MLB News and Notes Friday 5/21

INTERLEAGUE

Boston (22-20) at Philadelphia (26-15)

The Red Sox hit the road to begin interleague play with right-hander John Lackey (4-2, 4.86 ERA) taking the hill at Citizens Bank Park opposite Phillies’ lefty Cole Hamels (4-2, 4.29).

Boston wrapped up a brief two-game home sweep of the Twins on Thursday, winning 6-2 for its seventh win in its last 11 outings. However, the Red Sox went just 2-3 during a recent road trip and are 2-6 in their last eight on the highway and 7-22 in their last 29 as an underdog. On the bright side, Boston has dominated in interleague action, sporting runs against the N.L. of 63-23 overall, 30-12 on the road and 38-13 against the N.L. East.

Philadelphia has won 11 of its last 15 games, including a 5-4 home win over the Cubs on Thursday. The Phillies are 45-19 in their last 64 games as a home favorite and 20-8 in their last 28 against right-handed starters. However, unlike the Red Sox, Philadelphia has struggled in interleague action, as it is on slides of 1-8 at home against the A.L., 5-16 as a favorite and 5-11 against right-handers.

Boston has crushed the Phillies over the last several seasons, winning 13 of the last 16 meetings, including four of the last five Citizens Bank and two of three there last season.

Lackey is coming off back-to-back rough outings, allowing 11 runs on 17 hits in 13 innings (7.62 ERA) against the Blue Jays and Tigers, but he’s still 2-1 in his last three outings. In his long career, Lackey has faced the Phillies just once, back in 2003 as a starter for the Angels, and he allowed one run on five hits in 6 1/3 innings of a 2-1 victory.

Hamels is 2-0 with a 2.75 ERA in his last three starts and is coming off a solid effort in Milwaukee on Sunday, allowing two runs on six hits in 6 2/3 innings of a 4-2 win. The Phillies are 6-2 behind Hamels this season, winning the last four in a row. The only time the San Diego native faced the Red Sox was in 2008, and he held them to two runs on seven hits in seven innings of an 8-2 Phillies’ victory. That said, Philadelphia is 0-4 in Hamels’ last four interleague starts and 3-8 in his last 11 home starts against a winning team.

The Red Sox have topped the total in five of six against southpaws, five of six on the road against National League lefties and three of five on the highway, but they are on “under” runs of 25-11-1 as an underdog, 21-6-1 as a road ‘dog and 29-14-8 on Friday. The Phillies have gone above the posted number in four straight interleague games and eight of Hamels’ last 11 Friday starts, but they’re also on “under” streaks of 14-6-1 as a favorite, 19-6-1 on Friday, 5-2 in Hamels’ last seven interleague starts and 7-3-1 when Hamels is favored at home against A.L. opponents.

Finally, these two have topped the total in eight of the last 11 meetings overall and six of the last eight at Citizens Bank Park.

ATS ADVANTAGE: BOSTON and OVER

Detroit (24-17) at L.A. Dodgers (23-18)

The surging Tigers send left-hander Dontrelle Willis (1-1, 4.68 ERA) to hill at Dodger Stadium to open an three-game interleague set against the Dodgers and right-hander Chad Billingsley (4-2, 4.03).

Detroit has won seven of its last 10 and finished a two-game sweep in Oakland on Thursday with a 5-2 victory. The Tigers are in slumps oft 2-6 in interleague road games, 17-37 as an interleague ‘dog, 2-7 on Friday and 7-16 in series openers, but they are on positive streaks of 53-23 overall in interleague action, 6-2 versus the N.L. West and 42-19 against N.L. right-handers.

One night after their nine-game winning was streak halted with 10-5 home loss to San Diego, the Dodgers bounced back Thursday and beat the Padres 4-1. In addition to winning 10 of its last 11 games, Los Angeles is on positive runs of 13-7 at home, 7-1 as a favorite, 84-29 as a home favorite, 12-4 at home against winning teams, 4-1 in series openers and 6-1 on Friday. On the flip side, Joe Torre’s troops are in slumps of 29-52 in interleague play, 6-20 versus the A.L. Central, 11-28 against A.L. teams with winning records and 7-20 against left-handed A.L. starters

These teams haven’t met since 2008 when the Tigers swept a three-game set in Detroit, and they haven’t squared off at Dodger Stadium since 2005 when the Dodgers took two of three.

