MLB News and Notes Sunday 8/8

Sunday Night Baseball: Red Sox at Yankees
By MARC LAWRENCE

The most celebrated rivalry in the American League resumes Sunday night when the Yankees and Red Sox meet in Game 3 of an extended four-game series at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.

Blood rivalry

Whether it’s Yale-Harvard, Ali-Frazier or even the Bruins-Canadiens, rivalry games are all special.

While we tend to focus on the here and now, you can’t help but look to those games against hated rivals. It’s because, first and foremost, players and teams want nothing more than to beat their rivals.

Aside from the teams playing with a greater level of intensity, fans put on their best face for blood-rivals, too. The players know it and they respond accordingly.

This series rivalry formed back in the 1920 when the Red Sox sold legendary Hall of Famer Babe Ruth to the Yankees and each season it seems like another meaningful chapter is added.

Last year Josh Beckett hit a number of Yankee players and blamed it on “poor control”. He even decked Derek Jeter with the bases loaded.

Did you know

With the addition of Kerry Wood, Austin Kearns and Lance Berkman at the trade deadline, the Yanks have 10 players on their roster who were selected in the first round of the draft.

Down but not out

Entering this series, the Bronx Bombers dropped two of three to the Rays and Blue Jays, the first time this season that they have lost consecutive series of at least three games.

The last time the Yankees lost two three-game series in a row was June 16-21, 2009, when they dropped two of three to both the Nationals and Marlins.

Meanwhile, Boston entered the series six games behind the Yankees having just lost 1B Kevin Youkilis to a thumb injury for the year.

Youkilis is one of three Red Sox players who have played more than 95 games this season. The Yankees, on the other hand, have six players who have played more than 95 games.

Mike Lowell, returning off the disabled list, will now step into Youkilis’ shoes, and he is ready.

"As tough as it is to lose Youkilis, I think we're pretty fortunate," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "I don't know how many teams can take a Youkilis out and put a Lowell in. I guess that's how I prefer to look at it."

Through it all, Yankees manager Joe Girardi refuses to take Boston for granted, even after watching his team win 14 of its last 18 against its divisional foe.

"I think they've dealt with it well," Girardi said of Boston's recent rash of injuries. "They've had a number of injuries to key players. Their rotation has continued to pitch well, they've continued to stay in it with all these injuries."

Yo, Adrian

Boston third baseman Adrian Beltre has stepped up to fill the recent holes caused by injuries.

Beltre blasted a grand slam in Thursday's win over Cleveland, extending his hitting streak to 11 games, his longest of the season.

He is hitting .341 with four home runs and 13 RBIs over the course of the streak.

The blast also gave Beltre 20 home runs and 75 RBIs on the season.

It's the eighth time he has cracked 20 homers in a season and the ninth time he's tallied at least 75 RBIs.

Only 10 other third basemen since 1901 have managed to put together as many seasons in each of those statistical categories.

Stay tuned

Boston GM Theo Epstein was disappointed but not overwrought with bitterness at not being able to pull the trigger at this year’s trade deadline.

"In past years we've been able to make trades that immediately impact our big league team. That's a really satisfying feeling. Other years we haven't been able to and come away with a bit of an empty feeling. Today is more the latter. It's not the end of the story."

Tale of the tape

Former Marlins, A.J. Burnett (9-9, 4.93) and Josh Beckett (3-1, 5.70), toe the rubber this evening in a matchup of struggling right-handers.

Burnett suffered from a horrible June where he was 0-5 with a 9.00 ERA. If you remove those numbers, during which pitching coach Dave Eiland was away from the team, his season stats are more than serviceable at 9-4 with a 3.50 ERA.

The 33-year-old Burnett is 8-6 with a 4.92 ERA in 14 career team starts against the Red Sox, including 4-2 at home.

Beltre is 10-for-31 (.323) with six doubles and seven RBIs off the righty, but Lowell is just 4-for-20 (.200).

Beckett has pitched well since coming off the 60-day DL on July 23. He is 3-0 with a 2.18 ERA in his past three team starts.

The right-hander's last two outings before going on the DL were against the Yankees and he did not pitch well in either of them. In fact, in three outings this season vs. New York, Beckett owns a 10.43 ERA.

In his career, Beckett is 9-6 with a 5.95 against the Bombers, but has pitched well at the new Yankee Stadium, going 2-1 with a 3.06 in three starts.

