Amazing.
• The Braves over the Indians: I am not a big believer in either Ubaldo Jimenez or Kris Medlen this season. That said, I have to go with the Braves at home because I think they are the better team.
• The Astros over the Mariners: Kyle Seager has been hot and hits better on the road. And I am not a fan of Jordan Lyles. But I am also not a fan of Erasmo Ramirez. The Astros have played with heart all season despite their record. I think they win here.

And the Game of the Day:

• The Red Sox over the Orioles: You cannot stop these Red Sox. They are going to be hard pressed to beat before they get to the World Series. Jon Lester is peaking at a good time. The team is hitting well. Chris Tillman will not be able to stop them.

Yesterday: 8-7

Week: 30-25

Month: 211-165

Season: 1120-878

Games of the Day: 85-59   -1

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 12, 2013

Yesterday was a tough day and it was only a bit of success at the end of the day that led to a 6-6 record. The mediocre day put a bit of a damper on what has been a good week. First of all, I should have picked Danny Salazar, who was terrific. I picked against Danny Salazar and for Ross Wolf, two young pitchers. I got them both wrong even though Ross pitched a good game. His team could not score against Miguel Gonzalez. My beloved Jordan Zimmerman pitched another great game and deserved to win. But his team could not score against Kyle Kendrick. And Edwin Jackson, of all people, shut out the Cardinals. I felt that coming and did not pick it.

And so it was a tough day. Now we enter the final weekend before the All Star Break and I am looking forward to Monday. I need a couple of days as a break myself. Heck, I just write about these games. Imagine the grind of those who play it every day!

Friday's picks:

• The Cardinals over the Cubs: I debated on this one a long time. Both teams are starting long relievers. The Cards are going with Joe Kelly and the Cubs with Carlos Villanueva. Both are very useful pitchers who can never quite make a team's starting rotation. I think they cancel each other out and then I go with the better team.
• The Phillies over the White Sox: The White Sox are playing a little better. I should have picked Chris Sale yesterday and did not. But in this one, I see Jonathan Pettibone doing better than John Danks. And the White Sox lose a batter.
• The Indians over the Royals: Early in the season, I picked against Corey Kluber a lot. And then he got hot and it took me a while to come over to picking him. And then he got cold and I was on the wrong side again. He was great his last time out. So I am picking him. Bruce Chen is going for the Royals. Royals' fans have seen this before.
• The Yankees over the Twins: The Twins have traditionally struggled against the Yankees. These are not the same Yankees and it looks like Derek Jeter's return was for a day and won't play today probably. But Hiroki Kuroda is not a pitcher to pick against and Scott Diamond is.
• The Mets over the Pirates: I just wrote about Jeremy Hefner yesterday, so I have to pick him, right? Besides, I am not a big fan of Charlie Morton. Perhaps the Pirates went cold for going back to this blast to the terrible past for a pitcher.
• The Orioles over the Blue Jays: Mark Buehrle has been pitching well, but the Orioles have too good an offense and Chris Tillman is having a good season. It is tough to pick against the Orioles at home.
• The Tigers over the Rangers: Justin Grimm is not pitching well and has not made it past the fifth inning in his last four starts. Doug Fister is a strange case. He either pitches just fine or he is absolutely awful. What will today bring? He lives so much on the margins, that sometimes he just falls too close ot the cliff.
• The Nationals over the Marlins: The Nationals' offense has been so spotty and it wastes great outings from their big three starting pitchers. Stephen Strasburg has been no different. But he is so good that you have to pick him in any given game. Nathan Eovaldi will hope the Nats' bats are cold again.
• The Braves over the Reds: My gut is telling me that the Braves are going to club three homers against Bronson Arroyo today. And with Arroyo's homer-happy past, that is not a stretch. Kris Medlen will have to pitch a good game for this pick to come in though.
• The Diamondbacks over the Brewers: Tom Gorzelanny is one of those pitchers like Kyle Kendrick, who seem to live on the fringes awaiting their chance and do well once they get it. But I have to go with Patrick Corbin here.
• The Red Sox over the Athletics: The Red Sox never seem to lose. Ever. John Lackey has pitched very well this season. Jarrod Parker has had his ups and downs.
• The Angels over the Mariners: Yeah, yeah, Joe Saunders was terrific his last time out. Big deal. The Angels should still beat him up. Jerome Williams was having a great season until his last start. Can he rebound?
• The Dodgers over the Rockies: Suddenly, the Dodgers are relentless. Hairston, Ellis, Puig, Gonzalez and especially Hanley Ramirez, are all hitting the ball really well and the team is getting good pitching. All that could come together here against Juan Nicasio of the Rockies. The Rockies are sinking but have Troy Tulowitzki back. Clayton Kershaw goes for the Dodgers.
• The Giants over the Padres: The Padres are starting Sean O'Sullivan who has not started in the big leagues since 2011. His MLB K/9 is invisible but he was having a good strikeout season for him in the minors. I am not buying it though. But picking Chad Gaudin just goes against everything I stand for. Ugh!

