Tuesday’s Streaking and Slumping Starting Pitchers
Streaking
Clayton Richard (6-4, 2.74), San Diego Padres
San Diego’s southpaw struck out a career-high 10 Rockies batters in his last start. Richard fanned five of the first six hitters in that game and finished with a stat line of one walk, two earned runs and five hits over 7.0 innings of work.
"It was a lot of fun today," Richard said after the 13-3 win. "We had a pretty good approach going into it and attacked the strike zone, and when you get that type of run support, it makes it a lot easier to pitch.
In his previous outing, Richard held the Marlins scoreless through 6.0 innings on the bump while striking out five. Both of his last two starts have led to Padres victories.
Slumping
Jeff Francis (2-3, 4.67), Colorado Rockies
The Franchise only lasted three innings last Wednesday against a San Diego club that many consider to be offensively challenged. The Friars lit Francis up for a career-high eight earned runs on seven hits. He walked three hitters and failed to strike out a single Padre.
"Nobody likes to give up eight runs," said Francis. "I've had days like this before and this obviously ranks up there. I missed on a lot of pitches. I was falling behind so many batters."
Francis has yielded no less than three earned runs in each of his last three starts. The lefty made six June appearances for Colorado and went 1-2 with 22 runs allowed over a span of 35.1 innings. The over has cashed in three of Francis’ last four starts.
Returning
Erik Bedard (0-0, 0.00), Seattle Mariners
The M’s are hoping to see some returns on that hefty contract they signed Bedard to a few years back. The left-hander is coming off surgery of a torn labrum and hasn’t pitched in the majors since July 25 of last year.
"I talked to (Triple-A manager) Darren Brown and he said [Bedard] was fine," manager Don Wakamatsu said. "His changeup command was so-so and his velocity was 88 to 93, but the biggest thing for us is that he felt good after."
Bedard will no doubt be on a tight pitch count in his first game back. In his only minor league start, Bedard allowed three hits and one earned run over 4.1 innings.
Felix Doubront (1-0, 5.40) Boston Red Sox
Doubront earned a win in his major league debut on June 18 against the Dodgers but feels he is more prepared for the second start of his career.
"I feel more confident, more relaxed this time," said Doubront, who surrendered three earned runs in 5.0 innings during the win over Los Angeles. "I know how it works now."
Before being called up, the 22-year-old Venezuelan had a 6-1 record and 2.11 ERA between Double- and Triple-A ball this season. Doubront is taking the rotation spot of Clay Buchholz who was placed on the 15-day DL Monday. The lefty could be a candidate for the bullpen once Buchholz returns.
Tuesday MLB Tips
By Kevin Rogers
The All-Star Game is one week away in Anaheim as teams look to finish up the first half on a solid note. Several clubs trying to make their way up in their respective divisions meet on the South Side when the White Sox host the Angels, while the Rays and Red Sox renew acquaintances at Tropicana Field. We'll start in Philadelphia with the struggling Phillies taking on the Braves.
Braves at Phillies - 7:05 PM EST
Philadelphia's push towards the top of the NL East took a hit this past week with series losses at Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, as the Phillies return home looking to avenge an early June sweep to the Braves. Atlanta failed to capture a sweep over Florida, but the Braves finished a nine-game homestand at 6-3.
Jair Jurrjens (1-3, 5.59 ERA) makes his second start since getting activated from the disabled list with a hamstring injury. Jurrjens threw 85 pitches in five innings of work his last time out, a 4-1 home victory over the Nationals. The righty scattered six hits and one earned run to pick up only his first win of the season, coming off a 14-victory campaign in 2009. The Braves split Jurrjens' four starts against the Phillies last season, but the righty delivered seven innings in each of the last three outings.
The Phillies send out southpaw Cole Hamels (6-7, 4.07 ERA), who has failed to pick up a victory in his last three trips to the hill. Hamels put together a solid start his last time out, allowing five hits and three earned runs in seven innings of work in a 3-2 road loss to the Pirates. The former World Series MVP has delivered four quality starts in his previous five outings, but the Phillies are 1-4 in this span. Hamels recorded just two outs the last time he faced the Braves at Turner Field, as a rain delay ended the left-hander's night in a 7-3 defeat.
The Braves lead the season series, 5-4, after recording the sweep in Atlanta one month ago. Philadelphia grabbed two of three over Atlanta at Citizens Bank Park in early May, as all three meetings finished 'under' the total.
Reds at Mets - 7:10 PM EST
The Mets return to the Big Apple after trips to Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. over the past week to host the surging Reds. Cincinnati has rebounded following its embarrassing offensive showing in Seattle two weeks ago by winning 10 of 13 games to pull into first place of the NL Central.
