Afternoon Tip Sheet
By Judd Hall
Bettors won’t have to wait long to get their fix on Wednesday with four games going off before they hit their local pub for happy hour. Houston takes on the red-hot Cubs at Wrigley Field to get the action underway. And the Mariners will close out the early slate with a home tilt with Toronto.
Astros at Cubs – 2:20 p.m. EDT
A week ago, the Astros found themselves within a game of the lead in the National League Central. A recent three-game slide has brought them back to reality for the most part. As bad as the losing skid seems, they’re still just four games behind Colorado for the NL Wild Card.
Houston will look to stay relevant with Mike Hampton (6-7, 474 ERA) on the mound. The southpaw has been somewhat spotty this year on the road, going 3-4 with a 4.40 earned run average. Also, the ‘Stros have lost Hampton’s last three outings away from Minute Maid Park this season. Hampton didn’t get much love from his offense in those road starts, scoring a combined six runs.
You have to go back to April 21 for the last time that Chicago was atop the NL Central before this week. That’s what happens when you win five straight contests and 11 of your last 13. The Cubbies’ offense has definitely come to play now. In their last four tests, they’re hitting .306 and have crossed the plate 23 times. They could have scored more than that considering that they left just over 19 runners on base each time.
Randy Wells (6-4, 3.10 ERA) hopes he’ll get that type of run support for his start. It’s not like he really needs it though. Wells has six of his last seven decisions, with five of those being quality starts. Wrigley has truly been friendly to him as well, as evidenced by a 3-1 record with an ERA of 3.92 in his last four home starts.
Las Vegas Sports Consultants have listed the Cubs as $1.70 home favorites (risk $170 to win $100) with no total as of yet.
This series has been dominated by Chicago this season as they hold a 7-4 advantage. The ‘under’ has gone 7-3-1 in the 11 head-to-head meetings as well.
The Cubs haven’t been dominating against lefties this season, as evidenced by an 11-10 mark in 2009. However, they are a solid 5-1 in six daytime fixtures at home against left-handers this year.
If you fancy playing totals, then you should expect a low scoring affair for this tilt. Chicago has seen the ‘under’ go 26-22 at home this season, while the Astros have gone 28-20.
Blue Jays at Mariners – 4:40 p.m. EDT
Alright, so will this be Roy Halladay’s (11-3, 2.62 ERA) last start for the Blue Jays? I just feel like I should say that because everyone on ESPN keeps wondering the same thing.
Odds are pretty good he’ll be staying put in Toronto. I’m not sure Halladay wants to stay with them since he’s lost five of his last six starts this season. It’s not like he’s having bad outings either, lasting into the seventh inning in his last four starts with a 2.81 ERA.
The Blue Jays’ bullpen has had a hellish go of it when their staff ace is starting. In his last four starts, he’s had the lead in three of those games when he left. The ‘pen blew two of those contests. The only win that Halladay did get out of that stretch is because he tossed a complete game.
Seattle’s dream of getting back into the AL West race is fading almost as fast as the team. The Mariners have dropped four straight games, getting outscored 42-10 in the process. This slump includes a three-game sweep to the Indians. I’m pretty sure that would get most any other team eliminated from playoff contention.
The M’s will send out their Australian connection, Ryan Rowland-Smith (0-1, 3.48 ERA), to help stop the bleeding. The southpaw is coming off of a pretty good start on July 24 against the Tribe in which he gave up four earned runs on five hits in seven innings. As good as the outing was, the offense was the exact opposite in a 9-0 shellacking.
Most betting shops have installed Toronto as a $1.65 road “chalk” with the total coming in low at 7 ½.
Left-handed pitching has been a kryptonite of sorts against the Jays this season. After all, they’re only 15-19 against lefties in 2009. That is surprising when you consider that Toronto is hitting .270 for the season, but .279 against southpaws. One trend to keep mind of is that the Blue Jays are 4-2 when taking on a left-hander in daytime road games.
