Tuesday's AL Preview
By Josh Jacobs
Only one afternoon ballgame will lead into the rest of the 10-game card slated to begin at 6:40 p.m. EDT between the Angels and Mariners. Are we looking at an AL dominated day in hardball or can the much lighter, three NL games pave the way for heavier betting action?
Chicago White Sox at Detroit – 1:05 p.m. EST
The White Sox discovered that timely hitting supported by decent pitching was just enough to take last year’s series lead against Detroit, going 12-6 in the annual 18 games played. Batting .255 may not seem like an effective number on offense but scoring 6.1 runs per game and working for a 3.75 ERA were the right ingredients to take advantage of a demoralized Tigers’ club in '08.
Starting on Tuesday will be White Sox hurler, John Danks. His first outing this season was nothing short of surgical, going six innings, giving up a lone three hits, three walks and striking out five. But his team hasn’t been very supportive of the left-handed weapon. In 34 starts last year, Chicago produced 3.9 runs per game when Danks took the hill. Putting this in perspective, the Sox produced more then three runs in only 17 of Danks’ 33 regular season starts.
Detroit has found its mojo inside the batters box early on. In the five games played, the Tigers' Miguel Cabrera and Placido Polanco have combined for five doubles and 13 RBIs. Team wise, the club is batting .284 and is averaging 5.6 runs per game. A three-game sweep over the offensive oriented Rangers was convincing as the Tigers outscored their opponent, 25-9 over the weekend.
Top draft pick, Rick Porcello will handle pitching duties in this contest. Although coughing up nine hits and four runs in a 6-2 loss against Toronto on Apr. 9, it should be noted that the 20-year-old out of Morristown, New Jersey showed promising stuff in terms of strike zone coverage.
L.A. Angels at Seattle – 6:40 p.m. EDT
Although premature, Seattle’s 5-2 start on the season is indication of a club traveling on the right path to success. For starters, the Mariners swept their three-game series in Oakland, increasing its winning streak to four. Pitching has been the name of the game, holding opponents’ bats down to scoring 2.3 runs per game in the same four-game stretch.
However the bad news remains. Starting pitcher Carlos Silva is looking to pick up the pieces from a 6-5 loss in Minnesota last week. The righty was tagged for six runs on six hits in a bleak, five innings. And nothing is guaranteed for the seven-year veteran in this year’s starting rotation. Silva is coming off 2008 with a 4-15 record and a 6.46 ERA. If things don’t change soon for Silva expect a pitching staff averaging just over 26 years of age to reflect the new rule in Seattle. In other words, Silva won’t be long in his starting roll if he continues to disappoint.
The ‘over’ is 10-2 in the last 12 head-to-head meetings.
L.A. skipped over Shane Loux’s planned start over the weekend but will call the pitcher to the hill on Tuesday. The right-hander threw in only 16 innings last season, earning himself a 2.81 ERA by allowing 16 hits and six runs in seven games. Loux has been described as nothing more then a journeyman who will look to provide the Angels help until the rotation can repair itself from various injuries.
The Halos are 15-5 in the last 20 meetings against the Mariners. L.A. has outscored Seattle 5.3 versus 4.4 runs per game. The last three games have resulted in the total going ‘over’ the given amount of runs while the ‘over’ is 8-4 in the last 12.
Boston at Oakland – 10:05 p.m. EDT
The Red Sox will finish up its six-game road trip on the West Coast when it pits Daisuke Matsuzaka against the Athletics’ starting slinger, Dana Eveland.
Dick-K has excelled in his short career against Oakland, building up a 2-1 record with a 2.55 ERA and a .174 BAA in four starts. It was back in August of last year that Matsuzaka earned his last ‘W’ against Oakland, tossing in six innings and surrendering two hits, two runs and two base on balls. Eight strikeouts proved to be a positive as the Red Sox bats did the rest of the job, tacking on five runs for the victory.
Boston’s offense has yet to hit an early stride. Scoring just three runs per game in the four total defeats have paved the way for a weak, .242 team BA. And grounding into double plays seven times thus far has been an inning killer let alone game threatening.
The news gets worse for Boston backers as a 4-11 record in the Red Sox last 15 meetings in Oakland demonstrates. The ‘under’ has been the play in recent games, going 7-3 in the last 10 head-to-head meetings held in Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum (known as McAfee Coliseum from 2004-2008).
