Saturday's Fox Tip Sheet
By Kevin Rogers
Saturday’s nationally televised tripleheader on Fox is highlighted by intriguing pitching matchups, including a contest at the defending American League Champion's house, when the Twins battle the Rays.
Let’s take a closer look at the trio.
Minnesota at Tampa Bay -- 4:10 pm EDT
Two of the American League's hyped young southpaws take the hill at Tropicana Field, as the Rays entertain the Twins. Former top pick David Price makes his second start of the season, after lasting just shy of four innings in Monday's loss at Cleveland. But, no one can blame the former Vanderbilt star, as the Rays blew a 10-4 lead in the ninth inning, only to fall to the Indians, 11-10. Price did strike out six, but also walked five, and tossed 100 pitches.
Francisco Liriano hasn't lived up to the status of 2006, in which the lefty went 12-3, with an ERA of 2.16. Liriano's arm problems kept him out of the 2007 season, and after making 14 starts last season, Liriano has struggled to a 2-6 start in '09. The Twins have hit the 'under' in 14 of Liriano's 21 career road starts, and are 3-9 in Liriano's last 12 starts away from the Metrodome.
The Rays have had problems against southpaw pitching, going 6-13 against left-handed starters, with a 2-5 mark at home.
L.A. Dodgers at Chicago -- 4:10 pm EDT
The Dodgers look to stay hot, playing the third game of a four-game set at Wrigley Field. Ryan Dempster is normally money when he pitches at the Friendly Confines, with the Cubs winning 19 of his last 25 starts at home. Dempster is 2-0 on the North Side this season, but his ERA is a scary 5.25. Dempster has received 7.5 runs a game in four home outings, including 19 in the last two against Pittsburgh and San Diego.
Dodgers southpaw Eric Stults has been well taken care of by his offense, with L.A. plating a shade over eight runs a contest in his eight starts, while the Dodgers have won seven times. Stults' road numbers aren't spectacular by any means, owning an ERA of 6.45 and WHIP of 1.97, while throwing at least 100 pitches just once.
Atlanta at Arizona -- 4:10 pm EDT
Two reliable veterans take the mound at Chase Field, as Javier Vazquez and Doug Davis both look for bounce-back efforts. Vazquez was knocked around in Monday's loss at San Francisco, allowing eight hits and five earned runs in 5.2 innings pitched. Monday's effort was by far the worst road start Vazquez has made this season, as his road numbers are still respectable, holding a 3-1 mark with an ERA of 3.16.
Vazquez and Davis each received no-decisions when these two teams met up two weeks ago in Atlanta, with the Braves pulling out a 4-3 win. Vazquez was in line for the win until Arizona scored one in the ninth to tie the game, before the Braves won it with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth. Davis was in line for the victory in his last outing against San Diego, with Arizona squandering a 7-0 lead only to lose 9-7 in extra-innings. Davis' luck has not been there this season, despite an ERA of 3.77.
The Diamondbacks are 2-8 in Davis' ten starts, with Arizona averaging 3.5 runs a game. Davis is never immune to give up the long ball, allowing ten home runs, facing a Braves team that is hitting .280 against left-handed pitching. Atlanta is 11-6 this season versus southpaw starters, while going 'over' the total in 12 of 17 games.
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NATIONAL LEAGUE
Cincinnati (26-21) at Milwaukee (28-20)
The Brewers ended the Reds’ four-game winning streak Friday and now send David Bush (3-1, 3.92 ERA) to the hill to battle Cincinnati’s Aaron Harang (5-4, 3.36) as this three-game weekend set between N.L. Central rivals resumes at Miller Park.
Milwaukee won Friday night’s opener 3-2 and has now taken three of the last four over the Reds. The win was just the Brewers’ second in their last six games, and they were held to three runs or less for the seventh straight contest. They’ve also now gone 10 straight games without getting more than four runs in a contest and they’ve managed just seven runs in the first four games of the current homestand. On the bright side, Milwaukee is on hot streaks of 13-5 at home, 18-6 against the N.L. Central, 17-5 against teams with a winning record and 18-6 as a home favorite.
While the Reds’ four-game winning streak came to an end last night, they are still on streaks of 6-2 against N.L. Central foes, 6-2 in the second game of a series and 5-2 against teams with a winning record. Cincinnati also has won eight of its last 12 at Miller Park and it is 5-2 in Harang’s last seven outings in Milwaukee.