When you see a total as low as that, you can guess that runs will be coming at a premium. The numbers don’t suggest that to be the case here as Toronto has seen the ‘over’ go 12-6 in daytime road matches.
vegasinsider.com
Prime-Time Tips
By Brian Edwards
Bettors have another stacked slate to wager on Wednesday, including an ESPN prime-time showdown between a pair of AL East adversaries. Let’s explore several games and a slew of Bonus Nuggets.
**Yankees at Rays**
--Las Vegas Sports Consultants opened New York as a minus-115 favorite with a total of nine flat (minus-110 either way). The Yankees are plus-140 on the run line (minus 1 ½ runs).
--Joe Girardi’s club won the series opener Monday at Tampa Bay by an 11-4 count. Nick Swisher belted a pair of homers and Derek Jeter had three hits. A.J. Burnett was brilliant in seven strong innings, giving up just two hits and not allowing an earned run en route to improving his record to 10-4 for the season.
--The Yankees took a 26-21 road ledger into Tuesday’s tilt at The Trop in St. Pete. They had a 2 ½-game lead over the second-place Red Sox in the American League East.
--Tampa Bay went into Tuesday’s contest with a 30-16 home record. The Rays were 7 ½ games back of the Bronx Bombers in the AL East, five behind Boston in the wild-card hunt.
--Joba Chamberlain (6-2, 3.86 ERA) will get the call in this spot. The hard-throwing righty is unbeaten on the road, compiling a 4-0 record and 3.26 ERA in eight road assignments. Chamberlain has a 1.88 ERA in 14 1/3 career innings against the Rays.
--Matt Garza (7-7, 3.68) is coming off one of his best performances of the year, throwing a complete-game gem in last Friday’s win at Toronto. Garza didn’t walk a Blue Jay and fanned nine batters. He has posted a 4-3 record and 3.31 ERA in 10 home outings this year. Garza has a 1-2 record and 3.79 ERA in six career starts against the Yankees.
--Sportsbook.com has adjusted its odds to win the AL East. As of late Tuesday afternoon, the offshore website had the Yankees as the minus-175 ‘chalk.’ The Red Sox are plus-140, while the Rays have plus-500 odds (risk $100 to win $500).
--The Yankees have watched the ‘over’ go 48-45 overall, 23-22 in its road games. Meanwhile, the Rays have seen the ‘under’ cash at a 53-44 overall clip. However, the ‘over’ has been a money maker for Tampa Bay at home, going 24-20.
--ESPN will provide television coverage at 7:05 p.m. Eastern.
**Rockies at Mets**
--LVSC opened New York as a minus-150 favorite with a total of 7 ½ flat (minus-110 either way).
--Johan Santana (11-8, 3.12) will get the starting nod for the Mets, who took a three-game winning streak into Tuesday’s contest against Colorado. Nevertheless, they are 6 ½ games back in the NL wild-card chase and aren’t even in striking distance of the first-place Phillies in the NL East.
--Santana owns a 7-2 record and 1.86 ERA in 10 home starts this season. The left-hander has never faced the Rockies before.
--Colorado has won 34 of its last 47 games to take the lead in the NL wild-card chase (going into Tuesday’s tilt against the Mets).
--Colorado is 27-24 on the road this year, 15-15 against southpaws.
--Jim Tracy will turn to Jason Hammel (5-5, 4.28) to counter Santana. Hammel, who will be facing the Mets for the first time, has been sensational on the road with a 4-2 record and 1.93 ERA.
--The Mets have watched the ‘under’ go 49-44 overall, 24-21 in their home contests.
--The ‘under’ is 49-47 overall for the Rockies, 28-22 in their road games.
**Tigers at Rangers**
--LVSC opened Detroit as a minus-125 ‘chalk’ with a total of nine (minus-110 either way). Bettors can expect to see the Tigers at plus-130 on the run line (risk $100 to win $130).
--Justin Verlander (11-5, 3.12) will take the ball for the Tigers. The right-hander has been nasty lately, compiling a 2-1 record and 0.78 ERA in his last three assignments. With that said, bettors should note that Verlander threw 127 pitches in his last outing Friday. He is 5-1 with a 2.13 ERA in seven lifetime appearances against Texas. Also, Verlander is 4-5 with a 4.76 ERA in 12 road starts this season.
