*3 Star TGIF Bookie BEATDOWN* Brandon McCarthy has been pitching great of late, and I suspect that is why the posted total is set so low here. I think it is giving us a lot of value on the over. McCarthy has a 1.82 ERA in his last three starts, but he has a career 4.61 ERA against the Texas Rangers. Colby Lewis has a 9.39 ERA in his last three starts. He has been terrible at home all year. The Athletics have been hitting the ball much better over the last few weeks. The over is 34-12-5 in Oakland's last 51 games. The over is 6-0 in Lewis' last 6 starts against the Athletics. The over is 11-3 in Lewis' last 14 starts at home. The over is 10-2 in the last 12 meetings. All signs point to the over. I like the value on the over.

*3 Star MLB Bookie CRUSHER* The San Diego Padres offense averages just 3.73 runs per game. The Padres are without Hawpe, Headley, and Forsythe right now. Ian Kennedy has been absolutely brilliant this year. Kennedy is 18-4 with a 2.96 ERA. He has a stunning 0.86 ERA in his last three starts. Cory Luebke is a talented young lefty for the Padres. Luebke has a 2.94 ERA on the road this year and a WHIP of just 0.96. The under is 5-1 in Luebke's last 6 road starts. The under is 5-0 in Kennedy's last 5 home starts. Take the under in this one.

*3 Star Dog of the Day* The Arizona Diamondbacks lost a game to the San Francisco Giants last night. Arizona held a 3-1 lead in the 8th when their bullpen blew up and allowed 7 runs in the 8th inning. Kevin Millwood will start for the Rockies in this one. Millwood is a major flyball pitcher, which is really not a good thing at Coors Field. He has struggled in his two home starts so far this year. I'm not a big fan of Joe Saunders, but he is a ground ball pitcher. I believe Millwood, at age 36, doesn't deserve to be a big favorite like this over a first place team. Take the DBacks.

*3 Star MLB Total Domination* Tim Wakefield is a streaky pitcher. If he has the knuckler working he can be very difficult to hit, but when he is struggling he can be very hittable. He has been very hittable of late (6.23 ERA last three starts). Brandon Morrow has a horrible 6.38 ERA at home over 79 innings this season. The over is 5-1 in his last 6 home starts. The over is 4-0 in his last 4 starts against the Red Sox. I expect both teams to put up several runs in this one. The scoreboard should light up here. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* Justin Verlander has probably been the most dominant pitcher in baseball this year. The Cleveland Indians are missing Hafner, Choo, Brantley, and others from their lineup right now. Justin Masterson has a terrific 2.92 ERA this season. The under is 8-1 in Masteron's last 9 home starts. The under is 9-4 in the last 13 meetings between these two in Cleveland. Brian Gorman is the umpire here and he has a wide strike zone that both pitchers will use to their advantage. Take the under in this one.

*3 Star MLB Late Night Bailout* Ervin Santana has been very good this season. He has an ERA of 3.27 on the year. Ironically, Felix Hernandez has an identical 3.27 ERA. Santana hasn't pitched quite as well the last three games, but I think he'll bounce back against a weak Seattle offense. King Felix has looked great in his last three starts. Hernandez has an ERA of 2.35 in his last three starts. The under is 7-1-2 in Santana's last 10 starts. The under is 5-1-1 in Hernandez's last 7 starts against the Angels. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB Play of the Day* The Arizona Diamondbacks still aren't getting the respect they should be getting from the oddsmakers. Arizona is an amazing 81-60 on the year. This is a team that no one expected to even be contending for the playoffs, and they are pulling away from the Giants in the NL West. Josh Collmenter has an ERA of 1.47 in his last three starts. Jason Hammel has given up 6 runs in each of his last three starts at home. The Rockies are 6-14 in his last 20 starts. Arizona is 6-0 in their last 6 games against the Rockies. Take the Diamondbacks here.

*3 Star MLB Total DOMINATION* Miguel Batista is 41 years and he will be starting for the Mets in this one. Batista has never been very good as a starter, and his stuff isn't even as good as it used to be. Chris Volstad starts for the Marlins. Volstad has a 5.48 ERA this year. The Mets have been hitting the ball very well of late since Reyes has come back into the lineup. The over is 4-0-1 in Florida's last 5 games. The over is 4-0-1 in the Mets last 5 games. Dana DeMuth is the umpire here. The over is 23-5 in Demuth's last 28 games behind the plate. Take the over!

*3 Star MLB Play of the Day* The Detroit Tigers pounded out 24 hits and 18 runs last night in a win over the Chicago White Sox. I like to look for a chance to pick the under after a team has put up so many runs the previous night. Rarely do you see big outputsd two days in a row, and in this case the Tigers will be facing Ubaldo Jimenez at Cleveland. Jimenez has a 1.71 ERA in 21 innings at home since being traded to Cleveland. Doug Fister starts for the Tigers, and he has been amazing. Fister has an ERA of 0.83 in his last three starts. The Indians offense is severely short-handed right now because of injuries, and I think Fister will fare well against them. The under is 11-5-1 in the Tigers last 17 road games. The under is 6-2 in the Indians last 8 games. I expect a low scoring game. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB Totals Takedown* The San Diego Padres offense has been slumping badly again of late. Chase Headley and Cameron Maybin were the team's top two hitters, but they are both out of the lineup right now. Aaron Cook hasn't pitched well this year, but I think he'll fare better against this weak Padres lineup. Mat Latos has pitched very well in the last couple months. 8 of his last 10 starts have been quality starts. John Hirschbeck is the umpire behind the dish here, and that is great news for 'under' bettors. The under is 32-12 in Hirschbeck's last 44 Sunday games. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB BEST Bet* Joel Piniero has been beaten up pretty badly of late. Piniero has an ERA of 7.71 in his last three appearances. He also has a 6.61 ERA during the day this season. The Twins put up 6 runs on Jered Weaver Saturday, and I think they'll get to Piniero. Kevin Slowey has struggled all year, and he hasn't been any better of late. The over is 18-6 in the Angels last 24, and the bats of guys like Vernon Wells and Torii Hunter have come alive of late. The over is 20-6-2 in their last 28 meetings. I think both pitchers are capable of giving up 6 or 7 runs. I really like the over in this one.

