Larry Ness
Larry Ness' Daytime Delight-Early start (3-0 Weds now 134-65 TY!)
My Daytime Delight is on the Mil Brewers at 12:35 ET. The Brewers won the first game of this four-game set with the Pirates (10-3) but then dropped the next two (6-2 and 5-3). That's actually not new, as Milwaukee is just 13-39 in PNC Park since it opened in 2001, including losses in 11 of its last 15 visits. Meanwhile, the Pirates have now won six of their last nine games after a five-game losing streak. Still, I'll back the first-place Brewers in this one with Sheets facing Gorzelanny. Sheets won 7-1 on Opening Day but then went a four-start stretch without winning (team was 0-4). Since then however, he's 9-1 with a 2.70 ERA over his last 12 starts (team is 10-2), including a 6-0 run over his last seven (team is 7-0). As for Gorzelanny (a lefty), he is 8-4 with a 3.05 ERA in 17 starts this season. However, the Pirates are 0-5 in his five no-decisions, leaving the team just 8-9 on the year with him on the mound. In six June starts, he's 2-1 with a 4.24 ERA but the team is only 2-4 in the six games. Milwaukee is 18-11 (plus-$575) vs left-handers this year (averaging 5.4 RPG), while the Pirates have not done well in day games in '07, going 7-13 (minus-$460). Afternoon Delight on the Mil Brewers.
Good Luck...Larry
Larry Ness' Las Vegas Insider (17-6 or 74% winners since May 21!)
My Las Vegas Insider is on the LA Dodgers at 10:10 ET. LA's 5-2 loss last night to the Braves coupled with the Padres' 1-0 win over the Marlins, saw the Dodgers fall one game behind SD in the NL West. The Dodgers will turn to staff ace Brad Penny to get back on track tonight. Penny started last year's All Star game, as he finished the first half of the '06 season with a 10-2 record and a 2.91 ERA. He's been better than that this year, as he enters his final start before the break at 10-1 with a 2.00 ERA (tied with Chris Young for MLB's best!). He's 4-0 in nine home starts (team is 7-2) with a 1.37 ERA. LA is 14-3 in his 17 starts this year and at plus-$1,020, he's MLB's biggest moneymaker. It should also be noted that Penny allowed eight of his 25 ERs this year in one start (at the Angels), meaning in his 16 other starts in 2007, his ERA is 1.42! Tim Hudson has not been the pitcher for Atlanta that he was with the Oakland A's From 1999-2004. Hudson went 92-39 (.702) in those years but in '05 and '06 with the Braves, he's gone just 27-21 (.563), including a career-high ERA of 4.86 in the '06 season. He's gone 8-5 with a 3.18 ERA in 18 starts this year (team is 11-7) and is 5-1 with a 3.27 ERA in eight career starts against the Dodgers but he's no match for Penny here. Las Vegas Insider on the LA Dodgers.
Good Luck...Larry
Larry Ness' Terrific Thursday Total-Day game (16-4 or 80% winners TY!)
My Terrific Thursday Total is on Cle/Det Over at 1:05 ET. Two All Star pitchers meet this afternoon in Detroit, as the Indians' CC Sabathia squares off against the Tigers' Justin Verlander. However, expect this game to top double digits in runs scored. Sabathia (12-2, 3.20 ERA) leads the majors in victories and innings pitched (129.1), plus has won each of his last three starts. He is 12-7 with a 4.14 ERA in 22 career starts against the Tigers and has won both of his outings against them this season despite allowing eight runs in 14.1 innings (5.02 ERA). Both of those starts came against Verlander (9-3, 3.18), who has allowed nine runs in 11 innings against the Indians this season while going 0-1. He is 2-3 with a 5.97 ERA in six career starts against them. Verlander is coming off a rough outing last Friday in which he allowed six runs in five innings of an 11-1 loss to Johan Santana and the Twins. These are two high scoring teams, with the Indians averaging 5.39 RPG and The Tigers getting 5.88 per. Detroit has also been great vs lefties in '07, going 16-7 (plus-$930), while averaging 6.4 RPG. In five daytime games against a left-handed starter, the Tigers have scored 39 runs, an average of 7.8 RPG. Terrific Thursday Total on Cle/Det Over.
