One of the fiercest rivalries in the National League resumes this evening, as the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals meet for the opener of a three-game series at Busch Stadium.
The Cardinals are first in the NL Central with a five-game lead over Cincinnati.Chicago is 13 1/2 games behind in fifth place.
Chi Cubs has been a disappointment of late, losing all but 3 of their past 10 starts. They have been averaging 5 runs per game during this stretch and 8.6 hits per game. Overall, they are 20-32 facing a St. Louis team with a 34-19 record.
The Cubs start Sean Marshall, 3-3, 5.03 ERA. His last trip was a loss, a 2-1 team loss against the Braves, when he threw 6 innings, allowing 2 runs on 7 hits.
Sidney Ponson will shoot for his fifth straight winning decision when he takes the ball for the Cardinals tonight.
Ponson returned from a stint on the disabled list last Saturday in San Diego and earned the victory after yielding two runs in five innings. The Aruba native is 4-0 with a 2.92 ERA this season.
The 29-year-old right-hander is 1-0 with a 3.60 ERA in two career starts against the Cubs. Both of those outings have come this season.
I think St. Louis Cardinals win this game by 2 or more again today.

New York brings a 32-20 overall mark (18-10 in the division) into this game versus a San Francisco team carrying a 27-26 record.
Ageless lefty Tom Glavine rides a six-start win streak into the 11th outing of his renaissance season with the New York Mets when they host the San Francisco Giants tonight in the first of three games at Shea Stadium.
Glavine, who turned 40 in March, hasn't lost since April 24 against the Giants, a game in which he allowed six hits and six runs in 6 1/3 innings. Lifetime against San Francisco, he is 19-15 in 41 starts with a 3.62 earned run average.
The Giants start Matt Cain, 3-5, 5.26 ERA.
I think New York win this game by 2 or more today.

For Sweden this will be the last match to be played before the W.C, the match will be played in Stockolm and I guess that Sweden wants to leave the country with the best morale state possible and so taking a convincent win tonight.
Sweden has one of the more attacking national teams i have seen the last years.
Sweden should play with the best line-up possible: Isaksson; N.Alexandersson, Mellberg, Lucic, Edman; Wlhelmsson, Linderoth, Svensson, Ljungberg; Ibrahimovic, Larsson.
Tonight Sweden seems to have motivations to play well this last home match and Chile is not surely at the same level of Sweden .
I will play the Sweden win this game by 2 or more.

Both teams don't need the win desperatelly,they will just try to see the condition of the players before the start WC. Noone of this teams will want to losse and to feel not conficence before the start.
My bet is draw@3.15 betinternet

The Sabres and Hurricanes return to the RBC Center for Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals for the right to open play for the Cup on Monday at home.
The winner will face the Western Conference-champion Edmonton Oilers, beginning Monday. Tonight's victor will host Game 1.
It's going to be a battle in Game 7, the fourth win game is always the hardest.
My bet is draw in regular time.

Considering Holland's top form is at attack,this match should be a nice test for both teams.
This should be a very entertaining match as 2 of the best teams in the world are going face-to-face a few days before the World Cup.
I see a difficult victory of Holland in second half.
My bet is Draw-Holland
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Holland : Van der Sar; Kromkamp, Boulahrouz, Heitinga and De Cler; Landzaat, Maduro and Sneijder; Van Persie, Kuijt and Babel.
Mexico : O.Sanchez, C.Suarez, R.Marquez , R.Osorio, C.Salcido, G.Pineda, J.Castro, P.Pardo, L.Perez, G.Franco, J.Borgetti

Home team Vaasa VPS have a home record of 1-1-0 (W-D-L) for their 2 home games this season, 4 points from a possible 6.
Away team HJK Helsinki have an away record of 1-0-1 (W-D-L) for their 2 away games this season, 3 points from a possible 6.

The most historical and bigger team of country began bad the this year's season, exists however enough reasons in order to they justify the grading losses until now. For first time by the start of season Helsinki will be paraded complete in the seat of Vaasa and with alone objective the necessary three degrees, so that does not remain also other behind.

Vaasan : Henri Sillanpää, Mathias Kullström, Ville Koskimaa, Tomas Nygård, Joonas Ikäläinen, Jyri Hietaharju, Toni Hahto, Jens Nygård, Jyrki Saranpää, Miika Ekström, Markus Paija
Helsinki: Wallén, I. Aalto, Halsti, Aho, Lampi, Sorsa, Zeneli, Hakanpää, Savolainen, Pohja, Ghazi

Mutual matches Vaasa VPS - HJK Helsinki
Finnish 1st Veikkausliiga 2002
HJK Helsinki Vaasa VPS 2:0 HJK Helsinki
Vaasa VPS HJK Helsinki 0:2 HJK Helsinki
Finnish 1st Veikkausliiga 2001
Vaasa VPS HJK Helsinki 0:2 HJK Helsinki
HJK Helsinki Vaasa VPS 2:0 HJK Helsinki
Vaasa VPS HJK Helsinki 0:4 HJK Helsinki
Finnish 1st Veikkausliiga 2000
HJK Helsinki Vaasa VPS 3:0 HJK Helsinki
Vaasa VPS HJK Helsinki 1:2 HJK Helsinki
HJK Helsinki Vaasa VPS 2:1 HJK Helsinki
Finnish 1st Veikkausliiga 1999
Vaasa VPS HJK Helsinki 0:1 HJK Helsinki
HJK Helsinki Vaasa VPS 3:0 HJK Helsinki

I see a difficult victory of Helsinki

Home team Vaasa VPS have a home record of 1-1-0 (W-D-L) for their 2 home games this season, 4 points from a possible 6.
Away team HJK Helsinki have an away record of 1-0-1 (W-D-L) for their 2 away games this season, 3 points from a possible 6.

