Nelly
Chicago + over Milwaukee
Chicago is 7-2 in the last nine interleague games and the American League continues to deliver success against the NL. Mark Buehrle has delivered great results this season as Chicago is 8-4 in his starts with Buehrle featuring a 6-2 record. In the last ten games the Brewers are hitting just .231 with a lot of struggles against left-handed pitching. Braden Looper has very average numbers this season and he has allowed at least five runs in four of his last six starts. The Sox are batting .280 on the road this year and the White Sox have one of the better road records in the AL. Milwaukee is just 1-4 in the past five home games and the Brewers offense is not producing consistent results. With underdog value on the greatly superior pitcher and strong showing from White Sox fans at Miller Park Chicago is in a great position tonight.
Chicago + over Milwaukee
Chicago is 7-2 in the last nine interleague games and the American League continues to deliver success against the NL. Mark Buehrle has delivered great results this season as Chicago is 8-4 in his starts with Buehrle featuring a 6-2 record. In the last ten games the Brewers are hitting just .231 with a lot of struggles against left-handed pitching. Braden Looper has very average numbers this season and he has allowed at least five runs in four of his last six starts. The Sox are batting .280 on the road this year and the White Sox have one of the better road records in the AL. Milwaukee is just 1-4 in the past five home games and the Brewers offense is not producing consistent results. With underdog value on the greatly superior pitcher and strong showing from White Sox fans at Miller Park Chicago is in a great position tonight.
DAVE MALINSKY Bonus Play
Oakland Athletics @ San Francisco Giants
PICK: San Francisco Giants
We do not see the attraction that the betting markets have to the A’s in this one, so the opportunity to back the better team and far between starting pitcher is this price range gets us in the game.
Matt Cain has shown us a lot of moxie this season. One could rank his 2007-08 campaigns as one of the more frustrating cycles in MLB annals, back-to-back years in which he worked 417.2 innings at a solid 3.71 clip, yet got tagged with a dismal 15-30 personal line. He had a remarkable count of 24 starts in that cycle in which he allowed two runs or less and did not get a win, and on five different occasions he held the opposition to one run, and lost. But he did not lose his composure, and now he is in Cy Young contention at 8-1/2.55, with his confidence growing as he finally gets some wins under his belt, evidenced by a 6-0/2.17 in his last seven appearances. The A's do not bring anything that gets in the way of another sharp performance.
Meanwhile there were fears in Oakland that Brett Anderson was being rushed into the rotation, with the 21-year old only having six starts at AA, and none at AAA, prior to this season, and those fears were accurate. His 3-6/5.25 reflects his struggles, and a guy that pitches to contact (only 36 strikeouts in 60 innings) needs even more seasoning before he can succeed at this level, because he must rely on location and getting hitters to swing at borderline pitches in the strike zone. His style also does not get helped by a defense that rates #29 on our best set of ratings, so what happens when you have bad pitching, bad hitting and bad defense as a combination? The A’s are 3-8 in Anderson’s 11 starts, getting out-scored by 32 runs. That is what happens.
Oakland Athletics @ San Francisco Giants
PICK: San Francisco Giants
We do not see the attraction that the betting markets have to the A’s in this one, so the opportunity to back the better team and far between starting pitcher is this price range gets us in the game.
Matt Cain has shown us a lot of moxie this season. One could rank his 2007-08 campaigns as one of the more frustrating cycles in MLB annals, back-to-back years in which he worked 417.2 innings at a solid 3.71 clip, yet got tagged with a dismal 15-30 personal line. He had a remarkable count of 24 starts in that cycle in which he allowed two runs or less and did not get a win, and on five different occasions he held the opposition to one run, and lost. But he did not lose his composure, and now he is in Cy Young contention at 8-1/2.55, with his confidence growing as he finally gets some wins under his belt, evidenced by a 6-0/2.17 in his last seven appearances. The A's do not bring anything that gets in the way of another sharp performance.
