COMPS:
Jeff Alexander
1 Unit on San Francisco Giants +104
Bottom Line: With last night's win, the Giants have now won 13 of their last 16 overall, 6 of their last 7 on the road and 5 in a row against the Diamondbacks. I expect the Giants to make it 6 straight over Arizona behind the lefty Bumgarner tonight. He has been sensational, going 3-0 with an ERA of only 0.92 in his last 3 starts. An Arizona club that is just 2-9 in its last 11 games versus a southpaw starter figures to have a tough time putting the bat on the ball tonight. Side with San Francisco.
Matt Fargo
Chicago White Sox vs. Oakland Athletics (MLB) - Jul 24, 2010 4:05 PM EDT
Play: Money Line: 106 Chicago White Sox Pick Title:
I think we are getting exceptional value with the White Sox here. They won the series opener last night behind a gem from Mark Buehrle and they look to get a similar outing tonight from a red hot Freddy Garcia. Oakland is 2-2 on this current homestand after taking two from Boston but the common theme so far has been runs as the A’s have scored one-run exactly twice and both resulted in losses. I see that trend continuing here. Garcia has been lights out as he has won nine of his last 10 decisions while posting a tidy 3.25 ERA and 1.17 WHIP over his last nine starts. He held opponents to three earned runs or less in 14 of his 17 outings which is extremely solid with two blowup games being the difference between a 4.37 ERA and 3.32 ERA. Vin Mazzaro has been extremely effective since getting called up as he has a 3.50 ERA in nine starts and three relief appearances. He has tossed five straight quality starts and has allowed three runs or fewer in seven of his last eight starts since the recall. The problem is that the A’s are just 4-4 in those games including a 1-2 record at home. The White Sox are 16-2 this season after allowing four runs or fewer in three straight games and they are 14-2 in their last 16 games when their opponent allows five runs or more in their previous game. Meanwhile Garcia’s teams are 7-0 in his last seven starts against the American League West. The A’s are 2-8 in their last 10 games when their opponent allows two runs or less in their previous game while also going 0-4 in Mazzaro’s last four starts against teams with a winning record. 3* Chicago White Sox
Sebastian-OVER Mets
Winner Line-Dodgers
OTM-OVER Texas
Leo Goetz-Baltimore
Kevin Kennedy-Red Sox
Arthur Ralph Sports --SL Cards + 120
GAMBLERS DATA - Angels +110
Discount Sports PicksMLB Giants -110
Elite Sports Picks MLB Colorado -145
Insider Sports Report MLB Angels +110
Primetime Sports Picks MLB Cubs -125
National Sports Service MLB Orioles over 9
Top Rank Sports Picks MLB Rays -145
Doc's Picks MLB Angels +110
BetOnePicks.MLB Mets +115
New York Sports Investors MLB Yankees over 11
Pointspread Experts MLB Oakland -115
Profit On Sports MLB Toronto -105
PowerPlayWins MLB Rockies -145
1. NSA(The Legend) MLB - Athletics over 8
2. Ray "The Playmaker" Bowden MLB - Giants under 9
3. VegasSI.com MLB - Braves -110
4. SportsAction365.com MLB - Reds -105
5. Gameday Network MLB - Nationals over 9.5
6. William E. Stockton MLB - Padres under 7
7. Gerry "Big Cat" Andino MLB - Blue Jays -110
8. Lou Panelli MLB - Angels under 10.5
9. Steve "Scoop" Kendall MLB - Red Sox over 7.5
10. Vincent Pioli MLB - Rockies -150
11. John Morrison MLB - Red Sox -200
12. Tony Campone MLB - Athletics -120
13. Chicago Sports Group MLB - Mets +105
14. Hollywood Sportsline MLB - Braves -110
15. VIP Action MLB - Blue Jays -110
16. South Beach Sports MLB - Cardinals under 12
17. Michigan Sports MLB - Twins -140
18. NY Players Club MLB - Giants -108
19. Charlies Sports MLB - Rockies -150
20. Fred Callahan MLB - Astros over 6.5
R&R Totals
Atlanta Braves vs. Florida Marlins TotaL 8½ un-115
Mikey Sports
San Francisco Giants +104
Pure Lock
Minnesota Twins -133
Jeff Alexander
1 Unit on San Francisco Giants +104
Bottom Line: With last night's win, the Giants have now won 13 of their last 16 overall, 6 of their last 7 on the road and 5 in a row against the Diamondbacks. I expect the Giants to make it 6 straight over Arizona behind the lefty Bumgarner tonight. He has been sensational, going 3-0 with an ERA of only 0.92 in his last 3 starts. An Arizona club that is just 2-9 in its last 11 games versus a southpaw starter figures to have a tough time putting the bat on the ball tonight. Side with San Francisco.
