Baseball Today
SCOREBOARD
Tuesday, April 7
Milwaukee at San Francisco (4:05 p.m. EDT). NL Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum and the Giants face the Brewers.
STARS
Monday
— Tony Clark and Felipe Lopez, Diamondbacks, each homered from both sides of the plate to lead Arizona to a 9-8 victory over Colorado.
— Emilio Bonifacio, Marlins, hit the majors’ first inside-the-park homer on opening day since 1968, swiped three bases and had four hits in Florida’s 12-6 victory over Washington.
— Alfonso Soriano, Cubs, hit his 50th career leadoff home run as Chicago beat Houston 4-2.
— Adam Lind, Blue Jays, went 4-for-5 with a home run and six RBIs to lift Toronto to a 12-5 victory over Detroit.
— Felix Hernandez, Mariners, threw eight solid innings to help Seattle beat Minnesota 6-1.
— Hanley Ramirez, Marlins, hit a grand slam and finished with five RBIs in Florida’s 12-6 victory over Washington.
— Jack Wilson, Pirates, hit a three-run double to cap a four-run ninth inning in Pittsburgh’s 6-4 comeback victory at St. Louis.
— Hank Blalock, Rangers, hit a three-run homer off Cliff Lee and Texas beat Cleveland 9-1.
— Joe Saunders, Angels, yielded three hits over 6 2-3 innings in Los Angeles’ 3-0 victory over Oakland.
— Daniel Murphy, Mets, homered and drove in two runs in New York’s 2-1 win over Cincinnati.
— Hiroki Kuroda, Dodgers, allowed one run and four hits over 5 2-3 innings in Los Angeles’ 4-1 victory over San Diego.
THUD
CC Sabathia allowed six runs and failed to get through the fifth inning in his first start with New York, and the Yankees lost to the Baltimore Orioles 10-5 on Monday. New York spent $423.5 million on free agents Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira during the offseason. Sabathia got a $161 million, seven-year deal, but the left-hander hardly looked like an ace against the Orioles while Teixeira went 0-for-4 and stranded five baserunners.
NICE GAME
Emilio Bonifacio became a crowd favorite in his Marlins debut, hitting the majors’ first inside-the-park homer on opening day since 1968 and going 4-for-5 against his former team. Bonifacio also stole three bases and scored four times in Florida’s 12-6 victory over the Washington Nationals. He was summoned for a curtain call following his first big league homer, which landed short of the warning track but sailed over center fielder Lastings Milledge because he was playing so shallow.
NICE GAME II
Tony Clark and Arizona newcomer Felipe Lopez each homered from both sides of the plate, and the Diamondbacks outslugged Colorado 9-8 in a power-filled opener. Eight home runs were hit in the game. Lopez and Clark became the first switch-hitting teammates to homer from both sides of the plate in a game since Jorge Posada and Bernie Williams did it for the New York Yankees on April 23, 2000. It had never been done on opening day.
JUST LIKE THEY PLANNED IT
The revamped Mets bullpen sure looked good the first time out. Francisco Rodriguez and his fellow relievers protected a slim lead for Johan Santana, and New York held on Monday for a 2-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. Sean Green, J.J. Putz and Rodriguez squashed Cincinnati’s lineup, allowing only two balls out of the infield in the final 3 1-3 innings.
HE’S BACK
Ken Griffey Jr. got off to a great second start with Seattle, hitting an opening-night home run to back Felix Hernandez in a 6-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins. Griffey returned to the Mariners in February on a one-year, $2 million deal. His 41 homers against Minnesota are his most against any opponent. His eighth opening-day home run matched a major-league record and gave him 612 for his career.
UGLY SCENE
The Toronto Blue Jays’ 12-5 victory over the visiting Detroit Tigers was delayed when fans littered the field in the bottom of the eighth inning. Umpires waved both teams off the field for nine minutes after two balls were thrown from the stands in the direction of Tigers left fielder Josh Anderson. Groundskeepers cleared paper airplanes and empty beer cups from the warning track as the public address announcer read a message warning the crowd of 48,027 that the game could be forfeited.
