Vegas Dave's Baseball Picks 05/22/09 (Write-Ups)
Roy Halladay and the Blue Jays (-152) cruise over Atlanta Braves
With Roy Halladay on the mound, the Blue Jays win. It seems to be that simple. Johan Santana and the Mets and the under in Detroit tonight round off today's card.
Pick 1: Toronto Blue Jays -152 over Atlanta Braves
Does this pick really even need a write up? "Doc" Roy Halladay takes the mound for the Blue Jays tonight, and he has been in top form virtually all season long, amassing an 8-1 record in nine starts with a microscopic 2.78 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP.
Atlanta’s Kenshin Kawakami hasn’t been as bad as his numbers indicate as they are really bogged down by one very bad eight earned run game in April. That said, he hasn’t given up less than two runs in any of his starts, and has given up three or more in five of the seven games he’s pitched in this season. He also hasn’t gone deeper than six innings in any of his starts, so the bullpen will definitely see some action.
Don’t worry too much about Toronto getting swept by Boston. These bats are still very real, and they should be able to score at least three or four runs off of Kawakami; and that should be all that the Doc needs tonight.
Pick 2: New York Mets -107 over Boston Red Sox
On principle, if you give me the best pitcher in the game at -107, I’m going to take him no matter what team he plays for and no matter who he is pitching against.
Johan Santana has been simply dazzling this season going 5-2 with a 1.36 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP. His two losses were both just bad luck, too, coming in games where he gave up only two runs. But I don’t really need to go over how good Johan Santana is, do I?
What makes this game even more amazing is the fact that Daisuke Matsuzaka, who I had circled this year on my fade list expecting all of last year’s free passes and bases loaded jams to catch up to him this year, is pitching in his first game coming back from an arm injury and is still getting this much respect!
I understand that the Mets have been a massive disappointment this season and they are swinging some cold bats. But I completely trust Johan Santana to stymie even the toughest of offensive line-ups, and I would be very surprised if Daisuke came straight off of the DL with a gem today. The Mets are more than worth the risk at this price.
Pick 3: Colorado Rockies/Detroit Tigers under 9 runs (-101)
This just looks like one of those lines set by someone who figures "two good offenses, two no name pitchers, might as well be a high scorer".
Ubaldo Jimenez came into this year with tons of hype after having a great run in the World Baseball Classic. He got off to a rocky (no pun intended) start in his first few games, but has been every bit as good as advertised since, giving up only one run in his last three starts and compiling a 2.00 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP in four starts here in April. Even more exciting is the fact that he has only given up one homerun in eight starts this season.
Detroit’s 2007 first round pick, Rick Porcello, also came into this season with a bit of hype in baseball nerd circles (which I am a proud member of, by the way). He too has found his grove in May, going 3-0 in three starts with a 1.00 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP.
Both bullpens have also settled in and been fairly decent for these two clubs. I may be a sucker for young arms, but with two talented pitchers both in form heading to the mound today, is it that unreasonable to expect the game to stay under double digits? I like the under quite a bit.
Good Luck Today!
With Roy Halladay on the mound, the Blue Jays win. It seems to be that simple. Johan Santana and the Mets and the under in Detroit tonight round off today's card.
Pick 1: Toronto Blue Jays -152 over Atlanta Braves
Does this pick really even need a write up? "Doc" Roy Halladay takes the mound for the Blue Jays tonight, and he has been in top form virtually all season long, amassing an 8-1 record in nine starts with a microscopic 2.78 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP.
Atlanta’s Kenshin Kawakami hasn’t been as bad as his numbers indicate as they are really bogged down by one very bad eight earned run game in April. That said, he hasn’t given up less than two runs in any of his starts, and has given up three or more in five of the seven games he’s pitched in this season. He also hasn’t gone deeper than six innings in any of his starts, so the bullpen will definitely see some action.
Don’t worry too much about Toronto getting swept by Boston. These bats are still very real, and they should be able to score at least three or four runs off of Kawakami; and that should be all that the Doc needs tonight.
Pick 2: New York Mets -107 over Boston Red Sox
On principle, if you give me the best pitcher in the game at -107, I’m going to take him no matter what team he plays for and no matter who he is pitching against.
Johan Santana has been simply dazzling this season going 5-2 with a 1.36 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP. His two losses were both just bad luck, too, coming in games where he gave up only two runs. But I don’t really need to go over how good Johan Santana is, do I?
What makes this game even more amazing is the fact that Daisuke Matsuzaka, who I had circled this year on my fade list expecting all of last year’s free passes and bases loaded jams to catch up to him this year, is pitching in his first game coming back from an arm injury and is still getting this much respect!
I understand that the Mets have been a massive disappointment this season and they are swinging some cold bats. But I completely trust Johan Santana to stymie even the toughest of offensive line-ups, and I would be very surprised if Daisuke came straight off of the DL with a gem today. The Mets are more than worth the risk at this price.
Pick 3: Colorado Rockies/Detroit Tigers under 9 runs (-101)
This just looks like one of those lines set by someone who figures "two good offenses, two no name pitchers, might as well be a high scorer".
Ubaldo Jimenez came into this year with tons of hype after having a great run in the World Baseball Classic. He got off to a rocky (no pun intended) start in his first few games, but has been every bit as good as advertised since, giving up only one run in his last three starts and compiling a 2.00 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP in four starts here in April. Even more exciting is the fact that he has only given up one homerun in eight starts this season.
Detroit’s 2007 first round pick, Rick Porcello, also came into this season with a bit of hype in baseball nerd circles (which I am a proud member of, by the way). He too has found his grove in May, going 3-0 in three starts with a 1.00 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP.
Both bullpens have also settled in and been fairly decent for these two clubs. I may be a sucker for young arms, but with two talented pitchers both in form heading to the mound today, is it that unreasonable to expect the game to stay under double digits? I like the under quite a bit.
Good Luck Today!