MIKE HOOK
MLB
ML 924 LOS (-114) SportBet vs 923 NYY single-dime bet
Analysis: The Los Angeles Dodgers -114 is the 1 Unit Buried Treasure for Saturday, June … 26th!
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ML 916 MIL (-132) SportBet vs 915 SEA double-dime bet
Analysis: The Milwaukee Brewers -132 is the DOUBLE STAR Play of the Day for Saturday, June 26th!
MLB
ML 924 LOS (-114) SportBet vs 923 NYY single-dime bet
Analysis: The Los Angeles Dodgers -114 is the 1 Unit Buried Treasure for Saturday, June … 26th!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ML 916 MIL (-132) SportBet vs 915 SEA double-dime bet
Analysis: The Milwaukee Brewers -132 is the DOUBLE STAR Play of the Day for Saturday, June 26th!
SPORTS WAGERS
Uruguay -1.12 over South Korea
The winners of Group A, Uruguay, will try to advance to the Round of 16 for the first time since 1970. Some will say that Uruguay had an easy road to the 2nd round when in truth the feat was more difficult. France may have been dreadful but South Africa played inspired football and Mexico is extremely underrated. Uruguay has been one of the most delightful teams to watch in the tournament. Diego Forlan is a magician with the ball who can score or set up a goal from anywhere on the pitch. Luis Suarez takes more dives than Greg Louganis, however his speed and agility make him a constant scoring threat. With Forlan and Suarez leading the charge, Uruguay sports one of the best 1-2 punches in this World Cup. Uruguay has also put on a defensive clinic in the tournament. They share an auspicious honor with only Portugal in keeping a clean sheet throughout the group stage. Their staunch defense saw them only allowing six shots on target over those three games. Some may say that South Korea had a tougher road for Round of 16 qualifications but neither Greece or Nigeria could think of holding their own against Uruguay or Mexico. When the South Koreans faced their group's entrant from South America (Argentina) they were completely dominated. Uruguay might not be Argentina, but they play a similar South American game of fluidity between precise offensive attacks and a stubborn defense. South Korea's main goal entering this World Cup was to make it past the group stage while Uruguay certainly has higher aspirations. Uruguay is 4-0-1 in their last 5 meetings against South Korea. South American football figures to prevail in this match with the Uruguayans punching their ticket to the quarterfinals with relative ease. Play: Uruguay –1.12 (Risking 2.24 units to win 2).
USA -118 over Ghana
The road for the USA doesn't get any easier after their miracle finish by Landon Donovan vs. Algeria. Their Round of 16 matchup is against the sole surviving African nation, Ghana. Team USA couldn't be coming into this game on a bigger high note but there is always the fear of an emotional letdown. The Americans seem motivated to go deep in this World Cup. They have dazzled their opponents with scoring chance after scoring chance but constantly miss by the slimmest of margins. They have no problem generating opportunities but when they finally begin to capitalize there is no telling how good this team could be. Jozy Altidore was rather disappointing in the tournament until his performance against Algeria. If he is able to repeat that performance it's only a matter of time before his efforts find himself on the score sheet. The scary thing about Team USA is their inconsistent play and vulnerability to falling behind early. However, they are playing a Ghana team that has scored their only two goals on penalty kicks. Ghana is a very talented squad that can hold possession and move the ball with ease. The problem is they too have a very difficult time cashing in their scoring opportunities. It's a common problem that many of the African teams have had in this World Cup: Excellent ball movement, but no finish. There is no doubt that the public money will be on the USA in this match, as there couldn't be any more hype surrounding them. The resilience of the Americans has been remarkable this tournament and it's only a matter of time before some calls start going their way. The USA should do just enough in this match to find themselves advancing to the quarterfinals, but it's hard to take them at a chalky price. Play: U.S.A. (No bets).
