MLB News and Notes Friday 6/4

MLB RoundUp For 6/4
By Dan Bebe

National League

Reds @ Nationals (-127) with a total of 9
Orlando Cabrera is 4-for-10 off Hernandez with 2 RBI since '05;
Jonny Gomes is 3-for-5 with a HR and 2 RBI off Hernandez;
Nyjer Morgan is 5-for-10 off Harang;
Josh Willingham is 4-for-11 with a HR off Harang.
Despite the fact that Livan's been around for what seems like eons, the current Reds haven't seen a ton of him. Orlando Cabrera, thanks to his many uniforms over the years, has had a few chances, but that's about it. In his career, Livan is 1-6 against the Reds with a 6.01 ERA, so in general, it's not a team he's enjoyed pitching against. Harang is sort of the opposite, as he's pitched just fine against Washington. Not great, but not horrid, and he's coming off a very nice start against the Astros. Livan is also trending down, slowly, giving up more and more hits on average throughout the year. Leans: Reds

Padres @ Phillies (-185) with a total of 7.5
Just about zero information to use in this one, but it's safe to say that we SHOULD get a pitchers' duel. Latos is coming off 6 consecutive quality starts, and the Phils are cold as ice offensively, and we all know what the Doc is coming off (perfection, for those under a rock). This line is about right, based on Halladay's impact on a game, and how deep he can pitch, but the Padres are actually one of the best road teams in baseball, so I wouldn't discount them in games where they don't have to contend with a top-3 pitcher in the world. The Under is tempting, but they could have easily brought this one out at 7, and they didn't, so I'm going to tread very lightly. Leans: Padres, Under

Giants (-130) @ Pirates with a total of 8
Juan Uribe is 3-for-8 with 2 RBI off Duke.
Interestingly, Jonathan Sanchez is 1-1 with a 7.16 ERA against the Pirates in his career, but the current Pirates roster hasn't done a thing against him. Bobby Crosby is the only Pirate with more than 6 AB against Sanchez, and he's 1-for-10. Sanchez is having a solid year, 3-4 with a 2.90 ERA, so we can probably expect another decent outing, but Duke is the real question mark. Duke can be excellent, and he can also be just unbelievably bad. On the season, he's had 5 great starts, 4 very bad starts, and 2 decent ones. He's coming off one of his terrible starts, and as we see with a lot of control guys, sometimes one bad start follows another. Believe it or not, I actually would have less issue backing the punchless Giants even at a road price, though, to be fair, I don't think there's much value anywhere in this one. Leans: Giants

Marlins (-121) @ Mets with a total of 8.5
Hanley Ramirez and Jorge Cantu are each 2-for-2 off Dickey.
Anibal Sanchez is 3-3 with a 3.92 ERA against the Mets in his career, but somehow, there's been a heck of a lot of turnover. Sanchez, for what it's worth, is pitching extremely well this season, posting a 2.89 ERA against the League, and went 7 innings of 2-run ball. However, that came in Florida, and we all know how the Mets stink on the road. This is going to be different, back in New York. As far as Dickey goes, he's pitched well since moving into the starting role, though he's 1-1 with an 8.22 ERA against Florida in limited action. I'm not sure this one is worth taking a chance on, though the Mets strong play at home certainly makes them appealing. I'm just not sure I can fade Sanchez right now. Leans: Mets

Cubs (-120) @ Astros with a total of 8.5
This line seems eerily low. Carlos Silva, 7-0 with a 3.12 ERA facing Felipe Paulino, 0-7 with a 4.40 ERA on the year, and also pitched poorly against the Cubs back in April? Something just isn't adding up for me. To Paulino's credit, he's coming off 3 straight quality starts, and 8 shutout innings his last time on the hill against the Reds, so he's trending up, and that could play a role. Silva, though, is coming off an equally impressive outing, going 7 shutout but striking out 11 batters in a win over the Cards. At this cheap price, I can't help but at least peek at Silva and the Cubbies, but if you're a man that believes in "trap" lines, I fear, looking at this one, that maybe Silva had an awful bullpen session, and we need to dig further into things. Leans: None