--Scott Feldman (9-3, 3.59) is 3-2 with a 3.79 ERA at home this year. The righty has been extra effective recently, going 2-1 with a 2.18 ERA in his last three starts.
--Texas owns a 33-19 home record, while Detroit is just 21-30 on the road.
--Before Tuesday’s game went final, Detroit has seen seven straight ‘unders.’ For the season, the ‘under’ is 61-35 overall for the Tigers, 34-16 in their road games.
--The ‘under’ is a lucrative 61-33 overall for the Rangers, 34-16 in their road outings.
**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**
--Assuming Toronto RHP Roy Halladay isn’t traded between now and 4:30 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday, he will toe the rubber for the Blue Jays at Seattle. Halladay is 5-4 with a 2.67 ERA in 11 career starts against the M’s.
--Minnesota LHP Francisco Liriano is 0-3 with an 8.00 ERA in three career starts against the White Sox.
--The ‘under’ had hit in nine consecutive White Sox games going into Tuesday’s tilt at Minnesota.
vegasinsider.com
Wednesday's streaking and slumping starting pitchers
By Covers.com
Streaking
Matt Cain (San Francisco Giants)
In July, batters almost have been better off trying to work Cain for a walk rather than figuring out how to hit him.
The righthander has made five starts this month. Over 29 1-3 innings, he has given up just 20 hits and 11 walks.
“He’s really emerged, I think, as a terrific pitcher,” Giants manager Bruchy Bochy told the team’s web site. “He’s not trying to power his way through guys and he has great poise out there.”
Cain is 3-0 in his last five starts, allowing no more than one earned run in any of them. He also appears to be unaffected by the line drive he took off his elbow vs. San Diego on July 11.
John Lackey (Los Angeles Angels)
It has been a trying season for the veteran righthander, who spent the first six weeks on the disabled list and the next six trying to develop some consistency. He finally appears to have found it.
Lackey has won three straight starts for the first time in nearly a year, compiling a 1.52 ERA while beating CC Sabathia, red-hot Brett Anderson and Francisco Liriano.
The Angels have won five of Lackey's last six starts.
Debuting
Chris Tillman (Baltimore Orioles)
Tillman will be making his major league debut against the Kansas City Royals. The 21-year-old righthander also will be auditioning for the role of Baltimore’s fifth starter because Rich Hill and Jason Berken have pitched poorly of late.
Originally a 2006 second-round pick of Seattle, Hillman was acquired in the Erik Bedard trade, a heist that also included All-Star Adam Jones and closer George Sherrill. He was 11-4 with a 3.18 ERA for Double-A Bowie in 2008 and 8-6 with a 2.70 ERA for Triple-A Norfolk this year.
In the minors, Tillman was a strikeout pitcher, having rung up 253 in 232 1-3 innings since the start of the 2008 season. He has averaged better than a strikeout per inning at every stop in the minors.
Slumping
Aaron Harang (Cincinnati Reds)
The righthander has lost his last three starts, giving up 12 earned runs and 24 hits in 16 innings for a 6.75 ERA. He also has a 1.75 WHIP during that span.
But that doesn’t tell the whole story. Harang is winless in his last 11 starts since May 25, allowing 12 homers in 62 2-3 innings. He began the season by surrendering just seven homers in 64 1-3 innings.
Zack Greinke (Kansas City Royals)
If Greinke doesn’t win the AL Cy Young Award, he can lay the blame squarely on his teammates, who seem to lay down when he takes the mound and offer him little support.
Greinke has not pitched poorly in his last four starts. In fact, he has pitched rather well, allowing seven earned runs with 32 strikeouts in 26 innings. But the Royals have lost all four outings, and Greinke is 0-3 with a no-decision because he has received just three runs of support.
Under bettors have cashed in Greinke’s last six starts.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
L.A. Dodgers (62-38) at St. Louis (55-48)
The Dodgers, who continue to own baseball’s best record, send out red-hot left-hander Clayton Kershaw (8-5, 2.96 ERA) for the third game of a four-game set at Busch Stadium against the Cardinals and Joel Pineiro (9-9, 2.95).
