August 4 Ganchalysis

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Yankees 70% - Despite Johnson's struggles this year, he should bounce back with a decent start here. He is better off of games where he had a low pitch count, and Baltimore has real problems against lefties, which shoul continue here tonight. Chen is likely to have some strong starts in the near future, but facing the Yankees' tough lineup in this game he is likely to have a mediocre start at best. If Johnson can have any kind of quality start, the Yankees' lineup and bullpen should have enough to give them a win.

Mets 63% - Hernandez is likely to have a sub-par outing here, but even if he does, the Mets are likely to outslug Philadelphia, as Wolf is likely to struggle more than Hernandez, and the Mets have a superior bullpen. Philadelphia is also due for a letdown situationally, off of a road sweep visiting a new strong team.

Toronto 57% - Halladay has been very tough to beat this year, but he has also not been dominant at home in his recent starts. The White Sox' lineup will pose a strong challenge. Although Garland does have a small chance of getting crushed, if he doesn't, he is very likely to match Halladay's outing. In that case the White Sox will have an edge in the game overall.

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Florida 58% - Lowe's problems do not seem to be solved yet, and Sanchez, while dealing with the downside of rookie volatility at times, also has great potential to throw a shutout. He is likely to have a strong start here. The Dodgers have been playing well of late, but this game does not offer promising circumstances for a win.

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Houston 58% - Oswalt has been pitching well of late, and as such he is likely to outpitch Batista here. The fate of this game is mostly dependent on Oswalt's outing. If he has a strong start, Houston will have a huge edge. If he doesn't, Arizona will have a big edge.

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San Diego 57% - Young can be great of course, and he may throw a dominant game here. But he has some questions. His foot might be causing him problems, and he has been a bit vulnerable at home, and the Washington lineup is capable. San Diego's lineup has been sputtering, and Ortiz may be able to hold them down effectively. This is likely to be a close, modestly low-scoring game, giving Washington a legitimate chance to pull out a win.

Angels 54% - Lackey is no doubt pitching well, but Padilla has also been quite good for a while. Padilla was given some extra rest, and that combined with going into a pitchers' park should help him a lot. He is likely to have a quality start, of the type he was routinely having prior to his last start. Texas' lineup has been hitting of late, and they match up well with the Angels' lineup. The Angels rate only a small edge here.

Oakland 56% - Zito has dominated Seattle in his career, and especially recently. There is a good reason for this; he is at his best against free-swinging teams, which Seattle tends to be. He is likely to have another good start here. Oakland, however, might have a tough time being productive against Washburn. His likely performance has a lot of uncertainty to it, as he can be good at times, and has been having knee issues which may or may not be affecting him. It is not uncertain, however, that Oakland has a generally unproductive offense, and as such, Oakland rates only a modest edge in this game, despite Zito's likely strong start.