MLB Odds: Jimenez and Rockies Big Chalk Versus Blue Jays
The top pitcher in the majors takes to the Coors Field tonight to face the league's top slugging lineup when Ubaldo Jimenez takes on the Blue Jays in Denver.
The top slugging team in the majors heads to Coors Field this weekend, a thought that should bring home run visions galore. There's just one small problem with that idea.
Toronto batters will be facing baseball's top pitcher in Friday's interleague series opener when Ubaldo Jimenez (11-1, 0.93) takes the mound for the Rockies. He'll be opposed by the Blue Jays' Ricky Romero (8-4, 3.06) who is having a fine season as well though it still pales against Jimenez' numbers.
Early baseball odds certainly think Ubaldo's numbers are well ahead of Romero's. Colorado opened as a 200-215 favorite for the 9:10 p.m. ET start with the total listed at 7½.
Toronto leads the majors in long balls with 97 entering weekend play, 18 more than their nearest competitors. Jose Batista (18) and Vernon Wells (15) lead the charge for Cito Gaston's clubbers, a lineup that features seven batters with at least eight home runs to date.
By comparison, Colorado has hit 57 home runs which rates in the upper half of major league clubs, but still 41 less than the Jays.
It does indeed set up an fascinating Friday night fight, a bunch of big swingers in an offensively favorable park to see what they can do against the game's top pitcher.
Romero gets lost too easily in the discussion. The Blue Jays have won six of the southpaw's last eight starts. Romero's last trip to the mound was June 5, a no-decision in Toronto's 14-inning, 3-2 at home over the Yankees. Romero worked the first eight allowing two runs on a Derek Jeter homer.
Toronto won all three of Romero's interleague starts last season, including two against the Phillies. The lefty posted a 2.14 overall ERA in those outings, 3.21 in two road starts at NL clubs.
Rockies fans will only be seeing their ace for a fifth time in 2010 with eight of Jimenez' first 12 starts coming on the road. Jimenez is a perfect 4-0 in the previous four at Coors with a 1.29 ERA. He's allowed just one homer in 28 Mile High innings, with Adam Dunn owning that honor.
In six career interleague starts, Jimenez and the Rocks are 2-4. Both wins came in Denver last season over the Rays and Mariners.
Jimenez will be asked to become a true ace in terms of being the stopper on Friday. The Rockies enter having dropped three-straight in a four-game series to the lowly Astros, even at 30-30 on the season and losing ground in the NL West. Colorado is over 5.5 units in the red at the on MLB money lines and 35-22-3 to the 'under.'
Colorado was 11-4 against AL clubs last year, 5-1 at home. The Rockies won four of the five series, the only losing effort coming to the Angels in Anaheim. Toronto went 7-11 against the NL, 4-5 on the road, in 2009.
The last time the two clubs met was June 22-24, 2007, at Toronto's Rogers Centre. The Blue Jays broomed the Rockies out of Canada. That may have been payback for the Rockies sweeping three from them the year before here at Coors Field. And that may have been revenge for the only other meeting between the two in 2002 when the Blue Jays won all three in Toronto.
Now, if only Mother Nature lightens up and allows the two teams to play. Denver's forecast calls for a 60 percent chance of rain Friday evening, with the possibility of some rather severe storms that could produce hail.
Showers are possible throughout the weekend, so expect the umpire crew to do everything to get this one in since they will not want to postpone the first game of the set.
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!
The top pitcher in the majors takes to the Coors Field tonight to face the league's top slugging lineup when Ubaldo Jimenez takes on the Blue Jays in Denver.
The top slugging team in the majors heads to Coors Field this weekend, a thought that should bring home run visions galore. There's just one small problem with that idea.
Toronto batters will be facing baseball's top pitcher in Friday's interleague series opener when Ubaldo Jimenez (11-1, 0.93) takes the mound for the Rockies. He'll be opposed by the Blue Jays' Ricky Romero (8-4, 3.06) who is having a fine season as well though it still pales against Jimenez' numbers.
Early baseball odds certainly think Ubaldo's numbers are well ahead of Romero's. Colorado opened as a 200-215 favorite for the 9:10 p.m. ET start with the total listed at 7½.
Toronto leads the majors in long balls with 97 entering weekend play, 18 more than their nearest competitors. Jose Batista (18) and Vernon Wells (15) lead the charge for Cito Gaston's clubbers, a lineup that features seven batters with at least eight home runs to date.
By comparison, Colorado has hit 57 home runs which rates in the upper half of major league clubs, but still 41 less than the Jays.
It does indeed set up an fascinating Friday night fight, a bunch of big swingers in an offensively favorable park to see what they can do against the game's top pitcher.
Romero gets lost too easily in the discussion. The Blue Jays have won six of the southpaw's last eight starts. Romero's last trip to the mound was June 5, a no-decision in Toronto's 14-inning, 3-2 at home over the Yankees. Romero worked the first eight allowing two runs on a Derek Jeter homer.
Toronto won all three of Romero's interleague starts last season, including two against the Phillies. The lefty posted a 2.14 overall ERA in those outings, 3.21 in two road starts at NL clubs.
Rockies fans will only be seeing their ace for a fifth time in 2010 with eight of Jimenez' first 12 starts coming on the road. Jimenez is a perfect 4-0 in the previous four at Coors with a 1.29 ERA. He's allowed just one homer in 28 Mile High innings, with Adam Dunn owning that honor.
In six career interleague starts, Jimenez and the Rocks are 2-4. Both wins came in Denver last season over the Rays and Mariners.
Jimenez will be asked to become a true ace in terms of being the stopper on Friday. The Rockies enter having dropped three-straight in a four-game series to the lowly Astros, even at 30-30 on the season and losing ground in the NL West. Colorado is over 5.5 units in the red at the on MLB money lines and 35-22-3 to the 'under.'
Colorado was 11-4 against AL clubs last year, 5-1 at home. The Rockies won four of the five series, the only losing effort coming to the Angels in Anaheim. Toronto went 7-11 against the NL, 4-5 on the road, in 2009.
The last time the two clubs met was June 22-24, 2007, at Toronto's Rogers Centre. The Blue Jays broomed the Rockies out of Canada. That may have been payback for the Rockies sweeping three from them the year before here at Coors Field. And that may have been revenge for the only other meeting between the two in 2002 when the Blue Jays won all three in Toronto.
Now, if only Mother Nature lightens up and allows the two teams to play. Denver's forecast calls for a 60 percent chance of rain Friday evening, with the possibility of some rather severe storms that could produce hail.
Showers are possible throughout the weekend, so expect the umpire crew to do everything to get this one in since they will not want to postpone the first game of the set.
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!
