Saturday Interleague Afternoon
By Josh Jacobs
It’s Memorial Day weekend. Time to start that BBQ, marinate the meats and get that remote ready because the rush of games is heading your way.
As for baseball, three afternoon interleague contests will get the action started on Saturday. Two of the three clashes will fit under the category of rivalry weekend. Instead of harping on the minor details of these betting opportunities let’s get right down to the action.
Kansas City at St. Louis – 1:10 p.m. EST
The Royals haven’t been a success story since winning the World Series in 1985. They’ve had a total of six winning seasons since then but with not one postseason appearance. It’s 99-112 career record in interleague play isn’t a far depiction of the overall trouble this club has experienced in recent history. But things look to be just a bit brighter this season despite a recent 3-7 slide in the last 10.
The attention will shift to St. Louis, a place that the Royals have actually been a solid bet. In the last 10 games, Kansas City has recorded seven wins. Three straight road wins to begin interleague play last year against the Cardinals had defense taking top priority.
That leads us to the Royals sending out Luke Hochevar (0-1, 16.88 ERA) to begin Game 2. In 2007, the right-hander spent 129 innings on the mound as a starter, getting touched for 84 runs in 22 games. His 5.51 ERA on a 6-12 record was tolerated given his lack of experience in the big leagues. In his first starts this season, Hochevar was torched for eight earned runs in Oakland. Versus Baltimore (not the most offensive savvy club in the league) on May 17, the six-foot-five slinger went only 3.1 innings after getting canned in the third, giving up three earned runs. In both outings, Hochevar has gone a combined 5.1 innings, throwing 118 pitches.
The Cards haven’t gotten off to a hot start from the plate. As a team, St. Louis is only spotting the ball for a .257 BA (NL batting average is at .258), and the month of May has seen a sharp decline in production. This month alone has bear witness to the Cardinals whiffing for a .220 BA.
The good news from an offensive standpoint is that the Redbirds have garnered success off conventional, right-handed pitching. In the 959 at bats versus righties, the lineup has produced a .272 BA accompanied by an NL second best, .452 slugging percentage.
Center fielder, Rick Ankiel has been hot in the last seven days (despite a 3-3 record) as his .375 BA with six RBIs stands testament to.
St. Louis has Kyle Lohse (3-3, 4.66) taking his turn in the rotation after coming off an ineffective, four inning outing versus Milwaukee on Monday. On 89 pitches, Lohse coughed up four runs on four hits as the Brewers rolled to an 8-4 win. Let’s be straight forward by saying the eight-year veteran has been down right horrible in the month of May. Lohse has now been clocked at giving up a total of 17 runs in his last 14.1 innings of work!
In regards to this matchup, Lohse has been involved in an extensive 18 starts versus Kansas City in his career. A 5-5 record in those starts has given way to a mortal 4.26 ERA, a 1.52 WHIP and 5.8 strikeouts per nine (1.73 strike to ball ratio).
Giving credit to the defense aforementioned at the top of this preview, the ‘under’ is 6-3 in the last nine head-to-head meetings. And thanks to the Cards lackluster offense this season, the ‘under’ is 7-2 in their last nine overall games. K.C. enters the weekend with a smoking 11-3 record in the last 14 interleague contests.
Philadelphia at N.Y. Yankees – 4:10 p.m. EST
Depending on what region your from and the team(s) you root for, this pairing of clubs can be considered the marquee matchup of the weekend. Having last met in 2006 (Yanks went 2-1 in that series), the Yankees own a 7-3 edge versus the Phillies dating back to Game 3 in 1999.
Despite a bullpen still tossing up grapefruits, New York has been on fire. This is a club that taken nine of the last 10, scoring 6.6 runs per game (outscoring opponents 59-29 during the stretch), batting around the lineup for a .281 BA in the last seven days and pounding away for 113 RBIs at home this season (wind or calm conditions).
