<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%">2</TD><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=right width="10%">0</TD><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=right width="10%">0</TD><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=right width="20%">+5.14 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%">17</TD><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=right width="10%">12</TD><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=right width="10%">1</TD><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=right width="20%">+14.54 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%">17</TD><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=right width="10%">12</TD><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=right width="10%">1</TD><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=right width="20%">+14.54 Units</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
All games are listed pitchers unless stated otherwise.
San Diego +1.74 over NY METS (1<SUP>st</SUP> 5 innings)
The Padres are this year’s biggest surprise thus far with six wins in its first eight games. They always seem to play the Mets tough and in fact have beaten them eight of the last 10 games and that’s when they were going bad. Now they’re going good and they’ll face on of the biggest wild cards in the business in Oliver Perez. Perez can stink it up as bad as anyone in the league and while he can also pitch well, he’s far too erratic to trust as a big favorite. He pitched an exhibition game on April 4th at new Citi Field against the Red Sox and was booed off the field, as he allowed six runs and four walks in 2/3’s of an inning. Perez led the NL in walks issued last year with 105. Against Cincinnati in his season debut he walked five and surrendered eight runs in 4.1 frames.. 2008 was a rough year for Kevin Correia. He lost 12 pounds early in the season due to a stomach issue and then missed close to two months with an oblique injury. He just never really got on track last season but he’s back at full strength this season and he features a pretty sweet looking slider. He was decent in his debut against the Dodgers and anything close to that performance will give us a good shot here. Furthermore, the Padres are 4-0 against lefties and with the potential to score four or five early runs on Perez, this wager offers up a great return with a great chance to cash. Play: San Diego in the first five innings +1.74 (Risking 2 units). <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com
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Cincinnati +1.23 over MILWAUKEE
Would you want to lay some juice with the Brewers right now? Here’s a team that saw a lot of guys have a good year last season and collectively they had a good season. However, this year they can’t get out of their own way, the bullpen is a complete disaster and they’ll send Braden Looper to the hill. Looper comes over from the Cardinals, a team famous for picking up pitchers off the scrap heap and getting a couple of good years out of them before sending them packing. They sent Looper packing. He put up good numbers at Busch but not very good numbers everywhere else. In fact, in three starts at Miller Park, Looper went 0-3 with a 9.00 ERA. He’s a reliever turned starter (637 appearances and just 64 starts) and that works out about once every 50 pitchers. He tested the free-agent market and there were not many takers at all so he signed with Milwaukee. Meanwhile, the Reds are much improved and they’re taking advantage of the floundering Brewers. They won the first two games of this series and they won going away yesterday. Micah Owings had a dazzling spring, throwing 27 frames and allowing just 21 hits while striking out 30 batters. That should bode well here against a Brewers team that strikes out far too often and is beginning to press. One last note here is that Owings is also a major-league caliber hitter and is even asked to pinch-hit sometimes. In fact, Owings is a career .322 hitter with five home runs and 21 RBIs and is 1-for-2 with a double in two pinch-hit opportunities in 2009. Just like yesterday, the Brewers do not have a single edge anywhere and any tag on the Reds is a gift. Play: Cincinnati +1.23 (Risking 2 units). <o></o>
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MINNESOTA -½ -1.01 over Toronto (1<SUP>st</SUP> 5 innings)
Scott Baker will make his season debut after suffering from a shoulder problem. He gave up one run over seven innings in a rehab start for High-A Fort Myers on Friday and says his shoulder is back to full strength. Baker continues to improve year after year and has all the ability to be a quality starter at this level. Last year in 172 frames he allowed just 161 hits for a BAA of just .247. He struck out 141 hitters while walking just 42. You gotta love a guy that can pitch and rarely gives up walks. His ERA last season was a very impressive 3.45 and he could be even better this year. Meanwhile, the Jays are forced to go with Scott Richmond because their choices are very limited. Richmond really won’t fool anyone and could get lit up here, as he comes in with an unimpressive BAA of .294 in just seven career starts. Give the Twins a significant edge on the hill and because this wager is predicated on the starters only, I’m playing it in five innings. Play: Minnesota in the first five innings -½ -1.01 (Risking 2.02 units to win 2). <o></o>
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DETROIT -½ -1.04 over Chicago (1<SUP>st</SUP> 5 innings) (1:05 PM)
Armando Gallaraga has terrific stuff and seems to get better with each start. He was filthy in his season debit against the Rangers, allowing just five hits and one run in seven full. He kept the ball down all day and virtually looked unstoppable. Last year he won 14 games while learning at this level and he looks so comfortable and confident out there this year, all good signs. His BAA in ’08 was a very impressive .226. This kid can really bring it. Meanwhile, Jose Contreras was whacked by the Twins in his opener and is taking a big step up in class here against the Tigers. Detroit has starting pitching issues, they have bullpen problems but they can sure do some damage with the bats and with their best pitcher going by far, it just makes sense to eliminate the pen and play the Tigers in the first half of the game. They’ll score off Contreras, a guy whose numbers have been declining year after year and nothing suggests that trend won’t continue this season. Play: Detroit –in the first five innings -½ -1.04 (Risking 2.08 units to win 2).<o></o>
All games are listed pitchers unless stated otherwise.