FUTURE
Uruguay +1.37 to advance to the Semi-Finals
The Uruguayans have the easiest road to the semifinals. Uruguay is expected to handle South Korea and then they would meet the winner of USA vs. Ghana. Essentially this wager is parlaying URUGUAY TO ADVANCE in their next two matches. They are -234 TO ADVANCE against South Korea, which means they would have to be a favourite of -154 or higher against either one of their potential opponents for this wager to sport value. It would be shocking to see Uruguay better than -180 TO ADVANCE against either USA or Ghana. This wager boasts major value on a very talented squad with a manageable road. Play: Uruguay +1.37 to advance to the semi’s
FUTURE
Uruguay +17.72 to win the World Cup
They have been as impressive as any other team in the World Cup and with their easy route to the semifinals it only makes sense to take a shot on them here. If Uruguay does indeed make the semifinals you won't see them at any price close to 17-1. Play: Uruguay +17.72 to win World Cup
Uruguay -1.12 over South Korea
The winners of Group A, Uruguay, will try to advance to the Round of 16 for the first time since 1970. Some will say that Uruguay had an easy road to the 2nd round when in truth the feat was more difficult. France may have been dreadful but South Africa played inspired football and Mexico is extremely underrated. Uruguay has been one of the most delightful teams to watch in the tournament. Diego Forlan is a magician with the ball who can score or set up a goal from anywhere on the pitch. Luis Suarez takes more dives than Greg Louganis, however his speed and agility make him a constant scoring threat. With Forlan and Suarez leading the charge, Uruguay sports one of the best 1-2 punches in this World Cup. Uruguay has also put on a defensive clinic in the tournament. They share an auspicious honor with only Portugal in keeping a clean sheet throughout the group stage. Their staunch defense saw them only allowing six shots on target over those three games. Some may say that South Korea had a tougher road for Round of 16 qualifications but neither Greece or Nigeria could think of holding their own against Uruguay or Mexico. When the South Koreans faced their group's entrant from South America (Argentina) they were completely dominated. Uruguay might not be Argentina, but they play a similar South American game of fluidity between precise offensive attacks and a stubborn defense. South Korea's main goal entering this World Cup was to make it past the group stage while Uruguay certainly has higher aspirations. Uruguay is 4-0-1 in their last 5 meetings against South Korea. South American football figures to prevail in this match with the Uruguayans punching their ticket to the quarterfinals with relative ease. Play: Uruguay –1.12 (Risking 2.24 units to win 2).
USA -118 over Ghana
The road for the USA doesn't get any easier after their miracle finish by Landon Donovan vs. Algeria. Their Round of 16 matchup is against the sole surviving African nation, Ghana. Team USA couldn't be coming into this game on a bigger high note but there is always the fear of an emotional letdown. The Americans seem motivated to go deep in this World Cup. They have dazzled their opponents with scoring chance after scoring chance but constantly miss by the slimmest of margins. They have no problem generating opportunities but when they finally begin to capitalize there is no telling how good this team could be. Jozy Altidore was rather disappointing in the tournament until his performance against Algeria. If he is able to repeat that performance it's only a matter of time before his efforts find himself on the score sheet. The scary thing about Team USA is their inconsistent play and vulnerability to falling behind early. However, they are playing a Ghana team that has scored their only two goals on penalty kicks. Ghana is a very talented squad that can hold possession and move the ball with ease. The problem is they too have a very difficult time cashing in their scoring opportunities. It's a common problem that many of the African teams have had in this World Cup: Excellent ball movement, but no finish. There is no doubt that the public money will be on the USA in this match, as there couldn't be any more hype surrounding them. The resilience of the Americans has been remarkable this tournament and it's only a matter of time before some calls start going their way. The USA should do just enough in this match to find themselves advancing to the quarterfinals, but it's hard to take them at a chalky price. Play: U.S.A. (No bets).