On Monday, Harang allowed three runs on 10 hits in five innings to beat the Astros 8-5. He was dominant in two starts against the Brewers last season allowing a total of two runs on nine hits in a combined 16 innings as the Reds won 4-3 and 4-1. However, the Reds are just 3-13 in Harang’s last 16 road starts and 1-8 in his last nine when visiting an opponent a winning record.
The Brewers weres riding a six-game winning streak with Bush on the hill until Sunday when he allowed four runs on five hits in 6 2/3 innings of a 6-3 loss in Minnesota. In two starts at Miller Park in 2009, the right-hander has allowed seven runs (six earned) on 13 hits in 13 1/3 innings. Milwaukee is on stretches of 36-16 with Bush on the mound at home, 13-3 when he starts as a favorite and 18-4 when he starts at home against teams with a winning record.
Bush faced the Reds three times last season with the Brewers going 1-2, and both losses were at home. With Bush pitching, Milwaukee has lost six of seven against the Reds dating back to 2006.
The under is 11-5-1 in Harang’s last 17 outings and 5-1-1 in his last seven on the road. The under is also is 4-1 in Bush’s last five outings overall, but the over is 13-4-1 in Bush’s last 18 as a home favorite and 11-4-1 in his last 16 when he faces N.L. Central rivals.
Cincinnati has stayed under the total in 13 of its last 19 road games and four of its last five as a road ‘dog, but otherwise the Reds are on “over” runs of 8-3 in the second game of a series, 5-0 on Saturday and 8-1 against N.L. Central teams. Milwaukee is on “under” runs of 5-1 overall, 11-4 at home, 10-2 as a home favorite and 5-1 against right-handed hurlers. In this rivalry, the over is 4-2 in the last six clashes overall and 9-0-1 the last 10 times Bush has faced the Reds.
ATS ADVANTAGE: MILWAUKEE
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Boston (28-21) at Toronto (28-23)
The Blue Jays will try to make it two in a row over the Red Sox when they send southpaw Brian Tallet (2-3, 4.31 ERA) to the mound opposite Brad Penny (5-1, 5.96) inside the Rogers Centre in Toronto.
Toronto ended a nine-game losing skid with a 6-3 win over Boston on Friday, also ending a four-game losing skid to the Red Sox dating back to last season. Toronto has now won five straight and 14 of 18 in Canada and it is 44-21 at home dating back to last year. However, the Blue Jays remain in slumps of 1-8 against A.L. East foes and 2-6 against the Red Sox dating to last season.
Boston is just 2-3 on its current road trip and 3-7 in its last 10 on the road overall, but the Red Sox are still on positive streaks of 14-5 against winning teams, 4-1 against A.L. East teams and 10-3 against left-handed starters.
Despite a 5.81 ERA on the highway, Penny is 2-1 as a visitor, including a 6-5 win in Minnesota on Monday when he allowed three runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings. He faced the Blue Jays 10 days ago and held them to two runs on nine hits in 6 2/3 innings of an 8-3 Boston win. In five career starts against Toronto, Penny’s teams have never lost and he’s held the Jays to two runs or less in four of the five outings.
Tallet has a 2.66 ERA at home but hasn’t gotten a decision in 20 1/3 innings of work. The Blue Jays are 0-3 in Tallet’s last three starts even though he’s pitched at least six innings each time and allowing two earned runs in each contest. He started in Boston 11 days ago and gave up two runs on four hits in six innings of a 2-1 Blue Jays’ loss. In two career starts against the Red Sox Tallet has allowed a combined two runs on eight hits in 12 innings of work.
The over is 6-2-1 in Penny’s last nine starts overall, but the under is 4-0 in Tallet’s last four efforts against A.L. East opponents.
For Boston, the over is 13-6 in its last 19 against southpaws and 11-3-1 in its last 15 Saturday contests, but the beyond that, the Sox sport “under” trends of 11-3-1 overall, 7-1-1 on the road and 6-2 against teams with a winning record. Toronto is on “under” streaks of 6-2 at home, 9-3 against A.L. East teams and 10-4 against right-handed starters. Finally, six of the last eight meetings between these squads have stayed low.
ATS ADVANTAGE: BOSTON and UNDER
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Baseball Today
SCOREBOARD
Saturday, May 30
New York Yankees at Cleveland (7:05 p.m. EDT). Yankees ace CC Sabathia(notes) makes his first start in Cleveland since the Indians traded him to the Milwaukee Brewers last year. Fausto Carmona(notes) is scheduled to get the ball for the Indians.
