Sunday’s Streaking and Slumping MLB Pitchers
Streaking
David Price (6-1, 1.81), Tampa Bay Rays
The southpaw phenom is flourishing in his first full season in The Show.
Price currently leads the AL in ERA and wins. He’s gone at least 6.0 innings in his last three outings, all victories, and gave up zero runs in two of those starts.
“I feel like there’s still room for improvement. I feel like I’ve left some stuff out there that I shouldn’t have,” said Price, who is 4-0 with a 1.03 ERA in his last five outings.
What’s even more special about this kid is that you can be assured he won’t beat himself on the mound mentally as Price is a Vanderbilt product.
Carlos Silva (5-0, 3.35), Chicago Cubs
Maybe Carlos Silva is worth the $12.75 million he’s making this season.
The veteran righty is 3-0 in this last three starts and hasn’t yielded more than a pair of runs during his last two outings – victories that came against power-hitting teams in the Rockies and Marlins.
“He’s been a pleasant surprise, super-consistent each time out. I’d hate to think where we’d be without him,” said Ryan Theriot.
“We found out rather quickly in spring training that he was healthy,” Lou Piniella said. “When a pitcher’s healthy and he’s had success like he did in Minnesota, you figure you’ve got a chance.”
But beware, back in his days with the Twins and Mariners Silva accrued a hefty 5.20 ERA in 13 starts against the Rangers.
Slumping
Felix Hernandez (2-3, 3.95), Seattle Mariners
What’s wrong with King Felix these days?
Hernandez is 0-3 in his last five starts and gave up a season-high 11 hits in his last outing. After surrendering seven earned runs two starts prior, the King was pulled after 3.1 innings on the mound and said his mechanics felt off.
The Mariners don’t provide their pitching staff with much run support so these guys have to be on top of their game most of the time in order to get a win.
John Lannan (1-2, 6.02 ERA), Washington Nationals
Lannan’s lowest earned-run total this season is two and he’s only accomplished that in two of his eight starts. He hasn’t won a game since April 10 and hasn’t gone deeper than six innings in each of his last three starts (12 earned runs).
Lannan isn’t a starter that is going to blow hitters away with fastballs. The left-hander is a finesse pitcher that’s been missing his spots this season and only has three quality starts.
“I started missing some pitches on the outside corner,” Lannan said after giving up six runs in 5.0 innings versus the Marlins last weekend. “I’ve got to live on that corner. I’m not throwing hard enough to blow balls by guys.”
Lannan is 2-1 in three career starts against the Orioles with a 3.66 ERA.
INTERLEAGUE
Detroit (24-19) at L.A. Dodgers (25-18)
Hiroki Kuroda (5-1, 2.87 ERA) goes after his fourth straight victory when he tries to lead the red-hot Dodgers to a sweep of the Tigers and Rick Porcello (3-4, 5.93) in the finale of a three-game interleague series at Dodger Stadium.
Los Angeles has taken the first two games of this series by scores of 4-1 and 6-4, improving to 17-4 in its last 21 games, including 11-1 in the last 12. The Dodgers have also won 11 of 14 at home during their 17-4 run, stretching their record to 15-7 at Dodger Stadium. On top of that, L.A. is on upticks of 14-3 against right-handed starters, 21-6 versus righties at home, 8-1 versus winning teams and 4-1 on Sunday.
Despite winning the first two games of this series, Joe Torre’s squad remains in interleague slumps of 31-52 overall and 8-20 against the A.L. Central.
The Tigers have lost consecutive games for the first time since a getting swept in a three-game series in Minnesota on May 3-5. Detroit has also now lost six of nine on the road and eight of 10 in National League ballparks. On the positive end Jim Leyland’s club is on impressive runs of 9-3 on Sunday, 9-4 in the third game of a series, 53-25 in interleague action overall and 42-21 when facing right-handed starters in interleague play.
These teams met two years ago in Motown, and Detroit swept a three-game series, outscoring Los Angeles 22-11. Prior to that, the Dodgers had won five of six from the Tigers in two separate series in 2003 (road) and 2005 (home).
