MLB News and Notes Tuesday 6/8

Tuesday’s Streaking and Slumping Starting Pitchers

This is the type of day in the big leagues when batters everywhere are going to look silly. They’re going to be chasing sliders out of the zone, out in front of A+ changeups and buckling their knees at 12-6 curve balls.

That’s because Tuesday’s scheduled starting pitchers includes eight pitchers with ERAs under 3.00, and that’s not even counting the defending AL Cy Young winner and another guy who threw a perfect game (sort of) in his last start.

Oh yeah, some kid named Strasburg is making his major league debut too.

While we could pick about 10 streaking hurlers for today’s action we stuck with two. So please, don’t grill us about this guy or that guy not being on the list of streakers.

We know all about it and the whole Covers.com staff might just play the under on every game on the board.

Streaking

Matt Cain, San Francisco Giants

This Jints ace is throwing smoke these days. He’s surrendered just one earned run in his last three starts and has gone the distance in two of those three games.

The under is 7-1-1 in his last nine outings even though oddsmakers are throwing 7- and 6.5-run totals on his starts.

He’s usually moderately priced and San Fran has won in each of his last two trips to the bump.

Jered Weaver, Los Angeles Angels

Remember how everyone wondered if Weaver could handle the responsibility of being his team’s No. 1 starter? Well, so far so good.

Weaver owns a spiffy 2.50 ERA and has struck out four times has many batters as he’s walked.

His win-loss record would be a lot higher if he could get some help from the bats and the bullpen but bettors can take comfort knowing he usually gives you seven innings of good work.

Slumping

Zack Greinke, Kansas City Royals

You know it’s a good day for the arms when we’re forced to include the reigning AL Cy Young winner into the slumping section. Then again, in a way, Greinke has been one of the most disappointing pitchers in baseball this season.

We understand he pitches for a terrible team and he loses a lot of games he wouldn’t on a stronger club. But that doesn’t defend giving up 10 hits and four runs in his last start or seven earned runs in under four innings of work in his third to last start.

Add it all up and you’ve got the majors’ worst money pitcher.

Greinke is now 1-7 and the Royals are 2-8 in his last 10 appearances.

Tim Wakefield, Boston Red Sox

You’ve got to have a strong stomach to have a knuckleballer in your starting rotation because when that pitch isn’t dancing things can get ugly.

Tim Wakefield recently rejoined the starting rotation because of an injury to Josh Beckett and he impressed in his first outing, pitching eight scoreless innings.

But in his next two starts Wakefield allowed 15 earned runs in just 9.2 innings of work.

MLB RoundUp For 6/8
By Dan Bebe

National League

Marlins @ Phillies (-140) with a total of 9.5
Jorge Cantu was 5-for-9 with 2 HR and 5 RBI off Kendrick before 2010;
Cody Ross was 3-for-8 off Kendrick before 2010;
Dan Uggla was 5-for-14 with a HR and 5 RBI off Kendrick before 2010;
Ryan Howard was 6-for-15 with 4 HR and 5 RBI off Volstad before 2010.
REMATCH ALERT! These two went head-to-head in Florida just under 2 weeks ago in a game that Kendrick and the Phils won by the final score of 3-2. Kendrick has pitched very well his last 2 times on the hill, surrendering just 2 unearned runs to the Fish before a 7-inning, 1-run effort against Atlanta. Kendrick's career numbers against Florida aren't all that impressive, but he's throwing the ball well right now, and that makes him dangerous. Volstad has nice numbers against Philadelphia, except Ryan Howard, and he gave up 3 runs in 6.1 innings of that eventual loss. Philly appears to be waking up a little, but the Marlins are getting some renewed life from a top prospect, and I wonder how he impacts the team. Leans: Marlins

Pirates @ Nationals (-210) with a total of 8.5
Adam Dunn is 2-for-4 with a HR off Karstens;
Ryan Zimmerman is 2-for-5 with a HR and 2 RBI off Karstens.
Well, -210. Not a bad opening line for the biggest hype machine to hit the Bigs, maybe ever? I'm not sure how someone can back the Nationals at this price. They're simply not that great of a team. I'm not sure I can back Pittsburgh, either, as Karstens has a lifetime ERA of 9.35 against the Nats, but that price on a kid that is likely going to be so amped that he blows 25 pitches in the first inning, at least? No thanks. Strasburg will probably have a good outing, but something tells me the Nats pen blows this one for him. Leans: None

Padres @ Mets (-135) with a total of 7.5
I might just skip typing up the player numbers for this series, not just this game, since these teams squared off just a few days ago in San Diego. Okay, so perhaps a new pitcher will sneak in there, but these two guys are perfectly familiar with the other. In fact, each is making a second consecutive start against this opponent. Richard went 6 innings of 1-run ball of a game that the Padres won in extra-innings over Johan Santana, and Pelfrey went 8 innings of 1-run ball in a 4-2 Mets win. Now, back at home, this price on Pelfrey is remarkably cheap. I know Richard has a 2.87 ERA on the season, and has perfectly decent career numbers against New York, but Pelfrey is 8-1, and might very well be the 2nd best pitcher in the NL behind Ubaldo Jimenez this season. I know, that sounds nuts, but his ability to dominate teams when the Mets need it has been pretty impressive. The Padres look to be regressing a tad on this road trip, but if Richard keeps pitching as well as he has been, the battle of the bullpens is a scary one. Leans: Mets