SPEAKING
“There were thousands of great fans here tonight. Ice-cold Labatts and a big win for the Blue Jays—they were having a great time. But you can’t endanger any players, whether they’re your players or someone else’s. You just can’t do it.”—Detroit manager Jim Leyland on umpires waving the Tigers and Blue Jays off the field for nine minutes in the bottom of the eighth inning after two balls were thrown from the stands in the direction of Tigers left fielder Josh Anderson.
MILWAUKEE (0 - 0) at SAN FRANCISCO (0 - 0)
JEFF SUPPAN (R) vs. TIM LINCECUM (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN FRANCISCO is 60-41 (+27.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less since 1997.
MILWAUKEE is 33-16 (+15.3 Units) against the money line when playing on Tuesday over the last 3 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 16-34 (-19.1 Units) against the money line when playing on Tuesday over the last 3 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.
JEFF SUPPAN vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
SUPPAN is 3-4 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 4.99 and a WHIP of 1.562.
His team's record is 3-5 (-3.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-5. (-2.4 units)
TIM LINCECUM vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
LINCECUM is 1-2 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 5.25 and a WHIP of 1.375.
His team's record is 2-2 (-0.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-2. (-1.2 units)
ATLANTA (1 - 0) at PHILADELPHIA (0 - 1)
JAIR JURRJENS (R) vs. JAMIE MOYER (L)
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 72-88 (-21.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 110-119 (-26.0 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 3 seasons.
ATLANTA is 20-33 (-18.1 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 72-84 (-21.7 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 3 seasons.
ATLANTA is 73-90 (-22.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 30-52 (-18.0 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
MOYER is 234-160 (+42.6 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997. (Team's Record)
MOYER is 25-8 (+17.1 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
ATLANTA is 28-13 (+16.9 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off over the last 3 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 1-0 (+1.1 Units) against PHILADELPHIA this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)
JAIR JURRJENS vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
JURRJENS is 1-2 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 3.33 and a WHIP of 1.074.
His team's record is 1-3 (-2.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-1. (+1.7 units)
JAMIE MOYER vs. ATLANTA since 1997
MOYER is 2-4 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 5.30 and a WHIP of 1.375.
His team's record is 5-4 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-4. (+0.6 units)
WASHINGTON (0 - 1) at FLORIDA (1 - 0)
SCOTT OLSEN (L) vs. JOSH JOHNSON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 33-69 (-27.0 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 28-77 (-36.4 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 13-41 (-18.7 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 4-21 (-18.0 Units) against the money line after allowing 10 runs or more over the last 3 seasons.
FLORIDA is 85-77 (+20.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 41-31 (+17.9 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 84-75 (+21.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
JOHNSON is 11-3 (+9.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
JOHNSON is 9-0 (+10.1 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
JOHNSON is 11-3 (+9.2 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
FLORIDA is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against WASHINGTON this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)
SCOTT OLSEN vs. FLORIDA since 1997
No recent starts.
JOSH JOHNSON vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
JOHNSON is 3-0 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 3.38 and a WHIP of 1.083.
His team's record is 4-0 (+4.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-1. (+2.0 units)
CHICAGO CUBS (1 - 0) at HOUSTON (0 - 1)
RYAN DEMPSTER (R) vs. WANDY RODRIGUEZ (L)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 958-1009 (-184.7 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 131-160 (-55.4 Units) against the money line when playing on Tuesday since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 901-925 (-162.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 463-493 (-117.0 Units) against the money line after a win since 1997.
HOUSTON is 86-76 (+20.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 84-75 (+18.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 63-55 (+13.4 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
DEMPSTER is 102-94 (+21.7 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997. (Team's Record)
DEMPSTER is 41-24 (+25.8 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 since 1997. (Team's Record)
DEMPSTER is 46-37 (+15.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents since 1997. (Team's Record)
DEMPSTER is 89-82 (+17.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)
Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO CUBS is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against HOUSTON this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)
RYAN DEMPSTER vs. HOUSTON since 1997
DEMPSTER is 4-9 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 5.19 and a WHIP of 1.522.
His team's record is 4-11 (-7.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 10-4. (+5.8 units)
WANDY RODRIGUEZ vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
RODRIGUEZ is 4-4 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 4.68 and a WHIP of 1.441.
