STATSYSTEMS SPORTS MLB REPORT
THURSDAY, AUGUST 28th 2014
INFORMATION WORTH BETTING ON EACH DAY
_____________________________________
***** Thursday, 8/28/14 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.
_____________________________________________________
MLB Betting News and Notes - Week #22
•Machado's Surgery Deemed Successful: Baltimore Orioles infielder Manny Machado had surgery Wednesday in Los Angeles to repair a torn ligament in his right knee. Orioles manager Buck Showalter said the procedure was a success. "The doctor said everything went well as expected," Showalter said. "That was good to hear. What they thought was going to happen and what they thought they were going to find." Machado injured the knee on Aug. 11 when he fell at the plate after a swing. That injury came a year after he damaged the medial patellar ligament in his left 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. The 22-year-old Machado is hoping to recover in time for the start of spring training in February.
•Rangers Rough Up Mariners: Even after his decision to move ace Felix Hernandez back two days resulted in one of his Seattle Mariners' worst losses of the season, manager Lloyd McClendon wasn't looking back Wednesday afternoon. "It just gives (the media) something to write about," McClendon said after replacement starter Erasmo Ramirez was tagged for 10 runs in a 12-4 loss to the Texas Rangers on Wednesday. McClendon's decision to give Hernandez some extra rest might pay off by the time he takes the mound for Friday night's game against the red-hot Washington Nationals, but it sure came back to bite the Mariners. The Rangers tagged Ramirez for 11 hits and 10 runs in three innings. Texas second baseman Rougned Odor hit the first grand slam of his career, and catcher Tomas Telis and center fielder Leonys Martin each added three RBIs in the Rangers' most productive offensive performance since they beat the Chicago White Sox 16-0 on Aug. 4.
•At Great Cost, Blue Jays Have Made Little Progress: For teams with long playoff droughts, front-office executives often say that one benchmark is to play meaningful games in September. The Toronto Blue Jays, whose most recent postseason game ended on a Joe Carter home run, seemed poised to check off the “September contention” box this year. They led the American League East by six games on June 6. They were in first place at the beginning of July. But since then, the Jays have faded back into the mediocrity that has plagued the franchise for the past two decades. Toronto has a 6-16 record since the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline passed without Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos making a significant move. That is the worst mark in the majors over that period.
•Angels Pursuing Pitching: With Garrett Richards out of the season, the Los Angeles Angels are kicking the tires on multiple veteran pitchers ahead of the waiver trade deadline Sunday. Options include A.J. Burnett of the Philadelphia Phillies and Bartolo Colon of the New York Mets. Richards was having the best season of any starting pitcher in the Angels' rotation. Jered Weaver, C.J. Wilson and Matt Shoemaker are in line to lead the team's playoff rotation, but the team is thin behind that threesome.
Colon, 12-10 with a 3.82 ERA, owns an $11 million salary for 2015 as part of a two-year, $20 million contract he signed with the Mets before the season, and Burnett can make $12 million in '15, but has discussed retirement. However, after a 12-strikeout, one-hit performance against Washington earlier in the week, Burnett sounded like he would reconsider. "I guess you could say I've still got it when I do have it," Burnett said. "My decision will come down to how I feel and what my family and I decide. It's just one start, but to be able to go out and do that tonight makes you wonder." Burnett was 0-6 with a 6.41 ERA in his previous seven starts.
Around The League
--American League West powers meet Thursday night as the Los Angeles Angels open a four-game series with the Oakland Athletics. Oakland has an 8-4 straight up advantage in the head-to-head series so far in 2014, with the teams combining to go 7-4-1 Over/Under in that span.
--New York Yankees right-hander Hiroki Kuroda is on an under roll as he prepares to face the host Detroit Tigers on Thursday night. Kuroda is 0-5 Over/Under in his last five assignments, though the Yankees are just 2-3 over that span - including two losses as favorites.
--Baltimore Orioles outfielder Adam Jones will look to exploit a favorable matchup (7:05 PM EST) Thursday night as the Orioles face the Tampa Bay Rays. Jones is batting .333 with four homers in 42 career at-bats against Rays starter Jeremy Hellickson.
