Diamond Preview
By Matt Fargo
Thursday, June 12th
Washington Nationals at Pittsburgh Pirates 12:35 PM ET
This has the makings of an offensive showcase. Pittsburgh goes with Tom Gorzelanny, who has a 6.83 ERA, one of the worst in baseball for qualified pitchers. He is coming off a quality start against the Diamondbacks but his struggles don’t seem to be too far away. He faces off against Jason Bergmann who had thrown three straight games without allowing a run but has allowed nine runs over his last two outings, covering 11 innings. In his lone starts against the Pirates last season, he allowed six runs in just four innings.
Thursday's MLB Tip Sheet
By Brad Young
It isn’t officially summer yet until June 21, but the Boys of Summer are starting to take center stage. The Stanley Cup Finals are over, and the NBA Finals will be over in another week leaving baseball as the main summertime attraction. Here is breakdown of Thursday’s four main matchups, two each in the National and American Leagues.
**Giants (Sanchez) at Rockies (Reynolds)**
-Caesars Palace installed Colorado as a $1.25 home ‘chalk’ over San Francisco, with the total set at 9½. This National League West contest is slated to start at 3:05 p.m. ET.
-San Francisco hurler Jonathan Sanchez (5-3, 3.70 ERA) is riding a personal three-game winning streak after blanking Washington Saturday as a $1.10 road underdog, 6-0. The Puerto Rico native went seven innings on four hits with two walks and four strikeouts.
-The six runs failed to eclipse the eight-run closing total, helping the ‘under’ improve to 4-2 his last six starts.
-Sanchez has a pair of no decisions against the Rockies this season, going a combined 12 innings while surrendering four runs on 13 hits with eight walks and nine strikeouts. The Giants prevailed as a $1.10 home favorite, 3-2, and as a $1.40 road underdog, 3-2. The ‘under’ cashed both times.
-Colorado right-hander Greg Reynolds (1-3, 5.24 ERA) is off Saturday’s victory over Milwaukee as a $1.10 home ‘chalk,’ 7-2. The Stanford product was reached for two runs on four hits with two walks and no strikeouts over six innings.
-The combined nine runs failed to topple the 10 ½-run closing total, helping the ‘under’ improve to 4-2 his six starts. The Rockies are 3-0 when he’s pitching at home, but 0-3 when he starts on the road.
-Reynolds, a rookie, has never started against the Giants in his brief major league career.
**Phillies (Moyer) at Marlins (Olson)**
-Caesars Palace opened Philadelphia as a $1.15 road favorite, with the total set at 10. This NL East contest is slated to start at 7:10 p.m. ET.
-Philadelphia’s Jamie Moyer (6-3, 4.56 ERA) picked up a no-decision against Atlanta Friday in a 5 1/3-inning stint. The veteran southpaw allowed two runs on five hits (one home run) with three walks and four strikeouts.
-The Phillies eventually won that affair as a $1.37 road underdog, 4-3, while the combined seven runs went ‘under’ the nine-run closing total. The ‘over’ had cashed his previous six starts.
-Moyer slipped past Florida June 1 as a $1.40 home favorite, 7-5, tossing seven innings while yielding five runs on seven hits (two home runs) with no walks and three strikeouts. The combined 12 runs eclipsed the 10 ½-run closing total. The 45-year-old went 4-0 against the Marlins last year in four starts.
-Florida pitcher Scott Olsen (4-2, 3.44 ERA) has picked up four no decisions his last five starts after Saturday’s effort against Cincinnati. The left-hander went six innings, allowing four runs (zero earned) on four hits with a walk and five strikeouts.
-The Marlins ended up winning that contest as a $1.25 home ‘chalk,’ 8-7, while the combined 15 runs eclipsed the nine-run closing total. The ‘over’ has cashed his last five starts.
-Olsen went 2-0 against the Phillies last year in three starts, tossing a combined 14 1/3 innings while surrendering 11 runs on 15 hits (three home runs) with 10 walks and 12 strikeouts. The Marlins prevailed as a $1.20 home favorite, 6-4, as a $1.20 home ‘dog, 5-3, and as a home ‘pick,’ 7-6. The ‘over’ went 2-1 during those three games.