Porcello threw a gem against the Yankees on May 12, scattering four hits and three walks over seven scoreless innings en route to a 2-0 victory. However, he regressed on Tuesday against the White Sox, yielding four runs on eight hits in seven innings of a 6-2 home loss. The Tigers are just 2-5 in Procello’s seven starts this season, and the right-hander is 0-3 with a 9.88 ERA in three starts.
Going back to last season, Detroit has dropped Porcello’s last four starts on the highway and four of five when he works on Sunday. However, they went 4-0 in Porcello’s four interleague contests last season, with the then-rookie allowing just five earned runs in 23 2/3 innings (1.90 ERA).
Kuroda surrendered three runs on seven hits in six innings of a 7-3 home win over Houston on Tuesday – the seventh time in eight starts this season that he’s given up three earned runs or fewer. Los Angeles is 7-1 in back of Kuroda this season, including 4-0 in his last four starts. Additionally, the Dodgers are 20-8 in the right-hander’s last 28 home games, including 4-0 this season with Kuroda going 2-0 with a 3.42 ERA.
On the downside, L.A. has lost eight of Kuroda’s last 11 Sunday starts and four of his last five against the American League. He has never faced the Tigers.
Detroit carries a slew of “under” trends, including 8-3-1 overall, 5-0 in the third game of a series, 6-2-1 versus right-handed starters, 15-7-1 in N.L. parks and 18-8-1 against the N.L. West. However, with Porcello starting, the Tigers are on “over” runs of 5-2 overall, 4-1 on the road and 4-1 in the third game of a series.
For Los Angeles, the under has hit in nine of 14 overall, four of five on Sunday, six of eight against winning teams, 12 of 18 interleague home games and six of nine against the A.L. Central. However, the over is 9-4 in its last 13 at Dodger Stadium, and the over is 9-2 in Kuroda’s last 11 starts overall (4-0 in his last four home outings.)
Lastly, these teams have stayed under the total in seven of 11 meetings since 2003, including four of the last six.
ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER
N.Y. Yankees (26-17) at N.Y. Mets (21-23)
A couple of former Cy Young Award winners square off in the rubber match of the Subway Series at Citi Field, with CC Sabathia (4-2, 3.43) set to take the ball for the Yankees while the Mets counter with Johan Santana (3-2, 3.72) in a nationally televised contest.
The Yankees snapped a three-game losing skid with Friday’s 2-1 series-opening victory, but the Mets bounced back with a 5-3 victory on Saturday, ending a four-game losing skid to their Subway Series rivals.
The Yankees are just 2-5 in their last seven games and 5-9 in their last 14 (2-5 on the road). That said, the defending world champs are still riding a slew of positive streaks, including 102-48 overall, 10-3 in interleague play (all against the N.L. East), 8-2 in interleague road games, 4-1 when favored against N.L. teams, 53-22 as a favorite overall, 36-17 against losing teams, 47-22 versus left-handed starters and 15-7 on Sunday.
Since ending April with a season-best eight-game winning streak, the Mets have posted a 7-14 record in May. They’ve lost eight of their last 11 overall, four of six at home, six of seven interleague games (all at home, all against the A.L. East), 20 of 42 as an underdog and five of six on Sunday. On the positive end, Jerry Manuel’s squad is on runs of 5-2 against left-handed starters, 6-2 as a home underdog and 9-4 when facing lefties at home in interleague play.
Since the start of last season, the Yankees have won six of eight against the Mets, including the four of the last five (all at Citi Field). Going back to 2008, the Yanks are on a 6-2 roll when playing in Queens.
Sabathia bounced back from a 6-0 loss at Detroit in which he allowed all six runs in six innings with a strong showing against the Red Sox on Tuesday, allowing just a run on four hits in seven innings. The veteran left-hander departed with a 5-1 lead but the bullpen couldn’t hold it and the Yankees eventually fell, 7-6.
