MLB Betting News and Notes Monday, October 7

OAKLAND vs. DETROIT
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Oakland's last 8 games when playing Detroit
Oakland is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Detroit
Detroit is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Oakland
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit's last 5 games

ST. LOUIS vs. PITTSBURGH
St. Louis is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 7 of St. Louis's last 8 games when playing Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against St. Louis
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Pittsburgh's last 8 games when playing St. Louis

BOSTON vs. TAMPA BAY
Boston is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Boston's last 12 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Boston
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Tampa Bay's last 7 games

ATLANTA vs. LA DODGERS
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Atlanta's last 15 games when playing LA Dodgers
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 7 games when playing on the road against LA Dodgers
LA Dodgers are 2-5 SU in their last 7 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Dodgers's last 5 games when playing Atlanta

Oakland at Detroit
Parker: Athletics 0-4 in their last 4 playoff road games
Sanchez: Tigers: 10-3 as favorite

Boston at Tampa Bay
Red Sox: 8-2 vs AL East w/Buchholz
Rays: 3-8 L11 as underdog

St. Louis at Pittsburgh
Cardinals: 4-0 O/U L4 Divisional Playoff games
Pirates: 0-7 vs Cardinals w/Morton

Atlanta at LA Dodgers
Atlanta: 1-11 L12 playoff games as underdog of +110 to +150
Dodgers: 8-1 L9 Divisional Playoff games

Pirates-Cardinals

Wacha lost a no-hitter in ninth inning in his last start; he is 2-3, 1.72 in his last five outings. Wacha blanked Pirates on two hits for seven innings on Sept 8.
Morton is 0-0, 1.86 in his last three starts; he allowed seven runs in 7.2 IP in two starts against the Cardinals this season.

Pirates won seven of their last nine games; they are 12-10 vs St Louis this year, but lost five of last seven meetings, allowing 46 runs. Five of their last six games went over the total.

Cardinals won seven of their last nine games overall, but need a win here to keep their season alive; four of their last five games went over the total.

Dodgers-Braves

Garcia (turned 37 Sunday) is 1-1, 1.83 in three starts for the Braves; five of his six big league starts this season stayed under the total. He didn't face LA.
Nolasco was 0-2, 13.85 in his last four outings, allowing 19 runs in 13 IP; he beat Braves July 3 in his last start for Miami, allowing two runs in seven IP.

Dodgers are 3-5 in their last eight games with last three going over the total. LA scored 13 runs last night, 22 in first three games of this series.

Six of last seven Atlanta games went over the total. Braves are 6-0 in the game following their last six losses; they're 6-4 against Dodgers this year, but 3-4 with Puig in lineup. Braves are 7-11 in their last 18 road games.

Rays-Red Sox

Buchholz is 6-1, 2.11 in his last seven starts; under is 3-1-1 in his last five road starts. He beat Tampa Bay twice this year, throwing 13 scoreless innings.
Cobb is 4-0, 0.90 in his last four starts, with last three staying under. He gave up three runs in 5.2 IP in his only '13 start vs Boston, on Sept 11.

Tampa Bay is home for first time since Sept. 23- they won seven of last nine at home, but lost first two games of this series, allowing 19 runs. Over is 5-2 in their last seven games. Rays are 7-14 vs Boston this year, 3-6 in the Trop.

Red Sox scored 57 runs in last six games (4-2); their last seven games went over the total. Boston is 2-4 in its last six away games.

Tigers-A's

Parker was 1-2, 9.82 in his last three starts; five of his last six starts went over the total. Parker gave up eight runs in 3.1 IP in an April start vs Detroit, after he was 0-2, 4.97 against them in LY's playoffs.
Sanchez is 4-2, 2.41 in his last six starts, but has a 4.68 RA in his last four at home. He is 1-0, 3.75 in two starts against the A's this season.

Detroit's last eight games stayed under the total- -they scored 17 runs in their last nine games, going scoreless in last 17 innings in this series. Tigers won six of their last eight home games.

Oakland is 5-4 vs Tigers this year, with road team winning six of nine games. A's won 17 of last 23 games, eight of last eleven on road. Nine of their last 13 games went over the total.

Armadillosports.com

Monday's MLB ALDS Betting: What Bettors Need to Know
By Covers.com

Oakland A's at Detroit Tigers (-150, 7)

Series tied 1-1.

The Oakland Athletics are matching the vaunted Detroit Tigers’ rotation pitch-for-pitch. After settling for a split against Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, the Athletics will attempt to take the series lead when is shifts to Detroit for Game 3 on Monday. Tigers pitchers have notched 29 strikeouts in the first two games but the offense produced only two extra-base hits - both in the first inning of Game 1.

