NL Wild Card On Line When Phillies Host Giants
Roy Oswalt and the Philadelphia Phillies look for their 19th win in 24 tries Tuesday night at home when they host the San Francisco Giants in a key MLB betting series.
The National League wild card slot could be at stake starting Tuesday night in Philadelphia when the Phillies host the San Francisco Giants in the opener of a three-game series. Action started in the 20th week of the regular season schedule with the two clubs locked in a three-way dogfight for the honors with St. Louis, the trio separated by a half-game and mere percentage points in the ranks.
Managers Bruce Bochy and Charlie Manuel will each have a veteran arm on the hill in Philly with Barry Zito squaring off against Roy Oswalt. TheGreek.com opened its line with the Phillies minus 145 favorites. The total is 7½ with the 'over' getting the extra chalk.
Philadelphia has been on a tear since sluggishly coming out of the break and dropping six of seven. After falling to 48-46 on July 22, the Phils have won 18 of 23 and four consecutive series. Two of the recent wins have come with Oswalt (2-1, 2.79) on the mound following his deadline swap from Houston.
Oswalt delighted the locals with a great outing in his first start at home for the Phils last Wednesday, a 2-0 win over the Dodgers as a 135 favorite. The righty tossed the first seven scoreless frames for Philadelphia, allowing just five hits and two walks.
He faced the Giants three times already this season while still with the Astros. Houston lost all three games with Oswalt facing Tim Lincecum each time. Oswalt's combined ledger in the starts: 20 IP, seven earned (3.15), 15 strikeouts, three walks, one home run.
San Francisco has won Zito's (15-9, 3.44) last three starts though the left-hander has not figured into the decision in any of them. In fact, his last five no-decisions have all been Giants wins. The Cubs knocked him around for 10 hits and four runs before Zito came out in the seventh at home last Wednesday. Still, San Fran pulled out a 5-4 win as 170 chalk thanks to an eighth-inning blast by Pat Burrell.
He last faced the Phillies at AT&T Park in Aug. 2009, working six and allowing two earned runs in a 7-3 San Francisco win. This will be his first start in Philadelphia since June 4, 2007 when a Ryan Klesko – there's a blast from the past – homer was the big blow in the Giants' 8-1 win as very small pups at the betting window.
The Giants took two of three from the Phils when the clubs met in San Francisco in late April. The only two starters from that series who will see action again this time around are southpaws Jonathan Sanchez (14-10, 3.60) and Cole Hamels (13-11, 3.33) who are slated to face each other in Thursday's series finale.
Philadelphia took two of three when the clubs last met at Citizens Bank Park in early September 2009. That series started a streak of five straight 'unders' on the MLB odds board between the two squads that was broken by San Francisco's 7-6 win in Game 3 of the set this past April.
There is a slight chance of a passing shower Tuesday evening in Philly, but nothing that looks threatening to the game. Look for a first-pitch temp in the low-80s with a light NNW breeze (in from left-center to first base dugout).
The series continues Wednesday night with an ESPN broadcast matching Matt Cain (12-12, 3.11) for the Giants against Joe Blanton (9-10, 5.69).
NOTE: W-L records displayed for starting pitchers are team records in games the pitchers start.
Roy Oswalt and the Philadelphia Phillies look for their 19th win in 24 tries Tuesday night at home when they host the San Francisco Giants in a key MLB betting series.
The National League wild card slot could be at stake starting Tuesday night in Philadelphia when the Phillies host the San Francisco Giants in the opener of a three-game series. Action started in the 20th week of the regular season schedule with the two clubs locked in a three-way dogfight for the honors with St. Louis, the trio separated by a half-game and mere percentage points in the ranks.
Managers Bruce Bochy and Charlie Manuel will each have a veteran arm on the hill in Philly with Barry Zito squaring off against Roy Oswalt. TheGreek.com opened its line with the Phillies minus 145 favorites. The total is 7½ with the 'over' getting the extra chalk.
Philadelphia has been on a tear since sluggishly coming out of the break and dropping six of seven. After falling to 48-46 on July 22, the Phils have won 18 of 23 and four consecutive series. Two of the recent wins have come with Oswalt (2-1, 2.79) on the mound following his deadline swap from Houston.
Oswalt delighted the locals with a great outing in his first start at home for the Phils last Wednesday, a 2-0 win over the Dodgers as a 135 favorite. The righty tossed the first seven scoreless frames for Philadelphia, allowing just five hits and two walks.
He faced the Giants three times already this season while still with the Astros. Houston lost all three games with Oswalt facing Tim Lincecum each time. Oswalt's combined ledger in the starts: 20 IP, seven earned (3.15), 15 strikeouts, three walks, one home run.
San Francisco has won Zito's (15-9, 3.44) last three starts though the left-hander has not figured into the decision in any of them. In fact, his last five no-decisions have all been Giants wins. The Cubs knocked him around for 10 hits and four runs before Zito came out in the seventh at home last Wednesday. Still, San Fran pulled out a 5-4 win as 170 chalk thanks to an eighth-inning blast by Pat Burrell.
He last faced the Phillies at AT&T Park in Aug. 2009, working six and allowing two earned runs in a 7-3 San Francisco win. This will be his first start in Philadelphia since June 4, 2007 when a Ryan Klesko – there's a blast from the past – homer was the big blow in the Giants' 8-1 win as very small pups at the betting window.
The Giants took two of three from the Phils when the clubs met in San Francisco in late April. The only two starters from that series who will see action again this time around are southpaws Jonathan Sanchez (14-10, 3.60) and Cole Hamels (13-11, 3.33) who are slated to face each other in Thursday's series finale.
Philadelphia took two of three when the clubs last met at Citizens Bank Park in early September 2009. That series started a streak of five straight 'unders' on the MLB odds board between the two squads that was broken by San Francisco's 7-6 win in Game 3 of the set this past April.
There is a slight chance of a passing shower Tuesday evening in Philly, but nothing that looks threatening to the game. Look for a first-pitch temp in the low-80s with a light NNW breeze (in from left-center to first base dugout).
The series continues Wednesday night with an ESPN broadcast matching Matt Cain (12-12, 3.11) for the Giants against Joe Blanton (9-10, 5.69).
NOTE: W-L records displayed for starting pitchers are team records in games the pitchers start.