Saturday's Best Mound Matchup
By Covers.com
Pedro Martinez (Philadelphia Phillies) vs. Jason Hammel (Colorado Rockies)
Pedro Martinez (5-1, 3.63 ERA)
Martinez may turn 38 later this month but still knows how to pitch; he averaged nearly a strikeout per inning and tossed a pair of gems as the Phillies won his first seven starts.
However, his last two starts of the season were not good. In a combined seven innings, he gave up six runs, 13 hits - including two homers - and two walks, failing to get into the fifth inning.
Martinez has made quite a mark in the postseason. In 13 games, he is 6-2 with a 3.40 ERA and is even more dominant in the Division Series, going 4-0 with a 2.84 ERA in six games.
Since returning to the NL in 2005, Martinez had made just two starts vs. the Rockies, both in 2008. He was 0-1 with a 6.48 ERA, lasting just 8 1-3 innings. Garrett Atkins and Brad Hawpe have homered off him.
But Martinez bears down when he has to. With the bases empty, he allowed hitters to bat .310 with seven homers in 100 at-bats. But with runners on base, those numbers dropped to .224 and zero. With runners in scoring position, Martinez held batters to just two hits in 21 at-bats.
Jason Hammel (10-9, 4.38 ERA)
This is the biggest game of Hammel's career. He established season bests in every category this year, his first as a full-time starter.
Hammel actually is a better pitcher on the road. His home ERA is 5.73, more than 2.5 runs higher than his road ERA.
In his only start against Philadelphia this season, Hammel got the win by scattering nine hits over 6 2-3 innings. In a relief outing in April, he was touched for two runs and five hits in 2 2-3 innings by the Phillies.
Current members of the Phillies are batting .385 (20-for-52) with four homers vs. Hammel. Shane Victorino is 3-for-5 and Raul Ibanez is 4-for-8.
Hammel has not started since Sept. 30 but did work two relief innings on the season's final day. If Jorge De La Rosa was not sidelined with a groin injury, Hammel may not have gotten this start.
Opponents batted .290 with 33 homers vs. Hammel. The numbers get bigger with runners on base (.305) and in scoring position (.295).
NLDS
L.A. Dodgers (2-0) at St. Louis (0-2)
After a shocking walk-off victory in Game 2, the Dodgers go for their second consecutive National League Divisional Series sweep when they send Vicente Padilla (12-6, 4.46 ERA) to the mound at Busch Stadium opposite the Cardinals’ Joel Pineiro (15-12, 3.49 ERA).
Los Angeles managed just a single run on an Andre Ethier home run through eight innings on Thursday against St. Louis pitcher Adam Wainwright and entered the bottom of the ninth trailing 2-1. Then, with two outs and nobody on base, Cardinals leftfielder Matt Holliday misplayed a routine, game-ending line drive into a two-base error, and the Dodgers followed with a walk, an RBI single to tie the game, another walk and a line-drive single – all off St. Louis closer Ryan Franklin – to steal the 3-2 victory and take a commanding 2-0 lead in this best-of-5 series.
L.A., which also upset St. Louis 5-3 in Game 1, has now won four straight games dating to Saturday, allowing a total of just eight runs, and the win streak follows a five-game losing skid. The Dodgers are also on positive streaks of 9-3 against right-handed starters, 7-1 as an underdog (4-0 last four as a pup), 8-3 versus the N.L. Central and 24-8 on Saturday. Also, Joe Torre’s troops, who swept the Cubs in the divisional round last October, have won five straight NLDS contests. On the downside, Los Angeles has lost four straight road games overall and six of its last eight playoff roadies.
Going back to the regular season, the Cardinals have dropped five straight games and they’re 7-16 since Sept. 11, including 3-9 at home. They’re also in ruts of 0-4 as a home favorite, 1-5 against right-handed starters, 1-4 after an off day and 1-4 against the N.L. West. On the positive end of things, Tony LaRussa’s club has still won four straight postseason games at Busch Stadium and is also 8-2 in its last 10 on Saturday, 12-4 in its last 16 NLDS contests and 7-1 in its last eight NLDS home games.
Despite being down 0-2 in this series, St. Louis remains 5-4 against Los Angeles this season and 11-6 in 17 meetings dating to 2007. Going back further, the Cardinals are 36-18 in the last 54 games overall against the Dodgers and an even more impressive 20-6 in the last 26 clashes at Busch Stadium.
Padilla went 4-0 with a 3.20 ERA in six starts with the Dodgers after being let go by Texas, and the Dodgers won six of those seven games, including all four on the road, where the veteran right-hander was 3-0 with a 3.00 ERA with L.A. In his final regular-season start Sunday against the Rockies, Padilla allowed a run on four hits with 10 strikeouts and no walks in just five innings, winning 5-3. Padilla, who is making his first playoff appearance today, was very consistent with his innings for the Dodgers, pitching exactly five innings four times, 5 1/3 innings once and six innings twice, and only once did he throw more than 97 pitches.
Padilla’s career versus the Cardinals is limited to seven appearances (three starts) covering 22 innings, and he’s 2-1 with a 3.68. In his only career start at Busch, Padilla pitched the Phillies to a 4-0 victory in 2002, scatting four hits (no walks) in eight innings.
After a brilliant first five months of the campaign, Pineiro struggled after September 1, going 2-3 with a 4.99 ERA in seven starts, with the Cardinals losing five of his last six outings, including all three games at home. Prior to September, the right-hander 19 quality starts in his first 26 trips the mound, allowing two earned runs or fewer in 14 of those 19 games.
