Friday’s Streaking and Slumping Starting Pitchers
Streaking
C.C. Sabathia, New York Yankees
The Detroit Tigers have to be shaking in their spikes knowing that they’ll face C.C. Sabathia in one of the first two games of the postseason.
The Yankees hefty lefty has been untouchable in the second half of the season. Since the All-Star break, Sabathia is 11-1 with a 2.36 ERA in 14 starts. He has totaled 99 strikeouts during this span while giving just 24 batters a free pass to first.
In his most recent appearance, Sabathia went seven innings for his second straight shutout effort. He hasn’t allowed a run in his last 19 innings of work and owns a 1.29 ERA in his last three starts.
Jered Weaver, Los Angeles Angels
Weaver is itching for the playoffs to start. The way he’s been performing, no one – not even the Boston Red Sox – have a chance. Now if the offense could just help him out.
The Halos right-hander has been dealt three straight losses despite posting a 3.72 ERA in that span. Weaver has put in six quality starts in a row and has a record of 2-3 in the past month.
In his last start, Weaver went six innings, allowing two runs on six hits. However, Los Angeles managed to give him nothing back in way of support and registered just five hits in a loss to the Oakland A’s last Friday.
Slumping
Jason Berken, Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles rookie hurler is running on empty at the end of the season. Berken has been knocked around for a total of 15 runs in his last three starts, going 1-1 with an ERA north of 10.00.
The team moved his start back a day to give the righty an extra day of rest. His last start was a nightmare outing against the Cleveland Indians. Berken left his pitches hanging over the plate and was beat up for four runs including two home runs in under four innings of work.
Jeremy Sowers, Cleveland Indians
Sowers has been pure sour in his recent trips to the bump.
The Tribe’s southpaw has allowed 11 total runs in his last two starts after putting together a shutout effort against the Twins in the middle of September. Since that gem, he’s lasted just six total innings and has walked five batters in that span.
His most recent appearance lasted just one innings, which was long enough for Sowers to serve up two home runs and five runs on six hits.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Colorado (91-68) at L.A. Dodgers (93-66)
The struggling Dodgers try once again to wrap up the N.L. West title when they open a season-ending three-game home series against the Rockies, who have clinched at least a wild-card berth and can still catch Los Angeles in the division. L.A.’s Randy Wolf (11-6, 3.27 ERA) is slated to oppose Colorado ace Ubaldo Jimenez (14-12, 3.52) tonight.
Colorado finished off a three-game sweep of the Brewers on Thursday, prevailing 9-2 to earn a postseason berth for second time in three years. The Dodgers have also punched their playoff ticket despite losing four in a row and six of eight on a just-concluded road trip to Washington, Pittsburgh and San Diego. They’re now just two games up on the Rockies in the division with three to play, meaning L.A. needs one win in this series to capture its second straight N.L. West title and relegate Colorado to the wild card.
The Rockies have won four in a row and five of six after going 4-7 in their previous 11 contests. However, Colorado has dropped five straight road games against southpaw starters, eight of 11 against winning clubs and 10 of 12 when facing a winning opponent on the highway.
The Dodgers, who were one-hit in Wednesday’s 5-0 loss in San Diego, have scored a total of two runs in the last three games and are batting .230 as a team over their last 10 contests. Joe Torre’s team has lost four of its last five on Friday and five of its last seven after a day off, but it is 5-1 in its last six at home and 6-2 in its last eight against right-handed starters.
Los Angeles has owned Colorado this year, going 12-3, including 5-1 at Dodger Stadium. In fact, the Dodgers are 49-23 in the last 72 head-to-head battles in Hollywood.
Jimenez gave up four runs on six hits in seven innings in Saturday’s 6-3 home loss to the Cardinals. He’s surrendered 12 runs (11 earned) in his last three outings covering 16 2/3 innings (5.94 ERA). Still, the Rockies are 8-3 in Jimenez’s last 11 starts overall, and 22 of the right-hander’s last 26 outings have been quality starts, allowing two earned runs or fewer in 16 of those 26 contests.
Colorado is just 11-25 in Jimenez’s last 36 road starts, where he’s 6-7 with a 3.69 ERA this season. Also, Jimenez is 0-3 with a 7.77 ERA in four starts against the Dodgers in 2009, with the Rockies losing all four games by a combined score of 32-15. For his career, Jimenez is 4-3 with a 6.38 ERA in 11 games (10 starts) against the Dodgers, including 1-1 with a 9.13 ERA in five starts at Dodger Stadium.