Robinson Cano is 18-for-52 (.346) with seven doubles, three homers and 12 RBIs off Beckett. Posada is 11-for-33 (.333) against the right-hander, but has struck out 10 times.

Mark Teixeira is 4-for-28 (.143), while the recently acquire Berkman is 3-for-18 (.167) with seven strikeouts against Beckett.

Sunday MLB Tips
By Kevin Rogers

The baseball weekend concludes on Sunday with several teams trying to widen gaps in their respective division race. The Red Sox look to keep their season alive in the Bronx against the Yankees, while the Padres close out their series in the desert against the Diamondbacks. We'll begin in the East Bay with the A's attempting to narrow the Rangers' lead in the AL West.

Rangers at A's - 4:05 PM EST

It would take a meltdown of epic proportions for Texas to lose the AL West title, as the Rangers try to do something on Sunday they have failed to do in three previous tries. Trevor Cahill has turned into the ace of the Oakland pitching staff, while shutting down this vaunted Rangers offense in three starts this season.

Cahill (11-4, 2.72 ERA) is the fourth-most profitable starting pitcher in baseball this season, clearing 10.7 units for backers. The Oakland right-hander is coming off consecutive scoreless efforts in wins over Kansas City and Texas, including a two-hit gem in eight innings at Ameriquest Field on July 28. Cahill has silenced the Rangers in each matchup, limiting the AL West leaders to three runs (two earned) in three victories, all as an underdog.

The pitcher on the losing side of Cahill's three wins in these matchups is Colby Lewis (9-8, 3.45 ERA), as the Rangers' righty goes for his first victory against Oakland since 2004. Lewis hasn't pitched poorly in those three defeats, giving up seven earned runs in 20 innings of work. The veteran has struggled to get in the win column recently, picking up only one victory since the All-Star Break in four starts, an 8-4 decision at Boston. Lewis returns to home state of California looking for his fourth underdog win of the season, as the Rangers' righty has cashed the 'under' in five of his last six outings.

Oakland owns a dynamic 21-11 record in Game 3's this season, including a 12-3 mark at home. Texas has finished 'under' the total in nine of its last 12 road games, while seven times the Rangers have held opponents to four runs or less.

Padres at Diamondbacks - 4:10 PM EST

The home team has been pretty been much an automatic "W" when these teams meet up, going 9-1 this season. The Diamondbacks avenged a three-game sweep at Petco Park right after the All-Star Break with Friday's 2-1 victory over the Padres. Arizona has played recently, owning a 5-3 mark over the last eight games, including a series victory at New York. The Padres' offense has been hit-or-miss on this road trip, scoring one run or less in three of five games.

Mat Latos (11-5, 2.47 ERA) has bloomed in his first complete season with the Padres, winning seven times on the highway. Latos looks to rebound from a loss in his last outing at Los Angeles, dropping a 2-1 decision to the Dodgers despite allowing four hits and two runs in six innings. That setback ended an eight-game winning streak by the Padres with Latos on the mound, as the young right-hander allowed two runs or less in each outing. Latos has never faced the Diamondbacks in his career, as he looks to cash his ninth 'under' in his last 12 starts.

The D-Backs send out southpaw Joe Saunders (1-0, 1.69 ERA), making his third start since getting dealt from the Angels for Dan Haren. Following a no-decision in his Arizona debut at Philadelphia, Saunders limited the Nationals to five hits and one run in a complete-game victory his last time out. Saunders' teams are 0-4 his previous four starts as an underdog, but the lefty did shut down the Padres last season in Anaheim, holding San Diego to one run in 8.1 innings of a 9-1 blowout.

The Padres will have to overcome the road team woes in this series to pick up a Sunday victory, as San Diego is 2-8 the last 10 meetings at Chase Field. Although Arizona has been dreadful all season, the D-Backs don't help bettors in Game 3 of a series, owning an 11-22 mark.

Red Sox at Yankees - 8:05 PM EST

The banged-up Red Sox aren't going away just yet in the AL East race, grabbing the series opener on Friday night by a 6-3 count. Thanks to Tampa Bay's stumbles recently, Boston is creeping up in the Wild Card race quickly. The Yankees will try to distance themselves from both the Rays and Red Sox in the third game of this four-game series in the Bronx.

