Afternoon Action
We?ve got day games! Gamblers can get in on the action early and often Thursday with six afternoon affairs on the nine-game slate. Let?s take a look at a pair of games with crucial ramifications on the division races.
**Tigers at Red Sox**
--Las Vegas Sports Consultants opened Detroit as a minus-115 road favorite with a total of nine ?over? (minus-125). Bettors can take the Tigers on the run line (minus 1 ? runs) for a plus-140 payout at some books. At other spots, gamblers can get on the Red Sox on the run line for a plus-170 return (risk $100 to win $170). As of late this morning, most books had the side as a pick 'em with the total at nine flat (minus-110 either way).
--Boston will give the starting nod to Clay Buchholz (1-2, 5.33 ERA), who kept his team in the game in his last start but nonetheless took the loss. Buchholz went six innings and gave up just two runs in a 5-0 loss to the Yankees in the Bronx. The right-hander took a no-decision in his lone home assignment this year, surrendering a pair of runs over 5 2/3 innings of work for a 3.18 ERA.
--Jim Leyland will hand the ball to his ace Justin Verlander, who has a 12-6 record and 3.45 ERA. The hard-throwing righty is 5-5 with a 4.68 ERA in 13 road starts in 2009. Verlander is 1-2 with a 5.49 career ERA against Boston. He is 5-2 with a 1.74 ERA during seven starts in day games this year.
--Boston slugger David Ortiz is 3-for-7 (.429) against Verlander with one double and one home run. Kevin Youklis is 4-for-10 off the right-hander with a pair of big flies. Newly acquired Victor Martinez has the most experience against Verlander, going 11-for-39 (.282) with three doubles and four homers.
--Boston improved to 38-17 at home thanks to Wednesday's 8-2 win at Fenway Park. Jason Bay went 3-for-3 with a two-run homer to propel Terry Francona's team into the winner's circle. The Red Sox remain 5 1/2 games back of the AL-East leaders, the Yankees. They maintain a 1 1/2-game edge over Texas in the AL wild-card hunt.
--Detroit is the owner of an abysmal 23-36 road ledger. Nevertheless, the Tigers have a 1 1/2-game lead over the second-place White Sox in the AL Central.
-- The ?over? has hit in seven straight games for the Tigers. However, the ?under? is 63-47 overall for Detroit, 35-22 in its road games.
--The ?under? is 57-47 overall for the Red Sox, 27-23 in their home assignments.
--The Red Sox have produced a 19-15 record in day games this year. Detroit has thrived in day games, compiling a 25-14 ledger.
--The MLB Network will provide television coverage at 1:35 p.m. Eastern.
**Phillies at Cubs**
--LVSC opened Philadelphia as a minus-125 road ?chalk.? As always, there was no overnight total due to the uncertain wind conditions at Wrigley Field.
--Cliff Lee (9-9, 2.95) will get the call for the Phillies, who acquired the former Cy Young winner before the trading deadline. The left-hander has won both of his starts since joining his new club and has prevailed in each of his last five outings, throwing three complete games during that stretch. Lee is 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA in a pair of career starts against the Cubs.
--Alfonso Soriano is 3-for-11 (.273) with one homer against Lee. Milton Bradley is hitting just .231 with one homer off the lefty in 13 career at-bats.
--Ryan Dempster (6-5, 4.04) has a 4-1 record and 4.62 ERA in eight home starts this year. The veteran right-hander is 4-3 with a 4.76 lifetime ERA against Philadelphia. Dempster is 2-2 with a 4.09 ERA in day games this season.
--Philadelphia shortstop Jimmy Rollins is 9-for-30 (.300) against Dempster with a pair of doubles. Ryan Howard is 1-for-5 (.200) against the righty with a double. Don?t be surprised if Matt Stairs gets a rare start because he absolutely feasts on Dempster, blasting three homers and producing four hits in just seven career at-bats.
--The Cubs own a 12-12 record against southpaws in 2009. They are 31-20 in day games, 33-21 at home.
--Charlie Manuel?s team is 21-12 in day games and improved to 34-19 on the road with last night's 12-5 win over the Cubs.
--The ?under? is 59-49 overall for the Cubs, 28-26 in their home games.
--The ?under? is 54-51 overall for the Phillies, but they have watched the ?over? cash at a 26-24 clip in their road games.
--Dempster will throw the first pitch at 2:20 p.m. Eastern.
