Sunday’s Streaking and Slumping Starting Pitchers
Streaking
Brandon Morrow (5-6, 4.50 ERA), Toronto Blue Jays
The former Mariners castaway has found his big-league groove. Morrow, who’s always had great stuff but poor control, has walked just 12 batters in his last six starts compared to 35 strikeouts.
The hard-throwing righty credits Jose Molina for his turnaround. Molina, the Jays’ backup catcher, became Morrow’s regular partner about a month ago and the difference has been dramatic.
The Jays were only 2-3 in his five starts last month but the under cashed in five of those contests, thanks largely to Morrow’s 1.91 ERA in June.
Cliff Lee (7-3, 2.45 ERA), Seattle Mariners
It seems like Lee’s days are numbered in Seattle, so Mariners backers shouldn’t miss the opportunity to bet their team any time this southpaw takes the mound.
The former AL Cy Young winner has pitched three straight complete games and the last-place M’s are 8-2 in his last 10 starts.
"[Lee] never beats himself,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi told reporters after Lee bested the Bronx Bombers. “He never walks people. He has the ability to strike you out, and he locates extremely well.
“He knows how to change speeds extremely well. He's got a little sink to it, he's got a little cut to it, he's got a curveball, a slider and a changeup. He just knows how to pitch, and his command is very, very good."
Slumping
Mike Leake (5-1, 3.30 ERA), Cincinnati Reds
The magical rookie season for Leake is getting a dose of reality. The 23-year-old righty, who still hasn’t pitched an inning in the minor leagues, produced 10 quality starts in his first 11 outings for the Reds.
Over the last four appearances, however, he’s been tagged for 17 runs in just 22.1 innings.
Nick Blackburn (7-5, 6.02 ERA), Minnesota Twins
The Twins don’t have a stud in their rotation but they definitely have a real dud. Blackburn, who had been a serviceable starter for Minny over the last two seasons, went 1-4 with a 10.17 ERA in the month of June.
"It's the same thing that's been happening to me, just letting some balls up and they hit them," Blackburn told the Associated Press after he got pulled in the fourth inning against the Brewers two starts ago.
"It's getting pretty old, going out there and putting out efforts like that and not giving us even remotely a chance to win. It's pretty frustrating."
Fourth of July Tips
By Brian Edwards
The Fourth of July is here and that means bettors have games galore in Major League Baseball. Let’s take a look at the Braves-Marlins and White Sox-Rangers to get you ready to place bets.
**Marlins at Braves**
Most betting shops have installed Atlanta (48-33, +1108) as a minus-170 favorite with a total of eight ‘under’ (minus-115). Gamblers can take the Braves on the run line (minus 1 ½ runs) for a plus-120 payout (risk $100 to win $120).
Bobby Cox’s club captured a 4-1 win over the Marlins in Saturday’s afternoon affair. Coming off back-to-back ugly performances, Tommy Hanson responded with a strong effort to improve to 8-5 for the season. The right-hander worked 6 2/3 innings and gave up just one unearned run. Hanson fanned eight batters, while Billy Wagner worked a perfect ninth inning for his 17th save. Gregor Blanco’s two-run single provided all the offense the Braves would need.
Florida (37-43, -745) fell 10 ½ games back of the Braves, who lead the National League East by three games over the Mets, who lost 6-5 to the Nats on Saturday.
Tim Hudson (8-3, 2.37) will toe the rubber for the Braves, who are now an MLB-best 30-9 at home this year. The veteran righty from out of Auburn is 8-2 with a 2.99 ERA in 16 career starts against Florida. Hudson is 5-1 with a 1.55 ERA at home this year.
Ricky Nolasco (7-6, 4.84) has struggled against Atlanta, going 3-5 with a 4.57 ERA in 12 lifetime starts. The right-hander is 4-2 with a 4.62 ERA on the road this season.
Florida is 16-19 on the road in 2010.
