MLB News and Notes Friday 6/11

Friday's MLB Tips
By Kevin Rogers

Interleague play is back on Friday night for the next two weeks with four of the traditional matchups taking place. The state of California is dominated with rivalries as the A's and Giants meet up in San Francisco, while the Dodgers and Angels hook up at Chavez Ravine. In the afternoon, the Cubs and White Sox renew acquaintances on the North Side of Chicago. We'll highlight four night matchups, starting with the Sunshine State showdown in St. Pete.

Marlins at Rays - 7:10 PM EST

The Fish halted a four-game skid with a 2-0 victory at Philadelphia on Thursday, as Florida takes on Tampa Bay at Tropicana Field. The Rays' offense is rolling with 30 runs in the last four games, while going 3-1.

James Shields (5-4, 3.64 ERA) has struggled recently by allowing 21 hits and 13 runs in his last two starts, both losses. The righty has won only one home decision this season, but the Rays are 3-3 in his six starts at the Trop. Shields has delivered quality starts in eight of his last nine trips to the mound, including three outings of 10 or more strikeouts. Five of Shields' six career starts against the Marlins have resulted in 'overs,' as the Rays split his two outings versus Florida last season.

The Marlins counter with Anibal Sanchez (5-3, 3.18 ERA), who is 4-1 in his last five starts. Sanchez's four-game winning streak came to a halt in his last trip to the hill in a 4-3 road loss to the Mets. The righty has given up two earned runs or less in eight of his previous nine starts, with the Mets tallying four runs on Sanchez last Friday. The 'under' has profited for Sanchez on the highway, hitting in four of five away starts.

Tampa Bay has dominated this series recently, claiming five of six meetings last season, including all three in St. Pete. Dating back to 2007, the Rays are 12-2 the last 14 matchups against the Marlins, with the 'over' going 9-4-1.

Phillies at Red Sox - 7:10 PM EST

A pair of veteran arms take the hill at Fenway Park when Philadelphia looks to avenge a series loss to Boston last month. The Sox held the Phillies to 19 straight scoreless innings at one point during the weekend set, as Boston grabbed two of three games.

The Red Sox send out the up-and-down John Lackey (6-3, 4.72 ERA) to the mound, who is coming off a loss as a road favorite at Baltimore. Boston has won four straight home starts made by Lackey, despite his 5.60 ERA at Fenway Park this season. Lackey has been bailed out by strong support with the Sox plating at least seven runs in three of those home victories. The righty was knocked around last month by the Phillies, allowing four earned runs and two homers in five innings of work in a 5-1 road setback.

Jamie Moyer (6-5, 3.98 ERA) has turned into a viable arm once again inside the Philadelphia rotation, fresh off a complete-game victory over the Padres. The 47-year old southpaw finally received some much needed run support in the win against San Diego (6 runs) after the Phils totaled one run in his previous three starts combined. Moyer hasn't pitched at Fenway Park since 2006 (as a member of the Mariners), as the ageless wonder lost to Boston back in May, 3-0, despite allowing four hits and two earned runs in five innings.

This is Philadelphia's first trip to Boston since 2006, as the Sox are 15-4 the last 19 meetings dating back to 2004. Excluding the World Series, the Phillies finished last season at 5-4 on the road in interleague play, while the 'under' hit six times.

Braves at Twins - 8:10 PM EST

The rematch of the epic 1991 World Series doesn't have the same ring to it this time around, but Friday's pitching matchup is a solid one at Target Field. Atlanta continues a ten-game road trip, as the Braves have dropped four of seven since a nine-game winning streak.

The Braves had won each of Tim Hudson's (6-1, 2.44 ERA) last five starts prior to an extra-innings setback to the Dodgers this past Sunday. Hudson continues to be one of the most consistent pitchers in the National League, compiling quality starts in nine of his last 10 outings. The last time Hudson faced the Twins was back in 2007 at the Metrodome, as the Braves fell, 3-2. Hudson scattered two hits in 7.1 innings, but was outdueled by former Minnesota ace Johan Santana.

The second-coming of Santana in Minnesota is lefty Francisco Liriano (5-3, 3.10 ERA), who is fresh off consecutive quality starts at Seattle and Oakland. Liriano has made just two home starts since April 22, both losses to the Yankees and Orioles as 'chalk.' Run support has been issue for Liriano lately, with the Twins scoring 17 runs in his last six starts (2-4).

