2012 MLB O/U Record: 252-239-27, -$1,544 (Been making bigger bets this year, with countless fluke bad breaks, obviously)
2011 MLB O/U Record: 366-270-42, +$1,104
Flawless 4-0 job yesterday, including nailing that best bet Matt Moore vs CJ Wilson under 7.5 quite easily. Actually, as usual, I EARNED each of those wins, needing no sweating at all throughout the course of the games, because I was 100-percent right on each starting pitching matchup, as opposed to the countless losses I’ve had this year where people who had the other side needed a fluke break to achieve “victory.” Ah, enough whining, just have to keep putting together consecutive days like this. Hopefully my current 9-2 run (Should be 10-1 if my Fife vs Cain under from Friday night wasn’t blown in the 8th by Belisario and his 2.35 ERA) can continue on the final Sunday of July…
Pittsburgh Pirates @ Houston Astros (Best Bet) - $77 for $70
James McDonald vs Lucas Harrell
UNDER 8
As soon as each of you saw this pitching matchup, I hope you were thinking of me because this specific battle could have been tailor-made just for me. After all, it’s a matchup between two of my top five favorite pitchers in all of baseball, two of my top five sleeper pitchers inall of baseball entering 2012, and two pitchers that I’ve just been plain excellent with. Where to begin, where to begin? Let’s start with the road pitcher, that being the tall, lean righty James McDonald, who, as everyone should know, has been having an absolutely magnificent season. So magnificent, in fact, that he actually may get in on the NL Cy Young conversation when this season wraps up. Even if he doesn’t, which is more likely now after his past three starts have hurt his overall numbers (15 earned runs over those starts; he allowed 15 runs combined in his nine starts before this most recent stretch), the fact remains that McDonald is a legitimate upper-rotation starting pitcher, and on some teams, could definitely pass as a genuine ace. I can’t say it enough: McDonald has always had the stuff, and with Clint Hurdle letting him pitch deeper into games this year, which he did not allow him to do in 2011, J-Mac has thrived considerably, as he remains strong over the second and third trips through the opposing lineup. For the year, McDonald has put together a beautiful 10-4 campaign, while posting a 3.15 ERA, a golden 1.12 WHIP, and a very pleasing 110:43 K:BB ratio in 125 IP. Yes, he has hit his first rough patch of the year over his past trifecta of outings, but obviously it’s not going to last so consistently, or at least not remain as significant as it has been. In addition, his assignment today is onethat should make him salivate - not only are the Astros arguably the worst offense in baseball, but McDonald has always kept their bats in check, owning a 2.25 ERA in seven starts against them throughout his career. This year, he’s allowed only three runs to Houston in two starts spanning 15 innings. J-Mac should be looking forward to this one to get him back on track.
While very few, which actually does include myself, saw this surge coming from James McDonald, even fewer, including myself again, saw any kind of emergence from Astros waiver-claim Lucas Harrell. I am on record in the beginning of the year saying this kid would develop into a legitimate threat positioned in the middle or even towards the top of somebody’s rotation, and he has proven that without question, especially since June. While his statline for the year reads at 7-7 with a 4.07 ERA and 1.34 WHIP, Harrell has been especially terrific over the past couple of months, putting together a month of June where he was 3-2 with a 3.63 ERA and 1.07 WHIP (Including his first career complete game shutout - a gutsy performance against San Diego in which he needed to get out of a dramatic bases-loaded, ninth-inning jam. So impressed with him that night). Harrell has been even better in July, despite not having a win in this great month, as he has posted a 3.00 ERA with 25 Ks in 24 innings spanning four starts. In the grand scheme of things, this all indicates that Lucas Harrell is painting the best work of his CAREER (He’s considered a “rookie” but he’s had stints in the bigs before and was a top prospect with the White Sox in 2003/2004ish), and the main item to fall in love with as it pertains to his outlook for today is that he’s pitching at home in Minute Maid Park, where he has been at his best. Forthe season, Harrell is 5-1 with a extraordinary 1.89 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in eight starts. When you bet a game with two of your favorite pitchers involved, there’s always that risk of unknowingly letting personal bias get in the way of better judgment, but there’s a lot of evidence here to make a large wager here, and aside from that, these are just two guys who I have a tremendous track record with. And in matchups between guys that I love and have excellent track records with (Ex. Bud Norris vs Paul Maholm, Bud Norris vs James McDonald), the game usually plays out how I expect it to. The line may have dropped from 8 to 7.5 but I’d still recommend the under in this potential Sunday afternoon duel.
