Larry Ness
Everyone (me included) keeps waiting for those Colorado bats to 'wake up.' Maybe they never will? The Rockies led the NL with a .280 team BA last year and scored 860 runs (only the Phillies scored more in the NL). However, through 10 games of the '08 season, the Rockies are hitting just .225 and have scored just 30 runs (only the Giants have scored less with 27, in all of MLB!). The Rockies are 4-6 overall, which includes an 0-4 mark against the D'backs (who they swept in LY's NLCS). After last night's 8-2 loss, the Rockies have been outscored 28-7 and ouhit 47-23 by the D'backs in the four games. Why should anything change this afternoon. Lefty Franklin Morales goes for the Rockies and he did pitch well last Sunday against Arizona, going six innings while allowing just two hits and no runs (Rockies blew a 1-0 9th-inning lead and lost in 10 innings, 5-2). However, we know little about Morales, who made his ML debut last August for the Rockies and was a big part of the team's strong finish. He's got a tough assignment here, facing an Arizona team which is red-hot, entering this game on a seven-game winning streak. The D'backs are 8-2 overall and 4-0 at home. Success at home is something the team had a lot of last year, going 50-31 at Chase Field (plus-$1,326). What's been different so far this year, is that Arizona is not only getting good pitching (2.53 ERA is No. 1 in MLB to-date) but good hitting as well. Now that's new! Despite winning the NL West in 2007, the D'backs hit an NL-low .250 (ranked 29 of 30 teams in MLB), while scoring only 712 runs (also 29th). However, so far in 2008, the D'backs are batting .277 (3rd-best in MLB!) and have scored a ML-high 62 runs. Getting the starting nod is Dan Haren, who Arizona acquired in the off-season (from Oakland) for a slew of prospects (I think it was six?). He was a "star in waiting" for the A's, going 43-34 with a 3,62 ERA these past three years and LY started the All Star game for the AL. He struggled somewhat in the second half and despite a 15-9 record (3.07), the A's were just 19-15 in his starts. They were however, 11-6 in his home starts, where he posted a very good 2.82 ERA. He was not overpowering in his Arizona debut (4/2 at Cincy), going six innings while allowing four hits and three ERs (Az lost 6-5). However, in his home debut last Monday, he went six innings and allowed just one ER in a 9-3 win over the Dodgers. I had him in that game and will back him again here, as I believe he's the "real deal" and the D'backs on "hitting on all cylinders." Meanwhile, the Rockies are "stuck in neutral." TV Game of the Week 15* Az D'backs.
This total is too low! Ian Snell is considered Pittsburgh's best pitcher (and he probably is) but I believe he's a little overrated. He's made 32 starts in each of the last two seasons, going 23-23 overall with an ERA of 4.23 (the Pirates are 34-30 in his starts). He's allowed more hits (407) than innings pitched (394) in the last two years and in '06, his home ERA was 5.60 (it was 3.89 LY). He opened '08 with a mediocre start at Atlanta (6 IP / 7 hits / 4 ERs) and then pitched very well at Florida (6 IP / 4 hits / 1 ER with a 10-0 ratio). However, he's had little luck against the Reds, posting a 5.32 ERA in seven career starts. Last year, he pitched very well against Cincy the first time he met them but then in three more starts against them in '07, allowed 25 hits and 16 ERs in 17.1 innings (8.31 ERA). Bronson Arroyo gets the start for Cincy. He won 14 games for the Red Sox in '05 and then 14 for Cincy in his first season with the club in '06. However, he went 9-15 with a 4.23 ERA for the Reds last year, allowing 232 hits in 210.2 innings. Of bigger concern was his propensity to allow HRs, as he followed an '06 season in which he allowed 31, by allowing 28 last year. He's made two starts this year (both at home) and has allowed 13 hits and nine runs (seven earned) in 10.2 innings (5.91 ERA). And in case you were wondering, he's allowed five HRs, four in his last outing alone! Now he makes his first road start of the year and let me point out that the Reds went 3-15 in his road starts in '07! Cincy owns a team ERA of 3.02 in '08 but Arroyo has not "helped the cause." These pitchers are getting "way too much respect" with an opening total of 8 1/2. Spectacular Saturday Total on Cin/Pit Over
