Braves at NY Mets 1:10 PM Starting Pitchers: Tim Hudson (3-1, 2.93) vs. John Maine (1-2, 3.57)
This will be the second time Hudson has faced the Mets this year, with the Braves winning 11-5 (Apr 5) and Hudson working six frames while allowing three runs. The two Carlos’, Delgado and Beltran, have hit Hudson well over their careers with nine homers in a combined 107 at bats between them, each hitting .321 or better. Since coming to Atlanta to start the 1005 season, he’s made a dozen starts against New York going 7-4 with a 3.62 ERA, and he’s 5-2 in seven starts at Shea.
Maine gets to try for a little revenge since he was the losing pitcher in that 11-5 game at Atlanta on Apr 5, working four innings and giving up four runs on eight hits. Chipper Jones is 4-for-7 with a long ball against Maine. Over his last four starts against the Braves, including this year, the Mets are 2-2 with Maine recording a 4.83 ERA.
Plate Ump: Larry Vanover is behind the plate for the fifth time this year. So far he’s 2-2 with the home team with a 3-1 edge on the Over. This line is 8½ and he’s 1-1 O/U at that number. Keep an eye also on 3B umpire Tim McClelland who got in it last night with Braves manager Bobby Cox before giving him the thumb.
Weather: Chance of rain, increasing as the day goes on, highs in low-60s. Winds ESE 10-20 (from 1B out to LF).
Astros at Cardinals 1:10 PM Starting Pitchers: Roy Oswalt (2-3, 6.00) vs. Adam Wainwright (2-1, 2.73)
After a rough beginning and dropping his first three games, Oswalt has returned to form in his last two starts, winning both while tossing 14 innings with four earnies allowed. Albert Pujols has three homers in 70 lifetime plate appearances against Roy O, and both Rick Ankiel and Skip Schumaker going 3-for-7 (all singles) versus the Astros right-hander. In five starts at St. Louis the past three seasons, Oswalt is 2-1 with a 1.57 ERA. He’s 1-1 with a 3.46 ERA since the new park opened.
Wainwright has had a good start to 2008 with the Cards 3-1 in his four outings thus far. He’s worked at least seven innings in each start and the team is 2-0 in his home appearances. He’s also yet to surrender a homer to anyone in the Houston lineups right now. Of some interest is this will be the first time he’s faced Miguel Tejada. St. Louis won all three of his starts against Houston last year with Wainwright throwing 20 innings and giving up just four earned runs.
Plate Ump: Behind the plate is Tim Tschida with the most interesting stat for him so far this season being the home team is winless in his four games calling balls and strikes. He’s also 3-1 O/U, with the total in this one set at 8.
Weather: Should be a nice afternoon, mostly sunny, temps reaching mid-60s, winds WNW 10-15 (blowing across field from left to right).
Yankees at Indians 3:55 PM Starting Pitchers: Ian Kennedy (0-2, 9.64) vs. Jeremy Sowers (0-0, 0.00)
This is Kennedy’s fourth start of the season and two of the previous three have been unmitigated disasters. This is the first time he’s faced the Indians in his short career to date.
This is Sowers’ 2008 debut after a rather shaky spring in which he worked 11 innings and surrendered 11 runs on 19 hits. It’s his third career start vs. the Yankees, with his first in 2006 a nice 7-inning, 2-ER win and the other in 2007 in which he worked less than three innings and saw six runs scored on him.
Plate Ump: Eric Cooper is calling the pitches with a 3-1 edge given to the visitors in his four games so far and the O/U 2-2 in his games. This total is 10½, and the Under has cashed in the only game Cooper has called at that total.
Weather: Morning rain gives way to partly cloudy skies, temps in upper-60s, low-70s, winds WSW 10-20 (blowing from 3B out to RF) and shifting to more out of the west as day progresses.
Angels at Tigers 3:55 PM Starting Pitchers: Dustin Moseley (1-2, 7.78) vs. Armando Galarraga (2-0, 1.50)
Moseley has failed to make it through five innings in his past two starts, but the Angels did manage to win one of them. Toronto is 2-2 in his four outings so far in 2008. He started one game against the Tigers in 2007, and also didn’t finish the fifth in that one though the Angels won it.
Galarraga has been a very pleasant surprise for Motown so far, with the lanky righty throwing 12 innings and giving up just four hits and two runs in his two starts (road starts at Toronto and Cleveland) and the Tigers winning both. While with Texas last year, he made his first MLB start against the Angels (Sep 2007) and blanked the Halos through four before running into trouble and out of gas in the fifth. Five walks and a Casey Kotchman homer did him in, but the Rangers rallied for the win.