Other 7/29 MLB Over/Unders I’m Taking:
Clayton Richard vs Josh Johnson UNDER7.5 - $22 for $20 (I posted this about ten minutes before first pitch in yesterday’s thread, since I didn’t have this one ready yet)
**May Add More Over/Under(s) Throughout Day Leading Up To Gametime**
**Remember that if you have a questionconcerning an over/under, I will gladly assist you with it if I see it beforethe game starts, even the ones I don’t bet on, as I have at least a small vibeon every single over/under from studying this stuff several hours every singleday and night**
2011 MLB O/U Record: 366-270-42, +$1,104
Flawless 4-0 job yesterday, including nailing that best bet Matt Moore vs CJ Wilson under 7.5 quite easily. Actually, as usual, I EARNED each of those wins, needing no sweating at all throughout the course of the games, because I was 100-percent right on each starting pitching matchup, as opposed to the countless losses I’ve had this year where people who had the other side needed a fluke break to achieve “victory.” Ah, enough whining, just have to keep putting together consecutive days like this. Hopefully my current 9-2 run (Should be 10-1 if my Fife vs Cain under from Friday night wasn’t blown in the 8th by Belisario and his 2.35 ERA) can continue on the final Sunday of July…
Pittsburgh Pirates @ Houston Astros (Best Bet) - $77 for $70
James McDonald vs Lucas Harrell
UNDER 8
As soon as each of you saw this pitching matchup, I hope you were thinking of me because this specific battle could have been tailor-made just for me. After all, it’s a matchup between two of my top five favorite pitchers in all of baseball, two of my top five sleeper pitchers inall of baseball entering 2012, and two pitchers that I’ve just been plain excellent with. Where to begin, where to begin? Let’s start with the road pitcher, that being the tall, lean righty James McDonald, who, as everyone should know, has been having an absolutely magnificent season. So magnificent, in fact, that he actually may get in on the NL Cy Young conversation when this season wraps up. Even if he doesn’t, which is more likely now after his past three starts have hurt his overall numbers (15 earned runs over those starts; he allowed 15 runs combined in his nine starts before this most recent stretch), the fact remains that McDonald is a legitimate upper-rotation starting pitcher, and on some teams, could definitely pass as a genuine ace. I can’t say it enough: McDonald has always had the stuff, and with Clint Hurdle letting him pitch deeper into games this year, which he did not allow him to do in 2011, J-Mac has thrived considerably, as he remains strong over the second and third trips through the opposing lineup. For the year, McDonald has put together a beautiful 10-4 campaign, while posting a 3.15 ERA, a golden 1.12 WHIP, and a very pleasing 110:43 K:BB ratio in 125 IP. Yes, he has hit his first rough patch of the year over his past trifecta of outings, but obviously it’s not going to last so consistently, or at least not remain as significant as it has been. In addition, his assignment today is onethat should make him salivate - not only are the Astros arguably the worst offense in baseball, but McDonald has always kept their bats in check, owning a 2.25 ERA in seven starts against them throughout his career. This year, he’s allowed only three runs to Houston in two starts spanning 15 innings. J-Mac should be looking forward to this one to get him back on track.
While very few, which actually does include myself, saw this surge coming from James McDonald, even fewer, including myself again, saw any kind of emergence from Astros waiver-claim Lucas Harrell. I am on record in the beginning of the year saying this kid would develop into a legitimate threat positioned in the middle or even towards the top of somebody’s rotation, and he has proven that without question, especially since June. While his statline for the year reads at 7-7 with a 4.07 ERA and 1.34 WHIP, Harrell has been especially terrific over the past couple of months, putting together a month of June where he was 3-2 with a 3.63 ERA and 1.07 WHIP (Including his first career complete game shutout - a gutsy performance against San Diego in which he needed to get out of a dramatic bases-loaded, ninth-inning jam. So impressed with him that night). Harrell has been even better in July, despite not having a win in this great month, as he has posted a 3.00 ERA with 25 Ks in 24 innings spanning four starts. In the grand scheme of things, this all indicates that Lucas Harrell is painting the best work of his CAREER (He’s considered a “rookie” but he’s had stints in the bigs before and was a top prospect with the White Sox in 2003/2004ish), and the main item to fall in love with as it pertains to his outlook for today is that he’s pitching at home in Minute Maid Park, where he has been at his best. Forthe season, Harrell is 5-1 with a extraordinary 1.89 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in eight starts. When you bet a game with two of your favorite pitchers involved, there’s always that risk of unknowingly letting personal bias get in the way of better judgment, but there’s a lot of evidence here to make a large wager here, and aside from that, these are just two guys who I have a tremendous track record with. And in matchups between guys that I love and have excellent track records with (Ex. Bud Norris vs Paul Maholm, Bud Norris vs James McDonald), the game usually plays out how I expect it to. The line may have dropped from 8 to 7.5 but I’d still recommend the under in this potential Sunday afternoon duel.
Other 7/29 MLB Over/Unders I’m Taking:
Clayton Richard vs Josh Johnson UNDER7.5 - $22 for $20 (I posted this about ten minutes before first pitch in yesterday’s thread, since I didn’t have this one ready yet)
**May Add More Over/Under(s) Throughout Day Leading Up To Gametime**
**Remember that if you have a questionconcerning an over/under, I will gladly assist you with it if I see it beforethe game starts, even the ones I don’t bet on, as I have at least a small vibeon every single over/under from studying this stuff several hours every singleday and night**