That bullpen mentioned briefly is a source of trouble. While the Yankees’ batting order has been able to crank in runs on a consistent basis, the relief core is currently ranked at the bottom of the league. This is a group of arms producing an unsightly, 5.21 ERA on the year. Just two pitchers logging in double-digit innings on the mound have gone on to rack up an ERA at 3.00 or below (closer Mariano Rivera and reliever Alfredo Aceves). There’s no doubt that this group has been overworked as it ranks ninth overall with 134.2 innings logged in. Speaking of Marino Rivera, giving up five homers on the season ties his season high since being converted to the closing spot.
Pitching hasn’t been Philadelphia’s strong suit as well. A 5.33 ERA on the season, .288 BAA and a 5.01 ERA in May are just the tip of this problematic ice burg. But its been quite a different story at the plate.
The Phillies aren’t 22-14-3 on the ‘over’ just because of their pitching problems. This is a team shelling the ball for an NL leading, 56 home runs. On the road, a .280 BA has led to scoring 6.6 runs per game. That in turn has given totals backers reason to celebrate. The ‘over’ is a blistering 14-4-1 on the road this season and 5-2 in the last seven games away from home.
The pitching matchup will have the Yanks’ Andy Pettitte (4-1, 4.18) facing off against Philly’s J.A. Happ (2-0, 2.49). The best part about this matchup is the lefty angle both slingers will bring to this afternoon contest.
The edge goes to New York in the matchup despite Happ surrendering not one run in six relief appearances. The Phillies decided enough was enough with Chan Ho Park in the rotation and thus Happ now finds himself in final fifth starting spot.
And getting back to that edge, the Yanks have crushed southpaw pitchers. A .307 BA and .527 slugging percentage are accompanied by a fourth best, 17 long balls. So when books opened this contest with a run total of 11, why should we even be remotely surprised?
The ‘over’ is 9-3 in the Phillies’ last 12 games as an underdog. Sportsbetting.com has placed New York as the $1.65 home favorite in Game 2.
The Yankees own the best record in interleague play at 123-87, just two games above Oakland whose 123-89.
Texas Tangle
-- Bodog.com has opened the books by installing the Rangers as a $1.25 visiting favorite. A total of 10 runs has been placed up on the board.
-- Texas is coming off a three straight defeats in Detroit for which the club was outscored 13-6. Being installed as a $1.22 visiting favorite in Game 1 of that series, books decided to curb the enthusiasm, setting the Rangers as $1.58 ‘dogs in Game 2 and $1.28 underdogs in the third and final game off the series.
-- What has been consistent is the ‘under’ cashing in on five straight (ranging from 8 ½ to 10 ½-run totals. The ‘under’ in the last 12 games has been on fire at a current, 10-2 ride.
-- The Rangers plan to send in starting pitcher Scott Feldman (2-0, 4.04). Feldman has three quality starts in five outings. His last three starts have witnessed no more then two earned runs surrendered. And something else to watch out for; Feldman’s five starts this season have all been ‘under’ plays.
-- The Astros are -1.97 units despite pulling off a 6-4 performance in the last 10. The club has been consistent in terms of ranking at the bottom of the league in both offense and defense. Houston is batting .266 and bringing in only 4.38 runs per game while the pitching staff has been pounded for a 4.66 ERA.
-- Right-handed starter Brian Moehler (1-2, 7.71) has his scheduled start on Saturday. What’s disturbing about his starts (much like the rest of his teammates in the rotation) is righty bats pegging Moehler for a .500 BA and an OPS of 1.27. And an 0-1 record with an 8.31 ERA in two home starts this season should be a red flag when wagering on this contest.
-- Despite the pitching deficiencies in Houston, the ‘Stros are 4-2 on the ‘under’ in their last six. What could be more convincing for that totals wager is the ‘under’ at 19-7 in the Rangers’ last 26 overall, the ‘under’ at 7-1-1 in Houston’s last nine interleague games and the ‘under’ at 7-2-1 in the last 10 head-to-head games.
vegasinsider.com
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
INTERLEAGUE
Philadelphia (23-17) at N.Y. Yankees (24-18)
The surging Yankees send Andy Pettitte (4-1, 4.18 ERA) to the mound as they continue a weekend interleague series against the Phillies, who will counter with young lefty J.A. Happ (2-0, 2.49 ERA), who is slated to make his first start of the season.
