Thursday's Early Matchups
By Judd Hall
We have plenty of early action on Thursday with six tilts getting underway before most people get out of their offices. That means gamblers can get their fix early and often in preparation for this weekend’s Hall of Fame Game. Let’s take a few quick looks at each of those early matchups now.
It all starts on the shores of Lake Erie as the Indians play host to Minnesota at 12:05 p.m. EDT. Cleveland is turning the ball over to Fausto Carmona (2-6, 7.13 ERA), which has proven to be an adventure for much of the season. He’s 0-3 with an earned run average of 5.76 at Progressive Field this year. The Tribe are 2-4 when Carmona starts at home.
Things might look like they aren’t going to get easier for Cleveland as they go up against Nick Blackburn (8-5, 3.83 ERA). That is until you realize that the Twins are 3-7 in Blackburn’s last 10 starts this season.
There might not be a bigger ‘over’ team in baseball right now than the Tribe. The Indians have seen the ‘over’ go 10-1-1 in their last 12 games this year.
In our nation’s capital, the Nationals play host to the Marlins at 12:35 p.m. EDT.
Washington might be the laughingstock of the big leagues, but they have won three straight matches to at least build a little confidence. Bettors should note that the Nationals have won four consecutive games just once during the season. Odds are looking pretty good that trend will continue here with Craig Stammen (3-6, 4.96 ERA) on the mound. Stammen is 1-4 with a 5.75 ERA at Nationals Park this season.
Florida will send Chris Volstad (8-9, 4.35 ERA) out to the mound to keep its playoff hopes alive. Not a bad hurler to send out as the Fish have won four of his last five starts this year. Plus, he’s won his last three road appearances.
The National League’s only other early game is its best as the Rockies do battle in Philadelphia at 1:05 p.m. EDT.
We all know how hot Colorado has been since Jim Tracy took over as manager. But you have to be impressed by them as they’re on another streak, winning five in a row. And the Rox have covered the all important run line in each contest.
The Rockies have to like their chances with Aaron Cook (10-3, 3.88 ERA) getting the starting nod. Colorado has won four of his last five starts this season. Also, Cook is 13-3 with a 4.17 ERA over the past two years in day games.
So how do you stop a team on such a roll? Try using a Cy Young Award winner. That’s what the Phillies will be doing with Cliff Lee (1-0, 1.00 ERA) taking his first start at Citizens Bank Park. Lee shined in his debut with a complete game four-hitter in a 5-1 win at San Francisco last Friday. Philadelphia shouldn’t be surprised by this as he’s tossed three complete games in his last four starts, two of which were with the Tribe.
Colorado is 7-1 in its last eight tilts on Thursday. However, they’re 2-7 in the last nine head-to-head meetings with the Phillies.
The AL Central standings currently have the Tigers in first place, but that can change awfully fast when you’re only up by a single game. Detroit will try to keep that lead in its series finale at Comerica Park against the Orioles at 1:05 p.m. EDT.
Detroit will be looking for another strong outing from Rick Porcello (9-7, 4.36 ERA). The rookie hurler looked like he might be hitting the wall that so many first year starters have before him. There is reason to be optimistic that he’s made it past that problem after tossing eight strong innings of four-hit ball in a 4-3 win last Saturday in Cleveland.
Baltimore will be entrusting David Hernandez (3-3, 3.28 ERA) to get them off to a good start defensively. Hernandez is coming off of an outing on Aug. 1 that he lasted just 4.1 innings and gave up two earned runs. Not a horrendous start, but the O’s still lost to Boston at home 4-0.
Early numbers suggest that we should see a high scoring affair in the Motor City. The ‘over’ is 5-1 in the Tigers’ last six games, 6-0 in the Orioles’ last seven matches. Also, the ‘over’ is 4-1 in the last five head-to-head battles in Detroit.
The Tigers’ main competition in the AL Central, Chicago, will have its hands full as they host the Angels at 2:05 p.m. EDT.