The Braves are a dreadful 1-13 when Hudson starts against interleague opponents, including an 0-7 mark on the road. On the flip side, the Twins own a solid 7-1 mark when Liriano takes the mound versus NL competition.

Blue Jays at Rockies - 9:10 PM EST

The hottest pitcher in baseball goes for his 12th victory of the season as Ubaldo Jimenez makes his first career start against Toronto. The Rockies will try to bounce back after dropping three of four at home to the Astros, while the Jays avoided a sweep on Thursday with a 3-2 triumph at Tampa Bay.

Jimenez (11-1, 0.93 ERA) has been money in the bank every time he's taken the hill this season, delivering quality starts in each of his 12 outings. There's no reason to 'fade' him at this point, but the prices keep rising on Jimenez each time out. Friday's start against Toronto will be the sixth time this season Jimenez has been listed as a $2.00 favorite or higher. The 'under' has cashed in five of the last six for the Rockies' ace, while Colorado has covered the run-line in every start but one for Jimenez.

The Jays have been successful when Ricky Romero (5-2, 3.06 ERA) takes the bump, winning eight of his 12 starts. Romero is coming off back-to-back home wins over the Yankees and Orioles, tossing 17 innings and allowing three earned runs. Toronto has lost each of Romero's last two starts on the highway against the Angels and Mariners, while receiving just three runs of support in each defeat. The 'over' has cashed in four of Romero's five road starts this season, while the lefty is 3-0 in three career interleague outings.

vegasinsider.com

MLB RoundUp For 6/11
By Dan Bebe

National League

Cardinals (-145) @ Diamondbacks with a total of 9.5
Felipe Lopez was 3-for-5 with 2 HR off Lopez before this season.
Jaime Garcia is getting a tiny bit more hittable with every start, and to me, that's why this line is somewhat affordable. He allowed 8 hits in a start for the first time in his last trip to the hill, and I believe that came on ESPN Sunday Night baseball against the Brewers. That ERA of 1.47 is still microscopic, but the day is coming when Garcia is going to give up 4 runs in 4 innings in a few starts in a row, and I just don't want anyone to be surprised when it does. Lopez, interestingly, went 7 innings of 2-run ball against the Cards earlier this year, and lost that one 4-2 to Brad Penny. He's 2-1 with a 5.25 ERA against the Cards in his career, but, as noted, posted a nice mid-2's ERA against them this season. I would be careful before blindly backing the Cardinals -- they're struggling to hit, and Arizona can definitely put up some runs at home. Leans: None

Interleague Play

White Sox @ Cubs (-135) with a total of N/A
Juan Pierre is 3-for-5 off Wells;
Alfonso Soriano is 5-for-14 with 2 HR and 5 RBI off Peavy;
Kosuke Fukudome is 4-for-6 off Peavy.
Tough to even think about backing the Cubs after watching their effort in Milwaukee yesterday, but I suppose we have to at least compare the two teams and can't immediately choose one, or none. Peavy is having a pretty poor season. He has 3 nice starts to begin May, but has regressed considerably since. That is, until his last start, a 7-inning, 2-run performance (the resulted in a loss) against the Indians. Now, back in the NL, Peavy has a chance to pick on a very poor-hitting team in the Cubbies. Wells is struggling a bit, as well, though the White Sox are pretty sad on the offensive side, too. Both pitchers have nice career numbers against the other team, Peavy with slightly more work than Wells, so it's tough to say one club has a distinct edge. Still, at this price, you have to look at the dog first, even if Peavy's ERA is hovering near 6. Leans: White Sox

Astros @ Yankees (-290) with a total of 9
When the line gets this high, it almost doesn't matter who has done what to who else. We're not going to play a side, so let's use this energy to dominate a different game on the card. Side note - Brett Myers is 2-0 with a 3.07 ERA against the Yanks in his career, so I'd be awfully careful before laying 3-to-1 odds that the Bombers make waste of a suddenly hot(ter) Astros club. Leans: None