His team's record is 5-5 (+0.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-6. (-2.6 units)
PITTSBURGH (1 - 0) at ST LOUIS (0 - 1)
IAN SNELL (R) vs. KYLE LOHSE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 59-47 (+12.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
LOHSE is 20-10 (+10.8 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
LOHSE is 50-27 (+20.3 Units) against the money line in home games in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)
SNELL is 39-33 (+15.7 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)
Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 1-0 (+1.4 Units) against ST LOUIS this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)
IAN SNELL vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
SNELL is 4-4 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 4.93 and a WHIP of 1.548.
His team's record is 7-6 (+2.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 8-5. (+2.9 units)
KYLE LOHSE vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
LOHSE is 3-0 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 2.21 and a WHIP of 0.982.
His team's record is 3-2 (+0.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-2. (+1.0 units)
COLORADO (0 - 1) at ARIZONA (1 - 0)
UBALDO JIMENEZ (R) vs. DAN HAREN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 73-90 (-24.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 46-69 (-25.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 34-52 (-18.8 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 73-90 (-24.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 29-41 (-18.8 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 36-19 (+14.8 Units) against the money line in April games over the last 3 seasons.
ARIZONA is 127-147 (-43.0 Units) against the money line when playing on Tuesday since 1997.
ARIZONA is 56-61 (-19.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 84-80 (-13.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
ARIZONA is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against COLORADO this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)
UBALDO JIMENEZ vs. ARIZONA since 1997
JIMENEZ is 0-1 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 2.61 and a WHIP of 1.226.
His team's record is 3-2 (+0.9 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-1. (+2.8 units)
DAN HAREN vs. COLORADO since 1997
HAREN is 3-2 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 3.89 and a WHIP of 1.162.
His team's record is 4-2 (+1.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-3. (-0.2 units)
LA DODGERS (1 - 0) at SAN DIEGO (0 - 1)
RANDY WOLF (L) vs. CHRIS YOUNG (R)
Top Trends for this game.
LA DODGERS are 142-161 (-52.4 Units) against the money line when playing on Tuesday since 1997.
SAN DIEGO is 63-99 (-36.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 43-73 (-30.1 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 8-17 (-13.0 Units) against the money line in home games against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 63-99 (-36.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 35-46 (-17.0 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
LA DODGERS is 1-0 (+1.2 Units) against SAN DIEGO this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)
RANDY WOLF vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
WOLF is 5-3 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 5.94 and a WHIP of 1.491.
His team's record is 6-3 (+1.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-3. (+2.8 units)
CHRIS YOUNG vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
YOUNG is 1-4 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 4.03 and a WHIP of 1.442.
His team's record is 5-6 (-1.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-6. (-1.4 units)
DETROIT (0 - 1) at TORONTO (1 - 0)
EDWIN JACKSON (R) vs. DAVID PURCEY (L)
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 49-56 (-16.6 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 37-50 (-21.3 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 74-89 (-31.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 34-44 (-18.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 83-132 (-39.9 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 since 1997.
Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against DETROIT this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)
EDWIN JACKSON vs. TORONTO since 1997
JACKSON is 2-3 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 3.93 and a WHIP of 1.309.
His team's record is 4-5 (-0.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 7-2. (+5.0 units)
DAVID PURCEY vs. DETROIT since 1997
PURCEY is 1-0 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 0.87 and a WHIP of 1.355.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (-0.1 units)
SEATTLE (1 - 0) at MINNESOTA (0 - 1)
ERIK BEDARD (L) vs. NICK BLACKBURN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 41-69 (-27.0 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 40-70 (-29.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 62-101 (-35.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 25-43 (-21.6 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 27-55 (-21.3 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 53-29 (+17.2 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 55-31 (+17.7 Units) against the money line in games played in a dome over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 36-19 (+14.1 Units) against the money line in home games in night games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 55-34 (+14.6 Units) against the money line in games played on artificial turf over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 18-4 (+14.5 Units) against the money line in home games against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 80-61 (+26.4 Units) against the money line in road games in April games since 1997.
