The National Sports Advisors look for Florida and Arizona to score under 8.5 runs tonight behind a pair of young pitchers, Scott Olsen for the Marlins and Brandon Webb for the Diamondbacks.
By: Sonny Lafauchi
Brandon Webb (12-4, 2.74 ERA) will toe the slab tonight for Arizona. Webb registered a win in his last start July 31 against the Chicago Cubs after surrendering four runs on eight hits over seven innings of a 15-4 rout. He missed his next scheduled start Aug. 5, with a sore shoulder.
The right-hander is trying to become the National League's first 13-game winner after starting off the 2006 season 8-0. He is 4-1 with a 2.45 ERA in his last six starts, registering 35 strikeouts and allowing only 10 walks. Webb has limited batters to a .220 batting average.
Scott Olsen (9-5, 3.92) is trying to bounce back from just his second defeat in his last 14 starts and avoid back-to-back losses for the first time this season. Olsen had six strikeouts, while giving up four runs and eight hits with two walks over 6 1-3 innings in a 7-3 loss to the Dodgers on Sunday.
Olsen is a superb 7-2 with a 2.89 ERA in his last 14 starts, limiting hitters to a .217 batting average.
The bottom line is both pitchers have good stuff and have pitched very well in 2006. This matchup has all the makings of a low scoring pitcher's duel and we look for this game to go UNDER the 8.5 total.
Play: UNDER
By: Sonny Lafauchi
Brandon Webb (12-4, 2.74 ERA) will toe the slab tonight for Arizona. Webb registered a win in his last start July 31 against the Chicago Cubs after surrendering four runs on eight hits over seven innings of a 15-4 rout. He missed his next scheduled start Aug. 5, with a sore shoulder.
The right-hander is trying to become the National League's first 13-game winner after starting off the 2006 season 8-0. He is 4-1 with a 2.45 ERA in his last six starts, registering 35 strikeouts and allowing only 10 walks. Webb has limited batters to a .220 batting average.
Scott Olsen (9-5, 3.92) is trying to bounce back from just his second defeat in his last 14 starts and avoid back-to-back losses for the first time this season. Olsen had six strikeouts, while giving up four runs and eight hits with two walks over 6 1-3 innings in a 7-3 loss to the Dodgers on Sunday.
Olsen is a superb 7-2 with a 2.89 ERA in his last 14 starts, limiting hitters to a .217 batting average.
The bottom line is both pitchers have good stuff and have pitched very well in 2006. This matchup has all the makings of a low scoring pitcher's duel and we look for this game to go UNDER the 8.5 total.
Play: UNDER