Willis had his worst start of the season on Saturday at home against the Red Sox, giving up four runs on four hits and a season-high seven walks in 3 1/3 innings, but his offense bailed him out and rallied for a 7-6 victory. The former Marlin starter has had no luck against the Dodgers, going 1-5 with a 6.93 ERA in seven career starts against them, including 0-2 with a 5.30 ERA in three starts at Dodger Stadium, allowing 13 runs (11 earned) in just 18 2/3 innings.

The Tigers are just 2-8 in Willis’ last 10 road starts, and the southpaw is 0-1 with a 4.42 ERA in three starts on the highway this season.

Billingsley is 2-1 with a 2.89 ERA in his last three starts, most recently blanking the Padres on Sunday as he scattered four hits over 7 1/3 innings, striking out six and walking one in a 1-0 road victory. The Dodgers have won three of Billingsley’s last four outings, but otherwise they’re 4-10 in his last 14 starts as a favorite, 2-7 in his last nine on Friday and 2-8 when he’s coming off four days of rest.

Detroit has topped the total in seven of its last 11 on the road and 10 of its last 15 as a road ‘dog, but otherwise Jim Leyland’s team carries “under” streaks of 7-1-1 as an underdog, 15-5-1 against N.L. West teams, 14-6-1 in interleague road games, 8-3 as an interleague underdog and 10-4 on the road against National League right-handers. Also, with Willis on the hill, the Tigers have stayed under the total in seven of 10 as ‘dogs, five of six against winning teams and four straight after he gets five days off.

Los Angeles is on “over” runs of 8-3 at home, 8-1 as a home favorite, 11-5-1 in series openers and 18-7-2 when Billingsley starts against a winning team, but it is on “under” streaks of 11-5 in interleague home games, 12-4 at home against American League squads with winning records and 4-1 in Billingsley’s last five outings overall.

Finally, these teams stayed under the total in two of three meetings in 2008 and six of nine clashes since 2003.

ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER

Interleague Betting Preview
By Bodog

Baseball purists will disagree, but MLB struck gold in 1997 with the introduction of interleague play. More people pay attention when two teams from the same city are involved, or when you get a rare old-school matchup like we saw in 2004, when the San Francisco Giants and Boston Red Sox played for the first time since the 1912 World Series. When more people pay attention, more people bet on baseball.

We’ll get our first dose of interleague ball for 2010 starting this Friday. It’s a small dose: just a quick three-game series before regular league play resumes. But there are enough compelling rivalry games to make sure your weekend sports jones doesn’t go unanswered. Here’s a look at the Top 5 interleague series on the menu.

1. New York Yankees at New York Mets

The term “Subway Series” first popped up in the New York papers in 1928; that was back when they had three teams, including the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds and the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field. Now the Yankees and Mets square off every year in interleague action. The Yankees (25-15, 4.41 units) are ahead 42-30 in this series, winning five of six last year and sweeping the Mets at Citi Field. Game 3 of this weekend’s set will be aired on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball (8:05 p.m. ET) with CC Sabathia (3.43 ERA, 1.11 WHIP) throwing for the Yankees and Johan Santana (3.72 ERA, 1.19 WHIP) responding for the Mets. They’re last in the NL East at 19-22 and down 4.07 units against the MLB odds.

2. Boston Red Sox at Philadelphia Phillies

Except for the 1915 World Series, these two teams had never met before interleague play began, although the Philadelphia Athletics were charter members of the American League in 1901 along with the Boston Americans. The Red Sox are 22-15 versus the Phillies and 13-4 over the past five seasons. Philadelphia has the best record in the National League at 24-15 (1.98 units) and sends Roy Halladay (1.64 ERA, 1.05 WHIP) to the mound on Sunday against knuckleballer Tim Wakefield (5.31 ERA, 1.28 WHIP), who makes his return to the starting rotation in place of the injured Josh Beckett. Boston is in fourth place in the AL East at 21-20 (-5.54 units).

3. Cincinnati Reds at Cleveland Indians

The Ohio Cup was a friendly preseason game played between the Reds and Indians from 1989 to 1996, with Cleveland winning six times. The two teams have faced each other every year since except for 2002; the Indians hold a 32-31 series lead, but the Reds are 9-3 over the past two seasons as the Cleveland rebuilding plan has stalled. The Tribe are still struggling at 15-23 (-5.36 units), ranking No. 23 in the majors with a .696 team OPS and No. 25 with a 1.52 WHIP. The Reds lead the NL Central at 23-17 (7.56 units), but only have a run differential of plus-2 on the season.

