5-25 Predictions

Now that yesterdays disaster is behind us it is time to have another good day.  Here we go.

Away	Home	Time (ET)	Away Probable	Home Probable
Cubs	Pirates	7:05pm	Dempster (0-2)	Burnett (2-2)
Royals	Orioles	7:05pm	Chen (3-4)	Hammel (5-1)
Rockies	Reds	7:10pm	Friedrich (1-1)	Cueto (5-1)
Padres	Mets	7:10pm	Bass (2-4)	Gee (3-3)
Giants	Marlins	7:10pm	Lincecum (2-4)	Johnson (2-3)
Rays	Red Sox	7:10pm	Cobb (1-0)	Lester (3-3)
Nationals	Braves	7:35pm	Detwiler (3-3)	Hudson (3-1)
Blue Jays	Rangers	8:05pm	Morrow (5-2)	Holland (3-3)
Indians	White Sox	8:10pm	Gomez (3-2)	Quintana (0-0)
Tigers	Twins	8:10pm	Smyly (1-1)	Swarzak (0-3)
Phillies	Cardinals	8:15pm	Lee (0-2)	Lohse (5-1)
Brewers	D-backs	9:40pm	Gallardo (2-4)	Kennedy (3-4)
Yankees	Athletics	10:05pm	Nova (4-2)	Ross (2-4)
Angels	Mariners	10:10pm	Santana (2-6)	Beavan (2-4)
Astros	Dodgers	10:10pm	Harrell (3-3)	Kershaw (4-1)

Cubs (Dempster) vs Pirates (Burnett)

The Cubs have lost 9 straight games and look horrendous right now.  They are giving the ball to Ryan Dempster in order to snap the long losing streak and Dempster hasn't gotten a win all year.  So why am I picking the Cubs?  Because Ryan Dempster is a bulldog and is the exactly the type of person who will stop a losing streak like this.

Pick: Cubs

Royals (Chen) vs Orioles (Hammel)

Bruce Chen is going against a division leader.  This can't end well for the Royals.  I am the biggest Chen cynic around and I am impressed that he has 3 wins right now, which is more than Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee put together.  That being said I do not think he will get number 4 today as the Orioles will pound him into oblivion.

Pick: Orioles

Rockies (Friedrich) vs Reds (Cueto)

The Cincinnati Reds are the hottest team in baseball right now and they get to send their ace to the mound against a Rockies team that hasn't been hitting well the last couple weeks.  Cueto will continue his winning ways and the Reds will get their seventh win a row.  I am so confident this will happen that this will be my lock of the day.

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

Padres (Bass) vs Mets (Gee)

I am going with the Mets in this one because I think that the Padres used p all of their allotment of runs for this series yesterday.  Pounding out 18 hits and scoring 11 runs is nice, but now you have to play again today and I think that they will struggle to score today.  I like the Mets to get back in the win column today with Dillon Gee making the Padres look like... well the Padres.

Pick: Mets

Giants (Lincecum) vs Marlins (Johnson)

On paper this looks like a great pitchers duel between 2 of the best pitchers in baseball over the last couple years.  In reality these are 2 scuffling pitchers who both have losing records and are looking to regain their magic.  Johnson is closer to regaining that form than Lincecum, so I am going to go with the Marlins to win this game today.

Pick: Marlins

Rays (Cobb) vs Red Sox (Lester)

With a win today the Boston Red Sox would move a game over .500.  That is significant because the Red Sox have not been over .500 all year long.  They have won 10 out of 13 games just to get back to .500 and are now facing their nemesis, the Tampa Bay Rays.  The prediction here is that they will not get over .500 today because the Rays will get the win.

Pick: Rays

Nationals (Detwiler) vs Braves (Hudson)

Tim Hudson is 14-3 with a 2.03 ERA against the Nationals in his career.  Those are amazing numbers.  This is a good matchup between the top 2 teams in the National League East.  Most pundits thought that it would be a race between the Marlins and the Phillies and yet here are these 2 teams battling it out.  I like Hudson and the Braves to win this game today.

Pick: Braves

Blue Jays (Morrow) vs Rangers (Holland)

So here is the dilemma for this one. Brandon Morrow has been pitching fantastic lately and the Texas Rangers offense has not been hitting well.  Morrow fares well againt the Rangers at home but has notoriously given up a lot of home runs in Arlington.  It is only a matter of time before the Rangers offense wakes up.  It will start today.

Pick: Rangers

Indians (Gomez) vs White Sox (Quintana)

The Indians have been playing their best baseball of late and after sweeping the Detroit Tigers they are looking to continue momentum against the White Sox.  The Indians are hot right now and I know better than to pick against a team playing like this.  Much like the Reds in the National League, the Indians are going to stay hot and win today.

Pick: Indians

Tigers (Smyly) vs Twins (Swarzak)

The Tigers are reeling right now and the best therapy for them probably is a series against the Twins.  The Tigers only scored 6 runs in a 3-game sweep at the hands of the Indians but it wouldn't surprise me if they surpassed that total today.  I like the Tigers to win this one and finally break through their offensive woes today.

Pick: Tigers

Phillies (Lee) vs Cardinals (Lohse)

Cliff Lee is still looking for his first win of the year and it is because the Phillies have scored no runs for him at all this year.  Philadelphia did break out for 10 runs yesterday but today face a much tougher pitcher in Kyle Lohse.  Both Lohse and Lee have great numbers but Lohse has gotten more run support than Lee.  I expect that to continue today as the Cardinals get the win.

Pick: Cardinals


Brewers (Gallardo) vs Diamondbacks (Kennedy)

The last time these 2 pitchers faced each other it was in game 5 of the National League Division Series last year.  If either team wants to get back to the postseason they will have to start getting some wins.  Ian Kennedy has lost 4 straight starts and Yovani Gallardo is undefeated against the Diamondbacks in his career.  That is why I am going with the Brewers in this one.

Pick: Brewers


Yankees (Nova) vs Athletics (Ross)

Since Ivan Nova is on the mound the Yankees will score runs.  Since they are playing the Athletics their opponents will not.  Easy.

Pick: Yankees


Angels (Santana) vs Mariners (Beavan)

It is Dustin Ackley bobblehead night tonight for the Mariners and I am going to the game.  I get to see the wonderful pitching matchup of Blake Beavan and Ervin Santana.  I am going to side with Beavan and the Mariners on this one as I think that Seattle will even up the series tonight.

Pick: Mariners


Astros (Harell) vs Dodgers (Kershaw)

Hmm... I wonder who to pick here....

Pick: Dodgers