**Giants (Morris) at Astros (Nieve)**

–Las Vegas Sports Consultants installed Houston as a $1.20 home favorite over San Francisco, with the total listed at 9 ½ ‘over’ (minus $1.20). This National League tilt is scheduled to begin at 8:05 p.m. ET.

–San Francisco’s Matt Morris (2-4, 6.20 ERA) is currently mired in a personal three-game losing skid, and is searching for his first victory in over a month. The righty is off Friday’s setback to Los Angeles as a $1.01 road underdog, 6-1, yielding five runs on eight hits with two walks and two strikeouts over seven innings.

–The combined seven runs failed to topple the 8 1/2-run closing total, helping the ‘over/under’ alternate his past seven starts.

–Morris beat Houston April 13 as a $1.42 home ‘chalk,’ 5-3, after being reached for three runs on four hits with two walks and four strikeouts over 7 2/3 innings. The combined eight runs slithered ‘under’ the 8 1/2-run closing total.

–Houston hurler Fernando Nieve (1-1, 4.78 ERA) picked up a no-decision in Friday’s effort versus Colorado. The Venezuela native went 5 1/3 innings, allowing one run on six hits with three walks and four strikeouts.

–The Astros ended up cruising to victory as a $1.27 home favorite, 12-2, while the combined 14 runs eclipsed the 9 1/2-run closing total.

–Nieve, a rookie right-hander, has never started against the Giants in his brief major league tenure.

**Mets (Trachsel) at Cardinals (Mulder)**

–LVSC opened St. Louis as a $1.55 home ‘chalk’ over New York, with the total set at nine ‘over’ (minus $1.20). ESPN will provide coverage of this NL affair beginning at 8:10 p.m. ET.

–New York veteran right-hander Steve Trachsel (2-3, 4.91 ERA) dropped to 0-2 his last three starts after suffering Thursday’s setback to Philadelphia as a $1.03 road underdog, 2-0. The 6-foot-4 hurler was reached for two runs on six hits (one home run) with two walks and three strikeouts over four innings.

–The two runs never seriously threatened the 10-run closing total, ending back-to-back ‘over’ outings when he’s pitching.

–Trachsel fell to the Cardinals last year as a $1.50 road underdog, 4-2, going five innings while yielding four runs on four hits (two home runs) with a walk and a strikeout. The combined six runs went ‘under’ the eight-run closing total.

–St. Louis counters with left-hander Mark Mulder (4-1, 4.27 ERA), hoping the Michigan State product can continue his current two-game winning streak. The seven-year veteran toppled Arizona Friday as a $1.65 home ‘chalk,’ 5-3, surrendering two runs on six hits (one home run) with two walks and six strikeouts over six innings.

–The combined eight runs slithered ‘under’ the 8 1/2-run closing total, helping the ‘under’ improve to 3-1 his last four starts.

–Mulder escaped with a no-decision against the Mets last year despite allowing six runs on 10 hits with two walks and three strikeouts over five innings. The Cardinals eventually won that contest as a $1.11 road underdog, 7-6, while the combined 13 runs eclipsed the seven-run closing total.

**Red Sox (Wakefield) at Orioles (Bedard)**

–LVSC installed Boston as a $1.20 road ‘chalk’ over Baltimore, with the total set at 9 ½ ‘over’ (minus $1.20). This American League East tilt is slated to start at 7:05 p.m. ET.

–Boston’s Tim Wakefield (3-4, 4.03 ERA) has strung together back-to-back victories after dumping New York Thursday as a $1.26 road underdog, 5-3. The knuckleballer tossed six innings, yielding three runs on six hits with three walks and nine strikeouts.

–The combined eight runs failed to topple the 10 1/2-run closing total, helping the ‘under’ improve to 6-1 his previous seven starts.

–The veteran right-hander is 2-0 versus the Orioles this season in two starts, going a combined 12 innings while allowing four runs (three earned) on 12 hits (one home run) with four walks and seven strikeouts. The Red Sox prevailed as a $1.08 road favorite, 4-1, and as a $1.38 home ‘chalk,’ 9-3.

–Baltimore southpaw Erik Bedard (4-2, 4.63 ERA) puts his unblemished 3-0 home record and 3.90 ERA on the line in this contest. The 27-year-old is off Friday’s no-decision against Kansas City after surrendering three runs on six hits (one home run) with three walks and five strikeouts over five innings.

–The Orioles eventually won that contest as a $1.72 home ‘chalk,’ 6-5, while the combined 11 runs eclipsed the 9 1/2-run closing total. The ‘over’ has cashed in Bedard’s last five starts.

–The five-year veteran fell to Wakefield and the Red Sox May 6 as a $1.28 road underdog, 9-3. Bedard was reached for six runs (five earned) on seven hits with three walks and two strikeouts over just two innings.

**Mariners (Moyer) at Athletics (Zito)**

–LVSC has Oakland as a $1.45 home favorite over Seattle, with the total set at eight ‘under’ (minus $1.20). This AL West contest is scheduled to start at 10:05 p.m. ET.

–Seattle veteran Jamie Moyer (1-3, 3.29 ERA) toes the rubber for the first time since suffering a tough-luck loss last Wednesday to Tampa Bay as a $1.24 home ‘chalk,’ 1-0. The left-hander was reached for the lone run on four hits with no walks and five strikeouts over eight innings.

–The lone run never seriously threatened the eight-run closing total, helping the ‘under’ improve to 3-1 his previous four efforts.

–Moyer fell to Oakland April 8 as a $1.02 home underdog, 3-0, going 5 2/3 innings while surrendering three runs on six hits (one home run) with a walk and four strikeouts. The three runs went ‘under’ the eight-run closing total.

–Oakland’s Barry Zito (2-3, 3.75 ERA) heads to the hill for the first time since Friday’s setback to New York as a $1.29 road underdog, 2-0. The lanky left-hander allowed one run on five hits (one home run) with four walks and four strikeouts over six innings.

–The two runs never seriously threatened the 9 1/2-run closing total, enabling the ‘under’ to improve to 4-1 his previous five starts.

–Zito beat Moyer and the Mariners in that April 8 matchup by tossing six scoreless innings on just one hit with no walks and six strikeouts.