Monday's Tip Sheet
By Brian Edwards
Gamblers have a stacked MLB card Monday with each game being played under the lights. The Cubs have come out hot after the All-Star break, but they’ll face an equally hot squad in the City of Brotherly Love. The Dodgers maintain a 7 ½-game advantage in the NL West as they get set to host the Reds in a three-game set.
In the AL, Boston’s John Smoltz will take aim at Texas in search of his second win of the season. With the Red Sox slumping, the Yankees might be able to pull into a first-place tie in the AL East if they can beat Baltimore and Texas can knock off Terry Francona’s squad.
**Cubs at Phillies**
--Philadelphia (51-38, +678) is beginning to create some distance between itself and the rest of the pack in the National League East. The Phillies won their eighth straight game when they knocked off Florida 5-0 Sunday in South Florida. Since getting swept at Atlanta June 30-July 2, Charlie Manuel’s team has won 12 of 13 games.
--Chicago (47-43, -531) got off to the start it wanted after the All-Star break, sweeping four games from the Nationals in Washington. The Cubs pounded the Nats by an 11-3 count Sunday, easily cashing tickets as inexpensive minus-118 favorites. The victory pulled them to within two games of the Cardinals for the lead in the NL Central.
--Ted Lilly (9-6, 3.18 ERA) will toe the slab for the Cubs, who are 20-25 on the road. Lilly has a 1-3 record and 4.88 ERA in four career starts against the Phillies. The veteran southpaw is 2-1 with a 2.11 ERA in his last three outings. For the season, Lilly hasn’t been as effective on the road, posting a 3-5 record and 4.66 ERA in nine starts.
--Philadelphia RHP Rodrigo Lopez (1-0, 3.18) will get the starting nod before most likely going to the bullpen or back to the minors when Pedro Martinez is activated. Lopez has been solid in a pair of starts in his first big-league action since 2007. The Phillies have prevailed in both of his previous outings.
--Philadelphia owns lefties this year, compiling a 21-11 record versus southpaws.
--After sweeping the Marlins, the Phillies now own a seven-game lead over the second-place club in the NL East.
--The ‘under’ has been a steady money maker for the Cubs, cashing at a 49-38 overall clip and a 25-17 pace in their road games.
--The ‘under’ is 44-40 overall for the Phillies, 26-17 in their home games. The ‘under’ is on a 10-4 run in Philadelphia’s last 14 outings.
--ESPN will provide television coverage at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.
**Red Sox at Rangers**
--Boston couldn’t handle Toronto’s Roy Halladay on Sunday, dropping a 3-1 decision to the Blue Jays. The Red Sox are just one game ahead of the Yankees for the AL East.
--Boston RHP John Smoltz (1-2, 5.40) will make his fifth start for his new team in this spot. He’ll oppose his old teammate with the Braves in Texas RHP Kevin Millwood.
--Smoltz has only pitched four career innings against Texas, holding the Rangers scoreless while scattering two hits and fanning six batters. The future Hall of Famer, who is the only pitcher in MLB history with at least 200 wins and 150 saves, is off his best outing of the year. Smoltz gave up just one earned run in five innings and he fanned seven batters en route to his first win with the Red Sox.
--Millwood (8-7, 3.46) is enjoying one of his best seasons in years, but he has been shelled his last several times out. The veteran right-hander is 0-2 with an 8.83 ERA in his last three starts. Millwood is 5-4 with a 4.07 lifetime ERA against Boston. He worked seven scoreless innings for a victory against the Red Sox earlier this season.
--Boston slugger David Ortiz is 8-for-22 (.364) against Millwood with three homers. Jason Varitek is 11-for-27 (.407) off the right-hander with four doubles, while Kevin Youklis is 6-for-12 (.500) against Millwood with one double.
--Boston is 24-22 in its road games, while Texas took a 28-19 home ledger into Sunday's series finale vs. Minnesota.
--The ‘under’ is an MLB-best 54-33 overall for the Rangers, 29-16 in their home games.
--The ‘under’ is 47-36 overall for the Red Sox, 22-20 in their road assignments.