STARS
Friday
— Andruw Jones(notes), Rangers, hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the eighth inning to send Texas to a 6-3 victory over Oakland in the first game of a doubleheader.
— Luke Scott(notes), Orioles, extended his recent power surge with a grand slam and a solo shot off Dontrelle Willis(notes) and Baltimore beat Detroit 7-2.
— Omir Santos(notes), Mets, singled in the winning run in the 11th inning and homered in the fifth, lifting New York over Florida, 2-1.
— Jason Marquis(notes), Rockies gave up six hits in eight sharp innings as Colorado beat the Padres 3-0.
— Evan Longoria(notes) and Carl Crawford(notes), Rays. Each homered to help Tampa Bay end a season-high, five-game losing streak with a 5-3 win over the Twins.
— Shane Victorino(notes), Phillies, had four hits as Philadelphia beat Washington 5-4.
— Brian Moehler(notes) and Edwin Maysonet(notes), Astros. Moehler pitched his first complete game in nearly nine years, and Maysonet homered while going 4 for 4 and driving in four runs, helping Houston end a seven-game losing streak with a 6-1 victory over the Pirates.
YOU’RE OUT
The Rockies fired manager Clint Hurdle, less than two years after their incredible “Roctober” run to the World Series, and replaced him with bench coach Jim Tracy for the rest of the season. Without reliable hitting, pitching or defense, the Rockies stumbled to an 18-28 start and were 14 1/2 games behind Los Angeles in the NL West heading into Friday night’s action.
YOU’RE IN
The Rockies gave interim manager Jim Tracy win No. 1, 3-0 over San Diego, hours after replacing Clint Hurdle. Hurdle had been Colorado’s manager since replacing Buddy Bell three weeks into the 2002 season, was 534-625 for a .460 winning percentage in his seven-plus seasons.
EARN YOUR KEEP
Mets catcher Omir Santos was supposed to go back to the minors once Brian Schneider(notes) came off the disabled list, but Santos has hit safely in 16 of his 20 starts and has 12 RBIs in his last 14 games. After he drove in both runs in a 2-1, 11-inning win over Florida, New York rewarded him by trading backup catcher Ramon Castro(notes) to the Chicago White Sox for right-hander Lance Broadway(notes). ^HIP SURGERY
Phillies right-hander Brett Myers(notes) will have hip surgery, and he could miss the rest of the season. Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said Myers has a torn labrum and no date has been set for surgery. Phillies team doctor Michael Ciccotti said Myers could return to mound to begin throwing 10 to 12 weeks after the operation and it would be another three to six weeks before the pitcher would be ready.
HOMER HAPPY
Corey Hart(notes) and Prince Fielder(notes) homered in the Brewers’ 3-2 win over the Reds. Milwaukee had hit .204 with just two homers while going 1-5 in their last six games.
WELCOME BACK
Carlos Beltran(notes) went 0 for 4 with an intentional walk in his return to the Mets’ lineup, a 2-1 win over Florida. He missed two games against the Nationals because of a bone bruise below his right knee. … St. Louis outfielder Ryan Ludwick(notes) went 0 for 3 with a run scored in his return from the 15-day DL, a 6-1 loss to the Giants. Ludwick had been out with a strained hamstring since May 12. … Pablo Sandoval(notes) drove in a pair of runs for the Giants after missing the past four games with tightness in his right elbow. … Since coming off the 15-day disabled list on Wednesday, Baltimore’s Luke Scott has five home runs and 12 RBIs in three games. His second consecutive two-homer game included his first lifetime grand slam helped the Orioles beat the Tigers 7-2. … Jorge Posada(notes) had two hits in his return to the Yankees’ lineup. The catcher missed 22 games with a strained right hamstring.
HOME SWEET HOME
The Blue Jays returned home after losing all nine games on a three-city trip to Boston, Atlanta and Baltimore that dropped them from first to third in the AL East, and beat the Red Sox 6-3. Toronto won its fifth straight at Rogers Centre, where it is 17-6 overall, and ended a four-game skid against Boston.
WINNING COMBO
In the Yankees’ 3-1 win over Cleveland, Mariano Rivera(notes) pitched the ninth for his 10th save in 11 chances. It was the 58th time he saved a win for Andy Pettitte(notes)—the most for a pitching combo since the save became an official stat in 1969, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley saved 57 wins by Bob Welch for Oakland.
HIT MACHINE
Seattle’s Ichiro(notes) Suzuki was 2 for 5 with an RBI single and extended his hitting streak to 22 games—the third-longest of his big league career and three shy of the franchise record he set in 2007.