St. Louis continued its domination of the Dodgers with a 10-0 rout on Tuesday, which followed Monday’s 6-1 victory. The Cardinals are now 43-20 in the last 63 meetings with Los Angeles and 26-8 in the last 34 at Busch Stadium. Tony LaRussa’s squad is on additional positive surges of 6-1 at home, 6-1 against the N.L. West and 17-4 against teams with a winning percentage above .600.
L.A. has now lost three in a row and four of its last five. On the bright side, it is still 5-2 in its last seven against the N.L. Central and 10-6 in its last 16 against righty starters.
The Dodgers are 7-1 in Kershaw’s last eight starts, with the lone defeat coming last Friday at home against Florida. In that contest, Kershaw allowed three runs (two earned) on nine hits and three walks in six innings of a 6-3 setback. The southpaw had previously surrendered a total of three earned runs over a seven-start stretch that covered 42 2/3 innings (0.63 ERA), and he wasn’t scored on in five of those contests.
Kershaw is 5-3 with a 4.41 ERA in nine road starts this season, and he’s 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA in two career starts against St. Louis. L.A. has won five straight road games behind Kershaw and is on further runs behind the lefty of 7-1 against N.L. Central foes and 5-1 against winning teams.
The Cardinals have won four in a row and five of six backing Pineiro, including an 8-1 rout at Philadelphia last Friday, in which the righty threw six shutout innings of four-hit ball, walking just one. Pineiro is 4-1 with a 1.37 ERA over his last six starts, including a pair of complete games.
Pineiro is 4-4 with a 2.40 ERA in eight home starts this season, and he’s won both of his two career starts against Los Angeles, despite a 4.72 ERA. His current 4-1 upswing followed a stretch in which he took the loss in five consecutive starts and eight out of nine.
The Dodgers are on “over” runs of 5-2-1 overall, 10-3 on the road and 12-6 against right-handed starters. On the flip side, the Cardinals are on “under” streaks of 9-4 overall, 20-9 at home (6-1 in their last seven) and 6-1 against the N.L. West, and the total has stayed low in five of Pineiro’s last six starts, including the last three in a row.
Finally, the under has been the play in seven of the last 11 meetings in this rivalry.
ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER
AMERICAN LEAGUE
N.Y. Yankees (61-39) at Tampa Bay (55-46)
Right-hander Joba Chamberlain (6-2, 3.86 ERA) leads the torrid Yankees into the finale of a three-game set against the A.L. East rival Rays, who will counter with fellow righty Matt Garza (7-7, 3.68) at Tropicana Field.
After getting drubbed 11-4 in Monday’s opener, Tampa Bay came back and evened this series with Tuesday’s 6-2 victory. The Rays are on a lengthy 89-36 streak at home dating to last season and are on further upticks of 6-2 in division play and 20-8 at the Trop against teams with a winning road record.
The Yankees have still won 10 of their last 12 and are on additional surges of 46-22 overall, 9-4 on the road, 7-2 in division play and 16-6 against winning teams.
These rivals have now split 10 meetings this season, but the visitor has won six of the last nine. Also, New York has won four in a row against Garza.
The Yankees are 11-3 in Chamberlain’s last 14 starts, including an 8-3 home rout of Oakland last Friday when the 23-year-old yielded just one run on two hits and three walks over seven innings, striking out six. Chamberlain hasn’t been dealt a loss on the road this year, going 4-0 with a 3.26 ERA in eight outings, though New York is only 4-4 in those contests.
Chamberlain has just one start against Tampa in his eight appearances (0-0, 1.88 ERA), and that was a 4-3 home win on June 7 in which he allowed all three runs on five hits and a walk in six innings, getting a no-decision. New York is 5-1 in Chamberlain’s last six outings overall, but the Yanks are 1-4 behind the righty on the road against opponents with a winning record.
The Rays are 4-2 in Garza’s last six trips to the mound, including 2-0 in the last two. On Friday at Toronto, the 25-year-old pitched a complete-game five-hitter, matching Roy Halladay, who also went nine innings, and Tampa scored twice in the 10th for a 4-2 victory. Tampa Bay is 8-3 in Garza’s last 11 division starts and 6-2 in his last eight home outings.