Head-to-Head Series History
SEATTLE is 1-0 (+1.3 Units) against MINNESOTA this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)
ERIK BEDARD vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
BEDARD is 0-5 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 4.84 and a WHIP of 1.783.
His team's record is 1-6 (-6.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-5. (-3.9 units)
NICK BLACKBURN vs. SEATTLE since 1997
BLACKBURN is 1-0 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 4.50 and a WHIP of 1.667.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.1 units)
OAKLAND (0 - 1) at LA ANGELS (1 - 0)
TREVOR CAHILL (R) vs. DUSTIN MOSELEY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
LA ANGELS are 96-58 (+22.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 144-97 (+25.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 63-34 (+27.7 Units) against the money line after shutting out their opponent since 1997.
LA ANGELS are 102-65 (+21.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 44-18 (+22.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
LA ANGELS is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against OAKLAND this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)
TREVOR CAHILL vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
No recent starts.
DUSTIN MOSELEY vs. OAKLAND since 1997
MOSELEY is 1-0 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 5.66 and a WHIP of 1.404.
His team's record is 2-2 (+0.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-2. (-0.1 units)
KANSAS CITY (0 - 0) at CHI WHITE SOX (0 - 0)
GIL MECHE (R) vs. MARK BUEHRLE (L)
Top Trends for this game.
CHI WHITE SOX are 55-28 (+18.6 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 29-8 (+18.2 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 20-6 (+12.3 Units) against the money line in home games in day games over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 86-58 (+20.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
BUEHRLE is 96-47 (+32.8 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997. (Team's Record)
BUEHRLE is 96-47 (+32.8 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)
KANSAS CITY is 21-10 (+13.9 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 3 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 30-26 (+12.9 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 32-32 (+11.8 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 36-24 (+23.0 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.
GIL MECHE vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
MECHE is 7-3 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 4.04 and a WHIP of 1.324.
His team's record is 8-6 (+2.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-8. (-3.1 units)
MARK BUEHRLE vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
BUEHRLE is 19-8 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 3.49 and a WHIP of 1.202.
His team's record is 25-11 (+6.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 16-19. (-5.0 units)
TAMPA BAY (0 - 0) at BOSTON (0 - 0)
JAMES SHIELDS (R) vs. JOSH BECKETT (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 93-54 (+22.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 105-73 (+27.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 47-32 (+17.7 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 77-45 (+29.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 227-180 (-44.7 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents since 1997.
BECKETT is 5-12 (-12.2 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 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.
JAMES SHIELDS vs. BOSTON since 1997
SHIELDS is 2-6 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 4.80 and a WHIP of 1.307.
His team's record is 2-8 (-6.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 6-4. (+1.2 units)
JOSH BECKETT vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
BECKETT is 6-3 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 3.91 and a WHIP of 1.145.
His team's record is 6-6 (-3.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-7. (-2.3 units)
American League Research
By Indiancowboy
KC vs. Whitesox
Meche makes his 3rd opening day start and he is actually 7-3 against the Whitesox lifetime, and Buehrle makes his 7th opening day start. Buehrle has a lifetime 19-8 and a 3.48 ERA against the Royals and was 3-2 against the Royals last year. Buehrle is the winningest pitcher at U.S. Cellular in fact and has won nearly 70 games on that particular field. Meche ended the year last year with 5 of 6 quality starts, and although Buehrle's last start against Tampa Bay was not quality, his last 6 prior to that were quality starts. Buehrle has pitched in 3 straight Unders while Meche has pitched in 5 of 6 Unders.
Tampa Bay vs. Boston
These two teams finally face off. I can't wait for this game b/c the last time Shields pitched in Boston he hit Cocco Crisp and there was basically a brawl. Well, these two face off once again and Shields got the best of this team in the last facing but he is 0-3 with a 10+ ERA in Fenway and the Redsox are going to love facing him. Nevertheless, Shields start on opening day for the AL Champs, so I can see him doing well. Beckett is 5-3 with a 3.11 ERA against the Rays lifetime and he is 18-10 with a 3.35 ERA in April as he usually starts the year well.