The most historical and bigger team of country began bad the this year's season, exists however enough reasons in order to they justify the grading losses until now. For first time by the start of season Helsinki will be paraded complete in the seat of Vaasa and with alone objective the necessary three degrees, so that does not remain also other behind.

Vaasan : Henri Sillanpää, Mathias Kullström, Ville Koskimaa, Tomas Nygård, Joonas Ikäläinen, Jyri Hietaharju, Toni Hahto, Jens Nygård, Jyrki Saranpää, Miika Ekström, Markus Paija
Helsinki: Wallén, I. Aalto, Halsti, Aho, Lampi, Sorsa, Zeneli, Hakanpää, Savolainen, Pohja, Ghazi


Mutual matches Vaasa VPS - HJK Helsinki
Finnish 1st Veikkausliiga 2002
HJK Helsinki Vaasa VPS 2:0 HJK Helsinki
Vaasa VPS HJK Helsinki 0:2 HJK Helsinki
Finnish 1st Veikkausliiga 2001
Vaasa VPS HJK Helsinki 0:2 HJK Helsinki
HJK Helsinki Vaasa VPS 2:0 HJK Helsinki
Vaasa VPS HJK Helsinki 0:4 HJK Helsinki
Finnish 1st Veikkausliiga 2000
HJK Helsinki Vaasa VPS 3:0 HJK Helsinki
Vaasa VPS HJK Helsinki 1:2 HJK Helsinki
HJK Helsinki Vaasa VPS 2:1 HJK Helsinki
Finnish 1st Veikkausliiga 1999
Vaasa VPS HJK Helsinki 0:1 HJK Helsinki
HJK Helsinki Vaasa VPS 3:0 HJK Helsinki

I see a difficult victory of Helsinki in second half.

Draw - HJK Helsinki @4.50 betinternet

KANSAS CITY ROYALS (10-33)- DETROIT TIGERS (31-14)
Starting Pitchers: Kansas City - Jimmy Gobble (0-0, 5.14) Detroit - Jeremy Bonderman (4-3, 4.66)
The Kansas City Royals try to avoid their longest losing streak of the season tonight as they again take on the powerful Detroit Tigers in the third of a four-game set at Kauffman Stadium.
Detroit dealt the Royals their 11th straight loss with an 8-5 decision on Tuesday. This marks the second time this season Kansas City has dropped 11 in a row, with the first stretch coming between April 9-21.
The Royals, who are a woeful 10-33 on the season, still have a ways to go towards matching the franchise mark of 19 consecutive defeats set last summer.
Kansas City's overall mark after 43 games is the fourth-worst in baseball since 1950, trailing only the 1988 Orioles (8-34), 1952 Pirates (9-33) and 2003 Tigers (9-33).

My bet is Kansas +1.5

CHICAGO WHITE SOX (30-15)-OAKLAND ATHLETICS (22-23)
Starting Pitchers:Chicago - Mark Buehrle (5-2, 2.92) Oakland - Dan Haren (4-3, 4.70)
The Chicago White Sox will attempt to record their first sweep of the Oakland Athletics in nine years when the teams wrap up a three- game series tonight at U.S. Cellular Field.
The defending world champions posted their second straight win over the struggling A's with a 9-3 decision on Tuesday. Jim Thome led Chicago's potent offense with three hits, including a home run, two RBI and three runs scored.
Chicago last took three in a row against the A's from May 16-18, 1997. Oakland has owned the White Sox in recent years, racking up 34 wins in 45 meetings since 2001 prior to this series.
Buehrle has won each of his last two starts and is coming off a complete-game gem against the Cubs on Friday. He allowed just one unearned run and two hits.

I think Chicago White Sox win this game by 2 or more

LOS ANGELES DODGERS (25-20)- COLORADO ROCKIES (25-20)
Starting Pitchers: Los Angeles - Brad Penny (4-1, 2.53) Colorado - Jason Jennings (2-4, 4.94)

Brad Penny will try to keep the Los Angeles Dodgers rolling tonight when they resume a three-game NL West series against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium.
Penny will make his 10th start of the season and has won his last two starts, including a May 17 outing versus the Rockies. Penny limited the Rockies to a run and six hits over six innings.
The hard-throwing right-hander has faced the Rockies 11 times through the course of his career, and owns a 6-2 mark against them with a 2.69 earned run average in 70 1/3 innings.
He is 4-1 with a 2.53 earned run average this season.
The Dodgers are now tied with Colorado for second place in the NL West, just a half game behind the Arizona Diamondbacks. LA, which is 4-0 on the six-game homestand, has a 14-10 record as the host this season.
Los Angeles took two of three games at Colorado from May 15-17 this season.
win again.
My pick is the Los Angeles Dodgers win again.