MLB News and Notes Friday 5/28

NATIONAL LEAGUE

L.A. Dodgers (26-21) at Colorado (25-22)

The Dodgers send right-hander Carlos Monasterios (1-0, 1.90 ERA) to the mound at Coors Field in Denver opposite Rockies’ southpaw Jeff Francis (1-0, 0.68).

Los Angeles just dropped two of three in Chicago, getting shut out twice, including Thursday’s 1-0 loss. The Dodgers are still on several positive streaks, including 18-7 overall, 57-27 against N.L. West rivals, 7-2 on the road, 4-0 on Friday and 5-2 in series openers.

Colorado made it five straight victories – its longest win streak of the season – with Thursday’s 8-2 victory over the Diamondbacks. The Rockies are on positive runs of 56-25 at home, 37-15 as a home favorite, 39-19 at home against right-handers, 5-1 as a favorite and 46-17 at home against teams with losing road records.

The Dodgers took two of three from the Rockies in Los Angeles earlier this month and have won 19 of the last 26 meetings, including five of the last six in Colorado.

Monasterios has just one career start, coming back on May 1 at home against the Pirates, when he allowed one run on three hits in four innings of a 5-1 victory. He’s appeared in 12 games this season with his last coming on May 19 at home when he pitched three innings of relief in a 10-5 loss to the Padres, allowing just one hit and no runs.

Francis is making just his third start of the season after missing the entire 2009 season. He opened at home by beating the Nationals 2-1, allowing one run on seven hits in seven innings, then followed up with Saturday’s 3-0 victory in Kansas City, blanking the Royals on five hits over 6 1/3 innings. Francis is 5-3 in 14 career starts against the Dodgers with a 2.73 ERA. The Rockies are 21-10 in his last 31 at home against a team with a winning record, but just 1-8 in his last nine series-opening starts.

Los Angeles has stayed below the posted total in six of seven on the road, five of six against N.L. West teams, four of five on Friday and five of seven as an underdog. Colorado has topped the total in six of eight series openers, and six of nine when Francis has started a series opener, but it is on “under” surges of 6-0-1 in Francis’ last seven starts overall, 5-1-1 when he pitches at home and 6-1 when he’s a favorite.

With Francis on the hill, this series has stayed “under” in six of his last eight starts, nine of the last 12 meetings overall and four of the last five in the Mile High City.

ATS ADVANTAGE: LOS ANGELES and UNDER

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Texas (26-21) at Minnesota (27-20)

The Rangers, losers of three of their last four but still sitting atop the A.L. West standings, send Colby Lewis (4-2, 3.45 ERA) to the mound at Target Field to face Kevin Slowey (5-3, 4.53) and the Twins in the opener of a three-game series.

Texas split a two-game set at Kansas City this week, winning 8-7 on Tuesday before dropping a 5-2 contest on Wednesday. The Rangers’ 1-3 slump follows a five-game winning streak. They are just 1-6 in their last seven road games, 0-8 on the road against teams with winning records and 1-4 on the road against right-handers, but they have won 21 of 29 Friday contests and five of six against A.L. Central squads.

Minnesota salvaged the final game of a three-game home set against the Yankees on Thursday, winning 8-2. The Twins are on streaks of 25-11 at home, 39-15 on Friday, 4-1 against A.L. West teams and 38-18 as favorites, but they are just 3-6 in their last nine overall and 1-4 in their last vie versus teams.

The Twins have taken 10 of the last 14 at home against Texas and won six of nine overall battles last season.

The Rangers snapped a three-game losing streak with Lewis on the hill a week ago when he limited the White Sox to one run on five hits over six innings of a 2-1 victory. On the road this season, Lewis is 1-2 with a 3.77 ERA, allowing 13 runs in 31 innings of work. Lewis has just one career start against the Twins, coming back in 2003 when he allowed three runs on three hits in 4 2/3 innings of a 5-4 loss. Texas is just 5-11 in Lewis’ last 16 roadies, but 6-2 in his last eight as a ‘dog and 4-0 in his last four Friday starts.

