If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.
Sportswagers MLB
Today's Free Picks for Aug 31, 2013
Cincinnati @ COLORADO
COLORADO -103 over Cincinnati
How can Greg Reynolds be favored over Juan Nicasio here? Nicasio is one of the rare starting pitchers that can be trusted pitching at Coors Field. At home, Nicasio has posted a 3.86 ERA, a 1.08 WHIP and 8.1 K’s per nine innings with a 52% groundball rate. Furthermore, Nicasio is in the best form that he’s been in all year. He’s allowed three runs or fewer in four straight starts and two runs or less in his last three, including a home six-inning, nine K’s shutout against San Francisco in his last start. Greg Reynolds replaced the injured Tony Cingrani in the Reds' starting rotation. The 27-year old Reynolds pitched 62 major league innings in 2008, then 32 innings in 2011 and now has made two starts in 2013. In 11 innings, he’s struck out three batters, walked three batters and has a BAA of .302. His career BAA at this level in 105 innings is .314. His career WHIP at this level is 1.67 and his career ERA is 7.29. We’re not going to over-analyze this one. If this is a sucker bet, so be it but based on the numbers and Colorado’s strong pedigree at this park over the years, it’s a must play.
Our Pick
COLORADO -103 (Risking 2.06 units - To Win: 2.00)
San Francisco @ ARIZONA
ARIZONA -1½ +148 over San Francisco
The over/under total for games in Arizona are typically 9 when two average starters oppose one another. You may think that there isn’t much difference between 8½ and 9 but there is because when you go over 8½, you need 9 to cash and when you go over 9, you need 10 to cash. With today’s total opening at 8½ we had to assume that the oddsmakers are expecting a very solid performance from at least one of these two starters and we’d be shocked if it wasn’t Trevor Cahill. Cahill came off the disabled list on August 17 and labored through five innings (94 pitches, seven hits, four earned runs) in his first outing in six weeks. He followed that up with a seven-inning, four-hit, one-run gem at hitter-friendly Cincinnati before throwing four innings of two-hit ball in relief in that marathon 18-inning game versus Philly last week. So, throw out his first game back off the DL and Cahill has allowed just six hits and one run in 11 frames and two hitter’s parks. Cahill has an elite 57% groundball rate in 113 innings. He’s healthy and he’s pitching superb. While on the mend, Cahill worked on his mechanics with particular focus on the location of his sinker and the results are fantastic. Trevor Cahill is far under the radar. Ryan Vogelsong also came off the DL recently and has made four starts since rejoining the rotation. Vogelsong allowed three runs or fewer in every start but three of those four came at AT&T Park and the other came in Washington. There’s a big difference between pitching in San Fran and Washington (like Vogelsong has) and Arizona and Cincinnati (like Cahill has). Vogelsong has a .290 BAA this season but on the road that BAA is .327. He’s also surrendered 13 jacks in 71 innings but on the road, he’s surrendered seven jacks in 23.2 innings. Vogelsong is 35-years old. He had a worthy follow-up to 2011's luck-enhanced breakout but when hit%/strand% finally failed him in 2H last year, he was exposed. That has continued into this season and we can almost guarantee you that the 8½-total posted was not influenced by Ryan Vogelsong.
Our Pick
ARIZONA -1½ +148 (Risking 2 units - To Win: 2.96)
San Diego @ LOS ANGELES
San Diego (5 innings) +144 over L.A.
This is strictly a five-inning play based on the pitching matchup. The Dodgers have the ability to come back on anyone but Chris Capuano is a huge risk spotting a tag like this one in five frames. Capuano has surrendered three runs or more in four straight starts in the first five innings and didn’t make it past that inning in any of them. Two of those four starts were against the Mets and Marlins. This season, Capuano has a .300 BAA to go along with a 1.44 WHIP and his ERA at pitcher-friendly home is 6.14. Pitching for perhaps the best team in baseball and starting 18 games, Capuano has four wins and that’s even more reason to fade him at this price in the early innings. By all accounts, Andrew Cashner has fantastic stuff (led by a 95.5 mph four-seam fastball). A dip in his strikeout rate upon moving to the rotation is a surprise. Though his fastball lost a couple mph (typical when moving from the bullpen), his strikeout rate has dropped off considerably. Better control is certainly the upshot, cutting Cashner’s walks by 1.0 per nine innings is an excellent practice in any role. Cashner’s fantastic groundball rate of 51% is also a plus, as it helps keep his pitches in the park. So far, there’s been no noticeable fatigue factor for Cashner, though it would not be a surprise for the team to skip his turn or shut him down a bit early this September. While his ERA is supported by xERA and favorable for a starter, the puzzling strikeout rate drop will be something to watch in the future but it’s not a concern for now, as many pitchers learn to cut down on K’s by inducing groundballs or weak contact until they need a strikeout. Cashner is very capable of throwing a strong five innings here while the same can’t be said for Capuano.
Our Pick
San Diego (5 innings) +144 over L.A. (Risking 2 units - To Win: 2.88)
Comment