Monday's Streaking and Slumping Starting Pitchers
Streakers
Stephen Strasburg (2-1, 1.78) Washington Nationals
The rookie sensation suffered his first loss of the season in his last outing, a 1-0 defeat to the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday, and he's still streaking.
Almost all his other numbers improved, lowering his ERA from 1.86 to 1.78 and raising his strikeout totals from 32 to 41 with no walks on the evening.
"His fastball, his slider, his changeup - every pitch is unbelievable," Royals outfielder Jose Guillen, a former National, said of Strasburg. "He has everything. He pitched great. He just made a few mistakes."
Don't expect Strasburg to repeat them today.
Mark Buehrle (6-6, 4.60) Chicago White Sox
After a six-week slump, Buehrle is back on track after rattling off three straight victories.
Buehrle has allowed only four earned runs in last three outings while tallying 20 innings of work. He allowed 12 earned runs in his two previous starts while lasting only 8 1/3 innings.
The difference, Buehrle said, has been his ability to get himself out of trouble. Of course, he's also getting a lot more help now with the White Sox on a run.
"Early on in the season, I would get in jams like that and not get out of them. It's like our season has turned around," Buerhle said. " ...We just need to try to stay on this roll. Everybody is confident right now."
Slumping
Paul Maholm (4-6, 4.24) Pittsburgh Pirates
Maholm hasn't won since the first week of June, going 0-2 in his three starts since. His last outing was his most disastrous of the season.
The lefty was pulled after one inning, allowing seven hits and five earned runs in a 13-3 loss to the Texas Rangers. But to his credit, he owned up to it.
"Pretty much you just chalk it up to, 'I sucked.' There's no better way to say it," Maholm said. "It wasn't a good day. But also, I understand it's part of the game, and I'm going to be ready in five days."
Maholm is 9-2 in his career against the Cubs, but bet on the scuttling Pirates at your own risk.
Chad Billingsley (6-4, 4.34) Los Angeles Dodgers
Yes, Billingsley is coming off the 15-day DL, but he can't shake the slumper rap that easily. Whether it was the groin or not, he was struggling on the mound before he limped off of it.
In his last two starts, the righty allowed 16 hits and 10 earned runs in 11.2 innings. That's more runs than he had given up in his previous five games or 33 innings.
"It's [a groin injury], the one you can predict the least, because you can warm up, you can have a simulated game, but until you get on the mound and push off in a regular game, you're never sure," Dodgers manager Joe Torre said.
So it's settled: C-Bill is still slumper until he proves otherwise.
Monday MLB Tips
By Kevin Rogers
Baseball fans can take a sigh of relief as interleague has come and gone (until the World Series) as things return to normal on Monday night. The entire National League takes the diamond, while the American League showcases just three matchups. The Marlins and Mets will play the next two days in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the only neutral-site games all season in the Majors. We'll begin in Atlanta with a phenom ace facing his first true test.
Nationals at Braves - 7:10 PM EST
Washington makes its first trip to Turner Field this season as Stephen Strasburg takes on the top team in the NL East. The Braves throw out a worthy adversary in veteran Tim Hudson, who has been nothing short of dominant at home this season.
Strasburg (2-1, 1.78 ERA) has been robbed of victories in his last two outings, as the Nationals have plated just one run combined in interleague setbacks to the White Sox and Royals. The rookie allowed a season-high nine hits in six innings of a 1-0 loss to Kansas City, but managed to strike out nine. Strasburg has now struck out 41 and walked only five in four starts, as he steps up in class against a Braves' squad that ranks third in the NL in runs scored.
Hudson (7-3, 2.54 ERA) should be thrilled to return home, coming off losses in each of his last three road outings. The righty did shut down the Rays in his previous home start to improve to 4-1 at Turner Field with an ERA of 1.87. Hudson had terrific run support during the month of May, averaging 9.2 runs/game over five starts. Since June 11, the Braves have tallied just six runs in Hudson's last three trips to the mound. The Nationals beat Hudson earlier this season in D.C. with a 3-2 victory, as the right-hander scattered five hits and two runs in seven innings.
Washington captured two of three meetings back in May, but Atlanta is looking back to last season for revenge. The Nats swept the Braves at Turner Field to wrap up the 2009 campaign, including consecutive extra-inning wins for Washington.
