Game Time: 07/09/2008 03:35 PM -
By: Bread | sbrforum.com
The Padres offense is as weak as a Ron Burgundy pickup line, and not all of it can be blamed on playing the bulk of their games in San Diego's Petco Park. Add in closer Trevor Hoffman, the all-time saves leader, having a truly forgettable season, and it makes it easy to play the Marlins this afternoon, especially at this price. Follow Florida and their big sticks this afternoon as the pups on the Left Coast behind left-hander Scott Olsen.
With the power of the long ball, look for the Florida Marlins (+101) to add on to the Padres miserable season today at 3:35 p.m. (ET).
Finding the Marlins at these odds for this matchup was like finding a hundred dollar bill on the ground. Or J.J. Gold’s lost hair. Or Barry Bonds’ testicles. Either way, it was completely unexpected and a little bit exciting.
Heading into the second half of the season, Florida (46-44) looks poised to battle for the NL East’s top spot. For this to happen, they must take care of inferior teams like the Padres (36-55).
Scott Olsen (4-4, 3.96) takes the mound for Florida, hoping to recover from his last start. That would be Friday’s 18-17 slugfest in Colorado in which he gave up eight earned runs. Olsen had a great start to the year going 3-0, but has struggled some of late, culminating in that last disaster. But that’s nothing that pitching against the lowly Padres shouldn’t heal.
Cha Seung Baek (2-4, 4.93) gets the nod for San Diego. He was born in Pusan, South Korea. Pusan sounds like a town that American business men would visit without their family if you ask me. That can’t be a good sign.
I recently watched Anchorman, the story of Ron Burgundy, a moronic San Diego news anchor. In one of many hilarious scenes, Burgundy foolishly tells his date that the name San Diego was actually German for a certain part of a female whale’s anatomy. Burgundy scored a home run later that evening using that line. If only the Padres hit a homerun that often.
The Marlins are leading all of baseball in home runs (128) behind the bats of Dan Uggla, Mike Jacobs and the electrifying Hanley Ramirez. The Padres, meanwhile, are 20th in the league with a paltry 83 dingers on the year. I have watched both this Pads team and Double Team starring Jean Claude Van Damme and Dennis Rodman in the past month. Guess which one was easier to digest?
Baek has given up seven homers in just 30 innings pitched this year. Olsen has allowed 17 in 111.1 innings. Baek’s ratio is about double what Olsen’s is. The Marlins should be practicing their trots before the game.
Even San Diego’s all-time saves leader, Trevor Hoffman, is struggling with the highest ERA of his career (5.14). So an unlikely late Padres lead wouldn’t even be the sure thing it used to be, although I would be very surprised to even see him called to the mound today.
Game Time: 07/09/2008 08:10 PM -
By: LT Profits Sports Group | who2beton.com
Javier Vazquez snapped out of a pitching slump with a Complete Game four-hitter last start, while Brian Bannister continues to struggle. Take the White Sox tonight.
Javier Vazquez of the Chicago White Sox and Brian Bannister of the Kansas City Royals may be off form lately, but the recent performances of these pitchers vs. their respective opponents tonight and a super Chicago bullpen should make the difference.
Besides, Vazquez did appear to turn things around last start, tossing a Complete Game four-hitter with 10 strikeouts in a tough-luck 3-2 loss to the Oakland Athletics, snapping a streak of five straight starts without a Quality Start. He was certainly dominant the last time he faced the Royals last September, allowing two runs on five hits in eight innings with an impressive 13 strikeouts.
Bannister, on the other hand, is showing no signs of improvement, allowing a total of 13 earned runs in just 9.2 innings over his last two starts. He was also hit hard in each of his last two starts vs. the White Sox, which both came last September, as he surrendered a total of 11 earned runs in only 5.2 total innings over two outings.
Finally, Vazquez figures to get more bullpen support if necessary, as the White Sox lead the American League and rank second in the majors with a 2.80 pen ERA, while the Royals rank ninth out of 14 American League teams at 4.00.