Slowey has led the Twins to four wins in his last five outings, including Saturday when he gave up two runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings against the Brewers, getting a no-decision in Minnesota’s 8-7 home win. At Target Field, he is 2-2 with a 4.34 ERA, giving up 14 runs in 29 innings. His lone outing against the Rangers came in 2007 when he gave up just one run on four hits in six innings of a 5-4 victory, striking out seven. Minnesota is 19-7 in Slowey’s last 26 home starts, 14-4 in his last 18 when he gets five days off, 9-1 in his last 10 on Friday and 8-2 in his last 10 series openers.

Texas is on a plethora of “under” runs, including 4-1 overall, 5-2 as an underdog, 6-1 in Lewis’ last seven as a road ‘dog, 13-3 when he starts on the road, 4-1 in his last five overall and 5-2 when he throws the series opener. Minnesota has topped the total in 37 of 55 Friday games and six of Slowey’s last seven Friday outings, but the team in on “under” stretches of 10-4 as a favorite, 13-7-1 overall and 7-3 at home.

In this rivalry, the under is 3-1-1 in the last five clashes and 4-0 in the last four in Minnesota.

ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER

MLB RoundUp For 5/28
By Dan Bebe

National League

Cardinals (-135) @ Cubs with a total of N/A
Ryan Ludwick is 2-for-3 with 2 HR and 4 RBI;
Marlon Byrd is 4-for-6 off Carpenter;
Derrek Lee is 10-for-27 with a HR and 5 RBI off Carpenter since '05;
Ryan Theriot is 4-for-9 off Carpenter.
The Cardinals are absolutely pathetic offensively, of late, and I suppose the wind is going to play a role in whether things stay that way. Still, I just can't trust St. Louis as a favorite right now, even with Carpenter's powerhouse career numbers against the Cubbies (9-3, 2.81). Pass.

Astros @ Reds (-130) with a total of 8.5
Miguel Cairo is 3-for-5 off Rodriguez;
Jonny Gomez is 4-for-11 with 3 RBI off Wandy;
Ramon Hernandez is 5-for-13 off Wandy;
Joey Votto is 7-for-22 off Wandy.
This is Sam LeCure's Major League debut, and this is a polarizing concept. I'm generally a fan of either backing a rookie in his debut, or passing on the game. Fading a guy making his debut is not usually a wise play since you're not usually going to get a ton of value on the other side unless that rookie is of the "once in a lifetime" type prospects. Here, Houston might look interesting with a proven starter as an underdog, but the prudent choice is to Pass.

Phillies @ Marlins (-130) with a total of 9.5
Ryan Howard is 6-for-15 with 4 HR and 5 RBI off Volstad;
Raul Ibanez has homered twice off Volstad in just 8 AB;
Jorge Cantu is 5-for-9 with 2 HR and 5 RBI off Kendrick;
Cody Ross is 3-for-8 off Kendrick;
Dan Uggla is 5-for-14 with a HR and 5 RBI off Kendrick.
My big concern with this game is that number of 9.5. It feels like it could go soaring over, and our job is to determine if that is indeed the case, or if this number came out below 10 because of Volstad's career success against most of the Phillies not named Ryan Howard. I'd say it's a little surprising, in fact, but Volstad is 2-2 with a 3.21 ERA against Philadelphia, and against a clunker of a starter like Kendrick, this line is where it is for a reason. Slight lean to the Marlins, and slight lean to the Over.

Pirates @ Braves (-180) with a total of 8.5
These pitchers recently faced this opponent, so we'll go off recent trends and career numbers, though I should note up front that it's too expensive to play Lowe, and way too risky to play Duke. Duke is on one of his better rolls, and he's given up just 1 earned run (2 total) over his last 2 starts, one against the Braves. Lowe gave up 2 runs in 5 innings against these Pirates, a team that he's owned to the tune of an 8-0 career mark. Lowe really hasn't been up to snuff this year, and even though he's 6-4 this year, his 5.30 ERA is a better indicator of his slightly ineffective stuff. I wouldn't touch the Braves in this game.