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* John Lackey gets better run support than any starting pitcher in baseball. Lackey has an ERA of almost six and yet he has a winning record on the season. Lackey's ERA is actually a little above 6 at home. Lackey also has allowed 13 runs to Texas in just two starts this year. Matt Harrison started the year well, but he has been struggling of late. He gave up 7 runs to the Red Sox last time out, and this Boston lineup is starting to get healthy again. With Ellsbury, Pedroia, Gonzalez, Youkilis, and Ortiz the top five are very tough. I expect a slugfest here. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB Late Night Bailout* The San Diego Padres are one of the worst offenses in the majors. Right now their lineup is short-handed, which has hurt their production even more. Cameron Maybin, Brad Hawpe, and Chase Headley are all out. Alex White hasn't been very good so far for the Rockies, but he was great in the minors and I think he'll do well against the Padres. Cory Luebke has been tremendous so far this year, and the Rockies bats have been cold on the road of late. The under is 10-3 in the Rockies last 13 road games. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB Dog of the Day* Jaime Garcia has not been the same pitcher he was earlier this year. Garcia seemes to have hit a wall. In 4 of his last 6 starts he has allowed five runs or more. He has allowed at least six hits in each of his last nine starts. Homer Bailey has thrown two quality starts in a row for the Reds. The Reds hit left-handers very well (5.6 runs per game). I consider these two teams about even, so the fact that I can get the Reds at this big of a plus number is a very good value. Take Cincinnati here.

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* Bartolo Colon will be on the hill for the Yankees in this one. Colon has been superb when pitching during the day this year. He has a 2.36 ERA during the day in 2011. Ricky Romero will pitch for Toronto, and he has been excellent this season. Romero has a 2.87 ERA in 2011. The under is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings between these two teams. The under is 5-1-2 in Romero's last 8 road starts. Phil Cuzzi is behind the plate here, and he is one of the biggest under umpires in the league. Take the under.

*3 Star TGIF Play of the Day* The Cleveland Indians are severely short-handed right now. Travis Hafner, Grady Sizemore, Michael Brantley, and Shin-Soo Choo are all out of the lineup. The Indians are plugging in a lot of youngsters who really aren't ready for the majors quite yet. Bruce Chen has a solid 3.94 ERA this year, and his ERA is 3.63 at home. The Indians are terrible against lefties (3.79 runs per game). Justin Masterson has been very good all year for the Indians. Masterson has an impressive 2.83 this year, and he has been great on the road. He has a road ERA of 2.62. The under is 5-0 in the Indians last 5 games. The under is 3-0-1 in Chen's last 4 starts against Cleveland. Take the under here.

*3 Star Yankees/Red Sox Total Domination* The New York Yankees have put up some runs against Jon Lester this year, and I think they can again in this one. A.J. Burnett starts for New York in this one, and we all know how bad he has been of late. Burnett has a ridiculous 13.86 ERA in his last three starts. Earlier this year against Boston he allowed 8 runs in 5 and 2/3. It wouldn't shock me to see the Red Sox put up 10 runs by themselves in this one. The over is 5-0 in Burnett's last 5 starts against the Red Sox. The over is 5-2-1 in Lester's last 8 against the Yankees. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB Totals Takedown* Jacob Turner is a very highly touted pitcher who I expect will have a successful career in the majors. Danny Duffy is a much better pitcher than he has been showing of late. Both of these guys have put together multiple very good years in the minor leagues. Bill Miller is the umpire in this one, and he is my single favorite 'under' umpire. Miller has a huge strike zone, and I think both of these pitchers will be able to use that to their advantage. Take the under here.

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* The Cleveland Indians beat the Oakland Athletics in 16 innings last night. I won on the 'under' in that one, and I'm going to take the under again in this one. A long game like that with a quick turnaround will likely mean that several regulars will be given the day off. Fausto Carmona is a much better pitcher at home. The under is 20-7 in Carmona's last 27 home games. Gio Gonzalez has struggled of late, but the Indians are missing Sizemore, Choo, and Hafner. I like this one to be a pitcher's duel. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB Dog of the Day* Alexi Ogando seems to have hit a bit of a wall lately. Ogando has a 6.23 ERA in his last three starts. He has given up at least six hits in each of his last six starts overall. The Rays have been very good away from home this year. James Shields has a very impressive 2.96 ERA this season. Nelson Cruz is out of the lineup right now, which weakens the Rangers offense a bit. I think the Rays have a pitching advantage here. I like the value on the Tampa Bay moneyline.

*3 Star MLB Total DOMINATION* The Cleveland Indians are dinged up badly right now. Grady Sizemore, Travis Hafner, and Shin-Soo Choo are all out of the lineup with injuries. Rich Harden hasn't been great of late, but I think he'll fare well against this weakened Indians lineup. Ubaldo Jimenez has started twice in Cleveland since being traded and he has only allowed one earned run. Jimenez had impressive velocity and location in his last start. I wouldn't be surprised if he finishes the season well. The under is 19-6-1 in the last 26 meetings between these two. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* Ted Lilly has been a completely different pitcher during the daytime this year. Lilly has a terrible 6.02 ERA when pitching during the day this year. Wade LeBlanc has struggled on the road this season. He has an ERA of 5.70 away from home. The Padres have been hitting the ball pretty well on the road of late. Dodger Stadium is much more friendly to hitters during the daytime. The over is 7-3 in LeBlanc's last 10 road starts. The number here is set quite low. I like the over.

*3 Star MLB Late Night Bailout* The Colorado Rockies offense has been on fire of late. The over is 10-2 in the Rockies last 12 games. Wade Miley is a decent young left-handed pitcher for Arizona, but his numbers in the minors tell me he will probably need some time to get accustomed to the majors. Aaron Cook has been horrible on the road, and the DBacks have ownwed him in the past. Cook has an ERA of 6.43 on the road this year. The over is 12-3-1 in Cook's last 16 games against the DBacks. I like the over in this one.

*3 Star Yankees/Red Sox Guaranteed Cash* The New York Yankees are 2-12 in their last 14 meetings with the Boston Red Sox. The Yankees are 0-4 in C.C. Sabathia's last 4 starts against Boston. The Yankees will be without Alex Rodriguez in this one, and Derek Jeter might miss this game as well. I know John Lackey hasn't been very good this year, but I really don't think Boston should be +140 at home in this one. The Red Sox are 7-2 in Lackey's last 9 starts. The Red Sox have roughed up Sabathia in a big way this year. Boston has the edge offensively, and I think we are getting a great value here. Take the Red Sox.

