STATSYSTEMS SPORTS MLB REPORT
SATURDAY, AUGUST 23rd 2014
INFORMATION WORTH BETTING ON EACH DAY
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***** Saturday, 8/23/14 MLB Information *****
(ALL RESULTS VS. ML) - Against The Money-Line - and most recent, unless noted otherwise. Each and every day during the 2014 Major League Baseball season we will analyze all of your daily baseball action, featuring on hot and cold pitchers, hot and cold teams, over/unders and home plate umpire trends. We will also highlight some of our Highly-Rated (Situational & Match-up) Power Trends, along with some of our Situational Analysis (Betting Systems) that pertain to some of that days match-ups.
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MLB Betting News and Notes - Week #21
•Orioles' Machado Needs Season-Ending Surgery: Baltimore Orioles third baseman Manny Machado will miss the remainder of the season after learning Friday morning that he faces knee surgery. Machado was injured earlier this month and placed on the disabled list August 12th with a sprained knee after he fell in the batter's box. The Orioles had hoped he would return to help the team in its bid for the American League East title. The 22-year-old Machado is facing his second knee surgery in less than a year.
Last September, he had surgery on his left knee. Dr. Neal ElAttrache will also perform the procedure in Los Angeles within a week to correct the same abnormality in the right knee. Before the latest injury, Machado was on a hot streak with five home runs and 15 RBIs in 20 games in July and August. For the season, he played in 82 games and had 12 homers and 32 RBIs with a .278 batting average. Chris Davis is expected to be the primarily fill-in at third base. He made his fifth consecutive start at third on Friday in a game against the Chicago Cubs. The first-place Orioles had an 8 1/2-game lead over the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East.
•A's Reinstate Gentry From DL: The Oakland Athletics reinstated outfielder Craig Gentry from the 15-day disabled list and optioned right-handed pitcher Dan Otero to Triple-A Sacramento on Friday. Gentry was placed on the 15-day disabled list July 28 with a broken right hand. He began a two-game rehab assignment with Sacramento on Monday against Oklahoma City and went 0-for-7 with an RBI and three strikeouts in starts at designated hitter and in right field. Gentry was 4-for-29 over his final 12 games with the A's before the injury and is batting .264 with 18 stolen bases in 19 attempts in 80 games overall. Otero has spent the entire season with the A's and is 7-1 with a save and a 2.28 ERA in 56 relief appearances.
•Dodgers' Gordon Gives Batting Stance A Quick Fix: Before this season began, as he took at-bats on the back fields at Camelback Ranch during spring training, Dodgers second baseman Dee Gordon worked tirelessly with minor league coach Franklin Stubbs to alter his batting stance. Dodgers coaches had proved to him his previous stance was not working, at least not in the majors. And so, to put it simply, he opened up his legs and moved his hands lower on the bat, allowing him better access to pitches on the inner half of the plate. It worked wonderfully. The 26-year-old hit .344 through April and carried a .302 average when he was named a National League All-Star on July 6th. But Gordon appeared to have fallen back into some bad habits with his stance in recent weeks.
He said video study this week showed him his hands had crept back higher, and he promptly focused on lowering them in batting practice. “I tried to get it back right,” Gordon said Thursday. “Every now and then, you gotta check it, because sometimes your body gets out of whack.” After three straight 0-for-4 nights, Gordon recorded hits in each of the last two games, and he said he feels more comfortable now, after the minor adjustments. But he maintains that the biggest adjustment he made was his mental approach when in the batter’s box. “The No.1 thing I do now is I don’t feel like I can handle everything,” Gordon said. “I take pitches, I know what I can handle. That was the thing I struggled with: I used to think I could hit every single pitch. “You’re not as good as you think you are. You can’t hit their best pitch. You’re not gonna hit it hard, at least.”
•Perez A Ways Away: Right-hander Chris Perez has made one rehab appearance while recovering from bone spurs in his right ankle and will make another Friday, but the 29-year-old reliever does not feel 100 percent recovered. And he doesn’t expect to at any point. Perez said Thursday the bone spurs will be there the rest of his career. Surgery to remove them was not discussed, so he took two weeks off. That’s helped the pain, but not alleviated it altogether. “It’s serviceable,” Perez said. “I feel good. I’m still trying to build up the strength in it.” Perez, the owner of a 5.03 ERA, will throw an inning at High-A Rancho Cucamonga on Friday, then two innings there Tuesday, he said. Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said the team plans for him to then make one final appearance the following Friday before being activated. That means Perez likely won’t return to the Dodgers until rosters expand Sept.1.