A pair of former Marlins' fireballers takes the mound as A.J. Burnett faces off against 2003 World Series MVP Josh Beckett. Burnett (9-9, 4.93 ERA) had pitched well in his two prior starts in wins over the Royals and Indians, but was knocked around by his ex-mates as the Blue Jays tagged the righty for eight earned runs in 4.1 innings of an 8-6 loss. The Red Sox have Burnett's number since he joined the Yankees in 2009, beating him in four of six opportunities. Five of those starts did come at Fenway Park, as his lone outing at Yankee Stadium was a 2-0 masterpiece almost to the day, tossing the one-hit gem on August 7, 2009.

Beckett (3-1, 5.70 ERA) is rounding back into his ace form by delivering a pair of quality starts in wins over the Angels and Indians. The right-hander started the season with some struggles on the road, but he has allowed four earned runs in his last away outings at Los Angeles and Seattle. Beckett hasn't put up the best numbers recently against the Bombers, giving up 25 earned runs in his previous four starts versus New York. The Sox managed to get Beckett off the hook in a 7-6 victory in May as he lasted only 4.2 innings.

The road team is 6-3 in the season series, with the Sox capturing two of three meetings in the Bronx. The Yankees have played their best in Game 3 of a series, owning a 21-11 mark. Boston has profited recently as a road underdog, cashing in five of its last six in this spot.

vegasinsider.com

MLB RoundUp For 8/8
By Dan Bebe

National League

Cardinals (-120) @ Marlins with a total of 9.5
This seems like a little bit of an inflated number, largely just because of the team names. Jeff Suppan has been extremely inconsistent this year, though I suppose he's been a tad better lately than he was early in the year. Sean West has made just 1 start this year, and got knocked around by the suddenly surging Phillies. He did, however, face the Cardinals previously (last year), and pitched pretty well against them. Bottom line, Suppan hasn't faced the Marlins much over the last couple years, but he shouldn't be a road favorite against any competent team. He gave up a run in relief against them this year, and went 5 innings in a start in each of the previous 2 years, giving up 2 runs and 3 runs on those starts. The Marlins can hit, and while Suppan has been a little tricky, which can cause some problems for young teams, Florida can hit.

Mets @ Phillies (-200) with a total of 7
I have some thoughts on this game, despite the hefty line, and it revolves around the underdog run line. We know the Mets can't score, and we know the Phillies are surging. To expect New York to do anything special offensively against Halladay is probably asking a bit much. However, R.A. Dickey has been the one bright spot for the Mets this last month, and they won his last start with a late run. I don't really think the Mets win, but I do like Dickey, and he's already put together some fine work against the Phillies, this year. I haven't played a single underdog run-line this year, but this one is right in that wheelhouse, and the price is right.

Rockies @ Pirates (-111) with a total of 8.5
There's something weird about this game, the line included. First, what business do the Pirates have being the listed favorite against a talented team like the Rockies? Say what you want about oddsmakers, but they usually have a pretty good reason to make a terrible team a favorite. In fact, going to the recordbooks, Maholm has been the listed favorite in just TWO of his 22 starts this year. He's 1-1 in those games, beating Todd Wellemeyer (a candidate for the "where are they now?" award) and losing to Fausto Carmona. And let's remember, when those games happened, the Giants were slumping, and the Indians were still about a month away from starting their offensive romp that they're in, right now. The Rockies are a good team, and they've been playing well enough to be the favorite in this series, and considering Maholm has a career 1-5, 6.26 mark against the Rockies, including giving up 8 runs in 5.1 innings in Colorado 2 weeks ago, I can't help but think Rogers gets dominated.

Giants @ Braves (-130) with a total of 8
I know Derek Lowe hasn't been all that good lately, but Sanchez is a fade candidate for me. He had such a nice start to the year, and folks have been riding those fumes for a while, but let's remember how well Derek Lowe knows the Giants. Lowe is coming off a solid start against the punchless Mets, so we have to try to weigh his gain in confidence against how awful that opponent was, but at the same time, we also know that Lowe can be pretty darn streaky, and often builds on a good start. Sanchez faced the Braves way back in early April and couldn't last 5 innings. He's 1-2 against Atlanta with a 5.48 ERA, and Lowe, as noted above, is 6-4 with a 2.92 ERA against a team he's seen plenty of times. Aaron Rowand, interestingly, is the Giant with the most success against Lowe.

Astros @ Brewers (-244) with a total of 8
This one is way out of our price range, and the total does not intrigue me.