Logging in 5.6 Ks per nine innings ranks second worst in the Majors for the A’s. But take into account that Oakland is attempting to balance pitching duties with a staff that’s the youngest in the league (averaging 25.9) and the road is predicted to remain bumpy. Although the season is in its infancy we have to spread a lot of the blame on an offense supplying the pitching staff with only 3.5 runs per game of support.
And so young Dana Eveland will toe the slab for the Athletics. His six innings of work against the Angles on Apr. 8 resulted in a 6-4 win. But a no decision was awarded to the lefty as Oakland posted six runs in the eighth and ninth innings.
Extra Bases
-- The Yankees and Rays will mix the action up beginning at 7:08 p.m. EDT. New York does hold a 6-2 edge over Tampa Bay in the last eight head-to-head clashes. The Rays are 4-7 in the last 11 home games versus the Pinstripes.
-- A.J. Burnett will make his second start of the season on Tuesday after coming off a solid first outing in Baltimore last week. His 5.1 innings of labor equated to giving up seven hits and two earned runs after tossing 98 pitches. When Burnett left the game in the fifth, New York proceeded to tack on eight more runs, finishing off the day beating Baltimore, 11-2.
-- Tampa will counter by fielding starting slinger, Matt Garza. His 107 pitches in seven innings were accompanied by giving up just four hits and one earned run against Boston last Thursday. Garza was 2-1 with a 3.96 ERA in his post-season campaign through four starts in October of last season.
-- The Yankees are coming off a 6-4 loss in Kansas City, closing out the weekend series. New York was closed the books as a $1.33 favorite while the total went above the posted, eight runs. The ‘over’ is 4-2 in the Yanks first six games of the season.
-- Tampa has been an ‘under’ play in the last four games, going 3-1. This comes on the heels of books posting the total anywhere from a high, 10 runs down to a low, 8 ½.
vegasinsider.com
Baseball Today
SCOREBOARD
Tuesday, April 14
Florida at Atlanta (7:10 p.m. EDT). The Marlins and Braves both are off to 5-1 starts. Florida’s Chris Volstad is slated to face Javier Vazquez in the opener of the three-game series.
STARS
Monday
— Orlando Hudson and Andre Ethier, Dodgers. Hudson hit for the cycle and Ethier drove in four runs with a pair of homers as Los Angeles beat Randy Johnson and San Francisco 11-1.
— Zach Duke, Pirates, limited the struggling Astros to four hits in his third career shutout, helping Pittsburgh extend Houston’s losing streak to five games with a 7-0 victory.
— Ted Lilly, Cubs, held Colorado hitless for 6 2-3 innings on a raw day at Wrigley Field and Chicago won its home opener by holding the Rockies to one hit in a 4-0 victory.
— Edwin Encarnacion, Reds, hit a towering grand slam to cap a six-run rally with two outs in the third inning, and Cincinnati started their longest road trip this season by beating Milwaukee 7-6.
— Carlos Pena, Rays, hit a second-inning grand slam and drove in six runs, helping Tampa Bay beat the New York Yankees 15-5 in the home opener for the AL champions.
— Travis Snider, Blue Jays, hit two home runs, including a go-ahead two-run shot in the eighth inning, and Toronto rallied to beat Minnesota 8-6.
— Zack Greinke, Royals, pitched five shutout innings to extend his scoreless innings streak to 25 and Kansas City held on to defeat Cleveland 4-2.
QUIET BOOTH
Longtime Philadelphia Phillies broadcaster Harry Kalas, who punctuated innumerable home runs with his “Outta here!” call, died after being found passed out in the broadcast booth before a game against the Washington Nationals. He was 73. Kalas joined the Phillies in 1971. Before that, he was a member of the Houston Astros’ broadcast team from 1965-70. In 2002, he received the Baseball Hall of Fame’s Ford C. Frick Award for his contributions to the game. Kalas lent his sonorous voice to everything from puppies to soup. He did work for NFL Films, was the voice for Chunky Soup commercials and Animal Planet’s annual tongue-in-cheek Super Bowl competitor, the Puppy Bowl.
SO LONG, BIRD
Mark Fydrich, an eccentric All-Star pitcher nicknamed “The Bird” whose career was shortened by injuries, was found dead in an apparent accident at his farm. He was 54. The curly-haired right-hander was the American League Rookie of the Year in 1976 when he went 19-9 with a 2.34 ERA and 24 complete games. He spent all five of his major league seasons with the Detroit Tigers, compiling a 29-19 record and a 3.10 ERA. Knee and shoulder injuries limited him to 58 major league games.
