Game Time: 08/27/2008 10:10 PM -
By: LT Profits Sports Group | who2beton.com
Ponson may have started to show his true colors when he was ripped by Toronto in his last start, and he was also hit hard in his first start vs. Boston this year. Play Byrd and the Red Sox as dogs.
The Boston Red Sox hurt the New York Yankees playoff chances even more by winning the first game of this crucial series last night, and we look for the Sox to put the Yankees in an even deeper hole tonight.
Sidney Ponson pitched over his head in his first month since returning to the Yankees, but we fear the real Sir Sidney emerged in his last start vs. the Toronto Blue Jays, where he was torched for seven earned runs on eight hits in only two innings by a Jays offense that had struggled most of the season. Even more important here is that Ponson has failed to record a Quality Start in his last four outings vs. he Red Sox, including an awful appearance this year where he surrendered seven earned runs and 10 hits in four frames.
Paul Byrd has been at least serviceable in two starts for Boston, allowing four runs on each occasion, and he did allow three runs or less in each of his last five starts for the Cleveland Indians prior to that. It is also worth noting that the Boston bullpen has now cracked the top 10 in the majors with a 3.84 ERA, which gives Byrd some nice support here.
The primary reason that most experts predict that the Yankees incredible playoff run will come to an end this season is their lack of quality starting pitching, and we feel that Ponson personifies that here.
Game Time: 08/27/2008 10:05 PM -
By: Steve Merril | 10starpicks.com
It sure is chalky, but with Joe Saunders on the mound for the Angels at home against rookie Gio Gonzalez of the Athletics, it's also a no-brainer for the Halos in this one.
The Angels are the best team in the American League and the overall favorite to win the World Series. They were struggling through a mini-slump earlier this month, but turned things around this past weekend with back-to-back home wins versus the Twins. This apparently left the Angels a bit flat on Monday night when they overlooked Oakland and suffered a surprising 2-1 loss as a -225 favorite.
The Angels bounced-back with a solid 5-1 win last night and they should remain focused again this evening against an Oakland squad that stands a terrible 9-30 SU in their past 39 games. My pitcher performance ratings predict a solid bounce-back effort from Los Angeles' Joe Saunders who has not won either of his past two starts, but still has a fantastic 3.37 ERA and 1.21 WHIP this season in 25 starts with a fantastic 18-7 SU team record.
Meanwhile, Oakland rookie Gio Gonzalez has been terrible in his first four major league starts with a miserable 6.52 ERA and 1.76 WHIP. It is no surprise as Gonzalez was only mediocre in the minor leagues and is undersized by today’s standards at just 5-11 and 185 pounds.
It's the final regular season meeting between these two rivals at The Stadium in the Bronx, and it should be a slugfest when the New York Yankees meet the Boston Red Sox.
The Red Sox and Yankees are set to do battle in Game 2 of this series, as Boston will likely visit The Stadium for their last series.
Sir Sidney Ponson will take the mound for the home team and he was terrible the last time he faced the Red Sox, giving up 10 hits in just four innings of work. He gave up seven earned runs in that game and that is the same amount he gave up in his last start against Toronto. He lasted just two innings on Thursday and he is just on the roster based on necessity and not actual quality. He is 7-4 on the season meaning the team scores lots of runs for him and thus this sets up for a perfect situation with the Over.
Paul Byrd will be his counterpart and he is coming off back-to-back poor starts with the Red Sox in which he allowed four runs in each outing. Byrd does not have the stuff to blow it past the Yankees and expect him to struggle early and often. We will not worry about who wins this pick ’em game and just collect with the Over.
Game Time: 08/27/2008 07:05 PM -
By: Al McMordie | bigal.com
After dropping last night's game to Boston, New York will be out to pick up a game on the AL Wild Card leaders tonight. Back the Yankees as home favorites vs. the Red Sox.
Our Wednesday night MLB selection is on the New York Yankees at home in the Bronx over the Boston Red Sox.
Two pitchers that probably no one would have expected to see in Red Sox and Yankee uniforms prior to the beginning of the 2008 season are veterans Paul Byrd and Sidney Ponson. Byrd is a 37-year-old right-hander who has now played for nine major league teams and started this season as a member of the Cleveland Indians before they had their yard sale and shipped him off to the Red Sox to help bolster Boston's injured staff.
Although it seems like right-hander Ponson has been around at least as long as Byrd, he is actually six years his junior and he has now made the Yankees his sixth major league team after beginning the sesaon as a member of the Texas Rangers. Many people may not remember that this is actually Ponson's second time around with New York as he spent a brief period in pinstripes back in 2006.
Despite a 1-1 record since coming over to Boston, Byrd has been unimpressive in his two starts so far with the Red Sox. If you throw out Ponson's last start, which was a disaster in Toronto on August 21, he has four quality starts in a row and he is undefeated this season at home with a 3-0 record and 4.18 ERA at Yankee Stadium.
Even with their victory in the Bronx on Tuesday, the Red Sox are still only 4-7 in their last 11 trips to New York. Take the Yankees.