*3 Star MLB Total Domination* Jair Jurrjens has not been the same pitcher since after the All-Star break. Jurrjens had a minor injury and missed some time, and he hasn't been same since. Jurrjens has allowed 4 runs or more in 4 of his last 6 starts. Livan Hernandez hasn't been good on the road this year. Hernandez has an ERA above 5 on the road. The Braves offense fares pretty well against righties. The over is 10-0-1 in the last 11 meetings between these two. I think this one is set too low. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB Total Domination* The San Diego Padres have one of the worst offenses in baseball. Cameron Maybin has been a nice surprise for them, but he is dinged up right now. The Dodgers have Kemp and Ethier in the middle of the order, but other than that this is a weak lineup. Clayton Kershaw has been absolutely dominating this year. Kershaw has a 0.41 ERA in his last three starts. Mat Latos started the year slowly, but he hasn't allowed more than 3 earned runs in his last 10 starts. With two bad offenses and a two great pitchers in a pitchers park, I'll take the under here.

*3 Star MLB Major MISMATCH* Luke Hochevar is a streaky pitcher, and he has an ERA of 6.00 in his last three starts. Hochevar has a bad habit of giving up a big inning or two each start. Max Scherzer has been very good for Detroit this year, especially at home. The Tigers are 6-2 in Scherzer's last 8 home games. The Royals are 3-7 in Hochevar's last 10 road starts. Detroit has a big advantage offensively, and they also have a pitching advantage here. The Royals are 0-7 in their last 7 games following a win. Detroit -1.5.

*3 Star MLB Totals Takedown* Tampa Bay pounded out 12 runs yesterday, but this offense is not very consistent. Ricky Romero is one of the best young pitchers in baseball, and he the Rays collectively have a .212 average against him. The Blue Jays are struggling quite a bit offensively right now. Bautista is great in the middle of the order, but the lineup depth isn't what it needs to be. Toronto's hitters have a .235 average against Davis. The under is 9-4-2 in Romero's last 15 starts. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB Total Domination* Cory Luebke is a very talented young pitcher for the Padres. Luebke has allowed 2 earned runs or less in 8 of his last 10 starts overall. On the road, Leubke has an ERA of just 2.12. Ian Kennedy has been one of the more surprising pitching stories of the year. Kennedy is 16-4 with a 3.09 ERA this season. Eight of his last nine starts have been a quality start. The Padres lineup isn't very good, and they might be missing Cameron Maybin, who is nursing a wrist injury. The under is 6-0-1 in Arizona's last 7 games. Take the under here.

*3 Star MLB Major MISMATCH* There isn't a hotter team in baseball than the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers are 41-11 in their last 52 home games. Zack Greinke is on the mound for Milwaukee, and the Brewers are 11-0 in his last 11 home starts. Casey Coleman starts for the Cubs, and the Cubs are 0-4 in his last 4 starts. Coleman has a WHIP of 1.98, so he lets a ton of runners on base. The Cubs are 0-7 in their last 7 games at Milwaukee. Milwaukee has a big lineup advantage, and they also have a big pitching advantage in this one. Brewers -1.5.

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* The Tampa Bay Rays are playing some very good baseball right now. At 72-59, the Rays would at least be in the thick of the race in almost every division except the AL East. Tampa Bay is 37-28 on the road, while Toronto is just 32-33 at home. David Price is on the hill for the Rays. Tampa Bay is 9-1 in Price's last 10 starts against the Blue Jays. Brandon Morrow had a poor 6.23 ERA at home this year, and the Rays bats have woken up a bit of late. The Rays are 13-5 in Price's last 18 road starts. Take Tampa Bay.

*3 Star MLB Moneyline CASH* The Chicago White Sox are hanging by a thread in the AL Central race. This is a team that badly needs to go on a serious run if they hope to make a real run at the postseason. Seattle has been slumping horribly in the entire second half of the season. Michael Pineda is a very talented youngster, but he has allowed 5 runs or more in 4 of his last 7 starts. John Danks has gotten stronger as the season has gone along. The White Sox are 13-5 in their last 18 games against a righty. The Mariners are an awful 15-43 in their last 58 against a lefty. Take the White Sox.

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* The Toronto Blue Jays are 32-32 at home this season. Tampa Bay is 36-28 on the road. The Rays are playing very good baseball of late. If Tampa Bay wasn't in the AL East, they'd be in the thick of the playoff race. Jeff Niemann has really turned it around of late for Tampa Bay. He started the season poorly, but 7 of his last 9 starts have been quality starts. Niemann has a 2.64 ERA on the road this year. Luis Perez pitched well in his first start of the year earlier this week, but his minor league stats make me think the Rays can get to him. Tampa Bay is 6-1 in Niemann's last 7 road starts. Take the Rays.

*3 Star High Noon Bookie Beatdown* This one will start early because of Hurricane Irene. Boston was smashed 15-5 by Oakland yesterday. I like this spot for Boston. They were crushed on Friday and now the Red Sox have their ace on the hill. The Red Sox are 40-15 in Lester's last 55 home games. The Athletics are just 5-15 in their last 20 games at Boston. Guillermo Moscoso has performed well this year, but I continue to believe he is due for regression based on his poor minor league stats. The Red Sox should take out their frustration here. Red Sox -1.5.

*3 Star MLB Best Bet* The Chicago Cubs really don't have anything to play for at this point. Rodrigo Lopez is on the mound for the Cubs on Friday night. Lopez gives up a lot of homers, and the Brewers can definitely hit the long ball. Lopez has a 6.31 ERA on the road this year. Randy Wolf has been very solid this season. Wolf has a 3.45 ERA overall, and he has a 2.42 ERA in his last three starts. The Brewers are 24-5 in their last 29 games. Milwaukee is 40-12 in their last 52 home games. The Brewers are 5-0 in their last 5 against the Cubs. Take Milwaukee -1.5.

*3 Star MLB Totals Takedown* The Los Angeles Angels have won six straight, which makes this series extremely important. Dan Haren is a good pitcher, but he can struggle on the road at times. Haren has a mediocre 4.17 ERA at Texas. Derek Holland will be on the mound for the Rangers. Holland has been bad at home all year. He has a poor ERA of 5.32 at home this season. The over is 7-2 in Haren's last 9 road starts. The over is 11-3 in Holland's last 14 home starts. I like the value on the over in this matchup.

