Today is a day that baseball fans living anywhere outside of the NY-Boston corridor will not enjoy. Both of those teams are going to earn victories today. Book it. But more importantly, WTF St. Louis Cardinals? Have you lost back-to-back games started by Carpenter and Wainwright at all this season. I'm not sure the answer to that but I'm leaning toward no. What a hole that offense has dug. 21 guys left on base in two games? Yikes. I've been living and dying with the Cards pitching all year with my fears about this offense lurking in the back of my head. Fortunately, the pitching (and Albert Pujols) have done enough to cover up those ugly offensive warts. Nothing like the postseason to shine a spotlight on your deficiencies. I'll tell you what, if I were a Cards fan and had my season riding on Joel Pineiro, I'd be really drunk right now. That said, if Pineiro steals them a win at home in Game 3 (not that unlikely an outcome), then LaRussa gets to come back to Carpenter and Wainwright on short rest in Games 4 and 5. If that happens, this just might be a series after all. It is clear the Cards don't think this is over and don't ever count out Professor LaRussa. Too bad he can't hit and run the bases for this team.
Unpickable Master Locks - MLB Playoffs:
Minnesota @ NY - It is amazing how every non-Yankee fan in the world has themselves in a tizzy pulling for AJ Burnett to mail in a stinker this afternoon. This the type of collective animosity that is typically reserved for the flu or at least Terrell Owens. I'll tell you what. I think Burnett shuts up all up. Not just with a good start, with a great one. This is a guy who always runs on emotion and loves to throw against good teams when he has something to prove. He did it last year against the Yanks and Red Sox. This isn't a guy I'd be counting against today. If his stuff is there (which it almost always is) and his head is right (a much bigger question mark) we might be looking at a line in the neighborhood of 8 innings, 4 hits, 1 run, 13 Ks. And Molina/Posada-gate is highly overblown, at least as it pertains to this series. If this offense can't produce enough runs against the Twins without Jorge Posada then the Yanks have bigger problems than who should catch Burnett. Look to the Yanks to jump ahead earlier and allow AJ to relax. From there it will be easy like Sunday morning. Take the Yanks (-300) to roll to an 8-2 victory. LOCK IT UP
Boston @ LAA - This is the type of game that Josh Beckett is wired for. This is the type of game that Josh Beckett longs to pitch in. This is the type of game that Josh Beckett not only wins, but dominates. That's why the Game 1 win for the Halos was so important. They ain't getting Game 2. The Red Sox will be focused and fired up today and that all starts with Josh Beckett. Good luck with this one Anaheim. You're heading to Beantown tied 1-1. Take the Sox (-106). LOCK IT UP
Unpickable Master Locks - CFL:
Louisiana Tech @ Nevada - Line is Nevada - 10.5 - Don't get us wrong, we really like this Nevada team. We like them so much that we bought a house in Reno so we had a place to stay during football season (OK, I made that last part up. Not the buying the house part, but the reason we bought the house part). That all said, this game absolutely stinks of college football rule #1 (e.g. take the points in a prime time, nationally televised game). La Tech will be fired up to play its first game of the season that anyone will take notice of. These kids will be flying all over the field. With that in mind, 10.5 points is just too much. Nevada is at home and is the better team (marginally) but they are also turnover prone (big concern in these nationally televised games) and pretty porous on defense (a bigger concern in these nationally televised games). We think this one is close throughout. La Tech may even lead for some of the game. The last team with the ball will score the deciding points in the game. When that happens, a 10.5 point cover is impossible, even for guys with houses in Reno. Take La Tech (+10.5) in a game that smells like a 35-34 Nevada win. LOCK IT UP!
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