Reds (-140) @ Cubs with a total of N/A
What we've seen in this series, so far, is that the Cubs seem completely uninterested in playing tough. They know their Manager is out at the end of the season, so I doubt he's really motivating like he used to, they're way out of contention, and they were actually sellers at the trading deadline. This line is inflated for the Reds because of their success this year and the Cubs' complete apathy towards each game, but at the same time, I don't think I could possibly back Chicago. As our good buddy Mike Hook likes to say, "If you care more about the game than the team you backed, that's not a good bet."

Nationals @ Dodgers (-201) with a total of 8
No chance. Don't do it. Do not back the Dodgers. This team woke up, offensively, for one game against the Padres, but if they give up 3-4 runs to their opponent, they're basically cooked. They lost the opener to the Nats, and these huge lines are just so far beyond what anyone should pay for this team, it's insane.

Padres (-145) @ D'backs with a total of 8
Joe Saunders has been outstanding since coming over to the NL, going 16 innings and giving up a combined 3 runs on 14 hits with only 2 walks, and while Arizona lost one of those games in a low-scoring battle, his efforts most certainly cannot be faulted. Latos hasn't faced the D'backs yet in his young career, but this one has all the makings of 6 innings, and 9 strikeouts. The Padres pen is often the difference, and while the value play is definitely on Arizona, I'm not sure that there's enough value to really warrant a play. I guess what I'm saying is that if you have unlimited bankroll, you're probably getting 5-8 cents of value, maybe as much as 10, and long term, it's a good bet, but isolating the exact days where it's a winner is where things get interesting. Underdog run line isn't nuts, either.

American League

Angels @ Tigers (-131) with a total of 9.5
This might very well be more than I'm willing to pay to back Porcello, who has just been a total money-eater. The Tigers are 5-12 in his starts, and even when he pitches well, Detroit seems to find a way to lose. The Angels and Tigers are both hanging on by a thread, in terms of any kind of postseason hopes, so we should get some desperation efforts in this series, and I'm honestly just a little hesitant to take either side. Bell pitched well enough to win against the Orioles, but the Angels subpar pen gave that one away (to our pleasure, mind you, as we faded him in that game), but his pitch count is increasing, and his comfort level seems to be on the rise, as well. By the way, Porcello has a career ERA over 9 against the Halos. Yikes.

Twins (-150) @ Indians with a total of 9
I realize this is a big number, and I realize how well the Indians have been playing, but damn if David Huff isn't among the 4 or 5 guys in this League that I don't think I can ever back, regardless of the situation. The Indians are 3-11 in his starts, and while he did pitch what we can safely call an okay game against the Red Sox on the 3rd in his return to the rotation, Huff is not a good starter. He's 2-4 with a 6.06 ERA against the Twins, including 2 starts this year where he allowed 4 runs in each. He also gave up 13 hits in those 11 innings, and 8 walks. As far as Duensing goes, I'm not sure he deserves this kind of line, but he has been extremely reliable in his starts this year, and I see no reason to think that the wheels come off in this one, despite the Indians strong offensive roll.

Rays @ Blue Jays with a total of N/A
I'm seeing both Jeff Niemann and Andy Sonnanstine listed as potential starters, but the more reliable site has Sonnanstine, so we'll see how well that goes. If indeed he's the guy, the Jays will probably be a medium favorite, as Sonnanstine is not among the usual Rays' elite, and his career ERA against the Jays is near 6. That being said, after the 28 runs we saw yesterday, this one should be a little less insane. Morrow has faced Tampa twice this year, and has been very good against them both times. Of course, we know how tough it is to completely shut a team down repeatedly in the same season, and with Morrow giving up his fair share of runs in the last month, he's not exactly in top form. I'm concerned that the line is actually going to be a bit inflated on the Jays side, but I suppose we'll see.

White Sox (-141) @ Orioles with a total of 8.5
Aside from Nick Markakis, Buerhle has completely owned the Orioles. He's 5-3 with a 2.72 ERA against them, and has been just sort of doing his thing over the last two months - throwing mostly changeups down and away, getting grounders, and working quickly. Guthrie, by the way, has a string of 4 straight quality starts going right now, and though his career numbers against the White Sox aren't that impressive, looking up and down the Chicago roster, there really aren't too many guys doing significant damage off Guthrie. Baltimore is playing hard, and they're a live dog against most starters, but Buerhle lifetime success makes me a little more hesitant on the side, and a little more interested in a potential Under.

