MLB Wed 6/13

[Stifler's Mom]

ytd 254-243 (+46.35 units)

Arizona D'bcks RL +1.5 +105

Not sold on Mussina at all yet. I agree that the Yanks are playing far better, and should be favored, but this really looks like another rediculous Yankees line to me, so I'll take the +1.5 for just a tad less than what I should probably be getting for the ML.

Houston A'holes +105

Despite 2 consecutive solid home starts, Blanton's road numbers are disgusting. Sampson has been solid, and I like my chances here because of the pitching advantage on paper for the A'Holes, who should not be a dog in this game, but are only because the entire public is on Oakland.

KC Royals -104

I choose to overlook Perez' bad numbers vs St Louis. Why? Because this year's version of the Cardinals is clearly not the same as in years past. They are just plain bad.

Pujols has hit him hard, and Spiezio and Rolen have decent numbers against him, but otherwise, I don't see anything special. Plus, Odalis was clear **** the last 2 years, either walking everyone or falling behind in counts and getting hammered on straight pitches down the middle (I hesitate to call them fastballs when you can barely reach the low 80's, lol)....before returning to his average self for much of this season. That is when the big numbers were put up against him by St Louis, from the time they hammered him in the NLCS when he pitched for LA, up until last year.

This year St Louis is hitting a pathetic .236 vs LHP, which drops to a downright futile .213 on the road, so I'm giving Perez the benefit of the doubt tonight.

IMO the bottom line is that the KC offense is red hot, and they are probably the better team as well, as IMO KC would easily be an above .500 team in the NL Central, while St Louis would be lucky to have earned even 20 wins so far if they were in any AL division, and the image that "KC sucks", plus Perez' previous season's numbers vs St Louis have this line far too low.

Chicago Flubs -130

This just comes down to the pitching. Marshall has been great since returning, giving up just 6 earned runs in 4 starts, all of which went at least 6 innings. Batista on the other hand is not an innings eater at all, plus he threw an inning in relief on Sunday, so that may take an inning or two away from him tonight, even if he is doing decent. This could be very important because Seattle's bullpen has just got to be beat with all the pitching they've been doing lately.

5 straight wins in their last at bat. Amazing, but that's gotta end somewhere, and I think chances are that it is tonight, as they can't keep expecting either the offense to bail them out, or a tired bullpen to keep holding tie games until they can get a score.

2 units each