Pitchers, weather & umpires: Thu., Apr 17

Willie Bee · 04-17-08, 10:41 AM

Brewers at Cards 1:15 PM, St. Louis
Manny Parra (1-1, 4.82) vs Kyle Lohse (2-0, 1.04): Parra has faced the Cards twice before, only once as a starter, with no record and a 2.08 ERA since 2005 in 8.2 IP. Not much to go on with Ryan Ludwick (0-4) and Yadier Molina (2-4) the only St. Louis hitters with as many as four at bats against Parra. Lohse has two starts and a relief appearance against the Brewers in his career, sitting 2-0 with a 0.71 ERA in 12.2 IP. He has not fooled Craig Counsell or Gabe Kapler along the way but has had some success against Bill Hall and Prince Fielder (1-for-9 combined).

Plate Ump Dana Demuth: So far 0-2 O/U and 0-2 for the home team with DeMuth behind the plate with nearly 66% of his pitches for strikes. DeMuth was 17-15-3 O/U last year and a bit of an oddity as the chances for an Over increased as the total was moved up to 9½ and higher. Today’s is 8½.

Weather: Warming to about 70 during game, cloudy, S 10-20 (out to left-center).

Willie Bee · 04-17-08, 10:42 AM

Reds at Cubs 2:20 PM, Chicago
Edinson Volquez (1-0, 0.87) vs Ted Lilly (0-2, 9.95): This will be Volquez’ first start against the Cubs. Meanwhile, it’s Lilly’s sixt game against the Reds, the previous five all coming in the 2007 season when he went 1-1 with three no decisions and a 3.33 ERA in 27 innings. Alex Gonzalez and Norris Hopper will be the key batters for Lilly while Brandpn Phillips and Edwin Encarnacion are a combined 1-for-23 against the southpaw.

Plate Ump Ron Kulpa: So far Kulpa is 2-0 O/U this year after a 17-16-3 record a year ago. Possible even more telling was his 23-13 record in favor of the home team a season ago which followed a 23-10 home lean in 2006. The total has been posted at 9½ with the under drawing a -115 price.

Weather: Upper 50s at game time, cloudy, chance of rain, winds SSE at 5-10 (out to left).

Willie Bee · 04-17-08, 10:55 AM

White Sox at Orioles 7:05 PM, Baltimore
Gavin Floyd (2-0, 2.03) vs Jeremy Guthrie (0-1, 4.34): First time for Floyd to face an Orioles lineup. Guthrie has made one start with disastrous results against the White Sox (3.2 IP, 6 R, 9 H, 3 BB) and two scoreless relief appearances (while with Cleveland).

Plate Ump Randy Marsh: The veteran crew chief is off to an 0-4 O/U start to the 2008 season (totals of 9 or higher in all four contests) and was 17-18-1 O/U in 2007. The total for this one is currently 9.

Weather: Mid 60s at game time, clear, light winds

Willie Bee · 04-17-08, 11:10 AM

Tigers at Indians 7:05 PM, Cleveland
Justin Verlander (0-2, 6.52) vs Fausto Carmona (1-1, 2.20):Verlander is 3-5 in his last nine starts vs. the Tribe with a 6.84 ERA and 10 homers allowed in 51.1 IP in those nine outings. He is 1-4 (8.89) in his last five starts at The Jake. Victor Martinez has 4 HR in 24 AB vs. Verlander. Since 2005, Carmona has made five starts and three relief appearances against the Tigers with a 3-2 record and 3.35 ERA. Gary Sheffield, Carlos Guillen and Marcus Thames are a combined 6-for-34 (1.76) with a homer against him.

Plate Ump Jim Wolf: This will be his fourth game behind the plate of the season, with home teams 1-2 so far and the O/U 3-0 (all three games have been 8½-9). Can’t help but like the Over in this one with Verlander off to a rough start and having a history of trouble vs. the Indians, Carmona coming off a whipping and Wolf already showing a penchant for the Over in this total range.

Weather: Low 60s at game time, partly cloudy, SSW 10-15 (out to right-center)

Willie Bee · 04-17-08, 11:31 AM

Red Sox at Yankees 7:05 PM, New York
Josh Beckett (1-1, 6.35) vs Mike Mussina (1-2, 4.15): Pitching rematch from last weekend, a 4-3 win for Beckett and the Sox. Both starters pitched well through five with Boston ahead 1-0 on a Manny solo shot at that point. Beckett 2-2 with a 6.86 ERA in his last four regular season starts at The Stadium, with much of that ERA from one really bad outing there in June ’05. Mussina now 2-4 with an ERA over 6.50 in his last 11 starts vs Boston, and 23-14 in his last 46 games pitched in the Bronx.

