Interleague Action - Round 1
By Kevin Rogers
It's Back
Interleague Play is like eating an entire birthday cake. It seems like a good idea when you start, but then you get sick of it near the end. This Friday begins the 13th installment of your favorite cake, as 28 teams go through the first round of interleague action, with the Cubs and Padres being the lone National League teams that won't participate against their American League counterparts.
The first weekend is usually "rivalry weekend," even though matchups like Colorado at Detroit and Toronto at Atlanta don't exude bitterness. The battles of Ohio, Florida, Missouri, Texas, the Beltway, and the Freeway all take center-stage, along with the premiere showdown of the weekend, as the Mets take on the Red Sox at Fenway Park.
Mets at Red Sox
By far the most exciting pitching matchup of this interleague weekend will take place Friday night at Fenway Park, when Johan Santana takes the hill against Daisuke Matsuzaka. This will be only the third start of the season for Dice-K, who has spent the last six weeks on the disabled list with a right shoulder strain. The Mets, meanwhile, are only 1-3 in Santana's interleague starts, but Santana's teams (Mets and Twins) are 15-4 in his career in IL action. The Mets will see right-handed pitching the entire weekend, as Josh Beckett is slated to pitch Saturday and knuckleballer Tim Wakefield will go on Sunday. The Red Sox are 9-3 when Beckett starts in IL play, but two of those losses have come at home as substantial favorites against Colorado in 2007 (-235) and Arizona in 2008 (-175). The Sox swept the Mets at home the last time these two teams met in 2006.
Phillies at Yankees
The Yankees are starting to heat up, after pulling off a four-game sweep of the Twins at home over the weekend. The Phillies have quietly risen from an early-season slumber, putting together the best road record in baseball. Brett Myers will start Friday night against A.J. Burnett, while Saturday's matchup will pit J.A. Happ against Andy Pettitte. The Sunday matinee battle has veterans Jamie Moyer and CC Sabathia on the hill. The Phillies are just 2-7 in Myers' last nine interleague games. Burnett and Pettitte each have had success in interleague action, with the Blue Jays going 6-2 in Burnett's IL starts, while the Yankees are 10-5 in Pettitte's last 15 IL outings. Sunday will be Sabathia's first look at the Phillies since the Game 2 loss of the NLDS last season, when CC had his shortest outing as a member of the Brewers, lasting 3.2 innings, allowing five earned runs in six hits.
L.A. Angels at L.A. Dodgers
The Freeway Series will try to find some offense, after the final two games last year were decided by 1-0 scores. The game everyone remembers (especially if you backed the Angels), was the Saturday night affair at Chavez Ravine in which Jered Weaver pitched eight hitless innings, but did not receive credit for a no-hitter, while losing the game to the Dodgers, 1-0. Weaver will get his second shot at the Manny-less Dodgers Friday night at Dodger Stadium against lefty Clayton Kershaw. The Halos will send ace John Lackey to the mound Saturday after the righty picked up his first victory of the season Monday night at Seattle. Lackey has been fantastic in IL play, as the Angels are 16-4 in his starts, while going 'under' the total in 14 of 20 games (including three pushes). Dodgers ace Chad Billingsley toes the rubber Sunday afternoon against the surprising Matt Palmer. The 30-year righty has started in five victories for the Halos, including wins over the Red Sox, Yankees, and Tigers.
Milwaukee at Minnesota
Old AL rivals meet up at the Metrodome, where the Twins have owned the Brewers over the years. Minnesota is 10-5 the last 15 meetings in this series, including a 6-3 mark the last nine at the Homerdome. The Twins captured four of the six meetings in '08, including two dominating starts by Friday's scheduled starter Kevin Slowey. The Minnesota right-hander is 11-1 in his last 14 starts at home, while shutting down the Brewers twice last season, allowing two earned runs in 17 IP. Sunday night's game will be televised nationally on ESPN, with Dave Bush and Scott Baker squaring off. Baker has hit the 'over' in 11 of his last 14 home starts, while the Brewers have won six of Bush's last nine interleague starts.
What Else to Look For:
The seven games below all include intriguing pitching matchups. Cliff Lee has pitched better recently, but in six career meetings against the Reds, the 'over' has hit five times, while the Indians are 4-2 against the Reds when Lee starts. Roy Halladay will go for his league-leading ninth victory against the Braves, although the Jays righty has never faced Atlanta in his career. Giants lefty Barry Zito is 1-6 since coming to San Francisco in IL play, but the lone victory did come at Cleveland last season as a 'dog of +165. We know about how dominating Rays righty James Shields is at home, but did you know the Rays have gone 'over' the total in six of Shields' seven road interleague starts.