The White Sox have been able to apply pressure in the division race thanks to winning four of their last five games. That stretch includes an impressive four-game series triumph over the Yankees.
Chicago’s John Danks (9-7, 4.00 ERA) gets the start on Thursday afternoon. Danks has pitched well recently, posting five quality starts in his last eight outings. The Pale Hose have also had no trouble crossing home plate with him on the mound, averaging just over 9 ½ runs in Danks’ last three starts.
The Halos will give the ball to Ervin Santana (3-6, 7.31 ERA) for this test. It’s hasn’t been a great campaign for a hurler that went 16-7 just a year ago. However, there is reason for optimism from bettors and fans alike as Santana is 2-1 in his last four starts (LAA is 3-1 in that stretch). His 6.59 ERA is a bit high for a lot of fans, but bettors have enjoyed cashing in with three straight ‘over’ plays when Santana is on the bump. Adding some credence to that total play is that the ‘over’ also 5-1 in Santana’s last six starts against the ChiSox.
Los Angeles is 14-2 in its last 16 matches against southpaws and they’re on a 20-6 run on Thursdays.
Thursday’s early festivities finish up out on the west coast as the Athletics battle the Rangers by the bay at 3:35 p.m. EDT.
Texas is still very much a part of both the race to win the AL West and the Wild Card, but still on the outside looking in. Losing three of their last four matches hasn’t helped the Rangers’ cause either.
The Rangers have penciled Tommy Hunter (3-2, 2.63 ERA) in to make the start on Thursday afternoon. Hunter is looking to bounce back from a subpar outing last Saturday against the M’s. He gave up four earned runs on seven hits in five innings of work as Texas took a 7-2 setback. Prior to that loss, Hunter hadn’t allowed more than one earned run in four straight starts.
It looks good for Hunter to bounce back here since Oakland is countering with Trevor Cahill (6-10, 5.01 ERA). Things haven’t gone well for Cahill recently as he is 1-4 with an ERA of 7.26 since the start of July. He is 5-6 with a 4.46 ERA in Oakland this season.
You’d think that things are pointing towards the Rangers here since the A’s are 2-5 in Cahill’s last seven starts this year. However, Oakland is 5-2 in its last seven home games started by Cahill. Also, they have won four straight games against right-handed starters.
Texas is 2-5 in its last seven road games this season and 6-13 in its last 19 games played on Thursday.
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West Side Stories
By Kevin Rogers
Two games in Southern California highlight the Thursday late night slate, as a pair of NL East teams battle clubs from the NL West. The Mets make the long trip out to San Diego, while the Braves and Dodgers meet up for the second time in a week.
Braves at Dodgers (10:10 PM EST)
Atlanta continues its West Coast swing, as Bobby Cox's club heads north to Los Angeles to take on the Dodgers. The Braves are fresh off taking two of three from the Padres, sitting five games behind both the Rockies and Giants in the NL Wild Card race heading into Wednesday night.
Derek Lowe (11-7, 4.21 ERA) beat the Dodgers last Saturday at Turner Field for his fourth straight victory. Atlanta is 5-0 in Lowe's five outings, while tossing exactly six innings in each trip to the mound. In Lowe's last six starts, the ex-Dodger has thrown over 100 pitches only once, so look for him to continue to keep his fielders involved and his strikeouts down.
The Dodgers are 8-3 in Randy Wolf's (5-6, 3.54 ERA) 11 starts at Chavez Ravine this season, but the lefty has figured in just three decisions (1-2). Wolf was on the losing side opposite Lowe last Saturday, allowing nine hits and four earned runs in six innings of work. Dating back to last season, it's the third straight loss Wolf has suffered at the hands of the Braves.
Las Vegas Sports Consultants has installed the Dodgers as a $1.25 home favorite, with the total set at 8.
Mets at Padres (10:10 PM EST)
The Mets venture out west for a seven-game road trip that takes them to San Diego and Arizona. New York is coming to Petco Park on a high note, after beating St. Louis, 9-0 on Wednesday afternoon. The Padres, meanwhile, xxxx Braves.