4. San Francisco Giants at Oakland Athletics

They met three times in the World Series back when it was New York versus Philadelphia, but this rivalry didn’t heat up until both teams moved out West. Oakland leads the Bay Bridge Series 39-35 and swept the Giants in the 1989 World Series for good measure. But in 2009, it was the Giants winning five of six against the floundering A’s. They’ll cross their fingers Sunday when they send Ben Sheets (5.66 ERA, 1.68 WHIP) to the mound. Sheets has reportedly added a cut fastball to his arsenal this month and the A’s have won two of his last three starts.

5. Baltimore Orioles at Washington Nationals

The Nationals moved south from Montreal in 2005, but the Beltway Series didn’t get underway until 2006 – the Expos move happened too quickly to reschedule their usual all-Canadian battle with the Toronto Blue Jays. Baltimore and Washington are tied at 12 wins apiece; the O’s took four of six from the Nats last year, but there are signs of life in the nation’s capital this year at 21-20 (10.29 units), while Baltimore has the worst record in the majors at 13-28 (-10.73 units). The O’s have decided to start No. 5 pitcher David Hernandez (5.84 ERA, 1.65 WHIP) in Friday’s series opener after he threw a side session on Tuesday to test his sore right shoulder. They’ve won just two of his seven starts this year.

MLB RoundUp For 5/21
By Dan Bebe

National League

Braves (-173) @ Pirates with a total of 8.5
Yunel Escobar and Chipper Jones are each 2-for-3 off Ohlendorf;
Ryan Church is 7-for-22 with 1 RBI off Hudson.
Tim Hudson is 4-3 lifetime against the Pirates with a 2.82 ERA, and Lastings Milledge is career 0-for-12 off Hudson, so he's rolling. Ohlendorf, though, has been good enough to give his team a chance to win just about every time out. He might actually be the most reliable Pirates starter, though I suppose Maholm and Duke are battling for that "easiest 1st place honor", as well. I think if you're a volume bettor, the Pirates are a no-brainer, since any time you can get a +150 dog in a 50/50 close game, you want that, but as more selective folks, we have to like a game more than 45-50% to make it a top play. Tiny lean to Pirates, but likely not going to make the final cut.

Interleague Play

Orioles @ Nationals (-165) with a total of 9
Garrett Atkins is 6-for-13 with a HR and 4 RBI off Olsen;
Adam Kennedy is 2-for-4 with a HR off Hernandez.
Ah, the start of Interleague play, and what match-up would we want to break down more than Orioles-Nats. Someone can fill in the details here (is this considered the "Battle of I-94", "Battle by the Potomac", "Stinkfest, USA"?) on whether this series means anything, but certainly it's an opportunity for Washington to try to rack up a few wins against weaker competition. It's also a spot, maybe not tonight, but in general, where a team like Baltimore can show that they'd be competitive in a division that doesn't contain the Sox, Yanks, Rays, and Jays. Scott Olsen has been solid this year, 2-1, 3.15 ERA, and Hernandez is still looking for his first win. This line is drastically inflated, and again, a volume guy would like Hernandez, but a selective guy might want to look for something with a better percentage chance of winning.

Red Sox @ Phillies (-134) with a total of 9
Dustin Pedroia is 3-for-4 with a HR off Hamels;
Ben Francisco is 3-for-6 off Lackey;
Raul Ibanez is batting nearly .400 off Lackey on 33 AB since 2005.
Considering we have two top offenses going head-to-head here in a heck of an Interleague match-up, I actually somewhat like the Under. I know, that's asking for trouble, since neither Hamels nor Lackey has been able to keep his ERA under 4 runs (Lackey at 4.86, Hamels at 4.29), but both pitchers are 1-0 against the other team, and aside from Ibanez having seen a ton of Lackey in the AL West, there's truly minimal experience on both sides. Lackey is 1-0 against the Phils with a 1.42 ERA, and Hamels is 1-0 against Boston with a 2.57 ERA. If the bullpens can function better than what we saw in the Boston-NY series, this one could end at 7-8 runs.

Reds (-127) @ Indians with a total of 9
Scott Rolen is 2-for-3 with a HR off Westbrook;
I'm waiting on Bronson Arroyo's stats against the Indians - someone over at mlb.com is taking the night off, and I'm not happy about it.