**Reds at Dodgers**
--Most books are listing Los Angeles (58-34, +1830) as a minus-160 ‘chalk’ with a total of nine ‘over’ (minus-115).
--Joe Torre’s team kept a 7 ½-game lead over second-place San Francisco in the NL West by virtue of Sunday’s 4-3 home win over Houston. Matt Kemp hit the go-ahead homer to untie the game in the eighth inning. Brad Ausmus added a pair of RBI doubles for L.A. against his former team.
--Cincinnati (44-47, +28) captured a 5-3 win Sunday over Milwaukee in their series finale. Jonny Gomes slammed a two-run homer in the eighth that proved to be the game winner for the Reds.
--Micah Owings (6-9, 4.94) will take his turn in the rotation for the Reds. The right-hander is 1-1 with a 3.50 ERA in three career starts against the Dodgers.
--L.A. will counter Owings with Jason Schmidt, who will make his season debut after sitting out more than two seasons (last start: 7/16/07) with shoulder problems. The three-time All-Star has posted a 3-1 record and 3.65 ERA in eight rehab starts in the minors. Schmidt, who has only made six starts since signing a three-year $47 million deal, has a 4-2 record and 5.27 lifetime ERA against the Reds.
--Cincinnati owns a 22-25 record on the road. On the flip side, L.A. is 30-15 at home.
--The ‘over’ is 45-43 overall for the Dodgers, but they have watched the ‘under’ hit at a 24-19 clip in their home games.
--The ‘under’ is 50-37 overall for Cincinnati, 29-17 in its home outings.
**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**
--New York LHP Andy Pettitte has enjoyed success galore against Baltimore. The veteran southpaw is 25-6 with a 3.73 career ERA against the Orioles.
--Kansas City RHP Sidney Ponson owns a 7-2 record and 4.30 lifetime ERA against Monday’s opponent, the L.A. Angels.
--Atlanta RHP Tommy Hanson (4-0, 2.85) continues to live up to his considerable hype during his rookie campaign. The hard-throwing righty will face the Giants for the first time Monday night. Hanson’s counterpart in the series opener will be San Francisco LHP Jonathan Sanchez, who will take the mound for the first time since throwing a no-hitter.
--Atlanta RHP Tim Hudson threw two innings and 27 pitches in his first rehab start in Class A on Sunday. Most importantly, Hudson was pain free. The 34-year-old hurler had Tommy John Surgery on Aug. 8 of last year.
vegasinsider.com
Monday's streaking and slumping starting pitchers
By Covers.com
Streaking
Rodrigo Lopez (Philadelphia Phillies)
How long Lopez remains in the rotation may depend on two factors: When Pedro Martinez says he is ready to pitch, and how well Lopez continues to pitch.
The right-hander missed all of last season following Tommy John surgery in 2007 and began this year in the minors. But in both his starts this month, Lopez has pitched effectively, limiting baserunners and keeping the ball inside Citizens Bank Park.
Last week, the Phillies signed Martinez, who could bump Lopez from the rotation. Lopez, who left his last start with an achy shoulder, would have two or three starts before Martinez is expected to be ready.
"Whatever happens, I think it's something I can't control," Lopez told the team's website. "But trying to pitch good and being healthy, that's the thing I can control."
Sean O'Sullivan (Los Angeles Angels)
The rookie right-hander has a brief body of work since being called up from the minor leagues earlier this year. But he hasn't lost yet and neither have the Angels when he takes the mound.
The team has won all four starts made by the 21-year-old O'Sullivan, who has picked up two wins and worked at least five innings each outing. He has helped stabilize a rotation hit hard by injuries this season.
O'Sullivan has also received 28 runs of support, although, he has not needed nearly that much. He worked as a favorite for the first time in his last start.
Returning
Jason Schmidt (Los Angeles Dodgers)
There are comebacks, and then there are comebacks like the one Schmidt is making. Schmidt hasn't pitched in the majors since June 16, 2007. He has been out of baseball for so long that baseball-reference.com has a mention of his "final game" on his career stats page.
The 36-year-old right-hander was a three-time All-Star and twice finished in the top five in NL Cy Young voting in five-plus seasons in San Francisco, going 78-37. He signed with the Dodgers after the 2006 season but made just six starts before needing right shoulder surgery for a torn labrum and frayed biceps tendon.
