Saturday's Interleague Battles
By Judd Hall
Interleague play will be going strong on this weekend that will officially usher in summer. We’ve got 15 games on tap for Saturday’s betting pleasure. Let’s take a look at one tilt between a pair of underachievers, a World Series rematch and another battle out west.
Rays at Mets – 4:10 p.m. EDT
The Rays are your perfect example of a team that is taking three steps forward and two steps back. Tampa Bay rolled off five straight wins to get them back above .500 for the season, but have dropped two straight on the road to the Rockies.
You can’t blame Tampa Bay’s offense for the problem as they rank fourth in team batting average (.275), fourth in home runs (92) and have scored the most runs (385) of any team in major league baseball.
What hasn’t been so consistent for the Rays is their pitching. Their starters have combined for an earned run average of 4.75. And Tampa’s bullpen has been a crapshoot at best, showcasing a 3.48 ERA, but have blown eight of their 25 save opportunities.
Things could be looking up for the Rays on Saturday though with James Shields (5-5, 3.52 ERA) getting the starting nod. He’s 2-1 in his last four starts, while the team is 3-1 in those contests. There wasn’t too much value in those matches as bettors would only be up $165 for that stretch.
The Mets can appreciate how Tampa Bay is feeling right now. They sit just three games behind Philly for the lead in the National League’s East. That’s actually a pretty impressive feat when you consider that New York has dumped six of its last eight games this season.
As if the losing isn’t bad enough, New York also has to figure out what is going on with Saturday’s starter, Johan Santana (8-4, 3.29 ERA). There has to be some worry for Mets fans with what’s going on with their ace. Santana lasted only three innings after giving up nine earned runs against the Yankees on June 14. And he’s surrendered 17 runs total in his three starts this month.
You’d want to believe that Santana will have his way against the Rays at Citi Field, but the numbers don’t support it. He’s just 3-2 with a 2.79 ERA in seven career starts versus Tampa Bay. Plus, Joe Maddon’s crew is hitting .286 against southpaws this year with 29 home runs and 124 RBI.
Something else to take into consideration is that Tampa has won three of the last four head-to-head meetings with the Mets. The ‘over’ is 3-1 in those contests. Also, the Rays are 6-3 in interleague play this year and 18-9 over the last two seasons. New York, on the other hand, is 4-5 versus the AL in 2009 and 13-11 since last year.
Las Vegas Sports Consultants have opened the Mets up as $1.30 home faves (risk $130 to win $100) with the total standing still at 7 ½.
Yankees at Marlins – 7:10 p.m. EDT
It seems to me that the natives are getting a little restless in the Bronx. The Yankees come to South Florida after dropping two of three at home to Washington. New York’s issues stem from some lackluster starting pitching, which is sad when you consider who they faced in this series. The Nationals got 14.2 innings and two earned runs allowed out of Craig Stammen and John Lannan. The Yanks saw Chien-Ming Wang and Joba Chamberlain throw 11 total innings and surrender six earned runs in the last two outings of that series.
New York shouldn’t have many worries when they send A.J. Burnett (5-3, 4.46 ERA) out to start against the Fish. The former Marlin and Blue Jay has gone 3-1 with a 2.43 ERA in his last four starts. Even better for Joe Girardi is that Burnett has pitched less than six innings just three times in his 13 total starts in 2009.
Burnett is 3-3 in his last six starts outside of Yankee Stadium with the ‘over’ going 3-2-1.
The Marlins haven’t been a slouch recently as they’ve gone 6-4 in their last 10 games. But they did need some help from Mother Nature to avoid a sweep in Boston to the Red Sox. Florida can’t complain with its spot as it’s just five games out of the NL East lead.
Florida will hand the ball over to Josh Johnson (6-1, 2.76 ERA) for Game 2 of its three-game set with the Yanks. Johnson has not only helped out the Marlins with his play, but bettors have profited with him starting as well. The Fish have won five straight contests that Johnson was the starter. Three of those starts saw bettors make a decent profit as Florida was closed as an underdog.
Johnson has gone 3-1 with a 2.02 ERA in eight starts at Landshark Stadium this season. Burnett is fairly comfortable in his old digs, posting a 28-17 record with an ERA of 3.20 in 62 starts in South Florida.
Burnett’s familiarity with the stadium has no doubt influenced LVSC in making the Yanks $1.20 road favorites with a total of 8 ½.
It’s not a stretch to see the Fish pull this one out as they’re 5-2 in their last seven meetings in Miami against New York…that includes the 2003 World Series. The ‘over’ has gone 7-2 in the last nine home tilts for the Marlins against the Yanks since 1999.
Rangers at Giants – 9:05 p.m. EDT
Texas couldn’t have picked a worse time to cool down. The Rangers have gone 7-8 during June, which has helped Los Angeles pull within 1 ½ games of them in the AL West. We could point to the offense going into a little slump for this problem as Texas has scored more three or fewer runs in eight of those 15 matches.
It doesn’t appear things will get much better for the Rangers on Saturday night with Derek Holland (1-4, 6.63) making his fifth start of the year. The rookie southpaw has lasted just five innings twice in his last five starts. Holland is 0-5 with a robust 8.50 ERA. Despite the high ERA, Holland has seen the ‘under’ go 3-1-1 in those recent appearances.
The Rangers will have their work cut out for them as San Francisco will send Matt Cain (9-1, 2.39 ERA) to start for them. Cain has practically been an automatic win machine for the Giants as they’ve won his last eight starts. He’s coming off of a complete game performance where he gave up one run on four hits in a 7-1 win as a $1.45 home favorite against the Athletics on June 14.
You can understand why LVSC installed the Giants as $1.65 home favorites with a total of eight when you consider the information on both pitchers.
All the signs point to San Fran getting the upper hand in this contest, including the fact that they have won all six head-to-head meetings with the Rangers in Northern California. The ‘under’ is 5-1 in that stretch as well.
vegasinsider
By Judd Hall
Interleague play will be going strong on this weekend that will officially usher in summer. We’ve got 15 games on tap for Saturday’s betting pleasure. Let’s take a look at one tilt between a pair of underachievers, a World Series rematch and another battle out west.
Rays at Mets – 4:10 p.m. EDT
The Rays are your perfect example of a team that is taking three steps forward and two steps back. Tampa Bay rolled off five straight wins to get them back above .500 for the season, but have dropped two straight on the road to the Rockies.
You can’t blame Tampa Bay’s offense for the problem as they rank fourth in team batting average (.275), fourth in home runs (92) and have scored the most runs (385) of any team in major league baseball.