Brewers @ Cardinals (-205) with a total of 8
Craig Counsell is 6-for-20 off Wainwright;
Matt Holliday was 3-for-10 off Wolf with 2 RBI before this year;
Felipe Lopez was 7-for-18 off Wolf coming into 2010.
Randy Wolf already faced the Cards once this season, and allowed 4 runs (only 2 earned) over 6 innings of a game the Brewers would eventually lose. Wainwright hasn't seen the Brewers yet in 2010, but he's had no problem dispatching of Milwaukee throughout his career. Wainwright is 5-3 with a 2.25 ERA against the Brewers, and he's just about spot on that number against the League this year at 7-3, 2.28. Wainwright is simply too good to fade, even if there might be some value. The Brewers are good for a win every 2-3 games, but this isn't the right time. Leans: None

Rockies @ Diamondbacks (-117) with a total of 10
Stephen Drew is batting .371 off Cook with 3 RBI before 2010;
Adam LaRoche was 4-for-10 off Cook with a HR and 3 RBI before this season;
Chris Snyder was 13-for-22 with a HR and 4 RBI off Cook coming into 2010.
Cook hasn't faced Arizona yet this year, but it's not a team that he would have minded missing for a few more starts. Cook is 5-4 against Arizona, but we all know that record belies his career 5.46 ERA against Arizona. If the D'backs were a half-decent team, Cook might be 3-6 against them, so that's why going on the other numbers is certainly more important. Kennedy got the start in Colorado, and gave up 3 runs in 5 innings, which really isn't awful for a guy that never starts at Coors. Kennedy has been very consistent all year long, and I just wonder if Arizona's bats wake up now that they're back home. This team is in one of the most prolific offensive scoring droughts in history, so it's kinda tough to lay chalk with that going on. Still, given Cook's inability to keep guys from putting the ball in play, and pitching in this hitter-haven, Arizona needs a look. Leans: Arizona

Braves @ Dodgers (-165) with a total of 8
Another game without any real data, so we'll go on recent trends. Starting with the visiting Braves, Kawakami remains winless in 2010. He's 0-7 on a red hot ballclub, yet his ERA is just 4.66. Something doesn't add up. Looking at his starts, he's been pretty consistently "room temperature" in terms of performance, giving up between 2-5 runs every time out, never dominating, and never completely imploding. The Braves should have, seemingly, been able to get him a "W" by now, but they haven't. The Dodgers haven't seen Kawakami, and he's trending up, so he's a buy low candidate right now. Kershaw is a stud. He's 5-3 with a 2.95 ERA on the year, and he's lights-out at home. He's coming off a short start, but it came at Coors, and otherwise, he's just been destroying poor, defenseless batters. This line might be high by about 10 cents, but not nearly enough to warrant a play. Leans: None

American League

Red Sox (-200) @ Orioles with a total of 9
Adam Jones is 2-for-4 with a HR and 4 RBI off Buchholz.
The BoSox haven't seen hide nor hair of Tillman, but he's a solid youngster with a sky-high limit on his potential. Of course, he's also a kid facing the hot-hitting Red Sox. Yikes. Buchholz is 7-3 with a 2.73 ERA on the season, and 4-2 in his short career against the Orioles. This line is inflated by quite a bit thanks to how much Baltimore sucks, but as I said early this week, Baltimore has officially reached that point of radioactivity. Do not touch, no matter how juicy it looks. The line is inflated, yes, but it's also this high because books desperately need someone to bet on Baltimore. Don't be that sucker until they start to play a little better. Leans: None

Yankees (-130) @ Blue Jays with a total of 9
Robinson Cano is 4-for-5 off Cecil with a HR;
Derek Jeter is 3-for-5 off Cecil;
Jorge Posada is 3-for-5 off Cecil with 2 RBI;
Vernon Wells is 3-for-9 off Burnett with a HR.
Contrary to what you might think, Burnett has pitched just fine against the Jays. He's 2-1 with a 3.34 ERA against his old buddies, so he's definitely not an automatic fade. This line is somewhat on the low side for a Yankees game, especially when a no-name like Brett Cecil is the opposing starter. Let's try to figure out why. Well, Cecil's career ERA of 11.25 against the Yankees isn't getting us anywhere. Burnett's lower 2010 season ERA isn't helping our cause. The Yankees coming off absolutely squashing the Orioles doesn't seem to add up, either. How about Toronto? Surely, they've been hot enough to warrant this low line. Nope. Toronto has been developing the friendly habit of blowing leads to the Rays on a nightly basis. This line is going to draw superhuman amounts of cash on the Yankees. We need more work on this one. Leans: A Big Fat "WTF" on the Line