In five starts at Triple-A Albuquerque this year, Schmidt was 2-0 with a 3.94 ERA.
"Velocity-wise, we all know he's not what he once was," Dodgers manager Joe Torre told the Los Angeles Times. "His experience in knowing how to pitch is something that he's going to have really rely on."
Slumping
Gil Meche (Kansas City Royals)
A month ago, Meche was riding a streak of 16 scoreless innings. In his next start, he was pounded for nine runs while getting just 10 outs and has been in a freefall ever since.
The Royals are 1-4 in the last five games started by Meche, who during that span has a staggering WHIP of 2.07 (31 hits, 18 walks, 23 2-3 IP).
Even more alarming is the nine homers Meche has given up in that stretch. He allowed just two in his first 14 starts.
Kyle Lohse (St. Louis Cardinals)
You can't spell Lohse without l-o-s-e.
The Cardinals are 1-6 in the last seven starts by the right-hander, who spent more than a month on the disabled list with a forearm injury before returning July 12. The lone win in that stretch was over punchless Kansas City nearly two months ago.
Lohse has also been prone to the long ball. He gave up one homer in 32 innings in April but has allowed seven in his last 29 1-3 innings. The total has gone over in five of his last six starts.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Chicago Cubs (47-43) at Philadelphia (51-38)
The surging Phillies will try to make it nine straight wins when they send Rodrigo Lopez (1-0, 3.18 ERA) to the mound at Citizen’s Bank Park to face Cubs lefty Ted Lilly (9-6, 3.18) in the opener of a three-game set.
Chicago just wrapped up a four-game sweep of the Nationals in Washington with Sunday’s 11-3 victory, outscoring the lowly Nationals 26-11 in the four games. The Cubs are on runs of 6-1 overall and 5-1 in series openers, however they are just 1-4 in their last five on the road against winning teams.
Philadelphia ran its winning streak to eight with Sunday’s 5-0 win at the Marlins. In addition to their ongoing streak, the Phillies are on a plethora of positive runs, including 12-1 overall, 5-0 at home, 6-0 against right-handed starters, 20-7 on Mondays and 35-16 against the N.L. Central. They have also taken six of the last eight meetings with the Cubs in Philadelphia.
Lilly was superb in his final two starts before the All-Star break, allowing a combined three runs over 14 1/3 innings in wins over the Brewers and Cardinals. The Cubs are 7-2 in his last nine starts overall, and he’s allowed three runs or less in eight of those nine games. He is just 3-5 with a 4.66 ERA in nine road starts and 1-3 with a 4.88 ERA in four career starts against the Phillies.
Lopez is making his third start with Philadelphia, having allowed four runs in 11 1/3 innings in home wins over the Mets (7-2) and Reds (3-2). He hasn’t faced the Cubs since 2007 when he was with Colorado and allowed eight runs on nine hits in 4 2/3 innings of an 8-5 loss.
Chicago carries “under” streaks of 7-4 overall, 21-8 on the road, 7-1 against the N.L. East, 15-7-1 in series openers and 4-1 on Mondays. For the Phillies, the “under” is on streaks of 10-4 overall, 8-3 at home, 29-12-2 against the N.L. Central, 4-1-1 in series openers and 4-1-1 as a ‘dog. Finally, the under is 8-3-1 in the last 12 meetings in this rivalry.
ATS ADVANTAGE: CHICAGO CUBS and UNDER
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Boston (55-36) at Texas (49-41)
The Red Sox send veteran right-hander John Smoltz (1-2, 5.40 ERA) to the hill at Rangers Ballpark, while Texas counters with fellow veteran righty Kevin Millwood (8-7, 3.46).
Boston dropped the final two games of a three-game set in Toronto over the weekend, including Sunday’s 3-1 loss as it was shut down by Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay. The Red Sox had won five of six going into the All-Star break, and they are on further runs of 13-6 on the road, 11-5 against winning teams, 30-14 in series openers and 5-1 on Mondays.
