MLB Betting Info - FryDay 5/6

[NewYorkKnight]

GAME: Philadelphia Phillies (16-13) at Miami Marlins (15-12)
DATE/TIME: Friday, May 06 - 7:10 PM EST
WHERE: Marlins Park, Miami, Florida
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A

The Miami Marlins are riding an impressive power surge to win 10 of their last 11 games while the Philadelphia Phillies benefited from some better-than-expected pitching to emerge victorious in 10 of 12 before dropping their final two contests. The National League East rivals look to continue their ascent within the division on Friday when they open a three-game series in South Florida.

Christian Yelich went deep for the second time in three outings on Thursday as Miami extended its home run total to 17 in the last 11 contests by completing a sweep of Arizona. Slugger Giancarlo Stanton has six homers in his last 10 games and is 14-for-35 with 12 RBIs and nine runs scored in that span. While Miami extended its winning streak to three contests with a 4-0 triumph on Thursday night, Philadelphia was limited to just five hits in a 4-0 setback to St. Louis earlier in the afternoon. Leadoff batter Odubel Herrera has hit safely in four straight and 24 of 29 games this season for the Phillies.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, TCN (Philadelphia), FSN Florida (Miami)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Phillies RH Vince Velasquez (4-1, 1.44 ERA) vs. Marlins LH Wei-Yin Chen (2-1, 4.26)

Velasquez continued to fluster his opponents on Sunday by scattering two hits over six scoreless innings en route to a 2-1 victory over Cleveland. The 23-year-old has kept his foes' bats at bay as opponents are hitting just .164 against him. Velasquez has struggled with his control, however, issuing four walks versus the Indians and seven in his last two outings.

Chen has distanced himself from a disastrous opening day start, posting a 2-1 mark after allowing just 10 runs on 20 hits in 26 2/3 innings. The 30-year-old Taiwan native kept the ball in the park in his last outing versus Milwaukee on Saturday after permitting four homers over his previous four starts. Chen certainly enjoyed his lone career outing versus Philadelphia, against which he scattered four hits and struck out nine over eight scoreless innings to pick up the win.

WALK-OFFS

1. Philadelphia veteran 1B Ryan Howard is just 17-for-88 on the season, but his last three hits have left the park.

2. Miami 1B Justin Bour (finger) is expected to perform baseball activities on Friday and is listed as day-to-day by the team.

3. Phillies OF/1B Darin Ruf is 0-for-13 in his last five contests.

PREDICTION: Marlins 3, Phillies 1

 

[NewYorkKnight]

GAME: Arizona Diamondbacks (12-18) at Atlanta Braves (7-20)
DATE/TIME: Friday, May 06 - 7:35 PM EST
WHERE: Turner Field, Atlanta, Georgia
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A

The Arizona Diamondbacks visit the Atlanta Braves on Friday to open a three-game weekend set between two teams whose struggles on the field have placed their managers in the spotlight. The Diamondbacks have lost six in a row after Thursday’s 4-0 defeat at Miami as speculation has started on Chip Hale’s future at the helm for Arizona, while Atlanta skipper Fredi Gonzalez’s days seem numbered with the Braves off to a 7-20 start.

Arizona chief baseball officer Tony LaRussa did his part to reiterate Hale’s job is safe Thursday, citing a difficult early-season schedule in saying, “no, the issue is not Chip Hale.” Predicted to contend in the National League West, the Diamondbacks are 12-18 and their revamped starting rotation – highlighted by newcomers Zack Greinke and Shelby Miller, who start the opening two games this weekend – has struggled. Expectations were low for the Braves entering the season but Atlanta has been terrible, and despite going 3-4 on a seven-game road trip that ended with Wednesday’s 8-0 loss to the New York Mets, rampant speculation continues to swirl around Gonzalez. “We just haven’t done our job the first 27 games,” Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman told reporters late Wednesday, “and we need to get better at it.”

TV: 7:35 p.m. ET, FSN Arizona, FSN South (Atlanta)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Diamondbacks RH Zack Greinke (2-2, 5.50 ERA) vs. Braves RH Aaron Blair (0-1, 3.18)

Greinke pitched well Saturday against Colorado, giving up two runs on eight hits with eight strikeouts in seven innings in a no-decision. The 32-year-old has struggled with consistency in his first six starts with Arizona, allowing a league-high 47 hits in 37 2/3 innings after surrendering only 148 in 222 2/3 innings while going 19-3 for the Dodgers last season. Greinke is 1-1 with a 2.53 ERA in five career starts against Atlanta.