San Diego +1.74 over NY METS (1<SUP>st</SUP> 5 innings)
The Padres are this year’s biggest surprise thus far with six wins in its first eight games. They always seem to play the Mets tough and in fact have beaten them eight of the last 10 games and that’s when they were going bad. Now they’re going good and they’ll face on of the biggest wild cards in the business in Oliver Perez. Perez can stink it up as bad as anyone in the league and while he can also pitch well, he’s far too erratic to trust as a big favorite. He pitched an exhibition game on April 4th at new Citi Field against the Red Sox and was booed off the field, as he allowed six runs and four walks in 2/3’s of an inning. Perez led the NL in walks issued last year with 105. Against Cincinnati in his season debut he walked five and surrendered eight runs in 4.1 frames.. 2008 was a rough year for Kevin Correia. He lost 12 pounds early in the season due to a stomach issue and then missed close to two months with an oblique injury. He just never really got on track last season but he’s back at full strength this season and he features a pretty sweet looking slider. He was decent in his debut against the Dodgers and anything close to that performance will give us a good shot here. Furthermore, the Padres are 4-0 against lefties and with the potential to score four or five early runs on Perez, this wager offers up a great return with a great chance to cash. Play: San Diego in the first five innings +1.74 (Risking 2 units). <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com
fficeffice" /><o></o><o
></o>Cincinnati +1.23 over MILWAUKEE
Would you want to lay some juice with the Brewers right now? Here’s a team that saw a lot of guys have a good year last season and collectively they had a good season. However, this year they can’t get out of their own way, the bullpen is a complete disaster and they’ll send Braden Looper to the hill. Looper comes over from the Cardinals, a team famous for picking up pitchers off the scrap heap and getting a couple of good years out of them before sending them packing. They sent Looper packing. He put up good numbers at Busch but not very good numbers everywhere else. In fact, in three starts at Miller Park, Looper went 0-3 with a 9.00 ERA. He’s a reliever turned starter (637 appearances and just 64 starts) and that works out about once every 50 pitchers. He tested the free-agent market and there were not many takers at all so he signed with Milwaukee. Meanwhile, the Reds are much improved and they’re taking advantage of the floundering Brewers. They won the first two games of this series and they won going away yesterday. Micah Owings had a dazzling spring, throwing 27 frames and allowing just 21 hits while striking out 30 batters. That should bode well here against a Brewers team that strikes out far too often and is beginning to press. One last note here is that Owings is also a major-league caliber hitter and is even asked to pinch-hit sometimes. In fact, Owings is a career .322 hitter with five home runs and 21 RBIs and is 1-for-2 with a double in two pinch-hit opportunities in 2009. Just like yesterday, the Brewers do not have a single edge anywhere and any tag on the Reds is a gift. Play: Cincinnati +1.23 (Risking 2 units). <o
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></o>MINNESOTA -½ -1.01 over Toronto (1<SUP>st</SUP> 5 innings)
Scott Baker will make his season debut after suffering from a shoulder problem. He gave up one run over seven innings in a rehab start for High-A Fort Myers on Friday and says his shoulder is back to full strength. Baker continues to improve year after year and has all the ability to be a quality starter at this level. Last year in 172 frames he allowed just 161 hits for a BAA of just .247. He struck out 141 hitters while walking just 42. You gotta love a guy that can pitch and rarely gives up walks. His ERA last season was a very impressive 3.45 and he could be even better this year. Meanwhile, the Jays are forced to go with Scott Richmond because their choices are very limited. Richmond really won’t fool anyone and could get lit up here, as he comes in with an unimpressive BAA of .294 in just seven career starts. Give the Twins a significant edge on the hill and because this wager is predicated on the starters only, I’m playing it in five innings. Play: Minnesota in the first five innings -½ -1.01 (Risking 2.02 units to win 2). <o
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></o>DETROIT -½ -1.04 over Chicago (1<SUP>st</SUP> 5 innings) (1:05 PM)
Armando Gallaraga has terrific stuff and seems to get better with each start. He was filthy in his season debit against the Rangers, allowing just five hits and one run in seven full. He kept the ball down all day and virtually looked unstoppable. Last year he won 14 games while learning at this level and he looks so comfortable and confident out there this year, all good signs. His BAA in ’08 was a very impressive .226. This kid can really bring it. Meanwhile, Jose Contreras was whacked by the Twins in his opener and is taking a big step up in class here against the Tigers. Detroit has starting pitching issues, they have bullpen problems but they can sure do some damage with the bats and with their best pitcher going by far, it just makes sense to eliminate the pen and play the Tigers in the first half of the game. They’ll score off Contreras, a guy whose numbers have been declining year after year and nothing suggests that trend won’t continue this season. Play: Detroit –in the first five innings -½ -1.04 (Risking 2.08 units to win 2).<o
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!~~~!:cripwalk:
