Wednesday

[lucky charm]

Giants (T Lincecum) vs Cubs (R Dempster) (WGN) 08:05 pm Giants -135

Reds (E Volquez) vs Rays (J Shields) 12:10 pm Rays -165

Dodgers (R De La Rosa) vs Twins (S Baker) 01:10 pm Twins -140

Braves (D Lowe) vs Mariners (F Hernandez) 03:40 pm Mariners -145

Indians (C Carrasco) vs Diamondbacks (Z Duke) 03:40 pm Indians -110

Nationals (Jo Zimmerman) vs Angels (D Haren) 07:05 pm Nationals +125

Mets (C Capuano) vs Tigers (P Coke) 07:05 pm Mets +115

Red Sox (J Lackey) vs Phillies (V Worley) (ESPN2) 07:05 pm Over 9.5 -110

Pirates (P Maholm) vs Blue Jays (B Morrow) 07:05 pm Blue Jays -170

White Sox (M Buehrle) vs Rockies (U Jimenez) 08:40 pm Rockies -155

 

[lucky charm]

SAN FRANCISCO (Lincecum) -130 over CHICAGO CUBS (Dempster)

Giants' ace Tim Lincecum had been slumping, but he
bounced back in his last two starts (1.38 ERA) and he
goes today as a surprisingly short road favorite. The
hapless Cubs have lost 8 of their last 12 (-$295) and
were swept by SF in a doubleheader yesterday. And
today the Giants try for three in a row when they go
against Ryan Dempster, who's having a dreadful year
for Chicago (5.31 ERA in 15 starts). The Cubs have
dropped a bundle vs. right-handers (-$1255) and the
pitching matchup looks incredibly one-sided. Look for
SF to extend their lead in the NL West with a victory
in tonight's face-off.

 

[lucky charm]

OVER 9
Milwaukee at NY Yankees
Marcum vs. Burnett
Back to the Yankee Stadium in over-drive, with Shawn Marcum pitching for the Brewers on 7 days? rest because of a hip flexor problem. He lasted one lousy inning two starts ago, then three so-so innings a week ago. The Yankees have a collective .303 Batting Average Against him, with a 1.054 OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging Pct. -- .800 is considered MLB best), including 9 home runs in only 89 at-bats. Bang-zoom. The wind, which was blowing in from right field during last night?s OVER win, is now blowing a little stronger directly out to center field. New York?s resident bum, A.J. Burnett, is usually reliable to do his share in contributing to an Over cause. Burnett has allowed 11 hits and 8 walks in the 11 2/3 innings of his last two starts. The numbers 1 and 2 home run teams in MLB meet again with the breezes blowing out in MLB?s homerest haven.


OVER 8.5
St. Louis at Baltimore
Carpenter vs. Jakubauskas
With a 5.18 ERA and a WHIP of 1.64, opposing hitters can usually expect five innings of squash-pounding fun against Orioles lefthander Chris Jakubasuskas. Even in Pujols? injury absence, the Cardinals? lineup features a lot of right-handed power in a hitter?s ballpark against this lefty ? Berkman, Holliday. Baltimore?s bullpen has a 4.35 ERA, fourth-highest in MLB. Chris Carpenter ? the name ? implies a complete-game, low-run win. Chris Carpenter ? 2011 performance ? displays a 2-7 record with higher ERA, WHIP and Batting Average Against than his career numbers in those categories. Orioles players who have faced him are batting .327 against him over 104 at-bats. Derrick Lee has 58 of those at-bats, more than half, and is hitting .310 against him. Vlad Guerrero is 6-for-13 against Carpenter.