**Orioles (Guthrie) at Red Sox (Lester)**
-Caesars Palace lists Boston as a $1.55 home ‘chalk’ over Baltimore, with the total set at 9½. This American League East contest is scheduled to start at 6:05 p.m. ET.
-Baltimore pitcher Jeremy Guthrie (3-6, 3.40 ERA) got back on the winning track by upending Toronto Saturday as a $1.40 road underdog, 9-5. In seven innings, the five-year veteran was reached for one run on six hits with no walks and six strikeouts.
-The combined 14 runs eclipsed the eight-run closing total. The ‘under’ had gone 3-0-1 his previous four starts.
-Guthrie is 1-0 against the Red Sox this year in two starts, going a combined 12 1/3 innings while yielding five runs on 16 hits (one home run) with two walks and 12 strikeouts. The Orioles triumphed as a $1.50 home underdog, 5-4, and as a $1.20 home favorite, 6-3.
-Boston counters with Jon Lester, hoping the left-hander can improve his 4-3 record and 3.50 ERA in 14 starts. The 6-foot-2 hurler beat Tampa Bay last Thursday as a $1.15 home favorite, 7-1, going 6 1/3 innings while allowing the lone run on eight hits with no walks and five strikeouts.
-The combined eight runs went ‘under’ the nine-run closing total.
-The 24-year-old has two no decisions against the Orioles this season, tossing a combined 11 innings while yielding five runs on 12 hits (one home run) with five walks and eight strikeouts. The Red Sox prevailed as a $1.30 road favorite, 6-3, while losing as a $1.20 road ‘chalk,’ 6-3.
**Yankees (Pettitte) at Athletics (Blanton)**
-Caesars Palace opened New York as a $1.15 road favorite over Oakland, with the total listed at 8½. First pitch is slated for 10:05 p.m. ET.
-New York’s Andy Pettitte (5-5, 4.99 ERA) is off back-to-back no decisions after escaping Saturday’s effort against Kansas City. The veteran left-hander was tagged for 10 runs on 10 hits (two home runs) with two walks and three strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings.
-The Yankees eventually won that contest as a $2.10 home ‘chalk,’ 12-11, while the combined 23 runs soared ‘over’ the nine-run closing total. The ‘over’ has gone 4-1 his last five starts.
-Pettitte went 0-1 against the Athletics last year in two starts, going a combined 8 2/3 innings while allowing 10 runs (eight earned) on 15 hits (two home runs) with a walk and five strikeouts. The Yankees dropped those games as a $1.00 road selection, 5-4, and as a $1.35 home favorite, 11-5. The ‘over’ cashed both times.
-Oakland right-hander Joe Blanton (3-8, 4.15 ERA) has dropped consecutive contests after falling to Los Angeles Saturday as a $1.00 home selection, 3-1. The former Kentucky Wildcat went seven innings, surrendering three runs (two earned) on seven hits (one home run) with a walk and three strikeouts.
-The combined four runs failed to topple the 7½-run closing total, ending a string of three straight ‘over’ outings.
-The five-year veteran picked up a no-decision against the Yankees last year after tossing 6 2/3 innings, yielding three runs on five hits (one home run) with three walks and five strikeouts. The Athletics ended up dropping that contest as a $1.10 home underdog, 4-3, while the combined seven runs went ‘under’ the 9 ½-run closing total.
vegasinsider.com.
Soriano out 6 weeks with broken left hand
June 11, 2008
CHICAGO (AP) -Alfonso Soriano could miss up to six weeks with a broken left hand after the Chicago Cubs star was hit by a pitch Wednesday night against Atlanta.
Soriano was hit in the second inning by Jeff Bennett. The Chicago leadoff man will be in a splint for three weeks, Cubs spokesman Peter Chase said.
Soriano spent time on the disabled list earlier this season with a calf injury. This latest injury was a startling blow for the NL Central leaders.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Philadelphia (39-28) at Florida (36-29)
The Phillies, who are looking to avoid a three-game sweep in South Beach, will hand the ball to 45-year-old left-hander Jamie Moyer (6-3, 4.56 ERA) at Dolphin Stadium, while the Marlins are set to go with 24-year-old left-hander Scott Olsen (4-2, 3.44).
