Baseball Information
National League
Diamondbacks @ Pirates
Hellickson is 0-3, 10.39 in his last four road starts; his last three starts overall went over the total.
Cole is 1-2, 5.51 in his last three starts; four of his lst five stayed under.
Pittsburgh won eight of last ten games (over 7-2-1). Pirates won five of last six games with Arizona; under is 3-0-1 in last four. D'backs lost three of last four games; four of their last six went over.
Marlins @ Brewers
Nicolino is 1-1, 4.86 in his three starts (over 2-1).
Garza is 2-2, 2.56 in his last five starts; three of his last four stayed under.
Marlins won four of last six games; seven of last nine went over- they lost seven of last ten games with Milwaukee (under 6-3-1). Brewers won three in a row-- four of their last five games stayed under.
Giants @ Cardinals
Heston is 0-2, 5.40 in his last three starts; his last five road starts went over.
Wacha is 3-0, 0.81 in his last three starts; his last four starts stayed under.
Giants won four of last five games with St Louis; five of last six in series went over total. SF won its last four games overall; five of last seven stayed under. Cardinals won eight of last 11 games; three of last four went over.
Braves @ Padres
Perez is 0-3, 8.35 in his last three starts; under is 3-1 in his last four on road.
Rea allowed three runs in five IP (75 PT) in his first MLB start.
Atlanta lost four of last six games; over is 6-4-1 in their last 11. Braves lost five of last seven games with San Diego- four of last five went over the total. Padres won four of last six games overall-- eight of their last 11 went over.
American League
A's @ Orioles
Gray missed last start (back spasms); he is 2-0, 0.72 in his last three starts; under is 6-0-1 in his last seven.
Tillman is 2-0, 2.08 in his last four starts; six of his last seven stayed under.
Oakland lost its last six games, allowing 48 runs. A's lost last four games with Baltimore, allowing 37 runs- ten of last 13 went over total. Orioles won five of last six home games- over is 6-4 in their last ten games overall.
Twins @ Bronx
Gibson is 0-3, 7.71 in his last five starts; under is 5-3-1 in his last nine.
Sabathia is 0-1, 2.25 in his last two starts; over is 6-4 in his last ten.
Minnesota lost five of last seven games with Bronx; seven of last eight in series went over. Twins won four of last six games overall, with last three staying under. Bronx won three of last four; four of their last five went under.
Indians @ Red Sox
Salazar is 2-0, 1.27 in his last three starts; his last four stayed under.
Barnes is making first MLB start; he has a 5.64 ERA in 22.1 IP of relief in the big leagues. He is 1-1, 4.17 in AAA this year (five starts).
Red Sox won five of last seven home games, scoring 74 runs; their last seven games overall went over. Cleveland lost three of last four games; four of their last five stayed under. Tribe won five of last seven vs Boston; five of those seven game stayed under the total.
Mariners @ Rangers
Walker is is 1-0, 2.42 in his last three starts; six of his last seven went over.
Hamels is 0-1, 5.93 in two starts with Texas; four of his last five went over.
Rangers lost seven of last eight games with Seattle; under is 7-3 in last ten series games. Texas won its last four games overall; four of their last five at home stayed under. Mariners are 4-3 in last seven games; four of their last five went over- they allowed 45 runs in last three games, in Boston.
Rays @ Astros
Ramirez is 1-1, 4.35 in his last five starts; four of his last six stayed under.
Former Ray Kazmir is 0-2, 3.32 in his last three starts (under 8-1 in last nine).
Tampa Bay lost last three games, allowing 22 runs; over is 8-3 in their last 11 games. Astros won three of last four games; six of their last eight stayed under total. Rays won seven of last eight games with Houston (under 6-1-1). .
White Sox @ Angels
Rodon is 2-2, 6.75 in his last five starts (over 5-3 in last eight).
Heaney is 5-1, 2.53 in his nine starts; over is 5-2 in his last seven at home.
White Sox won last four games with the Angels; home side won eight of last ten series games. Chicago won four of last six games; over is 7-4 in its last 11 games. Angels lost six of their last seven games; four of last six went under.