Game Time: 08/27/2008 10:05 PM -
By: Matt Fargo | sportspic.com
Following four previous bad starts this year, Angels lefty Joe Saunders has bounced back in his next outings with LA 3-1 in those games. Back the Halos on the run line vs. the A's.
After dropping Game 1 of this series, the Angels got one back last night behind a solid pitching performance from John Lackey. Los Angeles dropped its first two games of this homestand against the Twins but has now won three of their last four games to improve to 18-7 over its last 25 home games. The pitching has gotten progressively better over the last five games, allowing nine runs, then five, three, two and finally one last night. The ERA sits at 3.50 over the last 10 games.
Oakland continues its inconsistent play and most of that is due to a lethargic offense. The A?s have a .192 average over their last 11 games and over this span, they have averaged only 2.5 RPG. They have hit .219 or worse in nine of those games. Of their last six losses, all have been by at least two runs and have been by an average of 5.8 RPG so the run line is in good shape here. Also, Oakland is 3-13 on the road against the runline when facing a starting pitcher whose ERA is 3.50 or better.
The pitcher in question here is Joe Saunders who has quietly had a spectacular season thus far. He is 14-6 with a 3.37 ERA and while coming off a horrible start, he is in a good spot to rebound. Previous to this last game he had allowed four runs or more four times and followed that up with a quality outing next time out with the Angels going 3-1 in those games. This season, he is 2-0 with a 1.26 ERA in two starts against Oakland who is 5-15 in its last 20 road games against a left-handed starter.
Oakland counters with Gio Gonzalez who has not pitched very well this season. He has a 6.52 ERA in his four starts, none of which have been quality, and Oakland has gone 1-3 in those games. He has a 1.76 WHIP as well and on top of that, the A's are giving him only 2.3 RPG of support. On the flip side, the opposition has plated 8.8 RPG in those four outings. The Angels are 14-6 in their last 20 home games against a left-handed starter while hitting a solid .281 at home against lefty pitching. Play Los Angeles on the run line for 1½ units.
Game Time: 08/27/2008 08:15 PM -
By: Marc Lawrence | playbook.com
The Cardinals have the mound advantage over the Brewers on Wednesday night. Side with St. Louis at home when the host Milwaukee in a key National League contest.
The Cardinals and Brewers conclude their two-game series in St. Louis when Adam Wainwright takes on Milwaukee's Manny Parra at Busch Stadium.
Wainwright has been extra sharp at home this season, compiling a 2.76 ERA. Meanwhile, Parra has struggled on the road with a 5.13 ERA, more than a run and a half worse than his 3.40 home ERA.
With Parra off an 'inside-out' win (5 innings, 10 men on base), look for the Red Birds to salvage a series split here tonight. We recommend a one-unit play on St. Louis with Wainwright vs. Parra.
Game Time: 08/27/2008 07:05 PM -
By: Jimmy the Moose | sportspic.com
The Tribe is red hot with nine straight wins, and they'll make it 10 straight tonight behind Fausto Carmona. Cash the Cleveland Indians on the road at the Detroit Tigers.
The red hot Cleveland Indians have won nine in a row and are 15-3 in their last 18 games overall. With last night's win in Detroit, the Indians have now won eight straight on the road.
Cleveland has also won eight straight vs. a team with a losing record. The Indians are 16-5 in Fausto Carmona's last 21 starts vs. AL Central teams.
Detroit has now lost seven of their last nine home games. The Tigers are 5-15 in Justin Verlander's last 20 starts vs. division opponents and 1-5 in Verlander's last six starts vs. the Indians.
Cleveland is 6-1 in Carmona's last seven starts vs. Detroit. Play on the Indians.
Game Time: 08/27/2008 10:05 PM -
By: LT Profits Sports Group | who2beton.com
Joe Saunders is coming off of one of his worst starts this year, and he struggled a bit when he faced Oakland last time too. Don’t be shocked by an enormous upset.
While we are not at all surprised by this enormous price on the Oakland Athletics vs. the Los Angeles Angels, Joe Saunders has seemed much more hittable lately while Gio Gonzalez should have success his first time through the Angel lineup, giving Oakland some value here.
In fact, the Angels have lost the last two games that Saunders has started, but it is his last start that may be some cause for concern. He was roughed up for six earned runs on nine hits while lasting just 5.1 innings vs. the Minnesota Twins with no strikeouts. Granted, the Athletics have struggled offensively, but they did manage to score four runs on six hits in 6.1 innings off of Saunders when he last faced them last month.
Now Gonzalez has a 6.52 ERA in four starts, but that figure is greatly skewed by one awful outing vs. the Chicago White Sox. He actually pitched reasonably well in his other three starts, and he is coming off of an outing in Seattle where he allowed two earned runs in five inning with seven strikeouts. The fact that he has yet to go more than six innings in the majors is not a bad thing here, considering that the Oakland bullpen ranks fifth in the major leagues with a 3.52 ERA.
Remember that the Angels have never faced Gonzalez before, so if he has success his first time through the lineup as we expect, the Athletics bullpen could then bail him out at the first sign of trouble and key a big upset.
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