The Dodgers have won four straight and nine of 10 games started by Wolf since Aug. 6, with the southpaw going 6-0 with a 2.73 ERA during this stretch. He got a no-decision on Saturday at Pittsburgh, yielding two runs on four hits in 6 1/3 innings, with L.A. prevailing 8-4 by scoring five runs in the final two innings.
With Wolf on the hill, the Dodgers are on runs of 19-7 overall, 21-7 at home, 5-1 against the N.L. West, 5-0 on Friday and 13-3 when he faces an opponent with a winning record. He’s 4-2 with a 3.63 ERA in 17 home starts this year (L.A. is 13-4), and he’s 5-2 with a 4.05 ERA in 12 career starts against Colorado, including 1-0 with a 2.79 ERA in three games this year (all Dodgers victories).
The under is 9-2 in Jimenez’s last 11 starts overall, 4-1 in his last five on the road, 8-2 in his last 10 on Friday and 4-1 in his last five against the N.L. West, but nine of his 10 career starts against Los Angeles – including four of five at Dodger Stadium – have topped the posted total. Also, with Wolf pitching, the Dodgers are on “over” runs of 4-0-1 overall, 3-0-1 at home and 5-1-1 against divisional foes.
The over is 5-2 in Colorado’s last seven road games and 4-1 in its last five series openers, while Los Angeles is on “over” surges of 8-3 overall, 4-1 at home, 6-2 against the N.L. West and 6-0 against winning teams. However, the last six Dodgers-Rockies battles have stayed under the total, as have six of the last eight meetings at Dodger Stadium.
ATS ADVANTAGE: L.A. DODGERS
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Chicago White Sox (77-82) at Detroit (85-74)
After blowing an opportunity to punch their postseason ticket on Thursday, the Tigers give it another shot tonight when they send All-Star Edwin Jackson (13-8, 3.36 ERA) to the mound at Comerica Park, while the White Sox counter with Jake Peavy (2-0, 2.25).
Detroit could’ve wrapped up the A.L. Central title Thursday afternoon against second-place Minnesota, but the Tigers lost 8-3. That dropped Detroit’s divisional lead to two games with three to play for each team, meaning any combination of two Detroit wins or Minnesota losses sends the Tigers to the playoffs.
In splitting the critical four-game set with the Twins, the Tigers are now 7-4 in their last 11 games (all versus the A.L. Central) after going 3-9 in the previous 12 to allow Minnesota back in the race. Detroit is 35-17 in its last 52 at Comerica, but it has lost six of its last seven series openers.
Chicago was off Thursday after taking two of three at Cleveland to start this week and it has won four of six following a 1-7 nosedive. The White Sox are 11-5 in their last 16 after a day off, but otherwise they’re in funks of 12-26 on the road, 9-19 on Friday, 2-6 against winning teams and 21-48 on the highway against winning squads.
Detroit holds a slim 8-7 edge in the season series with the White Sox, who have won three of the last four meetings. The host is 6-2 in the last eight clashes, with the Tigers winning four of the last five in their ballpark.
Peavy was dominant in a 2-0 home win over Detroit a week ago tonight, scattering six hits and two walks while striking out eight over seven innings. He’s allowed three runs and nine hits in 12 innings with a 13-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio in his first two starts with the White Sox, both at home. In addition to last Friday’s 2-0 win, Peavy’s only other start against the Tigers came with the Padres in interleague play in 2005, and he gave up five runs (three earned) in six innings of an 8-4 road loss.
Jackson has been hit hard in three of his last four starts, giving up five runs in all three of those poor performances. That includes an 8-4 loss at the White Sox on Sunday, when he surrendered the five runs in seven innings. Jackson is 3-3 with a 5.16 ERA in seven starts since Aug. 26, including 1-1 with a 7.41 ERA at home. Still, for the season, the right-hander is 7-2 with a 3.73 ERA at Comerica Park.
Jackson has made seven career starts against Chicago, going 1-3 with a 5.66 ERA, including 0-1 with a 4.74 ERA in three games this year. The White Sox are 5-2 all-time when facing Jackson.
For Chicago, the under is on stretches of 45-21-1 overall, 34-15-2 on the road, 19-9 in divisional games, 4-1 on Friday, 4-1 after a day off and 40-19-2 against winning teams. Conversely, Detroit carries “over” trends of 4-1-1 overall (all within the division), 8-2-1 at home, 13-4-1 on grass, 8-3-2 against right-handed starters, 4-0 when Jackson starts at home and 5-1 when Jackson faces A.L. Central rivals.