Plate Ump: Wally Bell is making his sixth go behind the plate with a 3-2 record in favor of the home team and all five games he’s called to date staying under the total. This one is set at 10½ which will be the highest total in a game for Bell this year.
Weather: Showers in morning, clearing in afternoon, high of about 60, very windy with winds WSW at 25+ (in from RF corner).
Diamondbacks at Padres 3:55 PM Starting Pitchers: Micah Owings (4-0, 2.42) vs. Justin Germano (0-2, 5.01)
Perhaps no player has personified the hot start by the D-Backs more than Micah Owings. Arizona and Owings are a perfect 4-0 in his outings, and maybe most impressive about him statistically right now is his K/9 rate (7.96) is up more than 25% from last season while his BB/9 (2.07) number has dipped by nearly a third. Interesting to note is he’s only faced NL West teams to date, the Giants twice and the Dodgers and Rockies once each. So this will be his fifth straight start against NL West teams. Owings saw the Padres three times in ’07 with some very good and very bad results. The Padres were 1-2 in the three games, with Owings going 1-1 and a no-decision. He worked 13 innings allowing just two runs the first two times San Diego saw him, but then they belted him in his last start against them last season, cranking four over the wall off Owings, two by Giles who has three of the 23 career clouts off Owings.
Germano, on the other hand, and the Pads are 0-4 in his starts this season, though only one of the losses was because he had a bad game. In his first three starts, Germano worked 20 innings allowing just three earned runs on 17 hits and five walks, and San Diego’s puny offense couldn’t get wins in any of those games. He was rode hard and put up wet in his last start Monday in Houston, charged with 10 runs in 3.1 IP. Stephen Drew and Chris Young have each taken him deep, but are a combined 3-for-15 against Germano. The key hitter for him is Conor Jackson who is 4-for-7 with three two-baggers and a walk facing Owings.
Plate Ump: Tim Welke is making his fifth appearance behind the plate this season with a 1-3 lean away from the home team and a 3-1 lean to the Over so far. All three of his overs to date have been with totals of 8½ or less.
Weather: It’s San Diego, what kind of weather do you expect? Clear, temps in upper-70s, winds 10-15 from NNW (in from left-center).
Orioles at White Sox 1:05 PM (Game 1)
Starting Pitchers: Brian Burres (2-1, 3.63) vs. John Danks (2-1, 3.04)
A shift in Baltimore’s plans after last night’s rainout, primarily to keep Steve Trachsel pitching at night instead of during the daylight. This is Burres’ fourth start of the season, plus a relief appearance earlier. He pitched well in two of the outings vs. the Rangers and Yankees but was whipped in the other assignment against the Rays. He’s got limited experience against these ChiSox hitters, with Orlando Cabrera going 3-for-6 with a pair of doubles off Burres, the only hitter to have more than 4 AB against him.
Of course, I’m hoping John Danks kicks ass and takes names since it would help my two fantasy teams out a whole lot. The lefty – Who I still can’t believe the Rangers gave up for frickin’ Brandon McCarthy – is off to a good start on the year with three beauties and one stinker to his credit up to now. He hasn’t allowed a run in his last two starts spanning 14.2 innings while striking out 12 and walking just two. Danks has a start against Baltimore (July ’07) and he pitched well before tiring late with a big lead in an 11-7 win for the Pale Hose. Orioles stud Nick Markakis – also on a couple of fantasy teams – swatted a double and a single in three trips facing Danks.
Plate Ump: This is the sixth game for Mark Wegner south of the dish with a 2-3 record Home/Vis and 2-3 O/U mark as well.
Weather: Cloudy and windy with temps in the mid-50s around game time. Winds ill be WSW at 20+ with gusts up to 30 during the day (blowing across from RF corner to LF corner).
Marlins at Brewers 7:05 PM
Starting Pitchers: Mark Hendrickson (4-1, 3.82) vs. Carlos Villanueva (1-2, 5.09)
Florida has been hot and so has Hendrickson since he bombed in his first start of the season. Since that loss to Johan Santana and the Mets on Opening Day, Hendrickson and the Marlins are 4-0 in his subsequent starts. It’s been more than a year since he saw the Brewers, working three innings of 1-run relief on April 2, 2007. He hasn’t seen many of these hitters, just 38 AB versus the whole lot. Gabe Kapler has seen him the most and the best, hitting .385 (5-13) against Hendrickson.