Plate Ump Larry Vanover: This will be LV’s third game behind the plate this season with the home team and the O/U both 1-1 in the first two. Totals in the previous two games were 8-8½ and this one is sitting 9½ presently. Vanover was 23-14 O/U last year and 26-11 in favor of the home team.

Weather: Low 60s at game time, clear, E 5-10 (in from center)

Willie Bee · 04-17-08, 11:37 AM

Rangers at Blue Jays 7:07 PM, Toronto
Vincente Padilla (1-1, 3.79) vs Roy Halladay (2-1, 3.00): Padilla’s last start (Apr 11) was an 8-5 loss to the Jays, but he was 3-1 with a 3.25 ERA against Toronto entering that game. He’s actually fared well against the BJ hitters available in this game, holding them to a .228 average (33-for-145). Halladay’s last start was a 4-1 win at Texas (Apr 12), a complete game six-hitter. That puts Doc at 5-1 with a 3.32 ERA in his last seven starts vs. the Rangers.

Plate Ump Chris Guccione: Working his fourth game south of the dish this season with the O/U 1-1-1 and the visitors 2-1 so far. He was slightly to the Under last year with a 19-20-1 O/U mark. Gooch has a reputation for a rather quick thumb, but that’s really been while he’s a field umpire, perhaps growing bored and wanting to be part of the action on those days. I can tell you that Vernon Wells does NOT like the man.

Weather: Indoors (retractable, upper 50s at game time, slight breeze out to right-center)

Willie Bee · 04-17-08, 12:02 PM

Nationals at Mets 7:10 PM, New York
John Lannan (0-2, 6.75) vs Nelson Figueroa (0-0, 4.50): Just Lannan’s second time to face the Mets, and they paddled him pretty well the first time they saw him (Aug 2007) stroking eight hits and a walk for five runs in less than six frames. This is just Figueroa’s second start since the ’04 season and he’s never technically faced the Nationals though he did face the Expos in 2001-02 while pitching for the Phils and Brewers.

Plate Ump Laz Diaz: In Diaz’ previous two outings calling balls and strikes, the totals were 9-9½ and both went Under. He was 14-24 O/U a year ago (7-11 in the 9-9½ range).

Weather: Low 60s at game time, clear, SE 5-10 (out to left)

Willie Bee · 04-17-08, 12:03 PM

Braves at Marlins 7:10 PM, Miami
John Smoltz (2-0, 0.82) vs Ricky Nolasco (1-0, 4.22): Smoltz tossed six innings allowing just one run in his last start, a 10-2 win in Washington. He has not enjoyed Dolphins Stadium recently going 0-2 with a 7.90 REA in his most recent three starts. Nolasco is making his second start of the year (plus two relief appearances) and earned a win thanks to his offense last Friday in Houston (10-6 in favor of Florida). He’s pitched well against the Braves in his career, owning a 1.82 ERA in nearly 25 innings, all of those innings tallied two years ago.

Plate Ump Paul Nauert: This total is set at 9 with Nauert 2-1 O/U this year and 19-13-3 O/U a season ago. His last 11 games to be set at 9 have gone Over 7-4.

Weather: Mid 70s at game time, clear, ENE 10-20 (in from left-center)

louisvillekid · 04-17-08, 12:04 PM

good stuff WB, i played the under in the Cincy/CHC game, just cause the Reds always seem to struggle against lefties.

Willie Bee · 04-17-08, 12:50 PM

Good luck with that play, LK

Rays at Twins 8:10 PM, Minneapolis
Jason Hammel (0-1, 4.15) vs Boof Bonser (1-2, 2.84): Just the second time Hammel will be seeing Minnesota, and his first game at the Triple H Dome. His only other outing vs. the Twins was in Sep ’06 when his started in Tampa and worked six, three-hit innings, allowing just one run. He got a no-decision in that one but the Rays won it 2-1. Minny catcher Joe Mauer scored the only run off Hammel in that game with a solo blast. Bonser’s last two starts were both against KC, with the right-hander throwing 13 innings and allowing just three runs while whiffing eight and walking two. He’s made three starts against the Rays so far in his career with Minnesota 1-2 in those games and Bonser posting a 3.06 ERA.