Philadelphia ended New York’s nine-game winning streak with a 7-3 victory Friday night. Nonetheless, the Yankees are 7-1 in their last eight inside the new Yankee Stadium. The Yankees, who were mired in funks of 2-7 overall and 0-5 at home prior to their recent run, have cashed in eight of nine games as a favorite. They’re also on positive rolls of 37-19 at home, 54-21 when hosting N.L. opponents, 10-4 against lefty starters, 54-21 at home versus left-handers and 20-8 in the second game of a series.
Philadelphia is 7-1 on its current 10-game road swing and it is a major league-best 15-5 on the highway this season, having scored 57 runs during its current trip. The defending champs are on additional streaks of 24-9 on the road dating to 2008, 19-7 against left-handed starters, 6-1 on the road against southpaws, 5-1 against the A.L. East, 8-3 as a road ‘dog and 39-16 against teams with a winning record, but they have dropped 18 of their last 26 interleague road contests.
These teams last met in 2006, with the Yankees taking two of three in Philadelphia, and New York has won four of the last six clashes overall, all in Philly.
Happ has made 12 relief appearances this season, giving up six earned runs and 14 hits in 21 2/3 innings, including allowing just one run in 10 1/3 innings on the road, where he’s 1-0 with a 0.87 ERA. Last year, Happ started four games and went 1-0 with a 2.35 ERA in those contests, with Philadelphia winning all four games.
Pettitte is coming off a shaky outing against the Twins in which the veteran gave up four runs on 12 hits in 6 2/3 innings, but held on for a 7-6 victory. New York is 7-2 in Pettitte’s last nine starts overall, 71-33 in his last 104 in the Bronx and 15-5 in his last 20 against N.L. East foes. This season, Pettitte is 2-0 at home despite a 5.68 ERA. He’s also 2-2 with a 3.38 ERA in six career regular-season starts against the Phillies, with New York going 4-2 (2-0 at home).
The under is 4-0 in Happ’s last four starts, 37-17-1 in Pettitte’s last 55 outings overall and 9-1-1 in Pettitte’s last 11 interleague contests.
Philadelphia carries “over” streaks of 6-3-1 overall, 14-5-1 on the highway, 9-4 as an underdog, 6-3 in interleague road games, 6-1 on Saturday, 4-1 versus lefty starters and 12-6-1 against winning teams. The over is also 10-4-2 in New York’s last 16 at the new stadium (4-1 last five) and 4-0-1 in its last five on Saturday, but the Yanks’ last five interleague games have stayed low. Finally, the under is 5-1 in the last six Phillies-Yankees clashes.
ATS ADVANTAGE: N.Y. YANKEES
N.Y. Mets (22-19) at Boston (25-17)
Red Sox ace Josh Beckett (4-2, 5.85) tries for his third straight win when he matches up against the Mets’ Mike Pelfrey (4-1, 4.61) in the middle game of a weekend series at Fenway Park.
Before scoring Friday’s 5-3 victory in Boston, New York had dropped four straight games while scoring a total of six runs in the process, this after tallying 24 runs during a three-game winning streak in San Francisco last weekend. The Mets, who are nearing the end of a 10-game road trip, preceded their four-game slide with an 11-2 overall run and a five-game road winning streak.
Boston has won three of its last four, allowing a total of 10 runs in that span. Additionally, Terry Francona’s pitching staff has given up three runs or fewer in five of its last six games overall and six of its last eight at home.
The Red Sox swept a three-game home series from the Mets in the most recent matchup back in 2006, with a scoring differential of 23-8. Going back to 1999, the home team is 9-3 in the last 12 head-to-head battles, with New York losing four of its last five visits to Fenway Park.
The Mets are on upticks of 6-1 in interleague roadies and 6-1 on Saturday. Meanwhile, Boston is riding positive runs of 22-11 overall, 80-34 at Fenway Park, 52-17 in interleague play, 6-1 on Saturday, 43-13 when hosting N.L. squads and 26-6 against the N.L. East.