Garza is 4-3 with a 3.31 ERA in 10 home outings this year, and he’s 1-2 with a 3.79 ERA in seven career appearances (six starts) against New York. He was opposite Chamberlain in the June 7 contest, allowing one run on four hits and two walks in five innings but got a no-decision in the Rays’ loss.
The under for New York is on runs of 8-3-1 overall and 9-4-1 against A.L. East foes, but otherwise the team is on “over” streaks of 5-1 on the road, 6-3 on artificial turf and 5-1 with Chamberlain on the mound. For Tampa, the under is on stretches of 36-17-1 overall, 10-3 in division play, 24-7-1 against righty starters, 13-3-1 behind Garza and 5-0 with Garza facing a winning team.
Finally the over has hit in six of the last eight Yanks-Rays clashes at Tropicana Field.
ATS ADVANTAGE: OVER
Gametimepicks.com
Runs at a Premium!!
By SportsPic
Rangers and Tigers complete a three-game set at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington Wednesday in what has the markings of a low scoring affair. The flu-ridden Rangers struggling with the lumber since the break averaging 3.9 runs/game going 9-0-2 'Under' over the eleven game span will be hard pressed swinging away at Justin Verlander (11-5, 3.12) offerings. The righty back on track the last three on the bump has allowed 3 runs 8 walks, 18 K's over 23 innings compiling a 1.13 WHIP, 10.17 ABRA, 20.33 BOR. Tigers with their own issues making contact the second half scoring 2.9 runs/game (10-2 'Under') will also struggle vs Scott Feldman (9-3, 3.59). The right-hander has a sparkling 0.990 WHIP, 8.91 ABRA, 16.20 BOR his last three on the mound. Getting guys out (Batter-Out-Rating) leads to keeping runners off base (Avg-Base-Runner-Allw) therefore giving the opposition less wiggle room to score runs. Teams with a pair of starters who can produce a high BOR (>15) thus enjoying a low ABRA (<12) are 177-17-5 'Under' scoring a combined 5.1 runs/game. Have sportsbooks set the total at <9 these same teams are a profitable 96-10-2 'Under' scoring a combined 4.7 runs/game. Consider 'Under'.
Baseball Today
SCOREBOARD
Wednesday, July 29
Toronto at Seattle (4:40 p.m. EDT). With trade rumors swirling, Roy Halladay (11-3) is scheduled to start for the Blue Jays against Ryan Rowland-Smith (0-1) and the Mariners.
STARS
Tuesday
-Gary Matthews Jr., Angels, hit a tiebreaking three-run double in the eighth inning, and Los Angeles rallied for a 7-6 over the Indians.
-Cole Hamels, Phillies, pitched eight dominant innings giving up one run and four hits as Philadelphia beat Arizona 4-3.
-Ian Kinsler, Rangers, drove in three runs and Texas beat Detroit 7-3.
-Ross Gload, Marlins, hit a pinch-hit two-run homer with one out in the bottom of the ninth to rally Florida over Atlanta 4-3.
-Rajai Davis, Athletics, singled home Mark Ellis in the ninth to send the game into extra innings, then did it again in the 11th and Oakland beat the Red Sox 9-8.
-Ichiro Suzuki, Mariners, had the first game-ending hit of his career with two outs in the ninth, and Seattle snapped a four-game skid with a 4-3 victory over the Blue Jays.
-Adam Wainwright, Cardinals, pitched eight shutout innings to lift St. Louis to a 10-0 win over Los Angeles.
PERFECT RECORD
Chicago White Sox ace Mark Buehrle set a major league record by retiring 45 straight batters Tuesday night. Coming off a perfect game in his last start against Tampa Bay, Buehrle retired the first 17 Twins batters to surpass the record of 41 straight set by and San Francisco's Jim Barr in 1972 and tied by teammate Bobby Jenks, a reliever, in 2007. The streak ended with two outs in the sixth and Minnesota went on to win 5-3.
OUTFIELD EXCHANGE
In a swap of outfielders, the Boston Red Sox traded Mark Kotsay and cash to the Chicago White Sox for Brian Anderson. Kotsay hit .257 with one home run and five RBIs in 27 games for the Red Sox this year. He started out the season on the disabled list while recovering from back surgery. Anderson was hitting .238 with two homers and 13 RBIs when the White Sox sent him down to Triple-A Charlotte.
