Pittsburgh +101
The Pirates have been playing some inspired baseball. The Cubs, well they have not. Tonight Harden will try to get in the win column as the Cubs go to Pittsburgh. The Pirates have won 4 out of 5 and the Cubs have dropped six out of seven. Zach Duke goes for the Bucs tonight and that is a bad sign for the Cubs. They hit a putrid .209 against left handers on the road. Duke will compound problems with the way he has pitched lately. The Pirates have won two out of his last three starts and he is 6-2 when he pitches at home. Harden is 0-2 in his last three while posting an ERA over 5 in that span. Cubs are 5-16 in their last 21 road games and the Pirates are 7-3 in their last 10 games as a home underdog.
Cleveland -105
When you look at this game everything points to the White Sox with the hitting, the recent play, and the starting pitching yet I am going to take the Indians. This actually sets up as a good spot for them. The world thinks they gave up after shipping DeRosa to the Cards, but that is when sometimes come together as a unit. Floyd has trouble on the road and has given up 12 earned in his last two starts at Cleveland. The bullpen for the tribe makes this a shaky play for some but my forecast calls for the Tribe by 4 runs so it won?t be an issue. White Sox are 0-5 in Floyd?s last 5 road starts and the Indians are 4-1 in Pavanos last 5 starts as an underdog. The Tribe surprise.
Play Against
Road teams with a money line of -100 to -150 (CHI WHITE SOX)
with a hot starting pitcher- ERA less than 2.00 over his last 3 starts against opponent with a cold starting pitcher- ERA >= 7.50 over his last 3 starts
87-57 since 1997.
60.4% (41.3 units)
Baltimore +152
If Lester has been hittable this season it has been in road games. He is 3-3 on the road this year with an ERA over 5. The Orioles hit .315 at home against southpaws and had this series circled on their calendar after being swept by the Sox earlier this year. The O?s rested most of the lineup to include Roberts and Mora yesterday to be fresh for this game. Ty Wigginton is hitting .467 in his last seven games and riding a seven game hitting streak. In fact The Orioles lead MLB with a .309 team batting average since June 13. The Red Sox offense has gone quiet over the last few games and that will be exactly what the orioles need to keep them in this game.
Play Against
All favorites with a money line of -110 or higher (BOSTON)
averaging 3.5 or more extra base hits per game on the season, after scoring 4 runs or less 3 straight games
71-56 over the last 5 seasons.
55.9% (36.3 units)
Texas -126
Going against the Angels lately has proven to be a bad move, but not tonight. Texas is confident against the Halo?s after they swept them early in the season and Padilla is pitching lights out this year. He is 2-0 in his last three starts with a flat ERA of just 2.00. O?Sullivan has pitched well for the Halos but gets an average of 6 runs of support per game and that won?t happen tonight. For as hot as the Angles have been the bullpen is still bad between the starter and Fuentes. Texas needs to get a W in this series and make a statement that they are not going away. Rangers are 17-4 in their last 21 vs. American League West and are 12-2 in Padillas last 14 starts after scoring 2 runs or less in their previous game. Angels are 1-5 in the last 6 meetings and lose again tonight.
Rockies / Dodgers Under 8.5
Welcome to the playoffs. That is what this game is going to feel like tonight when the red hot Rockies face off against the Dodgers. The Rockies know that if they want to get back in this race it starts tonight with a win over the first place Dodgers. With that I look for an intense game that leads to a low scoring pitching duel. The Rockies look at this game like a prize fighter. "We are going against an opponent that is the bully on the block," Rockies pitching coach Bob Apodaca said. "They have bloodied our noses, and we haven't thrown a punch back." Both starters may not have a ton of wins but that does not mean they have not pitched well. Jimenez goes for the Rockies and he has 3 earned or less in seven of his last ten starts. Wolf goes for the Dodgers and he goes against a Rockies team that just hits .213 on the road against lefties. In a pitchers ballpark even without an umpire (yet) I will play this game. The under is 7-3 in Rockies last 10 road games vs. a left-handed starter and the under is 11-5 in Dodgers last 16 games vs. a right-handed starter.
