Friday 05/15/09 service plays chatter/comps/requests & gm strategy...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Mike Rose

Chicago White Sox @ Toronto Blue Jays Under 8.5

John Danks wasnt able to squash his personal two-game losing streak his last time out, but he certainly pitched well enough to do so. The southpaw tossed six-innings of one-run ball against the Texas Rangers and allowed just four hits while striking out a career high 10 batters. Hes been rock solid as a visitor this season posting a 2-1 mark with a 3.44 ERA and 1.15 WHIP allowing just 16 hits and seven earned runs through 18+ total innings of work. Hes yet to defeat the BJs in two career starts, and got roughed up in this venue a year ago in early May when he surrendered seven hits and two earned runs in just 4 2/3rd innings of work.

Brett Cecils more than held his own since being called up to the big leagues a couple weeks ago. In two starts, the lefty has allowed just 11 hits and one earned run while striking out 12 and walking two through 14 total innings of work. His last outing against the weak hitting Oakland As was a thing of beauty. He induced 12 ground-ball outs and made it a point to get ahead of the hitters by throwing first-pitch strikes.

The last thing the BJs want to see is another effective left-hander on the mound after Andy Pettitte and CC Sabathia silenced them in each of their last two games. Danks has more than held his own against Toronto in his career (2.79 ERA & 1.55 WHIP in 2 starts), and this Cecil kid could be a major problem for Chicagos sticks. With both offenses currently struggling, look for Game 1 of this series to be decided by each clubs pitching staffs.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Dennis Macklin

Boston Red Sox at Seattle Mariners
Prediction: Over

Both starters in tonight's Red Sox/Mariner matchup have been lit like Christmas Trees. John Lester is 2-3 with a 6.32 ERA that bloats to 8.81 in his L3. He's given up 65 baerunners in 41+ innings so he's generally pitching out of trouble. The M's Chris Jakubauskas throws batting practice. The righty is 0-4 with and 8.18 ERA as a starter and his 9/11 BB/K ratio indicates that he doesn't miss many bats. This one could go four hours at Safeco, play the Over.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Dave Price

1 Unit on New York Mets +160

The Mets have rattled off 9 wins in their last 11 games and they are showing excellent value tonight against Giants' ace Tim Lincecum as he is 0-2 against the money line against them with an ERA of 4.85 and a WHIP of 1.308. Plus, the Mets have had the Giants' number, having won 6 straight in the series and 10 of the last 13. You also have to like Hernandez's chances against the Giants' bats tonight. He is a perfect 2-0 with a 2.55 ERA over his last 3 starts and he has been sensational in his career against weak power hitting lineups at 9-2 against the money line vs. teams averaging 2.75 or less extra base hits per game over the last 2 seasons. Bet the Mets.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Rob Homyak

5 Units on LA Angels

Play ON LA ANGELS using the money line in Road games in games played on a grass field

The record is 51 Wins and 29 Losses for the last two seasons (+25.20 units)

LA ANGELS are 37-20 (+19.2 Units) against the money line in road games after a win over the last 2 seasons.

SAUNDERS: 10-1 TSR as an underdog


Head to Head

Angels are 4-0 in the last 4 meetings in Texas.

Angels are 8-3 in the last 11 meetings.

Rangers are 1-4 in Millwoods last 5 starts vs. Angels.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Steve Merril

Angels/Rangers Under

Texas looks to make it five in a row when they host the Angels on Friday night. Both teams are sending pretty good pitchers to the hill. Texas is going with Kevin Millwood who is just 3-3, but has a solid 2.92 ERA and 1.051 WHIP. Four of his seven outings have resulted in Unders, including two of his three outings at home. Millwood is 3-4 against the Angels with an ERA of 3.82 and seven Unders in 11 starts. Millwood has had success against Chone Figgins (3-29), Maicer Izturis (2-13), Juan Rivera (2-12), Reggie Willits (1-11), and Erick Aybar (1-8).

The Angels send their opening day starter Joe Saunders to the hill. Saunders is 5-1 with a 2.66 ERA and four Unders in seven starts. In his last three outings, he is 3-0 with a 1.66 ERA and two Unders as well. Saunders is 3-3 with a 4.65 ERA and a WHIP of 1.279 against Texas. Both outings last year against the Rangers resulted in Unders as well. Saunders has held down Nelson Cruz (3-15), Marlon Byrd (1-11), Hank Blalock (1-7), Jarrod Saltalamacchia (1-6), German Duran (1-6), Chris Davis (1-5), and Andruw Jones (0-3). 10 of the last 18 games in this series have also stayed Under the total in Arlington.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

LARRY NESS

Chicago White Sox @ Toronto Blue Jays
PICK: Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays dropped the final two games of a three-game series against the Yankees, after winning behind Roy Halladay on Tuesday. As for the White Sox, they lost two of three at Cleveland and will enter this four-game set with the Blue Jays having lost EIGHT of their last 11 games. The White Sox are just 15-18, while the Blue Jays still lead the AL East with a 23-14 record. Toronto continues to get solid efforts from its starting pitchers (nine different players have started a game for the Jays in '09) and it's a big reason why the team's record is so good. Toronto's starters own 16 wins, have a 4.34 ERA and have pitched a league-high 224 innings. Rookie Brett Cecil (1-0, 0.64 ERA) gets the start tonight. He was chosen 38th in the 2007 draft and this will be his third major league start. He gave up just one earned run in six innings of Toronto's 10-6 victory over Cleveland in his major league debut on May 5 and in his second start this past Sunday, the left-hander allowed five hits over eight innings in a 5-0 win over Oakland. He'll face a White Sox team which has failed to hit a HR in FIVE of its last six games (led the majors with 235 HRs last season) and has just 33 on the year (Texas leads MLB with 58). Let's also point out that Chicago's .251 team BA is better than only Oakland's .240 in the AL. John Danks (2-2 with a 3.41 ERA in six starts) gets the start for Chicago. He is coming off an outstanding outing, allowing one run while striking out a season-high 10 in six innings of a 3-2 victory over Texas on Saturday (he got a no decision). However, in his previous two starts, Danks had allowed 18 hits and 10 ERs over just 9.1 innings (9.64 ERA) in back-to-back losses. Toronto has limited the White Sox to 11 runs and a .146 batting average in winning six consecutive home games over Chicago these last two seasons. Take the Jays.