Mets (-120) @ Orioles with a total of 8.5
Jason Bay is 6-for-12 with 3 HR and 4 RBI off Guthrie.
Jeremy Guthrie is actually kind of hot, right now. Sure, he's 3-6 on the season, but that 3.71 ERA doesn't lie. He's coming off 7.1 innings of 2-run ball against the Red Sox in a game that, not surprisingly, the Orioles wound up losing, but the mere fact that Guthrie has only given up over 4 runs in a start once all season (to the Yankees) is a testament to his return to decent form. R.A. Dickey has pitched pretty well in all 4 starts for the Mets this year, but we have to remember how bad the Mets have played on the road. I know the Orioles are "radioactive", as I've said a few times, but I strongly believe there's a reason this line is so low. Leans: Orioles

Pirates @ Tigers (-250) with a total of 8
Aki Iwamura is 3-for-10 with a HR off Verlander.
In the surprise twist of the century, Ross Ohlendorf is actually 1-0 with a 0.96 ERA lifetime against Detroit, and current Tigers have done absolutely nothing against him. It's limited action, but the 2010 Tigers are 2-for-16 as a team against Ross. Verlander is a beast, and the Tigers are going to feel like they're facing a more seasoned Strasburg (though Verlander's curve is far less devastating), and I wouldn't be surprised to see this one end with someone winning 1-0, assuming the bullpens do their job. Leans: Under

Nationals @ Indians (-110) with a total of 9
No shocker, here, that we don't have much data to work with. Pudge Rodriguez is 5-for-23 lifetime off Westbrook, but that's about all we have. Westbrook is 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA against the Nationals, but that doesn't help us much. Let's check out how these guys have pitched, recently. In truth, Atilano has been pitching better than Westbrook, as the Indians hurler is coming off getting shelled by the White Sox. It will be an interesting task for Atilano to deal with the AL, but pitchers only hit in a few Minor Leagues anyway, so he's probably more used to it than we might think. Leans: None

Marlins @ Rays (-175) with a total of 9
Chris Coghlan is 3-for-6 off Shields;
Hanley Ramirez is 8-for-19 with a HR and 2 RBI off Shields.
Shields is 2-1 with a 4.12 ERA against the Marlins, and we have a little more data there than expected, thanks to this being something of a makeshift rivalry game. This line is probably too high for us to legitimately work with, but for what it's worth, Sanchez is coming off a less-than-stellar start against the Mets, though his season numbers continue to look impressive. Shields is coming off 2 straight rough starts, though his defense let him down in his most recent effort in Texas. I don't think Florida has enough of an edge on this line to warrant a play on the underdog, and the favorite is simply too expensive. Leans: None

Royals @ Reds (-170) with a total of 9
Willie Bloomquist is 4-for-6 with 3 RBI off Arroyo;
Scott Podsednik is 4-for-6 off Arroyo, too.
We might not even see the bullpen in this one. Talk about a matchup of workhorses. Hochevar has gone at least 7 innings in his last 4 straight starts, and Arroyo, aside from that bad effort against the Cards, has gone at least 6.2 innings in 7 of 8 starts. That being said, Hochevar is 1-0 with a 1.00 ERA against Cincinnati, and he's really made huge strides this year. The Royals are elated with his progress. Arroyo, meanwhile, is 0-2 with a 5.52 ERA against the Royals. He's been pitching better this year, too, and both of these starters have almost the exact same numbers. So, what causes this -170 line? The bullpens? The Royals pen has been a little better, and offensively, the Royals aren't exactly struggling. I can't help but think this line is inflated because of the Royals name. Leans: Royals

Phillies @ Red Sox (-155) with a total of 10
Raul Ibanez is batting .394 off Lackey with 3 RBI since '05;
Bill Hall was 6-for-11 off Moyer before 2010;
David Ortiz was 3-for-7 with 2 HR off Moyer between '05 and '09;
Marco Scutaro was 9-for-27 with a HR off Moyer from '05-'09.
Jamie Moyer's career numbers against the Red Sox are ghastly, at 3-9 with a 6.41 ERA. Boston is the perfect antidote to Moyer's junk. They're patient, they're veteran, they'll go opposite field, or, considering this game at Fenway, a deep flyball is a double off the monster in left. Of course, at -155, you're paying quite a price on a guy who is still putting almost 2 men on base every inning. Yes, he's starting to bring that ERA into the mid-4's, but when you consider the competition (Oakland, Baltimore), Lackey's ERA should come down facing those loser offenses. Probably too expensive to play Boston, but I sure as heck wouldn't play Moyer in Fenway. Leans: Boston