Sabathia struggled in his last two road starts at Detroit and Boston (nine runs allowed in 10 2/3 innings), and he’s now 2-2 with a 4.58 ERA in six starts on the highway. Still, behind Sabathia, the Yanks remain on hot streaks of 20-6 overall, 11-4 on the road, 10-3 as a road favorite and 4-1 on Sunday. Also, Sabathia has faced the Mets twice, going 2-0 with a miniscule 1.20 ERA.
Santana has been outstanding in his last two trips to the mound – both on the road – going seven innings in each contest while holding the Marlins and Braves to a combined three runs (two earned) on 11 hits and three walks. However, he had nothing to show for it as the Mets lost 2-1 in Florida and 3-2 in Atlanta.
The Mets are 4-1 in Santana’s five starts at home, where he’s 3-1 with a 3.19 ERA. But they’ve lost five of his last six against A.L. opponents and five of his last six on Sunday. Last June, he faced the Yankees once at Yankee Stadium and got destroyed, allowing nine runs on nine hits in three innings of a 15-0 loss. Prior to that, Santana had gone 4-1 with a 2.71 ERA in 12 career regular and postseason appearances (nine starts) against the Bronx Bombers.
The Yankees have stayed under the total in five of six road games and four of five against southpaw starters, but they’re also on “over” runs of 6-1 overall, 5-1 in interleague action (all against the N.L. East), 10-4-1 versus losing teams and 6-2 on Sunday. Also, with Sabathia on the mound, the over is on stretches of 18-4 on the road, 7-0 on Sunday and 6-2 in the third game of a series.
The over is 8-2 in the Mets’ last 10 home games, 12-4-1 in their last 17 interleague contests against lefty starters and 4-1 in their last five on Sunday. From there, however, they’re on “under” runs of 4-2 overall, 6-3-1 in interleague play, 8-3 when hosting A.L. opponents, 5-2-1 in Santana’s last eight starts overall, 6-1 in his last seven as a ‘dog and 3-1-2 in his last six interleague contests.
Finally, these rivals have stayed under the posted total in seven of their last 11 clashes overall and seven of the last nine at Citi Field.
ATS ADVANTAGE: N.Y. YANKEES
MLB RoundUp For 5/23
By Dan Bebe
National League
Braves (-155) @ Pirates with a total of 8.5
Chipper Jones is 11-for-21 with a HR and 2 RBI off Duke;
Brian McCann is 3-for-8 with a HR and 2 RBI off Duke;
Nate McLouth is 3-for-4 with a HR off Duke;
Martin Prado is 6-for-12 with a HR and 5 RBI off Duke.
Ah, sweet National League tilt, why couldn't you have some shorter lines? This is a very, very high price tag on a converted reliever (Medlen), going against a guy that just pitched his team past Roy Halladay. The current Braves have definitely hit Duke hard, and Atlanta is playing better baseball over the last couple weeks, but can we really lay -155 when Duke just led the Pirates to a win as a +340 underdog? I think this line is pretty fair, and I'd probably leave this one alone.
Interleague Play
Reds (-140) @ Indians with a total of 9.5
Orlando Cabrera is 4-for-12 off Huff;
Ramon Hernandez is 4-for-5 with a HR and 4 RBI off Huff;
Brandon Phillips is 3-for-5 with 3 RBI off Huff;
Joey Votto is 3-for-4 with 2 HR and 4 RBI off Huff.
Homer Bailey is, somehow, 2-0 against the Indians with a 6.91 ERA, even though the current Indians haven't done much of anything against him. As you can see from the player numbers, there are a few Reds that have hit Huff hard. Really, who hasn't? Huff is 1-6 with a 5.36 ERA this year and 0-1, 13.50 ERA overall against the Reds. This means, what? That's right - there's very little value fading a guy that the oddsmakers presume isn't going to draw any money. The Reds will probably win the game, but laying -140 on the road is a little risky. Bailey has made 2 solid starts in a row, though, and when he gets hot, he was one of the best in the Bigs near the end of 2009. Microscopic lean to Cincy, but the price just isn't quite right.