Blair has impressed in his first two major-league starts, no-hitting the Cubs Friday for four innings and allowing just two hits in six frames with one run allowed. He gave up three runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings in his major-league debut April 24 against the Mets, taking a 3-2 loss. The 23-year-old was a first-round pick of Arizona in the 2013 draft, coming to Atlanta from Arizona in the Shelby Miller trade on Dec. 9, 2015.

WALK-OFFS

1. Arizona INF-OF Brandon Drury went hitless in four at-bats Thursday, but is batting .358 with four homers, five doubles and seven RBIs in his past 13 games.

2. The Braves are a major-league worst 1-12 at home and have been outscored 75-40.

3. Atlanta RF Nick Markakis – who leads the Braves in batting (.281), doubles (11) and RBIs (20) – missed Wednesday’s game due to a family emergency, but is expected to return to the lineup Friday.

PREDICTION: Diamondbacks 5, Braves 2

 

[NewYorkKnight]

GAME: Minnesota Twins (8-20) at Chicago White Sox (19-10)
DATE/TIME: Friday, May 06 - 8:10 PM EST
WHERE: U.S. Cellular Field, Chicago, Illinois
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A

Mat Latos experienced his first bumpy start in his last turn and looks to recapture his early-season form when the Chicago White Sox open a three-game series against the visiting Minnesota Twins on Friday. Latos gave up a total of only two runs while winning his first four starts of the season before being touched for four and 11 hits over five innings in a no-decision against Baltimore on Saturday.

Latos was at a crossroads in his career after going 4-10 with a 4.95 ERA while toiling for three different teams last season. There wasn't much interest in his services in the offseason, so he signed a one-year, $3 million deal with the White Sox in hopes of reviving his career. Chicago fell 7-3 to Boston on Thursday and has lost consecutive games after winning 11 of its previous 14, while the Twins (8-20) have dropped six of their last seven contests and are saddled with the American League's worst record. Minnesota's Joe Mauer has reached base in 28 consecutive games to open the season and is closing on the club mark of 33 set in 1982 by Kent Hrbek.

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, FSN North (Minnesota), CSN Chicago

PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins RH Ricky Nolasco (1-0, 4.05 ERA) vs. White Sox RH Mat Latos (4-0, 1.84)

Nolasco is coming off his worst outing of the season as he gave up five runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings while receiving a no-decision against Detroit on Sunday. He has surrendered four or more runs in three of his five starts and allowed just one in each of the other two. Nolasco is 1-2 with a 5.83 ERA in five career outings against the White Sox and has struggled to retire Dioner Navarro (7-for-15, one homer) and Melky Cabrera (9-for-22, one homer).

Latos has allowed 18 hits over his last two starts after giving up a total of six in his first three outings. One of the strong starts came on April 14, when he yielded one run and three hits over six innings in his lone career turn versus Minnesota. Latos is 2-0 with a 0.73 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in two home starts.

WALK-OFFS

1. White Sox C Alex Avila (hamstring) is set to being a rehab stint at Triple-A Charlotte on Friday.

2. The Twins have allowed 49 runs over their last seven games, including 16 in Wednesday's loss to Houston.

3. Chicago 3B Todd Frazier was hitless in three at-bats Thursday and is 0-for-14 over his last four games.

PREDICTION: White Sox 9, Twins 5

 

[NewYorkKnight]

GAME: Seattle Mariners (17-11) at Houston Astros (10-19)
DATE/TIME: Friday, May 06 - 8:10 PM EST
WHERE: Minute Maid Park, Houston, Texas
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A

Seattle Mariners star Robinson Cano didn't record his 30th RBI last season until July 9, but he has reached that mark more than two months sooner this year. Cano drove in four runs in the Mariners' 6-3 victory over the host Houston Astros on Thursday to take over the major-league lead and attempts to remain hot when the American League West rivals meet again on Friday.

Cano has recorded five straight multi-hit performances, going 12-for-22 during the stretch. He is 8-for-17 against Houston this season after delivering a tiebreaking three-run double in the top of the ninth inning of the opener to make it nine wins in 11 games for the Mariners, who are 4-0 on their seven-game road trip. Houston had its first two-game winning streak of the season halted despite the hot bat of Jose Altuve, who recorded four hits - including his ninth homer - for the 13th time in his career. "That little second baseman (Altuve) is a pretty good player," Seattle manager Scott Servais told reporters. "It's not a good feeling to see him walking to the plate."