Livan Hernandez (7-5, 4.77 ERA) continues his roller-coaster season, coming off a loss to the Diamondbacks his last time out. The Mets have won Hernandez's last two road starts at Houston and Washington as underdogs. For the exception of two horrendous outings against the Dodgers and Phillies, Hernandez has compiled quality starts in six of his last eight trips to the mound.
Former White Sox lefty Clayton Richard (4-3, 4.47 ERA) makes his second start for the Padres since coming over in the Jake Peavy trade last week. Richard's San Diego debut was a strong one, allowing two hits and one run in 5.2 innings of a 4-2 victory over Milwaukee. It was Richard's third straight quality outing, as he wrapped up his tenure with the White Sox by beating the Tigers, and losing a one-run decision to the Rays.
The Mets are 0-7 in their last seven games against a left-handed starting pitcher, and 0-5 the last five meetings at Petco Park. The Padres are listed as a $1.35 'chalk,' with the total listed at 8, according to LVSC.
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Rivalry Renewed
By Kevin Rogers
Three games are in the early night spotlight on Thursday, as the one game that most baseball fans and bettors will keep an eye on takes place in the Bronx. The Red Sox and Yankees begin a crucial four-game set at Yankee Stadium, which will either simplify or further complicate the AL East race.
Red Sox at Yankees (7:05 PM EST)
The two old rivals meet up off 161st Street in the Bronx, but it's the Red Sox that have owned this series in 2009. Boston is 8-0 against New York, with six of those wins coming at Fenway Park. The Sox have managed to stay afloat in the division race thanks to their early-season success against the Yankees. Since June 11 (the last time the Sox played the Yankees), New York is 30-16 while Boston is 26-19 from that point, a swing of four games.
Joba Chamberlain (7-2, 3.58 ERA) has been on absolute fire as of late, allowing eight hits and two earned runs in his last three starts, all wins. The Yankees have won six of Joba's last seven starts, while finishing 'over' the total five times. Chamberlain's career numbers against the Sox are solid, despite the Yanks going 2-2 in four outings. Chamberlain has struck out 28 in four career starts against Boston, but is 0-2 this season versus the Sox.
Something to keep an eye out for, the Yankees are 0-3 this season when New York has won Chamberlain's last three starts.
The John Smoltz (2-4, 7.12 ERA) experiment has been a bit of a bust for the Red Sox. The future Hall-of-Famer has allowed five earned runs or more in five of seven starts in a Boston uniform. What's worse is the competition hasn't been superb that Smoltz has seen. Smoltz has faced the Orioles three times, the Royals, Nationals, and A's. The only team in playoff contention is Texas, as Smoltz allowed six runs in 5.2 innings of work in a 6-3 loss to the Rangers.
The Yankees are a substantial $1.70 home favorite, with the total listed at 10, according to Las Vegas Sports Consultants.
Diamondbacks at Pirates (7:05 PM EST)
We go from one end of the spectrum to another, but the D-Backs and Pirates wrap up their three-game set from PNC Park. Arizona has saved its best baseball for the end, as the D-Backs are 8-4 the last 12 games. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, has dropped eight of ten, while scoring two runs or less six times in this stretch.
It doesn't get easier for the Bucs when they face Max Scherzer (6-6, 3.80 ERA). The Arizona righty turned in one of his best performances of the season last time he saw the Pirates, tossing seven shutout innings in a 9-0 blowout two weeks ago. Scherzer began the season pitching better on the road than at home, but that has turned out recently. Arizona is 1-2 in Scherzer's last three away starts, following a 3-1 run midway through the season on the road.
Former Cub Kevin Hart (3-1, 2.60 ERA) gets the ball for the Pirates, making his first start since being acquired by Pittsburgh last week. Obviously the run support will take a hit going from Chicago to Pittsburgh, but Hart is coming off consecutive quality starts in victories over Cincinnati and Houston.