Texas snapped a four-game losing streak with a 5-3, 12-inning win over the Twins on Sunday with Ian Kinsler delivering two homers, including the 12-inning, two-run walk-off shot. The Rangers are 2-6 in their last eight games, have lost four of five series openers and four straight Monday contests, but they are on a 4-0 roll against the A.L. East.
The Red Sox have owned the rivalry with the Rangers, winning 16 of the last 21 overall and six of the last seven in Texas. However, last month, Texas went to Fenway Park and took two of three.
Smoltz is making just his fifth start for Boston. He looked good back on July 11 when he held the Royals to one run on four hits in five innings of a 15-9 home win, striking out seven and walking just one. It was the first time in four tries that the Red Sox won a game started by Smoltz.
Millwood has been money at home this year, going 6-1 with a 2.49 ERA at the Ballpark. However, he did get roughed up in his three starts before the break, giving up 17 runs in 17 1/3 innings as the Rangers went 1-2. On the bright side, with Millwood on the hill, Texas is on runs of 20-7 at home, 11-5 against the A.L. East, 7-1 in series openers and 4-0 at home against winning teams.
One of Millwood’s better starts this season came at Fenway Park on June 5 when he held the Red Sox to one unearned run on seven hits over seven innings of a 5-1 Texas win, improving to 5-4 with a 4.07 ERA in 13 lifetime outings against Boston.
Boston is on several “under” streaks, including 36-17-4 overall, 7-2 on the road, 5-1 on the road against right-handed starters, 10-2-1 against the A.L. West and 32-15-5 on Mondays. With Millwood pitching, Texas has stayed below the number in 20 of 28 overall, 11 of 15 at home and 10 of 15 on Mondays. As a team, the Rangers are on “under” runs of 39-15-1 overall, 23-6-1 at home, 8-1 against the A.L. East, 4-1 in series openers and 26-11-1 against right-handed starters.
Finally, the last four Texas-Boston clashes have stayed under the total.
ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER
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Baseball Today
SCOREBOARD
Monday, July 20
Cincinnati at L.A. Dodgers, (10:10 p.m. EDT). Jason Schmidt, who hasn't pitched in the majors since July 16, 2007, will be activated by Los Angeles from the 60-day DL to start against the Reds.
STARS
Sunday
-Roy Halladay, Blue Jays, pitched a six-hitter to win for the first time since June 7, leading Toronto past Boston 3-1.
-Joel Pineiro, Cardinals, pitched seven sharp innings and hit a two-run double to lead St. Louis over Arizona 2-1.
-Ian Kinsler, Rangers, hit both a leadoff and a game-winning homer in Texas' 5-3 victory against Minnesota in 12 innings.
-Ichiro Suzuki, Mariners, had three hits, scored twice and made a game-saving catch to help Seattle to a three-game sweep of Cleveland with a 5-3 win.
-Jason Marquis, Rockies, threw eight strong innings and drove in two runs to become the majors' first 12-game winner in Colorado's 6-1 victory at San Diego.
-Bobby Abreu and John Lackey, Angels. Abreu homered with one out in the 10th and broke up rookie Brett Anderson's bid for a perfect game with a seventh-inning single, and Lackey allowed three hits over nine scoreless innings in leading Los Angeles over Oakland 1-0.
-Matt Kemp, Dodgers, hit a tiebreaking homer in the eighth inning and scored four times for Los Angeles in a 4-3 win over Houston.
-Gregg Zaun, Orioles, homered and drove in four runs, helping send Baltimore to a 10-2 win over the Chicago White Sox.
SAD DAY
Sue Burns, a part owner of the San Francisco Giants who was close friends with home run king Barry Bonds, died early Sunday of complications from cancer, the team said. She was 58. Burns was diagnosed with the disease July 10 and missed Jonathan Sanchez's no-hitter for the Giants that night - a rare absence from the ballpark. "We all have heavy hearts,'' manager Bruce Bochy said. "Sue was such a beautiful lady who gave us her unwavering support all the time.''
QUICK ONE
The Angels needed 10 innings to beat the A's 1-0, but it came in a breezy 2 hours, 17 minutes, thanks to fine pitching performances by Oakland's Brett Anderson and Los Angeles ace John Lackey. Anderson allowed two hits over eight innings, taking a perfect game into the seventh, and Lackey pitched three-hit ball for nine innings.