Win-loss records this year for team with this starting pitcher:
Az-Pitt-- Hellickson 10-12; Cole 16-7
Mia-Mil-- Nicolino 2-1; Garza 8-13
SF-StL-- Heston 14-9; Wacha 17-5
Atl-SD-- Perez 5-6 (0-4 last 4); Rea 1-0
A's-Balt-- Gray 15-8; Tillman 11-10
Min-NY-- Gibson 12-11; Sabathia 10-12
Cle-Bos-- Salazar 13-8; Barnes 0-0
Sea-Tex-- Walker 13-10; Hamels 10-12/0-2
TB-Hst-- Ramirez 12-6; Kazmir 10-12/2-2
Chi-LA-- Rodon 10-6; Heaney 7-2
Times this starting pitcher allowed a run in first inning:
Az-Pitt-- Hellickson 8-22; Cole 7-23
Mia-Mil-- Nicolino 0-3; Garza 6-21
SF-StL-- Heston 3-23; Wacha 4-22
Atl-SD-- Perez 4-11; Rea 0-1
A's-Balt-- Gray 4-23; Tillman 4-21
Min-NY-- Gibson 5-23; Sabathia 7-22
Cle-Bos-- Salazar 6-21; Barnes 0-0
Sea-Tex-- Walker 6-23; Hamels 4-22
TB-Hst-- Ramirez 5-18; Kazmir 4-22
Chi-LA-- Rodon 5-16; Heaney 0-9
Armadillosports.com
Steve's Screen Shot
By Steve Merril
White Sox @ Angels -- Carlos Rodon just faced the Angels in his last start. Rodon threw one of his best games in that home start on August 11th; he held the Angels to zero runs on just four hits while striking out 11 and only walking one in seven innings of work. The White Sox won that game 3-0. Andrew Heaney faced the White Sox in Chicago in his last start on August 12th. Heaney gave up 2 runs and six hits in 5.2 innings of work. Heaney has pitched better at home where he hasn’t lost in five starts this season. However, I do not like backing teams flying home after Sunday Night Baseball, and that is the case for the Angels after playing in Kansas City.
Mariners @ Rangers -- Cole Hamels will be making his third start as a member of the Rangers; the lefty did not win either of his outings. In his last outing, Hamels lost to the Mariners in Seattle after giving up 4 runs and eight hits in six innings of work. Taijuan Walker already has a win over the Rangers in Arlington this season. Walker gave up 1 unearned run on 6 hits in 7 innings of work in that April game. Seattle’s offense is concerning on the road despite scoring 21 total runs in three games in their last series in Boston. Still, the Mariners are an attractive underdog at +135.
Indians @ Red Sox -- Matt Barnes will make his first Major League start for the Red Sox on Monday night. Barnes was 3-2 with a terrible 5.64 ERA in 21 appearances out of the bullpen for Boston. He has started five games this season, but all of those starts came in Triple-A Pawtucket. Barnes can’t be counted on to go deep in this game, and that means a mediocre Boston bullpen without closer Koji Uehera will throw a lot of pitches in this game. Cleveland’s Danny Salazar is in good current form; he has allowed just 3 runs and eight hits in his last 21.1 innings of work. Indians -135 is the only way I’m looking in this game.
MLB: Streaks, Tips, Notes
Sportspic.com
Miami Marlins aat Milwaukee Brewers
Miami Marlins and Milwaukee Brewers get it on at Miller Park Monday night. Despite Miami winning a rare road game on Sunday the Marlins aren't a peg to hang your hat on away from Marlins Park. The Marlins have lost 40 of 59 in enemy territory this season costing backers a whopping -$1799 at the betting window.
It's a rough road ahead for Miami. The Marlins have won just 4 of 15 in Brew Crews' back yard. Adding to the problem, Miami hasn't responded in series road openers going 5-13 on the campaign. Even more eye-opening is the fact Miami for whatever reason has a severe case of 'Monday Blues'. The club is 1-11 in Monday games including 0-6 when on the road losing by an average 3.0 runs/game. Evidence is the key in making any case, and the numbers above clearly illustrate that Milwaukee is the right choice.