LVSC has listed the D-Backs as a $1.25 road 'chalk,' with the total listed at 8 ½.
Mariners at Royals (8:05 PM EST)
The Mariners are slowly fading from the AL Wild Card race, dropping seven of their past 11, wrapping up their series in Kansas City. The Royals vanished from all the races months ago, losing 19 of their last 24. Kansas City has owned Seattle recently, winning nine out of 12 against the Mariners.
A pair of journeyman lefties take the mound, as Jason Vargas and Bruce Chen each look to turn around their losing ways.
Vargas (3-5, 4.71 ERA) hasn't won since June 20 against Arizona, as the M's are 2-6 his last eight starts. Only one quality start is on Vargas' ledger in this current stretch, while allowing four earned runs or more in five of his last seven outings.
Chen (0-6, 5.73 ERA) is looking for his first victory since the end of the 2005 season. The Royals southpaw has produced plenty of 'unders,' doing so in six of eight starts this season. The run support for Chen is downright awful, with the Royals averaging 2.3 runs/game for the lefty.
Both teams are listed at a $1.10 for this contest, as the total sits at 9 ½, according to LVSC.
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Thursday's streaking and slumping starters
By Covers.com
Streaking
Cliff Lee (Philadelphia Phillies)
Welcome to the National League, Cliff.
The reigning AL Cy Young winner had his full arsenal on display in his first start on the senior circuit, throwing a four-hit complete game in a 5-1 win over the Giants. Lee also struck out six against only two walks.
In his past six starts overall, he’s averaging about eight innings and allowing slightly less than two earned runs per start. Lee also has picked up a win in each of his past four outings, going the distance in three of them.
The past two seasons after the All-Star break, he is 14-1 with a 2.44 ERA.
"He was obviously phenomenal," Phillies catcher Paul Bako told the Associated Press. "Just catching him you get a better sense of how good Cliff really is. You can't get that sense on TV."
Derek Lowe (Atlanta Braves)
The veteran right-hander is back in the saddle.
Lowe (11-7, 4.21 ERA) had one of the worst stretches of his career in June, finishing the month with a 6.54 ERA. But he has won four of his past five outings and recorded a quality start each time. He still has just 72 strikeouts against 43 walks, but has issued just seven free passes the past 30 innings.
The Braves also are doing a great job of tempering Lowe’s workload down the stretch. He has cracked the 100-pitch mark only once in his past six starts.
"He goes after you,” Dodgers manager Joe Torre said of Lowe. “I'm not saying that in a negative way. He's going to continue to be aggressive."
Slumping
Nick Blackburn (Minnesota Twins)
Opposing batters appear to have figured out the crafty right-hander.
A fly-ball pitcher, Blackburn (8-5, 3.83 ERA) has been getting hit all over the yard while he struggles to throw the ball past opposing hitters with his terrible, 58:30 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Last week, he gave up four runs on 12 hits in 6 2-3 innings. He's yielded 17 earned runs in his past 15 1-3 innings overall.
"I think I've been doing pretty good so far this year with mixing pitches up the second time [through the order],” Blackburn told reporters. “It's really frustrating. I'm kind of tired with what's going on."
John Smoltz (Boston Red Sox)
The 42-year-old quickly is reaching the end of his career.
Smoltz (2-4, 7.12 ERA) missed the beginning of the season due to arm surgery, but lacks the form that made him an elite starter and closer earlier in his career. In his most recent outing, a 6-5 win over the Orioles, he was hammered for five runs on eight hits over six innings, including two home runs. In his past 16 2-3 innings, he’s given up 17 earned runs.
"I was just grinding it out, just trying to find a way to get people out and keep us in the game," Smoltz said.
What bettors need to know: Red Sox at Yankees
By BARRY DANIELS
Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees (-170, 10) – Game 1
Season series
It almost defies logic, considering how evenly matched these two AL East rivals are, but the Red Sox have won all eight meetings against the Yanks this season. That includes sweeping a brief two-game series at Yankee Stadium during the first week in May. The other six victories were at Fenway Park where the Red Sox outscored the Yankees, 42-24. The under is 4-2-2 in the eight matchups.