SIDELINED UNIT
Randy Johnson has a torn rotator cuff and won't be able to throw for the San Francisco Giants for at least three weeks. San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said the 303-game winner had an MRI on his injured left shoulder Monday and the test showed some tearing. The 45-year-old Johnson is 8-6 with a 4.81 ERA with the Giants this season but hasn't played since injuring himself while batting during a 7-1 loss to Houston on July 5.
SEASON-ENDER
Yankees starting pitcher Chien-Ming Wang will undergo season-ending arthroscopic surgery on his injured right shoulder Wednesday. Wang is just 1-6 with a 9.64 ERA in 12 games this season, after missing time from April 19 to May 21 with a hip injury.
ONLY ONE NO. 14
Jim Rice's No. 14 is up on the facade at Fenway Park along with the team's other Hall of Fame greats. Rice was inducted into the Cooperstown, N.Y., shrine over the weekend, and on Tuesday night the Red Sox retired his number. Rice walked in from left field, where a giant "14'' was mowed into the grass. Rice played parts of 16 seasons for the Red Sox, batting .298 with 382 homers.
IS SOMEONE WATCHING OVER THEM?
The Los Angeles Angels survived another meltdown by All-Star closer Brian Fuentes for their major league-leading 33rd comeback victory, 7-6 over the Indians. Fuentes, the major league leader with 30 saves, fell apart for the second straight night, giving up two runs and failing to close out the scrappy Indians.
SICK
The Houston Astros placed reliever LaTroy Hawkins on the 15-day disabled list because of shingles in his back. Hawkins last pitched in Monday night's 5-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs and was ejected by home plate umpire Mike Everitt in the eighth inning for arguing balls and strikes. He was ejected after Everitt called his second pitch to Aramis Ramirez a ball. Hawkins is 1-4 with a 2.32 ERA. He has 10 saves in 13 opportunities.
TWO IN A ROW
The Royals' second straight win over the Orioles, 4-3, to open the series gave them their first winning streak since a three-game run on July 4-6.
STATS
The Yankees' CC Sabathia fanned Carl Crawford in the fifth inning for his 1,500th career strikeout in a 6-2 loss to the Rays. ... Seattle's Ronny Cedeno is mired in an 0-for-24 slump. ... Arizona starter Dan Haren has a career ERA of 4.10 after All-Star break - more than a run higher than his 3.08 ERA in the first half of the season. Haren has lasted only five innings in each of his first two starts since the break - his two shortest outings. ... The Rockies still haven't figured out how to win in New York, where they have lost four straight to the Mets and 20 of 22 overall.
SPEAKING
"It's just one of those things where you kind of appreciate and sit back and realize how hard it is to throw a no-hitter or a perfect game. Because you see today that I made some good pitches and they put them in play and got base hits off them. It's just frustrating.'' -The White Sox's Mark Buehrle after he threw 5 2-3 perfect innings one start after he became the 18th pitcher to throw a perfect game and went on to lose 5-3.
Wednesday Pitching Report
By Brobury Sports
Roy Halladay will likely be making his last Toronto start on Wednesday and it’s one of several good pitching matchups today.
Roy Halladay (Toronto) vs. Ryan Rowland-Smith (Seattle)
Toronto is a huge -180 road favorite with an early start time of 4:40 pm ET. The teams have split the first two games of the series.
Halladay (11-3, 2.62 ERA) is still expected to be traded before Friday’s deadline. He hasn’t been distracted so far by trade rumors, going nine innings in each of his last two starts and giving up a total of two runs. However, his concentration could wane today as his future gets decided.
Rowland-Smith (0-1, 3.48 ERA) made one start in April and then was called up for an outing last week at home versus Cleveland. He gave up only five hits over seven innings against the Tribe, but two were homers in a 9-0 loss. He needs to pitch well today if he hopes to keep the 5th spot in the rotation.