--Mike Trout's bat is a major reason the Los Angeles Angels have the best record in baseball and appear destined to end a four-year postseason drought. Trout tied a career high with his 30th home run, Gordon Beckham homered for the first time with his new club, and the Angels improved to 79-53 with a 6-1 victory over the Miami Marlins on Wednesday night. Trout, who leads the majors with 71 extra-base hits and 283 total bases, chased Miami starter Henderson Alvarez in the seventh inning with a one-out drive into the trees beyond the center field fence to make it 5-1.
--Buster Posey hits game-ending 2-run homer for Giants. On a night of milestones for Bruce Bochy and Tim Hudson, Posey delivered the timely hit once more. Posey had a game-ending two-run shot for his third homer in two nights, sending the San Francisco Giants past the Colorado Rockies 4-2 on Wednesday for Bochy's 1,600th managerial victory. Posey sent an 0-1 pitch from Juan Nicasio (5-6) just inside the left-field foul pole for his 18th homer of the year and second career walkoff homer. He also had one on May 3, 2013, against the Dodgers.
--Diamondbacks shut down by Kershaw. The last time Clayton Kershaw pitched in Arizona, three months ago, the Diamondbacks clobbered him in an 18-7 rout. Hardly anyone has touched him since, and on Wednesday night the Diamondbacks were no exception. Kershaw allowed only an unearned run in eight innings to become the first major leaguer to reach 16 wins this season in the Los Angeles Dodgers' 3-1 victory.
--New York Yankees chased David Price with nine straight hits in the third inning, beating the Detroit Tigers 8-4 Wednesday night. The Yankees scored all eight of their runs in the third off Price who had pitched a one-hitter in his previous start. Jacoby Ellsbury started the barrage, and New York went all the way through the batting order until the 2012 AL Cy Young Award winner was pulled after the ninth hit of the inning.
--The Kansas City Royals extended their lead over Detroit to 2 1/2 games in the American League Central with their 11th win in their past 13 games at Kauffman Stadium. They've won four straight over the Twins. Minnesota has lost four straight and eight of 11 overall. In the series opener, the Royals were getting shut out until the ninth inning, when Alex Gordon delivered a two-run homer for a 2-1 win. This time, it was a series of bloopers and infield singles that allowed Kansas City to finally crack the Twins in the waning innings.
--Pinch-hitter Grady Sizemore hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the sixth inning, helping the Philadelphia Phillies beat the NL East-leading Washington Nationals 8-4 Wednesday night to complete a three-game sweep. Marlon Byrd hit a two-run homer and Jimmy Rollins hit a solo shot to back Kyle Kendrick (7-11). The right-hander allowed four runs and seven hits in six innings. The last-place Phillies went 7-2 on their best homestand this season.
--Drew Smyly allowed two hits over seven innings in his second straight overpowering performance, and the Tampa Bay Rays jumped to an early lead against rookie Kevin Gausman in a 3-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday night. Evan Longoria had three hits for the Rays, who won for only the fourth time in 11 games. Tampa Bay scored all its runs in the first two innings and Smyly (9-10) made the margin stand. Smyly gave up a solo homer to Chris Davis in the second inning and a single to Steve Pearce in the seventh. The left-hander struck out six and walked one in his fifth start for the Rays since coming from Detroit in a trade involving David Price.
--Cincinnati Reds right-handed pitchers Mat Latos (5-3, 3.15 ERA) and Mike Leake (10-11, 3.51 ERA) were both placed on revocable waivers on Wednesday morning, according to a report via Twitter from FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal. A trade of either pitcher - for now - is unlikely, according to Rosenthal, but this offseason may be a different story.
____________________________________________________
Betting Notes - Thursday
National League
•Cubs-Reds - 12:35 PM
--Arrieta is 1-1, 1.27 in his last three starts.
--Axelrod allowed two runs in six IP in his first '14 start.
--Cubs won seven of their last ten games.
--Cincinnati lost 11 of its last 15 games.
