MLB Betting: Roy Oswalt Begins New Chapter With Phillies
Nationals fans missed Stephen Strasburg on Tuesday and weren't going to see Roy Halladay this weekend. But they will get to watch an ace in new Phillie Roy Oswalt.
The old W.C. Fields line comes to mind. "On the whole, I'd rather be in Philadelphia." Apparently Roy Oswalt is happy to be there as well after he was acquired from Houston by the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday for J.A. Happ and a pair of minor leaguers.
Who can blame him for wanting out after reading the details of the deal coming across the wires. According to ESPN.com, the Astros will pay nearly half of the $23 million Oswalt is guaranteed through the 2011 season. If that's the kind of management Houston has working its baseball operation, is there any hope at all for the franchise?
Sorry, my emotions are a bit tangled right now what with my heart having been given to the Houston club over 48 years ago. Nobody likes to see a really good player leave their favorite team. Even if it's a decent trade on paper, you hate to see the guys you've cheered on go to another squad. But I can accept a lot of the business part of baseball as 'just part of the game.'
What I can't accept are bonehead deals like this one. No, not the players Houston gets in return. I'm talking about paying someone's salary to perform and win for another club.
Oswalt (7-13, 3.42) can in fact start winning for the Phils right away. Friday was to be his normal day to start, and the right-hander was packing and leaving for Washington and catch up with his new club for the series opener against the Nationals. The Nats are scheduled to throw Craig Stammen (5-12, 5.50) in the 7:05 p.m. ET start.
The Reds pounded on Oswalt in his most recent assignment, what proved to be his final Astros start in front of the home fans, sniff-sniff. Roy O served two long flies and was charged with six runs on nine hits in five innings. Cincinnati won the game 7-0 behind Johnny Cueto in what was basically a pick 'em at the MLB betting window.
Washington also got to him the last time they faced Oswalt. The fiery Mississippian was ejected in the third inning and charged with four runs in a 14-4 loss as 160 chalk on May 31.
This will be just the second time Oswalt has pitched at the new stadium in DC, and the only other assignment was a strange game indeed. Oswalt worked into the sixth inning on May 5, 2009 and was eventually charged with four runs. He came out in the bottom of the sixth with a sore finger, and the game eventually went extra innings with a 10-10 deadlock.
The Nationals were threatening in the bottom of the 11th when the rain that had been falling finally forced the game to come to a halt. Since the Astros had no return visit to DC planned, the game was eventually completed in Houston on July 9. The Nats scored in the first few minutes of the pick-up game for an 11-10 victory.
There was still the matter of the Phillies home game Thursday evening against the Diamondbacks to resolve before Friday's game gets underway. Philadelphia was favored in that one (minus 150) and went to the 11th inning before pulling out the 3-2 win, the eighth-straight for the Phils.
Original MLB odds that came out when Happ was supposed to be facing Stamen in this matchup had the Phils 135-140 favorites. The books were already adjusting to 165-170 after the Oswalt trade with the total dropping from nine to eight at most shops. I suspect this one could go 180-185 at places before it's over.
Stammen is making his third go at the Phils in this one with the previous two coming at the start of his 2010 stat ledger. The former Dayton Flyer no-decisioned in each game, allowing four runs in five innings at home and seven runs before getting out of the second at Philly. The Nats won the home game, 6-5, as 140 'dogs and dropping the other 14-7 with a plus 175 line.
Nationals Park has been a bit kinder for Stammen, but not by much with a 4.94 ERA in 47 1/3 innings.
All systems appear to be 'go' on the weather front. Friday evening's first pitch should be around 80ºF with mostly clear skies and a northeast breeze around six currently (in from center).
NOTE: W-L records displayed for starting pitchers are team records in games the pitchers start.
Nationals fans missed Stephen Strasburg on Tuesday and weren't going to see Roy Halladay this weekend. But they will get to watch an ace in new Phillie Roy Oswalt.
The old W.C. Fields line comes to mind. "On the whole, I'd rather be in Philadelphia." Apparently Roy Oswalt is happy to be there as well after he was acquired from Houston by the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday for J.A. Happ and a pair of minor leaguers.
Who can blame him for wanting out after reading the details of the deal coming across the wires. According to ESPN.com, the Astros will pay nearly half of the $23 million Oswalt is guaranteed through the 2011 season. If that's the kind of management Houston has working its baseball operation, is there any hope at all for the franchise?
Sorry, my emotions are a bit tangled right now what with my heart having been given to the Houston club over 48 years ago. Nobody likes to see a really good player leave their favorite team. Even if it's a decent trade on paper, you hate to see the guys you've cheered on go to another squad. But I can accept a lot of the business part of baseball as 'just part of the game.'
What I can't accept are bonehead deals like this one. No, not the players Houston gets in return. I'm talking about paying someone's salary to perform and win for another club.
Oswalt (7-13, 3.42) can in fact start winning for the Phils right away. Friday was to be his normal day to start, and the right-hander was packing and leaving for Washington and catch up with his new club for the series opener against the Nationals. The Nats are scheduled to throw Craig Stammen (5-12, 5.50) in the 7:05 p.m. ET start.
The Reds pounded on Oswalt in his most recent assignment, what proved to be his final Astros start in front of the home fans, sniff-sniff. Roy O served two long flies and was charged with six runs on nine hits in five innings. Cincinnati won the game 7-0 behind Johnny Cueto in what was basically a pick 'em at the MLB betting window.
Washington also got to him the last time they faced Oswalt. The fiery Mississippian was ejected in the third inning and charged with four runs in a 14-4 loss as 160 chalk on May 31.
This will be just the second time Oswalt has pitched at the new stadium in DC, and the only other assignment was a strange game indeed. Oswalt worked into the sixth inning on May 5, 2009 and was eventually charged with four runs. He came out in the bottom of the sixth with a sore finger, and the game eventually went extra innings with a 10-10 deadlock.
The Nationals were threatening in the bottom of the 11th when the rain that had been falling finally forced the game to come to a halt. Since the Astros had no return visit to DC planned, the game was eventually completed in Houston on July 9. The Nats scored in the first few minutes of the pick-up game for an 11-10 victory.
There was still the matter of the Phillies home game Thursday evening against the Diamondbacks to resolve before Friday's game gets underway. Philadelphia was favored in that one (minus 150) and went to the 11th inning before pulling out the 3-2 win, the eighth-straight for the Phils.
Original MLB odds that came out when Happ was supposed to be facing Stamen in this matchup had the Phils 135-140 favorites. The books were already adjusting to 165-170 after the Oswalt trade with the total dropping from nine to eight at most shops. I suspect this one could go 180-185 at places before it's over.
Stammen is making his third go at the Phils in this one with the previous two coming at the start of his 2010 stat ledger. The former Dayton Flyer no-decisioned in each game, allowing four runs in five innings at home and seven runs before getting out of the second at Philly. The Nats won the home game, 6-5, as 140 'dogs and dropping the other 14-7 with a plus 175 line.
Nationals Park has been a bit kinder for Stammen, but not by much with a 4.94 ERA in 47 1/3 innings.
All systems appear to be 'go' on the weather front. Friday evening's first pitch should be around 80ºF with mostly clear skies and a northeast breeze around six currently (in from center).
NOTE: W-L records displayed for starting pitchers are team records in games the pitchers start.