Giants (-140) @ Reds with a total of 8.5
Orlando Cabrera is 3-for-10 with 2 HR and 3 RBI off Cain since '05;
Laynce Nix is 4-for-7 with a HR off Cain;
Joey Votto is 4-for-12 off Cain with an RBI.
This price is simply too high to back Cain. And while Matt has been nearly untouchable over his last 3 or 4 starts, dropping his season ERA down to a microscopic 2.36, laying -140 on the road to a team with a better season record is just not among the things I like to do often. Sam LeCure is 1-1 with a 3.97 ERA on the year, and he's never faced the Giants, and while I'd love to try to get some value with the home dog, here, I think this one might best be avoided. Leans: None

Cubs @ Brewers (-140) with a total of 8
Kosuke Fukudome is 3-for-8 off Gallardo;
Derrek Lee is 3-for-7 off Gallardo with 2 RBI;
Aramis Ramirez is 3-for-8 off Gallardo;
Geovany Soto is 3-for-8 with a HR and 2 RBI off Gallardo;
Ryan Theriot is 4-or-7 off Gallardo;
Ryan Braun is 7-for-16 with 2 HR off Lilly;
Prince Fielder is 8-for-18 off Lilly with 1 HR and 2 RBI.
A fair number of offensive numbers in this match-up, which makes me think that total of 8 might be a tad low if we could trust either team. But we can't, so let's look at the sides, instead. The Cubs are coming off finally getting a win over the Pirates, and it was a pretty easy 6-1 victory, at that. They're not going to be particularly well-rested, but they're probably feeling a little better about themselves after that monkey-off-the-back winner. The Brewers are coming home off a win over the Cardinals, but they continue to win very few games, and then lose a handful. Gallardo has been a bright spot, darn near dominant, but his lifetime 5.64 ERA against Chicago is intriguing from a fade perspective. Ted Lilly is starting to round into form, and while he's getting squat for run support (hence the 1-5 record and 3.61 strange pair), he shut out Milwaukee for 6 innings earlier this year, and the Brewers are awful at home. Leans: Cubs

Astros @ Rockies (-210) with a total of 9.5
Carlos Lee is 3-for-7 with a HR and 5 RBI off Francis;
Clint Barmes is 5-for-11 with a HR and 2 RBI off Moehler;
Brad Hawpe is 4-for-7 with a HR and 2 RBI off Moehler;
Troy Tulowitzki is 3-for-5 with a HR and 3 RBI off Moehler.
Looking at the big underdog is generally a wise move, but I don't know if that's the case with Moehler. He's been terrible basically his entire Big League career, and his 6.67 lifetime ERA against Colorado isn't exactly confidence-inspiring. Francis holds a 2.21 lifetime mark against Houston, and while he's trending down, that's not a strong enough indicator to put us on the other side. Leans: None

Braves (-120) @ Diamondbacks with a total of 9.5
Another short line - I think bettors have to enjoy having this many options on the card, and we're not even to the AL yet! Medlen has been excellent as a starter, and he's starting to improve his stamina, as well. Medlen is coming off a 7.1-inning, 2-earned performance against the Dodgers, and now will try out his arsenal on the suddenly-hot-hitting D'backs. Edwin Jackson has been pitching well, too, and he is redefining horse. The D'backs are just riding Edwin until his arm falls off, thanks to the terrible bullpen. I'm a little concerned that Jackson might suffer some sort of setback after throwing about 200 pitches in his last start, and for that reason, I might have to stay off this game. I'll take another peek at it, but for now, the only feelings I'm getting about this game involve the eerily high total, and the fact that both pitchers are trending up. Leans: Under

Cardinals (-125) @ Dodgers with a total of 7
I'm having some issues coming up with numbers on Kuroda here, for whatever reason. Don't worry, I'll dig them up, and will have some thoughts on this one in the a.m. For now, without seeing Kuroda's numbers, I'm already thinking about Carpenter. The Dodgers teed off on some crummy hurlers last night, but Carpenter has long been able to neutralize the Dodgers. Even though LA managed to tackle Carp in the playoffs, this is not a guy that has surrendered much to LA during the regular season. Leans: Cardinals

American League

Red Sox (-165) @ Indians with a total of 10
The only lean I might even come close to offering would be the Over. I figure I'll just get that out there up front. Wakefield's knuckler isn't really moving this year, and David Huff is awful. Of course, because of that, the total is inflated to begin with, which makes this play not a very good value. Just because the total is inflated doesn't mean the game is going to stay Under, but there's almost no good reason to make a play when you're not getting the best of it. Leans: Over

