Big Al McMordie Sports Picks & Handicapper Review

At 7:10 pm, in Game 1 of the double-header, our selection is on the San Diego Padres over San Francisco.  The Padres will hand the ball to RHP Dinelson Lamet tonight, while the Giants will start southpaw Tyler Anderson (3-3, 4.53 ERA).  Lamet's been consistently brilliant this season.  He's made 11 starts, and has a 2.07 ERA and 0.87 WHIP.  And, most importantly, the Padres win when he starts, as they've won his last six outings, and nine of his 11 this season.  In those 11 starts, he's given up 1 earned run or less in eight of them, while he gave up 2 runs once, and 3 runs twice.  He's in great form, as he has had 32 strikeouts against just four walks and 11 hits in his last three games (20 2/3 innings), for an 0.87 ERA, 0.72 WHIP and 8:1 K/BB ratio.  And his numbers have been solid against the Giants, as he has a career 2.70 ERA vs. SF.  Meanwhile, Tyler Anderson's teams have won just 12 of his 39 starts vs. division rivals.  Take San Diego.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Dallas Stars.  As if the Lightning's fortunes couldn't get any better, they got captain Steven Stamkos back on the ice for the first time in seven months and as if that wasn't enough, Stamkos scored on his first shot of the game.  But it would also be his only shot as Stamkos didn't play in the final seven minutes of the first period and then didn't play the rest of the game, having apparently re-aggravated his injury.  But it didn't matter much as the rest of the Bolts players stepped up in his absence and Tampa cruised to a 5-2 victory to take a 2-1 series lead heading into tonight's crucial Game 4.  It was Tampa's most complete game of the series as the Bolts out-shot the Stars by 32-24 and out-played them on both ends of the ice, knocking Dallas goalie Anton Khudobin out after two periods.  It's unclear whether Stamkos will suit up tonight, but the truth is that it may not matter if the Bolts continue to play like they have.  Tampa is 46-21 in its last 67 after a win by more than two goals, while Dallas is 8-12 this season off back to back losses.  Take the Bolts.  As always good luck...Al McMordie.