Chris Jordan
Chris Jordan Wednesday's winners ...
200♦ WASHINGTON NATIONALS (LIST Stammen and Pelfrey) - So much for a trip to the nation’s capital being a cakewalk and possible tour of Pennsylvania Avenue. While the Mets won for just the seventh time in 21 games in Monday night’s series-opener against their NL East rivals, they could only muster one base runner to second base last night en route to a 4-0 loss. Two things to note there: the whole base-running issue is obvious, but how about the fact the lowly, league-worst Nationals shut the Mets out. More notably, it was the seventh time this beleaguered offense has been shut out since June 22.
Quite simply, while the Mets are dinged up, and the Nats are playing with a “nothing-to-lose” attitude, I find it value to take the home team with a cheap price like this, while most of you would think it’d be value to play the underdog here. It’s a trap, trust me.
To wit: right-hander Craig Stammen might be 2-5 on the year, but he’s coming in after posting his third straight quality start, last Friday against the Cubs. Though he absorbed the loss because of a couple of mistakes, he labored through six hard-fought innings. Tonight I believe he’s in the right spot for a win, as the Mets are mired in a 2-7 funk on the road, while their right-handed starter, Michael Pelfrey, is 1-2 in his last three starts with a 10.05 ERA; Stammen’s ERA in his last three starts is 2.45. Value, it’s why we play baseball. Tonight it’s with Washington.
200♦ TEXAS RANGERS (Action) - Not sure where Boston’s offense has disappeared to, but after losing on the run line with the Crimson Hose, I need to jump ship and take the home dog tonight. All-Star Timmy Wakefield is headed to the disabled list, so that means Clay Buchholz is on the bump tonight, and that means the Rangers have a good chance at dismantling the Wild Card-leading Sox with that occasionally explosive lineup that leads the majors in home runs. I’m not listing pitchers in this one, as I’m basing this play on pure momentum, but Vicente Padilla’s work could be pretty easy since Boston is batting .195 (25 for 128) and has plated just eight runs during this four-game slide.
Red Sox captain Jason Varitek, who is .091 in his last eight games, said it best after last night’s loss: “We’ve hit our worst spot of the year as a team swinging the bats.” And since the Rangers are 4-1 against Boston this season, this seems to me like the sharp play tonight as far as the dogs are concerned.
Delving into the numbers, the Sox are mired in losing streaks of 5-11 against the American League West and a dismal 2-10 with Buchholz toeing the slab with a suitcase in hand. On the flipside, the Rangers come in riding win streaks of 8-2 at home, 6-0 against the East, 21-7 when Padilla throws on four days rest and 20-8 when he’s installed as a pup.
With Boston playing its sixth road game in as many days – all since the start of the second half, I’ll take the Rangers in an easy win over the road-weary Hose.
200♦ L.A. DODGERS RUN LINE (WITH Billingsley over Arroyo) - We’re going to ride the Dodgers for a third straight night, end of story.
Once again the Dodgers found a way to build a lead and ride out the win over a dismal Reds team that is now five games under .500. It was the blowout I once again anticipated. And after watching the Dodgers break out with a solid offensive surge two straight nights, I’m looking for another dominating performance.
Once again, based on the price of this game, it’s easy to see what the oddsmakers are telling us about the Dodgers – they’re deservedly steep favorites. For the second straight night we’re going to lay the run line, which I don’t mind laying with a team that continues to defy all naysayers by winning ball games however it can.
After last night’s setback, Cincinnati has lost 12 of 16 since July 3. And as I said the past two nights, things are heating up in the National League, and this is the exact type of time frame Dodgers need to take advantage of every single night.
I’ve got the momentum on my side with L.A., the team boasting the best record in baseball, as it’s now won nine of 10 meetings going back to last season. Going back even further, the Dodgers have won 23 of the last 29 meetings, while the Reds are on a 3-10 slide in their last 13 as an underdog and have lost 11 straight at Chavez Ravine. Lay the run line tonight, as the Dodgers dismantle the visiting Reds.
Bought, Paid and Confirmed by Me.....GL all!