COMPS
Dave Cokin. My free pick of the day is the game between (973) KC Royals and (974) BAL Orioles. Take "(974) BAL Orioles". I've run just one 5-0 guaranteed sweep all season, but I nailed it, winning all five releases. Today I'm doing it again, and this time I'm giving away all five plays FREE at 1-888-389-7223. All five plays must win or I'll give away the next two full weeks of my Baseball Action package at zero cost!
Gil Meche has been very good lately for the Royals, while Daniel Cabrera is scuffling for the Orioles. The oddsmakers have recognized this and installed a very short price on this contest. But the O's are the better team, particularly if David DeJesus is still out for KC, and Cabrera has awesome stats against the Royals. I'll go with the Orioles to come away with the win.
Jim Feist. My free pick of the day is the game between (971) TEX Rangers and (972) NYY Yankees. Take "Over". So how is NY starter Sidney Ponson 5-1? With smoke and mirrors! This guy is still very hittable, giving up 76 hits in 61 innings. Throw in 20 walks and that's a whopping 96 base runners in 61 innings. Texas is ranked No. 1 in the AL in runs scored, while NY is 7th in runs, 4th in OBP. Rangers righty Luis Mendoza is a journeyman with a 5.40 ERA for the season and 0-2 with a 9.31 ERA his last three starts. Look for plenty of runs in the House that Ruth Built. Play the Rangers/Yankees over the total!
Jack Clayton:Free Pick
Sport: MLB
Game: Red Sox at Rays
Date/Time: 7/2/2008 7:00PM EST
Pick: Red Sox
Matt Fargo: Free Pick
Sport: MLB
Game: Boston Red Sox at Tampa Bay Rays
Date/Time: 7/2/2008 7:10PM EST
Pick: Boston Red Sox (Matsuzaka) +125
Reason: I?m going back with Boston as the contrarian theory still holds true as the home team is now 11-0 in this series year to date after the Rays win again last night. The Red Sox are seven games under .500 on the road for the season but the offense has been sufficient with a .269 average. It is also .279 over their last 10 games and facing a lefty starter has been good to it so far this season. Boston is hitting .286 on the season against left-handed pitching and most importantly, it is 13-3 on the year against left-handed starters.
Tampa Bay has the second best home record in the American League but it remains a tough place for the home team to generate any offense. Over the last five home series, covering 15 games, the Rays have averaged only 3.7 rpg. On the season, they are averaging just 4.3 rpg while Boston is tied for 10th in baseball, averaging 4.5 rpg on the road. The pitching has been outstanding at home but keeping the Red Sox offense in check yet again will be a difficult task.
At one point Scott Kazmir was the only pitcher for the Rays that could take care of Boston and he did so dominantly. However, it has gone south in recent starts. Over his last six starts against the Red Sox, Kazmir is 1-4 with Tampa Bay losing four of the last five. Three of the last four outings against Boston have been non-quality starts including the last two pitched at Tropicana Field. He has a 4.11 ERA and 1.30 WHIP over his last three starts and none of those have been quality outings.
Daisuke Matsuzaka was hammered by the Cardinals in his first start back from the disabled list on June 21st. He allowed seven runs in just one inning and it was obvious the rust had settled in. He followed that up with a solid effort next time out in Houston as he allowed no runs on two hits in five innings in a 6-1 Boston win. He has been extremely solid away from Fenway Park, going 4-0 with a 2.20 ERA in six starts. Three of his five career starts against the Rays have been quality outings including two of three in Tampa. Play Boston Red Sox 1.5 Units
Ross Benjamin: Free Pick
Sport: MLB
Game: Philadelphia (Eaton) @ Atlanta (Campillo)
Date/Time: 7/2/2008 7:10PM EST
Pick: Atlanta -135
Reason: The Philadelphia starting pitcher Adam Eaton is 2-7 in his team starts on the road this season with a lofty 4.92 ERA and 1.51 WHIP. Eaton is a dismal 2-10 in his last 12 team starts when pitching on exactly 5 days rest. Eaton enters the game in bad form off of his last 3 starts posting a 5.79 ERA and a 1.82 WHIP. Eaton has struggled in his appearances versus the braves the last few years. Atlanta is a solid 18-8 at home this season versus a right-handed starting pitcher. The Atlanta starter Campillo enters the game in good form off of his last 3 starts posting a 3.38 ERA, a 1.03 WHIP, and a 5:1 strikeout to walk ratio. The Braves are 28-15 at home this season while the Phillies are just 3-9 in their last 12. Play on the Atlanta Braves as my free selection of the night.
Big Al McMordie: Free Pick
Sport: MLB
Game: Ariz v Milw
Date/Time: 7/2/2008 9:40PM EST
Pick: ariz
Reason: At 9:40pm our complimentary selection is on the Arizona Diamondbacks over the Milwaukee Brewers. Arizona righthander Micah Owings may have lost five of his last six starts, but he has been bothered by a sore back for some of those games, and still hasn't really pitched that badly. He and his team have pronounced him fit for this game, so be prepared to see the Micah Owings that we saw for much of April and May when the 25-year-old went 6-2 with a 3.73 ERA in his first nine starts. The Brewers will send out converted reliever Seth McClung who has been extremely inconsistent in his seven starts this season. McClung rarely gets past the sixth inning in his starts and only lasted 4 2/3 in his last outing at Minnesota against the Twins, giving up nine hits and five earned runs in one of his worst starts of the year. Milwaukee is only hitting .248 vs. righthanders this season. Take the D-Backs. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
Dave Cokin. My free pick of the day is the game between (973) KC Royals and (974) BAL Orioles. Take "(974) BAL Orioles". I've run just one 5-0 guaranteed sweep all season, but I nailed it, winning all five releases. Today I'm doing it again, and this time I'm giving away all five plays FREE at 1-888-389-7223. All five plays must win or I'll give away the next two full weeks of my Baseball Action package at zero cost!