Mets @ Brewers (-120) with a total of 7
Ryan Braun is 7-for-13 with 5 RBI off Santana;
Prince Fielder is 5-for-13 with a HR off Santana;
Corey Hart is 6-for-13 off Santana;
Rickie Weeks is 4-for-10 with 2 HR off Santana.
Johan has been very, very strong this year, and while his ERA isn't among the League leaders, it certainly could be if you yanked out the 10-run implosion in Philadelphia. Gallardo is walking too many batters, but his stuff is good enough that he's usually able to escape messes, for the most part. Gallardo has been good in his brief work against the Mets, and the Brewers have been able to at least score a couple runs off Santana in his career. The Mets continue to be a great team to back at home, and not so great to back on the road. Slight lean to Milwaukee.

Dodgers @ Rockies (-145) with a total of 9.5
Ronnie Belliard is 3-for-8 off Francis;
Rafael Furcal is 8-for-21 off Francis;
Russ Martin is 7-for-21 off Francis.
Jeff Francis has an 0.68 ERA since coming off the DL, and his ability to hit the ground running has been huge for the Rockies, who are starting to play better baseball. The Dodgers remain about one spoke short of a wheel on the road, and without Ethier, and with Manny battling injury, the offense that can make up for any pitching issues on the road just isn't there, and the ability to scratch out runs in low-scoring games is hurting a little, as well. This line is accurate, and while I'd love to back somebody in this Division rivalry game, I think one of the other weekend tilts may hold more value for us.

Nationals @ Padres (-165) with a total of 6.5
Will Venable is 4-for-11 off Lannan.
Richard is 1-0 with a 1.35 ERA against the Nats, and we've seen how well the Padres pitch at home. Lannan is coming off a nice start but got jobbed of a win when Capps blew the save. He's 0-2 against the Padres, but has a solid 3.12 ERA against them. I can't lay 165 on a game with a total of 6.5. If you're going to lay -165, you have to have the expectation that your team can score more than a couple runs. Pass.

Diamondbacks @ Giants (-145) with a total of 7.5
Stephen Drew is 7-for-18 with 2 HR and 5 RBI off Cain;
Conor Jackson is 6-for-16 with 3 RBI off Cain;
Kelly Johnson is 3-for-7 off Cain.
Call me crazy, but I actually really like what Jackson has been doing lately. He dominated the Marlins, then came back and was cruising against the Jays, up by 7 runs, and may have been left in the game a tad long. Toronto clubbed a pair of homers in the 8th inning, that led to 3 additional runs, and so Jackson's start didn't look outstanding even though he pitched pretty well. Cain remains the guy with no run support, and managed to lose his last start 1-0 to the A's. Well, here he faces a D'backs team that has actually hit him harder than the League average. I think this line is pretty cheap on Cain because Jackson is going to pitch well, and the low total tells us the same. Lean to Arizona.

American League

Indians @ Yankees (-245) with a total of 9
Robinson Cano is 5-for-15 with 3 RBI off Carmona;
Derek Jeter is 5-for-14 with 3 RBI off Carmona;
Mark Teixeira is 5-for-14 with a HR and 3 RBI off Carmona.
This line is too high to work with, and not going to waste time. Short version - DON'T BET FAVORITES THIS BIG. And you guys know how I feel about home run lines.

Athletics @ Tigers (-120) with a total of 9
Adam Everett, amazingly, is 8-for-20 with a HR and 5 RBI off Sheets.
Yeah, not a ton to go off, here. Recent trends would seem to indicate that Sheets is the way to go, though the Tigers are a tough out at home. Sheets has pitched relatively well over his last 4 starts, and Dontrelle is trending down. He's starting to walk too many, again, and as a result just is not going deep in games. Detroit has a great bullpen, so Dontrelle leaving early isn't that huge of an edge, but if indeed Sheets can continue to pitch well, I think the A's could steal this first one in Detroit before the Tigers settle into their normal daily lives at home. Lean to Oakland.