We?ve got day games! Gamblers can get in on the action early and often Thursday with six afternoon affairs on the nine-game slate. Let?s take a look at a pair of games with crucial ramifications on the division races.
**Tigers at Red Sox**
--Las Vegas Sports Consultants opened Detroit as a minus-115 road favorite with a total of nine ?over? (minus-125). Bettors can take the Tigers on the run line (minus 1 ? runs) for a plus-140 payout at some books. At other spots, gamblers can get on the Red Sox on the run line for a plus-170 return (risk $100 to win $170). As of late this morning, most books had the side as a pick 'em with the total at nine flat (minus-110 either way).
--Boston will give the starting nod to Clay Buchholz (1-2, 5.33 ERA), who kept his team in the game in his last start but nonetheless took the loss. Buchholz went six innings and gave up just two runs in a 5-0 loss to the Yankees in the Bronx. The right-hander took a no-decision in his lone home assignment this year, surrendering a pair of runs over 5 2/3 innings of work for a 3.18 ERA.
--Jim Leyland will hand the ball to his ace Justin Verlander, who has a 12-6 record and 3.45 ERA. The hard-throwing righty is 5-5 with a 4.68 ERA in 13 road starts in 2009. Verlander is 1-2 with a 5.49 career ERA against Boston. He is 5-2 with a 1.74 ERA during seven starts in day games this year.
--Boston slugger David Ortiz is 3-for-7 (.429) against Verlander with one double and one home run. Kevin Youklis is 4-for-10 off the right-hander with a pair of big flies. Newly acquired Victor Martinez has the most experience against Verlander, going 11-for-39 (.282) with three doubles and four homers.
--Boston improved to 38-17 at home thanks to Wednesday's 8-2 win at Fenway Park. Jason Bay went 3-for-3 with a two-run homer to propel Terry Francona's team into the winner's circle. The Red Sox remain 5 1/2 games back of the AL-East leaders, the Yankees. They maintain a 1 1/2-game edge over Texas in the AL wild-card hunt.
--Detroit is the owner of an abysmal 23-36 road ledger. Nevertheless, the Tigers have a 1 1/2-game lead over the second-place White Sox in the AL Central.
-- The ?over? has hit in seven straight games for the Tigers. However, the ?under? is 63-47 overall for Detroit, 35-22 in its road games.
--The ?under? is 57-47 overall for the Red Sox, 27-23 in their home assignments.
--The Red Sox have produced a 19-15 record in day games this year. Detroit has thrived in day games, compiling a 25-14 ledger.
--The MLB Network will provide television coverage at 1:35 p.m. Eastern.
**Phillies at Cubs**
--LVSC opened Philadelphia as a minus-125 road ?chalk.? As always, there was no overnight total due to the uncertain wind conditions at Wrigley Field.
--Cliff Lee (9-9, 2.95) will get the call for the Phillies, who acquired the former Cy Young winner before the trading deadline. The left-hander has won both of his starts since joining his new club and has prevailed in each of his last five outings, throwing three complete games during that stretch. Lee is 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA in a pair of career starts against the Cubs.
--Alfonso Soriano is 3-for-11 (.273) with one homer against Lee. Milton Bradley is hitting just .231 with one homer off the lefty in 13 career at-bats.
--Ryan Dempster (6-5, 4.04) has a 4-1 record and 4.62 ERA in eight home starts this year. The veteran right-hander is 4-3 with a 4.76 lifetime ERA against Philadelphia. Dempster is 2-2 with a 4.09 ERA in day games this season.
--Philadelphia shortstop Jimmy Rollins is 9-for-30 (.300) against Dempster with a pair of doubles. Ryan Howard is 1-for-5 (.200) against the righty with a double. Don?t be surprised if Matt Stairs gets a rare start because he absolutely feasts on Dempster, blasting three homers and producing four hits in just seven career at-bats.
--The Cubs own a 12-12 record against southpaws in 2009. They are 31-20 in day games, 33-21 at home.
--Charlie Manuel?s team is 21-12 in day games and improved to 34-19 on the road with last night's 12-5 win over the Cubs.
--The ?under? is 59-49 overall for the Cubs, 28-26 in their home games.
--The ?under? is 54-51 overall for the Phillies, but they have watched the ?over? cash at a 26-24 clip in their road games.
--Dempster will throw the first pitch at 2:20 p.m. Eastern.