BACK IN THE SWING
Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez resumed drills on the baseball field five weeks after hip surgery and hopes to return as “good as new.” A-Rod hit 36 balls off a tee and took 42 swings during a soft-toss hitting session. He also fielded 40 grounders and did light running at the team’s minor league complex. The Yankees don’t expect the three-time AL MVP to rejoin the team until about May 15. Rodriguez has been optimistic about returning sooner.
MILESTONE, MILESTONE
Jermaine Dye and Paul Konerko reached 300 career homers with consecutive drives in the second inning of the White Sox’s 10-6 win over Detroit. They became the first teammates to hit century milestone home runs of at least 300 in the same game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
TOUCH ‘EM ALL
Dodgers second baseman Orlando Hudson hit for the cycle, completing the feat with a triple in the sixth inning against the Giants. Hudson singled in the first, homered in the third and doubled in the fourth—all off Giants starter Randy Johnson—before his leadoff triple. He became the first Los Angeles player since Wes Parker on May 7, 1970, to hit for the cycle, and the first to do so at Dodger Stadium.
MEMORABLE START
Jody Gerut christened the Mets’ new home, Citi Field, with a leadoff homer in the Padres’ 6-5 win over New York. Gerut’s shot off Mike Pelfrey marked the first time in history that the first batter homered in a regular-season opener at a major league ballpark, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
BANNER DAY
The Tampa Bay Rays celebrated one of the biggest turnarounds in major league history, raising the franchise’s first division and AL championship banners before their home opener, a 15-5 win over the New York Yankees.
SIDELINED
The Arizona Diamondbacks put Brandon Webb on the 15-day disabled list because of tightness in his pitching shoulder. The move is retroactive to April 7, the day after Webb gave up six runs in four innings on opening day against Colorado. … Chicago White Sox center fielder Dewayne Wise separated his right shoulder making a tumbling catch in the fifth inning of a 10-6 win over Detroit. Wise will be out four to six weeks. … The Red Sox placed shortstop Jed Lowrie on the 15-day disabled list with a sore left wrist. Lowrie was sent to Boston for tests to determine the extent of the injury.
FIRSTS
Zach Duke’s 7-0 shutout against Houston was the first by a Pirates pitcher in a home opener since John Candelaria beat the Cubs 1-0 on April 7, 1978. … Ryan Howard hit first homer of 2009, a three-run shot off reliever Saul Rivera that broke a 4-all tie in the seventh inning of the Phillies 9-8 win over Washington. … Randy Johnson lost at Dodger Stadium for the first time in his 22-year career, falling to 7-1 in just his second start in Los Angeles since 2004. … Brian Barden broke a tie with his first career home run and St. Louis beat Arizona 2-1. … Yankees first baseman Nick Swisher pitched a scoreless eighth inning of a 15-5 loss to Tampa Bay, the first New York position player to take the mound since Wade Boggs used his knuckleball Aug. 19, 1997. … Texas’ Andruw Jones hit his first homer in the American League.
TWO PICKOFFS
Red Sox starter Jon Lester picked off Oakland’s Ryan Sweeney and Orlando Cabrera, who each singled, in consecutive at bats to end the fourth inning of Oakland’s 8-2 win.
SPEAKING
“He spread his passion for people, and baseball, all over the country for almost 50 years. His voice will resonate in my mind the rest of my life. I will never be called ‘Michael Jack’ again without seeing his smile.—Phillies Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt on broadcaster Harry Kalas, who died after collapsing in the Phillies broadcast booth before Philadelphia played the Nationals.
SPEAKING II
“Baseball will miss him. They missed him because he didn’t have as long as a career as everybody would have liked in the first place. It’s just horrible. … He did embrace life. I remember him trying to play golf when he couldn’t play golf and enjoying every minute of it. He was a marvelous pitcher and I just hate to see him go.”—Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer on former Detroit Tigers pitcher Mark Fydrich, who was found dead in an apparent accident at his farm. He was 54.
