Best under bets in baseball
By Alex Smart
Los Angeles Angels (16-14-1 over/under, 0-5 o/u last five)
Not only have the Halos played five straight games without reaching the total, but seven of their last eight games have stayed under. Save a 13-run outburst by Toronto May 6, Anaheim has held its last nine opponents to an average of just 2.25 runs per game. It has only gone past four runs in four of those nine games as well.
Starting pitcher Joe Saunders has been particularly effective. He out-worked Kansas City ace Zack Greinke for a 1-0 victory in his last outing. He also hasn’t given up more than two earned runs in four of his last five starts. The pitching stats still aren’t fantastic this season (4.62 team ERA, 19th in MLB), but without a doubt, the Angels are getting closer to the team that won 100 games a year ago.
Detroit Tigers (12-17-2 over/under, 0-5 o/u in last five)
Much like the Angels, the Tigers are starting to play much better baseball, and it’s because of their pitching. In a span of four days late last week, Detroit pitched two shutouts against Cleveland and one against Minnesota. Under bettors are a perfect 6-0 in Detroit’s last six games and are also 0-7-1 over/under in its last eight contests.
The offseason acquisition of starter Edwin Jackson from the Rays is paying immediate dividends. Jackson has a 2.60 ERA and 1.04 WHIP. He’s alternated decent starts and absolutely awesome showing this season. He has pitched four games this year in which he has given up a total of one earned run, but in his other three outings, he’s given up 12 ERs. He could be the perfect complement to Justin Verlander and Armando Galarraga in the Tigers’ rotation.
Toronto Blue Jays (20-15 over/under, 1-4 o/u in last five)
Are the Blue Jays the best team in baseball? Offensively speaking, there’s no doubt. Toronto ranks first in both runs per game (5.97) and team batting average (.293), while boasting a team OPS of .827 (3rd) and a total of 45 home runs (3rd). Those numbers would normally lead to plenty of high scores, but the Jays’ pitching has been lights out in recent games.
Pitchers Roy Halladay and Brett Cecil combined to throw 17.0 innings and allow only one run over the last two days. And rookie starter Scott Richmond has gone 4-1 in six starts with a 3.29 ERA. This team doesn’t have the name players like Boston and New York, nor does it appear to have the grit and determination of last season’s Rays. But it plays fundamental baseball and will clearly be in the AL East race for the duration.
Other notables:
Kansas City Royals (14-19 over/under, 1-4 o/u in last five)
Texas Rangers (15-15-2 over/under, 1-4 o/u in last five)