[LUCKYME1]

Matt Rivers
75,000* NEAR PICK-EM LOCK Plus Bonus Lock Your winners here are on:

1. 75,000♦ Cubs
2. 50,000♦ Astros


1. Sure Johnny Cueto is far more trustworthy than Tom Gorzelanny but to get the Cubs right now at this point in the season at this bargain basement price is well worth having the disadvantage on the mound.

Gorzelanny is a guy that had a breakthrough season in Pittsburgh a few years back and regressed in ridiculous fashion right after. I don't know why that happened as the lefty was even sent down to the Minors but now with a fresh new start I can see the good Gorzelanny show through a bit here as he tries to impress his new mates. I'm not asking him to outpitch Cueto but Lee, Soriano, Ramirez and the surging Cubbies pretty much should outhit the totally fading and untalented Reds.

Chicago still does have some deficiencies as that bullpen at times can implode and I'm not saying that I have the utmost confidence in Gorzelanny but to get the visitors from the Windy City at around a pick is just too solid of a price to not give it a go on. Cincinnati has turned into mush since the Break and besides Joey Votto is a whole lot of nothing.

The first inning will be big as we will need our lefty to get through it without issues and if he does watch out because this price may turn out to be the steal of steals!



2. The Astros have hit a wall of late with the injuries to Oswalt and Berkman and are fading fast making the playoffs pretty much a thing of the past for sure but this price is good enough for me. Yes I know Bud Norris shut down the Cardinals in that upset win on Sunday but that was not an indication to me of how this team has been of late.

Let's face it, the no-hitter by Jonathan Sanchez was a fluke. The guy put it all together for one night, possibly even selling his soul to the Devil but really may not even be a Major Leaguer. I'm not saying that Felipe Paulino is the next coming of Cy Young because he's not and the righty is returning from an injury so you cannot expect much at all but at this price with all of the righty bats on the 'Stros like Lee, Tejada, Pence and others I will back the home boys against the very very mediocre southpaw in Sanchez.

San Francisco has had a really good season but without Lincecum or Cain on the mound they are not good at all. The offense is still weak even with the acquisitions of Freddy Sanchez and Ryan Garko and here on the road without one of their aces are flat out a bad baseball team. Seriously, look at this team's road record to begin with and then factor in how they are with any other hurler but Lincecum or Cain. Now realize that we are getting a pick or so at MinuteMaid with Houston? Come on!?!?!?

[LUCKYME1]

Complimentary Pick
For Tuesday take Johan and the Mets.

Joel Pineiro has had a great season, don't even look at the record because that is preposterous when you realize how good his ERA is. I also do admit that Albert Pujols, Matt Holliday and the Cardinals are much better than the banged up and poor Mets but Johan against Pineiro at home at around a pick is too good to pass up, period.

St. Louis is a competent team right now that has a shot at the playoffs, they really do. If Santana was not on the mound the Redbirds would be justifiably the heavy road chalk here as the Mets are just not very good at the current time without Beltran, Reyes and Delgado. But Jerry Manual's squad has been better of late, meaning at least they have scored some runs and won some games over the last few weeks. They even did just have that five game winning streak. They're still not good, don't get me wrong, but with their ace on the bump should be alright here.

Santana is still a total blue chip stud. Sure he was rocked at Yankee Stadium awhile back and hit very hard in Houston a few starts ago but the lefty is great many more times than not and should be that today.

The bottom line is that no matter how solid Pineiro has been he is no Santana and no matter how much superior the Cardinal offense is when compared to the New Yorkers Tony LaRussa's squad is still a well below .500 squad ever since the first month of the season and therefore I can't help but make a small play today on the Johan's and take my chances with his offense.


1♦ Mets on a 1♦ to 5♦ Scale