9-9-08

[Mr. IWS]

SCOTT SPREITZER'S TAILOR MADE *GAME OF THE YEAR!*: Scott's coming off a 67% winning football weekend in both college and the NFL, including his V.I.P. GOY win on Saturday & his SNF winner with the Bears!. He's now on a 13-4, 76% All Sports GOY run. Scott dropped his MLB total on Sunday, but whips the books with his TAILOR MADE GAME OF THE YEAR! Grab it...CA$H IT!

Game: Toronto Blue Jays at Chicago White Sox Sep 8 2008 8:10PM
Prediction: Chicago White Sox
Grade: Push (0)
Reason: I'm laying the price with the White Sox on Monday. Chicago is battling neck and neck with the Minnesota Twins in the AL Central race. Every game matters. Normally the "need to win" teams are priced so high that it's difficult to find value. I don't think that's the case tonight. Chicago is hosting a Toronto Blue Jays team that's in one of the biggest letdown spots I've ever seen. Toronto just swept the Tampa Bay Rays, the best team in their division. Not only that, they just played 17 of their last 20 games against the Rays, the Boston Red Sox, and the New York Yankees. Toronto was sky high for that stretch, and they played very well. Now, it's time for the crash. Javier Vazquez of Chicago has been good to me this season. I like him in this ideal schedule spot. Note that the Sox lost Sunday afternoon to the Los Angeles Angels. Chicago is 10-5 in the game after its last 15 losses. That's a great combination of a home team in a pennant race, in a bounce back spot, facing a visitor that's due to be flat as a pancake. The White Sox minus the price is the Tailor Made GOY! GL! Scott.

[Mr. IWS]

Big Al

At 7:05pm our selection is on the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox 'under' the total. This series could go a long way in determining who wins the AL East Division and who gets the wild card spot in the League. Depending on how the Angels do over the three weeks, this series could also determine the team with the best record in the league and home field advantage throughout the playoffs. With Boston's 3-0 shutout on Monday, the Rays lead is now down to half a game. And the Rays could be in real trouble if they don't win the division and have to play games on the road in the postseason, because one of their only weaknesses this year has been their performance away from Tropicana Field. They are 53-21 in front of the home crowd, but only 32-36 on the road after Monday's loss. This pitching matchup of Tampa lefthander Scott Kazmir vs. Boston righthander Daisuke Matsuzaka is perhaps the best one we'll see in this series. Dice-K has been unstoppable since the end of July, and he only has one loss since the All-Star break. Boston's also won his last seven starts. Kazmir has also been extremely tough lately as he has not given up an earned run in his last two starts covering over 11 innings. Tampa's coaching staff desperately need Kazmir to be healthy, so the Rays are keeping a close eye on his pitch count and have limited his innings as a result. But Tampa has one of the best bullpens in the league, so this has not been a problem. The under is 8-2-1 in Boston's last 11 games overall, and we'll look for another low-scoring affair between these two AL East squads on Tuesday. Take the 'under'. As always, good luck...Al McMordie

[Mr. IWS]

Scott Spreitzer's MLB ROAD WARRIOR GAME OF THE WEEK! - Tuesday

I'm laying the price with the Cubs on Tuesday. Ryan Dempster has had a strong season and he's been excellent since the all-star break. In nine starts since mid-July, Dempster has gone 5-2 while posting a 2.44 ERA & 1.27 WHIP. The Cubs have won each of his last four starts away from Wrigley. The righthander has been even better in those contests, allowing only five earned runs and 27 base runners, while striking out 33 in just 27 innings of action. That's a 1.67 ERA & 1.00 WHIP in his last four road starts. The Cards have been nothing special in home night games against righties. The fact that they are under .500 in this situation will likely keep them out of a wildcard berth in the postseason. Meanwhile, the Cubs will face Kyle Loshe. He has six lifetime starts against the northsiders, and has not fared well, sporting a hefty 5.17 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, and .297 BAA! The Redbirds have lost each of his last six outings overall, and they're just 2-8 in his last 10. Look for Chicago to hammer won more nail into the Cardinals' playoff-chance coffin on Tuesday. the Cubs are my Road Warrior GOW. Thanks! GL! Scott.

