Rangers look for 2-0 lead over Tampa Bay Rays
James Shields is Joe Maddon's choice as the 120 home favorite Thursday afternoon when the Tampa Bay Rays and Texas Rangers play Game 2 of their ALDS.
Far be it from me to question Joe Maddon's intellect. After all, he has proven plenty smart over the past few seasons in lifting the Tampa Bay Rays into the playoffs twice in the past three years after the team spent so many years on the dung heap of the baseball standings.
Still, I don't get his choice for his Game 2 starter in the Rays' ALDS versus the Texas Rangers.
The Rays and Rangers go right back to work Thursday afternoon following Texas' 5-1 win in Wednesday's Game 1. Tampa Bay will turn to 'Big Game' James Shields (14-19, 5.18) to even the best-of-five while Ron Washington goes with his second consecutive left-hander, C.J. Wilson (24-9, 3.35).
5Dimes.com is giving Shields and the Rays the edge to level the series with Tampa Bay 118 favorites. The same shop moved it's total to 8½ runs after opening at eight, as of Wednesday evening. Check the live lines below before placing your final bet.
Shields has been the man in the Rays rotation for several seasons and his statistical résumé from the '08 playoffs is impressive (2-2, 2.88 ERA). However, Shields was meat to a lot of lineups during the 2010 regular season. The big righty allowed five runs or more in five of his last six starting assignments, and 10 times over his final 24 starts.
Texas faced him twice in '10, with Shields going 1-1 in the two seven-inning starts with a 2.57 ERA. Tampa Bay was a 160 favorite at home against the Rangers on Aug. 18 and won 8-6 with Shields going seven and allowing one earned before the pen tried to give the game away. Texas took a 6-1 win in its home park on June 5 with Shields 140 chalk. Three of the six runs the Rangers scored off Shields were unearned.
I understand Shields' legacy with the Rays, but this is a ballsy move for Maddon to go with him since Shields pitched so poorly since the end of August.
Wilson will be making his first postseason appearance and it will be interesting to see how the Tampa hitters approach their second consecutive southpaw. When you stop and think about how this was his first full season to start games, that fact Wilson started more winning games for his team than any other pitcher in the majors is that much more remarkable. Texas was 9-1 when Wilson no-decisioned, a tribute to the Rangers pen and late-inning offense.
The Rangers topped the Rays by a 9-6 count in the only start Wilson made versus Tampa Bay. He only worked five innings and allowed five runs (three earned). Four walks and an Ian Kinsler error hurt Wilson in that game. Texas grabbed the green as minus 125 MLB odds favorites.
Game 1 of this series turned in the bottom of the first inning when the Rays couldn't get to Cliff Lee and possibly break the game wide open from the start. The controversial foul-tip call on Carlos Peña by series crew chief John Hirschbeck was a big instant. It might not have changed the ultimate outcome; the Rangers hit David Price from the get-go, so if the Rays score 1-2 in the first frame it may have only changed an 'under' to a 'push' or 'over' for MLB totals bettors (like me). But who knows?
Jim Wolf follows Hirschbeck behind the plate for Game 2. That has been a good thing generally for 'under' bettors with the low side 21-10 overall in Wolf's plate assignments. It's 13-7 when the number is set in the 8½-10 range.
After taking Friday off, the series shifts to the Lone Star State for Game 3 on Saturday afternoon (5:07 p.m. ET). Matt Garza (18-14, 3.91) will get the ball either trying to give the Rays a 2-1 series lead or keeping his club from being swept. Colby Lewis (14-18, 3.72) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Rangers.
NOTE: W-L records displayed for starting pitchers are team records in games the pitchers start.
James Shields is Joe Maddon's choice as the 120 home favorite Thursday afternoon when the Tampa Bay Rays and Texas Rangers play Game 2 of their ALDS.
Far be it from me to question Joe Maddon's intellect. After all, he has proven plenty smart over the past few seasons in lifting the Tampa Bay Rays into the playoffs twice in the past three years after the team spent so many years on the dung heap of the baseball standings.
Still, I don't get his choice for his Game 2 starter in the Rays' ALDS versus the Texas Rangers.
The Rays and Rangers go right back to work Thursday afternoon following Texas' 5-1 win in Wednesday's Game 1. Tampa Bay will turn to 'Big Game' James Shields (14-19, 5.18) to even the best-of-five while Ron Washington goes with his second consecutive left-hander, C.J. Wilson (24-9, 3.35).
5Dimes.com is giving Shields and the Rays the edge to level the series with Tampa Bay 118 favorites. The same shop moved it's total to 8½ runs after opening at eight, as of Wednesday evening. Check the live lines below before placing your final bet.
Shields has been the man in the Rays rotation for several seasons and his statistical résumé from the '08 playoffs is impressive (2-2, 2.88 ERA). However, Shields was meat to a lot of lineups during the 2010 regular season. The big righty allowed five runs or more in five of his last six starting assignments, and 10 times over his final 24 starts.
Texas faced him twice in '10, with Shields going 1-1 in the two seven-inning starts with a 2.57 ERA. Tampa Bay was a 160 favorite at home against the Rangers on Aug. 18 and won 8-6 with Shields going seven and allowing one earned before the pen tried to give the game away. Texas took a 6-1 win in its home park on June 5 with Shields 140 chalk. Three of the six runs the Rangers scored off Shields were unearned.
I understand Shields' legacy with the Rays, but this is a ballsy move for Maddon to go with him since Shields pitched so poorly since the end of August.
Wilson will be making his first postseason appearance and it will be interesting to see how the Tampa hitters approach their second consecutive southpaw. When you stop and think about how this was his first full season to start games, that fact Wilson started more winning games for his team than any other pitcher in the majors is that much more remarkable. Texas was 9-1 when Wilson no-decisioned, a tribute to the Rangers pen and late-inning offense.
The Rangers topped the Rays by a 9-6 count in the only start Wilson made versus Tampa Bay. He only worked five innings and allowed five runs (three earned). Four walks and an Ian Kinsler error hurt Wilson in that game. Texas grabbed the green as minus 125 MLB odds favorites.
Game 1 of this series turned in the bottom of the first inning when the Rays couldn't get to Cliff Lee and possibly break the game wide open from the start. The controversial foul-tip call on Carlos Peña by series crew chief John Hirschbeck was a big instant. It might not have changed the ultimate outcome; the Rangers hit David Price from the get-go, so if the Rays score 1-2 in the first frame it may have only changed an 'under' to a 'push' or 'over' for MLB totals bettors (like me). But who knows?
Jim Wolf follows Hirschbeck behind the plate for Game 2. That has been a good thing generally for 'under' bettors with the low side 21-10 overall in Wolf's plate assignments. It's 13-7 when the number is set in the 8½-10 range.
After taking Friday off, the series shifts to the Lone Star State for Game 3 on Saturday afternoon (5:07 p.m. ET). Matt Garza (18-14, 3.91) will get the ball either trying to give the Rays a 2-1 series lead or keeping his club from being swept. Colby Lewis (14-18, 3.72) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Rangers.
NOTE: W-L records displayed for starting pitchers are team records in games the pitchers start.