Rays @ Rangers (-120) with a total of 9.5
Not much in the way of data to go off of, here, but for the record, Wilson is 1-0 with a 1.35 ERA against the Rays, and Tampa went 1-5 in Texas last season. This place has been a house of horrors for the Rays for some odd reason (or group of reasons), and why one team, or location, is just a bad luck charm, it's tough to truly know. Here, Wade Davis comes in on a bit of a downward trend. He's given up 16 runs over his last, roughly, 27 innings, which isn't dismal, but it seems like teams find a way to score off him every time out. His strikeout numbers aren't that great, and he's allowing too many homers. Of course, he's backed by the best road team in baseball, so he's 5-4 on the year. Wilson is a tough nut to crack. He started the year with a flurry, but has slowed markedly. Still, he pitched well in his last start before being lifted with runners on base, and then had to watch his bullpen completely blow the game to pieces. I want to try to find a way to back Texas at some point in this series, but I'm not sure whether or not this is the perfect time. Leans: Rangers

Indians @ White Sox (-245) with a total of 8.5
Russell Branyan was 4-for-5 off Danks before 2010;
Shin-Soo Choo was 6-for-13 with a HR and 3 RBI off Danks before 2010;
Alex Rios was 3-for-9 with a HR off Masterson before this year.
REMATCH ALERT! Not necessarily one I want to get involved in, but these guys faced off about 10 days back, and neither pitched all that well. Danks only went 5 innings, but allowed just 2 runs, while Masterson couldn't even make it to 5. He gave up 5 runs in 4 innings on 9 hits. He is, however, coming off a better start his last time out, giving up just 3 runs in 6.2 frames to the Yanks. I wouldn't recommend laying 245 on a guy that appears to be trending way down with Danks. This is Indians or nothing. Leans: Cleveland

Tigers (-150) @ Royals with a total of 9.5
Miguel Cabrera is 4-for-5 with 2 HR and 3 RBI off Chen;
Johnny Damon is 9-for-16 with 2 HR and 2 RBI off Chen;
Mitch Maier is 3-for-3 off Scherzer.
Max Scherzer broke back into the Bigs with a loud pop, striking out 14 batters over 5.2 innings. Yes, you did that math correctly - he got 17 outs, and 14 of them were right there at the dish. Scherzer is 1-1 with a 2.12 ERA against the Royals in his brief work against them, those starts coming to begin 2010, and we've seen how good this kid can be when he's pitching with confidence, hitting his spots, and keeping those hits from leaving the yard. Bruce Chen is 0-2 with a 6.97 ERA career against Detroit, but he's been better than I think those numbers would indicate. He hasn't pitched much in 2010, going 4 innings of 1-run ball against the Red Sox, but I do think the Royals bats are good enough that they can continue to give the Tigers a tough enough time that laying -150 on the road with an erratic fireballer is not a prudent choice. Leans: None

Twins @ Athletics (-110) with a total of 7.5
Joe Mauer is 4-for-10 with an RBI off Braden;
Nick Punto is 3-for-8 off Braden;
Rajai Davis is 3-for-5 off Baker.
Since Braden's perfect game, the A's have lost all 4 of his starts. He hasn't been horrible in them, but he also hasn't been too good. Braden gave up 4 runs to the Angels, none in just 4 innings to Baltimore, and then 5 runs to the Tigers, who hit lefties very well. Backing Braden is not going to be easy here, as Oakland returns home off a wild slugfest in Boston, and though they did have a winning road trip, the long flight home can't possibly mean anything good. Minnesota flies down from Seattle, so they're already on Pacific time, and Baker is a career 4-0 against the A's. Despite his somewhat mediocre work, the Twins have the edge in not being jet-lagged, a better offense, and a better bullpen. Leans: Minnesota