Orioles @ Nationals (-110) with a total of 8.5
Garrett Atkins is 3-for-4 off Lannan;
Adam Jones is 4-for-8 off Lannan;
Luke Scott is 3-for-7 with a HR off Lannan;
Adam Dunn is 4-for-6 with 3 HR and 4 RBI off Millwood since '05;
Willie Harris is 3-for-8 off Millwood.
Beware Adam Dunn in this one. Considering Millwood's big problem has been the home run, and considering Dunn has hit 3 homers in just 6 AB against Millwood, yeah, bleacher seats might be fun in this one. Of course, the rest of the guys in this one haven't done a great deal against the opposing starter. I will note, though, that this line is giving John Lannan a lot of credit. He's 1-2 this year with a 6.02 ERA (2-1, 3.66 ERA against Baltimore), but laying home chalk against the ever-consistent Millwood is something to note. Lannan is coming off a decent start against the Cardinals, too, so he's trending in the right direction. Slight lean to the Nats.
Red Sox @ Phillies (-230) with a total of 8.5
J.D. Drew is 9-for-30 with a HR and 1 RBI off Halladay since '05;
Victor Martinez is 5-for-15 off Halladay;
Marco Scutaro is 3-for-7 off Halladay;
Kevin Youkilis is batting .367 in 49 AB off Halladay since '05, with a HR and 7 RBI.
These giant spreads probably aren't going to make our final cut but for maybe once every few weeks, and I'm not in the business of fading Roy Halladay. Wakefield's knuckler hasn't really been fully functional this season, and while the current Phils haven't done much against him, it's tough to know who might have success against a knuckleball long term. Halladay is an even 14-14 lifetime against the BoSox, so I'd play Boston or nothing here, but unless you're going wildly high volume, pass.
Cubs @ Rangers (-175) with a total of 9
Michael Young is 11-for-32 with a HR and 6 RBI off Silva.
It's sort of a curious stat that Carlos Silva is a career 4-4, 5.20 against the Rangers, as the current Texas lineup, aside from Young, has done absolutely nothing against him. Vlad Guerrero is hitting .160, Ian Kinsler .100, and so on. So, how on Earth is that ERA 5.20? Well, the simple answer is that those were the "old" Rangers, but really, who did the damage? Doesn't matter to us, now. I happen to think this is another game that could go Under the total. Wilson is coming off far and away his worst start of the year, and that is the one thing making the Under too dicey for me. It does make Silva and the Cubs look like a tempting large underdog, and I'll go ahead and add them to my watch list.
Marlins (-140) @ White Sox with a total of 8
Ronny Paulino is 2-for-2 off Garcia;
Dan Uggla and Hanley Ramirez are each 2-for-6 with a HR off Garcia;
A.J. Pierzynski is 3-for-3 with 2 RBI off Johnson.
Josh Johnson is rolling of late, and that's why I fear this line. At 4-1 with a 2.68 ERA, you'd figure Johnson would be laying more than 140 against a low/mid-level team like the White Sox. Freddy Garcia has been fairly reliable so far this year, never amazing, never horrible. The current Marlins haven't seen a ton of Garcia, though he did pitch briefly for Philly, so they got a few AB against him then. Johnson, amazingly is 0-1 with a 9.82 ERA against the White Sox, but the current Chicago lineup hasn't seen much of him, at all. Weak lean to Florida, though they seem a tad shell-shocked in Chicago so far.
Rays (-200) @ Astros with a total of 7.5
No one has seen anyone else, here, so we're going to just pass. Like I've said, if you're a volume guy, maybe you break this one down, but as it is, Price is pitching like the #1 guy he is, Norris stinks against everyone other than the Cardinals, and there's just no value here.
Rockies @ Royals (-145) with a total of 8.5
Ryan Spilborghs, Carlos Gonzalez and Brad Hawpe are each 2-for-3 off Greinke;
David DeJesus is 2-for-2 off Cook.