Pineiro finished the year 7-6 in 15 starts at Busch Stadium despite a rock solid 2.87 ERA. He faced the Dodgers on July 29 at home and gave up just one run on six hits in eight innings, getting a no-decision as the Cardinals won 3-2 in 15 innings. He’s 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA in three career starts versus Los Angeles (eight earned runs allowed in 21 1/3 innings). Finally, Pineiro’s postseason experience is limited to one relief appearance in 2001 with the Mariners, and he gave up one run on four hits in two innings against the Yankees.
The over is 4-0-1 in Padilla’s last five starts and 5-2 in Pineiro’s last seven outings.
The Dodgers come into Game 3 carrying “over” trends of 8-3-1 on the road, 4-0 as an underdog, 4-0-1 after a day off, 5-1 on Saturday, 4-1 against the N.L. Central, 7-2-1 against right-handed starters, 8-2-1 versus winning teams and 6-2 in road playoff games (5-1 in the divisional round on the road). Similarly, for the Cardinals, the over is on runs of 4-1-1 overall, 3-0-1 at home, 3-0-1 against righty starters and 5-2-2 on Saturday. However, in the playoffs, St. Louis is on “under” stretches of 7-3 overall and 13-5 at home.
Finally, in this rivalry, the under is 10-5 overall dating to the start of 2008 (5-2 in the last seven), and four of the last five battles at Busch have stayed low.
ATS ADVANTAGE: ST. LOUIS
Philadelphia (1-1) at Colorado (1-1)
Having captured home-field advantage with a surprising Game 2 victory in Philadelphia, the Rockies now look to take control of this best-of-5 series when they return to frigid Coors Field for Game 3. Colorado’s Jason Hammel (2-0, 4.42 ERA) will make his first-ever postseason start, while the Phillies have decided to hand the ball to veteran Pedro Martinez (5-1, 3.63) in a game where temperatures are expected to be below freezing.
After managing just a ninth-inning run in Wednesday’s 5-1 loss to the Phillies and Cliff Lee in Game 1, the Rockies came out swinging Thursday and got a two-run homer for catcher Yorvit Torrealba, six strong innings from starter Aaron Cook and just enough relief pitching to hold on for the 5-4 victory.
Philadelphia remains on hot streaks of 29-11 after an off day, 8-2 as an underdog (6-2 as a road pup), 8-2 against the N.L. West, 15-7 after a defeat and 7-2 in the playoffs going back to last year’s World Series title run. On the downside, the Phillies have lost six straight Saturday games.
Colorado is on positive runs of 42-16 at home, 7-2 against the N.L. East, 51-24 against right-handed starters, 38-17 as a favorite and 50-23 after a victory. They Rockies have also won four of their last five divisional playoff games (all against Philadelphia) and four straight playoff contests as a favorite, but overall, they’ve still lost five of their last six in the postseason.
The Phillies are still 5-3 against the Rockies this season (2-1 in Colorado), and since getting swept by the Rockies in the 2007 NLDS, Philadelphia has won 10 of 13 in this rivalry (four of five at Coors Field).
Martinez didn’t sign with the Phillies until early July and didn’t make his first start for the team until Aug. 12. He was especially strong in September, going 3-1 with a 3.14 ERA in five starts. The Phillies went 8-1 in Martinez’s nine trips to the mound, including 3-1 on the road, where the veteran right-hander won three of those four games despite a 5.66 ERA.
Martinez is 2-3 with a 4.31 ERA in 10 career appearances (eight starts) against the Rockies, but only two of those starts came recently, both last season with the Mets. First, he gave up six runs in 4 1/3 innings of a 7-1 loss at Coors Field in June 2008, then he came back three weeks later at Shea Stadium and allowed one hit and three walks in four scoreless innings, with the Mets winning 3-0. The former Cy Young winner is 6-2 with a 3.40 ERA in 13 lifetime playoff appearances (11 starts), all with Boston from 1998-2004.
Hammel had a solid first season in Colorado, appearing in 34 games (30 starts). One of those relief appearances came Sunday at the Dodgers as he pitched two scoreless innings. The 27-year-old right-hander allowed three earned runs or fewer in 10 of his last 12 starts, while surrendering just four runs each in the other two. He was consistent throughout the season, going 5-4 with a 4.43 ERA prior to the All-Star break and 5-4 with a 4.23 ERA in the second half.
Hammel went just 3-3 with a 5.73 ERA at Coors Field (compared with 7-5 with a 3.13 ERA on the road), but the Rockies won 11 of his 15 home starts, including 10 of the last 12. The Rockies went 4-1 in his last five starts as a favorite and 8-2 in his last 10 as a home chalk. Hammel’s only start against Philadelphia came on Aug. 9, and he pitched the Rockies to an 8-3 road win, allowing three runs on nine hits (no walks) in 6 2/3 innings.
For Philadelphia, the over is on runs of 10-2-1 overall, 5-0 on the road, 5-1 on Saturday and 6-1-1 after a defeat. However, in the playoffs, the Phillies are on “under” streaks of 5-2-1 overall, 6-2 on the road and 6-1 in the divisional series. Colorado carries “over” trends of 4-1 at home, 4-0 as a favorite, 4-1 after an off day and 4-1-1 after a win.
Finally, the “over” has been the play in nine of 13 matchups between these teams since the beginning of last season, with the last five at Coors Field topping the posted number.
ATS ADVANTAGE: COLORADO and OVER
Gametimepicks.com
Game Three of the 2009 National League Division Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in Colorado has been postponed due to inclement weather, and has been rescheduled for Sunday at 8:07 p.m. (MT). Game Four has been moved to Monday.