Philadelphia arrived in Miami with a four-game winning streak, but has dropped the first two games of this series by scores of 5-4 and 6-2. The Phillies are still 7-3 in their last 10 contests (4-2 on the road), and they continue to lead the pesky Marlins by two games in the N.L. East.
Florida has followed up a 2-8 slump by winning four of its last five, all at home, where the Fish sport a 22-14 record this season.
These two teams are finishing off their second series of the year, and the Marlins carry a 3-2 lead after Wednesday’s win. Philadelphia is 1-5 in its last six at Florida, but the Phils are on an 8-0 tear in Moyer’s last eight starts against the Marlins.
Moyer has been red-hot regardless of the opponent lately, helping the Phillies to five straight wins and a 6-1 record in his last seven outings, with the old-timer going 5-1 with one no-decision in that stretch. On Friday at Atlanta, he allowed two runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings and left trailing 2-1, but the Phillies came back for a 4-3 win in 10 innings.
Moyer is 3-1 with a 3.41 ERA in six road outings this season, and he’s a perfect 8-0 with a 3.51 ERA in eight career starts against Florida, despite getting tagged for five runs on seven hits in seven innings 11 days ago at home. The Phillies gave him just enough offensive support in that one to take a 7-5 victory.
Olsen started the season with three wins and a no-decision, but he’s gotten a rash of no-decisions and just one win since April 20. On Saturday at home against Cincinnati, he allowed four runs on four hits – all in the sixth inning – to blow a 4-0 lead, but Florida put up three runs in the bottom of the ninth to claim an 8-7 win, giving Olsen six no-decisions in his last nine starts. On the bright side, Florida is 9-4 in Olson’s 13 outings this year, including 6-2 at home.
Olsen is 3-2 with a 3.12 ERA in eight home starts this year, but he’s 3-4 with a soaring 6.00 ERA in nine career starts against Philly. Last year, he faced the Phillies three times and posted a 6.91 ERA, but Florida won all three contests (all at home).
The Phillies sport a plethora of positive trends, winning 12 of their last 16 overall and going 7-1 against left-handed starters, 9-4 in roadies against lefties and 6-1 on Thursday. With Moyer on the mound, Philadelphia is on runs of 4-0 against winning teams, 5-1 on the highway, 21-5 against the National League East and 7-3 in the third game of a series.
The Marlins have been solid behind Olsen, going 10-4 in his last 14 overall since the end of 2007, 4-0 in his last four Thursday starts, 4-1 in his last five against winning teams, 7-2 in his past nine at home, and 5-2 in the third game of a series. In addition, Florida is 9-3 in its last 12 home games and 10-1 at home against winning teams, but the Marlins are still only 4-7 in their last 11 games against N.L. East foes.
The over is 6-1 in Moyer’s last seven starts overall, 5-0 in Olsen’s last five outings, 4-1 in Olsen’s last five at home and 39-9-2 in his last 41 outings on four days’ rest.
The under has cashed in the first two games of this series, but the over is still 36-16-1 in the last 53 clashes overall and 48-18-3 in the past 69 meetings in Florida. Also, the Marlins have “over” trends of 22-6-3 overall, 7-2 at home, 6-2-1 versus winning teams, 8-1-1 against left-handers, 5-0 in the third game of a series. However, the Phillies have stayed under the total in nine straight games, and the under is 5-0 in their last five against the N.L. East.
ATS ADVANTAGE: PHILADELPHIA
AMERICAN LEAGUE
N.Y. Yankees (33-33) at Oakland Athletics (35-30)
Left-hander Andy Pettitte (5-5, 4.99 ERA) will toe the slab for the Yankees when they face the A’s and struggling right-hander Joe Blanton (3-8, 4.15) in the rubber match of a three-game series at McAfee Coliseum.
The Yankees opened this series with Tuesday’s 3-1 victory, but Oakland bounced back with an 8-4 rout last night. Although the A’s are 2-3 in their last five, they’re 10-5 in their last 15 home contests. Meanwhile, New York is 5-3 in its last seven and has fallen back to .500 on the season.