The under is 11-4 in this rivalry this year and 45-20-4 over the last seven-plus seasons when these teams meet in Detroit
ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER
Baseball Today
SCOREBOARD
Friday, October 2
Chicago White Sox at Detroit (7:05 p.m. EDT). All-Star right-hander Edwin Jackson (13-8, 3.36 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Tigers in the opener of their final regular-season series. Jake Peavy (2-0, 2.25) goes for the White Sox.
STARS
Thursday
— Chris Carpenter, Cardinals, hit a grand slam and drove in six runs, getting St. Louis back on track with his arm and bat in a 13-0 rout of Cincinnati.
— Chris Davis, Rangers, homered and drove in three runs, and Texas beat the playoff-bound Los Angeles Angels 11-3.
— Jon Lester, Red Sox, gave up two hits in 6 1-3 innings to lead Boston to a 3-0 win over Cleveland.
— Aaron Cook, Rockies, pitched four-hit ball over eight spectacular innings for Colorado, which clinched a playoff berth with a 9-2 win over Milwaukee.
— Pete Orr, Nationals, hit a tiebreaking single in the ninth inning and Washington beat Atlanta 2-1, hours after the Braves were eliminated from playoff contention.
— Mike Sweeney, Mariners, hit a tiebreaking two-run single in the fifth inning, and Seattle beat Oakland 4-2.
THEY’RE IN
The Rockies’ fourth straight victory—9-2 over Milwaukee—eliminated Atlanta, their final pursuer, from contention for the NL wild card. Colorado can still catch the Dodgers for the NL West title if the Rockies sweep a weekend series in Los Angeles. Colorado was 18-28 on May 29 when Jim Tracy took over for longtime manager Clint Hurdle. They finished 91-58.
PITCHER CAN HIT
Chris Carpenter hit a grand slam and drove in six runs to lead St. Louis to a 13-0 victory over the Reds. Carpenter’s first career homer capped a five-run second inning for the Cardinals. He added a two-run double during a four-run fifth to match the career RBI total he brought into the game. The last pitcher to have six RBIs in a game was Micah Owings for Arizona at Atlanta on Aug. 18, 2007, according to STATS LLC.
NO BUBBLY
The Tigers had a chance to wrap up their first division crown since 1987 in the finale of a four-game series against Minnesota, but lost 8-3.
SKID STOPPER
Baltimore stopped a 13-game losing streak by beating Tampa Bay 3-2. The skid was the longest in the majors this season and the third-worst in Orioles history. Baltimore dropped 14 consecutive games in August 1954 and opened the 1988 season by losing 21 straight.
MILESTONE
Garret Anderson had two hits for Atlanta, including a second-inning single for his 2,500th major league hit. He is the 89th player to reach the plateau, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Anderson ranks seventh among active players. He is in his first season with the Braves after playing for the Angels from 1994-2008.
LOST ONE
Oakland’s Brett Anderson lost for the first time in September, 4-2 to Seattle. He was 4-0 with a 2.28 ERA since his last loss Aug. 30, and was 8-3 with a 3.02 ERA over his previous 16 starts.
SLAM IT HOME
Here’s another sign of how bad a season it’s been for the New York Mets: Francisco Rodriguez became the first pitcher since Lee Smith in 1995 to allow two game-ending grand slams in the same season. Justin Maxwell’s two-out homer capped a five-run ninth inning off the All-Star closer and gave Washington a 7-4 victory Wednesday. … The Mets are cutting the average price of season tickets by at least 10 percent following a dismal opening season at Citi Field. The team said that some locations will have cuts or more than 20 percent. All season tickets will go down in price.
PACKED HOUSE
By drawing 44,905 fans for their 5-3 loss to Houston, the Phillies set a franchise record for attendance at 3,465,206. The previous mark was 3,422,583, during last season’s run to the World Series championship.
SPEAKING
“We controlled our own destiny today and we had a chance to clinch it out, but you have to give them credit. We’re still two games up with three to play, and we’re in the driver’s seat. We just have to play good baseball like we have at home, take it to the White Sox and we’ll be celebrating.”—Tigers catcher Gerald Laird on what his team has to do win the AL Central after failing to clinch the division with an 8-3 loss to the Twins.