Seattle vs. Minnesota
Minnesota lost 1-6 yesterday and throws Blackburn who pitched a gem against the Whitesox in the playoffs last year but lost 0-1. The Mariners start off the year well scoring a suprising 6 runs as they win behind Felix and how have Erik Bedard on the hill to go 2-0. Bedard was injured throughout last year on and off and he has been getting better but I'm not sure if he is in ideal form yet, he went 1-1 with a 5+ era in the Cactus League.
Oakland vs. Angels
Cahill throws in front of his fellow family and friends in L.A. today against the Angels. Cahill is quite a talent and was the 2006 Organizational Pitcher of the year for the A's and looks to live up to the potential. Not to be out done, Mosely was the 2004 first round draft pick of the Angels and looks to secure himself a spot in this ever changing Angels Rotation. Mosely struggled against the A's last year though going 1-1 with a 7.57 ERA. With the public so on the Angels, and the A's getting shutout yesterday, I lean on the A's today to likely pull this game out.
Baseball Injuries/Notes:
Seattle: Ichiro on the DL.
Minnesota: Mauer on the DL.
St. Louis: Glaus is on the DL.
Milwaukee: Braun is Probable.
National League
MILWAUKEE at SAN FRANCISCO
SUPPAN: Milwaukee 11-3 Over vs. Giants
LINCECUM: SF 11-29 vs. NL Central
ATLANTA at PHILADELPHIA
JURRJENS: Atlanta 20-33 vs. lefties
MOYER: 25-8 TSR vs. division
WASHINGTON at FLORIDA
OLSEN: Wash 4-21 after allowing 10+ runs
JOHNSON: 9-0 TSR vs. division
CHICAGO CUBS at HOUSTON
DEMPSTER: 51-29 Over when the total is 7 to 8.5
RODRIGUEZ: Hou 21-10 after loss by 2 runs or less
PITTSBURGH at ST LOUIS
SNELL: Pittsburgh 44-29 Over as road underdog
LOHSE: 20-10 TSR vs. division
COLORADO at ARIZONA
JIMINEZ: Colorado 15-46 Away off 1 run division loss
HAREN: Arizona 27-9 after a combined score of 15+ runs
LA DODGERS at SAN DIEGO
WOLF: 18-6 Under in night games
YOUNG: 16-4 Under as home favorite
American League
DETROIT at TORONTO
JACKSON: Detroit 16-34 as road underdog
PURCEY: Toronto 25-12 vs. AL Central
SEATTLE at MINNESOTA
BEDARD: Seattle 40-70 vs. righties
BLACKBURN: Minnesota 18-4 at home vs. lefties
OAKLAND at LA ANGELS
CAHILL: Oakland 21-38 after scoring 2 runs or less
MOSELY: Angels 44-18 when the total is 9 to 9.5
Write-In Games
KANSAS CITY at CHICAGO WHITE SOX
MECHE: KC 36-24 vs. lefties
BUEHRLE: CWS 44-28 Over vs. division
TAMPA BAY at BOSTON
SHIELDS: 4-16 TSR as an underdog of +125 to +175
BECKETT: Boston 32-12 as a home favorite of -125 to -175
Tips and Trends
Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox
Rays: James Shields will toe the rubber for Tampa Bay knowing he will be pitching for the defending AL champions. “Teams aren’t taking us too lightly any more,” Shields said. “There’s a long of teams around the league that have a lot more respect for us. Teams aren’t coming in thinking they’re going to beat us every time. I think I saw that starting the second half of last season.” Shields is 2-4 lifetime vs. Boston with a 5.23 ERA.
Rays are 2-8 in Shields' last 10 games vs. Boston.
The UNDER is 5-1-1 in Tampa Bay's last 7 games overall.
Key Injuries - OF B.J. Upton (shoulder) is on 15-day DL.
PROJECTED SCORE: 2
Red Sox (-140, O/U 8.5): Boston ace Josh Beckett hopes to put a rough season behind him and will be looking for consistency after throwing well early on only to falter in the middle of games. "The thing that bothers me most about it is you feel like you've made good adjustments, and then the results end up being poor," Beckett said. "It's frustrating when people come up to you and say you did a good job of this or that, things you were trying to make adjustments on, but the results, like I said, it takes a day to get over that."
Red Sox are 2-6 in their last 8 games as a favorite.
