Monday's Tip Sheet
Gamblers have a stacked MLB card Monday with each game being played under the lights. The Cubs have come out hot after the All-Star break, but they?ll face an equally hot squad in the City of Brotherly Love. The Dodgers maintain a 7 ?-game advantage in the NL West as they get set to host the Reds in a three-game set.
In the AL, Boston?s John Smoltz will take aim at Texas in search of his second win of the season. With the Red Sox slumping, the Yankees might be able to pull into a first-place tie in the AL East if they can beat Baltimore and Texas can knock off Terry Francona?s squad.
**Cubs at Phillies**
--Philadelphia (51-38, +678) is beginning to create some distance between itself and the rest of the pack in the National League East. The Phillies won their eighth straight game when they knocked off Florida 5-0 Sunday in South Florida. Since getting swept at Atlanta June 30-July 2, Charlie Manuel?s team has won 12 of 13 games.
--Chicago (47-43, -531) got off to the start it wanted after the All-Star break, sweeping four games from the Nationals in Washington. The Cubs pounded the Nats by an 11-3 count Sunday, easily cashing tickets as inexpensive minus-118 favorites. The victory pulled them to within two games of the Cardinals for the lead in the NL Central.
--Ted Lilly (9-6, 3.18 ERA) will toe the slab for the Cubs, who are 20-25 on the road. Lilly has a 1-3 record and 4.88 ERA in four career starts against the Phillies. The veteran southpaw is 2-1 with a 2.11 ERA in his last three outings. For the season, Lilly hasn?t been as effective on the road, posting a 3-5 record and 4.66 ERA in nine starts.
--Philadelphia RHP Rodrigo Lopez (1-0, 3.18) will get the starting nod before most likely going to the bullpen or back to the minors when Pedro Martinez is activated. Lopez has been solid in a pair of starts in his first big-league action since 2007. The Phillies have prevailed in both of his previous outings.
--Philadelphia owns lefties this year, compiling a 21-11 record versus southpaws.
--After sweeping the Marlins, the Phillies now own a seven-game lead over the second-place club in the NL East.
--The ?under? has been a steady money maker for the Cubs, cashing at a 49-38 overall clip and a 25-17 pace in their road games.
--The ?under? is 44-40 overall for the Phillies, 26-17 in their home games. The ?under? is on a 10-4 run in Philadelphia?s last 14 outings.
--ESPN will provide television coverage at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.
**Red Sox at Rangers**
--Boston couldn?t handle Toronto?s Roy Halladay on Sunday, dropping a 3-1 decision to the Blue Jays. The Red Sox are now just one game ahead of the Yankees for the AL East lead.
--Ian Kinsler belted a pair of homers, including a walk-off shot in the bottom of the 12th, to allow Texas to dodge the sweep and beat Minnesota 5-3 Sunday night. The eight combined runs stayed 'under' the 10-run total. The Rangers remain three games back of the division-leading Angels.
--Boston RHP John Smoltz (1-2, 5.40) will make his fifth start for his new team in this spot. He?ll oppose his old teammate with the Braves in Texas RHP Kevin Millwood.
--Smoltz has only pitched four career innings against Texas, holding the Rangers scoreless while scattering two hits and fanning six batters. The future Hall of Famer, who is the only pitcher in MLB history with at least 200 wins and 150 saves, is off his best outing of the year. Smoltz gave up just one earned run in five innings and he fanned seven batters en route to his first win with the Red Sox.
--Millwood (8-7, 3.46) is enjoying one of his best seasons in years, but he has been shelled his last several times out. The veteran right-hander is 0-2 with an 8.83 ERA in his last three starts. Millwood is 5-4 with a 4.07 lifetime ERA against Boston. He worked seven scoreless innings for a victory against the Red Sox earlier this season.
--Boston slugger David Ortiz is 8-for-22 (.364) against Millwood with three homers. Jason Varitek is 11-for-27 (.407) off the right-hander with four doubles, while Kevin Youklis is 6-for-12 (.500) against Millwood with one double.
--Boston is 24-22 in its road games, while Texas has a 29-19 home ledger.
--The ?under? is an MLB-best 55-33 overall for the Rangers, 30-16 in their home games.
--The ?under? is 47-36 overall for the Red Sox, 22-20 in their road assignments.
**Reds at Dodgers**
--Most books are listing Los Angeles (58-34, +1830) as a minus-160 ?chalk? with a total of nine ?over? (minus-115).
--Joe Torre?s team kept a 7 ?-game lead over second-place San Francisco in the NL West by virtue of Sunday?s 4-3 home win over Houston. Matt Kemp hit the go-ahead homer to untie the game in the eighth inning. Brad Ausmus added a pair of RBI doubles for L.A. against his former team.