FUTURE
Uruguay +1.37 to advance to the Semi-Finals
The Uruguayans have the easiest road to the semifinals. Uruguay is expected to handle South Korea and then they would meet the winner of USA vs. Ghana. Essentially this wager is parlaying URUGUAY TO ADVANCE in their next two matches. They are -234 TO ADVANCE against South Korea, which means they would have to be a favourite of -154 or higher against either one of their potential opponents for this wager to sport value. It would be shocking to see Uruguay better than -180 TO ADVANCE against either USA or Ghana. This wager boasts major value on a very talented squad with a manageable road. Play: Uruguay +1.37 to advance to the semi’s
FUTURE
Uruguay +17.72 to win the World Cup
They have been as impressive as any other team in the World Cup and with their easy route to the semifinals it only makes sense to take a shot on them here. If Uruguay does indeed make the semifinals you won't see them at any price close to 17-1. Play: Uruguay +17.72 to win World Cup
WUNDERDOG
Game: St. Louis at Kansas City (2:10 PM Eastern)
Pick: Kansas City +110 (moneyline)
The Cardinals have not done well on the road this season, and with last night's loss to the Royals, they dropped to 17-21 on the season. They are also not playing good baseball right now at 7-10 in their last 17 games. The offense has gone south, and over their last 15 games, they have failed to put up more than 2 runs seven times. They now must dig into the bullpen and call on Blake Hawksworth to fill a starting role. He was summoned from the pen once this year to start and allowed 6 runs, lasting just four innings. The Royals hit very well and have won four of their last five at home vs. a righthander, so I like them in this one.
Game: St. Louis at Kansas City (2:10 PM Eastern)
Pick: Kansas City +110 (moneyline)
The Cardinals have not done well on the road this season, and with last night's loss to the Royals, they dropped to 17-21 on the season. They are also not playing good baseball right now at 7-10 in their last 17 games. The offense has gone south, and over their last 15 games, they have failed to put up more than 2 runs seven times. They now must dig into the bullpen and call on Blake Hawksworth to fill a starting role. He was summoned from the pen once this year to start and allowed 6 runs, lasting just four innings. The Royals hit very well and have won four of their last five at home vs. a righthander, so I like them in this one.
BIG AL McMORDIE
SATURDAY USA v GHANA WORLD CUP WINNER!
Our Selection: United States Opponent: Ghana Line: -120 (draw, no option)
Analysis: At 2:30 pm, our selection is on the United States to defeat Ghana (the preferred bet is at -120 odds, with a "draw no option" wager; alternatively, if a draw is offered as an option, then the odds on USA to win would be +155). USA came in 1st in Group C above England (W:1, D:2, L:0, F:4, A:3) and now plays Ghana who came 2nd in Group D (W:1, D:1, L:1, F:2, A:2). With only one minute to go in their final group game, the Americans were not going through to the last 16. However, the United States team kept fighting until the brilliant Landon Donovan scored an injury time winner against Algeria on Wednesday that sent them into the last 16. Battling, spirited and having high team morale has epitomized the American team and without these qualities they would not still be in the tournament. This last victory was just the latest in a series of admirable displays from the Americans, which I fully expect to continue into this next match. Ghana also has done quite well so far, admittedly not scoring many goals, but not conceding many either. They were unlucky not to score against Germany in their final match but is a team with a lot of power and good passing ability. I still maintain that if Ghana had its star captain Michael Essien fit for the tournament, then they would have been an even more dangerous prospect. As the last remaining African nation left in the World Cup, there will be a lot of support for Ghana but I just doubt whether they are better than a more experienced USA team. Look for the USA to win a tightly fought match.
100% INTERLEAGUE UNDERDOG OF THE YEAR!
Our Selection: Tigers Opponent: Braves Line: +111
Analysis: At 4:05 pm, our selection is on the Detroit Tigers over the Atlanta Braves. There are players that can't wait for inter-league play to end and then there are players that wish it could go on for the rest of the season and Tigers righthander Max Scherzer is definitely part of the latter group. Scherzer's last two starts have been against the National League in what are his only two inter-league appearances of the season, and he is 2-0 and has allowed just four earned runs in 13 innings for a 2.77 ERA with 17 strikeouts and four walks and the Tigers have won the two games by a combined score of 10-5. He gets an extra day of rest coming into what will be his final inter-league start of the season (unless the Tigers get to the World Series) and that's a good thing going up against a tough Braves squad. The team might be tough, but their starter Kenshin Kawakami has been anything but heading into the half-way point of the season. The 35-year-old righthander is inexplicably 0-9 after his first 14 starts this season (and 0-11 dating back to last year). And although he didn't set the world on fire in 2009 - his first season in the Majors after coming over from Japan - Kawakami at least was able to win seven games in 35 appearances (25 starts). His 4.78 ERA in 2010 is almost a full run higher than 2009 and his WHIP has also ballooned to 1.46. Heading into Saturday's game Detroit had won five of six meetings against the Braves. Interleague Underdog of the Year on the Tigers.