Tampa Bay Rays at Houston Astros
The Houston Astros start Scott Kazmir when they open their three game set vs Tampa. Kazmir hitting a rough spot has lost two consecutive starts tagged for 13 hits, 3 long-ball, 7 runs. Kazmir tries to stop the bleeding vs his old team which he could not solve this year with Oakland moving his record to 1-3 vs Rays since he left Tampa. Rays 10-2 in Houston counter with Erasmo Ramirez heading to the hill off a solid 7 innings of shutout ball in a win over Braves. Astros are currently as high as -$1.70 depending on locale.
Chicago White Sox at Los Angeles Angels
A pair of lefties in Carlos Rodon and Andrew Heaney hook up in the opener of this four game set at Angels Stadium. In lefty vs lefty matchups White Sox have played 11 'Under', 4 'Over', 1 'Push' averaging 2.6 runs/game, Halos have played 12 'Under', 4 'Over' crossing 4.2 runs/game. Add to the mix White Sox 12-7-1 'Under' L20 vs a lefthanded starter, Halos 15-5 'Under' its L20 vs a southpaw starter the numbers point towards 'Under'. Oddsmakers have set the total at 7.5 runs.
Monday Scouting Edge
By Coach Fletcher
Arizona D-Backs at Pittsburgh Pirates
The red hot Pirates are on a quest for the playoffs. A weekend sweep of the Mets just gave them more fuel. But in order to get to the promised land, the Bucs are going to need Gerrit Cole to regain his stellar form. That sweep solidified their position for the Wild Card but a healthy Cole would be a big help. Cole is 14-6 on the year with a 2.54 era. He’s 8-2 at home with a 2.89 era. But in his last 3 starts Cole has taken a turn for the worse – well, for the worse for him. He’s gone 0-2 in his last 3 starts getting a no decision in the Pirates 5-4 win over the Dodgers. In his last 16 1/3 innings pitched, Cole has been tagged for 10 runs, 8 of which were earned. He gave up an incredible 18 hits to go along with 6 walks and 19 strikeouts. Cole’s era in the last 3 games is 4.41. Cole and the Bucs opened at -210 but action quickly dropped the line to as low as -180 in some books.
Cleveland Indians at Boston Red Sox
No, not that Matt Barnes. He plays hoops. This is Matt Barnes the baseball player and he’s starter for the Red Sox. Barnes is 6’4” and weighs in at 210. He’s a 25 year old right hander who was a first round pick by Boston in 2011. Barnes comes out of the bullpen to face the Indians today. He’s made 26 appearances from Boston in 2014-15. He’s pitched a total of 31 1/3 innings with an era of 5.17. He’s allowed 7 home runs in 31½ which is very high. Overall he’s averaging about 2 HR allowed per game. His combined whip is 1.755, also high. He does average close to a strike out per inning and his K/BB ration is 3:1. He spent time year and this year at Pawtucket in Triple-A ball. He started 27 games in the past 2 years at Pawtucket going 9-10 with era of 3.95 in 2014 and 4.17 in 2015.
Seattle Mariners at Texas Rangers
Cole Hamels missed his last start with a sore groin. It appears he has recovered in time to make his 3rd start for the Rangers today against Taijuan Walker and the Mariners. Hamels last start was against these same Mariners on August 7. The M’s dinged him for 4 runs in 6 innings. The Rangers fell 4-3. In his other start for Texas the Giants got 8 hit and 5 runs off Hamels in 7 2/3 innings. Hamels hasn’t exactly been lights out versus the M’s in the past. He’s gone 1-2 with a 4.67 era against Seattle. Nelson Cruz will be happy to see his former teammate. Crus has a .459/.500/.973 slash line that includes 5 bombs and 9 RBI against Hamel. Taijuan Walker has been on and off all season but it appears he has settled into a rhythm. In his last 14 starts he is 7-2 with a 3.33 era. Seattle is 7-2 against Texas this year. Texas opened as a -140 favorite.
Tampa Bay Rays at Houston Astros
Tampa Bay has been hanging close most of the year, but time is running out on their quest for a possible Wild Card berth. A 4 game series with the Astros could provide some help and the Rays did sweep Houston in their last series. Scott Kazmir goes for the Astros. He is 6-7 on the year with a 2.12 era overall, 1.22 home era, and 1.42 era over his last 3 starts. Kazmir lost his last start against the Rays in Tampa. He gave up 2 earned runs and 8 hits in 5 2/3 innings. Erasmo Ramirez goes for the Rays. In his last start against Houston on July 10. Ramirez gave up 1 run on 4 hits in 6 innings in a game won by the Rays 3-1. Ramirez is 9-4 on the year with a 3.11 era. His road era is 3.69 and he sits at 2.84 era in his last 3 starts. The Rays are 18-10 vs Houston all time and 10-6 at Minute Maid Park.