Yankees (-166) @ Mets with a total of 9
Same deal, here. MLB.com hasn't loaded Vazquez as the starter yet. These idiots need to get their heads out of their butts.

Cubs @ Rangers (-145) with a total of 9
We're going to be seeing quite a few games over the next few days that don't really have any historical data to handle. I suppose Michael Young has faced Lilly enough times to get a feel, but that's about it. Lilly is 4-4 in his career against the Rangers, but those were different teams, so we're going blind. The best tool to use, then, is recent play from both teams and recent starts for the pitchers. Lilly has been slowly working into midseason form, and while he's doing deeper into games, he's still giving up hits and runs in every start. The Cubs as a team had won 4 straight before falling 5-4 to Philadelphia yesterday afternoon, so they're starting to put a few pieces together. For Texas, they had won 3 straight, pending the outcome of an evening game with Baltimore, but Lewis hasn't been the reason. Texas has lost his last 3 starts, as he's walking more batters, striking out fewer, and has allowed 11 runs in roughly 19 innings this month, and 3 homers. There might be some value with the Cubs, though the Rangers being "warm" as a team makes it tough to pick a side.

Rays (-175) @ Astros with a total of 7.5
Yeah, another game without a good selection of data. So, back to the recent trends for some answers. Tampa Bay had won 5 straight, again pending the outcome of their game in NY, so they're rolling, and they're the best road team in the Majors. This will be Garza's 9th start of the season, and he's been near dominant in 6 of the previous 8 starts. This is a dangerous team - they run the bases well, they're aggressive, they can pitch, and the pen has really come through so far this year. Houston, as we all know, stinks. They can't hit a lick, so no matter how well the pitchers throw, they struggle to win. They're 13-3 when they score 4 runs, but as you can see, it doesn't happen nearly enough. Myers, along with Oswalt, has been consistently decent this year, but that's not going to be enough against a team like Tampa, the true elite.

Rockies (-120) @ Royals with a total of 9.5
Jason Giambi is 3-for-7 with a HR and 6 RBI off Bannister;
Jason Kendall is 3-for-4 with an RBI off Hammel.
Well, at least most of the batters have seen the other pitcher in this one, if still not much of them. I also just noticed that of the 4 players named in this game note, 3 are named Jason. Irrelevant, but interesting. In any case, I actually happen to think there's some legs on the KC side. Bannister has held the bulk of the Rockies in check the few times they've faced off, and we're getting a good price on him because of his season 5.09 ERA and awful bullpen. But the Royals are playing a little better under new managed Ned Yost, and I wouldn't write them off. The AL teams have a big edge playing at home, since NL teams don't really have a good hitter to deploy as the DH, and with Hammel "doinking" his way through the season's first 7 weeks, the Royals have a nice shot to put up 4-5 runs off the starter, and get a win in their Interleague opener.

Marlins (-115) @ White Sox with a total of 8
Mark Kotsay is 2-for-2 off Nolasco.
I'm not surprised the Sox haven't seen Nolasco, really. I am surprised the Marlins haven't seen Buerhle. Mark has seemingly faced everyone a few times, though I guess the age of the Marlins lineup plays a role. In any case, Buerhle has been bad this year, there's no sugar-coating it. He had a nice start to open the year, and he's been fully mediocre since then. He's always given up hits, but he's always been able to throw strikes, get some defensive help behind him, and get out of jams, but not so far this year. I suppose mixed in there are a few 7-8 inning starts where Buerhle gave up 3-4 runs, but that just won't get it done with the Sox "all-Konerko" offense. I can't help but think the Marlins can beat this Sox club.

Brewers @ Twins (-155) with a total of 10
Ryan Braun is 4-for-7 off Blackburn;
Michael Cuddyer is 6-for-14 with a HR off Bush;
Joe Mauer is 5-for-13 with a HR off Bush.
The first thing I notice when I look at this game is that high total of 10. Oddsmakers are definitely tipping their hand on this one, since they could have easily brought this one out at 9.5 and gotten plenty more money on that Over, but they know what's up. The funny thing is that Bush hasn't really been that bad, but Milwaukee finds a way to give up 5-6 runs nightly no matter who starts the game. Trevor Hoffman's wrinkly ass is definitely playing a part in that. On the other side, Blackburn is one of the Twins 7-man-deep rotation of strike throwers. He doesn't have great numbers against Milwaukee in brief exposure, but he's gotten excellent run support this year that has led to his 4-1 record. This line is high, and it might stay under, but I believe there's a reason it opened at such a beefy value.