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, ROOT (Seattle, Houston)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners RH Taijuan Walker (2-1, 1.80 ERA) vs. Astros RH Doug Fister (2-3, 4.60)

Walker matched his career high of 11 strikeouts while giving up one run and six hits over seven innings to defeat Houston on April 25. He is 5-1 with a 3.96 ERA in nine career starts against the Astros but is one of several Seattle pitchers to struggle against Altuve (8-for-22, one homer). Walker lost to Kansas City in his last turn, when he gave up three runs (two earned) and seven hits in five innings.

Fister issued a career-high seven walks when he was matched against Walker and lost to his former team in Seattle on April 25. He gave up three runs and four hits in six innings to fall to 2-1 with a 2.93 ERA in four career starts versus the Mariners. Fister bounced back to defeat Oakland in his last outing as he gave up one run and seven hits in 6 2/3 frames.

WALK-OFFS

1. Altuve has hit six leadoff homers this season - tying the Astros' record set by Hall-of-Famer Craig Biggio in 2006.

2. Seattle 3B Kyle Seager has produced three consecutive two-hit performances and has gone 10-for-25 during his six-game hitting streak to inch his batting average up to .202.

3. Houston recalled LF Jake Marisnick from Triple-A Fresno and optioned RHP Michael Feliz to the same club.

PREDICTION: Mariners 7, Astros 3

 

[NewYorkKnight]

GAME: Pittsburgh Pirates (15-13) at St. Louis Cardinals (15-14)
DATE/TIME: Friday, May 06 - 8:15 PM EST
WHERE: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A

The Pittsburgh Pirates were sandblasted in a three-game sweep at the hands of the National League Central-leading Chicago Cubs and must try to regroup against another division opponent that appears to be finding its stride. The Pirates, losers of four in a row, open a three-game series at the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday.

Pittsburgh had won six in a row prior to its skid but was outscored 20-5 in the mauling by visiting Chicago to fall six games behind the Cubs. "It's disappointing to get swept but we're good about getting past things," Pirates outfielder Josh Harrison told reporters after Wednesday's 6-2 setback. "We came in, took a shower and now we're moving on." The Cardinals were in a tailspin of their own, dropping four straight before taking three of four from Philadelphia, including their first walk-off win of the season. St. Louis right-hander Carlos Martinez opposes Pittsburgh left-hander Francisco Liriano, who dominated the Cardinals as part of a season-opening three-game sweep.

TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, ROOT (Pittsburgh), FSN Midwest (St. Louis)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates LH Francisco Liriano (2-1, 3.86 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Carlos Martinez (4-1, 2.60)

Liriano had been in a funk since striking out 10 over six scoreless innings against the Cardinals on April 3, giving up 11 runs and surrendering five homers while going 0-1 over his next three starts - all on the road. The 32-year-old Dominican bounced back with a strong effort last time out, limiting Cincinnati to one run on five hits over 6 2/3 innings. Liriano is 6-2 with a 2.40 ERA in 13 starts versus St. Louis and has stymied leadoff hitter Matt Carpenter (5-for-28).

Martinez struck out a season-high eight over 6 2/3 innings but suffered his first loss last time out against Washington, permitting four runs on seven hits, including two homers. He turned in a pair of stellar efforts in his previous two turns, giving up a combined one run on six hits in victories over Arizona and the Cubs. Pirates outfielder Gregory Polanco (8-for-13) has tormented Martinez, who is 2-3 with a 4.71 ERA in 14 appearances (five starts) versus the Pirates.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cardinals RF Stephen Piscotty is riding a four-game hitting streak and has 11 RBIs in his last 11 contests.

2. Pirates CF Andrew McCutchen was 5-for-11 in last month's sweep of St. Louis.

3. Cardinals 1B Matt Adams, 8-for-19 in his last seven games, is day-to-day after banging his knee and exiting Thursday's 4-0 victory.