*3 Star MLB Total Domination* A.J. Burnett has been an absolute mess on the mound of late. Burnett has a 9.45 ERA in his last 3 starts. On the season Burnett has a terrible 6.07 ERA on the road. The Yankees should be able to put up several runs off Orioles starter Tommy Hunter. Hunter doesn't have the dominating stuff needed to put away these Yankees hitters. The Yankees burst out in a big way at the end of the game yesterday against Oakland. Expect both offenses to fare well in this one. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB Big Dog Play* The Boston Red Sox may well have the best team in all of baseball. Kevin Youkilis is out of the lineup right now, but the Red Sox still have a terrific offense. Andrew Miller is a bit shaky as the starting pitcher, but it really is amazing to see this team at +155 against anyone right now. The Red Sox are 40-19 in their last 59 road games. Th Red Sox are also 5-1 in Miller's last 6 road starts. The Rangers are a quality team, but they don't deserve to be big favorites in this one. Take the Red Sox ML.

*3 Star MLB Total DOMINATION* Alexi Ogando was cruising through most of the season, but he has been struggling quite a bit lately. Ogando has a 6.75 ERA in his last three starts. Andrew Miller has been inconsistent all year long, and he issues free passes at an alarming rate. Miller has a 4.99 ERA this year and the Rangers can really hit the lefties. The over is 6-1-1 in the last 8 games that Kerwin Danley has umped, so the umpire is a help in this one as well. These two offenses can put up runs in a hurry, so I'll take the over.

*3 Star MLB Hidden Gem Total* Wade Miley was hit pretty hard in his MLB debut last week. Miley was inconsistent in the minors as well. John Lannan has been walking all kinds of batters of late, and that is very bad news for him in this one. Tim McClelland is home plate umpire, and he has the smallest strike zone in all of baseball. Lannan has issued 26 free passes in his last 7 starts. Expect McClelland to be pinching the zone, and there should be a lot of baserunners in this one. Take the over in this game.

*3 Star MLB Runline ROUT* Jeff Francis has struggled all season, especially on the road. Francis is 4-14 on the season, and he has a 5.79 ERA on the road. Toronto averages 5.37 runs against the lefties, so I expect them to get to Francis in a big way. Brett Cecil is inconsistent on the mound, but I think he'll fare well against Kansas City. The Royals are hitting just .179 in their last 10 games against lefties. The Royals are 28-67 in their last 95 road games. Expect Toronto to win this one comfortable. Blue Jays -1.5.

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* Doug Fister has done a nice job for the Tigers since coming over from Seattle. Fister has a very solid 3.49 ERA this year. The Rays really struggle to score at home. Jeremy Hellickson is one of the best young pitchers in baseball. Hellickson has a 2.40 ERA at home this year. The Rays have done a nice job limiting his innings, so he is fresh even at this late stage of the season. The under is an amazing 58-23-4 in the Rays last 85 home games. The under is 11-1 in Hellickson's last 12 home starts. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB BEST Bet* The New York Yankees dropped a game last night to Oakland. In this case that probably gives us a slightly better price on this one. Trevor Cahill just hasn't been himself at all of late. He typically dominates at home and is mediocre on the road. Cahill has been medicore at home and awful on the road of late. He has an ERA of 5.42 on the road this year. C.C. Sabathia hasn't been as sharp the last few starts either, but I think he can take this Oakland lineup. The Yankees are 31-9 in Sabathia's last 40 home starts. The Yankees are 14-3 in their last 17 home games against Oakland. Take the Yankees -1.5.

*3 Star MLB Major MISMATCH* Ricky Romero has been absolutely dominating of late. Romero has a ridiculous 0.54 WHIP in his last three starts, and he has an ERA of 1.12 during those starts. He also has a 2.08 ERA in night games this year. Kansas City doesn't have a strong offense, and I think he can shut the Royals down quite well. Luke Hochevar has solid stuff, but he tends to allow a big inning each game at some point. The Royals are 28-66 in their last 94 road games. The Blue Jays are 6-0 in Romero's last 6 starts. Toronto -1.5.

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* Jaime Garcia hasn't pitched as well of late, but on the year he has been tremendous at home. Garcia has a 2.06 ERA at home this season. The Dodgers offense is strong in the middle with Kemp and Ethier, but Los Angeles doesn't have a strong lineup at all from top to bottom. Hiroki Kuroda has quietly put together an excellent season. Kuroda has a 2.88 ERA on the year, and he has been pitching great lately. The under is 5-1 in his last 6 road starts. The under is 6-1-1 in the Cardinals last 8 home games. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB BEST Bet* Ross Ohlendorf will be making his first start since April for Pittsburgh in this one. He has been out with a shoulder strain. The Brewers aren't a good lineup to be facing in a first time back inside the rotation. Marco Estrada is starting for the Brewers. Estrada is normally a reliever, and he generally can't go anymore than five innings. Estrada has mediocre stuff and the Pirates should score some here. Sam Holbrook is behind the dish, and he might be the best 'over' umpire in baseball. Expect a small strike zone and quite a few runs here. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB Total Domination* Bruce Chen has been erratic this year. Sometimes Chen is very good, but at other times he has been terrible. Chen has a poor 5.06 ERA on the road this year. Toronto punishes lefties (5.42 runs per game). The Royals are better against right-handers. Brandon Morrow has been terrible at home this season. Morrow has a 5.87 ERA at home this year. The total on this one is set quite low. Both teams have the ability to put up a big number here. I like the value on the over in this matchup.

*3 Star MLB Major Mismatch* The Oakland Athletics are 22-40 on the road this year. Oakland is 2-14 in their last 16 games at New York. Bartolo Colon has been much better than expected this year. The Oakland lineup isn't a very powerful one. Brandon McCarthy has been inconsistent this year. The Yankees lineup is stacked from top to bottom now that everyone is healthy once again. Look for the Yankees to put up quite a few runs here. Oakland's offense shouldn't be able to keep up with the Bronx bombers. Yankees -1.5.

*3 Star MLB Play of the Day* The New York Mets are falling apart of late. They were swept by the Brewers at home this past weekend. Dillon Gee was very good most of the season, but he has been struggling of late. Gee has a 5.40 ERA in his last three starts, and he has a 4.41 ERA on the road this year. The Phillies offense hasn't been very good of late, but this is a very talented offense that is bound to bust out in a big way at some point. Rollins, Howard, Utley, Pence, Polanco, Ibanez, etc. this is a very good lineup. Cliff Lee is on the hill and he has been amazing of late. Lee is known for his great runs, and he is on one of them right now. Lee has a 0.75 ERA in his last three starts. The Phillies are 44-18 in their last 62 games. Take the Phillies -1.5.