Orioles @ Blue Jays (-180) with a total of 8
Adam Jones is 3-for-10 with a HR off Marcum before 2010;
Nick Markakis is 9-for-18 with 5 HR and 6 RBI off Marcum before 2010;
Corey Patterson was 3-for-7 off Marcum;
Miguel Tejada was 6-for-13 with 3 HR and 7 RBI off Marcum before 2010;
John Buck was 7-for-16 with 6 RBI off Millwood;
Aaron Hill is 6-for-19 off Millwood;
Lyle Overbay is 5-for-13 with 2 HR off Millwood.
REMATCH ALERT! Millwood and Marcum went head-to-head earlier this year, and both pitched well enough to win, but some bad defense by the O's led to a handful of unearned runs, and that was the difference in the game. Marcum has had some issues with a few of the current Orioles, though he's crushing the League thus far in 2010, and pitched well against Baltimore, too. Still, you know how I love the rematches, and Millwood is constantly on the wrong end of some tough luck. The value is entirely with Baltimore, here.

White Sox @ Rays (-210) with a total of 8.5
David Price did actually give up 3 runs in just 5 innings earlier this year to the White Sox, so this isn't his favorite team to face. His 0-2 record and 5.73 ERA against the Southsiders is additional evidence of that. Freddy Garcia continues to be consistently mediocre, so if you needed someone to create some value opposite Price, Garcia might not be that guy. Volume bettors, grab the dog. Everyone else, pass!

Royals @ Red Sox (-185) with a total of 9.5
Yuny Betancourt is 5-for-13 with a HR off Wakefield;
Jason Kendall is 3-for-10 off Wakefield;
Victor Martinez is 4-for-12 with a HR and 2 RBI off Davies;
Marco Scutaro is 5-for-8 with 2 HR off Davies.
This is that weird starter that, for some reason, just loves facing the Red Sox. I know, Kyle Davies, of all people. He has a career 2.45 ERA against Boston, and it's not over a ton of work, but it's there, and Marco Scutaro is really the only Sox bat that has been consistently good, and I wonder if he struggles now that Davies sees a Boston jersey on him. Wakefield has marginal career numbers against the Royals, and I'd almost be inclined to back KC in this game, if Boston weren't so freaking hot right now. This one makes the list as a very weak lean.

Rangers @ Twins (-120) with a total of 9
Jim Thome is a perfect 3-for-3 with a HR and 5 RBI off Lewis since '05.
Surprisingly little background info on the Slowey side, so we'll go on recent trends in this one. The Twins are coming off another rough series with the Yanks (though last night's game has yet to conclude while I type this), but either way the Yanks won another series from Minnesota, and the Twins need to bounce back, somehow. Slowey is coming off a nice outing, but a rather short one against the Milwaukee Brewers, and he remains a consistently back-of-the-rotation talent, giving up a few runs over 5+ innings most times out. Lewis has the higher upside in this match-up, but he's been a little erratic. He's coming off a good start last time out, though it's tough to know if he's coming back out of a slump, or if the Cubs anemic offense just made him look good. Pass.

Mariners (-120) @ Angels with a total of 8
Franklin Gutierrez is 6-for-15 with 3 HR and 4 RBI off Kazmir;
Torii Hunter is 6-for-15 with a HR and 5 RBI off Lee;
Juan Rivera is 5-for-12 with 3 HR and 4 RBI off Lee.
There are a lot of guys that don't do squat against these starters, but then there are those 3 names listed that crush the listed pitchers. I have to say, though, it's been about 3 or 4 days since I saw a line that seemed fishy, and Cliff Lee being just a -120 favorite against a struggling do-nothing lefty like Kazmir is just all kinds of crazy. Kazmir's gone 7 innings in each of his last 2 starts, but he's allowed 7 runs, and is still really looking for that shut-down start. Lee is coming off a dismal start against the Padres, but he's so far beyond Kazmir in terms of stuff and execution, I just can't put the pieces together on this thing between so close to a pick. I have to lean Angels based on the screwball line, no question.