Phillies at Reds - 7:10 PM EST
These two clubs meet for the first time this season with each team coming off consecutive series victories. Cincinnati's five-game winning streak was halted by Cleveland, despite the Reds downing the A's and Indians over the last week to keep pace with St. Louis in the NL Central. The Phillies grabbed two of three at home against the Blue Jays, even though those contests were technically Toronto home games with the G-20 summit kicking Cito Gaston's team out of the Rogers Centre.
The Phillies send out the inconsistent Kyle Kendrick (4-2, 4.71 ERA), who has posted back-to-back quality starts only once this season. Following an 0-3 start on the road, Philadelphia is 3-1 in Kendrick's last four road outings, including a 7-1 victory over the Yankees as a $2.00 underdog. Kendrick hasn't faced the Reds since 2008, but the Houston native beat Cincinnati twice.
The last time Johnny Cueto (7-2, 3.97 ERA) saw the Phillies, it was a nightmare for the Reds' righty. Philadelphia tagged Cueto for nine earned runs in just 0.2 innings in a 22-1 thrashing of Cincinnati last July. Cueto has alternated wins and losses in each of his last five starts, coming off a win at Oakland in which he tossed seven scoreless innings. The 'over' has cashed in 11 of Cueto's 15 starts, including six of seven at home.
The Phillies have owned this series recently, taking five of seven meetings last season and nine of the last 12. The Reds are just 6-8 the previous 14 games at Great American Ballpark, while winning just one of their last four home series.
Tigers at Twins - 8:10 PM EST
The AL Central has turned into a three-horse race with Minnesota, Detroit, and Chicago all separated by two games. The Twins return home from a dreadful road trip that saw the defending division champs dropping five of the final six games to the Brewers and Mets. The Tigers weren't much better with a 2-4 road trip, but Detroit managed a Sunday victory over Atlanta.
Francisco Liriano (6-5, 3.11 ERA) has allowed six earned runs his last two starts as the Twins fell to the Rockies and Brewers. The southpaw has faced off against Hudson, Ubaldo Jimenez, and Andy Pettitte in his previous three home outings, with the Twins winning only one time. Thanks to poor run support, Minnesota has cashed the 'under' in Liriano's last four starts.
The Tigers are 1-5 in their previous six road series opener, as Jeremy Bonderman (3-5, 4.20 ERA) takes the mound. Bonderman has lost his last three away starts, including a 5-0 setback to the Mets in which the righty allowed four earned runs in six innings. The 27-year old has yet to win a game under the lights at 0-4, while going 'under' the total in eight of 12 starts.
The home team is 5-1 in this season's series, including Minnesota three-game sweep of Detroit at Target Field in early May. The Tigers are just 4-12 in series openers off a victory, while the Twins are 10-4 in series openers coming off a defeat.
Diamondbacks at Cardinals - 8:15 PM EST
St. Louis heads back home after losing two of three at Kansas City, as Arizona invades Busch Stadium. Each team sends out their ace as Chris Carpenter and Dan Haren take the mound. The D-Backs are coming off a solid weekend with a pair of victories over the Rays, including Friday's no-hitter by Edwin Jackson.
Carpenter (9-1, 2.63 ERA) shut down the Jays in his last outing, scattering three hits in eight scoreless innings of a 1-0 victory. The former Cy Young Award winner has lost only once in eight home starts this season, while winning each of his previous four outings at Busch. Carpenter delivered a pair of quality starts against Arizona this season, as the Cards split both games in Phoenix.
Haren (7-6, 4.65 ERA) hasn't had it easy recently, facing the Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals, Braves, and Dodgers in his last five starts (2-3). The Arizona ace's success has mainly come at Chase Field, as the D-Backs are 2-6 in his eight road starts this season. The 'over' has profited considerably in Haren's starts, hitting in 13 of his 16 outings.
The two clubs have split six meetings in Phoenix this season, with Arizona taking the last two matchups in mid-June. The Cardinals are 11-2 in Game 1's of a series off a loss, fresh off a 10-4 defeat at Kansas City.
vegasinsider.com
MLB RoundUp For 6/28
By Dan Bebe
National League
Mets (-120) @ Marlins with a total of 9
Jose Reyes was batting .406 in 32 AB off Nolasco since '05 with 3 HR and 5 RBI;
David Wright was batting .361 with 3 HR and 8 RBI off Nolasco since '05.