Angels @ Cardinals (-160) with a total of 8
Torii Hunter is 3-for-9 with 4 RBI off Penny;
Mike Napoli is 3-for-7 with 2 HR and 4 RBI off Penny;
Matt Holliday is 3-for-5 off Pineiro with 2 RBI.
I bet Pineiro didn't think he'd be seeing his old team this quickly, considering he switched Leagues, but here we are. Pineiro is 1-1, 1.13 ERA against the Cardinals in his career, but it's been a while since he faced them, and the complete lack of ABs for the current Cards shows that. Penny has seen plenty of the Angels, playing in the Freeway Series with the Dodgers, and briefly with the Red Sox in the AL, and he hasn't been great against them. This line looks too high to me, as the Cards have been in an offensive slump, and Penny seems to get more and more hittable with every start. Looking for a guy trending down with a very good season ERA is always a nice value spot, so give a peek to the Angels.

Blue Jays @ D'backs (-185) with a total of 9.5
Aaron Hill is 5-for-11 off Haren;
Fred Lewis is 8-for-19 with an RBI off Haren;
Lyle Overbay is 3-for-9 off Haren with 3 RBI;
Vernon Wells is 6-for-17 with 2 HR and 5 RBI off Haren since '05.
Danny Haren might be 4-1 lifetime against the Jays, but that 5.77 ERA is downright "fugly." The only problem? Brandon Morrow is one of the wildest pitchers in the Majors, posting a sickening 1.68 WHIP on the season. But he did show signs of progress his last time out, only walking 1 against the Rangers and allowing 2 runs over 6 innings. Can we trust him in this longshot spot? It's an iffy proposition. I will note the rather high total for a game involving Haren, the highest this year for Haren outside of the wind-blown "11" we saw at Wrigley. Oddsmakers think there will be some runs, and so do I. Tiny lean to Toronto, slightly larger lean to the Over.

Giants (-130) @ Athletics with a total of 7.5
Travis Ishikawa has homered in 2 AB off Cahill;
Eric Chavez is 4-for-7 off Zito.
The player numbers might not show it, but Barry Zito has had a severe case of "the Sabathias" when he faces the A's. I don't know if it's because it's his former team, or bad timing or what, but Zito is 0-3 with a 9.22 ERA against the A's in his career. He's a better pitcher this year, make no mistake, but the Giants can't score no matter how well he throws, and Zito has allowed 3 runs in 2 straight starts for the first time this season. Cahill shut the Giants down the one time he faced them, and in the pitcher-friendly park in the East Bay, there's little reason to think this one features many runs. Lean to Oaktown.

Tigers @ Dodgers (-185) with a total of 8.5
Jamey Carroll is 5-for-11 off the D-Train;
Ronnie Belliard is 3-for-9 off Dontrelle;
Russ Martin is 4-for-8 with a HR off Willis.
This line is wildly inflated, and I want no part of either side. Here's the part where I talk us out of both sides. I don't want the Dodgers because, yes, Billingsley is trending up, which is good, but the team is a big public name, and especially when they're fresh off a long win streak, they're a terrible value. One interesting note is that Miguel Cabrera is 0-for-9 lifetime off Chad, but that's not enough. I don't like the Tigers, either, as Dontrelle is 1-5 with a 6.93 ERA against the Dodgers in his career, and that includes when he was decent. Pass!

Diamond Trends - Friday
By Vince Akins

Rays at Astros - The Rays are 0-8 since May 12, 2009 as a road favorite when they won by one run in their starter's last start for a net profit of $935 when playing against. The League is 0-13 since July 24, 2009 as a 140+ dog after a loss in which they allowed 6 or fewer hits and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $1300 when playing against. The Astros are 0-8 since September 20, 2009 after a loss in which their opponent left 18+ men on base for a net profit of $850 when playing against.

Giants at Athletics - The Giants are 6-0 since June 09, 2009 after a loss in which their opponent left 18+ men on base and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $650. The Athletics are 7-0 since June 06, 2009 when Trevor Cahill starts at home within 20 cents of pickem vs a team that has hit more grounders than fly balls season-to-date for a net profit of $745.