And the Game of the Day!

• The Bay Rays over the Astros: The Astros are featuring the MLB debut of Jarred Cosart. Cosart was a 38th round draft pick the Astros obtained from the Phillies a couple of years ago (Oswalt deal?). He looks like he has a good arm, but his minor league record is filled with too many walks. I cannot pick that. Besides, David Price has come back with a vengeance from the DL.

Yesterday: 6-6

Week: 44-26

Month: 94-58

Season: 771-604

Games of the Day: 61-39

MLB Game Picks - Tuesday: July 2, 2013

Yo, like...I was perfect. Whuh? Get out!? Yeah, look! I picked all seven games on the nose. The Mets and Yankees coming back from behind sealed it. In fact, the Mets came back twice, the second time in extra innings. Extra innings games never go my way. What does this mean? I do not know and it is best to not ask questions. 15-0 is like a hole in one or like bowling a 300. So 7-0 is like a hole in one in mini-golf. I will take it.

One of the picks was the Marlins and Jose Fernandez. I wrote about him the other day and he made my words sing with a brilliant eight innings. He is twenty years old. Amazing.

And one other note: Ryan Doumit (or Dumbmitt as I like to call him) has to be the worst defensive catcher in history. He could not block any of the pitches his pitchers threw in the dirt and then had a passed ball that allowed another run. He should not be given a catcher's glove...ever.

Tuesday's picks:

• The Nationals over the Brewers: The Brewers seem to be just going through the motions. The Nationals, meanwhile, seem to be on the verge of a run. Stephen Strasburg should cruise in this one and Wily Peralta has been getting knocked around regularly.
• The Pirates over the Phillies: According to MLB.com, the Pirates have not yet announced their pitcher for today and a TBO is next to the pitching line. According to Yahoo Sports, Jeff Locke is scheduled. Which one is true? If Locke goes, it is a lock. If it is someone other than Locke, the Phillies still win. Jonathan Pettibone goes for the Phillies.
• The Blue Jays over the Tigers: Chien-Ming Wang made three good starts and then was knocked out in the second inning in his fourth start. Such are the vagaries of a BABIP pitcher. If his sinker is on, he wins. If not, this pick gets ugly with Doug Fister on the hill for the Tigers.
• The Diamondbacks over the Mets: Jeremy Hefner has turned his season around and is pitching well now. But he faces Patrick Corbin who has yet to lose this season and was terrific his last time out in a no decision.
• The Red Sox over the Padres: Robbie Erlin has pitched fifteen innings this season and has only walked one batter. That is impressive. But he faces the Boston Red Sox who have a very good one through nine lineup. The Red Sox, who never seem to play any games on the road, have John Lackey on the mound and Lackey has been very good.
• The Reds over the Giants: I hope the Reds have a super duty squeegee because their field was under water by the time they called that game yesterday. I will take Homer Bailey over Tim Lincecum, especially in Cincinnati.
• The Rangers over the Mariners: These are the games the Rangers have to win to keep up with the A's. Too bad the Grimm family had not named Justin Grimm as Justis instead. Then people would say, "The Rangers' Justis Grimm," and people would wonder, "Just as grim as what?" Anyway, Joe Saunders goes for the Mariners.
• The Orioles over the White Sox: John Danks should have stayed on the disabled list until he was a free agent. The White Sox have to win a game some time. But today will not be it as the Orioles are tough. Jason Hammel with the win.
• The Indians over the Royals: I am not sure about this one. The Indians are in first place. Yes, that is right. The Indians. And Corey Kluber has been great...up until his last start when he was far from it. Luis Mendoza totally messes me up.
• The Yankees over the Twins: Phil Hughes actually pitched well at Yankee Stadium his last time out. That bodes well for an away start where he is usually better anyway. Sam Deduno can be good or he can be bad. He has the lowest WHIP of the Twins' starters. Tough one.
• The Bay Rays over the Astros: The Rays are smart. What better way to bring back David Price from an injury than to face him against the Astros. Smart people. Erik Bedard won his last time out and can still miss bats occasionally.
• The Dodgers over the Rockies: Clayton Kershaw is not a lock at Coors Field but he has a better chance of winning than Roy Oswalt does. The Dodgers are playing really well right now.
• The Athletics over the Cubs: There will be scouts in the stands watching Scott Feldman pitch. He has been good this year. But I do not think he will beat the A's as long as A.J. Griffin pitches a decent game.
• The Cardinals over the Angels: The Angels are playing well and Albert Pujols plays against St. Louis. And the Cardinals who were so good at batting guys in on the bases are suddenly scuffling in that department. Lance Lynn has to avoid one bad inning that seems to occur each game. If he does, he wins as the Cards eek out a couple against Jered Weaver.