Detroit finished near the top of the majors in most offensive categories during the regular season and scored three runs in the first inning of Game 1 only to be held scoreless in the following 17. Oakland did not exactly tear the cover off the ball at home either, but Stephen Vogt got the hit that counted with his walk-off single in Game 2. Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera managed two hits in the first two contests and continues to battle groin and abdominal injuries.

WEATHER: Temperatures will be in the mid-50s. Wind will blow across the field at 21 mph.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics RH Jarrod Parker (12-8, 3.97 ERA) vs. Tigers RH Anibal Sanchez (14-8, 2.57)

Parker went 19 starts in between losses before falling flat in September. The 24-year-old allowed seven earned runs and failed to get through five innings in two of his last three starts. Parker made two starts against Detroit in the 2012 ALDS and lost both, surrendering a total of seven runs (six earned) on 14 hits in 12 2/3 innings.

Sanchez led the AL in ERA and finished strong by going 2-1 with a 2.05 ERA in five September starts. The Venezuela native struggled at home against Oakland on August 26, yielding four runs on five hits in five innings. Sanchez made one start against the Athletics in the 2012 ALDS and suffered a loss despite giving up just two runs in 6 1/3 frames.

TRENDS:

* Over is 15-5-1 in the last 21 meetings in Detroit.
* Athletics are 0-4 in Parker's last four starts vs. Tigers.
* Under is 8-0 in Tigers last eight overall.
* Athletics are 13-3 in their last 16 Monday games.

WALK-OFFS:

1. Tigers 1B Prince Fielder is 1-for-8 with a single in the series and 1-for-10 against Parker in his career.

2. Oakland LF Yoenis Cespedes is 4-for-8 with two runs scored and two RBIs in the series.

3. Detroit CF Austin Jackson has struck out five times in eight at-bats, including four times in Game 2.

Boston Red Sox at Tampa Bay Rays (-104, 7)

Red Sox lead series 2-0.

The Boston Red Sox are one game away from advancing to the American League Championship Series. They will attempt to close out the Division Series when they visit Tampa Bay for Game 3 on Monday. The Red Sox got all the breaks the quirky dimensions of their home park had to offer in the first two games and ended up tagging Tampa Bay pitching for 19 runs in the two contests.

The Rays struggled to figure out the “Green Monster” in left field and rookie Wil Myers endeared himself to the Boston fans with a big mistake in right during Game 1, but the familiar dimensions of their own stadium await in Game 3. Tampa Bay went 51-30 at home during the regular season, tied for the third-best home record in the AL behind the Red Sox and the Oakland Athletics. To get back in the series the Rays need to figure out a way to stop David Ortiz, who homered twice in Game 2 and contributed a key double in Game 1.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox RH Clay Buchholz (12-1, 1.74 ERA) vs. Rays RH Alex Cobb (1-0, 0.00)

Buchholz went 3-1 with a 1.88 ERA in four starts after returning from a shoulder injury that cost him three months during the regular season. The 29-year-old made his return at Tampa Bay on Sept. 10 and struck out six in five scoreless innings to earn the win. Buchholz made only one previous postseason start, yielding two runs on six hits in five innings against the Los Angeles Angels in the 2009 ALDS.

Cobb pitched the Rays into the Division Series with 6 2/3 scoreless innings at Cleveland in the wild card game last Wednesday. The Boston native allowed a total of three runs in 30 innings while striking out 31 over his last four starts. Cobb had trouble with the Red Sox, however, going 0-1 with a 5.16 ERA in four starts against his hometown team during the regular season.

TRENDS:

* Rays are 0-4 in Cobb's last four starts vs. Red Sox.
* Under is 10-3 in the last 13 meetings.
* Red Sox are 11-3 in Buchholz's last 14 Monday starts.
* Road team is 6-1 in Dana DeMuth's last seven Monday games behind home plate.

WALK-OFFS:

1. Saturday marked the first multi-homer game of Ortiz’s postseason career. He is 1-for-6 lifetime against Cobb.

2. Myers is 1-for-13 with five strikeouts in his first three postseason games.

3. Boston closer Koji Uehara threw 11 pitches - all strikes - in earning the save in Game 2.

Monday's MLB NLDS Betting: What Bettors Need to Know
By Covers.com

St. Louis Cardinals at Pittsburgh Pirates (+107, 7.5)

Pirates lead series 2-1.

Having already put an end to a 21-year postseason drought, the Pittsburgh Pirates are on the brink of winning their first playoff series in 34 years. The Pirates will look for the clincher when they host the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 4 of the National League Division Series on Monday afternoon. Pittsburgh took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series with a dramatic 5-3 victory in Sunday's Game 3, improving to 8-3 at home this season against the Cardinals.