Villanueva is coming off his best start of the season though Milwaukee’s bullpen coughed the game up 4-3 to the Cards (Apr 21). He’s only seen the Marlins twice before, both games in relief for a total of 3.1 scoreless innings. The 11 walks in 23 innings are a huge concern, obviously, but then this isn’t a Florida lineup that’s exactly known for being patient at the plate.
Plate Ump: Randy Marsh is calling his seventh game this season and has favored the home team (4-2) and the Under (4-2) in the previous six. This total is 9½, and that figure has seen his only two Overs so far in 2008. Also note that Hunter Wendelstedt is at second base, and these are a couple of teams that will run with the two a combined 31-for-40 on steal attempts this season.
Weather: Probably will have roof shut with came time temp in mid-to-upper 40s and starting out very windy.
Phillies at Pirates 7:05 PM
Starting Pitchers: Kyle Kendrick (1-2, 5.59) vs. Matt Morris
Kendrick is having the proverbial sophomore slump, or so it would appear. To be fair, his most embarrassing game so far – A 2.1 IP, 7 Run effort in an 8-2 loss at the Mets on Apr 9 – was a result of a very crucial error by Eric Bruntlett at shortstop in place of injured NL MVP Jimmy Rollins. But his most embarrassing game certainly wasn’t his worst. And the odd thing is that Kendrick’s worst two games – Apr 4 at Cincinnati and his last game Apr 21 at Colorado – wound up being Philadelphia wins. Kendrick allowed nine runs, all earned, in those two innings and Philly still won the games. He was marvelous against the Pirates in Philadelphia last year, his only game against the Bucs. Kendrick worked seven and allowed just a run on a Nate McClouth souvenir ball.
So I’m not much on conspiracy theories, but I do believe the same people that were involved in this year’s Pau Gasol trade to the Lakers were also somehow involved in last year’s Matt Morris trade – contract and all – from the Giants to the Pirates. I don’t have any proof, but I know it’s true. I couldn’t scratch a hit off Morris, but he just plain blows right now. The only thing really positive to say about the guy is maybe he has twice caught a Florida team that is hot on offense to start the season, plus a good-hitting Cubs team in another start. But no, how can you really pick him in this contest? This is one game that seems like a no-brainer with the only two ways to play it being the Phillies’ first 5 inning line and over the total up to 10½.
Plate Ump: Jerry Crawford is behind the plate for the seventh time this year sporting an even 3-3 record Home/Vis and a 4-0-2 O/U mark. This total is 10 and he’s yet to call a game over 9½, though both at that figure he’s worked did go above the mark.
Weather: Good chance of rain during day in Pittsburgh, but it should be partly cloudy with only a 20% chance tonight. First pitch temp in upper 50s, low 60s, winds NW 5-10 (out to right).
Blue Jays at Royals 7:10 PM
Starting Pitchers: Shaun Marcum (2-1, 3.42) vs. Luke Hochevar (0-1, 11.57)
Believe it or not, I have Marcum on the same two fantasy teams with Danks right now. To me that spells run for the hills and bet against both. But that really isn’t the case as Marcum has a very strong track record versus the Royals, albeit a short one. He’s worked 14.2 innings with just one run allowed in two starts and two relief outings. Both starts were Toronto wins.
Hochevar makes his second start of the year and the odds are very good that it will be better than his first one when he lasted 4.2 innings and let six runs in as the Royals dropped a 7-1 decision to the A’s. Hochevar wasn’t bad at all the first three innings of that game, setting Oakland down in order in the first and third and working around a leadoff walk and single in the second with a pair of strikeouts to end the threat. This is his first appearance against the Blue Jays or any of their hitters.
Plate Ump: Behind the mask calling balls and strikes will be Jerry Meals. It’s his fifth plate appearance this season with the visitors 3-1 in the previous four and the Over 3-1. The total tonight is 8½, and the one game he worked with that tally this season remained under.
Weather: Could be a wet one in KC with 60% chance forecast for Saturday evening. Also a bit on the cool side with game time temps in low 50s and NNE winds 10-15 (in from center).
Cubs at Nationals 7:10 PM
Starting Pitchers: Carlos Zambrano (3-1, 2.67) vs. Matt Chico
Zambrano has the Cubs 3-2 in his starts, and they could’ve been 4-1 real easy as he’s only had one bad go in his five ’08 assignments. Crazy Charlie worked into the seventh of his last start in Washington, though this is a different park, in a 3-1 Cubs win. And the toughest out for him on this roster is…Rob Mackowiak? Are you kidding me?! Guess he also has to worry a bit about Wily Mo Peña, but otherwise it’s tough to bet against Zambrano and the Cubs.