And the Game of the Day:

• The Braves over the Marlins: Kris Medlen has won four of his last five starts and even the game he lost was not that badly pitched. He seems to be the obvious pick here. Tom Koehler has not been having a good time in his first experiences on the mound for Miami.

Yesterday: 7-0

Week: 15-7

Month: 7-0

Season: 685-546

Games of the Day: 53-37

MLB Game Picks - Wednesday: May 29, 2013

Remember last year when the Baltimore Orioles were 16-2 in extra inning games? The Game Picks are the anti-Orioles. A game going into extra innings is the kiss of death for the picks. Whenever it happens, the team I picked against wins. Yesterday it was the Twins and the Pirates. Monday it was the Astros. Sunday it was the Cubs and Mariners. If it goes into extra innings, the pick is dead.

The Game of the Day got rained out. The way that feature has gone this past two weeks, that was probably a good thing. The wrong team was up by two runs when the rains came. I think I will be glad when May is over. It really has been a struggle.

Oh well. I have to keep going. So here are Wednesday's picks:

• The Cubs over the White Sox: Scott Feldman has been pitching really well and John Danks is making only his second start back from the disabled list.
• The Red Sox over the Phillies: This series shifts to the NL park which leaves a quandary with David Ortiz. But John Lackey has looked really good of late and if he can get through the early innings, he could be the difference. Kyle Kendrick can baffle the Red Sox if he is on.
• The Indians over the Reds: This is another series that shifts to the AL park. Justin Masterson is the Indians' pitcher capable of shutting down the Reds. He is kind of hit-or-miss though with his outings. Bronson Arroyo faces a good lineup in Cleveland.
• The Tigers over the Pirates: Once again, I find myself picking against A.J. Burnett and I hate to as I like the guy. Anibal Sanchez is having a great season though and the Tigers losing Victor Martinez as there is no DH is not that big a deal as he is not having a good season anyway.
• The Yankees over the Mets: The subway series shuffles to the Bronx and that should help the Yankees. The retreat lineup of theirs, however, is starting to wilt and their lack of patience at the plate has become glaring. They have a .290 on-base percentage in May. I do like David Phelps over Jeremy Hefner though. Things get really interesting when Hafner hits a homer against Hefner.
• The Nationals over the Orioles: The Nats without Bryce Harper are missing something on offense that they need badly. But Jordan Zimmermann has been my guy for three years now. I believe he shuts the Orioles down and the Nats get enough off of Chris Tillman to win.
• The Braves over the Blue Jays: The Jays lose the DH and their pitchers are dropping like flies. They are reduced to starting journeymen like Esmil Rogers. Good luck with that. The Braves should win behind Kris Medlen.
• The Rangers over the Diamondbacks: Brandon McCarthy has held his own against the Rangers over the years. The Rangers know him and he knows them. But the series moves to Texas and Justin Grimm has been holding his own in his first year in the rotation. The Rangers get the pick.
• The Twins over the Brewers: This is an upset pick. The series moves to Minnesota. Sam Deduno has a surprisingly good outing. The Twins get to Marco Estrada and get the win.
• The Cardinals over the Royals: Oh, Royals fans, May has not been kind to you. And you keep getting one great Cardinal home grown pitcher after another in this series. Lance Lynn shuts them down...again. Luis Mendoza gets roughed up by the amped-up Cardinals' lineup. This is not pretty.
• The Rockies over the Astros: I have picked against Tyler Chatwood three times and he is 3-0. His 1.92 ERA with a 1.39 WHIP does not compute. But he is facing the Astros, so I guess I ought to pick him. It is not like Erik Bedard is a good alternative.
• The Angels over the Dodgers: Jered Weaver is making his first start back from the DL and if you know me, I never go with that kind of situation. But, gosh, it is Jered Weaver! Not only that, but he faces Chris Capuano. The Dodgers have taken the first two of this battle of LA.
• The Padres over the Mariners: I am still zero for Eric Stults this season. I think he will have a good game at home against the M's. Joe Saunders should enjoy pitching at Petco too though. It will be either a close one or one of the pitchers will be unexpectedly bad. Who knows.
• The Giants over the Athletics: The A's have certainly had their way so far. But the series shifts to San Francisco. The one reservation is Tim Lincecum. There is no way of knowing how he will do. Tommy Milone goes for the A's.

And the Game of the Day!

• The Bay Rays over the Marlins: The Marlins have scored eleven runs the last two days, which is a lot for them and they are still 0-2 in those games. Ramon Hernandez is not that great, but he will be better than Tom Koehler and the Rays will win.

