*3 Star Run Line Play of the Day* Here we have a huge pitching mismatch. Latos is absolutely on his game this year, and in his last 3 starts his ERA is below 0.60. Karstens has struggled all year and the Pirates are just not a strong hitting team. I think the books continue to underrate the Padres and we continue to have solid chances to make money on them. Take the Padres -1.5.

*3 Star Over Play of the Day* Rick Porcello is back, but he isn't form. Shawn Marcum has an ERA of over 7 in his last three games. Porcello doesn't have a good initial matchup in the Blue Jays, who hit home runs like crazy. The wind will be pushing the ball out toward left field and I think the value is on the over here. Take the over.

*3 Star Early Bird Special* Normally I don't like to play an over on such a ridiculously high number, but I think it is justified. The Yankees are crushing the ball at home of late. The over is 8-1 in thier last 9 home games. Davies' ERA is 5.71 on the road and Mitre isn't overpowering either. The wind will be blowing out at 10 mph or so and the home plate umpire is one of the bigger over umpires in the game. Take the over here.

*3 Star Run Line Play of the Day* In the last three years Joe Saunders has pitched in Arlington four times. He is 0-4 and his ERA is 10.23. C.J. Wilson is quietly becoming one of the better pitchers on the Rangers roster. The Rangers are 8-2 in Wilson's last 10 home starts and the Angels are 0-5 in Saunders last 5 starts in Texas. This looks like a big Texas victory to me.

*3 Star Moneyline Play of the Day* Paul Maholm is not a bad pitcher and the Pirates have been playing decent at home of late, but I can't ignore this attractive line. The Padres are tiny favorites against a team as inferior as the Pittsburgh Pirates? There is a possibility that this is a fishy line that shouldn't be touched, but I have to take the team that is much better here. The Padres are a very good road team and tend to pull out the close victories. Take the Padres in this one.

*3 Star Over Play of the Day* Matt Cain hasn't been himself at all of late and he has fared poorly in Arizona in the past. Rodrigo Lopez is not a very good pitcher and the Giants have been hitting better of late. The over is 30-18 in Arizona's 48 home games this year. I think this has the potential to be a game where both teams have to use the bullpen a long time, and Arizona's bullpen is the worst in baseball. Take the over here.

*3 Star Early Bird Special* It hasn't gotten a ton of attention in the national media, but Josh Johnson's season has been nothing short of amazing. In his last 20 innings he has allowed one run and for the year his ERA at home is 1.41. The Marlins are 23-8 in his last 31 home games. The Rockies won't have an answer for Johnson and the Marlins should put up enough to win comfortably. Take the Marlins -1.5.

*3 Star Run Line Play of the Day* I believe the Padres are a very good team, but I don't think Jon Garland is a great pitcher. Garland has been less than average on the road and Tommy Hanson is getting his act together for Atlanta. The Braves are 11-4 in Hanson's last 15 starts and they are also 19-7 in their last 26 meetings with San Diego. I think the Braves get to Garland here and take this one by at least a couple runs. Take Atlanta -1.5.

*3 Star Over Play of the Day* Ricky Nolasco has been an over machine at home of late with a 6-1 record to the over. The Rockies are hitting the ball extremely well, as evidenced by 14 of their last 19 games going over the posted total. Hammel is a good pitcher, but he isn't the same on the road. The over is 7-2 in his last 9 road starts. Jim Reynolds behind the dish is a huge plus for the over as well. I like the over in this one.

*3 Star Under Play of the Day* Colby Lewis has been an under machine on the road (16-5 in his last 21 road starts) and Jim Wolf has been an under machine behind the plate (16-5 in his last 21). The under is also 4-1 in Max Scherzer's last 5 games overall. Both pitchers are getting their act together of late and I think this could be a pitcher's duel. I think the value is on the under here.

*3 Star Over Play of the Day* Tim Wakefield has been getting beat around of late and I think it could certainly happen again in this one. Angel Campos is the biggest over umpire in the game in the last couple of years and he is behind the dish here. The over is 7-0 in the last 7 meetings between these two teams. The wind is expected to be blowing out to center at 14 mph during this one. I like the value on the over.

*3 Star Run Line Play of the Day* The Cleveland Indians beat the Twins on Monday, but they are absolutely horrible on the road. They are even worse when Justin Masterson is pitching on the road. The Indians are 2-13 in Masterson's last 15 road starts. The Twins are 22-7 in Slowey's last 29 home starts. The Twins are also 4-0 in Slowey's last 4 starts against the Tribe. The Twins should win this one handily. Take Minnesota -1.5.

*3 Star Under Play of the Day* The wind is expected to be blowing in toward home plate at about 12 mph during this one and the home plate umpire has a nice and wide strike zone as well. Galarraga is much better at home, where the under is 7-3 in his last 10 starts. The under is 5-1 in the Rangers last 6 games overall as well. I think this one is set a little too high. Take the under here.

