Game Time: 09/23/2008 08:05 PM -
By: LT Profits Sports Group | who2beton.com
This is a simple case of the A’s being hot and the Rangers being cold, and yet the A’s being installed as an underdog. Back promising Oakland starter Outman here.
The Oakland Athletics stayed hot by winning the series opener vs. the Texas Rangers here last night, and we see no reason to stop backing them now as long as they keep being installed as underdogs.
The Athletics have now won four straight games and they are 8-1 in their last nine contests. They started to heat up right after the rosters expanded to 40 players on September 1, and this team appears to have a bright future as it is this youth movement that has fueled this sudden hot streak.
One of those youngsters is their starting pitcher tonight, Josh Outman, who has given a fine account or himself in two major league starts, allowing one and three runs respectively. He made his debut vs. these Rangers in Oakland, and he proceeded to allow one run and four hits in five innings. He also has the support of a fine Oakland bullpen that ranks second in the American League with a 3.34 ERA.
The Rangers are heading in the opposite direction, as that loss last night was their fifth straight and seventh in nine games. We are also not very high on there starter Dustin Nippert, who returned to his normal level last start when he allowed five earned runs on 4.1 innings after going three straight starts of uncharacteristically allowing three runs or less.
His 6.47 for the season is a true barometer of his ability (or lack thereof), and we look for him to struggle again vs. this hot Oakland team.
Game Time: 09/23/2008 07:07 PM -
By: Vernon Croy | 10starpicks.com
New York is 9-2 in Mike Mussina's last 11 road starts and that should move to 10-2 after the Yankees take Game 1 of their series in Canada at the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Yankees have the superior pitcher on the mound tonight and the Blue Jays are just 2-7 in Jesse Litsch's (12-8, 3.72 ERA) last nine starts against an AL East team. The Yankees are 9-2 in Mike Mussina's (18-9, 3.57 ERA) last 11 road starts and they are also 13-3 in Mussina's last 16 starts against a team with a winning record.
The Jays are hitting just .227 as a team over their last seven games and New York's opponents are hitting just .226 against them over their last seven games played while averaging just 2.3 rpg. Litsch has struggled against the Yankees in the past with a 1-3 record and an ERA of 6.75 over five starts against them, and I look for the Yankee bats to come alive against Litsch tonight.
Litsch has lasted an average of just four innings per start in his only two outings against the Yankees this season and Mussina dominated the Jays the last time he faced them, allowing just five hits and one earned run over six innings while walking just one batter. Take New York for Tuesday night.
Game Time: 09/23/2008 07:05 PM -
By: Christopher Quinn | christopherquinn.mysbrforum.com
Cliff Lee is out for win No. 23 tonight, a triumph that will slam the lid on his AL Cy Young competition. Play the Indians on the road at Fenway vs. the Boston Red Sox.
The smart money tonight is on Cliff Lee and the Cleveland Indians. The Indians are on fire right now, having won seven in a row and only look to get hotter with their ace on the mound.
The AL Cy Young contender will be taking the hill tonight looking to take Game 2 of this four-game series. With the Indians upset win last night, look for Lee to carry that momentum into tonight’s game. Lee has completely dominated the AL this season compiling 22 wins with only two loses. Coming off a nine-game winning streak, the southpaw leads the league with a 2.41 ERA, and has a staggering WHIP of 1.09. His strikeout-to-walk ratio is almost unbelievable at 162-31. The numbers that Lee has put up are even more impressive considering that the Indians are barely above .500 this year as a team.
Veteran knuckler Tim Wakefield will be getting the start for the Red Sox tonight, having lost two of his last three outings. The 42-year-old is coming into tonight’s game sporting a mediocre ERA of 4.18, going only 9-11 for the season.
Watch tonight as Lee completely shuts down the Red Sox and slams the lid on his Cy Young contention. Take the Indians for a two-unit play.
Game Time: 09/23/2008 07:05 PM -
By: Al McMordie | bigal.com
This series is for pride as neither team wants to finish last in the AL Central. Back Zack Greinke and the Kansas City Royals Tuesday evening at the Detroit Tigers.
Our Tuesday night MLB selection is on the Kansas City Royals on the road in the Motor City over the Detroit Tigers.
What Zack Greinke has accomplished this season as part of the starting rotation of one of the worst teams in baseball is nothing short of amazing. The talented 24-year-old righthanded member of the Royals staff has a winning record (12-10) going into this start, and has some of the most impressive individual numbers of any starter in the A.L. Greinke not only has very good power numbers (179 Ks in 195 innings), but he also has great control (only 54 walks). Greinke makes about $1.5 Million in annual salary, but he could definitely parlay his numbers into a much bigger contract at some point soon, although probably not with the Royals.
His counterpart tonight, 32-year-old veteran righthander Freddy Garcia, turned his first start since 2007 into a good one when he threw five effective innings for Detroit against Texas last Wednesday, which was hard to imagine given his numbers in recent seasons when he was supposedly healthy.
It would have also been hard to imagine at the beginning of this season that the Royals could end up with more wins at the end of 2008 than the Tigers. But that is exactly the situation these two teams find themselves in with less than a week to go. Detroit has been much better this year vs. lefties than righties, so we'll take the Royals behind Greinke tonight.
