4-28 Predictions

Hope everyone is having a good start to their weekend. It is finally starting to get nicer out here in the Pacific Northwest so I am going to go do a little golf.  Let's get to the predictions.

Away	Home	Time (ET)	Away Probable	Home Probable
Angels	Indians	1:05pm	Haren (0-1)	Gomez (1-0)
Brewers	Cardinals	1:05pm	Estrada (0-0)	Lohse (3-0)
Royals	Twins	1:10pm	Chen (0-2)	Marquis (1-0)
Tigers	Yankees	4:05pm	Smyly (0-0)	Garcia (0-1)
Mariners	Blue Jays	4:07pm	Millwood (0-1)	Morrow (1-1)
Astros	Reds	4:10pm	Harrell (1-1)	Cueto (2-0)
Cubs	Phillies	7:05pm	Wells (0-0)	Blanton (1-3)
Athletics	Orioles	7:05pm	Ross (1-0)	Chen (1-0)
D-backs	Marlins	7:10pm	Kennedy (3-0)	Sanchez (1-0)
Red Sox	White Sox	7:10pm	Lester (0-2)	Peavy (3-0)
Pirates	Braves	7:10pm	Bedard (0-4)	Delgado (2-1)
Rays	Rangers	8:05pm	Niemann (1-2)	Lewis (2-0)
Mets	Rockies	8:10pm	Gee (1-2)	Moscoso (0-0)
Padres	Giants	9:05pm	Bass (1-2)	Lincecum (1-2)
Nationals	Dodgers	9:10pm	Strasburg (2-0)	Billingsley (2-1)

Angels (Haren) vs Indians (Gomez)

This Angels team is frustrating the hell out of me.  I know they are talented but they can't win on the road.  This team that was supposed to be a World Series contender is 6-14 and falling way back in the American League West.  That being said they are still very talented and it starts with that pitching staff.  I am going to go with Dan Haren to get the win.

Pick: Angels

Brewers (Estrada) vs Cardinals (Lohse)

Kyle Lohse is dealing right now.  He is 3-0 and his ERA is still under 1.  Those numbers are ridiculous.  He looks to continue his early season success against a team he has struggled against in the past.  I think that Lohse continues to pitch well and the St. Louis Cardinals win game 2 of this series.

Pick: Cardinals

Royals (Chen) vs Twins (Marquis)

I still can't believe how well Bruce Chen is pitching so far for Kansas City.  He hasn't gotten a win because the Royals offense has scored no runs for him, but he has only allowed 7 earned runs in 25 innings.  He is facing an offense today that isn't exactly setting the world on fire.  I predict that Bruce Chen gets the win and the Royals keep on winning.

Pick: Royals

Tigers (Smyly) vs Yankees (Garcia)

Freddie Garcia against that offense.  Just like Phil Hughes against Texas a couple days ago this is a no-brainer to me.  The back half of that Yankees rotation is real bad.  I am guessing they are already looking to get a quality starting pitcher in a trade.

Pick: Tigers

Mariners (Millwood) vs Blue Jays (Morrow)

Brandon Morrow is on the hill today to face his old team for the first time in 2012.  In 2011 he dominated the Mariners, going 2-0 with a 2.77 ERA against them.  I have more faith in Morrow then Kevin Millwood right now, and even though the Mariners are hot I think that Morrow will cool them down and get the win.

Pick: Blue Jays

Astros (Harrell) vs Reds (Cueto)

Johnny Cueto continues to pitch well and is finally getting some results to show for it.  Now he faces an Astros team that isn't exactly the best in name recognition but is awfully feisty.  I am predicting that Cueto continues to dominate and shuts down Houston.  In fact this is my lock of the day.

Pick: Reds. This is my lock of the day.

Cubs (Wells) vs Phillies (Blanton)

This isn't exactly a great pitchers matchup here as both Randy Wells and Joe Blanton are after thoughts in their respective rotations.  I am picking the Cubs here for the pure reason that the Phillies offense is not good.  

Pick: Cubs

Athletics (Ross) vs Orioles (Chen)

Both of these pitchers are unheralded and yet have yielded good results for their respective teams so far this year.  Tyson Ross is a flame thrower and I think he is going to be a good pitcher in this league for quite some time.  In the Yoenis Cespedis strike out watch he hasn't struck out in the last 2 games, which is the first time he hasn't struck out in consecutive games in his young career.  He now is on pace for only 170.

Pick: Athletics

Diamondbacks (Kennedy) vs Marlins (Sanchez)

The Marlins are a mess right now.  Jose Reyes is only batting .205 so far this year as the offense is sputtering.  This team full of hype is looking exactly how I predicted in spring training.  Now they face a pitcher who hasn't lost since last August in Ian Kennedy.  I think I know which way I am going in this one.

Pick: Diamondbacks

Red Sox (Lester) vs White Sox (Peavy)

The Boston Red Sox can thump their chest all they want about their 5 game winning streak, but they have beaten up on some pretty bad pitching to do it.  They finally face a quality pitcher today as Jake Peavy looks to continue to look like the Peavy that won the Cy Young in 2007.  Plus it is still April so I don't think he will get hurt today.

Pick: White Sox

Pirates (Bedard) vs Braves (Delgado)

Atlanta struggles against left-handers and are facing a good one today in Bedard.  Pittsburgh struggles against anyone when Bedard is on the hill.  So what is going to give here?  My prediction is that Atlanta will score a couple of runs off of Bedard and the Pirates bullpen and that is all they will need as the Pirates continue to struggle offensively.

Pick: Braves

Rays (Niemann) vs Rangers (Lewis)

Colby Lewis is pitching great this year and he has had much success in his career against the Rays. He is 3-0 with a .75 ERA against Tampa Bay in his last 4 starts, and now he tries to lead Texas to win game 2 of this entertaining early season series.  I think that Lewis continues to carve up Rays hitters and the Rangers win.

Pick: Rangers

Mets (Gee) vs Rockies (Moscoso)

Guillermo Moscoso is making his 2012 debut for the Rockies because Jeremy Guthrie had to be put on the disabled list because he fall off his bicycle.  I am not making this up.  I predict that the Mets will win this game and while I don't think it will be as crazy as yesterdays game, it still should be entertaining.  Call it the Coors Field effect.

Pick: Mets

Padres (Bass) vs Giants (Lincecum)

Lincecum is finally starting to look good after getting shelled in his first 3 starts of the year.  Facing the Padres will only help him continue that way.  Lincecum is 9-4 against San Diego with an ERA under 2 in his career and this Padres team isn't exactly tearing the cover off the ball offensively.  Giants win.

Pick: Giants

Nationals (Strasburg) vs Dodgers (Billingsley)

Bryce Harper got called up from the minor leagues and is expected to make his major league debut today.  That being said I still think that Stephen Strasburg will steal the show and continue to make hitters look silly.  This is going to be a good pitching match-up, but I like Strasburg and the Nationals over Billingsley and the Dodgers.

Pick: Nationals