Philadelphia Phillies +120 (Oswalt) @ San Diego Padres -140 (Latos); ou6.
The Phillies took a four game whooping from the Astros, gathered their belongings, hopped on a plane and few to the other side of the country. Today they wake up in San Diego and have a game to play tonight against the first place San Diego Padres and arguably their best starter, Mat Latos. If you think that kind of travel, coming off that kind of embarrassment, is good for a team that is struggling offensively, than you are a better man than I.
Roy Oswalt (4-1, 2.98 as a Phil) gets the start in game one of this 3 game set beginning the west coast swing for the offensively anemic Phillies. He has been stellar since joining the Phillies, though, allowing only 5 earned in his last 4 starts, all wins since that 8-1 debut loss to the Nats. Oswalt will give the Phillies a chance to win today, but they face one of the best pitchers in the NL and already can’t hit. In the four home game series agains the Astros, the Phils scored 7 runs. seven. The Astros pitchers have been very good lately and the Phils got a taste of 4, but it was just as much the lack of offense as it was great pitching on Houston’s part. They couldn’t touch the bullpen, either, and the Astros bullpen isn’t very good. Ryan Howard has 3 hits since returning from the DL and that left ankle sprain, in 24 ABs, along with 1 ribby and 12 Ks. Chase Utley is 8/34 with 3 rbi since his return. They are making mental mistakes on the bases, Werth got picked at second on ball 4 of an intentional pass after Myers stuck his tongue out at him, and Francisco did a very similar thing at third base with two outs, ending an inning, taking the bat out of Jimmy Rollins’ hands.
Tonight it gets no easier for the Phils, who just traveled 3000 miles after getting their teeth kicked in. No chance in hell should anyone place a bet on the Phils winning a baseball game right now. If you think they will win, you don’t play the game until they do. Recognize the trend and cash it, or leave it, but don’t keep losing money waiting for the real Phls to show up.
Mat Latos (16-7, 2.33) gets the pleasure of embarrassing an iced over club (and 2 time defending NL Champs) in front of his home fans tonight, and that should be the expectation. Latos has alternated wins and losses over his last 5 and is due for the L tonight, but those final 4 were all road starts, in which he allowed a combined 5 earned runs. Latos struck out 10 in his last outing and 9 in the start before that, has his best stuff and will be on display again tonight against the Phils. He is good at home, too, although he never seems to start there. In only 8 home starts in 2010, Latos has put together a 2.19 ERA in 49.1 innings.
The total in this game is 6. I expected to hop and nominate the Phils’ opponent and the under, but 6 is tough. If these two guys can get out of the first inning unscathed, then that under is a great possibility, but the clear play with a lovely line is SD -140.
BOL. and take all of your money you win today on San Diego and put it on Arsenal and Chelsea tomorrow.
The Phillies took a four game whooping from the Astros, gathered their belongings, hopped on a plane and few to the other side of the country. Today they wake up in San Diego and have a game to play tonight against the first place San Diego Padres and arguably their best starter, Mat Latos. If you think that kind of travel, coming off that kind of embarrassment, is good for a team that is struggling offensively, than you are a better man than I.
Roy Oswalt (4-1, 2.98 as a Phil) gets the start in game one of this 3 game set beginning the west coast swing for the offensively anemic Phillies. He has been stellar since joining the Phillies, though, allowing only 5 earned in his last 4 starts, all wins since that 8-1 debut loss to the Nats. Oswalt will give the Phillies a chance to win today, but they face one of the best pitchers in the NL and already can’t hit. In the four home game series agains the Astros, the Phils scored 7 runs. seven. The Astros pitchers have been very good lately and the Phils got a taste of 4, but it was just as much the lack of offense as it was great pitching on Houston’s part. They couldn’t touch the bullpen, either, and the Astros bullpen isn’t very good. Ryan Howard has 3 hits since returning from the DL and that left ankle sprain, in 24 ABs, along with 1 ribby and 12 Ks. Chase Utley is 8/34 with 3 rbi since his return. They are making mental mistakes on the bases, Werth got picked at second on ball 4 of an intentional pass after Myers stuck his tongue out at him, and Francisco did a very similar thing at third base with two outs, ending an inning, taking the bat out of Jimmy Rollins’ hands.
Tonight it gets no easier for the Phils, who just traveled 3000 miles after getting their teeth kicked in. No chance in hell should anyone place a bet on the Phils winning a baseball game right now. If you think they will win, you don’t play the game until they do. Recognize the trend and cash it, or leave it, but don’t keep losing money waiting for the real Phls to show up.
Mat Latos (16-7, 2.33) gets the pleasure of embarrassing an iced over club (and 2 time defending NL Champs) in front of his home fans tonight, and that should be the expectation. Latos has alternated wins and losses over his last 5 and is due for the L tonight, but those final 4 were all road starts, in which he allowed a combined 5 earned runs. Latos struck out 10 in his last outing and 9 in the start before that, has his best stuff and will be on display again tonight against the Phils. He is good at home, too, although he never seems to start there. In only 8 home starts in 2010, Latos has put together a 2.19 ERA in 49.1 innings.
The total in this game is 6. I expected to hop and nominate the Phils’ opponent and the under, but 6 is tough. If these two guys can get out of the first inning unscathed, then that under is a great possibility, but the clear play with a lovely line is SD -140.
BOL. and take all of your money you win today on San Diego and put it on Arsenal and Chelsea tomorrow.