Pelfrey has delivered three straight quality starts and has given up three earned runs or fewer in five consecutive starts. However, in his most recent outing last Sunday, he got no run support in a 2-0 loss at the Giants, allowing both runs in six innings. Prior to that setback, New York had won four straight games behind Pelfrey while tallying 26 runs.
Including Sunday’s loss at San Francisco, Pelfrey is 2-1 with a 4.96 ERA in three road starts this season, and this is his first career start against the Red Sox.
Beckett is 2-0 with a 3.79 ERA in his last three starts, all Red Sox wins, including last Saturday’s 5-3 triumph at Seattle, in which the veteran right-hander yielded all three runs (two earned) in seven innings. With Beckett pitching, the BoSox are on streaks of 5-1 overall, 4-0 on Saturday and 10-3 in interleague action. Also, Boston has won all four of Becket’s home starts this year, despite the Texan’s beefy 5.62 ERA.
Going back to his days with the Marlins, Beckett has faced New York 13 times, going 6-2 with a 2.50 ERA, including a 10-2 victory with Boston at Fenway Park back in 2006. In fact, the Mets are 1-8 the last nine times they’ve faced Beckett.
The under is on streaks of 6-1-1 for Boston overall, 6-1-1 for Boston against the National League and 9-2-2 in this periodic rivalry. However, the Mets are on “over” stretches of 9-5-1 overall, 4-1-1 on Saturday and 19-8-2 in interleague road games. Additionally, Beckett’s last four starts against the Mets have topped the total.
ATS ADVANTAGE: BOSTON
GAMETIMEPICKS.COM
Weekend Cheat Sheet
By Marc Lawrence
MLB begins its 13th year of interleague this weekend and with it we’ve dusted off the record books. It’s a time of the season teams from the American League look forward to as evidenced by the Junior Circuit’s dominating 702-571 record against the Senior Circuit the last five years.
In this week’s edition of the MLB Cheat Sheet, a guide designed to help you isolate a few key best bets, we focus on two rivalry series on this weekend’s Interleague card. In addition, we’ve dug up the records of the best and worst performers in the history of interleague play. Keep in mind that all pitcher records are team starts unless noted otherwise.
Cleveland Indians at Cincinnati Reds
Most Recent Series Result: Reds 6-1 last seven games vs. Indians
Most Recent Series Result: at the Site: Reds 4-0 last four home games vs. Indians
Key Day/Month Stat: Reds 1-6 on Saturdays
Best Arm in the Series: Reds’ Cueto 2-0 2.19 ERA lifetime vs. Indians
Worst Arm in the Series: Indians’ Pavano 0-2 13.10 ERA lifetime vs. Reds
Tampa Bay Rays at Florida Marlins
Most Recent Series Result: Rays 7-1 last eight games vs. Marlins
Most Recent Series Result at the Site: Rays 5-0 last five away games vs. Marlins
Key Day/Month Stat: Rays 1-5 away on Saturdays
Best Arm in the Series: Rays’ Sonnanstine 3-0 3.64 ERA lifetime vs. Marlins
Worst Arm in the Series: Rays’ Kazmir 0-1 10.80 ERA away lifetime vs. Marlins
Best All-Time Interleague teams
1. New York Yankees 123-87 .586
2. Oakland Athletics 123-89 .580
3. Minnesota Twins 120-90 .571
4. Boston Red Sox 116-95 .550
5. Chicago White Sox 116-95 .550
Worst All-Time Interleague teams
1. Pittsburgh Pirates 63-103 .380
2. Baltimore Orioles 90-121 .427
3. San Diego Padres 83-111 .428
4. Tampa Bay Rays 86-110 .439
5. Cincinnati Reds 77-95 .448
Best All-Time Hitters
1. Albert Pujols • Cardinals .350
2. Magglio Ordonez • White Sox .340
3. Derek Jeter • Yankees .335
4. Hideki Matsui • Yankees .333
5. Ichiro Suzuki • Mariners .331
Best All-Time Pitchers ERA’s
1. Johan Santana • Mets 2.49
2. John Lackey • Angels 2.52
3. Dan Haren • Diamondbacks 2.68
4. Roy Halladay • Blue Jays 3.12
5. Aaron Harang • Reds 3.12
Baseball Today
SCOREBOARD
Saturday, May 23
L.A. Angels at L.A. Dodgers (10:10 p.m. EDT). The Angels' John Lackey, making his third start of the season, faces the freeway rival Dodgers, who have baseball's best record (29-13).