Matt Fargo
Chicago White Sox vs. Oakland Athletics (MLB) - Jul 24, 2010 4:05 PM EDT
Play: Money Line: 106 Chicago White Sox Pick Title:
I think we are getting exceptional value with the White Sox here. They won the series opener last night behind a gem from Mark Buehrle and they look to get a similar outing tonight from a red hot Freddy Garcia. Oakland is 2-2 on this current homestand after taking two from Boston but the common theme so far has been runs as the A’s have scored one-run exactly twice and both resulted in losses. I see that trend continuing here. Garcia has been lights out as he has won nine of his last 10 decisions while posting a tidy 3.25 ERA and 1.17 WHIP over his last nine starts. He held opponents to three earned runs or less in 14 of his 17 outings which is extremely solid with two blowup games being the difference between a 4.37 ERA and 3.32 ERA. Vin Mazzaro has been extremely effective since getting called up as he has a 3.50 ERA in nine starts and three relief appearances. He has tossed five straight quality starts and has allowed three runs or fewer in seven of his last eight starts since the recall. The problem is that the A’s are just 4-4 in those games including a 1-2 record at home. The White Sox are 16-2 this season after allowing four runs or fewer in three straight games and they are 14-2 in their last 16 games when their opponent allows five runs or more in their previous game. Meanwhile Garcia’s teams are 7-0 in his last seven starts against the American League West. The A’s are 2-8 in their last 10 games when their opponent allows two runs or less in their previous game while also going 0-4 in Mazzaro’s last four starts against teams with a winning record. 3* Chicago White Sox
Sebastian-OVER Mets
Winner Line-Dodgers
OTM-OVER Texas
Leo Goetz-Baltimore
Kevin Kennedy-Red Sox
Arthur Ralph Sports --SL Cards + 120
GAMBLERS DATA - Angels +110
Discount Sports PicksMLB Giants -110
Elite Sports Picks MLB Colorado -145
Insider Sports Report MLB Angels +110
Primetime Sports Picks MLB Cubs -125
National Sports Service MLB Orioles over 9
Top Rank Sports Picks MLB Rays -145
Doc's Picks MLB Angels +110
BetOnePicks.MLB Mets +115
New York Sports Investors MLB Yankees over 11
Pointspread Experts MLB Oakland -115
Profit On Sports MLB Toronto -105
PowerPlayWins MLB Rockies -145
1. NSA(The Legend) MLB - Athletics over 8
2. Ray "The Playmaker" Bowden MLB - Giants under 9
3. VegasSI.com MLB - Braves -110
4. SportsAction365.com MLB - Reds -105
5. Gameday Network MLB - Nationals over 9.5
6. William E. Stockton MLB - Padres under 7
7. Gerry "Big Cat" Andino MLB - Blue Jays -110
8. Lou Panelli MLB - Angels under 10.5
9. Steve "Scoop" Kendall MLB - Red Sox over 7.5
10. Vincent Pioli MLB - Rockies -150
11. John Morrison MLB - Red Sox -200
12. Tony Campone MLB - Athletics -120
13. Chicago Sports Group MLB - Mets +105
14. Hollywood Sportsline MLB - Braves -110
15. VIP Action MLB - Blue Jays -110
16. South Beach Sports MLB - Cardinals under 12
17. Michigan Sports MLB - Twins -140
18. NY Players Club MLB - Giants -108
19. Charlies Sports MLB - Rockies -150
20. Fred Callahan MLB - Astros over 6.5
R&R Totals
Atlanta Braves vs. Florida Marlins TotaL 8½ un-115
Mikey Sports
San Francisco Giants +104
Pure Lock
Minnesota Twins -133
COMPS:
MICHEAL CANNON
Take the Indians for the home win over the Rays.