Oakland is now 9-3 in the last 12 clashes with the Yanks, including 5-2 in the last seven at home. Moreover, the Yankees have dropped their last six games against the A’s with Pettitte throwing, and Pettitte is 0-4 in his last four outings at Oakland.
The Yanks have gone 3-1 in Pettitte’s last four starts, with the veteran winning the first two, then getting shellacked in the past two but still coming out with a pair of no-decisions. On Saturday in the Bronx against Kansas City, he gave up 10 runs – all earned – on 10 hits in 6 2/3 innings and left trailing 10-6 after the Royals’ five-run seventh. But New York put up six runs over the final three innings to win 12-11.
Pettitte is 4-2 with a 3.95 ERA in seven road starts this season, and he’s 8-5 with a 3.59 ERA in 17 career starts against Oakland.
Blanton is just 1-4 with two no-decisions in his last seven starts, getting tagged with a loss in his last two outings. On Friday against the Angels, he surrendered three runs on seven hits in seven innings, but the Athletics mustered just one run in a 3-1 home loss. Blanton has tossed at least six innings in his last five starts, but Oakland is just 1-4 in that span. In fact, the A’s are just 4-10 in the burly right-hander’s 14 starts in 2008.
Blanton has a serviceable 3.84 ERA at the Coliseum this year, but he is just 1-6 in 10 starts, eight of which Oakland has lost. He’s also 0-3 with a hefty 9.39 ERA in three career starts against New York.
The Yankees had a nine-game winning streak against the A.L. West halted with last night’s defeat, but they’re still on hot runs of 39-14 in the third game of a series and 8-4 against winning teams. Furthermore, with Pettitte on the mound, they are on streaks of 4-0 in the third game of a series, 4-0 on Thursday, 5-2 against the A.L. West, 10-4 on the highway and 17-8 with the veteran hurler going on four days’ rest.
The A’s are 12-5 in their last 17 against the A.L. East and are on additional upticks of 4-0 against left-handed starters and 5-1 in Game 3 of a series.
The over is 4-1 in Pettitte’s last five starts overall, 4-0 in his last four against the A.L. West and 7-1 in Blanton’s last eight versus the A.L. East. Conversely, the under is 13-5 in Pettitte’s last 18 when going on four days’ rest, 7-2 in his last nine against winning teams, 7-1 in his past eight on the road, 35-17-2 in Blanton’s past 54 at home, 13-5 in Blanton’s last 18 against winning teams and 4-1 in his last five on Thursday.
For New York, the under is on runs of 13-6 on the road, 14-7 on the highway against winning teams and 6-3 overall against winning teams, though the over is 10-4 in its last 14 against the A.L. West. Meanwhile, the over is 7-2-1 in Oakland’s last 10 Thursday contests, but the under is 8-3-1 in its past 12 against left-handed starters. Finally, in this rivalry, the over is 10-5 in the last 15 clashes at the Coliseum, but the under is 9-5 in the last 14 meetings overall.
ATS ADVANTAGE: OAKLAND
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Baseball Today
Los Angeles Dodgers at San Diego (3:35 p.m. EDT). Jake Peavy (4-3, 2.91 ERA) will make his first start since being placed on the 15-day disabled list on May 20 with lingering pain in his elbow.
STARS
- Corey Hart, Brewers, hit two homers and drove in four runs in a 10-6 rout of Houston.
- Ryan Dempster, Cubs, gave up four hits and struck out 11 in a complete-game, 7-2 victory over Atlanta.
- Jorge Cantu, Marlins, hit a pair of solo home runs and scored three times, the last on Dan Uggla's grand slam in the ninth inning of a 6-2 win over the Phillies.
- Carlos Beltran, Mets, hit a two-run, game-winning homer in the 13th inning for a 5-3 win over Arizona. Beltran finished with four RBIs and scored twice.
- Braden Looper, Cardinals, gave up three hits and struck out four in a complete-game, 10-0 rout of the Reds.
- David Murphy, Rangers, hit a grand slam and added a solo homer for a career-high five RBIs, helping Texas to an 11-5 rout of the Royals.
