National League
Phillies @ Nationals
Hellickson is 0-2, 3.32 in his last three starts; five of his last six starts stayed under.
Strasburg is 3-0, 2.63 in his last four starts; his last nine starts went over.
Phillies lost 14 of last 19 games; over is 5-2 in their last seven road games. Phils are 3-6 in road series openers. Washington won three of last four games; they're 5-3 in home series openers. Over is 5-2 in their last seven home games.
Cardinals @ Pirates
Wacha is 1-6, 7.16 in his last eight starts; his last six starts went over total.
Cole is 0-1, 3.50 in his last three starts; over is 7-3 in his last ten starts.
Cardinals won four of last five games; they're 3-6 in road series openers. Four of their last five games went over. Pittsburgh lost nine of last 13 games; they flew to Denver and back for one game Thursday. Pirates are 6-4 in home series openers; over is 8-2 in their last ten home games.
Cubs @ Braves
Hammel is 2-0, 1.65 in his last three starts; over is 4-2-1 in his last seven.
Norris is 0-3, 10.45 in his last three starts; four of his last five went over.
Cubs won 12 of last 15 games; they're 7-2 in road series openers. Four of their last five road games went over. Atlanta lost six of last seven games; they're 3-7 in home series openers. Five of their last seven games stayed under.
Mets @ Brewers
Harvey is 1-1, 0.64 in his last two starts; six of his last eight starts stayed under.
Guerra is 3-1, 2.97 in his last five starts (under 3-1-1).
Mets are 5-3 in last eight road games,; four of their last five games stayed under total. Milwaukee won five of its last eight games; over is 5-3 in its last eight home games.
Padres @ Rockies
Cashner is 1-3, 5.09 in his last four starts; four of his last six went over.
Gray is 3-0, 3.10 in his last three starts; his last four starts went over.
Padres lost eight of last nine road games; they're 5-4 in road series openers. Six of last seven San Diego road games went over. Colorado won four of its last five home games; they're 4-5 in home series openers. Six of their last seven home games went over.
Marlins @ Diamondbacks
Nicolino is 0-3, 5.34 in his last six starts; five of his last seven went over.
Corbin is 1-2, 7.88 in his last three starts; three of his last four went over.
Marlins lost four of last six games; they're 6-3 in road series openers. Last five Miami road games went over. Arizona lost 15 of last 21 home games; they're 2-8 in home series openers. Seven of last eight Arizona home games went over.
Dodgers @ Giants
Kershaw is 6-0, 0.81 in his last seven starts; under is 4-0-1 in his last five.
Cueto is 5-0, 1.19 in his last six starts (under 5-1).
Dodgers lost eight of last 12 road games; they're 2-8 in road series openers. Eight of last ten LA games stayed under total. San Francisco won six of last seven home games; they're 4-5 in home series openers. Under is 4-1-1 in their last six home games.
American League
Tigers @ New York
Pelfrey is 1-1, 5.54 in his last seven starts (over 5-1-1). .
Sabathia is 2-2, 1.45 in his last five starts (five of last six under).
Bronx won five of last six games, 5-4 in home series openers; over is 8-4-2 in their last 14 home games. Tigers won five of its last six games; they're 4-6 in road series openers. Over is 7-3 in their road series openers.
Orioles @ Blue Jays
Gausman is 0-2, 5.29 in his last three starts; six of his last seven stayed under.
Estrada is 3-0, 2.03 in his last four starts (under 9-2).
Toronto lost three of last four games; under is 7-3-1 in their last 11. Baltimore won eight of its last nine games; its last four road games went over.
Astros @ Rays
McCullers is 3-0, 4.76 in his last three starts; three of his last four stayed under.
Andriese is 4-0, 2.97 in his six starts (under 3-2-1).
Astros lost three of their last four games, with last three staying under. Houston is 3-7 in road series openers. Tampa Bay won five of its last six games; they're 2-7 in home series openers. Seven of Rays' last nine games went over the total.
Red Sox @ Twins
Wright is 3-0, 3.43 in his last three starts (over 3-1-1 in his last five).
Duffey is 1-2, 7.94 in his last four starts, which all went over.