CHI WHITE SOX vs. DETROIT
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Chi White Sox's last 10 games
Chi White Sox are 6-1 SU in their last 7 games when playing Detroit
Detroit is 7-14 SU in their last 21 games when playing at home against Chi White Sox
Detroit is 1-6 SU in their last 7 games when playing Chi White Sox
LA ANGELS vs. SEATTLE
LA Angels are 7-1 SU in their last 8 games when playing Seattle
The total has gone OVER in 8 of LA Angels's last 12 games when playing Seattle
Seattle is 1-7 SU in their last 8 games when playing at home against LA Angels
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Seattle's last 6 games when playing at home against LA Angels
NY YANKEES vs. TAMPA BAY
NY Yankees are 15-7 SU in their last 22 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of NY Yankees's last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games when playing at home against NY Yankees
Tampa Bay is 3-6 SU in their last 9 games when playing NY Yankees
FLORIDA vs. ATLANTA
Florida is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Florida's last 5 games when playing Atlanta
Atlanta is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Atlanta is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
BALTIMORE vs. TEXAS
Baltimore is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
Baltimore is 6-13 SU in its last 19 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Texas's last 11 games when playing at home against Baltimore
Texas is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
CINCINNATI vs. MILWAUKEE
Cincinnati is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cincinnati's last 5 games
Milwaukee is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Cincinnati
Milwaukee is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Cincinnati
CLEVELAND vs. KANSAS CITY
Cleveland is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Cleveland's last 6 games
Kansas City is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Cleveland
Kansas City is 5-10 SU in its last 15 games when playing at home against Cleveland
TORONTO vs. MINNESOTA
Toronto is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing Minnesota
Minnesota is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Minnesota is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Toronto
ST. LOUIS vs. ARIZONA
St. Louis is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against Arizona
The total has gone OVER in 4 of St. Louis's last 6 games when playing on the road against Arizona
Arizona is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
Arizona is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing St. Louis
BOSTON vs. OAKLAND
Boston is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
Boston is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Oakland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Boston
Oakland is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games
Hot Pitchers
-- Florida was 5-1 on the road LY when Volstad started.
-- Carpenter has a 2.49 RA in his last four starts.
-- Danks is 2-0, 1.31 in his last three starts.
-- Garza is 3-0, 2.42 in his last four starts.
-- Rangers won three of last four McCarthy starts.
-- Perkins has a 1.38 RA in his last two starts. Romero won his first start 6-2 vs Detroit, allowing two runs in six IP.
-- Davies is 3-0, 0.96 in his last four starts.
-- Red Sox were 13-2 on road with Matsuzaka LY. A's won six of last seven Eveland home starts.
Cold Pitchers
-- Vazquez is 0-4, 15.43 in his last five starts.
-- Parra is 0-3, 9.14 in his last five starts. Arroyo was 1-2, 5.18 in four starts against Milwaukee LY.
-- Arizona was 0-7 last season when Scherzer started (0-4, 4.62).
-- Porcello lost his first big league start, allowing four runs in five IP.
-- Loux is 1-4, 6.41 in major leagues; he started seven games for Detroit in 2002-3. CSilva is 0-6, 8.28 in his last eleven starts.
-- Pavano faced 12 batters in his Indian debut; nine of them scored.
-- Simon is 0-1, 4.97 in two big league starts.
Hot Teams
-- Braves, Marlins both won five of their first six games.
-- Reds won three of their last four games.
-- Cardinals won six of their last seven games.
-- Tigers won four of their last six games. White Sox won last three in a row by combined score of 24-7.
-- Seattle won four in row, five of first seven games.
-- Tampa Bay won its last two games, scoring 26 runs.
-- Orioles won five of their first seven games.
-- Royals won four of their last six games.
-- Blue Jays won six of their first eight games; they've won ten games in a row against Minnesota. .
Cold Teams
-- Brewers lost four of their last five games.
-- Diamondbacks lost five of last six games.
-- Bronx lost its last two games, allowing 21 runs.
-- Rangers lost their last four games, allowing 35 runs.
-- Indians lost six of first seven games, allowing 55 runs.
-- Twins lost four of their last five games.
-- Red Sox lost five of their last six games. Oakland lost three of their last four contests.
Totals
-- Three of last four Atlanta games went over the total.
-- Four of last five Cincinnati games went over the total.
-- Four of last five Cardinal games stayed under the total.
-- Five of first seven White Sox games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 3-0-2 in Angels' last five games.
-- Five of seven Bronx games went over the total.
-- Over is 5-1-1 in Texas games this season.
-- Six of seven Kansas City games stayed under the total.
