Early Friday MLB Information (Betting Odds - Matchup Pages)
-The Cubs return home after playing 23 of 35 on the road
-Chicago has won nine of its last 13 games
-Diamondbacks bullpen is 3-2 with a 2.14 ERA since June 22
-Detroit has a major league-high five-game win streak, while also winning eight of 11
-The Orioles have lost 13 of 19
-Tigers SP Doug Fister is 1-3 with an 8.85 ERA over his last four starts
-Orioles SP Jason Hammel has lost three straight starts with an 8.10 ERA
-Baltimore is hoping to activate OF Nick Markakis to start the second half
-Fister has a 7.59 ERA in two career starts at Camden Yards
-Two teams split 10 meetings in 2011
-Marlins OF Giancarlo Stanton will begin the second half on the DL (19 HRs, 50 RBIs)
-Miami 3B Hanley Ramirez had to leave Sunday’s game with a right finger laceration
-Home team has won all five meetings in 2012
-Angels are 42-24 since OF Mike Trout’s call-up, best record in baseball over that span (April 28)
-New York is a season-high 19 games above .500 and possess the largest division lead in baseball
-The Yankees lead the majors with 134 home runs, highest total in team history through 85 games
-Angels closer Ernesto Frieri hasn’t allowed a run in 25 appearances with the team
-Los Angeles has 13 shutouts, most in franchise history before the All-Star break
Read an SBR Forum preview featuring the Angels/Yankees
-St. Louis is 10-14 in one-run games, and 4-7 in two-run games
-The Cardinals have won four of six meetings with the Reds this season
-Blue Jays SP Ricky Romero has lost each of his last three starts, giving up eight runs in two of those outings
-Toronto 3B Brett Lawrie missed Sunday’s game with lower back tightness, batting .324 with a HR in his last eight games
-The Mets have won seven of 11 and have taken four of six from the Braves this season
-Atlanta has won four straight and gone 32-30 since April
-Of the Braves’ first 29 contest after the break, 23 will come against division foes (13-12 record vs. NL East)
-Braves C Brian McCann went 7-for-16 with four HRs and 11 RBIs in his last four games before the break
-3B David Wright is batting just .206 against Braves SP Tim Hudson (71 PAs)
Read an SBR Forum preview regarding this NL East matchup
-The Rays have lost nine of their last 14 games
-Boston OF Jacoby Ellsbury is batting .185 in eight minor league games
-Rays 3B Evan Longoria is likely out until August
-The season series is tied, 4-4, with Tampa taking two of three at Boston May 15-17
-SP Zack Greinke will start a third straight game for the Brewers, something that hasn’t been done in baseball since 1917
-Pittsburgh has won six of seven and 10 of 12, posting the best record in baseball since May 12 (34-19)
-The Pirates have gone 11-1-1 in their last 13 series, winning seven consecutive at PNC Park
-Pirates OF Andrew McCutchen leads the majors with a .362 batting average
-Pittsburgh has the best home record in baseball (29-14), but will be on the road in 16 of 22 to start the second half
-Twins SP Francisco Liriano has a 2.74 ERA over his last eight starts
-Athletics SP A.J. Griffin has a 1.50 ERA in three starts
-Minnesota 1B Justin Morneau is a .320 career hitter against Oakland
-Oakland has won five of its last six games at Target Field
-Colorado has just two series wins in its last 11 tries, while dropping 23 of 35 games
-Phillies setup man Anthony Bastardo has a 5.34 ERA
-Philadelphia hasn’t missed the postseason since 2007
-White Sox SP Gavin Floyd is 3-1 with a 1.37 ERA over his last four starts
-Royals SP Bruce Chen has a career 3.30 ERA versus the White Sox (15 games, 10 starts)
-Chicago 3B Kevin Youkilis is batting .444 with three HRs and 11 RBIs in his last seven games
-The Dodgers have gone 5-15 in their last 20 games
-Los Angeles SS Dee Gordon is out of the lineup for at least six weeks, leading the majors with 30 steals
-San Diego has used 13 different starting pitchers
-The Dodgers are 7-2 against the Padres this season
-In their final two homestands before the break, the Mariners went 7-12 and are hitting .195 as a team at Safeco Field
-Texas had its best record ever before the All-Star break (52-34)
-In three starts versus the Rangers this year, Mariners SP Kevin Millwood is 1-0 with a 1.06 ERA
Read an SBR Forum preview of the Rangers/Mariners
-Houston lost 10 of 11 heading into the break
-San Francisco lost five of six on its recent road trip
-The Giants hit .225 with RISP in the first half, second worst in baseball
-The Giants won two of three against the Astros earlier this year, including Matt Cain’s perfect game