Angels (-120) @ Mariners with a total of 8.5
REMATCH ALERT! This one, I think, has more value than the other one above. Joe Saunders and Ian Snell both absolutely stunk when they faced off a week ago. Snell gave up 3 runs in just 4 innings of work, walking 4, and now posts a wonderful 0-2, 7.04 career mark against the Angels. Saunders allowed 7 runs in just 4.1 innings after really pitching pretty well his previous 4 starts. The Mariners went on to win that game 9-7, sailing way over the posted total of 9 by 7 full runs. So, what do oddsmakers do? Adjust the number down a half-run, of course. Now, the venue definitely plays a role, with Safeco being a flyball graveyard, and Anaheim, well, not so much, but can we really explain away the 16 runs scored in the previous showdown as a byproduct of the location? Leans: Under

Friday's MLB Tips
By Kevin Rogers

The first Friday of June is here as teams are settling in for the long stretch of summer. For the exception of the Braves and Dodgers, the rest of baseball begins brand new series this weekend. We'll highlight four of the top games on the card, starting with surprising San Diego taking on struggling Philadelphia.

Padres at Phillies - 7:05 PM EST

If you analyzed this matchup when the season began, the first thought is Philadelphia would score a ton of runs and blow out San Diego. That isn't the case now as the Phillies have tallied 11 runs the last nine games, while the Padres put up 18 runs on Monday night alone against the Mets. Roy Halladay looks to capitalize on his perfect game as the ace takes the mound at Citizens Bank Park.

Halladay (7-3, 1.99 ERA) tossed the 20th perfect game in baseball history when he beat the Marlins last Saturday, 1-0. The former Cy Young Award winner won his first game in four starts, striking out 11, despite receiving only one run of support. Halladay's last start at home was his worst as a member of the Phillies, allowing seven runs (six earned) in 5.2 innings of an 8-3 setback to Boston. The ace has thrown five complete games this season, as he faces the Padres for the first time in his career.

The Padres counter with a terrific young pitcher in Mat Latos (5-3, 3.08 ERA), who has delivered six straight quality starts. San Diego is 3-1 in Latos' four road starts, all as an underdog, including wins at Colorado, San Francisco, and Seattle. Latos is making batters earn their way on base with just six walks issued in his previous five starts, while striking out 33.

Philadelphia's offense stalled on its nine-game road trip through the division at New York, Florida, and Atlanta. Prior to this latest venture on the highway, the Phillies scored only 15 runs in their last six home contests. San Diego has won 10 of its past 13 on the road, while not losing a road series since April 11 at Colorado.

Yankees at Blue Jays - 7:05 PM EST

It took until June for these two AL East rivals to meet up, but they will north of the border with former Toronto righty A.J. Burnett facing off against his ex-mates. New York is coming off a sweep of Baltimore, completing a 6-1 homestand. Toronto, meanwhile, looks to bounce back after dropping two of three to Tampa Bay at home.

Burnett (6-2, 3.28 ERA) is coming off a solid performance against the Indians, tossing eight innings of five-hit ball in a 7-3 victory. The Yankees are 8-3 in Burnett's 11 starts this season, while hitting the 'over' seven times. Burnett beat the Jays two of three times last season, but the lone loss came at the Rogers Center in a 5-1 setback.

The Jays send out lefty Brett Cecil (5-2, 3.81 ERA), who has been Toronto's hottest pitcher of late. Cecil has won three straight starts, while giving up four earned runs in 22.1 innings pitched in victories over the Mariners, Angels, and Orioles. The southpaw has turned in only one awful start this season when he allowed eight earned runs in less than three innings of work in a 16-10 win over Texas. Cecil has not fared well against the Yankees, yielding 10 earned runs in two losses to New York last season.

New York owns a 12-6 mark in series openers, including a 7-1 ledger coming off a victory. Four of Toronto's last six home games have finished 'under' the total, with Wednesday's 'over' cashing thanks to seven runs in the ninth inning between the Jays and Rays.

