Wednesday’s streaking and slumping starting pitchers
By Covers.com
Streaking
Tim Lincecum (San Francisco Giants)
Any doubts that Tim Lincecum’s Cy Young season was a flash in the pan are officially dead.
After a rough start to the schedule, the Giants' flame thrower has settled back into his familiar form, going undefeated in his past 11 starts. He is 6-0 and posting an ERA 2.15 during this span.
In his most recent outing, Lincecum went the distance, giving up seven hits and striking out eight batters in a complete-game shutout of the Oakland Athletics. Six of those K’s were against the final batter of an inning.
"He was in his own world tonight," center fielder Aaron Rowand told the San Jose Mercury News. "He made it easy for the rest of us."
That win improved Lincecum’s season count to 6-1 and trimmed his 2009 ERA to 2.66. He is second in the National League in strikeout with 103 whiffs on the year.
Slumping
Chien-Ming Wang (New York Yankees)
The Yankees are hoping facing baseball’s worst team will spark something in struggling starter Chien-Ming Wang. The right-hander is winless in his five starts this season, posting a 0-4 recorded and an ERA over 14.00 in 21 1-3 innings split between starting and bullpen work.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told reporters that Wednesday’s start will help the team determine what they want to do with Wang. If he continues to slide, New York could send the former 19-game winner back to the minors.
"We need Chien-Ming Wang," Cashman told the press. "This is an important step. We know what he's capable of. The velocity and the sink are there. Maybe his confidence isn't there."
Todd Wellemeyer (St. Louis Cardinals)
The St. Louis Cardinals are frantically searching the clubhouse for the five miles per hour missing from starter Todd Wellemeyer’s fastball. The righty is lacking the same pop on his pitches, leading to his recent funk.
In his past three starts, Wellemeyer is 0-2 and lugging an ERA of 7.00. His most recent appearance was a six-inning, 11-hit, five-run drubbing at the hands of the Florida Marlins (St. Louis actually won 6-5, earning Wellemeyer his second no-decision of the season).
"Last year I was throwing 94-96 (mph), this year I'm topping out at 90-91," he told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "I don't know what it is but there's definitely a difference. It makes things more of a challenge, that's for sure."
Wellemeyer is 5-6 and is posting a 5.50 ERA this season.
Toronto (35-31) at Philadelphia (36-26)
Blue Jays rookie Scott Richmond (4-3, 3.90 ERA) tries for his first victory in nearly seven weeks when he pitches opposite the ageless Jamie Moyer (4-5, 6.11) and the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.
Toronto scored the tying run in the top of the ninth inning in Tuesday’s series opener, then exploded for five runs in the 10th en route to an 8-3 victory that snapped the team’s four-game losing skid. Despite the comeback last night, the Jays remain in miserable slumps of 3-10 on the road, 1-6 in interleague play, 1-6 against the N.L. East, 2-8 in interleague road games, 6-14 as an underdog, 21-41 as an underdog against the National League and 0-4 on Wednesday.
Since returning from a grueling 11-game, four-city road trip, the Phillies have dropped three of four at home, all against A.L. East foes, and the defending champs are now just 13-17 at Citizens Bank Park this season. Philadelphia is still 20-10 in its last 30 contests overall and 39-20 in its last 59 as a favorite, but it has dropped six of eight on Wednesday and 10 of 13 when favored against the American League.
Toronto has now won three straight against the Phillies going back to last season, all in Philadelphia.
Richmond is winless in his last five starts dating to a May 3 victory over Baltimore. The Blue Jays are 1-4 during this stretch, with Richmond giving up a total of 17 runs (all earned) in 26 1/3 innings (5.81 ERA). That includes a 6-2 home loss to Kansas City in his most recent start on June 6, as he yielded five runs in 4 2/3 innings. The right-hander, who has never faced Philadelphia, is 2-1 with a 3.56 ERA in five road contests this season.