Meanwhile there were fears in Oakland that Brett Anderson was being rushed into the rotation, with the 21-year old only having six starts at AA, and none at AAA, prior to this season, and those fears were accurate. His 3-6/5.25 reflects his struggles, and a guy that pitches to contact (only 36 strikeouts in 60 innings) needs even more seasoning before he can succeed at this level, because he must rely on location and getting hitters to swing at borderline pitches in the strike zone. His style also does not get helped by a defense that rates #29 on our best set of ratings, so what happens when you have bad pitching, bad hitting and bad defense as a combination? The A’s are 3-8 in Anderson’s 11 starts, getting out-scored by 32 runs. That is what happens.
Big Al McMordie - 06/14/2009
Mark Buehrle is having another of his typically consistent seasons, and the fact that he has never faced the Brewers before should make him doubly tough here. Buehrle has also flourished vs. the NL, so take the White Sox today.
These Chicago White Sox and Milwaukee Brewers are two of the geographically closest interleague teams which are not in the same state, as you can drive from U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago to Miller Park in Milwaukee in less than two hours.
Despite this fact, and the fact that we've had interleague play every season now since 1997, these two clubs had not played each other since the 2001 season. And this year it's an interesting matchup as Chicago is trying to play catch-up in its division, which is the weakest in the American League, while the Brewers are trying to hold onto their lead in what is probably the most competitive division in the National League.
Because these two haven't played since 2001, Sox southpaw ace Mark Buehrle has never started against the Brewers, despite being in the league for 10 years (although oddly enough Buehrle had his first-ever Major League appearance -- in relief -- against Milwaukee back in 2000).
Buehrle of course has since developed into one of the craftiest lefthanders around, and once again he's putting up very solid, if not spectacular numbers this season with a 6-2 record and 3.24 ERA in 12 starts.
Milwaukee will send out the very inconsistent Braden Looper who, like Buehrle, has only faced the White Sox in a relief appearance. Chicago had one of the best interleague records in 2008 at 12-6 and Buehrle was tied for the Major League lead in interleague wins with four and had the fourth best interleague ERA at 1.21.
Take the White Sox.
Mark Buehrle is having another of his typically consistent seasons, and the fact that he has never faced the Brewers before should make him doubly tough here. Buehrle has also flourished vs. the NL, so take the White Sox today.
These Chicago White Sox and Milwaukee Brewers are two of the geographically closest interleague teams which are not in the same state, as you can drive from U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago to Miller Park in Milwaukee in less than two hours.
Despite this fact, and the fact that we've had interleague play every season now since 1997, these two clubs had not played each other since the 2001 season. And this year it's an interesting matchup as Chicago is trying to play catch-up in its division, which is the weakest in the American League, while the Brewers are trying to hold onto their lead in what is probably the most competitive division in the National League.
Because these two haven't played since 2001, Sox southpaw ace Mark Buehrle has never started against the Brewers, despite being in the league for 10 years (although oddly enough Buehrle had his first-ever Major League appearance -- in relief -- against Milwaukee back in 2000).
Buehrle of course has since developed into one of the craftiest lefthanders around, and once again he's putting up very solid, if not spectacular numbers this season with a 6-2 record and 3.24 ERA in 12 starts.
Milwaukee will send out the very inconsistent Braden Looper who, like Buehrle, has only faced the White Sox in a relief appearance. Chicago had one of the best interleague records in 2008 at 12-6 and Buehrle was tied for the Major League lead in interleague wins with four and had the fourth best interleague ERA at 1.21.
Take the White Sox.
We Cover Spreads - 06/14/2009
It is not often that you can catch Johan Santana as an underdog, and given his 2.76 road ERA and his past successes in the Bronx, he oozes value here. Meanwhile, AJ Burnett couldn’t get out of the third inning in his last start. Go Mets.
This afternoon, Johan Santana (8-3 2.39 ERA) takes the mound for the New York Mets vs. AJ Burnett (4-3 4.89 ERA) and the New York Yankees.
We love the value Santana is receiving given the fact he has been flawless in Yankee Stadium in the past. We know it's a new stadium this year but Johan should do just fine today. In his last five visits to the Bronx his team has won four of his five starts vs. New York. In over 33 innings in those five games he has given up just seven earned runs.
