Thursday's Streaking and Slumping Starting Pitchers
Streaking
Dallas Braden (9-9, 3.28 ERA) Oakland A's
Braden is coming off his second complete-game shutout of the season in his last start, holding the hard-hitting Rangers to four harmless hits.
Braden is 3-1 in his last four starts, two of them lasting nine innings. He has allowed only five earned runs in the 31 innings in that stretch and hasn't allowed a home run since Aug. 6.
Look for Braden to get a Broonx cheer in his first outing in New York since telling A-Rod to keep off the mound.
Scott Baker (12-9, 4.55 ERA) Minnesota Twins
After preheating through the first half of the season, Baker has been red hot since the All-Star break.
Baker has won his last five starts, the longest streak of his career, and hasn't suffered a loss since July 19.
The right-hander has 33 strikeouts and a 3.02 ERA during his current winning streak.
Slumping
Johan Santana (10-9, 3.02 ERA) New York Mets
Santana doesn't really deserve to be lumped in with the slumpers. Perhaps he should sue his teammates for a lack of support.
Santana has lost his last three starts while posting a respectable 3.91 ERA during that span, but the Mets have scored a total of only five runs for him in those outings.
Thursday MLB Tips
By Kevin Rogers
One of the smaller cards of the season happens on Thursday in baseball, as four series come to a close. The Phillies and Rockies play a make-up contest at Coors Field, while the Twins and Tigers finish up their three-game set in Minnesota. We'll start with a pair of aces taking the mound in a series finale down in Atlanta.
Mets at Braves - 7:10 PM EST
These two NL East rivals meet only three more times this season following Thursday's matchup at Turner Field. New York is playing out the string at this point, while Atlanta holds a three-game advantage over Philadelphia in the NL East race. The Mets will try to improve on a 4-12 mark on the highway since the All-Star Break against teams above .500.
Johan Santana (10-9, 3.02 ERA) is winless in his last three starts, coming against below .500 competition in Pittsburgh and Houston as heavy favorites. The Mets are just 5-10 in Santana's 15 road starts, while the New York offense has provided the southpaw with a paltry 2.33 runs/game. Thanks to the Mets' offensive woes of late, Santana has cashed the 'under' in six straight starts, including four consecutive outings on the highway. The Mets are 2-7 against the Braves in Santana's starts since he signed with New York in 2008.
One of the front-runners for the NL Cy Young Award winner toes the rubber for the Braves, as Tim Hudson (15-5, 2.24 ERA) goes for his 11th home win of the season. Hudson tossed a gem in his last outing, striking out a career-high 13 in a 12-3 drubbing of the Marlins. That victory was the seventh in Hudson's previous eight starts, including a 6-0 mark at Turner Field. Hudson has silenced the Mets in two wins this season, holding New York to 10 hits and one run in 13 innings of work.
After the Mets grabbed the first four meetings this season, the Braves are 7-2 in the last nine matchups. These two clubs played to 10 consecutive 'unders' prior to three straight 'overs,' including two 'overs' to begin this series. Atlanta's offense has helped 'over' bettors of late by going on an 8-1-1 run.
Phillies at Rockies - 7:10 PM EST
Philadelphia wraps up a seven-game road series with a make-up game at Colorado. The Phillies claimed a pair of series at San Diego and Los Angeles, as Thursday night's game will be the final regular season meeting between the Rockies and the reigning NL Champs. Colorado returns home for just this one game, before heading out to San Diego this weekend for a series with the NL West-leading Padres.
Joe Blanton (6-6, 5.15 ERA) has pitched extremely well over his last three starts, allowing four earned runs in 19.1 innings of work. Blanton beat the Giants and Padres, while picking up a no-decision in a one-run defeat to the Astros. The victory at San Diego was Blanton's first on the road since June 29 at Cincinnati, a span of six starts. Blanton beat the Rockies at Citizens Bank Park in late July, delivering six innings of six-hit ball, as the Phillies prevailed, 5-4.
The Rockies have plenty of unproven arms in their rotation past Ubaldo Jimenez, as Jhoulys Chacin (7-9, 3.79 ERA) is coming off a pair of impressive starts. Chacin beat the Diamondbacks and Dodgers, while allowing seven hits and one earned run in those victories. The right-hander has come through against tough opposition at home, topping Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Boston in his last three starts at Coors Field.