PREDICTION: Cardinals 4, Pirates 3

 

[NewYorkKnight]

GAME: Tampa Bay Rays (12-14) at Los Angeles Angels (13-15)
DATE/TIME: Friday, May 06 - 10:05 PM EST
WHERE: Angel Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim, California
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A

Star center fielder Mike Trout is heating up and that alone is enough to boost the hopes of the Los Angeles Angels as they return home from a 2-4 road trip. Trout looks to continue his red-hot tear when the Angels kick off a six-game homestand Friday with the first of three against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Trout was 8-for-18 with nine RBIs over the final four games of Los Angeles' trek and has six homers and 18 RBIs while hitting safely in 13 of the past 14 contests. "He's locked in, man," Angels pitcher Hector Santiago said of Trout. "He's unbelievable. And you can tell. He's hitting the ball over the wall, he's on base all the time, he's driving in guys. You can definitely tell when he's hot." Tampa Bay's sputtering offense produced four homers Wednesday to earn a two-game split with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but the Rays now begin a brutal stretch with 14 of their next 17 games on the road. Chris Archer gives Tampa Bay an edge on the mound in the series opener after the Angels scratched scheduled starter Garrett Richards.

TV: 10:05 p.m. ET, FSN West (Los Angeles)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Chris Archer (1-4, 5.01 ERA) vs. Angels RH Cory Rasmus (0-1, 4.40)

Richards did not throw his planned bullpen session in Milwaukee, saying he still felt "fatigued" after leaving his last start due to dehydration and cramping. Rasmus has made all eight appearances out of the bullpen, the longest being 3 2/3 innings, so Angels manager Mike Scioscia will likely be forced to also use fellow relievers A.J. Achter and Jose Alvarez. Rasmus, who made six starts in 2014, is 0-0 with a 6.75 ERA in four relief appearances versus the Rays.

Archer is turning things around after losing his first four starts and failing to go beyond 5 1/3 innings in any of them. Although he walked four batters, he permitted only one hit - a two-run homer -- over six innings in a no-decision against Toronto on Saturday after striking out 10 over 6 2/3 innings versus Baltimore in his previous turn. Trout has four hits in 13 at-bats against Archer, who is 4-1 with a 2.97 ERA in five career starts against Los Angeles.

OVERTIME

1. Los Angeles' starting pitchers have failed to go at least six innings in seven straight games.

2. Rays 1B Steve Pearce was 4-for-8 with two homers versus the Dodgers, but DH Corey Dickerson is hitless in the last seven games (0-for-20).

3. The Angels on Friday are expected to activate OF Daniel Nava, who is 6-for-12 against Archer.

PREDICTION: Rays 5, Angels 3

 

[NewYorkKnight]

GAME: Colorado Rockies (14-14) at San Francisco Giants (15-15)
DATE/TIME: Friday, May 06 - 10:15 PM EST
WHERE: AT&T Park, San Francisco, California
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A

San Francisco second baseman Joe Panik and right fielder Hunter Pence might return to action Friday when the Giants continue their four-game series against the visiting Colorado Rockies, but Vin Mazzaro likely will be unavailable. The beleaguered Giants reliever recorded one out while yielding nine runs (seven earned) in Thursday’s 17-7 loss as Colorado set a team record with 13 runs in the lengthy fifth inning.

The Giants don’t expect left fielder Angel Pagan (hamstring) to return this weekend, but Pence (back) and Panik (strained groin) hope to play Friday against the Rockies, who moved into a three-way tie atop the National League West with the Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers with Thursday’s victory. Panik reached base safely in 15 straight games before missing the past week for the Giants, who could use a strong outing from ace Madison Bumgarner after Matt Cain lasted just four innings in Thursday’s rout. Bumgarner might be advised to tread lightly around Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado, who continued his dominance of the Giants with his major-league leading 12th home run, three runs scored and three RBI in the series opener. Arenado homered six times at AT&T Park last season and is batting .307 with 17 home runs in 54 career games against the Giants.

TV: 10:15 p.m. ET, ROOT (Colorado), CSN Bay Area (San Francisco)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH Chad Bettis (3-1, 3.89 ERA) vs. Giants LH Madison Bumgarner (3-2, 3.03)

Bettis turned in his fourth quality start of the season Sunday by allowing three runs with four strikeouts and no walks over six innings in a 6-3 win over Arizona. “He was pounding the strike zone all day,” manager Walt Weiss told reporters. “He did an outstanding job. He’s done that pretty much every time out.” Brandon Belt is 7-for-12 against Bettis, who is 2-3 with a 5.16 ERA in eight career appearances (four starts) against San Francisco.

