Nice write up by Chance Harper I thought I'd post here.
By: Chance Harper for 6/18/2007
Interleague play continues around Major League Baseball this week, featuring the Braves hosting the Red Sox in Atlanta, the Phillies visiting the Indians in Cleveland and the New York Mets hosting the Minnesota Twins. Here's a quick inside look at some of the more interesting series coming up in the first half of the week.
The Boston Red Sox are just 8-8 this month, and they've let the hated New York Yankees creep to within 8½ games of them in the AL East. But the Red Sox did manage to sweep three games from the San Francisco Giants over the weekend.
MLB Betting Preview
The Atlanta Braves, meanwhile, are only 7-9 in June, but thanks to the struggles of the New York Mets, sit just a game and a half out of first place in the NL East. Boston (44-24) will throw Curt Schilling (6-3, 3.80) at the Braves Monday, Josh Beckett (9-1, 3.39) Tuesday and Julian Tavarez (4-4, 4.97) Wednesday, while Atlanta (37-33) will counter with Chuck James (5-6, 4.16), Tim Hudson (6-4, 3.25) and Buddy Carlyle (1-1, 4.44).
Schilling got clipped for five runs and nine hits in five innings vs. Colorado last Wednesday, his first outing after his near-no-hitter. On the other side, James had posted three quality starts in a row until giving up six ER in 4.1 innings vs. Minnesota last Wednesday. Beckett is coming off his worst outing of this season, allowing six runs and 10 hits in five innings vs. the Rockies last Thursday. Meanwhile, Hudson shut down Minnesota Thursday, but he's had four bad outings of five or more ER in his last six starts.
The series price for the Red Sox-Braves set is -130 for Boston and +110 for the Braves.
The Philadelphia Phillies, who have steadied themselves after that slow start to the season, visit the AL Central-leading Cleveland Indians for three games beginning Monday. Philly is 10-6 this month and is now within two games of the NL East-leading Mets. Cleveland, meanwhile, is only 7-9 this month, but still leads the Detroit Tigers by a game in the AL Central.
The Phillies (36-33) will send Cole Hamels (9-2, 3.47) to the mound Monday, rookie Kyle Kendrick Tuesday and Jon Lieber (3-5, 4.21) Wednesday, while the Tribe (40-28) will go with Cliff Lee (3-4, 6.04), rookie Jason Stanford and C.C. Sabathia (9-2, 3.19).
Hamels owns a very nice 104/23 K/BB ratio this season, but has also allowed a league-leading 16 homers. On the other side, Lee owned an ERA of 3.60 back on May 8. It's nearly doubled since then.
Stanford had a good line in his first start of this season, allowing just one run, walking none and striking out seven in six innings vs. Florida last week. Meanwhile, Kendrick, in his ML debut, gave up three ER in six innings vs. the Chicago White Sox last week. Sabathia owns a 96/16 K/BB ratio, and has given up just four ER over his last 26-plus innings of work. On the other hand, Lieber has given up double-digit hits in three of his last four starts.
Cleveland is drawing -170 chalk at home in the series with the Phils listed at +150.
The Milwaukee Brewers won eight of their first 10 series this season, then lost eight of their next nine series. But Milwaukee has now won back-to-back road series after taking two of three games in Detroit and Minnesota over the last week. And the Brewers get a bit of good news this week when 2B Ricky Weeks, who's been sidelined since the end of May with a bad wrist, comes off the DL Monday.
Milwaukee (38-31), which still leads the NL Central by 6½ games over the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals, hosts Barry Bonds and his traveling sideshow -- also known as the San Francisco Giants (30-38) -- for three games beginning Monday in the only non-interleague match early in the week. The Brew Crew is listed as -180 favorites to take the series with the Giants priced at +160.
The New York Mets, as mentioned above, have stumbled lately, going just 3-12 this month after dropping two of three games to the Yankees over the weekend. And the Mets bats have been quiet, scoring three runs or fewer in 11 of their 15 games this month.
New York (37-30) begins a 10-game homestand with a three-game series vs. the Minnesota Twins (34-33) starting Monday. Despite their recent slump, the Mets are favored (-160) at home over the Twins (+140).
And the Los Angeles Angels, by going 11-4 so far this month, have stretched their lead in the AL West to 6½ games over the second-place Oakland A's. The Angels just took two of three games from the Dodgers over the weekend, and are averaging 6.5 runs per game in June.
The Angels (44-26) begin a nine-game homestand with a three-game set vs. the Houston Astros (30-39) starting Monday and are heavy favorites to take the series with a -250 price.