Angels at Cardinals - The Angels are 6-0 since May 19, 2009 on the road when their starter went at least eight innings in his last start after a win for a net profit of $660. The Cardinals are 7-0 since April 10, 2009 as a favorite when they are off a win in which they came back from a deficit and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $700.

Blue Jays at Diamondbacks - The Diamondbacks are 9-0 since April 27, 2009 as a 140+ favorite and it is the first game of the series for a net profit of $900. The Diamondbacks are 9-0 since May 23, 2009 when Dan Haren starts as a favorite after his team lost the last time he started for a net profit of $900.

Tigers at Dodgers - The Tigers are 0-11 since April 17, 2009 as a road dog after a win and it is the first game of the series for a net profit of $1100 when playing against. The Dodgers are 6-0 since May 07, 2010 when they are off a win in which they never trailed for a net profit of $680. The Dodgers are 0-6 since July 17, 2009 when Chad Billingsley starts as a favorite after his team won the last time he started for a net profit of $850 when playing against.

Reds at Indians - The Reds are 12-0 since September 01, 2009 within 20 cents of pickem after scoring 6+ runs for a net profit of $1230. The Reds are 6-0 since September 05, 2009 on the road vs a team that has lost at least their last three games for a net profit of $820. The Indians are 0-11 since August 14, 2009 as a dog after a loss and it is the first game of the series for a net profit of $1100 when playing against.

Padres at Mariners - The Padres are 3-0 since September 04, 2009 when Wade LeBlanc starts on the road after going at least 6 innings and giving up 6 or fewer hits for a net profit of $510. The Mariners are 6-0 since May 30, 2009 when their starter went at least eight innings in his last start after a win for a net profit of $635.

Yankees at Mets - The Yankees are 0-6 since August 17, 2009 on the road after a loss and it is the first game of the series for a net profit of $835 when playing against. The Mets are 9-0 since September 20, 2009 at home after a win in which they had fewer team-left-on-base than their opponent for a net profit of $950.

Orioles at Nationals - The Orioles are 0-8 since April 17, 2009 as a dog after a 5+ run loss and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $800 when playing against. The Nationals are 7-0 since September 28, 2009 at home after a loss in which they had a higher team-left-on-base than their opponent for a net profit of $815. The Nationals are 0-8 since May 15, 2009 at home vs a team that has lost at least their last two games and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $810 when playing against.

Red Sox at Phillies - The Red Sox are 0-6 since September 04, 2009 on the road after a win and it is the first game of the series for a net profit of $740 when playing against. The Phillies are 6-0 since September 01, 2009 when Cole Hamels starts after throwing more than 100 pitches and on the road for a net profit of $650.

Braves at Pirates - The Braves are 8-0 since May 06, 2009 as a road 140+ favorite when they won the last two games their starter started for a net profit of $800. The League is 0-13 since July 24, 2009 as a 140+ dog after a loss in which they allowed 6 or fewer hits and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $1300 when playing against. The Pirates are 5-0 since May 02, 2009 when Ross Ohlendorf starts as a home dog after a quality start for a net profit of $590.

Cubs at Rangers - The Cubs are 0-8 since May 09, 2009 as a dog after a loss in which they drew 1 or fewer walks for a net profit of $800 when playing against. The Cubs are 5-0 since August 23, 2009 as a road dog vs a team that has won at least their last two games for a net profit of $690.

Rockies at Royals - The Rockies are 0-9 since July 18, 2009 on the road when they won by one run in their starter's last start for a net profit of $1015 when playing against. The Royals are 7-0 since April 13, 2009 at home when they are off a win in which they came back from a deficit and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $795. The Royals are 0-7 since May 29, 2009 when Brian Bannister starts in the first game of a series for a net profit of $725 when playing against.

Brewers at Twins - The Brewers are 0-7 since May 22, 2009 after a one run win and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $700 when playing against. The Brewers are 0-8 since September 02, 2009 when David Bush starts as a dog after his team lost the last time he started for a net profit of $800 when playing against. The Twins are 6-0 since August 31, 2009 when Nick Blackburn starts at home vs a team that has hit more grounders than fly balls season-to-date for a net profit of $615.

Marlins at White Sox - The Marlins are 5-0 since May 08, 2009 on the road when they are off a loss in which they held the lead and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $730. The Marlins are 6-0 since April 28, 2009 when Ricky Nolasco starts on the road vs a team that has averaged fewer than six strikeouts per game. for a net profit of $720.