<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=500 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=left width="50%">Yesterday</TD><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=right width="10%">3</TD><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=right width="10%">1</TD><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=right width="10%">0</TD><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=right width="20%">+5.32 Units</TD></TR><TR><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=left width="50%">Last 30 Days</TD><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=right width="10%">51</TD><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=right width="10%">54</TD><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=right width="10%">0</TD><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=right width="20%">+19.78 Units</TD></TR><TR><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=left width="50%">Season To Date (Since April 2007)</TD><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=right width="10%">88</TD><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=right width="10%">109</TD><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=right width="10%">0</TD><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=right width="20%">-1.87 Units</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
HOME TEAM IN CAPS
All games are listed pitchers unless stated otherwise.
COLORADO –1½ +1.44 over Cincinnati
Not that it makes any difference in terms of where they’re going this year but losing Ryan Freel is going to have an impact on the Reds and it’s not a good one. At least Freel played his heart out every game and was the guy in the clubhouse that led by example. With both Freel and Josh Hamilton on the rack the Reds are pretty much a joke. They’ll face Rodrigo Lopez here and Lopez is one of those guys that has wicked major league stuff but has really never made a name for himself yet. This his his sixth year and it looks like he found a home after pitching in Baltimore the last four+ seasons (he pitched briefly with the Padres in 2000). Lopez is a fiery competitor and came off the DL in his last start and pitched a beautiful six innings over the Cards in a 8-3 Rockies win. He’s now struck out 15 in 23 frames while walking just two batters and that should bode well here against a Reds team that loves to swing the bat. In four starts this year Lopez has an ERA of 2.35. Lopez is a gamer. Matt Belisle, the reliever turned starter, will go for the Reds. Belisle has been hit hard in three of his last five starts and in fact, in those three starts he allowed 30 hits in 17 innings and the opposition hit a hefty .382 off him. The other two games over that stretch in which he performed well both came against the offensively challenged Astros, a team that could make Bob Barker look good on the mound. Cinci has won four of six but the offense continues to struggle big time while the pitching has been much better. However, we’re suggesting the pitching won’t be so good today and the offense will remain the same, brutal. Play: Colorado –1½ +1.44 (Risking 2 units). <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com
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San Francisco +1.15 over PHILADELPHIA
The last time the Phillies saw Tim Lincecum is when the rookie made his major league debut less then a month ago on May 6. He was lifted in the fourth after the Phillies roughed him up for five runs on five hits for an ERA of 10.38. That was then, this is now. In four starts since than, Lincecum has pitched at least seven full innings in all of them and lowered his ERA from 10.38 to 3.24. In other words, you won’t find many pitchers in all of baseball that have performed better then Lincecum over the past month. The league is hitting just .186 off him and on the road in two starts the league is hitting a paltry .162 off him. He’s also struck out 33 batters in 33 innings. Meanwhile, Freddy Garcia is just a big inning waiting to happen. At Citizens Bank Park, Garcia is 0-3 in five starts with an ERA of 4.66. He’s surrendered 39 hits, six jacks, and 15 earned runs in 29 innings. He’s also escaped jam after jam, thus, his numbers could be far worse with a key hit here and there. So, with a take-back on perhaps the hottest young arm in the game and with the Phillies winning just once in their last six, we’ll take our chances on this very live pup. Play: San Francisco +1.15 (Risking 2 units). <o></o>
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Kansas City +1.34 over TAMPA BAY
How about we talk about Jay Howell as a -1.43 favorite today? Howell has been around for the past two years and over that time he was cut by the Royals, signed by the Devil Rays and subsequently sent down to the Rays minor league club after spring training this season. In baseball’s totem pole we can’t think of anything lower then getting cut by the Royals and then being sent to the minors by the Devil Rays. Incidentally, in 11 starts at Triple AAA Durham this year, Howell went 3-5 with a 3.96 ERA. Scott Elarton has not pitched well and we make no bones about that. However, Elarton isn’t the one laying a price here, Howell is. Besides, the Royals have won eight of their past 10 on the road while the Devil Rays keep losing and their third baseman keeps hunting down and/or beating up his ex. If Odalis Perez and Brian Bannister can look good against these Rays so can Scott Elarton. Jay Howell should never, ever be this big a choice over anybody while playing for the Rays at this point in his career, period. Play: Kansas City +1.34 (Risking 2 units). <o></o>
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TORONTO –1½ +1.56 over Chicago
Many people will suggest that laying 1½ runs at home is unwise because if the home team is up a run in the ninth they will not bat and we’ll lose the bet. Thing is, we wouldn’t be making this bet if we thought the Jays will be up a run in the ninth, we expect them to be up five runs just as we do when we play any other team laying runs at home. What we can tell you is that the Jays are 8-1 at home against southpaws and will see another one here in John Danks. On the road Danks is 3-5 with an ERA of 5.40 and his numbers get progressively worse. He’s been tagged for 31 hits and seven bombs in 26 road innings while striking out 16 and walking 13. Danks gave up two bombs and walked four in his last start in just 3.1 innings. The White Sox remain dead last in the league, both in the AL and NL, in several key offensive categories. Furthermore, their bullpen has turned into a nightmare and Ozzie Guillen is quickly becoming known as an idiot, making all the wrong moves. Meanwhile, Shaun Marcum has been a stud since being inserted into the rotation. In four starts Marcum has yet to lose and comes in with an ERA of 2.16. The four teams he faced as a starter, Tampa Bay, Philly, Baltimore and the Yanks hit a combined .146 off him. Marcum has struck out 43 in 41 innings and the best part about all this is the South Side has never seen him before. So, yeah, the Jays can win by two here and will likely win by more then that. Play: Toronto –1½ +1.56 (Risking 2 units).