-- Last four Toronto games went over the total.
-- Five of last isx Oakland games went over the total.
FLORIDA (5 - 1) at ATLANTA (5 - 1)
CHRIS VOLSTAD (R) vs. JAVIER VAZQUEZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 30-13 (+18.9 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off over the last 3 seasons.
FLORIDA is 89-78 (+23.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 59-37 (+30.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 24-13 (+19.6 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 20-12 (+11.5 Units) against the money line in April games over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 81-75 (+28.1 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Tuesday since 1997.
FLORIDA is 14-6 (+9.4 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 45-32 (+20.9 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 88-76 (+24.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 63-57 (+12.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 40-36 (+15.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 77-91 (-19.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 76-89 (-18.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
VAZQUEZ is 3-12 (-10.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.
CHRIS VOLSTAD vs. ATLANTA since 1997
VOLSTAD is 0-1 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 4.50 and a WHIP of 1.667.
His team's record is 1-1 (-0.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-2. (-2.0 units)
JAVIER VAZQUEZ vs. FLORIDA since 1997
VAZQUEZ is 6-4 when starting against FLORIDA with an ERA of 4.28 and a WHIP of 1.363.
His team's record is 7-8 (-2.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 6-8. (-2.7 units)
CINCINNATI (3 - 3) at MILWAUKEE (2 - 5)
BRONSON ARROYO (R) vs. MANNY PARRA (L)
Top Trends for this game.
CINCINNATI is 29-42 (-19.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
ARROYO is 16-30 (-15.9 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997. (Team's Record)
MILWAUKEE is 149-143 (+27.0 Units) against the money line when playing on Tuesday since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 296-338 (+31.6 Units) against the money line in road games in night games since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 221-234 (+42.4 Units) against the money line in road games after a win since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 450-523 (+44.3 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997.
Head-to-Head Series History
CINCINNATI is 1-0 (+1.4 Units) against MILWAUKEE this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.1 Units)
BRONSON ARROYO vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
ARROYO is 7-4 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 3.55 and a WHIP of 1.279.
His team's record is 8-5 (+2.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-6. (-1.8 units)
MANNY PARRA vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
PARRA is 0-1 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 6.57 and a WHIP of 1.217.
His team's record is 0-2 (-3.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-1. (-0.1 units)
ST LOUIS (6 - 2) at ARIZONA (2 - 5)
CHRIS CARPENTER (R) vs. MAX SCHERZER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 92-78 (+12.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 92-78 (+12.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 32-24 (+11.6 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 62-47 (+15.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
CARPENTER is 70-52 (+17.5 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997. (Team's Record)
ARIZONA is 85-85 (-19.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 127-148 (-44.6 Units) against the money line when playing on Tuesday since 1997.
ARIZONA is 85-82 (-15.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 57-63 (-21.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 23-38 (-19.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
SCHERZER is 0-7 (-8.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SCHERZER is 0-7 (-8.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against ARIZONA this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)
CHRIS CARPENTER vs. ARIZONA since 1997
CARPENTER is 3-0 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 2.54 and a WHIP of 1.059.
His team's record is 4-1 (+2.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-3. (-1.6 units)
MAX SCHERZER vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
SCHERZER is 0-1 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 3.60 and a WHIP of 1.800.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)
CHI WHITE SOX (4 - 3) at DETROIT (4 - 4)
JOHN DANKS (L) vs. RICK PORCELLO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHI WHITE SOX are 87-65 (+24.4 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 90-61 (+20.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 27-46 (-30.2 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 72-78 (-23.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 39-51 (-20.1 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 26-40 (-17.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 78-92 (-30.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 36-47 (-19.8 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
CHI WHITE SOX is 1-0 (+1.2 Units) against DETROIT this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)
JOHN DANKS vs. DETROIT since 1997
DANKS is 2-1 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 4.00 and a WHIP of 1.222.
His team's record is 5-1 (+4.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-4. (-2.2 units)
RICK PORCELLO vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
No recent starts.
LA ANGELS (3 - 3) at SEATTLE (5 - 2)
SHANE LOUX (R) vs. CARLOS SILVA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
LA ANGELS are 51-32 (+20.3 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 19-8 (+11.9 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 32-12 (+19.3 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 98-61 (+22.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 35-23 (+13.0 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 33-17 (+17.6 Units) against the money line in road games after a win over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 45-29 (+13.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 104-68 (+20.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 46-20 (+22.8 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 66-103 (-33.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 59-94 (-33.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 41-72 (-30.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.