St. Louis is pinning its hopes on 22-year-old rookie right-hander Michael Wacha to keep its season alive and force a winner-take-all Game 5 in St. Louis on Wednesday. The Pirates will counter with Charlie Morton, who has lost six consecutive decisions to the Cardinals and has not beaten them since April 4, 2011. Carlos Beltran has two homers and six RBIs in the series for St. Louis while Pedro Alvarez has two blasts and four RBIs for Pittsburgh.

WEATHER: Temperatures will be in the mid-50s. Wind will blow out to left field at 15 mph.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals RH Michael Wacha (4-1, 2.78 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Charlie Morton (7-4, 3.26)

Wacha forced his way into the playoff rotation with a stellar final month, not allowing a run in three of five outings in September and coming within one out of a no-hitter in his last start. He allowed only an infield single with out outs in the ninth and struck out a season-high nine to beat Washington on Sept. 24. Wacha also pitched seven scoreless innings of two-hit ball versus the Pirates on Sept. 8.

Morton has never had much success against the Cardinals and that continued this season with an 0-2 record, 7.90 ERA and .397 batting average against in three starts. That included a disastrous outing against Wacha last month in which he allowed five runs in a season-low 1 2/3 innings before leaving with a foot injury. Morton was a much better pitcher at home, logging a 2-2 record and 2.85 ERA in nine starts.

TRENDS:

* Over is 3-0-1 in Morton's last four starts vs. Cardinals.
* Cardinals are 5-1 in the last six meetings.
* Cardinals are 0-5 in their last five during Game 4 of a series.
* Pirates are 7-1 in their last eight games as an underdog.

WALK-OFFS:

1. Pittsburgh trade-deadline acquisition Marlon Byrd has five RBIs in four postseason games, including the wild-card win over Cincinnati.

2. CF Jon Jay (8-for-16), C Yadier Molina (8-for-19) and Beltran (6-for-15) are all batting .400 or better versus Morton.

3. Beltran hit his 16th postseason homer Sunday, surpassing Babe Ruth for eighth place on the career list.

Atlanta Braves at Los Angeles Dodgers (-147, 7.5)

Dodgers leads series 2-1.

The Los Angeles Dodgers attempt to finish off Atlanta and advance to the National League Championship Series when they host the Braves in Monday’s Game 4 of the Division Series. The Dodgers matched the franchise record for runs scored in a postseason game while drubbing Atlanta 13-6 in Sunday’s Game 3 to take a 2-1 series lead. Shortstop Hanley Ramirez continued his assault on Braves pitchers by going 3-for-4 with two RBIs and has six extra-base hits in the series.

After winning Game 3, the Dodgers officially decided to start Ricky Nolasco and save ace Clayton Kershaw for a possible series finale on Wednesday or the first game of the NLCS. Braves catcher Brian McCann is 0-for-9 in the series and certainly celebrated Los Angeles’ decision to hold off on Kershaw in that he is batting .345 with eight homers and 23 RBIs in 58 career at-bats against Nolasco. Ramirez is 7-for-13 with six RBIs in the series while outfielder Yasiel Puig is 6-for-13 with four runs scored and first baseman Adrian Gonzalez is 5-for-14 with four RBIs.

WEATHER: Temperatures in low 70s with clear skies and winds blowing SW at 5 mph.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves RH Freddy Garcia (1-2, 1.65 ERA) vs. Dodgers RH Ricky Nolasco (13-11, 3.70)

An injury to Paul Maholm has led to the journeyman getting the call in an elimination game. Garcia was discarded by San Diego and Baltimore this season before landing with the Braves and he gave up four runs in 19 2/3 innings in three September starts. He is 1-1 with a 2.89 ERA in four career starts against the Dodgers.

Nolasco has never pitched in the postseason and he was dreadful in September, giving up 17 earned runs in 12 innings over his last three starts. He defeated Atlanta on July 3 in his final start with the Miami Marlins before being traded to the Dodgers. He is 6-10 with a 5.11 ERA in 24 career appearances (23 starts) against the Braves.

TRENDS:

* Over is 4-0 in the last four meetings.
* Under is 5-2 in the last seven meetings in Los Angeles.
* Under is 23-11-3 in Dodgers' last 37 home games.
* Over is 11-3 in Braves' last 14 Divisional Playoff games.

WALK-OFFS:

1. Ramirez joined Jim Edmonds as the only players with six extra-base hits in their first three postseason games and he also tied Steve Garvey’s franchise record from the 1978 NLCS.

2. Atlanta OF Jason Heyward is batting .348 with a homer against Nolasco.

3. LF Carl Crawford hit a three-run homer and 3B Juan Uribe hit a two-run blast in Sunday’s game as the Dodgers matched the franchise postseason record for runs set in Game 2 of the 1956 World Series – while the organization was located in Brooklyn.