- Justin Verlander, Tigers, gave up four hits and struck out three in a complete-game, 5-1 victory over the White Sox.
- Felix Hernandez, Mariners, gave up four hits and walk over eight innings in a 2-1 win over Toronto.
GRAND WIN
Dan Uggla hit a game-ending grand slam with one out in the ninth off Tom Gordon, helping Florida beat Philadelphia 6-2. It was the first game-ending home run in Uggla's career, and the second in Marlins history: Bobby Bonilla did it Sept. 16, 1997, against the Rockies.
TOUGH LOSS
Garret Atkins slid home safely in the ninth inning when Giants catcher Bengie Molina dropped the ball trying to make a swipe tag, giving Colorado a 1-0 win over San Francisco. Atkins had tagged up on Yorvit Torrealba's flyout, and left fielder Fred Lewis' throw beat him. Atkins was initially called out by plate umpire Fieldin Culbreth, but was ruled safe when the ump saw the ball on the ground. Molina was charged with an error.
SORE-IANO
Alfonso Soriano could miss up to six weeks with a broken left hand after the Cubs star was hit by a pitch Wednesday night against Atlanta. It happened in the second inning on a pitch from Jeff Bennett. The Chicago leadoff man will be in a splint for three weeks, Cubs spokesman Peter Chase said. Soriano spent time on the disabled list earlier this season with a calf injury.
MURPHY'S BIG NIGHT
Rangers outfielder David Murphy hit a grand slam to spur a seven-run inning in an 11-5 rout of the Royals, then added a solo shot in the ninth inning for good measure. The five RBIs were a career high for Murphy, who leads AL rookies with 46 RBIs and 77 hits.
MILTON VS LEFEBVRE
Milton Bradley stormed out of the Texas clubhouse after an 11-5 victory over Kansas City and bounded up four flights of stairs looking for Royals TV announcer Ryan Lefebvre. Bradley heard what he considered derogative remarks made by Lefebvre on a TV in the clubhouse. Lefebvre said he had been discussing how Josh Hamilton had turned his life around from alcohol and cocaine addictions, while Bradley - known for his volatile temper - had not made an effort to get in the good graces of baseball fans.
DOUMIT DOIN' IT
Pirates catcher Ryan Doumit homered for the third time in two games and also singled twice in a 3-1 win over the Nationals. Doumit is 7-for-8 in the series, after going 4-for-4 with two homers and two doubles Tuesday night. The hot streak comes after he went 1-for-12 the previous three games in his return from a stint on the disabled list.
GETTING STINGY
Randy Wolf combined with two relievers on a five-hitter, helping San Diego beat the Dodgers 4-1. Wolf (5-4) had his fifth straight outing where he allowed two runs or fewer, giving up just four hits in seven innings. He's won three straight decisions in his last five starts, with a 1.90 ERA during that span.
TROUBLE BREWING
The Astros had a rough night with Milwaukee in town. Not only did they give up five home runs and allow the Brewers to snap a five-game skid at Minute Maid Park, but Houston catcher Brad Ausmus and manager Cecil Cooper were each tossed on seperate plays moments apart.
TWIN (STREAK) KILLING
Justin Morneau drove in three runs to help Minnesota beat Cleveland 8-5 and snap a six-game losing streak. The win also snapped a long winless streak for Nick Blackburn, who allowed two runs and seven hits over six innings to win for the first time since May 16.
SPEAKING
``That's a real bummer. ... It's hard to sit back and enjoy the victory when one of your best players, one of the leaders of your team, goes down. He's proven in the past he's a pretty darn quick healer. It's up to the other guys to pick him up.'' - Cubs starter Ryan Dempster, on Alfonso Soriano breaking a bone in his left hand that could sideline the star outfielder six weeks.
MLB streaks, slumps and betting notes
By ASHTON GREWAL
The 162-game schedule can be a grind even for the most dedicated baseball fan. It can be tricky staying wise to the latest especially when the Euro Cup and NBA Finals are drawing your betting attention.
We’ve devised a little cheat sheet to remind you of which teams are making it rain and which ones are just hoping for rainouts.
