I'll just give brief analysis for each, as I'm still incredibly tired from a late night last night. Sorry for not posting these earlier so you guys could get a chance to get them in.
Arizona Diamondbacks @ Miami Marlins
Wade Miley vs Josh Johnson
OVER 7
Don't be decieved by Wade Miley's 1.84 ERA; most of that came in relief, as he's only made one start this year, albeit a good one six days ago in six shutout innings of two-hit ball in which he also struck out seven against Philadelphia. He has the potential to be a fine big-league starter, as he showed shades of last year, but this is a spot I don't like for him, even in a big pitcher's park like Miami. The Marlins offense is heating up and I think they'll break out a bit today; they're more than due. Meanwhile, Josh Johnson is clearly not the Josh Johnson of old, evident by his 4.63 ERA and 1.63 WHIP. Johnson has shown flashes of his old self recently, especially in his last start when he held the Mets to one run in six-plus innings, surrendering only three hits in the process and striking out nine. Obviously, though, his track record is so significant that it's not like he was going to be horrendous all year long, as he was in his first few starts, but this is a game where I can see Arizona scratch out at least a couple of runs, and in a low line 7, if both teams are putting a few runs across, that would at least get us a push. Let's see what happens.
Pittsburgh Pirates @ Atlanta Braves
Kevin Correia vs Tim Hudson
UNDER 7.5
If there's one pitcher in Major League Baseball who has displayed what a model of consistency really is over the past decade or so, it might be Tim Hudson. Of course, there is the major variable of making your first start back returning from a pretty serious injury, but this is Hudson we're talking about so I have confidence he can retrieve some of his old greatness. I've watched Hudson countless times and I'm always impressed - he's just a terrific all-around pitcher that knows how to throw the baseball. I've never been able to pinpoint one weakness in his arsenal, he's just always pumping out quality start after quality start. Against the offensively-challenged Bucs, if we get somewhere close to the normal Tim Hudson, we'll be fine as far as he's concerned. Then there's Kevin Correia, who has continued his own personal trend of getting out to good starts to the season. He's had three outings thus far for Pittsburgh, going six innings in each of them, and giving up a total four runs and 11 hits. In fact, he's been showing remarkable Hudson-like consistency thus far. Let's try and get one more such start out of him right here in Atlanta, where he won last year in a start that saw him go six-plus and give up only one earned run.
Chicago Cubs @ Philadelphia Phillies
Matt Garza vs Kyle Kendrick
OVER 7.5
Unfortunately, I put all of my bet in when the line was 7.5, but I just checked and it's 7 now so that's a bargain. Any chance you have at such a low line where a struggling inconsistent starter like Kyle Kendrick is on the mound, you take it. Working in our favor is that Kendrick was a starter for most of his career, before being relegated to a bullpen role coming into 2012. Now, he's back in the rotation, at least for now, so after struggling mightily in his first start (3 IP, 11 hits, 7 runs) against Arizona, it's probable that he's still making the adjustment mentally of switching roles, after getting used to being a reliever. I can't stress it enough - pitchers are everyday people just like you and me; mentality is everything. There's not one other position in sports where a person's mindset comes into play more than a pitcher. We don't have that advantage with Matt Garza, who has been cruising for the most part thus far aside from a bad start in Miami. Otherwise, his overall numbers (3.37 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 26 Ks in 26 IP) would be even better. Today, though, I can see the Phillies offense get going a little bit, as none of these lineups have really done anything in this series. Garza can be hittable so hopefully we get that version of him, to go with what we've usually seen from Kendrick
Again, sorry for not posting these earlier. Literally woke up right before 1 o'clock today, rarely rarely happens
