THE SPORTS ADVISORS
MLB
Cleveland (2-1) at N.Y. Yankees (1-2)
After staving off elimination Sunday, the Yankees tonight send Chien-Ming Wang (19-7, 3.70 ERA) to the mound looking on three days’ rest looking to draw even with the Indians, who will go with veteran Paul Byrd (15-8, 4.59) in Game 4 of this best-of-5 series at Yankee Stadium.
New York got a huge three-run homer from Johnny Damon on Sunday and beat Cleveland 8-4, rallying from an early 3-0 deficit. Slugger Alex Rodriguez joined in the Sunday hit parade with two hits, breaking his 0-for-18 series funk. If the Yankees get a win tonight, they’ll force a decisive Game 5 on Wednesday in Cleveland.
With last night’s loss, the Indians dropped to 2-9 in their last 11 meetings against New York and 5-16 in their last 21 visits to Yankee Stadium.
Byrd lost his last two starts of the regular season, giving up 10 runs on 20 hits in 10 2/3 innings against the A’s and Mariners. In his final five starts, the righthander gave up 17 earned runs in 29 innings (6.83 ERA).
Byrd faced the Yankees back on Aug. 11 and got slapped around to the tune of seven runs on seven hits in just two innings of an 11-2 loss in Cleveland. In nine career starts against New York, Byrd is 1-4 with a 4.44 ERA in 48 2/3 innings, including 0-2 with a 3.46 ERA in 26 career innings of work in the Bronx.
Wang started Game 1 in Cleveland and gave up eight runs on nine hits in 4 2/3 innings, taking the loss, 12-3. He’s now 2-1 in three career starts against the Indians with a 3.72 ERA. However, he’s 1-2 with a 6.00 ERA in three lifetime postseason outings.
The Yankees have lost three of Wang’s last four starts after going 13-2 in his previous 15 outings. The righthander has allowed three earned runs or less in 13 of his last 18 trips to the mound.
Wang has had great success in front of the home fans, posting a 26-9 mark and 3.04 ERA in 42 career starts at Yankee Stadium, including 10-4 with a 2.75 ERA in 2007.
The over is 4-0 in Wang’s last four starts and 6-2 in Byrd’s last eight efforts (3-1 on the road). The over is also 7-2 in Byrd’s nine lifetime starts against the Yankees.
The under is 36-17-3 in Cleveland’s last 56 road games, but the over is 8-2 in New York’s last 10 in front of the home fans and 9-3 in the last 12 series meetings (2-1 in these playoffs).
ATS ADVANTAGE: N.Y. YANKEES and OVER
TRACE ADAMS
Yankees -1 1/2 RUNS
Sports Gambling Hotline
Cleveland at NY Yankees (-190)
A NFL winner on the Steelers yesterday as we are now on a 43-25-1 comp play run!
Tonight we like the OVER in the Cleveland-Yankees contest.
Last night the New York bats semi-awakended from their post season slumber, as they plated 8 in their 8-4 victory.
We think the Yankees will continue to get their good cuts at the plate, as Paul Byrd is the type of a pitcher the Yankee bats will salivate over. Byrd was racked by the New York sticks back in the middle of August, allowing 7 runs in just 2 innings of work.
The Yanks will counter with Chien-Ming Wang who was hit hard in Game 1 on Wednesday night, and now Joe Torre will roll the dice and see if Wang's stuff works on 3-days rest.
This game has all the makings of a high-scoring affair, and we will play it over the total of 10 runs.
Go OVER in the Bronx tonight!
4* OVER
Bobby Maxwell
Cleveland (+180) at N.Y. YANKEES
We're 11-4-1 with our last 16 FREE plays overall and today we're in the Bronx with a complimentary play on the Indians as they will wrap up their series with the Yankees tonight.
Can't really understand why Cleveland is getting so much plus-money in this one. Did something magically change in the last four days? Chien-Ming Wang (19-7, 3.70 ERA) is back on the mound for the Yankees, going on three days rest against an Indians' lineup that knocked him around pretty good on Thursday.
Cleveland got to him for eight runs on nine hits in 4 2/3 innings in the 12-3 win in Cleveland Thursday.
Paul Byrd (15-8, 4.59 ERA) goes for the Indians and he's got plenty of experience against the Yankees. He's got a 4.44 ERA in 48 2/3 innings against New York in his eight career starts and in New York his ERA is 3.46 in two career outings.
This Cleveland offense battered Wang in Game 1 and should be able to get to him again tonight. Plus I don't think the Yankees' offensive woes are quite behind them yet. A three-run homer from Johnny Damon was the big blow Sunday and the Indians gave them another two runs on a misplay.
Gotta go grab all this plus-money and play the Indians in this one.