Diamond Trends - Friday
By Vince Akins

Mariners at Angels – The Angels are 6-0 since April 28, 2009 within 20 cents of pickem after a win in which they allowed 6 or fewer hits and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $615.

Orioles at Blue Jays – The Orioles are 0-5 since April 06, 2010 when Kevin Millwood starts on the road for a net profit of $500 when playing against. The Blue Jays are 7-0 since August 21, 2009 as a home favorite after a loss in which they had 6 or fewer hits for a net profit of $700. The Blue Jays are 5-0 since May 02, 2010 when Shaun Marcum starts for a net profit of $500.

Pirates at Braves – The Pirates are 0-10 since May 06, 2009 when Zach Duke starts on the road after a quality start for a net profit of $1000 when playing against. The Pirates are 0-7 since July 10, 2009 on the road after a loss in which they allowed 12+ hits and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $700 when playing against. The Pirates are 4-0 since April 27, 2010 as a dog after a loss in which they allowed 12+ hits for a net profit of $775. The Braves are 8-0 since June 09, 2009 when Derek Lowe starts as a favorite after the team won their last two games for a net profit of $800.

Mets at Brewers – The Mets are 0-7 since May 02, 2009 on the road within 20 cents of pickem when they are off a win in which they never trailed for a net profit of $710 when playing against. The Brewers are 0-7 since July 09, 2009 after a win in which they had more than ten team-left-on-base for a net profit of $740 when playing against. The Brewers are 0-8 since June 21, 2009 when Yovani Gallardo starts within 20 cents of pickem for a net profit of $820 when playing against.

Cardinals at Cubs – The Cardinals are 0-8 since May 02, 2009 on the road after a win in which they had fewer team-left-on-base than their opponent as a dog for a net profit of $865 when playing against. The Cardinals are 5-0 since July 05, 2009 when Chris Carpenter starts on the road when the start time is earlier than 4:00 PM local time for a net profit of $500. The League is 0-11 since July 19, 2009 as a home dog after a win in which they had fewer than five team-left-on-base as a favorite for a net profit of $1100 when playing against. The Cubs are 6-0 since July 06, 2009 when Randy Wells starts at home after his team won the last time he started for a net profit of $600.

Diamondbacks at Giants – The Giants are 0-5 since August 03, 2009 when Matt Cain starts as a favorite after he had a WHIP of less than one his last start for a net profit of $630 when playing against.

Phillies at Marlins – The Phillies are 0-8 since May 07, 2009 on the road after being shutout for a net profit of $925 when playing against. The Marlins are 0-6 since May 15, 2009 when Christopher Volstad starts as a home favorite in the first game of a series for a net profit of $795 when playing against.

Nationals at Padres – The Nationals are 0-6 since July 09, 2009 when John Lannan starts on the road after his team won the last time he started for a net profit of $610 when playing against. The Padres are 7-0 since July 24, 2009 after a loss in which they allowed 12+ hits and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $800. The Padres are 5-0 since August 28, 2009 after a loss in which they were shut out in the first 6 innings for a net profit of $660.

White Sox at Rays – The White Sox are 0-7 since April 15, 2010 as a dog when they scored two or fewer runs for their starter in his last start for a net profit of $700 when playing against. The Rays are 7-0 since May 30, 2009 when David Price starts at home after facing 25 or fewer hitters for a net profit of $750. The Rays are 6-0 since April 13, 2010 after a win in which their starter pitched at least 8 innings for a net profit of $660.