•Cabrera Rejoins Team: Shortstop Everth Cabrera rejoined the Padres on Thursday at Dodger Stadium, where he resumed baseball activities. Cabrera, who has been on the DL since Aug. 12 with a left hamstring strain, hit in the cage and took grounders during batting practice. He is expected to begin light running Monday at Petco Park. Monday also happens to be the earliest Cabrera is eligible to be activated -- his DL stint is retroactive to Aug. 10 -- but his return is expected to come later, possibly after the end of the month. This is the third time in a little more than a year that a left hamstring strain has put Cabrera on the DL. He missed 17 games last summer, then 21 games last month. In 90 games, Cabrera is hitting .232 with three home runs, 20 RBIs and 18 steals.
Around The League
--Thursday was the most profitable Under day of the season in Major League Baseball, with teams combining to go 0-8-1 Over/Under. Only two teams - the Atlanta Braves and San Francisco Giants - scored more than four runs, while the Braves, New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays, Los Angeles Angels and Washington Nationals all recorded shutouts.
--Left-hander Jon Lester should have a decided upper hand Saturday night as he and the Oakland Athletics face fellow lefty C.J. Wilson and the visiting Los Angeles Angels. Lester is 7-4 with a 1.88 ERA and a 3-10 Over/Under mark in home starts this season, while Wilson is 3-6 with a 5.22 ERA on the road.
--Best of luck to the Bronx Bombers on Sunday afternoon, as they tangle with left-hander Chris Sale and the Chicago White Sox. Sale is 3-0 with a 0.85 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 31 2/3 career innings versus the Yankees, and tossed six innings of one-hit, 10-strikeout ball against them earlier this season.
--Jordan Lyles has an impressive string on the line Saturday as he leads the host Colorado Rockies into a showdown with the Miami Marlins. Lyles has racked up five consecutive overs - going 1-0 with four no-decisions over that span - and is 11-4 Over/Under for the year. The right-hander didn't allow a hit for three innings before yielding five runs and five hits over the next two frames against Cincinnati on Sunday, but was bailed out when the Rockies scored five in the ninth to prevail 10-9.
--Right-handed starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg has had plenty of success against San Francisco as he and the Washington Nationals entertain the Giants (1:35 PM EST) on Sunday afternoon. Strasburg is 3-0 with a 1.80 ERA in four career starts versus the Giants, including an impressive win as a -127 favorite back in June.
--It could be a very long Saturday for Rays outfielder David DeJesus. He's hitting just .179 with two doubles and a homer in 78 career at-bats versus Toronto Blue Jays left-hander Mark Buehrle, who gets the call in the second game of this American League East series.
--Catcher John Jaso will look to end his struggles versus Jered Weaver when the Athletics and Angels do battle on Sunday Night Baseball. Jaso has just one hit in 17 career at-bats against the right-hander, though he has drawn five walks - the most of any Oakland hitter versus Weaver.
--The Los Angeles Dodgers are expected to have shortstop Hanley Ramirez (oblique) back in the lineup (4:10 PM EST) Sunday afternoon against the New York Mets. Ramirez has missed the last 12 games with the injury; Los Angeles is 6-6 straight-up, 5-7 Over/Under and -131 units in his absence.
--Left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu (strained gluteus muscle) threw briefly off the bullpen mound at Dodger Stadium sooner than expected, and is on track to be activated within a day or two after he becomes eligible Aug.30, by the time rosters expand. “We feel like he’s going to be fine,” Mattingly said.
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Betting Notes - Saturday
National League
•Giants-Nationals - 4:05 PM
--Lincecum is 1-3, 7.67 in his last six starts.
--Zimmerman is 2-0, 2.41 in his last five starts.
--Giants won five of their last six games.
--Nationals won 11 of their last 12 games.
--Over is 8-2-2 in last twelve Washington home games.
•Cardinals-Phillies - 7:05 PM
--Miller is 0-1, 5.00 in his last three starts.
--Buchanon is 2-4, 3.89 in his last six starts.
--Cardinals won seven of their last nine games.
--Phillies won three of their last four games.
--Last six Cardinal games went over the total.
•Pirates-Brewers - 7:10 PM
--Volquez is 2-0, 2.79 in his last three starts.
--Peralta is 6-1, 1.99 in his last seven starts.
--Pirates lost seven of their last nine games.
--Brewers won five of their last seven games.