93% (13-1) BASEBALL ROADKILL WINNER!
Our Selection: Brewers Opponent: Mariners Line: -132
Analysis: At 4:10 pm, our selection is on the Milwaukee Brewers over the Seattle Mariners. It's been a rough first half so far for Brewers lefthander Randy Wolf, who after his first 13 starts was 4-6 with a 5.31 ERA. The word was that Wolf's problems were purely mental and mechanically there has been nothing wrong with the veteran southpaw. He's talked to some people about his approach on the mound and apparently it's worked as in his 14th and 15th starts, Wolf seems to have turned a corner as he has two quality outings in a row on the road, allowing just three earned runs in 14 innings, while the Brewers went 2-0 in those games and outscored their opponents by a combined 18-3. Wolf should have won both of those starts (he only won the first one) but nevertheless he's almost evened his record on the season and lowered his ERA to 4.79. The Brewers are certainly hoping that this is a sign of things to come because they will need Wolf to return to the form he had in 2009 (or close to it) if they are to compete in the very tough NL Central the rest of the way. Seattle will go with righthander Doug Fister who is 3-3 with a very surprising 2.45 ERA, however Fister has been on the DL with shoulder fatigue since his last start at the end of May and it's no telling how fit he will be in his first start back and as a result, Fister will be on a strict pitch count. After going 2-1 in Fister's first three starts, the Mariners are 2-5 in his next seven, leading up to his DL stint. MLB Roadkill on the Brewers.
SATURDAY USA v GHANA WORLD CUP WINNER!
Our Selection: United States Opponent: Ghana Line: -120 (draw, no option)
Analysis: At 2:30 pm, our selection is on the United States to defeat Ghana (the preferred bet is at -120 odds, with a "draw no option" wager; alternatively, if a draw is offered as an option, then the odds on USA to win would be +155). USA came in 1st in Group C above England (W:1, D:2, L:0, F:4, A:3) and now plays Ghana who came 2nd in Group D (W:1, D:1, L:1, F:2, A:2). With only one minute to go in their final group game, the Americans were not going through to the last 16. However, the United States team kept fighting until the brilliant Landon Donovan scored an injury time winner against Algeria on Wednesday that sent them into the last 16. Battling, spirited and having high team morale has epitomized the American team and without these qualities they would not still be in the tournament. This last victory was just the latest in a series of admirable displays from the Americans, which I fully expect to continue into this next match. Ghana also has done quite well so far, admittedly not scoring many goals, but not conceding many either. They were unlucky not to score against Germany in their final match but is a team with a lot of power and good passing ability. I still maintain that if Ghana had its star captain Michael Essien fit for the tournament, then they would have been an even more dangerous prospect. As the last remaining African nation left in the World Cup, there will be a lot of support for Ghana but I just doubt whether they are better than a more experienced USA team. Look for the USA to win a tightly fought match.
100% INTERLEAGUE UNDERDOG OF THE YEAR!
Our Selection: Tigers Opponent: Braves Line: +111
Analysis: At 4:05 pm, our selection is on the Detroit Tigers over the Atlanta Braves. There are players that can't wait for inter-league play to end and then there are players that wish it could go on for the rest of the season and Tigers righthander Max Scherzer is definitely part of the latter group. Scherzer's last two starts have been against the National League in what are his only two inter-league appearances of the season, and he is 2-0 and has allowed just four earned runs in 13 innings for a 2.77 ERA with 17 strikeouts and four walks and the Tigers have won the two games by a combined score of 10-5. He gets an extra day of rest coming into what will be his final inter-league start of the season (unless the Tigers get to the World Series) and that's a good thing going up against a tough Braves squad. The team might be tough, but their starter Kenshin Kawakami has been anything but heading into the half-way point of the season. The 35-year-old righthander is inexplicably 0-9 after his first 14 starts this season (and 0-11 dating back to last year). And although he didn't set the world on fire in 2009 - his first season in the Majors after coming over from Japan - Kawakami at least was able to win seven games in 35 appearances (25 starts). His 4.78 ERA in 2010 is almost a full run higher than 2009 and his WHIP has also ballooned to 1.46. Heading into Saturday's game Detroit had won five of six meetings against the Braves. Interleague Underdog of the Year on the Tigers.