I've been staring at this one for 15 minutes just coming up with a paragraph for the blog, and it's a bit of a head-scratcher. R.A. Dickey has been brilliant for the Mets this year, a perfect 6-0 with a 2.33 ERA. And, TBS, if you're reading this, when R.A. pitches in the playoffs, feel free to refer to his main pitch as a "Turbo-Knuckler", because we all know how much the world loved that idiot Chip Caray trying to sound smart during the Fausto Carmona game a few years back. In any case, he has beaten the Marlins already this year, and Nolasco, on the other side, has been predictably marginal against the Mets. Leans: Mets
Phillies @ Reds (-140) with a total of 9.5
Shane Victorino is 2-for-4 with a HR off Cueto;
Brandon Phillips is 4-for-8 off Kendrick.
This is a strikingly steep line for the Reds going against such a public team as Philadelphia. The Phils are, perhaps, the most public team in the National League, thanks to their work over the last few years, and to see Cueto laying this number really raises an eyebrow. Especially intriguing is that Kendrick is 3-0 with a 6.61 ERA lifetime against Cincinnati, and Cueto is 0-2 with a 15.26 ERA lifetime against Philadelphia. I know Kendrick isn't the type of guy that breeds confidence, but he's been surprisingly decent on the road over the last 6 weeks, or so. Leans: Phillies
Nationals @ Braves (-130) with a total of 7
Adam Dunn is 6-for-16 with a HR and 3 RBI off Hudson.
Strasburg finally checks in as an underdog, going head-to-head with one of the better teams in the NL after breaking into the Bigs with 4 starts against weaker competition. The strikeouts just keep racking up for the young stud, but this is going to be a test. He's not going to go deeper than 6-7 innings, almost no matter how this one plays out, which means that the bullpen is going to need to carry its weight, and the Nationals pen has been a little jumpy of late. On the other side, Hudson just keeps rolling along, somehow only with 7 wins despite throwing well just about every time he takes the hill. He gave up 2 runs in 7 innings of a loss to the Nats earlier this year, but this line suggests the Braves get the upper hand. Leans: Braves
Pirates @ Cubs (-215) with a total of N/A
No need for player numbers here, since this is the 3rd time each of these guys is facing the other team. Randy Wells got creamed the first time he saw Pittsburgh, pitched much better the 2nd time, but the Cubs lost both. Maholm gave up 2 runs in 6 innings in both of his efforts against the Cubbies, and the Pirates won both of those games, too. Will the Cubs struggles against Pittsburgh continue? Leans: Pirates
Astros @ Brewers (-200) with a total of 9.5
Lance Berkman is 5-for-14 off Parra with an RBI;
Pedro Feliz is 3-for-7 with a HR and 2 RBI off Parra;
Carlos Lee is 8-for-15 with a HR and 3 RBI off Parra.
If we were dramatically hunting for another team that Norris has pitched well against besides the Cardinals, I suppose the Brewers could fall into the mix. He's 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA against Milwaukee, though the Brewers, to their credit, are starting to play a bit better. Manny Parra is 4-3 lifetime with a 4.91 ERA against the Astros, so not too impressive, but he's been decent enough as a starter. I don't like this one. Leans: None
D'backs @ Cardinals (-185) with a total of 7.5
Kelly Johnson was 4-for-7 with a HR off Carpenter before 2010;
Matt Holliday was 5-for-11 with 2 HR and 3 RBI off Haren before 2010.