*3 Star MLB Totals Takedown* I like the pitching matchup in this one. Cory Luebke is a very good young pitcher for the Padres. He has started ten games now this year, and in 8 of those 10 games he has given up 2 earned runs or less. The Marlins lineup is very short-handed right now, and that should help as well. Anibal Sanchez has allowed 2 earned runs in each of his last three starts against San Diego. Dan Bellino is a solid under umpire behind the dish as well. The under is 9-3-1 in the last 13 meetings between these two in San Diego. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB Hidden GEM* Luis Perez will be making the first start of his MLB career for the Blue Jays in this one. Perez has a 3.49 ERA out of the bullpen this year, but he had an ERA above 4 in Triple A when starting. The Athletics bats have really come alive of late. The over is 25-3-5 in Oakland's last 31 games overall! Guillermo Moscoso starts for the Athletics and I think he is due for some regression. He never fared all that well in the minors, but his numbers have been good in the majors thus far. The Blue Jays have a solid offense. I like the over in this one.

*3 Star MLB BEST BET* The Dodgers and Rockies have met at Coors Field six times this year and all six have gone over the posted total. The lowest scoring game was an 8-2 Dodgers win. Here we have Kevin Millwood, who has been out of baseball for quite a while, pitching for the Rockies. Millwood should struggle in the Coors Field high altitude. Chad Billingsley has a history of struggling badly at Coors. Billingsley has a 7.88 ERA in six appearances at Coors. There is no reason to expect a lower scoring game in this one. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB BEST Bet* Both starting pitchers in this game have some real issues, and I'm very surprised the total isn't higher than this. Tommy Hunter has allowed 17 runs (yes 17) in just six innings pitched at Angels Stadium. That gives him an ERA of 24 in his starts in LA. Joel Piniero has an ERA of 10.38 in his last three appearances. Both offenses have been hitting better of late, and these pitchers are very hittable. The over is 20-7 in the Orioles last 27 road games. The over is 7-3 in the Angels last 10. Expect a high scoring game here. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB Late Night BAILOUT* Gio Gonzalez has fallen apart of late. Gonzalez was good for most of the year, but he has hit a wall. Gonzalez has allowed at least four earned runs in each of his last five starts. The Blue Jays average 5.56 runs per game against lefties. Henderson Alvarez has been shaky in his first two starts, and the Oakland offense has really picked it up of late. The over is 18-5-3 in the A's last 26 home games. The over is 11-5-1 in the last 17 meetings between these two. Gerry Davis is a nice 'over' umpire behind the plate as well. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB Totals Takedown* A.J. Burnett continues to struggle as a starter for the Yankees. He obviously has the stuff, but he tends to allow a big inning once every game. Francisco Liriano is another guy that has the stuff, but his command just isn't there right now. The Yankees punish left-handers, and Liriano has struggled against them in the past. The over is 3-0-1 in Burnett's last 4 road starts. The over is 11-4 in Liriano's last 15 home starts. The wind will be blowing out here as well. I like the over.

*3 Star MLB Major MISMATCH* Jeremy Hellickson is one of the best young pitchers in baseball right now. Hellickson is at his best when he is pitching at home. He has a 2.70 ERA at home this year. The Rays have been playing very well of late. Tampa Bay is 5-0 in their last 5 home games. Charles Furbush is on the mound for Seattle. Furbush has an ERA over 8 on the road this year. The Rays are 7-1 in their last 8 at home against a lefty. The Mariners are 7-22 in their last 29 road games. The Rays have the edge in every category here. Tampa Bay -1.5.

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* The Dodgers and Rockies have met in Colorado five times this year. The final scores in those five games were: 9-7, 6-5, 11-7, 10-8, and last night's 8-2 game. All five were over this posted total. Ted Lilly has a 5.47 ERA in five starts at Coors field. Esmil Rogers has an ERA of 12.1 in a couple appearances at home this year. The over is 4-1 in the Rockies last 5 home games. The over is 14-5 in the last 19 games between these teams. With this two pitchers, I expect a high scoring game Saturday. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB BEST Bet* The New York Yankees offense is one of the two best in all of baseball. Alex Rodriguez probably won't be in the lineup here, but the Yankees have been crushing the ball without him. Granderson, Cano, Jeter, Gardner, Tex, Swisher, and the rest of the crew are all swinging the bat well right now. Kevin Slowey will pitch for the first time since May, and the Yankees should make it tough on him. Phil Hughes has an ERA of above 6 on the season. He had a solid start last time out, but he has been able to string together quality starts this year. The wind is expected to be blowing out at 12 mph. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB Totals TKO* Wandy Rodriguez has always been tough to hit at home. San Francisco's offense is severely short-handed right now, and I just don't see them doing too much damage against Rodriguez. Ryan Vogelsong continues to be underrated by the books. The Astros are running out a Triple A lineup on a nightly basis right now, and the Giants have the best pitching staff in baseball. This has all the makings of a low scoring game that comes down to the wire. I expected the line to be 6.5 or 6 here. I really like the under at 7.

*3 Star MLB Total DOMINATION* Derek Lowe has been terrible this year, and he has been even worse of late. Lowe has just one quality start in his last eight starts overall. The Diamondbacks offense should be able to put a few up on the board against Lowe in this one. Daniel Hudson has been pretty good this year, but he has been inconsistent. Hudson has struggled on the road, and the Braves offense is getting healthy of late. I think this total should be a run or so higher. I like the value on the over.

*3 Star MLB Late Night Bailout* Trevor Cahill is a different pitcher at home. Cahill has been dominating lineups for the last couple years at home. He has an ERA of just 2.62 at home this season. Ricky Romero is one of the hottest pitchers in the majors right now. Romero has a ridiculously good WHIP of 0.57 in his last three starts and an ERA of 1.57 in those starts. The under is 5-1-1 in Romero's last 7 road starts. The under is 18-7-3 in Cahill's last 28 home starts. I think this one has the makings a very low scoring contest. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB Total Domination* Justin Masterson has been one of baseball's best pitchers this year. Masterson has been consistently great all season. He has a stellar 2.59 ERA away from home. Phillip Humber has been struggling of late, but I think a struggling offense like the Tribe will help him bounce back. In addition, John Hirschbeck is behind the plate here. Hirschbeck has been one of the best 'under' umpires in the league for many years. Both pitchers should benefit from his large strike zone. Take the under in this one.