STARS
Friday
-Michael Cuddyer, Twins, hit for the cycle and matched his career high with five RBIs as Minnesota defeated Milwaukee 11-3.
-Kenshin Kawakami, Braves, outlasted Roy Halladay, allowing three hits in eight innings to lead Atlanta to a 1-0 win over Toronto.
-Nelson Cruz, Rangers, homered with one out in the 10th inning to lift Texas to a 6-5 win over Houston.
-Chris Young, Diamondbacks, homered for the first time in more than a month, and Arizona beat Oakland 2-1.
-Danys Baez, Orioles. The veteran reliever got his first major league hit in the 12th inning to spark a two-run rally, and Baltimore beat Washington 4-2 to end a four-game losing streak.
-Gavin Floyd, White Sox, allowed two hits over eight innings and Chicago beat Pittsburgh 2-0.
-Jake Peavy, Padres, struck out 10 a day after vetoing a trade to the White Sox, and San Diego beat the Chicago Cubs 4-0 to extend its winning streak to a season-high seven games.
-Chone Figgins, Angels, hit a tiebreaking two-run single in the eighth inning and saved two runs with a sparkling play at third base, leading Los Angeles to a 3-1 victory over the rival Dodgers in their first interleague meeting this season.
BACK IN SEATTLE
San Francisco's Randy Johnson made what was probably his last start in Seattle, where he played from 1989-98, and lost out on a chance for win No. 299 when he was lifted with one out in the sixth inning of the Giants' 2-1 loss. When he left one batter after giving up the tying run, Johnson stopped just before the foul line near third base, took off his cap and waved it as he turned to every corner of the stadium. As the crowd of 38,520 roared, Johnson pointed his cap specifically toward the sky box of longtime Mariners president Chuck Armstrong. Johnson walked three and threw 115 pitches, his most since a season-high 116 on Aug. 22 against Florida.
CYCLE
Michael Cuddyer hit for the cycle as Minnesota beat Milwaukee 11-3. Cuddyer hit a three-run homer in the first inning, doubled in the third and singled in the fourth before completing the cycle by tripling on a broken-bat liner into the left-field corner in the sixth. He became the 10th player in team history to hit for the cycle and needed only four plate appearances to do it. Cuddyer joined teammate Jason Kubel in hitting for the cycle this season. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Minnesota duo is only the second to accomplish it in the last decade.
HOMER HEAVEN
The seven homers in the Phillies' 7-3 win over New York raised the Yankee Stadium total to 82, a record for the first 21 games at a major league park, according to the Elias Sports Bureau and five more than were hit at Houston's Enron Field in 2000. There already have been nine games of five or more homers and three of seven or more. Fifty-one of the homers have gone to right field.
SLIPPERY FOR SANTANA
The Mets made three more errors behind Johan Santana in a 5-3 win over Boston, bringing their total to 12 in his nine starts. They've made 35 all season.
SENT DOWN
Marlins opening-day starter Ricky Nolasco (2-5) was optioned to Triple-A New Orleans after he gave up eight runs in the first two innings of a 15-2 loss to Tampa Bay. Nolasco has an ERA of 9.07.
TIMELY
The Yankees have played four straight games in 2 hours, 49 minutes or less for the first time since May 11-16, 2007.
PITCH CAN HIT
Andy Sonnanstine came into the Rays' 15-2 win over Florida with the highest lifetime average of any pitcher with at least 10 at-bats. He went 1 for 4 with a walk, scored twice and is now batting .333 (6 for 18).
SLUMPING
With a 5-0 loss to St. Louis, the Royals have lost 10 of 13 and dropped to .500 (21-21) for the first time since they were 10-10 on April 28.