SWAPS
The Brewers acquired second baseman Felipe Lopez from Arizona for two minor leaguers, giving Milwaukee a much-needed threat at the top of the order. Milwaukee has been without starting second baseman Rickie Weeks after he had season-ending surgery on his wrist in May. The 29-year-old Lopez was hitting .301 with six homers, 25 RBIs and six stolen bases in 85 games in his first season with the Diamondbacks. He can become a free agent after the season. ... San Diego acquired infielder Oscar Salazar from Baltimore for right-handed reliever Cla Meredith.
SWING AND A MISS
The AL-worst Indians struck out 12 times in a 5-3 loss to Seattle, putting their season total at 709. They became the third team, following Texas and Tampa Bay, to fan 700 times this season.
FANTASTIC PHILLY
Unbeaten rookie J.A. Happ allowed five hits in seven innings, and the Phillies extended their longest winning streak since 2006 to eight games by beating Florida 5-0 - their 12th victory in 13 games. Happ (7-0) also singled with two outs to start a three-run rally in the second. The Phillies have won eight in a row in Miami.
STATS
The Yankees' Mariano Rivera issued his fourth walk in 40 innings this season before finishing for his 26th save in 27 opportunities and third of the series against Detroit. ... DeWayne Wise hit his first homer since Sept. 19, 2008, for the Chicago White Sox in a 10-2 loss to Baltimore. ... The Royals stranded 13 and went 2 for 11 with runners in scoring position during a 4-3 loss to Tampa Bay. ... Adam Dunn hit his 24th homer but Washington dropped to 0-4 under new manager Jim Riggleman with an 11-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs.
STAR WATCHING
Matt Cain held the Pirates to one run over seven innings, outpitching All-Star replacement Zach Duke in San Francisco's 4-3 victory at Pittsburgh. Cain (11-3) was pitching for the first time since he was hit on the right arm by a line drive July 11, making him unavailable for the All-Star game due to a bruised elbow. Cain was replaced on the NL squad by Duke (8-9).
SIGNED
Second baseman Mark Grudzielanek agreed to a minor league deal with the Minnesota Twins, providing a possible veteran presence later in the season. Grudzielanek has played 14 major league seasons with five teams. He ended last season on the disabled list for Kansas City after hurting his ankle Aug. 1. A .290 career hitter, Grudzielanek played 1,772 games for Montreal (1995-98), the Los Angeles Dodgers (1998-2002), Chicago Cubs (2003-04), St. Louis (2005) and the Royals (2006-08). He was an All-Star in 1996 and won a Gold Glove in 2006.
BREAKING LOOSE
Alfonso Soriano's two-run homer keyed a seven-run fourth inning and the Cubs completed a four-game sweep at Washington with an 11-3 rout. Jake Fox had three hits and a career-high four RBIs. Soriano's 16th home run, his second in two games after a drought of 120 at-bats, began the biggest inning of the season for Chicago.
SPEAKING
"The only thing that was in my mind as soon as the bat made contact was to catch it. Just like a dog chasing after a Frisbee.'' - Seattle right fielder Ichiro Suzuki on his leaping catch at the fence that ended a 5-3 victory at Cleveland.
Cubs and Phillies Meet as Hot Clubs
By Doug Upstone
For many people, a trip to Washington, D.C. is a wonderful and historic adventure. The city has many great things to see and do and a short drive in several directions can further enhance the experience. For the Chicago Cubs, the four day excursion to out nation’s capitol turned out to be just the right kind of stimulus package needed to start the second half of the year.
The Cubs (47-43, -4.9 units) marched into woeful Washington and swept the Nationals in four games and have taken over second place in the NL Central, trailing St. Louis by two games, though are tied with them in the loss column. If Washington was the right team for manager Lou Pinella’s squad to play at the moment, Monday’s opponent, Philadelphia is just the exact opposite.