*3 Star MLB BEST Bet* Tim Lincecum may not have started the season as well as normal, but he is pitching extremely well right now. Lincecum has only allowed more than one run in two of his last ten starts and in those starts he allowed two and three runs respectively. The under is 6-2 in Lincecum's last 8 starts against Atlanta. Mike Minor is a talented young pitcher and I think he'll give this short-handed Giants offense a lot of trouble. The under is 8-3 in their last 11 meetings in Atlanta. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB BEST Bet* C.J. Wilson has become a clear number one this year. Wilson has a solid 3.28 ERA this season, including a 2.68 ERA on the road. Wilson has been great against the Angels in his last three starts against them. Ervin Santana may be the hottest pitcher in baseball of late. Santana has allowed exactly one run in each of his last five starts. The under is 16-6-4 in Santana's last 26 starts overall. The under is 5-1-1 in Wilson's last 7 starts against the Angels. This is an important game for both teams, and I think it will be low scoring. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB Total DOMINATION* Coors Field has always been a great hitter's ballpark. The wind will be blowing out on Wednesday night, and I think these two pitchers will struggle. Ricky Nolasco has pitched well of late, but he is very inconsistent. Aaron Cook has struggled all season, and he has an ERA of 6.61 in his last three starts overall. The last two night's the game has gone over the total when these teams have played, and I think it will be 3 straight after this one. Take the over here.

*3 Star MLB Pitching Mismatch* Mark Buehrle has been a quality start machine of late. He has thrown 8 straight quality starts. Fausto Carmona struggles mightily with the Chicago White Sox. In 15 career apperances against the White Sox, Carmona has an ERA of 6.08. Buehrle has a 2.31 ERA at home this year. The Sox are starting to play much better baseball, and they still have a fighting chance in the AL Central. This is a pitching mismatch, and I think the White Sox will take it to the Indians here. Chicago -1.5.

*3 Star MLB Runline ROUT* Nate Eovaldi has won his first two starts in the majors, but I think he'll find it much tougher on Wednesday night against Milwaukee. The Brewers are 18-2 in their last 20 games. Milwaukee is 46-15 at home this season. Eovaldi's numbers in AAA were medicore. Zack Greinke has been much better of late. In fact, Greinke has seven straight quality starts overall. The Brewers have the much better lineup and a big pitching advantage as well. Brewers -1.5 is the play.

*3 Star MLB Totals TKO* Matt Cain is one of the more consistent pitchers in baseball. Cain has a 3.00 ERA on the year, and he rarely gets hit hard. Jair Jurrjens has been on the DL of late, but he'll get to face a very short-handed Giants offense in this one. Without Posey, Beltran, Sanchez, and many others this offense has struggled badly of late. The under is 4-1 in Cain's last 5 starts against the Braves. The under is 5-0 in Jurrjens last 5 starts against the Giants. Expect a pitcher's duel here. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB Dog of the Day* Ubaldo Jimenez has pitched well away from Coors Field for the majority of this season. US Cellular Field in Chicago is a pretty good park for most pitchers. Jimenez gives the Indians a clear pitching advantage over the White Sox. Gavin Floyd starts for the White Sox, and Floyd has an ERA of slightly above 7 at home this year. Choo recently came off the disabled list, and that will help the Cleveland offense. The White Sox are extremely inconsistent, and they are 26-33 at home this year. Take the Indians ML.

*3 Star MLB Runline ROUT* The Milwaukee Brewers are an amazing 17-2 in their last 19 games overall. Milwaukee is 45-15 in their 60 home games this year. The Los Angeles Dodgers offense is quite weak right now. The Brewers are without Weeks, but they still have Braun, Fielder, Hart, and others. Yovani Gallardo has been in good form of late. Gallardo has an 8-1 record with a 2.92 ERA at home this year. Chad Billingsley has a terrible 5.53 ERA on the road this year. The Dodgers are 6-13 in his last 19 road starts. I like the Brewers -1.5.

*5 Star Top Play BEATDOWN* I don't have anything against the Arizona Diamondbacks, but this just isn't a good matchup for them. The Phillies are playing absolutely terrific baseball right now, and Roy Halladay is the most consistent pitcher in all of baseball. The Phillies are 22-5 in their last 27 home games that Halladay starts. Josh Collmenter has been struggling for the DBacks of late. In fact, Collmenter has an ERA of 9 in his last three starts (against Houston, LAD, and LAD again). This time he'll face a much better lineup in Philly. I like the Phillies to roll here. Phillies -1.5.

*3 Star MLB Runline ROUT* The Milwaukee Brewers are 41-13 in their last 54 home games. They ear 21-6 in their last 27 games overall. This is a team that is taking over in the NL Central. The Dodgers have struggled on the road all year. Randy Wolf has been solid all year (3.4 ERA), while Ted Lilly has an ERA of almost 4.8. The Dodgers are 1-5 in Lilly's last 6 road starts. The Brewers are 7-1 in Wolf's last 8 home starts. I like the Brewers to win this one going away. Milwaukee -1.5.

*3 Star MLB Hidden GEM* The Chicago Cubs have been hitting the baseball much better of late. The Cubs have scored at least 4 runs in each of their last five games. Henry Sosa will start for the Astros, and he had a mediocre ERA in the minors earlier this year. I think the Cubs will be able to get to him. Rodrigo Lopez will be on the mound for the Cubs. Lopez has an ERA of 7.07 on the road this year. The Astros have shown the ability to hit some at home. With these two pitchers, I like the value on the over.

*3 Star MLB BEST Bet* The San Francisco Giants are hurting badly on offense right now. Carlos Beltran has missed six straight games. Tim Hudson has always been dominant in the month of August, and this year has been no different. Hudson has allowed a total of four runs in his last three starts overall. Madison Bumgarner has pitched much better than his record would indicate. The Braves average just 3.4 runs per game against lefties. Bumgarner has a 3.03 ERA on the road this year. The under is 7-1 in the Giants last 8. The under is 7-1 in the last 8 meetings in Atlanta. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB Play of the Day* The Florida Marlins and the San Francisco Giants both have a ridiculous amount of injuries right now. Beltran, Posey, Sanchez, Tejada, Burrell, Torres are all injured for the Giants. The Marlins are without Hanley Ramirez, Infante, Coghlan, and others. Ryan Vogelsong hasn't been as sharp of late, but I think he can bounce back with a nice outing against a weak lineup here. Chris Volstad is a little better at home, and against the lineup the Giants have right now I think he will fare alright. The under is 6-1 in the Giants last 7 games. The under is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings between these two teams. A total of 8 with these short-handed lineups feels like a good opportunity to take the under.