HOME TEAM IN CAPS
All games are listed pitchers unless stated otherwise.
COLORADO –1½ +1.44 over Cincinnati
Not that it makes any difference in terms of where they’re going this year but losing Ryan Freel is going to have an impact on the Reds and it’s not a good one. At least Freel played his heart out every game and was the guy in the clubhouse that led by example. With both Freel and Josh Hamilton on the rack the Reds are pretty much a joke. They’ll face Rodrigo Lopez here and Lopez is one of those guys that has wicked major league stuff but has really never made a name for himself yet. This his his sixth year and it looks like he found a home after pitching in Baltimore the last four+ seasons (he pitched briefly with the Padres in 2000). Lopez is a fiery competitor and came off the DL in his last start and pitched a beautiful six innings over the Cards in a 8-3 Rockies win. He’s now struck out 15 in 23 frames while walking just two batters and that should bode well here against a Reds team that loves to swing the bat. In four starts this year Lopez has an ERA of 2.35. Lopez is a gamer. Matt Belisle, the reliever turned starter, will go for the Reds. Belisle has been hit hard in three of his last five starts and in fact, in those three starts he allowed 30 hits in 17 innings and the opposition hit a hefty .382 off him. The other two games over that stretch in which he performed well both came against the offensively challenged Astros, a team that could make Bob Barker look good on the mound. Cinci has won four of six but the offense continues to struggle big time while the pitching has been much better. However, we’re suggesting the pitching won’t be so good today and the offense will remain the same, brutal. Play: Colorado –1½ +1.44 (Risking 2 units). <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com
fficeffice" /><o></o><o
></o>San Francisco +1.15 over PHILADELPHIA
The last time the Phillies saw Tim Lincecum is when the rookie made his major league debut less then a month ago on May 6. He was lifted in the fourth after the Phillies roughed him up for five runs on five hits for an ERA of 10.38. That was then, this is now. In four starts since than, Lincecum has pitched at least seven full innings in all of them and lowered his ERA from 10.38 to 3.24. In other words, you won’t find many pitchers in all of baseball that have performed better then Lincecum over the past month. The league is hitting just .186 off him and on the road in two starts the league is hitting a paltry .162 off him. He’s also struck out 33 batters in 33 innings. Meanwhile, Freddy Garcia is just a big inning waiting to happen. At Citizens Bank Park, Garcia is 0-3 in five starts with an ERA of 4.66. He’s surrendered 39 hits, six jacks, and 15 earned runs in 29 innings. He’s also escaped jam after jam, thus, his numbers could be far worse with a key hit here and there. So, with a take-back on perhaps the hottest young arm in the game and with the Phillies winning just once in their last six, we’ll take our chances on this very live pup. Play: San Francisco +1.15 (Risking 2 units). <o
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></o>Kansas City +1.34 over TAMPA BAY
How about we talk about Jay Howell as a -1.43 favorite today? Howell has been around for the past two years and over that time he was cut by the Royals, signed by the Devil Rays and subsequently sent down to the Rays minor league club after spring training this season. In baseball’s totem pole we can’t think of anything lower then getting cut by the Royals and then being sent to the minors by the Devil Rays. Incidentally, in 11 starts at Triple AAA Durham this year, Howell went 3-5 with a 3.96 ERA. Scott Elarton has not pitched well and we make no bones about that. However, Elarton isn’t the one laying a price here, Howell is. Besides, the Royals have won eight of their past 10 on the road while the Devil Rays keep losing and their third baseman keeps hunting down and/or beating up his ex. If Odalis Perez and Brian Bannister can look good against these Rays so can Scott Elarton. Jay Howell should never, ever be this big a choice over anybody while playing for the Rays at this point in his career, period. Play: Kansas City +1.34 (Risking 2 units). <o
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></o>TORONTO –1½ +1.56 over Chicago
Many people will suggest that laying 1½ runs at home is unwise because if the home team is up a run in the ninth they will not bat and we’ll lose the bet. Thing is, we wouldn’t be making this bet if we thought the Jays will be up a run in the ninth, we expect them to be up five runs just as we do when we play any other team laying runs at home. What we can tell you is that the Jays are 8-1 at home against southpaws and will see another one here in John Danks. On the road Danks is 3-5 with an ERA of 5.40 and his numbers get progressively worse. He’s been tagged for 31 hits and seven bombs in 26 road innings while striking out 16 and walking 13. Danks gave up two bombs and walked four in his last start in just 3.1 innings. The White Sox remain dead last in the league, both in the AL and NL, in several key offensive categories. Furthermore, their bullpen has turned into a nightmare and Ozzie Guillen is quickly becoming known as an idiot, making all the wrong moves. Meanwhile, Shaun Marcum has been a stud since being inserted into the rotation. In four starts Marcum has yet to lose and comes in with an ERA of 2.16. The four teams he faced as a starter, Tampa Bay, Philly, Baltimore and the Yanks hit a combined .146 off him. Marcum has struck out 43 in 41 innings and the best part about all this is the South Side has never seen him before. So, yeah, the Jays can win by two here and will likely win by more then that. Play: Toronto –1½ +1.56 (Risking 2 units).