Hot
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago Cubs own the best record in the majors but their cross-town rivals are making noise too. The White Sox have won seven in a row after manager Ozzie Guillen’s explosive comments the weekend before last.
Guillen was beyond frustrated after his club scored just four runs during a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays.
It’s not just that the Sox are winning; it’s how they’re doing it. The offense has come back to life reaching the 10-run mark three times since Friday.
Philadelphia Phillies
All the talk about the New York Mets losing and the surprising Florida Marlins winning has left little attention for the first-place Phils. The defending NL East champs are 12-2 over their last 14 and they’ve outscored their opponents 99-47 during that same period.
The Phillies still rely on their power with 92 big flies on the year, good for second best in the majors. If slugger Ryan Howard can find his swing, Philadelphia could run away with this division.
Cold
Houston Astros
It’s been an up and down year for Houston supporters. The Astros were seven games above .500 as of May 27, but a 2-9 streak has dropped them back to fourth in the NL Central with a 32-32 record.
Outside of first baseman Lance Berkman, who is enjoying a career season, the Astros have few consistent producers. Carlos Lee’s on-base percentage (.301) is an embarrassment and he has just one RBI in his last nine games.
Roy Oswalt – the unquestioned ace of the staff – has an ERA north of 5.00. Ouch.
Minnesota Twins
The Twins were playing above expectations until recently when the pitchers forgot how to pitch. Minnesota has dropped five straight and eight of its last 11.
The Twinkies’ starters rarely make it past the sixth inning and the bullpen isn’t as good as years past. The relievers are tossing beach balls to the batters because of overuse.
“We were complaining about having 13 pitchers right now,” manager Ron Gardenhire told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, “but we’ve needed every single one of them.”
Total watch
Things may seem out of sorts with the New York Yankees behind the Rays in the AL East, but there are some things baseball bettors can still depend on. The Texas Rangers retooled the middle of their batting order by signing Milton Bradley and trading for Josh Hamilton.
The moves paid off big time as the Rangers are leading the majors in runs, total bases and batting average. At the same time Texas’ pitching staff owns the highest ERA (5.05).
As a result the Rangers continue to be one of the best over bets on a game-to-game basis. The club has played over the total in 14 out of its last 20 matchups.
Covers.com
Thursday's streaking starting pitchers
COVERS.com
A look at some of the top streaking and slumping starters taking the mound Thursday around the majors.
Streaking
Kenny Rogers, Detroit Tigers (4-4, 5.34 ERA)
The Gambler started slowly, but it looks like we can blame that on some cold weather. Just as the weather heats up, so does Rogers.
He didn’t earn decisions in his last three starts, but he was sensational with just three earned runs against and 16 hits combined. He went seven innings in all three of those games but he couldn’t get the run support or relief pitching to earn the win in any of those outings.
The Tigers know they owe him one and this might be the game to do it. The White Sox are hitting just .233 against lefties this season.
Slumping
Jake Peavy, San Diego Padres (4-3, 2.91 ERA)
One of the best betting situations in baseball comes when you catch a great starter in mediocre form. That has been the case lately with Peavy, who is 1-3 in his last six starts.
Peavy’s ERA has jumped to 5.17 over his last three starts and he hasn’t gone more than six innings in any of his last five starts. The biggest issue though, is the home runs. The righty has served up six of them in his last seven starts, making for some tough outings.
That could mean trouble against the Dodgers Thursday, when Gerry Davis calls the balls and strikes. Davis sees a lofty average of 2.1 home runs whenever he’s behind home plate.
Livan Hernandez, Minnesota Twins (6-3, 5.32 ERA)
There aren’t many hurlers who have gotten away with the kind of pitching that Hernadez has. He has allowed at least five runs in each of his last five starts, yet the Twins have escaped with a 2-3 record during that stretch.
That’s kind of the way it’s been going for Hernandez this year. He’s only pitched four games where the Twins have failed to put up at least five runs of support. Incidentally, that’s the same number of games in which he hasn’t allowed at least one home run in his 14 starts this year.
It likely won’t shock you to hear this righty is one of the most profitable over pitchers in the game with an 11-3 over/under ratio.