*3 Star MLB Major MISMATCH* The Colorado Rockies have been fading fast of late. The St. Louis Cardinals are playing some very meaningful games right now. The Cardinals are just four games behind the Brewers in the NL Central. Jaime Garcia has a spectacular 1.56 ERA at home this season. Jason Hammel has been pitching terribly of late. He has given up at least 6 runs in 6 of his last 10 starts. The Cardinals have the offense to make him pay. The Cardinals are 5-0 in their last 5 home meetings against Colorado. St. Louis -1.5.

*3 Star Hidden GEM* The Atlanta Braves bats seem to have woken up in a big way lately. Dan Uggla is riding a 32 game hitting streak and the rest of the team has been following his lead. Derek Lowe and Randy Wells have both been pitching very poorly of late. Lowe has a 7.2 ERA in his last three starts. Wells has a 5.68 ERA in his last three starts. The over is 5-1 in the Braves last 6. The over is 7-1 in the Cubs last 8 road games. The over is 15-5-1 in Lowe's last 21 starts. Take the over in this one.

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* This is a matchup of two excellent starting pitchers. Most people know about Jered Weaver, but few realize how talented Ricky Romero is. Romero has a 1.11 ERA in his last three starts and he has a nice 2.83 ERA at home this year. Weaver has a ridiculous WHIP of 0.94 and an ERA of 1.78 on the year. The under is 44-18-6 in Weaver's last 66 starts. The under is 8-3-1 in Romero's last 12 starts. The under is 26-10-4 in the last 40 meetings between these two in Toronto. I expect a pitcher's duel here. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB Runline ROUT* The Pittsburgh Pirates are slowly coming back down to earth. They were at the top of the NL Central less than a month ago, but they are now four games under .500. Pittsburgh is much improved, but they aren't nearly the team that the Milwaukee Brewers are. Paul Maholm has struggled on the road all year, and the Brewers have hit him hard in the past. In fact, the Brewers are 12-3 in their last 15 games against Maholm. How bad have the Pirates been in Milwaukee? The Brewers are 43-8 in their last 51 meetings at home against Pittsburgh. Brewers -1.5.

*3 Star MLB Total Domination* Both of these teams have some serious injury issues that are holding back their offenses. The Giants are without Beltran, Posey, Tejada, Sanchez, and Burrell. The Marlins are missing Hanley Ramirez, Coghlan, Infante, and others. Matt Cain and Ricky Nolasco both have an ERA below 3 in their last three games. Both pitchers should benefit from facing a short-handed lineup. The under is 11-4 in Cain's last 15 starts. The under is 7-2 in Nolasco's last 9 starts. Take the under in this one.

*3 Star Oddsmaker Line Error* The Los Angeles Angels fought hard at Yankee Stadium, and I do like the way they are playing of late. Ervin Santana has been one of baseball best pitchers over the last month. Santana has allowed a total of 3 earned runs in his last 4 starts. Morrow starts for the Blue Jays, and he has been bad at home this year. He has a 5.95 ERA at home. The Angels are in a battle with the Rangers out west, while the Jays are completely out of the playoff chase. The Angels are 4-1 in Santana's last 5 starts against the Blue Jays. I like the Angels ML.

*3 Star MLB Moneyline CASH* The White Sox had their winning streak snapped last night when the Orioles won in 10 innings. I think they will start another winning streak on Thursday night. Mark Buerhle starts for the White Sox, and he has been nothing short of terrific of late. Buerhle has a 0.90 ERA in his last three starts overall. The White Sox are 13-3 in his last 16 starts. Chris Tillman starts for the Orioles. Tillman is talented, but he is also not nearly as consistent as the veteran Buerhle. I'll take the White Sox ML here.

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* The New York Yankees have made a habit out of crushing the baseball during the daytime this year. I think they have another good setup to do just that again on Thursday afternoon. Tyler Chatwood will pitch for the Angels. Chatwood struggles with control issues, and the Yankees have a ton of patient hitters. The over is 6-2-1 in Chatwood's last 9 road starts. Bartolo Colon starts for the Yankees, and I expect the Angels to be able to tack up a few runs on him as well. I like the over in this one.

*3 Star MLB Dog of the Day* Cory Luebke is an impressive young pitcher. Luebke has a very good 3.06 ERA and a spectacular WHIP of just 0.96 this season. The Mets have struggled against lefties quite a bit this year. The Padres offense has broken out in a big way of late, and Jon Niese has been struggling quite a bit in his last few starts. Niese has an ERA just above 7 in his last three starts overall. Luebke has 1.94 ERA on the road this year. The Padres bats are hot right now and they have the better pitcher here. Take the Padres.

*3 Star MLB Best Bet* The weather conditions play a huge role at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. The gametime temperature is expected to be 105 degrees for this one. In addition, the wind is expected to be pushing the ball out toward center at about 10 mph. The conditions are right for plenty of homers in this one. Derek Holland struggles mightily at home. Holland has a 5.55 ERA at home this year. Jason Vargas has been slumping of late, and Texas crushes lefties. The over is a huge 16-5 in Holland's last 21 home starts. Take the over!

*3 Star MLB Moneyline CASH* The Florida Marlins are dealing with a ton of injuries right now. Omar Infante is out and he is the team's spark at the top of the lineup. Hanley Ramirez is the team's best hitter and he is expected to miss this game as well. Tim Hudson has always been great in the month of August, and he has been terrific against the Marlins. The Braves are 14-6 in Hudson's last 20 starts against Florida. The Braves are also 7-1 in their last 8 games at Florida. Take Atlanta here.

*3 Star MLB Totals TKO* The San Diego Padres have been crushing the baseball of late. Actually, San Diego hasn't been too bad offensively on the road all year. The Padres also lead the majors in stolen bases, which could be important against a knuckleballer like R.A. Dickey. Dickey has been pretty good this year, but his ERA is above 4 at home on the season. Aaron Harang is a streaky pitcher, and he has been struggling of late. Harang has a 7.56 ERA in his last three starts. The over is 9-1-1 in the Padres last 11 road games. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB Totals Takedown* Phillip Humber has been struggling of late, but I think this is a good spot for a bounceback for him. Humber actually pitched well last time out against the Yankees, but he had one bad inning. The White Sox bats are struggling badly right now. The under is 20-6 in the White Sox last 26 road games. The under is 7-2 in Humber's last 9 road starts. The under is 12-4 in the last 16 meetings between these two teams. Bill Miller, the biggest under umpire in the majors, is behind the dish here. The under is 68-32-6 in his last 106 games. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* The Phillies are 10-1 in their last 11 road games. They are also 42-15 in their last 57 games. Philadelphia is pretty healthy right now, and it seems like the rest of the National League simply can't keep up with them. Vance Worley continues to surprise everyone, and I think he should fare well against a weak Dodgers lineup. Chad Billingsley is a streaky pitcher, and the Phillies have beaten him in 4 of their last 5 meetings with him. The Phillies are the best team in baseball right now, and I'll take them at this short price. Phillies ML.

