Cardinals vs. Astros
Season series: St. Louis leads 9-4
Starting pitchers: RHP Jason Simontacchi (10-5, 4.15 ERA) vs. RHP Roy Oswalt (19-6, 2.84 ERA)
Houston put a halt to St. Louis' eight-game win streak last night with a 6-3 victory in Game 1 of this four-game NL Central series. The win moved the Astros 5 1/2 games behind the Central-leading Cards.
St. Louis arrived in Houston fresh off their second straight series sweep, beating Milwaukee Wednesday, 4-3. The club is now 13-4 in their last 17 games with the loss to the Astros. The Cardinals are also a bankroll-padding 8-3 in their past 11 road affairs. St. Louis' bullpen sports a bat-silencing 1.11 ERA in its last 10 games.
The Cards? bats have continue their consistent performance, knocking in just less than six runs per game during their 8-1 run. The Astros have won six of their last seven, with the 'under' prevailing in seven the squad's last 11 games. Both teams are both batting .285 in their last 10 games respectively.
Roy Oswalt has held a hot hand recently, as he's posted a phenomenal 1.22 ERA over his last nine starts. Houston has reaped the benefits, winning all nine of those efforts. St. Louis has won four of Simonatcchi's last nine starts.
The Cards have a 4-3 edge in seven visits to Astros Field this year.
Dodgers vs. Rockies
Season series: Dodgers lead 10-4
Starting pitchers: RHP Kevin Beirne (1-0, 2.57 ERA) vs. RHP Jason Jennings (16-7, 4.51 ERA)
Colorado blasted Los Angeles last night, 7-1, handing the Dodgers their sixth loss in the past eight games. Thanks to a San Francisco loss, L.A. remains deadlocked with the Giants atop the NL Wild Card standings. The Rockies' victory was their first in the last four tries versus the Dodgers.
L.A. will call on Beirne to turn things around in just his second Major League start. He put up decent numbers -- 1-0, 2.57 ERA -- in nine relief appearances this season. Dodgers manager Jim Tracy expects a solid performance from the young hurler, despite the inherent pressure of a pennant race. Beirne was decent 10-3 with a 4.15 ERA in 22 starts for Triple-A Las Vegas.
Beirne should be weary of the Rockies' .307 batting average at home in Coors Field.
Jennings boasts a solid 9-3 record, despite a heavy 5.57 ERA at Coors Field in Colorado.
Coors sees nearly 12 runs per game cross home plate on average. Jennings has been blessed with 6.8 runs of support per outing from the Rockies' offense.
The Dodgers have lost six of their last seven and have been pitiful at the dish, registering just three runs per game during the skid.
L.A. holds a bankroll-expanding 34-13 record in the second game of a series and that mark is a fantastic 19-6 after a Game 1 loss. The team is also 4-3 as visitors at Coors this season.
Giants vs. Padres
Season series: San Francisco leads 10-4
Starting pitchers: RHP Russ Ortiz (11-10 vs. 3.57 ERA) vs. RHP Brad Lawrence (12-10, 3.54 ERA)
The Padres pulled out a rare victory over the Giants in Game 1 of this four-game set, 3-2. The loss kept San Francisco in a dead-heat with Los Angeles for the top spot in the NL Wild Card race. Ortiz has been on fire recently, tossing his way to a perfect 3-0 record and phenomenal 0.82 ERA over his past three starts. Meanwhile, Lawrence has been solid over the same span, compiling a superb 2.95 ERA. Unfortunately for Lawrence, he was handed a 1-2 mark.
In fact, the Padres have dropped four of Lawrence's last five trips to the hill, thanks to only 1.5 runs of support per loss.
The Giants domination of the Padres has seen two separate three-game sweeps, one in San Diego and one in San Francisco this season. San Francisco has also outscored San Diego 87-49 in 14 meetings this season.
The Giants are 13-5 in their last 18 contests and have won seven of their last nine away from home, including taking two of three from the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The 'over' has appeared in five of the last six tilts between these Californian rivals.
Mets vs. Expos
Season series: New York leads 7-6
Starting pitchers: RHP John Thomson (9-11, 4.67 ERA) vs. RHP Bartolo Colon (8-3, 2.74 ERA)
New York defeated the Expos soundly last night, 8-2, for their fourth win in the last six meetings between these teams.
The Mets have now won nine of their last 11 games, averaging more than seven runs per contest. The 'over' is a profitable 8-2-1 during that stretch.
Colon has been dynamite for the Expos since being acquired from Cleveland earlier in the year. Montreal has won four of Colon's last five starts and the hurler has posted a rock-solid 2.57 ERA over his last three trips to the mound.
Two more wins this season would give Colon his first 20-win season and he'd be just the second pitcher to win 10 games in both leagues in a single year. The hurler should be able to look to the bullpen to hold a lead, as the Expos relieving corps has worked its way to a 1.67 ERA over the team's last 10.
The Expos have dropped five of their last seven away from Montreal.