--Cincinnati (44-47, +28) captured a 5-3 win Sunday over Milwaukee in their series finale. Jonny Gomes slammed a two-run homer in the eighth that proved to be the game winner for the Reds.
--Micah Owings (6-9, 4.94) will take his turn in the rotation for the Reds. The right-hander is 1-1 with a 3.50 ERA in three career starts against the Dodgers. Owings is 2-7 with a 5.40 ERA on the road this year.
--L.A. will counter Owings with Jason Schmidt, who will make his season debut after sitting out more than two seasons (last start: 7/16/07) with shoulder problems. The three-time All-Star has posted a 3-1 record and 3.65 ERA in eight rehab starts in the minors. Schmidt, who has only made six starts since signing a three-year $47 million deal, has a 4-2 record and 5.27 lifetime ERA against the Reds.
--Cincinnati owns a 22-25 record on the road. On the flip side, L.A. is 30-15 at home.
--The ?over? is 45-43 overall for the Dodgers, but they have watched the ?under? hit at a 24-19 clip in their home games.
--The ?under? is 50-37 overall for Cincinnati, 29-17 in its home outings.
--New York LHP Andy Pettitte has enjoyed success galore against Baltimore. The veteran southpaw is 25-6 with a 3.73 career ERA against the Orioles.
--Kansas City RHP Sidney Ponson owns a 7-2 record and 4.30 lifetime ERA against Monday?s opponent, the L.A. Angels.
--Atlanta RHP Tommy Hanson (4-0, 2.85) continues to live up to his considerable hype during his rookie campaign. The hard-throwing righty will face the Giants for the first time Monday night. Hanson?s counterpart in the series opener will be San Francisco LHP Jonathan Sanchez, who will take the mound for the first time since throwing a no-hitter.
--Atlanta RHP Tim Hudson threw two innings and 27 pitches in his first rehab start in Class A on Sunday. Most importantly, Hudson was pain free. The 34-year-old hurler had Tommy John Surgery on Aug. 8 of last year.
--Houston RHP Brian Moehler has a 4-0 record and 4.13 ERA in seven career starts against St. Louis. The veteran righty has pitched extremely well lately, posting a 2-1 record and 1.93 ERA in his last three assignments.
Gamblers have a stacked MLB card Monday with each game being played under the lights. The Cubs have come out hot after the All-Star break, but they?ll face an equally hot squad in the City of Brotherly Love. The Dodgers maintain a 7 ?-game advantage in the NL West as they get set to host the Reds in a three-game set.
In the AL, Boston?s John Smoltz will take aim at Texas in search of his second win of the season. With the Red Sox slumping, the Yankees might be able to pull into a first-place tie in the AL East if they can beat Baltimore and Texas can knock off Terry Francona?s squad.
**Cubs at Phillies**
--Philadelphia (51-38, +678) is beginning to create some distance between itself and the rest of the pack in the National League East. The Phillies won their eighth straight game when they knocked off Florida 5-0 Sunday in South Florida. Since getting swept at Atlanta June 30-July 2, Charlie Manuel?s team has won 12 of 13 games.
--Chicago (47-43, -531) got off to the start it wanted after the All-Star break, sweeping four games from the Nationals in Washington. The Cubs pounded the Nats by an 11-3 count Sunday, easily cashing tickets as inexpensive minus-118 favorites. The victory pulled them to within two games of the Cardinals for the lead in the NL Central.
--Ted Lilly (9-6, 3.18 ERA) will toe the slab for the Cubs, who are 20-25 on the road. Lilly has a 1-3 record and 4.88 ERA in four career starts against the Phillies. The veteran southpaw is 2-1 with a 2.11 ERA in his last three outings. For the season, Lilly hasn?t been as effective on the road, posting a 3-5 record and 4.66 ERA in nine starts.
--Philadelphia RHP Rodrigo Lopez (1-0, 3.18) will get the starting nod before most likely going to the bullpen or back to the minors when Pedro Martinez is activated. Lopez has been solid in a pair of starts in his first big-league action since 2007. The Phillies have prevailed in both of his previous outings.
--Philadelphia owns lefties this year, compiling a 21-11 record versus southpaws.
--After sweeping the Marlins, the Phillies now own a seven-game lead over the second-place club in the NL East.
--The ?under? has been a steady money maker for the Cubs, cashing at a 49-38 overall clip and a 25-17 pace in their road games.
--The ?under? is 44-40 overall for the Phillies, 26-17 in their home games. The ?under? is on a 10-4 run in Philadelphia?s last 14 outings.