Atlanta Braves at San Diego Padres
You may not know much about SD Padres starter Colin Rea. One thing you do know is that he opened at about -160 in just his second start in the Majors. In that single outing he went 5 innings against Cincinnait giving up 3 runs on 7 hits. Rea went off as a -120 favorite in that contest. Rea is a 25 year old right hander standing 6’5” and weighing 220. He was a 12th round draft pick out of Indiana State in the 2-11 amateur draft. His 2015 experience split time between the Double-A San Antonio team and the Triple-A El Paso. He was effective at the Double-A level going 3-2 with a 1.08 era. He was brought up to Triple-A where he went 2-2 with a 4.29 era. Rea only pitched 101 2/3 innings this season in the minors.
Game of the Day: Giants at Cardinals
By Covers.com
San Francisco Giants at St. Louis Cardinals (-148, 7)
The San Francisco Giants cruised past one postseason contender over the weekend, but the road to first place in the National League West only gets tougher. The Giants will try to extend their winning streak to five when they begin a seven-game road trip with a visit to the major-league best St. Louis Cardinals on Monday.
The Giants are in the midst of a brutal stretch that began with four straight losses at the Chicago Cubs from August 6-9 but got better with a split against the American League West-leading Houston Astros and a four-game sweep of the Washington Nationals, capped by Madison Bumgarner’s 14-strikeout, three-hit, one-homer shutout on Sunday. San Francisco will endure five straight series against teams with superior records beginning with the Cardinals and continuing with Pittsburgh, the Cubs, St. Louis again and the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers to close the month. The Cardinals (75-42) are five games up on Pittsburgh in the Central and took two of three from Miami over the weekend to claim a fifth straight series victory. San Francisco will face a tough test in Monday’s opener against 14-game winner Michael Wacha, while the Cardinals square off against rookie Chris Heston.
LINE HISTORY: The Cards opened -140 and currently sit -148. The total opened at 7 and remains unchanged.
INJURY REPORT: Giants - CF Angel Pagan (15-day DL, knee), 2B Joe Panik (15-day DL, back), LF Nori Aoki (7-day DL, concussion). Cardinals - LF Matt Holliday (15-day DL, quad), CF Jon Jay (15-day DL, wrist), CF Randal Grichuk (Questionable, elbow).
WEATHER: Temperatures expected to be in the low-80s under partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow from rightfield to leftfield at around 6 miles per hour.
WHAT CAPPERS SAY: "With the recent loss of 2B Joe Panik (back), the Giants are apparently interested in trading for Chase Utley from the Phillies. Utley reportedly cleared revocable waivers last week and he would seem to be a perfect fit and could even contribute as a role player once Panik is back. The Cards can now realistically think about the first 100-win season in MLB in five years (Philadelphia - 2011). It would also move them past the Braves into third place all time of 100-win teams (nine seasons)." Covers Expert Big Al McMordie.
PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants RH Chris Heston (11-7, 3.38 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Michael Wacha (14-4, 2.93)
Heston is winless in his last three starts and is coming off a tough-luck loss against Houston on Wednesday. The offense failed to provide any support for the 27-year-old, who allowed one run and three hits in 6 1/3 innings but suffered the loss in a 2-0 final. Heston is making his first start against St. Louis and is 6-2 with a 4.45 ERA in 11 road starts.
Wacha earned his third straight win on Wednesday by holding Pittsburgh to two runs despite nine hits and three walks in six innings. The Texas A&M product held Cincinnati and Colorado scoreless over seven innings in each of his previous two turns. Wacha scattered three hits over six scoreless frames in his lone career regular-season start against San Francisco but served up three runs while recording one out in relief at the Giants during Game 5 of the 2014 NLCS last fall.
TRENDS:
* Over is 4-0 in the last four meetings.