The Phillies (51-38, +6.5 units) are fresh off a weekend in Miami and swept their then nearest competitor in the NL East, Florida, building a 6.5 game lead in the division. The defending World Series champions are on eight-game winning streak and have been the conqueror in 12 of last 13 contests. The Phils have won every way imaginable; from a 2-0 shutout to a 22-1 blowout and Sunday’s victory improves them to incomparable 29-15 (+16.8 units) record on the road.
Philadelphia returns home to Citizens Bank Park, where they have turned around, after a half a season of dismal play. The Phils have won nine of last 10 at home to raise record to 22-23 (-10.3 units) and they are 21-8 vs. teams like Chicago whose hitters strike out seven or more times a game this year.
Rodrigo Lopez (1-0, 3.18 ERA) is the No.5 starter at present; however this job is in serious jeopardy with the signing of Pedro Martinez. Lopez will have likely a total of three starts before Martinez comes off the DL, meaning he will have to have a few inspired efforts. Lopez is pitching on 11 days rest and in his career, is 10-1 in home games when working on seven or more days rest. (Team's Record)
The Cubs will counter with their only All-Star, Ted Lilly (9-6, 3.18), who is pitching with two additional off days, since developing inflammation in his left knee. The Cubs lefthander has been extra sharp in last three outings with 2.11 ERA, striking out 20 and walking only three in 21 1/3 innings. Here is a little known fact on Lilly. In the last three years, including this season, only Roy Halladay (47) and Josh Beckett (44) have more wins than Lilly’s total of 41.
BetUS.com has established Philadelphia as a -110 money line favorite, with a total of Un9.5. The Phillies are 51-23 off a win and 22-8 UNDER with an on-base percentage of .350 or better over their last 20 games. The Cubs have played like they are in hibernation as underdogs with 2-15 mark in 2009. Chicago is 30-12 UNDER vs. an average bullpen whose ERA is 3.75 to 4.50 this season.
This is the ESPN Monday night telecast which will start at 7:05 Eastern, with Philly having taken four of the last six on home turf over the Cubs.
Texas Swoon !!
By SportsPic
Texas looks to be in its usual mid-season slump. In 2005 Rangers went from 46-40 at the break to 33-43 post All-Star. Then in 2006 much the same as the team had a 45-43 record half way only to finish 35-39. As for 2007, it was an all round disaster as Rangers managed a 38-50 mark in the first half followed by a break even 37-37 closing out. 2008 saw another washout post All-Star as the club went 50-46 prior to the break only to collapse in the second half going 29-37. Living up to their 2nd half collapses Rangers took it on the chin this past weekend losing the series to Twinkies at home. The skid could deepen with A.L. leading Red Sox in town for a three game set. Opening the series with Kevin Millwood (8-7, 3.46) puts Rangers in dangerous territory. The righty 0-2 in three July starts with a sky-high 8.83 ERA, 1.80 WHIP has a 2-4 Team Start Record vs Red Sox wearing a Ranger uniform. Make note that although Texas won 2-of-3 up in Boston back in June the Rangers remain a brutal 5-15 the past thirty meetings, 5-12 last seventeen hosting Boston.
Mets at Washington July
By SportsPic
New York Mets devastated with injuries have lost fourteen of it's last twenty on the diamond. If there were ever a chance for a mini run it should come against lowly Washington.
A managerial change did little to ignite the Nationals, interim skipper Jim Riggleman's troops lost all four encounters vs. Cubbies over the weekend giving the team a league-worst 26-65 mark on the season costing backers a whopping -$3509 at the betting window.
The first for the interim manager may be delayed another day, Mets are 7-2 vs. Nats including 2-0 w/Hernandez who is now 10-5 life-time vs Washington with his teams (Mets, Col, Min, Arz) reeling off seven straight victories.
Then again, banged-up Mets managing just 2.9 runs/game in July are 1-6 their last six on the highway, 1-8 of late vs. division rivals, 0-4 opening a series. And keep in mind, Livan is back to his terrible ways getting spanked for 15 runs the past two trips to the mound bringing his July TSR to 3-8 since departing the Nationals back in 2006.
Cubs face red hot Phillies
By Brobury Sports
Two teams with the biggest winning steaks in baseball meet Monday night in Philadelphia as the Phillies host the Cubs.
