2012 MLB Picks: Can Yankees Sweep AL East Leading Orioles?

Oriole Park at Camden Yards will be the site for the finale of a short 2-game series between the (20-15) New York Yankees and the surprising American League East leading (22-14) Baltimore Orioles.

First pitch for tonight’s ballgame is slated for 7:05 PM ET and it’ll be broadcasted live on MY9, MASN and MLB-Network. According to MLB oddsmakers, the Yankees [20/31] will enter this contest as the betting favorites over the Orioles [27/20]. Justifying those odds is perhaps tonight’s pitching matchup.

Although this will be a battle of undefeated pitchers, one has to believe that former Cy Young winner, LHP CC Sabathia (5-0, 3.51 ERA) should have the upper hand on a young, promising rookie, RHP Wei-Yin Chen (3-0, 2.43 ERA).

As a direct result of this pitching matchup, MLB picks specialists have set their OVER/UNDER at a combined total of 8 runs scored tonight. However, when looking at each guy’s ERA, 8 runs would seem like a lot, doesn’t it? In fact, when you take those guy’s earned-run averages, the total doesn’t even reach 6 runs. So why is the O/U so high?

The way this year has gone, it is inevitable that things will start falling back into place in the coming weeks. I mean, who would have predicted that the Los Angeles Dodgers would be the best team in baseball and the Orioles would be leading the AL East almost 40-games into the season? But, don’t worry baseball fans, because order will be restored in the baseball universe.

So what’s going to happen in tonight’s Yanks vs O’s game? Should we expect more strange activity or will the O’s go back to being the O’s and the Yankees the Bronx Bombers?

Despite the fact that, over the years, the pinstripers have been ultra-dependent of scouting reports, thus, making them extremely vulnerable against unknown pitchers, tonight’s game should end in a “W”. The fact that they have CC on the mound, certainly doesn’t hurt their chances. However, I believe the difference maker in this game, from an offensive standpoint will be first baseman, Mark Teixeira.

After spending most of his offseason shedding some extra pounds and getting in better shape, Tex has gotten off to an atrocious start. Batting just .231 with 5 homeruns and 19 RBI, the Annapolis, Maryland native took the first step in the right direction in last night’s 8-5 victory.

Going 2-for-4, Teixeira supplied the difference in the game with a 2-run shot in the seventh. The 4-time Gold Glover got a pitch he could handle, down 1-2, pulling it over the right-field scoreboard in what was the go-ahead score. The Yankees got a huge win after a rough start to the month of May, but a rougher start to No.25’s season.

“Obviously, I haven’t been getting the results I want,” Teixeira said after the game. “I’ve just been battling, and tonight was one of those nights where I got to see some results. It was a big win for us here.”

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