Season series: St. Louis leads 9-4
Starting pitchers: RHP Jason Simontacchi (10-5, 4.15 ERA) vs. RHP Roy Oswalt (19-6, 2.84 ERA)
Houston put a halt to St. Louis' eight-game win streak last night with a 6-3 victory in Game 1 of this four-game NL Central series. The win moved the Astros 5 1/2 games behind the Central-leading Cards.
St. Louis arrived in Houston fresh off their second straight series sweep, beating Milwaukee Wednesday, 4-3. The club is now 13-4 in their last 17 games with the loss to the Astros. The Cardinals are also a bankroll-padding 8-3 in their past 11 road affairs. St. Louis' bullpen sports a bat-silencing 1.11 ERA in its last 10 games.
The Cards? bats have continue their consistent performance, knocking in just less than six runs per game during their 8-1 run. The Astros have won six of their last seven, with the 'under' prevailing in seven the squad's last 11 games. Both teams are both batting .285 in their last 10 games respectively.
Roy Oswalt has held a hot hand recently, as he's posted a phenomenal 1.22 ERA over his last nine starts. Houston has reaped the benefits, winning all nine of those efforts. St. Louis has won four of Simonatcchi's last nine starts.
The Cards have a 4-3 edge in seven visits to Astros Field this year.
Dodgers vs. Rockies
Season series: Dodgers lead 10-4
Starting pitchers: RHP Kevin Beirne (1-0, 2.57 ERA) vs. RHP Jason Jennings (16-7, 4.51 ERA)
Colorado blasted Los Angeles last night, 7-1, handing the Dodgers their sixth loss in the past eight games. Thanks to a San Francisco loss, L.A. remains deadlocked with the Giants atop the NL Wild Card standings. The Rockies' victory was their first in the last four tries versus the Dodgers.
L.A. will call on Beirne to turn things around in just his second Major League start. He put up decent numbers -- 1-0, 2.57 ERA -- in nine relief appearances this season. Dodgers manager Jim Tracy expects a solid performance from the young hurler, despite the inherent pressure of a pennant race. Beirne was decent 10-3 with a 4.15 ERA in 22 starts for Triple-A Las Vegas.
Beirne should be weary of the Rockies' .307 batting average at home in Coors Field.
Jennings boasts a solid 9-3 record, despite a heavy 5.57 ERA at Coors Field in Colorado.
Coors sees nearly 12 runs per game cross home plate on average. Jennings has been blessed with 6.8 runs of support per outing from the Rockies' offense.
The Dodgers have lost six of their last seven and have been pitiful at the dish, registering just three runs per game during the skid.
L.A. holds a bankroll-expanding 34-13 record in the second game of a series and that mark is a fantastic 19-6 after a Game 1 loss. The team is also 4-3 as visitors at Coors this season.
Giants vs. Padres
Season series: San Francisco leads 10-4
Starting pitchers: RHP Russ Ortiz (11-10 vs. 3.57 ERA) vs. RHP Brad Lawrence (12-10, 3.54 ERA)
The Padres pulled out a rare victory over the Giants in Game 1 of this four-game set, 3-2. The loss kept San Francisco in a dead-heat with Los Angeles for the top spot in the NL Wild Card race. Ortiz has been on fire recently, tossing his way to a perfect 3-0 record and phenomenal 0.82 ERA over his past three starts. Meanwhile, Lawrence has been solid over the same span, compiling a superb 2.95 ERA. Unfortunately for Lawrence, he was handed a 1-2 mark.
In fact, the Padres have dropped four of Lawrence's last five trips to the hill, thanks to only 1.5 runs of support per loss.
The Giants domination of the Padres has seen two separate three-game sweeps, one in San Diego and one in San Francisco this season. San Francisco has also outscored San Diego 87-49 in 14 meetings this season.
The Giants are 13-5 in their last 18 contests and have won seven of their last nine away from home, including taking two of three from the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The 'over' has appeared in five of the last six tilts between these Californian rivals.
Mets vs. Expos
Season series: New York leads 7-6
Starting pitchers: RHP John Thomson (9-11, 4.67 ERA) vs. RHP Bartolo Colon (8-3, 2.74 ERA)
New York defeated the Expos soundly last night, 8-2, for their fourth win in the last six meetings between these teams.
The Mets have now won nine of their last 11 games, averaging more than seven runs per contest. The 'over' is a profitable 8-2-1 during that stretch.
Colon has been dynamite for the Expos since being acquired from Cleveland earlier in the year. Montreal has won four of Colon's last five starts and the hurler has posted a rock-solid 2.57 ERA over his last three trips to the mound.
Two more wins this season would give Colon his first 20-win season and he'd be just the second pitcher to win 10 games in both leagues in a single year. The hurler should be able to look to the bullpen to hold a lead, as the Expos relieving corps has worked its way to a 1.67 ERA over the team's last 10.
The Expos have dropped five of their last seven away from Montreal.