3* CLEVELAND
Drew Gordon
Cleveland (+180) at NY YANKEES
210-183-4 over my L397 Free Play releases, including 75-54 over my L129 baseball Freebies (3-0 Divisional series)!
We've all heard the media reports out of New York, beat the Indians or Torre is gone. Okay, thats all fine and good, but based on tonight's pitching match up... Torre better start packing his bags.
Guys, didn't we just watch Wang get knocked around for 8 runs on 9 hits over just 4 2/3 innings Thursday? Now you want him to do it on 3 days rest, for the first time in his career?! Sounds like the kiss of death of you ask me! We're talking about a Cleveland team that's 28-10 over their last 38 games, so underestimate them at your own risk!
He may not have great numbers against the Bombers, but Paul Byrd has been a rock for the Indians for most of the season. He's got a score to settle with this Yankees club, after they pounded him for 7 runs in a season-low 2 innings back on August 11th. His 3.46 career ERA in New York is solid, and facing Wang on 3 days rest provides just the match up the Indians and Byrd needs to walk away with the W.
Bottom line, the public and oddsmakers alike can ride their emotions all they want, while we ride the match ups and earn the plus money in this ALDS showdown. Yankees are flawed team, we've known about their pitching issues all year long... Tonight it comes back to bite them in the ass, plain and simple.
Take Cleveland behind Byrd over the NY Yankees in this ALDS match up.
2* CLEVELAND
Chuck Franklin
Cleveland at NY YANKEES (-190)
The Yankees are a clutch team, even with all the drama surrounding the lack of performance from A-Rod and Derek Jeter in this postseason, and even with Steinbrenner’s stupid and poorly timed comments about the status of Joe Torre’s career with the Yankees if they lose this series. They came out to win, and the Bronx Bombers have so much talent, so much history in Yankee Stadium, and so much respect and love for Torre that they overcame an early 3-0 lead by the Indians and pulled out last night’s 8-4 win in an exciting fashion. I expect more of the same tonight.
The Yankees are sending Chien-Ming Wang to the mound on only three days’ rest, but this doesn’t concern me at all. He is a top quality ace, and the fact that he got beat up by the Indians in the first game of this series will only serve to add more motivation to get the win at home tonight for this 19-game winner. The Indians are countering with Paul Byrd, who is 15-8 on the season with a pretty average ERA of 4.59. His worst start of the 2007 season was against these Yankees, and this will be on his mind while he attempts to block out the frenzied crowd in the Bronx. I expect him to get roughed up in New York tonight.
3* YANKEES
Matt Rivers
Complimentary Play
Jets blow the lead and the cover on Sunday.
For Monday take the large coin back with the Tribe.
This is far from the lock of my life as the Yankees probably should win this do or die game four but this price is still too large and Chien Ming Wang was pounded in game one and now pitches on the dreaded three days rest. Obviously being tired at times is not a bad thing for a sinkerball pitcher, which Wang is, but at this price why not back at least a professional pitcher who has been around the block awhile in Paul Byrd plus a hard hitting Tribe lineup.
Sizemore, Hafner and Martinez are very very good sticks and at this price there's nothing to lose at all. If Wang gets back on track and the quality Yankee bats like Arod, Jeter, Matsui and others pound away then so be it but Cleveland is still a very good team and plus this number is enough for me on this day.
JEFF ALEXANDER
Take New York (A) Yankees
1 Unit on NY Yankees -201 (listing Wang) We'll make a small play on the Yanks with Wang on the mound at home. First off, Cleveland is just 11-23 against the money line in road games after having won 3 of their last 4 games over the last 2 seasons. Wang is 10-4 at home this season with a 2.75 ERA. With last night's win, the Yanks improved to 4-0 at home against Cleveland this season. The Yanks are 9-2 at home against the Indians over the last 3 seasons. Take NY!
EASY MONEY TOTAL/DAY
CLEVELAND/NY YANKEES Under 10 runs
5 Dime –
YANKEES -1 ½ RUN LINE
Take the Yankees on the run line tonight over the Indians.
Whether it’s Chien-Ming Wang or Mike Mussina starting for the Yankees tonight it doesn’t matter. That’s because the Yankees are back in the Bronx and it’s here that their offense will carry them.
We saw that in their Game 3 win last night and we’re going to see it again tonight.
Paul Byrd will start for Cleveland and he’s just 1-4 with a 4.44 ERA in eight lifetime outings against the Yankees. He faced them one time this season, giving up seven hits and seven earned runs in just two innings in an 11-2 home loss on August 11. The right-hander finished the season 0-2 over his last three starts with a 7.00 ERA.
Not the kind of numbers you want going against New York in the Bronx.
Take the Yankees on the run line as they even the series tonight with a convincing win.