SHANE LOUX vs. SEATTLE since 1997
No recent starts.
CARLOS SILVA vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
SILVA is 6-2 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 3.82 and a WHIP of 1.315.
His team's record is 6-4 (+2.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-3. (+3.9 units)
NY YANKEES (3 - 4) at TAMPA BAY (4 - 3)
A.J. BURNETT (R) vs. MATT GARZA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY YANKEES are 26-33 (-21.0 Units) against the money line in April games over the last 3 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 109-76 (+29.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 63-27 (+29.6 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 51-35 (+19.2 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 63-28 (+28.3 Units) against the money line in games played in a dome over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 67-33 (+27.6 Units) against the money line in games played on artificial turf over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 80-47 (+30.6 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 41-20 (+15.3 Units) against the money line in home games after a win over the last 2 seasons.
GARZA is 2-9 (-9.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against NY YANKEES this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)
A.J. BURNETT vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
BURNETT is 7-4 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 2.98 and a WHIP of 1.054.
His team's record is 8-8 (-4.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 10-4. (+5.5 units)
MATT GARZA vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
GARZA is 1-2 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 4.98 and a WHIP of 1.477.
His team's record is 1-3 (-2.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-3. (-2.2 units)
BALTIMORE (5 - 2) at TEXAS (3 - 4)
ALFREDO SIMON (R) vs. BRANDON MCCARTHY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TEXAS is 32-19 (+19.7 Units) against the money line when playing on Tuesday over the last 3 seasons.
TEXAS is 60-56 (+13.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 20-13 (+10.4 Units) against the money line in April games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 59-59 (+10.1 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 324-379 (+29.1 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters since 1997.
Head-to-Head Series History
BALTIMORE is 1-0 (+1.1 Units) against TEXAS this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.1 Units)
ALFREDO SIMON vs. TEXAS since 1997
No recent starts.
BRANDON MCCARTHY vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
MCCARTHY is 0-1 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 0.90 and a WHIP of 1.300.
His team's record is 0-2 (-2.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-0. (+2.0 units)
TORONTO (6 - 2) at MINNESOTA (3 - 5)
RICKY ROMERO (L) vs. GLEN PERKINS (L)
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 57-33 (+17.0 Units) against the money line in games played in a dome over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 64-51 (+12.4 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 55-31 (+16.5 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on artificial turf over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 19-5 (+14.2 Units) against the money line in home games against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 25-9 (+15.9 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 17-6 (+10.2 Units) against the money line at home with a money line of -100 to -125 over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 55-31 (+16.5 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 1-0 (+1.2 Units) against MINNESOTA this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)
RICKY ROMERO vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
No recent starts.
GLEN PERKINS vs. TORONTO since 1997
PERKINS is 0-0 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 4.91 and a WHIP of 1.636.
His team's record is 0-2 (-2.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (-0.2 units)
CLEVELAND (1 - 6) at KANSAS CITY (4 - 3)
CARL PAVANO (R) vs. KYLE DAVIES (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 22-33 (-15.4 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 13-21 (-13.6 Units) against the money line in April games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 38-46 (-15.9 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 42-35 (+13.6 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
PAVANO is 47-30 (+17.7 Units) against the money line against division opponents since 1997. (Team's Record)
PAVANO is 49-36 (+20.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997. (Team's Record)
KANSAS CITY is 26-52 (-26.3 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 3 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 50-93 (-32.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 3 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
KANSAS CITY is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against CLEVELAND this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)
CARL PAVANO vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
PAVANO is 0-1 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 8.44 and a WHIP of 1.689.
His team's record is 0-1 (-2.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)
KYLE DAVIES vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
DAVIES is 1-3 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 9.00 and a WHIP of 2.188.
His team's record is 1-3 (-1.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-1. (+1.9 units)
BOSTON (2 - 5) at OAKLAND (3 - 4)
DAISUKE MATSUZAKA (R) vs. DANA EVELAND (L)
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 291-267 (-50.7 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters since 1997.
BOSTON is 46-18 (+23.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
MATSUZAKA is 26-7 (+15.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
MATSUZAKA is 12-2 (+9.7 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
MATSUZAKA is 17-4 (+11.6 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
Head-to-Head Series History
OAKLAND is 1-0 (+1.5 Units) against BOSTON this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)
DAISUKE MATSUZAKA vs. OAKLAND since 1997
MATSUZAKA is 2-1 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 2.55 and a WHIP of 0.973.