The OVER is 4-2 in the last 6 meetings.
Key Injuries - 3B Mike Lowell (hip) is probable.
SS Julio Lugo (knee) is on the 15-day DL.
PROJECTED SCORE: 6 (Side Play of the Day)
Hot Pitchers
-- Lincecum is 3-2, 2.95 in his last five starts.
-- Florida won five of Johnson's six home starts LY.
-- Dempster is 2-1, 3.48 in his last four starts. Rodriguez is 1-1, 0.96 in his last four starts.
-- Lohse is 2-0, 3.09 in his last five starts.
-- Haren is 2-0, 3.12 in his last four starts. Jimenez is 2-0, 2.25 in his last three outings.
-- Young is 3-1, 1.55 in his last four starts. Wolf is 4-1, 3.05 in his last six starts.
-- Meche is 3-0, 2.83 in his last three starts. White Sox won thirteen of Buehrle's last fourteen home starts.
-- Purcey is 1-1, 5.96 in his last four starts.
-- Blackburn is 2-1, 3.15 in his last three home starts. Bedard was 2-0 in his last five starts LY, with a 1.82 RA.
-- Rays are 16-7 in last 23 starts by Shields.
Cold Pitchers
-- Suppan is 0-4, 9.49 in his last six starts.
-- Braves lost four of last five Jurrjens road starts. Moyer is 0-2, 8.49 in his last three starts.
-- Olsen is 1-4, 10.80 in his last seven starts.
-- Pirates were 4-11 in Snell's last fifteen road starts LY.
-- Jackson is 2-3, 7.82 in his last five starts.
-- Young Cahill is making major league debut for A's; his experience is seven starts at AA LY. Moseley was 2-3, 6.55 in ten starts LY.
-- Red Sox lost Beckett's last six home starts.
Pitcher vs Team
-- Lincecum lost 7-4 at home to Milwaukee July 20 (five runs/six IP).
-- Jurrjens was 1-2, 3.60 against the Phillies last season.
-- Johnson was 2-0, 3.00 against the Nationals LY.
-- Dempster was 1-3, 3.12 vs Houston LY; Cubs scored two runs in the three losses. Rodriguez had 5.40 RA in two '08 starts vs Chicago.
-- Lohse was 1-0, 2.57 in two starts vs Pittsburgh LY.
-- Haren was 3-0, 3.46 in four '08 starts against the Rockies. Jiminez was 0-1, 3.32 in three '08 starts against Arizona.
-- Young had a 7.80 RA in three '08 starts against the Dodgers.
-- Buehrle was 3-2, 4.02 against the Royals last year. Meche had a 4.38 RA in two starts against the White Sox.
-- Purcey was 1-0, 0.87 in two starts against Detroit LY.
-- Blackburn beat Seattle 6-3 Aug 6, in his only '08 start against the M's.
-- Moseley allowed two runs in 5.1 IP in his only '08 start vs Oakland.
-- Beckett was 3-1, 3.86 in seven starts vs Tampa Bay LY. Shields was 1-4, 7.13 against the Red Sox last year.
Hot Teams
-- No hot teams, no cold teams yet.............
Cold Teams
-- ..............this section will start later this week.
Totals
-- Five of last six Suppan starts stayed under the total.
-- Five of last seven Jurrjens starts went over the total.
-- Over is 13-2-1 in last sixteen Olsen starts.
-- Five of last seven Dempster road starts went over.
-- Six of last nine Snell starts stayed under the total.
-- Five of last six Haren home starts went over the total.
-- Under was 6-2 LY in Young's starts at Petco.
-- Four of last five Buehrle starts stayed under the total.
-- Four of last five Jackson starts went over the total.
-- Three of Blackburn's last four starts stayed under the total.
-- Under is 4-2-1 in Moseley's last seven starts.
-- Under is 5-1-1 in Beckett's last seven starts.
Umpire stats will start appearing in a week to 10 days.
For the first week or two of a six-month baseball season, we're mainly in the business of gathering data. Last year was last year, this year is new, so team stats don't translate well. Individual stats for pitchers from last year will be used until we have enough numbers to use properly from this season's games. Remember, these stats are from last season