MLB WRITE-UP
Friday, April 11
Hot Pitchers
-- Volquez won his Reds' debut, allowing Phils one run in 5.2 IP
-- Zambrano is 1-0, 1.32 in two '08 starts.
-- Parra won his first '08 start, allowing two runs in 5.2 IP vs the offensively-challenged Giants.
-- Webb is 2-0, 2.77 in his first two '08 starts.
-- Lohse has 12 scoreless IP in his two 2008 starts (1-0, 0.00).
-- Peavy is 2-0, 0.56 this season. Penny has 2.84 RA in two starts this season.
-- Wang is 2-0, 1.38 so far this season.
-- Shields is 1-1, 3.00 in two starts this season.
-- White Sox won six of last eight Contreras starts.
-- Hernandez is 2-0, 3.86 in two starts this season.
-- Texas is 2-0 in Padilla starts, scoring 15 runs. Litsch won his first '08 start, allowing Red Sox two runs in five IP.
-- Weaver is 1-0, 2.19 in two starts this season. Hernandez has 0.60 RA in two starts, both games Seattle bullpen lost.
Cold Pitchers
-- Maholm lost his first '08 start 7-3 to Florida, giving up five runs in five IP.
-- Myers is 0-1, 7.20 in two starts this season.
-- Figueroa is making first big league start since 2004; he has a 7-17, 4.68 career record, with 33 career starts.
-- Braves lost Hudson's last four road starts. Chico is 0-1, 5.56 in two starts this season.
-- Nolasco was 1-2, 5.85 in four starts last season. Oswalt is 0-2, 6.75 so far this season.
-- Francis has a 5.59 RA in his last five starts.
-- Zito is 0-2, 8.10 in two starts; Giants got shut out in both.
-- Buchholz lost his first '08 start 10-2 in Toronto, allowing four runs in five IP.
-- Guthrie is 0-1, 5.84 in two starts this season.
-- Sabathia is 0-1, 7.59 in two starts this season. Blanton is 0-2, 3.44 in three starts this season.
-- Meche is 0-1, 6.94 in two starts this season.
-- Willis walked seven in Tiger debut, allowing three runs in five IP. Contreras allowed five runs in five IP in his first '08 start.
Pitchers vs Teams
-- Lohse was 1-0, 2.63 in two starts vs Pirates LY.
-- Hudson is 4-0, 1.46 in last five starts vs Washington. Chico was 2-2, 5.74 in five starts vs Atlanta LY.
-- Oswalt was 2-0, 1.46 against Florida LY.
-- Rockies lost three of last four games vs Webb. Francis is 2-2, 3.38 in his last five starts against Arizona.
-- Zito lost 7-0 to St Louis LY, allowing six runs in four IP.
-- Penny is 0-1, 3.46 in his last two starts vs San Diego. Peavy is 4-0, 1.22 in his last five starts against the Dodgers.
-- Wang was 3-2, 4.06 vs Boston LY.
-- Sabathia was 1-2, 5.14 in his last three starts against the A's. Blanton has 3.26 RA in last three starts vs Indians.
-- Guthrie was 1-1, 5.00 in three '07 starts vs Tampa Bay. Shields was 1-2, 3.89 in five starts against the Orioles.
-- Contreras was 0-1, 8.00 in three starts vs Tigers LY. Willis didn't allow hit for first five innings vs Chicago Saturday, but walked seven and Tigers wound up losing 5-3.
-- Padilla was 1-1, 3.86 vs Toronto LY.
-- Meche was 1-2, 3.10 against Twins LY.
-- Weaver was 2-1, 6.46 in four starts vs Seattle LY. Hernandez was 0-2, 7.30 in four starts vs Angels LY.
Totals
-- Under is 3-1-1 in last five Cincinnati games.
-- Four of last five Chicago games went over the total.
-- Three of last four Brewer, Met games stayed under the total.
-- Three of four Atlanta road games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 7-1-1 in Florida games this season.
-- Three of last four Colorado games stayed under total.
-- Four of last five Cardinal games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 6-2-1 in Dodger games so far this season.
-- Last six Bronx games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 3-1-1 in Oakland's last five games.
-- Last five Baltimore games stayed under the total.
-- Four of last five Texas games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 7-1 in Royals' last eight games.
-- Four of last five White Sox games went over the total.