* Giants are 6-1 in Heston's last seven starts as an underdog.
* Under is 4-0 in Wachas last four starts overall.
* Cardinals are 4-1 in Wacha's last five starts as a favorite.
CONSENSUS: Seventy-three percent of Covers users are backing the Cardinals.
Monday's Tip Sheet
By Matt Zylbert
VegasInsider.com
Oakland Athletics at Baltimore Orioles
It’s no secret that Athletics ace Sonny Gray (12-4, 2.06 ERA) is one of the top road pitchers in the league. He’s already one of the best on the mound overall, hence his outstanding numbers on the year, but Gray takes it to another level when he’s pitching away from the O.co Coliseum. In fact, in his 12 road starts, the AL Cy Young candidate is a remarkable 8-1 with an even more remarkable 1.64 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and he’s averaging a strikeout per inning, owning 82 punch-outs in 82 1/3 total innings away from home. Furthermore, opposing lineups are hitting a microscopic .197 off the right-hander in those outings. Somewhat surprisingly, though, Gray is the +100 underdog here, but that might have something to do with the fact that he was scratched in his last assignment.
Those odds might also be related to the fact that his counterpart this evening, Chris Tillman (8-7, 4.66 ERA), has been absolutely lights-out since the All-Star break. Despite giving up five runs in his last start, Tillman owns a tremendous 2.08 ERA and 0.73 WHIP in his four starts since the break, while opponents have only been able to muster a .167 average against him over that span. He’s also gone seven innings or more in three of those contests, though his most recent effort could foreshadow a regression is ahead. In any event, the over/under for this series opener from Camden Yards is 7.5.
Seattle Mariners at Texas Rangers
The Mariners just finished up a very high-scoring series with the Red Sox over the weekend, one that easily resulted in three overs hitting -- all before the fifth inning, in fact -- and they might be in for more fireworks ahead in their trip to hitter-friendly Arlington. They won’t be facing an easy pitcher, however, as Cole Hamels (6-8, 3.86 ERA) gets set to make his third start as a member of the Rangers since being acquired at the trade deadline. Hamels has been okay for Texas thus far, as despite not registering an official quality start in his first two outings, he’s been pitching deep into games, and owns a 13/3 K/BB ratio in 13 2/3 innings with the Rangers. One of those starts came against these same Mariners, who tagged the veteran southpaw for four runs on eight hits in six innings, including three home runs. Even so, Texas draws the -125 odds as tonight’s favorite.
As a result, the Mariners might be an interesting underdog tonight with flamethrower Taijuan Walker (8-7, 4.60 ERA) toeing the rubber. Walker has exhibited flashes of greatness throughout the season, as many were expecting after the 23-year-old crafted together arguably the best spring training showing of any American League pitcher. Instead, the right-hander followed it up with a lot of inconsistency, but he has settled down since then, having yielded three runs or less in 11 of his past 14 starts. On the final day of July, Walker recorded his first career complete game, doing so against the Twins in the form of a one-hitter, while also striking out 11 batters. That’s Walker’s strength, as he’s logged 132 strikeouts in 135 innings this season, compared to just 35 walks. The over/under for this matchup is 8.5.
San Francisco Giants at St. Louis Cardinals
There looks to be a good one on tap for this week’s ESPN Monday Night Baseball, when two perennial National League contenders begin their series at Busch Stadium. For the MLB-best Cardinals, it will be Michael Wacha (14-4, 2.93 ERA) on the hill, enjoying arguably his best campaign to date, which is saying something considering how much he exploded when first arriving on the scene a couple of years ago. He’s simply been fantastic in 2015, and he’s been consistently excellent if you evaluate his full game log, in which he’s surrendered two runs or less in 15 of his 22 starts. In addition, his best work has come at home this year, which is where he finds himself this evening, as Wacha is 6-2 with a 2.56 ERA in his ten outings in front of Cardinals faithful. He’s a -150 favorite this evening.