What hasn’t been so consistent for the Rays is their pitching. Their starters have combined for an earned run average of 4.75. And Tampa’s bullpen has been a crapshoot at best, showcasing a 3.48 ERA, but have blown eight of their 25 save opportunities.
Things could be looking up for the Rays on Saturday though with James Shields (5-5, 3.52 ERA) getting the starting nod. He’s 2-1 in his last four starts, while the team is 3-1 in those contests. There wasn’t too much value in those matches as bettors would only be up $165 for that stretch.
The Mets can appreciate how Tampa Bay is feeling right now. They sit just three games behind Philly for the lead in the National League’s East. That’s actually a pretty impressive feat when you consider that New York has dumped six of its last eight games this season.
As if the losing isn’t bad enough, New York also has to figure out what is going on with Saturday’s starter, Johan Santana (8-4, 3.29 ERA). There has to be some worry for Mets fans with what’s going on with their ace. Santana lasted only three innings after giving up nine earned runs against the Yankees on June 14. And he’s surrendered 17 runs total in his three starts this month.
You’d want to believe that Santana will have his way against the Rays at Citi Field, but the numbers don’t support it. He’s just 3-2 with a 2.79 ERA in seven career starts versus Tampa Bay. Plus, Joe Maddon’s crew is hitting .286 against southpaws this year with 29 home runs and 124 RBI.
Something else to take into consideration is that Tampa has won three of the last four head-to-head meetings with the Mets. The ‘over’ is 3-1 in those contests. Also, the Rays are 6-3 in interleague play this year and 18-9 over the last two seasons. New York, on the other hand, is 4-5 versus the AL in 2009 and 13-11 since last year.
Las Vegas Sports Consultants have opened the Mets up as $1.30 home faves (risk $130 to win $100) with the total standing still at 7 ½.
Yankees at Marlins – 7:10 p.m. EDT
It seems to me that the natives are getting a little restless in the Bronx. The Yankees come to South Florida after dropping two of three at home to Washington. New York’s issues stem from some lackluster starting pitching, which is sad when you consider who they faced in this series. The Nationals got 14.2 innings and two earned runs allowed out of Craig Stammen and John Lannan. The Yanks saw Chien-Ming Wang and Joba Chamberlain throw 11 total innings and surrender six earned runs in the last two outings of that series.
New York shouldn’t have many worries when they send A.J. Burnett (5-3, 4.46 ERA) out to start against the Fish. The former Marlin and Blue Jay has gone 3-1 with a 2.43 ERA in his last four starts. Even better for Joe Girardi is that Burnett has pitched less than six innings just three times in his 13 total starts in 2009.
Burnett is 3-3 in his last six starts outside of Yankee Stadium with the ‘over’ going 3-2-1.
The Marlins haven’t been a slouch recently as they’ve gone 6-4 in their last 10 games. But they did need some help from Mother Nature to avoid a sweep in Boston to the Red Sox. Florida can’t complain with its spot as it’s just five games out of the NL East lead.
Florida will hand the ball over to Josh Johnson (6-1, 2.76 ERA) for Game 2 of its three-game set with the Yanks. Johnson has not only helped out the Marlins with his play, but bettors have profited with him starting as well. The Fish have won five straight contests that Johnson was the starter. Three of those starts saw bettors make a decent profit as Florida was closed as an underdog.
Johnson has gone 3-1 with a 2.02 ERA in eight starts at Landshark Stadium this season. Burnett is fairly comfortable in his old digs, posting a 28-17 record with an ERA of 3.20 in 62 starts in South Florida.
Burnett’s familiarity with the stadium has no doubt influenced LVSC in making the Yanks $1.20 road favorites with a total of 8 ½.
It’s not a stretch to see the Fish pull this one out as they’re 5-2 in their last seven meetings in Miami against New York…that includes the 2003 World Series. The ‘over’ has gone 7-2 in the last nine home tilts for the Marlins against the Yanks since 1999.
Rangers at Giants – 9:05 p.m. EDT
Texas couldn’t have picked a worse time to cool down. The Rangers have gone 7-8 during June, which has helped Los Angeles pull within 1 ½ games of them in the AL West. We could point to the offense going into a little slump for this problem as Texas has scored more three or fewer runs in eight of those 15 matches.
It doesn’t appear things will get much better for the Rangers on Saturday night with Derek Holland (1-4, 6.63) making his fifth start of the year. The rookie southpaw has lasted just five innings twice in his last five starts. Holland is 0-5 with a robust 8.50 ERA. Despite the high ERA, Holland has seen the ‘under’ go 3-1-1 in those recent appearances.
The Rangers will have their work cut out for them as San Francisco will send Matt Cain (9-1, 2.39 ERA) to start for them. Cain has practically been an automatic win machine for the Giants as they’ve won his last eight starts. He’s coming off of a complete game performance where he gave up one run on four hits in a 7-1 win as a $1.45 home favorite against the Athletics on June 14.
You can understand why LVSC installed the Giants as $1.65 home favorites with a total of eight when you consider the information on both pitchers.
All the signs point to San Fran getting the upper hand in this contest, including the fact that they have won all six head-to-head meetings with the Rangers in Northern California. The ‘under’ is 5-1 in that stretch as well.
vegasinsider
Marc Lawrence
Tampa Bay Rays vs. New York Mets:
NewYork Mets -120
Play On: NY Mets w/Santana
Note: the Mets and Rays meet in Game Two of this weekend series when New York sends ace left hander Johan Santana to the mound at Citi Field. Santana enters this afternoon's contest with 11 wins in his last 14 team starts at home. He's also 5-1 with a 2.30 ERA in his last six starts against Tampa Bay. With that, look for Santana to improve to 15-6 on Saturdays here today.
Tampa Bay Rays vs. New York Mets:
NewYork Mets -120
Play On: NY Mets w/Santana
Note: the Mets and Rays meet in Game Two of this weekend series when New York sends ace left hander Johan Santana to the mound at Citi Field. Santana enters this afternoon's contest with 11 wins in his last 14 team starts at home. He's also 5-1 with a 2.30 ERA in his last six starts against Tampa Bay. With that, look for Santana to improve to 15-6 on Saturdays here today.
Craig Trapp
Chicago White Sox vs. Cincinnati Reds:
Cincinnati Reds -160
Yesterday Craig's Bonus Play lost with BOS laying a huge egg in the first of the ATL interleague series. Today Craig looks to bounce back with another free interleague play.
Records
Chicago White Sox 31-36, 15-18 away (Richard 2-1, 3.76 ERA)
Cincinnati Reds 34-32, 17-15 home (Cueto (6-4, 2.17 ERA)
Betting Trends
-White Sox are 0-6 in Richards last 6 starts vs. a team with a winning record.
