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Miami Marlins vs. Pittsburgh Pirates – Game 2 (7:10 PM ET, May 15, 2012) May 15th, 2012

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Miami Marlins right-hander Josh Johnson will aim to get better on Tuesday for Game 2 (7:10 PM ET, May 15, 2012) against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Marlins Park. The Pirates have a (17-18, 7-10 away) record while Marlins have a (18-17, 8-7 home) record. Miami are (8/15), while Pirates are (16/9) as per various sportsbook odds.

In three career starts against the Bucs, Johnson is 2-0 with a 1.64 ERA, but he said his history of success against them does not provide much relief. A seven-inning, two-run effort against the Astros is his best outing of the season. Johnson said that whenever one is throwing like he has this year, it does not matter whom you are throwing against. He just has to keep going through there and pushing through it.

With just 100 in 35 games, Pittsburgh is last in the Majors in runs scored and it only pushed three across the plate in Monday’s series-opening win against Miami. Pirates’ manager Clint Hurdle said that they just have to find a way to be more consistent on offense. He added that they are pitching their backsides off, playing solid defense and it is time for the offense to go out there and make a move forward.

This season, the Marlins are hitting just .205 (75-for-365) against southpaws, with only Omar Infante (.275) and Giancarlo Stanton (.351) hitting better than .250 against lefties. The Marlins got their 27th quality start of the season by a seven-inning effort from Anibal Sanchez. It was Sanchez’s seventh quality start in as many outings. The Marlins are tied with the Phillies for most in the Majors.

At the Pirates’ end, Correia (1-3, 3.47 ERA) will be facing Miami for first time since 2010. He will toe the rubber for the Bucs on Tuesday. Correia has not faced them since July 31, 2010, when he was with San Diego, although he is 2-3 with a 7.63 ERA in six career starts against the Marlins. Third baseman Pedro Alvarez recorded the 100th RBI of his career and his 17th of the season, with a sixth-inning double Monday night.

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Pirates vs. Diamondbacks @ Chase Field (3:40 PM ET, April 18, 2012) April 18th, 2012

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Pittsburgh Pirates will face Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field, Phoenix, Arizona (3:40 PM ET, April 18, 2012). This is Game 3 and the series is tied at 1-1. The Pirates have a 4-7, 2-6 away record, while Diamondbacks have a 7-4, 4-1 home record. The MLB betting odds have the Diamondbacks (4/7), while the Pirates (29/18).

The least of the Diamondbacks’ present concerns might be trying to bounce back from their first home loss of the season. For Wednesday afternoon’s decisive finale against the Pirates, the Diamondbacks will be without two-thirds of their starting outfield.

Arizona right fielder Justin Upton saw a hand specialist to reevaluate his jammed left thumb, prior to Tuesday’s 5-4 loss to Pittsburgh. Upton could be headed to the disabled list, batting .212 (7 for 33) with no RBIs.

Center fielder Chris Young also could miss time after he left in the fourth inning Tuesday with a right shoulder injury from crashing into the outfield wall has made matters worse. Young will have an MRI and other tests Wednesday. He is batting .410 with 5 homers and 13 RBIs.

Arizona’s strong start could be certainly damped by both injuries. For just the sixth time in 21 games at Chase Field, the reigning NL West champion Diamondbacks (7-4) had won their first four home games before falling to Pittsburgh.

To help put the Pirates (4-7) in position to win a series at Arizona for the first time since 2005; Andrew McCutchen had four hits, which includes a tie-breaking single with two outs in the ninth. While scoring more than two runs for the fourth time in 2012, Garrett Jones had three hits, including a homer and three RBIs as Pittsburgh pounded out a season-high 13 hits.

McCutchen is hitting .381 (16 of 42) despite the Pirates’ .203 batting average. Despite losing starter Jeff Karstens after one inning because of shoulder inflammation, the Pirates came out ahead. James McDonald (0-1, 3.86 ERA) will be handed the ball Wednesday. He made more of an impact with his bat than his arm in his last start.

On Friday, the right-hander allowed three runs, three walks and six hits in 5 2/3 innings of a 5-0 loss at San Francisco. However, for Pittsburgh’s only hit, he delivered a sixth-inning single off Matt Cain.

The Diamondbacks counter with Daniel Hudson (1-0, 8.71). In 3 2/3 innings of a 7-6 loss at Colorado on Friday, he allowed 6 runs and 10 hits. in each of his two starts and he walked five and struck out seven overall, he has given up two homers. Casey McGehee is 5 for 5 with a homer and double off Hudson. Pirates will face exclusively righties for the rest of the week.

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Justin Verlander: Best Ace in Baseball? October 6th, 2011

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Justin Verlander never gets much publicity toiling for the Detroit Tigers in Comerica Park. Verlander is the hardest throwing and most consistent starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. Opposing teams schedule their best hitters for off days when Verlander is due to face them.

Since Verlander’s first full season in the majors he has suffered through only one losing season. Since his first full season in 2006, Verlander has been a dominant force on the mound. He won 17 games as a rookie and quickly became the premier fire baller in the American League.