Interleague play continues around Major League Baseball this week, featuring the Braves hosting the Red Sox in Atlanta, the Phillies visiting the Indians in Cleveland and the New York Mets hosting the Minnesota Twins. Here's a quick inside look at some of the more interesting series coming up in the first half of the week.
The Boston Red Sox are just 8-8 this month, and they've let the hated New York Yankees creep to within 8½ games of them in the AL East. But the Red Sox did manage to sweep three games from the San Francisco Giants over the weekend.
MLB Betting Preview
The Atlanta Braves, meanwhile, are only 7-9 in June, but thanks to the struggles of the New York Mets, sit just a game and a half out of first place in the NL East. Boston (44-24) will throw Curt Schilling (6-3, 3.80) at the Braves Monday, Josh Beckett (9-1, 3.39) Tuesday and Julian Tavarez (4-4, 4.97) Wednesday, while Atlanta (37-33) will counter with Chuck James (5-6, 4.16), Tim Hudson (6-4, 3.25) and Buddy Carlyle (1-1, 4.44).
Schilling got clipped for five runs and nine hits in five innings vs. Colorado last Wednesday, his first outing after his near-no-hitter. On the other side, James had posted three quality starts in a row until giving up six ER in 4.1 innings vs. Minnesota last Wednesday. Beckett is coming off his worst outing of this season, allowing six runs and 10 hits in five innings vs. the Rockies last Thursday. Meanwhile, Hudson shut down Minnesota Thursday, but he's had four bad outings of five or more ER in his last six starts.
The series price for the Red Sox-Braves set is -130 for Boston and +110 for the Braves.
The Philadelphia Phillies, who have steadied themselves after that slow start to the season, visit the AL Central-leading Cleveland Indians for three games beginning Monday. Philly is 10-6 this month and is now within two games of the NL East-leading Mets. Cleveland, meanwhile, is only 7-9 this month, but still leads the Detroit Tigers by a game in the AL Central.
The Phillies (36-33) will send Cole Hamels (9-2, 3.47) to the mound Monday, rookie Kyle Kendrick Tuesday and Jon Lieber (3-5, 4.21) Wednesday, while the Tribe (40-28) will go with Cliff Lee (3-4, 6.04), rookie Jason Stanford and C.C. Sabathia (9-2, 3.19).
Hamels owns a very nice 104/23 K/BB ratio this season, but has also allowed a league-leading 16 homers. On the other side, Lee owned an ERA of 3.60 back on May 8. It's nearly doubled since then.
Stanford had a good line in his first start of this season, allowing just one run, walking none and striking out seven in six innings vs. Florida last week. Meanwhile, Kendrick, in his ML debut, gave up three ER in six innings vs. the Chicago White Sox last week. Sabathia owns a 96/16 K/BB ratio, and has given up just four ER over his last 26-plus innings of work. On the other hand, Lieber has given up double-digit hits in three of his last four starts.
Cleveland is drawing -170 chalk at home in the series with the Phils listed at +150.
The Milwaukee Brewers won eight of their first 10 series this season, then lost eight of their next nine series. But Milwaukee has now won back-to-back road series after taking two of three games in Detroit and Minnesota over the last week. And the Brewers get a bit of good news this week when 2B Ricky Weeks, who's been sidelined since the end of May with a bad wrist, comes off the DL Monday.
Milwaukee (38-31), which still leads the NL Central by 6½ games over the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals, hosts Barry Bonds and his traveling sideshow -- also known as the San Francisco Giants (30-38) -- for three games beginning Monday in the only non-interleague match early in the week. The Brew Crew is listed as -180 favorites to take the series with the Giants priced at +160.
The New York Mets, as mentioned above, have stumbled lately, going just 3-12 this month after dropping two of three games to the Yankees over the weekend. And the Mets bats have been quiet, scoring three runs or fewer in 11 of their 15 games this month.
New York (37-30) begins a 10-game homestand with a three-game series vs. the Minnesota Twins (34-33) starting Monday. Despite their recent slump, the Mets are favored (-160) at home over the Twins (+140).
And the Los Angeles Angels, by going 11-4 so far this month, have stretched their lead in the AL West to 6½ games over the second-place Oakland A's. The Angels just took two of three games from the Dodgers over the weekend, and are averaging 6.5 runs per game in June.
The Angels (44-26) begin a nine-game homestand with a three-game set vs. the Houston Astros (30-39) starting Monday and are heavy favorites to take the series with a -250 price.