SPEAKING
"I kind of said it would nice to do, first time at Yankee Stadium, my first swing, you know, be a home run. I prayed on it. Prayers get answered. It would have been nice had I did it at the old Yankee Stadium, but unfortunately I didn't have the opportunity to play there.'' - Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins on envisioning hitting his 29th leadoff homer, which he did in a 7-3 victory over New York.
Streaking and Slumping Pitchers
By Covers.com
Streaking
Scott Feldman (Texas Rangers)
Vicente Padilla is the latest starting pitcher from the Texas Rangers to go on the disabled list. Overcoming those injuries has been made easier with Scott Feldman leaving the bullpen and Frank Francisco leading it.
With Francisco back closing games, Feldman looks to continue his success since joining the rotation as the Rangers play the middle game of their interleague series with the Houston Astros on Saturday.
Former No. 1 overall draft pick Kris Benson (elbow) was placed on the DL on April 22 and activated May 6, only to be relegated to the bullpen with Feldman (2-0, 4.04 ERA) pitching so well in his place. Feldman is 2-0 with a 2.17 ERA in five outings after beginning the season as a reliever.
The right-hander gave up four hits in six innings Sunday in a 3-0 win over the Los Angeles Angels.
Feldman has no record in five appearances - one start - against the Astros, posting a 5.79 ERA.
Michael Pelfrey (New York Mets)
The Mets will turn to Mike Pelfrey (4-1, 4.61), who is looking to rebound from his first loss of the season.
The right-hander allowed two runs and six hits in six innings, but committed three balks that led to both scores while the offense managed just five hits in a 2-0 loss at San Francisco on Sunday. The defeat halted his winning streak at four consecutive decisions over six starts, during which he posted a 4.89 ERA.
"It seemed like I almost had the yips," Pelfrey said of his balks. "It was like I was fighting myself to come set because my mind kept telling me to pick the guy off. I went back and watched replays and I balked."
Pelfrey, who has never faced Boston, has won his only two interleague starts with both coming on the road, but he's given up 10 runs and 16 hits in 11 innings in those contests.
Slumping
Kyle Lohse (St. Louis Cardinals)
Dominant pitching over the last four games has resulted in wins each time for the St. Louis Cardinals. Kyle Lohse would like to rediscover his early season dominance.
Lohse will try again to record his first May win as the Cardinals and Kansas City Royals continue their I-70 interleague series Saturday.
Todd Wellemeyer and three relievers combined on a five-hitter as St. Louis won 5-0 on Friday. Including a three-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs earlier this week, Cardinals hurlers have a 0.50 ERA, allowing two runs and 19 hits with 27 strikeouts and seven walks.
"I want to get on that thing and keep riding it as long as we can," Wellemeyer said. "I don't think it's contagious. Maybe it is, I don't know. We'll keep the ball rolling, though."
Lohse certainly would like to. A surprise 15-game winner last year, he was 3-0 with a 1.97 ERA in five April starts, but three consecutive losses this month have contributed to his ERA going up by nearly three runs. Facing Milwaukee on Sunday on two days' rest after briefly pitching in a game that was rained out, the right-hander gave up four runs and walked three in three innings of an 8-4 loss.
"Everything was up," said Lohse (3-3, 4.66 ERA), who labored through 89 pitches. "About eight at-bats went six pitches or more and anytime you have that, you're working really hard and they're seeing everything you've got."
Lohse, who played the first six years of his career with Minnesota, is 0-3 with a 4.17 ERA in seven starts against the Royals since beating them July 7, 2004.
Armando Galarraga (Detroit Tigers)
The Detroit Tigers have managed just fine with Magglio Ordonez away from the team to deal with a family matter. With Armando Galarraga set to take the mound, though, they might want to have one of their best hitters penciled in.
Galarraga is 0-3 with a 10.90 ERA in his last four starts. On Sunday, the right-hander retired only two batters, allowing five runs and four hits while walking three before Detroit came back to beat Oakland 11-7.
"I won't say that it isn't a concern, but Armando is a fine major league pitcher," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "I wish I knew what was wrong, but he'll be fine."