*3 Star Run Line Play of the Day* The Reds fell behind the Cardinals by 1/2 game on Sunday, so they should be good and fired up to win this one. Cueto has an ERA under 1 in his last three starts and the Reds are 10-4 in his last 14 starts. Martin has pitched pretty well for the Nationals, but he struggles a bit on the road. Washington is just 1-6 in his last 7 starts. The Reds have the better pitcher and the better lineup here. Take the Reds -1.5.

*3 Star Over Play of the Day* The Brewers have started crushing the baseball of late. A lineup with Braun, Fielder, Hart, and company should score a lot of runs, and they are finally doing just that. Karstens is a below average pitcher and he is the type of pitcher Milwaukee should be able to get to in a big way right now. Capuano is not in good form at all and I expect the Pirates will put quite a few on the board as well. This has all the makings of a high scoring game. I like the over.

*3 Star Moneyline Play of the Day* Edwin Jackson seems to be getting a little too much love from the oddsmakers since his no hitter. The Padres are still the top team in the NL West and they have won their last four at home. Correia is definitely better in San Diego than on the road, and I feel this is a pretty short price for the team with the best record in the National League. Take the Padres.

*3 Star Total Play of the Day* Johan Santana has been on his game of late, with an ERA well under 1 in the last three games. Sanchez is also a much better pitcher at home, so the Mets should have trouble getting too much going. I think this match up of left handers will stay low scoring all the way though. This has the potential to be a 2-1 type of game. Take the under.

*Saturday MLB Top Play of the Day* The Orioles and the Blue Jays are both hitting the ball well right now. Jim Reynolds is the umpire you want if you are looking for an over, and he'll be behind the dish in this one. Guthrie and Morrow both have an ERA of 6 in their last three starts. All the data and trends lead me to think this one could be a very high scoring affair. I love the over here!

*3 Star TGIF Moneyline Play of the Day* The Reds lost their last four before the break. I think they'll be out to get the second half off to a strong start. The Rockies have been playing well, but Jason Hammel has been terrible on the road this year. Tulowitzki is still out of the lineup, so I think the Reds have the better lineup here. Arroyo has been solid this year, and his track record is good at GABP. I like the Reds to get a win in this one.

*3 Star Total Play of the Day* It's Strasburg time again and so far that has generally meant a low scoring game. The wind is expected to be blowing in at about 15 mph and Ricky Nolasco has been pitching much bettero of late as well. I think this has the makings of a tight game that goes down to the wire and stays low scoring. Take the under in this one.

*3 Star Run Line Play of the Day* Doug Fister is on the mound for the Mariners and he has an ERA of 4.91 on the road. In his last three starts his ERA is over 6. On the other side, Joel Piniero is pitching extremely well for the Angels right now. Piniero has a 2.22 ERA at home this year and the Angels are 7-0 in his last 7 home starts. The Mariners are just 10-25 in their last 35 in Anaheim and I think the Angels will start off the second half with a nice win on Thursday evening. Take the Angels -1.5.

*3 Star Under Play of the Day* Wandy Rodriguez is rounding into form beautifully of late, and the St. Louis Cardinals are struggling offensively. The Cardinals are hitting just .255 against left handers this year and the Astros are hitting a miserable .236 against right handers. The under is 27-11-1 in the last 39 meetings and the under is 7-3-1 in Wandy's last 11 starts against the Cards. With a nice under umpire behind the plate in Andy Fletcher, I'm taking the under here.

*5 Star Run Line Play of the Day* The stats and the trends say Tampa Bay should win this one convincingly. Niemann is definitely one of the most underrated pitchers in the game today. With a 2.65 ERA on the year and a 13-4 record for the Rays in his starts, Niemann has done a brilliant job. On the other hand, Masterson has been horrible on the road. The Indians are just 2-12 in his last 14 road starts. I think Tampa Bay wins this one and heads into the All Star Break with momentum.

*3 Star Run Line Play of the Day* The Rays dropped the first game of the series to the Indians, but I don't think they'll lose this one. Aaron Laffey has struggled all year and Matt Garza has a strong history at home over the last few years. The Indians are 16-45 in their last 61 road games and the Rays are 5-1 in Garza's last 6 home starts. I think the Rays get revenge here.

*3 Star Over Play of the Day* The over has been the play of late when Johnathan Sanchez and Craig Stammen are on the hill and I think it is again this Saturday. Both the Nationals and the Giants hit much better off of left handers than righties, and both pitchers can struggle with control. The home plate umpire is known to have a pretty small zone, so I expect to see plenty of walks. Take the over here.

*3 Star Early Bird Special* The Mets and the Braves are in a heated battle at the top of the NL East right now. Pelfrey and Hudson both have great numbers against the opponent in this one. Pelfrey is a much better pitcher at home. The home plate umpire is Bill Hohn, and he is known as a strong under umpire. I think this one is a tight low scoring game. Take the under.

*TGIF Moneyline Play of the Day* The New York Yankees are a much better team than the Mariners, but Cliff Lee is in a real zone right now. Lee beat the Yankees at Yankee Stadium recently and I think he'll beat a recently struggling Phillip Hughes and the Yanks on Friday night. Expect Lee to stay in the game a long time and pitch his Mariners to a win.