Chico no-decisioned in a Nats win to open the season and has gone 0-4 since then. To be fair, he’s faced some tough lineups – Braves twice, Cards, Phils and Mets once each. Plus four have been on the road. His one home start in the new stadium was a good one tossing eight innings and giving up just a run. But that’s also a game this weak offense got blanked.
Plate Ump: Jim Wolf is calling the pitches with a 3-2 record for the home team and 5-0 O/U mark in his previous games behind the plate. This total is 9 and Wolf’s three games at that number in 2008 have all gone over.
Weather: Very strong chance of rain in the nation’s capital with the weatherman saying 80% for Saturday night. First pitch temp in upper 60s, low 70s, winds NNE 10-15 (in from center).
Red Sox at Rays 7:10 PM
Starting Pitchers: Clay Buchholz (1-1, 4.79) vs. Edwin Jackson (2-2, 4.63)
Buchholz is a tough call for anyone here with his limited action in the bigs. He’s faced a tough Yankees lineup twice now and done well in one outing before being peppered in the next. He’s never faced Tampa or anyone in this lineup in his grand total of 43.1 innings of major league duty.
After a decent spring and coming out of the gate like gangbusters, Jackson has been a punching bag in his last two starts. Like Buchholz, he’s pitched well once and also been hammered one time by the Yankees. David Ortiz and J.D. Drew are both 4-for-9 against Jackson with the Rays 2-2 in his four starts against the Red Sox last year.
Plate Ump: One of the worst in the biz, Dan Iassogna, will be calling the pitches this evening at The Trop. He’s a contentious hothead who for some reason believes the fans paid their way into the park to see him do his job. So far he’s 1-3 O/U and split evenly 2-2 on the Home/Vis.
Twins at Rangers 8:05 PM
Starting Pitchers: Scott Baker (2-0, 3.51) vs. Sidney Ponson (0-0, 0.00)
Baker was a bit ho-hum in his first three starts this season allowing three runs in each outing and averaging about six innings per start. But he was pretty strong in his most recent trip to the hill working seven innings og five-hit, one-run ball in Minnesota against Cleveland. He’s made one start against the Rangers in his career and was lit up like the night sky out in Marfa.
The Rangers have chosen tonight to let Ponson make their debut for them, maybe because it’s supposed to be a rotten night weather wise so why not make it a rotten night pitching wise as well. He was last on a major league mound in May ’07 when he was with the Twins and the last time he faced Minnesota was in May ’05 when he had a good outing against them as a member of the O’s. One guy who has given him trouble over the years – one among many hitters who have given Prince Gordo trouble, I should say – is Mike Lamb who has four doubles and a bomb in 18 at bats versus Ponson.
Plate Ump: Andy Fletcher dons the mask and guards for a fifth time this season with a 3-1 Home/Vis mark and 1-1-2 O/U record. This total is set at 10, and Fletcher was 4-13-1 O/U last year.
Weather: Forecast calls for 80% chance of rain with possibly sever thunderstorms. Temp at first pitch in the low 70s or so, winds E at 10-15 (across from right to left).
Rockies at Dodgers 10:10 PM
Starting Pitchers: Mark Redman (2-1, 5.23) vs. Brad Penny (3-2, 2.67)
Redman’s biggest nemesis in the LA lineup is Nomar Garciaparra who is 10-for-21 (.476) lifetime with a long ball against Redman. He made one start against the Dodgers last year, giving up four runs in five innings of what eventually was a 9-8 win for the Rockies. His previous start against LA came with the Marlins in Aug 2003 and yielded the same results: 5 IP, 4 ER. This will be his first career start at Chavez Ravine.
Penny has to worry about the Big 3 for the Rocks – Todd Helton, Matt Holiday and Garrett Atkins. That trio is a combined 37-for-115 (.322) with six homers, four of those by Holliday. His three home starts this season have seen LA go 2-1 while Penny tossed 18.1 IP with four earned runs allowed. He was 22-8 in 50 career starts at Dodger Stadium coming into this season. In five starts against the Rockies last season, the Dodgers were 3-2 while Penny recorded a 3.49 ERA in 28.1 innings.
Plate Ump: After last night’s extra inning affair, Kerwin Danley gets to call the balls and strikes in this one with a 2-2 Home/Vis mark and 3-1 O/U record in his four previous plate assignments.
Weather: Should be a nice evening, first pitch temp in mid-70s and a light breeze blowing in from right-center
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Pitchers, weather & umpires: Sat., Apr 26
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