-- Three of last four Angel games went over the total.
Hot Teams
-- Reds won six of their last nine games.
-- Cubs won last five games, scoring 35 runs.
-- Milwaukee is 3-0 in series openers this season.
-- Marlins won last three games, scoring 24 runs.
-- Arizona won last six games, scoring 44 runs. Colorado won last three games, scoring 18 runs.
-- Cardinals won seven of their last nine games. Giants won the last three games, allowing total of three runs.
-- Spunky A's won five of their last six games.
-- Royals won three of their last four games.
-- White Sox won five of their last six games.
-- Rangers won three of their last four games.
-- Angels won three of their first four road games.
Cold Teams
-- Pirates lost five of their last six games.
-- Braves lost last three games, allowing 18 runs. Nationals lost seven in row, after starting season 3-0.
-- Astros lost four of their last five games.
-- Dodgers lost last three games, outscored 23-11. Padres lost three of their last four games.
-- Red Sox lost four of their last six games.
-- Indians lost five of their last seven games.
-- Rays lost four of last five games. Orioles lost doubleheader Thursday, ending 5-game win streak.
-- Toronto lost last three games, all lost by the bullpen.
-- Tigers lost eight of their first nine games.
-- Mariners lost five of their last seven games.
MLB Trend Sheet
CHI CUBS vs. PHILADELPHIA
Chi Cubs are 5-11 SU in their last 16 games when playing Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chi Cubs's last 6 games on the road
Philadelphia is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Philadelphia's last 16 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs
CINCINNATI vs. PITTSBURGH
Cincinnati is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Cincinnati's last 12 games when playing Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Cincinnati
Pittsburgh is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
NY YANKEES vs. BOSTON
NY Yankees are 11-5 SU in their last 16 games when playing on the road against Boston
The total has gone OVER in 8 of NY Yankees's last 9 games when playing on the road against Boston
Boston is 12-5 SU in its last 17 games
Boston is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
OAKLAND vs. CLEVELAND
Oakland is 6-16 SU in its last 22 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oakland's last 7 games when playing Cleveland
Cleveland is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
Cleveland is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games at home
BALTIMORE vs. TAMPA BAY
Baltimore is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Baltimore's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games when playing at home against Baltimore
Tampa Bay is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing Baltimore
MILWAUKEE vs. NY METS
Milwaukee is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing NY Mets
The total has gone OVER in 20 of Milwaukee's last 24 games when playing NY Mets
NY Mets are 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 10 of NY Mets's last 12 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
ATLANTA vs. WASHINGTON
Atlanta is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing Washington
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 6 games when playing Washington
Washington is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 6 games at home
FLORIDA vs. HOUSTON
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Florida's last 7 games when playing Houston
Florida is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Houston is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Houston's last 14 games
TORONTO vs. TEXAS
Toronto is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against Texas
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing on the road against Texas
Texas is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Texas's last 5 games at home
MINNESOTA vs. KANSAS CITY
Minnesota is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Kansas City
Kansas City is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Minnesota
Kansas City is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games
DETROIT vs. CHI WHITE SOX
Detroit is 2-5 SU in their last 7 games when playing on the road against Chi White Sox
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Detroit's last 20 games when playing on the road against Chi White Sox
Chi White Sox are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Chi White Sox's last 10 games when playing Detroit
COLORADO vs. ARIZONA
Colorado is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Colorado's last 7 games
Arizona is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Colorado
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Arizona's last 7 games when playing at home against Colorado
LA ANGELS vs. SEATTLE
LA Angels are 5-2 SU in their last 7 games when playing Seattle
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Angels's last 6 games when playing Seattle
Seattle is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against LA Angels
Seattle is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
ST. LOUIS vs. SAN FRANCISCO
St. Louis is 12-3 SU in its last 15 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of St. Louis's last 5 games
San Francisco is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against St. Louis
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Francisco's last 6 games when playing at home against St. Louis
SAN DIEGO vs. LA DODGERS
San Diego is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Diego's last 5 games
LA Dodgers are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing San Diego
The total has gone OVER in 7 of LA Dodgers's last 10 games when playing at home against San Diego
Tips and Trends
New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox
Yankees: New York's Chien-Ming Wang has made his first 2 starts at home against inferior opponents and won't have that luxury this time around. Wang allowed 2 runs in a combined 13 innings against the Rays and Jay, walking 4 and striking out 8. He also didn't need much run support, as the Yanks scored just 5 runs total in the 2 games.