-White Sox are 2-7 in their last 9 interleague road games vs. a team with a winning record.
-Reds are 4-1 in their last 5 games as a home favorite.
-Reds are 5-2 in Cuetos last 7 starts vs. a team with a losing record.
Pretty hard to back the CHW as they have just not been playing very good. On the other hand CIN has been playing very good at home. Lately the Reds have turned the home into some key wins going 3-1 in last 4. Today the Reds turn to there best pitchers by the numbers this year Cueto. Cueto has been dominant and when he doesn't walk people he is unbeatable. Love the National League teams at home as the pitchers for the CHW are not used to hitting and taking the DL out of the lineup is a huge advantage to CIN. This one will be close early but the Reds will get a couple extra runs on CHW bullpen.
SCORE CIN 5 - CHW 2
Chicago White Sox vs. Cincinnati Reds:
Cincinnati Reds -160
Yesterday Craig's Bonus Play lost with BOS laying a huge egg in the first of the ATL interleague series. Today Craig looks to bounce back with another free interleague play.
Records
Chicago White Sox 31-36, 15-18 away (Richard 2-1, 3.76 ERA)
Cincinnati Reds 34-32, 17-15 home (Cueto (6-4, 2.17 ERA)
Betting Trends
-White Sox are 0-6 in Richards last 6 starts vs. a team with a winning record.
-White Sox are 2-7 in their last 9 interleague road games vs. a team with a winning record.
-Reds are 4-1 in their last 5 games as a home favorite.
-Reds are 5-2 in Cuetos last 7 starts vs. a team with a losing record.
Pretty hard to back the CHW as they have just not been playing very good. On the other hand CIN has been playing very good at home. Lately the Reds have turned the home into some key wins going 3-1 in last 4. Today the Reds turn to there best pitchers by the numbers this year Cueto. Cueto has been dominant and when he doesn't walk people he is unbeatable. Love the National League teams at home as the pitchers for the CHW are not used to hitting and taking the DL out of the lineup is a huge advantage to CIN. This one will be close early but the Reds will get a couple extra runs on CHW bullpen.
SCORE CIN 5 - CHW 2
Rob Vinciletti
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Kansas City Royals:
Kansas City Royals +150
site=home and t:site=home and op:site=away and 140<=t:line and tp:runs+5 SU: 10-5 (0.7 rpg) average line: +165 / -183 on / against: +$1,140 / -$1,325 ROI: +76.0% / -48.3%
O/U: 4-9-2 (-1.2 rpg) average total: 9.8 over / under: -$585 / +$460 ROI: -35.6% / +27.8%
Runs Hits Errors Walks Strike Outs Grounders Fly Balls Team left on base
Team: 4.7 8.9 0.40 2.6 6.3 10.1 8.3 6.1
Opp: 3.9 9.1 0.67 3.8 6.9 10.6 9.4 8.5
Recap Date Site Team Starter Opp Starter Score SUm W/L OUm O/U Hits Errors Line Total Innings
view 04-24-2004 home Rockies Fassero - L Astros Clemens - R 5-8 -3 L 1.5 O 11-10 1-1 160 11.5 9
view 05-16-2004 home Rockies Young - R Phillies Millwood - R 7-6 1 W 0.0 P 12-11 1-1 160 13.0 9
view 07-28-2004 home Orioles Borkowski - R Red Sox Schilling - R 4-1 3 W -4.0 U 7-4 0-0 200 9.0 9
view 08-29-2004 home Blue Jays Batista - R Yankees Mussina - R 6-4 2 W 0.0 P 7-12 0-1 155 10.0 9
view 04-16-2005 home Rockies Kennedy - L Giants Schmidt - R 5-4 1 W -2.0 U 10-11 0-0 140 11.0 9
view 05-15-2005 home Athletics Haren - R Yankees Johnson - L 4-6 -2 L 1.5 O 7-13 1-1 195 8.5 9
view 06-28-2005 home Rockies Jennings - R Astros Clemens - R 6-5 1 W 1.0 O 8-9 0-0 140 10.0 9
view 07-26-2005 home Royals Lima - R White Sox Buehrle - L 7-1 6 W -1.0 U 8-8 0-3 190 9.0 9
view 08-10-2005 home Royals Greinke - R Indians Sabathia - L 1-6 -5 L -2.0 U 7-13 0-0 155 9.0 9
view 09-05-2006 home Royals Rosa - L Yankees Mussina - R 5-0 5 W -5.0 U 9-9 0-2 200 10.0 9
view 07-29-2007 home Rays Kazmir - L Red Sox Matsuzaka - R 5-2 3 W -1.5 U 12-8 0-0 145 8.5 9
view 09-09-2007 home Royals Greinke - R Yankees Wang - R 3-6 -3 L -0.5 U 6-9 2-0 180 9.5 9
view 09-13-2007 home Orioles Leicester - R Angels Lackey - R 3-0 3 W -6.5 U 9-5 0-0 170 9.5 9
view 08-17-2008 home Nationals Perez - L Rockies Cook - R 2-7 -5 L 1.0 O 10-7 1-1 140 8.0 9
view 09-14-2008 home Orioles Liz - R Twins Blackburn - R 7-3 4 W -1.0 U 11-8 0-0 140 11.0 9
On Saturday the Bonus Play comes from the system above.The KC Royals.Game 992 at 4:10 eastern.The system plays on home dogs of +140 or higher off a home less of 5 or more runs if they scored 5 or more runs and the opponent scored 10 or more runs on 10 or more hits.They Royals are a fit due to their 10-5 loss last night.This is a tremendous system when considering teams that are dogs of this magnitude winning su 10 of 15 times.Looking at the pitching matchup the Crds send righty C.Carpenter to the mound and he has a solid 2.40 road era,however the Crds are only 1-4 in his road starts and he is 3-5 with a 4.75 era in his career vs the Royals.For Kc its righty B.Bannister.In his home starts the Royals do quite well winning 4 of 5 times.He has a solid home era of 3.37 and has a 3-1 career record vs the Red birs including a nice win this year in St.Louis where he went 6 innings allowing just 2 runs.On Saturday I have a POWER packed bases card featuring a totals play that has cashed 100% of the time,plus 2 big Interleague Power systems that win by averages of 3 and 4 runs,plus a solid level 5 offshore play.With the solid dog system on our side and a pretty even pitching matchup lets take the big value with the Royals here today.
