MLB Picks: April 17th 2011
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Pick: Milwaukee Brewers -140 G1
Yovani Gallardo looks to be 100% healthy this year and he’s got a 2.70 ERA on the year. He has to be itching to get back out on the mound after the rain dealy and coming off his last start of 5 IP 7 hits and 4 ER vs. the Cubs. I believe he will bounce back against the Nationals who in his career he has good numbers especially against their active batters who have just 53 AB and a .151 average to go along with a .442 OPS. He’ll face Jason Marquis early on Sunday. Jason Marquis struggled last year and he has not had a lot of success against the Brewers as of late. I like the fact hte Brewers have been hitting and have a .330 average in 106 AB against Marquis to go along with a .968 OPS. Gallardo was great in his other two starts against the Reds and Braves giving up just 2 ER in 15 innings pitched. Gallardo will make the day start where he struggled a year ago with a 4.24 ERA in 11 starts, but in 2010 he dominated in 14 with a 2.47 ERA. Over the last 3 years he has 27 day starts and a 3.21 ERA. Nationals are without Zimmerman still and the Brewers are 13-3 with Yovani on the mound facing a losing team. -Freddy Wills
Pick: Oakland Athletics -152
Detroit starter Brad Penny is off to a rough start. He’s 0-1 with an ERA of 8.27 and a WHIP of 1.715 through 3 starts. Oakland starter Trevor Cahill, meanwhile, is picking up where he left off last season. He’s out of the gate strong at 1-0 with an ERA of 3.11 and a WHIP of 1.153. The last time Penny saw the A’s, he gave up 7 earned in just 5 innings. Cahill, meanwhile, has shut the Tigers down in each of his last two starts against them, holding them to 5 hits in each and 2 or fewer runs. The Athletics are 20-9 in Cahill’s last 29 starts, 20-8 in his last 28 home starts, 19-7 in his last 26 starts as a favorite and 11-3 in his last 14 starts as a home favorite. The A’s are also 9-1 in Cahill’s last 10 starts vs. a team with a losing record, including 4-0 in his last 4 home starts vs. a team with a losing mark. We’ll get behind the better starting pitcher in this one. Take the A’s. -Jimmy Boyd
Pick: Houston Astros -116
Houston picked up their fifth win of the season on Saturday after beating San Diego and Mat Latos. Brett Myers has a chance to end their homestand with another victory on Sunday afternoon. Myers is 1-0 with a 1.77 ERA in three starts for Houston. He’s coming off a game where he gave up one run and eight hits in seven innings pitched against the Cubs. Myers is 2-0 with a 2.35 ERA in five career starts against San Diego. Last year, he gave up two runs and four hits in six innings in a 3-2 San Diego win on the road. Brad Hawpe (2-13), Chase Headley (1-4), Jason Bartlett (0-3), Nick Hundley (0-3) and Orlando Hudson (0-1) all struggle with Myers. As a team, San Diego is hitting around .210 with that average actually lower on the road. The Padres have not put up more then 4 runs in a game since April 10th. Clayton Richard has been a pitcher who has struggled on the road in his career. Richard has an ERA near 5.00 in 35 starts away from home. Opponents are hitting him at a .308 average when he’s not pitching in his home ballpark. The lefty gave up 3 runs and 5 hits in six innings of work in his lone road start this season. Richard has never faced the Astros in his career with only two batters having seen him. Houston is hitting right around .300 at home and over .300 in their two games against left-handed starters this season. Houston’s lineup should be successful once again on Sunday as they earn a solid home win over Richard and the Padres. -Steve Merril (Handicapperspicks.com)
Our Wednesday night MLB predictions take us to the Ballpark in Arlington where the Texas Rangers will look to secure their 60th win of the 2010 baseball betting season against the division rival Oakland A’s.
