I went 1-0 yesterday. I'm gonna stick to a very conservative approach to capping baseball. In this approach, I can list the pros and cons and prove to myself that the pros do in fact outweigh the cons.
Therefore:
White sox -125
Pros:
Contreras has been solid at home and on the road this season. Nate Robertson has been anything but that. The White Sox are 21-8 against teams from the Central, including a 5-1 mark versus Detroit (26-37). Chicago swept a three-game series at Comerica Park from April 4-6. Contreras is 4-0 with a 1.50 ERA in his last six starts. The Detroit bullpen is awful while the White Sox have one of the top bullpens in baseball. Nate Robertson gave up 5 runs in 6 1/3 innings against the A's, who have one of the worst offenses in Baseball. Imagine what the Sox will do to him. The White Sox are 23-9 as a favorite this season. That is a 71.9% winning percentage.
Cons:
Contreras' first two starts of the season were against the Tigers. He gave up 4 earned runs in each of the starts. Coincidentally, these were his worst starts of the year, since afterwards, Contreras has pitched extremely well. The White Sox have also hit Robertson well this season.
Angels -125
Pros:
Pitching on the road has been a problem for Shields, who is 1-3 with a 7.06 ERA in six starts away from Tropicana Field this season. Jered Weaver has a 3.47 ERA and a 2-3 record at home this season. Weaver is also known for being very successful in June, with a 5-1 record and a 1.94 ERA. Conversely, Shields is 6-4 with a 4.62 ERA in June. The Angels hit .337 against Shields in career matchups.
Cons:
The Rays have been on fire as of late. They are a different team this year, so there may be some additional variables in the equation. James Shields' brother, Scott is a reliever for the Angels, so he may know the Angel's lineup well.
Therefore:
White sox -125
Pros:
Contreras has been solid at home and on the road this season. Nate Robertson has been anything but that. The White Sox are 21-8 against teams from the Central, including a 5-1 mark versus Detroit (26-37). Chicago swept a three-game series at Comerica Park from April 4-6. Contreras is 4-0 with a 1.50 ERA in his last six starts. The Detroit bullpen is awful while the White Sox have one of the top bullpens in baseball. Nate Robertson gave up 5 runs in 6 1/3 innings against the A's, who have one of the worst offenses in Baseball. Imagine what the Sox will do to him. The White Sox are 23-9 as a favorite this season. That is a 71.9% winning percentage.
Cons:
Contreras' first two starts of the season were against the Tigers. He gave up 4 earned runs in each of the starts. Coincidentally, these were his worst starts of the year, since afterwards, Contreras has pitched extremely well. The White Sox have also hit Robertson well this season.
Angels -125
Pros:
Pitching on the road has been a problem for Shields, who is 1-3 with a 7.06 ERA in six starts away from Tropicana Field this season. Jered Weaver has a 3.47 ERA and a 2-3 record at home this season. Weaver is also known for being very successful in June, with a 5-1 record and a 1.94 ERA. Conversely, Shields is 6-4 with a 4.62 ERA in June. The Angels hit .337 against Shields in career matchups.
Cons:
The Rays have been on fire as of late. They are a different team this year, so there may be some additional variables in the equation. James Shields' brother, Scott is a reliever for the Angels, so he may know the Angel's lineup well.