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Kansas City Royals:
Kansas City Royals +150
site=home and t:site=home and op:site=away and 140<=t:line and tp:runs+5 SU: 10-5 (0.7 rpg) average line: +165 / -183 on / against: +$1,140 / -$1,325 ROI: +76.0% / -48.3%
O/U: 4-9-2 (-1.2 rpg) average total: 9.8 over / under: -$585 / +$460 ROI: -35.6% / +27.8%
Runs Hits Errors Walks Strike Outs Grounders Fly Balls Team left on base
Team: 4.7 8.9 0.40 2.6 6.3 10.1 8.3 6.1
Opp: 3.9 9.1 0.67 3.8 6.9 10.6 9.4 8.5
Recap Date Site Team Starter Opp Starter Score SUm W/L OUm O/U Hits Errors Line Total Innings
view 04-24-2004 home Rockies Fassero - L Astros Clemens - R 5-8 -3 L 1.5 O 11-10 1-1 160 11.5 9
view 05-16-2004 home Rockies Young - R Phillies Millwood - R 7-6 1 W 0.0 P 12-11 1-1 160 13.0 9
view 07-28-2004 home Orioles Borkowski - R Red Sox Schilling - R 4-1 3 W -4.0 U 7-4 0-0 200 9.0 9
view 08-29-2004 home Blue Jays Batista - R Yankees Mussina - R 6-4 2 W 0.0 P 7-12 0-1 155 10.0 9
view 04-16-2005 home Rockies Kennedy - L Giants Schmidt - R 5-4 1 W -2.0 U 10-11 0-0 140 11.0 9
view 05-15-2005 home Athletics Haren - R Yankees Johnson - L 4-6 -2 L 1.5 O 7-13 1-1 195 8.5 9
view 06-28-2005 home Rockies Jennings - R Astros Clemens - R 6-5 1 W 1.0 O 8-9 0-0 140 10.0 9
view 07-26-2005 home Royals Lima - R White Sox Buehrle - L 7-1 6 W -1.0 U 8-8 0-3 190 9.0 9
view 08-10-2005 home Royals Greinke - R Indians Sabathia - L 1-6 -5 L -2.0 U 7-13 0-0 155 9.0 9
view 09-05-2006 home Royals Rosa - L Yankees Mussina - R 5-0 5 W -5.0 U 9-9 0-2 200 10.0 9
view 07-29-2007 home Rays Kazmir - L Red Sox Matsuzaka - R 5-2 3 W -1.5 U 12-8 0-0 145 8.5 9
view 09-09-2007 home Royals Greinke - R Yankees Wang - R 3-6 -3 L -0.5 U 6-9 2-0 180 9.5 9
view 09-13-2007 home Orioles Leicester - R Angels Lackey - R 3-0 3 W -6.5 U 9-5 0-0 170 9.5 9
view 08-17-2008 home Nationals Perez - L Rockies Cook - R 2-7 -5 L 1.0 O 10-7 1-1 140 8.0 9
view 09-14-2008 home Orioles Liz - R Twins Blackburn - R 7-3 4 W -1.0 U 11-8 0-0 140 11.0 9
On Saturday the Bonus Play comes from the system above.The KC Royals.Game 992 at 4:10 eastern.The system plays on home dogs of +140 or higher off a home less of 5 or more runs if they scored 5 or more runs and the opponent scored 10 or more runs on 10 or more hits.They Royals are a fit due to their 10-5 loss last night.This is a tremendous system when considering teams that are dogs of this magnitude winning su 10 of 15 times.Looking at the pitching matchup the Crds send righty C.Carpenter to the mound and he has a solid 2.40 road era,however the Crds are only 1-4 in his road starts and he is 3-5 with a 4.75 era in his career vs the Royals.For Kc its righty B.Bannister.In his home starts the Royals do quite well winning 4 of 5 times.He has a solid home era of 3.37 and has a 3-1 career record vs the Red birs including a nice win this year in St.Louis where he went 6 innings allowing just 2 runs.On Saturday I have a POWER packed bases card featuring a totals play that has cashed 100% of the time,plus 2 big Interleague Power systems that win by averages of 3 and 4 runs,plus a solid level 5 offshore play.With the solid dog system on our side and a pretty even pitching matchup lets take the big value with the Royals here today.
Big Al McMordie
Bonus Play
Atlanta Braves vs. Boston Red Sox:
Total 8½ ov-105
At 7:10 pm our complimentary selection is on the Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox 'over' the total. Veteran starter Derek Lowe will be making a homecoming of sorts when he pitches this game in Fenway Park as it will be his first performance in that venue since he played a key role for Boston in its 2004 postseason march to its first World Series title in almost a century. It should be a very interesting return for Lowe because he comes into this game off his worst start of the season, an 11-2 drubbing which the Braves took at the hands of the Orioles back on June 14 when Lowe failed to make it out of the third inning. Since Lowe is a sinkerball specialist, it's safe to say that his ball wasn't sinking very effectively on that occasion and if he has the same problem tonight it will be an even shorter outing for him. He will face Josh Beckett who, like Lowe, has also had a successful season, but comes into this game off a very ineffective start against the Phillies in which he gave up six earned runs on 11 hits in just six innings. It was his first loss since April, but there's no telling how Beckett will bounce back from that one. The Braves have beefed up the middle of their lineup in a big way when they acquired Nate McLouth from the Pittsburgh Pirates back on June 3 for three prospects. McLouth fills a big hole in the heart of the order and it is beginning to show for Atlanta on the scoreboard.
Take the 'over.' As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
Bonus Play
Atlanta Braves vs. Boston Red Sox:
Total 8½ ov-105
At 7:10 pm our complimentary selection is on the Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox 'over' the total. Veteran starter Derek Lowe will be making a homecoming of sorts when he pitches this game in Fenway Park as it will be his first performance in that venue since he played a key role for Boston in its 2004 postseason march to its first World Series title in almost a century. It should be a very interesting return for Lowe because he comes into this game off his worst start of the season, an 11-2 drubbing which the Braves took at the hands of the Orioles back on June 14 when Lowe failed to make it out of the third inning. Since Lowe is a sinkerball specialist, it's safe to say that his ball wasn't sinking very effectively on that occasion and if he has the same problem tonight it will be an even shorter outing for him. He will face Josh Beckett who, like Lowe, has also had a successful season, but comes into this game off a very ineffective start against the Phillies in which he gave up six earned runs on 11 hits in just six innings. It was his first loss since April, but there's no telling how Beckett will bounce back from that one. The Braves have beefed up the middle of their lineup in a big way when they acquired Nate McLouth from the Pittsburgh Pirates back on June 3 for three prospects. McLouth fills a big hole in the heart of the order and it is beginning to show for Atlanta on the scoreboard.