Good Luck...Larry
Larry Ness' Daytime Delight-Early start (3-0 Weds now 134-65 TY!)
My Daytime Delight is on the Mil Brewers at 12:35 ET. The Brewers won the first game of this four-game set with the Pirates (10-3) but then dropped the next two (6-2 and 5-3). That's actually not new, as Milwaukee is just 13-39 in PNC Park since it opened in 2001, including losses in 11 of its last 15 visits. Meanwhile, the Pirates have now won six of their last nine games after a five-game losing streak. Still, I'll back the first-place Brewers in this one with Sheets facing Gorzelanny. Sheets won 7-1 on Opening Day but then went a four-start stretch without winning (team was 0-4). Since then however, he's 9-1 with a 2.70 ERA over his last 12 starts (team is 10-2), including a 6-0 run over his last seven (team is 7-0). As for Gorzelanny (a lefty), he is 8-4 with a 3.05 ERA in 17 starts this season. However, the Pirates are 0-5 in his five no-decisions, leaving the team just 8-9 on the year with him on the mound. In six June starts, he's 2-1 with a 4.24 ERA but the team is only 2-4 in the six games. Milwaukee is 18-11 (plus-$575) vs left-handers this year (averaging 5.4 RPG), while the Pirates have not done well in day games in '07, going 7-13 (minus-$460). Afternoon Delight on the Mil Brewers.
Good Luck...Larry
Larry Ness' Las Vegas Insider (17-6 or 74% winners since May 21!)
My Las Vegas Insider is on the LA Dodgers at 10:10 ET. LA's 5-2 loss last night to the Braves coupled with the Padres' 1-0 win over the Marlins, saw the Dodgers fall one game behind SD in the NL West. The Dodgers will turn to staff ace Brad Penny to get back on track tonight. Penny started last year's All Star game, as he finished the first half of the '06 season with a 10-2 record and a 2.91 ERA. He's been better than that this year, as he enters his final start before the break at 10-1 with a 2.00 ERA (tied with Chris Young for MLB's best!). He's 4-0 in nine home starts (team is 7-2) with a 1.37 ERA. LA is 14-3 in his 17 starts this year and at plus-$1,020, he's MLB's biggest moneymaker. It should also be noted that Penny allowed eight of his 25 ERs this year in one start (at the Angels), meaning in his 16 other starts in 2007, his ERA is 1.42! Tim Hudson has not been the pitcher for Atlanta that he was with the Oakland A's From 1999-2004. Hudson went 92-39 (.702) in those years but in '05 and '06 with the Braves, he's gone just 27-21 (.563), including a career-high ERA of 4.86 in the '06 season. He's gone 8-5 with a 3.18 ERA in 18 starts this year (team is 11-7) and is 5-1 with a 3.27 ERA in eight career starts against the Dodgers but he's no match for Penny here. Las Vegas Insider on the LA Dodgers.
Good Luck...Larry
Larry Ness' Terrific Thursday Total-Day game (16-4 or 80% winners TY!)
My Terrific Thursday Total is on Cle/Det Over at 1:05 ET. Two All Star pitchers meet this afternoon in Detroit, as the Indians' CC Sabathia squares off against the Tigers' Justin Verlander. However, expect this game to top double digits in runs scored. Sabathia (12-2, 3.20 ERA) leads the majors in victories and innings pitched (129.1), plus has won each of his last three starts. He is 12-7 with a 4.14 ERA in 22 career starts against the Tigers and has won both of his outings against them this season despite allowing eight runs in 14.1 innings (5.02 ERA). Both of those starts came against Verlander (9-3, 3.18), who has allowed nine runs in 11 innings against the Indians this season while going 0-1. He is 2-3 with a 5.97 ERA in six career starts against them. Verlander is coming off a rough outing last Friday in which he allowed six runs in five innings of an 11-1 loss to Johan Santana and the Twins. These are two high scoring teams, with the Indians averaging 5.39 RPG and The Tigers getting 5.88 per. Detroit has also been great vs lefties in '07, going 16-7 (plus-$930), while averaging 6.4 RPG. In five daytime games against a left-handed starter, the Tigers have scored 39 runs, an average of 7.8 RPG. Terrific Thursday Total on Cle/Det Over.
Good Luck...Larry