MLB Betting News and Notes Saturday, October 7th, 2017

MLB Playoffs

Arizona @ Los Angeles
Arizona won six of its last seven games with the Dodgers, but got spanked 9-5 last night in Game 1 of this series; they’re 11-9 vs LA this season, 4-6 in Chavez Ravine. Over is 11-9 in Arizona-LA games this season.

Ray is 1-0, 6.55 in his last three starts; over is 5-2 in his last seven starts. Arizona is 12-3 in his road starts. Ray is 3-0, 2.56 in five starts against the Dodgers this season.

Hill is 3-0, 1.00 in his last three starts; over is 4-2 in his last six starts. Dodgers are 8-6 in his home starts. Hill is 0-3, 5.03 in four starts vs Arizona this season.

Dodgers haven’t been to the World Series since 1988; this is their 5th year in a row in playoffs. Arizona won the Wild Card game 11-8 Wednesday, lost 9-5 last night; this is the first time they’re in the playoffs since 2011.
Chicago @ Washington
Washington/Cubs split 8 games this season (over 5-3): Nationals had only two hits last night in a 3-0 loss in Game 1 of this series.

Lester is 5-1, 4.18 in his last six starts; over is 9-1 in his last ten starts. Cubs are 7-6 in his road starts. He is 0-0, 2.84 in two starts vs Washington this season.

Gonzalez is 1-3, 6.55 in his last four starts; over is 5-1-1 in his last seven starts. Washington is 7-8 in his home starts. He allowed one run in six IP in his only starts vs Chicago this season.

Cubs won the World Series LY, their first title since 1908; this is their 3rd year in a row in the playoffs. Washington is in the playoffs for 4th time in six years- they lost in this round the previous three times. Nationals have never been in the World Series.

Armadillosports.com

Saturday's MLB Division Series Betting Preview
Covers.com

Chicago Cubs at Washington Nationals (-125, 8 )

The pressure already was on the Washington Nationals due to their previous postseason failures, and now they try to avoid an 0-2 deficit when they host the Chicago Cubs on Saturday for Game 2 of their National League Division Series. Washington recorded only two hits while being blanked 3-0 on Friday in the series opener and is two defeats away from its fourth first-round playoff exit in the last six years.

Nationals star Bryce Harper notched one of his team's hits but doesn't have an extra-base hit in six contests since returning from a knee injury. "Yeah, the longer we play, the closer Bryce is going to get," Washington manager Dusty Baker told reporters after the Game 1 defeat. "But you've got to put him out there, and you hope that, you know, surrounding cast of guys comes through." Chicago's Anthony Rizzo certainly came through in the opener with a run-scoring single and an RBI double. "You've got to be focused. You've got to be locked in," Rizzo told reporters. "Those are situations I want to be up in, and thankfully, I hit the ball where they weren't."

PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs LH Jon Lester (13-8, 4.33 ERA) vs. Nationals LH Gio Gonzalez (15-9, 2.96)

Lester went 5-1 in September to complete an inconsistent regular season in which he served up a career-worst 26 homers. But the 33-year-old has proven to be a solid postseason pitcher - he is 9-7 with a 2.63 ERA in 22 career appearances (19 starts) - and posted a 2.84 ERA in two no-decisions against the Nationals this season. "Eliminating damage is a huge thing against (Washington's) lineup," Lester told reporters. "We all know, obviously, they can hit the ball out of the ballpark at a high rate. So keep them on the ground and give our team a chance to field them and throw them out."

Gonzalez recorded at least 15 victories for the fourth time in his career but struggled down the stretch, losing four of his last six starts. The 32-year old, who has a 3.93 ERA in four career postseason starts (all no-decisions), lost to the Cubs in his lone meeting this season despite giving up one run and two hits in six innings. "That's a lineup that can do magic 1 through 9, so you have to respect it, whoever they put out there," Gonzalez told reporters. "I just want to prepare myself and try and take one hitter at a time, and we'll see how the outcome comes."

TRENDS:

* Cubs are 7-1 in their last 8 Divisional Playoff games.
* Cubs are 8-1 in Lesters last 9 starts vs. National League East.
* Nationals are 1-6 in their last 7 Divisional Playoff home games.
* Under is 9-2 in Cubs last 11 vs. a team with a winning record.
* Under is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings in Washington.
* Nationals are 0-4 in Gonzalezs last 4 starts vs. Cubs.

CONSENSUS: The public is leaning toward the home chalk Nationals with 59 percent of the picks and Under is grabbing 57 percent of the totals wagers.

Arizona Diamondbacks at Los Angeles Dodgers (-137, 8 )

Justin Turner has thrived under the playoff spotlight, and he looks to help the Los Angeles Dodgers take a 2-0 lead when they host the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday for Game 2 of their National League Division Series. Turner went 3-for-4 with a homer and five RBIs in a series-opening 9-5 victory to raise his career postseason average to .383 in 60 at-bats.

Turner's three-run, first-inning blast - his third postseason homer - set the tone for Friday's victory as Los Angeles built a 7-1 lead while withstanding Arizona's power show. Turner's five-RBI performance matched Davey Lopes (1978 World Series) and Pedro Guerrero (1981 World Series) for the most in a postseason game in franchise history. The Diamondbacks belted four homers, but they all were of the solo variety, and had just two at-bats with runners in scoring position. Arizona will attempt to even the series behind All-Star left-hander Robbie Ray, who went 3-0 with a 2.27 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 31 2/3 innings over five starts against the Dodgers this season.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Diamondbacks LH Robbie Ray (15-5, 2.89 ERA) vs. Dodgers LH Rich Hill (12-8, 3.32)

Ray won his final six decisions in the regular season, and his 218 strikeouts were the third-most in the NL. The 26-year-old was called on to pitch 2 1/3 innings of relief in Wednesday's wild-card victory over Colorado and insists the 34-pitch effort will not affect his routine or performance. "I feel great. My arm feels great and ready to go," Ray said at a press conference. "I wouldn't lie to (manager Torey Lovullo). I wouldn't give this team anything (other than) 100 percent of myself. I feel like that would be cheating me and cheating the team."

Hill finished the regular season in stellar fashion with three straight victories, and he allowed two runs and eight hits while striking out 26 in 18 innings during that stretch. The 37-year-old had nothing but trouble with the Diamondbacks this season, going 0-3 with a 5.03 ERA in four starts, but manager Dave Roberts feels the veteran's feisty nature will lead to better results. "He's a great competitor. He's wacky on his start days," Roberts said at a press conference. "It's been well-documented that he and I have had some good run-ins ... but that edge that he brings and the way that this guy prepares like no other, he's a baseball player."

TRENDS:

* Diamondbacks are 12-3 in their last 15 vs. a team with a winning record.
* Dodgers are 1-9 in their last 10 home games vs. a team with a winning record.
* Over is 5-0 in Diamondbacks last 5 games vs. a left-handed starter.
* Over is 5-0 in Dodgers last 5 home games vs. a team with a winning record.
* Over is 4-0 in Rays last 4 starts vs. Dodgers.
* Diamondbacks are 6-1 in the last 7 meetings.

CONSENSUS: The public is leaning toward the road dog Diamondbacks with 55 percent of the picks and Over is grabbing 72 percent of the totals wagers.