Take the 'over.' As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1:05 PM
CLEVELAND vs. CHI CUBS
Cleveland is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
Chi Cubs are 15-8 SU in their last 23 games at home
4:10 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. DETROIT
Milwaukee is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Detroit is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games at home
Detroit is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
4:10 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. KANSAS CITY
St. Louis is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
St. Louis is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Kansas City is 4-14 SU in its last 18 games when playing at home against St. Louis
Kansas City is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing St. Louis
4:10 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. NY METS
Tampa Bay is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games
Tampa Bay is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
NY Mets are 3-6 SU in its last 9 games
NY Mets are 13-5 SU in its last 18 games at home
7:05 PM
BALTIMORE vs. PHILADELPHIA
Baltimore is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Philadelphia
Baltimore is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Philadelphia is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
Philadelphia is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games at home
7:05 PM
TORONTO vs. WASHINGTON
Toronto is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing Washington
Toronto is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Washington is 6-16 SU in its last 22 games
Washington is 6-15 SU in its last 21 games at home
7:10 PM
ATLANTA vs. BOSTON
Atlanta is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Atlanta is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Boston is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing Atlanta
Boston is 6-12 SU in its last 18 games when playing at home against Atlanta
7:10 PM
CHI WHITE SOX vs. CINCINNATI
Chi White Sox are 9-1 SU in their last 10 games when playing Cincinnati
Chi White Sox are 6-3 SU in their last 9 games on the road
Cincinnati is 1-9 SU in their last 10 games when playing Chi White Sox
Cincinnati is 1-6 SU in their last 7 games when playing at home against Chi White Sox
7:10 PM
HOUSTON vs. MINNESOTA
Houston is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Houston is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing Minnesota
Minnesota is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Houston
Minnesota is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing Houston
7:10 PM
NY YANKEES vs. FLORIDA
NY Yankees are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games on the road
Florida is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home
8:10 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. COLORADO
Pittsburgh is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games on the road
Pittsburgh is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Colorado
Colorado is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh
Colorado is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
9:05 PM
LA DODGERS vs. LA ANGELS
LA Dodgers are 11-5 SU in their last 16 games on the road
LA Dodgers are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games
LA Angels are 8-1 SU in their last 9 games when playing at home against LA Dodgers
LA Angels are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing LA Dodgers
9:05 PM
TEXAS vs. SAN FRANCISCO
Texas is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Texas is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing San Francisco
San Francisco is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Texas
San Francisco is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Texas
10:05 PM
OAKLAND vs. SAN DIEGO
Oakland is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
Oakland is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
San Diego is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing Oakland
San Diego is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
10:10 PM
ARIZONA vs. SEATTLE
Arizona is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Seattle
Arizona is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Seattle is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
Seattle is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Arizona
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1:05 PM
CLEVELAND vs. CHI CUBS
Cleveland is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
Chi Cubs are 15-8 SU in their last 23 games at home
4:10 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. DETROIT
Milwaukee is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Detroit is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games at home
Detroit is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
4:10 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. KANSAS CITY
St. Louis is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
St. Louis is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Kansas City is 4-14 SU in its last 18 games when playing at home against St. Louis
Kansas City is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing St. Louis
4:10 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. NY METS
Tampa Bay is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games
Tampa Bay is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
NY Mets are 3-6 SU in its last 9 games
NY Mets are 13-5 SU in its last 18 games at home
7:05 PM
BALTIMORE vs. PHILADELPHIA
Baltimore is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Philadelphia
Baltimore is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Philadelphia is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
Philadelphia is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games at home
7:05 PM
TORONTO vs. WASHINGTON
Toronto is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing Washington
Toronto is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Washington is 6-16 SU in its last 22 games
Washington is 6-15 SU in its last 21 games at home
7:10 PM
ATLANTA vs. BOSTON
Atlanta is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Atlanta is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Boston is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing Atlanta
Boston is 6-12 SU in its last 18 games when playing at home against Atlanta
7:10 PM
CHI WHITE SOX vs. CINCINNATI
Chi White Sox are 9-1 SU in their last 10 games when playing Cincinnati
Chi White Sox are 6-3 SU in their last 9 games on the road
Cincinnati is 1-9 SU in their last 10 games when playing Chi White Sox
Cincinnati is 1-6 SU in their last 7 games when playing at home against Chi White Sox
7:10 PM
HOUSTON vs. MINNESOTA
Houston is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Houston is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing Minnesota
Minnesota is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Houston
Minnesota is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing Houston
7:10 PM
NY YANKEES vs. FLORIDA
NY Yankees are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games on the road
Florida is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home
8:10 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. COLORADO
Pittsburgh is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games on the road
Pittsburgh is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Colorado
Colorado is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh
Colorado is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
9:05 PM
LA DODGERS vs. LA ANGELS
LA Dodgers are 11-5 SU in their last 16 games on the road
LA Dodgers are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games
LA Angels are 8-1 SU in their last 9 games when playing at home against LA Dodgers
LA Angels are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing LA Dodgers
9:05 PM
TEXAS vs. SAN FRANCISCO
Texas is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Texas is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing San Francisco
San Francisco is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Texas
San Francisco is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Texas
10:05 PM
OAKLAND vs. SAN DIEGO
Oakland is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
Oakland is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
San Diego is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing Oakland
San Diego is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
10:10 PM
ARIZONA vs. SEATTLE
Arizona is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Seattle
Arizona is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Seattle is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
Seattle is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Arizona
Dave Cokin
(961) TORONTO BLUE JAYS
(962) WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Take "(961) TORONTO BLUE JAYS"
The Nationals are red hot? Well, at least by their standards, as they've managed to win three in a row. There are a few positives on this team of late, certainly due in part to the improved pitching since Randy St. Clair took over the coaching duties. But I'll look for the streak to end here. Brett Cecil has been called back up for the Blue Jays, and I think his deceptive slider will cause problems for the Nats hitters. Ross Detwiler is another talented lefty, but he may not fare as well with the Toronto lineup. I'll lean the Blue Jays way tonight.
(961) TORONTO BLUE JAYS
(962) WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Take "(961) TORONTO BLUE JAYS"
The Nationals are red hot? Well, at least by their standards, as they've managed to win three in a row. There are a few positives on this team of late, certainly due in part to the improved pitching since Randy St. Clair took over the coaching duties. But I'll look for the streak to end here. Brett Cecil has been called back up for the Blue Jays, and I think his deceptive slider will cause problems for the Nats hitters. Ross Detwiler is another talented lefty, but he may not fare as well with the Toronto lineup. I'll lean the Blue Jays way tonight.