Game Time: 07/09/2008 01:05 PM -
By: Al McMordie | bigal.com
Despite owning a 7½-game lead over the Yankees, the Rays know they can't afford to get swept in this mini two-game set in New York. Take Tampa Bay as the road dogs this afternoon.
Our Wednesday afternoon MLB selection is on the Tampa Bay Rays over the New York Yankees in the Bronx.
The Rays came off of their huge three-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox and then followed that up with a thrashing of the Kansas City Royals, taking the first three games of the four-game series by a combined scored of 23-4 before faltering in extra innings on Monday (for which they can be excused for as they got ready to embark on this road trip to New York and were probably saving some of their bullpen in that game). Now Tampa must avoid a letdown against the Yankees because even though they are still 7½ games up, even after New York's 5-0 shutout behind yet another brilliant pitching performance by Andy Pettitte. The Rays know that New York will always be a dangerous opponent, and may be one deadline trade away from becomming a real contender again, especially if they also get some of their injured veterans back shortly after the break.
So Tampa must be thrilled to see today's pitching matchup of their always-improving talented right-hander Edwin Jackson against always-troubled veteran right-hander Sidney Ponson for the Yankees. If you needed any evidence that the Yankee starting staff is in trouble, you needn't look any further. Ponson was all but out of baseball last season, starting only seven games for Minnesota and pitching only about 38 innings. He resurfaced with Texas as a starter at the end of April, until they let him go and he wound up as the latest fill-in for New York.
If you're not good enough for the Texas pitching roster, then that pretty much says it all. Take the Rays.
Game Time: 07/09/2008 08:05 PM -
By: Matt Fargo | 10starpicks.com
Despite losing to the Cubs yesterday, the Reds are still on a good run having won seven of their last 10. Cash Cincinnati as a big dog Wednesday night at Wrigley Field.
The Cubs put a halt to the Reds' four-game winning streak but that is no reason to back off the high-priced underdogs here. Cincinnati is 7-3 over its last 10 games and despite being 12 games under .500 on the road this season, their play away from home has definitely improved.
The Reds are 10-11 over their last 21 roadies following a dreadful 7-18 start through their first 25 away games. Over this recent 10-game stretch, pitching has been the cog as they have posted a solid 3.36 ERA including a 1.93 ERA from the bullpen.
Chicago has been deadly at home and that is part of the reason this price is so high. After sweeping the White Sox in their last homestand, the Cubs were in the midst of a 14-game home winning streak but the Orioles ended that by taking two of three. The pitching has allowed 6.3 runs per game over the last four home games and during the recent 6-8 stretch, they have allowed 5.0 RPG while the offense has mustered four runs or fewer seven times. Since a nine-game win streak, the Cubs are an average 16-15 over their last 31 games.
Edinson Volquez is getting all of the press on the Reds' pitching staff but Johnny Cueto cannot be left out of conversations. He had a rough stretch from mid-April through mid-May, but he has been very solid since. Cueto has given up just six runs in his last four starts and he has allowed three runs or fewer in nine of his last 10 starts with six of those being quality performances. His ERA over that span is 3.64. He has struggles on the road with a 5.49 ERA but all of that came early as his last four roadies yielded a 2.42 ERA.
Carlos Zambrano had a very fine performance in his return from the disabled list as he did not allow a run in six innings against the Cardinals. After posting eight quality outings in his first nine starts through May 12th, he has only four over his last eight. His ERA over those eight games is 4.11 which is up from a 2.03 ERA though those first nine games.
Zambrano has not had much luck against the Reds over the last two seasons as he is 4-4 with a 4.09 ERA. Play Cincinnati for 1½ units.
Game Time: 07/09/2008 08:10 PM -
By: Marc Lawrence | playbook.com
Brian Bannister has been stellar on the Kauffman Stadium mound in Kansas City this season, and that makes the Royals a solid dog play tonight against the Chicago White Sox.