Red Sox lost five of last seven games; under is 3-1-1 in their last five. Boston is 6-4 in road series openers. Minnesota lost seven of last ten games; they're 5-5 in home series openers. Nine of Twins' last ten home games went over the total.
Royals @ White Sox
Kennedy is 0-2, 5.60 in his last five starts (under 6-2-3).
Sale is 0-2, 6.48 in his last three starts; seven of his last eight went over.
Royals lost last eight road games; they're 3-7 in road series openers. Under is 4-1-1 in KC's last six games. Chicago is 7-20 in its last 27 games, 4-5 in home series openers. Under is 8-4 in White Sox' last 12 home games.
Indians @ Angels
Kluber is 3-1, 3.29 in his last four starts (under 7-3-1 in his last 11). .
Santiago is 0-1, 10.91 in his last four starts; six of his last seven went over.
Indians won seven of last nine games; they're 5-5 in road series openers. Under is 4-0-1 in their last five road games. Angels lost their last four games, are 5-5 in home series openers; four of their last five home games stayed under.
Rangers @ Mariners
Holland is 2-0, 2.07 in his last two starts; three of his last four stayed under.
Iwakuma is 3-1, 4.33 in his last four starts; four of his last five went over.
Rangers are 15-4 in their last 19 games, 5-3 in road series openers; four of their last five road games stayed under. Seattle won four of last six home games, is 4-6 in home series openers- over is 11-4-1 in its last 16 games overall.
Interleague
A's @ Reds
Gray is 0-4, 10.12 in his last six starts; seven of his last eight went over.
DeSclafani is making his first '16 start; he is 11-15, 4.38 in 36 major league starts, 0-1, 4.50 in five rehab starts in minors this year.
A's lost their last seven road games; they're 6-4 in road series openers. Over is 13-5-1 in their last 19 road games. Cincinnati is 6-4 in its last 10 games, 5-6 in home series openers- their last five home games went over the total.
Teams won-lost records when this pitcher starts:
Phil-Wsh-- Hellickson 6-6; Strasburg 11-1
StL-Pitt-- Wacha 5-7; Cole 6-5
Chi-Atl-- Hammel 9-2; Norris 1-5
NY-Mil-- Harvey 4-8; Guerra 6-1
SD-Col-- Cashner 5-5; Gray 5-4
Mia-Az-- Nicolino 3-5; Corbin 5-7
LA-SF-- Kershaw 11-1; Cueto 11-1
Det-NY-- Pelfrey 4-7; Sabathia 4-5
Balt-Tor-- Gausman 4-5; Estrada 6-5
Hst-TB-- McCullers 4-1; Andriese 4-2
Bos-Minn-- Wright 6-5; Duffey 2-6
KC-Chi-- Kennedy 7-4; Sale 9-3
Clev-LAA-- Kluber 5-7; Santiago 8-4
Tex-Sea-- Holland 6-5; Iwakuma 6-6
A's-Cin-- Gray 4-6; DeSclafani 0-0
Starting pitchers allowing 1+ runs in first inning:
Phil-Wsh-- Hellickson 5-12; Strasburg 3-12
StL-Pitt-- Wacha 5-12; Cole 3-11
Chi-Atl-- Hammel 2-11; Norris 2-6
NY-Mil-- Harvey 3-12; Guerra 2-7
SD-Col-- Cashner 3-10; Gray 4-9
Mia-Az-- Nicolino 2-8; Corbin 6-12
LA-SF-- Kershaw 1-12; Cueto 3-12
Det-NY-- Pelfrey 6-11; Sabathia 0-9
Balt-Tor-- Gausman 4-9; Estrada 3-11
Hst-TB-- McCullers 2-5; Andriese 2-6
Bos-Minn-- Wright 5-11; Duffey 2-8
KC-Chi-- Kennedy 3-11; Sale 3-12
Clev-LAA-- Kluber 2-12; Santiago 7-12
Tex-Sea-- Holland 2-11; Iwakuma 2-12
A's-Cin-- Gray 2-10; DeSclafani 0-0
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MLB: Streak, Tips, Notes
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Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco Giants
The eyes of most baseball fans, as well as those focused on baseball betting, will be on the late Friday night matchup between host San Francisco Giants and visiting Los Angeles Dodgers in what should be a pitchers duel.
