Giants and Braves Begin Big Weekend Series in Atlanta
Turner Field will have a matchup of two playoff contenders this weekend when the Braves host the Giants. San Fran opens the series with their ace, Tim Lincecum.
East meets West at Turner Field Thursday night when the Atlanta Braves host the San Francisco Giants in the opener of a four-game series. The long weekend battle could take on a bit of a playoff atmosphere with the Braves up by two games over the Phillies in the NL East and the Giants trailing the Padres by a single game in the NL West.
Intriguing and solid pitching matchups are the standard fare for the four games, beginning with the series starter that pits two-time NL Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum against Jair Jurrjens. The two faced each other in this park just about 377 days ago, and the books have not changed their minds about the matchup according to the early betting lines. Bet Jamaica came out early exactly where the game closed last July, with the Giants -106 favorites to Atlanta's -104. The total is also the same lucky seven.
The Giants split their quick series in Colorado on Wednesday with a 6-1 loss to Ubaldo Jimenez and the Rockies who were 175 chalk. Atlanta used three home runs and four Met errors to drop New York, 8-3, on Wednesday. The Braves were 160 favorites in that one.
Lincecum (16-6, 3.10) is in a decent groove as far as the pay window goes with San Fran coming out on top in his last five starts, and nine of his last 11. The right-hander has rebounded with two quality starts following his hiccup the Giants still pulled off at Los Angeles on July 20. Lincecum, a small 'dog to the Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw, didn't make it through five with five LA runners scoring in San Francisco's eventual 7-5 triumph.
This is his second effort against the Braves this season, and fourth career start at Turner Field. Lincecum worked seven at home on April 11, striking out 10 Atlanta hitters and giving up two runs in a 6-3 Giants win while floating 185 chalk. San Francisco is 2-1 in his previous three outings in Atlanta, with Lincecum owning a 4.07 ERA. The lone loss was a 4-2 decision last July in which Jurrjens opposed Lincecum in what closed as a pick or close to it depending where you shop your baseball betting prices.
Jurrjens (6-5, 4.62) has been a strange one since he came back from the hamstring injury in late June. Overall he's pitched well in the six starts since his April injury, with Atlanta winning the first four and dropping the last two when Jurrjens fell victim to the 'big inning bug.' Both losses were on the road in Florida (-135 MLB odds) and Cincinnati (pick 'em), so we'll see how he does now at home where Jurrjens has darn near been untouchable, and certainly unbeatable. The Braves are 5-0 in his Turner Field starts where his ERA is below two in 31 2/3 frames.
This will be the first time Jurrjens has been the MLB betting underdog on his own mound this season as well. The Braves have been in the 135-170 chalk area in his five home starts. He three-hit the Giants into the eighth of his matchup with Lincecum (5 IP, 4 ER, 9 K) on July 22, giving up two runs and striking out nine. Lincecum's downfall in that game was the third inning when a short single, a walk and then a Yunel Escobar three-run blast put him in an early four-nothing hole.
Thunderstorms are supposed to be in the Atlanta area Thursday evening, with forecasters listing a 40 percent chance of rain. Warm and muggy is the call with a first-pitch temp in the mid-to-upper 80s and not much even in the form of a humid breeze to help hold down the heat.
The four-game series continues Friday when San Francisco is scheduled to send left-hander Barry Zito (13-9, 3.38) to the mound against Atlanta's Tommy Hanson (13-9, 3.83).
NOTE: W-L records displayed for starting pitchers are team records in games the pitchers start.
Turner Field will have a matchup of two playoff contenders this weekend when the Braves host the Giants. San Fran opens the series with their ace, Tim Lincecum.
East meets West at Turner Field Thursday night when the Atlanta Braves host the San Francisco Giants in the opener of a four-game series. The long weekend battle could take on a bit of a playoff atmosphere with the Braves up by two games over the Phillies in the NL East and the Giants trailing the Padres by a single game in the NL West.
Intriguing and solid pitching matchups are the standard fare for the four games, beginning with the series starter that pits two-time NL Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum against Jair Jurrjens. The two faced each other in this park just about 377 days ago, and the books have not changed their minds about the matchup according to the early betting lines. Bet Jamaica came out early exactly where the game closed last July, with the Giants -106 favorites to Atlanta's -104. The total is also the same lucky seven.
The Giants split their quick series in Colorado on Wednesday with a 6-1 loss to Ubaldo Jimenez and the Rockies who were 175 chalk. Atlanta used three home runs and four Met errors to drop New York, 8-3, on Wednesday. The Braves were 160 favorites in that one.
Lincecum (16-6, 3.10) is in a decent groove as far as the pay window goes with San Fran coming out on top in his last five starts, and nine of his last 11. The right-hander has rebounded with two quality starts following his hiccup the Giants still pulled off at Los Angeles on July 20. Lincecum, a small 'dog to the Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw, didn't make it through five with five LA runners scoring in San Francisco's eventual 7-5 triumph.
This is his second effort against the Braves this season, and fourth career start at Turner Field. Lincecum worked seven at home on April 11, striking out 10 Atlanta hitters and giving up two runs in a 6-3 Giants win while floating 185 chalk. San Francisco is 2-1 in his previous three outings in Atlanta, with Lincecum owning a 4.07 ERA. The lone loss was a 4-2 decision last July in which Jurrjens opposed Lincecum in what closed as a pick or close to it depending where you shop your baseball betting prices.
Jurrjens (6-5, 4.62) has been a strange one since he came back from the hamstring injury in late June. Overall he's pitched well in the six starts since his April injury, with Atlanta winning the first four and dropping the last two when Jurrjens fell victim to the 'big inning bug.' Both losses were on the road in Florida (-135 MLB odds) and Cincinnati (pick 'em), so we'll see how he does now at home where Jurrjens has darn near been untouchable, and certainly unbeatable. The Braves are 5-0 in his Turner Field starts where his ERA is below two in 31 2/3 frames.
This will be the first time Jurrjens has been the MLB betting underdog on his own mound this season as well. The Braves have been in the 135-170 chalk area in his five home starts. He three-hit the Giants into the eighth of his matchup with Lincecum (5 IP, 4 ER, 9 K) on July 22, giving up two runs and striking out nine. Lincecum's downfall in that game was the third inning when a short single, a walk and then a Yunel Escobar three-run blast put him in an early four-nothing hole.
Thunderstorms are supposed to be in the Atlanta area Thursday evening, with forecasters listing a 40 percent chance of rain. Warm and muggy is the call with a first-pitch temp in the mid-to-upper 80s and not much even in the form of a humid breeze to help hold down the heat.
The four-game series continues Friday when San Francisco is scheduled to send left-hander Barry Zito (13-9, 3.38) to the mound against Atlanta's Tommy Hanson (13-9, 3.83).
NOTE: W-L records displayed for starting pitchers are team records in games the pitchers start.