--ESPN will provide television coverage at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.
**Red Sox at Rangers**
--Boston couldn?t handle Toronto?s Roy Halladay on Sunday, dropping a 3-1 decision to the Blue Jays. The Red Sox are now just one game ahead of the Yankees for the AL East lead.
--Ian Kinsler belted a pair of homers, including a walk-off shot in the bottom of the 12th, to allow Texas to dodge the sweep and beat Minnesota 5-3 Sunday night. The eight combined runs stayed 'under' the 10-run total. The Rangers remain three games back of the division-leading Angels.
--Boston RHP John Smoltz (1-2, 5.40) will make his fifth start for his new team in this spot. He?ll oppose his old teammate with the Braves in Texas RHP Kevin Millwood.
--Smoltz has only pitched four career innings against Texas, holding the Rangers scoreless while scattering two hits and fanning six batters. The future Hall of Famer, who is the only pitcher in MLB history with at least 200 wins and 150 saves, is off his best outing of the year. Smoltz gave up just one earned run in five innings and he fanned seven batters en route to his first win with the Red Sox.
--Millwood (8-7, 3.46) is enjoying one of his best seasons in years, but he has been shelled his last several times out. The veteran right-hander is 0-2 with an 8.83 ERA in his last three starts. Millwood is 5-4 with a 4.07 lifetime ERA against Boston. He worked seven scoreless innings for a victory against the Red Sox earlier this season.
--Boston slugger David Ortiz is 8-for-22 (.364) against Millwood with three homers. Jason Varitek is 11-for-27 (.407) off the right-hander with four doubles, while Kevin Youklis is 6-for-12 (.500) against Millwood with one double.
--Boston is 24-22 in its road games, while Texas has a 29-19 home ledger.
--The ?under? is an MLB-best 55-33 overall for the Rangers, 30-16 in their home games.
--The ?under? is 47-36 overall for the Red Sox, 22-20 in their road assignments.
**Reds at Dodgers**
--Most books are listing Los Angeles (58-34, +1830) as a minus-160 ?chalk? with a total of nine ?over? (minus-115).
--Joe Torre?s team kept a 7 ?-game lead over second-place San Francisco in the NL West by virtue of Sunday?s 4-3 home win over Houston. Matt Kemp hit the go-ahead homer to untie the game in the eighth inning. Brad Ausmus added a pair of RBI doubles for L.A. against his former team.
--Cincinnati (44-47, +28) captured a 5-3 win Sunday over Milwaukee in their series finale. Jonny Gomes slammed a two-run homer in the eighth that proved to be the game winner for the Reds.
--Micah Owings (6-9, 4.94) will take his turn in the rotation for the Reds. The right-hander is 1-1 with a 3.50 ERA in three career starts against the Dodgers. Owings is 2-7 with a 5.40 ERA on the road this year.
--L.A. will counter Owings with Jason Schmidt, who will make his season debut after sitting out more than two seasons (last start: 7/16/07) with shoulder problems. The three-time All-Star has posted a 3-1 record and 3.65 ERA in eight rehab starts in the minors. Schmidt, who has only made six starts since signing a three-year $47 million deal, has a 4-2 record and 5.27 lifetime ERA against the Reds.
--Cincinnati owns a 22-25 record on the road. On the flip side, L.A. is 30-15 at home.
--The ?over? is 45-43 overall for the Dodgers, but they have watched the ?under? hit at a 24-19 clip in their home games.
--The ?under? is 50-37 overall for Cincinnati, 29-17 in its home outings.
--New York LHP Andy Pettitte has enjoyed success galore against Baltimore. The veteran southpaw is 25-6 with a 3.73 career ERA against the Orioles.
--Kansas City RHP Sidney Ponson owns a 7-2 record and 4.30 lifetime ERA against Monday?s opponent, the L.A. Angels.
--Atlanta RHP Tommy Hanson (4-0, 2.85) continues to live up to his considerable hype during his rookie campaign. The hard-throwing righty will face the Giants for the first time Monday night. Hanson?s counterpart in the series opener will be San Francisco LHP Jonathan Sanchez, who will take the mound for the first time since throwing a no-hitter.
--Atlanta RHP Tim Hudson threw two innings and 27 pitches in his first rehab start in Class A on Sunday. Most importantly, Hudson was pain free. The 34-year-old hurler had Tommy John Surgery on Aug. 8 of last year.
--Houston RHP Brian Moehler has a 4-0 record and 4.13 ERA in seven career starts against St. Louis. The veteran righty has pitched extremely well lately, posting a 2-1 record and 1.93 ERA in his last three assignments.