The ‘under’ is 39-38 overall for the Braves, 19-17 in their home games at Turner Field.
The ‘over’ is 41-35 overall for the Marlins, but they have seen the ‘under’ make a small profit in their road games by going 19-15.
The first pitch is scheduled for 5:05 p.m. Eastern.
**White Sox at Rangers**
Most books are listing Texas (47-32, +1006) as a minus-150 favorite with a total of 10 ½ ‘under’ (minus-120). Bettors can take the Rangers on the run line for a plus-145 return (risk $100 to win $145).
Chicago (41-37, +197) is in third place in the American League Central, two games behind the loop-leading Minnesota Twins. The White Sox went into Saturday’s game with 21-18 road record.
Chicago won Friday’s series opener by a 5-3 count. Alex Rios went 3-for-5 with a pair of RBIs for the winners. Also, Juan Pierre and Alexei Ramirez had three hits apiece.
Ozzie Guillen will give the ball to Mark Buehrle, who is 6-7 with a 4.58 ERA this year. The lefty is 2-1 with a 3.20 ERA in his last three outings. Buehrle owns an 11-5 record and 3.39 ERA in 16 career starts against the Rangers. However, he is 0-2 with a 7.30 ERA in a pair of starts against Texas this season.
Texas slugger Josh Hamilton is 3-for-9 with a pair of doubles for a .333 career average against Buehrle. Ian Kinsler is 4-for-16 (.250) off the veteran southpaw with one home run.
Scott Feldman (5-7, 5.48) is 2-2 with a 4.96 ERA in eight home assignments this season. The right-hander is 2-1 with a 3.99 ERA in four lifetime starts against the White Sox.
Texas has produced a bunch of profit at home this season, cashing tickets at a 28-13 clip. The Rangers are 14-10 against left-handed pitching.
The ‘over’ is 38-36 overall for the White Sox, 20-19 in their road games.
The ‘under’ is 39-38 overall for the Rangers, but the ‘over’ is 21-19 in their home games.
The first pitch is scheduled for 8:05 p.m. Eastern on channel 665 for those that have the MLB Package on Direct TV.
vegasinsider.com
MLB RoundUp For 7/4
By Dan Bebe
National League
Mets (-115) @ Nationals with a total of 8.5
This line has already made an initial move towards the Nationals, rare for that to happen this early, but so it goes, and I'd say there's some interesting reasons why. They are not so much in the historical numbers, as Takahashi has no record and a 0.00 ERA against the Nats, while Stammen is 1-2 with a 5.24 ERA against the Mets, but instead, in the recent play. Takahashi has allowed 6 runs in each of his last 2 starts, a classic downward trend, while Stammen has pitched very, very well over his last 2 starts. Stammen didn't pitch well against the Mets earlier this year, which makes this a tough one for me to back, but it's Nats or nothin', that's for sure. Leans: Nationals
Phillies (-130) @ Pirates with a total of 8.5
This line is strikingly low, given the two teams involved, and given that the Phillies just blasted the Pirates yesterday behind a solid outing from Kyle Kendrick and some offensive fireworks. Blanton is rounding into form, of late, and he's 1-0 with a 1.77 ERA against the Pirates. Looks like the no-brainer of the century, doesn't it? I'm not convinced. Karstens has been surprisingly reliable over the last month or so, and his 1.50 ERA against the Phillies could potentially bear itself out off yesterday's Maholm disaster. Leans: None
Brewers @ Cardinals (-156) with a total of 7
Leans: Cardinals
Reds @ Cubs (-130) with a total of N/A
I will admit, this line feels a little high, given the way that Leake has pitched against the Cubbies so far this year, 1-0 with a 2.63 ERA in two starts. Lilly is just 2-6 lifetime against the Reds, posting a 4.06 ERA in the process. Of course, on the flip side, Leake has been trending down over his last 4 starts, aside from one good outing against the punchless A's, and Lilly, after getting rocked by the Halos, has bounced back with 2 strong starts against the weak-hitting Mariners and Pirates. Tough to say how these guys perform in a July 4 day game. Leans: None