How they enter: Boston began this nine-game road trip through Baltimore, Tampa Bay and New York by sweeping a three-game set against the Orioles and scoring a whopping 28 runs in the process. But Tampa Bay’s pitching stopped Boston’s bats during a 4-2 victory in Tuesday’s opener of the brief two-game set. Despite the setback, Boston is still 27-26 away from Fenway.
The Yankees return home after a grueling nine-game road trip that saw them take two of three from Tampa Bay before dropping three of four to the White Sox. New York captured Tuesday’s first game of a two-game set against Toronto, 5-3. The Bronx Bombers are 35-17 at Yankee Stadium, tied with Boston for the best home record in the AL.
Probable pitchers
Thursday
John Smoltz (2-4, 7.12 ERA) at Joba Chamberlain (7-2, 3.58 ERA)
Smoltz is coming off a 6-5 win at Baltimore despite getting tagged for five runs on eight hits in six innings. The veteran right-hander has now allowed six homers in his last three starts spanning 16 2-3 innings. This is his first start against the Yanks this season.
Chamberlain enjoyed one of his best performances of the season in the Yankees’ 6-2 win over Tampa Bay last week. The generously portioned righty is 3-0 with a 0.83 ERA since the All-Star break. He received a no-decision in his lone start against Boston this season (April 24) after yielding two runs on nine hits in 5 1-3 innings of a 5-4 road loss.
Friday
Josh Beckett (13-4, 3.27 ERA) at A.J. Burnett (10-5, 3.89 ERA)
Beckett, holding the opposition to a paltry .234 batting average this season, has 132 strikeouts in 143 innings. Beckett has faced the Yankees three times this season, going 2-0 with a 5.82 ERA.
In 11 road starts this season, Beckett is 6-4 with a 3.93 ERA. He has allowed three earned runs or less in 13 of his last 16 starts.
Burnett has faced the Red Sox twice this season, recording one loss and one no-decision. The Yankees lost both times, but are still a nifty 14-7 in Burnett’s first 21 starts. The former Blue Jay is 5-1 with a 3.80 ERA in 10 lifetime starts against Boston.
Saturday
Clay Buchholz (1-1, 6.05 ERA) at CC Sabathia (11-7, 3.95 ERA)
Despite being staked to a 7-0 lead in his last start, Buchholz didn’t last long enough to get the win. The O’s shelled him for seven runs on nine hits in just four innings.
The young righty hasn't pitched past the sixth inning in any of his four starts. This will be Buchholz's first start against the Yankees this season. In two career starts against New York, Buchholz has two no-decisions and a 7.45 ERA.
Sabathia’s lone start against the Red Sox in a Yankees uniform occurred on June 11 when he suffered a 4-3 loss. He allowed all four runs on six hits in seven innings, walking two and striking out six. Lifetime, he is 2-5 with a 4.07 ERA in eight starts vs. Boston.
Sunday
Red Sox (TBA) at Andy Pettitte (9-6, 4.35 ERA)
Pettitte was able to hold the Blue Jays to just one run in 6 2-3 innings during his last start en route to a 5-3 win that snapped a personal three-game losing streak.
The veteran southpaw suffered a 4-2 loss on April 26 in his only start against Boston this season as a +110 road dog. He allowed four runs on six hits, walked four and fanned six in six innings.
This and that
The Red Sox will need to add a pitcher to their depleted bullpen after all six relievers pitched in Tuesday’s 13-inning loss to the Rays. The relief staff was worn so thin that Clay Bucholz, Saturday’s scheduled starter, began warming up during the late innings.
