Te la do io l'America

Tonight National League predictions, written by Olivier:
*number 1 indicates road team win, number two home team win with respective pecentage to win the match.Pirates (Karstens) @ Nationals (Strasburg) 2 80%
The anticipation is nearly over. The 21-year-old with the fastball that approaches 100 mph and the curve that freezes batters is about to take
the mound in the nation's capital. Stephen Strasburg is set to make his Washington debut Tuesday night. Standing room only tickets went on sale Monday, all part of a rare Nationals Park sellout. It was almost cruel to watch Strasburg overwhelm hitters in Double-A and Triple-A. His combined stats: 7-2 with a 1.30 ERA with 65 strikeouts and only 13 walks in 55 1/3 innings.

Marlins (Volstad) @ Phillies (Kendrick) 2 60%
The Florida Marlins are ready to see what power-hitting phenom Mike Stanton can do in the big leagues. Marlins starter Volstad is 0-4 with a 4.03 ERA over his last five outings. Volstad is 2-0 with a 2.30 ERA in three career starts at Citizens Bank Park. Phillies starter Kyle Kendrick has been solid, going 3-1 with a 2.79 ERA in his last six outings. Kendrick outdueled Volstad by yielding two unearned runs over six innings at Florida on May 28 to earn the victory. The right-hander improved to 3-2 with a 5.12 ERA in six starts against the Marlins.

Giants (Cain) @ Reds (LeCure) 1 55%
Cain has allowed one earned run in 25 innings over his last three outings, lasting at least eight innings in each. The hard-throwing right-hander seeks his third straight victory. Cain is 2-3 with a 3.96 ERA in six starts against Cincinnati, though he fared well in his last trip to Great American Ball Park. Reds will turn to rookie Sam LeCure as they try to avoid dropping three straight at home for the first time in 2010.

Padres (Richard) @ Mets (Pelfrey) 2 60%
Pelfrey looks to continue his stellar season with a fifth straight win and second in eight days. Pelfrey ranks near the top of the majors in wins and ERA. He's allowed four runs and struck out 21 in 28 2/3 innings while winning his last four starts. Pelfrey improved 2-0 with a 3.16 ERA in four career starts against the Padres. Richard is 1-0 with a 3.09 ERA in two starts against the Mets. San Diego tries for a third straight victory.

Cubs (Lilly) @ Brewers (Gallardo) 2 55%
Lilly goes for his first win since his season debut. Last Tuesday, Lilly lost his fifth straight decision. He has a 1.47 ERA in winning his last three starts against the Brewers. Gallardo searches for his seventh consecutive victory Tuesday night in the opener of a three-game series. He is 6-0 with a 1.86 ERA since losing at Pittsburgh on April 21. It's the longest win streak by a Brewers pitcher since Sabathia's 9-0 run in 2008. Gallardo won his only home start against the Cubs on May 9, 2009.

Astros (Moehler) @ Rockies (Francis) 2 65%
Francis went 1-0 with 0.68 ERA in his first two starts. However, he's allowed nine runs over 11 innings while losing his last two outings. He has a 2.21 ERA but a 1-2 record in three starts against Houston. Moehler, who began the season in the bullpen, allowed eight runs in 2 2/3 innings of a 12-2 loss at Cincinnati in his first start. He pitched better Thursday, giving up two runs in 5 2/3 innings of a 6-4 win over Washington, though he didn't get a decision. The right-hander is 0-2 with a 6.85 ERA in four career starts against the Rockies.

Braves (Medlen) @ Diamondbacks (Jackson) 2 55%
After going 1-5 with a 7.43 ERA through eight starts, Jackson is 2-1 with a 2.27 ERA over his last four, lasting at least seven innings in each. While Jackson has been going deep into games recently, the Braves' Kris Medlen is coming off the longest start of his young career. The right-hander pitched seven scoreless innings Thursday against Los Angeles. Impressive was Medlen's previous start in Arizona. He gave up one run and four hits over six innings while striking out nine.

Cardinals (Carpenter) @ Dodgers (Kuroda) 1 60%
Carpenter will try to improve to 6-0 in the regular season against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The St. Louis right-hander won his second straight outing overall Wednesday and defeated Cincinnati for the eight consecutive time. Carpenter has been quite tough on the Dodgers, going 5-0 with a 2.20 ERA in six career regular-season meetings, including 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA in two starts versus Los Angeles last year. Carpenter is 9-0 with a 2.42 ERA in his last 14 regular-season road starts. Los Angeles starter Kuroda has dropped three straight starts for the first time in his career, posting a 6.19 ERA in that span. Kuroda has faced the Cardinals once, allowing two runs in six innings.