<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%">1</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%">0.00 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%">1</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%">0.00 Units</TD></TR><TR><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=left width="50%">Season To Date (Since March 2009)</TD><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=right width="10%">1</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%">0.00 Units</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
HOME TEAM IN CAPS
All games are listed pitchers unless stated otherwise.
Seattle +1.11 over MINNESOTA
The Twins always seem to overachieve but this year could be a lot different. This edition of the Twins appears to be in for a long year and you can double that until Joe Mauer returns from the DL. The Twins youngsters all had good years last season and they’ll be hard pressed to repeat. Without Mauer in the middle the opposition can really pitch carefully to the other threats and there aren’t many. Nick Blackburn is about as ordinary a pitcher as there is. He won 11 games last season but that’s only because of some solid run support. He still allowed 224 hits in 193 frames for a BAA of .292. After the all-star break his ERA shot up over a run per game to 4.68 and this year the players know him even better. Blackburn fooled nobody last season and you can expect an even worse campaign this year. He’s just not a good pitcher, period. Meanwhile, Erik Bedard is flying under the radar a bit after an injury-plagued season. He was the most sought after free agent pitcher the previous year and so he should have been. He pitched with a sore shoulder until July and he still pitched great. He threw just 81 innings and allowed just 70 hits for a BAA of .231. Bedard had a shaky spring but I’m not putting too much emphasis on that. He’s a guy that was easing back into game shape and says he feels great. He was one of the AL’s best pitchers for three years running and that’s when he was in the AL East, frequently facing the Yanks and Bosox. His stock is low right now, which provides us with a good opportunity to cash in on a quality starter against a stiff. Oh, and by the way, the Mariners looked very good in its opener, getting to the Twins ace for four runs in seven innings. The Twins were seeing BB’s. Play: Seattle +1.11 (Risking 2 units).
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Pittsburgh +1.40 over ST. LOUIS
Ian Snell will go for the Pirates and he’s definitely not a #2 type starter. He’s very hittable and will give up runs. He only worked 12 innings this spring and missed his last start due to an illness. Who knows how effective he’ll be here but regardless, he does have decent stuff and has plenty quality starts in his career. Thing is, this choice isn’t about playing on Snell as much as it is taking back a tag against Kyle Lohse and what appears to be a poor Cardinal bullpen. Lohse is so overvalued here because he’s coming off a 15-win season with the Cards last year. The chance of him duplicating that is next to impossible, as Lohse is a fourth or fifth starter at best and even that’s a stretch. In 31 spring innings the opposition went yard on him nine times. In fact, Lohse gave up two home runs to Triple-A catcher Omir Santos Wednesday. Santos hit just one home run in 297 at-bats for Triple-A New Orleans last season. Lohse was a total stiff when he pitched for the Twins, Reds and Phillies and he’ll regress to that same form this season and likely won’t be in the rotation come June or July. When Lohse is a 3-2 favorite, or any favorite for that matter, I’m on the dog and absolutely make no exception here. Play: Pittsburgh +1.40 (Risking 2 units). <o></o>
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FLORIDA -½ -1.06 over Washington (1<SUP>st</SUP> 5 innings)
Scott Olsen gets a chance right away to face his old team and of course he’ll want to perform well, but the Marlins know his tendencies better than anyone and he’s a guy that’s easily rattled. Olsen was smacked around in the spring to the tune of 40 hits in 29 frames and it’s also worth noting he allowed 30 jacks last season. Olsen is known for being a bit of a head-case and that makes him very risky. The Marlins looked great in their opener. This is a dangerous team indeed and one that could very well win the division. The Marlins went deep three times, they scored 12 times and they looked loose and so ready to start the year. They have speed, power and great pitching including today’s starter, Josh Johnson. Johnson missed most of 2007 and returned strong, losing only one of 14 starts, with a strikeout rate on par with his breakout 2006 and fewer than two walks per start. The man can pitch and has added a great change to his repertoire. It’s very early indeed but I really liked what I saw in the Marlins opener, not only in their play but in their whole demeanor too. Play: Florida in the first five innings -½ -1.06 (Risking 2.12 units to win 2). <o></o>
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Oakland +1.08 over L.A. ANGELS (1<SUP>st</SUP> five innings)
The A’s were shutout last night by these Angels and that’s never a good way to start the year but they’re not facing Joe Saunders in this one or anything close to him. No, they’ll be facing Dustin Moseley, a guy that has had every opportunity to stick in the majors but hasn’t come close to delivering the goods. In fact, this guy hasn’t even been able to stick at the Triple-A level most of the time. Moseley appeared in 12 games last season (10 as a starter) for the Angels and the opposition hit a whopping .332 against him. In 50 innings he allowed 70 hits, walked 20 and had an ERA of 6.79 and his career numbers don’t look much better than that. One has to figure the A’s to put up at least a few runs against this stiff. For the A’s it’ll be Trevor Cahill making his major league debut and it’ll be the first time the Angels will see him. Advantage Cahill the first time around. Cahill comes in with excellent credentials and it’s been reported that he has one of the best knuckle-curves that anyone has seen in some time. The report also states that his delivery is “clean”, meaning he has the potential to go deep into games and not issue many walks. The downside is that he’s very young and he’s making the leap from Double-A to the majors. However, he showed good poise in the spring and he could get through the Angels line-up a couple of times before they get a feel for him. Thus, I’m calling the A’s to jump on Moseley for an early lead, as he has not shown the ability to get people out. Play: Oakland in the first five innings +1.08 (Risking 2 units). <o></o>
HOME TEAM IN CAPS
All games are listed pitchers unless stated otherwise.