93% (13-1) BASEBALL ROADKILL WINNER!
Our Selection: Brewers Opponent: Mariners Line: -132
Analysis: At 4:10 pm, our selection is on the Milwaukee Brewers over the Seattle Mariners. It's been a rough first half so far for Brewers lefthander Randy Wolf, who after his first 13 starts was 4-6 with a 5.31 ERA. The word was that Wolf's problems were purely mental and mechanically there has been nothing wrong with the veteran southpaw. He's talked to some people about his approach on the mound and apparently it's worked as in his 14th and 15th starts, Wolf seems to have turned a corner as he has two quality outings in a row on the road, allowing just three earned runs in 14 innings, while the Brewers went 2-0 in those games and outscored their opponents by a combined 18-3. Wolf should have won both of those starts (he only won the first one) but nevertheless he's almost evened his record on the season and lowered his ERA to 4.79. The Brewers are certainly hoping that this is a sign of things to come because they will need Wolf to return to the form he had in 2009 (or close to it) if they are to compete in the very tough NL Central the rest of the way. Seattle will go with righthander Doug Fister who is 3-3 with a very surprising 2.45 ERA, however Fister has been on the DL with shoulder fatigue since his last start at the end of May and it's no telling how fit he will be in his first start back and as a result, Fister will be on a strict pitch count. After going 2-1 in Fister's first three starts, the Mariners are 2-5 in his next seven, leading up to his DL stint. MLB Roadkill on the Brewers.
jeff benton saturday
1-0 yesterday for 15 dimes of profit or $150..overall, 67-72-3 MINUS 70 dimes.
Saturday's Winners ... 30 DIME selection on the Florida Marlins-San Diego Padres UNDER the posted total. As I publish today’s plays overniaht on Friday, the number in this contest is a solid 7 across the board, with a slight lean (-120 to -125) to the UNDER. All totals plays in baseeball require listed pitchers, so Josh Johnson (Florida) and Jon Garland (San Diego) must start this game or this play is VOID!
10 DIME selection on the CHICAGO WHITE SOX over the Chicago Cubs in interleague action. The White Sox are a solid favorite here in the range of -120 to -125, but I expect that number to go up as the day goes along so jump on this one early. Also, list only Freddy Garcia as the White Sox starting pitcher. If Garcia does not start, this play is VOID!
Padres-Marlins UNDER
What can you say about Florida ace Josh Johnson? He’s been as impressive as any pitcher in baseball this season. He’s 8-2 with a 1.80 ERA on the season, including 5-1 with a ridiculous 0.79 ERA in his last eight trips to the bump. How good has Johnson been the last six weeks? He’s given up a total of four earned runs, 38 hits and 10 walks in 57 innings while notching 51 strikeoats. The final scores of his last five games: 1-0, 3-2, 2-0, 3-2 and 4-1.
Not included in Johnson’s recent eight-start tear was his only complete game of the season. That came back on April 26 at home against these Padres, who mustered just one run and three hits while whiffeing nine times against Johnson in a 10-1 loss. The next night, San Diego got revenge with Jon Garland on the mound, rolling to a 4-1 victory with Garland giving up just the one run on three hits and three walks in six innings with 10 strikeouts.
Garland has faced Florida five times in his career, going 3-1 with a 2.14 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 33 2/3 innings. All five have been quality starts, and Garland has held the Fish to a .218 batting average. Although Garland has slipped a bit in June, he’s still 7-5 with a 3.26 ERA on the season. And even though he doesn’t figure to go as long as Johnson tonight, that’s perfectly fine because the Padres have the best bullpen in all of baseball (2.63 ERA).
Finally, after last night’s 3-0 win over the Marlins, San Diego enters this one on “under” streaks of 22-8-3 in road games, 5-0 against N.L. East opponoents, 10-2 on Saturday, 14-6-3 on the road against right-handed starters, 5-1 when Garland starts on the road and 4-0 when Garland faced the N.L. East. And as noted above, runs have been hard to come by lately for either team with Johnson starting, as the under has cashed in each of his last five starts.