SPEAKING
“I’m anxious to find out exactly how good this team is. Tonight for me is a step in the right direction.”—Rockies interim Manager Jim Tracy after Colorado made him a winner in his first game, 3-0 over the Padres.
Streaking and Slumping Pitchers
By Cocers.com
Streaking
Chris Carpenter (St. Louis Cardinals)
After missing most of the past two seasons, Chris Carpenter is quickly making up for lost time.
The former NL Cy Young winner whose career has been derailed by elbow and shoulder injuries looks to continue his dominant return Saturday night when the St. Louis Cardinals play the middle game of a three-games series against the San Francisco Giants.
Carpenter (2-0, 0.00 ERA) won a Cy Young Award in 2005 and won 15 games in 2006, but made just four starts and one relief appearance over the next two seasons for the Cardinals (28-20) because of injuries. The right-hander's extensive history of arm trouble came up again in the offseason, when he had surgery to transpose a nerve on his pitching elbow.
Carpenter started the year in St. Louis' rotation and didn't allow an earned run in his first two starts, but he strained a left ribcage muscle against Arizona on April 14 and spent the next five weeks on the disabled list.
The two-time All-Star has picked up right where he left off since coming off the DL.
In 23 innings over four starts, Carpenter has given up one unearned run. He's limiting opponents to a .127 batting average and has 23 strikeouts to four walks.
On Monday at Milwaukee, Carpenter retired the first 18 batters and ended up allowing two hits with 10 strikeouts and no walks in eight innings of a 1-0, 10-inning loss. He became the third pitcher since 1954 not to allow an earned run in his first four starts of a season, joining Fernando Valenzuela in 1985 and Zack Greinke this year.
"You just can't do what he's doing, to be this sharp, but he's doing it," St. Louis manager Tony La Russa told the team's official Web site.
Justin Verlander (Detroit Tigers)
Baltimore must find a way to solve Verlander (5-2, 3.55 ERA), who has been one of the majors' hottest pitchers.
The right-hander is 5-0 with a 0.85 ERA in his last six starts, striking out 60 in 42 1-3 innings. He's 3-0 with a 1.29 ERA in four starts versus the Orioles.
On Monday, Verlander allowed five hits while striking out eight in seven scoreless innings in a 13-1 rout of Kansas City.
"He's throwing strikes, getting ahead," Tigers third baseman Brandon Inge said. "If a guy gets ahead, he can use all of his pitches. He makes the hitter start thinking a little bit more. For him, he gets ahead, and your guess is as good as mine."
Josh Johnson (Florida Marlins)
The Marlins hope Josh Johnson (3-1, 2.67) can continue his dominance of the Mets, against whom he is 5-0 with a 1.97 ERA in seven career starts.
The right-hander did not get a decision versus New York on April 29 after allowing three runs and nine hits in six innings of Florida's 4-3 win. That came after beating the Mets with a five-hitter in a 2-1 victory April 12.
Johnson battled through a callus on the middle finger of his right hand on Sunday, giving up three runs and six hits with seven strikeouts in seven innings of a 5-4, 11-inning win over Tampa Bay.
"We'd be working on it the whole game. It's there," Johnson told the Marlins' official Web site of the callus. "We just have to work on it the days I'm not throwing. It's been there about three starts or so. I wouldn't really consider it a problem."
Slumping
Francisco Liriano (Minnesota Twins)
Minnesota counters with Francisco Liriano (2-6, 6.42), who looks to avoid losing a third straight start.
After being tagged for seven runs and seven hits in four innings of a 7-4 loss to the Chicago White Sox on May 20, Liriano gave up five runs and a season-high 11 hits with seven strikeouts in four innings of Monday's 6-5 loss to Boston.
Against Tampa Bay on April 28, Liriano had one of his better outings, giving up two runs and seven hits in 6 2-3 innings of a 4-3 win, but wasn't a factor in the decision. He's 2-0 with a 1.21 ERA in three career starts versus the Rays.
Matt Palmer (Los Angeles Angels)
Matt Palmer (5-0, 4.82) will take the mound for the Angels, who hope to remain undefeated in games started by the rookie right-hander. Palmer won his first five starts before failing to last five innings in the Angels' 10-7 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday. He gave up four runs in 4 2-3 innings in that game, then pitched one inning of relief in the Angels' 4-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday.
Palmer took advantage of the Angels' success against Hernandez to win his first start against them last week. He gave up five runs and seven hits in five innings.