The Yankees have been perched atop the AL East since July 20 thanks to a 9-1 homestand coming out of the All-Star break. They shuffled their pitching rotation over the weekend in order to scale back Joba Chamberlain's inning count to approximately 160. He's up to 110 2-3 heading into Thursday's start.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Atlanta (55-53) at L.A. Dodgers (66-42)
The Dodgers, still carrying the best record in the major leagues, send left-hander Randy Wolf (5-6, 3.54 ERA) to the mound to open a four-game series against the Braves, who will counter with former Dodger Derek Lowe (11-7, 4.21) in a pitching rematch from Saturday.
Los Angeles got a leadoff home run from Rafael Furcal in the bottom of the first inning Wednesday, but couldn’t muster anything after that and fell 4-1 to the Brewers. The Dodgers have followed up a five-game winning streak by losing eight of their last 13, going 2-4 at home during this stretch. Still, Joe Torre’s club is on runs of 55-27 at home and 63-32 as a favorite.
Atlanta posted a 6-2 victory Wednesday at San Diego to take the final two games of a three-game set with the Padres. The Braves have split their last 10 contests and they’re on a 3-7 slide in their last 10 as a road pup.
These teams just met last weekend for the first time this season, with the Dodgers taking two of three in Atlanta. Despite those results, the host has still taken six of the last nine in this rivalry, with L.A. winning two of three at Dodger Stadium last year.
The Dodgers were on a 10-4 tear behind Wolf before losing his last two starts, both on the road. On Saturday in Atlanta, the southpaw gave up three runs on nine hits and two walks in six innings of a 4-3 loss. Wolf is 1-2 with a 3.91 ERA and a rash of no-decisions in 11 home starts this year, and he’s just 4-12 with a 5.32 ERA in 26 career appearances (24 starts) against Atlanta.
With Wolf throwing at home, Los Angeles is on positive streaks of 14-4 overall (8-3 this season) and 12-3 when the lefty is favored, and the Dodgers are on a 7-3 overall run with Wolf throwing in series openers.
The Braves have won five in a row backing Lowe, with the consistent right-hander throwing six innings each time and going 4-0 with a 3.00 ERA. Lowe was on the winning end against Wolf last Saturday, allowing all three runs on five hits and two walks. Lowe is 6-5 with a 4.52 ERA in 11 road starts this season, and he’s 1-1 with a 3.60 ERA in three career starts against Los Angeles. Additionally, Lowe, who pitched for L.A. from 2005-2008, has made 68 appearances (66 starts) at Dodger Stadium, going 33-23 with a 3.21 ERA.
The over for Los Angeles is on runs of 6-2-1 at home and 7-2 with Wolf facing N.L. East foes, but the under is 8-3 in L.A.’s last 11 home outings versus winning teams, and the under for the Braves is on stretches of 6-2 against lefty starters and 10-4-1 behind Lowe. Finally, in this rivalry, the under is 7-2 in the last nine clashes overall, but the over is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings at Dodger Stadium.
ATS ADVANTAGE: L.A. DODGERS
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Boston (62-44) at N.Y. Yankees (65-42)
The first-place Yankees give the ball to right-hander Joba Chamberlain (7-2, 3.58 ERA) in the opener of a four-game series in the Bronx against the rival Red Sox, who will start struggling veteran John Smoltz (2-4, 7.12).
New York returns home after going 5-4 on a nine-game road swing, following a three-game skid in the middle of the trip by winning the last three games, including two in a row at Toronto. The Yankees, who rode a four-run seventh inning to an 8-4 victory, are on a batch of positive runs, including 27-10 overall, 7-1 versus the A.L. East, 5-1 in series openers, 43-18 at home and 18-8 against winning teams. Joe Girardi’s team has a 2½-game lead over Boston in the A.L. East.
Boston followed a four-game win streak by losing the last two nights at Tampa Bay, including Wednesday’s 6-4 setback. Still, the Sox remain on upswings of 27-12 in division play, 42-17 on Thursday and 33-16 in series openers. They’ve also owned the rivalry with the Yanks lately, winning nine in a row, including all eight meetings this year, and they are on a 4-1 surge at Yankee Stadium (2-0 this year).