Giants @ Rockies (-120) with a total of 8
Cain has been an absolute beast against the Rockies this season, giving up just a single earned run in 16 innings of work over 2 starts. He's 10-6 lifetime against Colorado with a 2.96 ERA, and Ryan Spilborghs is really the only Rockie with significant success against him. Just about everyone else has been completely dominated. Hammel continues his resurgence, though his last couple starts are a little less impressive. I will note, though, that both of these guys are trending down a tad, and I wonder if the Giants offensive explosion was a flash in the pan or a sign of things to come in that game yesterday. Leans: Giants
Astros @ Padres (-165) with a total of 7
Leans: None
Dodgers @ D'backs (-115) with a total of 9.5
We'll keep this write-up short and sweet. Haren has faced the Dodgers 3 times this year, and the D'backs have lost all 3 of those games. I just cannot imagine a great pitcher like Haren getting beat 4 times by the same team, before the All Star Break. Billingsley has looked very human against the D'backs, and there's no way they can play as poorly as they did yesterday, again, today. 6 errors? Come on. This one has a shot of going over the total, I believe, and Manny Ramirez is a key cog in the Dodgers wheel of success against the D'backs ace. Leans: D'backs
Marlins @ Braves (-185) with a total of 8
Leans: None
American League
Mariners (-125) @ Tigers with a total of 7
The Tigers have actually enjoyed some success against Lee throughout the years, and they've certainly seen him enough, courtesy of his time with the Indians. Lee is 5-9 with a 4.76 ERA against Detroit, and I wonder if Bonderman doesn't just follow up the work of Scherzer and Verlander with a more finesse outing in this one. Bonderman has faced Seattle twice this year, getting absolutely crushed in April, then coming back with a splendid outing in May. Weird, I'd say, to face the same team 3 times, from another division, but hey, it is what it is. Lee is coming off 3 straight complete games, so you have to wonder how much he's got in that tank, don't you? Leans: Tigers
Athletics @ Indians (-140) with a total of 8.5
I think this game could end up being closer than folks might think. At first glance, Carmona would appear to be the huge superior in this one but Mazzaro seems to be ramping up, finding a groove, and is coming off a very nice start against the Orioles. The Indians can hit a bit better than Baltimore, but Mazzaro has that ERA down to 4.25 on the season, and there's no reason to think a quality start is out of the question. Carmona is only 3-3 with a 5.87 lifetime ERA against Oakland, though he did blast them earlier this season with 7+ innings of solid stuff. Leans: None
Blue Jays @ Yankees (-210) with a total of 9
Leans: None
Orioles @ Red Sox (-210) with a total of 9.5
Leans: None
Rays (-120) @ Twins with a total of 9.5
This has been a wild series, and I'm glad I haven't had money on any of these teams so far. Of course, maybe today's the day? Shields continues to struggle like crazy, and the Rays have lost his last 7 consecutive starts dating back to May. He's 2-1 against Minnesota, but has a 5.15 ERA against the Twins, and the usual suspects have hit him awfully hard (Cuddyer, Kubel, Mauer...not as much, Morneau, but a little). Blackburn is a total mess on the road, and only a partial mess at home. I think there's some value in the tiny dog as the Twins look for the split. Leans: Twins
White Sox @ Rangers (-150) with a total of 10.5
Leans: White Sox-1
Royals @ Angels (-177) with a total of 9
Leans: None
Sunday Night Baseball: Royals at Angels
By MARC LAWRENCE
The Royals make a rare Sunday night appearance on ESPN when they meet the Angels in the finale of their three game series. Here’s a peek at what bettors should remember when wagering on this game.