Braves @ Twins (-128) with a total of 7.5
The Braves haven't seen Liriano at all, so nothing to work with, there, other than Liriano coming off a thoroughly dominant effort in Oakland. Still, if you eliminate that beating, Liriano has been pretty average since a blindingly hot start to the year. Tim Hudson is coming back to Earth a little bit, too. He gave up 4 runs (3 earned) to the Dodgers in his last start, though I guess you could argue that there's no team that a righthander would less like to face these days. Still, he hasn't had that shutdown start in his last 3 outings, and while his career numbers of 6-2 with a 2.15 ERA against the Twins look good, they mostly came back in the early parts of the millennium. The Twins are hot right now, coming off a series win against the Royals, and the Braves are traveling from Arizona - just seems like a tough opener for the Bravos. Leans: Twins

Rangers (-130) @ Brewers with a total of 10
Corey Hart is 3-for-7 with a HR off Harden;
Casey McGehee is 3-for-3 with 3 RBI off Harden.
Both of these starters have been downright mediocre most of the season. Seems like every time out, they each surrender 4 runs in 5 innings. Harden throws way too many pitches, so he exits early regardless, and Narveson gets yanked because he's stinking. Either way, you're into the bullpen by the 6th inning, at the latest, and the total is probably up near 8. That total of 10 is a little scary, given that the Brewers aren't exactly a consistent offensive club. Texas has been hitting well, though, so I wouldn't be at all surprised to see them hit 5-6 runs in this one by themselves. And, on top of all that, the Brewers used their best relievers in yesterday's game with the Cubs. Leans: Over

Blue Jays @ Rockies (-205) with a total of 7.5
Melvin Mora is 3-for-9 off Romero.
Wow, I would have thought you might be able to snag Jimenez for just under -200 against a stud like Romero, but here we are. Considering the Jays are the better team, here, this line has basically said that if you're betting Jimenez the rest of the way, you're going to be absolutely getting reamed on the price. We have literally nothing to work off, here, and I'd say it's safe to say that Jimenez has been pitching just fine, of late. Romero is coming off back-to-back sterling outings, so he could very well hold the Rockies in check. I just don't know if I can back a guy on his first trip to Coors. Leans: Jays

Mariners @ Padres (-140) with a total of 7
Ryan Langerhans is 3-for-4 with a HR and 2 RBI off Correia;
David Eckstein is 2-for-4 with a HR off Vargas.
Considering the way that Correia has pitched since returning from the Bereavement List, this line seems awfully expensive. I'm a little concerned that it's "asking" for Seattle money, but we'll get some more info on this when the betting percentages become available. Vargas is sort of equilibrating, though he's still getting through 6 innings or more in every start, and most of them are quality efforts. Correia doesn't look right, and this line, hopefully, is just inflated because of the Padres run of success this year. Also, San Diego is coming off a double-header in New York that took them late into the evening, yesterday. Seattle is coming from Minnesota, so they actually have the energy advantage. Leans: Mariners

Angels @ Dodgers (-165) with a total of 8.5
Erick Aybar is 3-for-10 off Billingsley;
Casey Blake is 7-for-12 with a HR off Pineiro;
Jamey Carroll is 3-for-6 with 2 RBI off Pineiro;
Rafael Furcal is 3-for-8 off Pineiro;
Reed Johnson is 3-for-8 with a HR off Pineiro;
Manny Ramirez is 5-for-16 off Pineiro with a HR.
The Angels have, historically, played the Dodgers very, very tough, but one of the Dodgers starters that has been very solid against the team from down the road is this one. Billingsley is just 1-2 against Anaheim, but his 2.89 ERA and fine work against the Angels bats keeps the Dodgers in the game every time. The issue was that the Dodgers never really hit the Angels. Pineiro is still a Cardinal, as far as I'm concerned, and he's 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA against the Dodgers, despite the 4 or 5 regulars that have hit him pretty hard. This line is pretty accurate, given the Dodgers confidence at home. Leans: Dodgers