The 46-year-old Moyer has turned back the clock over his last three starts, going 1-0 with a 2.84 ERA (six runs, 15 hits and no walks allowed in 19 innings). He got a no-decision in Philadelphia’s 6-3, 10-inning victory at the Mets on Thursday, yielding all three runs in six innings. Although the Phillies are just 2-5 in Moyer’s last seven starts overall and 3-7 in his last 10 Wednesday affairs, they’ve won seven of his last 10 at Citizens Bank, and they’re 35-16 in his last 51 when favored.
Moyer is 2-3 with a hefty 6.82 ERA in six home starts this season and a dreadful 1-5 with a 7.17 ERA in night games. He’s also 14-8 despite a 5.27 ERA in 37 career appearances (35 starts) against Toronto.
The over is 4-1 in Richmond’s last five road starts and 4-0 in his last four as an underdog, but on the flip side, Moyer’s last five starts overall have stayed below the posted total.
The over is 6-2 in Philadelphia’s last eight games overall, but otherwise it is on “under” streaks of 9-5-1 at home, 14-6-1 in interleague play and 9-3 on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Toronto carries “over” trends of 5-0 in interleague action (all against the N.L. East), 5-0 against lefty starters and 7-0-1 on Wednesday.
ATS ADVANTAGE: NONE
Detroit (34-30) at St. Louis (35-30)
Edwin Jackson (6-3, 2.24) looks to continue his sensational season when he takes the mound for the Tigers against the Cardinals and Todd Wellemeyer (5-6, 5.50) as this three-game interleague series continues at Busch Stadium.
The Cardinals’ slumping offense woke up in a big away Tuesday, roughing up the red hot Tigers ace Justin Verlander en route to an 11-2 victory. It was just the 11th time in the last 33 games that St. Louis scored more than three runs in a contest. Despite the victory, the Redbirds are still stuck in ruts of 4-7 overall and 1-4 at home, but they’ve won seven of their last nine on Wednesday and nine of their last 12 against winning teams.
Detroit has dropped three in a row and is now 4-5 on its current 11-game road trip. The Tigers have scored a total of 16 runs in their last six games. Still, they’re on hot streaks of 45-20 in interleague play, 13-7 in interleague road games, 23-12 against the N.L. Central, 16-6 as a favorite, 23-8 as a road favorite and 41-11 as a chalk against the National League.
Since losing to the Redbirds in five games in the 2006 World Series, Detroit is 5-2 against St. Louis, all in interleague action the past two-plus seasons. However, all five wins came in Motown. Since the start of the 2006 season, the home team has won 13 of the last 15 head-to-head clashes, with only four of those contests – Games 3, 4 and 5 of the ‘06 World Series, as well as last night’s clash – played in St. Louis.
Jackson’s streak of six straight quality starts – at least six innings pitched while allowing three earned runs or fewer – ended Thursday at Chicago, but he still had a solid outing, holding the White Sox to two runs in five innings, getting a no-decision in his team’s 4-3 loss. The right-hander has a 1.61 ERA over his last seven starts (five of them Tigers wins), including a 1.37 ERA in four road games. For the season, Jackson is 3-2 with a 1.55 ERA in seven starts as a visitor.
Wellemeyer’s struggles continued in Thursday’s start at Florida, as he gave up five runs on 11 hits in six innings, but the Redbirds rallied for a 6-5 victory. Wellemeyer is 0-2 with a 7.00 ERA in his last three starts and 2-5 with a 5.72 ERA in eight outings at Busch Stadium this season. The Cardinals are 4-1 in Wellemeyer’s last five starts against American League competition, but they’ve lost six straight games in which the right-hander has been a home ‘dog.
Jackson faced the Cardinals last year when he was with Tampa Bay and allowed just a run in 5 1/3 innings, but the Rays lost 5-4 on the road. Meanwhile, Wellemeyer pitched five scoreless innings in Detroit last June, getting a no decision in St. Louis’ 3-2 loss.
