Jeff Benton
Your Saturday freebie is the Giants and Yankees to stay Under the total on a hot day in the Bronx.
It will be Jeff Samardzija and Ivan Nova to the hill, and while Samardzija has had some recent struggles, this looks like a good spot for the big righty to regain his form. After last night's Under, the Yankees have now held Under the posted total in 8 straight.
New York starter Ivan Nova is fresh off a solid 6 inning stint in which he allowed just 1 run to score, and the Under is 2-0-1 his last 3 starts for the Yankees.
With the weather in the 90's, and the humidity up, have a feeling their will be some slow and tired bats at the plate after a night game last night.
Giants-Yankees hold Low.
2* SAN FRANCISCO-N.Y. YANKEES UNDER
Marc Lawrence
Tampa Bay at Oakland
Play: Oakland
A’s: Kendall Graveman 7-0 with 2.64 ERA and 1.15 WHIP last 7 overall team starts, including 3-0 this month, and 1-0 with 0.00 ERA in only home career team start in this series. Rays” Drew Smyly 0-5 last 5 team starts during July, and 1-5 team starts vs A.L. West this season. With Graveman owning a 2.91 ERA at home as opposed to a 5.25 ERA away this season, and Smyly sporting a 7.09 ERA with a 1.65 WHIP in his last 7 overall starts.
Wunderdog
Los Angeles @ St. Louis
Pick: St. Louis +120
St. Louis has won five straight after last night's 4-3, 16-inning win over Los Angeles as Matt Adams hit a walk-off home run. Mike Leake takes the mound tonight and he has won his last two starts, allowing only two runs in 13 innings against the Brewers and Padres while striking out 21 batters. Leake gave up one run in six innings against the Dodgers earlier this season and he has a 2.79 against them the last three years. Kenta Maeda did not last five innings in a 6-5 loss at Arizona on Sunday as he allowed five runs and seven hits in just 4 1/3 innings. St. Louis has won 19 of its last 26 games against right-handed starters and nine of their last 13 meetings with the Dodgers overall. The wrong team is favored here, so play the Cardinals.
Bruce Marshall
Oakland -105
We've been zigging and zagging the wrong way in this matchup the past two nights but things we might get it right on Saturday. That';s because Oakland has amazingly won in the last seven starts made by Kendall Graveman,who has allowed 2 runs or fewer in six of his last seven starts. Struggling Rays starter Drew Smyly has an 8.13 ERA in his last five starts.