Gil Meche has been very good lately for the Royals, while Daniel Cabrera is scuffling for the Orioles. The oddsmakers have recognized this and installed a very short price on this contest. But the O's are the better team, particularly if David DeJesus is still out for KC, and Cabrera has awesome stats against the Royals. I'll go with the Orioles to come away with the win.
Jim Feist. My free pick of the day is the game between (971) TEX Rangers and (972) NYY Yankees. Take "Over". So how is NY starter Sidney Ponson 5-1? With smoke and mirrors! This guy is still very hittable, giving up 76 hits in 61 innings. Throw in 20 walks and that's a whopping 96 base runners in 61 innings. Texas is ranked No. 1 in the AL in runs scored, while NY is 7th in runs, 4th in OBP. Rangers righty Luis Mendoza is a journeyman with a 5.40 ERA for the season and 0-2 with a 9.31 ERA his last three starts. Look for plenty of runs in the House that Ruth Built. Play the Rangers/Yankees over the total!
Jack Clayton:Free Pick
Sport: MLB
Game: Red Sox at Rays
Date/Time: 7/2/2008 7:00PM EST
Pick: Red Sox
Matt Fargo: Free Pick
Sport: MLB
Game: Boston Red Sox at Tampa Bay Rays
Date/Time: 7/2/2008 7:10PM EST
Pick: Boston Red Sox (Matsuzaka) +125
Reason: I?m going back with Boston as the contrarian theory still holds true as the home team is now 11-0 in this series year to date after the Rays win again last night. The Red Sox are seven games under .500 on the road for the season but the offense has been sufficient with a .269 average. It is also .279 over their last 10 games and facing a lefty starter has been good to it so far this season. Boston is hitting .286 on the season against left-handed pitching and most importantly, it is 13-3 on the year against left-handed starters.
Tampa Bay has the second best home record in the American League but it remains a tough place for the home team to generate any offense. Over the last five home series, covering 15 games, the Rays have averaged only 3.7 rpg. On the season, they are averaging just 4.3 rpg while Boston is tied for 10th in baseball, averaging 4.5 rpg on the road. The pitching has been outstanding at home but keeping the Red Sox offense in check yet again will be a difficult task.
At one point Scott Kazmir was the only pitcher for the Rays that could take care of Boston and he did so dominantly. However, it has gone south in recent starts. Over his last six starts against the Red Sox, Kazmir is 1-4 with Tampa Bay losing four of the last five. Three of the last four outings against Boston have been non-quality starts including the last two pitched at Tropicana Field. He has a 4.11 ERA and 1.30 WHIP over his last three starts and none of those have been quality outings.
Daisuke Matsuzaka was hammered by the Cardinals in his first start back from the disabled list on June 21st. He allowed seven runs in just one inning and it was obvious the rust had settled in. He followed that up with a solid effort next time out in Houston as he allowed no runs on two hits in five innings in a 6-1 Boston win. He has been extremely solid away from Fenway Park, going 4-0 with a 2.20 ERA in six starts. Three of his five career starts against the Rays have been quality outings including two of three in Tampa. Play Boston Red Sox 1.5 Units
Ross Benjamin: Free Pick
Sport: MLB
Game: Philadelphia (Eaton) @ Atlanta (Campillo)
Date/Time: 7/2/2008 7:10PM EST
Pick: Atlanta -135
Reason: The Philadelphia starting pitcher Adam Eaton is 2-7 in his team starts on the road this season with a lofty 4.92 ERA and 1.51 WHIP. Eaton is a dismal 2-10 in his last 12 team starts when pitching on exactly 5 days rest. Eaton enters the game in bad form off of his last 3 starts posting a 5.79 ERA and a 1.82 WHIP. Eaton has struggled in his appearances versus the braves the last few years. Atlanta is a solid 18-8 at home this season versus a right-handed starting pitcher. The Atlanta starter Campillo enters the game in good form off of his last 3 starts posting a 3.38 ERA, a 1.03 WHIP, and a 5:1 strikeout to walk ratio. The Braves are 28-15 at home this season while the Phillies are just 3-9 in their last 12. Play on the Atlanta Braves as my free selection of the night.
Big Al McMordie: Free Pick
Sport: MLB
Game: Ariz v Milw
Date/Time: 7/2/2008 9:40PM EST
Pick: ariz
Reason: At 9:40pm our complimentary selection is on the Arizona Diamondbacks over the Milwaukee Brewers. Arizona righthander Micah Owings may have lost five of his last six starts, but he has been bothered by a sore back for some of those games, and still hasn't really pitched that badly. He and his team have pronounced him fit for this game, so be prepared to see the Micah Owings that we saw for much of April and May when the 25-year-old went 6-2 with a 3.73 ERA in his first nine starts. The Brewers will send out converted reliever Seth McClung who has been extremely inconsistent in his seven starts this season. McClung rarely gets past the sixth inning in his starts and only lasted 4 2/3 in his last outing at Minnesota against the Twins, giving up nine hits and five earned runs in one of his worst starts of the year. Milwaukee is only hitting .248 vs. righthanders this season. Take the D-Backs. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.