The duel in question will be between Johnny Cueto bringing a 9-1 record, 2.16 ERA, 11-1 teams start record (4-8 O/U) to the hill. Clayton Kershaw carries an 8-1 mark, 1.46 ERA and like Cueto an 11-1 team start record on the year (3-8-1 O/U).
In his last outing, Cueto handcuffed Cardinals over six innings surrendering 4 hit, 1 run picking up a 5th straight victory and eight consecutive Giant win when he touches toe to rubber (2-6 O/U). Cueto has faced Dodgers twice this season picking up a 'W' in both contest (1-1 O/U). Meanwhile, Kershaw is off a 6th straight win in seven starts (0-6-1 O/U) and has won twice vs Giants this campaign (1-1 O/U).
The presence of tonight’s starters oddsmakers have noted the possibility of a low-scoring affair setting the total at 5.5 to 6.0 depending on locale. While some may be scared off at the low totals number, that usually is a sign to jump in as teams are 3-6 O/U this season when the run total is 6.0 or lower.
Cueto showing he can keep the score low allowing 2 or fewer runs in 6 straight starts has resulted in 5 'Under', 1 'Over'. Kershaw obviously able to limit runs has surrendered 2 or fewer in seven straight starts cashing 6 'Under', 1 'Push'. Additionally, in 15 Kershaw starts in San Francisco the 'Under' has cashed 12 times, with 2 'Over', 1 'Push'.
Dodgers visit Giants
By Sportsbook.ag
LOS ANGELES DODGERS (32-29) at SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS (36-25)
Sportsbook.ag Line: Los Angeles -160, San Francisco +150, Total: 5.5
Two of the National League’s best pitchers will be facing off when Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers go to San Francisco to face Johnny Cueto and the Giants.
The Dodgers are coming into the series winning four of the last six games and are looking to make up ground in the division, only being four games behind their opponent tonight in the NL West. Los Angeles is coming off a loss where they were shutout and held to four hits versus the Rockies.
The Giants, meanwhile, are starting to slide at the top of the division, losing three of the last four games. They are coming off a game where they beat the Red Sox 2-1 to split their two-game series.
The Dodgers and Giants have faced off against each other seven times this season where the Dodgers are winning the matchup 4-3. The Giants, however, have got the best of L.A. over the past three years at home, going 14-9 at AT&T Park.
Tonight will be one of the marquee pitching matchups of the year, as San Francisco throws RHP Johnny Cueto (9-1, 2.16 ERA, 73 K) on the mound versus Los Angeles’ LHP Clayton Kershaw (8-1, 1.46 ERA, 109 K). It’s worth noting that throughout the season when these pitchers have been on the mound their games have gone 16-7 in favor of the UNDER, not surprising since these two pitchers have been amongst the top starters in the league all year.
In order for the Dodgers to win they need Kershaw to be just as dominate as he’s been all year. He is leading the entire league in ERA and is tied for second in wins with nine. He has been so good all year that the Dodgers have only lost one game where he made a start. The most impressive aspect of Kershaw’s year was his incredible month of May, where he went 5-0 with three complete-game shutouts. Kershaw has thrown two games against the Giants where he recorded one win, but the Dodgers were still able to win both games. He has also pitched great in his career at AT&T Park going 9-3 with a 1.23 ERA.
The Dodgers are getting a breakout year from their 22-year-old SS Corey Seager (.283, 14 HR, 35 RBI). He has been on a tear over the last seven days, hitting .389 with five homers and seven RBI. He’s leading the team in BA, homers, RBI, and hits (66). It will also be interesting to see how manger Dave Roberts uses C Yasmani Grandal (.195, 5 HR, 19 RBI) tonight, as he is hitting .375 against Cueto in his career.
Even though Johnny Cueto is not the Giants’ official number one starter, he has been pitching like an ace all season. He has nine wins on the year and that ties him for the most in the MLB. He couldn’t be hotter when he starts at home, not allowing a single run in his past three starts at AT&T Park. San Francisco has supported Cueto with the bats as well, only losing one game where he made the start all year. In his last game, he faced St. Louis and pitched six innings of one-run ball to pick up another win. In his two starts against the Dodgers, he won both games allowing a combined seven runs. Kershaw has dominated the Giants’ players in their careers, as they are hitting a combined .165 versus Los Angeles’ ace at the plate.