Jackson’s last five starts overall and his last four on the road have stayed under the total, and the under has been the play in seven of Wellemeyer’s last eight outings against winning teams and six of his last eight as an underdog.
Even thought last night’s game soared over the total, the Tigers remain on a bunch of “under” streaks, including 20-8 overall, 4-2 on the road, 11-4-1 in interleague road games, 21-7 against right-handed starters, 4-1 as a favorite. Also, St. Louis is on “under” tears of 10-5 at home, 14-7-1 against right-handed starters, 5-1-1 against the American League, 6-1 in interleague home games. Lastly, the under is 4-2 in the last six Tigers-Cardinals meetings at Busch Stadium.
ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER
Gametimepicks.com
Baseball Today
SCOREBOARD
Wednesday, June 17
Arizona at Kansas City (8:10 p.m. EDT). Zack Greinke (8-2, 1.72 ERA) goes for his ninth win when the Royals host Max Scherzer (3-4, 3.63) and the Diamondbacks.
STARS
Tuesday
-Felix Hernandez, Mariners, pitched a two-hitter and Seattle handed San Diego a record-setting 12th straight interleague loss with a 5-0 victory.
-Gil Meche, Royals, pitched a four-hit shutout - his first in nearly five years - as Kansas city beat Arizona 5-0.
-David Ortiz, Red Sox, homered to start a six-run fourth inning, then added a two-run single to lead Boston to a 8-2 win over Florida.
-Robinson Cano, Yankees, hit a tiebreaking double in the seventh inning and matched a career high with four hits, leading New York to a 5-3 victory over Washington.
-Ian Kinsler, Rangers, homered twice to lead Texas past Houston 6-1.
-Albert Pujols, Cardinals, hit his fifth home run in five games to help St. Louis rout Detroit and ace Justin Verlander 11-2.
STILL GOING
Houston's Ivan Rodriguez tied Carlton Fisk's record for most games caught in a career with his 2,226th as the Astros lost 6-1 to the Rangers, Rodriguez's original team. Rodriguez shares the record and the nickname "Pudge'' with the Hall of Famer.
SNAPPED
Evan Longoria, Carlos Pena and Tampa Bay snapped the Colorado Rockies' 11-game winning streak with a Rays' record 11 extra base hits. Longoria and Pena hit two of the Rays' five homers. Gabe Kapler, Ben Zobrist and B.J. Upton also homered. Colorado's winning streak was tied with Boston for the longest in the majors this season and also tied for the longest in Rockies' history. ... The Toronto Blue Jays earned their first interleague victory of the season, beating the Philadelphia Phillies 8-3 in 10 innings to break a seven-game skid against NL teams.
STREAKS
The San Diego Padres set a major-league record with their 12th straight loss in interleague play when they fell 5-0 to Seattle. The Padres had been tied with the New York Mets for the longest interleague losing streak. The Padres have lost four straight interleague games this season and last won in 2007. San Diego is 5-22 in interleague games since June 20, 2007.
SUPER AL
Albert Pujols hit his fifth home run in five games - and the longest homer at Busch Stadium this season - in the St. Louis Cardinals' 11-2 victory against Detroit. Pujols leads the majors with 23 homers. His latest traveled an estimated 446 feet. He was also intentionally walked twice, giving him a major league-leading 20.
MUSCLING UP
Washington second baseman Anderson Hernandez hit the second home run of his career, a three-run shot against Yankees ace CC Sabathia in New York's 5-3 victory against the Nationals. Hernandez's last homer was Sept. 19, 2006, for the New York Mets against Florida.
POWER OUTAGE
Adrian Gonzalez, tied for second in the NL in homers with 22, went without a home run for the 11th straight game. It's the longest long ball drought for the slugging first baseman this season.
SPEAKING
"You could always tell he was going to be good. But he is starting to mature and you can see it in his pitching. He doesn't seem like he's 23.'' - Mariners catcher Jamie Burke on Felix Hernandez who pitched a two-hitter to beat San Diego 5-0.