He conjures memories of another great Detroit Tigers pitcher, Denny McLain. McLain won 31 games in 1968 and went down in history for one of the greatest pitching seasons in the modern era of baseball.

Verlander’s 24 win season in 2011 is comparable to McLain’s feat in 68. It is rare in the new era of Major League Baseball to see a starting pitcher over power big league hitters but Verlander’s heat gets better the deeper he goes into a game.

Verlander has won 97 games in just five seasons of action and 61 games in his last three. The value Verlander gives to his Tigers teammates is that of a stopper. A pitcher who the manager Jim Leyland and his teammates can rely on to stop the bleeding of a losing streak or the man who will keep their winning streak alive.

If Verlander does have an Achilles heel it is his penchant for giving up home runs at inopportune times. The positives far outweigh the negatives when it comes to Verlander and a few home runs at the wrong time will never lessen his impact on the Detroit Tigers.

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Philadelphia Phillies Vs. New York Mets – Match Preview May 25th, 2011

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This weekend the New York Mets will battle against the Philadelphia Phillies. Even though the Phillies have certainly had the upper hand this season, these teams are division foes within the National League East.

In MLB odds, Philadelphia is currently the top favorite to win the 2011 World Series, at 3-1 odds.

The Phillies are in first place in the NL East as they are currently 9 games over the .500 mark. The Mets are 6.5 games behind Philadelphia this season as they are 2 games under .500 at 22-24. In this game, the Mets will be the home team and at home this season, they are 10-12. To this point in the season the Phillies are 12-9 on the road.

After the comments made by the Mets’ owner, they have a lot of drama circling their franchise. Recently their owner summoned Jose Reyes, David Wright and Carlos Beltran to question their value to the Mets’ organization. If these players respond and play better, or if they shut down and stop performing for the Mets will be interesting to see.

To the mound this weekend, the Phillies will send Oswalt, Hamels and Worley. It has been the reason behind the success of the Phillies this season as their pitching has been fantastic this season.

The Phillies have some help coming back to the lineup in the form of Chase Utley, while their offense has been up and down all season. Although Utley was a victim to tendinitis in his knees, he was formerly one of the best hitters in the league. He should be able to step in and offer a big bat for Philadelphia as it appears that he is rehabilitated.

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Texas Rangers visit Philadelphia Phillies in interleague matchup  May 17th, 2011

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The Texas Rangers will play against the Philadelphia Phillies this weekend. The Phillies will be the home team in what should be one of the best matchups in the interleague plays that’s scheduled to take place this weekend.

Get MLB Odds for this matchup at online sportsbooks.

The Rangers have surprised everyone by staying in contention after losing their ace pitcher, Cliff Lee, during the offseason. This will be an interesting matchup as Cliff Lee decided to head to Philadelphia instead of staying and pitching for the Rangers. Fortunately for Lee, he will not have to go in front of the potentially angry Texas fans this weekend, as his team will be playing at home.

Philadelphia will send their best three pitchers to the mound. Halladay, Lee and Oswalt represent the most feared top of the rotation that we have seen since the days of the amazing pitching staffs from the Atlanta Braves.

The Rangers have a great offense, but they will struggle to hit against these pitchers. Philadelphia has allowed fewer runs than any other team in the majors so far this season. Texas still does have a chance to win this game though, as the Phillies sometimes struggle to give the run support they need to their starters. The Phillies have scored fewer runs than all but one team in their division this season.

The Rangers need to get over their struggles that they’ve had while playing on the road. They are just 6-10 away from their home stadium this season. Adrian Beltre went through a bit of a slump for the Rangers, but he appears to be coming back to life. It seems that when he is hitting well, the entire offense plays better.

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NL East rivals Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies open series May 3rd, 2011

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The Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies will play this weekend in a 3 game series. The series will take place in Philadelphia.

The Phillies will send 3 solid pitchers to the mound in this series as Oswalt, Hamels and Lee will take the mound. It is good news that the Phillies are planning on sending Oswalt to the mound. Oswalt recently took a leave of absence because of concerns regarding his family and the natural disasters that have recently taken place. With these three pitchers taking the mound the Phillies will certainly have the advantage in this series.

The Phillies have not only been good in their pitching, but they are also outscoring everyone else in their division this season, leading the way with 121 runs to this point in the season.

The Braves are 14-15 on the season and they are now 5 games behind the Phillies in the standings. While they are a ways behind in the standings, a sweep in this series would bring them a lot closer to Philadelphia. The Phillies are currently at 18-9.

The Phillies will be the home team in this series. This will be a good advantage as they have gone 9-5 this year. The Braves have been a decent road team to this point, winning 9 of their 17 road games to this point.

Both of these teams have been decent over the last 10 games. The Phillies have brought home 7 wins and the Braves have won 6 of their last 10 games.

Philadelphia is the top favorite to win the 2011 World Series, at 3-1 odds in MLB odds.

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Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs open series Friday April 19th, 2011

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los-angeles-dodgersThe Los Angeles Dodgers will play against the Chicago Cubs this weekend. The series will be a 3 game series and it will take place in Chicago.

