**Astros (Nieve) at Nationals (Ortiz)**

–Las Vegas Sports Consultants installed this National League contest as a ‘pick,’ with the total set at nine ‘over’ (minus $1.15). This contest is scheduled to begin at 7:05 p.m. ET.

–Houston hurler Fernando Nieve (1-2, 6.00 ERA) toes the rubber mired in a 0-2 losing skid his last three starts after Wednesday’s setback to San Francisco as a $1.36 home favorite, 10-1. The 23-year-old right-hander lasted just 3 2/3 innings, allowing seven runs (six earned) on seven hits (one home run) with six walks and two strikeouts.

–The combined 11 runs eclipsed the 9 1/2-run closing total, helping the ‘over’ cash his second straight start.

–Nieve, a rookie hurler from Venezuela, has never started against the Nationals in his brief major league tenure.

–Washington right-hander Ramon Ortiz (1-4, 6.15 ERA) secured his first victory of the season of the season Thursday by dumping Chicago as a $1.56 road underdog, 5-3. The eight-year veteran tossed 5 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on eight hits with no walks and three strikeouts.

–The combined eight runs slithered ‘under’ the 8 1/2-run closing total, helping the ‘under’ improve to 4-0-1 his previous five efforts.

–Ortiz was 1-2 versus Houston last year in four starts as a member of the Cincinnati Reds, going a combined 24 1/3 innings, yielding 16 runs on 27 hits (three home runs) with seven walks and 21 strikeouts. The Astros triumphed as a $1.46 home favorite, 3-2, as a $1.62 home ‘chalk,’ 4-1, and as a $1.07 home favorite, 5-2, while falling as a $1.10 road underdog, 11-6. The ‘under’ was 3-1 during those four matchups.

**Phillies (Floyd) at Mets (Trachsel)**

–LVSC has New York as a $1.37 home favorite over Philadelphia, with the total set at nine ‘over’ (minus $1.20). This NL East affair is scheduled to start at 7:10 p.m. ET.

–Philadelphia’s Gavin Floyd (4-2, 5.71 ERA) has gone 3-0 his previous four starts after escaping with Wednesday’s no-decision against Milwaukee. The 23-year-old was reached for five runs on four hits (one home run) with two walks and a strikeout over 5 1/3 innings.

–The Phillies eventually dropped that affair as a $1.18 road underdog, 8-7, while the combined 15 runs eclipsed the 9 1/2-run closing total. The ‘over’ is 5-2 the last seven times he has pitched.

–Floyd beat the Mets May 11 as a $1.07 home ‘chalk,’ 2-0, tossing five scoreless innings on two hits with four walks and two strikeouts. The two runs never seriously threatened the 10-run closing total.

–New York pitcher Steve Trachsel (2-4, 4.33 ERA) is searching for his first victory of the month after going 0-3 his last four outings. The veteran hurler fell to St. Louis Wednesday as a $1.38 road underdog despite enjoying one of his best starts of the season.

–The righty surrendered the lone run on four hits with three walks and two strikeouts over seven innings. The lone run never seriously threatened the nine-run closing total, helping the ‘under’ cash his second straight start.

–Trachsel fell to Floyd and the Phillies in that May 11 encounter after yielding two runs on six hits (one home run) with two walks and three strikeouts over four innings.

**Yankees (Wright) at Red Sox (Wakefield)**

–LVSC opened Boston as a $1.45 home ‘chalk’ over New York, with the total listed at 10 ½ ‘over’ (minus $1.25). This American League East matchup is scheduled to begin at 7:05 p.m. ET.

–New York pitcher Jaret Wright (1-2, 4.97 ERA) heads to the hill for the first time since Thursday’s setback to Texas as a $1.31 home favorite, 6-2. The 6-foot-2 hurler went six innings, allowing three runs on six hits (one home run) with no walks and two strikeouts.

–The combined eight runs failed to topple the 11-run closing total, helping the ‘under’ cash his fourth consecutive contest.

–Wright went 1-1 versus Boston last year in two starts, tossing a combined 8 1/3 innings while yielding five runs on nine hits (two home runs) with nine walks and three strikeouts. The Yankees triumphed as a $1.27 road underdog, 5-2, while falling as a decided $2.00 road ‘dog, 10-1.

–Boston knuckleballer Tim Wakefield (3-5, 4.17 ERA) had won back-to-back games before falling to Baltimore Wednesday as a $1.22 road ‘chalk,’ 4-3. The veteran right-hander surrendered four runs on eight hits (one home run) with three walks and six strikeouts over seven innings.

–The combined seven runs failed to topple the 9 1/2-run closing total, enabling the ‘under’ to improve to 7-1 his previous eight efforts.

–Wakefield is 1-0 versus New York this year in two starts, going a combined 13 innings while being reached for six runs on 10 hits with six walks and 11 strikeouts. The Red Sox prevailed as a $1.06 home underdog, 7-3, and as a $1.26 road ‘dog, 5-2. The ‘under’ occurred in both of those matchups.

**Indians (Lee) at Twins (Santana)**

–LVSC lists Minnesota as a $1.68 home favorite over Cleveland, with the total set at 7 ½ ‘over’ (minus $1.20). This AL Central contest is scheduled to begin at 8:10 p.m. ET.

–Cleveland southpaw Cliff Lee (3-4, 4.25 ERA) was mired in a personal three-game losing funk before beating Kansas City Thursday as a huge $2.30 home ‘chalk,’ 6-5. The former Arkansas Razorback was tagged for five runs (four earned) on eight hits with three walks and seven strikeouts over six innings.

–The combined 11 runs eclipsed the 9 1/2-run closing total.

–Lee was 1-1 versus the Twins last year in two starts, going a combined 11 innings while surrendering six runs on 13 hits (two home runs) with three walks and eight strikeouts. The Indians prevailed as a $1.72 home favorite, 12-4, while falling as a $1.12 road underdog, 6-2.

–Minnesota ace Johan Santana (4-4, 3.23 ERA) heads to the hill armed with an unblemished 3-0 home record and 2.63 ERA in four starts.

–However, the crafty left-hander was riding a personal four-game winning streak before falling to Detroit Wednesday as a $1.40 road ‘chalk,’ 2-0. The Venezuela native went eight innings while yielding both runs on four hits (one home run) with a walk and 12 strikeouts.

–The two runs never seriously threatened the 7 1/2-run closing total, enabling the ‘under’ to improve to 3-1 his previous four games.

–Santana fell to the Indians April 9 as a $1.16 road favorite, 3-2, allowing three runs on four hits (one home run) with three walks and five strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings. The combined five runs went ‘under’ the eight-run closing total.