He’ll be taking on a very game starting pitcher in the series opener, that being rookie Chris Heston (11-7, 3.38 ERA), who has been somewhat of a godsend this year for a team that really needed it within the pitching staff. Without Heston, it’s been a mess at the back-end of the rotation, with disappointing campaigns from the likes of Tim Lincecum, Tim Hudson, Matt Cain, not to mention the lengthy injury stint endured by Jake Peavy. Not only has Heston been very valuable to the Giants, he’s also a dark horse in the NL Rookie of the Year race, with some very solid numbers overall. At the same time, he might be in a tough spot here considering his home-and-road splits, as Heston owns a 4.45 ERA in his 11 starts away from AT&T Park. The over/under is unsurprisingly 7.
Chicago White Sox at Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Once considered one of the most disappointing teams in baseball this season, the Chicago White Sox have actually been in the process of making things interesting, as they continue to hover around the playoff chase. In fact, at 55-60 on the season, the White Sox are actually just 4.5 games back of the second Wild Card berth, and while they still have to leapfrog over six other American League clubs just to get there, the fact remains they are still very much alive with plenty of time to go. Thus, they have some important dates coming up with one of the teams they’re behind, the Angels, and will turn to hard-throwing rookie Carlos Rodon (5-4, 4.61 ERA) to start it off right. The 22-year-old left-hander has been wildly inconsistent this season, part of which might have to do with his 51 walks in 91 2/3 total innings, but he is coming off his best performance, when he blanked this same Angels club over seven innings and struck out a career-high 11.
The Angels will counter with their own rookie southpaw Andrew Heaney (5-1, 2.53 ERA), who has been much more consistent compared to his counterpart tonight since being called up in the second half June. In actuality, he’s pretty much been as consistent as any starting pitcher in the league, considering he’s made nine starts up to this point, and in eight of them, he yielded two runs or less. Thus, it’s no surprise to see that Los Angeles is 7-2 in games started by Heaney. Things haven’t been as easy for the youngster most recently, though, as the 24-year-old hasn’t logged six innings in each of his last three starts, after doing just that in each of his first six assignments. He’ll carry -140 odds into this one.
MLB Cheat Sheets: Aug 17-21
By Jesse Schule
Covers.com
Capital Punishment
The Washington Nationals have completely fallen apart since the All Star break, and after being shutout in San Francisco on Sunday they've lost six straight. They are batting a major league worst .222 in the second half, and their star studded pitching staff has been underwhelming. Max Scherzer has been tagged for 10 runs on 15 hits over nine innings in his last two starts, and he surrendered five home runs in those two games. They will be in Colorado for a three game series versus the Rockies this week, and you might want to think twice before backing the Nats as a road favorite.
Rangers On The Move
Texas has won four straight heading into a three game series at home versus Seattle, and they are now only a half game back of L.A. in the Wild Card race. They send Cole Hamels to the mound Monday night, and the veteran lefty is still looking for his first win as a Ranger. His last start for Philly was a no-hitter at Wrigley, and you have to think it's only a matter of time before he figures things out in Texas.
Look Out For The Tigers
Miguel Cabrera is back, and he's already making his presence felt for the Tigers. Cabrera was 4-for-10 with a home run in three games at Houston since his return. The Tigers will play two games at Wrigley on Tuesday and Wednesday night, and Cabrera has a history of punishing Cubs pitchers. He will face Jon Lester on Wednesday, and he's 14-for-25 (.560) with a home run and four RBIs lifetime versus the southpaw.
Hitting Notes
Buster Posey is tearing up the National League, hitting .366 since the All Star break. He's now third in the league batting .327, and his 78 RBIs are just eight fewer than Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado who are tied for first. He's facing Lance Lynn on Tuesday, and he's 4-for-6 with a home run and four RBIs lifetime versus Lynn.
Chris Davis has really turned it on, he's hitting .336 since the All Star break. Davis was 7-for-15 with three home runs and six RBIs in a three game series at home versus Oakland over the weekend, and he'll look to stay hot at Camden Yards with the Orioles hosting the Mets on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Pitching Notes
Madison Bumgarner is starting to look like the World Series MVP that he was last year. He tossed a complete game (one-hit) shutout, striking out 14 in a win over the Nats on Sunday. That wasn't all, he was 2-for-3 with a double and a home run in the victory. His next start comes on Friday in Pittsburgh.