Rays at Rangers - 8:05 PM EST

These two division leaders hook up for the first time this season as Texas returns home from an eight-game road trip. The Rangers welcome in a Rays squad that rallied for consecutive victories at Toronto to claim their fourth straight road series.

Wade Davis (5-4, 4.04 ERA) takes the hill for Tampa Bay, looking for some consistency after putting up two quality starts in his last five outings. Davis beat the White Sox his last time out, allowing three earned runs in 6.1 innings of an 8-5 home win. The righty has pitched well on the highway with a 2-1 mark to go along with an ERA of 2.49.

The Rangers counter with C.J. Wilson (3-3, 3.48 ERA), who has slowed down after a strong start. The former closer gave up eight earned runs in his first seven starts, but followed that up with 17 earned runs allowed in his last three outings. Wilson has been a consistent 'under' play this season by cashing in eight of his ten starts, including five of six at home.

Texas is 8-1 in home series openers this season, while going 'over' the total in each of its last four games. The Rays are hitting just .233 against left-handed pitchers, as Tampa Bay has dropped five of the last six meetings in Arlington.

Brewers at Cardinals - 8:15 PM EST

Milwaukee invades Busch Stadium this weekend, looking to avenge a home series loss to St. Louis back in early April. Adam Wainwright has quietly put together another solid season for the Cards, opposed by the struggling Randy Wolf.

The Cardinals' offense has picked up recently after being held to one run in a pair of losses at San Diego. St. Louis' bats are on fire, scoring 48 runs the last seven games, resulting in five victories. Wainwright (7-3, 2.28 ERA) will always deliver a solid start when he takes the mound, putting together ten quality outings this season. The righty has struck out 28 and walked six in his last three starts, with the lone defeat coming in a 1-0 setback at San Diego. Wainwright compiled five quality starts against the Brewers last season, with the Cards losing his two home outings.

Wolf (4-4, 4.46 ERA) hasn't been as impressive as Brewers' fans would have thought after the lefty was acquired from Los Angeles. The southpaw has won three games since April 17, but he has received run support of 20 and 17 runs in two road victories. The 'over' is a strong play with Wolf on the hill, hitting in nine of his 11 starts. Wolf picked up a no-decision the last time he faced the Cards back in April, allowing four runs (two earned) in 6.2 innings, but didn't pick up the win after the Brewers' bullpen blew a late lead.

The road team has dominated this series recently, going 9-1 since last September. Milwaukee is 6-2 the last eight meetings at Busch Stadium, with the 'over' going 6-1-1 in this span.

vegasinsider.com

Diamond Trends - Friday
By Vince Akins

Cubs at Astros - The Cubs are 0-8 since August 31, 2009 as a favorite after a loss in which they were shut out in the last 6 innings for a net profit of $1225 when playing against. The Cubs are 5-0 since July 22, 2009 when Carlos Zambrano starts on the road after more strike outs than hits allowed for a net profit of $595.

Twins at Athletics - The Twins are 0-8 since April 28, 2010 as an underdog vs a team that has a worse record for a net profit of $800 when playing against. The Twins are 6-0 since June 23, 2009 after a loss in which they left fewer than 10 men on base and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $630.

Yankees at Blue Jays - The Yankees are 0-5 since April 25, 2009 when A.J. Burnett starts on the road after his team scored a total of seven or more runs in his last start for a net profit of $560 when playing against. The Blue Jays are 0-5 since June 12, 2009 at home when their starter went at least eight innings in his last start after a loss for a net profit of $705 when playing against. The Blue Jays are 5-0 since September 10, 2009 when Brett Cecil starts vs a team that won their starters last two starts for a net profit of $640.

Brewers at Cardinals - The Brewers are 0-6 since June 23, 2009 after a one run loss and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $630 when playing against.

Rockies at Diamondbacks - The Rockies are 5-0 since June 06, 2009 when Aaron Cook starts in June for a net profit of $595. The Diamondbacks are 0-8 since July 02, 2009 within 20 cents of pickem after a loss in which they were shut out in the last 6 innings for a net profit of $810 when playing against.