The Tribe have dominated Tampa in Cleveland, winning 18 straight. Tampa’s drought extends all the way back to Sept. 28, 2005.
David Price will start for the Rays and he was roughed up in his last start, allowing seven runs and four walks in five innings of a 9-5 loss to the Yankees. The left-hander is 0-3 with a 5.68 ERA in his last three road starts.Tampa Bay has lost four of seven since the All-Star break.Cleveland has been playing great in the second half, winning seven of eight overall. Rookie Mitch Talbot will start and he’s had a solid season so far, going 8-8 with a 3.89 ERA.
Take the Tribe at the big plus return for the win.
3? CLEVELAND
On a 1? to 5? basis
JAY MCNEIL
The Dodgers are catching Mike Pelfrey at the time and they're worth a shot tonight at Chavez Ravine.
While the Mets have lost four of five, the Dodgers have won two of three.Pelfrey has a sky-high 15.30 ERA during a three-game losing streak, and comes in after turning in the worst start of his career, allowing six runs and seven hits in just 1-1/3 innings of a 13-2 loss at Arizona.
Take L.A. tonight.
2? LOS ANGELES
(on a 1? to 5? scale)
MATT RIVERS
Take the White Sox for the road win over the A’s.
The ChiSox have won five of their last six in Oakland after a long run of futility there.
Freddy Garcia will start for Chicago and he’s 6-0 with a 3.38 ERA in his last nine starts. The Sox had won his last eight starts prior to his last outing, when he left with a 6-3 lead only to see the bullpen blow it in a 7-6 loss to the Twins on Sunday.
The A’s have been playing well also, but losing last night at home to Mark Buehrle is a bad omen. Oakland had dominated Buehrle in his career and if he was able to pitch a gem like last night I don’t like the A’s chances this afternoon.
Take the White Sox for the win.
3? CHICAGO WHITE SOX on a 1? to 5? Scale
By Derek Mancini
5-1 over my L6 Bonus Play releases! The Marlins are getting hot at the right time here, having won 6 of their L7 games, including the opener of this key NL East series. Bettors seem to think that was an aberration, the way they're flocking to the Braves in this match up, but buyer beware, the Fish are hot, and you don't want to mess with Anibal Sanchez in South Florida.
Sanchez has been at his nastiest as Sun Life Stadium, giving up 2 earned or fewer in each of his L8 home starts. No surprise he bounced back nicely from an ugly effort in Arizona at home Monday, tossing a quality effort against the Rockies (2 earned over 6 innings). His 2.56 ERA at home is more than 2 runs lower than his ERA on road (4.75), and that's something all Braves-backers should be worried about. Last time he faced Atlanta at home was May 25th, surrendering 2 runs in 6 1/3 innings for the win.Chris Medlen is an interesting case, because he hasn't started a game in 17 days. Most bettors seem to think this will give him the extra boost needed to outpitch Sanchez here, but I'm not convinced. 17 days is a very long time in between starts, and he was far from impressive in 4 relief appearances since that last start July 7th, posting a terrible 5.04 ERA. Medlen has shown flashes, but I need to see more before I can trust the kid on the road opposing Sanchez in this spot. Florida (Sanchez) over Atlanta (Medlen) Saturday.