Jim Feist
(979) ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
(980) SEATTLE MARINERS
Take "(980) SEATTLE MARINERS"
The Mariners are also still trying to take a stab at .500 and sit only 5 1/2 games out of the division lead. The Mariners have six guys on their 25-man roster who were fruits of that trade: Franklin Gutierrez, Endy Chavez, Mike Carp, Ronny Cedeno, Garrett Olson and Jason Vargas. Vargas goes here, a guy with a 3.56 ERA who doesn't walk anyone. Arizona can't hit and young starter Billy Buckner has been terrible, with a 7.36 ERA. A great spot for the home team. Play the Mariners.
(979) ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
(980) SEATTLE MARINERS
Take "(980) SEATTLE MARINERS"
The Mariners are also still trying to take a stab at .500 and sit only 5 1/2 games out of the division lead. The Mariners have six guys on their 25-man roster who were fruits of that trade: Franklin Gutierrez, Endy Chavez, Mike Carp, Ronny Cedeno, Garrett Olson and Jason Vargas. Vargas goes here, a guy with a 3.56 ERA who doesn't walk anyone. Arizona can't hit and young starter Billy Buckner has been terrible, with a 7.36 ERA. A great spot for the home team. Play the Mariners.
Dunkel
Today's MLB Picks
Tampa Bay at NY Mets
The Mets look to follow up last night's win over the Rays and build on their 10-2 record in Johan Santana's last 12 home starts when the total is set between 7 and 8 1/2. New York is the pick (-120) according to Dunkel, which has the Mets favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (-120). Here are all of today's picks.
SATURDAY, JUNE 20
Game 951-952: Pittsburgh at Colorado
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh (Morton) 16.145; Colorado (Hammel) 16.083
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Colorado (-155); 10
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+145); Under
Game 953-954: Cleveland at Chicago Cubs
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Ohka) 14.732; Cubs (Lilly) 14.236
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Chicago Cubs (-180); No Run Line
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+170); N/A
Game 955-956: Milwaukee at Detroit
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Bush) 14.926; Detroit (Figaro) 16.164
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 1; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Detroit (-125); 10
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-125); Under
Game 957-958: LA Dodgers at LA Angels
Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Weaver) 16.328; LA Angels (Weaver) 15.692
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 1/2; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-170); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (+160); Over
Game 959-960: Tampa Bay at NY Mets
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Shields) 15.188; NY Mets (Santana) 16.190
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: NY Mets (-120); 8
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (-120); Over
Game 961-962: Toronto at Washington
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto (Cecil) 15.255; Washington (Detwiler) 16.284
Dunkel Line: Washington by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Toronto (-125); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Washington (+115); Under
Game 963-964: Baltimore at Philadelphia
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore (Bergesen) 14.811; Philadelphia (Happ) 15.418
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-160); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-160); Under
Game 965-966: NY Yankees at Florida
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Burnett) 16.444; Florida (Johnson) 15.203
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 1; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-115); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-115); Over
Game 967-968: Chicago White Sox at Cincinnati
Dunkel Ratings: White Sox (Richard) 14.046; Cincinnati (Cueto) 14.659
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-170); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (-170); Under
Game 969-970: Atlanta at Boston
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Lowe) 15.734; Boston (Beckett) 15.116
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Boston (-170); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (+160); Over
Game 971-972: St. Louis at Kansas City
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Carpenter) 13.899; Kansas City (Bannister) 14.300
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-170); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (+160); Over
Game 973-974: Houston at Minnesota
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Moehler) 15.613; Minnesota (Baker) 15.428
Dunkel Line: Houston by 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Minnesota (-185); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Houston (+175); Under
Game 975-976: Texas at San Francisco
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Holland) 14.646; San Francisco (Cain) 15.635
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 1; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: San Francisco (-175); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (-175); Over
Game 977-978: Oakland at San Diego
Dunkel Ratings: Oakland (Anderson) 13.974; San Diego (Silva) 14.452
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Oakland (-125); 8
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (+115); Under
Game 979-980: Arizona at Seattle
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona (Buckner) 15.049; Seattle (Vargas) 15.142
Dunkel Line: Seattle by 1; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: Seattle (-140); 9
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (-140); Over
Today's MLB Picks
Tampa Bay at NY Mets
The Mets look to follow up last night's win over the Rays and build on their 10-2 record in Johan Santana's last 12 home starts when the total is set between 7 and 8 1/2. New York is the pick (-120) according to Dunkel, which has the Mets favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (-120). Here are all of today's picks.
SATURDAY, JUNE 20
Game 951-952: Pittsburgh at Colorado
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh (Morton) 16.145; Colorado (Hammel) 16.083
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Colorado (-155); 10
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+145); Under
Game 953-954: Cleveland at Chicago Cubs
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Ohka) 14.732; Cubs (Lilly) 14.236
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Chicago Cubs (-180); No Run Line
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+170); N/A
Game 955-956: Milwaukee at Detroit
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Bush) 14.926; Detroit (Figaro) 16.164
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 1; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Detroit (-125); 10
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-125); Under
Game 957-958: LA Dodgers at LA Angels
Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Weaver) 16.328; LA Angels (Weaver) 15.692
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 1/2; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-170); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (+160); Over
Game 959-960: Tampa Bay at NY Mets
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Shields) 15.188; NY Mets (Santana) 16.190
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: NY Mets (-120); 8
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (-120); Over
Game 961-962: Toronto at Washington
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto (Cecil) 15.255; Washington (Detwiler) 16.284
Dunkel Line: Washington by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Toronto (-125); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Washington (+115); Under
Game 963-964: Baltimore at Philadelphia
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore (Bergesen) 14.811; Philadelphia (Happ) 15.418
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-160); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-160); Under
Game 965-966: NY Yankees at Florida
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Burnett) 16.444; Florida (Johnson) 15.203
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 1; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-115); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-115); Over
Game 967-968: Chicago White Sox at Cincinnati
Dunkel Ratings: White Sox (Richard) 14.046; Cincinnati (Cueto) 14.659
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-170); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (-170); Under
Game 969-970: Atlanta at Boston
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Lowe) 15.734; Boston (Beckett) 15.116
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Boston (-170); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (+160); Over
Game 971-972: St. Louis at Kansas City
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Carpenter) 13.899; Kansas City (Bannister) 14.300
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-170); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (+160); Over
Game 973-974: Houston at Minnesota
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Moehler) 15.613; Minnesota (Baker) 15.428
Dunkel Line: Houston by 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Minnesota (-185); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Houston (+175); Under
Game 975-976: Texas at San Francisco
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Holland) 14.646; San Francisco (Cain) 15.635
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 1; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: San Francisco (-175); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (-175); Over
Game 977-978: Oakland at San Diego
Dunkel Ratings: Oakland (Anderson) 13.974; San Diego (Silva) 14.452
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Oakland (-125); 8
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (+115); Under
Game 979-980: Arizona at Seattle
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona (Buckner) 15.049; Seattle (Vargas) 15.142
Dunkel Line: Seattle by 1; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: Seattle (-140); 9
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (-140); Over
Jimmy Boyd
Bonus Play
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Seattle Mariners:
Seattle Mariners -140
1 Unit on Seattle Mariners -140
We'll take the team with the better record at home behind the better pitching staff. The M's send Vargas to the hill and are 3-0 in his home starts this season, in which he has posted an ERA of 2.04. Plus, the M's bullpen has been sensational with an ERA of just 2.32 in home games. With last night's loss, the D-backs have dropped 5 straight to the Mariners and those struggles will likely continue against the lefty Vargas as the Diamondbacks are just 2-9 in their last 11 road games vs. a left-handed starter.