They will be happy that C Buster Posey (.257, 8 HR, 26 RBI) is expected to be back in the lineup after taking a week off to heal a thumb injury. San Francisco will also be looking to their best hitter RF Hunter Pence (.298, 7 HR, 36 RBI) to have a big game. He has, however, struggled against Kershaw in his career, hitting a lousy .098 versus the lefty.
MLB Betting Cheat Sheet
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Flying High
I often like to start this bi-weekly column by pointing out who is the current “hottest” team. On Monday, it was Cleveland, but they cooled down a bit, only splitting four games with Seattle. Now the honor is bestowed upon Baltimore, who has won five straight. Though they took the series opener Thursday night in Toronto, I still believe this weekend might be a good time to “sell high” on the Birds. This is because no team in all of baseball has played fewer road games than the Orioles’ (24) and they’re only .500 away from Camden Yards. The Blue Jay have been a bit “unlucky” this year as they have the most one-run losses in the American League (12) and are just 2-5 in games that have gone to extra innings.
Something’s Gotta Give
Over Memorial Day Weekend, the Royals swept a three-game series from the White Sox. That’s part of a much larger “downward spiral” for the team from the Southside of Chicago, who has now lost 18 of 24 overall. But the Kansas City team they’ll welcome in this weekend is in no better shape, having been swept in back to back series (by Cleveland and Baltimore) and losing seven in a row overall. Despite still being a game over .500, the Royals have actually been outscored by 24 runs this year. Even worse news for KC is that an offense which has scored 1 or 0 runs in six straight games will have to face Chris Sale in Friday’s series opener. Might this be the spot that Sale and the White Sox get back on track?
Two Outta Three Ain’t Bad
The Rockies and Padres meet for the fourth time this season, in Coors Field. In each of the three previous series, San Diego has taken two out of the three games. But, overall, Colorado has had the better season when you look at the respective run differentials. The Rockies have only been outscored by eight runs over the course of the season while the Padres are -47 (sixth worst in all of baseball). I wouldn’t be surprised to see the home team win this weekend series.
Pitching Notes
The Nationals had been 11-0 in Stephen Strasburg starts this year before taking a surprising 6-3 loss at Cincinnati last Saturday. Strasburg himself did not factor into the decision, though he was charged with three runs in 5 1/3 innings pitched (did have 10 K’s). He’s a good bet to bounce back Friday at home vs. Philadelphia, whom he’s somehow yet to face in 2016. These two NL East rivals have played three series against one another with the road team coming out on top in eight of the nine games. The Phillies actually swept a three-game series here in D.C. back in April. But they’ve lost 10 of their last 13 overall and I wouldn’t be surprised if they were swept this weekend.
The Indians Corey Kluber is fifth in the American League in WHIP (1.079) despite a 5-7 team start record. This isn’t the first time this year that I’ve made the case that you can start to look for better results from him and finally we’re starting to see some real signs. Last time out, the former Cy Young winner delivered six scoreless innings of two-hit ball against the Royals. On Friday, he faces an Angels club on a four-game losing streak that’s starting a pitcher (Hector Santiago) who has a 9.69 ERA and 1.692 WHIP his last three starts.
Hitting Notes
Look out for San Diego’s Wil Myers. He just hit five home runs during the team’s eight-game home stand and now heads to the most hitter-friendly park in all of baseball (Coors Field). Over the last five games, Myers is hitting .471 with four doubles and has a 1.502 OPS.
Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina had been mired in an atrocious 1 for 39 slump at the plate before breaking out the last four games. He went 3 for 4 in Thursday’s win at Cincinnati, including the game winning single.
Totals Trend
We have a 5.5 run total Friday night in San Francisco as Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers come calling. The Giants counter with Johnny Cueto, who shares an 11-1 team start record with Kershaw. The Under is a combined 16-7-1 when these two take the hill and here are their respective numbers over their last three starts: Kershaw (0.79 ERA, 0.485 WHIP), Cueto (0.43 ERA, 0.905 WHIP).