MLB Game Picks - Tuesday: June 9, 2015

I've never been fond of short schedule days. There is no margin for error and the picks can go south in a hurry. Predictably, I went 4-4 yesterday with an incorrect Pick of the Day. Chris Sale was as remarkable as I thought he would be. But I worried correctly about John Lackey, who was pounded. I enjoyed watching the draft last night except that it was drawn out to the nth degree. Wow, that was slow going!  Good luck to all those drafted.

Tuesday's picks:

• The Red Sox over the Orioles: The Red Sox have a good one in Eduardo Rodriguez and he has certainly delivered. He faces Miguel Gonzalez who only seems dominant against the Yankees and no one else in the AL East.
• The Pirates over the Brewers: This pick did not work out yesterday. And it seems a little iffy tonight too. Francisco Liriano is always an adventure and the Brewers are giving a MLB debut to Taylor Jungmann, the team's former #1 draft pick (2011). Jungmann has gotten bashed around a bit this year in the PCL, but that is a tough league for pitchers. Look for a lot of ground balls.
• The Yankees over the Nationals: The Yankees have made it a habit of spanking aces this year (while losing to stiffs) and can deliver their own ace in Masahiro Tanaka. If Tanaka can keep the ball in the stadium, I think he will out-duel Max Scherzer.
• The Blue Jays over the Marlins: I'll take Mark Buehrle at home most of the time. Besides, the Marlins have sunk like a rock since they changed managers. Dan Haren goes for the Fish.
• The Cubs over the Tigers: Anibal Sanchez just doesn't seem to be himself this season. He's usually good in the first half and then fades. He's faded since April. Jon Lester knows these Tigers well (and vice versa).
• The Rays over the Angels: The Rays just keep winning and Nate Karns has been part of that. Matt Shoemaker is capable of being tough though.
• The Reds over the Phillies: Aaron Harang might be safe enough to pick against. I will laugh if he wins though. The guy does do a number on my head. Anthony DeSclafani goes for the Reds.
• The Padres over the Braves: I hate picking against Mike Foltynewicz, especially since I finally memorized how to spell his name. But James Shields doesn't lose.  So I have to go with him.
• The Mets over the Giants: Two good young pitchers toil in this one and it could go either way. "Charlton" Chris Heston has been just fine for the Giants and Noah Syndergaard has shown flashes of brilliance.
• The Astros over the White Sox: Carlos Rodon is certainly capable of striking out fourteen more Astros tonight. But I have to go with Dallas Keuchel, one of my favorite pitchers in baseball.
• The Twins over the Royals: Trevor May has been a complete surprise to me this season as have the Twins as a whole. The Royals are tough but I am going with May over Chris Young.
• The Rockies over the Cardinals: The Rockies, thanks to the re-emergence of Troy Tulowitzki, are flat out raking right now and at home, I think they can still do the same to Michael Wacha. Jorge De La Rosa is the key to this game though.
• The Athletics over the Rangers: It's a Sonny Gray day and that is enough for me, especially when he is home. The Rangers go with Nick Martinez, who has been very good himself this season.
• The Dodgers over the Diamondbacks: Robbie Ray has pitched wonderfully since his call up and has nine strikeouts to only one walk. The Dodgers are just a different team when Yasiel Puig is on the field. Carlos Frias pitches for them.

And the Pick of the Day:

• The Indians over the Mariners: I don't care if he is just 3-6. You can't pick against Corey Kluber. I cannot say the same thing concerning Roenis Elias.

Yesterday: 4-4, June: 56-49, Season: 434-402, Picks of the Day: 34-28

MLB Game Picks - Wednesday: June 3, 2015

Man! There were a lot of games yesterday. When all was said and done, I finished at 11-6 for the day. I picked three of the four games of the double-headers correctly.  The Pick of the Day was wrong (again) as Noah Syndergaard got roughed around by the Padres...a development I obviously did not expect. My best picks of the day were the Indians over the Royals and Clay Buchholz beating the Twins.

