Game Picks - Sunday: May 24, 2009

The week ended on a positive note with more blown saves going in the right direction for a change. The real shocker was the shot off of Papelbon, though there is a measure of secret satisfaction in that event. Jonathan Broxton is having an amazing year in Los Angeles and is now 5-0 in games that he doesn't have a save opportunity. There were a few losses on the docket, the most frustrating of which was the Cubs, who were supposed to start Harden and didn't.

We start off the new week with some games full of pitfalls. It's another one of those days where anything could happen. But with growing confidence, the Fan forges ahead where many dare to tread:

• The Tigers over the Rockies: Any Tigers pick with Willis pitching is a game of Russian Roulette. But Hammel is pitching for the Rockies, which is uninspiring.
• The Yankees over the Phillies: The Yankees comeback win yesterday over Brad Lidge in the ninth was shocking and inspiring. Melky Cabrera is becoming the master of the walk off single. Sabathia pitches today against Hamel in a great matchup.
• The Bay Rays over the Marlins: It's really hard to pick against the Marlins when Johnson is pitching because he is so good. But the Marlins seem to be in complete disarray at the moment.
• The Reds over the Indians: This pick is very iffy as the Reds are struggling. But Cueto is such a major talent that it's hard to pick against him even when his opponent is Lee.
• The Orioles over the Nationals: This game could go either way. But the Orioles have won the first two, so we'll lean in that direction.
• The Braves over the Blue Jays: The Blue Jays are struggling and have lost five in a row. Jurrjens is pitching for the Braves which is Rule #5.
• The Red Sox over the Mets: Wakefield is pitching for Boston and the Mets won't have much experience with a knuckleball. Redding is pitching for the Mets, which doesn't inspire confidence. Ortiz has gone 0-6 in the series with four strikeouts and two walks. How long do the Red Sox wait? It's been a fascinating story.
• The Astros over the Rangers: This pick is a wish pick as Hampton is pitching for the Astros against McCarthy for the Rangers. There is a bit of logic here in a game where there is no DH. Hampton is a good hitting pitcher.
• The White Sox over the Pirates: Buehrle should beat Karstens.
• The Cardinals over the Royals: Pineiro should be Bannister. Did you see the video of Albert Pujols breaking the Big Mac sign with his homer? Wow!
• The Cubs over the Padres: Do the Cubbies have a late surge in them? They don't look very promising at the moment. But Lilly should beat Young.
• The A's over the Diamondbacks: Jon Garland doesn't inspire the Fan in this one and the A's are finally starting to hit a little bit.
• The Mariners over the Giants: King Felix should out pitch Barry Zito, but this pick feels scary.
• The Dodgers over the Angels: The Dodgers won a heart breaker last night and back that up with Billingsley today. Not a good scenario for the Angels.
• The Twins over the Brewers: The Brewers were hot coming into this series. The Twins were cold. So naturally, the Twins have been all over the series and will continue the trend tonight.

Hope you're having a great Memorial Day Weekend!

Yesterday: 10-5
Week: 54-43
Month: 151-135