JB's MLB Monday

[JB]

YTD 14-9 (+6.28)
Pending Plays:
Arizona Diamondbacks to win world series (+4500) - 1 unit
Milwaukee Brewers to win world series (+4500) - 1 unit
Cleveland Indians to win the AL Pennant (+1200) - 1 unit

Will probably keep it pretty light today, but will start out with:

Baltimore (-129) Vs. Detroit
Opening Day in Baltimore as the play the defending AL Champs Tigers. Detroit traveling in from KC where they got one of the luckiest 2 game series wins I have seen the Royals give away in quite a bit of time. Baltimore playing real well after winning the Yankess series. Like Baltimore to keep the mo with this being the home opener for them. Bottom line Chad Durbin is pitching for Detroit. I might fade him until he returns to the minors where he belongs.

1 unit

Good Luck!

[COACH DITKA]

GL today JB - on Baltimore as well. Lets cash it!

[birdsfan5]

Gl JB

[JohnnyMapleLeaf]

GL with the O's, JB

Any angle on how your Royals will play tonight?

[JB]

Originally Posted by JohnnyMapleLeaf

GL with the O's, JB

Any angle on how your Royals will play tonight?

Anytime you lose a game like they did yesterday and then have to travel for a teams home opener...thats not good. With that said the price is WAY to high for me to look at Toronto. Royals and D-Rays both get NO respect from the books...but thats OK.

I like the Jays chances...like I said way to many factors going against the Royals for this game. Pretty sure Burnett will look like Cy-Young in this one.

[JB]

Going to try two more and make it a three pack for today:'

Florida (-120) Vs. Milwaukee Sanchez pitched better then his stats look his last time out in Washington. I still think he is one of the better young pitchers in all of baseball and will gladly back him at home aginst Milwukee. The Marlins have beaten Milwaukee the last 8 times these teams have faced each other, outscoring them 46-24 in those 8 meetings. I will take my chances with the short line on the home team.

Arizona (-110) Vs. Cincinatti
Hopefully this is really a new year from the Diamondbacks as they have had a couple of brutal seasons playing at home. I look for them to put forth an A effort in their home opener today. For starters they will try a new pitcher in Doug Davis. Davis has a good history against Cinci, 6-2 with a 3.43 ERA in 13career starts versus the Reds (4-2), and is 3-0 in his last four outings against them. On the other hand Arroyo for the Reds has not been that good against Arizona, 0-2 with a 5.30 ERA in four career games versus Arizona. Cinci is coming off a home lost to Pittsburgh and has to travel into Arizona for this home opender today. All of that coupled with the short line of 110 all add up to enough for me to take a shot at it.

1 unit each

Good Luck!

[Stifler's Mom]

I agree. I think the Royals will be a moneymaker this year, but i'm not too fond of their chances today for the factors you mentioned, plus that Odalis Perez sucks, and is KC's worst starter by far. How the hell did he get the #2 starters role?

TB on the other hand is still ****ty, and their lines should be what they are. Their bullpen is horrid, and that will cost them 30-40 games this year. Otherwise they're a .500 team.

[Stifler's Mom]

I'm on all 3, lol.

The biggest factor for me in the Arizona game was that Cincy struggles against LHP, for obvious reasons. I will fade them every time against any type of quality LHP starter when the odds are this nice.

[JB]

Originally Posted by Stifler's Mom

I agree. I think the Royals will be a moneymaker this year, but i'm not too fond of their chances today for the factors you mentioned, plus that Odalis Perez sucks, and is KC's worst starter by far. How the hell did he get the #2 starters role?

TB on the other hand is still ****ty, and their lines should be what they are. Their bullpen is horrid, and that will cost them 30-40 games this year. Otherwise they're a .500 team.

Perez get the #2 job based soley on his experiance. He has many more MLB starts then the likes of Greinke (who they really do need to make sure they are still treating with kid glvoes) and De La Rosa. #2 would have been Hudson but he is hurt and on the DL meaning they had to slide Brandon Duckworth (who usually is an oil can) into the 5th spot and basically locked up Perez at #2.

As for the D-Backs you are right about the pen...its brutal. But from 1-9 in their lineup I don't there there is another team in the AL that runs out 9 athletes as good as the Diamondbacks. Take Gomes out and put in Baldali and thats a tough tough lineup. Al Reyes gives them a chance at the back in....but your right that middle of the pen is downright awful.

[Stifler's Mom]

TB has too many hitters who strike out way too much for my liking, although they are able to produce runs with their speed, which is good..

As far as Perez, I wouldn't even want him on my team, let alone in the 2nd starters role. I'd take Duckworthless over him any day of the week. Perez will be either injured, or have a 20.80 ERA by mid may and be out of the rotation anyway....which will only benefit the Royals chances to win IMO.

[JohnnyMapleLeaf]

Thanks for the input on the Royals guys...I agree they will be a good value team this year. I think today's line is about right though...Jays bats should go off tonight, and Burnett was shakey, but that was in winter conditions in Detroit last week....he should be fine tonight in the dome. Taking the RL.

Stif....TB's bullpen has been awful for years....such an important part of a baseball team....what the F is that GM thinking? So many good young bats, couple decent starters over the past few years... such a waste. Seems like the past three years every Jays/Rays game I watch we go down early, or are in a dogfight, then we win by 4 in the 7th/8th/9th. LOL

[JB]

Agree with what you said JML

Totally agreen with the TB bullpen issue....is it THAT hard to sign a couple of guys in the offseason and put them in your pen. Royals signed Riske for next to nothing...its not that hard. With how bad TB has been youd think they could just sign a couple rule 5 guys and thrown them out there to see what they get....anything has to be better then what they have done the last few years.

[PhillyFan3]

gl JB ... like Cabrera today, he pitched well in his first game and the bats have been alive

[JB]

Wow...3-0 (+3.00)

YTD 17-9 (+9.28)
Pending Plays:
Arizona Diamondbacks to win world series (+4500) - 1 unit
Milwaukee Brewers to win world series (+4500) - 1 unit
Cleveland Indians to win the AL Pennant (+1200) - 1 unit

[Underdog88]

Nice day JB