3? FLORIDA
By Chris Jordan
The Marlins will be eager to move above .500 for the first time since early June by winning their fourth straight.
I like them to carry the momentum from this current streak to inch closer in the National League East standings.
I know they're sitting eight games back of the Braves, but with more than two months left in the season, the Marlins believe they still have one of the most talented teams in the league.
The Marlins hand the ball to Anibal Sanchez, who has allowed two earned runs or fewer in his last eight home starts.
He's in after lasting six innings in a win last Monday.
Take the Marlins here.
2? FLORIDA
SCOTT DELAYNEY
Boston at Seattle
Red Sox in a blowout here, as I'm laying the Run Line.
3? BOSTON RUN LINE (With Lester and Pauley)
Based on 1? to 5?
<table style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0"><tbody><tr> <td colspan="2" class="smalltext" width="100%"> MTi Sports
Boston Red Sox at Seattle Mariners
Prediction: Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox are 8-0 (+4.8 rpg) as a 140+ favorite when they scored two or fewer runs for their starter in his last start and 9-0 (+3.3 rpg) as a 130+ favorite when they blew a lead in their starter's last start and lost. The Mariners are 0-10 at home when they are off a loss in which they held the lead and 0-7 as a dog after a loss in which they drew 5+ walks. Finally, the Red Sox are 12-0 when Jon Lester starts vs a team that has lost at least their last two games and 11-0 when Jon Lester starts as a favorite after facing 30 or more hitters. Take Boston.
Nelly
Toronto + over Detroit
The Blue Jays are 9-4 in the last 13 starts from Shaun Marcum and he has allowed two or fewer earned runs in four of his last five starts. Although Marcum missed the entire 2009 season he has delivered stellar results over the last four years with a 29-17 record and his season ERA so far this season is just 3.36. Marcum has a 1.18 WHIP on the road and though his ERA is higher away from home the Blue Jays are 6-3 in his road starts. Toronto has been a very respectable road performer on the season with a 24-26 record despite playing in some very tough AL East locations. The Tigers have won the last two games to snap a seven-game losing streak surrounding the All Star break but the numerous injuries impacting this team appears to be catching up. The Tigers have scored just 26 runs in the last nine games and with Brandon Inge and possibly Carlos Guillen missing this game the lineup is greatly weakened. Detroit is batting just .235 in the last ten games compared with a .293 mark for the Blue Jays in that span and Toronto has enjoyed particular success against right-handed pitching. Rick Porcello pitched well in his return last week after spending nearly a month in Toledo after a brutal start to the season. Porcello's start came in favorable conditions in Cleveland however and it should not be viewed as a sign that the young pitcher is back to the form that led a successful rookie season last year. Porcello was hit hard in two of his four minor league starts and his season ERA is 5.63. Porcello is simply not making many bats miss this season with a only 39 strikeouts in 78 innings of work and his ERA is night games is 7.16 with the Tigers going 1-5 in those games. Detroit owns an outstanding home record but Detroit's bullpen has also been in terrible shape of late with a 5.23 ERA in the last ten games. Toronto's offense is a bit hit-or-miss but the power potential is there and the Jays should have the edge in the second game of this series.
JR O'Donnell
ARI / SFG Over 9
Over we go tonight in Arizona as the public will see two strong hurlers with dynamite false stats as of late. These 2 ball clubs square off at 8:05 in Chase field. The Public is set up tonight in Arizona as the Over 9 + 100 is the sharp play here from Jr's camp. The Giants Madison Bumgarner 3-2 overall, and 2.41 ERA grabs the mound for the visitor. We note that the Giants have been pounding the ball @ + .300 and a nice 6 runs per battle. On the flip side D Backs starter Ian Kennedy is 5-7 and a 4.02 ERA and he will give up some runs.. look for fireworks to fly tonight!