Yankees (-235) @ Orioles with a total of 8.5
REMATCH ALERT! Is anyone else as tired of handicapping Kevin Millwood starts as I am? I don't know why. Maybe it's his 0-6 record, or maybe it's just Baltimore, but I am just completely annoyed with running numbers on Millwood games. He's coming off a bad start against these very same Yankees, too. If we turn the clock back to April, though, these two starters squared off here in Baltimore, and the Orioles managed to win that game 5-4. Phil Hughes doesn't have outstanding history with Baltimore, though they remain so bad that I just don't even know if I can recommend playing them. Still, with the O's coming off a win, I wonder if maybe they'll get a little confidence and win another? Leans: Orioles

Blue Jays @ Rays (-200) with a total of 9
REMATCH ALERT! I was sort of hoping the line on this one wouldn't be so girthy, since these two pitchers squared off on June 1st in Toronto in a game the Jays' bullpen completely blew. Niemann has been on the winning side of two games against Toronto this year, already, but really hasn't pitched that well in either of them. Is this the time Toronto finally breaks through? Tallet's career 2-1, 5.11 mark against Tampa isn't really getting my juices flowing, though he did go 5.2 shutout innings against them a week ago. I have to think that the Rays hit Tallet a little harder this time, and I also have to think that Niemann pitches better against the Jays this time. But without a bullpen implosion, Toronto at least has a shot. Leans: Blue Jays

Mariners @ Rangers (-125) with a total of 8.5
This game marks the 3rd start this season for each of these gentlemen against this opposition. However, neither of the previous stats came against each other. Hernandez went 1-1 against Matt Harrison, and Colby Lewis beat the Mariners twice, knocking off Jason Vargas and then Cliff Lee. Can Lewis keep up that sort of complete dominance? The 3rd start against a team is often the anomaly, as the team that was getting throttled makes a few adjustments, and the guy doing the beating, in this case Lewis, might be a little less focused. Hernandez is getting on one of his rolls, so that's reason for optimism in Mariners country. He beat Texas here in Texas back on April 10, but then got creamed by the Rangers while dealing with a sore back in early May. However, his last time out might have been his best start of the year, holding the Twins to just a single run in 8 innings, striking out 9 and walking just 1 - that's a big boy start against a good offensive club. Leans: Mariners

Tigers @ White Sox (-125) with a total of 9
Johnny Damon is 5-for-8 with a HR and 3 RBI off Floyd since '05;
Carlos Guillen is 8-for-23 with a HR and 3 RBI off Floyd since '05;
Ryan Raburn is 9-for-23 off Floyd;
Ramon Santiago is 4-for-13 with 2 HR and 4 RBI off Floyd;
Paul Konerko is 3-for-7 with 3 RBI off Galarraga.
All those player numbers would seemingly point to a play on the Tigers, wouldn't they? Well, that's why we use other tools, as well. Galarraga is coming off the "almost" perfect game, so the value is probably not going to be on his side. Floyd is still sporting an ERA of 6.64 on the season, and yet, against a team with a better record, Floyd is a small favorite. Checking out some more numbers, Galarraga is 1-2 with a 5.06 career ERA against the White Sox, and Floyd is a perfect 5-0 against Detroit. The White Sox tend to play the Tigers tough, too. Leans: White Sox

Royals @ Twins (-125) with a total of 8
Mike Aviles is 4-for-11 off Slowey before 2010;
Alberto Callaspo was 3-for-8 off Slowey before this season;
David DeJesus was 5-for-14 with a HR and 7 RBI off Slowey before 2010;
Delmon Young was 4-for-11 with a HR and 5 RBI off Greinke before 2010.
I'm a little confused as to why Greinke hates the Twins so much. From a pure average standpoint, they don't seem to hit him all that hard, but he just can't quite get over that hump. Greinke is 3-5 with a 3.92 ERA against Minnesota, and pitched a dud against them earlier this year. Slowey has been decent enough for the Twins this year, though one of his poorer starts did come against these Royals. There would seem to be a little value in the Over, here, if we thought both teams would do some hitting, but it's a little dicey since Greinke could turn it on for one night, and the Royals pen isn't as bad as it used to be. Leans: Over

Angels (-155) @ Athletics with a total of 8.5
Maicer Izturis is 3-for-6 with a HR and 3 RBI off Mazzaro;
Gabe Gross is 3-for-7 with a HR and 2 RBI off Weaver.
Jered Weaver is 3-3 with a 2.61 ERA against the Athletics, and honestly, I would have expected a better record. He tossed 6 innings of 1-run baseball earlier this year, and the Angels did go on to win that one. Weaver is 5-2 with a 2.74 ERA on the season, definite All-Star level stuff on display most nights. Vin Mazzaro, a youngster I had the pleasure of seeing briefly when he pitched with Stockton, is 0-1 with a 7.88 ERA against the Angels, gave up 4 runs in 3 innings in his only start this year, and doesn't appear quite ready to make the leap to the Bigs. I can't believe I'm saying this, but laying road chalk doesn't seem all that insane, here. Leans: Angels