Home sweet home
Things have gone well for the Los Angeles Angels during this 12-game homestand, the longest of the season for the Halos.
"Offensively we're playing up to expectations," said Scott Podsednik. "When they put this club together in spring training, offensively we felt like we had a pretty good attack and right now we're showing that."
After a slow start at home this season, the Angels recent surge lifted them to 22-18 at Angel Stadium of Anaheim prior to this series with Kansas City.
The Angels are also excited about hosting the 2010 All-Star game on July 13. Owner Arte Moreno bubbles when talking about showcasing Anaheim and the stadium.
“As a fan, you get to see things like Derek Jeter batting against Doc Halladay. We get to showcase our stadium, fans and environment,” he said.
When asked about the name change to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Moreno replied, “There's 300,000 people in Anaheim and 3 million in Orange County and 18 million in the metroplex.
“The Angels were doing about $100 million when we bought the team; last season, we did almost $230 million. That's six years later. What we were trying to do with the name change is make it more inclusive.”
I can’t see clearly now
Angels left fielder Juan Rivera is hoping to return to the lineup this weekend after missing consecutive games with eye problems.
He had his eyes examined Thursday after complaining his vision was "a little blurry" at a distance recently. Rivera is batting .239 with 10 home runs and 34 RBIs but insists the vision issue is not the reason for his low average.
Rivera was nowhere to be seen in the series opener Friday and was also absent from the lineup Saturday.
When you’re hot, you’re hot
Kansas City outfielder David DeJesus was named the Royals' Player of the Month for June. In 26 games, he hit .410 with 41 hits, which ranked second in the majors in both categories to Josh Hamilton of the Rangers.
DeJesus led the club with a .530 slugging percentage and drove in 16 runs. His .450 on-base percentage ranked fourth in the American League.
And in case you’re wondering what ever happened to former Royals phenom Alex Gordon, he is alive and well in Omaha.
Gordon, hitting .327 with 11 home runs and 36 RBIs in 53 games, was selected to the Pacific Coast League All-Star team. His .447 on-base percentage ranks second in the league, while his .577 slugging percentage is tied for fourth in the League.
Comeback kids
Veteran right-handers Anthony Lerew of the Royals and Joel Pineiro of the Angels toe the rubber tonight it what will be a matchup of pitchers that refused to toss in the towel.
Lerew was signed by the Royals last March for organizational pitching depth. He previously toiled for the Braves in 2007 before disappearing back into the minors.
It proved to be a good move as he has gone 1-1 with a 3.63 ERA in three starts since former No. 1 overall pick Luke Hochevar went on the DL two weeks ago with a right elbow sprain.
“Every once in a while you get a situation where a guy finds his niche, gets in the right spot and everything clicks,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “That’s happening (for Lerew) right now.”
A former starter with St. Louis in the National League, Pineiro has been born-again with the Angels. He enters tonight’s tussle with five straight team start wins and is also 6-0 in his last six home starts.
Pineiro is 4-2 with a 1.68 ERA in his career at home versus Kansas City.
Royal pain
Kansas City’s anguish in this series continues.
The Royals dropped nine of 10 games to the Angels last year, including all three at Angels Stadium. The Angels won three of four from K.C. earlier this season at Kauffman Stadium.
That widened the series tally with Los Angeles holding a dominating 15-3 overall edge entering this weekend series.
Tips and Trends
San Francisco Giants at Colorado Rockies
Giants: San Francisco has struggled mightily of late, losing 8 of their past 10 games. San Francisco is now 41-39 SU on the year, including 16-22 SU on the road. The Giants are now in 4th place in the National League West, 6.5 games behind the Padres. San Francisco is -3.27 and -8.42 units both SU and on the RL respectively this year. The Giants will send P Matt Cain to the mound today, as he's 6-7 with an ERA of 2.93 and a WHIP of 1.14 this year. The Giants are 2-7 in their last 9 road games against a right-handed starter. The Giants are 0-6 in their last 6 games against a right-handed starter. San Francisco is 0-8 in their last 8 games against a starter with a WHIP greater than 1.30. The Giants are 4-1 in Cain's last 5 starts as a road underdog. San Francisco is 5-21 in Cain's last 26 road starts against a team with a winning record. The Giants are 1-6 in Cain's last 7 starts following a team loss in their previous game.