*3 Star Under Play of the Day* Dan Haren and Ricky Nolasco both were supposed to have terrific years and started out slow, but they are both putting it together of late. Nolasco has been much better on the road than at home. The under is 11-5-5 in the last 21 meetings between these two. I like the value on the under here.

*3 Star Over Play of the Day* If you are looking for an over, Jim Reynolds is the umpire you want to see. Reynolds is behind the dish in this one and both pitchers have been struggling quite a bit of late. Shields has pitched much worse at home and the Indians have a nice history against him. I think both teams put up a few runs in this one. Take the over.

*3 Star Run Line Play of the Day* The Padres have lost the first two in the series by a run, but I think they'll bounce back in this one. Latos is having an amazing year and his ERA is under 0.50 in his last 3 starts. He has been great away from home all year. Atilano has actually been worse at home this year. I think the Padres will want this one pretty badly, as they don't want to get swept here by the Nationals. Take the Padres -1.5.

*3 Star Early Bird Special* Bill Miller is the umpire behind the plate here and that makes the under worth a look. The under is 44-17-4 in his last 65 games behind the plate. The under is also 26-10-1 in the last 37 meetings between these two teams. On a get away day game the lineups may be a little weaker as well. I like the under in this one.

*3 Star Moneyline Bookie Smasher* The White Sox have been playing pretty good baseball of late, especially when Freddy Garcia is on the mound. The White Sox are 42-20 in his last 62 starts and 5-1 in his last 6 home starts. In Garcia's last 6 against the Angels the White Sox are 6-0. I like the White Sox to take this one.

*3 Star Total Play of the Day* Trust me when I say I'm typically not a fan of taking overs with Tim Lincecum on the hill, but I think this is a good spot. Lincecum has struggled of late, and in his career his ERA is 5.67 against the Brewers. At the same time, the Giants hit lefties well so I think they'll put up several runs against Narveson. This total appears set too low. Take the over.

*3 Star Run Line Play of the Day* The Rays have taken the division lead and I think they'll extend it in this one. The Red Sox are 5-16 in Wakefield's last 21 starts and the Rays are 15-5 in Price's last 20 starts. The Red Sox are just 1-5 in Wakefield's last 6 starts against Tampa Bay. It doesn't hurt that the home team is 15-1 in the umpire's last 16 games behind the dish. Take Tampa Bay -1.5.

*3 Star Over Play of the Day* The Dodgers and the Marlins are both hitting the baseball quite well right now. Volstad has struggled mightily on the road and Padilla is quite inconsistent. These two teams have a history of high scoring affairs. The over is 16-5 in their last 21 meetings, including 10-2 at Los Angeles. A breeze toward center and a nice over umpire doesn't hurt either. Take the over.

*3 Star Under Play of the Day* These two teams have both had some great pitching and light hitting all year long. Hernandez has really surprised people with how well he has pitched for the Nationals. The under is 13-2 in his 15 starts this season. The under is 6-0-2 in Richard's last 8 road starts. This has the makings of a low scoring and tight game. Take the under.

*3 Star Run Line Play of the Day* The Orioles are a horrific road team and the Tigers are amazing at home. Both pitchers have pitched poorly of late, but Galarraga has a stunning 2.22 ERA at home this year. I expect the Tigers to pound out quite a few runs and the Orioles bats to be silenced in this one. Take the Tigers -1.5.

*3 Star Over Play of the Day* The two starting pitchers in this one aren't going to scare either of the lineups. The wind tunnel that pushes balls out of the park is working in our favor tonight. The over is 12-3-2 in the last 17 meetings in Texas between these two teams. I think this one has all the makings of a very high scoring game. Take the over.

*3 Star Early Bird Gets the Worm Play* The Cubs just aren't very good right now and Ian Kennedy has been good at home this year. Kennedy has an ERA of 2.41 at home this year and I expect him to fare well on Monday. The Cubs are 2-8 in Gorzelanny's 10 starts this season. Aramis Ramirez is banged up too and could miss this one. I think the oddsmakers are giving the Cubs a little too much credit here. Take the DBacks.

*3 Star Under Play of the Day* Bill Miller is behind the plate in this one and he is a big under umpire. The under is 43-17-4 in his last 64 behind home plate, which is quite an amazing stat. Nolasco is starting to pitch better of late and Hudson has been pitching very well. I think this has all the makings of a low scoring affair. Take the under in this one.

*3 Star Run Line Play of the Day* The Yankees just win baseball games when Phil Hughes starts, and I expect them to do that again on Sunday. The Yankees are 14-3 in Hughes' last 17 home starts and the Jays are 0-5 in Morrow's last 5 road starts. The Yankees offense put up 11 in one inning on Saturday and I think they'll get to Morrow on Sunday as well. Take New York -1.5.

*3 Star Moneyline Play of the Day* The Mariners aren't as good as the Tigers and they are on the road, but Cliff Lee is just absolutely dominating right now. The Mariners are 7-1 in his last 8 starts and I don't think the Tigers will have the answer for Lee. I expect a low scoring tight game, but I think Seattle will win this one behind Lee and his amazing pitching. Take Seattle here.