Philadelphia is 5-1 in its six meetings with Colorado this season, including a four-game home sweep in late July. The Rockies' lone victory in this series came in walk-off style as Miguel Olivo's homer in the bottom of the 10th lifted Colorado to a 4-3 upset as a $1.70 underdog.
Tigers at Twins - 8:10 PM EST
Minnesota continues to register victories at Target Field, improving to 12-2 in the last 14 at home following Tuesday's one-run triumph over Detroit. The Tigers have not performed well on the highway, falling to 22-42 away from the Motor City this season. Detroit looks to grab the series finale with its ace trying to build some consistency in the last month of the season.
The Tigers are 3-6 in Justin Verlander's (14-8, 3.58 ERA) nine starts since the All-Star Break, including an 0-5 mark on the highway. Four of those road losses came by a run, as Toronto edged Detroit in Verlander's last outing, 3-2 in extra-innings. The problem that Verlander has had to endure is the lack of run support, as the Tigers have plated three runs or less seven times in this stretch. This will be the first time Verlander takes the hill at Target Field, while the right-hander has split two starts against the Twins this season.
Scott Baker (12-9, 4.55 ERA) is on a roll right now, winning his last five decisions, as Minnesota is 7-0 in his past seven outings. Only three of the Twins' victories in this span came against substantial competition, beating the White Sox twice and the Rays on the road. Minnesota is 6-2 in Baker's last eight home starts, with the only two losses coming to Kansas City and Cleveland as a $1.90 'chalk' in each defeat. Baker shut down the Tigers at Target Field on May 3, scattering seven hits and three earned runs in seven innings of a 10-4 win.
The Twins are a dominant 6-1 in seven home meetings with the Tigers this season, with three of the victories coming by one run. Minnesota is riding a 7-2 'under' run, while Detroit is just 2-6 in its last eight road contests.
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Diamond Trends - Thursday
By Vince Akins
Mets at Braves – The Mets are 0-9 since September 13, 2009 as a 140+ dog when they scored two or fewer runs for their starter in his last start for a net profit of $900 when playing against. The Mets are 0-7 since April 18, 2010 as a 140+ dog and it is the last game of the series for a net profit of $700 when playing against. The Mets are 6-0 since August 09, 2009 when Johan Santana starts vs a team that has won at least their last two games for a net profit of $620. The Braves are 7-0 since May 20, 2010 at home when they are off a win in which they never trailed and it is the last game of a series for a net profit of $700.
Indians at Mariners – The Mariners are 0-9 since April 24, 2010 when Doug Fister starts after his team lost the last time he started vs this opponent for a net profit of $945 when playing against.
Red Sox at Orioles – The Red Sox are 0-5 since May 02, 2010 as a road 140+ favorite and it is the last game of the series for a net profit of $735 when playing against. The Orioles are 5-0 since August 06, 2010 when Bradley Bergesen starts for a net profit of $720.
Phillies at Rockies – The Phillies are 6-0 since July 22, 2010 on the road and it is the last game of the series for a net profit of $660. The Phillies are 6-0 since June 17, 2010 after a win in which they allowed 6 or fewer hits and it is the last game of a series for a net profit of $695.
Tigers at Twins – The Tigers are 9-0 since June 18, 2009 within 20 cents of pickem when they are off a loss in which they never led and it is the last game of a series for a net profit of $955. The Tigers are 6-0 since May 23, 2010 and it is the last game of a three game series when they lost the first two for a net profit of $665. The Twins are 7-0 since July 27, 2010 as a favorite when they lost the last time they faced this starting pitcher for a net profit of $700. The Twins are 6-0 since July 30, 2010 when Scott Baker starts after his team won the last time he started for a net profit of $670.
Athletics at Yankees – The Athletics are 4-0 since April 22, 2010 as a 140+ dog vs a team that has won at least their last four games for a net profit of $610. The Yankees are 9-0 since August 09, 2009 at home when they are off two wins in which they never trailed for a net profit of $915. The Yankees are 6-0 since July 23, 2009 when CC Sabathia starts at home after the team won their last three games for a net profit of $600.