His team's record is 3-1 (+1.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-1. (+1.8 units)
DANA EVELAND vs. BOSTON since 1997
EVELAND is 0-1 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 40.50 and a WHIP of 5.000.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.1 units)
National League
FLORIDA at ATLANTA
VOLSTAD: Florida 14-6 playing with day off
VAZQUEZ: 9-1 Over in April
CINCINNATI at MILWAUKEE
ARROYO: Cincinnati 10-6 at Milwaukee
PARRA: Milwaukee 14-4 Over at home revenging one run loss
ST LOUIS at ARIZONA
CARPENTER: 70-52 TSR in road games
SCHERZER: 0-7 TSR last two seasons
American League
CHICAGO WHITE SOX at DETROIT
DANKS: 12-3 Under in day games
PORCELLO: Detroit 20-40 as an underdog
LA ANGELS at SEATTLE
LOUX: Angels 33-17 Away off win
SILVA: 6-19 TSR if allowed 2+ HR last outing
NY YANKEES at TAMPA BAY
BURNETT: 20-8 Under off loss
GARZA: 12-19 TSR as a favorite
BALTIMORE at TEXAS
SIMON: Baltimore 0-9 after scoring and allowing 8+ runs
MCCARTHY: Texas 9-2 Under at home vs. Texas
TORONTO at MINNESOTA
ROMERO: Toronto 13-4 vs. Minnesota
PERKINS: Minnesota 19-5 at home vs. lefties
CLEVELAND at KANSAS CITY
PAVANO: Cleveland 12-24 after a loss by 2 runs or less
DAVIES: KC 51-24 Under at home when the total is 9 to 9.5
BOSTON at OAKLAND
MATSUZAKA: 26-7 TSR in all games
EVELAND: 14-4 Under in night games
Tips and Trends
New York Yankees at Tampa Bay Rays
Yankees: A. J. Burnett allowed two runs over 5 1-3 innings Thursday in an 11-2 victory at Baltimore to win his Yankees debut. He threw 98 pitches before departing. “He was great today. He had a great fastball, a great curveball,” manager Joe Girardi said. “It was a big performance by him.” Burnett has much experience against Tampa Bay from his days with Toronto, going 7-4 with a 2.98 ERA in 16 starts versus the Rays. He went 1-2 with a 3.15 ERA against them in three starts in 2008. Carlos Pena is 2-for-19 with 9 strikeouts against Burnett, while Evan Longoria is 1-for-10 with 5 strikeouts.
The Over is 6-1 in the last 7 meetings.
The Yankees are 8-2 in their last 10 vs. a team with a winning record.
Key Injuries - 1B Mark Teixeira (wrist) is day-to-day.
3B Alex Rodriguez (hip) is on the 15-day DL.
PROJECTED SCORE: 5 (Side Play of the Day)
Rays (-125, O/U 8.5 ): In the regular season, Matt Garza is 13-6 with a 3.04 ERA in his career against the AL East. That success continued last Thursday at Boston, when Garza yielded one run and four hits over seven sharp innings to earn a 4-3 victory in his season debut. “He’s got dominant stuff when he settles in. You saw it last year,” reigning AL MVP Dustin Pedroia said. “He’s got some of the best stuff in the major leagues.” However, Garza is 1-2 with a 4.56 ERA in five appearances, including four starts, in his career versus New York.
The Rays are 2-10 in Garza's last 12 starts vs. a team with a losing record.
The Rays are 44-13 in their last 57 home games vs. a right-handed starter.
Key Injuries - NONE
PROJECTED SCORE: 3
Boston Red Sox at Oakland A's
Red Sox (-155, O/U 8.5): Coming off a season in which he lost 3 times in 29 starts, Daisuke Matsuzaka suffered his first defeat of 2009 in his season debut, allowing 4 runs on 3 home runs in a 4-3 loss to Tampa Bay on Thursday. The Japanese right-hander struggled with efficiency, throwing 100 pitches in 5 1-3 innings and walking 3. “Right now, not being able to go deep in games is stressful, both for myself and the bullpen,” said Matsuzaka. He went 2-0 with a 2.55 ERA in three outings against Oakland last year, but averaged fewer than 6 innings in those starts despite giving up just 8 total hits.