Bottom line: If the Marlins and Padres could only muster three runs in Friday’s matchup when the starters were Chris Volstad and Clayton Richard, how do they do better than that in a Garland vs. Johnson showdown?
Easy money on the UNDER here!
White Sox
Hell yes, I’ll ride the hot hand here and back the ChiSox, who go for victory #11 in a row tonight against the freefalling Cubs, who are showing more fight amongst themselves than they are against their opponents (you catch Carlos Zambrano’s dugout act after his first-inning implosion yesterday?).
Before getting to the mess that is the Cubs, let’s focus on the South Siders. Not only have they won a season-best 10 in a row, they’ve outscored the opposition 48-22, posting three shutouts in the last five games, including back-to-back goose eggs the last 48 hours (2-0 over the Braves on Thursday; 6-0 over the Cubs yesterday). Even before Jake Peavy’s gem on Friday, the White Sox had a 2.18 team ERA over their previous 10 games (including a 1-0 loss at Wrigley Field on June 13 that preceded the current 10-game winning streak).
Going back to June 9, Ozzie Guillen’s crew is 14-1 – again, the only defeat being that 1-0 loss to the Cubs – including 12-1 against the National League. Throw in a winning series against Florida a month ago, and the White Sox are a major-league best 14-2 in interleague play this season (6-1 at home).
Conversely, the Cubs just can’t get out of their own way. They’ve lost three of four and five of seven, and going back to May 30, they’re in an 8-15 funk. Take away a fluke 12-1 win over the Angels on Sunday, and the Cubs have scored a grand total of four runs in their last five games, and Friday marked the third time they’ve been shutout since last Saturday.
Also, this Windy City rivalry has been anything but the last few years. The Pale Hose have taken three of four meetings this year, six of the last seven and 10 of the last 13 (and all three of the Cubs’ wins during this 13-meeting stretch were one-run nail-biters).
What about the starting pitchers in this contest? Well, no question the Cubs’ Carlos Silva (8-2, 3.01 ERA) is having a career year. And his team is 10-3 when he pitches. However, one of the losses was a 2-1 setback to the White Sox at Wrigley Field two weeks ago. Meanwhile, Freddy Garcia’s 4.85 ERA certainly doesn’t measure up to Silva’s, but he’s been terrific lately, giving up three earned runs or fewer in seven of his last nine starts, and the Sox are 8-1 in those nine games.
If all that’s not enough, take a look at the history these pitchers have against their respective opponents today: Garcia is 4-0 with a 1.25 ERA in five career starts against the Cubs (who lost all five games), while Silva is 4-11 with a 5.33 ERA in 20 games (18 starts) against the White Sox. And with their 2-1 victory on June 12 at Wrigley, the Sox are now 6-0 the last six times they’ve faced Silva.
1-0 yesterday for 15 dimes of profit or $150..overall, 67-72-3 MINUS 70 dimes.
Saturday's Winners ... 30 DIME selection on the Florida Marlins-San Diego Padres UNDER the posted total. As I publish today’s plays overniaht on Friday, the number in this contest is a solid 7 across the board, with a slight lean (-120 to -125) to the UNDER. All totals plays in baseeball require listed pitchers, so Josh Johnson (Florida) and Jon Garland (San Diego) must start this game or this play is VOID!
10 DIME selection on the CHICAGO WHITE SOX over the Chicago Cubs in interleague action. The White Sox are a solid favorite here in the range of -120 to -125, but I expect that number to go up as the day goes along so jump on this one early. Also, list only Freddy Garcia as the White Sox starting pitcher. If Garcia does not start, this play is VOID!
Padres-Marlins UNDER
What can you say about Florida ace Josh Johnson? He’s been as impressive as any pitcher in baseball this season. He’s 8-2 with a 1.80 ERA on the season, including 5-1 with a ridiculous 0.79 ERA in his last eight trips to the bump. How good has Johnson been the last six weeks? He’s given up a total of four earned runs, 38 hits and 10 walks in 57 innings while notching 51 strikeoats. The final scores of his last five games: 1-0, 3-2, 2-0, 3-2 and 4-1.