Athletics @ Giants (-185) with a total of 6.5
Kevin Kouzmanoff is batting .351 off Lincecum with 2 RBI.
We know Gonzalez can pitch. He shut the Giants down for 8 innings when he faced them a few weeks back in Oakland. Now, on the other side of the bay, he draws the Freak. Lincecum is coming off another start where he allowed 3 earned runs, but he looked a little more like himself. His walks were back down to just 2 (instead of 5), and he only allowed 6 hits in 7 innings. He got burned by the home run ball, but that shouldn't be an issue in the thick Bay Area night air and that large San Francisco ballpark. This total is set at 6.5 for good reason, and the only way this game goes over is if one of these guys has a wild streak and starts issuing free passes. Leans: None

Diamond Trends - Friday
By Vince Akins

Rangers at Brewers – The Rangers are 10-0 since April 28, 2009 as a favorite after a win in which their opponent left fewer than 10 men on base for a net profit of $1000. The Rangers are 6-0 since April 12, 2010 when Rich Harden starts as a favorite for a net profit of $600.

Cardinals at Diamondbacks – The Cardinals are 7-0 since July 23, 2009 after a loss in which they had fewer than five team-left-on-base for a net profit of $715. The Diamondbacks are 0-5 since April 19, 2010 when Rodrigo Lopez starts vs a team that has averaged 7+ strikeouts per game for a net profit of $500 when playing against.

Angels at Dodgers – The League is 0-10 since May 29, 2010 as a 140+ dog after a loss in which they had fewer than five team-left-on-base for a net profit of $1000 when playing against. The League is 9-0 since May 06, 2009 as a 140+ favorite after a win in which they were shut out in the last 6 innings and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $900.

Athletics at Giants – The Athletics are 5-0 since May 08, 2009 after a win in which they allowed 1 or fewer walks and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $640. The Giants are 8-0 since July 06, 2009 as a home 140+ favorite after allowing 6+ runs loss for a net profit of $800. The Giants are 6-0 since August 18, 2009 when Tim Lincecum starts as a favorite in the first game of a series for a net profit of $600.

Mets at Orioles – The Mets are 0-9 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 $915 when playing against.

Mariners at Padres – The Mariners are 0-9 since May 06, 2009 as a road dog after a 5+ run loss for a net profit of $900 when playing against. The Mariners are 0-5 since July 31, 2009 when Jason Vargas starts on the road for a net profit of $500 when playing against.

Marlins at Rays – The Marlins are 5-0 since September 22, 2009 when Anibal Sanchez starts vs a team that lost their starters last two starts for a net profit of $585. The Rays are 7-0 since May 29, 2009 when James Shields starts as a 140+ favorite in the first game of a series for a net profit of $700.

Phillies at Red Sox – The Phillies are 0-6 since September 26, 2009 after a loss in which they allowed 1 or fewer walks for a net profit of $780 when playing against. The Red Sox are 8-0 since June 29, 2009 after a one run loss and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $800

Royals at Reds – The Royals are 0-6 since July 19, 2009 when Luke Hochevar starts as a 140+ dog after throwing more than 100 pitches for a net profit of $600 when playing against.. The Reds are 7-0 since June 10, 2009 when their starter went at least eight innings in his last start after a win for a net profit of $730.

Blue Jays at Rockies – The Blue Jays are 6-0 since June 16, 2009 when Ricky Romero starts vs a team that won their starters last three starts for a net profit of $865. The Rockies are 7-0 since July 12, 2009 as a home 140+ favorite when they won by one run in their starter's last start for a net profit of $700. The Rockies are 7-0 since May 29, 2009 as a home favorite after a loss and it is the first game of the series for a net profit of $700.

Pirates at Tigers – The Pirates are 0-5 since August 30, 2009 when Ross Ohlendorf starts after his team won the last time he started vs this opponent for a net profit of $520 when playing against. The Tigers are 8-0 since June 06, 2009 as a home 140+ favorite after a loss in which they had 6 or fewer hits for a net profit of $800.

Braves at Twins – The Braves are 5-0 since April 15, 2010 when Tim Hudson starts after a quality start on the road for a net profit of $500

Astros at Yankees – The Astros are 4-0 since September 06, 2009 as a 170+ dog after a one run win for a net profit of $780. The Yankees are 12-0 since April 17, 2009 as a 200+ favorite vs a team that has won at least their last two games for a net profit of $1200. The Yankees are 6-0 since August 14, 2009 when Andy Pettitte starts as a favorite vs a team that won their starters last two starts for a net profit of $600.