Last season with the Mets he faced the Yankees twice and finished 1-1 giving up seven earned runs with 13 strikeouts in 13 innings of work. He is facing a Yankee team who has been struggling vs. southpaws in their last 10 games batting just .183.
Santana has been rock solid on the road with a 2.76 ERA and 1.16 WHIP this year. He won his only game vs. an AL team holding the Red Sox to just 2 earned runs in seven innings of work in Fenway last month. We're catching nice value with the Mets ace against a Yankee team who has dropped four of their last five games.
Just four days ago AJ Burnett pitched 84 pitches in just 2.2 innings vs. the Red Sox. He was yanked after giving up five walks, three earned runs, and five hits. Oddsmakers have Burnett over valued in this spot today. The Yankees are 2-8 in their last 10 interleague games vs. a team with a winning record and the odds are stacked against them today.
The Mets are 8-2 in Santana’s last 10 starts on the highway. We'll back the Mets this afternoon to pick up the win in the subway series.
Free Pick: Mets +106
It is not often that you can catch Johan Santana as an underdog, and given his 2.76 road ERA and his past successes in the Bronx, he oozes value here. Meanwhile, AJ Burnett couldn’t get out of the third inning in his last start. Go Mets.
This afternoon, Johan Santana (8-3 2.39 ERA) takes the mound for the New York Mets vs. AJ Burnett (4-3 4.89 ERA) and the New York Yankees.
We love the value Santana is receiving given the fact he has been flawless in Yankee Stadium in the past. We know it's a new stadium this year but Johan should do just fine today. In his last five visits to the Bronx his team has won four of his five starts vs. New York. In over 33 innings in those five games he has given up just seven earned runs.
Last season with the Mets he faced the Yankees twice and finished 1-1 giving up seven earned runs with 13 strikeouts in 13 innings of work. He is facing a Yankee team who has been struggling vs. southpaws in their last 10 games batting just .183.
Santana has been rock solid on the road with a 2.76 ERA and 1.16 WHIP this year. He won his only game vs. an AL team holding the Red Sox to just 2 earned runs in seven innings of work in Fenway last month. We're catching nice value with the Mets ace against a Yankee team who has dropped four of their last five games.
Just four days ago AJ Burnett pitched 84 pitches in just 2.2 innings vs. the Red Sox. He was yanked after giving up five walks, three earned runs, and five hits. Oddsmakers have Burnett over valued in this spot today. The Yankees are 2-8 in their last 10 interleague games vs. a team with a winning record and the odds are stacked against them today.
The Mets are 8-2 in Santana’s last 10 starts on the highway. We'll back the Mets this afternoon to pick up the win in the subway series.
Free Pick: Mets +106
John Morrison (FADE MATERIAL)
(MLB baseball) -> Baltimore +100 Money Line] Their game is against Atlanta at 1:35 E.T.
(MLB baseball) -> Cincinnati -115 {Money Line] Their game is against Kansas City at 2:10 PM E.T.
(MLB baseball) -> Chicago Cubs -130 {Money Line] Their game is against Minnesota at 2:20 PM E.T.
(MLB baseball) -> St. Louis +100 {Money Line] Their game is against Cleveland at 8:05 PM E.T.
(NBA basketball) -> Los Angeles +3 {Point Spread} Their game is against Orlando at 8:05 PM E.T.
(MLB baseball) -> Baltimore +100 Money Line] Their game is against Atlanta at 1:35 E.T.
(MLB baseball) -> Cincinnati -115 {Money Line] Their game is against Kansas City at 2:10 PM E.T.
(MLB baseball) -> Chicago Cubs -130 {Money Line] Their game is against Minnesota at 2:20 PM E.T.
(MLB baseball) -> St. Louis +100 {Money Line] Their game is against Cleveland at 8:05 PM E.T.
(NBA basketball) -> Los Angeles +3 {Point Spread} Their game is against Orlando at 8:05 PM E.T.