Not included in Johnson’s recent eight-start tear was his only complete game of the season. That came back on April 26 at home against these Padres, who mustered just one run and three hits while whiffeing nine times against Johnson in a 10-1 loss. The next night, San Diego got revenge with Jon Garland on the mound, rolling to a 4-1 victory with Garland giving up just the one run on three hits and three walks in six innings with 10 strikeouts.
Garland has faced Florida five times in his career, going 3-1 with a 2.14 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 33 2/3 innings. All five have been quality starts, and Garland has held the Fish to a .218 batting average. Although Garland has slipped a bit in June, he’s still 7-5 with a 3.26 ERA on the season. And even though he doesn’t figure to go as long as Johnson tonight, that’s perfectly fine because the Padres have the best bullpen in all of baseball (2.63 ERA).
Finally, after last night’s 3-0 win over the Marlins, San Diego enters this one on “under” streaks of 22-8-3 in road games, 5-0 against N.L. East opponoents, 10-2 on Saturday, 14-6-3 on the road against right-handed starters, 5-1 when Garland starts on the road and 4-0 when Garland faced the N.L. East. And as noted above, runs have been hard to come by lately for either team with Johnson starting, as the under has cashed in each of his last five starts.
Bottom line: If the Marlins and Padres could only muster three runs in Friday’s matchup when the starters were Chris Volstad and Clayton Richard, how do they do better than that in a Garland vs. Johnson showdown?
Easy money on the UNDER here!
White Sox
Hell yes, I’ll ride the hot hand here and back the ChiSox, who go for victory #11 in a row tonight against the freefalling Cubs, who are showing more fight amongst themselves than they are against their opponents (you catch Carlos Zambrano’s dugout act after his first-inning implosion yesterday?).
Before getting to the mess that is the Cubs, let’s focus on the South Siders. Not only have they won a season-best 10 in a row, they’ve outscored the opposition 48-22, posting three shutouts in the last five games, including back-to-back goose eggs the last 48 hours (2-0 over the Braves on Thursday; 6-0 over the Cubs yesterday). Even before Jake Peavy’s gem on Friday, the White Sox had a 2.18 team ERA over their previous 10 games (including a 1-0 loss at Wrigley Field on June 13 that preceded the current 10-game winning streak).
Going back to June 9, Ozzie Guillen’s crew is 14-1 – again, the only defeat being that 1-0 loss to the Cubs – including 12-1 against the National League. Throw in a winning series against Florida a month ago, and the White Sox are a major-league best 14-2 in interleague play this season (6-1 at home).
Conversely, the Cubs just can’t get out of their own way. They’ve lost three of four and five of seven, and going back to May 30, they’re in an 8-15 funk. Take away a fluke 12-1 win over the Angels on Sunday, and the Cubs have scored a grand total of four runs in their last five games, and Friday marked the third time they’ve been shutout since last Saturday.
Also, this Windy City rivalry has been anything but the last few years. The Pale Hose have taken three of four meetings this year, six of the last seven and 10 of the last 13 (and all three of the Cubs’ wins during this 13-meeting stretch were one-run nail-biters).
What about the starting pitchers in this contest? Well, no question the Cubs’ Carlos Silva (8-2, 3.01 ERA) is having a career year. And his team is 10-3 when he pitches. However, one of the losses was a 2-1 setback to the White Sox at Wrigley Field two weeks ago. Meanwhile, Freddy Garcia’s 4.85 ERA certainly doesn’t measure up to Silva’s, but he’s been terrific lately, giving up three earned runs or fewer in seven of his last nine starts, and the Sox are 8-1 in those nine games.
If all that’s not enough, take a look at the history these pitchers have against their respective opponents today: Garcia is 4-0 with a 1.25 ERA in five career starts against the Cubs (who lost all five games), while Silva is 4-11 with a 5.33 ERA in 20 games (18 starts) against the White Sox. And with their 2-1 victory on June 12 at Wrigley, the Sox are now 6-0 the last six times they’ve faced Silva.