Cook and the Rockies had a rich history of losing in Kansas City before finally grabbing a win last night behind a strong pitching performance, again, from Jeff Francis. I happen to like the way the Royals are playing lately, as they held the Rockies to only a few runs even in a losing effort. They're pitching way, way better under Ned Yost, but the lack of offense yesterday was disconcerting. This is a pretty nice price to get Greinke at home against a team the Royals have played well against, but not sure that Greinke is worth this price unless he's for sure going 8 innings. Slight, slight lean to Royals, though Cook's been pitching well, so this one isn't likely to make the final cut.
Brewers @ Twins with a total of N/A
Ryan Braun is 2-for-3 with a HR and 4 RBI off Pavano;
Casey McGehee is 3-for-3 off Pavano;
Michael Cuddyer is 2-for-2 with a HR and 3 RBI off Parra;
Brendan Harris is 3-for-5 off Parra.
Pavano is coming off a very ugly outing, and Estrada, well, he got slotted in late because Manny Parra was used in yesterday's extra-inning loss, which makes handicapping his work a little tougher. I would say that, given the rather hefty chalk it would take to back the Twins, and given how the Brewers are just playing terrible baseball, we should look at the total, if anything. I think it could sneak up and Over, if the bullpens give up a few. Probably a pass, when push comes to shove, though.
Angels @ Cardinals (-170) with a total of 7
Bobby Abreu is 6-for-8 with a HR and 7 RBI off Carpenter;
Matt Holliday and Albert Pujols are combined 3-for-3 with a HR and 4 RBI off Weaver.
Jered Weaver has an ERA of 9.00 against the Cardinals, and though the historical numbers are weak, it seems like Saint Louis has opted to wake up a little in this series, so I'm afraid of the big dog. Carpenter has a career 1-2 record against the Angels, but again, Bobby Abreu is the only current Halo that has even seen Carpenter. He's hit him hard, but one guy isn't going to beat Carp. Pass.
Giants (-120) @ Athletics with a total of 7.5
Considering that Sanchez has faced the A's a few times, and Sheets has seen plenty of San Francisco from his time in the NL, there aren't too many impressive numbers to cite, offensively. So, it should come as no surprise that Sheets is 4-2, 2.36 ERA lifetime against the Giants, and Sanchez has a 3.38 ERA against Oakland. This total is low for a reason, and in this extremely spacious ballpark, behind the up-and-down Ben Sheets (whose last 3 starts have been "okay"), I think the Giants struggle to score again. As far as Oakland is concerned, Sanchez has been pretty reliable all season -- his walks are still a tad too high, but they're better than usual, and the A's are mostly without sock in that lineup. Slight lean to the Under.
Tigers @ Dodgers (-160) with a total of 8
Jamey Carroll is really the only player on either team that has legitimately seen the other team's starting pitcher, and going just on this season's results, you have to like the Dodgers, here. Kuroda has so much movement on his pitches, and throws so many variations on the slider, curve, change, sinker, that the Tigers are going to have their hands full trying to get a feel for his stuff. On the other bump, Porcello is a one-trick pony, but the pony forgot how to do his trick, if that makes sense. That was my "House, M.D." way of saying that Porcello's sinker isn't sinking. The Dodgers are too tough to bet against in a spot where the opposing starter could blow up, but probably too expensive to back when Manny's hurting, Ethier's on the DL, and we'll likely get the Sunday afternoon 2nd unit out there.
Padres @ Mariners (-140) with a total of 7
Considering the current Padres don't have any particular success against Hernandez (though I guess Adrian Gonzalez hitting .286 isn't too bad), this line is downright EERILY low. Considering Cliff Lee opened as a -180 favorite against Wade LeBlanc, who was having a better season than Latos is, and Hernandez is still one of the scariest pitchers in the League, I honestly just don't understand the 40 cent difference in the Padres direction. Even if you argued that Cliff Lee was 25-30 cents better than Hernandez, can you really argue that Latos is 15 cents better than LeBlanc? Nope, this line is all kinds of goofy, and I think it's telling us Latos is ready to rock. Lean to the Padres.
