MLB Betting: Cliff Lee and Mariners Visit Orioles
Assuming Mother Nature cooperates, Cliff Lee will make his first start against the Orioles in nearly five years on Tuesday when the Seattle Mariners open a three-game set in Baltimore.
To paraphrase Casey Stengel, can't anyone around here hit the ball? Apparently not when it comes to the two offenses that will battle at Camden Yards in a three-game set that starts on Tuesday.
Seattle and Baltimore own the two weakest lineups in the American League. If not for the Houston Astros, the M's and O's would have the two most pathetic offenses in the majors. That will undoubted lead many to look at the pitching matchup and instantly think the Orioles are in big trouble when they face Seattle lefty Cliff Lee (0-2, 2.40). Baltimore will counter with right-hander David Hernandez (2-4, 5.75).
Lee and the Mariners were handed 135-140 chalk in the early line release Monday afternoon. The total is listed at 7½, with the 'over' drawing a higher price.
The Mariners just finished up a 1-8 homestand, their 8-1 win over the Angels on Sunday saving them from being swept in the stand at Safeco Field. Seattle could manage just 12 runs in the eight losses, with both Texas and Tampa taking a broom to the M's.
Seattle is scoring just 3.29 runs per game as we hit mid-May. Chicago's Paul Konerko has 13 homers on the season while the Mariners have banged out just 12 among them. That lack of offense has not paid off obviously on the money line, with Seattle's 12-19 mark leaving it 8.6 units in the red. But 'under' bettors have enjoyed a little payoff on the Mariners' 17-12-2 record.
Things aren't much better in Baltimore when it comes to scoring. The 18 extra home runs the O's have hit compared to the Mariners has translated to just an extra 0.05 RPG (3.34). The Birds have been held to three runs or less in 21 of 32 games, a big part of their 19-11-2 'under' record.
Baltimore is just 9-23 in the standings, and down about 9.5 units on the moneyline. The Orioles are coming home off a 2-5 road trip through the Bronx and Minneapolis, with both wins coming at the Twins' new home.
Lee hasn't faced the Orioles since 2005, so the only face he will recognize from then is Miguel Tejada. In three career starts versus Baltimore while pitching in an Indians uniform, Cleveland went 2-1 with Lee sporting a 3.20 ERA in 19 2/3 innings.
Hernandez saw the Mariners twice last year with the O's splitting the two games. Ichiro Suzuki, Jose Lopez and Franklin Gutierrez are a combined 10-for-23 (.434) against the Orioles righty, with Lopez poking a long fly.
When the O's traveled to Seattle about three weeks ago, the Mariners recorded a three-game sweep and outscored Baltimore 15-4. The 8-2 triumph in the series opener was the only 'over' among the trio of games.
Bettors looking at this game will need to keep an eye on the weather. There is an 80 percent chance of rain in Baltimore for Tuesday, with the steady stuff expected in the afternoon before the odds drop to 50 percent in the evening. Temps should hover in the mid-to-upper 50s most of the day, with winds forecast out of the southeast in the evening at 10-20 mph (out to left).
The series continues Wednesday when the M's send Ryan Rowland-Smith to the hill against Baltimore's Bred Bergesen. Felix Hernandez and Kevin Millwood are scheduled to duel in Thursday's finale. If a game in the set does get canceled due to inclement weather, Seattle does return to Charm City in mid-August when a makeup contest could be played.
NOTE: The W-L records shown for starting pitchers are their team's W-L mark when they started games in the 2010 season. Statistical sources for this article were Retrosheet.org, Baseball-Reference.com, ESPN.com and, of course, S-BEE-R-dot-com!
Assuming Mother Nature cooperates, Cliff Lee will make his first start against the Orioles in nearly five years on Tuesday when the Seattle Mariners open a three-game set in Baltimore.
To paraphrase Casey Stengel, can't anyone around here hit the ball? Apparently not when it comes to the two offenses that will battle at Camden Yards in a three-game set that starts on Tuesday.
Seattle and Baltimore own the two weakest lineups in the American League. If not for the Houston Astros, the M's and O's would have the two most pathetic offenses in the majors. That will undoubted lead many to look at the pitching matchup and instantly think the Orioles are in big trouble when they face Seattle lefty Cliff Lee (0-2, 2.40). Baltimore will counter with right-hander David Hernandez (2-4, 5.75).
Lee and the Mariners were handed 135-140 chalk in the early line release Monday afternoon. The total is listed at 7½, with the 'over' drawing a higher price.
The Mariners just finished up a 1-8 homestand, their 8-1 win over the Angels on Sunday saving them from being swept in the stand at Safeco Field. Seattle could manage just 12 runs in the eight losses, with both Texas and Tampa taking a broom to the M's.
Seattle is scoring just 3.29 runs per game as we hit mid-May. Chicago's Paul Konerko has 13 homers on the season while the Mariners have banged out just 12 among them. That lack of offense has not paid off obviously on the money line, with Seattle's 12-19 mark leaving it 8.6 units in the red. But 'under' bettors have enjoyed a little payoff on the Mariners' 17-12-2 record.
Things aren't much better in Baltimore when it comes to scoring. The 18 extra home runs the O's have hit compared to the Mariners has translated to just an extra 0.05 RPG (3.34). The Birds have been held to three runs or less in 21 of 32 games, a big part of their 19-11-2 'under' record.
Baltimore is just 9-23 in the standings, and down about 9.5 units on the moneyline. The Orioles are coming home off a 2-5 road trip through the Bronx and Minneapolis, with both wins coming at the Twins' new home.
Lee hasn't faced the Orioles since 2005, so the only face he will recognize from then is Miguel Tejada. In three career starts versus Baltimore while pitching in an Indians uniform, Cleveland went 2-1 with Lee sporting a 3.20 ERA in 19 2/3 innings.
Hernandez saw the Mariners twice last year with the O's splitting the two games. Ichiro Suzuki, Jose Lopez and Franklin Gutierrez are a combined 10-for-23 (.434) against the Orioles righty, with Lopez poking a long fly.
When the O's traveled to Seattle about three weeks ago, the Mariners recorded a three-game sweep and outscored Baltimore 15-4. The 8-2 triumph in the series opener was the only 'over' among the trio of games.
Bettors looking at this game will need to keep an eye on the weather. There is an 80 percent chance of rain in Baltimore for Tuesday, with the steady stuff expected in the afternoon before the odds drop to 50 percent in the evening. Temps should hover in the mid-to-upper 50s most of the day, with winds forecast out of the southeast in the evening at 10-20 mph (out to left).
The series continues Wednesday when the M's send Ryan Rowland-Smith to the hill against Baltimore's Bred Bergesen. Felix Hernandez and Kevin Millwood are scheduled to duel in Thursday's finale. If a game in the set does get canceled due to inclement weather, Seattle does return to Charm City in mid-August when a makeup contest could be played.
NOTE: The W-L records shown for starting pitchers are their team's W-L mark when they started games in the 2010 season. Statistical sources for this article were Retrosheet.org, Baseball-Reference.com, ESPN.com and, of course, S-BEE-R-dot-com!