*3 Star MLB Late Night BAILOUT* Cliff Lee pitched a complete game shutout in his last start at San Francisco. Lee has shown this year that he can get on ridiculous streaks. The Dodgers offense isn't very good at all right now. Ted Lilly has an ERA above 5 at home this year. The Phillies are 8-1 in their last 9 road games. They are also 37-14 in their last 51 games overall. The Phillies have a big advantage in the pitching matchup, and they have the much better lineup as well. Take the Phillies -1.5 here.

*5 Star MLB Play of the Week* The Boston Red Sox have the best offense in baseball right now. Francisco Liriano has been very inconsistent this year. Liriano has a terrible 5.98 ERA at home this year. Even worse, he has an ERA just above 8 in his last three starts. Erik Bedard and Liriano are both lefties who try to stretch the corners, and that won't work well with the umpire for this one. Tim McClelland is behind the dish here, and he is arguably the biggest 'over' umpire in the game. The over is 14-6 in his last 20 games behind the plate. The over is 11-3 in Liriano's last 14 home starts. I think this one is set too low. Take the over big here.

*3 Star MLB Total Domination* The Texas Rangers are hitting the baseball very well right now, and the conditions in Texas are very friendly to hitters. The gametime temperature is expected to be 106 degrees in this one. The ball can really fly in Arlington with this kind of temperature. Michael Pineda is a very good young pitcher, but he has allowed at least 5 runs in each of his last three road starts. Alexi Ogando has been slightly more shaky of late as well. The over is 5-1 in Ogando's last 6 home starts. The over is 6-2-1 in the last 9 meetings at Texas. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB Play of the Day* The Seattle Mariners are 6-21 in their last 27 games overall. They are also 14-41 in their last 55 games against left-handed starters. Matt Harrison is putting together a nice season for the Texas Rangers. Harrison pitches in a tough home ballpark, but he still has a great 3.08 ERA for the year. The Rangers are 5-0 in his last 5 home starts. The Rangers are also 4-0 in their last 4 meetings with the Mariners. Charlie Furbush will pitch for Seattle, and he gives up about one homer per every six innings pitched. The Rangers punish lefties and I think they'll put quite a few up in this game. This is a mismatch all the way around. Take Texas -1.5.

*3 Star MLB Total Domination* The Texas weather is absolutely ridiculous right now. The Dallas area has seen multiple straight days of 105 degrees or more for a high temperature. At the start of this game the temperature is expected to be 104 degrees. The ball really flies in that kind of heat, and the wind will be pushing the ball out to center. Colby Lewis has been bad at home and Josh Tomlin has been poor on the road. The Indians bats have really woken up of late (they've scored 7 runs in three straight games). The over is 5-0-1 in Tomlin's last 6 road starts. The over is 9-2 in Lewis' last 11 home starts. This is a combined 14-2 winning angle between the two starts! Take the over!

*3 Star MLB Best Bet* Clayton Kershaw has always been a very talented pitcher, but he has matured a ton this year. Kershaw is getting ahead of batters and walking far fewer than he has in the past. He could easily be competing for Cy Young's in the next few years. Ian Kennedy is a very good young pitcher for the Diamondbacks. Kennedy has a 1.71 ERA in his last three starts. Kershaw has a 1.52 ERA in his last three starts. This game has the makings of a low scoring pitcher's duel. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* The Pirates have now lost nine straight games overall. San Diego has won eight straight games against the Pirates. The Padres are also 21-7 in their last 28 games at Pittsburgh. Kevin Correia has an awful 7.71 ERA at home this year. Mat Latos has been pitching better of late. Latos has allowed 3 runs or less in seven straight starts. The lineups are pretty equal in this one, and the Padres definitely have the pitching advantage. I'll take the team with the momentum here. Padres ML.

*3 Star MLB BEST Bet* C.J. Wilson pitched 7 and 2/3 innings of shutout baseball in his last start against the Indians. Cleveland struggles against left-handers, and Wilson is a pretty good one. On the other side, Fausto Carmona is giving up home runs at a higher rate than ever before. That isn't a good sign for Saturday, since conditions will be perfect for the ball to be flying out of Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. The Indians are 0-5 in Carmona's last 5 starts against the Rangers. The Rangers have the better pitcher here and the better lineup. Rangers -1.5.

*3 Star MLB Moneyline CASH* The St. Louis Cardinals have absolutely owned Ricky Nolasco. Matt Holliday is 8 for 14 with 2 HR's, Pujols is 8 for 15 with 2 HR's, and Rafael Furcal is 5 for 8 with 3 RBI's. Not surprisingly, the Marlins are 1-4 in Nolasco's last 5 starts against St. Louis. Chris Carpenter has pitched better as the year has gone on. The Marlins are without Infante, Coghlan, and Mike Cameron is questionable. The Cardinals are still in the NL Central race, but these are the games they must win. I'll take the Cardinals ML here.

*3 Star Yankees/Red Sox Total DOMINATION* C.C. Sabathia has been dominating most opponents this year, but not the Boston Red Sox. He has seen the Red Sox three times and he hasn't fared too well in any of those starts. He scattered nine hits in his first appearance, but then allowed 6 earned runs in each of his last two starts against Boston. John Lackey has an ERA over 6 this year, and the Yankees should be able to put up several runs on him. These are the two best offenses in all of baseball, and I think a posted total of nine is a good value on the over.

*3 Star MLB Totals Takedown* The Chicago White Sox offense has been ridiculously bad this year. The White Sox are talented offensively, but they just can't seem to string together hits to score often at all. The Twins are more healthy than they were, but their offense is still less than stellar. Mark Buerhle and Nick Blackburn have both faired well against the opposing team in this matchup. The under is 6-0-2 in Buerhle's last 8 starts. The under is 16-5 in the White Sox last 21 road games. The under is 5-1-2 in the last 8 meetings between these two teams. Take the under.