MLB Futures Odds have The Dodgers at 40-1 and the Cubs at 45-1 to win the 2011 World Series.

These teams are both struggling this season, as they are both barely under the .500 mark on the year.  Both teams are .500 at home, but they are below .500 while playing on the road. This should give the Cubs a slight advantage in the series.

While the Dodgers are known for having a solid pitching staff, they have actually been one of the worst teams in their division in terms of ERA. They have allowed 78 runs on the season compared to the 52 runs they have scored so far. They will need their bats to pick up and their pitching to be more effective if they hope to take this series.

The Cubs are suffering from some of the same issues that the Dodgers are, but they have at least had more success on offense than the Dodgers. The Cubs will send Coleman, Dumpster and Zambian to the mound for this series. None of these pitchers have been especially good this season, but Dumpster and Zambian are veterans and have had should stabilize as the season progresses.

The Dodgers will have Billingsley, Lilly and Kuroda on the mound. Billingsley is seen by many to be an ace caliber pitcher, but he has been up and down this season. The Dodgers need him to step up if they hope to compete for the playoffs this season.

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In Classic MLB Rivalry – New York Yankees Meets Boston Red Sox April 8th, 2011

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boston-red-soxThis weekend when the New York Yankees travel to Fenway Park in Boston to do battle with the Boston Red Sox, one of baseball’s best rivalries will commence for the first time in the 2011 season.

After opening the season at 3-1 Boston has slipped to 9-2 in baseball odds to win the 2011 World Series where as baseball picks have the Yankees at 5-1.

After the team has struggled to start the season on a six game road trip, the Red Sox probably cannot wait to get back home to the friendly confines of Fenway Park. The Red Sox have dropped their first five contests and have compiled a 0-5 record during this six game swing. Things will not get any easier when New York’s sluggers come into town as so far Boston’s pitching has been a cause of great concern for the preseason AL East favorites.

At the beginning of the 2011 season the Yankees on the other hand have gotten off to a decent start. The Yankees are 3-2 on the young year, and nothing would make the Yankees happier than seeing Boston’s woes continue after today’s rainout against the Minnesota Twins.

As Friday night will see John Lackey take on Phil Hughes, Saturday will feature Clay Buchholz against Ivan Nova, and Sunday will showcase the marquee pitchers for both teams as Josh Beckett will take the mound against C.C. Sabathia on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball, the pitching match ups for this weekend’s series should be good ones.

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2011 MLB Preview for the Texas Rangers March 26th, 2011

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The Texas Rangers will enter the 2011 season with hopes of duplicating the success they had in 2010. The Rangers qualified for the playoffs after winning the American League West with a 90-72 record. After the regular season they had an amazing run through the playoffs and managed to become the representatives for the American League in the World Series and truly had a dream season.

MLB Picks have the Rangers at +2000 odds to win the World Series this season.

While you might think that they should be on track for having another great season, there is reason to believe that they will struggle to duplicate last year’s success. A main contributor to that reason is Cliff Lee. Lee had a fantastic season and carried the Rangers through the postseason. Without Lee the Rangers may struggle with their starting pitching.

The Rangers also lost one of their best hitters in Vladimir Guerrero. Guerrero was a force in the middle of the lineup and drove in more runs than anyone on the team. They did manage to replace him with Adrian Beltre. While Beltre has been inconsistent over his career, he has shown flashes of potential that are unmatched by all but a few players in Major League Baseball.

The Rangers may be able to overcome the loss of Cliff Lee if Brandon Webb is able to return to form. He was formerly the ace of the Arizona Diamondbacks, but has been forgotten following an injury.

The Rangers have all of the talent in the world on offense, but it may not be enough if they can’t stop their opponents from scoring runs.

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MLB Season Preview: San Diego Padres March 18th, 2011

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lj-smithThe San Diego Padres managed a solid season in 2010 and are looking to build upon their success in 2011. The Padres managed a 90-72 record, backed by a pitching staff that outperformed every other pitching staff in Major League Baseball.

The Padres are at 45-1 odds to win the 2011 World Series in MLB lines.

The Padres are built to be successful no matter where they play. While some teams tend to fare much better at their home field, the Padres had an identical record while playing at home and on the road last season.

The Padres will have a tough task ahead of them in duplicating the success that they had last season. They are playing in the NL West, one of the most difficult divisions in baseball. Last season there were 4 teams in the division that managed to win at least 80 games.

While the Padres managed to win 90 games with a fantastic pitching staff, they need to step things up offensively if they hope to have success again this season. Last year they batted just .246 on the season. This was just the 28th best batting average in Major League Baseball.

All of the offense for the Padres relied on Adrian Gonzalez last season. He pounded 30 homeruns and knocked in 101 RBIs last season. Gonzalez has jumped ship and will now be helping out the Boston Red Sox. The San Diego Padres will need someone to step up and fill in for Gonzalez or the Padres will be a sub .500 team this season with the stiff competition in the NL West Division.

In baseball picks, the San Diego Padres are favorites to win World Series this season.

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