Take the M's at home tonight.
Bonus Play
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Seattle Mariners:
Seattle Mariners -140
1 Unit on Seattle Mariners -140
We'll take the team with the better record at home behind the better pitching staff. The M's send Vargas to the hill and are 3-0 in his home starts this season, in which he has posted an ERA of 2.04. Plus, the M's bullpen has been sensational with an ERA of just 2.32 in home games. With last night's loss, the D-backs have dropped 5 straight to the Mariners and those struggles will likely continue against the lefty Vargas as the Diamondbacks are just 2-9 in their last 11 road games vs. a left-handed starter.
Take the M's at home tonight.
Freddy Wills
Bonus Play
New York Yankees vs. Florida Marlins:
Florida Marlins -105
The line opened with 76% of the public still on the Yankees as they opened being favorites at -110 yet the line moved to the Marlins being the favorites this morning at -107 in many places. Normally I'd be taking the under here based on that movement, but to be honest I just can not fathom taking the under with the Yankees home or away. A-ROD will be out again today for rest and I think the Marlins have an excellent shot at winning this game out right!
Yankees have never faced the RHP and they have not hit RHP as well as LHP. Johnson 6-1 with a 1.07WHIP and 2.76ERA on the season owns a 3-1 record at home with a 2.02 ERA and an amazing 55:10 K:BB ratio. Night ball he owns a 1.80 ERA he just loves pitching at night and against NY as you may know he has dominated the Metsis over his career! Yankees L5 .264 and 3.20 runs per 9 last 5 will have Burnett going on the mound.
Burnett won't have the confidence and comfort of a large lead like he did in his last game with another solid pitcher on the other mound. In his last outing 7IP 0ER vs. Mets the Yankees went on to win 15-0. Burnett who has pitched well in June has struggled on the road 5.19ERA in 6GS. Only Wes Helms has had any time against Burnett, but Helms is a crafty veteran that should be able to give the rest of the team some tips. He is 3-7 with a HR vs. Burnett.
Notables: Marlins are 11-3 with Johnson on the mound this year and 13-3 in his last 16 starts vs. a team with a winning record. They are 22-6 in the last 28 games he has started. Kellogg behind the plate seems to have a spot in his heart or something for the Marlins as the Marlins are 18-4 the last 22 games he's been there... but probably just coincidence.
Take Marlins -105 2DIME Bonus Play (1-5SCALE)
Bonus Play
New York Yankees vs. Florida Marlins:
Florida Marlins -105
The line opened with 76% of the public still on the Yankees as they opened being favorites at -110 yet the line moved to the Marlins being the favorites this morning at -107 in many places. Normally I'd be taking the under here based on that movement, but to be honest I just can not fathom taking the under with the Yankees home or away. A-ROD will be out again today for rest and I think the Marlins have an excellent shot at winning this game out right!
Yankees have never faced the RHP and they have not hit RHP as well as LHP. Johnson 6-1 with a 1.07WHIP and 2.76ERA on the season owns a 3-1 record at home with a 2.02 ERA and an amazing 55:10 K:BB ratio. Night ball he owns a 1.80 ERA he just loves pitching at night and against NY as you may know he has dominated the Metsis over his career! Yankees L5 .264 and 3.20 runs per 9 last 5 will have Burnett going on the mound.
Burnett won't have the confidence and comfort of a large lead like he did in his last game with another solid pitcher on the other mound. In his last outing 7IP 0ER vs. Mets the Yankees went on to win 15-0. Burnett who has pitched well in June has struggled on the road 5.19ERA in 6GS. Only Wes Helms has had any time against Burnett, but Helms is a crafty veteran that should be able to give the rest of the team some tips. He is 3-7 with a HR vs. Burnett.
Notables: Marlins are 11-3 with Johnson on the mound this year and 13-3 in his last 16 starts vs. a team with a winning record. They are 22-6 in the last 28 games he has started. Kellogg behind the plate seems to have a spot in his heart or something for the Marlins as the Marlins are 18-4 the last 22 games he's been there... but probably just coincidence.
Take Marlins -105 2DIME Bonus Play (1-5SCALE)
Bob Harvey
Bonus Play
Both offenses are hitting on all cylinders and that makes it an easy decision to play the Over on Saturday when the Detroit Tigers host the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Brewers are conjuring up memories of the famous “Harvey’s Wallbangers” from the 1980’s. Milwaukee managed just four runs last night in a rain shortened game against the Tigers, but before that they were literally knocking the cover off the ball.
With Prince Fielder leading the way, the Brewers scored 30 runs on 40 hits in sweeping a three-game set in Cleveland against the Indians. Fielder is hitting .474 with two home runs and 12 RBI over the past four games.
This afternoon Milwaukee will face rookie Alfredo Figaro who is making his MLB debut despite having never pitched above Double-A. He was promoted when the D-Train, Dontrelle Willis, was derailed by anxiety issues. Even Tigers manager Jim Leyland isn’t sure what to expect from Figaro but says the rookie has the chops.
Dave Bush will be throwing for the Brewers and Milwaukee can only hope they see “vintage Bush” and not the 2009 model that has compiled 3-3 record with an ERA of 5.31. The numbers get worse. Bush, is 0-3 with an 8.64 ERA in his last five starts and is 0-1 with an 11.05 ERA against the Tigers.
Milwaukee has topped the total in their last five games while Detroit is 4-2 to the Over in their last six outings. Neither team lacks for power. Milwaukee is seventh in baseball with 78 roundtrippers while Detroit ranks 10th in the same category with 75 homeruns. Both teams have almost identical RPG totals with the Tigers at 4.85 and the Brew Crew ever so slightly behind at 4.81.