The task won't be easy for the Reds, who face Johan Santana (5-5, 3.41 ERA) in the second game of this series. The Mets' ace put up his first quality start in a month with a no-decision at Washington, but New York lost in walk-off fashion to the Nats, 2-1. Santana gave up six hits and one earned run in seven innings at Washington, but the Mets dropped to 1-6 in his last previous seven starts. New York is a perfect 4-0 against Cincinnati in Santana's four starts since he signed with the Mets in 2008.
Rookie Travis Wood (0-0, 2.57 ERA) looks to capitalize on a strong debut at Chicago, limiting the Cubs to two hits and two earned runs in seven innings of a 3-2 triumph. The southpaw didn't figure in the decision, but the Little Rock native held his own in a tough environment. Wood hopes to lift the Reds to another underdog victory, as Cincinnati has won six straight games when listed at plus-money.
The Reds have held opponents to three runs or less in eight of their last ten road contests, while cashing the 'under' seven times. The 'under' has hit at a nice rate for the Mets at Citi Field over the previous five weeks, going 12-3.
Red Sox at Rays - 7:10 PM EST
Don't look now, but those pesky Red Sox have passed the Rays in the AL East with Terry Francona's club heading down to the Sunshine State to battle Tampa Bay. The best thing to happen to the Rays was them leaving town, as Joe Maddon's squad grabbed four of six on their road trip, including three of four at Minnesota.
These two division rivals met a week ago at Fenway Park with each team capturing a victory. The road team is now 8-1 in this season's series, including Boston's perfect 3-0 mark at Tropicana Field. The Sox send out rookie Felix Doubront (1-0, 5.40 ERA), who gets his first nod since beating the Dodgers in his big-league debut on June 18. The southpaw wasn't spectacular against Los Angeles, allowing five runs (three earned) in five innings, but the Sox managed to give Doubront strong run support in a 10-6 win.
Jeff Niemann (6-2, 2.80 ERA) has been an amazing road pitcher in his short tenure with the Rays, while pitching at home hasn't yielded the same results. Tampa Bay is 8-0 in his eight road starts this season, but just 4-4 in Niemann's outings at Tropicana Field. The former Rice Owl hasn't recorded a win since a complete-game shutout against Toronto on June 8, while posting a 2.70 ERA in his last three starts. Niemann was the tough-luck loser of Edwin Jackson's 149-pitch no-hitter on June 25, suffering a 1-0 loss to Arizona despite striking out eight in 7.1 innings.
The beat-up Sox have managed to pick up some ground in the division even though Dustin Pedroia and Victor Martinez were placed on the disabled list over the last ten days. Boston owns a 7-2 mark the last nine games as a road underdog, while Tampa Bay is just 3-7 the previous ten contests at the Trop.
Angels at White Sox - 8:10 PM EST
The two teams that met in the 2005 ALCS continue their series at U.S. Cellular Field with both clubs throwing out their aces. Jered Weaver and Jake Peavy each take the ball, trying to create consistency for a pair of squads going through 3-3 stretches.
Weaver (8-3, 2.65 ERA) has been dominating over the last six weeks, with the Angels winning five of his previous seven outings. In this stretch, the righty has not allowed a run in four starts, while striking out at least six in all seven trips to the mound. Weaver's totals have been interesting, with the 'over' cashing in eight of his nine road starts, but the 'under' going a perfect 7-0 at home. The Angels have won all five of Weaver's career starts against the White Sox, with each start finishing 'under' the total.
Peavy (7-6, 4.70 ERA) has excelled following a slow start to the season, putting together five straight quality starts, while allowing seven earned runs in this span. The former Cy Young Award winner suffered a loss his last time out at Kansas City, giving up three earned runs in a 7-6 loss as a short underdog. Peavy looks to bounce back against an Angels' squad that knocked around the ex-Padre to the tune of eight hits and six earned runs in six innings of a 6-5 home loss on May 20.
The Sox have won seven of their past eight at home, with five of those games finishing 'under' the total. Interestingly enough, the Angels have played 15 of their previous 18 games at home with the lone road trip to the Windy City. However, the Halos battled the Cubs in interleague play and took two of three from Chicago as each game sailed 'over' the total.
vegasinsider.com
Diamond Trends - Tuesday
By Vince Akins
Pirates at Astros - The Astros are 7-0 since May 08, 2009 when Wandy Rodriguez starts at home after his team won the last time he started for a net profit of $710. The Astros are 0-6 since July 26, 2009 at home when they won the last two games their starter started for a net profit of $730 when playing against.
