Hot Lines
Wednesday's best MLB bets
Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees (-115, 10 1/2)
Amazingly in late August the two American League powerhouses are fighting for their playoffs lives with pitching cast-offs who started the year elsewhere. The soft-tossing 37 year-old Paul Byrd (8-11, 4.61) makes his third start for the Red Sox but his unorthodox, deliberate delivery is something that has not fooled the AARP Bronx Bombers this season. In only 12 innings of work against Byrd, the Yanks have six homers, 14 hits, and scored nine runs.
As for the bloated, boozy Sidney Ponson, after a solid month in pinstripes he has been fifth starter quality and showed it against the Red Sox at the end of July - four innings, 10 hits, and seven earned runs. Considering the two teams knocked out 24 hits yesterday and used 11 pitchers, look for another hit parade in New York as they combine for at least 12 runs by the seventh inning. As for a hunch on the richest man on the diamond leaving seven runners on base yesterday, A-Rod threw in Madonna's song Lucky Star last night and comes out more relaxed today.
Pick: Over
Cleveland Indians at Detroit Tigers (-166, 8 1/2)
To start the moneyline value on Cleveland (+160) in this contest jumped off the page. The Tribe is the hottest team in baseball having won nine straight with the majority of the damage done on the road. A young squad marred in a battling slump for the first 120 games of the season, they've found a groove and seem to be playing with the pressure of a sandlot game. As for their starter tonight, Fausto Carmona (6-5, 4.40), after a couple stints on the Disabled List earlier in the season he's trying to recapture the magic he displayed last year and looked sharp in his last start in hitter-friendly Texas, shutting out the Rangers over six innings. And in two starts against Detroit this season, Carmona is 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA and only walked two in 13 innings.
Speaking of the Tigers, the squad of veteran sluggers and average pitchers has been a major disappointment all season and seems to be counting down the days until winter vacation. While Justin Verlander (4.42, 10-13) has looked better lately, he's struggled mightily against the Cleveland this season in four starts (1-3, 5.84, and 12 walks in 24 innings). The Tribe continues to play with playoff emotion tonight and will be psyched to bring this streak to 10.
Pick: Indians