VegasInsider
By Kevin Rogers
It's Back
Interleague Play is like eating an entire birthday cake. It seems like a good idea when you start, but then you get sick of it near the end. This Friday begins the 13th installment of your favorite cake, as 28 teams go through the first round of interleague action, with the Cubs and Padres being the lone National League teams that won't participate against their American League counterparts.
The first weekend is usually "rivalry weekend," even though matchups like Colorado at Detroit and Toronto at Atlanta don't exude bitterness. The battles of Ohio, Florida, Missouri, Texas, the Beltway, and the Freeway all take center-stage, along with the premiere showdown of the weekend, as the Mets take on the Red Sox at Fenway Park.
Mets at Red Sox
By far the most exciting pitching matchup of this interleague weekend will take place Friday night at Fenway Park, when Johan Santana takes the hill against Daisuke Matsuzaka. This will be only the third start of the season for Dice-K, who has spent the last six weeks on the disabled list with a right shoulder strain. The Mets, meanwhile, are only 1-3 in Santana's interleague starts, but Santana's teams (Mets and Twins) are 15-4 in his career in IL action. The Mets will see right-handed pitching the entire weekend, as Josh Beckett is slated to pitch Saturday and knuckleballer Tim Wakefield will go on Sunday. The Red Sox are 9-3 when Beckett starts in IL play, but two of those losses have come at home as substantial favorites against Colorado in 2007 (-235) and Arizona in 2008 (-175). The Sox swept the Mets at home the last time these two teams met in 2006.
Phillies at Yankees
The Yankees are starting to heat up, after pulling off a four-game sweep of the Twins at home over the weekend. The Phillies have quietly risen from an early-season slumber, putting together the best road record in baseball. Brett Myers will start Friday night against A.J. Burnett, while Saturday's matchup will pit J.A. Happ against Andy Pettitte. The Sunday matinee battle has veterans Jamie Moyer and CC Sabathia on the hill. The Phillies are just 2-7 in Myers' last nine interleague games. Burnett and Pettitte each have had success in interleague action, with the Blue Jays going 6-2 in Burnett's IL starts, while the Yankees are 10-5 in Pettitte's last 15 IL outings. Sunday will be Sabathia's first look at the Phillies since the Game 2 loss of the NLDS last season, when CC had his shortest outing as a member of the Brewers, lasting 3.2 innings, allowing five earned runs in six hits.
L.A. Angels at L.A. Dodgers
The Freeway Series will try to find some offense, after the final two games last year were decided by 1-0 scores. The game everyone remembers (especially if you backed the Angels), was the Saturday night affair at Chavez Ravine in which Jered Weaver pitched eight hitless innings, but did not receive credit for a no-hitter, while losing the game to the Dodgers, 1-0. Weaver will get his second shot at the Manny-less Dodgers Friday night at Dodger Stadium against lefty Clayton Kershaw. The Halos will send ace John Lackey to the mound Saturday after the righty picked up his first victory of the season Monday night at Seattle. Lackey has been fantastic in IL play, as the Angels are 16-4 in his starts, while going 'under' the total in 14 of 20 games (including three pushes). Dodgers ace Chad Billingsley toes the rubber Sunday afternoon against the surprising Matt Palmer. The 30-year righty has started in five victories for the Halos, including wins over the Red Sox, Yankees, and Tigers.
Milwaukee at Minnesota
Old AL rivals meet up at the Metrodome, where the Twins have owned the Brewers over the years. Minnesota is 10-5 the last 15 meetings in this series, including a 6-3 mark the last nine at the Homerdome. The Twins captured four of the six meetings in '08, including two dominating starts by Friday's scheduled starter Kevin Slowey. The Minnesota right-hander is 11-1 in his last 14 starts at home, while shutting down the Brewers twice last season, allowing two earned runs in 17 IP. Sunday night's game will be televised nationally on ESPN, with Dave Bush and Scott Baker squaring off. Baker has hit the 'over' in 11 of his last 14 home starts, while the Brewers have won six of Bush's last nine interleague starts.
What Else to Look For:
The seven games below all include intriguing pitching matchups. Cliff Lee has pitched better recently, but in six career meetings against the Reds, the 'over' has hit five times, while the Indians are 4-2 against the Reds when Lee starts. Roy Halladay will go for his league-leading ninth victory against the Braves, although the Jays righty has never faced Atlanta in his career. Giants lefty Barry Zito is 1-6 since coming to San Francisco in IL play, but the lone victory did come at Cleveland last season as a 'dog of +165. We know about how dominating Rays righty James Shields is at home, but did you know the Rays have gone 'over' the total in six of Shields' seven road interleague starts.
VegasInsider