Blue Jays (-145) @ D'backs with a total of 9.5
No historical data, here, so we'll go on recent starts. Or, wait, Buckner's only got one of those. This is a near-impossible game to handicap from a pure numbers standpoint, so we'll have to dig deeper. I'd like to first point out that Marcum is laying bigger opening chalk on the road than Felix Hernandez is at home in the game above. More proof that that line is all kinds of insane. This one, on the other hand, seems to be asking for D'back money. Marcum has been one of the most reliable pitchers in the AL, just going out there and giving his team 7 innings just about every time out. However, I'm not in the business of laying -145 on the road, especially against such an unknown like Buckner. Pass.
Yankees (-145) @ Mets with a total of 7.5
Robinson Cano is 7-for-17 off Santana since '05;
Derek Jeter is 10-for-18 with a HR and 5 RBI off Santana since '05;
Rod Barajas is 4-for-9 with 2 HR and 4 RBI off Sabathia.
Both of these starters have a couple guys on the other team that give them fits, but both starters have basically shut down completely everyone else on those teams. Sabathia is 2-0 against the Mets in his career with a 1.20 ERA. Santana has an ERA of 4.40 against the Yanks, but he's 4-2, so he's been strong enough to win. This should be a very good game to watch, and not a very good one to bet on, unfortunately. I think both starters throw the ball well, and that total of 7.5 for a Yankees game is certainly indicative of just that, but it's also too low to have value on the Under. Most likely a pass, though maybe we'll put an action play on it (1/4-unit, max) just to get something going on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball.
Sunday Night Baseball: Yankees at Mets
By Marc Lawrence
The Subway Series concludes Sunday night at Citi Field where the Mets host the Yankees in the finale of this three-game Interleague matchup when Johan Santana matches serves with CC Sabathia in a showdown of staff aces.
A guaranteed win
The Subway Series is the name given to the series of games between thesetwo intra city rivals, the defending champion New York Yankees and theonce amazing New York Mets.
From the Interleague’s beginning in 1997 to entering this weekend, the Yankees have won 42 out of 72 games in against their cross-town rivals.
The Mets have won only two series (2004, 2008) in the thirteen seasons they’ve met the Yanks in the regular campaign.
The Yankees have swept the season series once (2003) and five of the six games once (last season) as well.
One is the team you love to hate; the other is the team you hate to love.
Take your pick. Either way, it is the only time this season you're guaranteed that New York will win.
Met matters
The Mets were a mess at 70-92 last season. And without All-Star SS Jose Reyes and CF Carlos Beltran to start the 2010 campaign, plus the black hole at first base, a repeat disaster appeared certain.
While Beltran is still on the DL, Reyes is back and starting to remind fans his glory days. Meanwhile, rookie IB Ike Davis has been a pleasant surprise since his call-up from the minors with a .355 batting average in 10 games.
Mike Pelfrey’s breakout season appears to be now and with it he has given the starting rotation a different look. Entering this series, Mets starters were 5-1 with a 1.68 ERA in 10 games of the current homestand.
Meanwhile, $66 million LF Jason Bay (162 strikeouts in 2009 in which he hit .267 with a career-high 36 homers and 112 RBIs) is looking more and more like Richie Sexson.
Bay hit .238 with one home run and nine RBIs the first month of the 2010 season. Worse, he is hitting .194 with runners in scoring position. He is, however, showing signs of breaking out at a time they need him the most.
All of which excites former All-Star and slumping 3B David Wright.
"I think it's good that we continue to fight and come back, but at the same time it doesn't do us any good in the win/loss column. It's good that we have a lot of fight, and it's good that we're finding ways to battle back and get in the game. At the same time we need to see some results. We need to start winning some of these close ones,” said
Wright.
Pin striping
Coupled with ravaging injuries and non-productive effort from the starting lineup, the Pinstripes have been struggling and as a result have surrendered their lead atop the AL East.
Like Bay, Yankee 1B Mark Teixeira is also off to a horrible start, hitting just .214 with seven home runs and 30 RBIs. Teixeira entered this series with one hit in his last 13 at bats.