--Over is 5-1-1 in last seven Pittsburgh games.
•Braves-Reds - 7:10 PM
--Santana is 6-0, 3.18 in his last seven starts.
--Leake is 0-2, 5.21 in his last three starts.
--Braves won seven of their last eight games.
--Reds lost seven in row, 10 of last 11 games.
--Over is 7-2-1 in last ten Cincinnati games
•Marlins-Rockies - 8:10 PM
--Koehler is 3-2, 3.79 in his last six starts.
--Lyles is 1-1, 6.49 in his last seven starts.
--Marlins won nine of their last thirteen games.
--Colorado won three of its last four games.
--Six of last eight Colorado games went over total.
•Padres-Diamondbacks - 8:10 PM
--Cashner was 0-1, 2.08 in his last four starts before going on DL.
--Arizona is 0-8 when Nuno starts (0-3, 4.11).
--Padres lost four of their last five games.
--Arizona lost six of its last seven games.
--Last three games for both San Diego/Arizona stayed under.
•Mets-Dodgers - 9:10 PM
--DeGrom was 5-0, 1.55 in his last six starts before going on DL.
--Greinke is 0-2, 4.50 in his last three starts.
--Mets lost seven of their last ten games.
--Dodgers won three of their last four games.
--Over is 7-1-1 in Mets' last nine road games.
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American League
•Rays-Blue Jays - 1:05 PM
--Hellickson is 1-1, 2.00 in his last three starts.
--Buehrle is 0-1, 8.53 in his last three starts.
--Rays lost four of their last six games.
--Toronto lost seven of its last nine games.
--Under is 9-2-2 in last thirteen Tampa Bay games.
•White Sox-Yankees - 1:05 PM
--Carroll is 1-2, 6.91 in his last five starts.
--Kuroda is 1-2, 3.91 in his last four starts.
--White Sox lost five of their last six games.
--New York lost seven of its last eleven games, but won last two.
--Five of last six Chicago road games stayed under.
•Tigers-Twins - 1:10 PM
--Farmer allowed four runs in five IP in his first MLB start. Verlander is 1-3, 4.70 in his last four starts.
--May is 0-2, 9.45 in two MLB starts. Pino is 0-3, 6.06 in his last five starts.
--Detroit lost 12 of its last 16 road games.
--Minnesota lost four of its last six games.
--Five of last six Verlander starts stayed under total.
•Mariners-Red Sox - 1:35 PM
--Young is 4-0, 2.45 in his last five starts.
--Workman is 0-6, 6.62 in his last six starts.
--Mariners won 12 of their last 16 games.
--Boston lost its last six games, scoring 12 runs.
--Under is 5-2-1 in last eight Workman starts.
•Astros-Indians - 7:05 PM
--McHugh is 3-0, 1.42 in his last four starts.
--Salazar is 0-2, 7.00 in his last couple starts.
--Astros won four of their last five games.
--Cleveland won seven of its last eleven games, but lost last two.
--10 of last 11 Cleveland games stayed under total.
•Royals-Rangers - 8:05 PM
--Guthrie is 4-1, 4.73 in his last five starts.
--Rangers won last three Tepesch starts (1-0, 1.83).
--Royals won 18 of their last 22 games.
--Texas lost six of its last eight games.
--Over is 5-2-1 in last eight Royal games.
•Angels-Athletics - 9:05 PM
--Wilson is 2-0, 2.25 in his last two starts.
--Lester is 3-1, 3.25 in four starts for the A's.
--Angels won eight of their last ten games.
--Oakland lost eight of its last eleven games.
--Seven of last nine Angel games stayed under.
Interleague
•Orioles-Cubs - 2:20 PM
--Norris is 3-0, 2.59 in his last four starts.
--Hendricks is 4-0, 1.53 in his last four starts.
--Baltimore won 12 of its last 17 games.
--Cubs won four of their last six games.
--Six of last seven Baltimore games stayed under.
•Incredible Stat of the Day
Pirates Edinson Volquez is 19-6 in his team starts (76.0%) against the money line versus an National League team with a team batting average of .255 or worse, including an outstanding 16-3 mark in the second half of the season over the last two seasons. The Milwaukee Brewers will try to bounce back against Volquez Saturday, who is 2-0 with a 2.16 ERA in four starts this month. The right-hander yielded four runs - one earned over 6 1/3 innings in Sunday's 6-5, 11-inning setback at Washington. Volquez has pitched well against the Brewers since the start of last year, going 3-1 with a 2.56 ERA.
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