Chicago Cubs at Philadelphia Phillies
This game is the featured Monday Night Baseball telecast on ESPN. First pitch is at 7:05 pm ET and it promises to be a good one.
There are two words that quickly come to mind when it comes to Philly, red-hot. The Phils (51-38) have won eight straight and 12 out of their last 13. Their latest victim was the Florida Marlins, who got swept at home, and now Philly has a 6.5 game lead in the overrated NL East.
Chicago (47-43) is 4-0 since the All-Star break for the second longest current streak. However, the wins all came at the hands of the Washington Nationals, the only AAA quality team currently playing in the majors.
Still, Cubbies’ fans will take wins any way they can get them and their happy to be just two games back in the NL Central behind St. Louis.
Fans interested in the Total tonight (set at 9.5 currently at Brobury) will take note that the Under is 21-7 in the last 28 Cubs road games. Under has also gone 8-3-1 in the last 12 meetings between these squads.
The Under could suffer tonight though as Philadelphia is the top run producer in the NL and the Cubs are facing a pitcher making just his third appearance this season.
Also note that Chicago is 1-8 in their last nine games as a road underdog, so beating good teams on the road is an area they’ve really struggled in.
Ted Lilly (9-6, 3.18 ERA) vs. Rodrigo Lopez (1-0, 3.18 ERA)
The Cubs’ Lilly was pushed back from Saturday with knee inflammation and he last pitched on July 11th versus St. Louis. Lilly has pitched great in seven of his last eight starts with just one bad one against Detroit, but we have to see how the knee responds.
Lopez was nearly left for dead after missing all of 2008 with Tommy John surgery and starting this season in AAA. However, he has pitched solidly in two home starts since being called up and is a veteran presence at 33 as he makes a stab for the fifth spot in the rotation.
Bettors like the Cubs
By SBGGlobal.com
Chicago Cubs (47-43) at Philadelphia Phillies (51-38)
SBG Global Opening Line: Phillies - 110, Total 9.5 Under - 115
The red-hot Philadelphia Phillies will look to win their ninth in a row on Monday as they host the Chicago Cubs in an ESPN televised game. The Phillies won their last five before the All-Star break and they swept the Florida Marlins over the weekend. The eight-game winning streak is the Phillies longest since 2006.
SBG Global reports that early MLB Betting has the public taking the Cubs on the Road.
Jimmy Rollins has been one of the reasons for the winning streak. He is hitting .397 with eight doubles, a homer and eight RBIs in his last 14 games. "When he gets on base, he makes things happen and it's definitely a different offense," Phillies left fielder Raul Ibanez said. "He's such an electric player."
The Cubs come into Monday’s game also playing well, having won four straight. They just swept the Nationals. "We'll go into Philly with some momentum, playing better on the road," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said "They're hot as heck, so we'll see."
The Cubs send All-Star Ted Lilly to the mound on Monday. He is 9-6 on the season with a 3.18 ERA. His start was pushed back two days because of inflammation in his left knee. "I was feeling OK," Lilly said, "Hopefully with the rest, it'll give me a chance to feel better." Lilly has won his last two starts allowing just three runs and 13 hits. He has lost his last three starts against the Phillies with a 6.75 ERA.
The Phillies send Rodrigo Lopez to the mound on Monday. He is 1-0 with a 3.18 ERA this season.
Last year the Phillies were 4-3 against the Cubs. Here are more MLB Betting stats for Monday’s game. The Cubs are 4-0 in their last four vs. the National League East. The Cubs are 4-0 in their last four road games vs. a right-handed starter. The Cubs are 17-4 in their last 21 games as a favorite. The Cubs are 2-6 in the last eight meetings in Philadelphia.
SBG Global Current Line: Phillies - 115, Total 9.5 Flat
The Phillies are 6-0 in their last six games vs. a right-handed starter. The Phillies are 5-0 in their last five games as a home favorite. The Phillies are 35-16 in their last 51 vs. the National League Central.
The Under is 7-2 in the Cubs last nine vs. the National League East. The Under is 8-3 in the Phillies last 11 games as a home favorite. The Under is 10-4 in the Phillies last 14 overall. The Under is 8-3-1 in the last 12 meetings between the two teams.