The Red Sox have lost four straight and 11 of 14 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.
The Red Sox are 14-2 in Matsuzaka's last 16 road starts.
Key Injuries - SS Jed Lowrie (wrist) is on the 15-day DL.
PROJECTED SCORE: 6 (OVER - Total Play of the Day)
A's: Dana Eveland gave up three runs in six innings against the LA Angels on Wednesday, in a game the A’s won 6-4 by scoring all their runs in the final 2 innings. “I kept the team in the game, which is obviously the goal,” Eveland said. “With the team we have this year, you just get back on the mound, throw strikes, get as deep into the game as I possibly can, and let our big bats go to work.” Eveland was unable to do that in his lone previous start against the Red Sox. He gave up 9 runs in two-plus innings at Fenway Park last Aug. 2, allowing home runs to Jason Bay and Kevin Youkilis in Boston’s 12-2 win.
The A's are 7-1 in their last 8 home games vs. a right-handed starter.
Key Injuries - 3B Eric Chavez (shoulder) is DOUBTFUL.
PROJECTED SCORE: 5
American League Research
By Indiancowboy
Whitesox vs. Tigers
Danks did well in his first outing not yielding a run against the Royals but failing to pick up a win, the lefty had a 2-0 record with a 2.41era against the Tigers last year. Porcello had a 7+ ERA in his first major league start at the age of 20 against the Jays, he looks to bounce-back today. Nothing but respect for Porcello, but a lean on the Sox here as Danks is a quality pitcher looking for his first win and I'm not sure if Porcello is still ready for the bigs yet. Sox won 10-6 yesterday.
Angels vs. Mariners
Seattle is 5-2 on the year as they host the 3-3 Angels. Loux has a lifetime record of 1-4 with a 6.21 era in the Majors, but the Angels feel that he is ready for the bigs despite a shaky last start in spring training against the Dbacks. He is known for his great sinking fastball, as he looks to rejuvinize his career with the Angels in this start on the road. The line is set at 9.5 and Silva comes off a rough start himself to his former team in the Twins. Lean on the over here as I don't complete trust either of these pitchers and the Ms can put up some runs as they have put up 34 runs in 7 games and are 4-3 to the over this year in the early going.
Yankees vs. Tampa Bay
Rays beat up on this team 15-5 yesterday so the Yanks will look to get it back on track today vs. Garza. Burnett was solid vs. the Rays last year going 1-2 but with a 3.15 era. Garza was 1-1 with against the Yankees last year but he is strong in Tropicana Field going 7-3 with a 2.89 era in 15 starts there. Burnett was not overly pleased with his performance at Baltimore despite picking up the win, and Garza is known to be inconsistent as well after a solid start, no lean on this game.
Cleveland vs. KC
When you are 0-1 with a 81era in your opening start, there really is nowhere to go but up for Pavano. Pavano has never particularly pitched well against the Royals either as he is 0-1 with a 10.5 era in 2 apperances against them. The Indians are 1-6 to start the year while the Royals are 4-3 with Davies on the mound. Kyle didn't yield a run to the Whitesox in 7 innings and struk out a career high 8 in that outing at Chicago. Nothing against Carl, but I think his time in the majors is nearing an end and I lean on the Royals here as they won 4-2 yesterday, and there is no reason why they can't reach the RL today as Davies goes for his 1st win of the season.
Toronto vs. Minnesota
Romero was sharp against the Tigers in his first outing. He was 1-0 with a 3era, although Perkins was great in his first start having just a 1.13 era, Washburn was better holding the Twins scoreless, Perkins is 0-0 with a 4.91 era against the Jays lifetime. Toronto won 8-6 over the Twins yesterday and continues to rachet up the runs as a solid offensive team this year and the totals between these two teams have been finally bumped to 9 from the 8 and 8.5 mark which was originally being placed on this team.
Boston vs. Oakland
Dice-K struggled in his opening outing against the Rays, having over a 6era, in fact, 6.75, he looks to get back his control as he is 2-1 with a 2.55 era in his career starts vs. Oakland and looks to bounce-back. Eveland had a 4.5 era in his last outing, and gave up 9 runs in 2 innings against the Sox last year, so he has never particularly done well against Boston, the A's also spanked Boston yesterday by a score of 8-2 so they will undoubtedly look to bounce-back today.