Yankees at Athletics - The Yankees are 10-0 since April 11, 2009 as a road 140+ favorite after a win in which their opponent left fewer than 10 men on base for a net profit of $1000. The Yankees are 6-0 since May 14, 2009 when CC Sabathia starts on the road after he went at least eight innings in his previous start and they won for a net profit of $605. The Athletics are 7-0 since September 02, 2009 when Trevor Cahill starts after he had a WHIP of less than one his last start for a net profit of $780.
Twins at Blue Jays - The Twins are 0-5 since June 18, 2010 and it is the first game of the series for a net profit of $570 when playing against. The Blue Jays are 0-5 since April 27, 2010 after scoring 6+ runs loss for a net profit of $500 when playing against.
Giants at Brewers - The Giants are 0-8 since April 26, 2009 on the road after a win in which they had fewer team-left-on-base than their opponent as a dog for a net profit of $840 when playing against. The Brewers are 0-6 since April 14, 2009 as a home favorite after a loss in which they drew 5+ walks and it is not the first game of a series for a net profit of $830 when playing against. The Brewers are 0-6 since April 17, 2010 when Randy Wolf starts as a favorite after going at least 6 innings and giving up 6 or fewer hits for a net profit of $800 when playing against.
Cubs at Diamondbacks - The Cubs are 0-5 since August 30, 2009 as a favorite after a win in which they had fewer than five team-left-on-base for a net profit of $815 when playing against.
Marlins at Dodgers - The Marlins are 6-0 since April 14, 2009 as a 140+ dog after a one run win for a net profit of $970. The Marlins are 0-6 since May 10, 2009 when Christopher Volstad starts as a dog after the team won their last two games for a net profit of $600 when playing against. The Dodgers are 12-0 since July 18, 2009 as a 140+ favorite vs a team that has won at least their last two games and it is not the first game of a series for a net profit of $1200.
Royals at Mariners - The Royals are 0-6 since May 09, 2009 when Zack Greinke starts after giving up no walks at home for a net profit of $705 when playing against.
Reds at Mets - The Reds are 6-0 since April 28, 2010 on the road after a win in which they left 18+ men on base for a net profit of $730. The Mets are 5-0 since May 11, 2010 at home when they are off a loss in which they never led for a net profit of $570.
Padres at Nationals - The Nationals are 5-0 since May 04, 2010 when Livan Hernandez starts at home in the first game of a series for a net profit of $520.
Braves at Phillies - The Braves are 0-7 since June 16, 2009 when Jair Jurrjens starts after the team lost their last two games for a net profit of $990 when playing against. The Braves are 6-0 since April 22, 2009 when Jair Jurrjens starts vs a team that lost their starters last three starts for a net profit of $600. The Phillies are 0-5 since June 21, 2009 when Cole Hamels starts as a favorite after a quality start and they lost in his previous start for a net profit of $725 when playing against.
Indians at Rangers - The Indians are 0-9 since August 25, 2009 when Justin Masterson starts after throwing more than 100 pitches at home for a net profit of $910 when playing against. The Indians are 0-8 since April 19, 2009 as a dog when they are off a game in which they scored in at least five separate innings and it is not the first game of a series for a net profit of $800 when playing against. The Rangers are 8-0 since April 27, 2010 when C.J. Wilson starts as a favorite after throwing more than 100 pitches for a net profit of $800.
Red Sox at Rays - The Red Sox are 0-8 since May 14, 2009 as a road dog after a loss in which their opponent left 18+ men on base for a net profit of $800 when playing against. The Rays are 0-3 since April 08, 2010 when Jeff Niemann starts as a home favorite vs a team that has lost at least their last two games for a net profit of $555 when playing against.
Cardinals at Rockies - The Cardinals are 0-6 since April 20, 2010 as an underdog vs a team that has a worse record for a net profit of $600 when playing against. The Rockies are 0-5 since April 10, 2010 as a 140+ favorite after a win in which they had 12+ hits for a net profit of $820 when playing against.
Orioles at Tigers - The Tigers are 10-0 since April 29, 2010 at home when they are off a win in which they came back from a deficit for a net profit of $1055. The Tigers are 9-0 since April 29, 2010 at home after allowing 6+ runs for a net profit of $1060.
Angels at White Sox - The White Sox are 0-7 since August 02, 2009 at home after a win in which they drew 5+ walks for a net profit of $940 when playing against. The White Sox are 7-0 since June 10, 2010 after scoring 6+ runs win for a net profit of $740. The Angels are 6-0 since April 26, 2009 when Jered Weaver starts vs a team that has averaged fewer than six strikeouts per game for a net profit of $605.