Dan Bebe
CLE (+173) vs TAM
This is, more or less, a "trend play", completely.
Under just about every other circumstance, I wouldn't touch this game, but I definitely believe we need to play the Indians, at home, against the Rays, until Tampa shows they can win consistently in Cleveland.
David Price looked shaky coming out of the All Star Break, and Talbot is actually a little better than people give him credit for. On top of that, the Indians are still just rolling along in the post-Break portion of the season.
But, again, this isn't about line moves or player match-ups, this is about the Rays inability to get anything done in Cleveland. They hate it here, and with the Indians playing their best baseball of the season, it's a great time to put Tampa on perma-fade, in this park.
Bet #977 LA Angels +115 (Santana & Feldman MUST START)
Just a SMALL action wager.
Texas has taken the first two games of this series and have opened up a seven-game lead on the Angels in the AL West. And with a potential Trevor Bell vs. Tommy Hunter pitching matchup tomorrow, this looks like the Angels' best shot to steal a game in this four-game set. Scott Feldman (4.78 ERA & 1.59 WHIP at home) is very hittable and therefore beatable. Opponents are batting .321 against Feldman at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. They're also hitting .337 against him in evening starts this season. The Angels tagged Feldman for 5 runs & 9 hits in 5.2 innings back on 6/29 in Anaheim.
Ervin Santana has been better on the road (2.79 ERA) than at home (4.39 ERA). He's allowed a total of just two runs in his last two starts, spanning 15 innings of work. The Angels were held to a total of two runs in the first two games of this series, but that was against a pair of solid lefties (Lee & Wilson). The Halos are batting 31 points higher and scoring a run per game more on the road when facing a righty as opposed to a southpaw. And over their last five games, the Angels are batting .341 and scoring 6.75 runs per game against righties.
Two things kept me from making this a bigger play. First, the Angels bullpen scares me. They've been ok lately, but their road numbers for the season are cause for concern. Secondly, Texas is rolling right now, the bullpen is pitching very well, and they're just a great home team overall. But the Angels know they desperately need a win in this series to keep from getting completely distanced in the AL West, and they have the pitching matchup tonight (with Santana in good current form) to get that win. Like I said, just a SMALL action wager on the Angels & Santana tonight over Texas & Feldman.
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MICHEAL CANNON
Take the Indians for the home win over the Rays.
The Tribe have dominated Tampa in Cleveland, winning 18 straight. Tampa’s drought extends all the way back to Sept. 28, 2005.
David Price will start for the Rays and he was roughed up in his last start, allowing seven runs and four walks in five innings of a 9-5 loss to the Yankees. The left-hander is 0-3 with a 5.68 ERA in his last three road starts.Tampa Bay has lost four of seven since the All-Star break.Cleveland has been playing great in the second half, winning seven of eight overall. Rookie Mitch Talbot will start and he’s had a solid season so far, going 8-8 with a 3.89 ERA.
Take the Tribe at the big plus return for the win.
3? CLEVELAND
On a 1? to 5? basis
JAY MCNEIL
The Dodgers are catching Mike Pelfrey at the time and they're worth a shot tonight at Chavez Ravine.
While the Mets have lost four of five, the Dodgers have won two of three.Pelfrey has a sky-high 15.30 ERA during a three-game losing streak, and comes in after turning in the worst start of his career, allowing six runs and seven hits in just 1-1/3 innings of a 13-2 loss at Arizona.
Take L.A. tonight.
2? LOS ANGELES
(on a 1? to 5? scale)
MATT RIVERS
Take the White Sox for the road win over the A’s.
The ChiSox have won five of their last six in Oakland after a long run of futility there.
Freddy Garcia will start for Chicago and he’s 6-0 with a 3.38 ERA in his last nine starts. The Sox had won his last eight starts prior to his last outing, when he left with a 6-3 lead only to see the bullpen blow it in a 7-6 loss to the Twins on Sunday.