Braves at Dodgers - The Braves are 0-6 since April 16, 2009 when Kenshin Kawakami starts after going at least 6 innings and giving up 6 or fewer hits at home for a net profit of $700 when playing against. The Dodgers are 11-0 since June 05, 2009 as a favorite vs a team that has won at least their last three games and it is not the first game of a series for a net profit of $1100. The Dodgers are 8-0 since June 05, 2009 at home after a loss in which they drew 1 or fewer walks for a net profit of $800.

Angels at Mariners - The Angels are 6-0 since May 04, 2009 on the road within 20 cents of pickem after a win in which they drew 5+ walks and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $635. The Angels are 5-0 since April 28, 2009 when Joe Saunders starts within 20 cents of pickem after more walks than strike outs for a net profit of $510. The Mariners are 0-6 since September 15, 2009 when Ian Snell starts within 20 cents of pickem for a net profit of $600 when playing against.

Marlins at Mets - The Marlins are 0-6 since June 26, 2009 after a win in which their opponent left 18+ men on base and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $800 when playing against. The Marlins are 0-6 since May 02, 2009 when Anibal Sanchez starts within 20 cents of pickem vs a team that has hit more grounders than fly balls season-to-date for a net profit of $610 when playing against.

Reds at Nationals - The Reds are 6-0 since August 05, 2009 after a loss in which they drew 1 or fewer walks for a net profit of $795. The Reds are 0-6 since April 28, 2009 when Aaron Harang starts within 20 cents of pickem after his team scored a total of seven or more runs in his last start for a net profit of $635 when playing against.

Red Sox at Orioles - The Red Sox are 8-0 since August 19, 2009 when Clay Buchholz starts on the road for a net profit of $870. The Red Sox are 0-5 since September 28, 2009 as a 140+ favorite after a loss in which their opponent left fewer than 10 men on base for a net profit of $760 when playing against. The Orioles are 0-9 since September 09, 2009 as a 170+ dog after a loss in which they had 6 or fewer hits for a net profit of $900 when playing against.

Padres at Phillies - The Padres are 7-0 since September 06, 2009 as a road dog when they won the last two games their starter started for a net profit of $1015. The Phillies are 8-0 since May 15, 2009 after a loss in which they were tied at the end of 6 innings for a net profit of $880.

Giants at Pirates - The Giants are 0-7 since June 02, 2009 on the road 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 $765 when playing against. The Pirates are 0-7 since August 05, 2009 at home within 20 cents of pickem when they lost the last time they faced this starting pitcher for a net profit of $700 when playing against. The Pirates are 0-6 since July 10, 2009 when Zach Duke starts as a dog after losing as an away dog in his last start for a net profit of $600 when playing against.

Rays at Rangers - The Rays are 6-0 since April 18, 2010 as a dog after scoring 6+ runs for a net profit of $760. The Rangers are 5-0 since April 27, 2010 when C.J. Wilson starts after going at least 6 innings and giving up 6 or fewer hits for a net profit of $500.

Tigers at Royals - The Tigers are 0-7 since April 17, 2009 after a 5+ run win and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $735 when playing against. The Royals are 0-9 since June 19, 2009 at home when they are off a loss in which they never led and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $900 when playing against.

Indians at White Sox - The Indians are 0-11 since April 19, 2009 as a 170+ dog when they lost the last two games their starter started for a net profit of $1100 when playing against. The Indians are 0-8 since July 28, 2009 as a 140+ dog after scoring 6+ runs for a net profit of $800 when playing against. The White Sox are 0-6 since July 19, 2009 as a 140+ favorite after a win in which they allowed 1 or fewer walks for a net profit of $920 when playing against.

Tips and Trends

San Diego Padres at Philadelphia Phillies

Padres: San Diego just keeps winning ballgames, as they've gone 7-3 in their last 10 games to lead the entire National League. San Diego is the only team in the National League with a .600% or greater winning percentage this year. The Padres are an impressive 14-9 this year on the road. San Diego is +13.29 and +10.42 units SU and on the RL respectively this season. Only 18 of their 53 games have gone over the posted total this year, proving just how great their pitching staff has been this season. P Mat Latos has pitched great this year, as he is 5-3 with an ERA 3.08 and a WHIP of 1.01. The Padres are 4-0 in their last 4 road games against a right-handed starter. San Diego is 19-40 in their last 59 games against a starter with a WHIP less than 1.15. San Diego is 4-1 in Latos' last 5 road starts. The Padres are 4-0 in Latos' last 4 starts with the total set between 7 and 8.5 runs.

