MLB Picks: Houston Astros vs. Chicago Cubs Odds: July 19th 2010

Houston Astros vs. Chicago Cubs
MLB Pick: Houston Astros +160 odds
Visit Touthouse.com for more MLB picks from Big Al McMordie

At 8:05 pm, our complimentary selection is on the Houston Astros over the Chicago Cubs. The great Carlos Silva meltdown has officially begun. Silva tried to do his best Carlos Zambrano impression in his last start of the first half when he surrendered six earned runs in just 1 1/3 innings against the Dodgers and got ejected from the game when he argued a close play at first base. The big righthander who shares the same first name with another big righthander for the team - the often-troubled head case Zambrano - was perhaps the unlikeliest success story in the N.L. over the first half of the season, but Silva - who was just 1-3 with an 8.60 ERA last season for Seattle - could be waking up from his dream now and heading back to the reality that he is a below-average starter on a bad team. His ERA rose from 2.96 to 3.45 in that last debacle and the Cubs now just 1-5 in his last six starts. Houston southpaw Wandy Rodriguez lost for the first time in four starts in his last outing of the first half (also on July 11) but he pitched very well, holding the Cardinals to just three earned runs in six innings while striking out six and walking just two. He’s already faced the Cubs at Wrigley this season back on May 18, a game which Houston won 3-2 although Rodriguez did not get the victory in that one. He certainly has a good chance to do that against Silva, who has also been nursing a sore calf. Take the Astros. As always, good luck…Al McMordie.