The A’s have been playing well also, but losing last night at home to Mark Buehrle is a bad omen. Oakland had dominated Buehrle in his career and if he was able to pitch a gem like last night I don’t like the A’s chances this afternoon.
Take the White Sox for the win.
3? CHICAGO WHITE SOX on a 1? to 5? Scale
By Derek Mancini
5-1 over my L6 Bonus Play releases! The Marlins are getting hot at the right time here, having won 6 of their L7 games, including the opener of this key NL East series. Bettors seem to think that was an aberration, the way they're flocking to the Braves in this match up, but buyer beware, the Fish are hot, and you don't want to mess with Anibal Sanchez in South Florida.
Sanchez has been at his nastiest as Sun Life Stadium, giving up 2 earned or fewer in each of his L8 home starts. No surprise he bounced back nicely from an ugly effort in Arizona at home Monday, tossing a quality effort against the Rockies (2 earned over 6 innings). His 2.56 ERA at home is more than 2 runs lower than his ERA on road (4.75), and that's something all Braves-backers should be worried about. Last time he faced Atlanta at home was May 25th, surrendering 2 runs in 6 1/3 innings for the win.Chris Medlen is an interesting case, because he hasn't started a game in 17 days. Most bettors seem to think this will give him the extra boost needed to outpitch Sanchez here, but I'm not convinced. 17 days is a very long time in between starts, and he was far from impressive in 4 relief appearances since that last start July 7th, posting a terrible 5.04 ERA. Medlen has shown flashes, but I need to see more before I can trust the kid on the road opposing Sanchez in this spot. Florida (Sanchez) over Atlanta (Medlen) Saturday.
3? FLORIDA
By Chris Jordan
The Marlins will be eager to move above .500 for the first time since early June by winning their fourth straight.
I like them to carry the momentum from this current streak to inch closer in the National League East standings.
I know they're sitting eight games back of the Braves, but with more than two months left in the season, the Marlins believe they still have one of the most talented teams in the league.
The Marlins hand the ball to Anibal Sanchez, who has allowed two earned runs or fewer in his last eight home starts.
He's in after lasting six innings in a win last Monday.
Take the Marlins here.
2? FLORIDA
SCOTT DELAYNEY
Boston at Seattle
Red Sox in a blowout here, as I'm laying the Run Line.
3? BOSTON RUN LINE (With Lester and Pauley)
Based on 1? to 5?
<table style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0"><tbody><tr> <td colspan="2" class="smalltext" width="100%"> MTi Sports
Boston Red Sox at Seattle Mariners
Prediction: Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox are 8-0 (+4.8 rpg) as a 140+ favorite when they scored two or fewer runs for their starter in his last start and 9-0 (+3.3 rpg) as a 130+ favorite when they blew a lead in their starter's last start and lost. The Mariners are 0-10 at home when they are off a loss in which they held the lead and 0-7 as a dog after a loss in which they drew 5+ walks. Finally, the Red Sox are 12-0 when Jon Lester starts vs a team that has lost at least their last two games and 11-0 when Jon Lester starts as a favorite after facing 30 or more hitters. Take Boston.
