Wednesday 4/23
Bluejays -1.5
Roy Holliday will be pitching against the Rays. He pitched a complete game and lost 4-1 in his previous start. I like taking Holliday after he loses. Being on the road, will give the bluejays an extra opportunity to score insurance runs.
Reds -1.5
Arroyo lost his last start at home start and is 0-2 on the year. Sampson needs to pitch little league and and they even may score some runs. Sampson last pitched on Friday night against a tired Rockies team, which played the padres the night before in a 22 inning game. He could not even get out of the first innings. Astros really need to demote Sampson back to the minor leagues. If Sampson does not get a quality start, it will leave the astros bullpen vulnerable. I am looking for the reds to score 8-9 runs by themselves.
Pirates -1.5
Main reason I like the pirates is because the cardinals had to go the 12th inning and lose to the brewers. The cardinals will be restricted on who can they use out of the bullpen on wednesday. Wellemeyer has won his last 2 starts (win and no decision) and I am fading him for a loss. The cardinals did win Wllemeyers last 2 starts against the giants. Wellemeyer gave up 5 runs in 5 innings but the cardinals roughed up the giants bullpen in that game. Wellmeyer receieved a no decision. Wellemeyer pitched another start against the giants on Friday and won 11-1. Snell has pitched well against the cardinals and is coming off a loss to the cubs. The cardinal bullpen may be vulnerable espeically after today's loss in extra innings to the brewers.
Phillies -1.5 runs
Cole Hamels is usually due for a win after a loss. The brewers are in a bad situation. THe brewer bullpen had to go extra innings last night and may have to pick up the slack if Dave Bush struggles early against the phillies. Bush does not have great numbers agaisnt the phillies. Hamels lost his previous start against the mets 6-4. Hamels lost 2 in a row to begin 2007 and Hamel did not lose consecutive starts for the rest of the year. Hamels is an elite pitcher and rarely loses back to back games. Hamels lost his previous start in Milwaukee 6-5 and Bush was the starter in that game. Bush did not pitch well in that game, going 5 innings and giving up 5 runs. In that game, the brewer bullpen did pick up the slack but that will not be the case tommorrow. The brewer bullpen will be vulnerable as the brewers had to go to extra innings to beat the cardinals today.
Tigers -1.5
The pressure is on the rangers starters to get some quality starts. The ranger bullpen is horrendous and especially on this road trip. The tiger bats have finally awakened. The tigers finally will give Kenny Rogers some run support as they tatoo MEndoza first and than the ranger bullpen. The tigers get back Granderson and Polanco back on Wednesday. Granderson makes the tigers offense more diffiicult to pitch around.