Dodgers, Angels interleague series has weekend’s top pitching
Dodgers, Angels interleague series has weekend’s top pitching
Both of the LA teams enter this weekend on good runs, with the Angels coming off sweeps of the Padres and Giants and the Dodgers winners of four of their last five.
Psssst! Hey buddy, wanna’ see some major league history?
Assuming Mother Nature doesn’t intervene, something will happen for just the 21st time this weekend on a major league diamond. Think about it, after all the thousands of games, and with family and generation history in the big leagues, two brothers stepped to the mound opposite each other in the same game just 20 times.
Jered and Jeff Weaver of the Angels and Dodgers respectively will put the 21st notch on this one. When you stop and consider that 14 of the previous 20 times, it was either the Niekro Brothers, Phil and Joe in the 1960s-70s, or those Barnes Boys back in the 1920s, it is indeed a rare event.
The last time it happened, Elaine Benes’ brothers, Alan and Andy, were the opposing hurlers in 2002 as members of the Cubs and Cardinals. Big bro’ Andy came away the easy winner.
The older brother this time will be Jeff Weaver (2-1, 3.72), who will be making just his fourth start of the season for Joe Torre and the Dodgers. He is the definitely underdog in this one to his younger brother Jered Weaver (9-4, 2.08) who is having a fine season for Mike Scioscia and the Halos.
Before we can get to Saturday’s contest pitting siblings, Friday’s series opener actually has the best pitching matchup of the weekend with Chad Billingsley (11-3, 2.72) on the hill for the Dodgers against Joe Saunders (7-6, 3.66). Sunday’s finale also provides an intriguing battle on the mound between young lefthander Clayton Kershaw (6-7, 4.13) and veteran righthander John Lackey (3-4, 6.10) for the Angels.
I would have a hard time believing there is a better pitcher in terms of bang for the buck this season than Billingsley. With a salary under $500K, the righthander is a huge reason Torre and the Bums are cruising in the NL West with a 44-23 record (+16.20 units) and 9-game lead over the Giants. He has won his last three starts with a 2.41 ERA over the 18.1 inning span, allowed just three homers all season and has more strikeouts than innings pitched (93 to 92.2)
One of his three losses this season came against the Angels at Chavez Ravine on May 24 when Billingsley worked six frames allowing five runs (four earned) in the Halos’ 10-7 win. His only start at Anaheim came as a rookie in 2006 when he took the loss going six and giving up four runs. Overall against the Angels, including relief appearances in 2007, Billingsley is 1-2 with a 3.27 ERA.
The Angels (35-29, +6.64 units) come into this one just a game-&-a-half behind the Rangers in the AL West and riding the longest current win streak in the majors. Saunders was in a bit of a rut with the team dropping three straight starts he made before he bounced back at the Big A last Saturday, pitching into the ninth of a 9-1 win against the Padres. He missed the Dodgers when the teams met in May, and went 1-1 against them in 2008, dropping a 6-0 decision in LA and winning a 4-2 contest at Anaheim. Those are his only career appearances vs. the Dodgers entering this tilt.
The weather should not be a problem in Anaheim this weekend, mostly sunny with temps in the upper 70s during the days. It will be a bit more humid than normal (in the 65%-80% range for Friday’s game).
The Angels are the -155 favorites in the series and I like them to take two of three. Yeah, you’re probably right, the Dodgers are the better value at +135 for the weekend. But I like how the Angels sticks have picked things up recently while Dodgers bats have tapered off a little. And I can’t argue with the Angels’ overall numbers in interleague play (8-1 this season) and here in Anaheim in this series (10-2 since 2005).
Obviously this first game is huge in the series of a series bet. If Saunders, Vlad and the rest of the Halos get off to the 1-0 lead, I will consider hedging a little bit of the series wager on Jeff Weaver in the Saturday game when he should be the decided dog to his brother Jered.
Both of the LA teams enter this weekend on good runs, with the Angels coming off sweeps of the Padres and Giants and the Dodgers winners of four of their last five.
Psssst! Hey buddy, wanna’ see some major league history?
Assuming Mother Nature doesn’t intervene, something will happen for just the 21st time this weekend on a major league diamond. Think about it, after all the thousands of games, and with family and generation history in the big leagues, two brothers stepped to the mound opposite each other in the same game just 20 times.
Jered and Jeff Weaver of the Angels and Dodgers respectively will put the 21st notch on this one. When you stop and consider that 14 of the previous 20 times, it was either the Niekro Brothers, Phil and Joe in the 1960s-70s, or those Barnes Boys back in the 1920s, it is indeed a rare event.
The last time it happened, Elaine Benes’ brothers, Alan and Andy, were the opposing hurlers in 2002 as members of the Cubs and Cardinals. Big bro’ Andy came away the easy winner.
The older brother this time will be Jeff Weaver (2-1, 3.72), who will be making just his fourth start of the season for Joe Torre and the Dodgers. He is the definitely underdog in this one to his younger brother Jered Weaver (9-4, 2.08) who is having a fine season for Mike Scioscia and the Halos.
Before we can get to Saturday’s contest pitting siblings, Friday’s series opener actually has the best pitching matchup of the weekend with Chad Billingsley (11-3, 2.72) on the hill for the Dodgers against Joe Saunders (7-6, 3.66). Sunday’s finale also provides an intriguing battle on the mound between young lefthander Clayton Kershaw (6-7, 4.13) and veteran righthander John Lackey (3-4, 6.10) for the Angels.
I would have a hard time believing there is a better pitcher in terms of bang for the buck this season than Billingsley. With a salary under $500K, the righthander is a huge reason Torre and the Bums are cruising in the NL West with a 44-23 record (+16.20 units) and 9-game lead over the Giants. He has won his last three starts with a 2.41 ERA over the 18.1 inning span, allowed just three homers all season and has more strikeouts than innings pitched (93 to 92.2)
One of his three losses this season came against the Angels at Chavez Ravine on May 24 when Billingsley worked six frames allowing five runs (four earned) in the Halos’ 10-7 win. His only start at Anaheim came as a rookie in 2006 when he took the loss going six and giving up four runs. Overall against the Angels, including relief appearances in 2007, Billingsley is 1-2 with a 3.27 ERA.
The Angels (35-29, +6.64 units) come into this one just a game-&-a-half behind the Rangers in the AL West and riding the longest current win streak in the majors. Saunders was in a bit of a rut with the team dropping three straight starts he made before he bounced back at the Big A last Saturday, pitching into the ninth of a 9-1 win against the Padres. He missed the Dodgers when the teams met in May, and went 1-1 against them in 2008, dropping a 6-0 decision in LA and winning a 4-2 contest at Anaheim. Those are his only career appearances vs. the Dodgers entering this tilt.
The weather should not be a problem in Anaheim this weekend, mostly sunny with temps in the upper 70s during the days. It will be a bit more humid than normal (in the 65%-80% range for Friday’s game).
The Angels are the -155 favorites in the series and I like them to take two of three. Yeah, you’re probably right, the Dodgers are the better value at +135 for the weekend. But I like how the Angels sticks have picked things up recently while Dodgers bats have tapered off a little. And I can’t argue with the Angels’ overall numbers in interleague play (8-1 this season) and here in Anaheim in this series (10-2 since 2005).
Obviously this first game is huge in the series of a series bet. If Saunders, Vlad and the rest of the Halos get off to the 1-0 lead, I will consider hedging a little bit of the series wager on Jeff Weaver in the Saturday game when he should be the decided dog to his brother Jered.