This line is fairly lopsided, though Carpenter, obviously, is a big-time money-winner even with his inflated lines this year. Haren just can't quite put it all together consistently, and I couldn't tell you exactly the problem. He did, however, go 8 innings of 2-run baseball against these Cards back in Arizona in a victory. Carpenter allowed 3 runs in 6 innings of another Cardinals loss to the D'backs, so you have to wonder if he'll come out with a different level of focus in this one. I'd love to back Arizona at the nice dog price, but I fear Carpenter might be looking to avenge that earlier loss. Leans: None
Rockies (-160) @ Padres with a total of 6
REMATCH ALERT! I don't know if Kevin Correia has been the luckiest pitcher in the League, but he has to be among them, in terms of not just the level of run support, but when he gets it. The Padres have a knack for scoring 5 runs when he gives up 4, 7 runs when he gives up 6, and 2-3 runs when Correia pitches well. It's uncanny that, on a team with very little offense, Correia has a 5.14 ERA and 5 wins to show for it. He allowed 3 runs in 6 innings to these Rockies earlier this season, while Ubaldo was busy fanning 11 Padres and giving up just a single run in 7 innings. That total of 6 is horrifically low, and the side is too expensive. Leans: Over
Dodgers @ Giants (-130) with a total of 7.5
Ronnie Belliard was 9-for-21 with a HR and 6 RBI off Zito before 2010;
Jamey Carroll was 8-for-21 off Zito since '05;
Rafael Furcal was 8-for-22 with a HR and 2 RBI off Zito before 2010;
Matt Kemp was hitting .469 off Zito in 32 AB;
Travis Ishikawa was 5-for-11 off Billingsley with 3 RBI;
Aaron Rowand was 7-for-20 with a HR and 4 RBI off Billingsley;
Juan Uribe was 5-for-10 off Billingsley with a HR.
A ton of player numbers, here, and we'll see what lineups the two teams field. I'd imagine there would be a bit of a letdown for the Dodgers off the series with the Yanks, though this is a very important series for LA, as well, trying to gain ground on their two NL West rivals. Zito pitched well against LA earlier this year, but lost a tough one, though he has generally fared better in LA against the Dodgers than here, at home. Billingsley is coming off a short stint on the DL, and I imagine he's truly healthy, since the Dodgers can't really afford to put him out there at less than full strength. LA generally plays well at AT&T Park, too. Leans: Dodgers
American League
Blue Jays (-160) @ Indians with a total of 8.5
Aaron Hill was a perfect 3-for-3 off Westbrook prior to 2010.
REMATCH ALERT! These guys faced off in a poorly pitched game back in early May that the Jays won, 8-5. Romero gave up all 5 of those runs in 6 innings of work, and Westbrook allowed 4 runs (3 earned) in 3.2 innings, and got yanked before things got completely out of hand. Romero has a 7.15 ERA against the Indians, so this isn't a team he particularly enjoys facing, and Westbrook, the veteran, seems to consistently give up 3-4 runs every time out. Does it go over the total again by a handful? Doubt it, this one should be a little less ugly, and given Romero's problems against Cleveland, you have to at least consider the home dog. Leans: Indians
White Sox (-135) @ Royals with a total of 9.5
Mike Aviles is 5-for-16 with an RBI off Buerhle before 2010;
Willie Bloomquist is 8-for-22 off Buerhle before 2010;
Billy Butler is 11-for-33 with 2 HR and 7 RBI off Buerhle before this year;
Jason Kendall was 7-for-18 off Buerhle since '05;
Mitch Maier was 7-for-16 off Buerhle before 2010.
That's just too many strong number against the southpaw to ignore. I know Buerhle is on a decent run, posting 3 strong starts in a row, but the White Sox loss yesterday to snap an 11-game win streak definitely shifts the momentum. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see the Sox take the metaphorical "deep breath" off the long win streak, and the Royals, who smoked young Jaime Garcia yesterday, might be looking to beat someone senseless. Leans: Royals
Tigers @ Twins (-160) with a total of 8
Magglio Ordonez is 8-for-21 with 2 HR and 8 RBI off Liriano since '05;
Joe Mauer is 8-for-23 with a HR and 2 RBI off Bonderman;
Jim Thome is 6-for-18 with 3 HR and 6 RBI off Bonderman since '05;
Delmon Young is 4-for-9 with 2 RBI off Bonderman.