The Yankees have won three in a row and six of seven with Chamberlain starting. On July 29 at Tampa, the righty threw eight innings of three-hit shutout ball, with two walks and five strikeouts, in a 6-2 victory. It was Chamberlain’s third straight win, and he’s allowed just two runs in 21 2/3 innings over that stretch, for a minuscule 0.83 ERA.
Chamberlain is 2-2 with a 4.37 ERA in 11 home starts this year, and he’s 2-1 with a 3.49 ERA in eight career appearances (four starts) against Boston, with New York losing his two starts versus the Sox this season. With Chamberlain toeing the slab, the Pinstripes are on rolls of 14-3 at new Yankee Stadium, 5-0 in division contests and 6-1 against winning teams.
The Sox are 2-5 this season behind Smoltz, who returned to the lineup the last week of June. Last Friday, Smoltz gave up five runs on eight hits in six innings, but that was good enough to get the win in a 6-5 victory at Baltimore. Still, the 42-year-old is 1-2 with a 7.40 ERA in four road starts this season, and he’s 0-0 with a 4.50 ERA in two career regular-season interleague starts against New York.
The under is 6-2-2 in the last 10 meetings in this rivalry, and the under for Boston is on streaks of 8-3 on the road and 20-9-1 against winning teams. However, the over is 7-2 in the last nine overall for the Red Sox, and with Chamberlain starting for the Yanks, the over is on upswings of 5-2 overall and 8-3-1 at home.
ATS ADVANTAGE: N.Y. YANKEES
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Baseball Today
SCOREBOARD
Thursday, Aug. 6
Boston at New York Yankees (7:05 p.m. EDT). The Yankees lead the Red Sox by 1 1/2 games in the AL East despite an 0-8 record against them this season. New York's Joba Chamberlain (7-2, 3.58 ERA) faces Boston's John Smoltz (2-4, 7.12 ERA) in the opener of a four-game series.
STARS
Wednesday
-Jim Thome, White Sox, homered twice, giving him 561 for his career, as Chicago beat the Angels 6-2 for their fifth win in six games.
-J.A. Happ, Phillies, struck out a career-high 10 in his second shutout of the season, leading Philadelphia to a 7-0 win over the Rockies.
-Johnny Damon, Yankees, hit a solo home run and had three RBIs, and New York completed a two-game sweep of the Blue Jays with an 8-4 victory.
-Nelson Figueroa, Mets, pitched 4 1-3 scoreless innings of relief and boosted the offense with a two-run triple, leading New York over the St. Louis Cardinals 9-0
-Eli Whiteside, Giants, hit a grand slam for his first career home run to help San Francisco rally for a 10-6 win over the Astros.
-Cristian Guzman, Nationals, fell a home run shy of the cycle and Washington tied a season high with its fourth straight win, 5-4 over the Marlins.
PRINCE CALM
Milwaukee's Prince Fielder was booed by the Dodger Stadium crowd of 50,276 each time he came to bat a night after he tried to enter the Los Angeles clubhouse to confront reliever Guillermo Mota, who hit him with a pitch. Fielder's tirade Tuesday night was caught on camera by a news crew. In Wednesday's 4-1 win, he went 0 for 5, driving in the tying run with a fielder's choice grounder in the third, and stole a base.
MILESTONE
The White Sox's Jim Thome hit a three-run shot to greet Angels reliever Darren Oliver in the sixth - his second of the game and 20th of the season. With 561 homers, the 38-year-old slugger is two homers behind Reggie Jackson, who is 12th on the career list. Thome now has 44 multihomer games, including three this season.
PEDRO WATCH
Pedro Martinez recorded nine of his first 12 outs by strikeout and worked six innings for the Double-A Reading, in what could have been his final rehab start before joining the Philadelphia Phillies. In his best start since signing a one-year deal on July 15, the 37-year-old Martinez allowed three runs and five hits without walking a batter against the New York Yankees' Trenton affiliate. He finished with 11 strikeouts.