Yankees are 5-11 in their last 16 games as an underdog.
Yankees are 7-1 in Wang's last 8 Friday starts.
Yankees are 11-5 in the last 16 meetings at Boston.
Key Injuries - SS Derek Jeter (quadricep) is questionable.
Red Sox (-120, O/U 9.5): Boston's Clay Buchholz will make his second start of 2008 against the team's biggest rival after a sub-par debut. Buchholz gave up 3 earned runs in 5 innings of a 10-2 loss at Toronto last Saturday, walking 2 and striking out 7. He is holding on as the fifth starter right now and will need an impressive performance to keep Red Sox Nation from hoping for Bartolo Colon's return to the majors.
Red Sox are 19-7 in their last 26 games on grass.
The OVER is 21-5 in the last 26 meetings at Boston.
Key Injuries - 3B Mike Lowell (thumb) has been placed on the 15-day DL.
C Jason Varitek (Wakefield) is expected to return to the lineup
Detroit Tigers at Chicago White Sox
Tigers (NA): Detroit's Dontrelle Willis gets a rematch with the team he no-hit for nearly 5 innings last Saturday. Willis walked 7 White Sox batters in that game and allowed 1 hit before getting yanked for Zach Miner, who went on to take the loss. Chicago ended up scoring 4 runs in the sixth inning en route to a 5-3 victory.
Tigers are 1-7 in their last 8 games overall.
Tigers are 2-6 in their last 8 road games.
Key Injuries - NONE
White Sox: Chicago turns to Jose Contreras against the Tigers again after he got hammered by them yet still walked away with a decision last time out. Contreras surrendered 5 runs and 10 hits in 5 innings of an 8-5 win, walking 4 and striking out 2. The White Sox were able to rally for 3 runs in the top of the seventh inning to pull off the victory.
White Sox are 6-2 in Contreras' last 8 starts.
The UNDER is 15-5 in the last 20 meetings at Chicago.
Key Injuries - NONE
Colorado Rockies at Arizona Diamondbacks
Rockies: Jeff Francis gets the start here because Colorado's Thursday game with the Braves was postponed due to snow. Francis' only start of the season so far came against Arizona, where he took the loss after giving up 12 hits and 5 runs in 6 1/3 innings. Three of the Diamondback's 12 hits in that game were home runs. The last meeting aside, Francis has been successful in his career taking on Arizona, going 7-3 in 15 starts.
Rockies are 2-6 in their last 8 games as an underdog.
Key Injuries - NONE
Diamondbacks (-155, O/U 7.5): Arizona ace Brandon Webb takes the mound with an impressive 2-0 record and 2.08 ERA on the young season. Webb has already faced the Rockies once this year, giving up just 5 hits and 1 run over 7 innings. In his career, Webb is 9-7 with a 3.77 ERA in 22 career starts against Colorado.
Diamondbacks are 14-4 in their last 18 home games.
The UNDER is 7-2 in Arizona's last 9 games as a favorite.
The UNDER is 6-2 in the last 8 meetings.
Key Injuries - NONE
San Diego Padres at Los Angeles Dodgers
Padres (-115, O/U 6.5): There's no doubt San Diego's Jake Peavy is a Dodger killer, and his 10-1 career mark vs. LA and 2.21 ERA definitely proves that. Peavy allowed just 2 hits and 1 run in throwing a complete game against the Dodgers last Saturday, walking 1 and striking out 8. In fact, that's the only run he has allowed in 16 innings of work this season en route to a 2-0 record.
Padres are 11-1 in Peavy's last 12 starts at LA.
The OVER is 21-7-1 in San Diego's last 29 road games.
Key Injuries - NONE
Dodgers: LA's Brad Penny opposed Peavy last Saturday and continued his struggles against the Padres. Penny is just 3-7 lifetime vs. San Diego with a 5.63 ERA after surrendering 4 runs and 10 hits in 6 innings of the 4-1 loss last Saturday. The Padres are hitting .297 in his 15 starts against him.
Dodgers are 21-10 in their last 31 Friday games.
The UNDER is 9-3 in Penny's last 12 Friday starts.
Key Injuries - NONE