Royals at Red Sox – The Royals are 5-0 since August 11, 2009 when Kyle Davies starts on the road after facing 25 or fewer hitters at home for a net profit of $795. The Red Sox are 0-6 since September 28, 2009 as a 140+ favorite vs a team that has won at least their last two games for a net profit of $920 when playing against. The Red Sox are 5-0 since May 18, 2010 when they lost the last time they faced this starting pitcher for a net profit of $645.

Astros at Reds – The Astros are 0-8 since April 10, 2009 as a dog after a loss in which they allowed 12+ hits and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $800 when playing against. The Astros are 0-8 since July 27, 2009 when Wandy Rodriguez starts as a dog after a quality start for a net profit of $800 when playing against.

Dodgers at Rockies – The League is 0-14 since June 02, 2009 as a road 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 $1400 when playing against. The Dodgers are 8-0 since June 13, 2009 after a loss in which they had at least five more team-left-on-base than their opponent for a net profit of $870. The League is 8-0 since September 06, 2009 as a 140+ favorite after a win in which they did not draw a walk for a net profit of $800.

Rangers at Twins – The Rangers are 0-7 since June 23, 2009 after a loss in which they had fewer than five team-left-on-base as a favorite for a net profit of $815 when playing against. The Twins are 7-0 since October 04, 2009 as a favorite after a win in which they allowed 1 or fewer walks for a net profit of $700. The Twins are 6-0 since July 17, 2009 within 20 cents of pickem after a win and it is the first game of the series for a net profit of $630.

Indians at Yankees – The League is 0-14 since June 02, 2009 as a road 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 $1400 when playing against. The Indians are 0-8 since June 19, 2009 on the road after a one run loss for a net profit of $800 when playing against. The Yankees are 5-0 since May 15, 2009 when Philip Hughes starts at home for a net profit of $500.

Friday's Quick Hits
By Chris David

The majority of gamblers will be focusing on the NBA and NHL playoffs this holiday weekend, along with auto racing action on Sunday and even a big MMA fight scheduled for Saturday from Las Vegas. While those high-profile events will provide opportunities to cash, the daily grind on the baseball diamond continues. Fifteen games will be slated on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Let’s take a quick look at all of the series on tap and focus on recent history and current form for each matchup.

Divisional Battles

St. Louis at Chicago: In the 16 meetings last year between the NL Central foes, the Cardinals won 10, including three at Wrigley Field. The home team captured 11 of the 16 battles and the ‘under’ held a slight 8-7-1 edge. The Cubbies have started to heat up a bit, wining four of six games, and the ‘under’ has gone 5-1 during this span as well.

Baltimore at Toronto: The two teams met in early April and Toronto took all three contests, which were played at Camden Yards. The Orioles scored a total of eight runs in the three-game set, which helped the ‘under’ go 2-1. Prior to the Blue Jays’ success in Baltimore in this series, the home team has won 15 of the previous 17 encounters.

Philadelphia at Florida: The Marlins took two of three on the road from the Phillies in mid-April, the lone loss coming against Roy Halladay in the series opener. The away team has dominated this matchup, winning 15 of the last 20, which includes the two victories by the Fish this season. The Phillies are in horrible form right now, losing five straight and the Charlie Manuel’s team was held scoreless in the last three against the Mets. The Marlins haven’t been much better, going 2-5 in their last seven.

Houston at Cincinnati: The Reds won 12 of 16 battles against Houston last year and that trend carried over to this season. Cincinnati swept the Astros on the road at the end of April, outscoring them 16-8 in the three-game series. Houston is 3-8 in its last 11 games, while the Reds have produced a 7-4 mark over the same span.

Seattle at L.A. Angels: Seattle enters this series with a little swagger, winning four of its last six. Los Angeles has been decent as well, going 6-3 over its last nine. The two clubs squared off at Safeco Field in early May and the Angels won the series 2-1, due to an extra-inning triumph (4-3) in the middle game. Including this season, L.A. has gone 7-3 in the last 10 against Seattle.