Sixteen more games on tap for tonight! The picks:

• The Red Sox over the Twins: I really like this Eduardo Rodriguez kid. He has poise and no fear and I think he will survive better today better than Phil Hughes does in Fenway Park.
• The Red Sox over the Twins: Yes, I am picking a sweep. I think the Red Sox will hit Trevor May and Rick Porcello will pitch well. The fire the manager talk will settle down for a day or so (unfortunately) .
• The Cardinals over the Brewers: Judging by how this week is going, the Cardinals will either win, 1-0 or love 1-0. I like John Lackey at home in St. Louis, but also think that Jimmy Nelson will pitch well.
• The Braves over the Diamondbacks: I have come to like Mike Foltynewicz because I learned how to spell his name without looking early on. He hasn't pitched poorly either. Rubby De La Rosa goes for the D-backs. Caution: The D-backs have had their way so far this series.
• The Yankees over the Mariners: If the Yankees' middle relief can hold up and bridge Masahiro Tanaka to the late inning guys, the Yankees should take care of the rest with just enough offense against Taijuan Walker.
• The Giants over the Pirates: The Giants will salvage one game of this series with a win today behind Tim Hudson. Francisco Liriano won his last outing, but so cannot be counted upon. The Pirates are hot as a team though.
• The Blue Jays over the Nationals: Taylor and Tyler seem to be the new cool names in baseball. I'm not sure they have overtaken the Brandons, but it seems close when combining those variations. There will be one less if Taylor Jordan doesn't pitch better than he did last time. Mark Buehrle goes for the Jays.
• The Athletics over the Tigers: It's Sonny Gray Day! That's all I've got to say. Come what may from Anibal Sanchez's day, the A's win will be this picking day's halfway.
• The Cubs over the Marlins: Christian Yelich is in a terrible slump and Giancarlo Stanton is on a bit of a strikeout jag. Both of those facts could be exploited by Jon Lester today. Dan Haren has leveled off after a big start to the season.
• The White Sox over the Rangers: The Rangers are extremely hot right now and Nick Martinez has pitched well all season. But I just cannot pick against Chris Sale who is capable of no hitting a team on any given day.
• The Astros over the Orioles: I have no idea who is going to win this game. None. Lance McCullers has pitched really well, but doesn't go deep in the game. Miguel Gonzalez is good sometimes and not sometimes. I have no idea.
• The Indians over the Royals: This is risky picking the Indians to beat the Royals twice in a row. But if Corey Kluber is dominant and the Indians get to Jason Vargas, it could happen.
• The Dodgers over the Rockies: I have been riding Mike Bolsinger so far for his young career and I will continue to do so here. I am, however, afraid of him pitching at Coors. Chad Bettis, meanwhile, almost pitched a no-hitter his last time out. Hmmm
• The Padres over the Mets: I would be hesitant to pick Dillon Gee at this point to win any game. But add James Shields to the mix  and my hesitancy goes even higher.
• The Angels over the Rays: Nate Karns has had a pretty solid start to his MLB career. But I can't pick him against the Angels' offense. He is not Chris Archer, after all. Hector Santiago goes for the Angels.

And the Pick of the Day:

• The Phillies over the Reds: Mike Leake has leaked a lot lately after a fine start to the season. I think it was because I jumped on him for my fantasy team. It was all downhill from there. Cole Hamels goes for the Phils.

Yesterday: 11-6, June: 16-10, Season: 394-363, Picks of the Day: 30-26

MLB Game Picks - Friday: May 29, 2015

Short schedules always frighten me because this is little margin for error. Therefore, I am happy to finish at 5-3. Of the three incorrect picks, on one, I am kicking myself. On the other, I am kicking the manager and the other was a battle between two good pitchers and I picked the wrong one.

The latter I don't mind. But I KNEW I should pick the Red Sox yesterday. I had a strong feeling that Eduardo Rodriguez was the real deal. Heck, I even picked him up on my fantasy team. Dumb. 

As for kicking the manager, the Yankees NEVER should have lost that game last night. With the game on the line, Joe Girardi brought in David Carpenter.

Why is that a bad thing? Because the A's have a .767 OPS against right-handed pitching but only a team .611 OPS against left-handed pitching. David Carpenter is right-handed. The Yankees have four left-handed relievers and one of them, Chasen Shreve, was very effective after Carpenter gave up the winning runs (inherited runners Sabathia put on base). Stupid.