Seattle +1.11 over MINNESOTA
The Twins always seem to overachieve but this year could be a lot different. This edition of the Twins appears to be in for a long year and you can double that until Joe Mauer returns from the DL. The Twins youngsters all had good years last season and they’ll be hard pressed to repeat. Without Mauer in the middle the opposition can really pitch carefully to the other threats and there aren’t many. Nick Blackburn is about as ordinary a pitcher as there is. He won 11 games last season but that’s only because of some solid run support. He still allowed 224 hits in 193 frames for a BAA of .292. After the all-star break his ERA shot up over a run per game to 4.68 and this year the players know him even better. Blackburn fooled nobody last season and you can expect an even worse campaign this year. He’s just not a good pitcher, period. Meanwhile, Erik Bedard is flying under the radar a bit after an injury-plagued season. He was the most sought after free agent pitcher the previous year and so he should have been. He pitched with a sore shoulder until July and he still pitched great. He threw just 81 innings and allowed just 70 hits for a BAA of .231. Bedard had a shaky spring but I’m not putting too much emphasis on that. He’s a guy that was easing back into game shape and says he feels great. He was one of the AL’s best pitchers for three years running and that’s when he was in the AL East, frequently facing the Yanks and Bosox. His stock is low right now, which provides us with a good opportunity to cash in on a quality starter against a stiff. Oh, and by the way, the Mariners looked very good in its opener, getting to the Twins ace for four runs in seven innings. The Twins were seeing BB’s. Play: Seattle +1.11 (Risking 2 units).
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fficeffice" /><o></o>Pittsburgh +1.40 over ST. LOUIS
Ian Snell will go for the Pirates and he’s definitely not a #2 type starter. He’s very hittable and will give up runs. He only worked 12 innings this spring and missed his last start due to an illness. Who knows how effective he’ll be here but regardless, he does have decent stuff and has plenty quality starts in his career. Thing is, this choice isn’t about playing on Snell as much as it is taking back a tag against Kyle Lohse and what appears to be a poor Cardinal bullpen. Lohse is so overvalued here because he’s coming off a 15-win season with the Cards last year. The chance of him duplicating that is next to impossible, as Lohse is a fourth or fifth starter at best and even that’s a stretch. In 31 spring innings the opposition went yard on him nine times. In fact, Lohse gave up two home runs to Triple-A catcher Omir Santos Wednesday. Santos hit just one home run in 297 at-bats for Triple-A New Orleans last season. Lohse was a total stiff when he pitched for the Twins, Reds and Phillies and he’ll regress to that same form this season and likely won’t be in the rotation come June or July. When Lohse is a 3-2 favorite, or any favorite for that matter, I’m on the dog and absolutely make no exception here. Play: Pittsburgh +1.40 (Risking 2 units). <o
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></o>FLORIDA -½ -1.06 over Washington (1<SUP>st</SUP> 5 innings)
Scott Olsen gets a chance right away to face his old team and of course he’ll want to perform well, but the Marlins know his tendencies better than anyone and he’s a guy that’s easily rattled. Olsen was smacked around in the spring to the tune of 40 hits in 29 frames and it’s also worth noting he allowed 30 jacks last season. Olsen is known for being a bit of a head-case and that makes him very risky. The Marlins looked great in their opener. This is a dangerous team indeed and one that could very well win the division. The Marlins went deep three times, they scored 12 times and they looked loose and so ready to start the year. They have speed, power and great pitching including today’s starter, Josh Johnson. Johnson missed most of 2007 and returned strong, losing only one of 14 starts, with a strikeout rate on par with his breakout 2006 and fewer than two walks per start. The man can pitch and has added a great change to his repertoire. It’s very early indeed but I really liked what I saw in the Marlins opener, not only in their play but in their whole demeanor too. Play: Florida in the first five innings -½ -1.06 (Risking 2.12 units to win 2). <o
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></o>Oakland +1.08 over L.A. ANGELS (1<SUP>st</SUP> five innings)
The A’s were shutout last night by these Angels and that’s never a good way to start the year but they’re not facing Joe Saunders in this one or anything close to him. No, they’ll be facing Dustin Moseley, a guy that has had every opportunity to stick in the majors but hasn’t come close to delivering the goods. In fact, this guy hasn’t even been able to stick at the Triple-A level most of the time. Moseley appeared in 12 games last season (10 as a starter) for the Angels and the opposition hit a whopping .332 against him. In 50 innings he allowed 70 hits, walked 20 and had an ERA of 6.79 and his career numbers don’t look much better than that. One has to figure the A’s to put up at least a few runs against this stiff. For the A’s it’ll be Trevor Cahill making his major league debut and it’ll be the first time the Angels will see him. Advantage Cahill the first time around. Cahill comes in with excellent credentials and it’s been reported that he has one of the best knuckle-curves that anyone has seen in some time. The report also states that his delivery is “clean”, meaning he has the potential to go deep into games and not issue many walks. The downside is that he’s very young and he’s making the leap from Double-A to the majors. However, he showed good poise in the spring and he could get through the Angels line-up a couple of times before they get a feel for him. Thus, I’m calling the A’s to jump on Moseley for an early lead, as he has not shown the ability to get people out. Play: Oakland in the first five innings +1.08 (Risking 2 units). <o
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