Giants are 3-13 last 16 games as an underdog.
Over is 6-1 in Giants last 7 games as a road underdog.
Key Injuries - LF Mark DeRosa (wrist) is out.
PROJECTED SCORE: 5 (Side of the Day)
Rockies (-120, O/U 8): Colorado suffered a tough loss yesterday, as they simply don't expect to lose games featuring their ace starter. Colorado stands 43-38 SU on the year, including 25-15 SU at home. Colorado is -1.36 and +1.01 units both SU and on the RL for the season. P Jason Hammel is pitching lights out right now, as he's 6-3 with an ERA of 4.32 and a WHIP of 1.38 this year. The Rockies are 5-1 in their last 6 home games against a right-handed starter. Colorado is 8-3 in their last 11 games against a starter with a WHIP less than 1.15. The Rockies are 5-2 in their last 7 games against a right-handed starter. The Rockies are 6-1 in Hammel's last 7 starts. The Rockies are 5-1 in Hammel's last 6 home starts overall. Colorado is 8-2 in Hammel's last 10 starts as a home favorite of -110 to -150. The Rockies are 2-7 in Hammel's last 9 starts with the total set at between 7 and 8.5 runs.
Rockies are 7-1 last 8 home games against a team with a winning record.
The Over is 5-0 last 5 games against the National League West.
Key Injuries - SS Troy Tulowitzki (wrist) is out.
PROJECTED SCORE: 3
Kansas City Royals at Los Angeles Angels
Royals: Kansas City has won back to back games, as they' been getting great pitching performances of late. P Anthony Lerew is coming off a gem in his last start, and is 1-1 with an ERA of 3.63 and a WHIP of 1.15 this year. The Royals are 36-45 SU overall this season, including 18-24 SU on the road. Surprisingly, the Royals are +1.14 and +7.36 units both SU and on the RL this season. The Royals are 1-4 in their last 5 games as a road underdog of +151 to +200. Kansas City is 3-7 in their last 10 games against a right-handed starter. The Royals are 1-5 in their last 6 road games against a right-handed starter. Kansas City is enjoying the summer of late, as they've won 7 of their past 10 games overall.
Royals are 2-6 last 8 games as a road underdog.
Over is 7-1 last 8 road games against a team with a winning record.
Key Injuries - 3B Josh Fields (hip) is out.
PROJECTED SCORE: 5
Angels (-175, O/U 9): Los Angeles is playing good baseball right now, expect when facing the Royals. The Angels have been dominated by the Royals this weekend. Los Angeles is 45-38 SU this year, including 23-20 SU at home. Los Angeles is +6.18 and +6.08 units both SU and on the RL respectively this year. P Joel Pineiro will take the mound tonight at home, and he's 8-6 with an ERA of 4.23 and a WHIP of 1.28 this year overall. The Angels are 9-4 in their last 13 home games against a right-handed starter. The Angels are 23-11 in their last 34 games against a right-handed starter. Los Angeles is 6-0 in Pineiro's last 6 starts as a home favorite. The Angels are 6-0 in Pineiro's last 6 home starts. Los Angeles is 5-1 in Pineiro's last 6 starts as a favorite. The Angels are 5-2 in Pineiro's last 7 starts following a Quality Start in his last appearance.
Angels are 22-10 last 32 overall.
Under is 4-0 last 4 games as a favorite of -151 to -200.
Key Injuries - LF Juan Rivera (eye) is questionable.
PROJECTED SCORE: 6 (OVER - Total of the Day)