Bumgarner earned his second straight victory Sunday as the 2014 World Series MVP struck out seven over six shutout innings against the Mets. The Giants are 14-8 in his starts against Colorado, including an 8-2 record at AT&T Park. Carlos Gonzalez is 16-for-46 with five home runs against Bumgarner, who is 11-6 with a 3.21 ERA in 22 career outings against the Rockies while limiting second baseman DJ LeMahieu to three hits in 22 at-bats.

WALK-OFFS

1. Colorado C Nick Hundley suffered an oblique strain before Thursday’s game and is listed as day-to-day.

2. The Giants are 12-6 in games started by Bumgarner, Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija but 3-9 in games started by Jake Peavy and Matt Cain.

3. The Rockies have won three of the first four meetings against the Giants this season by a 40-26 margin.

PREDICTION: Giants 6, Rockies 2

 

[NewYorkKnight]

GAME: New York Mets (17-10) at San Diego Padres (12-17)
DATE/TIME: Friday, May 06 - 10:40 PM EST
WHERE: Petco Park, San Diego, California
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A

The San Diego Padres cooled off New York in the opener of a four-game set and look to post another victory over the visiting Mets in Friday's encounter. New York had won 13 of 16 games before being mesmerized by San Diego right-hander Colin Rea, who didn't allow a hit until two outs in the seventh inning and took a shutout into the ninth before needing bullpen help to finish off a 5-3 victory.

Rea gave up three hits and departed after right fielder Curtis Granderson slugged a leadoff homer in the ninth, and New York made things interesting when red-hot center fielder Yoenis Cespedes hit a two-run blast off reliever Brad Hand. San Diego reclamation project Fernando Rodney retired the final two hitters for his seventh consecutive save and the 39-year old, who lost his closer's job with the Seattle Mariners last season, has yet to allow an earned run in 11 appearances this season. The Padres have won five of their last seven games as they continue to attempt to recover from a poor start. The Mets (17-10) have the fourth-best record in the majors but trail the Washington Nationals by 1 1/2-games in the National League East.

TV: 10:40 p.m. ET, SNY (New York), FSN San Diego

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Noah Syndergaard (2-1, 2.51 ERA) vs. Padres LH Drew Pomeranz (2-3, 2.48)

Syndergaard lost his last outing when he allowed four runs and five hits in 5 2/3 against the San Francisco Giants. He has given up seven runs in his last two starts after allowing just two total runs in his first three turns. Syndergaard is 1-1 with a 5.25 ERA in two career starts against the Padres and has struck out 19 in 12 innings.

Pomeranz lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers despite a stellar outing in which he gave up one run and three hits in seven innings. The Padres were blanked 1-0 by Clayton Kershaw, marking the second time in five starts that Pomeranz was on the wrong end of a shutout defeat. Pomeranz lasted just four innings in his one career start against the Mets, giving up two runs (one earned) and five hits on April 27, 2012, as a member of the Colorado Rockies.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cespedes has eight homers and 24 RBIs over his last 15 games.

2. San Diego C Derek Norris went 3-for-3 with a homer in the opener after being 3-for-38 over his previous 11 games.

3. New York 2B Neil Walker was hitless in four at-bats Thursday and is 0-for-13 over the past four games.

PREDICTION: Mets 4, Padres 2

 

[NewYorkKnight]

Jason Heyward (wrist) is back in the Cubs' lineup Friday.


Heyward missed four starts with a sore right wrist, although he replaced Dexter Fowler during Thursday's game after Fowler was ejected. The 26-year-old is hitting just .207/.311/.250 so far this season. The Cubs also have Javier Baez at shortstop and Tommy La Stella at third base Friday, with Addison Russell and Jorge Soler on the bench and Kris Bryant in left field.

 

[NewYorkKnight]

from Sports Insights ...


Cubs are getting just 37% of moneyline bets today, lowest support they've received all season

 

[indiana]

NY/K.........appreciate the info...........BOL with your action..........indy

 

[NewYorkKnight]

Domingo Santana (shoulder) remained out of the Brewers' lineup Friday.

He's been out of the lineup for four out of the last five games due to soreness in his right lat. Santana pinch-hit in Thursday's game, so he's presumably available off the bench Friday. Alex Presley is filling in again in right field.