Wednesday's Front Page Plays (Jun 6)

[Willie Bee]

Boston Red Sox -120 to Make A’s Knuckle Under

Game Time: 06/06/2007 10:05 PM -
By: Marc Lawrence | playbook.com

Tim Wakefield has done his best pitching on the road this season, and he has pitched well in his career vs. the Athletics, so back Boston vs. the struggling Joe Kennedy tonight.

Tim Wakefield of the Boston Red Sox has done well in his career vs. the Oakland Athletics, while A’s starter Joe Kennedy has a horrendous strikeout-to-walk ratio lately.

The knuckleballer Wakefield’s teams are now 17-7 when he takes the hill against Oakland in his career, and he also owns a spiffy 3.05 ERA on the road this year. Meanwhile, Kennedy having issued 10 walks with only one strikeout in his last three starts, and he has a 4.95 ERA and a bad 1.60 WHIP in those outings.

Look for the Red Sox to improve to 8-1 in Game Three of a road series this season here tonight.

Free Pick: Red Sox -120

[Willie Bee]

Everybody Wang Ch-ching tonight! Yanks over ChiSox

Game Time: 06/06/2007 08:10 PM -
By: Tony George | 10starpicks.com

Chien Ming Wang and the Yankees go for a 2-1 lead in their series with the White Sox tonight when New York and Chicago play ball on the Windy City's South Side.

The White Sox might be what the Yankees need. Just 2-8 in their last 10 games, the White Sox won the opener of this series and then got hammered last night 7-3. Look for the bats of NY to stay hot tonight against Javier Vazquez who has dropped two out of his last three games with an ERA of over 4.00.

Ales Rodriguez had a big night last night and I expect it to continue as the Yankees are pulling out all stops here to go up one in this series. For the Yanks, Chien Ming Wang takes the mound tonight and the boys in pinstripes are 7-1 in his last eight road starts.


Free Pick: Yankees -144

[Willie Bee]

Bowie & Nats to scuttle Pirates

Game Time: 06/06/2007 07:05 PM -
By: Larry Ness | touthouse.com

Considering Zach Duke's road struggles for the Pirates, the Washington Nationals are the right play this evening when they host Pittsburgh in the second game of their series.

Pittsburgh won at Washington last night 7-6. It was just the Pirates' second win in seven games and snapped a streak of six consecutive losses in one-run games.

In order to win tonight, the Pirates will need starter Zach Duke (2-6, 5.73 ERA) to turn around his dismal year. The left-hander gave up five runs and eight hits over six innings in a 5-4 defeat to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday and batters are hitting .349 against him, the worst mark in the majors. The Pirates have lost five of the last six times Duke has taken the mound this year, and let's also remember they were 1-16 in his road starts last season (yes, that's right!).

The Nationals have lost three straight to fall to 2-5 on their nine-game homestand and Washington's starters have posted a dismal 11.08 ERA over the last three games, with none managing to get through the fifth inning. Micah Bowie (2-2, 4.11) will try to reverse that trend when he takes the mound. The left-hander began the season in the bullpen before joining the starting rotation on May 20. He improved to 2-0 with a 4.61 ERA in three starts (team is 3-0 and plus-$439) with his second straight victory by allowing three runs and three hits over a season-high 5.1 innings in an 11-4 win over the Dodgers on Thursday.

The Nationals are no bargain but a chance to go against Duke on the road (and such a low price), is too good to pass up. Take the Nats, who by the way, are plus-$194 this year (at $100/game) despite a 23-35 record.

Free Pick: -112

[Willie Bee]

Athletics +110 to Upset Red Sox

Game Time: 06/06/2007 10:05 PM -
By: Alex Smart | who2beton.com

Joe Kennedy has pitched better than his record this season, allowing more than three runs just once, and with Tim Wakefield on poor current form, play the A’s.

JThe Boston Red Sox enter this contest having lost six straight meetings to the Athletics here in Oakland after a 2-0 blanking last night.

Things do not figure to get much better tonight, as the A’s are playing their best baseball of the season right now, winning six of the first eight games of their current 10-game homestand. Red Sox starter Tim Wakefield is struggling, as the veteran knuckleballer has allowed 23 earned runs in his last 22 innings of work for a bloated 9.13 ERA, with opposing hitters batting a hefty .318 against him during that span.

Joe Kennedy, the Athletics southpaw starter, is off of a top notch performance last Friday night against the visiting Twins, holding Minnesota to a run on six hits over eight innings! Kennedy, despite not exhibiting a great record this season, has allowed just one run in six of his 10 starts, and has allowed more than three runs only once. He owns a very stingy 1.91 ERA in five starts at McAfee Coliseum this year.

The As pitching starting pitching staff owns a Major League best 2.99 ERA. Also, the Red Sox are 5-13 in their last 18 away games vs. a left-handed starter and are hitting a lowly .228 BA on the road vs. southpaws in 2007. The bottom line is that considering the current form of tonight’s starters, Oakland's recent good play, and their home dominance in this series, the Athletics like a very viable wagering option as a small dog this evening.

Free Pick: Athletics +110

[Willie Bee]

Back Maddux, Pads vs Dodgers

Game Time: 06/06/2007 10:05 PM -
By: Jimmy Boyd | touthouse.com

Look for Greg Maddux to pick up his second win over the Dodgers this year tonight when the San Diego Padres entertain Los Angeles in a key NL West battle.

The Dodgers are just 9-23 against the moneyline in road games after six or more consecutive road games over the last three seasons. San Diego is 24-11 against the moneyline with a hot bullpen whose ERA is under 3.00 the last 15 games this season.

The Padres are a staggering 19-9 in home games. They take advantage of their solid pitching in this very tough hitters park. Greg Maddux is 4-3 with a 3.92 ERA on the season, and beat the Dodgers in Sandiego once this year, hurling seven strong, 5-hit innings against LA on April 28. We'll take the Padres with Mad Dog on the hill.

Free Pick: Padres -113

[Willie Bee]

Chalk Up Red Sox -120 over Oakland A’s

Game Time: 06/06/2007 10:05 PM -
By: Jimmy the Moose | sportspic.com

The Athletics have struggled with Joe Kennedy on the mound, losing eight of his last 10 starts and seven of his last eight at home, so back Wakefield and the Red Sox.

Even with their loss last night, the Boston Red Sox are still 24-7 over their last 31 games where they are the favorite.

The Red Sox are also 15-6 in their last 21 road games. Wakefield's teams are 17-7 in his career against Oakland, including 3-0 for Boston in his last three starts vs. the Athletics.

On the other hand, Oakland has struggled when Kennedy is on the mound, losing eight of his 10 starts this season. The A's are also 1-7 in his last 8 home starts, so play on the Red Sox.

Free Pick: Red Sox -120