Joba Chamberlain (NY Yankees) vs. Matt Garza (Tampa Bay)
The Bronx Bombers are Even -110 odds at Tampa Bay with a start time of 7:08 pm ET and the game is being broadcasted on ESPN. The Yankees lost last night to the Rays after winning Monday but are still 10-2 since the break.
Chamberlain (6-2, 3.86 ERA) finally is racking up some wins after getting a bunch of no-decisions. He is 2-0 in his last two starts and has given up two earned runs in just under 14 innings. Note those games were at home but his overall splits are better on the road (4-0, 3.26 ERA).
Garza (7-7, 3.68 ERA) had one of his best starts of the year last Friday at Toronto, giving up two earned runs and going nine innings. He has two starts against the Yanks this year and has a 2.25 ERA despite not getting a decision.
Justin Verlander (Detroit) vs. Scott Feldman (Texas)
Detroit is -123 road chalk with a start time of 8:05 pm ET. The Rangers are going for the three-game sweep and have won eight out of nine overall.
Verlander (11-5, 3.12 ERA) is simply one of the best pitchers in the AL and the guy you want on the mound in a big game. He’s been tremendous in his last three starts with an ERA under 1.00 and he’s pitched well on the road (3.01 ERA) after three terrible outings in April.
Feldman (9-3, 3.59 ERA) may be the best pitcher you’ve never heard of as he’s really improved since last season (6-8, 5.29 ERA). He is 4-1 in his last five starts with a 2.48 ERA and he pitched eight innings last time out, which is the only time this year he made it past the 7th.
Rays, Yanks close out series
By AllStar.com
NY Yankees (61-38) at Tampa Bay Rays (54-46)
Date: Wednesday July 29th
Time: 07:08 PM ET
TV: ESPN
Line: Rays -117 / Yankees +107
Total: 8 ½ Over -130 / Under +110
Yanks Road Record: 26-21
Rays Home Record: 30-16
Yanks Last 10: 9-1
Rays Last 10: 5-5
Pitchers:
Joba Chamberlain (NYY) 6-2 / 3.86 ERA / 92 K’s / 1.46 WHIP
Matt Garza (TB) 7-7 / 3.68 ERA / 116 K’s / 1.20 WHIP
The New York Yankees took advantage of a favorable schedule coming out of the All-Star break to take over first place the AL East. They now try to carry that momentum to the road as the competition gets a bit tougher.
The Yankees look to win for the 11th time in 12 games on Wednesday Night in game three against the Tampa Bay Rays, who are hoping to make up some ground during their 10-game home stand.
With the win Monday, the Yankees improved to 11-1 since returning from the All-Star break, and Burnett logged his fifth consecutive winning decision, extending his unbeaten streak to six starts. The Yankees maintain a 2 ½ game lead over the second-place Red Sox and pushed their advantage to 7 1/2 games over the third-place Rays.
The Yankee are leading MLB in HR’s (148), Runs Scored (554) and are second in Team Batting Average (.276). The Yankees have six players in their batting order with over 15 Home Runs. Teixeira is leading the Way with 25 HR and 72 RBI’s, A Rod’s 19 and 57, and Damon’s 17 HR and 71 Runs Scored.
Damon hit a three-run homer in Monday's 11-4 win at Tampa Bay. Damon now has 17 home runs and on the season. Monday's homer was also the 200th of his career.
Jeter is in the middle of a seven game hit streak going 15-24 in the span and scoring eight runs. Jeter is hitting .323 on the year with a .401 OBP.
The Yankees are in the top five in MLB in nearly every offensive statistic despite A Rod having a below average year hitting only .250 with 19 bombs and 57 RBI’s.
The Rays have a ton of dead wood on their roster and if they are going to make a second half splurge Pat Burrell and B.J. Upton may want to start making things happen. Both are way below 2008 numbers and 2009 projections.
Carlos Pena has had a rough month of July and his season batting average is all the way down to .217 - the lowest it has been since April 12. Pena in 2009 vs. the Yanks at home is batting .229 with four homers and 10 RBI.
Evan Longoria has been battling an infected right index finger and in the last 10 game has only 1 HR, he is still second in the A.L. with 75 RBI’s. Longoria is batting .250 with 2Hr and 6Rbi against the Yankees at home in 2009.