Rangers @ Athletics (-125) with a total of 7.5
Super-mega-rematch alert! This one actually made me laugh a little bit. These two pitchers, Lewis and Cahill, have faced one another 3 times already this year, and Cahill has won all 3 starts. I'm not a guy that buys into the "someone's due" theory, for the most part, but at some point, you have to think that the Rangers break through against Cahill. He's 5-1 with a 1.83 ERA against Texas, and his most recent start against them was his best, going 8 shutout innings and giving up just 2 hits. And Cahill is as hot right now, as a pitcher, as you can ever be. He's gone 17 shutout innings in his last 2 starts, and has only allowed 5 hits, total. Just incredible. Lewis has been good, and probably deserves a win, but when you weigh all these factors together, how do you really pick a side?

Royals @ Mariners (-151) with a total of 8
The lines in this series have just been all over the place, with Greinke getting pasted as a -170 road favorite, and now Vargas is a -150 home favorite? Good grief. I'd love to break this thing down, but honestly, when neither team has anything to play for, and you'd have to either lay big chalk to play the favorite (that doesn't really care), or take a shot with a dog (that can't pitch), you're putting yourself in a position to go gray early in life.

Red Sox @ Yankees (-140) with a total of 9
Oh, A.J. Burnett, will you ever figure out how to just go 6 innings and give up 2 runs every time out, please? I doubt it. He's going to keep doing what he's been doing, going 3 straight starts without allowing a run, then giving up 11 runs in his next 2 starts. Which one will this one be? Well, if history is any indicator, he should stink. Since Burnett moved over to the Yankees, the Red Sox have clobbered him, including two ugly starts against them this year. Josh Beckett appears to be feeling pretty good, these days. He's one of the few starters we've seen come back from a substantial injury, and not really have a letdown game. Tough to have a letdown against the Yankees. I know his career numbers against New York aren't too good, but when he's on his game, Beckett can be flat out unhittable.

Tips and Trends

Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees

Red Sox: Boston is desperate for this win tonight, as it will give them a morale boost, as well as pulling within 5 games of the Yankees in the American League East. Boston is 63-38 SU this year, including 29-25 SU on the road. The Red Sox are +1.19 and -3.50 units both SU and on the RL respectively this season. Boston has their pitching staff in fine form right now, and ace pitcher Josh Beckett will look to keep that magic happening. Beckett will make the road start tonight, as he is 3-1 with an ERA of 5.70 and a WHIP of 1.40 this season. The Red Sox are 4-0 in their last 4 road games against a right-handed starter. Boston is 4-0 in Beckett's last 4 starts overall. The Red Sox are 5-1 in Beckett's last 6 road starts. The Red Sox are 7-2 in Beckett's last 9 starts following a Quality Start in his last appearance. Boston is 28-11 in Beckett's last 39 starts on grass. The Red Sox are 15-7 in Beckett's last 22 starts against the American League East.

Red Sox are 4-2 last 6 road games against a team with a home winning percentage greater than .600%.
Over is 6-1 last 7 games against a starter with a WHIP greater than 1.30.

Key Injuries - 1B Kevin Youkilis (thumb) is out.

PROJECTED SCORE: 6 (Side of the Day)

Yankees (-140, O/U 9): New York showed some heart in their game yesterday, as they were able to beat the Red Sox behind another good pitching performance. The Yankees maintain the best record in baseball at 68-41 SU, while also leading the American League East division by 1.5 games. New York +3.31 and +11.14 units both SU and on the RL respectively this year. Offensively, the Yankees have been held to 5 runs or fewer in 7 of their last 8 games. P A.J. Burnett will make the home start tonight, as he is 9-9 with an ERA of 4.93 and a WHIP of 1.49 this year. The Yankees are 49-17 in their last 66 home games against a right-handed starter. New York is 36-15 in their last 51 games during game 3 of a series. The Yankees are 68-29 in their last 97 games against a starter with a WHIP greater than 1.30. The Yankees are 57-28 in their last 85 games against the American League East. New York is 7-2 in Burnett's last 9 starts during game 3 of a series. The Yankees are 0-4 in Burnett's last 4 home starts against a team with a winning record. The Yankees are 0-7 in Burnett's last 7 starts against the American League East.

Yankees are 43-17 last 60 home games against a team with a winning record.
Over is 8-3-1 last 12 games against the American League East.

Key Injuries - 3B Alex Rodriguez (leg) is questionable.

PROJECTED SCORE: 4