Game Time: 09/23/2008 07:07 PM -
By: Alex Smart | who2beton.com
Jesse Litsch enters in good form for the Blue Jays while Yankees veteran Mike Mussina is shooting for a 20-win season. Play New York and Toronto on the Under tonight.
Jesse Litsch (12-8, 3.72 ERA), the Blue Jays starter for this tilt against the Yankees, is in top form as is evident by allowing just 10 runs in his last seven starts for a stingy 1.91 ERA. He seems to love pitching at home in the Rogers Center posting a 2.79 ERA on the season. Im betting his his red hot ways will continue tonight.
Meanwhile veteran Mike Mussina (18-9, 3.57 ERA) will return fire for the Bronx Bombers. The Yankees righthander is 7-2 on the road during his current campaign, along with a tight 3.53 ERA. With the former Stanford standout left with just two remaining starts on the season, including this outing, he will be primed to perform as he tries to reach the 20-win plateau for the first time his career.
Both hurlers are supported by two of the better bullpens in the American League. Despite both teams possessing viable offenses, I'm expecting the throwers to take center stage in what will be a low-scoring pitchers duel. Play under.
Game Time: 09/23/2008 07:05 PM -
By: Steve Merril | 10starpicks.com
Phillies bats have cooled off a bit while Braves hitters have been cold much of the season. Play the Under Tuesday night in Philadelphia when the Phils host Atlanta.
Despite scoring six runs last night, the Phillies still only had eight total hits and batted only .250 as a team. It appears the Philadelphia offense is finally cooling off as they are batting just .224 in their past five games with a 5-1 Under mark in their past six games overall.
Philadelphia will now be facing veteran Mike Hampton who made his first start in July after a three year absence from the starting rotation. Hampton struggled in three of his first four starts, but he has now turned things around and has a solid 3.71 ERA and 1.41 WHIP in his past seven outings.
Atlanta is also likely to struggle offensively as they are averaging just 3.9 runs versus LHP, compared to 5.0 runs versus RHP. Atlanta had just two runs last night and will now be facing one of the best left-handed pitchers in the league as Cole Hamels enters with a 3.10 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in 32 starts this season with 189 strikeouts.
The Marlins are playing well and have owned the Nationals in 2008, going 13-2 so far. Follow Scott Olsen and Florida when they visit DC Tuesday to take on Washington.
This is a hot team vs. a cold team here tonight. Florida is 54-35 this year when the total is 9-9½. The Marlins are 21-12 this year on the road when the total is 9-9½. Washington is scoring only 4.0 runs per game overall this year and 3.9 runs per game at home.
Florida's Scott Olsen is 2-1 with a 2.84 ERA his last three starts. The Nats' Shairon Martis is 0-3 with a 6.23 ERA overall this year, 0-1 with an 18.00 ERA at home and 0-3 with a 6.23 ERA his last three starts.
Florida is 13-2 overall vs Washington this year including 6-0 at Washington. Olsen is 6-3 overall vs Washington since 1997. We'll recommend a small play on Florida.
Game Time: 09/23/2008 10:10 PM -
By: LT Profits Sports Group | who2beton.com
Jered Washburn appears to have regained his great form of a few years ago, while Ryam Feierabend has a 2.84 ERA at home. Throw in some unseasonable cold weather and go Under in Seattle tonight.
The Los Angeles Angels defeated the Seattle Mariner 2-1 here last night, and we look for a similarly low scoring contest this evening.
Jered Weaver has a rough start to this season, but he ahs turned this around lately and now more closely resembles the pitcher that took the league b storm as a rookie a few years ago, He has now allowed three runs or less in six consecutive starts, including one start vs. these Mariners where he allowed just three hits in six scoreless innings.
Now we concede that Ryan Feierabend has been generally brutal for Seattle, but believe it or not, he has pitched well in his only three home starts. He has a 2.84 ERA with a very respectable 1.22 WHIP in 19 home innings, with the Mariners going 2-1 as a team in those contests.
Finally, do not forget the cold weather in the Pacific Northwest right now. The chilly climate was certainly a factor last night and we expect the cold to cause some more havoc tonight.
Game Time: 09/23/2008 07:07 PM -
By: Jimmy the Moose | sportspic.com
The Yankees are going to miss the playoffs, but they're not going down without a fight. Side with New York on the road tonight when they face the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Yankees have won eight of their last nine games. New York has won their last five divisional games.
In their last 10 games vs. a team with a winning home record, the Yankees are 7-3. New York has won nine of Mike Mussina's last 11 starts. In his last 16 starts vs. a team with a winning record the Yankees are 13-3. New York is 20-8 in his last 28 starts.
The Blue Jays played pretty well down the stretch but over their last few games their lack of offense has cost them. Toronto is 1-4 in their last five vs. a team with a winning record. The Jays are 5-16 in Jesse Litsch's last 21 starts. The Jays are 1-4 in his last five starts vs. the Yankees while NY is 4-1 in Mussina's last five starts vs. Toronto. Play on New York.
i've always been out of the woodwork on not liking the yankees because they represent what is wrong with sports...nevertheless they are 26 time Champions so there you have my classy statement for the NYY...late
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