Miwaukee’s bullpen is good ranking seventh in MLB with an ERA of 3.56 and a 14-8 record. On the flip side, Detroit’s pen is ranked 23rd in all of baseball with an ERA of 4.53. Look for both the rookie Figaro and the veteran Bush to struggle. Both teams have enough “boppers” to make this an easy Over.
Free Pick: Brewers-Tigers Over 10 (-110)
Bonus Play
Both offenses are hitting on all cylinders and that makes it an easy decision to play the Over on Saturday when the Detroit Tigers host the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Brewers are conjuring up memories of the famous “Harvey’s Wallbangers” from the 1980’s. Milwaukee managed just four runs last night in a rain shortened game against the Tigers, but before that they were literally knocking the cover off the ball.
With Prince Fielder leading the way, the Brewers scored 30 runs on 40 hits in sweeping a three-game set in Cleveland against the Indians. Fielder is hitting .474 with two home runs and 12 RBI over the past four games.
This afternoon Milwaukee will face rookie Alfredo Figaro who is making his MLB debut despite having never pitched above Double-A. He was promoted when the D-Train, Dontrelle Willis, was derailed by anxiety issues. Even Tigers manager Jim Leyland isn’t sure what to expect from Figaro but says the rookie has the chops.
Dave Bush will be throwing for the Brewers and Milwaukee can only hope they see “vintage Bush” and not the 2009 model that has compiled 3-3 record with an ERA of 5.31. The numbers get worse. Bush, is 0-3 with an 8.64 ERA in his last five starts and is 0-1 with an 11.05 ERA against the Tigers.
Milwaukee has topped the total in their last five games while Detroit is 4-2 to the Over in their last six outings. Neither team lacks for power. Milwaukee is seventh in baseball with 78 roundtrippers while Detroit ranks 10th in the same category with 75 homeruns. Both teams have almost identical RPG totals with the Tigers at 4.85 and the Brew Crew ever so slightly behind at 4.81.
Miwaukee’s bullpen is good ranking seventh in MLB with an ERA of 3.56 and a 14-8 record. On the flip side, Detroit’s pen is ranked 23rd in all of baseball with an ERA of 4.53. Look for both the rookie Figaro and the veteran Bush to struggle. Both teams have enough “boppers” to make this an easy Over.
Free Pick: Brewers-Tigers Over 10 (-110)
JR O'Donnell
Bonus Play
Baltimore Orioles vs. Philadelphia Phillies
Total 9½ ov-110
Happ vs Begerson...
Look for the O's to (Pile On the Runs)
Look'n at The #'s Plating Runs has been the key here for the Balt Orioles (30-37), a lofty .322 while winning 5 of six & eleven of seventeen!!!!
Jr's $$$$ on the Over Phils/O's @ CBP
Bonus Play
Baltimore Orioles vs. Philadelphia Phillies
Total 9½ ov-110
Happ vs Begerson...
Look for the O's to (Pile On the Runs)
Look'n at The #'s Plating Runs has been the key here for the Balt Orioles (30-37), a lofty .322 while winning 5 of six & eleven of seventeen!!!!
Jr's $$$$ on the Over Phils/O's @ CBP
Saturday's Best WNBA Bet
By Covers
Chicago Sky at Washington Mystics (-4, 148)
Two of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference last season, the Washington Mystics and Chicago Sky are off to surprisingly strong starts in 2009.
Each team, however, hopes to bounce back from a loss when they meet Saturday night at Washington's Verizon Center.
After allowing an average of 70 points in winning its first three games, Washington (3-1) fell 93-81 at Atlanta on Friday to become the last WNBA team to record a loss in 2009.
Alana Beard had 20 points for the Mystics, who shot 39.7 percent (25 for 63), but couldn't stop the Dream from shooting 45.9 percent (34 for 74) or outrebounding them 46-31.
"They killed us on the offensive boards and in the paint,'' said Beard, who's averaging 17.2 points. "We have to protect the paint. Those are the easy baskets and we did not do that.''
Despite this setback, Washington still leads the East after losing its final nine games during a disappointing 10-24 season in 2008.
Chicago (3-2), meanwhile, is only one-half game behind the Mystics after finishing 12-22 a year ago. Now in their fourth season, the Sky didn't record their third victory until the eighth game the last two years, and their 18th in 2006.
Despite having its three-game winning streak snapped in a 91-61 loss at Connecticut on Friday, Chicago still has confidence as it tries to maintain the best start in franchise history.
"We are not going to settle here, we are going to continue to improve," said guard Jia Perkins, who was held to nine points Friday after scoring 25 against the Sun at home on Tuesday. "We want to be a playoff team."
For that to happen, the Sky must play better on the road, where they've allowed 193 points while suffering their two losses. Connecticut shot 47.9 percent (35 for 73) Friday and forced 20 turnovers.
Pick: Over 148
By Covers
Chicago Sky at Washington Mystics (-4, 148)
Two of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference last season, the Washington Mystics and Chicago Sky are off to surprisingly strong starts in 2009.
Each team, however, hopes to bounce back from a loss when they meet Saturday night at Washington's Verizon Center.
After allowing an average of 70 points in winning its first three games, Washington (3-1) fell 93-81 at Atlanta on Friday to become the last WNBA team to record a loss in 2009.
Alana Beard had 20 points for the Mystics, who shot 39.7 percent (25 for 63), but couldn't stop the Dream from shooting 45.9 percent (34 for 74) or outrebounding them 46-31.
"They killed us on the offensive boards and in the paint,'' said Beard, who's averaging 17.2 points. "We have to protect the paint. Those are the easy baskets and we did not do that.''
Despite this setback, Washington still leads the East after losing its final nine games during a disappointing 10-24 season in 2008.
Chicago (3-2), meanwhile, is only one-half game behind the Mystics after finishing 12-22 a year ago. Now in their fourth season, the Sky didn't record their third victory until the eighth game the last two years, and their 18th in 2006.
Despite having its three-game winning streak snapped in a 91-61 loss at Connecticut on Friday, Chicago still has confidence as it tries to maintain the best start in franchise history.
"We are not going to settle here, we are going to continue to improve," said guard Jia Perkins, who was held to nine points Friday after scoring 25 against the Sun at home on Tuesday. "We want to be a playoff team."
For that to happen, the Sky must play better on the road, where they've allowed 193 points while suffering their two losses. Connecticut shot 47.9 percent (35 for 73) Friday and forced 20 turnovers.
Pick: Over 148
