We are beyond the halfway point in the MLB Pool Predictions for Win Column Sports. This means the final two contestants, Len Nunes and myself Joshua Berube, have selected fifteen (15) of the possible available thirty (30) teams. I’m pinch-writing this weekly column for Len this week as he recovers from the devastation of losing six (6!) pool contestants in one fell swoop last week.
Picking three series winners and needing to only get two of them correct to move on is a little more complicated now that we have gone through half the league. May the strongest man survive!
Joshua Berube
Out of the fifteen available match-ups, I am precluded from choosing a victor in the Cubs/Cardinals, Tigers/Royals, Astros/Diamondbacks and Pirates/Brewers games as I have previously chosen them for better or worse. This leaves me only eleven contests.
The Red Sox versus the Rangers is a foregone conclusion, I mean as poorly as the Red Sox usually fair in Arlington Xander Bogaerts, Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez are hitting the cover off the ball and I just can’t pick against my home town team.
Some may say, well, surely you should take the Dodgers over the Padres. Well, Clayton Kershaw pitched on Tuesday night. Ideally, he will likely go Sunday, but do I really want to take a chance on a team who has just lost a series to the Marlins?
It seems a bold move to take the Phillies over the Nationals, or the Indians over the Yankees. It seems like a dicey proposition to pick the A’s over the Orioles. I mean Sean Manaea has been lights out with a 1.03 ERA – You might have heard he pitched a No-No against the Red Sox. Although, the Orioles should miss him… but it still seems like I am taking a chance. I need two of three teams to make it through.
- Well, I have decided to take the Braves over the Giants, as the Giants are 6-8 on the road. And after watching Panda pitch, they used all their Karma for the year.
- My second pick is going to be the Miami Marlins over the Reds. I know I said I need two teams to make it through and I bet on the Reds last week (Um, Pete Rose, I’m looking at you), so this week I flip the card. And besides that, the Reds are 3-11 at home, THREE and ELEVEN! Not to mention, when I see the Marlins and Jeter, I think of the movie Major League where the team sticks it to the GM.
- My final pick of the week is going to be the Dodgers over the Padres. I know, I was on the fence, but it’s the Padres and Kershaw should be good for one of the three wins, essentially leaving it to a coin toss. I pick heads, speaking of heads, will Astro’s Ken Giles punch himself in the face again?
Len Nunes
- Reds over Marlins; Since firing Bryan Price the Reds have gone 4-9. No that’s not awe-inspiring but what exactly inspires someone about the Marlins? Aside from triples, the Reds lead the Marlins in every offensive category. Picked up Scott Schebler for my fantasy team and whenever the opportunity arises to proudly wave the Canadian flag for Joey Votto, I take it.
- Braves over Giants; Speaking of proudly waving the Canadian flag, Sunday should be the Braves starting pitcher Mike Soroka‘s encore to his impressive MLB debut last Tuesday. None of the Giants starting pitchers this weekend are named Madison Bumgarner, Johnny Cueto or Jeff Samardzija so I’m actually pretty confident about this pick.
- Rays over Blue Jays; the Jays are notorious for struggling at Tropicana Field. When the hell else am I suppose to pick the Rays?