ROOKIE HURLERS
Chad Reineke, starting for Dallas Braden, became the 11th starter used by the A's and the sixth consecutive rookie starter, matching an Oakland record. Recalled from Triple-A Sacramento earlier in the day, he gave up four runs and seven hits in five innings of a 7-5 win over Texas.
TOP HEAVY
The first three batters in Cleveland's lineup - Grady Sizemore, Asdrubal Cabrera and Shin-Soo Choo - along with No. 9 hitter Trevor Crowe combined to go 10 for 16 with five runs and seven RBIs. The Indians beat the Twins 8-1 for their eighth win in 12 games.
FINED
Astros reliever LaTroy Hawkins was fined by Major League Baseball for comments he made about an umpire after he was ejected from a July 27 game in Chicago. Hawkins, on the disabled list since July 28 with shingles, told KRIV-TV and MLB.com before Wednesday's game against San Francisco that he wants to appeal the fine. "Maybe he was having a bad day. I thought he had determined who he wanted to win the game anyway,'' Hawkins said.
INJURED
Mets rookie Jonathon Niese tore his right hamstring while covering first base against the Cardinals and then collapsed during a practice pitch. Niese was hurt in the second inning when Joe Thurston hit a one-out grounder to Daniel Murphy with runners at the corners. When Niese tried to throw a warmup pitch from the stretch, he grimaced at the end of his follow-through, fell and held the back of his right leg. He needed assistance to leave the field, putting his arms around two trainers. He will have season-ending surgery.
RE-INJURED
Red Sox left fielder Jason Bay re-injured his right hamstring in a 6-4 loss to Tampa Bay and expects to miss at least the first two games of Boston's upcoming series against the New York Yankees. Bay returned to the lineup after missing two games with a mildly strained hamstring. But he left the game after aggravating the injury running out a grounder in the eighth inning.
STATS
Minnesota's 3-4-5 hitters - Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau and Jason Kubel - came in hitting a collective .423 (11 for 26) with six RBIs against the Indians Aaron Laffey, but went 1 for 10 off the lefty in an 8-1 loss. ... Tampa Bay's David Price allowed two runs and six hits in six innings to improve to 5-1 at home compared to 0-3 with an 8.20 ERA on the road. ... The Royals' 11-6 loss to Seattle dropped them to 1-10 since the All-Star break. ... Atlanta's 14 hits in a 6-2 victory over the Padres were all singles.
SPEAKING
"You want to get that zero, that goose egg out of there. We're going to be asked about that goose egg as long as it's there, so you want to get that out of the way as soon as possible.'' - Yankees manager Joe Girardi said about facing the Red Sox after going 0-8 this season so far against their AL East rival this season.
Road Woes
By SportsPic
Mets snapping a three game losing streak at home Wednesday pounding Cardinals 9-0 take to the road for seven games starting with a four game set at San Diego. Mets not overly successful on the highway going 21-31 depleting betting accounts by -$637 open with Livan Hernandez (7-5, 4.77). The righty settled for a no-decision his last start allowing two runs to the D-backs over six inning in a 3-2 loss marking a 7th team start loss in nine trips to the mound. Although the hurler has a decent road record on the season (5-2, 6-6 TSR) his 1.54 WHIP, 13.95 ABRA, 11.93 BOR on the highway along with Mets relievers sporting a 1.52 WHIP, 13.70 ABRA on the road makes New York a dicey proposition. Starters with a low Batter-Out-Rating/9 (10) also allow guys on base but more importantly it suggests they let inherited and their own responsible runners score. Consider a 'Play-Against' Mets knowing road dogs of +$1.05 to +$1.20 with a starter who can't get batters out (BOR 10) lose at a 69.3% clip (48-8431-70). Add a relief staff with a high ABRA (>10) these same road dogs are 19-50 outscored 7.7 to 5.3. Keep in mind basement dwelling Padres are on a mini 6-3 run and that Mets are 3-9 last twelve opening a series, 0-5 last five meetings at PETCO Park, 3-9 the past twelve encounters with Friars.