Dallas Keuchel allowed just one run on six hits, striking out eight in seven innings in a home win over Detroit his last time out. He's been unbeatable at home, boasting a flawless record of 11-0, with a 1.26 ERA in 13 starts at Minute Maid Park so far. His next start comes at home against Tampa on Wednesday.
Totals Streak
The Seattle Mariners are coming off a three game series in Boston, and the scores in those games looked more like what you would expect in football games. Seattle did it's fair share of scoring, but lost two of three getting outscored 45-21. The Mariners have seen the total go over in six straight road games, and that trend could continue here in Texas this week.
Injury Notes
Phil Hughes was placed on the 15 day disabled list with lower back inflammation on August 13. It's a big blow for the Twins, who are just 1.5 back in the American League Wild Card race.
Randal Grichuck left Sunday's game against Miami with a sore elbow, and he will undergo an MRI on Monday. The Cardinals LF is having a fine season batting .284 with 15 home runs and 44 RBIs.
Cards look to cool off Giants
By Sportsbook.ag
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS (63-53) at ST LOUIS CARDINALS (75-41)
Sportsbook.ag Line: San Francisco +130, St. Louis -140, Total: 7.0
The Giants will be going for their fifth straight victory when they take on the Cardinals in St. Louis on Monday.
San Francisco is now only 2.5 games back in the NL West after a four-game sweep over the Nationals over the weekend. The Giants scored 25 runs in the past three games and will be looking to stay hot offensively against one of the best teams in baseball this season.
St. Louis has been a powerhouse all year long, holding the league’s best record by a significant margin. The team is coming off of a loss against the Marlins in its last game, but won the three-game set and is 7-3 in its past 10 games.
On the mound for the Giants in this game is RHP Chris Heston (11-7, 3.38 ERA, 106 K) and he’ll be going up against RHP Michael Wacha (14-4, 2.93 ERA, 119 K) for the Cardinals.
This is the first time that these teams have met on the season, but the Giants are 5-4 against St. Louis over the past three seasons. The Giants are 25-18 against the money line as an underdog of +100 to +150 this season. The Cardinals, meanwhile, are an incredible 62-23 against the money line as a favorite of -110 or higher this season.
OFs Norichika Aoki (Concussion) and Angel Pagan (Knee) and 2B Joe Panik (Back) are out for San Francisco for the next week or so and OF Matt Holliday (Quad) continues to be out for St. Louis.
Chris Heston has been a pleasant surprise for the Giants this season, but he has really struggled in his past two road starts. In those appearances, Heston has pitched just 8.2 innings total and has allowed 12 hits and eight earned runs in that time on the mound. He’ll need to find his groove on Monday or it’ll be tough for San Francisco to come away with this win. Only four players (Adrianza, Blanco, Pence, Sanchez) from this San Francisco team have faced Michael Wacha and those guys are a combined 1-for-9 against the Cardinals’ starter in this one.
If San Francisco is going to beat this elite Cardinals team then 3B Matt Duffy (.306, 10 HRs, 59 RBIs), C Buster Posey (.327, 16 HRs, 78 RBIs) and OF Hunter Pence (.281, 9 HRs, 40 RBIs) will have to get something going at the plate. The three of these guys combined for 14 RBIs in the sweep over the Nationals in their last series. RP Santiago Casilla (3.79 ERA, 28 SV) will also need to be ready to have his number called. He has been inconsistent as a closer this season and needs to be more reliable moving forward for this Giants team.
Michael Wacha has been an absolute stud for the Cardinals this season and has been in good form as of late, allowing just two earned runs over his past 20.0 innings of work. The Cardinals have earned victories in five of his past six starts and will be feeling confident with him on the mound in this one. Offensively, OF Jason Heyward (.288, 11 HRs, 43 RBIs) has been one of the most consistent performers for this team on the year.
He’s coming off of a game against the Marlins in which he had two homers and three RBIs and should be feeling extremely confident heading into this one. 3B Matt Carpenter (.271, 18 HRs, 62 RBIs) could provide his team with a huge spark if he is to get his bat going on Monday. Carpenter has gotten two hits in three of the past four games, so it is certainly possible. OF Stephen Piscotty (.333, 1 HR, 11 RBIs) could be an x-factor in this one. He has played in just 24 games this season, but has four hits in the past two games and will be counted on to provide some offense for St. Louis in this game.