Yesterday: 7-6

Week: 24-20

Month: 213-165

Season: 442-327

Games of the Day: 35-21

MLB Game Picks - Friday: May 24, 2013

When there are only five games on the schedule, there is not much to work with and just a couple of wayward picks can sink the day. That was the case yesterday. Young, Kevin Gausman, was not terrible for the Orioles yesterday. But that team's bullpen is just awful lately and gave up eight more runs in three innings of work. Ouch. Speaking of bullpens, Ryan Dempster was not good again yesterday and gave up four runs in three innings of work. But then Clayton Mortensen and Alex Wilson gave up eight more to put that game way out of reach. And of course, waiting for Edwin Jackson to pitch a good game continues to be an exercise in futility. But hey, I did nail Joe Blanton winning his first game of the season.

Friday, weather permitting, should be back to a full schedule. The picks:

• The Nationals over the Phillies: My guy, Jordan Zimmermann is on the mound tonight. The only question is whether the Nationals will put enough runs together off of Kyle Kendrick to get Zimmermann the win.
• The Blue Jays over the Orioles: Yes, a rookie will be making his Major League debut for the Blue Jays. But Sean Nolin has really good numbers in the minors and the Blue Jays are killing the ball right now and should score often against Chris Tillman. This is a really tough pick. But taking the Blue Jays at home.
• The Tigers over the Twins: This game might be closer than you think. Yes, the Twins are starting Samuel Deduno, but he is a big strong guy with a good arm. Anibal Sanchez should give the Tigers a quality start and Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder will do the rest.
• The Braves over the Mets: Kris Medlen might find himself back in the bullpen when Brandon Beachy returns unless he can put some good outings together. Even so, he should be better than Jeremy Hefner, who goes for the Mets.
• The Reds over the Cubs: I love that Scott Feldman is pitching so well for the Cubs. He has been fantastic. But this is the Reds he is facing. Bronson Arroyo goes for the hometown team.
• The Indians over the Red Sox: The Red Sox' cracks are showing the past few weeks after a really good start. John Lackey has not been able to deliver quality starters and the only big question is if this will be a good Justin Masterson start or a bad one because it is either one or the other in equal measures.
• The Yankees over the Bay Rays: St. Pete is usually a horror show for the Yankees and they are 5-16 there since the start of 2011. This might be the only game of this series that gives them a shot as Ramon Hernandez goes for the Rays. David Phelps goes for the Yankees. The Rays' bullpen has been a bit of a disaster thus far.
• The Angels over the Royals: The Royals are not this bad. They really are not. But they are certainly in a horrible stretch. And they are catching an Angels' team that has gotten hot. Jason Vargas never fills me with giddiness. But neither does Luis Mendoza. Mike Trout is on fire.
• The White Sox over the Marlins: The Marlins get an extra batter in the lineup with the DH. Insert jokes here. I do not like picking a pitcher coming off the disabled list like John Danks is right now. But against the Marlins? Yeah. Tom Koehler goes for the Fish.
• The Athletics over the Astros: The A's have been somewhat lackluster and their offense is uneven and inconsistent. And still, they should beat the Astros. Tommy Milone has not been terrific. But he has talent. Erik Bedard had talent, but that was years ago.
• The Pirates over the Brewers: Yeah, this is one where the "lines" might have a different outcome. But I do not care. This is my feature and I go with what I know come hell or high water. If A.J. Burnett is on, the Brewers will be shut down. It is as simple as that. Marco Estrada is a decent pitcher and is at home. But again, if Burnett is on, Estrada will not keep up. But then again, Burnett has to be on. Heh.
• The Diamondbacks over the Padres: It was great to see Brandon McCarthy get his first win his last time out, his first since he was hit in the head so badly last season. But the D-Backs faithful are still itching for their team to ditch McCarthy, so we will see. Eric Stults goes for the Padres and I never get his games correctly.
• The Cardinals over the Dodgers: The Mattingly death watch continues. What he said was dead on, by the way. Lance Lynn over Chris Capuano. This one should not be close unless the Cards get jet lagged.
• The Mariners over the Rangers: This is my upset special of the day. Joe Saunders will have a good BABIP night and give Rangers' hitters soft oh-fers. Justin Grimm will be dinged around for three or four runs and the Mariners will steal one.

And the Game of the Day!

• The Giants over the Rockies: Tyler Chatwood has a 2.66 ERA with a 1.58 WHIP. Those two are not logical and will not continue. Tim Lincecum seems to be at least competitive in most of his starts. The Giants will win this one at home.

Yesterday: 2-3

Week: 33-29

Month: 172-130

Season: 401-294

Games of the Day: 35-17