4-6 Predictions

We are off to a blazing start here and we need to keep the momentum going.  there are 9 games today so we should just get right into it!  I'm also unveiling something that I forgot to do yesterday which is my lock of the day, which is the game I am most confident about.

Away	Home	Time (ET)	Away Probable	Home Probable
White Sox	Rangers	2:05pm	Danks (0-0)	Lewis (0-0)
Twins	Orioles	3:05pm	Pavano (0-0)	Arrieta (0-0)
Yankees	Rays	3:10pm	Sabathia (0-0)	Shields (0-0)
Cardinals	Brewers	4:10pm	Garcia (0-0)	Gallardo (0-0)
Rockies	Astros	7:05pm	Guthrie (0-0)	Rodriguez (0-0)
Giants	D-backs	7:10pm	Lincecum (0-0)	Kennedy (0-0)
Royals	Angels	10:05pm	Chen (0-0)	Weaver (0-0)
Dodgers	Padres	10:05pm	Billingsley (0-0)	Luebke (0-0)
Mariners	Athletics	10:05pm	Vargas (0-0)	McCarthy (0-0)

White Sox (Danks) vs. Rangers (Lewis)

Robin Ventura starts his Major League managing career going against the two time AL pennant winners in Texas.  I am sure that Ventura has fond memories of Texas since he is most famous for charging Nolan Ryan and getting his ass kicked.  Colby Lewis will be making his first opening day start for the Rangers and will be opposed by John Danks.  Danks has an ERA over 5 at the Ballpark in Arlington and I think his struggles continue today.

Winner: Rangers


Twins (Pavano) vs. Orioles (Arrieta)

Probably the two worst teams in the American League are going at it here with the Twins and Orioles battling it out at Camden Yards.  Carl Pavano gets the opening day nod for the Twins who now have both Mauer and Morneau healthy.  How long that will last I don't know but until one of them gets injured this team will show some fight.

Winner:  Twins


Yankees (Sabathia) vs. Rays (Shields)

The antithesis of the Twins/Orioles is this game which feature two of the top teams in the American League.  Both lineups should be used to seeing these two pitchers as they have faced off many times before.  Shields led the league in complete games last year and yet he is still a little inconsistent for my liking.  You never know which James Shields is going to show up.  On the other hand you have C.C who is like a machine.  I think James pitches well but C.C pitches better.

Winner: Yankees


Cardinals (Garcia) vs. Brewers (Gallardo)

These two teams are very familiar with each other and it was only last October that the Cardinals knocked the Brewers out of the playoffs.  Both of these teams had their best player and first basemen, Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder respectively, move to the American League and I think that whoever regroups the fastest will win this division. While I do think that will be the Cardinals I am going to go with the Brewers today because Yovanni Gallardo is a great pitcher and the Brewers are playing at home.

Winner:  Brewers


Rockies (Guthrie) vs. Astros (Rodriguez)

This is the last opening day for the Astros in the National League as the move to the A.L West next year and they give the start to the one guy in the rotation the average fan has heard of.  Meanwhile Guthrie came over from Baltimore this off-season and gets the nod on opening day.  The Astros are probably the worst team in all of baseball and the Rockies will have something to prove after struggling last year.

Winner:  Rockies


Giants (Lincecum) vs. Diamondbacks (Kennedy)

This should be a great pitching matchup between the 2-time Cy Young winner and a 20 game winner last year.  The Diamondbacks are the favorite to win this division but with the pitching the Giants have you can't count them out.  I also think that Lincecum will notice the contract that the Giants just gave Matt Cain and will pitch even better this year because he wants a contract like that.  This game will be the first step in that direction for him.

Winner:  Giants


Royals (Chen) vs. Angels (Weaver)

The Los Angeles Angels open up a very promising season against Bruce Chen and the Royals.  This game in many ways shows how lucky the Angels are.  While most teams are throwing aces out on opening day the Royals are throwing out Bruce Chen.  Ugh.  Weaver starts his quest to be the best pitcher on this team and it will not be easy with the horses behind him.

Winner:  Angels.  This game is my lock of the day.


Dodgers (Billingsley) vs. Padres (Luebke)

Cory Leubke starts his official coming out party today against the Dodgers and Chad Billingsley as the Padres look to rebound against the the Dodgers.  Even though Leubke pitches better away from Petco park I think that he will shut down the Dodgers today and get the win.  I am going to predict 7 innings with 1 run and 8 strikeouts.

Winner:  Padres


Mariners (Vargas) vs. Athletics (McCarthy)

These two teams played last week in Japan although no one really remembers.  McCarthy matched Felix Hernandez pitch for pitch and now gets to pitch in the cavernous park down in Oakland.  Vargas pitched well against the Athletics the next day but couldn't get the win as the bullpen lost the lead.  Based on the fact that these two offenses are equally putrid you have to look at the pitching matchup, which I think favors the Athletics.

Winner:  Athletics


Record: 8-2