The Royals send Brian Bannister up against Javier Vazquez and the Chicago White Sox in Kansas City tonight in an American League Central division battle.
Make no bones about it; Bannister has enjoyed solid success at home this season (6-4, 3.26 ERA) as opposed to on the road (2-6, 8.14 ERA). That fits nicely into Vazquez' 0-3 mark in his last three road starts with a 5.21 ERA.
Look for Vazquez to fall to 0-6 on the road on Wednesdays here tonight. Back Bannister and the Royals as a live home dog.
Game Time: 07/09/2008 07:05 PM -
By: Alex Smart | who2beton.com
The Astros have dropped seven of their last eight, but get to face Pirates righty John Van Benschoten today and that gives Houston a great shot to avoid the sweep in Pittsburgh.
The Houston Astros (41-50) enter into today's tilt against the Pittsburgh Pirates (42-47) trying to end a four-game winless streak vs the Bucks, which includes losing the first two contests of their current three-game series here in PNC Park.
The Astros have a very good chance of avoiding the sweep as they will have an opportunity to go up against a pitcher, John Van Benschoten (1-2, 10.64 ERA), that has recorded some horrendous numbers during his brief mlb career. The right-handed hurler has the dubious distinction of owning the worst career ERA (9.04) in history among pitchers with at least 75 innings of work. He owns a 1-10 lifetime record along a with a ugly 8.82 ERA in 16 career starts.
Meanwhile, the Astros will respond with the capable Brian Moehler (4-4, 4.13 ERA). The righty thrower has allowed three earned runs or less in eight of his 10 starts this season, and two earned runs or less in five of those outings.
Considering how badly Van Benschoten has pitched for the Pirates in the past, it will be an easy decision to keep fading him until he proves himself competent at this level.
Final Notes & Key Trends: The Pirates have lost 17 of their 24 games after a win.
Game Time: 07/09/2008 07:10 PM -
By: Jimmy the Moose | sportspic.com
The Diamondbacks have fared well in recent times against the Nationals, and get the added bonus of facing a lefty in this one. Back Arizona on the road in Washington.
Arizona has struggled recently but they are facing a team they've had a lot of success against in the past tonight in the Washington Nationals.
The Diamondbacks are 4-1 in their last five games vs. a left-handed starter. Arizona is 5-1 in their last six road games vs. a team with a losing home record.
Washington has lost six straight. The Nationals are 5-13 in their last 18 home games. Washington is 4-10 in their last 14 games as a home dog. The Nationals have lost John Lannan's last five home starts and are 5-16 in his last 21 starts overall.
The D-Backs have won 10 of the last 12 meetings between the clubs. Play on Arizona.
Game Time: 07/09/2008 01:05 PM -
By: LT Profits Sports Group | who2beton.com
Josh Beckett is now pitching like the ace that Boston expected, and there is no reason for him to slip up now. Livan Hernandez may put a lot of men on, but he still gets his share of Quality Starts. Go Under here.
The Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins went Over last night after a 1-0 game in the series opener, but we look for the total output tonight to be closer to the first game of this series than Game 2.
Red Sox ace Josh Beckett is in good form, as he has rattled off four straight Quality Starts and he has seven such outings in his last eight starts. After a bit of a rough start this season, Beckett now has a 3.70 ERA and an excellent 1.11 WHIP, and we see no reason why he cannot dominate the rest of the year like Boston expected him to right out of the gate.
Now Livan Hernandez does put too many men on base for our taste for Minnesota, be he does have three Quality Starts in his last four outings, and his nine wins this season are not a total fluke, as he has made an art out of pitching well with runners on. His first start vs. the Red Sox this season was a typical one, as he allowed 10 hits yet recorded a Quality Start, allowing three runs in six innings of a 7-3 Minnesota win.
While their styles may differ, look for both starters to keep the scoring down in this game.
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