Detroit Tigers vs. Kansas City Royals
MLB Pick: Over 8.5 -110 odds (September 21st 2011)

Two of the hotter teams in baseball take the field in Kansas City when the Royals host the Tigers. Kansas City has won eight of their last nine games, doing so with offense for the most part. They’ve scored 5 runs or more in six straight games and they’ve pounded out double digit hits in seven straight games. Charged with slowing them down is Max Scherzer who hasn’t done so in both of his outings against them in August. Scherzer allowed 11 runs and 16 hits in just eight innings of work in both of those meetings. He’s 7-5 with a 5.33 ERA in 14 road outings with eight of those games going Over the total. Melky Cabrera (3-11), Jeff Francoeur (5-18), Chris Getz (3-9), Johnny Giavotella (4-5), Alex Gordon (4-10), Eric Hosmer (3-6), Mitch Maier (5-9) and Brayan Pena (2-4) all feast on the Tigers’ starter. Kansas City is hitting almost .370 in their last eight games and they’ve gone Over the total in six straight games.

Felipe Paulino is not in good form right now either. He has allowed 11 runs and 13 hits in his last 17.3 innings of work. Overall, the righty is 3-6 with a 4.28 ERA in 18 starts. He allowed 3 runs and six hits in almost seven innings pitched to the Tigers in August. Detroit’s offense is hitting right around .275 in their last eight games and they are putting up nearly 5 runs per game over that span. They are hitting .295 against the rest of the A.L. Central and they are looking to enter the playoffs on a roll. Kansas City’s bullpen has 24 losses and 19 blown saves so they are susceptible to blowing leads. These two offenses are in such good form that we expect a slugfest between the Tigers and Royals tonight. Check out more of Steve Merril’s MLB picks each day at Touthouse.com

Los Angeles Angels vs. Toronto Blue Jays
MLB Pick: Los Angeles Angels +125 odds (September 20th 2011)

Doc’s Sports COMP Pick: Tuesday September 20th 2011: Take #917 LAA over Toronto (7:05pm est): Time may have run out on the LAA Angels for the 2011 season but I expect them to go down swinging here in this series. They dropped a tough extra innings game last night and should be even more focused for this one knowing their margin of error is even smaller nowadays. The Angels are one of those teams who usually play much better off a loss this season as they have now gone 25-10 their last 35 games after a loss and they have also won seven of their last nine game two’s in a series.

Blue Jays starter Brett Cecil comes into this game off a missed start last time out as he was skipped in the rotation due to having a cut on his finger. This means Cecil hasn’t now pitched in 11 days, which is never easy on a pitcher who is used to going on every fifth day like Cecil is. Cecil has been up and down all season for Toronto, pitching his best ball on the road this year while carrying an ERA over 5.00 at home and going just 1-6 there also. Toronto is also a much better hitting team versus lefties this year, hitting over 20 points higher against southpaws on the season. The Blue Jays face off versus a right-hander here in this one as Angles starter Joel Pineiro takes the hill for LAA tonight.

Nice price on a team in a spot where not only they need a win but are also looking for a little payback from last night’s defeat. Plus the Blue Jays go from a good to a bad hitting team when they go up against a RHP. Take the live dog here in this one. Play the LAA Angels tonight. Get more MLB picks from Doc’s Sports at Touthouse.com.

Texas Rangers vs. Oakland Athletics
MLB Baseball Pick: Texas Rangers -135 odds (September 20th 2011)

The Rangers have what appears to be a safe 5 game lead over the Angels in the AL West, but they have stressed the importance of securing the division before the two teams meet in a three-game series to end the regular season. Texas has won six of their last seven overall and I really like their chances of putting another W on the board against the A’s. Oakland has won just two of their last six overall and are 5-11 against the Rangers in 2011.

Texas has what looks like a clear advantage in starting pitching, as they send out Derek Holland against Rich Harden. Holland is 14-5 with a 4.05 ERA on the season, but is 7-3 with a 3.53 ERA at home and 2-0 with a 1.74 ERA and 0.968 WHIP in his last three starts. Harden is just 4-3 with a 4.77 ERA in 13 starts and has struggled of late with a 5.51 ERA and 1.531 WHIP in his last three starts.

The Rangers 24-7 in their last 31 vs. American League West, 12-3 in their last 15 games as a road favorite of -110 to -150, and 8-2 in Hollands last 10 starts as a favorite. BET THE RANGERS!

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San Diego Padres vs. Colorado Rockies
MLB Prediction: San Diego Padres +105 odds (September 20th 2011)

I’ll continue to fade the Colorado Rockies as they appear to have packed it in. Colorado has lost five straight games, getting outscored 18-43 in the process. These are two teams headed in opposite directions, and two starting pitchers going opposite ways as well.

San Diego has won three of their last four games, including two wins against NL West-leading Arizona. Mat Latos has a 3.00 ERA and a .211 opponent batting average over nine starts since the start of August. Latos allowed two runs and five hits in seven innings of a 7-2 victory over Colorado on September 4th.

Jhoulys Chacin seemed headed for stardom early in the year, going 8-4 through June 21 while compiling a 2.71 ERA. The 23-year-old right-hander has looked like anything but one of the game’s more promising young pitchers since, posting a 3-8 record and 4.98 ERA over his last 14 starts.He allowed a career worst-tying seven runs – four earned – along with nine hits and four walks in 5 2/3 innings of Thursday’s 8-5 loss to San Francisco. His 4.18 walks per nine innings are the most among qualifying major league pitchers.

Troy Tulowitzki and Todd Helton have each missed the last six games for Colorado, while Carlos Gonzalez has been held out of the last four. These are arguably the best three players Colorado has on their roster. Both Tulowitzki and Gonzalez are doubtful to play tonight, while Helton is questionable.

The Rockies are 3-11 in Chacin’s last 14 starts overall, 1-4 in Chacin’s last 5 starts as a home favorite of -110 to -150, and 1-6 in Chacin’s last 7 starts with the total set at 7.0-8.5. The Padres are 9-4 in their last 13 road games vs. a team with a losing home record. Roll with the Padres Tuesday. -Jack Jones (Touthouse.com)