If I'm the Tigers, I'm a little nervous. Going to Minnesota has always been a bit of a house of horrors for Detroit, and now Liriano takes aim at them, trying to follow up on his 8 shutout innings (with 10 strikeouts) from back in April. Liriano has been a little more average over the last 2 months after a very strong start to the year, and while Bonderman has been pretty consistent in strike-throwing and getting a solid 6 innings into most games, this is a bad matchup for a guy that doesn't strike out many, and has a rather poor 3-6, 5.32 lifetime mark against the Twins. Leans: Twins
Diamond Trends - Monday
By Vince Akins
Nationals at Braves – The Nationals are 0-8 since July 19, 2009 within 20 cents of pickem after a one run loss for a net profit of $810 when playing against. The Braves are 8-0 since May 08, 2010 when they are off a loss in which they never led for a net profit of $841. The Braves are 7-0 since September 15, 2009 as a home favorite when they scored two or fewer runs for their starter in his last start for a net profit of $700.
Astros at Brewers – The Astros are 0-9 since April 10, 2009 on the road 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 $920 when playing against. The Astros are 4-0 since August 12, 2009 when Bud Norris starts as a 140+ dog when he is off a start in which he needed more than 4 pitches per batter for a net profit of $795.
Diamondbacks at Cardinals – The Diamondbacks are 0-10 since October 03, 2009 after a win in which they had fewer team-left-on-base than their opponent as a dog for a net profit of $1010 when playing against. The Diamondbacks are 0-10 since May 27, 2009 as a 140+ dog when they are off a win in which they never trailed for a net profit of $1000 when playing against. The Cardinals are 11-0 since July 17, 2009 as a 140+ favorite after a loss in which they had 6 or fewer hits for a net profit of $1100.
Pirates at Cubs – The League is 0-11 since April 12, 2010 as a 170+ dog when they are off a loss in which they had at least three times as many hits as runs and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $1100 when playing against. The Pirates are 0-9 since July 11, 2009 on the road after a one run loss for a net profit of $900 when playing against. The Cubs are 0-5 since September 16, 2009 at home when they lost the last time they faced this starting pitcher for a net profit of $850 when playing against.
Dodgers at Giants – The Dodgers are 0-5 since June 19, 2009 when Chad Billingsley starts in June for a net profit of $645 when playing against. The Giants are 9-0 since May 25, 2009 at home after a loss in which they drew 1 or fewer walks and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $965.
Blue Jays at Indians – The Blue Jays are 7-0 since September 15, 2009 as a favorite when they won the last time they faced this starting pitcher for a net profit of $700. The Blue Jays are 6-0 since June 16, 2009 on the road 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 $850.
Mets at Marlins – The Mets are 6-0 since May 25, 2010 when R.A. Dickey starts within 20 cents of pickem for a net profit of $645. The Marlins are 0-5 since August 29, 2009 when Ricky Nolasco starts after the team lost their last two games for a net profit of $755 when playing against.
Rockies at Padres – The Rockies are 11-0 since May 06, 2009 when Ubaldo Jimenez starts as a 140+ favorite vs a team that has averaged 7+ strikeouts per game for a net profit of $1100. The Rockies are 6-0 since August 12, 2009 when Ubaldo Jimenez starts as a favorite after throwing more than 100 pitches at home for a net profit of $600. The Padres are 0-7 since May 01, 2010 at home after a win in which they drew 5+ walks for a net profit of $745 when playing against.
Phillies at Reds – The Phillies are 7-0 since June 01, 2009 within 20 cents of pickem when they are off a win in which they never trailed and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $735. The Phillies are 6-0 since May 05, 2010 when Kyle Kendrick starts vs a team that has averaged 7+ strikeouts per game for a net profit of $620. The Reds are 8-0 since September 12, 2009 when Johnny Cueto starts after a quality start for a net profit of $910.
White Sox at Royals – The White Sox are 7-0 since April 29, 2010 on the road after allowing 6+ runs loss for a net profit of $875. The White Sox are 6-0 since June 27, 2009 when Mark Buehrle starts as a favorite after a quality start and they won in his previous start for a net profit of $600. The Royals are 9-0 since April 13, 2009 at home when they are off a win in which they came back from a deficit and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $1000.
Tigers at Twins – The Tigers are 0-13 since April 17, 2009 as a road dog after a win and it is the first game of the series for a net profit of $1300 when playing against. The Twins are 12-0 since September 13, 2009 as a favorite when they blew a lead in their starter's last start and lost for a net profit of $1200.