Arizona at San Francisco: Just last week, the Diamondbacks and Giants played a quick two-game set in the desert and it was all Arizona. The D-Backs took both meetings (8-7, 13-1) and the ‘over’ cashed in each as well. Arizona is in a bit of a skid again, losing four straight and only managing 11 runs during this drought. The Giants’ offense was dismal for a while too, and the team dropped five straight due to the ineptness. Fortunately, they got enough pop and took two of three against the Nats before this series.

L.A. Dodgers at Colorado: The Dodgers beat the Rockies two out of three times from Los Angeles in early May. The ‘under’ went 2-1 in the three games and is on a 9-2-1 run in the last 12 battles between the two. Entering this duel, the Rockies have ripped off five consecutive wins while the Dodgers have dropped three of their last four.

Non-Divisional Tests

Pittsburgh at Atlanta: These two teams met last weekend when Interleague Play was going on and the Braves took two of three in Pitt. All three games went ‘under’ the number. Zach Duke pitched seven strong innings in the Bucs 3-2 win over Atlanta in the finale on Sunday while Derek Lowe helped his team win (4-2) a day earlier on Saturday. Will either of the two get any support when they meet tonight? The total is 8 ½, which is similar to the previous set.

N.Y. Mets at Milwaukee: Johan Santana takes the pill for the Mets and the team has gone 2-2 in his last four starts against the Brewers. The total has gone 2-2 as well but the games weren’t exactly shootouts (9, 1, 6, 8 combined runs). The Brewers counter with Yovani Gallardo and he was on the short side of two 1-0 losses to the Mets last year. In the six games during 2009, the Brewers and Mets each won three a piece (two at home). The ‘under’ went 4-2. New York is red-hot, winning five in a row behind a staff that has allowed seven runs during the hot streak. The Brewers are 3-1 in their last four, and the ‘under’ has cashed in four straight.

Texas at Minnesota: Minnesota captured six of the 10 battles against Texas last season and only three were played in Minneapolis. The ‘under’ went 6-3-1 in the 10 meetings. The Twins avoided a three-game sweep to the Yankees on Thursday with an 8-2 win. The Rangers have struggled on the road this season (8-12), evidenced by their 1-6 record in the last seven games away from home.

Washington at San Diego: Last year, the home team won five of the six encounters. And the ‘under’ went 5-1 during this span as well. San Diego has won four of its last five games behind a pitching staff that gave up a total of three runs in the victories and eight in the lone setback. The Nationals opened up their 10-game road trip with a 1-2 mark in San Francisco, but the losses came by a total of three runs.

Four-Game Sets

Kansas City at Boston: This series began last night as the Royals nipped the Red Sox 4-3 in the opener as healthy road ‘dogs (+180). Prior to this loss, Boston was 7-4 in the previous 11 against Kansas City. The Red Sox also entered this weekend on a roll, winning eight of 10, which included a three-game sweep at Tampa Bay.

Chicago at Tampa Bay: Speaking of Tampa, the Rays bounced back from their sweep to the Sox with a 5-1 win over the White Sox on Thursday. Including this victory, Tampa has now won three of the first four against Chicago this season. The White Sox’s offense has managed to put up seven runs against the Rays’ pitchers so far this season.

Cleveland at New York: The Yankees took five of eight against the Indians last year but were just 2-2 in the two meetings from the Bronx. The ‘over’ went 3-1 in the four battles in New York, which included big wins by Cleveland (22-4, 10-2) over New York. This series concludes on Memorial Day. Prior to its six-game road trip (3-3), New York was mired in a 1-4 mark in its last five from Yankee Stadium. Total players should make a note that the Tribe have watched the ‘over’ go 7-1 in their last eight.

Oakland at Detroit: The Tigers and Athletics met two weeks ago in the Bay Area and the road team earned a pair of victories (5-1, 5-2) in the two-game set. Along with the two games at Oakland, Detroit went 1-4 in road battles against the Dodgers and Mariners. Similar to the Yanks and Twins, this series will end on Monday as well.

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