Friday MLB Picks
With a full slate of MLB action on Friday, our team of writers and handicappers gathered three of their top picks for the day.
Los Angeles Dodgers (57-57) at San Francisco Giants (48-65)
The Los Angeles Dodgers hope Brad Penny has finally put his nagging shoulder trouble behind him.
The right-hander is expected to come off the disabled list and make his first start in over seven weeks Friday night when the Dodgers open a three-game road set against the San Francisco Giants.
Penny (5-9, 5.88 ERA), who won 16 games in each of the previous two years and was third in the NL Cy Young Award balloting in 2007, had been bothered by a sore shoulder for most of the season. The two-time All-Star was taking pain medication before nearly every start, but that didn’t seem to help him over his last eight starts as he went 0-7 with an 8.52 ERA before landing on the DL.
Los Angeles holds a 6-3 edge on San Francisco, taking two of three at AT&T Park from July 4-6.
The Giants, winners of four of their last six, hope Barry Zito can put together consecutive wins for the first time this year.
Zito (6-13, 5.40) is coming off his best outing of the season, yielding three hits in eight innings of a 2-0 win over San Diego on Saturday. He outpitched the Padres’ Jake Peavy in a matchup of Cy Young Award winners.
Pick: LA Dodgers – View game matchup | Best line -115 SBG Global
Washington Nationals (44-71) at Milwaukee Brewers (64-51)
When the Milwaukee Brewers traded for CC Sabathia last month, they knew they were getting a front-of-the-rotation starter who won the AL Cy Young award last season.
It turns out Sabathia likes pitching in the NL even better.
The Brewers’ big left-hander will look to win his ninth consecutive decision against NL opponents when he faces the Washington Nationals, who visit Miller Park to begin a four-game set Friday.
Sabathia had been pitching well before the Brewers sent four prospects to Cleveland for the Indians’ ace on July 6. Since arriving in Milwaukee, Sabathia has been even more dominant, throwing three complete games in six starts while going 5-0 with a 1.88 ERA.
The Nationals (44-71) have played well recently, however, winning six of their last seven and sweeping a doubleheader at Colorado with a pair of 6-3 victories Thursday.
Washington has scored 42 runs in its last seven games, a stretch that followed a nine-game losing streak during which it totaled 19 runs. Outfielder Lastings Milledge has led the way during the current surge, hitting in eight straight games and homering four times in his last six contests.
Pick: Milwaukee – View game matchup | Best line -300 SBG Global
New York Yankees (63-52) at Los Angeles Angels (71-43)
The New York Yankees know their current difficult 10-game road trip will go a long way towards determining whether they gain their 14th straight postseason berth.
The middle stop on the Yankees’ trip begins Friday with the opener of a three-game series against the major league-leading Los Angeles Angels.
New York (63-52) is 5 1/2 games behind AL East leader Tampa Bay and three games back of Boston for the wild card. This trip got off to a difficult start when the Yankees lost the first two games in Texas, but they bounced back to earn a split of that four-game set.
Jered Weaver (9-9, 4.37 ERA) makes his second straight start against New York after he allowed six runs over five innings in an 8-2 loss Saturday. The right-hander, who lost for the first time in three career outings against the Yankees, is eager for a rematch.
Pick: LA Angels – View game matchup | Best line -155 SBG Global
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