Free MLB Baseball Betting Picks: July 21st 2009: ATS Consultants

Below are Free MLB Picks for July 21st from ATS Consultants. Do you want to receive more free expert MLB predictions on a daily basis, be sure to sign-up for the ATS Consultants Newsletter.

Boston Red Sox-155 over Texas Rangers:
Two teams fighting for the playoffs battle tonight in the second of a three game series in Arlington. Texas won game one last night with Kevin Milwood outpitching John Smoltz as the Rangers doubled up the Red Sox 6-3. Tonight the Sox will counter with their ace, Josh Beckett (11-3, 3.35). Beckett has been downright nasty of late, and is a leading candidate for the American League Cy Young award along with Roy Halladay, Zack Greinke, and Justin Verlander. Beckett is 4-0 in his last 5 starts with a ridiculous 1.63 ERA. Look for more of the same tonight as Beckett pitches in his home state. Texas sends rookie righty Tommy Hunter to the hill tonight. Hunter (1-1, 2.35) has pitched really well in his 4 starts since being called up, keeping his team in the game each time. The problem tonight could be the bullpen. Hunter hasn’t gone more than 6 innings yet this season, and the Rangers placed closer Frank Francisco on the DL yesterday, so everyone in the pen has moved up a spot, hurting the depth out there just a bit. Gotta like the Red Sox to even the series tonight at the Ballpark in Arlington.

OVER 10 LA Angels/Kansas City Royals: Specify Game 1 of doubleheader:
Let’s play 2 today at Kaufmann Stadium as the Royals host the Angels in a doubleheader to make up for last night’s rainout. We’ll focus here on Game 1 between Sidney Ponson and Ervin Santana. Santana comes into this game with a 2-5 record and a 6.70 ERA. Certainly a far cry from last years breakout season when he was 16-7 with a 3.49 ERA and made the All Star team. Granted he’s been hurt a lot this year, but the Angels are going to need him if they’re to make a serious run at the pennant. The playoffs will go through Boston and New York and they’ll need another pitcher to step up. Ponson’s numbers (1-5, 7.27) really speak for themself, but we’ll try to put things in perspective for you. In 43 innings pitched this year, he’s allowed 58 hits, 37 runs, walked 17, and struck out only 24. Awful, simply awful on every possible level. Somehow he still gets jobs, but it seems he’s been washed up for quite some time.

ATS Consultants is a featured sports handicapping firm on Touthouse.com