Friday's MLB Tip Sheet
By Brad Young
There is a full slate of baseball games Friday, while there are just three NHL playoff games and three Arena Football contests. The NBA playoffs tipoff Saturday, meaning you have more time to focus on all the baseball action. Let’s break down some of Friday’s key contests.
**Mets (Santana) at Phillies (Hamels)**
-Caesars Palace installed Philadelphia as a $1.15 home ‘chalk’ over New York, with the total set at eight. This National League East affair is scheduled to start at 7:05 p.m. ET.
-New York’s Johan Santana (1-2, 3.05 ERA) enters this matchup mired in a personal two-game losing skid after falling to Milwaukee Saturday as a $1.45 home favorite, 5-3.
-The Cy Young recipient was reached for five runs (four earned) on six hits (three home runs) with two walks and seven strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings. The combined eight runs toppled the seven-run closing total, helping the ‘over’ improve to 2-1 his three starts.
-Santana, pitching for the Minnesota Twins last year, has not started against the Phillies the past few years.
-Philadelphia pitcher Cole Hamels (2-1, 0.82 ERA) has strung together back-to-back victories after upending Chicago Saturday as a $1.50 home ‘chalk,’ 7-1. The southpaw tossed seven scoreless innings on just one hit with two walks and five strikeouts.
-The combined eight runs failed to eclipse the nine-run closing total, helping the ‘under’ improve to 3-0.
-Hamels went 0-1 against the Mets last year in three starts, allowing a combined nine runs on 21 hits (five home runs) with nine walks and 17 strikeouts over 18 innings. The Phillies prevailed as a $1.10 road underdog, 6-3, while losing as a $1.18 road ‘dog, 11-5, and as a $1.40 home favorite, 5-2. The ‘over’ went 2-1 during those three games.
**Padres (Young) at Diamondbacks (Haren)**
-Caesars Palace opened Arizona as a $1.40 home favorite over San Diego, with the total set at 8½ ‘over’ (minus $1.20). This NL West contest is slated to start at 9:40 p.m. ET.
-San Diego pitcher Chris Young (1-1, 5.17 ERA) was roughed up in Saturday’s setback to Los Angeles as a $1.10 road underdog, 11-1. The 6-foot-10 right-hander surrendered seven runs (six earned) on seven hits (two home runs) with four walks and two strikeouts over just three innings.
-The combined 12 runs went ‘over’ the eight-run closing total, ending back-to-back ‘under’ outings.
-Young went 0-3 against Arizona last year in four starts, going a combined 19 2/3 innings while yielding 17 runs on 14 hits (six home runs) with 11 walks and 20 strikeouts. The Padres lost as a $1.30 road favorite, 7-4, as a $1.42 road ‘chalk,’ 5-4, as a $1.23 road favorite, 9-1, and as a $1.67 home ‘chalk,’ 8-7.
-Arizona’s Danny Haren (2-0, 2.50 ERA) heads to the hill after knocking off Colorado Saturday as a $1.38 home favorite, 10-3. The right-hander was reached for one run on five hits with two walks and seven strikeouts over six innings.
-The combined 13 runs eclipsed the nine-run closing total, enabling the ‘over’ to improve to 3-0 for his three starts.
-Haren, a member of the Oakland Athletics last season, did not start against San Diego last year.
**Indians (Lee) at Twins (Liriano)**
-Caesars Palace lists Cleveland as a $1.15 road ‘chalk’ over Minnesota, with the total set at 8½. This American League Central matchup is scheduled to begin at 7:10 p.m. ET.
-Cleveland’s Cliff Lee (2-0, 0.61 ERA) beat Oakland Sunday as a $1.50 home favorite, 7-1. The former Arkansas Razorback went eight innings, allowing the lone run on just two hits with no walks and eight strikeouts.
-The combined eight runs went below the nine-run closing total, helping the ‘under’ cash in both of his outings.
-Lee, a six-year veteran, did not face the Twins last season.
-Minnesota’s Francisco Liriano (0-1, 7.71 ERA) dropped his lone effort of the year against Kansas City Sunday as a $1.10 road underdog, 5-1. The left-hander lasted just 4 2/3 innings, yielding four runs on six hits with five walks and four strikeouts.
-The combined six runs failed to topple the eight-run closing total.
-Liriano, a three-year veteran, did not start last year against Cleveland.
**Mariners (Dickey) at Angels (Saunders)**
-Caesars Palace installed Los Angeles as a $1.65 home favorite over Seattle, with the total listed at nine ‘over’ (minus $1.15). This AL West game is slated to start at 10:05 p.m. ET.
-Seattle right-hander R.A. Dickey is making his first start of the season. The former Tennessee Vols pitcher did throw an inning of relief against Kansas City Monday, striking out one.
-Dickey, a seven-year veteran, did not start last season against Los Angeles. The 33-year-old missed all of last season while recovering from an injury.
-Los Angeles left-hander Joe Saunders (2-0, 1.27 ERA) upended Seattle Sunday as a $1.28 road ‘chalk,’ 10-5. The Virginia Tech product went 5 1/3 innings, surrendering two runs on six hits with three walks and a strikeout.
-The combined 15 runs soared past the 8 ½-run closing total, helping the ‘over’ cash his last two outings.
-Saunders went 1-1 against the Mariners last year in two starts, tossing a combined 11 2/3 innings while allowing five runs on 16 hits with three walks and four strikeouts. The Angels triumphed as a $1.38 home favorite, 8-4, while losing as a $1.62 home ‘chalk,’ 6-0.
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