Padres are 4-0 last 4 games as an underdog.
Under is 20-8-2 last 30 against a team with a winning record.

Key Injuries - C Yorvit Torrealba (personal) is doubtful.

PROJECTED SCORE: 2

Phillies (-190, O/U 7.5): Philadelphia continues to struggle offensively, as they've been held to 3 runs or fewer in their past 11 games. 7 of those 11 games they've scored 1 run or fewer to make matters even worse. To no surprise, Philadelphia has lost 9 of their last 11 games. Today represents the biggest line the Phillies are favored over their last 14 games. The Phillies are 28-24 on the year, and are -4.79 units overall this season. Ace starter Roy Halladay will take the ball today, as he looks to neutralize San Diego. Halladay is 7-3 this year, with an ERA of 1.99 and a WHIP of 0.99. The Phillies are 1-4 in Halladays last 5 starts following a Quality Start in his last appearance. Philadelphia is 41-18 in their last 59 home games against a right-handed starter. The Phillies are 15-7 in their last 22 games against a starter with a WHIP less than 1.15. Philadelphia is 0-8 in their last 8 games with the total set between 7 and 8.5 runs.

Phillies are 4-0 last 4 home games against a team with a road winning percentage greater than .600%.
Under is 20-7-1 last 28 games as a favorite.

Key Injuries - 2B Placido Polanco (elbow) is questionable.

PROJECTED SCORE: 4 (UNDER - Total of the Day)

Tampa Bay Rays at Texas Rangers

Rays: Tampa Bay has won twice as many games as they've lost, 36-18 on the year. Tampa Bay has easily the best record in baseball, and lead the American League East by 2 games over the Yankees. The Rays and Yankees have the 2 best records in all of baseball. Offensively, the Rays come in hot as well as they've scored 7 runs in consecutive games entering tonight. Tampa Bay crushes left handed pitching, as they've had success the past 2 years against lefties. Tampa Bay is +8.72 and +4.13 both SU and on the RL respectively this year. P Wade Davis will look to improve to 6-4 on the year with a win tonight. Davis has an ERA of 4.04 and a WHIP of 1.46 overall this season. The Rays are 4-0 in their last 4 road games against a left-handed starter. Tampa Bay is 20-7 in their last 27 games against a left-handed starter. The Rays are 4-1 in Davis' last 5 road starts overall.

Rays are 9-0 last 9 games as a road underdog.
Over is 6-0 last 6 games as a road underdog.

Key Injuries - SS Jason Bartlett (hamstring) is questionable.

PROJECTED SCORE: 6 (Side of the Day)

Rangers (-120, O/U 9.5): Texas enters this weekend series with the best team in baseball swinging hot bats. The Rangers have scored 9 runs in each of their last two games, both wins. Texas is 28-24 this year, leading the American League West division by 1 game over Oakland. The Rangers are 18-9 at home this season. Texas is +0.66 and -9.95 units both SU and on the RL respectively this year. Lefty C.J. Wilson will get the start tonight, as he looks to get back on track. Wilson is 0-2 with an ERA over 9 in his past 3 starts combined. For the year, Wilson is 3-3 with an ERA of 3.48 and a WHIP of 1.19. The Rangers are 14-6 in their last 20 home games against a right-handed starter. Texas is 4-1 in Wilson's last 5 starts as a home favorite. Texas is 2-5 in Wilson's last 7 starts following a team loss in their previous game. The Rangers are 1-6 in Wilson's last 7 starts against a team with a winning record.

Rangers are 11-3 last 14 games as a home favorite.
Over is 6-1 last 7 games as a home favorite of -110 to -150.

Key Injuries - RF Nelson Cruz (hamstring) is out.

PROJECTED SCORE: 5