~Matt
The Pirates have been playing some inspired baseball. The Cubs, well they have not. Tonight Harden will try to get in the win column as the Cubs go to Pittsburgh. The Pirates have won 4 out of 5 and the Cubs have dropped six out of seven. Zach Duke goes for the Bucs tonight and that is a bad sign for the Cubs. They hit a putrid .209 against left handers on the road. Duke will compound problems with the way he has pitched lately. The Pirates have won two out of his last three starts and he is 6-2 when he pitches at home. Harden is 0-2 in his last three while posting an ERA over 5 in that span. Cubs are 5-16 in their last 21 road games and the Pirates are 7-3 in their last 10 games as a home underdog.
Cleveland -105
When you look at this game everything points to the White Sox with the hitting, the recent play, and the starting pitching yet I am going to take the Indians. This actually sets up as a good spot for them. The world thinks they gave up after shipping DeRosa to the Cards, but that is when sometimes come together as a unit. Floyd has trouble on the road and has given up 12 earned in his last two starts at Cleveland. The bullpen for the tribe makes this a shaky play for some but my forecast calls for the Tribe by 4 runs so it won?t be an issue. White Sox are 0-5 in Floyd?s last 5 road starts and the Indians are 4-1 in Pavanos last 5 starts as an underdog. The Tribe surprise.
Play Against
Road teams with a money line of -100 to -150 (CHI WHITE SOX)
with a hot starting pitcher- ERA less than 2.00 over his last 3 starts against opponent with a cold starting pitcher- ERA >= 7.50 over his last 3 starts
87-57 since 1997.
60.4% (41.3 units)
Baltimore +152
If Lester has been hittable this season it has been in road games. He is 3-3 on the road this year with an ERA over 5. The Orioles hit .315 at home against southpaws and had this series circled on their calendar after being swept by the Sox earlier this year. The O?s rested most of the lineup to include Roberts and Mora yesterday to be fresh for this game. Ty Wigginton is hitting .467 in his last seven games and riding a seven game hitting streak. In fact The Orioles lead MLB with a .309 team batting average since June 13. The Red Sox offense has gone quiet over the last few games and that will be exactly what the orioles need to keep them in this game.
Play Against
All favorites with a money line of -110 or higher (BOSTON)
averaging 3.5 or more extra base hits per game on the season, after scoring 4 runs or less 3 straight games
71-56 over the last 5 seasons.
55.9% (36.3 units)
Texas -126
Going against the Angels lately has proven to be a bad move, but not tonight. Texas is confident against the Halo?s after they swept them early in the season and Padilla is pitching lights out this year. He is 2-0 in his last three starts with a flat ERA of just 2.00. O?Sullivan has pitched well for the Halos but gets an average of 6 runs of support per game and that won?t happen tonight. For as hot as the Angles have been the bullpen is still bad between the starter and Fuentes. Texas needs to get a W in this series and make a statement that they are not going away. Rangers are 17-4 in their last 21 vs. American League West and are 12-2 in Padillas last 14 starts after scoring 2 runs or less in their previous game. Angels are 1-5 in the last 6 meetings and lose again tonight.
Rockies / Dodgers Under 8.5
Welcome to the playoffs. That is what this game is going to feel like tonight when the red hot Rockies face off against the Dodgers. The Rockies know that if they want to get back in this race it starts tonight with a win over the first place Dodgers. With that I look for an intense game that leads to a low scoring pitching duel. The Rockies look at this game like a prize fighter. "We are going against an opponent that is the bully on the block," Rockies pitching coach Bob Apodaca said. "They have bloodied our noses, and we haven't thrown a punch back." Both starters may not have a ton of wins but that does not mean they have not pitched well. Jimenez goes for the Rockies and he has 3 earned or less in seven of his last ten starts. Wolf goes for the Dodgers and he goes against a Rockies team that just hits .213 on the road against lefties. In a pitchers ballpark even without an umpire (yet) I will play this game. The under is 7-3 in Rockies last 10 road games vs. a left-handed starter and the under is 11-5 in Dodgers last 16 games vs. a right-handed starter.
~Matt