Ben Zobrist went 1-for-4 with an RBI single on Monday. Zobrist is batting .273 against the Yankees at home with 2HR in 2009. Zobrist for the year is hitting .306-18HR-54RBI.
Joba Chamberlain tossed seven-plus innings of one-run ball Friday night against Oakland, improving to 6-2 this season. He walked three and struck out six. Chamberlain needed just 51 pitches through the first four innings, helping him pitch into the eighth inning for the first time since June 1. Chamberlain looks for his third straight victory and hopes to remain undefeated in his past six starts as the Yankees play the final game of a three-game series at Tropicana Field. Chamberlain beat the A's on July 24 in New York with seven innings of one-run, two-hit ball, walking three and striking out six. He faced the Rays on June 7 and took a no-decision, allowing three runs on five hits over six innings in the Yankees' 4-3 win. In his two starts since the All-Star break, he's lowered his ERA from 4.25 to 3.86.
Matt Garza had his "A" game Friday night against the Blue Jays and came away with his seventh win of the season after allowing just two runs in nine innings and striking out nine. The 25-year-old right-hander has the best stuff on the staff, but he has struggled with consistency. He needs to find a way to harness his stuff since on many occasions it is so electric that it misses the strike zone. Garza is 1-2 with a 3.79 ERA in seven career appearances against the Yankees; he is 11-6 with a 3.09 ERA in 25 career starts at Tropicana Field. It's worth noting that Garza had a 3.39 ERA for the second half of the season in 2008.
Betting Trends:
Yankees are 9-3 in their last 12 road games
Yankees are 5-1 in Joba Chamberlain’s last six starts
The OVER is 5-1 in Joba Chamberlain’s last six starts
The Rays are 0-4 in Matt Garza’s last four starts against the Yankees
The Rays are 6-2 in Matt Garza’s last eight home starts
The OVER is 6-1 in the last seven games between the two in Tampa Bay
MLB Systems and Angles Report
By Cajun Sports
The Indians are 9-22 when they are off a loss in which they held the lead and it is not the first game of a series for a net profit of $1350 when playing against.
The Indians are 4-14 after allowing 6+ runs for a net profit of $1110 when playing against.
The Indians are 7-20 as a dog after scoring 6+ runs for a net profit of $915 when playing against.
The Angels are 41-16 as a favorite after scoring 6+ runs for a net profit of $1760.
The Angels are 18-5 as a favorite and it is the last game of the series for a net profit of $1145.
The Nationals are 9-33 as a road dog after a win in which they left 18+ men on base for a net profit of $1800 when playing against.
The Nationals are 9-28 after a win in which they allowed 1 or fewer walks and it is not the first game of a series for a net profit of $1415 when playing against.
The Nationals are 3-18 as a road 140+ dog when they lost the last two games their starter started for a net profit of $1160 when playing against.
The Brewers are 3-13 at home after a loss in which they had fewer than five team-left-on-base as a favorite for a net profit of $1330 when playing against.
The Dodgers are 6-20 within 20 cents of pickem after a loss in which they had a higher team-left-on-base than their opponent for a net profit of $1345 when playing against.
The Dodgers are 20-5 vs a team that has won at least their last two games for a net profit of $1530.
The Cardinals are 17-27 when they are off two wins in which they never trailed and it is not the first game of a series for a net profit of $1730 when playing against.
The Cubs are 32-9 as a favorite after allowing 6+ runs loss for a net profit of $1800.
The Cubs are 14-1 as a favorite after a 5+ run loss and it is not the first game of a series for a net profit of $1240.
The Phillies are 26-4 when they are off a win in which they came back from a deficit and it is not the first game of a series for a net profit of $2270.
The Diamondbacks are 4-24 as a 140+ dog after a one run loss for a net profit of $1680 when playing against.
The Mariners are 7-27 after a win in which they left 18+ men on base for a net profit of $2020 when playing against.
MLB SYSTEM:
Play ON any MLB -140 or more favorite after a win in which they were tied at the end of six innings of their previous game and its not the first game of the current series, 29-5 SU for +2115 Units this season. The Play ON team for this system is the Florida Marlins over the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday July 29th.