Friday's picks:

• The Cubs over the Royals: The Royals lose the DH, which has been very important to their offense. Jake Arrieta gentille Arrieta will benefit from the Royals aggressive swinging and the Cubs will score a few off of Edinson Volquez.
• The Phillies over the Rockies: First, the Phillies have their best pitcher, Cole Hamels, on the mound. Secondly, Chad Bettis is not pick-worthy...at least to me. I like the Phillies at home here.
• The Orioles over the Rays: The Orioles are back home at Camden Yards and that is usually an appealing pick. Miguel Gonzalez is usually good against the AL East. The one problem I see is that Nathan Karns is pitching very well.
• The Reds over the Nationals: I'm not picking Stephen Strasburg again. Never. Ever. Again. Well...at least until he starts winning. Anthony DeSclafani goes for the Reds at home.
• The Red Sox over the Rangers: I don't feel good about either starting pitcher here between Yovani Gallardo for Texas or Steven Wright for the Red Sox. But one of the teams has to win and I'm going with the Red Sox.
• The Diamondbacks over the Brewers: The Brewers lost their hot streak and are back going in the wrong direction. Rubby De La Rosa has been a great pick up for the D-Backs. Jimmy Nelson hasn't put it together yet.
• The Astros over the White Sox: This could be a good one. Lance McCullers Jr. has been pitching well for the Astros, but Carlos Rodon is a real stud prospect for the White Sox. I go with McCullers because he has far better control at this point than Rodon who is walking way too many batters.
• The Blue Jays over the Twins: I like Mark Buehrle in this one. I think he'll have a good game. Trevor May has been inconsistent and you don't want to now be really on against the Blue Jays' offense.
• The Cardinals over the Dodgers: I hate this pick. I hate picking John Lackey for one thing. But he is capable of dominating a game. I also hate picking against Mike Bolsinger who has been terrific for the Dodgers. But this is what my gut is telling me here.
• The Angels over the Tigers: The Tigers are missing Victor Martinez in their lineup. It's still a decent lineup, but not quite the same. The two starters here are hard to pick. Hector Santiago and Anibal Sanchez have had their struggles.
• The Athletics over the Yankees: That was a big loss for the Yankees last night because they get Sonny Gray tonight. I always go with Sonny Gray. I definitely am not feeling Chris Capuano. Although, Capuano is a lefty...hmmm
• The Indians over the Mariners: Robinson Cano is hurting and not himself. Taijuan Walker has not put anything together this year and Trevor Bauer is pitching well.
• The Padres over the Pirates: James Shields just keeps on winning. It's hard to pick against that. Francisco Liriano is such a puzzle. He simply cannot be counted upon.
• The Braves over the Giants: The Braves' bats have gone silent. But they do seem to win behind Mike Foltynewicz. Tim Hudson is pitching at home, which is hard to pick against. But I'm doing it anyway.

And the Pick of the Day:

• The Mets over the Marlins: Matt Harvey should bounce back from his anomalous bad outing. Dan Haren may be able to match zeroes though, if he is on.

Yesterday: 5-3, May: 190-165, Season: 357-330, Picks of the Day: 29-22

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 - Tuesday: May 19, 2015

I was supposed to get up early for an early meeting and somehow, I did not. So I have only a few minutes to list out my picks without comments. I apologize.

• Pirates over the Twins: Francisco Liriano vs. Ricky Nolasco
• Yankees over the Nationals: Nate Eovaldi vs. Gio Gonzalez
• Orioles over the Mariners: Miguel Gonzalez vs. Taijuan Walker
• Blue Jays over the Angels: Aaron Sanchez vs. Hector Santiago
• Marlins over the Diamondbacks: Tom Koehler vs. Jeremy Hellickson
• Cardinals over the Mets: Michael Wacha vs. Jon Niese
• Braves over the Rays: Mike Foltynewicz vs. Erasmo Ramirez
• Rangers over the Red Sox; Yovani Gallardo vs Wade Miley
• Reds over the Royals: Johnny Cueto vs. Yordano Ventura
• The White Sox over the Indians: Jose Quintana vs. Trevor Bauer
• Athletics over the Astros: Sonny Gray vs. Roberto Hernandez
• Phillies over the Rockies: Aaron Harang vs. Chad Bettis
• Padres over the Cubs: James Shields vs. Jason Hammel
• Dodgers over the Giants: Carlos Frias vs. Tim Hudson

And the Pick of the Day:

• Tigers over the Brewers: Anibal Sanchez vs. Jimmy Nelson

Yesterday: 4-3, May: 121-96, Season: 285-261, Picks of the Day: 23-18