Nelly
Toronto + over Detroit
The Blue Jays are 9-4 in the last 13 starts from Shaun Marcum and he has allowed two or fewer earned runs in four of his last five starts. Although Marcum missed the entire 2009 season he has delivered stellar results over the last four years with a 29-17 record and his season ERA so far this season is just 3.36. Marcum has a 1.18 WHIP on the road and though his ERA is higher away from home the Blue Jays are 6-3 in his road starts. Toronto has been a very respectable road performer on the season with a 24-26 record despite playing in some very tough AL East locations. The Tigers have won the last two games to snap a seven-game losing streak surrounding the All Star break but the numerous injuries impacting this team appears to be catching up. The Tigers have scored just 26 runs in the last nine games and with Brandon Inge and possibly Carlos Guillen missing this game the lineup is greatly weakened. Detroit is batting just .235 in the last ten games compared with a .293 mark for the Blue Jays in that span and Toronto has enjoyed particular success against right-handed pitching. Rick Porcello pitched well in his return last week after spending nearly a month in Toledo after a brutal start to the season. Porcello's start came in favorable conditions in Cleveland however and it should not be viewed as a sign that the young pitcher is back to the form that led a successful rookie season last year. Porcello was hit hard in two of his four minor league starts and his season ERA is 5.63. Porcello is simply not making many bats miss this season with a only 39 strikeouts in 78 innings of work and his ERA is night games is 7.16 with the Tigers going 1-5 in those games. Detroit owns an outstanding home record but Detroit's bullpen has also been in terrible shape of late with a 5.23 ERA in the last ten games. Toronto's offense is a bit hit-or-miss but the power potential is there and the Jays should have the edge in the second game of this series.
JR O'Donnell
ARI / SFG Over 9
Over we go tonight in Arizona as the public will see two strong hurlers with dynamite false stats as of late. These 2 ball clubs square off at 8:05 in Chase field. The Public is set up tonight in Arizona as the Over 9 + 100 is the sharp play here from Jr's camp. The Giants Madison Bumgarner 3-2 overall, and 2.41 ERA grabs the mound for the visitor. We note that the Giants have been pounding the ball @ + .300 and a nice 6 runs per battle. On the flip side D Backs starter Ian Kennedy is 5-7 and a 4.02 ERA and he will give up some runs.. look for fireworks to fly tonight!
Dan Bebe
CLE (+173) vs TAM
This is, more or less, a "trend play", completely.
Under just about every other circumstance, I wouldn't touch this game, but I definitely believe we need to play the Indians, at home, against the Rays, until Tampa shows they can win consistently in Cleveland.
David Price looked shaky coming out of the All Star Break, and Talbot is actually a little better than people give him credit for. On top of that, the Indians are still just rolling along in the post-Break portion of the season.
But, again, this isn't about line moves or player match-ups, this is about the Rays inability to get anything done in Cleveland. They hate it here, and with the Indians playing their best baseball of the season, it's a great time to put Tampa on perma-fade, in this park.
Bet #977 LA Angels +115 (Santana & Feldman MUST START)
Just a SMALL action wager.
Texas has taken the first two games of this series and have opened up a seven-game lead on the Angels in the AL West. And with a potential Trevor Bell vs. Tommy Hunter pitching matchup tomorrow, this looks like the Angels' best shot to steal a game in this four-game set. Scott Feldman (4.78 ERA & 1.59 WHIP at home) is very hittable and therefore beatable. Opponents are batting .321 against Feldman at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. They're also hitting .337 against him in evening starts this season. The Angels tagged Feldman for 5 runs & 9 hits in 5.2 innings back on 6/29 in Anaheim.
Ervin Santana has been better on the road (2.79 ERA) than at home (4.39 ERA). He's allowed a total of just two runs in his last two starts, spanning 15 innings of work. The Angels were held to a total of two runs in the first two games of this series, but that was against a pair of solid lefties (Lee & Wilson). The Halos are batting 31 points higher and scoring a run per game more on the road when facing a righty as opposed to a southpaw. And over their last five games, the Angels are batting .341 and scoring 6.75 runs per game against righties.
Two things kept me from making this a bigger play. First, the Angels bullpen scares me. They've been ok lately, but their road numbers for the season are cause for concern. Secondly, Texas is rolling right now, the bullpen is pitching very well, and they're just a great home team overall. But the Angels know they desperately need a win in this series to keep from getting completely distanced in the AL West, and they have the pitching matchup tonight (with Santana in good current form) to get that win. Like I said, just a SMALL action wager on the Angels & Santana tonight over Texas & Feldman.
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