[Mr. IWS]

Ben Burns

4* Best Baltimore Orioles (-105) vs Cleveland Indians

[Mr. IWS]

Larry Ness' Terrific Tuesday Total (won 12 of L18 weeks in MLB!)
My Terrific Tuesday Total is on Arz/SF Over at 10:15 ET. Barry Zito struggled in '07, his first year after signing his HUGE contract with the Giants. Zito went 11-13 with a 4.53 ERA in 33 starts (team was 14-19). However, those troubles were nothing compared to the way he opened '08, as Zito lost his first eight decisions of '08 (team went 0-9 in his starts)! Zito has turned things around since that horrendous start though, as he's been a .500 pitcher since, going 9-8 in his last 19 starts (team is 10-9). However, he continues to struggle at home, where he's 3-10 on the year with a 6.57 ERA. Doug Davis will start for the D'backs, who have fallen below .500 for the first time since July 23, with last night's 6-2 loss to the Giants. After dominating NL West foes for most of the year (34-16 against division opponents through August 24), the D'backs have now lost NINE of their last 10 games against division opponents. Arizona has lost 11 of its last 14 overall and seven straight to division foes. Doug Davis (6-8, 4.58 ERA) gets the start for Arizona and the D'backs have lost six of his 10 starts since the break, with SEVEN of those 10 going 'over.' He's 3-5 with a 5.10 ERA in 11 starts and one relief appearance against the Giants, including allowing six runs over five innings of an 11-3 home loss to San Francisco on May 28 of this year (lone '08 start vs SF). As for Zito, he's 0-3 with a 7.40 ERA in four starts vs against Arizona in '08. Terrific Tuesday Total Arz/SF Over.

Good Luck...Larry

Larry Ness' Las Vegas Insider-MLB (50-29 with MLB Insiders since May 26)
My Las Vegas Insider is on the Sea Mariners at 10:10 ET. What a difference a year makes. The Mariners won 88 games last year and were MLB's second-biggest "money-makers," going plus-$1,924 vs the moneyline. As they open a two-game series with the Rangers on Tuesday, the Mariners are 56-86 and at minus-$2,649 vs the moneyline, rank 28th of 30 MLB teams. The Rangers finished last in the AL West last year (75-87) but enter this game at 70-74, which is good enough for second-place this season. In an odd quirk, the Rangers finished 19 back of the first-place Angels last year and even though they are in second place this year, are still 17 1/2 games back. Vicente Padilla (12-7, 4.98 ERA) is scheduled to return from the DL tonight and get the start for the Rangers. The Rangers are 17-8 (plus-$1,253) in his starts this year (that's 5th-best in MLB) but most observers think he's wearing down. He's winless in his last five outings (6.75 ERA) and the team has lost his last three starts, with Padilla allowing 21 hits and 14 ERs over 15 innings (8.40 ERA). After a five-inning start at home vs Cleveland on August 24, Padilla was placed on the DL with a strained left hamstring as well as inflammation between his right shoulder and neck. Supposedly, both injuries have healed enough for the Rangers to activate him. Seattle will start Felix Hernandez. Hernandez was terrific in '07, going 14-7 with a 3.92 ERA, as the Mariners made him MLB's fourth-biggest "money-maker" last year, going 21-9 (plus-$1,020) in his starts. Hernandez has pitched well in '08 allowing 165 hits in 175.1 innings, posting a 3.18 ERA and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 157-68. However, he's just 9-9 because he's gotten only 3.95 RPG of support, the second-lowest average among AL starters. He's had no luck at all vs the Rangers in '08, as he's 0-3 in five starts (team is 1-4), despite a 2.87 ERA. The culprit has been the eight total runs he's received in support over those five outings. Isn't it about time Hernandez received some 'love' from his teammates? After going 21-9 in his starts last year, the Rangers are just 12-9 (plus-$106) in his '08 starts but a closer look reveals just how good that is. Remember, the Mariners are just 56-86 in '08, meaning that with Hernandez on the mound they've played .556 baseball (15-12), while with any other starting pitcher, they've gone just 41-74, or .357. Let's say the "SIXTH time is the charm" for Hernandez tonight, as the Mariners enter playing their best baseball of the year (have won NINE of 13). Las Vegas Insider on the Sea Mariners.

Good Luck...Larry