This will be Galarraga's first appearance against the Rockies (16-25).
Debuting
Casey Janssen (Toronto Blue Jays)
Losers of a season-high four straight, the Blue Jays will start Casey Janssen in his first major league appearance since 2007 on Saturday night when they continue a three-game series against the Atlanta Braves.
The Blue Jays hope for better luck in Janssen's season debut. After missing all of last season while recovering from right shoulder surgery, the right-hander compiled a 0.76 ERA in five minor league starts between Class-A Dunedin and Double-A New Hampshire before he was recalled Friday.
Janssen last appeared for the Blue Jays in 2007, going 2-3 with a 2.35 ERA in 70 appearances while serving as the team's setup man. He was 6-10 with a 5.22 ERA in 17 starts as a rookie in 2006.
Janssen, who has never faced the Braves, is 1-2 with a 7.20 ERA in three interleague starts.
Interleague Research
By Indiancowboy
Kansas City vs. St. Louis
St. Louis wins 5-0 over the Royals as they defeated Davies and Wellermeyer pitches a sound game and bounces back well. Hochevar only lasted 3 innings in his last start and he is struggling this season. He looks it to get it together on the road against a solid Cards team. What's dissappointing is that Hochevar dominated the minors with a 5-0 and a 0.9era and he is struggling in the majors currently. Lohse struggled in his last outing but that was only b/c he was not pitching with appropriate rest. I expect him to bounce-back today but don't want to go against KC off a loss, Hochevar looking to finally get it back on track and I have a feeling he will have a better start today, nor do I want to lay the RL due to the juice being so high.
Texas vs. Houston
Texas pulled through 6-5 yesterday but that's a bit scary considering they were up 5-0 late. Feldman has pitched 3 straight quality peformances including givign up 3 runs in 18 innings but despite his team winning those 3 starts, he only picked up 1 "w" in the process. Moehler has put together 3 straight quality starts as well, but his games have a tendency of tipping over and even the Rangers/Astros game yesterday closed at 11 despite it starting out as a low scoring contest. Both of these pitchers have struggled against the other team as in 5 starts Feldman has over a 5 era against Houston and Moehler has above a 4.5era against Texas - granted, Feldman is pitching lights out right now. Not a bad price on Texas with Feldman on the mound today, but just staying away.
Philadelphia vs. NYY Yankees
Well Happ got what he wanted. He went down to Chan Ho in the competition for the starting spot but since Chan Ho has over a 7 era, this brings ol' boy to have a shot at a starting position. What's standing away is the Yankees in New York. But, this kid has great stuff and I expect him to do well. In fact, there is good value on Happ today; the only thing is Pettitte comes off a non-quality start of sorts and you never know with these two teams how it will shape up - even the total. To be frank, this game can go either way and the total is high for a reason imo as I would not be surprised if it indeed goes over the 11 mark. But, too rich for my blood all the way around in this game.
Tampa Bay vs. Florida
After TB won 13-2, one has to think Florida shows up with some heart today. Niemann is 4-1-1 over his last 6 starts and he pitched great against Oakland giving up just 3 runs in 8 innings. He looks to continue to bring down his era which stands at 4.97. West makes his debut after the Marlins took a spanking yesterday and the young man had a 4-2 record with a 4.85 era in the minors. Although no total is out, a small lean on the over here as West was not dominating in the minors and I don't just expect him to come out and be dominating against the Rays - I expect him to get hit in the second part of the rotation through and I also expect the Marlins to bounce-back while Niemann has a let down start.
Baltimore vs. Washington
We were right in the fact that the low line for Washington being favored was an indicator that they were likely to get a quality start from their pitcher who was struggling. Consequently the game went under despite going into extras. Nevertheless, the Os still had the edge with the better overall offense and pulled out the win. Baltimore is 0-6 in Uehara's last 6 starts, but sadly enough, Uehara has had 5 quality starts in that stretch. The O's simply can't score enough runs for him to pick up the win. The Nats are giving Detwiler another start after a strong performance against the Pirates - the question remains will the kid take advantage of the opportunity. A small lean on the Under here.