MLB Hot and Not
By Mike Rose
VegasInsider.com
The 2012 Interleague slate has wrapped and the American League once again came out on top – what a shocker! Only two weeks remain until the All-Star break, and we’ll be looking to add to our season-long bankroll by backing and fading the following hot and cold teams.
Money-Makers
Arizona Diamondbacks (5-1, $340): After dropping back-to-back Interleague series to the AL West heavyweight Rangers and Angels last week, manager Kirk Gibson’s squad got healthy this past week by winning both of their home series against Seattle and Chicago; the sweep of the Cubs was the Snakes’ second series sweep in the month of June. In doing so, the D-Backs moved to within 5 1/2-games of the front-running Los Angeles Dodgers and the team looks to be on the up and up as MLB bettors approach the halfway mark of the regular season.
On The Docket: Arizona will look to continue its upwards ascension within the division on the road this week in Atlanta and Milwaukee where Justin Upton and his mates will attempt to improve upon their 17-18 ($132) record away from the desert.
Boston Red Sox (5-1, $310): Kevin Youkilis has been a mainstay at the hot corner in Beantown for close to a decade, but upper management decided to part ways with the beloved member of previous World Series teams on Sunday when they shipped him to the South Side of Chicago. That paves the way for rookie Will Middlebrooks, whose done nothing but rake since getting the call up to the bigs. The BoSox mashed their way to an impressive 5-1 tally this past week against the NL East representative Marlins and Braves, and because of it, only sit 5 1/2-games back in the crowded AL East standings.
On The Docket: Boston will attempt to claw over the .500 mark at home (19-20, -$768) with three set to go with Toronto before heading west to improve upon its 19-14 ($406) road record against the Mariners.
Oakland A’s (4-2, $252): Though manager Bob Melvin’s squad dropped two of three to the intrastate rival San Francisco Giants in Interleague play over the weekend, his troops let it be known that the AL West wasn’t just a two-team race after it swept the Halos and limited their potent offense to a combined two runs earlier in the week. The A’s have amped up their offensive production in the month of June, averaging 5.3 runs per game, and if they can continue to succeed from a pitching perspective (#9 with a 3.62 ERA), they just might be able to make a run at the AL West pennant if everything continues to line up perfectly.
On The Docket: It’s back to divisional play for the A’s this week with a three-game set slated at Safeco against the Mariners before heading to Arlington to battle the Rangers where they’ve won just two of their L/10 visits.
Honorable Mentions: Texas Rangers (5-1, $236), New York Mets (4-2, $230), Pittsburgh Pirates (4-2, $209), St. Louis Cardinals (4-2, $206), Cleveland Indians (4-2, $193), Atlanta Braves (3-3, $147), Los Angeles Angels (4-2, $128)
Money-Burners
Cincinnati Reds (1-5, -$523): What on god’s green earth is going on in Cincinnati? The Reds had all the mojo in the world backing them heading into last week’s Interleague matchups with the AL Central Indians and Twins, but manager Dusty Baker’s squad dropped five of the six matchups and now finds the Pirates and Cardinals both breathing down their necks for division supremacy. Aroldis Chapman played a role in two of the defeats after failing to close out either of his save opportunities; he must rediscover his lights out nature if the Reds are to remain atop the NL Central standings.
On The Docket: The Reds will attempt to reverse course Monday night in their series opener with the division rival Milwaukee Brewers before hitting the road for the west coast where they’ll put their 18-17 road record on the line against the hard charging Giants.
Miami Marlins (1-5, -$461): The month of July can’t come soon enough for manager Ozzie Guillen’s Marlins, who now check in an absurd 5-16 in June, which has equated to a bankroll bursting -$1,260 for their investing supporters. Miami got out to a slow start in April only to bounce back strong in May. If the Fish are to have any shot of competing in the highly competitive NL East, their “every other month” nature best pick back up once the calendar turns over!
On The Docket: The Marlins will take to their home field against the Cardinals and Phillies over the course of the next week, but that’s hardly an advantage for them considering they’ve dropped 18 of their 38 overall games played in their brand new digs (-$923).
Los Angeles Dodgers (1-5, -$392): It was an eye opener to see the Dodgers alternate wins and losses in each of their six home games last week considering they’ve been at their best in front of the hometown faithful (24-12, $874), so it really came as no surprise to see them struggle on the road this past week. That said, Matt Kemp can’t get back into the starting lineup soon enough with LA combining to score just 13 runs versus the A’s and Angels’ respective pitching staffs. Their lead atop the NL West has now been trimmed down to just three games with both the Giants and Diamondbacks charging hard!
On The Docket: The Dodgers will begin a huge series with San Francisco Monday that could see their lead all but evaporate. They’ll then hit the east coast to close out the week with the Mets and hope to avoid falling under .500 as visitors (19-18, $251).
Dishonorable Mentions: San Diego Padres (2-4, -$200), Philadelphia Phillies (3-3, -$154), Chicago Cubs (2-4, -$91), Houston Astros (3-3, -$14), Colorado Rockies (2-4, $10)