--Seven of last ten Chicago games stayed under; over is 9-4-1 in Cincinnati's last fourteen games.
•Rockies-Giants - 3:45 PM
--Lyles is 0-0, 5.63 in his last three starts.
--Petit is 0-2, 8.17 in his last five starts, last of which was July 22. He's retired 37 batters in a row pitching in relief (six appearances) since then.
--Colorado won six of its last nine games.
--Giants won last two games, but are 12-24 in last 36 home games.
--Four of last five Colorado games stayed under total.
•Braves-Mets - 7:10 PM
--Minor is 1-0, 1.84 in his last two starts.
--Niese is 2-5, 5.64 in his last seven starts.
--Atlanta lost three of its last four games.
--Mets lost six of their last nine games.
--Five of last seven New York games went over total.
_________________________________________
Double Perfect MLB Super Situation Play
StatSystemsSports.net Red-Hot hand on the base paths continues on Thursday with a 'Double Perfect' Super Situational selection supported with a pair of 100% perfect never lost winning situations inside the game. Best of all it's yours - if you act now!
Be sure to check out today's complete MLB Report... You'll be amazed at what you learn!
StatSystems Sports has delivered over 65% winners over the last 12 months. Yes, you read that right. Do the math and figure out how much you would have won.
Get the BEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK
"Get a monthly package now - you'll be real glad you did!"
______________________________________________
American League
•Yankees-Tigers - 1:05 PM
--Kuroda is 2-0, 2.84 in his last two starts.
--Lobstein is making first MLB start; he was 9-11, 4.07 in 25 AAA starts, and allowed three runs in 5.2 IP in his first MLB relief stint.
--Yankees won six of its last seven games.
--Detroit won seven of its last ten home games.
--Eight of last twelve New York games stayed under total.
•Rays-Orioles - 7:05 PM
--Hellickson is 1-1, 2.22 in his last four starts.
--Norris is 3-1, 3.76 in his last five starts.
--Tampa Bay lost seven of its last eleven games.
--Orioles won four of their last five home games.
--Nine of last twelve Baltimore games stayed under.
•Twins-Royals - 8:10 PM
--Milone is 0-1, 10.80 in three starts for Minnesota.
--Guthrie is 5-1, 4.02 in his last six starts.
--Minnesota lost eight of its last eleven games.
--Royals won 21 of their last 27 games.
--Seven of last eleven Minnesota games went over total.
•Indians-White Sox - 8:10 PM
--Carrasco is 2-0, 0.50 in his last three starts
--Danks is 0-2, 7.67 in his last five starts.
--Cleveland won ten of its last fifteen games.
--White Sox lost seven of their last eight games.
--12 of last 15 Cleveland games stayed under total.
•Rangers-Astros - 8:10 PM
--Tepesch is 0-1, 4.43 in his last three starts.
--McHugh is 3-0, 1.76 in his last five starts.
--Texas won three of its last four games.
--Astros lost five of their last seven games.
--Six of last nine Houston games stayed under total.
•Athletics-Angels - 10:05 PM
--Gray is 1-3, 6.12 in his last four starts.
--Wilson is 2-0, 1.96 in his last three starts.
--Oakland won four of last six games, but lost eight of last eleven on road.
--Angels won 11 of their last 15 games.
--Under is 10-4 in last fourteen Angel games.
•Incredible Stat of the Day
Minnesota Twins Tom Milone is 18-4 in his team starts against the money line (81.8%) versus American League teams scoring 4.7 or less runs per game in the second half of the season over the last three seasons. The left-hander has also recorded an outstanding 13-2 record during his MLB career versus teams averaging 2.75 or less extra base hits per game in the second half of the season since 1997.
Although, Milone is winless in three starts since being acquired from Oakland and has an unsightly 8.49 ERA in 11 2/3 innings. He received a no-decision in Friday’s 20-6 victory when he gave up five runs (three earned) and 10 hits in 4 1/3 innings. Milone was rocked for seven runs (six earned) in 1 1/3 innings by Kansas City on Aug. 17 and is 3-2 with a 3.52 ERA in five career starts against the Royals.
______________________________________________________
