4-22 Predictions

After my first day this year with double digit losses I am reeling a little bit.  The great thing about baseball is another set of games are played tomorrow.  Quick to forget the bad times, long to remember the good!  Lets get to the games.

Away	Home	Result	Winning Pitcher	Losing Pitcher
Marlins	Nationals	Postponed
Away	Home	Time (ET)	Away Probable	Home Probable
Giants	Mets	1:10pm	Lincecum (0-2)	Gee (1-1)
Rangers	Tigers	1:10pm	Lewis (2-0)	Smyly (0-0)
Cardinals	Pirates	1:35pm	Lohse (2-0)	Bedard (0-3)
Twins	Rays	1:40pm	Liriano (0-2)	Niemann (0-2)
Dodgers	Astros	2:05pm	Billingsley (2-0)	Rodriguez (0-2)
Rockies	Brewers	2:10pm	Guthrie (1-1)	Gallardo (1-1)
Blue Jays	Royals	2:10pm	Romero (2-0)	Duffy (1-1)
Reds	Cubs	2:20pm	Cueto (1-0)	Wells (0-0)
Orioles	Angels	3:35pm	Chen (1-0)	Haren (0-1)
Indians	Athletics	4:05pm	Masterson (0-1)	Ross (0-0)
Phillies	Padres	4:05pm	Blanton (1-2)	Bass (0-2)
Braves	D-backs	4:10pm	Delgado (2-0)	Kennedy (2-0)
White Sox	Mariners	4:10pm	Danks (1-2)	Millwood (0-0)
Yankees	Red Sox	8:05pm	Sabathia (1-0)	Bard (0-2)

Marlins vs Nationals (Postponed)

I know I won't get this game wrong.  No makeup has been scheduled.

Giants vs Mets (Postponed)

This one either.  No makeup has been scheduled.

Rangers (Lewis) vs Tigers (Smyly)

The Tigers are looking to salvage a split in this 4 game series that could be a playoff preview and they send rookie Drew Smyly out to the mound to do it.  The Rangers counter with Colby Lewis, who is 2-0 so far in 2012 and has an ERA under 2.  An interesting fact is that Neftali Feliz was the first Ranger starting pitcher to get a loss last night.  Took a starting pitcher 14 games to get a loss.  That is outstanding work.

Pick: Rangers

Cardinals (Lohse) vs Pirates (Bedard)

Kyle Lohse hasn't given up anything so far this year.  The Pittsburgh Pirates haven't been able to score any runs for Erik Bedard so far either.  This sounds like a recipe for a win for the Cardinals.  I predict that Kyle Lohse will continue his outstanding April for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Pirates will continue to struggle when Bedard is on the hill.

Pick: Cardinals

Twins (Liriano) vs Rays (Niemann)

Tampa Bay has not lost a series at home to the Minnesota Twins since 2006.  Early in that stretch the Twins were really good and the Rays were really bad.  Now that Tampa Bay is good and Minnesota is bad I think that the drought will continue.  Jeff Niemann and Tampa Bay wins this game and takes the series.  

Pick: Rays

Dodgers (Billingsley) vs Astros (Rodriguez)

The Dodgers continue to do what they are supposed to do.  Beat up on the bad teams.  This team is now 11-2 against the Padres, Pirates, and Astros this year and they are going for a sweep of Houston tonight.  Chad Billingsley has had a lot of success pitching in Minute Maid Park, going 4-0 in 4 starts.  He makes it 5-5 today as the Dodgers get the sweep.

Pick: Dodgers

Rockies (Guthrie) vs Brewers (Gallardo)

This is what I like to call a pitching mismatch.  Yovani Gallardo is a very good pitcher and Jeremy Guthrie isn't.  Guthrie has struggled giving up home runs in his career, and Milwaukee hist them frequently.  I like the Brewers to take this game and win the series against the Rockies.  In fact lets make this game the lock of the day.  Looks like Miller is beating Coors this weekend!

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

Blue Jays (Romero) vs Royals (Duffy)

Things don't get any easier for Kansas City as they look to avoid a third consecutive sweep at home, as now they face the Blue Jays ace in Ricky Romero.  Romero is looking to stay undefeated and go to 3-0 in this young season and help the Blue Jays get their first 3 game winning streak of 2012.  Romero will get the win and Kansas City will have the dubious honor of starting the season 0-9 at home.

Pick: Blue Jays

Reds (Cueto) vs Cubs (Wells)

My first trade prediction is correct.  From my March 12th post about the Chicago Cubs: "Marlon Byrd definitely will get traded to a contender by July this year, but before that will be an average center fielder both offensively and defensively."  Yesterday they traded him to the Red Sox, who are always a contender because of their payroll.  With Ryan Dempster on the disabled list the start on Sunday goes to Randy Wells, who was getting lit up in the minors.  He will continue to struggle and the Cubs will lose.

Pick: Reds

Orioles (Chen) vs Angels (Haren)

All the Angels needed to get on track this year was a dose of the Baltimore Orioles.  Los Angeles has scored 6 runs in each of the first 2 games against Baltimore, and they go for the sweep by sending Dan Haren to the mound.  Haren is still looking for his first win of the year, and I predict he will get it today as the Angels get the sweep.

Pick: Angels

Indians (Masterson) vs Athletics (Ross)

The Cleveland Indians are hot right now as they are concluding a 9-game road trip in which they are 7-1 so far.  The Oakland Athletics are backsliding and the big reason why is because of their offense.  The offense has already been held to 0 or 1 run 6 times this year.  That is not going to win you a lot of games.  The Athletics offense will continue to do nothing today as Justin Masterson and the Indians will get the sweep.

Pick: Indians

Phillies (Blanton) vs Padres (Bass)

Once again the soap opera that is the Philadelphia Phillies took a negative turn yesterday.  Already with all-stars Ryan Howard and Chase Utley on the disabled list, Philadelphia put Cliff Lee on the 15-day DL on Saturday with a strained oblique.  The only thing the Phillies have that is positive right now is that they are facing the Padres.  Philadelphia will get a new winning streak started against San Diego as they win today.

Pick: Phillies

Braves (Delgado) vs Diamondbacks (Kennedy)

Ian Kennedy has pitched very well the last 2+ years for Arizona and has one item left on his to-do list.  The 21-game winner from 2011 has beaten every team in the National League with the exception of the Atlanta Braves.  He is also 9-0 at home in his last 10 starts.  I think Kennedy gets that elusive win today as the Diamondbacks avoid the sweep.

Pick: Diamondbacks

White Sox (Danks) vs Mariners (Millwood)

After Phillip Humber's perfect game yesterday John Danks has a tough act to follow.  Fortunately for him he has been very good at Safeco in his own right, plus he has the advantage of going against the Mariner lineup which can make any ordinary pitcher look like a hall-of-famer.  The White Sox will continue their dominance over the Mariners and win their eighth straight game at Safeco Field.  

Pick: White Sox

Yankees (Sabathia) vs Red Sox (Bard)

The first prediction that I am going to make about this game is that it is going to take at least 4 hours to complete.  With C.C Sabathia being deliberate with his windup, Daniel Bard walking every other hitter, and the fact that these 2 teams always play long games it will be definitely be past midnight eastern time when the Yankees get that final out to sweep aside the Red Sox and keep them toiling in last place.

Pick: Yankees