300♦ RED SOX RUN LINE (WITH Buchholz over Mazzaro) - While ace pitcher Josh Beckett became the American League’s first 12-game winner last night, Boston snapped out of a slump with 14 hits in an 8-3 win over the visiting Athletics in the series-opener. Boston ripped at least one hit in each inning and finished with its highest hit parade since tallying 16 on June 30 in Baltimore. And quite frankly, I am expecting to see a duplicate performance tonight in facing Vin Mazzaro, who is 0-3 in his last three starts, to go along with an 8.76 ERA.

The 22-year-old right-hander, who is 2-7 with a 4.75 ERA, has been ripped in his last two starts specifically, getting tagged for 14 runs and 18 hits over 7-1/3 innings. Since winning his first two big-league starts, Mazzaro has gone a putrid 0-7 with a 6.31 ERA in eight outings - losing his last six. And Oakland, which is 1-9 in its last 10 games in Boston, has lost seven of 10 and 27 of 42 since early June. Putting it bluntly, this is a team that is playing terribly and is in a bad spot this week, in having to face the rugged American League East. This is all Boston once again, as it wins by a bundle.

300♦ RANGERS (Action) - The Rangers lost the first six meetings with the Tigers this season to drop to 3-14 against them over the last three years. Last night Tommy Hunter settled into his start and led Texas to its seventh victory in eight games, and first win over Detroit of the 2009 campaign. What’s important to note is how the home team has dominated this series, and that’s our focus today – the home team in this series. Texas rolls in on additional runs of 5-0 at home, 19-7 at home against southpaw starters and 5-2 when hosting teams with a losing road record.

I’m not listing either pitcher in this one, but it’s important for me to note that Vicente Padilla could have an easy time against a Detroit team that has scored three runs or less in eight of its last 11 games. Texas has won 10 the right-hander’s 16 starts this season. And, Detroit is in on losing streaks of 1-4 against the American League West, 0-4 on the road against right-handed starters and 0-6 on the highway. Home team gets the money today boys, play Texas.

300♦ GIANTS (LIST Zito and Morton) - I am the first to admit, I am not a Barry Zito fan. But I don’t let personal feelings get in the way of my handicapping. And tonight I am a big Zito fan, as he is in revenge for a July 18 loss to the Pirates and right-hander Charlie Morton. Now understand, it’s not as if the southpaw didn’t pitch well, he turned in a quality start, tossing 6-1/3 innings, yielded just two earned runs, scattered six hits and struck out four. The Bucs simply got out in front and the Giants provided no support whatsoever … that was that. And to Zito’s defense, he’s received no runs of support in four of his last eight starts overall.

With this one back in San Francisco, and the Bucs coming in after being stymied by National League All-Star starter Tim Lincecum, who struck out a career-high 15, I’m going to bank on Zito to get revenge. The Pirates are sitting in the cellar of the National League Central and have lost three in a row. They also come in mired in losing ruts of 1-4 as an underdog, 1-5 versus the National League West and 1-6 against southpaw starters. Lay the home chalk.