And somehow you just knew the shutdown pitching from the starters couldn't last. Recent back peddling by Phil Hughes, A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettitte has left the starting staff second-guessing itself.
Even Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera has struggled of late.
"You just assume he's going to close every single game. If you ask people in New York, they probably assume his save percentage is a thousand. That's how good he is,” said Teixeira, after Rivera walked in a run and gave up a grand slam to blow a game against the Twins last Sunday.
Making Interleague history
Entering this season, Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter is the all-time hit leader in MLB Interleague games with 280. His teammate, 3B Alex Rodriguez ranks second on the hit parade with 240. Jeter’s .335 career average in Interleague games ranks No. 5 in batting average.
Santana (the pitcher, not the guitarist) owns a 2.49 ERA in Interleague play, the best among MLB pitchers with 100 or more innings.
And while on the subject of superlatives, Rivera tops the all-time leader list with 55 Interleague saves, 15 more than his closest pursuer, Troy Percival.
Southpaw slants
Sabathia has struggled of late, posting a 1-2 record with a 5.11 ERA in his last three team starts.
But the large lefty is 11-4 in his last 15 road team starts and 2-0 with a 1.20 ERA in his career efforts against the Mets.
Santana is 3-0 with a 2.25 ERA in his last three home team starts and 4-2 in his last six team starts against the Pinstripes.
The Mets’ mainstay is 14-2 in his last 16 home team starts during the month of May.
Apple bites
Entering this series: The Yankees were 9-2 in their last 11 games against NL East opponents while the Mets were 1-7 in their last eight AL East games.
The Yankees are 1-4 the last five away games vs. left-handers, while the Mets are 14-6 in their last 20 home games in May.
Tips and Trends
New York Yankees at New York Mets
Yankees (-145, O/U 7.5): New York started the season on fire, but have since cooled down a bit. New York has lost 8 of their past 13 games overall, placing them 4 games behind the Rays in the American League East. The Yankees have the 3rd best record in baseball, but are still looking up in their division. New York needs to keep pitching like they did in Game 1 against the Mets, where they only gave up 1 run. The Yankees will send their ace pitcher to the mound tonight, C.C. Sabathia. Sabathia is 4-2 on the year, yet the Yankees are only 5-4 in games starting by him this season. Sabathia has an ERA of 3.43 and a WHIP of 1.11 this year. Sabathia hasn't been sharp of late, as he has an ERA over 5 in his past 3 starts. The Yankees are 10-1 in Sabathias' last 11 starts following a team loss in their previous game. New York is 10-3 in Sabathias' last 13 starts as a road favorite. The Yankees are 10-2 in Sabathias' last 12 starts with 4 days of rest.
Yankees are 8-1 last 9 interleague road games.
Under is 6-0 last 6 road games against a team with a home winning percentage greater than .600%.
Key Injuries - C Jorge Posada (foot) is out.
PROJECTED SCORE: 5 (OVER - Total of the Day)
Mets: New York would be one of the better teams in baseball if they could play all their games at home. The Mets are 14-9 in home games this season, proving just how comfortable they are playing in their own stadium. Unfortunately, the Mets are 6-14 in road contests this season, for an overall record of 20-23. New York is in last place in the National League East, so every win they get before the All Star break really helps them. Offensively, the Mets have scored 3 runs or fewer in 4 of their past 5 games. Left handed ace Johan Santana will take the ball tonight, as he looks to continue his success against the Yankees. Santana is 5-3 lifetime against the Yankees. Santana is 3-2 this season overall, with an ERA of 3.72 and a WHIP of 1.19. The Mets are 0-6 in their last 6 interleague home games. New York is 4-1 in Santanas' last 5 home starts. The Mets are 3-7 in Santanas' last 10 starts against a team with a winning record.
Mets are 5-2 last 7 games as a home underdog.
Under is 4-0 last 4 games as a home underdog of +110 to +150.
Key Injuries - 2B Luis Castillo (heel) is probable.
PROJECTED SCORE: 4