Everyone (me included) keeps waiting for those Colorado bats to 'wake up.' Maybe they never will? The Rockies led the NL with a .280 team BA last year and scored 860 runs (only the Phillies scored more in the NL). However, through 10 games of the '08 season, the Rockies are hitting just .225 and have scored just 30 runs (only the Giants have scored less with 27, in all of MLB!). The Rockies are 4-6 overall, which includes an 0-4 mark against the D'backs (who they swept in LY's NLCS). After last night's 8-2 loss, the Rockies have been outscored 28-7 and ouhit 47-23 by the D'backs in the four games. Why should anything change this afternoon. Lefty Franklin Morales goes for the Rockies and he did pitch well last Sunday against Arizona, going six innings while allowing just two hits and no runs (Rockies blew a 1-0 9th-inning lead and lost in 10 innings, 5-2). However, we know little about Morales, who made his ML debut last August for the Rockies and was a big part of the team's strong finish. He's got a tough assignment here, facing an Arizona team which is red-hot, entering this game on a seven-game winning streak. The D'backs are 8-2 overall and 4-0 at home. Success at home is something the team had a lot of last year, going 50-31 at Chase Field (plus-$1,326). What's been different so far this year, is that Arizona is not only getting good pitching (2.53 ERA is No. 1 in MLB to-date) but good hitting as well. Now that's new! Despite winning the NL West in 2007, the D'backs hit an NL-low .250 (ranked 29 of 30 teams in MLB), while scoring only 712 runs (also 29th). However, so far in 2008, the D'backs are batting .277 (3rd-best in MLB!) and have scored a ML-high 62 runs. Getting the starting nod is Dan Haren, who Arizona acquired in the off-season (from Oakland) for a slew of prospects (I think it was six?). He was a "star in waiting" for the A's, going 43-34 with a 3,62 ERA these past three years and LY started the All Star game for the AL. He struggled somewhat in the second half and despite a 15-9 record (3.07), the A's were just 19-15 in his starts. They were however, 11-6 in his home starts, where he posted a very good 2.82 ERA. He was not overpowering in his Arizona debut (4/2 at Cincy), going six innings while allowing four hits and three ERs (Az lost 6-5). However, in his home debut last Monday, he went six innings and allowed just one ER in a 9-3 win over the Dodgers. I had him in that game and will back him again here, as I believe he's the "real deal" and the D'backs on "hitting on all cylinders." Meanwhile, the Rockies are "stuck in neutral." TV Game of the Week 15* Az D'backs.
This total is too low! Ian Snell is considered Pittsburgh's best pitcher (and he probably is) but I believe he's a little overrated. He's made 32 starts in each of the last two seasons, going 23-23 overall with an ERA of 4.23 (the Pirates are 34-30 in his starts). He's allowed more hits (407) than innings pitched (394) in the last two years and in '06, his home ERA was 5.60 (it was 3.89 LY). He opened '08 with a mediocre start at Atlanta (6 IP / 7 hits / 4 ERs) and then pitched very well at Florida (6 IP / 4 hits / 1 ER with a 10-0 ratio). However, he's had little luck against the Reds, posting a 5.32 ERA in seven career starts. Last year, he pitched very well against Cincy the first time he met them but then in three more starts against them in '07, allowed 25 hits and 16 ERs in 17.1 innings (8.31 ERA). Bronson Arroyo gets the start for Cincy. He won 14 games for the Red Sox in '05 and then 14 for Cincy in his first season with the club in '06. However, he went 9-15 with a 4.23 ERA for the Reds last year, allowing 232 hits in 210.2 innings. Of bigger concern was his propensity to allow HRs, as he followed an '06 season in which he allowed 31, by allowing 28 last year. He's made two starts this year (both at home) and has allowed 13 hits and nine runs (seven earned) in 10.2 innings (5.91 ERA). And in case you were wondering, he's allowed five HRs, four in his last outing alone! Now he makes his first road start of the year and let me point out that the Reds went 3-15 in his road starts in '07! Cincy owns a team ERA of 3.02 in '08 but Arroyo has not "helped the cause." These pitchers are getting "way too much respect" with an opening total of 8 1/2. Spectacular Saturday Total on Cin/Pit Over
scoresandodds.com shows it started at 7.5, ended at 7
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 summary="" border=0><TBODY><TR class=game_time><TD class="first left">1:10 PM EDT</TD><TD> </TD><TD> </TD><TD> </TD><TD> </TD><TD> </TD><TD> </TD><TD class=notescol> </TD></TR><TR class=game_team><TD class="first nowrap">903 milwaukee brewers </TD><TD>(r) sheets, b </TD><TD>7.5u26 </TD><TD>7.5u30 / 7.5u35 / 7o15 </TD><TD>7o20 </TD><TD><NOBR>+1.5(-175) </NOBR> </TD><TD class="left last ">5 Over 7 </TD><TD class=notescol> </TD></TR><TR class=game_team><TD class="first nowrap">904 new york mets </TD><TD>(l) santana, j </TD><TD>-145 </TD><TD>-147 / -149 / -140 </TD><TD>-138 </TD><TD><NOBR>-1.5(+155) </NOBR> </TD><TD class="left last ">3 final </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
All right fellas I went ahead and put up MY BIG AFL play tonight while there is still a good line.
I posted it in the AFL forum at http://forum.therx.com/showthread.php?t=577523
GL everyone!
I posted it in the AFL forum at http://forum.therx.com/showthread.php?t=577523
GL everyone!
