As
the regular season comes to a close, the postseason races get more heated with
each passing day. A busy day of baseball awaits us on hump day. Can we manage
to find a couple winners with our MLB picks today?
New York Yankees vs. Toronto Blue Jays
Andy Pettitte (NYY): 3-3, 3.22 ERA, 1.09 WHIP
Henderson Alvarez (TOR): 9-12, 4.91 ERA, 1.46 WHIP
Welcome back Andy Pettitte.
Pettitte will make his first start in close to three months
today after spending all that time on the DL with a lower leg injury. He had
been his extremely reliable self before going down with the injury.
The Yankees will be ecstatic to have their veteran southpaw
back in action. He's 3-3 with a 3.22 ERA and 1.09 WHIP on the season, but his
numbers have been even more impressive at Yankee Stadium, where he's 3-1 with a
2.09 ERA.
Pettitte will be on a pitch limit, but I still think he'll
be a great calming influence on a New York team that's fighting tooth and nail
to win the AL East.
For the Blue Jays, Henderson Alvarez will get the ball. Alvarez has been pitching better this month, but better isn't difficult to
accomplish when you had a 5.63 ERA in July and a 7.77 ERA in August.
One of those horrible starts in August was at Yankee
Stadium. Alvarez didn't get out of the fourth inning, giving up five hits and
four earned runs, including two homers, to New York.
The Venezuelan is a poor 4-4 with a 6.12 ERA in day starts
this season, and I think he struggles majorly against the Yankees once more.
Pick: New York Yankees -1.5 (-120)
Seattle Mariners vs. Baltimore Orioles
Felix Hernandez (SEA): 13-8, 2.92 ERA, 1.11 WHIP
Joe Saunders (BAL): 8-12, 4.24 ERA, 1.37 WHIP
What on earth has happened to King Felix?
Hernandez had been essentially unhittable until his recent
three-game losing streak. He's been terrible over those three assignments, his
ERA rising from 2.43 to 2.92. It seems the first loss, to the Los Angeles
Angels, may have shaken his confidence a little bit.
Nonetheless, I believe tonight is when he'll revert back to
his dominant form of old. King Felix is still 7-5 with a 2.48 ERA at Safeco
Field this season
MLB odds makers have installed the Mariners as -150 home favorites. The total sits at 6.5.
The Orioles will turn to Joe Saunders, who has settled down
nicely for his new club despite a shaky debut. Saunders gave up ten hits and
six earned runs in his first start, a home game against the Chicago White Sox,
but has only allowed five total runs over his last three appearances for the
club.
Supporting our total play, Saunders has also been a far
better performer on the road than at home.
As opposed to a 5-7 record and 5.94 ERA in 12 home starts,
he's sporting an outstanding 2.81 ERA in 13 road assignments. That's got to
count for something.
It's a very low total that's been posted by the sportsbooks,
but I see King Felix shutting down the Orioles and Saunders doing enough
against a weak Mariners lineup, thereby seeing the UNDER hit for us tonight.
Good luck with your baseball picks today!
Pick: UNDER 6.5