Plate Ump Adrian Johnson: This is Johnson’s first full season calling games in the majors, and he has just 20 games of experience so far behind the plate. So far in 2008, he’s 1-2 on the home team and 1-2 O/U, with his three previous totals set at 8½-9. The total tonight is set at 9.

Weather: Indoors

Willie Bee · 04-17-08, 01:07 PM

Royals at Angels 10:05 PM, Anaheim
Brett Tomko (1-1, 2.08) vs Jon Garland (1-2, 5.50): Tomko’s last two games were solid outings vs. the Twins, with KC 1-1 in those starts by the right-hander. This will be Tomko’s first start in Anaheim since April 2001 when he was with the Mariners, a game that saw a win slip away from him on a 2-run walk-off job by Garret Anderson off Kaz Sasaki for a 4-3 Halos win. He’s held Vlad Guerrero in check over the years with the Angels outfielder just 1-for-13 lifetime against Tomko. After a great start to open the year, Garland has tossed lollipops his last two outings allowing 13 runs (10 earned). Mark Grudzielanek and Jose Guillen have given Garland fits over their careers.

Plate Ump Bruce Dreckman: The Iowa born Dreckman has favored the visitors by a 1-2 margin so far in 2008 and is also 1-2 on the Under to date, including 1-1 when the total is 9½ like in this game. He favored the visitors 17-13 a year ago while going 17-13 O/U.

Weather: Mid to upper 60s at game time, clear, SSE 5-10 (out to left-center)

Willie Bee · 04-17-08, 01:18 PM

Mariners at Athletics, 10:05 PM, Oakland
Carlos Silva (2-0, 3.27) vs Lenny DiNardo (1-0, 6.75): Silva has done a pretty fair job in his first three starts with the M;s 2-1 in those games. Entering this season, he was 3-2 in his last seven starts versus the A’s while sporting a 3.14 ERA, and the two batters who will be crucial for him tonight are Emil Brown and Mike Sweeney who both hit him pretty well while they were both playing for the Royals. His most recent start in Oakland ended in a 1-0 loss (June 2, 2007) and his teams are 1-2 in his three starts there. DiNardo tossed 73 pitches last Saturday in Cleveland to pick up a win in a 7-3 A;s triumph. This will be just his second career start against the Mariners, the only other time being a case of him throwing BP for three innings. Brad Wilkerson and Raul Ibañez have been tough outs for DiNardo.

Plate Ump C.B. Bucknor: Ah, good ol’ C.B., the man who never met a strike zone he couldn’t deviate from, whether you’re talking year to year, game to game or even inning to inning. Bucknor is 2-1 in favor of the home squad so far in ’08, with a perfect 0-3 penchant for the Under (three games were 8 and 9½). This total is currently sitting on 9. Last year, C.B. liked the home team by a 20-14 margin and was 17-13-4 O/U (3-4 when total was 9).

Weather: Low-to-mid 60s at game time, clear, WSW 5-10 (out to right center)

Willie Bee · 04-17-08, 01:21 PM

Rockies at Padres 10:05 PM, San Diego
Jeff Francis (0-2, 9.53) vs Jake Peavy (3-0, 1.64): Both of Francis’ starts so far have been against the D-Backs who got off to a very fast start offensively this season. And with the southpaw 3-10 in his 14 starts against the Pads, sporting a 6.34 ERA, not to mention him being 2-5 with a 6.18 ERA his last seven outings at Petco, it won’t be much easier tonight. Khalil Greene and Kevin Kouzmanoff own Francis, combining for 5 HR and a .370 average (17-for-46). Peavy is arguably the best pitcher in the game, though he did get touched up for nine hits and three runs in six innings at Los Angeles his last go. The Rocks have actually given him a harder time than any other NL West team, with Peavy 1-2 in his last seven starting assignments with a 5.61 ERA. The Padres are 3-4 in those games, and that includes the add-in game last year against Colorado when the two teams tied at the end of the 162-game slate. Todd Helton and Matt Holliday have cracked 4 HR between them (three by Helton) and have batted .357 (20-56) when facing Peavy.

Plate Ump Alfonso Marquez: The total is set at 7 with Marquez 1-1 O/U so far this year and coming off a 14-15-2 O/U mark a year ago.

Weather: Upper 60s at game time, clear, S 5-10 (out to center)